we make stuff!

My friend Mirm came over and made this jewelry set out of my Dorothy beads. I think they turned out great.




My friend Roni came over and learned basic canework. She made an egg shaker!




My sister Bird made this peach set - hat and socks for a baby. Behold the cute.




When I can't decide what to work on, I make goddesses while I'm thinking. Here's Penny, Lacey, Gretchen, Purple Rose and Rainbow.


We make stuff.

that's entertainment

Here's my super official entertainment update for this week.

1. So You Think You Can Dance
Joshua and Katee are my favorite couple so far without a doubt.
The judges are way harsh this season. Is it really that much more of an accomplishment to learn a fox trot in a week than it is to learn krumping in a week? Also, I think a combination of the two would be quality entertainment...

2. Big Love
We've only watched 2 discs so far (5 or 6 episodes). It's like the car wreck on the road phenomenon. You don't want to watch it, but you just can't help yourself. It's not the polygamy that creeps me out as much as the religion. The characters are wonderful. I really love Chloë Sevigny.

3. Harrisburg Men's Chorus concert this past weekend was really lovely. Way to go, guys!

Well, I can't resist the clay

This is a collection of hair clips I purchased from a PCAGOE friend, nkdesigns.

Sometimes I hear people asking artists and crafters why they purchase items in their own field of work. As in, "You make jewelry - why do you buy it instead of making your own?" Here are some reasons I buy from other polymer clay artists:

• I love polymer clay. We all love the medium we work in, right? If not, perhaps a change is in order!
• When you work with a certain material or technique, you have a greater appreciation than the average bear of the skill required, and therefore enhanced appreciation of the final product.
• I love to have items made by people whose work I admire, especially those who I'm getting to know online.
• The fact that I work with clay doesn't mean I necessarily have the time, inclination or skills to make certain items.
• My hair is unruly :)

So there you have it. If you want your own barrettes, NKDesigns has some listed here. The prices are very reasonable, and the product is very well-made. I highly recommend.

tarot of the day

Tarot Card: Three of Pentacles
Character: Jesse
Upright Meaning: Appreciation and success. Good constructive work. Approval of others. Carefree confidence.
Reversed Meaning: Mediocrity and half-hearted efforts. Perpetual fear of failure which makes change difficult.
Question: What is currently causing your insecurity?
Advice: Be a little wiser and a little less impulsive. Stop trying to attain the impossible and work instead toward the practical.

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I'm working on the magician. It's very slow going. I'm having trouble deciding on the other materials. I do have a wonderful bit of ric-rac for the table, though.

Name that tune #21

Here are the rules: Each name that tune post will show a set of photos from etsy artists - together, they will represent a song. Leave a comment telling me what the song is. All the correct answers will go in a hat (OK, well, an envelope actually), and once a month there will be a random drawing for a prize of polymer clay or hand-stamped goodness! Make sure your comment includes a way to contact you. Comments will be unscreened after each contest, so don't post your phone number, OK? (Click the photo for a bigger version.)

Etsy artists represented here are (in order from top left): MiChiMa, Jsandquist, time4coffee, chetanddot, boygirlparty, WishUponACard, rtisan, GiftsAndTalents, theresamaryartdolls, caseynrbq, Itsawhimsicallife and kristinmariedesigns. Click their names to visit their fabulous etsy shops.

These photos were created using the etsy poster sketch tool. All etsy photos used remain the sole property of their owners, and no infringement is intended. If you wish to have your photo removed from my site, please just comment here or email me at admin@divadea.com, and your wish will be granted post haste.

treasury

Thought I'd get a quick screenshot of my latest etsy treasury before it disappears, just because it's pretty.

tarot of the day

Tarot Card: Major Arcana, 10. The Wheel of Fortune
Character: Kendra
Upright Meaning: Good fortune and sheer luck. A temporary gain. An opportunity to be seized now before it disappears. Unexpected fortunate coincidences. Positive upheaval.
Reversed Meaning: Bad fortune. Missed opportunity. Needless risk. Resistance to chance. Unexpected interruptions. Difficulties and delays.
Questions: Are you taking advantage of the good things that pass your way? Are you ready to accept an unexpected boost, or are you too bound by routine to notice?
Advice: Accept luck as it comes to you. Seize opportunities, but avoid foolish risk-taking. Realize that whether the luck that just arrived is good or bad, it is almost certainly temporary, because the wheel continues to turn.

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My hand is finally feeling OK enough that I can do some cross-stitching without intense pain, so I started working on the Buffy extravaganza again. What, you say? My entire life is a Buffy extravaganza? Well, some days. Anywho, there are twelve pages of pattern, and I am working on the fourth. The little bits hinting at a face on the left there will eventually be Xander.

purple rose aceos

A couple of new-ish ACEOs (art cards, editions and originals)

These are made and baked on a playing card and then peeled away. They measure 2.5 by 3.5 inches and are slightly flexible, like rubber (but more fragile than that). The top one was made by cutting a slice of the rose cane while it was still fairly large and then rolling it thin to streeeeetch the pattern. They're both very shimmerry - I love the metallic clays, especially the white.




Etsy listings of these two are here and here.

Name that tune #20

It's June! The winner of a pair of earrings my from shop for May was MayaNightCreations. This month's prize will be this Happy Anniversary card.

Here are the rules: Each name that tune post will show a set of photos from etsy artists - together, they will represent a song. Leave a comment telling me what the song is. All the correct answers will go in a hat (OK, well, an envelope actually), and once a month there will be a random drawing for a prize of polymer clay or hand-stamped goodness! Make sure your comment includes a way to contact you. Comments will be unscreened after each contest, so don't post your phone number, OK? (Click the photo for a bigger version.)

Etsy artists represented here are (in order from top left): tellurianarts, SnappyChic, tasteslikepurple, liamparkinson, amandakindregan, LaurenMinco, gSakura, dbca, jjbackman, time4coffee, quiltdee and dlkdesigns. Click their names to visit their fabulous etsy shops.

These photos were created using the etsy poster sketch tool. All etsy photos used remain the sole property of their owners, and no infringement is intended. If you wish to have your photo removed from my site, please just comment here or email me at admin@divadea.com, and your wish will be granted post haste.

movies

We seem to be watching a lot of movies lately. To be honest, I only half watch them, because I in no way have the patience to sit through a movie without doing anything. So I clay or stamp or do some other crafty thing and only watch about half. Here are my ratings for my recent half-watching of movies.


PS I Love You: 6
I'm not a huge fan of the chick flick. It ended, and I thought, but wait, nothing has happened yet...


Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium: 7
The shop owner was a cross between Willy Wonka and the mad hatter. I loved the idea of the movie, but thought it was somewhat dull.


The Golden Compass: 8
This had the feel, much like the Harry Potter movies, of being a movie made from every 20th page of a book, like there was a whole bunch missing. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed it. I love Nicole Kidman and both of the children. I hope the sequel gets made, because I'm interested in the story. And I want to get the book.


Sweeney Todd: 9

It was gross, really gross, which of course is the fault of the story, not the movie. The costuming was wonderful. And the singing was brilliant. No big, brash, obnoxious, front, broadway voices. Good stuff. I loved the little kid. And this is the second movie in which I did not despise Johnny Depp, (The first was Chocolat.) Alan Rickman is beyond lovely. I may even watch this one again.

tarot of the day

5 of swords, ace of staves, justice - all inverted - oy.

the fool is done

The Fool is mixed media tarot art. He (or is it she?) is made primarily of polymer clay, but also has wire limbs, a hand-sewn pouch of all his earthly belongings, and a jester's hat made of felt, stuffed with felt scraps and sewn with embroidery thread. The face is hand-sculpted and made metallic with embossing powder from the stamping supplies pile. The piece measures about 7 by 10 inches.

So, one down, 77 to go...