Halloween

Flickr photo by: Carbonated

Once upon a time I owned a costume shop. I bought it fresh out of college thinking I would dress the "theatre".
flickr photo by: carbonated
Within a few short months it was clear that October 31 hosted one of the most popular holidays of the year.

This illustration of my shop, by my hubbie says it all.
I did it for 12 years!


I Hate Halloween!

Eccentric not crazy

You know how families all have that one relative that gets talked about for a few generations because of some great accomplishment they had obtained.

Or they had a moment of fame or fortune. The one, that the family bond rests upon because that one person unites it. The one member who puts perspective into the family genealogy.

Well, we have "Great Aunt Zora".

Great Aunt Zora was in the very first class at the University of California at Davis that women were allowed to attend. She jumped box cars in her spare time, owned a Victorian house, yet lived in her chicken coop.

She wore flannel night gowns and army boots, grew her grey hair long and never wore her false teeth. She climbed trees to get closer to God, buried her money in coffee cans and was

a milliner!

The thought that I'm related to Great Aunt Zora, I can't help but wonder what, if any, traits I may have inherited.

So, when I'm 90 I too want to climb trees to get closer to God in my flannel night gown and army boots, with the wind blowing in my long grey hair. But, I want to be called, "eccentric" not "crazy"!

So when the firemen come to help me out of the tree, please let them know I too went to UC Davis and I too was

a milliner!

Art Essence

I found Art Essence from the wonderfully creative Tracy Webster's site. Each Wednesday Art Essence posts a new creative idea to post and link back. It's new and looks fun...besides, how cool is their button! You should participate just to collect this cool logo!

Here's this weeks challenge.

Oct 22
WAITING…. do you have supplies you have purchased and have never used yet because you are WAITING for the perfect time, perfect project, etc? Got a stack of idea books you have yet to take an idea from? What about a stash of beads or fabric waiting for their big debut? You know the drill… photograph it and blog it.

These boxes are all WAITING for the perfect created gift. The only problem is I really like how they all look together.

Glashoff

Philip Glashoff has an art opening on his property in Solano County, California every year and it's quite a party.

Food


Music

Sculpture Art (everywhere)

and even monkeys and zebras!

I'm not kidding...real monkeys and zebras!

Here's the guy you fear your daughter will date.

And look!

He even had a sculptural figure of me!

Running with Scissors

and

she's even wearing RED!

Buttons, lollipops or frisbees

These coiled buttons are easy to make but a bit tough on the machine.

Begin by cutting 3 fabric strips about 2" wide and 3" to 6" long. No science just a creative combination of color

This project does not have to be on the bias. It can be cut on the straight of grain. Sew the stripes together end to end. You should now have a long ribbon of fabric 2" wide and about 15" long.

I used 1/2" cotton cording. Use the soft kind since any other will add too much bulk to get under the foot of your sewing machine.

Roll the two outside edges to the inside center, then fold in half over the cording. Stitch along the edge.

Begin coiling the rope placing a pin here and there to keep it from springing apart.

Turn under the ending edge and wrap slightly to the underside.

Stitch an "X" onto the coil to hold it together. Be careful, use a large needle, and go slow. Your machine may whine about all the bulk under the foot. Go slow, talk kind and sew easily across.

Great as a decorative embellishment.

Although, I don't know what I'm going to do with mine yet.

A Halloween Tail

Is Juliette Evertson auditioning what to wear to this years

RED Party for Life Through Art Foundation?

or is she staring in

A Halloween Tail?

You will just have to go over to find out!

It just is

I received an e-mail from a friend who tells me she saw my art in Somerset Life magazine.

I run over and pick one up. Yippee, I'm creative living idea #46!

The Button Ribbon Spools are made with two large vintage buttons, a straw and some ribbon.

Now, because I am excited about being published as creative living idea #46, I show everyone who walks through my front door.

This is how the conversations go:

"Wow, that's great! What do you do with them?"

"Ahhh, display them?"

"Oh, how beautiful, where did you buy them?"

"Ummm, I made them."

"I'm so proud of you. Did you go out and buy these buttons then just wrap ribbon around them?"

"I had the buttons."

"Why did you have them?"

"I save stuff like this."

"Why?"

"So I can make things like this."

"Who wants things like this?"

"Me?"

"There doesn't seem to be much ribbon on here. What would you do with it?"

"Look at it."

"Did you make the ribbon?"

"NO"

"Do you get paid to do this?"

"NO"

"Then why do you do it?"

"Because I'm an artist."

"This is art? What kind of art is it?"

"I DON"T KNOW!"

"IT JUST IS!"

She had a feminine side

Oz is such a great metaphor for life. At least it is for my life.
You have days like this.

flickr photo from fairytalecinema photo by Annie Leibovitz

Within seconds you don't know where you are or how you got there.

flickr photo from fairytalecinema photo by Annie Leibovitz

You meet all these strange people along life's path.

flickr photo from fairytalecinema photo by Annie Leibovitz

Some clueless, some spineless, and some hardened by the storms of life.

As long as we stay on the correct road we will get home.

But some still search in other directions, thinking there is a quicker way.

At times were taunted by flying monkeys and strangers on brooms.

Other times we're helped along the way by goofy little people!

All the while, some of us will have already accepted and posses the most important gift of all....

Do you have your RED shoes?

flickr photo by fairytalecinema

The Wizard of Oz swap organized by Sherry at If I Could Set My Soul Free was to be completed on September 22nd after having all summer long to get your art together. You would think that would have been plenty of time to get a box done, but nooooo!

(Did you notice her pink lace pantaloons ?)

It just went out to the wonderful Sherry at My Mother's Daughter last Friday!

Sherry sent me a box of fun stuff along with a RED scarf!

And YES red is my favorite color and the theme of the ART CHALLENGE!

So this year at the RED Party (a benefit for kids hosted by Life Through Art Foundation) I think I'll be wearing my scarf from Sherry and my red shoes with a touch of pink lace ..........who needs more when you live in California!