Creative Cue #8 - COOKIE

Here is my offering for Creative Cue #8 - COOKIE. My mind immediately tried to think of some clever way of honoring cookie however this is what I came up with.

Some of my favorite cookies in photos, a recipe and my very favorite cherished "Oreo" cookie.

The "Oreo" cookie is actually a crocheted look-a-like "Oreo" that my Grandma made many years ago. She had become diabetic and still wanted her cookies so she crocheted some and kept them in the kitchen in the cookie jar. Now I shall savor it in my ode to cookie.

My personal favorite all time cookie is the Snickerdoodle. Lots of sugar and cinnamon and YUM! I learned how to make these when I was about 9 years old at a very basic two-story farm house in Marysville. To this day I do not know for certain whose house that was or who the lady was that took the time and patience to teach me how to bake these cookies but I am forever grateful. Talk about comfort food! This is the cookie I always make when I want to get back to basics and bake in the kitchen with the oven on and ingredients are all over the counters. Then I measure and mix and shape and bake. Then I eat them warm from the oven and cold from the pantry until they are all gone. Did I mention the dough is my very favorite to eat? It is no wonder my recipe never makes the three dozen it says it will make.

Do you eat cookie dough or wait until the cookies are baked or both?

Turquoise 2010...

It is a beautiful color and one that I have liked all my life...Turquoise. This year 2010 it is the official color of Pantone. In the color world Pantone is THE ultimate word on color.

When I was very young my family would drive to the Indian reservations and I was always intrigued with the beautiful turquoise beads that were in the silver necklaces. My mother got a fabulous Squash Blossom necklace that I just loved and hoped one day it would be mine. Unfortunately a thief stole it many years ago. But I still have my very small "little girl" squash blossom necklace I got that same day as Mom got hers and I cherish it.

I have been working with some turquoise beads lately not knowing it was THE color of the year. I just love how it looks and I was in a Santa Fe kind of mood while making the latest necklace. I don't have photos yet as the weather is very dark and rainy and my lighting is not right.

As you can see the boa above is also the color turquoise. It is as beautiful in person as it is in this photo. I made this for my design line "Where the Boas Are". Yes, it is available in my etsy shop and thank you for asking. ;o)

I am seeing lots of turquoise in the current catalogs for clothes and jewelry. Now we know why.

Years ago I did own a 1964 1/2 Mustang in a shade of aqua turquoise and I hated that color. For a mustang? Please! Let's keep the color turquoise for clothing, jewelry and some home decor.

What does the color turquoise represent for you?

Scrapping...

I was working on this scrapbook when I got the call. Please, please can you do this Saturday?

Well, this was last Thursday afternoon and I just cannot say no. So last Saturday I spent my day at our local Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center as a volunteer to greet people and help them with what they might like to do in town or what they would like to eat for lunch or dinner. Unfortunately it was pouring rain...again. This is my third Saturday that it has rained and needless to say it makes for very few people visiting and walking around. I practically open the door for anyone even close to it so I can invite them inside.

Luckily I knew when I was going that it was raining so I went prepared for a lot of down time. I scooped up this mess of pictures, papers, tape gun and scrapbook and toted it along with me to the Chamber. As I had so few visitors I busied myself with sorting, ripping and taping all of this into my little book. I actually had more time than supplies to work on.

My little book is well on it's way to being up-to-date. It will never be complete as it is ongoing. I shall share additional pictures with you soon. It chronicles my girlfriend and I becoming and making "Saucy Chicks". It is so funny to look back over a few years and see what we were doing. The phrase "What were we thinking?!!" comes to mind.

I have some additional things to include in my little scrapbook. Then I will take some more photos to share with you.

Talk about UFO's! This is a major task just to get caught up on this one. It has been sitting well over a year and I did it in a day and a half thanks to rain.

Do you have any rainy day projects?

Beading basics...

This is a very basic beaded necklace I made for one of my granddaughters who just happens to like dolphins. I am showing this not for my photographic skills but for the beading basics.

This is a simple single strand necklace. It is a longer length around 20 inches.

There are Standard Jewelry Lengths which are as follows:

Bracelet = 6-7 inches

Anklet = 8-9 inches

Choker = 15-16 inches

Princess = 18-20 inches

Matinee = 23-27 inches

Lariat = 42 inches or more

These are merely suggested lengths and the beauty of making your own jewelry is that you can lengthen or shorten as you wish. For instance bracelets are mostly comfortable at 7 1/2 inches for most people however some prefer a much shorter or longer fitting.

If you use a beading board to lay out your beads it will be helpful as it also has inches marked so you can easily determine the length you are working with.

I am currently making some bracelets for 2010 Christmas gifts for family members. I will be carefully measuring them without the recipient knowing. Hmmm...that will be a trick. LOL

I like to be prepared for gifting long before the time comes. I used to keep a cupboard just for gifts however I ran out of space. Now I dedicate an antique dresser to the task of storing gifts through the year. I buy or make when something strikes my fancy for a specific person. Then I have birthdays and holidays covered when the occasion is here.

I hope you try your beading techniques and share them with us.

I have a new item on the design board that I would love to share soon.

Morning...Creative Cue #7

Imagine this gorgeous rooster crowing very early in the morning and that welcomes the day ahead. I know for those of you who are not morning people that would be a very rude awakening.
When I checked this past Sunday morning for the Creative Cue of the week and I saw it was morning so many things came to my mind.
I first thought of a saying my Grandmother always said to me, "Top O'the Morning to You". It took me so long to learn to say in response, "And the rest of the day to you".
I thought of a song titled "Morning has broken"...however that does not inspire me for anything creative.
The signs of morning like an alarm clock, shower, breakfast and of course the sunshine rising in the East.
What is your favorite thing about morning?
My favorite is the beginning of another day to be creative and be the best person I can be. What a wonderful opportunity we have with each day to start fresh.
I really love morning!

A Special Heart...

Yes, I understand Valentine's is over and everyone is on sugar overload or hearts overload, however I never get tired of hearts and what they represent.

This is a special heart because one happy day while visiting and shopping with my sister Marie she found this heart and really liked it. We were in our favorite Michaels in the jewelry crafting aisle when we found it. So of course I bought it without her knowing. At the time I had no idea what I would do with it but I knew it would be something for her.

This is not an expensive heart nor is it precious metal or jewels but it is blue and Marie and I both love love love blue. So I kept it on my studio table for inspiration. Nothing was working for me idea wise and then I thought of my yarns I keep in color coordinated bins. Yes, open the bin with the blue yarns in it. Ahah! There was the most perfect mohair yarn in shades of blue with some green. Also a railroad ribbon that was in the most perfect two shades of blue and I immediately knew they would be perfect for the heart. So I got out a crochet hook and took the two blue yarns and got busy. I made a chain and attached it to the heart and finished the back of this with a couple of beads to secure the knot. Now Marie can wear it around her neck and feel the love I put into it for her. Happy Hearts Marie.

Now I am on to the next project. I am using greens. You'll see what I am making in a future post.

What do you like to make for St. Patrick's day as it is quickly approaching?
Do you have a fun variation on Shamrocks?
I would love to see and hear your ideas.

Happy Hearts to all...

Happy Hearts to everyone. May you feel special. May you do something special. This is a day to enjoy being loved.

These are felt hearts I stitched together and filled with lavender. Felt heart with fabric heart yo-yo and a heart button just screams Valentine. The feathers were just for whimsy.

My DH and I went for a walk and I found a small piece of wood shaped like a heart and a pretty white rock shaped like a heart. Now that is in the spirit of the day. I feel very blessed to have my loving husband, daughter, granddaughters, family and friends.

Have a wonderful heart filled day.

Week 6 Creative Cue...TIE

I find it amazing that this is already week six of the Creative Cue challenge. That means that this year 2010 is already six weeks over. Gosh the time really does go so fast.
"TIE" is the word of the week. This is a fun word as it brings fond memories to mind. I loved to watch my husband tie his tie every day for work back when he wore one. Now life is much more casual and beyond that he is retired so no ties around his neck.
I used to do a lot of macrame which involves nothing but making knots. I even made samples of macrame for a store display. Yes, it was the seventies and yes I even made the requisite macrame hanging wine rack. Boy is that a long time ago. Of course it was in orange and I always used the finest hemp I could afford. The quality of your hemp reflected in the quality of your macrame. I also used to tie very tiny little knots in crochet thread to make the most adorable tiny owls for earrings. They sat on tiny twigs or broken toothpicks. My Grandma collected Owls and that was my inspiration so I made the first pair for her birthday.
Long before I learned to tie macrame knots I learned basic knot tying in Camp Fire Girls. I even earned a bead for tying knots.
Now I tie knots for my jewelry making. My favorite and strongest knot is the surgeons knot and my Grandma taught me this one years ago. She was an extreme crafter and if they had an olympic category for it she would have gotten the gold medal!
I think we all must tie something almost every day. I even catch myself tying a knot in trash. LOL I will fold up the paper into a strip and then tie it very neatly before I throw it away. How funny that is when I think about it.
Happy Valentine's Weekend and be careful not to "tie" one on having too much fun.

Valentine Hearts are in the mail...

These are some fun Valentine Hearts that were in progress when this photo was taken. These are now in the mail on their way to new homes. They had to hurry so as to be enjoyed before Valentine Day is over.

I of course would wear them anytime in the year as I love hearts and glitter and bling. I also wear lots of red or pink during the entire year so that works for me too.

These were extremely simple to make. Unfortunately they took a lot of hours and days to complete. It was fun to see how they came together. There are punched hearts from playing cards, eyelets, rhinestones, glitter, glue, dimensional glaze, beads, charms, fabric beads and ribbons. The time element was waiting for each glue or glaze to dry completely.

Patience is not easy for creative processes at all times. We are also having lots of wet soggy days so no heat or sunshine to help the drying phase. I know I could have used the hair dryer or the heat embosser. Luckily I did begin making these way in advance of my mailing date. Sometimes it is good to plan ahead. LOL

I have some additional ideas for ATC's in the Valentine theme using some, if not all, of these elements. Of course I have not started these and they would need to be dry and ready for giving this Sunday. No mailing of these at this late date. :o)

I also have another idea I will show after I have given them to some friends.

What are you working on for your Valentine's this year?

Happy Hearts to all and keep creating...

Creative Cue #5 - ODD

Here is my Creative Cue #5 from last Sunday. The word...ODD

If you are not familiar with this challenge please go to www.threecreativestudios.com to read about how easy this is. And it is totally selective as you wish to participate or not.

When I first saw the word ODD I came up with several ideas. However the one that stuck with me was this one. The "odd" sock that is always left over in the washer or dryer when you know for certain that you did put in the pair of two socks but only one "odd" sock remains at the end of the washing or drying cycle. Someplace somewhere there is a world of "odd" socks happily existing and knowing they perplexed us so many times.

You know there are lots of ideas and crafts based on using just the one "odd" sock that you have after doing the laundry. Lots of childrens games are a result of this phenomenon. Just think of bean bags for tossing. Pouches for collecting and carrying rocks and marbles are made from "odd" singular socks found in the laundry.

How fun to be challenged to think of something we are not usually being creative with.

Hmmm...now on to this week. Yes I already have some ideas. LOL :o)

Happy Hearts Pail...

Hello Bloggers:

I am so blessed to be able to sit here in my home office and listen to the refreshing nourishing rain outside while I am warm and cozy. I am truly thankful.

I enjoy browsing all my favorite blogs and finding additional blogs that spark my interest or inspire me. This blogging is truly a wonderful way to feel connected with like-minded talented people all over the world.

I am posting these photos merely as a fun idea that is not new nor original. Sometimes we just need to make something just because we want to. I have shared before about my collection of mice since I was a little girl. I have also shared about a wonderful etsy site where I purchased these ATC's http://www.etsy.com/shop/mouserkinsmagic

Well then my wonderful daughter bought me a full set of the mermaid ATC's so I had to figure out a compact way to display them and be able to enjoy them. That is how I came to fit them into a clear paint-style pail. It is easy to view them. It is easy to change the featured mouse of the day to view. I merely didn't like the plain handle and thought it could be much more in keeping with the colorful ATC's it holds if I did some decorating.

I purchased some coordinating ribbons and tied short lengths onto the handle. I also added a center focal charm "pail" to the ribbons on the handle so the mouserkins could keep their secret magic in it.

I know how Valentine themed it looks however I merely selected feminine fou-fou in shades of pinks, red and white. It was December when I actually did this. LOL

Now my little darlings are precious and portable so I can take them where ever I fancy.

This could work for any ATC or ACEO themes...even for guys in different colors and ribbons or wire with washers, nuts, bolts twisted around the handle or twines or cords. You get the idea. Just have fun with it. Maybe even a favorite pet with some treats or a house warming gift or a Super Bowl host or hostess gift. Hmmm...

Thank you so much for stopping by createology.

Keep creating...

Moonlight Snow...

In holding with my 2010 goal of trying to "focus" I am spending my time working on my jewelry design line. This is a peek of Moonlight Snow.

I purchased three of the focal lampwork beads while on a recent trip to Italy. I met with the artisan and then purchased these beads with no plan in mind other than to design and make jewelry.

When I get an idea I usually sketch it on paper. Then I get out my supplies and see what I have that works with what my mind sees. I lay out the design to see if it looks in reality as good as it looked in my mind and better than in my sketch. Then I usually let it rest for a few days while I try different beads or placements or focal pieces. I like to adjust everything before I string it.

What are your successes for making jewelry? I would love to hear your best ideas of what works for you.

I have lots of ideas and more beads to string so I will continue to make my Adorn Me! jewelry.