Houston, We've Got a Problem

We are trying to get ourselves ready for a big event in our little town this weekend, the Cowboy Festival, and so have been sweeping away the winter dust and ahem....cobwebs.  I took a few pictures of the insides of our shops and realized that we are so far beyond having the ability to do anything about our "condition" I got a horrendous case of hysterical giggles.  My little retail space is the icehouse on the left, the big store is under the green overhang, we're right smack-dab in the center of town.

Though the big antique store is pretty much open year round, I pack up most of my textile inventory for the winter, because the town just isn't busy, and bring it back out about now.  A little of it is on ArtFire and Etsy.  I've been putting out my reproduction period costuming and accessories, as well as some authentic pieces.  Nevadan's take dressing up pretty seriously for these kinds of events, and when the town is about to be overrun by Lacy J. Dalton, The Comstock Cowboys, and a full brigade of Western History buffs, re-enactors, and generally enthused folk, we must be prepared.  It's what we do, mostly. Ummm...well maybe not the prepared part.

I was a little dismayed when I realized that dear husband has been buying furniture all winter and piling it into

 the center of my store. 

Okay, so those are a few pics of my little bit of insanity...but it gets even better, or worse depending on your perspective.

My dismay, and painful giggling increased when I saw that it was because the aisles in his store were near impassable. I remember the Tiffany Grandfather clock coming in awhile back, but really, "Honey, there's medication for this." He said he's happy and doesn't need meds.  I know that to be true, and I know that he's a seasoned and knowledgeable dealer, collector and historian...and he thinks dust is historical in it's own way....

A little more tweaking in my shop this week and we'll be as ready as possible.

  But this is my real problem.  Okay so you know that I got new boots, and you should also know that I saw them on Deryn Mentocks blog, she got them first and gets total credit for exquisite taste, but I HAD to have them and it took me a nanosecond to track them down, on sale, in my size.  But I couldn't stop.  The smell of the leather, delicious colors, styles and designs, it gets as bad as buying beads.  And so there was a brown truck in this one horse town today...

Yes, I was sooo excited I put stargazer lilies in my boots.  See how versatile they are?  Imagine how black and white ones would look with red tulips in them?!

And now I am so confused Houston.....there's too much to think about, what's a girl to do?

There's probably medication for this, but I'm happy with everything pretty much the way it is today.

xoxo,

Lis~

A Spaghetti Western

Spaghetti, because it's what I am eating as I write and tangled in nature.  So where to begin, at the front of the noodle, or the back?..

I have had my boots for longer than I have had my children, and my oldest is graduating HS this year, and I wear them lots, the boots, of course.  Do the math for me will you please? These are my beloved boots on their deathbed...and I still can't let go of them.  They have walked and flown thousands and thousands of miles with me, they are umbilically tied, they bore children!

But a girl needs boots.  Good, strong boots.  Especially here.  There's work to be done.  Lots of work.  I have herds to keep track of, livestock to care for,

and here is where I must digress for a moment.  This segment should be titled "How To Keep Deer Out Of Your Yard"  and so it is.  If you look very carefully..you will see

a big red blob just to the left of the cherry tree stump.  It's a big fat strawberry that I was lobbing over into the neighbor's yard that didn't quite make it.  But that's how you keep the deer out of your place....feed them in your neighbors yard.  That's alot of work you know, especially not getting caught, and I DID get caught this time.  They're not nice people, (those neighbors) at any level, and one of them saw me lobbing something over the fence and came dieseling up in his huge stinky truck because I am sure he thought I was putting landmines or chemical warfare or something over there.  This entire herd of deer was entranced with my old strawberries for a moment that will never be recaptured because of small men in deisel trucks.  Oh well.  Oh dear, and excuse me. I have work to do.

And I really don't mind the deer in my yard, it's not big enough to hold and see all of them like this.  They come and go, and I plant enough roses for us all.

This is my laundry.  It's separate from the house and there is lots of special care that needs to occur so pipes don't freeze and I do sometimes stumble over the snow in my old boots to do laundry.  I fall on my ass on occasions, and no, I don't have pictures of that to share....

So I  must herd all those deer around and keep them fed, do laundry, and take care of my bunnies, and grow the garden as well.  And make spaghetti.  Three times a day.  So, when I caught a strange dog this morning, terrorizing my bunnies, chewing on and hurling itself at their condo's.......I was nonetheless very pissed.  Enraged.  I took off my boots and threw them at the evil "bunny would-be murderer-had-I not-woken-up-and-started-boot-hurling".  I will dream about this tonight.

MY DOG, was apparently on a holiday which he shall be docked for, everyone works around here, thump, thump.....and he was sufficiently humble when he arrived belatedly interested and sniffing about....BUT then!  A man in  brown clothes in a big brown truck drove up and guess what he brought????

THE LONE STRANGER

Tall, laser cut with lizard skin behind her, perfectly seasoned...and totally in charge. Essence of leather, nerves of a porcupine. My kind of heroine.

The big bunny in charge of the garden blessed the newcomer....he was pleased in his Cadbury way. Very forgiving sort of fellow and truly appreciates art.

 

THE LOAFER below

is now back on guard and doing his best to keep trespassers at bay.

and me? as for me...

I will walk and work a million miles before these boots wear out, but just in case....there is another pair coming, different colors of course....ummmm.....and maybe another after that. and another yet....... and the old ones I should keep around specifically for flinging.      

They just make sense in my spaghetti life. 

Steel Wire and a Celebrity Crush

Things have been humming around the Cobweb Palace, lots to share, but I want to tell you about this wire I have been playing with of late.  In place of sterling.  And with sterling....I won't use it all the time, and not for bracelets because it does have rust potential, but it is NICE, and really great to work with.  My torch isn't hot enough to bead it, so I've just been wrapping, tapping, bending and pounding.  Here are a couple of pieces that I've used it on.

It's darkened annealed steel, and you can learn more about it from Deryn Mentock's blog.  She has a tutorial about it, and I ordered it from the link on her site.  The earring fronts are antique ivory piano keys from a child's piece.  The holes were from the tiniest little screws I've ever seen.  I backed them with antique sheet music and dangled old, dark mother of pearl buttons.  I will still always use sterling for ear wires, but listen up, this wire has potential, and it's CHEEP!

Ok so I have a crush on Deryn Mentock (her etsy shop)well, not in the Ellen kind of way, and not nearly as much as Johnny Depp, but she's my kinda gal.  I love her blog, her style, her heart for teaching, and her talent.  And the fact she's a Westerner.  I'm glad she finally got some boots.

Check out the wire, it's a terrific alternative to sterling or fine silver, and for art projects requiring patina and strength, it's got it all.
ciao for now!
moi

Cobwebs and the Muse

I've always admired those artful folk who are dedicated to one mystery and pursue it endlessly.  Painters, writers, photographers, I know many people who stand firmly on one beam and don't waver.  It seems so clean and organized, sensible and pure.  Then I try to reflect upon how my life would be if I had only one artistic focus.  I see an image of a balloon being squeezed in the middle and bulging out all over before it pops.  I am "all over the place", but other than the inescapeably huge mess, I couldn't change it for anything.

I can't help it.  It's only partially my fault anyway.  I do believe there is this thing, essence, spirit, minor deity, muse...help me out here....and it blows in and out and around in a ticklish, tantalizing and frustrating way, sometimes it cannot be grasped, and others....I can almost hear it speaking.  My parrot (Guido) spends a lot of time on my shoulders, sometimes nuzzling and lovey, but more often, physically re-shaping my earlobes.  It's sort of like that.  Happy, sweet and nice, surprising, annoying and excruciating.  I would never intentionally  inflict these states upon myself so therefore I believe it must come from without.  Most especially that latter part of it all.

This has been churning around in my mind for weeks now, because you see...I have suffered  a number of ummmm....projects with uncertain results.  Failures.  Wasted materials.  Wasted time.  Loss of money but much worse, self respect.  For many years I have been creating and selling my work, and there have been bloopers along the way, but lately, the percentages would make a statistician gasp.  BUT!  I do know why now, and am embracing this with all my energy.

I have, ..ahem,  stepped outside my box.  Not too far, but I have, oh indeed I have.  Yes.  Go ahead and take a moment to chuckle here....I've spent the winter darks exploring new techniques, learning, trashing, learning, destroying, learning, growing.  It can be very lonely.  And so it's springtime now, and I will scatter these cobwebs to the winds, listen with a sage ear and open heart.  Normally I feel huge pressure in the spring, to industrialize and make up for the winter months.  Not now, not ever again.  These long cold months have been some of the most rewarding (retrospectively) that I have ever lived.  Onward, at the newly defined pace of my recently discovered partnership with whatever is on my shoulder at the moment...Guido and/or the whispering, nudging muse.

Thank you all for bearing with my ramblings, your love, support and such kind words.  Till next time....

moi

When Life Gives You Pearls....

Make theme jewelry.  I've been on a bridal  binge...I have a special custom bride theme shadow box collage coming soon and I can't wait to share it.  That's what probably started this trend, thinking about it, gathering elements for it's construction, but then I have to work with what I find, and so voila! 

The sky has been raining pearls.  Goldtone metals and filigree, Miriam Haskell, Hattie Carnegie, a resurrection of those fine designers.  I LOVE fluffy, foo-foo, la la, details, over the top femininity, romantic and sentimental anything, can you tell??? 

These pieces are hopefully going to find happy  new homes soon, and I will simply focus my obsessive-compulsive creative bent on the next growing pile of what grabs me by the heart. I am quite happy with my affliction.

These pieces look great against black, too.............. 

Happy Easter or

Happy whatever you celebrate....I snapped a few shots today when the ever elusive sun peeked for a moment and gave me enough hope that I won't die from lack of Vitamin D.  I was in the kitchen preparing holiday offerings....sun!  WOw!  where's the camera?  Got a few of my bunnies in there too.  It deigned to snow upon us briefly after this moment....


I do wish all of you a peaceful, introspective time....and may you find all the eggs that you hide before they smell.

Musings on Muses, just briefly.

Joyeous Easter and Happy Spring!!!

Quiet moments in some of my favorite places.

These pictures are muses....I like to explore obviously inhabited places....

till next time!

moi