Memories of Mine to Thine

Feeling Fresh

2013-05-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

Over the last Winter, I kind of started to stray from eating fresh and local. It's harder in the Winter. I know this, but in the last month, I have started milking my goats. Yesterday, I made cheese with their milk, and I made Granola. It's funny how smells can transport you back to a different time. The instant I started mixing the dry ingredients of the Granola, I was instantly sitting on the counter with my mom in the kitchen I grew up in. Making granola. This morning, I had granola for breakfast, with strawberries from a Big Lick Farms, and fresh banana.

Later on, I had a salad with vine ripened tomatoes, avacado and some of that cheese I made.

It made me excited about eating fresh, and eating locally. It made me excited for summer, and the time when most of what we eat will have come from our own garden, or the gardens of people we know. It made me feel FRESH.

Amazing Mold Putty and Casting Resin Frame

2013-05-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

I created a new piece of artwork this week!! Now I'll never have to worry about using the 'last' vintage frame on an art piece again! Wanna know how I made it? Hop over to the Amazing Mold Putty's BLOG, RIGHT HERE!

Disclosure: As a member of Amazing Mold Putty's design team, I receive product at no cost to myself.

Tea for One

2013-05-15T06:56:00.001-07:00

The Mad Hatter is finally finished! He took me a while... the boys say I've had him in the works for over a year. I don't think it's been QUITE that long... but it has been a long time.

Hand sculpted with Creative Paperclay, hand painted. He'll be for sale in my etsy shop soon!

I am an ALCHEMIST!!

2013-05-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

HOLY CROW!! I made it!!
I'm one of the three new Alchemists and Gauche Alchemy! Now comes the hard part. Which badge do I choose?

"

Creative Paperclay Poppy Flowers

2013-05-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

I STILL have Spring Fever!! Also? I have been bit by the FLOWER bug. So I made some poppies with Creative Paperclay® modeling material! Inspired by Layered Fabric Flowers, you can see my step by step tutorial about how you can make your own poppies on the Creative Paperclay® modeling material's BLOG, RIGHT HERE. I also used these babies on a piece of art work I'll be sharing later this month!
Disclosure: As a member of Creative Paperclay® modeling material's design team, I receive product at no cost to myself.

Creative Paperclay Term TWO!

2013-05-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

I in the game for another term!! So thrilled to be working for this company again! Check out the new team!

Google Reader is leaving the building...

2013-04-25T14:49:00.005-07:00

You may have already heard... Google Reader is leaving town. Kaput. It is going to be no more... So I started shopping around, and I found Feedly.
Feedly takes feed readers to a whole new level, and making the switch from Google Reader is seamless. I mean it.
SEAM.
LESS.
Feedly is what feed readers want to be when they grow up.
On top of that?
It's also an APP.
That's right, people. You can have your feed reader ON YOUR PHONE.
Droid or iPhone, it's all good. Feedly's got you covered!! I just wanted to be sure that all you's out there got on the right bandwagon before the Google train leaves the station.

You're welcome.

Making Twisted Metal with Amazing Mold Putty and Casting Resin

2013-04-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

I created a new piece of artwork this week, and I bent up a key to do it!! Wanna know how? Hop over to the Amazing Mold Putty's BLOG, RIGHT HERE!
Disclosure: As a member of Amazing Mold Putty's design team, I receive product at no cost to myself.

Creative Paperclay® Design Team submission

2013-04-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

I'm throwing in my creative hat to stay on as a member of the Creative Paperclay® Modeling Material design team!! As part of our submission, we need to share some of the things we have made with Creative Paperclay® and also share a tutorial on our blogs. So! Here goes! Here is a sampling of the things I have made using Creative Paperclay® while I have been part of the team. You can click on any of the images below and be taken to the tutorials on the Creative Paperclay® blog.

Day of the Dead Sugar Skull

Custom Bust

Repaired a Vintage frame

Texture Plates with Delight

Robin's Eggs

I also completed two custom order art pieces where I used Creative Paperclay®. The mugs are dimensional, and come off the canvas.

And last but not least, I'm sharing my Gnome! Just in time for Spring. Here is my tutorial on how I made the little guy.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

Newspaper or tin foil
Creative Paperclay® modeling material
Masking tape (if you use newspaper)
Acrylic Craft paints (I used Folk Art)

I started by creating the same core technique that I used in last month's post. The reason I'm sharing this technique again, is because I want you to see how truly EASY Creative Paperclay® really is!! This time, I made my core MUCH larger. Creating a core with foil, or newspaper is really a great idea anytime you can use it. It saves you clay, and dry time!

Once I had my core, I covered my core in Creative Paperclay. I wet it all a little bit, to help the clay stick, and spread it as evenly as I could around the outside. Not too thin! I want to sand it later.

Once everything was dry, I knew I wanted to make a hat for my guy, so I screwed a screw into the whole deal, to anchor my second layer of newspaper. Now, If I had planned a little better, I could have skipped the nail, and just made my core in the right shape. This way turned out fine, though.

Now, I wrap my newspaper around the screw and tape it in the general shape I'm trying to achieve. (in this case, a pointy hat)

You can see that there was some cracking in my clay when it dried, so I'll fill that with a little wet clay.

Once again, I tried to get my clay as smooth as I could, but I also don't worry about EVERY little lump. We can sand those out later.

before sandpaper

Once everything is dry again, I sand the whole thing until it's smooth. I also made sure to keep the bottom flat, so my little guy doesn't turn into a weeble wobble!

after sandpaper

Next. I painted the little guy!

Once I was done with that, I added some shading and his little face. I finished him with some matte sealant. I don't think he'd be fit to sit outside, but he's definitely ready to cheer me up on the shelf inside with my house plants!

I think he needs a name... any ideas?

Thank you so much for visiting and checking out what I have to offer! I'm looking forward to thinking up more ways I can use Creative Paperclay®!! I'm also excited to try my hand at some new sculpting now that I have BATS under my belt!!

Make your own Spring Gnome

2013-04-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

This month, I'm bringing SPRING indoors with Creative Paperclay® modeling material! Want to Gnow how I did it? (sorry! I couldn't resist) You can see my step by step tutorial about how you can make your own Gnome on the Creative Paperclay® modeling material's BLOG, RIGHT HERE!
Disclosure: As a member of Creative Paperclay® modeling material's design team, I receive product at no cost to myself.

Monday Morning Mugshot with GOAT BABIES!

2013-03-18T12:52:00.002-07:00

My Monday Mugshot... never mind that the mug is blurry! THE KIDS ARE HERE!!

THE BABIES HAVE ARRIVED!! Ginger finally kidded, and our guessing game is OVER. If we had been playing Russian Roulette, I would be a loser. Thankfully, I can now say that my pregnancy detection skills are INTACT. Ginger had three kids! Two doelings and a buckling. Of course she waited until after midnight to have them. That way, my "I'm pretty sure today is the day" comment earlier was a lie. They have yet to be named... but will eventually have cooking/spice names. First up, is the buckling! He was baby number two in the kidding order. Came out yelling. Good thing too, because Ginger was pretty quiet about the whole thing, and we missed the actual births of the first two. Only got there in time to dry everyone off.

Here's the beautiful momma with her baby boy this morning.

Here is baby number one. She came out first, a beautiful tri colored girl, with her momma's ginger color for her primary, with black and white spots.

Brother checking sister out.

Here's baby number three. She came out breech, and took a little while to follow her brother and sister out, but Ginger managed her like a pro, and thankfully, none of the kids were especially huge like they were last year. This little girl is black, with a lighter sprinkling of white hairs mixed in than her brother. I really like the way it looks, though.

Sister checking to see if sister is where the milk is...

Another shot of doeling number three. You can see her salty sprinkles better in this shot.

And so begins the kidding season on the Pretzel Place!! Can't wait to see what kind of kids Lucy has, and also if she is the milker I hope her to be.

Woman Who Stares at Goats

2013-03-15T11:43:00.001-07:00

This will be the first year I'm having babies that were made AND born on my farm! Ginger is the only one I'm not sure of her due date, or if she's even pregnant, but if she's not, then I have a fat goat with a precocious udder. She's past my due date guess, so if we don't have babies in the next day or so, I'm in trouble. lol Lucy is due next week! I can't wait to see how she does as a milker.

So that's what I've been up to. Watching goats. It's not nearly as fun as it sounds, I tell ya.

Painting Progress

2013-03-06T15:41:00.001-08:00

A painting in the works! I love what instant coffee in paint does. Smells delicious too!

Make Your Own Robin's Eggs

2013-02-28T21:00:00.000-08:00

This month, I'm getting in the Spring spirit using Creative Paperclay® modeling material! Want to see how I did it? You can see my step by step tutorial to make your own robin's eggs on the Creative Paperclay® modeling material's BLOG, RIGHT HERE!
Disclosure: As a member of Creative Paperclay® modeling material's design team, I receive product at no cost to myself.

Getting closer!!

2013-02-25T23:55:00.003-08:00

More work on display pieces today!! I spent most of it in my PJ's, but managed to get things done. She's dry tonight, hoping to get her finished! My custom art order is also finished!! I'll share those later. Spent a great evening with Travis as a late anniversary date, and now we're in bed on our computers next to each other. Ahhh, love. lol
Working on some goodies to put in the shop too.

A little teaser.

Display Pieces

2013-02-22T11:00:00.001-08:00

TWO THINGS:
1) I have show and tell to show and tell you.
2) I'd like your opinions!!
I have been busy getting my booth space ready at a local shop called Magpie's Marketplace, and I've already built a custom piece of furniture for the shop with Travis' help! Today, I finished another piece for the display area!!

Inspired by my friend Renee Smart's bird cage displays!

I cut the front out of the cage so that I can place things inside it without difficulty.

The top of my display at Magpie's is more narrow than the birdgage, and I have it placed so that there is a lip all the way around the top shelf, which makes the cage too large for it's spot. To fix that, I decided to elevate the cage above the rim of the top shelf! I had a piece of wood cut to fit under the base, and screwed the cage to that. Then I bolted a cast iron piece from one of my disassembled lamp bases I've used for my dolls.

I'm really excited about how it turned out! I have a metal picture frame that has detail similar to the base here, so I think I'll spray paint it, and use this image inside it.

So here's where you come in...
I'm using red as an accent for the display. My hooks will be read, some of the baskets will be red, and the stand for my mannequin will be red... I purposely didn't paint the cage red, because I liked the look of the black, but I think I want to spray paint the frame red, and hang it in the back of the cage with a red ribbon. So what's your vote? Black frame or Red? Here's a photo of the display Travis and I built out of two thrift store finds! It's the anchor piece in my booth.

Monday Mugshot Collaboration

2013-02-18T11:32:00.002-08:00

When Macs was smaller, he LOVED to create art. Once, I interviewed him when he was just ten days shy of turning five, ABOUT HIS ART. I still get choked up when I read that interview about him being an artist. In his interview, he said "The world is all the art that I can do." In the context of our conversation, he meant that there were no limits to what he could do as an artist, and he could make all the art in the world. I love that so much. It's one of my favorite quotes. Check out what everyone else is creating for this week's collaboration at A Year in the Life of an Art Journal!

Sixteen Years Ago...

2013-02-16T11:51:00.001-08:00

Sixteen years ago, Travis and I started dating... we had been best friends for over three years. Valentine's Day that spring after this photo was taken, we were married.

I can't believe what KIDS we were!! This picture is from our anniversary this year. Fifteen years we've been married now! We did one of my favorite things. Worked together on a project. That stack of wood behind us? We did that. Split and stacked it. Just us two. It was a good anniversary.

Everybody's your Valentine.

2013-02-13T23:22:00.001-08:00

Seventy Valentines made for Macs to take to school. The boy's school is small... and ever since we moved here, we have always made enough Valentines for the whole school. It's a small school, with around 60 kids from K-6th grade. I've always felt like it was a bit much for the WHOLE school to trade Valentines, and I have complained (even if halfheartedly) about it.
Until this year, when Macs told me, "No, mom! We don't HAVE to give Valentines to the whole school. Just our CLASS, and then we can give them to any of our friends in any other classes we WANT to."
So basically, that means that Macs is just friends with the whole school. For some reason, knowing this, makes the 70 Valentines less painful. That, and I take the easy way as often as possible. Like the year we printed Josh's out... and this year, I used red masking tape folded over the sticks on some Dollar Tree suckers to create a "flag" with his name on it. Cost me four bucks and some time to get the tape onto the sticks. Seeing as we give them to the whole school, he doesn't have to write recipient names down either, so that's a plus.

Valentine Mugshot

2013-02-11T13:06:00.000-08:00

Travis helped me with my mugshot this week for Monday Mugshots and I love him so much for that... My cup of LOVE. Even though the kids drank the last of the creamer... and I had to improvise for my shot!! What's in your mug this week?

The Force is Strong with This One.

2013-02-08T15:34:00.001-08:00

The moment when the leaf suspended by a spider's spinneret makes your kiddo think about "using the force"...?
I caught it.

I made my own texture plates for art stamping!

2013-01-31T21:00:00.001-08:00

This month, I made texture plates for stamping on my art journals using DelightTM air dry modeling compound! Want to see how I did it? You can see my step by step tutorial on the Creative Paperclay® modeling material's BLOG, RIGHT HERE!
Disclosure: As a member of Creative Paperclay® modeling material's design team, I receive product at no cost to myself.

bits

2013-01-31T07:28:00.000-08:00

Pinterest Culinary Testing

2013-01-20T18:32:00.000-08:00

I keep seeing pins on Pinterest using the pre packaged rolls to make doughnuts. One of them cut the center out of the roll, but that seems like a waste of time to me. Then I saw one that just cut a roll into quarters. I liked that idea better. Less fuss, and still looks delish. Today, I finally went to the store to get some dough. When I got there, all the grands size rolls were sold out, and the smaller rolls were on sale. So I bought the smaller rolls and brought them home. I mixed a bowl of cinnamon and sugar together for the fried rolls, poured some oil into my pan and got to frying! The smaller rolls will fry just fine whole, but I decided to rip them in 1/2 for my second batch to see if I could make more "bite sized" doughnuts.
Let me just say, I'm in TROUBLE.
They are SO QUICK!
Plus, my brain tells me that these would be delicious dipped in a warm glaze. (the same way you'd dip a french fry in ketchup.) Seriously. Fry these suckers up, and put a bowl of THIS GLAZE on a plate for dipping?
OH. YEAH.
I also have some MAPLEINE for making maple syrup that you could use in place of the vanilla for maple doughnuts!?
Yeah.
I'm in trouble.
BIG.
Trouble.

Creativity Comes from Many Places

2013-01-15T11:54:00.003-08:00

Every year, right about November, I start planning the upcoming year for A Year in the Life of an Art Journal. I usually have an idea of what I'd like to do, and then start planning the structure, asking peeps to be guest hosts... all that.
BUT.
Last year, November rolled around, and I just wasn't feeling it. I have been hosting art journal prompts for over FIVE YEARS now, people.
OVER.
FIVE.
Last year, (and even, I think, a little bit the year before) my life has been SO busy. Big busy. Huge busy. Crazy busy.
What.
The.
Hell.
Just.
Happened.
Busy.
I found myself creating less and less in actual painty form, and I didn't like the feeling of rushing to complete something "just" to complete it in time for the next prompt. Even worse, to *INSPIRE* someone ELSE to create!!
In all of that, I noticed less and less participation, and that's one of the very things that got me started in art journaling in the first place! The community that was created when I took part in Emily Falconbridge's Deck of ME!
On a side, I had been really having fun on Pinterest, and with Instagram, and came up with the idea of Monday Mugshots...

Monday Mugshots combines a few things.

The *clever* (if I do say so myself) title and its nod to my being the wife of a cop.
The cool pictures all over pinterest... little vignettes of goodness...
My love for photography.
My love for coffee.
My mug collection fetish.

And then I realized... I might be able to make a collaboration between A Year in the Life if an Art Journal work! I realized that part of the decline in participation was probably because I wasn't the only person faced with time crunches, and a lack of motivation to get REALLY painty. I also know from experience, that when I least feel like creating, the only way to get myself motivated and feeling creative again, is to DO IT! Even if it's just to shoot a photo.

So today was the first prompt of the year over on A Year in the Life of an Art Journal. Getting the post ready last night, and seeing all of the cool things that my guest hosts had created to help encourage and inspire the people following us this year was AWESOME.

I encourage you to come and see for yourself, and if you have been feeling less than creative, take the smallest amount of time you have and simply take a picture. My plan at the end of it all, is to print a Blurb book using my photos from the year. I may never touch the paints for this years project, but I'm SURE that playing along is going to help me stay and grow in my creativity. Maybe it would do the same for you!