Simply Stuck...

I have been stuck lately on sculpting... I just can't seem to get enough with the Holidays upon us.

These are some of the items in the works... going back and forth from each... as drying time is required.

This is the Santa that lights up...I think I might remove a bit of the antiquing in some areas. I redesigned the little bird and is mounted and ready for detail...I am certainly thinking of mounting the whole thing on a box putting a light up inside...what an adorable candy box it would be for the Holidays. After the Holiday Seasons are over I am sure I will be knitting if not before...

Hope you're all creating in your own ways!

Delightful Christmas Tree!

It's been unusually warm here in the East a bit like the winter before last years, which was bitterly cold and oh, so snowy.  I do miss the snow on the neighbors pine tree, and yet I love being able to see every line and placement of the form of this tree and the lights lying on the delicate branches. This tree is one of my most favorites...a bit old fashion with the colored lights. The last two years are the first my neighbor, Cindy, has decorated the tree since she lived in her home of 15 years. Of course me, had to ask how could you not, it's beautiful. It's just makes me smile, I feel like a child as I see it lite up every year now. I love simple things, not too much decorations on a tree and I love that now that this lovely tree is decorate.  So every Christmas I get to enjoy this beautiful tree. Somehow it feels right that the joys of the Holiday Season are outside among nature. It feels natural I delight in the fact that this particular tree offers an amazing addition to the Holiday Season. Beside I told Cindy if you don't decorate it I will cut it down one Christmas and take it home..NOT...I would dig it up and move it...NOT...it's perfect right where it's sits. My wish for all this Holiday Season is to have a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year filled with miracles and many blessings.

A little something for You.....

Merry Christmas......Merry Christmas....Merry Christmas......

to YOU! And may all your Christmas's be WHITE!

Have a very safe and blessed Christmas to all who visit my blog! Thank You.

Little White Lies....

Hello to all on this snowy day, the wind is howling, blowing snow like a snow globe turned upside down, across the field. Mother nature seems to be letting us know it's Winter a bit earlier this year. I fear this is just the tip of what's to come after her gracious two year break in the snowy cold weather. My lavender plants are buried in a perfect layer of white and the pine trees dressed so neatly, no one could of done it any better...the beauty of nature. She tells us the truth always...she does what she's going to do despite what we think, it's her task, her land, she is to care. As I sit here typing I'm watching Christmas shows,  the warmth of the season, festive colorful tables, the subtle lights that sparkle like fairies, and gatherings of friends and family. Fairies, tales of tiny ones lighting the way as they fly in the night, the myths of so many wonderful images we live in and believe, they make our hearts warm and comfort us in there fantasy take us away from our daily life. I understand the myths, the stories written in books, put to film, let us know exactly that...they are myths. I sat this morning as all the Christmas shows, and shoppers fill the season I had a question, one that I have ponder for many years. Out of all the species God has put on this earth, humans are the only species that tell little white lies, as we call them. Somehow if they're little white lies they're not so terribly wrong or are they? I think of my oldest grand son, Brennan, who is 10, a year ago he discovered by accident Santa did not exist. He ask his dad, why did you lie to me, you said lying was something I shouldn't do because people get hurt, and lies you can't hide because the truth come out.  His father replied, it's part of what Christmas is all about began to try and explain. Then Brennan said, I thought Christmas was about the birth of baby Jesus, and with that he said, dad, Jesus wasn't born on Christmas Day, I googled and it's not the truth, so why do you lie to me? My son called me and said how do I answer this mom. I simply said, be honest, talk to him tell him what you know and speak from the heart. Why do we... think it's okay, okay to say Santa is real, the Easter Bunny exist, there is a tooth fairy, yet it seems the only truth of a Holiday we tell is that of Thanksgiving.  Are little white lies really any different then a lie itself? And if we think they are, is it okay? Think back in your life about the tooth fairy, Santa, the Easter  bunny and how do you feel? For me the white lies are over, the children are grown, I ask myself, would I do it the same if I had a chance to do it over, would I tell them the truth. I can only say this, I have a long time friend, Kim, who is a Jehovah Witness it does not bother me...it was her choice and  not mine to question. As I watched her kids grow over the years along side of mine...I have noticed a difference, one that I can not explain only one you would have to see for yourself. Her children live in the real world, the world as it really exist. I can not say they do not lie... I do not know...but what I do know... they don't question as many things concerning there surroundings and the world in aging.... like those of us who have been told those little white lies. So yes, I would do it different...I would have told my children the truth...but that's just me. I would have told them Santa is like a fairy, he is a character in a story, a character that simply makes the story more interesting and colorful with his Ho, Ho, Ho.

With that said, I hope your day is a good one, you're finding warmth, and the visits of family heartfelt, along with many blessings, as this Holiday Season counts down to it's final days. 

Thank you once again for taking time to stop in and read my blog :0)

Making This Years Christmas Cards and more....

Hey to all, hope your week was a good one!

As for me it was spent designing my Christmas Cards for this year, and a few ornaments to add to the Christmas tree. Like I've mentioned in many posts being so creative is often a bit of a curse. There is always something going on in my creative world.

 

 

My head spins when I lay down at night, in fact, I keep a notepad and pen next to me along with a little flash light...so when an idea pops in I can jot it down. Often by the end of the week there are pieces of paper laying all over my night table, with ideas, waiting for there turn to become something real...tangible, useful. I love working with paper, my favorite medium by far for creating..although yarn is right up there with my paper passion. Which is always Eco-friendly. However, the yarn for me is more of a relaxing medium the rhythm of the process gives my creative mind a break.

 

 

 

So....this year I added another bird, I love birds, I think most people do, are you one of them? For me it's the beauty of there freedom..there ever going flight through the air so gracefully. They're stance when perched on a tree limb or for that anything is captivating. This new little bird design...sketched out on Montval watercolor paper and embossed with snowflakes joins my collection. 

He's 5 inches long 3" wide a hearty bird I might add. He's not complete, I am thinking of adding rustic charms hanging from the bottom, snowflakes maybe or bells would be nice.. yes bells.. I think it will be, rightly so, he should be able to sing. Then on top a nice satin ribbon with a ball painted a cream color, antiqued lightly, to perch him upon the tree.

Indeed, he will be finished off with a clear embossing glaze for future lasting use.

 

 

Before finishing off my Christmas Card design for this year..I did spend a few evening playing with my new 9" Android Tablet actually playing Angry Birds, introduced to me by my grand son's. I just love it! Every time I play it which can be 3 plus hours at a time, I laugh as I shoot the cutest little birds out of a sling shot...it's funny I think they say, okay here I go I'll do it something like that, it's just so darn cute. As are my Christmas cards this year, I was quite pleased. I have this fascination with windows. I've always dreamed of a studio with long windows close to the floor, no curtains, open to the sky, all the views of nature. Tinted to watch the stars at night the views in the dark are just as beautiful as those in the light.

These cards are embossed including the colors...aged by hand a technique I love! And the window filled with snow. I think I did good this year, those receiving one hopefully will feel the same, and put them to good recycling use.

 

Thanks for stopping by my blog...have a fantastic weekend and keep creating!

It's Really Tough

  Finishing a grapevine tree one started a year ago this month has been tough, especially when the pine tree was torn down. Why do we tear down so many things in this Country? This tree my favorite of things I have created from out doors. Very rustic, stands all year round.

 

 

It's really tough not to just say screw the Holidays, and lie down on my sheep skin rug in the warmth of a electric fireplace. Which I love! And of course with a nice bottle of white wine.

 

 

And it's tough to knit as fast as Kristen who's blog you must visit as I haven't seen anyone knit projects a quickly as she does. This one so far which is done after her latest blanket has taken me hours just to get this far.

 

 

Plus it's really tough knitting with straight metal needles I've had since a young teen, when you don't have the size you need in circular needles.

It' s also tough not to make mistakes when one is using double strands of the yarn of Carson Simply Soft. I choose this instead of  Paton (which I love) as I already had many of the colors on hand. Although Caron is really soft the strands also split very easy, especially when using double strands. I tried it first with one strand and it's was just too thin. I really like the feel of the doubled yarn just keep in mind it's a longer process, at least for me. Now, Kristen I don't know how she does it and can only imagine she would just zip along.

 

I am keeping track of the colors, it's only taking one skein per section. A bit cheaper than Paton if you're interested.

 Next on my list this Holiday countdown, making Christmas Cookies.
 

<3 Pamela

A Bit of Holiday Decorating

Despite the fact it's hard to get past what occurred with my son in the early hours of Saturday morning. I've managed to put out my Christmas Geese. It's all I have done so far as my mind can't help but picture my son's face and my grandson's shivering little body, the fear in his little face.

 

 

These are my girl's which I have had for many years. They usually make their appearance sooner but they are now here. I named them when they first arrived in my home.

 

Ms. Bessie is in the back on the left has a birdhouse around her neck with snow and holly, she appears to be singing a Christmas Carol by her stance.
Ms. Gracie has a small Christmas Tree on her neck, who is on the right she's always watching Bessie doing what she does.

Ms. Sara wears a Christmas wreath around her, she loves to poke her nose ever where as you can see. Either way they are always the first to make a Holiday appearance.
My favorite of all my Holiday Decorations they always make me smile. I have filled the candle bowl with a few pine cones for now, I plan on  adding more....but for right now I just need to relax shift my mind in to another direction. Knitting something simple does this for me, takes me away from things for awhile. The rhythm is so calming.

I am making these wrist warmers that I found here. I love the way the Vanna White yarn that I had left over from making slippers last year, is giving them a cabin like feel.

I do believe the color is a Taupe/ Cream blend. I did what Julie mentioned at Little Cotton Rabbit and cast on with a cable cast on...I can tell already these are going to be so warm. Pop on over to her blog the pattern is waiting.

<3 Pamela
 

Fair Isle Ornaments

I've been working on a couple fair isle knitting project, two ornaments. It's been a rather a test in patience to learn the process to hold the yarn.

Since I live alone it was hard to photograph the process, which I must add was a bit of starting over many times. This yarn twisted over that one. Whee!

Although frustrating at times, I am one who keeps going until I get it right.

I created these two Holiday ornaments to start.

 

 

I made a heart in the red and white sublime baby yarn. It was a bit of left over I had and this was the perfect project. The heart measures 3 1/2" high by 4" wide. Stuffed with polyester fiberfill with a 1/4" red ribbon and two red bells.

 

 

I also did a Christmas Tree and was quite pleased, if I might add, with the way it turned out.

 

 

If you notice a little spot on the tree trunk, it's a piece of cardboard from punching holes in homemade gift tags. I just noticed it in the photograph, oh well, 

just went to the kitchen and pick it off.

This ornament measures 8" tall by 3" wide at the largest part of the tree.

 

Aren't they nice? Can't wait to hang them on the tree!

 

<3 Pamela