A Blue Christmas.....

 The first time I saw a color theme for Christmas decorating that differed from the traditional red and green was when I was in 2nd grade. We had come back from Taiwan earlier in the year where we had bought a living room set made from Teak wood with dark turquoise cushions. The drapes had a peacock feather pattern with a white background and again had the same shade of dark turquoise throughout. So Mom gathered some paraffin wax, candle wicking, our broken crayons, and empty frozen juice containers. She created, with our help, the prettiest column candles to put on her brass dragon candle holders we brought back from Taiwan as well. After the candles were firm, she took more melted paraffin and whipped it with her hand mixer until it resembled snow. She topped the lovely candles with the "snow" and sprinkled on glitter. They were so beautiful we didn't want to burn them, so we didn't....lol. That year we had a turquoise colored Christmas, with other turquoise and white decorations to go along with the candles she made. It was so pretty!

 After I set up homemaking and and tending my babies I bought several books and such on Christmas and found that there are many color schemes people like, such as blue and white, purple and gold, maroon and forest green, white, or white and pink, the possibilities are endless!

For those who like the blue and white theme, I've created this blue and white Santa, made from an empty Caesar's Palace shampoo bottle. He's only 5 1/2 inches tall, so he would tuck in anywhere. Right now he's available on ebay .

What color scheme or theme to you like for Christmas? Do you change each year, or stay the same with an addition or two? I'm traditional, but I can see that having different themes in each room might be fun!

Saying goodbye to Thanksgiving

With a bit of sadness I put away Thanksgiving yesterday. The weekend went by way too fast and now it seems as if we are hurdling toward the end of the year at lightening speed! Where has the time gone? Into the tote went the Indian corn and hand carved log pumpkins that I made a few years ago here in Utah, the Indian string doll family that was created almost 20 years ago when we lived in Alaska, went in the box with the hand carved Indian maiden gourd ornament from Diane McNaughton, as well as my new pumpkin ornaments for my new feather tree from Willow Springs Family Farm. I had just barely got the new ornaments done and now they are put away until next year..... already. The ceramic turkey condiment set I got in Alabama this year is stashed in the buffet and all is ready for Christmas.

Gee, when I think about it, my Autumn/Thanksgiving decor is a gathering of memories and times in nine different homes. Next year I hope to have more ornaments created for my feather tree. Perhaps some bluish green pumpkins, some beeswax turkeys and some tiny Indian corn.
It's certainly looking like Christmas outside right now, with skiffs of snow on the ground and dusting our desert peaks. So tonight I finish setting out the Nativity, getting the tree ready to decorate, and hanging the garlands with lights. The Santa collection is out on the breakfast bar already, and the wreath is on the door. The ribbons are hung on the cabinet doors in the living room, waiting for the first Christmas cards of the year to arrive. The wind is much too cold to be outside in, so decorating the porch will have to wait until things get warmer.
So goodbye Thanksgiving, until next year. Things will be different then, they are already changing. Let's hope and pray it will be for the better......

Thanksgiving Day preview and well wishes for a safe and happy holiday.

So you thought I would show you a fancy turkey dinner, huh? Not so my happy friends! Tomorrow is the update for American Holiday Artists Studios Marketplace so here's a quick preview of what I have to offer. Knowing that you will probably be busy tomorrow with family and or friends, I thought I would give you a little tease and hope to see you back on Friday. No, I'm not doing the Black Friday thing, we are already most of the way there in regards to gift purchasing and will just enjoy some time in Salt Lake City, and maybe a movie Friday night.

 From the Parson's home to yours, may you have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

A Johanna Parker Giveaway!

Okay, I'm in the mood to torture myself with dashed hopes so I'm sharing this link with you. The talented and oh so creative Johanna Parker is having a giveaway at her blog of this darling candy cane holder! There are many ways to enter, so let your fingers run, not walk to Johanna Parker Design to learn the details. I hope I win, I hope I win, I hope I win..........

Speaking of color....

 My beautiful Autumn feather tree I bought from Benita at Willow Springs Family Farm is standing naked since I took Halloween down and put it all away so I decided to put my red paint down and create some pumpkins to hang on it. These are a bit rough but I experimented with different ways to layer or wrap the clay around the foil balls and now they are drying. I can see that I want to use some great brown twig like wire for the stems the next go around and perhaps foam balls instead, but these were fun, and once painted will be great! Just like regular pumpkins, no two look alike which is what I like.

On the topic of color, have you ever walked into a room full of people and noticed that many of them have the same color of clothing on? I noticed that yesterday when I arrived at the twin's home. Mom and older sister were wearing the same turquoise blue although different tops. I asked Mom if they color coordinated and she laughed stating she hadn't even noticed. I pick up on this a lot. For instance the people on the Bank of America commercial playing on the Food Network right now all have a shade of gray on, whether it's a dress, shirt or slacks, each person has gray on. I wonder if it has to do with keeping the clothing tones subtle so you will hear the message and not be distracted by what they are wearing? It's the first time I've watched a commercial and noticed something like that. Often when I go to church several of my friends will have the same color on. It too is as if we all color coordinated. What is most interesting is that it's not always a seasonal color. I probably notice it even more now that I lead the music during Sacrament meeting. I can see everyone from where I sit or stand so I get to watch who's sleeping, (including hubby), who's wrestling with their children, who looks bored stiff and who is paying attention and enjoying what they are hearing.
Thank goodness for color I say! What a drab world we would live in if we didn't have the variety of color all around us. It's back to playing with more white stuff before I pull out my paint drawer and decide what color to paint my next creation. Taa Taa!

I've been told that red sells best....

 If it seems that I've been stuck in the "red" mode, I've been told red sells best when it comes to Santa figures. What is your experience? On ebay it can be a crap shoot of sorts, as I've had people go crazy over purple Santa pieces, and blue, not so much the antique white although I happen to like them very much. I've never done  a pink suited Santa or Belsnickle but have seen some very lovely ones.
Anyhew....the 3 Santa ornaments on the right are a commission for a friend. The other one is up for grabs.

This Santa is for my friend's mother so I have to keep her name a secret....:-). I'm so grateful for friends who are willing to give me a chance to create something special for their loved ones. It makes creating more personal. 

So back to the red thingy, do you think red Santas sell best or does it matter?

By the by, if you are looking for some great one of a kind pieces to give as gifts this holiday season, our American Holiday Artists Studios Marketplace still has a few highly collectible goodies to snag. If you have a moment please stop by and see what our artists have been up to. We will also be updating on the 25th of November so stop by then as well. Hope you have a wonderful evening.

I'm seeing red....

 I've been working on Santa figures for days so now I'm seeing red everywhere. Red in the kitchen, red in the studio, red in the computer room.... RED!!!! RED is my favorite color though so it's all good.

 I've got several pieces almost done for a friend as well as my AHA Studios Marketplace update pieces... no, no, no you can't see them yet... :-) The 25th will be the unveiling.

 This handsome fellow is now on ebay for your consideration. His hat is designed to use as the hanger so you don't have to hunt for a hanger every year.

He has vintage fruits and leaves from Blumchens as well as vintage mica "snow".  A one of a kind Victorian old world style Santa to add to your collection.

Honoring our veterans

War is never a pleasant or welcome event, but there are times when we have to do the hard thing to protect freedom. I'm so grateful to all those who have spent time in the Armed Forces, especially those who have gone to war. I hope the memories have faded so that you can enjoy the time you have now with family and loved ones. For those of you still serving,  may the Lord bless and keep you through these trials, and may your families be protected and comforted while you are away. May the sacrifice you make not go unnoticed. Thank you!

A Ho Ho Ho and a 25 days til Christmas idea....

 We've finally got all but two things out of our old apartment and are hiring someone to do a light cleaning as my poor ole body is giving out and time is precious these days. So now I can get back to creating with a passion, and get some things done. It's interesting how distracting moving can be, even though I work during the day, just thinking about all that needed to be done was enough to stifle my creativity to a certain extent.

 Of course being too pooped to move hasn't helped. My hubby had games and meetings and more games to attend so most of the packing, cleaning and moving has been left up to me to do after I got off of work. One more evening over there and we are done, yay! So today I was able to sit down and get a couple of pieces finished as far as the sculpting is concerned. The top Santa is a shelf sitter made from a foam ball and tinfoil covered with air dry clay. I didn't plan this one at all, I wanted something whimsical and let him come out on his own. The second Santa is a re-purposed light bulb turned into an ornament. Again, no plan, just let him show me what he was supposed to look like. It's so much fun to create ornaments this way. Sometimes I start with a basic idea, but more often than not I just let the shape and the clay work their magic with me as the guide.

I am thinking that many of you already do this or have done this for children or grandchildren but I had never thought of the idea of taking Halloween candy and making a 25 days til Christmas garland. It's a great way to use some of those treats your little darlings collected on Halloween, and make them last a bit longer, even though my sister and I were known to still be eating our Halloween candy come Springtime. ;-) It's amazing how much a pillow case will hold! LoL All you need is 25 pieces of candy or gum, plastic wrap, and ribbon. Lay out your wrap and space out your candy, roll the wrap over the candy, tie the spaces with ribbon and Whaalaa! Instant garland that would be cute on the tree, or hanging from a mantle, buffet, you name it. Uh oh, it looks like Wesley is losing his britches do I'd better get back to work. Hope you're having a creative day!

Halloween Found!

 In the madness of moving it's sometimes hard to find everything. I had a mission though, to not let this Halloween go by without having my decorations out at least for a couple of days. You can see my fabulous black cat lantern from Lori of Retro Rudolphs sitting next to my hand painted candy bucket.

 My reason? I acquired two new and beautiful pieces to add to my collection. First is the Autumn feather tree I bought from Benita Giacherio of Willow Springs Family Farm. I absolutely love, love this tree! It has various shades of Autumn and I can't wait to make some beeswax turkeys and such to hang on it for Thanksgiving. I decorated it with my favorite ornaments from Suzanne Urban and Linda Quintero, both American Holiday Artists artisans. They are amazing painters and creators of whom I'm so glad to know and work with. You can also see the adorable pumpkin candy cup from David Everett of Chicken Lips.

My second acquisition was this delightfully fun Halloween doll from Jo Dismukes of Lacey Jane Primitives. Isn't she delightful? I love her sparkly dress, her spider web lace cape, and all the little details on her. I won this sweet dolly at the PFATT blog. I must also mention and give kudos to Ginny Diezel for my 3 handsome little Halloween clowns, aren't they adorable, as well as the Holiday Queen, Melissa Valeriote for her whimsical little stacked Jack O' Lantern fella. I'm carefully adding to my collection and am looking for new work so I will be on the look out....... I hope you enjoy my budding collection as much as I do.

Winter Has Blown In? An AHA Studios Marketplace Update...

 There's no doubt about it, winter is trying to blow in early here in the NW desert of Utah. We went to bed with the sound of the trees rustling loudly outside our window, and rain pelting the glass panes. We woke up to cooler temperatures and...... look what blew in!!!!

Snerdly the Gourd Snowman he says is his name, and winter time fun is his game. Okay, that was a bit corny, but I couldn't resist. :-) Snerdly had heard from his friends at the North Pole that winter was well on it's way there with snow on the ground and the forecast for today at 33 degrees for a high and 9 above for the low. Snerdly could see by all the arts and crafts goodies I have scattered around our just moved into apartment that I could help him dress up for the season. So he asked me if I would make him a nice button up coat with fur and also a stocking cap to keep him toasty. I gathered my clay, paper mache and paint and to work I did go! To make him feel more at home I dusted him with a bit of vintage mica "snow". You can see how to make Snerdly a part of your snowman collection by stopping by our American Holiday Artists Studios Marketplace. In the meantime, Snerdly and I will be looking through my cookie recipes and planning the goodies I might want to bake up for the holidays. It's amazing how much a snowman knows about baking!

My Favorite Pumpkins - What color should a pumpkin be?

 Where did all the colorful varieties of pumpkins come from?! If you do a search on the internet it can be interesting to see who says what about this or that variety. I remember growing up thinking all pumpkins were orange. Really now, were there other varieties out there being sold in the US, but we somehow missed them in all our travels?

 Then I discovered the Lumina pumpkin while leafing through my seed catalog one frosty January day in North Pole. Oooooh, I thought! White pumpkins with a bright orange flesh. Supposedly tasty pumpkin as well. I found out that I could grow the Funny Face bush pumpkins easily in Alaska, but for some reason it doesn't matter where I am, either here in Utah or there in Alaska, I just can't get a Lumina to grow. I did get a tiny Cotton Candy variety to grow last year, but it wasn't any bigger than an apple. Not quite what I had in mind.

Over the past 5 or so years, I've seen many different varieties and colors of pumpkins which for someone who loves color, I'm thrilled! I can't believe we've not seen these before so I'm just guessing living in Alaska for 20 years and living in the west desert where nothing is grown except by a few of us brave souls, kept me in the dark until now. I really love the different colors, from the blue green Jaradales, to the creamy white Lumina and Cotton Candy, to the multi color miniatures that are out there. Martha Stewart had a magazine spread a couple of years ago with some very rustic burnt orange and brown pumpkins as well as the above mentioned. I want some of those! Yes I love the traditional orange pumpkins but it's fun to have a choice of color and shape. Are you a traditional pumpkin lover? Does it matter?
With all that in mind I tackled a painting that's been waiting to come out from the recesses of my tiny brain into the light of day. The colors show up brighter than they actually are, with the blue having more of a soft tint of green as well. I picked my favorite colors of pumpkins and let my brushes do the rest. A fun labor of love. I hope to create more, but we shall see.

What do you get when you combine a gourd with a vintage oil can?

I love to gather collectibles and see what they can be re-purposed into. I found a couple of intriguing oil cans at an antique store in Tooele. I couldn't resist bringing them home to see what they could be used for besides sitting in a dark garage. Here's what I came up with. Perhaps he's not the most creative use I have found for re-purposing something, but he was sure fun to put together. Do you like to re-purpose items in your creations? What have you done that you were especially pleased with? This fun and funky Jack O' Lantern can be found on EBAY until tomorrow. Thanks as always for your comments. I do enjoy hearing from you. :-)

Painting Fun!

 Do you have a certain color that you love to use all the time? I really love Payne's Grey, although the name doesn't really fit in my estimation. Payne's Grey is a cool, dark, almost black shade of blue. In all my fruit paintings with a dark background, I've used this color and it seems to make things "pop" in the foreground.

 Every time I see round paper mache boxes I think of snowmen and how cute they would look painted on these little treasure "keeps". So I started with Payne's Grey for the base coat of the lids and Red Violet for the base coat of the rest of the boxes and the hats on the snowmen. I then used a light shade of red mixed with the red violet and then the red alone and then red mixed with pumpkin orange and then a soft touch of the orange for highlights. I used the same technique for the green sweater, but with shades of greens and yellow for the highlights.

I tried to keep the design loose and as free as I know how....lol, so that the under colors show through. I didn't care whether the different elements in the design covered all the background color as I'm trying to learn to let each shape speak for itself by layering rather than the usual shading. I also wanted a  It was a fun exercise, and now I want to do a framed wall hanging to match. I'm not sure if the colors I used are in the 2010 trend palette or not, but I was looking for something a bit lighter and brighter than the usual "prim" look tends to be. Inspiration was also found the purple and orange combo you sometimes see in Autumn fabrics and such.
So what are your favorite colors to use in your art, and how do you like to use them?

A Gallery of Santas

 Lighting the Way Santa

A gourd and a bit of clay here and there are what made this Santa come to life. He has been painted with layers of color and dusted with vintage mica "snow" to add some extra sparkle. He carries a cast metal lantern and bottle brush tree to add to his charm.

 Shiny Brite Santa

Here's a Santa that had a humble beginning as a Tapatio bottle. You would never know that he's glass underneath the clay, and you can also feel good about purchasing a "green" collectible. His name was chosen because he was inspired by my collection of vintage ornaments including indents and striped glass pieces.

 Jolly Santa

I've discovered the fun of creating Santa heads with some of my gourds. This fellow's smile will melt the heart of any scrooge this holiday season.

 

Holly Jolly Santa

Another gourd and clay creation this Santa is destined for Reasons to Believe. He and many of my newest pieces are up for sale at Reasons to Believe. The others listed above will be traveling to Oregon soon unless otherwise claimed. The opportunity is open so if you're interested drop me a line.

A Running Jump At Art

 Last night I attended a Fireside at church that was quite uplifting. I got there just as the meeting was starting though so I ended up on the back row with a family who has a toddler who loves to color. It was interesting watching him as he would lay his paper on the floor and then back up quite a ways. He would then run towards the paper and jump just before he bent down with his crayon to add color to his picture. He did this over and over again and was quite entertaining. No, he wasn't the best part of the night, but a fun part none the less and got me thinking.

 Is this how I and others sometimes approach our art? I have a tendency to have an idea, but rather than sketch it out I will often rush right into the creating. I will have to back up and jump in again and again until I have a finished piece.

 Sometimes I'm pleased, and other times I have even better ideas after the fact. Is that how it is with you or do you always sketch your ideas out to see whether they are what you are wanting? Some folks like the spontaneous feel of just going at it, but is that a good thing to do?

As part of a challenge we were given last night we were asked to think of a bad habit to give up and or a virtue we want to develop. We were told to write it down, but not to reveal it until Christmas day as a sort of gift to the Savior. So I want to apply this to my ability to create. I'm wondering if I can improve and grow if I'm willing to slow down and really think and sketch my ideas out. I believe our talents, what ever they may be are a gift from God, and that we have a responsibility to develop them to the best of our ability, and then learn to rely on divine inspiration to fill in the gaps of our human shortcomings. Am I saying that this will be a part of my challenge response, well I'm not sure yet. I will say this, each of the pieces above were done on the run so to speak without a real plan. I just wonder......
So how do you approach your art? Are you always on the run, or do you plan each piece with careful deliberation. As an FYI all of these are now on ebay. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Santa in the pumpkin patch?

 When you have a traveling art studio like I do you have to find any place available to let pieces dry.

 Sometimes you share counter space with garden goodies such as these big pumpkins. Sometimes...

 you have to find creative ways to sit things up so they won't get smashed in the drying phase.

Then there are times you have to utilize any protruding implement to hang things from. Would things be any different if I were home? Probably not, but I know where all my good hanging /sitting places are there. Thankfully the folks I tend the twins for are very supportive of my artistic efforts. :-)
These Santa's are a commission for a friend who wants to give them as gifts for Christmas. I would give her name, but one of her family members might stumble upon this post and then there would be no surprise!
The update on the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers is that it was so corny,  a bit creepy and worth watching once! We got two car loads of stuff moved, and some stuff put away as well as finishing up the canning on tomatoes and applesauce. Alabama, here I come!

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

The applesauce is simmering on the stove while Wesley gives Kelcies juice bottle a ride down the slide in the Barbie car. He's a smart little fella for a one year old. Kelcie is leafing through an alphabet book so I'm taking a moment to post. This week has been so hectic that creativity has been pushed to the back burner. I'm waking up at 3 am every morning with a running list of things to sort, box up and get ready to move, plus getting ready for a trip. My husband asked me this morning why I don't just go back to sleep......?????? It probably has to do with the fact that he says he will move some stuff next week while I'm gone AAAAAAAHHH!!! That could mean the dumpster will get filled with what he deems not worth keeping so I will have to make sure he knows that he's only to move the food storage and leave my stuff alone. I really do intend to get rid of things, but I want to be the one to decide what to keep....:-)
After work today we run another load of stuff over to the new place and unpack the boxes to re-use. I will need to pick up a few baskets or tubs to keep some things in as storage is tight. Then we run back and eat, and then pack more stuff to move tomorrow. Then.....the movie. Kent asked me if I've ever seen the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers to which I replied no, so we added this to our October line up. It should be scary movie month, although I'm such a wimp that I won't watch anything that's not G or PG for the most part. R rated is out of the question. I hope this doesn't have any airplanes or crashes or anything in it otherwise I'm not getting on the plane Saturday without drugs. So popcorn with lots of salt and butter(no it's not microwave, yuck!), iced Tang and a movie for tonight. Am I going to be scared???

Halloween art making it's debut on ebay

 Mack the Black Halloween Cat is making his debut on ebay this week. No time to work the etsy magic, I've decided to show him off in a different venue. Wish I could think of something clever to say, but I'm all out of cleverness for today. Sleep and magic fairy dust to get me moved would be nice... I wonder if the winning bidder could just pay me in that way?

I've also put this mini painting up for your consideration. If they don't go to a new home, they will become a part of my Halloween collection so it's all good, but if you would like to add one of these to your collection visit my ebay thanks!

Things that go bump in the night.....

It seems that we all had our childhood fears, some of clowns, which baffles me as I always think Red Skelton, some of creepy crawly things, and some of things that go bump in the night. One of my best friends never let her children watch The Wizard of Oz because of the flying monkeys. A big a chicken as I was growing up, they never bothered me much. Sure the part where they swoop down and carry Dorothy off was a bit frightening, but I was much more afraid of whatever lurked in the open closet, or under the bed with the dust bunnies. True confession time here, I would take a running leap unto my bed at night to avoid the grasping hands I just knew were waiting for me right under the edge of the bed. Oh yes, as chubby as I was, I could jump quite far if scared enough. Having a weak bladder didn't help any as I often woke up in the middle of the night with a need to make a potty run. I would lay there until I had listened intently enough to make sure there was nothing out there, and then step waaaay off the end of the bed and tip toe quickly to the bathroom. When I came back, I would stop at my normal launching spot, take a deep breath and jump. I was also careful to not let my hands or feet get too close to the edge of the bed as I lay there. What would stop me from leaving the bed for a very long time was when the closet door was open. The images you conjure up when you are trying to peer into the darkness can be quite frightening, but I would listen as well. If I didn't hear anything, the coast was clear. What was your biggest fear when you were growing up? Did the flying monkeys frighten you?

Reasons to Believe a dream come true....

I just want to pinch myself every time I get a photo from Scott. It just tickles me to pieces to think that once upon a time, in little old North Pole, Alaska, I would dream over the BHG Santa Claus publications while I perused the different artists work such as Scott Schultz and Dennis Brown, Kathy Cornell, and many others that are so very talented. When Ginny Diezel, a talented artist herself, urged me to contact the folks at Reasons to Believe I thought, oh, there's no way I will be accepted, these people have been doing this for years, and so on. You know all the self doubt stuff you tell yourself. While I've been creating Santa figures of one sort or another for years, I didn't settle on gourd and sculpted clay Santa figures until a couple of years ago. I decided to stop pushing myself to finish a piece quickly and just concentrate on the design and painting. It sure paid off, and I'm so thrilled.
As a side note, I noticed when I visited the site for North Pole that they are working on developing a theme city again. If you get a chance, click on the link above and see what they are up to. Here's my contribution to the idea, implemented 15 years ago when I was on the NPEDC.

 

The candy cane light poles were an idea I never thought would come to fruition, but here they are!  I would also love to see a cute gingerbread house or two, but they would have to be done carefully, not cheesy. Anyway, just my ramblings for the day. Hope you have a great weekend. :-)