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Warmest Regards

Chillin'

/Today was one of those chill and enjoy days.  I have a very close friend going through a rapidly progressing dementia, so my stress level has been through the roof the last few months.  She has good care now and I help out when my teaching schedule allows.

My dogs were very chill today also.  Daisy, however, did try to prevent Duke from couch surfing by blocking his entrance onto the couch.  He was very insistent, so unlike him, and she finally relented, although begrudgingly.

I thought about cleaning the house this weekend and put in some minor effort.

Happy Valentine's Day to all.

Love and peace, Elizabeth

Amazing friends

My bestie, Susan, took me to the most wonderful lunch today at Edge of Texas.  Such a great place and reasonable.  Loved it.  Thank you, Susan!!!

Ahhh, Saturday!

Even with summers off, I still love being at home on Saturday.  I'm chillin with the girlfurbabes and they are sleeping.  Going to be warm, but, tolerable today.  Lately I have been fascinated with visual journaling.  I particularly like the idea of this blog: The Sketchbook Challenge.  They have a theme each month and July's is circle (love me some geometrics).  I've been thinkin that this would transfer well into the classroom.  Doodles can easily turn into writing.  We'll see, I'll keep you posted on in class journaling.  Have a great weekend everyone!!

Really? No posts since Jan...Free Dog step tute!

The second semester of school was nuts and fall looks increasingly the same.  I'm so glad I took the summer off.  Cleaned the garage, am playing around with clay and making stuff.  Started sketching to revive my comatose muse, etc, etc, etc.........

So today I have a tutorial for you unrelated to clay or jewelry.  This was made out of necessity and free!!  Who doesn't love free?  My little one, Tessa, is an older girl with a long back due to Doxie genes.  I noticed that my fearless little one was having trouble jumping up on to her favorite spots: the bed, a moving rocking chair, etc.  The bed was the biggest issue.  Sooooooo, I did an internet search and doggie steps are EXPENSIVE!!  But, being my Dad's resourceful daughter, I said to myself: "you can make some".  Soooo, I searched the house and found all the materials I needed. Gratis, free, not a penny spent.  Here goes:

The nice lady at my local Circle K let me take these rectangular coke baskets (FREE).

I put two side by side and wired them together so they won't shift.  I used about 12" for each section 20 gauge craft wire.  (FREE ON HAND)

There they are wired together to make the base and 1 step.

I then placed the third basket on top of one of the base baskets to form the second step. I wired these together on both sides in two places for extra security.

TA DA!!!!  DONE!!  About 15 minutes including photos.  That white pasty thing in the bottom left corner is my leg...EEK!

Tessa is checking out her new steps.  Glad she is a female, if you know what I mean...and I think you do....

In place at the foot of the bed on a rubber backed throw rug, again to avoid slipping and sliding.

And covered with an old blanket/rug I had.  I'm going to glue that in place.

All in all, dang fine job if I do say so myself.  Hope you enjoy this.  I'll try to get a pic of Tessa using them. 

Have a great day everyone.

I have not posted since Aug, Yikes. Bad Blogger....

Happy New Year Bloggin world.  I hope everyone is well and happy today.  I hope the year brings wonderful things for everyone.  I want peace in the world, success that I can handle and to revive my spirit daily.  I also do not want the world as I know to end on Dec 21, 2012.

God Bless us all!

UPCYCLE MAGAZINE HOLDER AND TUTORIAL

I've wanted to do a tutorial all summer and have been reading a lot of make over and upcycle blogs lately. While in the shower, best place for singing and thinking, I was ruminating about how I could use some magazine holders and didn't want to spend any money (we are on a money diet here at the Ponderosa, like everyone else). So I'm going to show you how I took this very nice cereal box:

and turned it into this fabulous and FREE magazine holder.

COME WITH ME WHILE I TAKE THIS JOURNEY.  THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE ON THE PHOTOS!

***WITH THIS STEP: PLEASE ADULTS ONLY WITH SHARP BLADES!  PLEASE!!***

(DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY WOUNDS) :D!!!!

FOR THIS STEP YOU COULD USE DECORATOR DUCT TAPE, CONTACT PAPER, BOOK PAGES.  THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS!!

I'M IN LOVE!!

VOILA!!

NOW GO MAKE SOMETHING.  GO ON.  GO!!  :D

I'm gonna party, like it's my birthday...

And I did.  Just had a wonderful 3 hour gab fest dinner with amazing friends with whom I helped right the world. Did you feel that tilt?  Love you, Universe.  Mwah!!!!!!!

Let's see...

I've missed the 4th of July here, Happy Belated Independence America.  I went on an unexpected trip to Chicago with a very good friend who had won the entire trip to see U2.  It was smashing.

Generally, I've been having a VERY laid back summer.  Just what I needed to recharge.  I don't officially go back until August 15 and I'm pretty psyched to see what is in store for me next year.  Education is always a surprise.  You put your order in at March preregistration and then the admin mixes it all up and give you what they think you should have.

I have been making stuff, finishing up long waiting projects, etc.  I do want to get back to blogging here and will have some photos up this week of recently made items, as well as some before and after of the clean up.  I have one spot left to take care of in the studio and then I can post real before and afters.

I really just wanted to check in with anyone that checks in with me and say "hey", so Hey!

I'll leave you with a bit of Chicago:

At U2.  This was a lucky capture!

Lake Michigan waterfront  from the trolley tour on top of the doubledecker.  The doubledecker can now be checked off my bucket list as one of those things I've always wanted to ride.

The river and a bit of skyline.  Chicago is quite a juxtaposition of modern and vintage buildings, which I loved.

Peace and love, fellow bead-heads!!

Operation Seek and Destroy Clutter

I figured out that my muse might be hiding in my so overly neglected studio so I decided to clean, REALLY CLEAN: labeling, sorting (for beaders that can be a nightmare), trashing, etc.  I'm starting to feel the urge to create creep up.  Also, I got two new clay books that I ordered through Amazon: Julie Picarello's PATTERNS IN CLAY and Jessica and Susan Partain's POLYMER CLAY COOKBOOK about minature food charms.  They are both very well written and I can't wait to try the endless techniques within each. 

I will post before and afters of the Seek and Destroy once I'm finished.  I have about 6-10 hours work left to really be up and running (I've already put in 15 hours).  Can't wait....

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SUMMER.....

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY

My dad, Kenneth Freeman, was from Tahoka, Texas and couldn't wait to get out.  He graduated from high school at 16, went to Texas Tech for a semester (while painting cars for money) to major in law.  He still wanted to get further than Lubbock (30 miles from Tahoka) so he joined the Army.  He was blind in one eye and had to memorize the eye chart to pass the physical, but he got in.

I'm gonna brag on him a lot, so bear with me.  He did so well on all his aptitude tests that they sent him to officer candidate school.  He broke his arm the last week and couldn't finish.  He decided not to go back, but continued to progress up the Army food chain.  He married my Mom in Sept '52 and went off to France soon after (post war stuff don't you know). She was 4 years older and had two kids. They had me in July '53.  We all went over to France in December '53 where he was busy helping to fight the early cold war.

We came back to the States in '55 and settled in Norfolk VA where he kept on moving along.  I got sick and needed a dryer climate, so he put in for El Paso and White Sands.  He was in at the beginning of missile program and soon found a way to be an officer without Officer Candidate School and became a CWO2 (skipped over CWO don't you know).  Missiles took us to Michigan and then there was a slide.  The top secret issues my dad had to deal with did not mesh well with his share all, gregarious soul and he started binge drinking.  He was the happiest drunk I've ever met, and he always made it to work (functional alcholism??).

The Army saw fit to let him finish his 21 years on Okinawa where he was a middle officer overseeing Post Engineers.  He brought the first country fair to Okinawa which was a huge success, including appearances by John Wayne and Fess Parker.  He secured us the best house on the island.  My dad was a bit of hustler.

He loved El Paso and as soon as he retired he wanted to come back to El Paso.  He made a deal with my mom, one year to find a good job or we were moving to Chattanooga (her home).  Two days before the year, he found a job as an insurance adjuster, so we stayed.

What did I love best about my Dad: working with him upholstering found furniture; working with him on cars (yes I can change my own oil, windshield wipers and tires, Thanks, Dad); him helping me with my math homework (a gene not transferred from him to me); he taught me how to find stuff, call and ask about parts, etc.  I loved sitting with him on the porch when he would play his guitar and we would sing folk songs and country tunes.  I love that I look exactly like my Dad, no Maury Povich needed.  I loved that he taught me how to carry out practical jokes without malice. He was a purposeful disciplinarian, always with an explanation, no screaming or yelling or hitting.

My Dad died at 42 in Nov '72.  I was 19 and there is not a day goes by that I don't miss him.  I would love to have him around now so he could see my success.

So Dad, I love you and miss you.  God please take good care of him until we can sit on the porch of heaven together.  Thank you.

SELF CREATED ART COURSE

The last few weeks have had me begging for something creative but without the motivation to act.  I've known for a month or two that I wanted to take an art related class of some kind this summer to get my mind away from state assessments and special ed paperwork, school in general.  I NEED to feed MY soul. 

In addition, I did not want to travel outside of El Paso.  I have taken a trip somewhere job related during my birthday week the last five years and I have had enough.   I HATE to travel.  Seriously, left up to me, I would be just like that ancient dead man they found in a cave in England a few years ago who had relatives 10 miles away, only I would not have made it 10 miles!!  I was an Army brat raised, not by wolves (although the jury is still officially out on the wolf issue), but by extroverted, nomad parents who loved moving, making new friends, etc, etc, etc.  While the experiences and places I have been are priceless, I never had a hometown and longed for one. Also, being a shy, extreme introvert (can we say recessive gene) it took me FOREVER to make new friends. When my dad retired in 1968 to his love of El Paso, so did I at the ripe old age of 15.  That was it, I wasn't moving anywhere else, EVER.

I digress, back to the need for an art infusion, I couldn't find any classes that were here in El Paso and I absolutely refuse to leave this summer, so I mottled together my own "art" course with free projects found at Interweave Press and YouTube.I downloaded mixed media tutorials, beading tutorials, videos on wirewrapping are sitting in my wait list on YouTube.   I really want to barely leave my house this summer, so the computer was a logical source.  I'm also looking at some DVD's and ebooks from Interweave, not free, but hey, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay less than the cost of a plane ticket, gas and my sanity. For instance check out this short little teaser video from Interweave, after two minutes, my mind was racing with possibilities. short inspiration packed video    Brilliant! 

And Interweave Press store  tons of free projects 

YOUTUBE ->;The Crafts Channel (just an example of what is on YouTube.  I'm not going to paint "wellies" but so fun to watch and I feel like I'm in a British art class with a couple of whacky, crafty English birds.

I hope I have inspired someone to take a step to something.  When asked lately, always a question when educators are headed to vacation time, others regale me with their planned itineraries and I simply say, "I'm doing as little as possible with a maximum of fun-ness!"  They recoil in shock and awe, "You mean you aren't GOING ANYWHERE????????"   "Nope," I say, "and you can't make me! (insert raspberry sound here)."  I cannot tell you how content I feel.....

I will update my progress on said art endeavor and hope everyone is doing just what they want with their precious vacation time!!!  A little or a lot, your choice.

Lovely give away mash up

Mary Ann Carroll is having a lovely Sunday giveaway.  It is a set of beautiful earrings that are a mash up of her beads and patina'd links from Miss Fickled Media (aka Shannon Levart).  They are gorgeous and you can have a chance at them by just answering a question on Mary's blog.  What are you waiting for, get to it (click below).

Have a great Sunday everyone.



MACarroll giveaway

What a month

I'm actually quite happy to bid adieu to April 2011.  It was an expensive month, a less than healthful month and a crazy, stupid busy school/work month.  On the work front, state testing is OVER for now.  Now we wait for the results.  It's all too stupid.

May 2011 looks more promising.  Almost finished with my ESL certification classes.  Summer vacation is just 27 work days away.  I get my new A/C for the house...expensive, but a must have in El Paso.

O and I'm hoping my muse moves back in at some point...Maybe I'm just too tired to think...

Have a great week everyone!!

In honor of turquoise, the true color of royalty

When I think of turquoise, I just become very calm.  I love it.  Happy and serene in the same moment for me.

But I love wacky also and this girl fills the bill.

Then there is this room...

Lusting I am for this room I am.

And I would create an altar to worship these bowls, for real

Now these are just too many turq choices...

It is creating a turquoise mania for me!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHH

Jewelry I've been making to sell....

Not much to say, but I've been making stuff to sell.  Enjoy.

Irish Cairn necklace reworked

fun spinner

Funky spiral polymer

How is your week going.