Scarves of Sanity

Knitting has become one of the threads that tie me tentatively to the real world. I don't like to blog about my health challenges, but lately I've been itching like mad, all over my body, including inside my ears. I've been to five different doctors, including a team at UCLA, and they're still not sure of the cause.

Anyway, in the evenings, knitting keeps me from ripping my skin to shreds while I watch TV. I've become a bit manic about it, but it's better than drugging myself, I guess.

So, here's a scarf I finally finished for Kyle. It was meant to be a Xmas present, but I made it extra wide, used small needles, and chose a pattern that required close attention, so it took me about a month of a couple hours a day to finish. I love the feel of it; it's really springy and soft wool.





My next scarf was a lot quicker to make. I used recycled silk and larger needles, and just did a diagonal pattern, so it only took about a week. I just love the colors, and I had fun adding beads to the fringe.





Since I'm running low on yarn, I started another freeform bag using bits and pieces of leftovers in purples and aquas. At the rate I'm going, that will be done within the week. I'm already stressing about making sure I have enough yarn to start something else when that's done.

Sorry if I'm scaring you. Just imagine living with me right now!

What Kids Can Do

I spent last Sunday in my studio with my 10-year-old nephew Ryan. He has an amazing attention-span when it comes to art, and it struck me how natural it is for kids to create, without all the self-doubt and striving for perfection we somehow pick up along the way to adulthood.

I had him choose a cigar box, and he chose one with a beautiful orange finish, and was determined to leave some part of the orange showing. I showed him how to glue old book pages all over the box, and that's the only part of the project where I actually touched the box, as he got a little tired of that labor-intensive effort. I worked on a tissue box while he was working on his box, and demonstrated how to paint over the glued pages with a transparent wash, then add depth and interest with a darker color and drybrushing. His natural eye for color made that part easy for him.

Then he chose all kinds of animal images, both printed and rubber stamps, and added them to the box. I showed him how to add more paint to integrate the images into a whole, which he took to like he'd been doing it all his life. As a last step, I handed him a box of 3D embellishments, and he went to town with those.

Here is his finished box. The photos don't do it justice. Amazing.







And here's the tissue box I made at the same time. Of course, I had to spend another couple of hours tweaking it after he left. Damned perfectionism! This is a "commissioned" project for my daughter and her boyfriend, who requested it after seeing the ones I made my parents for Xmas. They wanted blue and a sea/beach theme.

The Last of the Xmas Gifts

This post will complete the chronicles of all the stuff I made for Xmas this year. Which is good, 'cause I'm ready to move on!

Here's a tissue box I made for my Dad's office. It's collaged with maps and travel-related stamps.



And here's my mom's tissue box, which matches her red color scheme in her family room. I don't know why I went with a bird theme. Probably because I had a cool brass bird I wanted to use!



This is one of two ornaments I made for my sister and brother and their families. Somehow I missed getting photos of the other one. It's made from a paper mache form covered in lace and then painted, rubbed with Rub 'n Buff, and then little beads glued all over.



These two photos are the two sides of a large heart ornament I made for my parents. It's not really for Xmas, so can be displayed all year, or until they get tired of it! It's made the same way as the ornament above.





I enjoyed immersing myself in these projects prior to the holiday, And it was fun to watch my family members open and appreciate them. They all give me a hard time about my intricate handmade gifts and how I make them feel inadequate, but you can bet I won't let that stop me!

Bachelor Pad Art

Here's round two of the handmade Xmas gifts. Kyle's new apartment needed some color and interest on the walls, so when I got home from Colorado I dove into two collages for him.

The idea for the first came from a comment he made about hating blank walls above the toilet. We joked that only a guy would really notice that (since they face that way when, well, you get the idea). I had purchased a stack of 1940s Esquire magazines at a garage sale, so those pin-ups and funky "be manly and wear this brand of sock garter" ads just begged to entertain Kyle when he might otherwise be bored. ;-)





The other collage is a little more mainstream. His guest bathroom is done in a shell theme with red and tan, so here's what I came up with:





Kyle liked both collages and is now pretty well entertained in both bathrooms!

Xmas Recycled Sweater Gifts

I promised to post photos of my handmade Christmas gifts, so I'll start with the recycled sweater felting items. They were well-received!

Here are my three nieces with their gifts, Maris, Alexa and Lindsay:



And here's little Lexi, a born photo model, and a close-up of her sweater, which was the first recycled wool item I made and got me hooked:





Maris's book bag up close:



Lindsay's purse up close:



I'll definitely be doing more of these types of items. It's so easy! Just wash the old sweater in the washer in hot water, dry it in the dryer, then use it just like fabric. When you cut it, it does not unravel. The only part that was time-consuming was the knitted fluff on the book bag and purse. It takes a while to punch holes in the felt, get the yarn situated ont he needles, then do the knitting. But I love the touch it adds.

New Year's Resolution (singular)

I'm doing something different this year. Just ONE resolution. And I'm posting it here so it's on the record and everyone knows about it. I want everyone to ask me how it's going, okay? And I mean from now through December. Because it's going to be tough, but I think it will be worth it.

I resolve to draw something every day this year. Even if it's my pen or my coffee cup or a floorplan for a room in my house, I am going to put pen or pencil to paper do so something OTHER than write words.

My goal is to improve my drawing skills, which I think will have a positive influence on all my other artwork.

I started this in Sedona over the past week. Here are a couple of my drawings. I'll post some here every once in a while so we can all see whether I'm making any progress, okay?

This one includes objects I found in my aunt and uncle's house and in my parents' house in Sedona. And the background sketch is the view of Chimney Rock from my aunt and uncle's breakfast room. As you can see, I have some work to do. That basket ended up looking like a space ship that landed on the rocks.



This one is a copy of a drawing on a large tile at my parent's house. It sure is easier to draw something when it's already flat!



Okay, I haven't drawn anything today, so I'm off to my studio . . .

Beautiful, Inspiring Sedona

Wow. The end of the year is like the second half of the biggest hill on a roller coaster. The past two weeks have gone by in about 48 hours!

I guess I'll work backward to try to catch up on all the news and artwork.

First, we just returned from a wonderful week in Sedona with Lianne and her boyfriend Dan. My sister Jennifer was also there with her family, and we had some fun game nights with them. The kids AND adults were mesmerized by the new Wii game system. It was amazing to watch my two-year-old niece play it successfully!

Here are a few photos of the gang and the incredible Sedona scenery:

Here are Lianne and Dan and my nephew Ryan and his stepbrother Jimmy at the top of a rock formation just behind my parents' vacation home that we call "No Name." I felt like I might throw up when I got to the top, but it was worth it!



Here is part of the hiking gang at a beautiful lookout spot on the way up. Even Tinkerbell made the trip.


This is my sister playing Vanna and showing off coffee pot rock from the viewpoint at the Sedona airport.


And here's the entire gang (minus the photographer).


I do occasionally insist that someone else take a photo, so I can prove I have been to these places I always talk about!


I can't say enough about how it feels to be in this unique place. I will always be grateful to have found a vacation spot that is so relaxing and renewing and unique!

Snowy, cooooooold Colorado

I'm just back from an adventure with my son Kyle. I helped him move to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, high in the Rockies near Aspen. We drove out in a Budget moving truck, pulling his Mustang on a car trailer, with his two cats in a carrier between us in the cab. It took two full days to make the trip, since the truck could barely maintain 45 mph on some of the climbs. We stayed in St. George, Utah the first night, with the cats crawling all over us. They were so happy to be out of that box and had lots of stored-up energy.

The second day we had to have one of tires on the car trailer replaced in Beaver, Utah. The good 'ol boys there took care of us, and we were glad to have discovered the bad tire before we started dragging that thing up the Rockies.

Despite the slow going and somewhat rough conditions (boy, have I gotten soft in my middle age!), we had a great time on the trip. Some of the scenery was breathtaking, and we discovered that Utah has NPR stations that span the entire state! We arrived in his new town at about 6 p.m. and unloaded the truck in the dark, and it was about 8 degrees. A friend from work came to help (after skiiing all day!) and the two guys hauled all the heavy stuff up the stairs, but I'm sure I made at least 50 trips up and down in my new snow boots, and I have the blisters on my heels to prove it!

But the most breathtaking scenery is right where Kyle now lives. It was a true winter wonderland! No need to flock your tree here; there are ready-made Xmas trees on every corner!



Here are some views from Kyle's balcony at his new place. The last one shows the condo complex.




And here are a couple from his bedroom window.




Talk about picturesque!

The town of Glenwood Springs in spread out along the Colorado River, and boasts a HUGE hot-springs pool right in the middle of town. Here's a shot I took from the car of the downtown area:



The drive up towards Aspen is stunning. Here's a shot of Mt. Sopris, which towers over all else at more than 14,000 feet.



Kyle works in Basalt, which is a picture-postcard town about halfway up the valley toward Aspen. Here's a shot of his office building, and the view from right in front of the building.




Kyle's condo is very nice. He has two bedrooms and two baths and a two-car garage, so he has plenty of room for guests. He's hoping lots of his family and friends will come out to visit.

Here are some shots of the kitchen and living room during the move-in process:





As you can see, Kyle was a bit tired after sleeping on the inflatable mattress for a couple of nights! And here are his bedroom and bathroom after we got done with them:




So, I've done my mom job and made sure my baby is all settled into his new home, far from his family and friends. :-(

I'm excited for him and so hopeful that he will love his new life in the mountains.

It Doesn't Stop When They Turn 18

Well, it's been more than three weeks since I published an entry here. The reason is my two "babies" needed me. Big time.

Kyle, who just turned 23, got a job in Aspen and had to wrap up his life here and get out there to start work in less than three weeks. I spent lots of time helping him make lists, advising on decisions from which furniture to take to his new home to buying a car that would be safe for snowy mountain driving. I also helped him pack up his entire apartment. That kid is a real pack rat!

He'll be back the first weekend in December to get all his stuff and load it into a U-Haul truck for the trek to his new apartment. I may go with him to help him get set up, then fly back. That ought to be fun, since he has two cats to move too. But I would love to see the area and be able to picture where he is when I talk to him.

Kyle arrived safely in Aspen on Sunday, November 12. On Monday morning the 13th, I received a hysterical call from Lianne (age 20) that her apartment in Isla Vista was completely flooded. And she was NOT exaggerating! When I arrived two hours later she was still sitting in up to two inches of water and nothing had been done beyond turning off the source of the water in the apartment above hers. Three days and dozens of phone calls and hours of internet research later, she and her boyfriend will be moving back in today. It took a call to the management company's corporate office to get her property manager to take the situation seriously and put the kids up in a hotel for a few nights. On Wednesday, I helped them pack up their entire apartment, including washing every dish, pan and untensil in the place, and do 14 loads of laundry. They've had to grow up very fast and learn how to stand up for themselves and argue succesfully with people in positions of power who supposedly have much more knowledge and experience than they do.

So, my "mom" planet must be in the house of packing belongings and coaching adult kids through big life decisions and crises. Oh, and did I mention Mark was in Seattle at a meeting all week? I barely had a chance to talk to him the entire week because whenever he had a break to call me, I was up to my elbows in moldy laundry or making phone calls to building inspectors and landlor-tenent mediators.

As a result of all this, I've done no artwork this week. I have finished a couple of Xmas gifts in the past couple of weeks, but I don't want to post photos of those here, since they're surprises. I will say they involve wool sweaters purchased at thrift stores and then felted, cut up, and given a new life.

Next week I have a pretty big medical procedure on Tuesday, then Thanksgiving for the family, without Kyle ;-(, here on Thursday. Gotta go order that turkey!

Postcrossing

I've been having a great time sending and receiving postcards all over the world via Postcrossing, a web site that facilitates this exchange. Yesterday and today I've been finishing some handmade postcards. i enjoy sending a little bit of myself out into the world in this way.

Here are a few of my favorites:






Last week, I completed two collages with book covers as part of the compositon, or used as the substrate. This was an assignment for my weekly collage class, and though I'm not thrilled with the results, it sparked a lot of ideas.





I am LOVING working in my new studio. Everything I need is accessible (whereas before it was most likely buried under other stuff) and the room is inviting and inspiring. Who knows what will come out of that room????