Take this here rain check

Good morning to you all! It's very early for me... 4:00am. Some silly reason I've been waking up this time early every day this week. Let me state– THIS NEVER EVER HAPPENS. I heart sleeping. Make that a gigantic heart. Ok, so I've been pretty terrible about updating this blog. Eek! Has it really been 3 weeks since my last post? I really need to kick myself in the rear. It even has been perfect blogging weather...rainy. Bleh, I am pretty tired of this stinking hard core rain we have been having in Portland. Well, I don't hate it completely. I love having my apartment windows open. Hearing the pitter-patter is nice. And so is the smell. Mmmm. But I am yearning for a little Vitamin D and bicycling that doesn't involve soggy skinny jeans.

Puddletown

For some odd reason the rain has gotten me thinking of "David the Gnome". If you were a child in the mid to late-80's like me & you had cable... you probably were a big Nickelodeon fan. I'm curious how many of you out there liked the TV show "David the Gnome"? I had a flash back of being around the age of 5, all curled up on the couch with my mom, watching the show that would eventually be subdued by an afternoon nap. All while it was raining, of course. I wonder what I would think of it, if I watched it today. My mom sure loved it. And I'm pretty sure today I'm the same age as she was then.

Indian Beach

Very soon I will be making my first roadtrip of the season out to the coast. And absolutely NO Mr. Rain! You are sooo not invited. Sun? absolutely!

Mount St Helens

Speaking of roadtrips, remember when I posted on here about my drive out to Mount St Helens? Oh... back in the Spring of last year? Well here's the post if you would like to read it. With all this H20 jibber-jabber, here are some earrings that I crafted. With Clearwater Lake on the brain, I named them...

"That time my toes met the shoreline"

That time my toes met the shoreline - earrings:: View in Etsy Shop ::

I adore these faceted glass beads. They're awesome! See how their colors, teal & amber, blend together? It's especially cool how they hit the light. I really wish I had more of them. Yes, unfortunately I only will be able to make a few more. I guess you can say they are limited edition. He he.

Well you nice folks have an excellent weekend! I will leave you with a sketchbook drawing from yesterday. Enjoy!

Thursday's sketch

Maybe see ya on Monday!

Sunny & Swell

Self Portrait Thursday

What a BEAU-TI-FUL morning we have here in Stumptown. I enjoyed the sunshine on my way over to Crema. I thought I would share some of the rays that are shining in the office.

A Tea Leaf on DailyBooth

I signed up for a DailyBooth account the other day. Do feel free to add me as a friend on there. In the past I've been kinda hesitant to sign-up but after moseying around a lil' bit and viewing other users silly faces I was persuaded. DailyBooth is basically like a visual journal. It's a place where you can upload and share portraits of yourself on a daily basis. Pretty fun concept, eh??

First Listen: She And Him, 'Volume Two'

The last three days I have been blaring (at least twice a day) the new She And Him album, 'Volume Two'. My husband would say he can vouch for this. He doesn't have the nerdy obsession for Zooey as I do. And hey that's okay. The album is not released yet– won't be until March 23rd. Thanks to NPR's website you can stream it! Take a gander here.

Wait, wait! Don't leave yet. I know, you're about to think... tl, dr. BUT I have some very thrilling news.

Weee!!! I got in!!!

I was accepted into Crafty Wonderland's Super Colossal Spring Show! It will be at the Oregon Convention Center on May 1st and 2nd. Be sure to mark your Google Calendar, iCal, Moleskine, etc. It's going to be glorious... 200 vendors with their handmade goodness. Keep posted on Crafty Wonderland's site.

Last but not least... I have drawn a new kitchen herb. May I present Nutmeg.

Nutmeg printNutmeg print :: 8” x 10” :: View in Etsy Shop

"Nutmeg is usually associated with sweet, spicy dishes — pies, puddings, custards, cookies and spice cakes. It combines well with many cheeses, and is included in soufflés and cheese sauces. In soups it works with tomatoes, split pea, chicken or black beans. It complements egg dishes and vegetables like cabbage, spinach, broccoli, beans, onions, and eggplant."

Nutmeg_Fruit

I found a photo of the actual fruit. I'm amazed of the dried "lacy" reddish covering of the seed... I see a resemblance to human capillaries.

00016 - Western White Clematis

Introducing my 16th piece of my series, Standard Movement.

00016 - Western White Clematis of Standard Movement series

00016 - Western White ClematisClick here or image above to purchase a print

To begin with, the oval frame. My thoughtful Godparents found it at an antique store. They are so sweet. As many of you know, I love bubbled glass. Who doesn't? I love how it enhances my imaginative 2-D world. Next, something new this time around. I usually use vintage paper for the main background, in this case I used fresh, crisp ledger paper. I wanted this work to be much simpler than the last, so I left a lot of white space and added fewer textile pieces which represent orbs. I incorporated a white flowering plant that I discovered on a walk to Portland's striking St. Johns bridge. The plant caught my eye with it's showy seedheads.

St. Johns Bridge

I searched high and low. Alas I found the name of the white flowering plant, it's called Western White Clematis. I read that it is a perennial vine and a member of the Buttercup family. It also goes by names such as Virgin’s Bower, Traveler’s Joy, and Leather flower. It sounds like a terrible idea to get in contact with, its oils are extremely irritating to the skin. It can also cause internal bleeding of the digestive tract if digested in large amounts. Eek! However, Native Americans would use it for headaches and nervous disorders, in small doses, of course.

00016 - Western White Clematis of Standard Movement series

If you would like to purchase a print of this original artwork of mine, they are available in my online shop, here. The prints are a limited edition of 30, printed on a heavy cardstock paper, backed with matboard, and slipped into a cellophane envelope. Whew! Did you get all that? I will also sign each print and ship them in a bendproof mailer. Live near Portland and wanna save on shipping? I will also be selling these guys at Crafty Wonderland and Skating with Scissors Craft Bazaar. I'm so jazzed to participate in my first two craft shows!