Extraordinary Erica

Sacred Obligation

2026-03-05T17:39:00.003-05:00

Sacred Obligation

They sit in their library

and read from an

arcane magic book

written by an alchemist

from the moors of England.

The heavy rain tapping

on their windows

finally lets up and

they see a rainbow

and then an abundance

of much-needed sunshine.

Instead of journeying outdoors,

the astute poet feels

a sacred obligation

to stay in their library

and write a poem

from the marrow

of their tired soul.

four cat beds I crocheted for an animal rescue in California

Daisy the baby bird giving me kisses

a cute beanie I made

pottery painting adventure! August 2025

2025-09-07T12:46:00.001-04:00

There is power and magic in going on dates with yourself. As you all know by now, I love doing creative things. In August, I went to an "adults night out" pottery-painting party at the Color Me Mine studio near where I live. I was slightly worried that I would not do a good job at painting the pottery piece. However, I decided to go for it, regardless. The project was a gingham and blueberry plate. I chose to make the smaller of two sizes of plates because it is a bit expensive. The class is only 8 dollars but the price of the smaller plate was 30 dollars. The teacher was nice but to be honest, they could have been more attentive. There were only six participants so I am not sure why the teacher was so hands-off. That being said, I had a lot of fun! I painted the gingham stripes and six blueberries. I realized I should have put a seventh blueberry. I was, however, running out of energy towards the end of class. The plate was ready to pick up two weeks later. I was so excited to pick up my completed plate! I think it came out alright, especially for someone who does not paint on pottery often. I hope that you enjoyed reading about my pottery-painting adventure! As always, if you want to support me and my work, please check out GreenOwlCrochet, my Etsy shop. I also accept crochet commissions. Thank you!

New Year's Wish (poem)

2025-01-01T09:26:00.000-05:00

New Year’s Wish

may you always be
the titular character
in the story of your life
and may you always
carry with you the magic
inherent in the eyes
of the sprites and the goblins
and of your ancestors
as they watch you thrive
in your most bold and
and hearty and precious hour

Untitled Painting from 2024

Are you ready for winter?

2024-11-05T06:09:00.004-05:00

Hello, friends! I hope everyone is doing well. I have been crocheting a lot lately. In the past week, I have mostly been crocheting bandannas. I made three bandannas and one scarf recently. I am also sharing a picture of a painted rock I made. Thank you for reading my blog! If you would like to support me and my work, please check out my Etsy shop, GreenOwlCrochet. Thank you!

two blue bandannas

a teal and white scarf

a painted rock I made

so much goodness

2024-06-12T03:01:00.010-04:00

Hello, dear friends! I have been fairly busy with babysitting and also caring for two baby parrots. The parrots are being weaned by my dad and me. It is a difficult job, but extremely rewarding! I have been able to do some crafting, crocheting, and writing. Approximately two weeks ago, I painted a stone. I have been crocheting up a ton of scarves. In the past month or so, I have crocheted ten scarves, plus other items like cat bedding. I will end this blog now, but stay tuned for a review of Big Twist Rave yarn. As always, thank you for reading. If you would like to support me and my work, please donate via the PayPal button or visit my Etsy shop, GreenOwlCrochet. I also accept crochet commissions. Thank you!

Gabriella at two months old June 2024

Gabriella after hatching April 2024

So Juicy scarf

Ocean Jasper scarf

lap desk setup

a poem for this day

2023-12-31T17:04:00.002-05:00

New Year’s Eve

The new year’s

hazy night sky

is upon us

and we think

to ourselves

what beauty

the future

could hold.

Of course

we are scared

of the many

atrocities in the

great-big world,

yet we know

we must survive.

So we give

each other

Mona Lisa smiles

and go to bed

with exhausted minds

and hopeful hearts.

December 31, 2023

Internal/External (drawing on postcard)

PS- You can support me by leaving me a tip on PayPal or by visiting my Etsy shop, GreenOwlCrochet. I also accept crochet commissions! Thank you.

hobbies and interests

2023-12-10T14:00:00.003-05:00

What is a hobby or interest you have that other people may find odd? I do pen paling, mail art, and postal swaps, so I send and receive a lot of snail mail. Sometimes, when I tell people that I send out approximately twenty pieces of mail each week, I get some weird looks and comments. A lot of younger people I’ve met don’t even know that there is an active pen paling scene. It’s wild because I cannot imagine my life without mail. I just love this hobby so much! How about you all? By the way, you can support me by leaving me a tip on PayPal or checking out my Etsy shop. I also accept crochet commissions.

mail art from 2013

Chaos Inside and other fun stuff

2023-10-13T06:02:00.003-04:00

Hi there, buddies! I hope that you are all doing well. The days have mostly been cool and sunny here in New Jersey. I'm enjoying the lack of heat and also having the window open. My cat, Grace, loves "open window season", as well.

Last week, I doodled on a fake white pumpkin I bought from Amazon. It was fun! I'm not thrilled with how it came out, but I'm glad I had a good time while making it. I have more pumpkins and other gourds that I can doodle on at some point in the future.

I made six postcards while I was babysitting one night. The postcards were made in the span of maybe twenty minutes. The kiddos I babysit love to draw and color, so I figured I would join in the creative session with them. The postcard below, Chaos Inside, is my favorite postcard of the bunch.

On a whim, I painted my nails. I used a cranberry red nail polish from Ulta. My cousin gifted me the nail polish last year for the holidays. I love the way they came out. It's not bad at all for a DIY manicure.

As always, thank you so much for reading. I now accept donations via PayPal. I have an Etsy shop, Green Owl Crochet, where I sell items I make. I also accept crochet commissions. Ciao!

Chaos Inside (marker and colored pencil on a postcard)

my manicure

my doodled pumpkin

it doesn't have to be perfect to be good

2023-09-29T20:52:00.005-04:00

It has been cool and extremely rainy here in New Jersey. My pain has been excruciating, unfortunately. As a result, I have mostly been sitting in bed. I have been able to crochet a lot. I also wrote some poetry recently and I painted a rock to look like candy corn. One of the items I crocheted in the past month is a frog stuffed toy. I feel I could have done a better job with sewing the various parts on the frog stuffed toy. The sewing process is always my weak spot with crocheting stuffed toys. However, my friend loved the way the frog turned out, so I am elated. In fact, my friend even ordered one for their kiddo. As always, I appreciate your support. Please consider buying something from Green Owl Crochet. I also accept crochet commissions. I hope you all are doing well! Ciao for now.

frog stuffed toy September 2023

behold, summer

2023-06-17T19:03:00.004-04:00

Howdy, folks! Summer is in full swing here in New Jersey. It's mostly been hot and sunny. Although, as I write this, it's cool and raining. I have been crocheting a lot, and also making some postcards, paintings, and other fun things. The other day, I used alcohol inks to color sea shells. I used Mod Podge and bits of tissue paper to decorate rocks on another day. I recently got LASIK eye surgery, and I'm still paying off the costs of the surgery. If you would like to support me, please check out my Etsy shop, GreenOwlCrochet. I also accept crochet commissions. Thank you!

decorated rocks

painted pineapple magnet

a painted sea shell

a postcard I made

cozy season is almost over

2023-03-18T18:17:00.003-04:00

The cold weather here is almost gone. Spring will come soon enough. In other words, the seasons of coziness are almost over. I'm looking forward to the longer days and then trips to the lake during the summertime. The kids I babysit got me sick again, unfortunately. I have been able to crochet a lot and also get in some art-making and writing sessions. I just adore this picture of my sweet cat, Grace, modeling a lap blanket I made. As always, if you enjoy my work and would like to support me, please check out my Etsy shop, GreenOwlCrochet. I also accept crochet commissions.

Yellow Flowers, Teal Stamp (collage on canvas board)

Grace modeling a lap blanket I crocheted

Amoeba Madness (drawing on a postcard blank)

seven paintings I made at the end of February

Happy holidays!

2022-12-18T14:21:00.012-05:00

Happy holidays from my home to yours! I have been sick with rhinovirus for over four weeks now. Despite my illness, I have been working on several projects. In the past month or so, I have made a cactus mosaic, a painted stone, three wooden slice ornaments, a scratch-art picture, two crocheted ornaments, a painted wooden rainbow, a painted ceramic cat, and some doodled postcards. In addition, I am almost done crocheting my panel for a pro-choice yarn bomb that is being organized by Jen LaMastra and Gabrielle Peck. I hope everyone has a lovely holiday season! As always, if you'd like to support my work, please check out my Etsy shop, Green Owl Crochet.

Autumn Renaissance (poem)

2022-10-01T16:22:00.007-04:00

Autumn Renaissance

so much to think about

while laying in the field

on a flannel blanket

covered by shriveled leaves

and giggling with my friends

remembering how this land

will soon turn brown

and lay sadly dormant

while we remain

very much still alive

three pumpkins I made

in the splendor of the summertime

2022-07-13T20:23:00.005-04:00

June and July have been fun! I have been able to crochet a lot and also work on some other crafty goodness. I found inspiration in this painted rock tutorial that I saw online on Saturday. On Sunday, I drew a geometric design on a rock and then painted in the colors using paint pens. I think the result is great! Yesterday, I finished crocheting a jellyfish stuffed toy for a friend of mine. If you would like to buy a crocheted jellyfish or another item from my shop, please visit my Etsy shop, GreenOwlCrochet. I also accept commissions. Thank you!

This is the painted stone I made on Sunday.

This is the cute jellyfish stuffed toy I made.

I was not very creative as a kiddo. However, I found this painting I made as a child. I was probably six years old when I made this painting. Sweet!

cute llama magnet

2022-05-01T23:33:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago, I went to a bargain store called Five Below to hunt for some treasures. I bought a few gifts for my neighbor's child, since I know she loves to do arts and crafts. I also bought some things for myself. Among my haul was a ceramic llama magnet painting kit. The kit was only one dollar. Despite its low price, it provided me with much joy. I was having a restless time before bedtime one night. I decided to try painting the llama magnet, just for fun. Although it only took me a few minutes to paint the llama, I'm so glad I did! I also used a black permanent marker to add the eyes and mouth. I used gloss Mod Podge to seal the paint. Okay, readers, I love the way this llama magnet came out! If you are so inclined, please tell me what you last bought to make yourself happy. I'd love to hear about it in the comments below. If you would like to support me and my work, please consider ordering something from my Etsy shop, Green Owl Crochet. I also accept commissions. Thank you!

January update

2022-01-16T19:35:00.004-05:00

Hello, all! I have been having a rough time with my fatigue, pain, and sadness. In November and December, I was able to crochet a lot of tree ornaments. As I stated before, these tree ornaments are for an upcoming yarn bomb. Also, in the past few months, I have been able to make art, and write a bit of poetry and such. I am happy to share some of my work with you all. Please don't forget to check out my Etsy shop, Green Owl Crochet. I also accept crochet commissions. I hope you all are having a lovely winter!

Mushroom Lore (collage on canvas board)

Zone 3 Butterfly (collage on canvas board)

crocheted tree ornaments

still life December 2021

November happenings!

2021-11-29T17:03:00.000-05:00

Hello, dear readers! I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe and healthy. I have been working on crocheting more tree ornaments. I crochet covers (aka, "cozies") for pre-made plastic bases I buy online. I am planning on hanging the ornaments somewhere in our yard at some point in December. Last year, I did a similar installation called Holiday Cheer 2020. In fact, I may incorporate the same tree ornaments I used last year, along with the new ones I am making. I have also been making some collages and writing a bunch of poetry. I will, of course, share some more poetry eventually. Ciao!

Green Stamp Gold Insect (collage on canvas board)

So Much Depends Upon the Bird (collage on cardstock)

two of the tree ornaments I made last week (crochet)

First Love (poem)

2021-11-09T11:01:00.001-05:00

First Love

we view the bright afternoon sky together

in the barren winter field outside of town

darling shades of blue swirl in patterns novel and lovely

a picture I took at a local park

Happy Fall!

2021-10-13T08:23:00.004-04:00

I hope this blog post finds you all doing well. I have been struggling with my pain and fatigue, as always. I injured my wrist last week and have not been able to crochet for a few days. What a bummer! On the plus side, I have been able to make a few collages and write a bit. I have been enjoying the cooler weather. I love to sleep with my window open. I hope you all are doing well!

My sweet baby, Callie, modeling a bandanna I crocheted

three crocheted pumpkins I made

Blue Butterfly 15 (collage)

Red Bird Ghana 500 (collage)

Black Butterfly (collage)

2021-09-11T18:56:00.003-04:00

Thank you for visiting my blog! I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. I am having a rough day due to my pain, fatigue, and PTSD. I was, however, able to sit outside for a bit and make a collage. I have also been working on crocheting items for Etsy shop, Green Owl Crochet. If you would like to support me and my work, please consider buying something from Green Owl Crochet or commission me to crochet something fabulous for you or a loved one. Ciao!

Esteem (poem)

2021-07-09T11:09:00.001-04:00

Esteem

hold yourself

high and

if you need to

you can

declare war on the

dragonflies and

the pumpkins

but never declare

yourself invalid

or unworthy

(a fountain near Lake George, New York)

By Passion Alone (poem)

2021-06-01T19:16:00.006-04:00

By Passion Alone

I am a writer

by passion and

by passion alone.

Give me money or

leave me unpaid.

Recognize my name or

leave me living in anonymity.

I will move forward

with my craft

and ply my trade

as zealously as

my want and need dictates.

Me with Angelina

May 2021

desks, studios, hope

2021-05-09T00:01:00.003-04:00

Despite my pain, fatigue, and headache, I was able to pull out my art supplies and make some art today. I'm beyond happy that I was able to have an art-making session! I must say, I'm proud of myself.

My current studio space is problematic. I simply use a desk to make art. This desk is in my bedroom. In addition to being an art studio space, it is a craft studio, a writing space, and an office. I have to do a whole lot of preparation to be able to make art. I also have terrible lighting in my bedroom and my chair is uncomfortable.

I consider it a chore to have to pull out all of my art supplies, clear off my desk, and set up my supplies on said desk. In fact, I consider it such a chore that it has become prohibitive to my artistic practice. Often, I will settle on just taking out a few collage supplies and go from there. That is, I will settle on working with a glue stick, some ephemera, and some supports (which are usually postcards and canvas boards). This is not necessarily a bad thing, per say. However, as an artist, I feel it's unfortunate to be limited like this.

This, of course, leads me to explore what I can do to prevent myself from being burdened with these preparatory tasks. I know that I need to have a better studio set up for myself. I have, in fact, known this from early on in my art career. My dad has suggested in the past that I put a desk in the basement of our home.

In the past, I deemed myself unworthy of having a better studio set up. I thought that it was unnecessary and perhaps selfish to take up more space for this little hobby of mine. Now, I believe that I have finally reached a place in my life where I am no longer ashamed to ask for a better studio space.

I will talk to my dad about setting up a studio in the basement tomorrow. If all goes well, he can help me get a desk, a chair, and some good lighting there. I'm hopeful that having a dedicated, functional studio will help me expand my art practice.

I would love to hear all about your art studios, past and present, in the comments below.

addressing the Inner Critic

2021-03-22T18:51:00.003-04:00

Hello, all! I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe and healthy. I was able to make fifteen collages in the past week or so. According to my friend and fellow artist, De Villo Sloan, I've had a creative breakthrough. It has been fun being able to make some art! I made most of the collages while sitting up in bed and watching TV. I find that watching TV while I make art helps block my Inner Critic. Another thing I do to try to avoid my Inner Critic is work quickly. I enjoy gluing things down with wild abandon and only briefly stopping to plan and critique. Plus, I have always felt that it is better to make bad art than to not make art at all. What are some tips you all have that help you overcome your Inner Critic?

watercolor class and crocheting my heart out

2021-02-02T20:27:00.001-05:00

My public library hosted an online watercolor class last week. The class was taught by Swetha Shenoy of The Paisley Corner. The class was a lot of fun! We started out with practicing some brush skills. Then, we made shapes like flowers and leaves. We concluded the class with a final project. The final project was a freehand-style bouquet of flowers and leaves. I did not like the way my final project came out. However, I will share a picture of me doing the preliminary work (such as the brush skills). It was a delightful class. I highly recommend Swetha's classes.

Of course, I've been keeping up with crocheting. I made a bunch of hats and scarves that I mailed to my friend Kai back at the end of December. Kai lives in Rochester, NY and distributed the hats and scarves to folks in need. Below you can see a picture of me crocheting a scarf while I watch YouTube on my laptop. Also, I have been crocheting more hats and scarves, and slowly but surely been working on a yarn bomb. Below is a picture of some yarn scraps from the yarn bombing project I am working on. As always, if you would like to support me and my work, please peruse my Etsy shop, Green Owl Crochet. I also accept crochet commissions!