Time to share!

I was given a blog award and I must share it with you!

Here are the official STEPS of this Award:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.Thank you so much, Susie Jefferson!
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.Done.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.Only too happy to do that for Susie! You will love her blog!
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.Okay, check below.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.They're down below, too.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.{hope I do that correctly! They are fabulous blogs!}
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.Yep, will do.

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7 Little known things about me...
*I'm ambidextrous. Draw and write with the left hand, do everything else with the right hand or both.
*I live in paradise -- not only my surroundings, but a state of mind.
*I ride a Catrike (the low 3 wheel cycle, not at all like the childhood ones).
*I love to play Scrabble and therefore, I know some pretty weird words.
*I don't have a television by choice. {I do watch some shows on-line late at night through!}
*I am a volunteer librarian.
*I eat rhubarb nearly every day - all year long.

7 Blogs I Nominate:

Witch Hollow Primitives
Heather is not only totally creative, but she is versatile and charming. Oh, and she is the nicest person ever and puts together a beautiful blog.

Skeleton in My Closet
Even though Josie would like to have an award-free blog zone, I am going to send this award her way. She is just too talented, a bit twisted, and very busy with her blogs, art groups, work, and sculpts. I couldn't leave her out, she is a major inspiration to me.

PieCaKe PRiMiTiVeS
Lorraine is one busy and amazingly quick sew-ster! She creates charming soft dolls for all the holidays with a definite personal style. They are sweet and her blog has the most lovely photos of her creations.

Octoberfarm
This is one of the most interesting blogs I have ever visited. Jaz not only posts the most beautiful photos of her surroundings, but she has an amazing collection of rare {and rarely seen} witch treasures AND she cooks, too! You will be transfixed and hungry after visiting her blog!

Paint_Misbehavin
Witty and wise and covered in paint -- that is our Paint {yep, that's her name, too}. Fairly new to blogging but not to creating some wonderful Halloween themed artworks. Her primitive paintings of extra-large moons set in the nightsky are simply breath-taking!

Lisa Lectura Creations
Lisa's blog was one of the first blogs I ever visited... and she got me hooked. Lisa is very versatile - working with fabric, paint, stitches, wax, and embellishments. Her blog will make you feel calm and blessed, I know that's how I feel with every visit.

Light and Shadow Studio
Tammy is a complete phenomenon! Her signature art pieces are the happiest beaming moons ever, but that is just the tip of her "iceberg". She sculpts and carves ornies that are highly collected and snapped up nearly before the paint is dry! Her blog is a wonderful showcase -- don't miss it.

I wish I could have listed all of my favorites, but that would have taken me all year!!!

Thanks again, Susie, for this award, your supportive and kind words, and your willingness to share.

with fondness, Karen

Happy 1st Birthday, Pink Saturday!

What would Saturdays be like if Beverly, How Sweet The Sound, hadn't started and then invited others to join in to make our Saturdays PINK? She could have choosen any color, but PINK is the ultimate happy color - blissful, sweet, fun, and joyous - all together in one pretty tint.

Now, she tells us that it has been one year since others joined in spreading PINKdom. So I am posting this picture above from June Hoffman's book on Eggeury in celebration {PINKed up a bit for the occasion} and am pretending that the figure in the egg is Beverly!

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Next, I found this 1920's vintage sheet music recently. Just couldn't pass it up!

Words to wise.

Here are the lyrics, by Al Dubin & Irving Kahal...

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People who gossip are people who lie,

so try to keep out of their way.

Many a girl saw her happiness die

'cause someone had too much to say.

Homes have been broken and hearts filled with pain

by stories that shouldn't be told.

Dreams have been dreamed and then shattered in vain

before a new scandal grows old.

chorus

If you can't tell the world she's a good little girl

then just say nothing at all,

who cares what she once used to be

as long as she's sorry she needs sympathy.

Don't give away what you know of her life

someday she may make a wonderful wife

If you can't tell the world she's a good little girl,

then just say nothing at all.
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{Oh my, I sure hope she's sorry, or has a good attorney! LOL}

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Lastly, just a note of thanks to you for visiting and to Beverly our hostess.

Happy PINK Saturday, and many more!

It's good to be Queen...

... and here is why!

I am so happy I joined in this swap. A small group of us decided that we would make personalized crowns for our swap recipient. Ooooo Lucky Me!!!

Jamie of Peach Street Primitives is a very versatile and talented artist. Jamie made this amazing crown for me. She worked very hard on it, using extremely hot tools to construct this beautifully regal confection using wire, glass, beads, images, and letters.

I have to say, it not only fits like a dream, but she captured my queenliness to perfection. She spelled out "Artful Queen Madame K" around the rim.

Humbleness is hearby banished! So, sayth the Queen.

Thank you, Jamie!!

I finished something!

I am just so glad that I finished up the skull from a previous recent post. He came together rather quickly but his finishing touches took longer than I had imaged... way longer!

In case you didn't catch it from the two pictures, his eyes move and he has a surprise gag that was a simple idea, but took me forever to create. I thought I would be able to purchase something that would do this gag, but nooooo!

I had to engineer the whole thing because I just couldn't let the gag die. Kind of like this little skellie clown.
For more details and to discover what this gag is click on this link.

BoneZo the clown.

heheheheheeee

What We All Want -- Our Own Custom Crowns!

I am involved in a fun swap with a group of talented women. We decided that we needed to make something that was fun, quick, used materials from our supply stashes, and would be relatively easy to ship. Why not make custom crowns??

The artist I was to make a custom crown for is Tammy Strum. If you are unfamiliar with this popular artist you can see some of her pieces at Light and Shadow Studios. She is well-known for her whimsical moon sculptures and ornies.
How lucky for me that I had such an easy assignment! Of course there would have to be a moon, stars, and sparkles. I even got to sculpt a moon for the front piece - in Tammy's signature style - and gave this little moon its own crown and rhinestone eyes. Then, got out my glitter, my sequins, my pom-poms, and tinsels.

After I made it I still had almost 2 weeks to "test" wear it - LOL - around my art studio. It fit me soooo well.

Of course, the time came that I had to send it on to Tammy for whom I had made it. She has let me know that it arrived, so I can now share pictures with you.

The artist that is making my custom crown has let me know that she is trying something different (after all, it is for me and I am a bit different!) and will be mailing it soon. Ohhh... I can hardly wait!

My noggin is feeling a little naked.

Things Don't Always Turn Out Like You Plan - WIP

Remember the previous post? How I mentioned that the buzzards were coming back and I just happened to have sculpted a buzzard head?

Because I was inspired to "just get on with it" and finish the little guy, I sculpted his body from some different clay - a new type for me. The next morning, I found my buzzards body had lots of deep cracks all over it!

****** YIKES! ******

A really good look at the cracks below.

My husband mentioned that the cracks were actually a pretty cool effect. Hmmm... he was right. With a different subject this would be really great.

So, I turned the body upside down and around. Voila! It was a perfect skull shape. The cracks looked good now.

I added some more of that good ole' cracking clay and sculpted the skull features. Oh yeah! Happy again.

Now, I am not at all goth or dark or creepy in my real life. A skull had appeal to me but only if I could give it a fun twist. A clown idea emerged when I stuck a red bead on his missing nose cavity.

He kinda looks like me, too. Oh yeah, happy again.



I will post some pictures soon of my totally finished skellie clown, Bonezo.
BTW, I understand some people are skeered of clowns. If you aren't too chicken, check back soon!

It Must be Spring... The Turkey Vultures have Arrived!

So, okay... I know that most of you don't look for the return of the turkey vultures to signal that warmer weather is ahead, but in my little high country valley, they are a sure sign that Winter is over.

Now, this story gets a little eerie later on -- you'll see.

Just last week I had some Apoxie Sculpt left over from sculpting an element for a crown I was making for a swap piece. Without really thinking, I just sculpted this little vulture head. {side note: it appears that I am stuck on birds lately... Rocko Peep was my last sculpt before the crown}

Obviously, he is still in the WIP stage.

I think Mr. Buzz Ard needs a hat. Here are three options from my costume wardrobe. I am leaning toward the top hat at the moment and must decide before finishing the rest of Mr. Ard's body.

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Number 1... I call this the duffer or dude hat.

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Number 2... The top hat.

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Number 3... the wizard hat.

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Now, this is the eerie, weird part. About 5 days after I sculpted Mr. Buzz Ard's little head these three real turkey vultures showed up on my property. Never in the six years I have lived here have turkey vultures been spotted anywhere on the property -- they are down the road, usually soaring over some carrion in an open field. These are BIG birds, the cottonwood tree they are roosting in is over 90 feet tall.

So, I have to wonder... what were they looking at and why were they visiting me and Mr. Buzz Ard?

Hmmm............?

Just a Smiley

While out for a trike ride the other day we happened upon this small guy on a fence post. Just about the size of a golf ball, made of styrofoam, with wild "hair", and having a few pock marks (thanks to the snowplow and sanding trucks), he could still give us his happy smile.

So, if he can do it - you can do it, too.

Have a Smiley day!

Flowers, Flowers Everwhere!

Oh, I have been yearning for flowers and color! So much so that I have been obsessively making them myself - helping Mother Nature along.

Here in our snowy mountain valley we were still getting snow last week. But I can feel Spring coming.

For some reason I have been busy making Yo-Yos most of the Winter. Yo-Yos just make me happy, I guess. Not knowing what I was going to do with them didn't seem to matter either. I just knew that I would be using them in some joyful way eventually.

Last weekend I just happened into a wonderful quilt shop in Leavenworth, Washington. They had beautiful displays of finished projects and most of them had puffy fabric flowers appliqued on somewhere.

Oh my heart!! (I think I may have swooned a bit.)

I bought the template to make the 2.5" wide ruched flowers on the spot. This is such an easy project.

Now, all my many (many!!) Yo-Yos are keeping company with these ruched flowers. And, most importantly I have a finished project in mind for them.

Mother Nature - not to be outdone! - got busy around my house. Finally! The crocuses that used to be around an apple tree in my own Mother's yard last year, are blooming for the first time in my flower beds. They are just starting and I am so grateful for the color.

I think I feel another swoon coming on!

He was a bad egg...

Yep, he was a bad egg and never got a break. Meet Rocko Peep - born to a single mother with too many chicks and to a father that was more interested in strutting around with the "ladies".

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Rocko is a sculpt that I just listed on eBay tonight. He is my entry into a challenge one of my eBay groups have for Eerie Equinox or Strange Spring. There is so much more to Rocko's story. I wrote a whole morality tale for this auction and I wonder if I had more fun writing about Rocko or sculpting him. My eBay seller's id is idrawpix if you want to check him out, read his story, and learn from his mistakes (lol). I am so new to blogging that I don't know how to make a link to the auction, yet. This may take you there... but I make no guarantee, sorry!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=260381360972

Rocko was fun to work on, but I still have that bunny head staring at me from the workbench... now what to do with him....mmmmmmmm......what's that you say, Rocko? Oh! I couldn't!!

Another Pink Saturday

I am loving these Pink Saturdays! And, even though I am still new to this feature - it's only my second Saturday - I am so much more aware of the Pink all around me now. If you want to learn more about this weekly confection, please check out the banner to the right. It takes you to Beverly's blog - How Sweet the Sound - and explains it all.

When I first spotted this vintage sheet music cover, I knew it would be perfect for Pink Saturday. Not only do I love that it is Pink, but the title - No Can Do - and her haughty expression are just my style... not to mention the Tutti-Frutti hat! As Carmen Miranda would sing... I Yi Yi Yi Yi / Chica Chica Boom!

Happy Pink Saturday everyone!

Renewal and Rebirth

Just a quick post to wish everyone a very Happy 1st Day of Spring! I know I am ready for the change of season, the warming days, the renewal and rebirth of nature.

This is one of my favorite family photos. It is of my Mother as a young teen up in their apple tree. Sadly, we lost both of them this last year -- my Mother and the tree.

However, life goes on - renewal and rebirth - it will just be without them this year. I am comforted to see that nature shows us that we don't live in the past and that life keeps marching along... and what a beautiful march it can be!

Wishing you a wonderful Spring!

My First Pink Saturday!

Oooo... I am so excited to be participating in my First (!) Pink Saturday. I'm still fairly new to blogging and just stumbled upon this weekly feature about a month ago. If you are unfamiliar with Pink Saturday, check out the button to the right and Beverly of How Sweet the Sound will fill in all the details. I can't be certain, but I think all that pink inspired me to rescue and revive this cast-off treasure into a fancy, french-ish pinkeep - which is also my first pinkeep.

Originally a brunette with a ponytail, she transformed into Marie Antoinette after a couple of hours on my worktable. I only intended to sew the pinkeep to fill-in her vase area with stuffing and fabric and ruffles.





Well, you know how it is... That saucy, sweet expression complete with fan! She just had to have a wig... and not just any wig, but one with flowers and birds and a wee blue streak. What is it about Marie that inspired her wig makers then and continues to inspired us today to spend way too much time on such whimsey? And, oh yes, this is a wig and removable. I just couldn't bring myself to glue anything.
She apparently had a hard life before I rescued her - poor dear - she is a bit fragile. I did apply some Hard As Nails adhesive to the inside of the vase to strenghten the old repairs done by her former owner. She does have all her parts, though, which the real Marie ultimately did not. She's not perfect, but that seems appropriate for this Marie (as does the Hard As Nails).


Thanks for visiting!

Still busy and getting nowhere

I don't think the cat make-do would approve.

Geez... I just can't seem to get anywhere with my projects right now. The rabbit is still unfinished because I have become obsessed with making his hat and, maybe, some shoes. Poor thing doesn't even have a body or feet, but the hat & shoes seem sooo important!

The picture above is of a cat make-do that I created last year for a swap. I made it out of a small vintage strainer, various wire bits & thingys, a couple of buttons that I painted as eyes, a vintage rabies tag and ribbons. This came together rather quickly and was so much fun.

Why is the rabbit proving to be so difficult to work on?! Maybe a glass of wine will help.

Busy, busy, busy

Thought I would post a few pictures of what I have been doing lately. Seems like I haven't been very focused on any one thing -- instead I have been all over the studio working-on or working-out details of too many things at once.

The headshots of the rabbit are of a work-in-progress. I sculpted the head about 3 weeks ago, and just today I got an idea of what the poor thing will be doing so that I can start work on the body. Spring & Easter are coming fast, so I better hop to it (groan.... bad pun, sorry!).



Just another view so you can see the size of the rabbit head as it is today. It will be under 12 inches when finished - as most of my sculpts are.

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This next picture shows one of the Thank You gifts that I will be sending to my sister in Boise. I live in a very small town - tiny - with the nearest art supply or craft store about 90 miles away. My sister, who is very crafty, artistic, AND loves to shop !! bought some cool new supplies for me. One of the things she included in the package was the magazine, Cloth Paper Scissors. In the issue they make handbags out of fused plastic grocery bags.

Now, that kind of craft really isn't my kind of thing, but just for fun I made her one. Before I stained it with alcohol inks, it was looking a bit like a disposable diaper - LOL!

I made the "bag" to hold the real Thank You gift - this tag shown below. I have just started doing these tags. They are a fun, quick project and gets me using a lot of different materials that I have packed into my studio. The strip on the left side is metal - just another of the new "crafts" I have begun to play around with.

Yes, I have too many interests, too many supplies, too many treasures, and not enough time... it's nice though & I am grateful.

Now, I am off to visit that rabbit head again before I lock the door on the studio for the night.

Thanks for visiting!