Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
TERRIFYING TRANSITIONS
SOOOO I have been a very bad blogger for a whole long time now! First reason being...no polymer clay project has been accomplished & I PROMISED IN MY LAST POST THAT I WOULD NOT BLOG AGAIN UNTIL I HAD MADE SOMETHING!!!!!! Well, then along came life & chaos involved in remodelling the whole blasted house. A bladder surgery also ensued and a two & a half long visit from my long lost friend of years past and and ...yadda yadda yadda
Basically, I am COPING with a whole lotta changes in life as I knew it for the past 8 years. AND I realize that the whole CHANGE thing is JUST BEGINNING!! The photo I have put up this time shows my adorable (GORGEOUS) almost four year old granddaughter, ELLA with her friends already starting to BEAD without ME!!!! HOW CAN THAT BE??????????????
She is the sweetie in front on the left beaming her show-stopping smile at the camera.
THIS is one of the MANY MANY reasons I am hustling to get this house ship-shape for selling so I can be joining my little honey bunny ELLA & her AMAZZZZZING brother, Mylz in NC ......ASAP!!!
Oh, and a sling of some sort to prevent my stress incontinence was put in me on July 6th at Oro Valley Hospital, Oro Valley, AZ by Dr. Peters. She did a superb job but the real Kudos go to the staff of the Oro Valley Hospital who were simply the best medical caregivers I have EVER experienced. And believe me, in the past 8 years, I have experienced a ton of medical personnel...most of whom should never have been called "CARE"-givers!
My friend of 40 years was a life-saver. She has serious health issues of her own but she drove about 180 miles from Sun City, AZ (NW of Phoenix) just to be here for me through my own mini medical crisis. Thank You Jeanette, even though you don't own a computer & pretty much don't believe in them.
My method to avoiding the remodel CHAOS is simple. Squeaker (you all KNOW my soul mate by now) and I 'hole up' in my bedroom and either sleep, read, knit, bead, crochet or listen to the radio & chill during the entire noisy messy session of hard work going on around us. TODAY, however, BIG CHANGES will be made! I MUST relinquish the final room to be scraped of wallpaper, popcorn ceiling disposed and new paint restored....OUR SANCTUARY....my bedroom for the past 8 years.
SCARY as it is for this dutiful only child...I AM MOVING INTO MOTHER'S MASTER BEDROOM!! Yup I am gathering courage as we speak and preparing for the HUGE transition. I will provide photos later.....so stay tuned ya'llll
Basically, I am COPING with a whole lotta changes in life as I knew it for the past 8 years. AND I realize that the whole CHANGE thing is JUST BEGINNING!! The photo I have put up this time shows my adorable (GORGEOUS) almost four year old granddaughter, ELLA with her friends already starting to BEAD without ME!!!! HOW CAN THAT BE??????????????She is the sweetie in front on the left beaming her show-stopping smile at the camera.
THIS is one of the MANY MANY reasons I am hustling to get this house ship-shape for selling so I can be joining my little honey bunny ELLA & her AMAZZZZZING brother, Mylz in NC ......ASAP!!!
Oh, and a sling of some sort to prevent my stress incontinence was put in me on July 6th at Oro Valley Hospital, Oro Valley, AZ by Dr. Peters. She did a superb job but the real Kudos go to the staff of the Oro Valley Hospital who were simply the best medical caregivers I have EVER experienced. And believe me, in the past 8 years, I have experienced a ton of medical personnel...most of whom should never have been called "CARE"-givers!
My friend of 40 years was a life-saver. She has serious health issues of her own but she drove about 180 miles from Sun City, AZ (NW of Phoenix) just to be here for me through my own mini medical crisis. Thank You Jeanette, even though you don't own a computer & pretty much don't believe in them.
My method to avoiding the remodel CHAOS is simple. Squeaker (you all KNOW my soul mate by now) and I 'hole up' in my bedroom and either sleep, read, knit, bead, crochet or listen to the radio & chill during the entire noisy messy session of hard work going on around us. TODAY, however, BIG CHANGES will be made! I MUST relinquish the final room to be scraped of wallpaper, popcorn ceiling disposed and new paint restored....OUR SANCTUARY....my bedroom for the past 8 years.
SCARY as it is for this dutiful only child...I AM MOVING INTO MOTHER'S MASTER BEDROOM!! Yup I am gathering courage as we speak and preparing for the HUGE transition. I will provide photos later.....so stay tuned ya'llll
Saturday, May 22, 2010
FANTASY CLAY on ARTFIRE.COM
This is my next dream...I wanna play with clay...
but I have said that before, so what's the delay?
(I should maybe be a poet, too?)
(I should maybe be a poet, too?) I think it is pretty evident from how slack I am with my blog postings that I am a PROCRASTINATOR extraordinaire!!! Maybe not so much a slacker as a "what is the most important 'need' right nower"....Because I do stay busy at my beading and such.
I just find these cute little poly clay works of art by other artisans so darned cute and original.
The studio I am promoting from ARTFIRE in this little blurb is:Isn't taking old battered switchplate covers and turning them into artistic masterpieces just the greatest idea? I wanna do that. And the darling little teddy bear miniature complete with mask and little pumpkin would be such a cute ooak collectible piece.
OR how about this bright and sunny FLOWER wall hanging to brighten any room and it is designed with BEADS (I know about them, a little)...I wanna make this kinda thing!
Maybe I have to make a committment to ATTEMPT SOME POLYMER CLAY CREATION before my next blog post and include a photo of it...no matter how pathetic it may be. YUP! That is my goal.
I must admit, after the demos at the FAIR I have been kept quite busy teaching classes in what I know to other folks here at my home.
So life is GRAND and getting grander day by day!
Namaste
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
PIMA COUNTY FAIR, Tucson, AZ
The Pima County Fair comes every Spring to the Southwestern Desert. It is an event I wouldn't miss and haven't since 1976.
I have demonstrated "some" craft I was involved with every year since my return from Alaska in 1975. In Alaska my daughter, April, then a bitty baby, took the prize for the "smallest feet" at the County Fair in Fairbanks. I used to enter the Fairs too, but I simply cannot store ANYMORE ribbons, anywhere....and I am not saying that to brag.
The FAIR has added a whole variety of demonstrations of arts, hobbies & crafts in Old Pueblo Hall where I demonstrate beadwork every year now since 1993. More than one fair visitor commented to me on how much they LOVE to come just to watch the working artists. 
The example above is a GOURD carved & painted to appear as an owl in a tree. Old Pueblo Gourd Patch puts on a wonderful entry exhibit as well as presents many fabulous local gourd artists to demonstrate each year. Their membership is spectacular and if you are in the least bit interested in gourds contact oldpueblogourdpatch@mail.com or me & I will tell you their particulars.
I always love the day the spinners and weavers come to demo at the FAIR. The lady pictured above, Jill Holbrook, has been a friend of mine for a very long time. She makes it look sooooo easy. Trust me, I have a wheel, tried to learn to spin and discovered I was the most spastic person on the planet. Doubt i could chew gum and walk at the same time.
This being an primary election year we had our share of politicians in the build. None surprised all of us like the former presidential candidate who stopped by. Senator McCain dropped in and it was not the adversary turmoil or chaos you see on the news. He was totally approachable, cordial, human and behaved just like an average fair attendee. He mingled with his constituents so casually one might have missed him. Thanks for coming by, John.
I have demonstrated "some" craft I was involved with every year since my return from Alaska in 1975. In Alaska my daughter, April, then a bitty baby, took the prize for the "smallest feet" at the County Fair in Fairbanks. I used to enter the Fairs too, but I simply cannot store ANYMORE ribbons, anywhere....and I am not saying that to brag.
The 2010 PC Fair was the 99th year! I couldn't believe that one. So the first county fair here in Pima County took place in 1911...a year before Arizona became a state. AMAZING!!
My own experience with the FAIR began as a tot since I was born in Tucson in 1949. I remember a few little rides and a couple bigger ones and the stinky animal barns when they occupied what is now the Rodeo Grounds in Southern Tucson.
The FAIR and fair grounds are no longer the possessions of PIMA COUNTY. They are privately owned and are for profit now. I have seen a whole lotta changes in the years. Adult entries in Home & Fine Arts have fallen off significantly even though the county has grown tremendously in population...SAD, but true.
The photo above is my display case at this year's FAIR.
The FAIR has added a whole variety of demonstrations of arts, hobbies & crafts in Old Pueblo Hall where I demonstrate beadwork every year now since 1993. More than one fair visitor commented to me on how much they LOVE to come just to watch the working artists.
The participation by schools of children's artworks has also grown immensely and I for one, think that is inspirational. What the youth of today need is artistic outlets to raise their self-esteem, instill discipline and release the creative muses within them.
Senior citizens need this also...I know, I am one!! Above photo of a hand carved wooden saddle is a prime example of the undiscovered talent in our seniors. William Milligan, who is the artist of that piece, told me he never tried carving wood until he retired 16 years ago. His specialty is birds that appear so real, people get angry with him for stealing feathers...but he doesn't. He carves each feather so intricately that they feel real, even to the touch.
The example above is a GOURD carved & painted to appear as an owl in a tree. Old Pueblo Gourd Patch puts on a wonderful entry exhibit as well as presents many fabulous local gourd artists to demonstrate each year. Their membership is spectacular and if you are in the least bit interested in gourds contact oldpueblogourdpatch@mail.com or me & I will tell you their particulars.
I always love the day the spinners and weavers come to demo at the FAIR. The lady pictured above, Jill Holbrook, has been a friend of mine for a very long time. She makes it look sooooo easy. Trust me, I have a wheel, tried to learn to spin and discovered I was the most spastic person on the planet. Doubt i could chew gum and walk at the same time.
This being an primary election year we had our share of politicians in the build. None surprised all of us like the former presidential candidate who stopped by. Senator McCain dropped in and it was not the adversary turmoil or chaos you see on the news. He was totally approachable, cordial, human and behaved just like an average fair attendee. He mingled with his constituents so casually one might have missed him. Thanks for coming by, John.
I have about a gazillion photos of the FAIR to share, but only 5 are allowed per post. So I recommend you go to my flickr page, picassa page or my facebook page to catch a glimpse of them all....you will be happy you did!
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