Vintage Hats Debut at the Alpine Holiday Festival

The Alpine Holiday Festival happens each November in rural Benton County, Oregon.The festival is a fund raiser for the Alpine Community Center. 

This year, we added a vintage hat display to the event. Jeanne, one of the coordinators,  took a millinery class and her interest in hats lead to this display.  You can't believe the number of people who were fascinated by the hats.  Many of them commented that they had an old hat of their mom's or dad's hidden away.     Being a wirewrap artist, I love that each of them is handmade and none of them were exactly alike.  I remember my mom having a pink hat  made to match here dress for my sister's wedding back in the 60's.  She also had her shoes died pink.  Oh those were the days when people dressed in style.

About half the hats were from my collection. Looking inside them at the festival, I noticed each of them had a label with the name of the designer.   Most of them were made in Portland, OR which makes sense since that was my home town.  My favorite is the maroonish one on the bottom shelf which was made in Portland by Myrtle.   There are ribbons that go around your ears and underneath your hair in the back.  I think this Fascinator could totally be worn by one of the witches in Harry Potter. You are lucky I cropped the closeup or you might have thought I had flown in from Hogwarts. 

The hat below was made by Jeanne in her millinery class.  It is completely hand stitched and the feathers are applied without any glue.  There is a real art to making hats and it isn't something that everyone can do.  I can't wait until she starts making them and we can sell them in our booth.

Looks like next year we will have even more vintage hats on display.  So if you are in the Willamette Valley and want to get a jump on the holidays take a trek to rural America.  You'll find great homemade food, quality arts and crafts, good music, a funky fashion show, and a great community of just plain folks.


Photography courtesy of Watchthebirdie

Celebrating the Harvest - Celtic Winter

Here in Oregon the seasons are very similar to those of the Celtic year.  We had our first frost last week and it was very cold last night.   The days are considerably shorter and the chickens have slowed down in egg production.  Parts of the country have had there first snow storm.  Despite what the Gregorian calendar tells us it feels like winter is upon us.  In fact, November 1 is the first day of Celtic winter.

I like to mark the changing of the seasons with little rituals.  For instance, I remove the screen door on Samhain and replace it on Beltane. Flannel sheets are put on the bed Winter Solstice and come off Spring Equinox.  Today, I will put the barbecue under shelter for the winter months and fill the porch with firewood.

Samhain is about celebrating the last of the harvest and we will spend the next few days here at  Borgo Pass picking the cabernet wine grapes.  The winter squash has been put into cold storage and the apples are soon  to be picked.  According to the weather forecast, we have two nice days before the rains set in.

The daylight will continue to shorten until the solstice when we gather to celebrate the rebirth of the sun.  In this time of darkness we are invited to explore the depths of the inner self.   I look forward to slowing down the pace, clearing away the cobwebs, and searching my soul.

I would love to hear how you mark the turning of the year.

Wine Grape Lovers Come One and All

Pinot Noir Wine Grapes

These look good enough to eat

For the past month here at Borgo Pass Vineyards, we have been watching the grapes slowly ripen.  Humans are not the only ones who are interested in the sugar content of grapes it seems.  My husband often says there is no reason to take the brix just watch the birds.  You can see that the Cedar wax wing is keeping a good eye on that sugar content for us.  Just waiting for us to leave so he can devour that bunch of pinot noir.
     This year the yellow jackets have also been problematic which is a new one on us.  I guess with the cool spring and late summer they are desperate to fill up before they hibernate for the winter.  We have killed a number of nests we have found in the ground, but the yellow jackets just seem to keep coming.  The cool nights have finally slowed them down some which is great because it can be both literally and figuratively a pain to try to pick the grapes which are covered with starving  yellow jackets. 

Thanksgiving Dinner?

My favorite is the wild turkeys.  Someone years ago decided it would be a good idea to release turkeys for the hunters.  The turkeys are thriving and reproducing like mad with the great food supplies here in South Benton County.  (ie: vineyards, wheat fields, berries and orchards).  This flock of about 11 likes to come in and eat all the grapes they can find close to the woods.  Last year a similar flock ate about 500 pounds of grapes before we finally got serious about chasing them off. 

So Come One, Come All.  Grape Harvest is Upon Us.  

Practical Magic Blog Party

 "Girls Night Out" 

My moon circle sings this fun little song about riding brooms so I wondered how the broom became a symbol for witches.  After all this is a Practical Magic blog party and brooms are pretty darn practical.  No fancy swiffer in this old house.

.According to some quick internet searching I discovered this in an article by Ashira R.

In the Old Religion, as in organizations like the Masons, the use of ordinary working items were used as symbolism in many rituals and meetings. Probably, without a doubt, the most least understood, yet most well known, is that of the broom. From ancient times the broom was a symbol of domestic order and domestic bliss. It was a powerful symbol as the woman's preeminence at the time was still in the forefront. It was expected that when women would arrive at their meetings (now called Sabbats or rituals) they would be expected to carry the symbol of their position - the broom.
When women went to any meeting of any sort, regardless of whether it was a ceremony or not, they were expected to bring their symbol of position - the broom. Upon arrival at a meeting, they would display the "staff of office" (the broom) and turn the broom like a hobby horse and enter the sacred space riding their brooms. So yes, Pagans and Witches do ride upon brooms - just not as most would think. Even today the hobbyhorse toys are derived from these very rituals.   http://ezinearticles.com/?Do-Witches-Really-Ride-Broom-Sticks?&id=968986

 So there is Practical Magic and some of that power is in using ordinary items like the broom, a pot or cauldron, herbs, tinctures, teas, brews and "the look" which stops most children in their tracks. But enough of that, here's the great little song we sing at the moon circle. 

Away Ye Merry Lasses 

I told me mum I was goin' out 

She asked what I was all about 

I asked if I could take the broom 

I'm going to meet the girls 

Oh, the moon is wax tonight 

and don't ya like the fellas? 

I prefer the girls tonight 

I'm goin' to ride the wind 

   CHORUS 

'Cause it's the girls' night out 

Away ye merry lassies 

Get your brooms, get 'em out 

We'll ride the wind tonight 

Oh it's the girls' night out 

Away ye merry lassies 

Get your brooms, get 'em out 

We'll ride the wind tonight 

My sister is so bold and free 

She asked if she could come with me 

I saw her up above the trees 

A-goin' to ride the wind 

Oh, the moon is wax tonight 

And don't ya like the fellas? 

I prefer the girls tonight 

I'm goin' to ride the wind 

w&m by Georje Holper, ©1989

If you want to join others in this Practical Magic party on September 24th  just click on the link below.  Happy Equinox and may you life be filled with magic.   As we move into the darkness, keep those inner lights burning bright.

Rings and Things Bracelet Design Challenge

Blog partners of Rings and Things were offered a challenge to design a unique piece of jewelry using their bracelet cuff blanks.  I decided to use the brass cuffs because I am not really attracted to that material and after all this was a challenge.

This bracelet was my first attempt.  I used a lotus stamp to add some texture to it.  I wanted an Asian look, so I found a replica of an old coin, but it had a huge square in the middle and I am a wirewrap artist so I needed to figure out how to make that work.  Found a scrap of an old tea tin and used it to plug the hole.  As a cold connect I punched a hole in the middle of the blank and used and eyelet.   The pearl was strung onto thin copper wire and put through the hole of the eyelet and then wrapped.  Dropped the whole bracelet in liver of sulfur to give it a little patina and called that one good.  I wasn't really satisfied with how tame it was and so decided to try something more outlandish.  

I really like using tins and wanted to figure out how to make bracelets with the scraps.  I had tried a couple of different times and thought these cuffs might be the ticket.   Using my disc cutter, I cut out different pieces of tin in different sizes.  I punched holes in the tins and then domed them with my dappling block.  Now the challenge became attaching them to the cuff because my eyelets were either too short or too long.  I was having a serious Goldie Locks moment until  I found some brass spacers that filled the gap.  Now it was "just right".  I could use the longer eyelets and I was ready to make "flowers". I am planning on making more of these because I like the way it turned out even though my husband thought the Asian one was nicer.  I liked that it was whimsical and used up tin scraps.

Love to hear whether you prefer the tame or the wild and crazy one. So hey, leave me a comment .

You can also see what others created by visiting Rings and Things blog . Click here for the link.

Summer Time Studio Moves Outside

I enjoy the outdoors so in the summer it is really hard for me to spend time inside my studio.  My studio is a great little space, but the weather is so beautiful right now I like to take my work outside.

My favorite place to sit is by the Cook Shack.  I love to sit in a chair facing the morning sun with my wire work.  I usually go to my studio, gather up supplies, then take up residence at the Cook Shack for a day of creating.  I have discovered my lap top works out there so I can also blog and post on my sites which makes life even grander. There is a nice little sound of running water that comes from this pond that adds to the ambiance of the garden as a place to create.  When I need a break, I move the sprinkler,  pull a few weed, get some iced tea from the fridge in the shack then back to work.

However there are times when I need to work in the studio.  I can do wire working outside but if I am creating something with metal or drilling holes in beach rocks I need to move inside the studio.  I call my studio the Shiva Shop because a statute of Shiva is on top of the building.  Shiva is a creator and destroyer god so it seems appropriate since I am consuming natural resources to create pieces of adornment  When the days are blazing hot, the Shiva Shop stays cool so if I have to work in the shop I go there in the late afternoon.

Here's my bench with my bead boxes, wire, gems, and books. My bench is 8 feet long but that still doesn't seem like enough space.  I have it divided into sections and tend to do metal work at one end of the bench, art clay at the other and wire wrapping in the middle.  I have a chair in the studio at the moment but will soon be moving it out to get another bench put in there.  Funny because I started with a few beads in a box, moved to a cart, then a shelf and now I am outgrowing my 12 by 12 studio.  Luckily we have lots of little cabins on our place so I have moved my rock tumbler into another small building next door.

Here is my kiln for metal clay and enameling.   You can also see some metal working tools, my flex shaft, a vise,  torches and a basket with more supplies.  I have a fire extinguisher hooked to the side of the cart so it will be handy, but I  don't ever want to have to use it.   This cart is on wheels so I can move it around the room if need be.  I usually move it away from the wall when I am using the kiln.  Of course the basket of dog treats has to be taken off the top before I fire it up. During the winter, my two dogs insist on sharing this space with me.    All I have to do is say "Shiva Shop" and they run for the door.  I am pretty sure that "Shiva Shop" and "Wanna a Biscuit " are synonymous in dog speak.


Thanks for visiting my studio. Be sure to leave a comment so I know you stopped by.  If you want to visit other studios, you can click on this link and see all 300 plus blogger's creative spaces compliments of Karen Valentine's efforts.

I

Pond Building Adventures

Waterfall covers up the bio filter

My husband and I decided we could be a reality TV show called Pond Stars.  Maybe people would mistake us for Pawn Stars and tune in.  They could hear us bicker about how to build a water feature and a bio filter.  But that is the short version and the story starts way before that.

My husband refuses to buy rock so instead we made numerous trips to the Cascades to pick up boulders.  A mineral permit can be obtained from the Forest Service for ten dollars which is a value.  Gas on the other hand is not a value.

We drove into the Cascades by Westfir and took logging roads into the Fall Creek area.  Dodging mountain bikers (who ride downhill way too fast by the way), we stopped along the road to pick up rocks.  Not just any rock, it had to be the right shape, color, and size.  In total four trips were made to the mountain, but I only participated in two of those. A girl has her limits after all.

MD built a rock retaining wall and I proceeded to dig the pond.  This is my fourth pond so I was ready to make it big.  I dug a hole about four feet deep and 8 by 10.  The dirt was used to back fill against the retaining wall so I didn't have to haul it off which was a plus.  The downside was that there is a dish for the TV in the middle of the landscaping, but hopefully the ferns will grow up and it won't be so noticeable.  I got the pond liner and filled the pond with water and spent another day shoving dirt in low spots and adding those flat rocks around the edge.  I become obsessed with projects so I spent way too much time on the getting just the perfect rock for around the edge.  Luckily we had lots of them from those four trips.

After looking at bio filters for a couple of hundred bucks, I decided we could build our own for next to nothing.   On line it looked like a couple holes in a bucket and some filter media was all you needed.  Of course we had no idea what size to make the hole and we were trying to use materials we already had.  Oh did I mention that MD also kept insisting we didn't need a filter, the filter material wasn't right and that this bucket thing was ridiculous and he didn't care what the people at the pond store said. 

After an afternoon of drilling holes in buckets we thought we had it.  We hooked it up and overnight the pond dropped four inches.  Back to the drawing board.  Your outlet has to be large enough so it flows out at a steady rate and doesn't air lock and the bucket overflow.  Luckily we had a bigger outlet so I went searching for another bucket.  Now more bickering.   I had rewired MD's drill because you had to jiggle the cord.  Well, I blew that one and now it doesn't work so he went off searching for his hole saw.  The hole saw hadn't been used for a while so the chuck was rusty and needed WD.  Now we are looking for WD, decided olive oil would work, back in business. But wait there is more.

In just a few days the pond had filled with mosquito larva. MD noticed this while drilling holes in the new bucket and insisted ( more like demanded) I drive to town (20 miles away) and buy fish immediately.  Since we were snapping at each other this seemed like a great idea.  I said, "You can do the waterfall while I am gone."  When I came home an hour and a half later,  it was finished and looked wonderful.  We dropped 30 feeder goldfish in the pond and they began scarfing up larva.  All was good.  We were Pond Stars. 

Full Moon Energy

I love the full moon.  For twenty years now, I have been celebrating a connection to the natural world and the power of reflection the full moon represents.  The word month comes from moon the 13 month lunar calendar is way more in touch than our current Gregorian calendar.  13 months of 28 days is 364 days.  Add a day out of time each year and you have a near perfect calendar.  According to Jose'Arguelles in his book  Time and the Technosphere: The law of time in human affairs, 

      "Time is a frequency, the frequency of synchronization. If a calendar does not increase synchronization, it is not performing its highest function....The Gregorian calendar keeps the human mind entrained in a diabolical disorder of meaningless named months of uneven measure."

By getting back in touch with the natural world and the internal clock within each of us, we can synchronize ourselves once again with nature and become more in tune with the vibrations of the cosmos.  I encourage all of you to watch the moon, feel her cycles and celebrate your connection to the Mother Earth.  I would love to read your comments about the powers of the moon in your life.

Artfire Collections- Power in those Eyes

In Your Eyes

Curated By: PlatinumMonar...

ArtFire.com

Click on collection to link

My Third Eye Pendant has been in more ArtFire Collections that any other piece in my shop.  There seems to be something about the eyes that really inspires artists to put together a collection.  When I make an eye pendant, I hang it around my head and wait until my husband notices and laughs. Gotta love that third eye. 

Eyes are considered Windows to the Soul  In Turkey, evil eye beads are hung around the livestock to keep them safe.  The Evil Eye does not cause evil, but protects.  The belief is that some individuals can cause harm with their evil eye, but the eyes looking back keeps this from happening.  I remember as a child my Dad definitely had "the look" which would stop me dead in my tracks.

I find talking to someone in dark glasses a challenge because I want to see their eyes.  I don't know how many times I have heard a parent say "look at me" to their unruly kids.  Lovers gaze into each others eyes.  According to Wikipedia the power of the eye can be found in numerous cultures.  Love to hear your thoughts or stories about the power of the eye.

To read the article click link.   History of Evil Eye  
     

Another Upside to Drinking Beer

Henry's cap upside down is Celtic Heart

 We all know that beer is a must with pizza and Mexican food.  Well today after a gorgeous day at the coast, I find an e-mail about one of my beer cap pins being included in a blog post.  My inspiration for using beer caps came when a friend asked me to make her a pin from a beer cap.  Since that day, beer caps have taken on a whole new meaning for me.  I often spend time in the beer aisle just looking at the beer caps.  Random beers come home in a six pack because I love the cap.  No taking these caps off with an opener because I don't want them scratched.  I was very excited to see all the people who recycle beer caps, cans, bottles into great jewelry.  If you click on the link below you can read the original blog. 

Beyond the Pull Tab

Social Networking through a Blog Hop

Found some blog hopping on Facebook and got to wondering what that was all about. Looked like a great way to connect to other bloggers and support each other. I am seeing it as a way of being a part of the oneness.

Now I am giving it a try. Looking forward to linking to your blogs in this blog hop. Wish me luck. This is my third try so hopefully it is a charm. Did you know that expression is because there were three fates?

You just click on the link and add the name of your blog or Facebook page. You can also look at others on the list and follow their blog if you like. I am definitely looking at everyone on the list. Look for my Iris logo in your followers.

Hey, I did a Print Screen

Amy's Body Decor has great pictures of collections.  I asked her how she did it and she explained how to do it on a MAC.  Too cheap to have a MAC, I attempted it on my PC and I kinda have it.  This is the result.  Not as hard as it seemed, PrintSreen button, paste it in Paint, then crop.  Of course cropping was the hardest part and you can see I didn't actually get it all cropped correctly, but hey it is 70 degrees outside right now which is hot for Oregon so I will fuss with this later.  Looks like I have the basic idea just need to keep playing with it. 

Jewelry Making Books I Love: Great for the Beginning Wire Worker

I have a number of jewelry making books I have bought through the years.  Unfortunately, some have excellent pictures and very poor instructions.  Now that I have been making jewelry for a few years I can guess at what they mean, but in the beginning they were impossible.

Having taught school for 30 years, I understand the importance of being very specific.  Now, instead of running out and buying a book, I check them out of the public library to see if it something I really want to buy.  If you don't have a great library and need to purchase books sight unseen here are a few of my favorite beginner books.

Mainly a beader but you want to start wireworking,  All Wired Up by Mark Lareau is a great book.  The directions for each project are step by step with illustrations so there is no guess work.  He even tells you where your fingers should be on the wire and he is funny.  This book has everything for the beginning wire worker. The section on making your own findings will save you lots of money.   I have dog earred many pages.

Bead on a Wire: Making Handcrafted Wire and Beaded Jewelry by Sharilyn Miller is also a goody.  This one has beautiful photos of each step in the process and some really great designs.  Again, this is a perfect beginner book with step by step instructions.  What I like is the combining of beads with the wire working. Her designs are great and  the brooches are especially nice.

If you are wanting to learn to make jewelry just from wire , then Making Wire Jewelry by Helen Clegg and Mary Larom might be your book. The instructions are very detailed with illustrations and templates you can lay your wire component on to make sure you are doing it correctly.  The book has 60 different projects using wire and a number of them look very Egyptian.  

All Wired Up will show you how to do a basic cabochon wrap.  However, you might find you want to make more then just wire wrap pendants.  Wire Wrapping: The Basics and Beyond by Jim McIntosh will show you how to make bracelets and rings out of wire wrapped cabochons.  The last section of the book is on design and encourages you to make  wire wrapping  designs of  your own.   Jim really wants you to think outside the box when it comes to wire wrapping.   He explains his process and how sometimes the pieces he really thinks "Yuck" someone else dearly loves.  Great black and white photos and wonderful advice.

Speaking of advice, here is my mine.  Practice with copper wire before moving on to sterling or goldfill.  Copper wire is very forgiving and when learning a new design even if you are experienced, you will make some mistakes.  With the current prices of sterling and goldfill, it will be a costly mistake.  I was stubborn and learned this the hard way.  Well that just about wraps it up. 

Earring Winners

Earrings will be popped in the mail soon  to a couple of the blog followers.  I'll be giving away more jewelry  in the future.  I appreciate all of you following my blog.  The current recipients of new earrings are Sun Down Alpaca Farms and Barlee Creations.  They also have wonderful blogs and great shops you might want to check out.  Click on links below to see blogs.
Barlee Creations
Sundown Alpaca

Mayan Calendar and 2012

Is the sun rising or setting?

 I have to make an editorial statement about all this fear around the Mayan calendar and 2012.   Really, there is nothing to fear. The  calendar does not end it simply starts over again. The calendar is a wheel or Great Cycle that began in August 3113 BC and is completed in December 2012. The calendar reflects our planet's movement through the galaxy which is also circular. The Mayans were connected to the natural world and understood its cycles and seasons. Change is in the air most definitely and this is an opportunity for us to move in a more harmonic direction.
The Mayan calendar is made up of 13 bhaktuns of slightly less than 400 years each. In 2012 we will have completed the Great Cycle of the Piscean age and will be aligned to the Aquarian age. Remember the Age of Aquarius, harmony and understanding, trust, living together in peace. You may be saying, " I don't see more harmony, I see the "end times."

In an interview about 2012,Sai Baba explained:

"There is not more evil...there is "more light". Imagine that you have a room or warehouse where for years you have been storing your things and is lit by a 40 w. bulb. Change the bulb to a 100 w. and you will see what happens. You will see the mess and the dust you didn't think existed. The dirt will be clearer."

As the wheel turns and the light increases, I believe we are being given the opportunity to come back into alignment with nature and the feminine. The masculine energy has dominated the planet for too long. The Great Mother Earth is no longer going to just let us "have our way with her." We have moved so far away from the natural  world and become so reliant on technologically that many of our children have forgotten how to go outside and play.

Since we are all just making up stories about the future, if you want to make up a horror story I guess that is your choice. I like to imagine a future where we get our population under control, respect and love each other, and live more in harmony with nature. We only have the moment, the rest is a mystery. 
 

ReUse as a Way of Life- A tribute

I am old enough to remember the original Earth Day and am wondering what happened to this consciousness. My father started the family recycling in 1969. We washed our cans and flattened them, cleaned glass, saved newspaper. When there was enough to make a trip across town to the recycling center at Portland State, we took them. Having grown up during the Depression Era and WWII my dad believed firmly that resources were precious. The clock radio I received from Santa when I was 12 still sits next to my bed. Sure it is old, but it works so why send it to the landfill. Really, you don't need a new phone, Ipod, gaming system every couple of years. Even the computer I am writing this on is a refurbished model.

My studio is a great example of this philosophy. Years ago I had a hot tub and living in the woods in needed a roof over it to keep out debris from the trees. After giving the hot tub away, we enclosed the structure to make my shop. The windows and door were discards from a neighbors remodel. The wood stove was from another neighbor who was no longer heating with wood. The screen door is from my childhood home and is almost a hundred years old. I cherish the scratch marks in the wood from Susie, my family's dog, who died 40 years ago.

When you throw something away, it just moves to another location. Like my husband annoyingly points out, there isn't another planet we are shipping the toxic garbage to. As I learned from my dad, newer isn't always better. We wouldn't have all those great antiques and vintage items without the preservers of the world.

All I am asking is that you just think about what you are consuming and why. I'd love to hear about your efforts and/or great finds.

Repurposed Jewelry Displays - Do It Yourself

Earth Day will soon be upon us and jewelry displays can easily be found at thrift stores. I like the part of the Goodwill that has metal "stuff", candle holders, CD racks, hooks etc.  This is usually really close to the tins (which of course make great jewelry).  So here are a few examples of things I have found. 

 

Cassette Display - Who Needs That

I Do.  Great for pin

 I like to look for things that can be turned on the side or upside down and become something useful.  When I saw the little slats of wood, I immediately knew this was exactly what I needed for the twenty or so pins I make.  Since many of them are made from bottle caps and recycled tins it seemed perfect that the display was also something I had repurposed.

I have a wide range of items I offer and differing price ranges.  For my expensive one of a kind pieces, I use the traditional black velvet busts and jewelry trays you can purchase.  For my "production" pieces like OM Rocks, Trashy Tinsel, bracelets and such the repurposed displays are perfect.  I can hang lots of jewelry on them and people seem to like to "dig". 

Scale with missing trays

 

Candle holder turned upside down

I love things with arms and swirls.  I can hang tons on these pieces and they don't take up a lot of table space.  This leaves more space in the booth for my upper end art pieces of jewelry.  Pillar candle holders are great turned upside down and screwed to a board to broaden the base.  There always seems to be a number of these at the thrift stores. I bet people get them as gifts :-)

With the help of my husband who is handy with a saw I have a box repurposed into an earring display. While I am no carpenter, what I understand is that grooves were cut into wood with a table saw.  The earring cards hang on this groove.  The boards were glued to the back of the box with waterproof wood glue.

What I really love about this, is I can just close it up and take it with me at the end of the day.  No more time spent hanging up earrings and taking them off  to store them.  This box was given to me by a coin collector, but the same thing could be done with those old boxes that stored flatware. Heck, you can make jewelry out of the silverware and repurpose the box too.

Would love to hear what others are doing to recycle, upcycle and repurpose.  Save our planet and Happy Hunting.