apple?

what apple?

 i didn't take no stinkin' apple.

chomp, chomp, chomp.



laugh well.

share the feast.

snowbirds

a selection of misc. work that never made it to the shop~ instead they went straight on to my glorious summer collectors. i thank you all.

gratitude.
appreciation.
live well.

poof. part one. the mud.

it wasn't a large POOF. small really, almost unnoticeable. I turned around and summer was gone. A blur of plantings and paintings, of plaster and mud. so now it is time for catching up and slowing down.

The harvests are finally in. A grand total of 47 acorn squash, 42 lbs of fresh dug potatoes, 37 ears of corn, a bushel each of peaches, onions and peppers and 11 bags of zucchini stuffing the freezer to capacity.

pies, muffins, sauces all tucked away.

having a garden is the gift that keeps on giving.

peach pie and fried zuchinni are the closest thing to bliss come february when the snow is 2 feet deep and the winds are harsh.  The hardest job you'll ever love.

it was a horrible (horrible!) year for tomatoes. Loads of rain and very little heat make very unhappy tomatoes. It is the first week of October and there are still about 2 bushels of tomatoes still on the plant and still very green. Since they are all sauce tomatoes you can't even fry them up properly- so it looks like there will be a very large batch of late season salsa in the kitchen this fall. I forced about 24 lbs into red to  get them into the pot for pizza and pasta sauces for freezing but not nearly enough to last through the winter.

for those of you not in the know- if you have tomatoes that are just on the brink of changing- that icky pale not quite pink but not quite green color- find yourself a brown paper sack (i say find because at least in these parts paper sacks are somewhat of a commodity- another downfall of the plastic generation!) anyway- toss your tomatoes in a paper sack and close it up tight. set them on the back of your counter and forget about them for a day or two and when you open the sack- voila! red ripe tomatoes.

So the big surprise of the summer was the melon. Cantalope and watermelon- by the dozen. Surprise because all of the cantalope vines (seemingly) died. first by sunstroke, then by drowing. frustrated, i ignored them. next thing i knew they were crawling all over the place, threatening the lettuce patch and trying to make a break for the gate. As for the watermelons- they are a tricky bunch- too much water and they don't get sweet. not enough water and they don't get red. With the driving rains we had i was sure i was going to wind up with big green balls of pale pink, well, water. In the end- I wound up delivering several to the library, and pawning them off on unsuspecting summer folks along the lake shore. They were in such high demand, they have made the final cut for the farm stand next year! i can grow melons. who knew? so there you have it. the mud. i went from an old barren field to a full freezer/pantry/fridge in four fleeting months. and some how, some where, in the middle of it all, i managed to attend a few art shows, make a few friends, have a few laughs and learn a few lessons. So i suppose, it is no wonder that the summer seems to have passed in the turn of a head.

next up, the plaster...

till then,

live well,

stay happy.

don't blink!

tracey jean

so, blogger is acting up again and i had to post this through html coding- you'll forgive the glitches and run togethers- i'm a bit rusty!

unpacking. or not.

i believe it is going to take the next 20 years to unpack everything. so after watching the change of two seasons, i have decided to take things a box at a time, and just spend the next several months rooting and trying to remember where things are. i am not quite embracing this new philosophy. that is to say that while my A.D.D. is loving this new idea- the obsessive compulsive side of my nature is throwing quite a tantrum. full on stomping tantrum to be precise. The shear volume of the studio itself has led to this madness (we are going to ignore the house and the attic and the garage for the moment). It is a good thing the need to create (and, let us be honest, to add coin to the coffers) outweighs the OCD and sends it sniveling to it's room. in the basement. to hide behind the furnace.

Besides... look around.

Its snowing!!

there are places to explore, things to discover and everything is so beautiful when it is topped with a bit of white. everything is more defined. clearer. quieter. 

it is a time when you whisper to the birds for fear of disturbing the silence.

live well.

love each other.

Blogger killed the art blog....

Sounds like something straight out of the Age of Plastic!! okay, okay,- how many of you actually got that reference? We all know the song (I think I can say "all"), yeah- even the young'ins have heard of "Video Killed the Radio Star"- not many remember that it was the Smash hit of The Buggles or that it was of their album (yes. album. funny circular thingies- originally made of wax but towards the end of their lives only a polymer derivative. you put it on a record player... *this was me explaining to my son a few years back what a "record" was*) so the album was The Age of Plastic which even fewer people remember.
WHY the British synth-pop new age 1979 flash back?? funny. it was the song that started playing in my head the second I saw my blog the other day. only of course the lyrics went something to the effect of... Blogger just killed the art blog....
seems that when Blogger instituted their new "we can design it for you" feature- it blew apart all of my pretty little swirls, whirlygigs and link buttons. so now it just looks like the aftermath of a Donner family reunion. yuck.
I am currently working on a redesign- should be up in a few days- might even have a preview later on - but I absolutely have to get everything running spiffy before the big party on the 26th! <---- look over there.

In the mean time. Have a listen and have fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ

Love each other.
Live well.

A crazy, cold Monday full of lists

Crazy, cold monday~

It is a definite sign that the seasons are in transition- one day warm, the next day... not so much. The winds finally subsided long enough to finish the studio. Wintering the studio that is. Having a studio that has 2 sides with full open windows is a wonderful thing, most of the time. Now that the winds are starting to chill it is time to batten up the hatches, seal up the windows and make room for the winter muses to move in. One more thing to check off the list.

I love lists. It's how I get things done. Which is funny, because in my "corporate world" life- I hated lists.  I used to know what needed to be done, and just did it. methodical, mind numbing routines. Now that I am living more in the moment- I am finding that things come and go much quicker. Distractions come quite often. Not the bad, take me away distractions- but more of the... ohhhhhh shiny! distractions. I get caught up in the studio and hours pass and, well, things just get put off to the next day, until something else draws my attention. So, every night, I bring out the index cards and make a list of things that absolutley have to get done the next day, and check, check, check them off. The earlier I get the list done, the longer I have to play!

Speaking of lists... I feel one coming on...

- working on a few mixed-media pieces, a custom and a birthday present

- trying to be inspired to come up with a goody for the Halloween party~ only 5 days away!

-Anyone interested in winning some serious Halloween goodies should definitely go here.

-Very inspired by Seth Apter. if you have not been introduced~please, do so now. A truly passionate artist.

-Can NOT wait to see this. As a result, my computer now looks like this.

-If you are looking to learn how to market your wares on the web- You need to check out this ecommerce workshop.  The least you need to do is introduce yourself to Laura Bray- and sign up for her newsletter- what's to lose? You won't be disappointed.
-I so totally want this.

Enjoy each other.
Live well.

All Right All Ready! I'm coming Sonia!! (out of my broom closet)

Some how or another- I missed an entire post by our dear, dear love her to death PAIN IN MY TUKAS- Sonia! I do not know how- but I did. I think I was distracted and intent on her post about her dad- that I didn't realize that she posted it twice! And well- enough with the excuses- I just missed it. SO. since she is just such a subtle woman (how many times are you going to out me about being a social introvert??? LOL) and left me hint after hint after hint (helllllllloooooo- If ya want me to see something ya need a flashlight with a laser pointer and couple of pink poodles pointing in that direction!) I decided to re-visit her blog - and not only did I find this SCREAM award - but also.. AHHH HAAA HAAA I won her give away!!!!! Seriously. What are the odds. I was having one of THOSE days, being my last in the corporate world- so. I went Internet surfing! And there was Sonia- SCREAMING at me from a far. Can anyone ignore this woman? I mean really? How FAB is she! Always there with a push, a kind word, a creative bounce, a hysterical, honest laugh- always reminding us to treat each other better- love more- create more and live fuller (that and a cattle prod cleverly disguised as a paintbrush, a blaring Pink CD and a smack on the head if ya' get out of line!) As such, I am going to make an attempt here. I didn't say I was going to abide by all of the rules, mind you - I said I was going to make an attempt. I owe her a total of fourteen "things about me" from this and previous awards she so graciously bestowed on me- So I am going to mix everything together. And so that no one gets too bored- I am going to mix in some photos of works in progress, my social "club" (non-human) in the studio and various other ditties. It should be noted first- that I bought a new camera this week - it is..... SO FREAKIN COOL- and yet will take me three years before i figure out all the damn buttons and what they do- so- your gonna have to suffer through a plethora of photographs for a while- cause i am taking pictures of EVERYTHING! muwah haa haa- ok- here goes:
(1.) I was born in Texas and have lived in Illinois, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. (2.) I was put in ballet at the age of five to make me a girlie-girl (ya- how'd that work out for you mommy dearest) until it was very apparent I was going to be a TALL girl. (3.) I am 5 foot 11 inches tall. (4.) I have colored and shaved my hair so many times- I don't know what color the real color is. It has been: black, brown, red, purple, platinum (not a good look), raven (black/dark blue), auburn, blonde (again- not so good) and currently black/fuchsia. (5.) I have three tattoos. and am jones'ing for more. (6.) I am a complete history freak (7.) I love books. no, I mean I LOVE books- I have every book I have ever read, when I moved two years ago- I counted what I had then- 2,420. (8.) I ran "road-kill scavenge" for the local environmental agency when I was in college. (you guessed it- I picked through dead birds and animals for markings and tags- hmmm. yummy.) (9) In college, I majored in: Environmental Law, European History, American History (pre-industrial), Ornithology, Shakespearean English, Radio/TV pre- and post- production, Physics and Chemical Science. I minored in German and Art History. I love to learn new things. just call me freak. (10.) I think less fake-giggling and more honest laughter would do this world a great justice. (11.) I always obey the law but equally break the rules. (12.) I am dyslexic. It took me six months to figure out that the wall in the bathroom at Godfrey Daniels said " Dyslexics Untie" - I still think it is funny. (13.) I can ask directions, order a beer, find a hotel and ask where the bathroom is in seven languages and hold a conversation in four. (14.) I AM NOT anti-social. I enjoy observing people. Watching them get themselves in all kinds of trouble and awkward situations out of shear stupidity; enjoy themselves with shear delight and interact with one another as only humans can. There is a difference between anti-social and disengaged. I am "delightfully disengaged" LOL.
All righty then. Any of you want to know what the "rules" are to this award, can go on over to Sonia's blog and read them there. (this is the part that I break the rules...)


I myself, am not so much a screamer. well, not about, well. anyway... There are those blogs out there that I have to touch base with, check in on and just inspire the crap out of me. And as you can see, inspiration takes on many forms.

Before I commence with the list- it must be said that- truly believing in blogging without obligation- this in no way obligates anyone to accept, post, distribute or otherwise facilitate the usage of this award in any way. I am merely making my awesome, talented, seriously disturbed holding my birdie hostage, I mean- LOVE YOU SONIA friend happy and making an attempt to reassure her that I am not anti-social- they already caught the uni bomber - thanks for the support now lets get on with it... :o)

I know Renee has received this award before, along with countless others, but to me- she is the definition of inspiration- she makes me laugh, cry, scream, sit in awe and just overall inspires me to do everything better.

Heather is an amazing person, a spectacular artist and funny as hell. If you have never seen her work- you really must! Her attention to detail is mind boggling- just fabulous! And I am super excited to announce that she will be one of the first feature artists when I open the Noll for art retreats in the fall of 2010. (excitement, excitement, excitement!)

Carrie inspires me with her strength through adversity, her wicked sharp sense of humor, and not only is she a phenominal beader (serious respect for this beading thing!), she has a natural gift when it comes to experimentation and trying new techniques. My hero.

Luz: What is there to say about Luz? She makes me scream! She freakin rocks! Talent out the wazooooo- and a fire and passion for life, her family and her friends. that is truly inspiring. She is the ever-so-proud wife of a military man who has spent way too much time deployed- and she faces every day with grace (ok- not everyday- but then, that is when it gets fun!) and conviction- She is honest, in your face, tell it like it is. Courage and faith- I am proud to call this woman friend. (all she has to do is get off her blasted bum and open that etsy shop! oh my. did I say that? lol)

Di: because she lives and breathes talent, grace, courage, wild passions for life and the desire to be. Di is simply an amazing woman.

So there you have it. my list. It's not "10"- but they are so very important to me.

So now that am done - I can stop with the pics, although since I was playing with my camera- there is one thing that I am going to miss about where I worked. That is the view from the parking lot. This is the cathedral across the road from the lot. It stands proudly among dilapidated buildings, drug houses and a very dirty looking post office. As you can see- the great Gothic point rises above the otherwise depressing city. I must have gazed upon this building a thousand times- and every time it transported me to another time. Another place. The stories this building must be able to tell. I love it when architecture has the ability to move you. Don't you?

Have a wonderful week. Be creative. Be happy. Be.

Tea Cups, Tarty-Tarts, Mushrooms and Mischief!

Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!

I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! No time to say hello, goodbye! I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!

(click on the pic to follow me down the Rabbit hole!)

Recommendation, Realization and Pure Joy

Do you just love her - or what!
I saw a piece very similar to this a while ago - not Duda - a copycat- -it did NOT work. and I forgot about it. Until I met Diane - and I saw her work. and I fell in love with "these silly little works of art". And that is when it hit me. The sad piece that I had seen so long ago, as an attempted copy of this piece - did nothing for me. At the time I did not know that Duda Daze even existed, that the piece I was looking at was not an original idea - and still - no effect. There was no life - it was as thought the piece itself knew that it was nothing but a sad attempt at trying on someones soul that was just too big for the copier to fill.

Fast forward to about a month ago - when I discovered Duda Daze and the wonder that is Diane Duda- I was blog- hopping, blurry eyed, ready to give it up - and this delightful creature popped up on my screen:

Now for those of you who haven't figured this out- it's not that i don't appreciate the artists and artistry - but this is not the norm for me to go gaga over. I don't do cute and silly. I don't collect cute and silly. I don't "do" whimsy. So... startled by my own reaction - I delved further, and went to shop on Etsy... and I am now excited to say that I am the proud owner of the three Diane Duda works pictured here. The first, just screamed me... I am always standing on my head, sitting on the couch upside down, hanging upside down in a tree - just cause I like the look of things from that view!

Woo Hoo! what can I say, but... Woo Hoo!!!! One of my favorite sayings of all time! the ultimate exclamation of excitement. And who doesn't like being excited?

And the third. If more people in this world just learned to listen to that little girl and followed their hearts.. well. things would be different.

So I learned two very important things the day that I "discovered" Diane Duda and her amazing Duda Daze.

1: People can try to copy others work, and will try to copy others work, until the cows come home. But they can't copy the heart that is put into that original work, what draws you to the work to begin with. You can't copy that. And without that - the piece is meaningless and worthless. And it shows in the copied work. There's no heart- nothing special - it's just another copy.

2: I can do silly. I LOVE silly. I love this crazy woman and her "silly little works of art" (how humble is that!)

Diane Duda creates something special with every stroke of her paintbrush, and every sketch of her pencil. She has managed to capture the essence of pure joy and convey it to the rest of us.

And I for one, am hooked on her work.

Visit. Enjoy. It may take you a few seconds to realise what that thing is on your face. it's a smile, a grin - and it will last you all day.

http://dudadaze.blogspot.com/ www.dudadaze.etsy.com

And while you are there - make sure you get the music stream on "There she stands" by Aaron Duda. Yup -You guessed it. Diane's son. Aaron. What a talented family!

**All photos of Artwork have been reproduced in this posting with permission from the artist, Diane Duda. Any artwork contained in this posting may not be reproduced in any manner, from this site, without additional written permission by the artist directly.**

It is just temporary

Ok - April Fools - I saved my blogger template to a different computer! AH HA! - so - As a result- everything that i am used to seeing - has gone for a walk for the moment. Perhaps, maybe to visit with you and have a cup of tea?


If you see any of my wayward widgets - could you send them home? they are horribly missed.


Actually, I have finally given in to the fact that I just can't do everything - Well - let me clarify that - I could do everything - it's just that there is not enough time to do everything! LOL - no need to cut myself short here! So as a result I have farmed out the templates, webpage and all of the glorious html coding to a brilliant professional- so that it gets done sometime in the next millennium - As a result - since I already have the design in my head as to what it is going to look like - there is nothing out there that i feel comfortable in - and as a result - (like ya' have not noticed) I keep changing the background every time I sign in - cause - it just doesn't feel like home. (pouting)



Oh well - things could be worse!


I know that time is limited and I have three posts to catch up on (fellow artists to gush over and items to post)- but life seems to throw you for a loop now and again - reminding you to slow down- so instead- this weekend I will be attending a funeral.



I have no regrets. No "wish I should have could have". But as it happens, when things like this happen- it makes you take a step back, take account, and make an extra effort.



See you next week.


wake with a smile

listen to the space between your heart beats

and love each other well


And if you need something to giggle over - check out the size of those bunny feet!

"Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,

Enwrought with golden and silver light,

The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night

and light and the half-light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet:

But I, being poor, have only my dreams;

I have spread my dreams under your feet ,

Tread softly because you tread on my dreams..."

William Butler Yeats

May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live

And have a Happy DAY!

Contemplations of Chance or Is It Friday yet???

Working in the studio is very cathartic. (yeah I know. I am preaching to the choir!) We all know this. But sometimes I just have to sit back and reflect on exactly how cathartic it is. Whether it is writing or painting, sculpting or beading - we all have our outlets in order to preserve our sanity. Sometimes, it just is quite deeper than that. Studio time is a place. It is a person. A friend. It is a living, thriving being all of its own. It listens to the anguish and breeds clarity on the other side. It helps clear the cobwebs and sort through the general day to day b.s. that we are all forced to deal with. It lets us deal with and struggle through, changes in our lives. It laughs and shares joy with us. And it does not mock us when it finds us dancing and singing at the top of our lungs to Momma Mia! (not that I would know anything about that first hand. eh hem) And it helps us heal. For those of you close to me - you know I have been locked in my studio for about a week now - not really speaking, blogging or otherwise. There was a very sudden death in my world. That makes two since the beginning of the year. And being of the old ways - I am wondering who number three will be. And, knowing that it is a circle -to end where we began - I am OK with it - yet, it makes me wonder. What am I not doing, that I want to do. What chances am I not taking? What choices am I not making? Oh - there are a lot of unanswered questions I am contemplating at this moment. Hard what-the-hell-are-you-waiting-for decision making going on here! LOL

And as a result things have morphed a bit. It has helped me get ready for the multiple shop updates - which seem to be headed on schedule - which for me - big shocker! So - for a peek at what has come to life this week: My great-Aunt gave me her sewing machine when I was visiting - HELLO! I love this thing - it weighs around -oh -40 lbs maybe - good ol black cast Singer - lovely as can be - and still sews like a dream - And all these heads keep appearing here and there- you never know when one will show up. Aggie Mae, the goblin girl - just had to have a new dress - she was so upset about her old one - so- first thing- we sat down and made her a new polka dot dress on our "new" machine - She is quite the giggling goblin now! Now all she needs is a new home - as she is up for sale at the Giggling Goblin at Etsy!

Melancholy inspired series of the Poppets of Persecution - are in the works - You know - valentine's day isn't roses and champagne hearts for all of us! And then there is Thorton - He wanted me to mention that you will note the new gallery to the left - of the most honorable blog awards I have received in my absence. (And I must thank Michelle and Cinnibon for the last few recvd' - Really - Thank you girls! You are the sweetest! )

I am off to start on the Vintage Finds to post on Etsy - They are fabulous beads and notions, necklaces and well - just cool stuff to use as embellishments or alter - there are about 100 pieces - so Check my ETSY shop starting this weekend - I will be posting them for sale - Moving onward with the STUDIO CLEAN OUT! - it is good to downsize! Less is MORE!!!

Have a Grand Week! and let's hope for a snow day!!!!

Ta Daaaa! - The "After" part..

I am so excited. It turned out quite different than I anticipated, and yet wonderful! I can not wait to get through my day to day chores so that I can spend time in my "new" studio. It has taken about a year - but I think this renovation is a keeper. And, as I embrace the girl that I am- I absolutely LOVE the dreamy pink and tangerine sheers! The gentle breezes blowing through the studio (I am holding out till the last minute to put the windows up.) rustling them this way and that. Sigh. Good things will happen here. No doubt.