BUBBLING CAULDRON

2010-02-22T14:29:00.000-08:00

I joined a postcard swap, bloggers all over the world! I have never done this before so I was not sure what to expect. I have been receiving my postcards from other bloggers, I think I have about 7, 3 more to go. I sent mine out on Feb. 13th (in padded envelopes) because I added beads and shells and wanted to protect them. BIG MISTAKE as I had to fill out special forms at the post office for the ones that were going overseas. It was worth it though, I hope they all arrive in good condition. Here is a sample of what I sent.

LOST IN SPACE

2010-01-21T15:26:00.000-08:00

I have been lost in space! But here I am again, ready to share and create.
Pictures and info to come.

Haunted Houses

2009-08-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

Dan and I are going to be able to display and sell our Halloween Houses at a couple of different venues this year. Sunday, September 6th we are going to be at Mitchell Katz Winery in Pleasanton to help kick off their Harvest Fest. The winery is located at #1188 Vineyard Ave. Phone number is #925.931.0744. Then on Monday, September 7th we are going to be in Danville at the Heartland Danville Antiques and Art Faire. And coming up in October we are going to be at the LazyK gift house at Orchard Nursery in Lafayette for their Harvest Festival. Phone number is 925.284.4474.
We are looking forward to showing our Haunted Houses, especially to the children that attend, they always are so excited to see them and they make me remember how fun Halloween can really be!

Vacation

2009-07-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

Well, Dan and I put on our brave hats and took the kids camping. We went to Redwoods River Resort up by Leggitt in Humbolt County. It was a great campground, close to the Eel River and there was a swimming pool, flushy toilets and showers, a little store, game room for the kids and Saturday night they had an ice cream social. Dan and I were not feeling social, but the kids went and they all had a great time. We brought our 2 terriers with us(they have never been camping) so we had lots of barking and EVERYTHING stuck to Annie our little cairn, she was a piece of velcro. We went to the river and swam, the boys climbed a hill and swung out on a rope swing and jumped into the river, scared me half to death but they loved it! Lots of somemores and card playing, a good time was had by all!!

BEAUTIFUL COLOR

2009-07-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

I love bright colors. Many of the pictures I make are very bright and wild. This picture of a sunset is a good example. The pinks and oranges make me smile! This sunset I own myself and it is hanging in my kitchen, so even when the day is gray I have this beauty to look at as I eat my breakfast. But alot of people go for the softer look and I enjoy that too, sometimes it suprises me how much. Colleen Moody got me started on the softer colors, and I find myself looking for old tattered lace, creamy colored trims and old pearl buttons. And rhinestones, rhinestones go with everything!!!

TINSEL AND TREASURES

2009-06-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

I am so excited! I have the honor of participating in the Tinsel and Treasures second annual show. It will be in Alamo on September 12th. This year is going to be fabulous, there are going to be new artists and venue will be much larger. We will be sending out flyers and more information will be available on the Tinsel and Treasure blog, coming soon! I am going to show my beaded, embroidered pictures, plus some Victorian Patchwork Christmas trees and some sparkley jeweled trees. Mark your calendars for September 12th!

Marilyn Butler: One World~One Heart Giveaway

2009-02-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

Looking for Halloween

2009-01-22T15:20:00.000-08:00

The time to start the hunt for Halloween goodies has begun. Going to flea markets, antique shows and yard sales, looking for the perfect rusty piece or the old piece of wood with worm holes and interesting knots, anything odd that strikes my fancy. These are the things we look for to build our Haunted Houses and the hunt begins early in the year. We had no production at all last year, my Mom became ill and needed all off our attention. She passed away in August, I miss her terribly. She was one of my biggest supporters, and she left a big hole in my heart when she died. But we are picking up the pieces of our lives and going on as we must.
So Dan is reorganizing his wood shop, taking inventory and drawing up ideas and I am going through my studio and trying to clean up enough to get around the work table. And I know Mom is smiling down on us as we work. Love you and miss you MOM.

OUT OF TOUCH

2008-07-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

I have not made any entries for a long time, I still am so computer dumb it's not funny. Well, maybe it is. So now I am determined to start writing on a regular basis. If I could just figure out how to show pictures!! My Mother is going to be 86 years old this month, a long time to live. She is a hard person to live up to, she has done so many wonderful things in her life!! She has raised 6 children and help raise grandchildren. She has taught school, cubs, girl scouts, campfire girls. She has held monthly workshops to help leaders with crafts, songs and folk dancing. She has compiled a huge collection of camp songs and now is in the midst of writing a how to craft book. Mom has made enough cookies to go around the world and baked cakes galore!! But mostly, my Mom has loved all of us, all 6 of us, through good times, bad times and terrible times. And we in turn have loved and cherished her!! There is no one in the whole world like my wonderful Mother!! Happy birthday Mom, I love you.

beadwork

2008-01-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

This is what I do all year. Beading and hand embroidering. I made this piece for my wonderful friend Colleen Moody. I usually work with bright colors, this was the first piece that was mostly pastels and it turned out to be one of my favorites. Her house was recently remodeled and this goes beautiflly with her color scheme. Of all the fun things I do, these beaded pieces are my are my favorites!! I have done alot of them, some underwater, some of the night sky, mountains and even black bears. I love to collect the goodies I use in them, buttons(my fav), beads, sequins, trims, threads, you name it I think I have used it. Digging through piles of stuff, getting filthy hands and coming up with something wonderful to use!!!

OUR HAUNTED FUN

2008-01-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

This is what Dan and I make for the fall and Halloween season. Dan does all the hard work, creating, making, nailing, gluing and making more sawdust than you can believe. Then it is my turn to paint, decorate and glue on all the goodies to scare you. I take over the dining room with all the bits and pieces we have collected throughout the year (half the fun!!) For the past three years we have sold these at the Lazy K gift house at Orchard Nursery in Lafayette. My dear friend Anne Mercer, the most talented buyer in the universe, has let Dan and I sell these Haunted Houses at the Fall Fest they hold at the nursery every year. So, this is what we do for the fall.

HALLOWEEN SHOW

2007-10-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

Well, Dan and I are going to sell our Haunted Houses at the Lazy K this weekend in Lafayette. We will set up at about 10:00 and sell 'till 4:00 or so. We had good luck last year, I hope we do again. This year we are offering some smaller graveyards at a lower price, plus we have a few larger houses and maybe (if we can finish) a Vampyre theatre. The setting at the Lazy K is beautiful, we will be on the lawn right in front of the house, we get lots of lookers. Happy Haunting!

MY FIRST BLOG

2007-09-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at blogging. I am computer illiterate so this will be interesting. My honey and my friends find this amusing but I will learn as I go, or so I tell myself!