Teeny tiny real estate

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.

More ghastly than ghostly

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.

From the left coast

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.

Green thumb optional

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.

Frog fixins

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.

Up from the swamp

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. 

Swamped

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. 

A.W.O.L.

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.

See ya later, alligator

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.

Poking right along

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...

Breaking the rules

After several attempts, I think I've hit on the right painting formula for my little clay birds.  Watercolors.  I'm sure watercolor artists would cringe at the thought of using these paints on clay, but I'm OK with that. Here he is before painting.

I wasn't happy with the bold color of the acrylic craft paints.  I had something more subtle in mind.  And I wanted to be able to have one color gently blend into another. This bird is mostly blue, but he has a blue-green head....which is not obvious in this picture.  I have a whole tray of cheap watercolor paints with many color options, so I'm visualizing a big flock of multi-colored birds.  But, of course, I have to finish up in the Witchworks first.  Or not.

Now it occurs to me that I may have too many witches for the October craft fair.  I'm pretty sure it's possible to over-witch.  Maybe I should slow down.  I could start in on the birds and work until I get just to the point of over-birding, and then I could switch to Santas.  You can probably guess where this is going.  But it's all much better than over-eating.....a skill that I've pretty well perfected.

A sketchy sketcher

On Saturday I took the train down to NYC to attend an art-journaling workshop.  It was a beautiful day and I was able to be a tourist on my walk down 5th Avenue.

The workshop was entitled "Everyday Matters" and was led by Danny Gregory, who journals every day about his life using sketches.  It sounded interesting.  It sounded like something new and adventurous for a woman who usually roosts in a well-furnished rut.  I decided to sign up, but only if I could get there on foot from Grand Central.  I am not a subway person.  I'm not much of a taxi person either.

I was in luck.  It was a straight shot, just 12 blocks down 5th Avenue. I signed up.

The materials list was short and I didn't need to shop. I had a sketchbook that was at least 5" x 7" and some rollerball pens with black ink.

Danny assured us right up front that we didn't need to be good artists to draw about our lives.  Many famous artists threw away most of their work and only occasionally produced a masterpiece.  Some didn't even sell a painting during their lifetime (Van Gogh).  The secret was to practice, and most of all to just enjoy the process.

By the afternoon we were doing a few personal sketches.  

Who knows?  It may not be too long before I'm publishing The Macaroni Monologues....the illustrated edition.  But there'll have to be lots of practicing before then, and right now I'm gnarled-knuckled-deep in the Witchworks.

Fashionista

You're probably wondering if I took the mugs with me to buy the shirts, or if I took the shirts to buy the mugs.  I'll never tell, but of all my shirts my favorite is the white one.  I've taken extra-special care of it for several years now so as not to spill anything on it (I'm notorious for not wearing aprons when I cook).  I never wear it when I eat spaghetti.  I'm pretty sure marshmallows would be harmless.  In fact, I've been known to grab a few out of the bag when I'm wearing it.

There's not much going on here at the moment.  I've been making some slow progress on witches, although I did take 30 minutes off to do a speed-cleaning of my work area.  It's amazing how much clutter a person can clear if she sets a time limit and moves at warp speed.

I also made a list of items I'd like to have completed for the old hotel craft show in October.  This should help me stay on some sort of reasonable track instead of going off on one of my usual tangents.

Here's another witch in progress.

Months ago I covered a bottle with paper mache and attached some arms.  My original plan was to make a Santa.  But I've been having so much fun sculpting witch faces I changed my mind.  Do you see that snake skin behind her?  That's vinyl and it's my sewing machine cover.  When I was much, much younger I made most of my own clothes.  I got an idea one day to make a snake-skin raincoat.  I was quite the fashionista even then...

My mom (who taught me how to sew and, more importantly, how to rip out stuff that wasn't right even though I always thought whatever I was making was good enough) and I shopped long hours looking for the right snake skin print.  It had to be just the right shades of black and white.  I wanted something subtle. I finally found it in a fabric store in the L.A. garment district.  I loved that raincoat and wore it all the time.  I wish I still had it; I don't know what became of it.  But from the remnant that was left over I made a sewing machine cover, and it's served me well for all these years.

I loved making my clothes and I'd still be making them today if I could be sure that on Friday I'd be the same size as on Monday... 

Nary a tweet

Usually by now the neighborhood birds are back in full force, but so far not a one.  Winter, on the other hand, will not leave.  I will be patient.  I'm making a bird to see me through.

I haven't decided what color to paint him, but I'm leaning toward blue.  I'm sort of sorry now that I didn't leave an earthquake bird at the Calcondo, since there was a 4.4 quake soon after we left. 

I've finished painting the face on my latest witch. At least, I think I've finished. Maybe she needs a wart. 

Soon I will visit the park and forage for sticks.  I hope by then there will be lots of birds tweeting.

So yesterday was Mr. Gadget's birthday and I think this was his favorite gift.

Some facetime with Big City Girl.  Isn't techno-magic wonderful!

Pilgrimage

My friend, other Marcia, and I made a fiber trek to Massachusetts yesterday.  It was sort of spur of the moment.  Neither of us had anything else on our calendars, and there was no snow in the forecast--ideal conditions for a fun road trip. 

We made our regular stop at WEBS (aka Knitters' Heaven) in Northampton, and then followed the trusty GPS to Easthampton to a place I was most interested in checking out.

The store occupies part of an old 1920's vaudeville theater on the town's main street.

 

Inside the front door is a small shop with all sorts of hand-felted treasures.

A hallway in the back leads to a huge open space (maybe where the theater sets used to be stashed) that's filled with all sorts of fiber goodness.

I soon found the needle-felting fiber I was on a quest for and grabbed up many handfuls to replenish my supply. 

I'm usually not much of a shopper, but this place just sucked my credit card right out of my wallet.  I don't know if it was the abundance of fibery delicacies, or the history of the old building, but I felt an overwhelming desire to sing and dance.

Construction zone

I've begun the face-building process on the witch doll.

I usually start with the nose and build the other facial features out from it.  The first step is to make sure the nose-sized lump of paperclay adheres to the face.  This takes some work with my clay tools, and it's not the time to worry about what the final nose will look like.  Fine tuning comes later.

After the nose I work on the eyebrows.  Once they're done, it's easier to get a good eye placement.  There are a couple of ways I make the eyes.  On this doll I formed an oval shape out of clay and anchored it to the face with my tools.  Fingers work well too, but on something small it's easier with tools.  I then work some of the clay upwards for an eyelid and a little bit downward for the bottom edge of the eye.  I'll put the eyeballs in later.

Next comes the mouth.  It's not the greatest mouth, but it's a witch mouth.  It doesn't have to be perfect.  I've also added a little more clay to her left cheek to fill it out some.  I might do more work on that later.

The beauty of working with paperclay is that more clay can be added after your work has dried.  Just brush on some water and add more wet clay.  Your project will be happy to wait for you while you make lentil soup and a cheese and mushroom quiche for dinner. Bon appetit!