Great Women

Last month, in honor of Women's History Month, the Lake County Women's Coalition held its annual brunch. The theme "Our History is Our Strength" was enhanced by a presentation of women "firsts" on a national level, then on a county level, and then members of the group were honored.

I volunteered to do table decorations. Gulp.

Since the group chose black and white with pink accents as the color scheme, I thought of a way to use pages of history as the visual. I have an old set of encyclopedias in the attic that I could never part with (called "The NEW Funk & Wagnalls" -- hah-ha!) that I dug out and scanned pages mentioning notable women. I trimmed, folded, and fashioned them into flower fans and glued them onto dowel rods.



Then, I remembered I purchased a set of ceramic numbers from a clearance rack a while back, knowing that someday I'd find a good use for them. The numbers helped fill the base of the glass vessels, to which I added some pink crinkly paper.



In the centerpiece I used larger ceramic balls with letters on them. Looking at this now, how fun would it be to make these flower fans out of spring colors for Mother's Day, or bold stripes for a child's birthday? You know..... have fun with it!



I think it all came together just fine at the brunch, alongside my humble home baked muffins (3 kinds) and blueberry brunch cake. (To find out about purchasing the display pieces: Hemingway Hurricane or the French Wire Tiered Stand, click here. They are part of the Willow House line.)



As I was working on this project, I thought about all the women in history who didn't have their stories told. And how remarkable the women were who garnered the esteem to land a page (or less) in my old encyclopedias. How women contributed to history loudly, in protest groups. Quietly, in sewing circles and prayer groups. Slyly, through dinner table conversations. Thousands and thousands of women who changed history in ways we will never know.

I am so thankful to be a part of the Lake County Women's Coalition and to have contributed in a very small way to their ongoing amazing efforts.

A Smile: The Genuine Article

Today I read this achingly beautiful blog post, which touches the recesses of my memory on so many levels.

I'm sharing this in honor of one of my favorite and valued people on this Earth, who frequently says to me, "We have to get your smile back."

http://girlfromnorthcountry.com/2011/03/lost-and-found/

Enjoy!

A Week of Valentines, Sweeter Than Sugar

Valentine's Day was a week long celebration this year. (Shouldn't it be that way every year? I vote YES.) There is the planning.... helping my son address and assemble Valentines for his classmates with careful consideration. Then there is the actual day, with chocolates and surprises, giggles and hugs.

There were moments throughout the week when I was reminded why I love the people who make the sun shine a little brighter in my life. And there were hours when I embraced my responsibility to love and care for them.

It became evident this week that we should try a new course of action in the treatment (rather, management) of my son's sensory processing disorder. A re-commitment to a dairy-free and gluten-free diet. I had let it slide for a variety of reasons when he started Kindergarten, and to tell the truth I was never too strict about it the first time around. But, now it could possibly make or break the success of his therapy. Who picks Valentine's Day week to explain to a child he can't consume sugar, flour, or milk? Sheesh.... there are easier things, for sure.

My mom's birthday is the day after Valentine's Day, and my sister's is a few days later. So we got together for a dinner and a combined celebration on the weekend -- which also meant another round of Valentines with the cousins. And more sweets. It was day 3 of the gluten-free diet, but I allowed my son to feel "normal" with our family and enjoy cake and ice cream. And my worst fears didn't come true. The sky didn't fall; the earth didn't come to an end. Everything was fine.

Valentine's Day week ended this morning, with my little one climbing into bed to snuggle. He slept an hour later than usual, which was the first reason to smile.

Then came my sweetest Valentine, ever. Not wrapped in a box, not laced with sugar. Not stamped on a conversation heart.

"Mom?" said a little voice.

"Yes?" I answered.

"I'll always love you."

Take that, Hallmark.

Painterly I Proceed

I have the blues.

Buried in a blustery blizzard of blue.



Must paint through it.

Cool light-hearted aquamarine washes into baby blues. An ominous cerulean dances with a little cherry blossom pink.... and who shows up but the flirty periwinkle?



The colors dance into a background for a Valentine promise.

"Blueness doth express trueness." ––Ben Jonson

Get Ready, Get Set.........

It has been an artsy-craftsy extravaganza the last six weeks, and low and behold, it's almost Christmas. My usual holiday pattern of vendor shows and craft fairs carry me through November to the first weekend of December. Then I tuck away all the craft supplies and focus on the holidays with the family.

This year, not so much. There's the AD/HD with all things creative. And then, there's........ the opening of my sister Melissa's new studio this weekend.

After visiting Melissa's Rapt in Maille booth at the One of a Kind Show in Chicago, the over-the-top excitement bubbled over and Mom and I descended upon poor Melissa, whether she liked it or not. A snowstorm prevented us from helping spruce up the new studio space last weekend, so...... a mid-week trek downtown was in order.



Color me impressed! The studio is a lovely space.



Melissa has carved out a spot to display Mom's "Twisted Tines" windchimes and my folksy snowmen, too.



That's a windchime with the compulsory addition of greens. Mom set containers of greenery all around the studio, too.



My snowmen canvas panels are taking shape on Melissa's workbench.

The opening reception is less than 24 hours away. There's still a frenzy of last minute details. Sort of intoxicated with pride over Melissa's latest accomplishment.

Join us for a glass of bubbly and help us celebrate.

We Came, We Saw, We Have Blisters

Today was the last Antique and Flea Market of the season at the Walworth County Fairgrounds in Elkhorn, WI. So I decided to ignore my overgrown garden and piles of laundry and meet up with my Mom to do what we do best.... junque-ing.



Since two sets of eyes are better than one, together we can do an adequate job of hunting down our treasures. I look for vintage jewelry pieces and old buttons I can repurpose into new wearables and art forms. She looks for silverware and old silver tea serving sets she masterfully gives a new life as wind chimes.

We stopped by a few tried-and-true vendors. We saw Candyce Martens, of http://alteredeverafter.com/ -- she used to have a fab little store in our small town and we miss her. But we're glad she's still creating! Click through and take a look at her art and the altered jewelry, which is quite amazing.

Then we ran into Catherine Grunewald, my mother's folk artist friend and -- well, let's just say you get the two of those women in one place, hold onto your hats..... Cathy introduced us to our favorite vendor of the day, Doug the Silverware Guy.





He had LOTS of what we were looking for.



Mom needed a trip to the car to unload after that purchase.

There were lots of odds and ends throughout the afternoon. My favorite: the folk art rooster. Really wanted to bring him home to strut his stuff in my garden -- still mad for talking myself out of it.



But I did settle on a sweet little firefly. Can't you feel the zap of electricity from his rear end? Bzzt.



Elkhorn, you never disappoint.

We Interrupt This Regularly Scheduled Programming For a Message From Your Muse

A few weeks ago..... maybe even months now....... I carried my old trusty craft bins down from the attic, vowing to get a head start on the holidays this year. No more adrenaline filled late nights putting last minute touches on projects the week of a craft show. No more wishing I had just made one more gift. Time to enjoy Christmas without cursing myself for not planning better.

Broke out the paints, the brushes, the old wood forms rescued from craft store clearance racks. Glue. Markers. Fancy papers. Bits of lace. This and that. Covered my dining room table with newsprint to protect it. Started painting and...... nothing. It felt like drudgery. All creative spark was gone.

And so I have to apologize to anyone who lives with me or even stops by to visit. There my hopes sit, for all to see, scattered out over my dining room table until the inspiration returns.

One thing I learned is that the brain's urge to be creative is hindered by the physiology of the body while it's working on other things. I have spent the better part of the last eight months trying to figure out what ailment I had -- followed by a variety of guesses at how to heal me. Symptoms were all over the spectrum, from dizzying nausea and pain to fatigue and headaches. There were tests and medication. There were alternative therapies and homeopathics. All to treat (apparently) the wrong ailment. Silly me.

But I'm on the mend and the creative juices are stampeding through me like a herd of wild horses. So while I usually spend this Labor Day weekend enjoying the beauty and bounty of my garden, this year I decided to craft my own flowers in place of what is in the sad overgrown patch outside my window. The poor weeds have taken over -- they're having a riotous party knowing I've been too ill this year to send them packing.

First, I learned a new skill in jewelry: the wire-wrapped loop. I found some German vintage glass flowers at a little bead shop and decided they must be transformed into dangles for necklaces.



That's a head pin with a yellow crystal bead at the center of the vintage flower. I put a brass end cap on the top just to make it look extra vintage.....



It takes a right angle bend and then you wrap the wire around, then trim the excess.



Okay so I'm not a pro at it yet. More practice.



After I made a few flowers, I felt inspired enough to continue the flower-making trend in paint. Sunflowers in yellow, orange, and red. These may end up on the top of a trinket box or nailed to a harvest sign.



Oh, and while the creative urge is riding the crest, it helps to have a distraction for the five-year-old. At the very least, his own art project at the ready is a good thing and will buy anywhere from 20 minutes to a hour, depending on the task.



(At one point I looked over at him, tongue appearing at the corner of his mouth. Biting the tongue aids in concentration, don't you know. Tee hee.)

Alright craft show season. Bring it.