kalé primitifs

strawberries

2011-06-04T12:10:00.001-04:00

when i was a little girl, i ate so many strawberries, that i broke out in hives.

nowadays, i limit my consumption... but it's very difficult.

it was a perfect day to go to the strawberry patch. before i knew it, i had picked over 10 lbs.

a perfect amount to make jam + a couple of extra quarts to give away.

missed March~ but Hello!

2011-04-03T15:23:00.001-04:00

whew! March has flown by...

i've realized that i probably shouldn't even bother with a blog. really.

but in any case, i'll try to resurrect this lonely place once again.

hehe~ actually, me whining about my absence is a perfect introduction for this artwork by the lovely
Darcey Young ::

aren't they thee best!?!? i'd love to buy one of each print in her shoppe!

her artwork now graces my etsy shoppe. thanks Darcey!

paper whites

2011-02-13T08:44:00.000-05:00

a little late on blooming paper whites!

glad the cat didn't destroy them!

who is longing for Spring?

2011-01-28T19:06:00.001-05:00

i am one who loves winter. with snow. yes, the word a lot of Easterners are cursing.

as kids, we would sled into the wee hours. down the old dirt road {yes- road} from the cemetery to the farmhouse. from the deer path down the side of the mountain, into the orchard. I was just so happy that we didn't have to worry about the bear- he was hibernating!

mom bought us cross country skis. we tried our best to use them as down hills.

i love the muffled quietness after a snowfall.

the neighbors helping neighbors dig each other out.

i am completely aware as i get older, this may change...

for now, i will enjoy every snowflake that falls.

the silence of snow ~ the voyagers

in the shape of a pyramid

2011-01-11T20:38:00.001-05:00

i didn't think i would be concerned about having a new year's resolution.

i guess i 've made {a few} for this year.

i've resolved to make the most of my craft.

to me, this means being true to myself.

individuality. learning. building new things.

christmas for cat. sad the holidays are ending.

2011-01-01T19:21:00.000-05:00

overexposed, but not commercialized.

my simple Christmas tree with pinecones & glitter, and a crocheted garland.

she loved her present!

and such a funny thing she is!

rw's beard

2010-12-17T20:58:00.000-05:00

i've been so cold lately. wish i had this kind of facial hair like my RW. {ok. Not really.}

the white is slowly spreading... i am in love!

new bronze in the shoppe

2010-12-03T21:13:00.000-05:00

fast fire! less energy, less time!

love it! love the consistency, love the finish.

december

2010-12-03T21:05:00.002-05:00

lovely photography from Rosanna Anson.

happy thanksgiving

2010-11-25T15:43:00.000-05:00

music for my soul

2010-11-14T10:09:00.001-05:00

i sooo love these gals!!

shop update

2010-11-14T09:55:00.005-05:00

earrings!

and these flax blossoms- i haven't made these in probably a year.

i was happy to see them again! :)

...................

front pages make my day

2010-11-09T18:14:00.000-05:00

i'm a simple girl. i love when my curation is on the front page of etsy!

happy halloween~ new work in progress, fall forest

2010-10-31T15:39:00.000-04:00

so last evening, we returned home to see a black cat {who we spooked} in our yard... i think he was hunting.

black cat- halloween- superstition! i loved it!

photo by ara133photography

.........................

not the clearest photo... shiny silver pieces awaiting the tumbler & patina bath.

there are new items, i can't wait to list in the shop!

fern lined fall pathway. my home.

"lake wobegon...

2010-10-22T17:38:00.001-04:00

where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and the children are above average." ~garrison keillor

we went to the live broadcast show last night. i thoroughly enjoyed myself. i'm pretty sure my husband did too.

even though he did mention that we were the youngest in this audience {again}.

we've been listening to this show for 20+ years- which means when we were in our older teen years, yep we were there...

and the next time these guys ever do a live show within 100 or so miles, i am definitely there!

(hmm... why haven't we seen them in the past 4 years that we've been listening to them?)

oh and sara watkins makes me bawl like a baby when she sings.
i think it's because i've seen her sooo many times at the beginning stages of her career, when her & her bro sean played with chris thile in nickel creek. i had to wipe away the tears every time she sang last eve... big baby.

refreshing creek walking~ but not with officially waterproof boots

2010-10-15T20:08:00.000-04:00

i need to commune with nature.

after crossing the shallow part barefoot, resting on a tree root.

winding cold water.

rainy days and mondays always get me down

2010-10-04T20:25:00.000-04:00

a cold and rainy Monday greeted us today.

on days like this, i usually wake up and realize i can't move.

my one leg is being held captive by the cat {who is only there because he is cold}.

and the other side is sandwiched in by the husband~ who is reluctant to face any part of a monday at all without a pronounced curse.

the day was pretty much a drag for the most part. until i saw my etsy treasury.

and wow eight, 8! of the 16 items sold!

Copper clay ready for the kiln + results

2010-10-01T17:39:00.001-04:00

i finally got around to working with the copper... i really like the texture.

the firing schedule was a bit tricky to figure out. but after two firings, i think i have it.

most of these are listed in the shop. two have already sold! :)

these tranquility earrings are still available

o little owl athene necklace. {i love this chain, i can't believe i've never used this type before!}

front page celebration~ yay for allergies?

2010-09-02T19:58:00.001-04:00

so i was inspired by having the most annoying allergies last week... made this treasury... and front page news happened! yay for honey & bees!

current favorites

2010-08-12T20:24:00.000-04:00

this raw porcelain fox is so sweet.
from nestingemily. {one of my long time etsy favorites}.

vintage recipe cards. they remind me of baking with my grandmother & great Aunt.
i love the old family recipes that have the side notes- for example, "Grandma says she never adds 1/4 c. flour."
from AlicesLookingGlass.

the most darling jacket ever.
from ForetLA.

pouchlets

2010-08-03T21:12:00.000-04:00

a simple wallet from woodroots. i love the raw edges & unlined insides.

the sweetest little pouch you ever did see. vintage from restlessgeneralstore.

stripes! from dslookkin.

new etsy finds

2010-08-02T19:38:00.000-04:00

i love this reindeer watercolor by the artist pulsatilla.

i saw her work on the front page, and fell in love with her work~ and her shop name.

plus i read the reindeer people earlier this year. still really intriguing!

this little souvenir teepee reminds me of the trinkets we used to bring home from trips out west as kids. {although my fave souvenirs were matchbooks with all of the Indian chiefs on them.}

this is still available in Marie's Vintage shop!

i just unearthed a dreamcatcher {hence the post}, that a friend had made years ago.

i love this copper bracelet created by ourfrontyard.

new circus series

2010-07-28T19:13:00.001-04:00

Hannah and Handsome her Horse

Lars the Lion and Elsa the Elephant

i came across a wonderful set of vintage buttons while out treasure hunting.

i created molds from them and made these bronze pieces.

the way the bronze picks up detail, amazes me every time...

there is a seal, a caged tiger, and a clown yet to be seen!

p.s. edit. note. >

when these buttons were created, animals were still performing in the circus.

and to look at these makes me cringe a little with sadness for all who may have been mistreated.

more enchantment

2010-07-28T18:19:00.000-04:00

it was like walking into another realm...

across the creek.

abandonment to start a new life.

a summery day in the garden of enchantment

2010-07-03T17:32:00.000-04:00

i love the haphazardness of this garden. reminds me of my life.

monoliths

compost

colorado rainbow

2010-06-09T19:42:00.000-04:00

if you look close you can see it.

i love colorado.

proud sista!

2010-05-25T19:40:00.000-04:00

i am really really elated that my baby bro graduated from college two weeks ago!

i know it was a long & tough road for him. but he made it! and i am soooo proud!!

some graduation presents that i made.

for him::

and for his girl, who is a pretty much a genius { & a talented artist as well }::

i know that they are bound for greatness...

my future herb garden & growing kitty cats

2010-04-18T17:15:00.002-04:00

yay! i went on an herb shopping spree this weekend...

peppermint, rosemary, marjoram, variegated spearmint, greek oregano, lavender, chives, purple sage, thyme,

basil, a no-name mystery?, parsley, irish moss {non-herb, but had to have it!}, and finally dill. whew!

and this:

telling me i'm taking too long getting my baskets planted...

i wanna go!

2010-04-18T12:00:00.000-04:00

love the euphorbia in these flowers from a mother's day ad from terrain

i have not visited since it was only known as Styer's and fabulous, i can only imagine how wonderful it is now!

enchanted euphorbia

2010-04-09T19:19:00.001-04:00

yay for Spring! we have three varieties of euphorbia right now!

sure, they can sure be smelly- ok stinky- but i love their alien nature!

just two of the three...

still waiting for the other to bloom- a purple leaf variety!

happy easter

2010-04-04T09:44:00.001-04:00

i miss celebrating Easter as a kid... our grandmother bought us new dresses {usually from the Sears catalog},

and we had to learn a recitation for the Sunday morning church service- which we didn't like so much.

but the best thing was going downstairs Easter morning to find my great Aunt's Easter baskets.

they were usually huge gift baskets filled with wonderful goodies~ homemade chocolate peanut butter & coconut eggs, plastic eggs filled with toys...

{martha stewart}

...because really, hers are thee best & come the closest to my childhood memories.

my great Aunt's Easter egg tree {circa 1990}

Easter Sunday in our dresses {circa~ a long time ago!}

somehow we always had similar haircuts.

clothe me

2010-03-30T22:32:00.000-04:00

clothing wants ::

i love the stripey top especially. from modaspia.

love soft, cozy & comfy + cotton & hemp...

made by salts.

treasury hunting

2010-03-15T21:06:00.000-04:00

here are a few favorites i found while 'treasury' hunting on etsy.

i have two of these {mine are the modern versions from Martha Stewart}.

but i really love this one... sorry it sold too...

from liittlebyrdvintage

this sweet brooch is from nomoi

and! one of these days i will treat myself to one of unitedthread's wonderful

paintings. i'm on a rooster roll too...

in the mail

2010-02-22T19:11:00.000-05:00

look what i received in the mail...

it is so wonderful! i have to decide what words i will fill it with...

please visit their lovely shop here

after the storm

2010-02-07T17:54:00.000-05:00

all is quiet.

lovely photography

2010-01-31T10:15:00.000-05:00

i found these images this morning & had to post them for inspiration...

i really love the circus collection.

photography by Rosanna Anson

well surprised i am

2010-01-27T17:59:00.000-05:00

just realized this was on the front page two weeks ago!

this is becoming a habit again...

i took a long break from it. and now i'm kind of too much in a creative slump to work in my studio.

so, what else to do? grab a hot cup of tea & put together a treasury of 'course!

update on mr. brooklyn {{Edit:: Mr. Shakir is his name now}}

2010-01-23T15:52:00.003-05:00

he is settling into his new home just fine.

{now only if my mom would stop overdosing him on catnip...}

haitian art

2010-01-14T21:11:00.001-05:00

my heart is saddened for the people of Haiti.

what is very strange to me is, that last week while at a trade show, i purchased these two pieces of art::

these beautiful sculptures are crafted from flattened steel oil drums.

they are made by sculptors in Haiti.

they are even more special to me now.

meet mr. brooklyn

2009-12-13T17:55:00.000-05:00

i thought that he needed a proper introduction!

my sis rescued him from the streets of the city a couple of months ago.

he needed immediate medical attention, as his paw was completely mangled.

miraculously, he has healed well and gets around just fine!

while my mother and i were driving him to his new home (with her), she said, "...that's his name, Brooklyn".

{well, and we were listening to the Avett Brothers. :) }

a best seller

2009-12-03T18:27:00.000-05:00

these vintage birdies are by far my best seller. i don't even own a pair for myself.

i say to myself, 'this pair is for me.' but no! they end up in the shop & go home with the sweetest of folks!

it is true!

happy thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T16:37:00.000-05:00

a grateful day for us here at our home.

semi~quiet, {must have music} just cooking for me and my husband~ who is supervising. making sure i don't overcook the lamb.

we listened to what has been our traditional Thanksgiving Day song for the past maybe 10 years~ 'Alice's Restaurant'. dear Arlo Guthrie.

i am thankful for {the short list} ::

1. my husband

2. family {they ultimately still love me & my many flaws}

3. friends who remain friends after many years {ditto, well... maybe...}

4. good food

5. life { i am still living! }

6. music to carry me through

7. oh yeah, the wonderful community of etsy!

artzink

soaring wings

2009-11-12T20:09:00.000-05:00

so i carved these angel wings for someone i was once very close to.

for her birthday. i sent it in the mail today.

i hope it means something to her, since creating them for her meant a lot to me too.

happy happy!

2009-10-29T18:28:00.002-04:00

oh i was soooo ecstatic to find i was on the front page today... it has been months!

a warm thank you to KaurFunktion for the fabulous bronze treasury!

freshly fired

2009-10-25T22:16:00.003-04:00

well, i'm happy to report that this batch has vibrant patinas!

{...and i have lost a small elusive piece... it will turn up 3 firings from now.}

i hope to have a few of these finished this week!

golden post

2009-10-24T18:55:00.011-04:00

oh orange marmalade kitties!

{photo found on ffffound!}

some bronze pieces ready to go into the kiln.

i can't wait to see the patinas~ i still 'ooohhh & ahhh' when i fish them out of the coals!

... and well, & the occasional frustrated moment... of not being able to find that really small, elusive piece that's seems forever lost.

{my sweet marjji ginger kitty looks on... i love her...}

i am on a fox crazzzze!

{art by ty wilkins}

i like this. this will be a new daily affirmation.

{from ffffound)

front page!

2009-10-15T18:48:00.001-04:00

made my day!

are you happy

2009-09-28T19:59:00.006-04:00

:: really, this is it. ::

from Blog.H34 Alex Koplin

oh autumn... out and about

2009-09-26T19:50:00.008-04:00

the dog had a good run, as did we.

(well, fast paced walk)

i was instantly reminded how much i love autumn.

my new shop

2009-09-26T18:51:00.008-04:00

oh i opened a new shop!

i am still building my inventory as i have time.

so, tundra dear it is. (more about this name later.)

here is my new logo, thanks to spreadthelove.

the etsy metal clay charm swap ~ all of our charms!

2009-09-26T18:22:00.004-04:00

: the etsy metal clay team charm swap :

lots & lots of talented artists on this team.

this is a sampling of what we received!

breaking the silence

2009-09-26T18:13:00.004-04:00

busy summer, but here is what i've been up to ::

the etsy metal clay team had a charm swap!

here were mine...

(i have to admit, of 'course i procrastinated to the very last minute. so there were things that i really wanted to do...)

our 'groundhog killer'

2009-06-18T19:27:00.005-04:00

... this was a run during winter~ look at that black tongue!

he means business in this neck of the woods!!

treasury shrine

2009-06-12T20:07:00.010-04:00

6.10.09 front page.

hmmm. etsy admin picks for 'Father's Day'?

ok! i'm in!! :)

snappingtwig has been an angel to me over the past year!

it is always an honor to have her select one of my items! thank you!!

6.07.09 front page

6.01.09 another admin selection!

please don't accuse them of playing favorites!

happy happy am i!!!

another dual of etsy front pages

2009-06-02T18:41:00.006-04:00

who knew? not me!

my curation on the front page on 5.27.09

... and then SpringJuste's lovely on the same day!

sunday stroll

2009-05-27T18:43:00.007-04:00

wild native geranium

mr. hiding snapper himself. the dog had no interest of getting in the water that day.

maybe that's why-- he didn't want to lose a leg & have his name be changed to Gimpy.

2009-05-16T21:57:00.002-04:00

here he is, in all of his silver glory!

i've been working on him for months it seems.

now do i want to part with him?

my studio buddy

2009-05-16T21:05:00.007-04:00

mao, having a seat with me while i was working.

he was recovering from a tantrum.

i let him have a taste of 'outside' since i was sifting my bronze pieces out of the coal carbon.

he was not happy when it was time to go in!

see- he's really a viper!

an amazing front page!

2009-05-14T08:11:00.005-04:00

well this is a bit delayed, but you know me... i just have to post it anyway!

many thanks to bubbletime for the lovely feature!!

i just love her creations & her photos are perfection! :)

fly

2009-05-03T18:31:00.008-04:00

two favorite prints of the week

free spirit from shirae

branching out from corid

a double blessing!

2009-05-01T18:13:00.003-04:00

how could i be so lucky? this one was an admin selection!

and this amazing list was created by the master herself, stylinstuff

thank you!!!

2009-04-28T17:59:00.002-04:00

just have to share my front page of etsy today!

....(yes, i still get excited & announce it to everyone!)

ants & ants & ants oh my!

2009-04-26T09:14:00.004-04:00

ok, these dishes from baileydoesntbark are what my kitchen is looking like these days... well, not this bad~ only the occasional ant wondering around! BUT, i am determined that i will not share my Cheerios with these guys any longer!!!

refreshed & inspired

2009-04-20T20:57:00.011-04:00

i had a wonderful afternoon at this beautiful garden.

it was a most beautiful, warm spring day! The property also has an 18th century cabin, just breathtaking... an artist's dream space!

a thoughtful bench

a tropical retreat! complete with bromeliads, and tree frogs!

a fence created from the previous season's ornamental grasses

every post is a 'Front Page' this week!

2009-04-10T18:43:00.005-04:00

a happy spring green treasury for today!

an etsy admin selection : )

and finally the lovely Becky from tortillagirl!

Hyacinth

2009-04-09T23:49:00.002-04:00

thank you etsy, for posting my treasury on the front page.

2009-03-28T14:25:00.003-04:00

One day as I was wondering around etsy, I found this sweet, new shop, La Marquises des Anges.

Please visit her, and support a new etsy seller!

2009-03-08T10:05:00.003-04:00

it pours when it rains

oh the happiness of treasuries!

2009-01-19T19:50:00.005-05:00

thank you to valleybelow for having my earrings in your fabulous treasury!

i came home from work to lots of hearts, to realize we were on the front page today!

treasuries are one of the most amazing, useful, etsy tools to get undiscovered artists noticed. when creating a treasury, i look for items and shops that may not have as many views, or are new to etsy. and even if they don't get handpicked for the front page, it's a wonderful feeling to be included!

Christmas treasury

2009-01-04T19:25:00.005-05:00

This was a wonderful surprise! To be on the front page of etsy on Christmas Day. Thank you LoraHart for your beautiful treasury.