Museum Pieces

Mother & Child

Family vacation in the summer of 2012 took us to the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum in Williamsburg, Virginia. It was awesome!
Too much to see, pennies to smash, cousins to keep up with, I only had time for a few photos. Most were of this wonderful artwork.

The sign says:

Junk Art Figure of Mother & Child

Created by renowned "junk" artist Leo Sewell of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Believe It or Not!, these people are made from common kitchen utensils, plumbing supplies, auto parts, toys and rubbish.

Spoiler: I believe it.

  

"Child" has a Fisher Price mom in his face

Crafty Family: Sudoku Quilt

Here is the quilt wall hanging that my Rubber Stampin' Auntie made for my mom and dad to hang in their camper.
My parents really like sudoku puzzles, and other number and word fill-in kind of games, and they've tried to introduce sudoku to this Auntie a couple times, but she's just no that into it.
But she did figure it out enough to make a perfect sudoku grid for this cute little quilt.
She made it out of several old ties that my Grandma had taken apart.
I love the connections, the patterns are cool, and the orange makes it pop!
And yes, I knew about it before it was done, but not knowing if this would end up being a "Muffin", I didn't mention it. ;p

And More To Be Finished

During my summer crochet-scrubbies-as-stress-management project, I learned that while the making of the scrubbies was relaxing, the tying off of the scrubbies was definitely NOT.
So I'd end up with a big pile like this waiting to be tied off. And since they were waiting to be finished, they weren't going off to new homes to actually be used, which was, after all, an essential part of the plan.
My folks, as I think I've mentioned before, have been doing volunteer work ever since they retired (almost ten years now!), and I have sent a few scrubbies along with them to give as gifts to their team mates, as well as give to family members they meet up with along the way, but I've never sent enough along, because they were still waiting to be tied off!
So I had a great idea. If my mom was willing to tie off the scrubbies (maybe busy work during the long drive?) then they could take a big bunch of scrubbies with them, and give them away when they're finished. Mom was game for the idea (thanks Mom!), so this big batch is in her capable hands now, being tied off and given away.
...and I'll get busy crocheting MORE.

Just another Monday

Yup, I'm officially in a rut. Or a funk. Or a fog. Not sure which. Or maybe all at the same time.
I'm still crocheting up a storm. That is, until I rip it all out and start over again. ;p But I've made five granny star hats (pattern still coming) and a couple scarves and other things. Crocheting has successfully become my comfort craft. And when I need to work on it, it really doesn't matter to me that I might end up ripping it out and starting again, I need the practice.
I've been organizing my nest, my work space cupboard, a little more when ever I have a chance. But creatively, I think I'm in a 'gathering' stage. And life, well, life is a wild ride, like Mr. Toad taught us. And some days, I don't really feel like I've caught my breath the whole day. (Good thing I've got that comfort craft)
Tonight I discovered a funny little revelation about myself. I really, REALLY do not like concert band. Rawk Star had a choral concert and music awards (he got a bar for his letter!), and right before choral was the concert band. Now, I love all music, don't get me wrong, and I played in concert band for about 10 years as far as I can figure, but me playing in concert band was only to be able to be in the jazz band and the marching band. Choir was fine, I loved both concert choir and swing choir, I still sing in a choir. But concert band. Just yuck. I'm sorry.
And in the good news/bad news department, I'm sure glad that I have so much art supplies on hand, because when Extreeme Artist procrastinated his art project (hmm, wonder where he got that trait), at least we didn't have to run out to a store to get the supplies he needed.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Me and Ma by the Waterfall
Originally uploaded by seeshells.

Here's a nice shot of me and my mother. I don't remember this waterfall specifically, I couldn't even tell you where this is taken. But the photo is reminiscent of the wonderful vacations we took every summer while I was growing up. Both being in the teaching world, and having the summers off, loving camping, travel, and photography, my parents took us to many different places through out the continental US (mostly West of the Mississippi river). Although, some of the trips I was too young to actually remember much, I was a very lucky little girl to get to go to cool places like this!
And mom probably made both of our outfits in this photo, too!
Thanks for being a great mom, and Happy Mother's Day!

Finally Feeling Better

I was pretty much out of commission the last few days. The last time I felt well enough to practice my crocheting was last Thursday afternoon, with a sick kid using me as a pillow. Hmm, maybe being a pillow for a sick kid was part of my down fall into getting sick myself. Oh, well. They get nothing but older, and soon won't need even a mama pillow when they're sick, so I won't complain. (At least not now that I'm better.)
Whoo. That nasty bug sure knocks you on your butt! We all took turns having it here at our house, and almost 1/2 of the crafty blogs I read all have had it at their houses, too. You can't catch it through the blogosphere, right?
Anyway, a wasted weekend, two sick days off work, and I'm back to 70%, although not enough voice to sing. I was so glad to be feeling a little better last night, I think I crocheted myself some carpel tunnel. So tonight, I'll just play some Sims Castaway while watching BB9 and Project Runway. What? Sims Castaway is creative! All my little Simmys have to sew their own clothes out of banana leaves! ;p

What could this be??

??
Originally uploaded by seeshells.

Sometimes I'm a bit cryptic in my posts...and this is one of those times.

This is the back of something that just went in the mail today.

Whatever could it be??

One Boy's Christmas Present

Three sets of earrings
Originally uploaded by seeshells.

Several days ago, my cousin who lives the next block over called to see if I could help him make a pair of earrings for his mom for Christmas. Of course! That would be fun. He is my first cousin, but a little younger than myself, just 12 (but all-of-a-sudden sounds like a grown up man), and I was pleased he thought of me, and thought of giving handmade!
We got together on the 23rd, conveniently after my immediate family had finished our gift day, and before his did. He brought over some pretty specific ideas of what he wanted, all based on birthstone colors, he being Sapphire, both his sisters being Emerald. Unfortunately, my current bead stash does not include any Sworoftsky crystals (his first choice) in those exact colors, and even more unfortunately, neither did the craft store we went to. For some reason, dark Emerald is hard to find in any kind of bead in a local store. Is it that unpopular, or just more expensive?
We found some crystals that would work, and some 'cat eye' or 'shadow' kind of beads, and a package of random Czech glass beads in our colors, but when the hard decision came of which one, or even two we liked best, then came the sweet question of 'couldn't we make all three, please?" So of course, we did.
He was a very good designer, and an excellent critic of color choices, and helped with some of the production as well. I hope his mom was happy with her gift, I know he and I had a great afternoon together making them (and playing a little Smash Brothers when we were done).

For photos of the individual pairs, click the photo and go over to flickr.

An Idea To Share & An Inside Joke

We had our gift exchange yesterday, and like every year for as long as I can remember, my Mom wrote down what everyone got and who it was from. I don't know where the idea first came from (maybe from my Dad's Mom, who kept meticulous scrapbook archives of every year, including all the news clippings from their small town paper that listed it as 'news' every time we came to visit). But every year when I was little, Mom would write everything down as we opened. When my own kids started opening also, Mom offered to continue the tradition. I like the idea that we will have these lists in her own handwriting, something so old fashioned in this modern age of computing.
A few years ago, after each year finding some paper, and trying to keep all the yearly lists together, I had one of those why-didn't-I-think-of-that-sooner ideas, I had her write the lists in a journal. It's just a composition book, not decorated (yet) but it now has several years in the same book, and it's much easier to keep track of that way. I'm sure other creative folks would have a wonderful time decorating the book before starting, I may still decorate it at some point. But a good idea to keep track of the celebrations and memories.
After all gifts had been opened, in that lazy afternoon time when everyone tries out their own and other peoples' gifts, I was showing my dad how I could see the flower photo he uploaded to flickr on my PSP, and from the other side of the couch, on their laptop, checking out this very site, my mom chuckled. She had gotten to the part in my post about my first art journal, where I had joked about the first pages being to wipe your hands on. This is a running joke in my family (one of many!).
When I was about first grade or so (and a very good and attentive student, who mostly only got in trouble for a messy desk), in a class about how to use the library, the teacher or librarian told us that the first couple pages of a book are left blank in case your hands were dirty, so you could wipe your hands on those pages. I SWEAR THAT IS WHAT SHE SAID! She added that we wouldn't ever actually want to do that, but if there was no restroom around, and you couldn't wait to get to reading, in a desperate situation, it would be all right. Now, I took those words to heart, mostly the part about not wanting to do it, I always made sure my hands were clean before picking up a book.
Fast forward a bit, and this subject came up somehow with my parents. And I proudly showed off my knowledge of what those pages were for. And it was very kindly explained to me that I must be mistaken. Of course, I must have misunderstood, but I'm sure my little toe-headed, freckle-faced self was indignant about being right, I'm sure it was adorable. And she laughed. And every time it has come up since then, she laughs. And I still swear that is what the librarian said.
But it was a nice bonus present yesterday, to be able to hear her laugh reading my little inside joke to her.