Thursday 31 January 2008

Attic Treasures


Want to show you a couple of treasures we pulled out of the attic.  We have a large garage with an attic that was filled with all kinds of junk when we moved in 13 years ago, like an old, oily car engine and other such crap.  There was also a huge stack of old windows and doors that had been in the house at some time over the past 100+ years, plus old wood trim and some furnishings.

This pink door was one of them!!!  So a few years back we pulled it out and mounted it on the wall for a headboard.  Isn't that cool?  I love it.  It's my favorite shade of pink ( I call it '30's pink because it reminds me of that period).          




And see this other pink door (behind the little blue chest)?  It was an old closet door of some kind in the house at one time, but we found it in the attic, too.  And the little blue chest?  Also buried in the attic!  There was one really messed up side-table thing with a door on the front that I gave to my woodworker brother-in-law.  I thought it was hopeless, but he transformed it.  Now I wish I had it back.
The crazy thing is, we have never really gotten to the bottom of everything that's in that attic, so who knows what might still be there.  My mom is a history freak, and she keeps hoping we'll find an old journal or diary, but so far, only wooden treasures.  I'm not complaining, though.  How many of us get the fun of a never-ending attic??!!!

Vignettes


Easter is coming before we know it, so I'm thinking about chicks and rabbits and trees that produce eggs!  Oh, and sparkly sheep.  quite a contrast between the springtime inside and the dull,wintry landscape outside...


This little bugger didn't photograph well at all.  There's a lot going on in this vignette that doesn't show up here, like a fluffy, "spun sugar" tree of yellow, a pink cone tree with pearls,
quilted hearts, sparkly stars and eggs in a basket, a papier mache rabbit, flowers and a banner that says, "Remember When..." .  It's all built on a 2-level platform of papier mache covered in grass.  


I'm tired of excuses.  I'm getting that new camera.

OH, OH!




I'm in trouble.  Remember I was lamenting about not having taken down Christmas decorations yet?  Well,  Darly from pearls 'n' peapods commented that in her neck of the woods its okay to leave up your twinkle lights, snowmen, etc. as long as there's still snow on the ground, but if you still have a Santa up, you're considered lazy.  Well, here's my confession... 



As you can plainly see, I'm just lazy.  Don't worry, it's coming down TODAY!  

Oh, and if you haven't discovered Darly's blog yet, you must go see.  She's HILARIOUS, and makes me laugh myself silly.  Especially the dog stories.  No, all of her stories.  Check her out.

Wednesday 30 January 2008

Spring Can't Come Soon Enough


I'm beginning to grow weary of winter.  I'm an oddball, because I wear flip flops nearly year round even though I live in the Pacific Northwest (you know, snow, ice, freezing temps.).  I'll wear them even in the snow and ice, but I'd rather not!  I just don't like shoes, they make me hot.  Whatever.  Bring on the spring...I'm heading to Shopko for new flip flops.




This is a pretty crappy picture of two little hanging flower baskets I just finished.  I think I'll add a floral scent to them, or lavender, or something.  I know so many people with allergies, I typically never think in terms of scenting my creations, but it seems that FLOWER baskets ought to smell nice!  Hmmm...I'll make some with and some without, for my whimpy friends (that means you, Cindy!)
Speaking of my friend Cindy, she gave me this pretty little sign to hang in my studio.  It reminds me to get busy.  So that's where I'm headed, right now.

Tuesday 29 January 2008

New Bags



Okay, here are two new tote bags for sale at Periwinkle!  Very simple, fully lined, etc.  although the first one took me one Inside Edition, Entertainment Tonight and one whole Ghost Whisperer episode to work out the little bugs in the design.  It was one of those times where you don't really have the patience to concentrate, except on Ghost Whisperer.  More to follow.  My butt has been kicked.

Let There Be Light


Hey, Friends!  If I have failed to respond to your comments, it's because of my itchy trigger finger that keeps putting stuff in the junk file.  Now I need to figure out how to get it back!  I HATE being new!!!  
I will be posting pics of my creations as well as my house decor as soon as I can learn how to take a decent picture.  Grrrrr!!  And I do hope to be selling at Etsy before too long.  I've got so many things in the air right now, plus I'm getting ready to do a little substitute teaching in our school district, so I'm scattered in a bazillion different directions.  I'll get it together soon!!
It's cold and dark here, so I had to share this lamp in my living room.
The tablecloth, the doily and the lamp are all thrifted, and I covered a new lamp shade with fabric and soutache braid trim, then added the leaves with my trusty glue gun.  It's my favorite lamp in the house.
I must admit something here, because I'll bet many of you have been in the same boat:  since I got my blog up and running in the last couple of weeks, I have done almost NO crafting, because I have this irrational fear that I've somehow lost my "mojo" now that I've talked about it!  How's that for excuses???  I've only been designing and making stuff for about 4o years, so who knew that I could lose it all in a couple weeks??!!  I think I need a good kick in the butt, so as soon as I can twist my leg around to do that, I'll share some pictures of new creations with you.

Monday 28 January 2008

Snowing Again


Do you think it's time to take down the Christmas decorations?  But then, it's snowing again, so what the heck.  I can pretend Christmas is still coming, but without all the accompanying stress.
This is our house, which we just re-painted this past summer.  My husband and I did it all by ourselves!  You should have seen us standing on a ladder up on top of the porches and bay window, painting the peaks!  The angels were busy that day!
The house is over 100 years old-- the first known tenants moved in back in 1905.  That was the Daniel Webster family, (the great, great...grandson of the famous statesman, Daniel Webster), so we call it Webster house.  They occupied it for more than sixty years.  Now we get to love it.
A few years back, we had to lift and level the front porch and we still haven't replaced the porch skirting or rebuilt the steps (they will be wooden, like the originals) so that first step off the porch is kind of a doozy.  I'm waiting for the mailman to break his leg and sue us...

These pics were taken long, long ago.  If you look closely, you can see chickens in the yard near the front porch.  This was the first house in the area, with a very large orchard surrounding it as it perches on the top of a hill.  The view of the valley must have been incredible.  

Okay, enough history.  I have more, which I'll add some other time.  Now I need to go photograph some crafty stuff or I'll get kicked out of the "club!"      

Saturday 26 January 2008

Picture Quality? Pa-TOO-ey!!

Just a frustrated mea culpa for the rotten pictures I keep posting.  I think this makes a clear and genuine case for my need for that awesome PINK camera that Analise got over at Sugar*Sugar!!!

Meet Jack & Boo



I want to introduce Jack to you!  He's a cute little mutt who wandered in on a very cold day recently (Jack Frost is his full name, of course).  He gets along great with our golden retriever, Biscuit-- they love to wrestle and "fake fight,"  as my brother & sister & I called it when we were little fake fighters.  

His only problem is continual POOPING in my house-- I think he waits until he's back inside before he lets it fly-- oh, and he carries strange things around in his mouth-- my reading glasses, a tiny glass Christmas ball, the remote control for the T.V. ... but he's cute.  His older brother, Biscuit, is such a gentleman, we're just not used to this naughty-dog behavior!
The other guy pictured here is Boo, our orange, born-around-Halloween cat with thumbs.  Yes, look closely--we call him "Paddle Paws." My sister is totally grossed out by him, but I tell people he's extremely useful-- he can hold a pencil in his paw and take phone messages for us.
That's a pretty redeeming quality, don't you think?
In this pic, Boo was languishing in the warm sun shining through the bay window one afternoon.  The only thing missing was a piece of paper to lay on-- he much prefers sleeping on paper, ANY paper, especially if you happen to be reading it at the time.  Love this cat.

Friday 25 January 2008

A Funny Bunny boy


This guy was such fun to make.  He's made out of paper pulp-- I make all my papier mache figures by hand, so I can create whoever I want.  Also, I don't have to buy the expensive molds.  I love all the craziness in this basket!  If you look closely, you'll see a spiraled pipe cleaner that used to hold a little bumblebee, but it looks like he flew away, so I'll have to make another one!



Thursday 24 January 2008

Out With the Snowmen, In With the Chicks



Time for these guys to go back in the freezer.  I wish I could keep them out year round-- they make me smile.  It's almost time for these little chicks to come out instead.  I have a TON of Easter/Spring stuff because I did a Trunk Show one April at my friend's gift shop, and then stuffed everything in storage while we dealt with some extreme family issues.  During that time I

was in such pain and anguish for our oldest son, so I quit making all the crafty things and went back to quilting, my longest running hobby.  It brought me a kind of "mindless" peace and solace.
Things are better now (HE is better, too, thank God), and I am back to producing crazy little bits and bobs, overflowing my house and making my husband wish he was a bachelor again.

Wednesday 23 January 2008

Aha!




Figured out why the camera was at the GW-- after 5 minutes of use, the batteries need replacing. Now I have to either get a new one or "borrow" my 14-year old daughter's digital.  She'll have a cow if she finds out, so who knows.
Here's a couple pics of my shop at the Boutique:  can't figure out how to get my pics where I want them on the page.  They keep showing up at the top instead of within the text.  I know it must be some really easy solve, but I'm an idiot, so can't figure it out!!!!!!  HELP!

Fresh Start


Time to get moving!  Here's a little lovely waiting for a couple final touches before Valentine's Day.  I don't have room for it in my shop yet, so maybe it will grace my own walls this year.  Pink is my absolute favorite color-- well, except for aqua blue, pale yellow, lavender... I wanted to add more pink ornaments to this wreath, but I'm OUT, so there ya have it.  It still works, I think.

I've been running around the house photographing things that need to be put away from Christmas, but the pics all turned out dark and blurry, etc., etc.  I hate being such an amateur pho-tog.  Or maybe its my crappy (?) thrift shop camera?  Actually, we scored a digital camera at the Goodwill that appears to be brand new and in fine working order, for $2.99.  Woo HOO!  Perfect for a goof like me to learn on...

Sunday 20 January 2008

Sweet Sunday

What makes this Sweet Sunday?  The fact that it's a 3-day weekend, that's what.  No school on Monday, so daughter and husband (who is a music teacher) will be home with me.  I never get anything done on those days, but who cares.  

We're headed over to our friends' house tonight for dinner and probably a crazy, screaming game of dominoes ( yes, dominoes can get extremely wild when the group is as selfishly competitive as ours is).  This afternoon is a blustery, snowy day, so I think a nap under the afghan is in order.  I can already hear the husband snoring in the other room, so I guess he is a couple steps ahead of me.

Probably no crafting today, but tomorrow I MUST begin to replenish my stock and fill up "Periwinkle, Too!"  Don't wanna be all talk and no action, or I'll be stripped of my queenly title (see caption under my smiling face pic)  Oh, yes-- yesterday was a fun-filled day of junking, which my husband enjoys as much as I do (really!)  I guess I'll take some pics and practice putting them on my blog for you, knowing how much you all love to see each other's booty!  Wait, that didn't sound right-- I meant pirate-type booty, you know, LOOT!  Jeez, I'm in trouble already...

Day 2 of Toe-dipping




Having trouble with the computer today.  Not only am I comparatively illiterate (well, on the computer anyway), but my machine keeps "fritz-ing" out and going insane. Doesn't help!
It's back now, so I'll run with it.  Here's a little pic of a vintage vignette I made this past week-- it's called "Lavender Love."  The postcard valentine in the back says "I've got a room in my heart to rent to you."  I added an old key--can you see the heart-shape of its handle/turner/thingy??  So Cute!  I've got several similar pedestal vignettes in my booth at the local Crafter's Boutique, done in pinks and reds for Valentine's Day. When I refer to my "shop," that's what I'm talking about, at least until I set up my shop on-line.
I also have a shop in my backyard, which I refer to as "Periwinkle, Too."  I am so blessed to finally get my hands on our studio which is attached to our garage, and I've turned it into my shop where I will host "by-invitation" events throughout the year. This studio has been everything over the years, from my husband's music studio to a home for each of my two grown sons, to a dumping ground for all our storage junk.
FINALLY, it has become what I'm SURE it was always intended to be--MINE!!!!!!!
Right now it is stripped bare, because most of my stuff is at the Boutique.  Time to get VERY BUSY, and then I'll share pics of that, too!

Saturday 19 January 2008

Oh, and By the Way

There will be lots of COLOR added to this blog, as well as pics.  I'm all about color and pics, since that's what attracted me to the world of crafty blogs in the first place.  That's what we artists are ALL about, right?  Right.  ( Notice how I answer my own rhetorical questions?  That's because I don't figure ANYONE will ever find and read this blog!!)  

Yikes!


Okay, here I am.  I've been reading blogs (lurking about) for a couple years now and I've finally pushed myself to jump in ...well, at least I'm dipping my big toe in.  
I've been a crafter for a bazillion years, but a computer-type person for just a few.  Not even a few.
Actually, I'm not even really a computer-type at all, but my husband keeps pushing me into the new millennium.  Aackk!  If I could just write you all with pen and paper, I would, but who has THAT kind of time!
SO----  this blog will contain my ramblings about this & that,  my family, my artsy-fartsy endeavors and whatever else I feel like writing, okay?  Yeah.