Happy Memorial Day

Teach your children well.  Happy Memorial Day.

Is it just me???

Is it just me? Do I not pay attention or have you also found people speaking in shorthand?

Remember Sunday's elephant hat?  I failed to mention, I was very surprised last week when the woman who commissioned the hat from me waited until the last minute to order it.  This is what she said to me..."my girlfriend's baby...it's a boy, they are already in the nursery".  Well, after busting my buttocks to get the hat done for a newborn that was already in the hospital nursery, I find out what she actually meant.  Her friend had just had a sonogram and she was excitedly telling me what color hat to make and relaying that her friends were already decorating their nursery...for a boy, that will be born in August.

 None of this was made clear. Also, she knew that I had only made owl hats and she specifies an elephant...and could I do that?  At the last minute?  No wonder I was confused and a bit miffed.  After making it over the weekend, I took the hat to the gym where I knew her trainer would see that she got it, put a note with the hat with my phone number hoping she would call.  This morning she did call and what does she say?  " I love the owl hat".  I replied, it's an elephant (I try not to cuss, but in my mind I actually said "you stupid B-word") and she said oh, yes, I was thinking that because you make owl hats.


Grrrrr.   What is wrong with people?  I don't know why I ponder this when I realize it's the Groundhog Day syndrome.  Remember the movie, Groundhog Day with Bill Murray?  One of my favorites and thinking of it is one of the best ways to deal with the idjits that are out there.

Everyday when we go out I think things will be different and they are not.  I have to remind myself that I can make the choice to react differently to the same old insanity that is life. I really try to.

So from people who don't say what they mean, to people who are mean, to people that can't drive...remember to say to yourself "It's Groundhog Day" and hopefully you will feel better about things.

Do you have a Groundhog Day pet peeve? I'd love to know I'm not alone in this.

An elephant never forgets.... (Mother's Day Tribute)

While this elephant cap was commissioned for a baby I'll probably never meet, it reminds me of my mom and her collection of elephants. 

Elephants are the symbol of the Republican Party and Lois was a Red Hot Republican.  So in honor of Mother's Day, I post this crazy crocheted baby elephant cap. She would have loved it.

 Love you bunches, Mama.  Happy Mother's Day, we miss you and will always have wonderful memories....and don't you worry, I'm keeping your tradition alive, I'm still a Red Hot Republican!

Bottles....

Another short post because I'm triflin.  I have been making jewelry lately, but found myself in a creative slump so I thought I would play with some bottles.  I love containers.   I have repurposed tin cans, cigar boxes, paper mache drink holders from Wendy's, I have boxes and jars and bottles of all sorts holding everything from pens and brushes to bead-soup and linseed oil.  I think you get the picture.  Anyhoo, here are two bottles I've been working on and staring at respectively...

This first one is a ginger ale bottle that I just liked the shape and color of.  I covered it with slices from various types of polymer clay canes.  The largest tile that you see in the middles is fun technique called a Natasha bead or a Rorschach bead.  You squish some different colors together, form a loaf of sorts and slice down the middle, opening the loaf up like a book causing a mirror image to appear.  Several years back I did an in-depth tutorial on this technique and will gladly clue you in, if you are interested.

It only took me several hours to make the tiles, press them on the glass (no glue required) and cure in a dedicated toaster oven.  To stabilize the bottle, I gently placed it on a bed of polymer stuffing. Yes, its the same kind you stuff pillows and dolls with and it does not melt in the toaster oven while it provides a cushy little bed for the bottle to relax on while it bakes.  When you click in on this shot you should be able to get a closer view of the bottle stopper that I created out of clay.  That was fun.

This next bottle is a vinegar bottle that, once again attracted me because of the shape.  I soaked and soaked, but couldn't get the entire label off of the neck.  To hide this problem, I glued cotton clothesline around the neck of the bottle.  I showed this bottle to a friend and she suggested making a stopper for it, but I'm not sure what else it needs.

There are so many things that you can do with bottles when it comes to crafts.  I am also yearning to use glue on the outside of a bottle and write something in cursive and then spray paint the bottle for a really decorative look, maybe something like this...

I don't have wine bottles, but I think it would work on other types of  bottles.  I'm thinking of spraying mine off white or even silver for a more formal look (everyone knows how formal I am, y'all)

Any way, that is what I'm thinking about this week (when I'm not thinking about my upcoming cataract surgery).  I mentioned to my friend Karin that I'm working on a crochet elephant cap for a newborn, so as soon as that's done,  I'll post the picture of it.  It is going to be so cute.

Well, that's it for today.  It's almost the weekend, kids.  Remember to brush and floss or you will be subjected to super sonic scraping at the dentist when you are actually expecting flowery compliments.

Later for ya...

The last of the clan...

I still have lots of pictures to go through of the trip last month, but in the meantime here is a rarity...

it's a picture of the three remaining members of my family.  My mother was the only one of her family to have any children and none of us have any.  Seems the three of us were seldom photographed together.  Probably a reason for that. Sheesh, what a crew.

In any event, enjoy this until I get more of the travelogue together.