Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Living in limbo

happier and chubbier days


I know it has been awhile since my last post. My sweet little girl cat Princess has taken ill and has gone from bad to worse. I have watched her waste away before my very eyes and I' m afraid that I am not taking it very well. When you watch a vibrant little animal first go blind and then turn to skin and bones and barely walking, eating or drinking, well, I must confess that this  has turned me into a worrying and fretting mess, a raw exposed nerve and not very nice to be around.  Fear snaps back as anger and every insecurity I have is even more pronounced and I am as vunerable as a child.  I do not do sickness or death well.  I end up spending a lot of time going back to my old friends junk food and tv...not a good combination for me but for many a year my drugs of choice when the going gets tough.  Funny how when you are hurting the first thing you turn to is something that is going to cause you more hurt and discomfort rather than going to the gym or doing yoga  and eating nourishing and sustaining food.

  I suppose when you don't have children your pets are your kids and the bond is much stronger. She has been in our lives for 14 years... since the first time that we saw her , dragging her five kittens across our front fence. We reluctantly took all of them in , spayed and neutered them, saved them from too numerous to remember illnesses and disasters and ended up with keeping two, my Princess and her son Ginger. We became a little family and I watched as my husband who said he was allergic to cats, baby talk and play with them.  I gained a new respect and love for him as I saw his tender side revealed.

   I've never had a pet this long. I didn't have much luck with animals. My mom never let us have a dog or cat as kids cause she said it was too much of a heartache. I now see where she was coming from... obviously from the voice of experience.  Heaven only knows what she went through as a child...I shudder to think.  I also cannot imagine how people endure what they do in life...losing a child must
be so utterly devastating...and for all of you who must be thinking that a pet is nothing in comparision and what is this crazy lady going on about, well I wholeheartedly agree with you...the suffering that many go through is just impossible for me to comprehend.

 I just lost my mom in September and now I am going through it all over again...  caring for and watching someone you love die.   She is still eating and drinking and purring..maybe a miracle will happen?... so we wait and watch and suffer right along with her.

  If you are lucky, you find a soulmate or two in this life... She is one of them for me.  I use to tell
my husband that I thought I saw my dad in her...she gave me a look that said Hank to me...it makes me cry just thinking about it and I still mourn the loss of him.

 She has been my constant companion and helped me through a lot of stuff with her unconditional
 love and sweet little ways that helped me to forget my problems.  My best buddy...  a little clown and a diva and a life force and a huge personality all rolled into one tiny extraordinary package.  

 To all of you....thank you so much for your words of comfort and kindness....geez blog love is like pet love...


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

honeymoon hotel and new nursery


See that jasmine arbor to the left?
It has been the focus of our attention
lately as two mockingbirds have decided to
turn it into their honeymoon haven...

First the building...
It went on for days as they flew back and forth
with beaks of straw and twigs and grasses.

In and out they went...
until finally they were satisfied...

They settled in nicely...
while the honeymoon went on...
but sooner than a blink...

eggs were spotted in nest as we had to take a
peek inside...days went by.

Soon more in and out and out and in...
with beaks filled with tasty little morsels for the little ones.
I am convinced that the parents are the wee ones we
had two seasons ago when they built a nest very near our bedroom
door in the Wisteria ...then we could see and hear them...

They are “my mockingbirds”....



They have used my husbands sculpture as a landing spot.




Thursday, May 17, 2012

New work and lovin the monkey.


I’ve been on a necklace making binge.

Suddenly, without warning, I had some ideas...
so I took this old crystal  I had and painted it pale pink...

Then I wrapped that baby in wire as I have a tendency to do.
and added those little tiny czech seed beads that I had
since the 70s.



Then I added a few more beads...pretty pale girly.



a smattering of hope....


Not only do I love how this turned out...I mean want to
keep it!





Hey and look!   Another one!
Geez...feast or famine for me...

I got these fabulous Bohdi Tree beads at the bead show
down south...

They are so earthy, textured, wonderous things.
They were for a Mala... Tibetan Prayer beads...

I wear my heart on my sleeve...

I’m finally starting to be able to mix beads up...
without getting all fussy and counting and first one
and then another about it...freedom!

And these pics!
well I’m loving those too....
Thank you PicMonkey...which is the bomb...
Turns meh into beauteous...


Friday, May 11, 2012

bugs, mice, birds in bronze




Mr. Beatnheart is working on a commission
for a hand railing...He made these first out of wax.




Then sent them to a foundry to be cast in bronze.



This little mouse will sit on the railing...




along with these Rails...




early stages of this bronze bug 
made from Mr.B’s imagination...





Installation of this is next week...



Thursday, May 10, 2012

Silent protest on ETSY


protesty avatar 


Oh I love me a good protest!

 I join today in closing my Etsy shop in protest of them allowing " factories" to sell on their site. Etsy is meant for people like me who make items one at a time, by hand. I have often wondered, how can this young lady be making these bracelets for so cheap... In her smoke free, pet free home... Well because... She's probably not working from "home" but" workin for the man”

 let's keep it real.... Keep Etsy HANDMADE... Thank you and see you tommorrow.  Read more if
you want to join in....  power to the people!

 More informations : http://www.protesty.com

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Looks like I’m on vacation...



Naw....just went to my neighbors house.

Bill is a talented landscape designer
and his house is like something out of a magazine.







Remember how I mourned the loss of Picnik the
photo editor?   Well...welcome PicMonkey!
A lot better than picnik...I love the options
of frames and textures...also just easier to use.




This texture is called “Smudge”
well I’m smudging just about every pic I take...


I love its old fashioned quality.



Bill’s exotic living room...like hanging out Morocco.




His extraordinary Brugmansia Trees








View out of his bedroom French doors...


Frisco the Wonder Dog



couldn’t leave this out...

We have had this orchid for 5 years...
this is the first time it flowered...

Happy Sunday!


Saturday, April 21, 2012

Wrapped, Stacked and Layered.

The REVEAL..
SATURDAY APRIL 21




That is the title of the challenge that the lovely Tracy over at “Make Bracelets” has put together.
 I thought well why the heck not...cause I’ve been banging out the bangles
since my girl FancifulDevices had put out her " Gypsy Bangle Stacks tutorial”.


It all started modestly enough



A few Czech seed beads...some glass beads and a swallow
charm I had from a past life.

Then I had some blue and grey ties from pajamas
and old sweat pants cause I have a hard time throwing anything away
well cause I might be able to use that someday...

and a miracle happened.



I did use em...



I threaded those old cords onto the wire, wrapped them,
fluffed em..splashed some ink on  them here and there...
added buttons and bows and bells and whistles.


Then it was...





add some fabric and wrap that and wrap that again
and then what about those filagree beads you never used and
then all those seed beads you have so many of...
And then Anvil Artifacts sent me some cool brown agate beads
those will go nice with these... and two plain bangles from my
real hippy days.




Then I thought about “White Wedding”



Nice day for a white wedding


You know that old timey song from Billy Idol...
hey I think he was wearing bangle stacks in that video of the song...
anyhow what about making something for the alternative bride...
The bride that he was singing about.
so I did these with Miriam Haskell like pearls and crystals and such.




So while I was in my “White Period"



back in...oh yeah March...
I added these to the mix..





Time to start waxing them...which is what we learned
in our tutorial by the incomparable Fancifuldevices...
so I gooed on the wax...wow!  Instant aging...
Looks as if Keith Richards wore these everyday since
the 70s while he was rollin around in the gutters and
sweatin on stage and such.










Yeah I’m kinda obsessed with these...I have tried everything
I could think of so far....I’m not done yet...So many beads out there
unbangled...needing to be ...wanting to be.
orphans left alone without a purpose in life
flailing about aimlessly...wanting to belong...
littering the hiways and byways and the bottoms of you drawerways.


The Final Forty


A cumulation of my efforts and all of my techniques

so far.....



Hey...wanna make your own bangle stacks?
Here’s Fancifuldevices TUTE
Haven’t seen enough?
Want to see the rest of the gang that entered the challenge?
As soon as I can figure out how to do the link to the other
80 people that joined this I will post it down here..

Sorry couldn’t get it to work so....

This is Tracy’s site where you will find the rest of the challengers

enjoy the day and have fun looking at all these creative ladies..

Sunday, April 15, 2012

A little trip to the desert


We went on a day trip to the desert to visit a friend
of Mr. Beatnheart...

The desert at this time of year is just beautiful...
perfect weather , spring wildflowers...

I haven’t been out of the city in many months...
it was wonderful to just hear the wind blow and
hear nothing but the birds.




To some people this looks like a pile of junk...
I was in rusty heaven...I mean look!  old beer cans!
The kind you use to use an opener on...how long
ago was that?  jeez, I can’t even remember.  You
know before pop tops.  Ah some of you youngsters
won’t even remember that... poor things...


I bought quite a few of these home...assemblages,
props....I see all kinds of stuff happening here.







Joshua Trees 


an old dump...paradise!
Jeez even in the middle of nowhere I’m “shopping”.
Wish I had me a shovel.






clear blue skies...fabulous rock formations






Linchens?  gorgeous colors what ever they (it) is.






Raven's nest...We watched her as we dined al fresco
on the terrace.







an old ghost town...
once a very prosperous gold mine...we heard
that now that gold is so high they are back in there mining...




We were near Lancaster/ Palmdale area...
some of you may know it from the famous David Hockney painting


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