* Pleasant Ocean Breezes
** Hazy Hot Humid
I'm now back in the Concondo and re-adjusted to east-coast time. I've been surveying the Treehouse and getting re-acquainted with those projects I started before we left.
I had a bad dream last night. I had signed up to do a craft show and I was not prepared. The set-up time was looming and I still hadn't priced anything, and had not even begun to load up my car. Plus, I had a very bad cold.
I finally had to throw in the towel and cancel at the last minute. But I was really interested in doing the show the following year, and I was afraid the organizer would label me a deadbeat and ban me from future shows.
Then, a little while after I got up, Mr. Gadget asked me if I wanted to go to Costco. He usually goes by himself, but once in a while I ride along. I like to look at the books. And the cookies. This time I noticed they had nice canopy tents that would have been just the thing for me when I was doing craft shows regularly. But, of course, I've retired from that sort of thing, so I don't need one now.
Do you ever notice that sometimes days have themes? This one started out with the craft-show dream and then moved on to the craft-show tent. A few weeks ago it was all about owls. That story will have to wait, but it's a good one--and maybe just a wee bit eerie.
Now I'd better get hopping on projects for the old hotel craft show. It's just two months away and I don't want those nice folks calling me a deadbeat.
I've really been enjoying my owl embroidery project, but I suddenly realized I hadn't even opened my clay since we got here. I had plans to make one more clay witch head while I was at the Calcondo this summer...in preparation for assembling dolls when I got back to the Concondo.
Here is my recent attempt. She's a little rugged-looking at this stage, but she'll be in perfect form once I paint her skin green, accentuate the big mole on her chin, and put just the right rotten color on her two remaining teeth. I think she looks pleased about something. I hate to think what it could be.
I've made a little more progress on the owl.
I'm not always in the mood to embroider, but when I am I find it very relaxing. Better than a glass of wine, but not as good as a massage. This guy still needs quite a few finishing touches. And then I think he'll need a friend. Can you imagine two of them sitting side-by-side? What a hoot!
I've made more progress on the owl.
I got my eye mojo back and worked on the second one. Now I'm doing yellow feathers. It's sort of mindless stitching and can be done while watching the NY Yankees crash and burn. Oh my goodness. Why didn't they ask our opinion before they made those trades for players who were already over-the-hill with those other teams? Is there no reasonableness in the world?
I've also been sewing. Here is the bag I made from the furniture print.
I used a free pattern I found on the internet. It's a little small for this type of bag...at least for me. But it works fine as a purse. I've had a few nice comments on it. I did tweak the pattern a bit and made a bigger one.
Here they are for comparison:
The bigger one fits nicely over my shoulder, whereas the smaller one is a tight fit. I think it could be even bigger, but I'll save that experiment for later. I need to make a few dolls for the craft fairs.
So Mr. Gadget and I are winding down our summer stay at the Calcondo. We'll be sad to go. Weather has been great, beach has been wonderful, and the plumbing has worked flawlessly.
As is our usual shutting-down process, Mr. G. will make sure everything is shipshape with the house and car, and I will be checking to see that I didn't miss a craft or fabric store. I think we have a very reasonable division of labor.
I've made some progress on the owl.
I get easily addicted whenever I start a new embroidery project. Then I burn out. Hopefully, I'll finish the owl before there's nothing but embers left.
Here is a close-up of the eye.
I'm suffering from second-eye syndrome. In the past I've written about second-sock syndrome. It's not terribly exciting to start knitting a second sock immediately after finishing the first. The same holds true for embroidered owl eyes. So I'm skipping around, and yes, I'll draw in the top of his head before I'm done. I just forgot that little detail when I had the fabric taped up on the window.
Today I took a road trip out to Anaheim to my favorite discount fabric store. I used to go with my friend Barbara, but since she moved to Arizona it's a little too far to pick her up on the way. It's always more fun to go with a buddy so I asked my high school friend, Lydia, if she'd like to come along and she jumped at the chance. She'd never been to this store before, and, like me, she's disappointed that local fabric stores have become extinct. The two of us sewed most of our own clothes back in the day. I think that activity is pretty far along the road to extinction too.
This particular fabric store has an ever-revolving inventory. Sometimes the pickings are so-so, and sometimes there are so many wonderful choices I have to hold myself back. Today was one of those wonderful days. We each stashed a big bag o' fabric in the back of my car before setting off for home. We thought briefly of making a stop at Disneyland, but decided against it. When you're our age, sometimes the happiest place on earth is a discount fabric store.
I have a sore back from needle-felting. Yep, I know it's hard to believe but it's true. So I've put myself on the 15-day disabled list and I'm taking up embroidery during the interim.
Here's a picture I posted earlier this year. The clay bird is eyeballing a Kleenex box with an owl that is just begging to be stitched. Actually, there are owls on each side of the box, so that makes 4 owls--all begging. I've chosen one of the other 3 to start with. I have in mind to stitch 2 owls that I will frame and hang on the wall in the Concondo powder room. If I get really carried away, I'll do all 4 and find a more impressive place to showcase them.
Here is an enlarged copy of the owl I'm going to do first.
Here is the side of the box I cut out so it would lay flat in the copy machine. It is also my color guide. I took it with me to the craft store to find just the right colors of embroidery floss.
We have a big sliding door in the Calcondo that works as a great light box in the late afternoon. I taped the copy to the door, and then taped my plain white fabric over the copy. It was fairly easy to trace the owl onto the cloth with a pencil.
And now I've begun the fun part--the stitching. I'm using an outline stitch for the borders, long and short stitchs for the fill-in parts, and back stitch with some French knots for those little whisker thingies at the top.
I'm looking forward to lots of nice, relaxing stitching time....unless my arthritis flares up and I must extend my time on the DL. Then I'll just have to go to the beach.
Here's the embroidered project I did for Big City Girl. It's a patch that she can attach to something. Or not, although I would be happy to know it doesn't end up in her junk drawer. Does everyone have a junk drawer like we do? It's nothing but a source of guilt. I always feel I should be cleaning it out....or at least putting the junk into one of those sectioned trays so at least it would be organized. But back to the patch. BCG goes to a gym and boxes, and she just replaced her old worn-out boxing gloves with a brand new pair. I admire her dedication. She gets up at 5:30 a.m. to go before work...and she likes it. Definitely her dad's daughter.
Here is my most recent sewing project.....for BCG and her boyfriend. They both like to cook....he more than she (she knows how to pick 'em)...and were in need of aprons. The only request they had was that I put pockets on them--one for cell phone and one for e-cigs. They both quit smoking well over a year ago, but do still use e-cigs. Mr. Gadget and I never smoked and we were under the mistaken impression that we were being good role models for our children, but peer pressure is a powerful force.
So Mr. Gadget is off on a bike ride. He headed off to the beach with his bike affixed to his new bike rack. He usually keeps me posted while he's underway--mostly by bragging about how far he's gone. But this morning he texted me a photo of someone doing something I call exercise gone wild. They were running up a long stairway carrying a bowling ball. I guess it's possible they were just late for their Tuesday morning bowling league. So now, all of a sudden, I'm feeling motivated. I think I'll walk the garbage out to the dumpster.
I found the chair fabric at a local fabric store--one of the few local independent fabric stores that has managed to survive. They carry some unusual fabrics that are more expensive than those available from the big chain stores like Joann's. But the quality is better and it's great to sew with. I always go into the store with the intention of just browsing but, as usually happens, one or two of those lovely bolts just reaches out and grabs me. There must be some sort of paranormal explanation...
Lately I've been sewing, and also working on an embroidery project. The embroidered piece is finished and has been mailed to Big City Girl. As soon as she receives it, I'll post it here. It's a little bit of whimsy.
Two of the sewing projects are also intended for BCG. I should be finished with them in a couple of days, and then I'll start on the chair-fabric project--a bag for me. I bought enough of the red lining fabric to have enough for a Santa.
So, Mr. Gadget now has his new bike, and he's been pedaling all over the neighborhood and beyond.
The other day after he returned he said he'd taken a spin by the seedy bar, I mean the upscale cocktail lounge, where we met almost 39 years ago.
"How did the old place look?" I asked.
He said it was being renovated and he couldn't tell what kind of business would be going in.
"Probably a nail salon," I said, "or a Korean restaurant." Every corner seems to have one of each.
This morning he left at 6 a.m. for a quiet, traffic-free ride to the beach. I rolled over and slept for a couple more hours and got up just in time to unlock the door.
"How'd it go?" I asked.
"Great!" he exclaimed. "You should think about getting a bike so you can ride along with me."
"But then I would miss out on the important sleep work I do," I said.
Then I got to thinking. Maybe we should have gotten a bicycle-built-for-two. That way I could sit in the back and just pretend to pedal.
Our upstairs neighbor told us a hummingbird built a nest and raised a family on top of her wind chime. I find this amazing. I was even more amazed watching "Fabulous Frogs" on Nature, narrated by David Attenborough. It was on PBS this past Wednesday, but it will likely be repeated.
Yesterday one of my high school friends came by for lunch and a needle-felting lesson. I tried a new recipe and tested it on Mr. Gadget for dinner the night before. He gave it a thumbs-up. Chicken puffs. As I usually do the first time I try something new, I followed the recipe exactly. But next time I might add some mushrooms. Many variations are possible.
Mr. Gadget just left to do some bicycle shopping. He's already done lots of looking, so I assume today he'll be making a purchase. He asked if I wanted one, but since I already have a bike in Connecticut that I don't ride, it seems silly to get another one that I won't ride either.
"I'll take a chair down to the beach and enjoy the ocean view while you pedal along the bike path," I told him. "I might watch the lifeguards too."
So the weekend looks like a busy one. On Saturday there's an arts and crafts show down by the beach, and on Sunday there's an antiques/flea market in the old part of town. Both usually offer lots of whimsical photo ops....and you know how I like me some whimsy.
Last Friday Mr. Gadget and I drove up to the San Francisco bay area to attend a graduation party for our niece. Mr. Gadget's brother, father of the graduate, recommended a place to stay--the Union Hotel in Benecia. It was quaint, he said, with early-California charm.
It sounded interesting, and I learned from doing some research that it was known to be haunted. Mr. Gadget, a staunch non-believer, decided to humor me and we made reservations.
It wasn't long after checking in that we discovered it wasn't exactly as advertised. No "touches of European elegance."
Saying it was "luxuriously appointed" was quite a stretch.
"Distinctive amenities" were definitely lacking.
Did we encounter any ghostly activity? We're not sure. Mr. Gadget heard talking in the hall during the middle of the night--something that had been reported by earlier guests who found no one there. And when I pointed to the sign in the lobby that said we should leave our keys under the door when checking out early, the lights went out leaving us to search for the elevator button in the dark.
One thing's for sure. If we ever go back and have a need for lodging, we'll look for a much more upscale haunted hotel.
Mr. Gadget and I are now at the Calcondo....a little bit earlier this summer than last. We have a family graduation party to attend next weekend, and we've never been ones to miss a party.
Our trip out on Saturday was a little bit different than usual.
We were on a brand new airplane on its inaugural flight. JetBlue was introducing their new Mint class. The first few rows have big cushy seats that lie flat for sleeping. If you opt for one of those seats, you also get a gourmet meal. We didn't opt, so we slogged all the way back to row 23---being careful not to whack one of the opters with our carry-on bags---and settled into our much-smaller seats with our brown-bag sandwiches.
We got quite a send-off too---a colorful chorus-line of JetBlue employees. Other than that, it was business as usual. The satellite radio didn't work and they were out of peanuts. But there are always bound to be some early bugs.
Mr. Gadget and I have this travel routine down to a science now that we've been doing it for more than a few years. He brings very few clothes because he's built up a sizeable west-coast inventory. This allows me to overflow into his suitcase with my craft supplies.
So now we're pretty well settled in, and I'm happy to report there were no new plumbing problems to greet us. But there were a few ants running around, and I'm sure they've sent their scouts back to their neighborhoods to alert the others that those people are back and they have food.
I'd been thinking about making some fabric flowers. Maybe a nice arrangement for the dining room table....where we hardly ever eat because we now have an island and two bar stools. I know it's not the most proper way to dine, but at least Mr. Gadget doesn't notice when I dribble soup down my chin.
This is my first attempt. While it's not great, I can see possibilities.
And it gives me confidence to garden even though I wasn't born with a green thumb.
It's funny how sometimes, right after you mention some sort of new plan, the stuff you need to carry out that plan just kind of falls in your lap. Like a paper bag for instance. A frog-sized paper bag.
It's a long story, but since I haven't been blogging much lately, I figure I owe you one.
Quite a few years ago, I found a great sewing pattern for a butcher-style apron. It was wonderfully adjustable. The tie was one long piece that was threaded up through a casing on one side of the front and down through another casing on the other side. You could pull up just enough of the strap at the top to fit your head through. Here's a picture:
I was sure I'd have a real hot seller at craft fairs, so I made a bunch. In lots of fun novelty prints. Unfortunately, they turned out to be just lukewarm sellers. Soon I was stashing the unsolds away in the closet--also known as my overstock warehouse.
Just before last Christmas I was talking to Barbara, my neighbor, and she told me she was having a hard time coming up with a gift idea for our neighbor, Luigi, who always takes care of her mail and newspaper when she travels.
"I know he loves to play golf," I said. "Does he like to cook?"
She said, yes, he did barbecue when the weather was nice. I told her about an apron I had in my warehouse with golf bags on it and wondered if she thought he'd like it. And, if she thought he would, I'd give it to her....since my craft fair days are over (but don't quote me on that). She was thrilled to say the least. It was one difficult gift challenge she could cross off her list.
The other day Barbara and I were chatting again and she mentioned that she'd been to Luigi's for a BBQ on Memorial Day.
"You know," she said, "Luigi loves the apron. He wears it all the time. He cooks in it and he gardens in it." Right away I began to feel much better about my lukewarm aprons.
"I have a favor to ask," she went on. "He wants to know if you would make another one for his brother-in-law in Spain."
"Hmmmm," I hummed. "I'm pretty sure I won't be able to find the same fabric after all this time. But I might be able to find something similar." She understood and said it wouldn't be a problem.
When I got home I looked around the Treehouse and discovered, down inside a box of this-and-that, another golf apron. I guess I assumed lots of golfers, or golf widows, would be shopping at those early craft fairs and they'd be shoving each other out of the way to get to my fabulous aprons.
So I gave the apron to Barbara to give to Luigi, and insisted that this one would be complimentary just like the first one. But, of course, Luigi wouldn't let my good deed go unrewarded. He brought me a nice bottle of chilled white wine. So now, thank goodness, Mr. Gadget won't have to make a special trip to the liquor store.
The alligator is finished and now resides with his new owner, my friend Linda, in Tallahassee. She's named him Luther after a real alligator that lives in the lake near her home. She seems very happy to have an inside Luther and an outside Luther.
Luther was made from paper mache and paper clay. I painted him with a base coat of olive green and then dry-brushed a lighter green over that. Then I added some accent colors, per Linda's request, so he would coordinate with the colors in her guest room.
Luther had very humble beginnings.
He was an ordinary brown paper bag--coaxed into shape with some masking tape--with wire leg bones stuck in where I guessed the legs should be. I used a product called Fast Mache to cover him, and to add some bulk where I guessed the bulk should be. None of my projects involve any sort of scientific or mathematical calculations. I fly strictly by the seat of my pants. That's why I call everything folk art.
I'm pleased with Luther. I never know what I'm going to get when I'm flying without a flight plan.
Now I'm thinking it might be fun to make a frog. I've got frog colors in my paint box. I'll be needing a frog-sized brown paper bag though. I guess it's time to send Mr. Gadget out for another bottle of wine.
I'm working on the alligator and can't really show him off yet because he's for a friend who I intend to surprise. She asked me to make it for her, but said she'd like to wait for his arrival before meeting him for the first time.
I wasn't pleased with his eyes, so I added some clay here and there and now I like them better. Today I'll do some finishing work to his body, and after that dries I'll sand him and then apply the paint. After that, I'll send him off to the swamps where he'll live out his life....if mold doesn't cause his early demise.
I've also been working on a witch that I sort of remember blogging about in the early stages.
Here's the stuffed cloth body with gesso applied to the head. The gesso gives the fabric a nice base coat so the clay will adhere well.
Here she is after some of her facial features have been applied.
And here she is today with her face painted and her hat. She's still a work-in-progress. She and the alligator have been keeping each other company here in the Treehouse. They've grown quite fond of each other. I just don't have the heart to tell her he'll be leaving soon.
Sorry I've been away. Sometimes a gal just needs a little break.
So while I was playing blog-hooky, Mr. Gadget and I took a 7-day cruise to Bermuda. We drove to Port Liberty in New Jersey and parked our car there for the duration.
It was a little scary getting out of the harbor because of that pesky Verrazano Bridge.
I wasn't sure we were going to make it, but we just squeaked through.
The main reason I wanted to visit Bermuda....aside from having a vacation from my stressful life of retirement....was to see if there really were houses in every color of the rainbow.
There were! In fact, there were houses in all of the colors in a 64-pack of crayons. It was a great opportunity to practice my sketching.
In Bermuda, it's perfectly ok to paint your house any color you like. Not at all like in the U.S. where your neighbor is likely to flatten your tires if you paint your house purple.
Being a big fan of whimsy, I loved seeing this house that was surrounded by a rock wall with bottles of colored water evenly spaced all around. Apparently the residents have been doing this for years.
We took a bus tour around the island with a very informative and amusing driver who drives a regular city bus when she's not doing tours. At one point, just for fun she said, she did several 360's in a roundabout just to "mess with the traffic."
In the very picturesque town of St. George's I spotted this tree sweater next to a yarn shop. (See the big ball of yarn at the top of the picture?)
Here's our ship, the Celebrity Summit, docked at King's Wharf just behind the Norwegian Breakaway--the one that hit a whale in the Hudson River on embarkation day.
It was a relaxing week, and a very colorful one as I've already mentioned.
Now it's back to business as usual...and all of the unfinished projects in the Treehouse. I'll be trying to work up my courage to revisit the alligator. Good thing he still has no teeth.
A former neighbor of mine recently moved to Florida. Her new house is on a lake wherein alligators reside. I don't know if these are friendly alligators, but if they are I'm sure they've gravitated to her place because she's well known for her hospitality. She may have even purchased some chaise lounges for their sunbathing pleasure, as well as a variety of snacks they would find appealing.
She asked me a while back if I would make her a paper mache alligator. It wasn't that she was lacking for alligators. I think she just thought it would be nice to have one that could live in the house. It would, of course, also remind her of me and all the fun times we used to have exchanging our mail and getting to know each other.....all because we shared the same address. It's a long story and one I think I've already written about on the blog. Now that we've both moved on to different zip codes, I'll just leave it in the archives.
I decided to take up the challenge. She only wanted a little one she said. About 8 or 10 inches.
Here's what I have so far. It's pushing 12 inches....because sometimes the paper and wire and tape have minds of their own. They don't like to follow orders.
As soon as I decide in which direction the feet should face I'll start applying the paper mache. It should go together fairly quickly. I'll find an old shoebox and send him off to Florida....where he is sure to find some kindred spirits. And when the postal clerk asks me if there's anything liquid, fragile, perishable or hazardous inside, I'll just have to tell a little fib.
I decided it might be a good idea to finish something, rather than always starting something new. So I'm in the process of completing a couple of needle-felted witches for the fall craft fair. Maybe the collector who bought my needle-felted Santa last Christmas will be inclined to start a collection of witches.
So, Mr. Gadget and I were recently discussing the fact that there are teachers of various things aboard cruise ships and maybe I could approach a cruise company about teaching one of my various crafts and we could save on our, I mean his, bar bill. I had needle-felting in mind, since I had many inquiries from shipmates about what I was doing.
One of those inquiries came from a woman who lives not far from the Calcondo. She wanted me to teach her during our recent summer stay, and I offered to do it for free because I wanted to see if I had enough know-how to actually teach it to someone, and then I conveniently lost her phone number after she asked to buy one of my santa ornaments, and when I met up with her later to deliver the goods she tried to bargain with me like I was a street vendor.
I think I would enjoy teaching something crafty on a cruise ship especially if there were benefits involved. But it did occur to me that there could likely be a lawsuit if a newbie needle felter happened to stab themselves with the needle. It's gonna happen. I've bled a few times on my work. I just call those added features design elements, but I'm sure not all beginning felters would see it that way. Some might expect to be evacuated by helicopter to the nearest hospital with a trauma center. It could happen.
So I think I'll just stick to my deck chair and forget the whole thing. I guess I could teach knitting, but then I'd have to worry about those sharp pointy knitting needles....and the threat of impalement...
