Deranged and/or Misguided Bunny ... a Thank You

Sometimes all the stars are aligned in such a way that causes people with hearts to do such generous deeds. Case in point ...

(above images courtesy of Michelle Schafer of the Studio at Crow Haven Farm)

The ever-so-talented & uber creative maker of delightful EB's

(Eclectic Beings, if you don't already know)

Michelle Schafer

Took it upon herself to send me some (much needed & greatly appreciated) love in the form of this Deranged and/or Misguided Bunny ... originally, I thought Bunny was simply hopping over for a visit (and to warm up a bit), but after he arrived, I was formally advised of my duty to adopt him as a member of my family (and a bringer of good luck & happiness).

Wow! What a most excellent surprise.

Since his arrival, Bunny has definitely made himself at home ... he quickly located the Quaker Oats (and emergency stash of canned veggies - EW!) ...

... made friends with all the local wildlife ...

(Cypress Fish has taken it upon himself to give Bunny the complete and guided tour of the area)

Bunny has been caught trying to talk Art Doll (a Monica Magness original) into a camping trip ...

... unfortunately for Bunny, Art Doll is most content sitting on the shelf meditating ... perhaps if he tries a little harder, he might convince her of the perks of outdoor meditation ... guess we'll have to see.

Bunny also likes to hang with Natasia, the nesting doll.

Seems like Natasia just can't tire of the stories Bunny has to share.

At the end of any given day, Bunny can be found snuggled sweetly in bed ... but even then you can see his wee brain working out the adventures of the next day.

* sighs*

Thank you, Michelle, for being a constant reminder to me of just how good life really is. You are one of the people that inspires me to be a better human.

Click on any of the photo's (and her name) to be directed to Michelle's blog

- The Studio at Crow Haven Farm -

... oh! and be prepared to fall in love over and over and over again!

Cigar Box Shrine - A Call to Artists

Last week I learned that our local smoke shop sells empty cigar boxes for $.50/each, so I stopped by to see if they had any and walked out with five boxes. For years I have been intrigued by the magic that can happen to a cigar box & just a few random art supplies, odds and ends. How fun it would be to try my hand at making a little of that magic myself?

The boxes have been sitting in a stack since I brought them home. I keep looking at them & sometimes grab one to open and close it a bunch of times before returning it to the pile ... where to begin, right? As the fates would have it ... I have a starting point and a purpose now.

I know that most everyone is knee deep, in holiday planning/creating/shopping, but if you have a moment, check out the link above (the image) and read all about the Dia de Los Muertos Art Exhibit & Sale (or click HERE). There is also the Cigar Box Shrine Gallery located HERE that has pages of inspiration ... AND the final deadline for recieving them is January 10, 2009.

One Marvelous Little Treasure

Doesn't everyone get a little thrilled when they grab the mail and there's an envelope that is obviously from a friend? I was lucky enough to have one of those moments earlier today ... and just look at what was inside:

My lovely friend over at Mice and Moonbeams recently made a decision about not selling her art. To celebrate she decided to give away some pins that she made ... I was lucky enough to be the recipient of this absolutely wonderful, exquisitely detailed fun little fish pin and I love, love, love it! ... and I feel inspired ... her creative nature, generous heart and kindness have deeply touched me; I feel blessed to know her.

Art Doll - First Attempt ... sort of

If you saw my "Doll Party ... worse than fashionable late" post, then you will know that about eight years ago I made my first doll, Bubby - she was made from one of Sadie's Winnie the Pooh sleepers and is, well, perhaps not the prettiest doll ever ... but I did make her specifically for my daughter and tons of love (and fiberfill) went into her.

More recently, I became involved in the Pink Artist Community Doll Project for Susan G Komen and was exposed to brilliant artists and creators of exquisite, beautiful and wonderous dolls. I found myself with the itch to try one myself. It's been a number of weeks and I have been busy with other things (family, breathing, work, painting, etc.) so doll making went on the back burner ... this weekend I was a woman possessed! I had to find just the right pattern to start with - finally I came across a handful of free patters from 2002 by Ronda Kivett. I decided to pick what appeared to be the smallest, simplest pattern and a remnant of an old sweater (nylon/spandex mix - weird, but uber-softie) ... drumroll, please ....

The above pictures are front and back of my very first form and as of right now I love, love, love her. :) Next step will be the embellishing ... I'm pretty sure that I'll be beading her from head to toe ... wish me luck!

Paper airplanes, lunar eclipses and other such things

As happens every so often, I ought to be hitting the pillows, but have a brain that refuses to settle (the spouse would ask if it has anything to do with the coffee I drank tonight ... lol ... honestly, I think not). I got into a project that had been causing me serious (minor) stresses - ideas that lived better in the head than actually on paper - for some reason, this last attempt actually appeals to me. I have to wait till morning to take photo's, but in the meantime, I kind of feel like rambling ...

1) for Valentine's day I had told another homeschool mom that yes, Sadie would be bringing something to exchange with the other kids ... did I ask Sadie? uh, no. I'm pretty sure I was on auto reply (besides, I love an excuse for artsy stuff ... and hearts ... forget about it!) Anyway, slacker that I am I forgot about it till just a few days prior to V-day. When I asked Sadie what she thought, she said she didn't want to exchange anything ... she's not into pink, hearts, girly stuff at this particular junction in life ... eek. It took some creative thinking (and a lot of shot down ideas) before I came up with the perfect solution ... drumroll, please .... paper airplanes! She totally dug the idea. We made them from sheets of origami paper (satisfied my need for something on the sweet/pretty side & was cool compared to hearts, so appealed to the critter, too). It turned out that 32 kids were coming - let me tell you, you can make 32 paper airplanes in nearly no time at all ... I had to work the day of the Valentine's gathering, but from all reports, the planes were a success. It sounds like the kids actually enjoyed the "races", too. Next year, I promise to ask her before committing to doing something for happy heart day ... but I will remind her how much fun the airplanes were!

2) I have been playing around with participating in the 4x4 Friday challenge. This weeks challenge is doorways. It should be noted that (like many) I am drawn to doorways ... blue, red, coverd in vines, stone, arched, heavy wooden doorways, doorways that make you think of hidden treasures, etc., etc., etc. ... so, I thought this would be a great one to try. I told Don and Sadie about them and asked if they'd like to do a 4x4, too. Both did. Both finished theirs before mine ... and both are terrific. I struggled. Then I struggled a little more. Tonight I just started doing (without much thought) and I did get something accomplished. It's definitely a bit rough & isn't completely balanced, but as far as an novice collage project goes, it shows a little potential - gives me that little bit of hope I need to try this media again. Nice. I ought to be able to take photos of the results for all three doors sometime after work tomorrow, so will probably get them posted in the evening.

3) Tonight there was a lunar eclipse. I almost forgot about it, but Sadie reminded me to wake her up when it happens. I would have forgotten all about it if Don hadn't had to run up to the store & noticed it. All the clouds (it was really overcast earlier this evening) had gone away and the sky was clear. Don broke out the binoculars and one scope. We all got to watch the lunar eclipse ... ok, so I didn't stay for the whole thing, but it was pretty cool just the same. I am amazed at the difference just a simple pair of binoculars can make - the moon actually looked 3 dimensional and not like a flat round disk ... makes me want to go up to Edison's observatory - I've heard that it's pretty phenomenal.

A little brain draining and I'm actually feeling sleepy ... time to seek out those pillows.

Sweet dreams! ~M~