KnitPony

Some Bear and Bunny Friends

 
 

Years ago I made teddy bears and other assorted animals.  I stopped making them after almost everyone I knew had their own special animal.  I've started up again, playing with the mohair.
 
 

Art and Soul Retreat - Viva Las Vegas

I loved the Art and Soul Retreat in Las Vegas.  The women I met (there were some men there but it was overwhelmingly women) were fabulous, friendly and inspiring.  I felt like I was surrounded by friends I just hadn’t met yet. 

The teachers were great.  I had a class with Jane Wynn on Sunday to make “Science Under Glass”.   She was very encouraging to everyone in the class – and it was the first time I’ve soldered anything since high school.   I am very pleased with my necklace and look forward to making more.

 

 

My next class was Thomas Ashman’s Tiny Glass Journal.   That was a more challenging class. I should have know something was up when he had chocolate kisses spread out on the tables to sweeten our moods.  The journal is very cool.  At first I thought – this is so easy but when it came time for the final assembly it was hell.  I gave it a good try for an hour but my book kept falling apart in my hands.  I left dejected but I listened to Patty Smith at full blast on my way home and thought about the mechanics of getting everything together.  When I arrived home, I sat down and started again.  After a few swear words, it came together and I have my journal.  I will probably put together the second one I started, maybe for a gift.  I don’t know if I’ll make anymore.  One thing about the class – we used a plumber’s torch on the 26nd floor of Bally’s.  It just seemed wrong but it was also crazy fun. 

Tuesday I had my super bonus class with Sally Jean, super bonus because my original class was canceled and the wonderful Glenny put me into Sally Jean’s tiara class.  This class was all butterflies, puppies and everything wonderful.  I was so excited that I was able to complete my tiara and I have ideas for more.  I had bought solder equipment after buy her book but was too chicken to just experiment.  Now I feel empowered and creative.  I also realized I need to organize because I could not find crystals I bought years ago at a flea market in Paris and they are somewhere in my studio.

 

My final class was with Stephanie Lee.  I didn’t finish my projects in her class, Selective Seeing, because there is so much more that I want to explore with them.  Stephanie is a great teacher and gives so much of herself.  If I tried to explain the class it would sound weird and contrived but it wasn’t.  Everyone’s work was so different. 

Time to Relax

We are on the downside of the school and show year now.  Mel, Stella and I just returned from Moorpark and the Pony Club's regional Eventing Rally.  I helped organize the rally this year which was very educational for me and time consuming!  Now I can start to relax and Mel can study for finals. 

I have a list of projects waiting for me in my sewing room.  Blouses and tees to finish, a quilt to make, art projects......  I went to the Glass Craft and Bead Expo here in April, took a precious metal clay class in April and had fun shopping for beads, pearls and pmc supplies.  Now it looks like I may find time to make some things.

I have picked up The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper based upon the recommendations of many bloggers.  When I have the opportunity to listen to the Splendid Table on NPR, I enjoy it so much.  Lynne Rossetto Kasper has an amazing voice, I always feel like I'm listening to a dear friend talk about food.  The book has the same tone.  I made a supper salad last night, Mel and AB loved it.  They have been talking about helping me with dinners.  I told AB that he needed to read the salad chapter to start with. 

A picture of Mel and Stella from last weekend:

For the Love of Supplies Valentine Goodness

I have been blogging - In My Mind!   If only I could make my entries just appear as I think about stuff - or may that's not such a great idea.  Computer problems created a big slow down in my life, right as I was ready to jump up and be crafty in the New Year.

I was lucky to participate in Artsy Mama's "For the Love of Supplies Valentine Swap".  Grace in New York was my partner and she put together a wonder package of glittery, pink supplies and treats.  Even the box she mailed was decorated.  I sort of forgot that I would be getting a swap package.  Then on Friday the mailbox locker would not open - the package was jamming the lock.  I was thinking the package was something I ordered for Mel but once the mailman brought it to my house and I saw the pretty valentines on the box, then I remembered.   

Check out these photos of the swap package I received.  Grace sure knows how to put together a package.  I loved her little touches, glitter on the edges of the cups, the extra valentines.  It was Christmas but with a Valentine theme.  Grace doesn't have a blog but she probably should.  Thank you, Grace!

Isn't that the best heart shaped box you've ever seen?  I can't wait to start playing with these supplies. 

Swap Complete

This is what Laurie sent to me for the Sinister and Sweet Swap.  She sent them way before the official mail date so I kept the box out of sight until my stuff was boxed up and mailed out.  On Monday evening, AB took Mel to her vocal lessons and I had a few minutes all to myself.  I sat down with a glass of wine to fully enjoy the moment.  Everything is so cute and it felt like Christmas opening up the packages.  I have the Halloween fairy hanging in my sewing room, the candy boxes are displayed in a window niche.  I'm afraid to put anything out where Victoria can get at it.  She has a talent for shredding paper.  Laurie also sent me a supply of Halloween paper, a cute black and white bag with matching pen (that Mel tried to steal), a glitter "D", a pearl "D" and two cute vintage coaster - and some candy. 

I hope that Laurie likes what I sent to her.  I didn't do much paper crafting, I sometimes feel all thumbs with paper.  I finally realized how everyone got such great gathers on their crepe paper - they sew it.  I've been gluing it into place, trying to pleat it at the same time and sometimes ending up with a big gluey mess.  What a fool I was to not figure this out sooner. 

Laurie - if your packages have not arrived don't look any further or you'll ruin the surprise.

I stenciled two craft pumpkins for Laurie.  That's a jar of gooey eyeballs (better known as chocolate) in the back.  Laurie likes polka dots so I made a little runner from fabric yo-yos.  Continuing with the polka dot theme, I made a pearl and black bead necklace - pearls being the polka dots.  Maybe that's stretching it but I really was happy with the necklace and sad to send it off.  I need to make a similar one for myself now.  I trimmed a little tote bag for Halloween goodies and filled a box with crafting goodies also.  After the picture was taken I decided the box needed something else so I added the word, Nevermore to the top.  Then Mel suggested if I did that I should include the Mr. Poe's poem, "The Raven".  This is the second swap I participated in.  The first was about 3 years ago before I had even heard a lot about blogs. 

Sinister and Sweet Swap

I am participating in Artsy Mama's Sinister and Sweet Swap.   My partner is Laurie at Happy as a Lark Designs.   I feel lucky to be included in this swap and with such a creative partner.  Some artwork created for this swap is aready posted at the Flicker group, the pictures make me itch to get back to working on my projects.  I have several things I am working on...if only I didn't have to sleep!      

At least it is cooling down in Las Vegas, we can start leaving our windows open at night.  I'll start pulling out my fall decorations this week. 

On Friday afternoon I took Mel and another Pony Club friend to a competion in Tehachapi, California.  We started the trip by driving through a hugh rainstorm right after entering California.  It was the first time I've pulled the horse trailer in heavy rain.   The girls had a great time - even though it was rainy and cold on Saturday.  Poor Mel and all the other C level kids ended up riding in the pouring rain - well, it was better them than younger, less experienced kids.   

Wishing for Autumn

I've started working on Halloween projects.  Last weekend I worked on last year's Halloween kit from Teresa McFayden's Paper Bella Studio.  Her kits are great, they are fun to play with and have given me inspiration to try things I wouldn't have.  I couldn't find the kit paper for the moon, so I used some paper I picked up the day before for another project.  I really like the bats flying on the moon.

   

I look longingly at Ulla's blog almost every day.  I envy the people who live close to the Castle in the Air and take classes there.  I've bought some of Ulla's kits when she puts them on Etsy.  I put together a little Halloween theatre based on Ulla's classes.  I studied her pictures and instead of a witch skirt I used a little hinged box I saved for "something".  I covered the outside in Halloween paper and created a little scene within.  When it's time to put it away it closes with a latch.  I may do a little more work on this, I'm not sure yet.

I like my life here in Las Vegas - except for this time of the year when I especially am hating the heat and wishing it was cooler - but I yearn to live closer to places like Castle in the Sky and American Harvest. 

Older Craft Pictures

I made this doll and garland for the Fourth of July  and kept them out all summer.  I'll retire them for the season after Labor Day.  Then I get to think about Autumn decorations...I usually wait until the mornings are cool in Las Vegas.  If I waited until the days were cool I couldn't decorate until close to Halloween.   

Unexpected

I had unexpected alone time last week.  AB is at the Paris Air Show with his father, staying with family friends in a 300 year old farm house.  He has instructions to buy me many fun things at the brocantes.  Last Tuesday, Mel was asked to “big girl sit” her trainer’s daughter at a horse show in Utah.  They both left on Thursday morning.  I decided to take Thursday off to be able see them off with no hurry AND to start my weekend alone. 

I cleaned out my linen closet, getting rid of many sheets, thinking about how other people in blogland might have used them.  I decided that giving them to a charity would net the charity a few dollars and give a chance to local crafters or someone who would just use them as sheets.  I also cleared out most of Mel’s old backpacks, old suitcases, bags, shoes, tons of Mel’s outgrown clothing.   It was fabulous and now I have extra space to put away my sheets, towels, extra blankets and quilts neatly.   I also feel like my head has cleared a little.

I spent the rest of the weekend crafting and sewing.  I will show pictures later because AB took my camera to France.  Friday and Saturday mornings I visited Whisper and Stella, then I spent the day making things.  I made a Fourth of July pennant banner, a Miss Liberty Angel from a very old Amy Butler pattern, cut out some blouses for me, thought about making Mel some stuff, watched movies, read books (Eat, Pray, Love and Chosen by a Horse) and played with paper.  I was hoping to get to playing with my soldering equipement and making some charms but I ran out of time. 

Poor Max was so sad.  He couldn’t understand why we were alone.  He watched out the front door for AB’s car and would run to the garage door and cock his head to listen.  Then he would drag himself back to the door to watch again.  I pulled his bed into my bedroom from Mel’s but he refused to sleep there.  He slept in the hall where he could watch the house.  He would insist on checking the garage when I came home from errands to make sure I wasn’t forgetting AB or Mel in the garage.  He was overjoyed when Mel came home on Sunday and has been sleeping soundly in her room since then. 

Dang - I deleted a post.

It's bad enough that I seem to have trouble posting.  It just makes me mad when I'm double checking a post to delete it on accident.   

Here's the short story.  I got to sew some during the weekend.  Managed to do some organizing in the craft room while searching for glass eyes that I knew were "somewhere".  Didn't find the ones I was looking for, but found some I forgot I had.  I made this chicken, from an old Martha Stewart kit.  I didn't like the instructions, I improvised.  The eyes that Martha included made the chicken look like Marty Feldman - so that's why I was organizing my craft room looking for my own glass eyes.

Here's the chicken: