Pick-A-Photo Tuesday: 7 O'Clock Shadow

This eerie looking infra-red photograph was taken in a Charlotte, NC graveyard in the early evening when the sun was low. It wasn't planned... I was just walking around with my camera when I noticed the long shadows that were cast. I asked my "model" to pose by this larger gravestone to capture the stark contrast.

I Once Was Lost... But Now I'm Bound...

My heart is bound and cannot see. It's taking time to heal my heart and mind. Lots of time.

Too Much Rain...

April showers are coming a little bit early this year. The weather has been very strange here on the coast of NJ this weekend. It's been raining extremely heavily overnight... and then not really at all during the day. Today it was foggy most of the day, and then we had a thunderstorm around 8:30 in the evening. Weird...

Clear The Mind...

Took a walk on the beach the other day to clear my mind. But I always find good stuff when I go there... so I make sure to bring a ziplock bag now. I discovered lots of glass from an historic building being torn down, tons of my favorite shells, some sea glass, and even a skull of some sort. All-in-all a very good haul... and I did manage to clear my head too.

Laundry Is Exciting?

That's right. I've never been so excited to get my laundry done! My bags are full and it's been way too long. You see... my washer is busted and I've been using my mom's next door. But with all that's been going on these past couple weeks, I have not gotten to the laundry. So I am so glad to have jeans and my favorite shirts to wear again. Yay! Next Monday I get my new washer and dryer set... then I will be even more excited to do laundry. Can you imagine?

Cotton Candy For Coraline...

Oooooh... I almost forgot! I meant to make my "Little Me" some yummy cotton candy. It's her favorite. I made an aluminum foil base, glued an unwrapped cotton ball around it, and sprayed with a paint/water mixture. Nice and fluffy! The cone is out of cardstock and I painted red stripes on it. I'm letting it dry before I assemble it.

Time For Creativity...

A group of crafty chicks—we call ourselves the "Tiara Chronicles"—get together every couple months and make something creative. This weekend, Debbie Tlach taught us how to do this nifty nest pin (adapted from instructions by Deryn Mentock's Belle Armoire Jewelry article). We had lots of laughs, took way too long, and everyone's piece turned out great!

We used annealed wire and made the eggs out of translucent polymer clay, with Distress Embossing powder mixed in to create the speckled color. It was easier than we all thought it would be. Gotta love when that happens!

A Little Spotty...

I usually try not to air my dirty laundry on my blog. But sometimes, things in life happen and they affect your heart, your spirit and unfortunately... your creativity. Lately, my blog entries have become rather “spotty” and not my usual weekly tradition. This is due in part to a very unsettling circumstance brought to my attention a few weeks ago.

This particular development has been so difficult for me on so many levels. I’m trying to be strong. But it’s going to take some time. I feel like I just got hit by a freight train, and those wounds run deep. But, no matter how long it takes... I will get stronger... I will get past this... and I’ll get to live the life I’ve always imagined...

Green For St. Patty's Day...

Happy St. Patty's Day everybody! I myself am: German, French, Polish, English and American Indian. But everybody's Irish on St. Pat's, right? To celebrate, I'm going out with my Italian friend and her Scottish husband and I'm going to have myself some domestic champagne! What are you up to?

I've Been Trying To Get To My Taxes...

But sometimes... things just get in the way! Can't wait to be done with them. Except then it's on to the next thing I've been avoiding on my "hard stuff to do" list! Yuck. Nice distraction though!

Just Chillin...

Taking it easy this evening. It's been kind of a long week, even though it's only Wednesday. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about...

Pick-A-Photo Tuesday: Magic Midway

So, obviously you get the boardwalk thing from the entry below, but that love extends to carnivals and fairs as well! This photo I took and colorized the old-fashioned way... by painting the non-colored areas with a photo masking fluid, letting it dry, and then dipping it into a bath of orange dye! When the desired intensity of color was had, you let it dry and peeled off the mask! You gotta love Photoshop!

Lookie What I Found...

Over the weekend, I stopped into one of my favorite little antique shops and found this gem. Living in a beach town and having grown up at the boardwalk, I really love these game-themed pieces. I think I'm going to hang it on the wall.

Little Me... Fini!

Here I am... in all my Little Me glory. Want to come and play with me?

If you would like to make your very own Little Me, I have this pattern for sale in my Etsy Shop!

Can Little Me Come Out To Play? Patience, Dear... Just One More Day...

So, I wasn't happy with the tea dye color of my Little Me, so I re-tea dyed the whole doll. But all I had was Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger... and it made her pink! Too funny, but not my intention. Serendipity, perhaps? I painted on some lips and freckles...
Fashioned a skirt and hand-dyed peek-a-boo crinoline...
Added the arms and made a cute pink sweater from one of my own sweaters...
Added a darling vintage pin as a barette... and tomorrow I shall reveal my Little Me finally completed! This doll was so much fun to make. Having sewn it by hand, I really felt like a little girl in the Colonial days... making her own little dolly. Until tomorrow...

I've Been Snowed!

Yup, that's right! The biggest snow job in quite some time! Monday's storm brought our New Jersey coast about 10" of powdery white stuff. That sure was a lot of shoveling!

Little Me...Coming Around...

My "Little Me" doll is starting to come into focus! I traced out the hair placement with pencil so I could add the eyebrows and eyes in the appropriate place. Before I sewed up the doll after stuffing, I inserted a long triangle made of cardstock for the nose. Cute, but it keeps slipping sideways though. So I may need to sew it into place later on...
More fun! Adding the hair. And... uh... it's pink... did anyone guess that's what color yarn I would be using? She's really developing a little personality...
And of course, matching pink striped stockings! Hello dolly...
Until next time...

Coraline, Coraline, Coraline...

Okay, so being inspired is quite addictive! It's been a real Coraline "Little Me" weekend. I realized from my original pattern (already cut out), that I forgot to add her ears! So I was able to sew them in while sewing the entire doll by hand...
To age the doll, of course some tea dying was in order. I do like to get messy when I create. I used the tea bag "direct-to-surface" for optimum color, but rinsed a little of it out. I think I might want more color, but I'll wait and see...Stuffing is fun and therapeutic! And, as you can see, the "creative juices" are flowing...
Until next time....