vintage bottle and beads

I took out my beads today and decided to make something with this vintage bottle complete with aluminum cap. I love the iridescence that age has given this little bottle. I wove a necklace with czech beads, some pearls and other beads. Inside the bottle is some moss that I gathered in Oregon, it's such a pretty green color and it just has sentimental meanings for me.

winter options

One thing that I love about winter is that I can wear cozy warm bulky sweaters. It's then that I can wear my barrettes on my sweaters as they fit through the weave. This is my favorite, a Northwest Coast style bear done by Shoshone Nation artist, Pam Close. Her detail is fabulous as she uses really small beads. This one has size 13, 11, and 15 Charlotte beads.

Kitchen

I love this little wooden cabinet. This was obtained from Chapman Kansas about one week before the huge tornado hit that just about destroyed and devastated that entire town. I feel fortunate to have a bit of history from that town as so many lost their treasures there. My Dad made that pierced tin candle holder a few years back. It is made from an old olive oil can. My dad has Parkinson's disease and is now 81 and can't handle tools anymore, and even this one was done when his disease was at it's worst. So I treasure this also. It does look beautiful with a lit candle in it.

sweetie pie Jake

Here is Jake with his Holiday antlers. I was so amazed because last year he jumped around and tried to get them off. This year, he sat so still and really listened to me. Maybe he is finally not being so stubborn, or maybe he was just really embarrassed and hoping to get this over with.

adding to my favorite room

I have added a few more things to my office/craft room. This room seems to be my favorite room of the house and I do spend alot of my free time here. I have added a few things to my desk/work space......... one of my favorite things is my pumpkin oil painting done by a good friend. There's also a sugar skull in there for remembrance of Day of the Dead celebration and a Kachina and feather. It has so many subjects that I love, it was a wonderful wedding present, so happy that it has a new place here in my favorite room!

Christmas Tree

I put up my mini Christmas tree yesterday...... I love all of my ornaments, as they all are gifts. There is my chocolate lab "jake" ornie, my good luck pickle, and fish........ and many more.

wand and mini rattle

I made a co-ordinating meditation wand and mini rattle. Just finished the rattle tonight. I really enjoy beading, it is so relaxing and it centers me.

Luigi

Luigi is the newest member in my cozy house. He was dumped off at my parents home, left out in the cold to fend for himself. Mom started to feed him and we all fell in love with him. He is the biggest mush ever! He went to the vet's today and was given a clean bill of health. He will be neutered weds.

The Rock

I have had this rock just about my whole life. It has traveled with me to all of my homes. It IS my favorite rock. I remember finding it when I was about 4 or five years old on a walk with my Mom. She would always take me out and we would spend the day walking in the woods or fields around our home and I would always come home with handfuls of sticks, stones, acorns, feathers and other things. I haven't changed in 50 years!

Skeleton Key II

Another skeleton key necklace, this one going out in the mail to a friend today! This one has besides the vintage key, a small turquoise goddess.

Skeleton Keys

I have been collecting vintage skeleton keys lately. I have been fascinated with them since I was young. I actually remember the doors to our home locked with these. That was a long time ago! I've been making necklaces with these keys. This one has a little czech skull bead and a Green Girl Studios bezel that I have put some moss gathered from a forest in Oregon (my last vacation with Greg) and a pressed wildflower from Kansas and then filled it with resin................... also had to add a picture of Jake enjoying the Fall weather. (my little sweetie)

I feel like wearing RED today

My Friend Maggie carved the designs in this shell she found on a beach in the Pacific Northwest. I put it on a necklace of antique red whitehearts that I have saved through out the years. Today I feel like wearing red!

Best Friends

Yes, these two are best friends. They share a special bond.

Kachina

I found this on Ebay. It is a Kachina made by my friend Maggie. It is her interpretation of a Kachina so it doesn't represent any traditional doll. I love it because it was made by her and I was able to add it to my collection.

Greg

I just thought that today would be a good day to add a picture of my husband to my Cozy House. He passed away three years ago today from Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, aka Idiopathatic Pulmonary Hypertension. He was a wonderful man, supportive of me, supportive of my beading. He was a beader too! He was an artist, former law officer, man of medicine, and my husband and friend. He is also the reason that I have all my furry friends. He picked out Stinks from the pound, one day away from being euthanized because of overcrowding. He found monk, straving and almost dead, a tiny baby, and brought her home to stay. He let Squeekie in, in the middle of a tornado warning and she has been here since. He also picked out Jake for me, three months before he passed away. These were all the best gifts ever, as they are my family and have helped me over the tough times. We all miss you Greg.

totem birds

I found these on Ebay. The seller said that these are vintage Northwest Coast Native American, hand carved bird totems.......... I know that they are mother of pearl, and they are NWC style. I'm not sure if these are really traditional or just "tourist trade" earrings. I love them just the same. I plan on taking the earring findings off and making my own style of earring from them. I love when I find interesting and unusual things on ebay.

Rebbekka

Kumihimo cord and Dancing Trees talisman

Rebbekka's writings and art

some more Burnt Offerings

My Friend from Port Townsend WA, Rebbekka Riverstone recently passed away. I wanted to post some of my treasures that she has created, her art, her writings, her weavings........ She touched many lives including mine, she will be missed but always remembered, and with a smile. I love the symbolism in her Burnt Offerings. You can look at one for hours and keep seeing new things in it. I loved her trees and moon/stars and bees! We both have a Dancing Trees talisman, not too many of them were made. (Madelyn Pitts, artist) I love the cords that she would weave for these pendants, These cords are a real meditative process. I thought good thoughts today about the good times that we had. I know that Rebbekka would want us to celebrate her life...........

creating again

I have been creating again. I am so excited to be doing a Fall Festival in town again this year. So here is one of my necklaces that I will have on my table. I just love these vintage chandelier drops that I found. This is my last one. I will be on the look out for vintage keys and small glass bottles and anything else that I find interesting. It feels good to have a focus.

Memorial for Fluff

My friend Teri from Last Chants Studio sent me this today as a gift. It is a memorial for my Fluff. She makes custom pet memorials and can be found here on Etsy. http://www.etsy.com/shop/lastchantsstudio Thank you Teri, you understand and are a new wonderful friend. (although we truly connected years ago and just didn't know it)

more treasures

These brooches are my latest treasures. They are created by textile artist Cathy Cullis. You can find her here on Blogger. From there you can find her stores on ETSY and Bigcartel. She is also a wonderful artist (water color, sketch, just to name a few other mediums) and poet.http://cathycullis.blogspot.com/

Last Chants Studio

DiD you ever see something and not buy it and then have major regrets? Well I did. I went to a Ren Faire in Gig Harbor WA, probably 9 to 10 years ago and saw this amazing pottery. It was beautiful and spiritual. It just called to me.......... Well, I didn't have much money, my husband was back in school working on his second career in life, so I passed on this one piece. Well I always thought about it and hoped that I would run into the artist again one day. I didn't even know her name, but I could remember what she looked like. I thought about this piece for an entire year and made it back to the Ren Faire with money. Oh no, she wasn't there............ The next year, the same. I constantly thought about this piece. Well I am an ETSY addict and one day while doing a search for something, this piece of pottery popped up. I thought to myself, "wow, this looks just like the pieces from back in my WA. days." I purchased this piece and contacted the artist and yes, it was the same person. I couldn't believe that I finally found the piece that I NEVER forgot. Teri is "Last Chants Studio" and makes such beautiful and spiritual pieces. She is a wonderful person too, I am so glad that our paths have crossed again. http://www.etsy.com/shop/lastchantsstudio ***** The piece that I purchased through ETSY wasn't the exact same piece that I saw over 9 years ago, but it was Teri's work again, and I love all of her art. I was happy to get this piece and hope to purchase a few more.

favorite toys from way back when.............

Here are two of my most favorite toys from when I was very young........... 1965-66............ They went every where with me, usually only one at a time. They are hand knitted and they wear handmade clothes. I got them on a family vacation in Weston VT. at the Country Store. (probably my favorite vacation destination as a child).......... I wouldn't mind visiting it today. :-)

ouch

I think that my crafting will be on the back burner for a week or two....... I just about cut the tip of my left middle finger off with the electric hedge clippers. It is just very awkward at this point. Maybe I can use this time to re-organize things again!