Goodbye to Christmas

I wanted to put up a picture of our Christmas lights this year before we take them down. I have enjoyed them so much sparkling outside our window at night. I wish I could keep them up all year! But alas, they must go in their boxes for another spell until the Christmas time comes around again.

Secret Knitter's Present

I have been working on a secret for Miss Mouse's (aka Denise's) Christmas and birthday present and I have finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think as a prototype this will be a perfect addition for any knitter's tool chest...though it is probably too big to go in the chest.
I am making more for Nese's friends from the yarn shop to test. If they are liked and are something people think would be a hit I may make a bunch for different LYS's.
Have I got your curiousity up Miss Mouse? Well, you will just have to wait and see!
I may make it over to Raleigh to hang for a day and night if you want company in the next couple of weeks.
Until then.......

Fly Red Birds Fly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Octopi, Flowers, and Porch

I am revamping some things in the house for Will's return and the biggest thing is the bathroom floor.
























I also repainted the porch railings and really like the way they look. I don't know if I should paint the top and bottom of the railing. Denise let me know what you think.
That's Henry our sweet black cat.

Lucy all tucked in a ready to go to sleep

Is this not the cutest picture ever?
Last night I tucked Lucy in and thought it was so cute I went to get the camera. Just as I snapped she yawned. She looks like a little fox in the bed. And the colors just show off her pretty fur. What a sweetie

Octopus

I am painting some octopuses...octopi on my bathroom floor. The inspiration is that beautiful yellow and blue french fabric called toile. I will probably paint two crazy octopi with their legs going up the walls in parts. I am very excited to see how it turns out.

Ball Tree

Outside the studio I have a crepe myrtle tree that I have started hanging clay balls in and I just love the way it looks. I also want to start a bottle tree in the front yard. The ones that they have in southern seaside towns that ward off evil spirits. They make the most beautiful sounds in the wind. Today I am off to my last show of the season and I am super excited! Yay for the end of a very tough season!

Carving Mitts

I made these mitts for carving. They are super warm and I just love the color.
I'm just excited I actually finished a project. I can't wait to try them out. They are perfect for keeping my hands warm in the cold studio while I am sitting and carving.

Lucky Lucky Potter

I went from making pots in my sweet, old, work horse Molly to.......




















being able to order this monsterous kiln twice it's size and with a computer to boot!
I am one lucky potter!

I
















See how happy this has made me. I can't wait to fire her. She doesn't have a name yet but I love her blue box. And she is so shiny and actually has a new kiln smell. I know there are potters out there who know what I am talking about. It is a lovely smell that hopefully I will be able to smell again in my life time.

Whooooo
Hooooooo!
I will be able to make twice as many pots!!!!!

Masks

I made a couple of masks for a donation to an arts auction and this is my favorite one. I am off to London today on this rain soaked day to see my love!
Will post from there.

Nature's Diamonds

On such a sad and unholy day I wanted to post pictures of nature at it's most wonderful self. Coming up with small gestures of beauty to surprise us just walking through the yard. Here, these mushrooms were behind a bush next to my mailbox. And the spider webs are on my bushes every morning when I wake up.

Jolly Roger

I am making the jolly roger sweater for Will for his London trip. This is the front of the sweater made in cheap polyester red heart yarn. I want to make sure the fit is exactly right before I use the lamb's pride yarn for the real sweater.
It is on order at the LYS anyway and hasn't come in yet.
I can't wait for him to see it. He is in Nanahayla for the week with some of his freshman students and I want to try and finish the sweater before he gets back for him to try on. I am taking the real sweater over when I go to London on Sept. 13th. SO....I spent most of today so far crocheting as fast as my fingers could fly instead of making pottery like I should be doing.
Tomorrow I am going to make the back and hopefully the 2 sleeves. I have to get into the studio today or my boss is going to kill me.

Dolls from Debbie Stollar's new crochet book

I recently was at Lake Ontario on vacation and made these cute dolls for my 2 little nieces Jayme and Kara. They loved them. Before I buy expensive yarn I always like to do a test in cheap yarn and these are made with the polyester red heart yarn from wal-mart. But I think they turned out super cute. And for little girls the yarn is perfect because it can go in the washer and dryer.

Short and Sweet Shrug

I finally finished a project. I am classic about having 10 crochet projects going and never finishing one of them. I decided after being inspired by Miss Grey ( see haphazardknitter on my links area) that I wouldn't start anything new until I got at least this piece done.
This pattern is the Short and Sweet Bolero in the Happy Hooker book. I think that the pattern is pretty straight forward but I found many mistakes. Mistakes that someone experienced would spot and be able to figure out easily...but not so great a pattern for the beginners.
And the shells turn out really nice. All in all I loved making this project. These pictures are right after I blocked the sweater.
I am giving it to my mom and hopefully it will fit her perfectly!
I am getting ready to make the cowboy hat in this book and the Jolly Roger for my sweetie for his trip to London. He needs something warm to wear for all those cold rainy days in the rain capital of Europe.

I made this!

On Friday I went to a basket weaving workshop and made this wonderful NC farm basket. I am using it for my crochet work. It is really roomy and I love the soft leather handles. I think I am going to stain it though.

Dorothy Alter

Here is the Dorothy alter. I don't know how much I like the shoes around dorothy in the picture but in person it was amazingly glittery. Almost too bright to look at. Very gaudy and I loved it!
Will did the photographs in all the pictures that you see. Take a closer look at the pictures of the shoes. I love these photos. I think his work is amazing and I am not biased at all.

More pictures from the show

Here are the pictures of the wall of tiles that I made. They are all a deep colbalt blue some almost purple.

Here they are! Pictures from the show!

I finally have gotten around to downloading the pictures from the show! We took 173 pictures and everyone of them turned out well. I love digital cameras.
The first ones I am going to put up are of the sketches I did while watching the movie over and over. And the last couple are the Tinman's and Scarecrow's alters.

the ever so beautiful Judy Garland in blue

We represent....

the lollipop guild, the lollipop guild, the lollipop guild. And in the name of the lollipop guillllldddd, we wish to welcome you to munchkinland!