ThistleDew

Big Huge Giveaway - that's the BHG!

2011-07-29T18:36:00.003-04:00

Thanks Heather for having a Huge Giveaway

and getting me back to my blog....

I would never let the chance to get my hands

on your beads pass me by!

It's been very hard since the loss of our Precious Basenji Sydney. :(

Huge Humblebeads Giveaway Peeps!!

Go to the link above to enter. Heather's beads have been featured in so many bead magazines I couldn't begin to list them all! Her work is fabulous! Very Earthy. My favorite in her mass collection is her "Dogwood Blossom" bead...you can click on the link and go to Heather's Etsy Shop and have a look around! Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Blessings~Melanie

In Memory of our Baby Girl Sydney

2010-12-01T19:01:00.008-05:00

Meisterhaus Jungle Jezebel

Our "Miss Syd"

On this what would have been Miss Syd's 9th Birthday I found it only fitting to put together a memorial page for our Sweet Baby Girl Sydney. We woke up this morning to the most beautiful snowfall. I know it was sent from the "Heaven's Above". One week ago last Sunday Nov. 21, 2010 our little girl lost her battle with Renal Failure.

In 2001 a dear friend of mine and at the time she was my Yoga teacher had told me about her recent addition to her family. A Basenji named Miss Ellie. I had never heard of a Basenji. They come from Africa and sometimes are known as "The barkless dog". I did some searches online and Steve and I decided a Basenji was what we wanted to add to our family. I contacted several breeders, visited with them and chose Meisterhaus. A very dear man named Tad Brooks was expecting 2 litters that winter of 2001. I had my heart set on a red/white girl but when we visited in December when the pups were only a few weeks old this Brindle girl found her way quickly into my heart. She chose me. We brought Sydney home the end of January 2002.

She was a handful. I have never in my life faced such a challenge with a puppy. Basenji's are definitely not for everyone, but once they know who is Alpha (Mama of course) then things get easier! I would have to put her on her back in my arms, grab her muzzle and tell her "No Bite". Or whatever the struggle was we were facing at that moment! I hated the term "Bitch" that breeders use for the females, but I tell you *That term fit Miss Syd to a T! That's where the "Miss Thing" , "Miss Syd", "Miss Bossy", and "Miss Bitchy" names came into play! :)

Once a Basenji owns you, you will find a love for a fur baby like no other. They are so intelligent. I tell people when I talk about our Miss Syd, and little man Sheldon that they are smarter than most people I know. They are clowns! They have you wrapped around their little hearts in no time.

When Sydney was 4 years old I talked to Steve about how hard it would be if we were to lose Sydney. How lost we would be without her. I begged Steve to let us bring home another Basenji. At first Steve was against it, and being Steve he just had a hard time telling me no. That's when Sheldon was added to our family. OMG it was a nightmare when he came home. Miss Syd did not want any part of "look Syd here is a baby boy for you to love"... LOL I think her feeling was "Oh Hell No", not in this house! She beat him up. Now it sounded like blood was flying, but it was all noise. No bite marks. But regardless Sheldon took a beating from Miss Syd. I called Tad and said "I have got to bring Sheldon back" it just was not fair to this beautiful boy. I took him back to Meisterhaus. When Tad and I talked he said he put Sheldon back with his litter mates and he just sat in the corner of the pen. Then Tad thought he would put Sheldon with the older "Bitches" and the same thing. Sheldon missed me. His mama.

Sheldon and I had bonded and his heart was broken. Well Miss Syd and I made a trip back to Meisterhaus, visited a bit, Sheldon was brought into the room to see what Sydney's reaction would be. Still she could care less about Sheldon. Sheldon had spent the nights in our home with me and he would lay up by my head suckling on my ear lobe.

I told Tad "I have never failed at anything I have set my mind to accomplishing", and so Sheldon was brought back to our home. As Sheldon grew he started to tower over Miss Syd, and he also didn't take any of her crap!. But, Syd was the leader and Sheldon would follow one step behind her. Always. Our hearts are so heavy over the loss of our Miss Syd. We have our good days, followed by our bad days. Today is a very difficult day as I said, "It would have been Sydney's 9th Birthday". When she was admitted to the Vet and put on IV's I told Dr. Weakley we were planning the Biggest Birthday Party for when Sydney came home for good. That won't happen as Miss Syd has left us and taken a BIG part of our hearts along with her. When Sydney was admitted to the Vet's office Tad had told me about a Dr. Gonto. He is a people doctor, but he had a Basenji boy who came down with Fanconi and finally went into Renal Failure. But while facing this battle for his boy he developed a protocol that the Basenji people follow to treat Fanconi. It is not just something fur babies can develop, humans as well can. I kept in close touch with Dr. Gonto during Sydney's battle. Once you meet a fellow Basenji person you have an instant friendship. When I contacted him about our loss of Miss Syd I got the most heartwarming email. Here is just a piece of that email:

**At this point, I have no doubt that Syd has found Topper. I sent a little prayer asking him to keep an eye out for her. They can both figure their way around the best sunshine spots in heaven together.***

Topper was Dr.Gonto's boy. Yes he has suffered that loss of his baby boy as well. Just a week or so before we lost Miss Syd. Sheldon is glued to my side 24/7. He is so lost. We have stopped everything we are doing to console our boy. We try not to say Sydney's name out loud so he doesn't constantly look for her. I know time heals all wounds, but this is such a heartbreaking day for the Pierces... :(

Why do we put ourselves through all this pain? Bringing fur babies into our lives only to lose them way too soon? Because their love is like no other. It's unconditional. They greet you at the door when you come home like they haven't seen you in ages! They lay with you and console you when you are having a bad day. When you look into a Basenji's eyes you are looking straight into their soul.

Rest in Peace "Miss Syd" We will find you when it is our time to leave this Earth *At Rainbow Bridge*

"Sleep in Heavenly Peace" Baby girl. You will always be with us in our hearts.

Love Mom, Dad and Sheldon Pierce

A page from Sydney's Scrapbook

The day we brought her home Snuggling in Mom's lap

See the #1 on the back of her neck?

Sydney will always be our #1 Basenji :)

It just doesn't get any sweeter than this!

Our baby girl experiencing her first Snow Fall

All Stretched out on the deck steps to our pool

What a beautiful face

Sydney's first boat ride

Her first dip in the Lake :)

One of my favorite pictures! Ashely and Miss Syd fishing

Our "Keepers of the Heater"

This is a rare photo of Sydney and Sheldon laying together. I had just gotten up from the lazy boy and they were in my lap. This is the way they ended up and only lasted long enough for me to grab my cell phone and snap this photo.

Wee Memories~ BIG Giveaway

2010-09-03T10:29:00.002-04:00

I just ran across a post on facebook about Tami's blog "wee Memories" and a give away! i just have to share with you!

So run, don't walk over and see for yourself! :)

and enter to win one of these Awesome Color Cubbie's!

Be sure to check them out HERE... and the owner, Tami, is such a sweetie so be sure to go on over to herblog and let her know how much you like them. So sweet she was kind enough to let me give one away to you! Thats right! One lucky follower will win one of these awesome storage systems. How cool is that?

Heres what you have to do to win one of these:

- Become a follower here if you haven't already

- Post about this giveaway in a blog post or on your sidebar, help spread the word about Studio 3 Solutions and this great storage system!

- Leave a comment here letting me know you have done these and what you think of the Color Cubbie

Thats it! This giveaway will run from today until next Wednesday the 8th of Sept. Good luck!! :) :) :)

Blessings~Melanie:)

Beads 2010 Review

2010-04-21T13:46:00.008-04:00

Beads, 2010 - Interweave

I have spent the better part of two days thumbing
through BEADS 2010 The Ultimate Beader's Resource
Loaded with beads displayed in categories like
Oh So Dreamy and Have a Heart...
The one thing I was a bit disappointed in
is there is very few polymer clay beads in the mix...
There are lots of Filigrees, Ceramic, Stoneware and Glass..
Jewelry and Color Trends
This magazine is a bead lovers must have...
now I must get busy in my Studio!
Happy Reading
Blessings~Melanie:)

A Wonderful Surprise

2010-04-18T18:07:00.006-04:00

Today has been the most beautiful of days here at ThistleDew....I got out my seed starter trays and planted some seeds that include some of my favorites like Nasturtium, Four O'Clocks, Poppy, Cleome, Dahlia, and Foxglove...after planting the seed I thought I would get the Sunday Newspaper and head out to the front porch swing and enjoy the fabulous day.... :)

And this caught my eye:

A Mother Robin has built a nest on top of my wreath....oh how sweet is that?

Here is a closeup of her hunkered down on her eggs.... precious.... :)

and I will leave you with one of my favorite poems..

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's heart in a garden,
than anywhere else on Earth....
Blessings...

"Perfectly Paired" by Patricia Kimle

2010-04-17T10:18:00.005-04:00

I am so excited about this new book!..."Perfectly Paired" Designing Jewelry with Polymer and Metal Clays by Patricia Kimle....I have had the book for over a week and just cannot put it down...it is so well written...and I highly recommend it....I am so anxious to start working in PMC....I just ordered my torch from Amazon.com and looking for the best deals on PMC now...Melanie and a flame could be very dangerous!...better check the homeowners policy to see if I am covered!
Blessings... :)

A Little Birdie Made Me Do It :)

2010-04-07T09:52:00.004-04:00

I woke up with coffee in hand....stumbled into my studio....sat down at my computer and started checking my emails...when one jumped out at me from Art Bead Scene on Facebook...this email said "and the winner is"... ME... :) My eyes then were wide open!...and that usually takes two mugs of coffee to accomplish...I became a fan of Art Bead Scene yesterday and saw they were playing a game...this painting was posted along with what the game consisted of...OK...I can do this I say to myself....Match a bead to the painting...and this light bulb goes off in my head!...rarely does this ever happen... :) My cousin Teresa's beads...from "Art Of Grace" I thought... I had looked at her auctions on ebay yesterday...and a set of her beads came to mind...and low and behold they were all a perfect match to the painting!...and what did I win you ask?... "A little Birdie" made by Artist Heather Powers from HumbleBeads!...I have admired Heather's work from the day I started working in Polymer Clay...*note to self: I need to work on My Daily Stops links on my blog!...I only have 4 listed and that list should at least be 20 or more by now...Thanks Art Bead Scene and Heather for the bright spot you have put in my day today! Blessings :)

Part 3....some past and recent work..... :)

2010-03-28T15:20:00.017-04:00

I made my two oldest Grandson's Braden and Carter each a necklace...

Braden's is on the left and Carter's on the right...Carter being 4 years old at the time thought the magnet clasp was so cool....he and his mom went to the grocery shortly after getting the necklace...he proceeded to play with the necklace latching it on to the cart....you guessed it!...poor Carter lost his new necklace no sooner than he got it... :(

*had to share this photo of our pond with the boy's necklace's in front on a stone...
I dug the pond with a shovel....by hand....topping off at 900 gallons...that was back in the days before I got "oldtimers"... :)

On to another Polymer Clay Adventure!!
Our Annual 2009 Key Mammoth Cave Retreat
We had a wonderful time of it....just sharing....

The "lightbulb pigster" was made by our own "Leslie Blackford" along with our name tags!
The rocks are my work....I really enjoyed learning how to make them...
The Pigster "I call him"....I won during our grab bag game!

I made this purple cane along with the pillow beads..

my colorful canes...

I recently caught up with with a cousin of mine on facebook that I hadn't seen since I was around 16 years old...Teresa "Art of Grace" is an artist working in glass and mixed media... I won a collection of beads made by her off ebay.... I made the bracelet below with one of the beads...it's the focal bead...and please excuse the poor photography skills by me....

and here's a sneak peak at some Lady bugs for my oldest Granddaughter Avory Grace...she asked for lady bugs and lady bugs she gets..... :)

and last but not least....Spring Cleaning of the pond....
these are our two beautiful Butterfly Koi...

OK....now I feel much better after getting all caught up with everyone....
Gotta run now.....off to do real life stuff...
Catcha later!
Blessings :)

Part 2.....Polymer Clay Adventures.... :)

2010-03-28T14:33:00.010-04:00

In Feb. 2009 I attended a weekend workshop in Louisville, KY with none other than Lindly Haunani.

"Combining Colors with Confidence"

Lindly getting set up...

First blends we made....*look at Ron Lehocky's beautiful blend in front!...and directly behind his is mine....See the one with the gob of green in the middle? Yes, folks that is mine that I messed up!...didn't get my colors in the right order...story of my life!... It all works out in the end as Lindly showed me how to make it more pleasing to the eyes... :)
Lindly is an awesome teacher if you ever get the chance to take a class....jump on it!

The second blends we made....

Look at the beautiful work from a fellow pc-er Bobbi...
She worked in metallics... and don't you just love the "Bargello?"

Some of the pieces I made during the weekend workshop....

In April of 2009 I attended a class given by Christi Friesen
She, so like Christi hosted a three day benefit "for Ada" she is the daughter of fellow Polymer Clay Artist Ponsawan Silapiruti...
I was so honored to finally meet Ponsawan....she and I had corresponded through snail mail early on in my Polymer Clay days....I so loved and admired her style...I had a question about the thread she uses in her work and Ponswan so kindly mailed me some of her thread and also a hand written tutorial on how she assembles her work..I was so touched....

Myself, Christi, and Ponsawan

a sampling of Christi's work....

My finished piece....

Playing Catch-Up...What have you been up to over the past year Melanie?.... Part 1... :)

2010-03-28T13:22:00.007-04:00

THE BEFORE......

Well I guess I will start with....

"The Main Bath Remodel"
*Staring....none other than...My better half....
and a man on a mission...
Steve :)

*Steve thinking...."what the Hell did I just get myself into?".....

Down to the studs we gooooo......

Buh- bye tile...

Green board....Steve's favorite part!

New sub floor...

"My Hunka...hunka...burnin love"

NEW BATH

Don't ya just love it?
*best thing we did was the curved shower curtain rod...
"so much more space in the shower now!"

New pedestal sink, glass shelf, oval mirror, light fixture...

....and "The New Throne! :)

I made switch plates from Polymer Clay
they are made in Mica Shift....
so much depth and smooth as a baby's bottom!
*picture does not do them justice

I am so proud of all of the work my husband put into our new bath....
I just love it! :)

Full Steam Ahead!.. :)...and the winner that wasn't .. :(

2010-03-23T14:47:00.007-04:00

You know me and a good "Give Away".. :) Lisa at Polka Dot Cottage had a recent give away. It was for a copy of "Perfectly Paired: Designing Jewelry with Polymer and Metal Clays"....by Patricia Kimle.....<-boy that is a mouthful!! Of course I didn't win... :( But I did just pre-ordered a copy... The past year has been a rough one, but I managed to survive it with a whole new since of what I am made of....and what my priorities are...I am busy in my studio...creating....it feels so natural...I did over the past year create some nice pieces of which I will post in the next several days to share with you...and hubs and I totally remodeled our bathroom...*and I mean totally down to the studs....I have those pictures to share too...*only because I made a couple of things out of polymer clay for it!.... I love you Steve!....so back to the new book....It comes out the first of April and I am ready to venture out into the world of PMC...So stay tuned folks....I plan on making this blog thing a regular!...Blessings~Melanie

Pouring my "Heart into my Art" and a giveaway!

2010-03-15T10:35:00.008-04:00

How long has it been? Way too long!... :) I was doing my morning ritual and ran across a blog with a giveaway...and it is just the kick start I need to do what I have been longing to do!....get back to my clay table!...my studio is all in order so that is out of the way from holding me back...and to top it off the giveaway is "Lisa Pavelka" WOW-WE....That is enough for me to get my creative juices flowing...how bout you? Craft Test Dummies....time is running out....just a little over an hour until it ends....I am sliding in by the seat of my pants...oh wait...I am still in my jammies!...A BIG thank you to the folks at Craft test dummies and Lisa! :)
*I will be back with details of my "clay adventures" over the past months! Stay tuned!

Run don't walk....Big Giveaway

2009-03-28T09:57:00.004-04:00

This is the "Giveaway of all Giveaway's!" FAVECRAFTSBLOG is giving away Lisa Pavelka Signature Series Polymerclay tools and DVD...

The deadline is April 3, 2009 at 5:00 pm CST.
There are several options to get your name in the hat too!
Don't miss this opportunity to get a set of "Top Notch" tools and Lisa's DVD... :)

Weeping Willow and Ice Storm 2009

2009-02-02T13:04:00.008-05:00

Its been a real bad one here in Kentucky...over the past week we got several inches of snow...then a horrible ice event arrived.....couple more inches of snow ending the storm...there are still over 300,000 without power..17 people have lost their lives...I had several family members in the Louisville area without it for 24 or so hours...and close friends in "The Knobs" in Indiana had a tree come through the 3rd story of their home and also no electricity for a few days.....so again I am feeling so Blessed ... I planted a Weeping Willow in memory of my Mom and Dad in our yard years ago...

*We had one in our side yard when we were growing up...we spent a lot of time there...when I was very young I had a play house next to the tree....and we would sit at the picnic table with neighbors and friends and just shoot the breeze!...

That's ME!...and my playhouse...****hhmmm maybe we pulled out a lawn chair to two too!!...that's our weeping willow right there with the chairs leaning on it.....

I planted this weeping willow in our side yard several years ago....as you can see we had a pretty bad ice storm in 2003..and I thought this picture was depicting a true weeping willow! :) It recovered and grew into this massive one pictured below....

You can see the damage the Ice Storm of 2009 has caused this once beauty...:( I will do my best to save it.... I hope you and yours are safe and warm...or cool if you are in a warmer climate!....I will leave you with a few more pictures I snapped from our yard....

View from my Studio window...

The "GateKeeper" I love the icicles hanging from his cheek, nose, and chin... *His expression kills me!!!... Blessings~Melanie:)

Ya Gotta have Faith

2009-01-14T11:33:00.013-05:00

I was enjoying my morning coffee.....making my rounds on the net....when I found myself in my 2 basenjis favorites folder....I went here to visit their breeders site..... and thought I would check in on FAITH when I scrolled down to The Latest News and found there will be a new addition to the family....please take some time to read about Faith, her forever family, and see if you aren't just as touched by Faith as I am....God can do anything..."if you don't have Faith you really have nothing" <**that is what my heart says!....and that is what gets me through each day!....now that I found Faith the biped dog she has brought me closer to God and I thank you for that girl!....

I want to share my little friend I named Faith...I found her outside my studio window and captured this photo....

now if this squirrel can hang upside down with her tops of her feet against the feeder and having no tail to balance with and have supper at my bird feeder... then that view of Faith gives me strength ....

I will leave you with....And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1CO13:13

Blessings~Melanie:)

Kudos Ron Lehocky :)

2008-12-30T17:45:00.010-05:00

I don't have a subscription to PolymerCafe as of yet so I have been bugging my poor Barnes & Noble store for over a week to get my copy of the Feb. 09 issue... by golly it came in and I just got finished thumbing through it.... reading Ron's article....I knew that he was going to be featured in this issue....showing his heart techniques...and sharing his passion for children faced with physical or mental challenges....I have 3 of Ron's beautiful hearts and I wear them proudly!...I just felt so compelled to get to my Blog and do a post featuring Ron.... I am one of the blessed *(approx. 20 members) of The Kentucky/Tennessee Polymer Clay Guild that get to spend time with an Artist/Humanitarian like him... :) Ron was featured at Polymer Clay Daily recently....again hats off to you Ron!...I cannot wait until we all get together again....I just hope it's soon...I need a polymer clay fix!....also I meant to post this photo from our last Retreat in my previous post...I will add it here OK?

...Thanks I feel better now!....look close and you might see some familiar faces....of course Marla Frankenburg and Kim Cavender....*they were there to teach us for three days....but...hmmmm....is that Leslie Blackford I see right there?....and on her right....*our left...that is Cynthia Tinapple from Polymer Clay Daily...wow there is Ron Lehocky in the back perched up on the railing....I hope everyone that spends time here reading my blog is having the most Wonderful of Holiday Seasons and I wish you the Hap, Hap, Happiest of New Years!

Can We Catch Up?

2008-12-16T16:45:00.017-05:00

Good Golly Miss Molly....where do ya start?...We will just say sometimes Life just happens and ya gotta do what ya gotta do from time to time...*and you are thinking what the Hell is she talking about? :) Life you know? I will start with where I left off a couple of months ago...with the contest...I didn't win...but I guess in the end I did win because I have a pretty much good to go Studio now! YEAH!... just more work on the organization part... Here is a picture of my work space all cleaned up.

and check out how this desk drawer worked out for my Premo!...I got this desk from a grade school that closed for only $10.00 and it even came with a "rat fink" in one of the drawers!

Now on to Key Mammoth Cave Retreat with Marla Frankenburg and Kim Cavender last October....* mental note:I have got to find more time to Blog! I had the best time with this group of talented people...Marla rocks!...If you ever get a chance to take a class of hers....do it!

Marla and Me!

an example of some of the different canes we learned how to make...

the flowers I made and the leaf and fern are Marla's work... *not bad for a novice like me!

When I met these two ladies and sat down at their workspace....It felt like I was at home...it's such a warm fuzzy when a friendship results in only 3 short days...They are Ellen Prophater (on the right) and Sue Sutherland (on the left) of Studio Shoebox...They do such beautiful work...I hope to make the trip to their home in the future to build on that friendship thing!! :)

We had a grab bag game where everyone made something from polymer clay....it was so much fun...what really set it all off is when it came to Kim Cavender's turn to pick a bag...and who's did she get...mine....I proceeded to tell her... "Kim put it back"..you don't want that one...believe me Kim...pick another...well she opened it and it was a necklace I made from her tutorial in Polymer Cafe June 2008 issue....when she opened it I said... "I told you so!!"...needless to say it was a good thing I had on my Depends!!...we all had a good laugh!!... *just kiddin on the Depends thingie!... hope I just made you laugh too!...

Susan Detwiler ended up with my necklace..and she was tickled to death as well as I when I saw how happy she was to get it!...

When it was my turn in the grab bag game I got a pair of earrings that Ellen and Sue had made!..Man oh man I was on cloud 9!!....here they are with a larger piece they gave me to make a necklace out of...awesome work...organic....stunning.... :)

Here is Leslie Blackford sporting her pair of earrings:

I played around the past couple of days in my clay...it's so hard this time of year to find the time to create....any who...I made this ornament for my newest Granddaughter Kiley...I covered a large Christmas bulb with a Skinner Blend....used some gold and silver Premo! mixed for the base of the bulb and notice the detail at the top where it will be hung...anal me...attention to detail....now I only have 4 more ornaments to make for the remainder of the Grand-Kids!

and last but not least my baby boy Sheldon turned 3 years old on the 15th....

Happy Birthday Sheldon! :)

I hope You and Yours have a Wonderful Holiday Season.... Be Safe....and God Bless You Everyone!....

THE END

This is the "Real Deal"....Reality Post

2008-10-23T12:25:00.009-04:00

Lila of Lila Tueller Designs posted last month about the real deal!...How you can make everything you post on the net look so together....and you know so much of our time is spent sipping coffee in our p.j.'s at our computers...Now Chelsea from Vintage Chic is having a contest...The messiest creative space contest!! Who-da thunk it?.... so without further ado...I will let my pictures speak for themselves!

Whew...glad that's over...yes people this is the real deal...a narrow...kinda long room...my office/polymer clay studio...Lila and Chelsea my sewing area is in our living room and much neater in appearance...You know the room where guests come into your home through the front door?...I would just die if they came in through the back door!!...they would walk straight into this mess!... :) Some of this is packed up....a great deal of my polymer clay because I attended a Polymer Clay Retreat in Mammoth Cave Kentucky... with Artists Marla Frankenberg and Kim Cavender last weekend and I haven't unpacked yet...so I will clean up before I unpack...and my next post will be all about our retreat....it was a good-un!

"Blackberry Somethin" Recipe

2008-08-11T12:19:00.006-04:00

kerry you asked for it so here it goes:

Blackberry Somethin

1 cup margarine *( I used butter)
2 cups flour
2 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
5 cups of fresh blackberries
2 cups or less of sugar

(heat fruit and 2 cups of sugar until bubbly)

Melt margarine and pour in 13x9 inch dish

Mix flour, 2 cups of sugar, baking powder, then add milk

Spoon mixture over melted margarine

Pour heated berries over dough
Bake 350* approx. 35 minutes

ENJOY!

Heather Bailey's Pop Garden Fabric Giveaway!

2008-08-10T10:47:00.004-04:00

Heather Bailey's new fabric collection called Pop Garden is now available!...and she is giving a 4 yard sample pack away!...just run your mouse over the image below,click and sign up to win!!... :)

Did you say "Farmers Market?"...or "First Day of School?"

2008-08-09T11:56:00.013-04:00

Yesterday was a Fantabuelas <*won't find in Websters! Day...I woke up early and saw my Granddaughter Avory off to her first day of Kindergarten!...Gammy was so proud of her...Avory was all smiles...her Hannah Montana shirt has a place at the bottom that you press and it plays...."You Get the Best of both Worlds"....

We sat at the bus stop for about 20 minutes with no other children showing up... :(
Then another little girl walked up with her mother....*of course I had to start a conversation with the child! And come to find out she was in Ms. Perkins class too... I was tickled pink ya know?

So then comes the bus towards us...ok girls here comes the bus....bus stops....big huge door opens...there sits a man in the drivers seat ...a total stranger.... bye Avory have a great day!!...

God Love Her!... Does she looked scared to death or what?... turns out she loved her first day of kindergarten...even the first bus ride!... :)

Now on to the Farmers Market.... :)

A picture is worth a thousand words!

First task....

And Wha-La <*won't find that in Websters either... Ha! :)

It is called "Blackberry Somethin"... a friend gave me a load of blackberries from her yard along with this recipe (years ago)...I wrote it down and asked "what is this called?"..... and you know the rest of the story... except the fact that my husband hates blackberries... and they are not in my 2 Basenji's diet either...oh well...such is Life!!.... :)

My Flea Market Bag

2008-08-02T18:18:00.004-04:00

First and foremost I need to thank Lisa at "Polka Dot Cottage" *(formally Polka Dot Creations)....Thank you Lisa for the inspiration to start sewing again after so many years and also thank you for sharing all of the buttons you have created! :)

and another thank you goes out to Tanya at "Grand Revival Designs" for the Flea Market Bag Pattern I found while "Googling my Life Away" looking for a purse pattern I would like to attempt!... :) I wish my bag was made in the "Barefoot Roses Collection", but I got the material for this bag at Hancock Fabrics when in search of material...be sure to go check out all of Tanya's collections of fabric....there is a new one due out this Fall called "Happy Girl Style"...

"Melanie's Got a Brand New Bag"

Hope you enjoyed the show... now off to Grill some Ribs and Fry some Hot Bananna Peppers for supper... I wish you a "Great and Creative Kind of Weekend!"

Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?

2008-08-02T18:09:00.006-04:00

Here is the long awaited polymer clay button!!... you know my new Flea Market Bag would not be complete without it!... So the button first... :)

another view....

and another....

and one last view..... :)

Whew.... glad that's over....now on to my Flea Market Bag..... grab a cold drink and pull up a chair!... :)

Woodland Bloom Giveaway Contest

2008-07-30T10:14:00.003-04:00

Lila is giving away a purse made from her Woodland Bloom *(which is not yet available) her Henna Sky and also fabric from Amy Butler and Kaffe Fassett. This purse takes me back to the 1970's when I was in my teens...I LOVE this purse!!...

It's "Far Out"..."Funky"...and so "Cool" :)

Click HERE to visit her blog for details on how to enter.

From "Fat Quarters" to "Jelly Rolls"

2008-07-28T13:33:00.008-04:00

Aren't these fabrics beautiful?.... I found them on Ebay...and that's when the "Jelly Roll" hit me smack dab in the face!!

Along with the "Fat Quarters" came a "Jelly Roll".... What?

I guess you are never too old to learn something new... :) ...I do have my first hand bag completed...Yeah for me!!...all it is lacking is a polymer clay button...I have three of the colors pretty close to what I want... real world things are keeping me from the fun...*(like canning 14 quarts of green beans)....yum...I made the "Flea Market" bag in the colors on the right laying on my sewing machine *(in the previous post)...the red/green plaid and the floral that is underneath of it...more on that later...I can't wait to post the pictures of it...the whole process from cutting it out to the top stitching felt so good!

A Step Back in Time

2008-07-10T19:28:00.009-04:00

ok...where to start....hmmmm....I will blame it all on Lisa at Polka Dot Creations...HA!...don't worry Lisa it's a good thing!...I have been telling her for months she has got me itchin to pull out my Mother's old White sewing machine from the corner of my living room and tune her up and sew!...Lisa has been making some lovely things and adorning them with her polymer clay buttons....

Well I've gone and done it.....

Now somebody tell me....where do I start?

I have not sewed in at least 20 or so years...yeah....I am older than dirt! I went into a Hancock fabric store and didn't have a clue....clueless I was!... :) I recently sold all of my Vera Bradley hand bags on ebay....oh, I do still have the one I am currently using which is the style I liked the best...it is called hipster...goes over your shoulder around your neck and thief proof!!...unless they drag me along with them....so I decided my first sewing project would be a purse....I Googled a bit and came up with the two patterns above....The Flea Market Bag from Grand Revival Designs. Check out Tanya's fabrics too!!...I am so in love with them! The second pattern is from Lazy Girl Designs and it is called Sassy Bag. It is made from Fat Quarters...You ask "What is a Fat Quarter?"....you'll just have to Google it like I did to find out!!.... :)

This was my mama's sewing machine...my sister bought it for her in the late 60's...and I am sure my mama was the talk of the neighborhood to have such a fancy machine!...so like I said earlier in my post I have her all tuned up and ready to sew!!

The cabinet my dad refinished and placed the White in it...if you look real close underneath the machine...on the left is a lever you push with your left knee (of course!)....and it is connected along the back to some gizmo that pushes the foot pedal!!...how cool is that?....Way to go Dad! Now when my mama would sew it would start out about 5:00am and she would go non stop until the garment was finished...*(except for the hand sewing, hemming, etc) that was left for her mama to do...my Grandma Dorothy......

These things above my Grandma gave to me...her sewing box, tape measure, old sissors, and last but not least her pin cushion....

My Mama, Daddy, and Grandma Dorothy have all passed and I only hope they are looking down on me and feeling very proud..... :)

"Clay Day with my Sister"

2008-06-04T09:55:00.007-04:00

I shared a wonderful day with my sister Kathy yesterday....she lives about 65 miles from me....I packed up everything but the kitchen sink and headed her way around 8:00am....and that is a big accomplishment in itself as I am not a morning person!!... :) We made plans ahead of time as to what we wanted to work on so things went pretty smooth....we took a couple of breaks with a bit of lunch and a trip out of the house for some fried pickles, sweet tea, and a luscious BLT!!...thanks for the treat Sis!...We completed two projects... the first was a necklace from a tutorial by Kim Cavender in this months Polymer Cafe and the second was a bracelet inspired by Bettina (beadworx) latest frenzy with extruded tube beads....you can see her beautiful work HERE on her flickr page....

Kathy's finished pieces above.....

and mine...*note the pictures could have been better...but by the time they were taken it was late in the evening and I had to get back on the road...**A big thank you to my sister for sharing the day with me!!...and I want to wish her a "Big Happy Birthday" for this coming Friday the 6th!!..... :)

She's Here

2008-05-22T13:01:00.007-04:00

Our newest addition to the family and my 5th Grandbaby!
Let me introduce you to "Kiley Elizabeth"

Born 5-20-2008

weighing in at 7lbs. 13 ozs.

and 19 inches

Welcome to the world sweet baby girl.

Our precious Gift from God!

The Dancin Rose and Avory Grace

2008-04-30T14:06:00.005-04:00

This is the first floral cane I've made. When it was finished and I took a long look at it....I thought...this rose has arms and legs....leave it to me to make the first and probably only rose cane that dances!...

I really enjoyed making this jewerly set for my Granddaughter....also another first for me...and named after her! "Avory Grace"... :)

Spring has Sprung in Kentucky

2008-04-15T14:07:00.011-04:00

I haven't fell off the face of the earth!...I battled months of bad stomach pain and after a battery of tests...I had my gallbladder removed....and then a few weeks of recovery and I am good to go!!...Spring has arrived even tho the lows last night were in the 30's....brrrrr....Here are a few pictures of my front yard....enjoy!.. :)

Pansy...my favorite!

White Bleeding Heart

Pink Bleeding Heart

Bing Crosby Tulips

Jonquil

Ron's Hearts

2008-01-13T10:45:00.000-05:00

I attended my first Guild Meeting last Saturday the 5th. Ron Lehocky did a demo of his beautiful hearts:

You may have seen Ron's work featured in Polymer Clay Daily.

He also has two of his pieces in Donna Kato's book "The Art of Polymer Clay Creative Surface Effects."

For those of you that have never been fortunate enough to have met Ron he is one talented man! Our Guild is very blessed to have him.

*to view a better picture of Ron's Hearts please go to my Flickr account and click on (all sizes)....this picture just doesn't do them justice... :)

"Christmas Time is Here"

2007-12-06T13:31:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa from Our House to Yours! However you and yours Celebrate the Season may it be full of Love, Peace, and much Happiness....*not to forget the good eats! I haven't put up the tree, nor mailed the Christmas Cards. I have done a bit of shopping...so I need to get my behind in gear and up the attic stairs....*and hopefully back down them!... *oh and I can't forget to make Grandma Dorothy's Christmas Cookies....rolled and cut Ginger, and Sugar cookies along with German Tea and Butterscotch Icebox cookies....I can smell them baking now!

I want to share a few pictures from "Christmas Past".

"Secretary full of Santas!"

This old Santa belongs to my husband Steve...he has had him since he was a wee lad! The calendar I made back in my woodworking days...now it is my Grandchildren counting down the days instead of my daughters....

"Old World Santas" from my woodworking days...I love these guys!

"Nativity Scene".....I love their sweet little faces!

Who doesn't love these guys?

Christmas Tree before Basenji's....

The Basenji's...Sydney and Sheldon

Christmas with Basenji's!...it's now on the wall....neat concept don't cha think?... :) even tho it's small this one is chocked full of my Radko's! I hope you enjoyed my little tour...and again Best Wishes to You and Yours this Holiday Season....

Southern Lights

2007-11-28T10:38:00.001-05:00

Here are my "Christmas Elves".....too cute for words!!

We took a trip to "Southern Lights" for their Holiday light show. Three miles of light displays, Petting Zoo, and of course Santa and his Elves! Braden, Avory, and Carter were hanging out of the car windows and we had "The Chipmunks" Christmas CD playing. The two youngest wanted NO part of sitting in Santa's lap, but we did wave to him and tell him they have been good and not to forget to stop by on Chirstmas Eve! :)

Trio of Frogs

2007-11-24T10:37:00.000-05:00

I would love to introduce you to "Reymosteerio" the Frog.

Braden's first piece of Art! And a fine looking frog don't you think? *when he was complete I took the picture of him, added the text and printed him out so he could show him to everyone. "Rey" is residing here with my two frogs for a bit. We have another "Clay Day" planned to make "Rey" something to rest his feet on, so Braden will be able to hang his masterpiece on his bedroom wall. We had a ball together claying! And CF's stlye of writing made doing this project easy, peasy for us. It was very, very hard for me to keep my hands out of Braden's work. :) The only thing I helped him with was the circle of garnet beads on "Rey's" back. I am so proud of my Grandson. We spent about 2 hours working on our frogs. Braden is 7 and his attention span is fairly good, but he was wanting to finish faster than I wanted him to! You know what I mean?! I was trying to teach him to pay attention to detail. So when he was finished we browsed through CF's book and found where she was showing different tools for texture. I got out my tools and gave Braden a big ole scrap of clay and he played for at least another hour while "Rey" was in the oven. He kept watching the timer, ticking down the minutes. The frog on the bottom left is my dry run frog I made the day before our "Clay Day". *I was thinking....geezee I hope I can pull this off...teaching and all....since I have only had my hands in polyclay for a bit over a year :) The frog on the bottom right is the one I made along with Braden on the first of many "Clay Days" to come!

My Grandsons First Play

2007-11-20T09:50:00.000-05:00

This is my Grandson Braden. He is 7 years old. I just started keeping him after school. He was on my computer and I was cleaning up my clay space last week when I asked him if he would like to play. I just grabbed up some scrap clay and a few basic tools for him. He had a ball!! It wasn't a very structured clay time, but we have one scheduled for tomorrow. Of course it is called "Clay Day". I had showed him Christi Friesen books and he really liked the frog! So guess what we are planning on making? *oh and he surprised me when I was taking this photo of his work....his mug showed up in it....he's cute as a bug isn't he?