Gingerbread Snowflakes

By Request - Fairy House Revisited!

Pam — Wed, 30 May 2012 23:05:01 +0000

I have had a few inquiries for close-up images of the fairy house! So here they are!

I lashed together a basic A-frame from twigs - the frame is about 10" tall. The moss and lichen covered twigs added another three inches.

As I mentioned, my sweetie and sister gathered moss and lichen covered branches from her "rain foresty" property while I was napping one afternoon. They could not have chosen better material for the walls and roof.

I just love the "frog skin" lichen that covers most of the roof area. When it gets dry, both sides are brown, crinkly and dead looking. but spray with a fine mist or let a few raindrops splash down and one side turns the most gorgeous dark emerald green!

The image gives you a great look at both sides! Cool isn't it?

I just had to use that tuft of wiry lichen for the porch awning.

I left the other side of the house open and then hung a curtain of Spanish moss for privacy.

The little house sits in a shallow tray which is completely filled with mosses from Leslie's forest and ferns from my garden.

As you can see, the fairy house is sitting on top of a two foot cylinder strawberry planter - so it basically floats in the fern garden. My sweetie even filled the planter with soil and planted more little garden ferns in each hole.

Before long it will look as if it really is floating!

While misting a few days ago, I discovered beautiful gossamer hammocks had been carefully placed inside!

Sharing Another Side of Me - Introducing a New Photo Series.

Pam — Tue, 29 May 2012 19:32:10 +0000

Big Spring Creek Falls! One of the most beautiful little hidden away spots in the entire Gifford Pinchot Forest.

And the inspiration for starting a little photo series on Gingerbread Snowflakes.

Nearly 20 years ago, my sweetie and I completely uprooted our life and moved to the Pacific Northwest USA. In the years since, we have spent hundreds of blissful days and untold rolls of film capturing the unique and special beauty of this magical landscape - glorious beaches, stunning volcanic peaks, lush forests, breathtaking waterfalls... even tiny fungi and flowers and sea creatures.

For us, whether we visit a favorite waterfall, explore someplace new or just happen upon a little 'shroom that is new to us, we find ourselves in a state of enchantment, awe and peace. And so...this series is really a love story.

Since I have no clear road map - (you know - organized set of pre-planned posts), this series will most likely be more of a meander! And hopefully a few moments escape into beauty.

Today - to begin - two of my most favorite spots in the whole wide Pacific Northwest! We return to them often so expect to see more of them in coming months!

Numerous little tributaries wind through the tangle of moss covered basalt and nurse trees strewn over the forest floor above the falls. This one - a particular favorite.

Deep forests are best photographed on cloudy days - tripods are always necessary. Ignoring the fact that water currents dancing around tripod legs is a perfect recipe for a blurry image, I stood my ground in the middle of the stream - the only place from which this shot is possible.

It was worth the compromise because a year later an onslaught of branches and boulders carried along by an unusually heavy spring runoff completely altered the path of the little stream. In time, the forest will again create a place of peace and beauty out of the chaos, but this scene as it is in this image - gone forever.

If fairies haven't claimed this small, fern covered clearing as a Fairy Council Room, they are missing the boat! Just look at all the fairy size places to sit!

The Hoh Rainforest, nestled in the Hoh river valley on the western flanks of the Olympic Mountain range, receives more rainfall than any other part of the west coast of the USA except Alaska - approximately 150 inches per year.

In addition to tripods, photography here usually requires umbrellas and plastic protection for both cameras and photographer; and therefore, almost every image is a two man operation!

Waiting for that fleeting moment when not a fern is moving consumes most of our image taking time. If it is not a slight stirring of air currents then it is drops falling from club moss or big leaf maple leaves that keep the delicate ferns in almost constant motion. Motion you don't even notice until you are ready to trip the shutter!

The "Fairy Council Room" can be found along the quarter mile long Hall of Mosses trail which begins and ends at the visitor's center in the Hoh Rainforest. Due to the fact that the sun is usually shining in July, August and September, we prefer to visit in June. Granted, it is still wet and rainy but a small price to pay for the absence of other visitors. The foliage is fresh, new and emerald green and the overcast sky allows for perfect light.

Leaving you now to wander around here in this quiet spot. Sit a bit, take a deep breath and feel the peace and beauty and magic of the Hall of Mosses.

Help! If you can!

There is no way the images in this post are as soft as they are appearing. I can not figure out the problem - but it seems to be occuring at the point I transfer them to Flickr.

I am posting as they are and hope to figure out the problem. If you have any clue - please let me know!

Cookie Butter! Biting Into Christmas!

Pam — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:07:16 +0000

Cookie Butter!

Delicious! We are loving it at our house!

Great for spreading on waffles, pancakes, ice cream! Even toast! Especially toast!

Real cookies in every jar! Like biting into Christmas!

Score a jar or two or three at Trader Joe's.

Extreme Recycler! Turning Cardboard Into Leather

Pam — Wed, 23 May 2012 20:03:26 +0000

To prove that my little sister IS an "extreme recycler" - I am sharing a box that began as a ratty old cardboard container. In Leslie's magic making hands using her very own magic potions, that ratty old recycleable cardboard container became a beautifully aged leather treasure box.

The woman who receives our mail for us did not want to give it up! Before letting it out of her hands, she kept turning it around and around in her hands, touching, stroking and appreciating. It's so beautiful she kept exclaiming.

She could not believe it survived the trip through the labyrinth of torture most parcels encounter on their way to recipients. She also couldn't believe my sister would have even considered consigning it to the torture chamber! But truth be told - after coat upon coat upon coat of magic potions, Leslie's recycled "leather box" is tougher than you might imagine!

I wish my images could speak to the texture and feel and true old leather look of the treasure box. (For those who are curious - the box measures 12x12x12 - inches)

Every panel - a different design!

This panel was designed to describe the contents - Love Scraps.

Leslie's original intention in making the box was to send me a surprise box filled with "making supplies" which I would keep (since half the box contents were after all treasures found in my Great Grandmother's trunk).

But then she thought it would be really cool if I refill the box from my own stash and send it on to a crafty friend, who would then do the same thing. The intent being the Love Scrap box would become a traveling box of ever changing surprise stashes.

And that is a very good idea indeed ....... except for two things!

First - sorry but I am NOT letting go of this box!

And second - having heard about the condition of other "traveling stash" boxes after a few journeys through the torture labyrinth, I can not bear to let that happen to this box.

So - all of you who would have been lucky recipients will just have to enjoy the "Love Scraps" traveling box virtually!

Both side panels - beautiful heart design! She knows her sis hearts hearts!! Especially flowery hearts!

And what I love is that she used the creases and dents (present in the box when she found it) to further give the feeling that this was old, well used leather.

The effect was not achieved by slapping on a couple of coats of something pre-designed for this purpose in a laboratory! The final result is achieved after hours and hours and days and days and layers and layers and layers and more layers of magic!

Oh and tons of patience! And waiting for coats to dry in the moisture laden PNW air!

The front panel - a garden arch embellished with the name of her business - "Mathilda Lily". Her site is currently under construction.

Inside! More faux leather! A lovely note was tucked into this beautiful envelope - which began it's journey as a plain old manilla envelope fished out of her recycle bin! And just look at it now!

And the front of the envelope!

And inside the box - TREASURE!

Beautiful and unusual fabrics my sister is sharing from her own collection.

Lace of all kinds from my Grammie's old trunk - some hand made and some not. All old. Some cut from discarded garments. And of course the Teneriffe I shared with you not too long ago!

But THESE are the real treasure! Great Grandmother Crafty Tools! (Told you Leslie is the family archivist!)

In case you are curious - starting at the top and moving around clockwise:

Brass flower loom! The very one I learned to make loopy yarn flowers on when I was little. The loom is being supported by a very old container of dental floss - still in perfect condition!

The very embroidery scissors I used while learning to make my very first embroidery stitches! Sadly, the enamel is peeling off here and there.

Grammie's bee's wax! With thread from her last project embedded in it! This is of course the best treasure of all!

Tiny 2"x2" weaving loom - I know Diane wants this really bad - but she has to wait for awhile! A Looooong while!

And finally the thread knotting tool Grammie used while re-stringing necklaces for our family business in Santa Fe.

Check out this gorgeous Valentine! Everyone in the family received one from Leslie this year!

She "recycled" paper (heavy card weight paper) into leather! When held in the hand, it feels just like an old piece of leather. I am beginning to think she was in a faux leather mode during January and February!

The card design, as you can read in the note below, is designed to duplicate the cover of a book of poetry, written long, long ago by an adoring husband to his beloved wife.

The card is designed as a post card - and here is proof it held up well on it's journey to me!

Thank you for allowing me to introduce my little sister and share some of her talents! I find it amazing that two sisters, would go in such different directions with their art! One moved happily toward fiber - luscious glorious fiber, while the other fell in love with paint and finishes and restoring antiques ..... or creating antiques!!

More About Leslie - She Turns Ugly Ducklings Into Swans

Pam — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:46:53 +0000

My sister loves to play with paint! And not just paint! Varnishes, sealers, texture makers, glues, fillers, and all manner of tools from brushes to chains.

Mostly all stuff I consider yucky! Been there, done that. Never again!

While her big sister is now perfectly happy to dabble with food coloring in Mod Podge, Leslie dabbles in the serious stuff - breathing exciting new life into old beat-up landfill worthy furniture or decorative items OR making a brand new chair, table or vase look like it has been sitting in a barn for three centuries!!

While I am happy to paint a few flowers on a gourd Matryoshka, Leslie comes up with magic potions and formulas for fillers and base coats and finishes and textures and colors.

Mostly, she works with furniture. She can make a new armoire look like it has been made of salvaged barn doors or refinish chairs rescued from the thrift so that they match exactly a painted finish of a favorite old family heirloom table.

What I admire most about her talent is that unlike her big sis, she can see wonderful possibilities in almost everything - from a cast-off vase to a mud room.

The little urn/topiary above is just a tiny example of what she does with her magic potions!

When Leslie found this 10" brass urn in a thrift, it was badly pitted all over the entire surface and had obviously been exposed to very high heat as part of the surface was covered with "heat rainbows" - you know - those metallic rainbows left on the bottom of metal sauce pans forgotten on the stove?

The piece had most likely been rescued from a fire and had been polished to reveal the luster of the brass but was otherwise a mess. Leslie saw only potential and despite protests from her partner, took it home.

Using her magic and wizardry, she completely filled the pits and dents then began building up layer after layer after layer of base coats, middle coats and texture coats and coats to add color and coats to cover the color......

At this stage she has applied something called verdigris - one of those "middle coats" that gets covered up I believe! BUT it is important in the end result! I have been told.

Her vision for her little urn - a small topiary. And believe me she has all the stuff she needs to create one too - materials and talent!

Nearly finished! I guess she was right about that miserable little brass urn - it did have potential!

Now scroll back up to the top and take a look at that ribbon.

Apparently, that too is covered in layer after layer of finishes and stiffeners and who but Leslie knows what! She doesn't share her secrets!

But she DID share that she became so disappointed with the results she was getting - or rather not getting - that she took the ribbon out on the concrete patio and ceremoniously tried to set it on fire with a barbeque lighter.

When the few reluctant flames disappeared - the ribbon was still there covered in soot. But ... but... wait! Brush away the sooty layer and - OMG - something really, really cool happened in the flames!

Again - potential!

Needless to say - the ribbon was saved and lives happily on the topiary to this day.

The end.

(tomorrow - Leslie turns cardboard into leather!)

Meet My Very Creative Little Sister!

Pam — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:33:44 +0000

My little sister! Leslie! Thought it high time I reveal that Diane and I are not the only crafty people in our family!

You might remember - my sweetie and I recently escaped our daily "busyness" for a few days retreat in my sister's cottage in the woods.

Today and the next two days I am sharing bits of the visit and bits of my very creative and artistically blessed sister!

Today - a few highlights of the visit! You know - the visit on which I got so totally removed from all media, phones and internet I needed to completely reboot MYSELF!

But first! A close-up of that fab hat she created - her "Mathilda Lily" hat - "Mathilda Lily" being the name of her business.

Leslie's home sits in the center of the Mystical Forest which covers most of the property - every window looks out on some part of it.

DeGoede Bulb Farm - the best kept secret in Southwest Washington - is not far away in the little village of Mossyrock, so of course we just HAD to visit!

My most favorite tulip - Pink Impressions - comes from this farm. These blossoms are nearly the size of goose eggs!

My other favorite - Red Impressions - also the size of goose eggs!

DeGoede Bulb Farm ships to where ever you live during September - you can order my favorites and other tulip varieties as well as many other blubs. Visit their photo gallery at the link above and call them to order.

Leslie is the family archivist - the keeper of memories and treasures and bits and pieces of our lives.

Everything from the old Singer sewing machine and the writing desk belonging to our Great Grandmother to these beautiful beaded bags belonging to our Great Grandmother and Grandmother.

A peak inside! - Definitely beginning to show signs of age as the years take a toll on the lining. Do you not love the polished metal "mirror"?

She doesn't just archive vintage! She happened to be present not long ago when I was about to throw out this sketch I made in a college beginning drawing class. It looks much better now that it is beautifully displayed - framed by a collection of wine bottles.

BTW - the '60's blown glass grapes - from our Grandmother's Shop in Santa Fe, NM. And the bottle embellishments - a copyrighted product in development.

Her craft room! Look at this organization!

Every wall - floor to ceiling - crafter's paradise of every imaginable material or tool - all in order - all labeled!

Leslie has had an ongoing love affair with interior design and antiques since she was quite young. Every corner of every room in her house reflects her passion.

An old bird bath in the guest bath not only displays her collection of polished stones but doubles as a place for towels, watches or whatever next to the shower.

And guests no doubt want to linger while hand washing. She is a collector of wizards and they are found tucked into unexpected places.

Too pretty to open!

Leslie is absolutely hands down the best "gift wrapper" in the family! Whenever I receive a gift from her, I carefully peel away the tape, and untie the ribbons so that once the contents are removed, I can restore the gift to it's original state. These are from my "collection"!

The next couple of days, I will share some of her art - giving new life to anything and everything! Hope you will join me.

Art? Craft? Fine Craft? Indie Craft? Conversation with Brian R. Jones and Sister Diane

Pam — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:26:41 +0000

Do not miss listening to this podcast - a conversation between Brian R. Jones - Portland based ceramic artist and podcastor and Diane Gilleland - Sister Diane of Craftypod.

The subject (as Diane so beautifully presented it in her introduction on Craftypod) - "the differences between his perceptions of the Indie craft movement and her perceptions of the fine craft movement".

The show is free and can be found here on iTunes.

You will need a bit of uninterrupted time - the show is a few minutes over an hour in length. But it is worth every single minute of your time and the show was over before I knew it!

I love Brian's style - like a conversation between good friends sitting at a table and sipping coffee - imagine a 60's old fashioned coffee house where you linger for hours if you like in the company of others sharing deep conversations or simply playing a friendly game of chess.

Find a comfy spot, bring a pot of tea and curl up with Diane and Brian and your favorite knitting or crochet or hand quilting or as Diane suggests - plastic canvas!

But be sure you have a pad of paper and a pencil within easy reach because I guarantee you will be taking notes! Both Brian and Diane share many note worthy thoughts and perceptions and in so doing will set your mind spinning with it's own thoughts!

I was writing for a solid half hour after the show ended!

As tempted as I am to share with you some of what I came away with - I am resisting so that you can come to it in your own way.

This promises to be an ongoing conversation between them but in time I am sure it will include many others. And I for one am very excited a conversation delving into the similarities and differences between the worlds of fine art and craft and indie craft is being explored by these two thoughtful and insightful individuals.

Take my word for it - you don't want to miss this conversation!

"Personal Retreat" - Finishing WIP's and Learning New Skills

Pam — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:59:27 +0000

Painting little gourd Matryoshkas

Learning Tunisian Crochet - Diane is teaching me! She learned from Elizabeth!

Using my favorite color yarn - turquoise - greatly facilitated the learning process!!

Finally completing this sweet scarf for a friend! Cotton, bamboo, rayon blend called "Greenwood" from Yarnia. Pattern: Vicki Square's Universal Scarf which I found at Knitting Daily. My first "jump" from straight knitting.

My model, Diane, wore perfect colors for the photo shoot!

Joining my ATERGcrochet Christmas Balls. The dark blue yarn is a little too thin to be used for the join but I still love them.

FYI - found a bag of about 40 plastic balls (probably from a Kiddy Play-land Ball Pool) for $3.00 at the thrift - the size and colors are pretty much perfect for this application!

And now - pulling out the tin snips and recycling some soda cans into garden stakes and flowers! Maybe even some butterflies!

How I Supported Craft Artists and Makers of Free Content in April

Pam — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:00:24 +0000

Clockwise from upper left: ATERGcrochet: Jenaissance Designs: That's Woolly Something: PlanetJune

As many of you already know - in April I supported "makers of free content" - craft artists and shop owners who share free content in their blogs - by experimenting with my very first "Shopping Spree Giveaway".

The winner - Areille - Had the opportunity to chose three patterns from one of four shops:

ATERGcrochet

Jenaissance Designs

PlanetJune

That's Woolly Something

You can see what she chose here!

Cinnamon Sticks Earrings - image and earrings by Erin at Elisian Studios.

And I just could not wait any longer to own "Cinnamon Sticks"! I fell in love with these earrings from Erin's Elisian Studios Woodland Spice Jewelry Collection the very minute I spied them in her online shop. Now I am wearing them almost every day!

I love Erin's jewelry collections - she is incredibly talented and brings her artist's eye into every piece of her jewelry - and her beads and jewelry components as well. You can find her beautiful jewelry and jewelry components here in her shop Elysian Studios.

Erin has recently turned her attention back to painting and is sharing her work and experiences on her blog. Go visit and see what she is up to these days!!

So - now I would like some input! Please! Because the "Shopping Spree" idea is still a work in progress!

My intention in offering a choice of four shops is to 1) give exposure to more than one artist, and 2) to give those that enter their names in the giveaway several options for shopping - not everyone is into the same crafty expression after all.

So what so you think? Was offering four shops confusing or "inspired"!!!

I love this idea of holding a little Shopping Spree every other month as part of my efforts to support makers of free content and owners of online shops. But I want the Shopping Spree to be a fun experience for those who wish to participate and any suggestions for improvement or change are most welcome and appreciated!

A Mother's Day Love Letter For My Daughter

Pam — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:54:08 +0000

Usually at Mother's Day I write about the women who shaped me into the person I am - my Mother, Grandmother (Gwennie) and my Great Grandmother (Grammie).

This year I am breaking with "tradition" and sharing a treasured memory about my daughter, Diane.

The sweet little crewel embroidery pictured here was completed by Diane when she was between 11 and 12 years old. And there is a story to be told.

Every one of our five generations "touched" this piece in some way. My Grammie (my Great Grandmother) taught me to embroider and I taught Diane. When this piece was completed, Diane gave it to Gwennie (her Great Grandmother to whom she was very close). When Gwennie passed, my Mother gave it back to Diane who asked me if I would like to have it!

Back in the day - you know the vintage times - late 1970's - I was a crazy mad woman with a needle and crewel embroidery yarn. I was embroidering everything from the tiny 4"x4" Jiffy Stitchery fruit and veggie kits to huge embroidered canvasses 36" x 60". "Needleless" to say - Diane spent hours and hours at my side learning to stitch!

The moment I spied this "kit" with the two sweet little Hummel figurines huddled against the rain under an umbrella, I fell head over heals in love and purchased it immediately. And then, sadly, I was not able to indulge myself with the time to make it.

When she was about 9 years old, Diane asked if she could embroider the Hummels.

At that time in my life I was a devoted perfectionist and while I wanted to say yes, I also wanted every single stitch perfectly placed. Sorry - but that is how it was - the bare ugly truth.

I tried very diplomatically to explain to Diane without actually saying it that her embroidery skills were not up to my expectations for this piece. (I know, I know - flawed mothering - but I am being honest here so there you are - like I said - the ugly truth).

Diane got the message. Whether that was good or bad - the result is that she worked very hard at perfecting her stitches - kit after kit after kit. And in just a year or two she could embroider rings and rings and rings around her mother!

She didn't have to ask again - I happily gave her the Hummel kit to embroider.

A hugely humbling moment in my life when she had completed this piece with more perfection than I myself could ever produce.

As her mother, I have had the incredible privilege to watch Diane grow and spread her wings into the amazing and talented and generous individual she is today - and I continue to be humbled.