Pure Self Indulgence

What a lucky girl I am!  I was able to spend the last week at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tn.  It was was my first opportunity to take a week long art class and it was more than I ever expected. It was about kinetics, mostly for jewelry makers, but I learned how to incorporate the techniques into my sculptures.  I was able to make Puddle Stomper move here leg up and down and a girl spin in a thunderstorm, both using wooden circles and a brass crank system.  It was my first time using a soldering apparatus and was apprehensive at first, but I soon got the hang of it...in theory, anyway.  I came home with a long list of items I want for Christmas: grinder with deburring wheel, soldering stuff, scroll saw, jewelers ring holder, a plethora of small hand tools, and...

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an anvil!

It was wonderful to be immersed in an artistic atmosphere for a whole week.  Husband was very generous, never complaining about keeping our business running smoothly (we are our only employees so all the work fell on him).  Also, I was lucky to be able to spend time with my best friend.  She opened her home as a bed and breakfast, and chauffeur each day to help with with expenses. It was a joyful week.

This is my favorite time of year with the cooler breezes,  the leaves changing colors, the sun setting before 9:30.  I always feel a bit more calm...until I realize that the holidays are just around the corner.  Each year my goal is to have my shopping done before Thanksgiving, so when Thanksgiving rolls around I have a lot of it done...never all.  But right now I will just focus on the cooler breezes and beautiful leaves and playing with the new techniques I have learned.

Here's to hoping the 2015 class catalog for Arrowmont comes in the mail soon so I can start dreaming (and saving) for my next adventure!

Peace,
Hilari

#arrowmont  #craftexperience

A Lovely Color Pallet

Thanks to my sweet husband we have had a beautiful plot of zennias growing across the street on county land that we are responsible to care for.  By responsible, I mean that if we did not mow, trim, etc. the strip of manageable land would quickly grow into a beast of thorns, vines and poison ivy.  While our County Codes personnel are very quick to take care of any problems that arise, they need a little help with the routine maintenance.  Because I was determined to be able to see the flowers from out picture window, I built our planter box the farthest point from a water source, in direct sun, across the street, and on someone else's land.  In the past a rainbow of plants have met their demise, but this year Husband has been determined, and with great success, to grow a lovely color pallet of large blooming flowers.  Most days he lugs two 5 gallon buckets to the planter and gives the lovelys a much needed drink, but it has been well worth it.  We sure have been enjoying them, both from inside and out.

In this month's Cloth Paper Scissors magazine the readers challenge is centered around using wire and found objects...right up my alley!  I sent in a picture of the artwork from my last blog for consideration and will find out on the 12th if was chosen.  After putting myself out there many times and being rejected many more times than not, I now find it exciting to put artwork out for others to judge.  I find it interesting seeing what does and does not speak to people.  With that said...I hope it is chosen for print!

Hoping all have a lovely Sunday.  I plan on being creative although I do not have a direction in mind. This means I will either wake up and be productive or I could just piddle with this and that all day and get absolutely nothing accomplished.  Only time will tell....

Sweet dreams,
Hilari

Knowing She Could Fly, She Tilted

Knowing she could fly

she tilted

This is one of those pieces that worked up just as I imagined it.  Well, not really but the idea is very close.  In my original idea she has feathers in each hand to help her fly, but once I dressed her the feathers lost their effect.  I love the way the tatting works for the dress and using a small gauge of wire to give the tatting stability and placement adds fullness.  The tatted pieces were created by a long lost family member and having learned to tat myself some years ago, it was nice to use, although I do not think Great Auntie would have ever thought of her beautiful hand work used in this way.  I also liked how the rusty bottle cap corset worked with the soft thread.  The next one will have a full wire dress, bottle cap corset (or leather maybe) and feathers in her hand to help her fly.

Things have been quiet on the home front lately.   I have had my first international sale on my ETSY site...with a special order thrown in.    The customer wanted a father and son holding the balloons sculpture and I was happy to do so.  The pieces are finding their new home in Alberta, Canada.

Husband and I have been riding our bikes after work for the past few weeks.  So off we go!

Peace,
Hilari

Only in the South

The companionship of others was 

to him

as necessary as air

What is cool about this piece is that you can make her swing around the pole by turning the wing nut on the top.  It is my first movement piece and even though I can see how rudimentary the movement is, I am pleased with it.  This piece was one of those that took a while to come to fruition.   It never really came to competition in my head so I kept having to plug away at it.  She has a purple top, skirt, and awesome boots.  The only thing she need is some sort of flowy boa which I have yet to devise.

Her ability to dance around the pole, besides her many hours of practice, comes through the wooden block screwed to the bottom of the wooden cigar box.  As you can see there were a few attempts to get the proper placement of the drilled hole.  The only drawback to using cigar boxes is that everyone wants to open them.  In this case, it causes a jam due to the pole going through the lid.  Husband and I have discussed other options for the bases to alleviate this desire.  I even had one lady open a box (with the artwork attached) and explain to me that the boxes need to be functional.

On the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month one of our local eateries has home cooked meals with a serving of local bluegrass.   We have only been able to enjoy this a couple of times this summer so we are still learning the menu.   Upon studying it this last Friday,  we came across something we just had to try...The Bomb.  It is an all beef hotdog wrapped in bacon, DEEP FAT FRIED, topped with chili and homemade jalapeno pimento cheese.  This just goes to show that southern folk will deep fat fry anything...and apparently eat it as well.  I have to say, it was pretty tasty.   I am just glad that Husband and I decided to share or we might have been in a world of hurt later in the night.  Oh, but the best thing was that peach cobbler was offered as a side item, right beside fried green tomatoes and fried okra.

While at the eatery Husband picked up some locally cured bacon and, boy, he is making the house smell great as he is cooking it off.  Some yummy bacon paired with french toast topped with bananas...it just doesn't get any better.

Peace,
Hilari

etsy.co,/shop/skinnydipperdesigns

The Same but Different

This is one of my first pieces and one of my favorites.  It lives with a good friend, along with many other of my pieces.  Ms. Cheryl is one of my biggest supporters.  The house stands about 3 inches high and was constructed from single hand ripped book pages individually glued together...whew!  The windows were hand carved and accented with spent train light bulbs.  I started to create another but have not been consistent with it.  Always a new project whispering in my ear.

Everything is the same ...but different.  With our only moving out recently our normal schedule is still normal but hints of him being gone are there.  I do not have to listen to make sure he has not stayed up too late and overslept his alarm.  I do not have to listen for his car around supper time to start divvying up the meal.  I do not have to do these things but I find myself doing them just the same.  I have held up much better that Husband or I expected.  We hope he remembers all that we tried to teach him and is able to enjoy his time away from home...but as far as I am concerned, he can fulfill his lease, move home, find and marry a wonderful girl (who loves us like her own), move into a house in our neighborhood and make beautiful babies.  I don't think that is too much to ask.

I was able to spend time with my bff this weekend.  We always try to find an interesting place to go and spend the day or weekend but this day trip was a bust.  We ended up in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal to help us with directions.  We stopped in at a gun store...in the middle of nowhere!...and got pointed in the right direction.  Our problem is that we have lived in the same area almost all our lives and we have done all the fun activities we can think of.  I guess we will just have to think outside of the box for our next adventure.

I am being told by my wonderful husband that supper is ready and to come and get it while it is hot.

Peace to all,
Hilari

Abandonment and Empty Nesting

Today is the day that I become an empty-nester. My only is moving into his (sharing with friends) own abode.  He tried this once before, and about the time I came to terms with his abandoning his mother, the free room came to an end, only lasting 3 weeks.  This time he has signed a 12 month lease so I will have to adjust to a more permanent state, plus this time he is taking all of his furniture.  He is only moving a few miles away and I told him I was allowed to text him whenever I want...which is what my father told me when he learned to text.  At first, I felt that I really did not need to know that Wheel of Fortune was on or that my parents ran out of milk, but I came to really enjoy sharing the small things.  I only hope my son gets to that point quickly.

I have been the lucky recipient of bottle caps from friends, now that they have seen my work with them.  I receive little baggies containing a few or many depending on how busy their weekend was.  I thought these would be a nice little thank you gift for the ladies who have contributed.  Maybe a bottle cap bow tie for the gents?!  I have had many ideas flowing through my head the last couple of weeks and this weekend is one of little plans, unlike the last few, so I plan to spend some time in the workshop playing.  I want to figure out how to make a piece spin like the Swings ride at the fair.  The little people will be sitting on ...yep, you guesses it,  bottle cap seats, and whorl around so they are flying through the air.  I do not have a mechanical mind.  I am a tinker so I usually end up coming up with a solution from the back side, never the simple way others would do it. I will be pleased if they only swing around gently but whorling would be so much better.

Today our schedule started little later that usual but time is catching up with me so I had better get ready for the day.  Hopefully, we will get the boy moved in quickly and I won't be too traumatized.  I have one of my favorites, Creature From the Black Lagoon, 1954, ready to sooth me when all is done.

Good day to all,
Hilari

All Lit Up With Peach Cobbler

                         

My version of a carbide light

Here is my version of the carbide light I was asked to make.  When the original was presented for me (pictured 5/7 post), I had to think about how I would go about creating one that was stable and not top heavy.  Lucky for me, I had a piece of metal that I could cut for the reflector.  I am sure it was purchased for another project, but what it was I have no idea (that is why I have multiple notebooks handy so I can keep track of fleeting ideas...apparently not all of them though).  I took the flat disk and beat it with a hammer over a rounded rock to give it some dimension.  I used 2 screws to represent the roller and flint.  I was told that the hanger on the back was important, so I dug through my rusty bits and found the perfect piece.  While digging, I found a well worn bottle top for the fluid lid which I was able to hinge into place.  I am very pleased with the way it turned out...really, I am just pleased that it does not fall over all the time.

We have had wonderful weather this week topped off with some very yummy peach cobbler.  On our way home from our reunion, we were lured off the interstate with signs stating that a vendor had Georgia peaches.  In Knoxville we are only offered South Carolina peaches but I think Georgia peaches are the best!  Now, don't get me wrong...South Carolina peaches are good and there may be great peaches in other parts, but I don't think you can beat a juicy, tart Georgia peach.  So it was a real treat to enjoy them in a warm cobbler topped with sugar and cinnamon.  It makes my mouth water just thinking about it.  Yummy!

Easy Peach Cobbler

3 cups peaches, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 cup butter

1 cup bisquick

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar, plus some to sprinkle on top before cooking

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1tablespoon cinnamon, plus some to sprinkle on top before cooking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a 9x13 pan, place stick of butter and put in oven to melt.  While butter is melting, mix bisquick, milk, sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Once butter has melted, pour liquid mixture over the butter and place the chunks of peaches on top of the batter.  Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top and bake for 45 minutes

Let cool a little before trying because, if you are like me, you will want to dig into it right away. With fork ready, I always seem to forget how hot 350 degrees is. 

I'm off to watch the comedy The Invisible Woman from 1941, staring John Barrymore.  It should be a good before bed movie.

Sleep tight,
Hilari

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