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Hi friends...Happy New Year! I hope 2009 will be filled with inspiration, creativity, good health, peace, and the love of family and friends for us all!
I've missed making a few posts that I would have liked to have made because I have been sick since Christmas day. What I thought was a sinus, sore throat, coughing-thing for days...is a sinus infection and bronchitis. I am finally beginning to feel better, think clearly and have some energy again! It has been a whole month of sickness in this house. My oldest got it first, then my husband and finally me.
I wanted to share some photos of our snow and freezing rain event that we had for two weeks and through Christmas day. We had more snow than anyone's seen here (Portland) in forty years. When it does snow, it usually only lasts for a day or two and we may get 2-6". Mother nature certainly put on a show that was truly amazing and beautiful too. However, with that beauty came the other events. We lost electricity twice, have lots of broken branches and plenty of trimming to do in our yard, and many trees fell in our neighborhood. I really felt bad for all those trying to get somewhere for Christmas though. So many plans were changed for so many people. A lot of the highways were closed, trains and buses were not running, and hundreds were stranded at the airport and other terminals for days. It was just as bad in Washington and I know we in the Northwest were not alone in being snowed in. It was quite the event for us in Portland. It has since thawed and we've had a lot of rain. Now the rivers are cresting and flooding and landslides have begun.
Black bamboo is not happy with ice and snow!
Digging out and getting some weight off the deck. See the aqua line in the snow...it is the ice layer from the freezing rain.
Friends out and about. . .
On our way to the store we pulled over and took a picture of Johnson Creek flooding. It was roaring! I feel so sorry for all the people who are being flooded by our rivers and creeks.
This last picture is tracks of a visitor we had in our yard when we woke up this weekend. And, yes, it's still been snowing on and off per the temperature. There were actually two sets of prints. The two sets of prints meet up and then disappear at the fence. Mark thinks they are raccoon prints.
Well, I'm off to make tracks of my own! I'm catching up with you and finishing up a few pieces that I have been working on. Thank you all for your thoughtful comments over the past year, they are so appreciated. The wonderful friendships I have made in ten months...mean so much! ~Lisa
Talk about getting into the spirit! Last Sunday, we awoke to snow and got about 4" and it has definitely stuck around. I LOVE SNOW...it's so exciting and beautiful. Every time it snows, I'm still like a little kid in a candy shop! We don't get snow very often and when we do, it's a big deal here! Usually our snow is very wet and doesn't stick around for too many days and we often get freezing rain. But we've had an "arctic blast" hit us since Sunday, and other than the temperature warming up to a balmy 37 yesterday afternoon and this morning, we are back to cold weather tonight through Tuesday next week with more snow in the forecast. Our highs will be back in the 20's again starting this evening. I was beginning to wonder if we might have a white Christmas this year or a very cold one, but they are saying we will warm up on Christmas Eve. Well, you never know!
Thought I'd share some snowy pictures with you.
The first two are shots off the deck. They were taken Sunday, and some snow still remains in the yard and on roofs. 
This is a shot into the far corner of our backyard. You can see the squirrel feeder in the corner and the wind chime on the ginkgo tree.
This is a shot of our black bamboo holding its own in the frigid weather and our three graces fountain filling with snow. No water from the fountain for the birds or squirrels now. Only what they can get from the two bird baths. As a matter of fact, yesterday I witnessed one of our squirrels sitting on the fountain bowl where she normally comes to get a drink of water and sat there at ate the snow...I never have seen that before! Mark pulled the pump out of the fountain this year because we lost our last pump due to the freezing weather.
The Christmas lights are shining outside, the tree is decorated, the house is decorated, and the stockings are hung. I'm all done shopping and have begun to wrap some gifts. It's been a great few days with snow falling, music playing, and feeling more in the holiday spirit.
I haven't completed anything to share with you, but I have been beading and doing a few other things. I have been paying most all my beading attention to an art doll that has been sitting far too long and being neglected. Since this is a gift, I shouldn't show this but I sure didn't want you to think I'm just sitting around and sipping hot chocolate!!! So...I thought I'd share another sneak peek with you. It will be the last peek before she flies to her home. I will share pictures in full (front and back) when I'm done and I know she's arrived to her destination.
She is getting lots of texture right now with moss stitch and is finally really filling in and coming alive. She is getting that nice weight to her and I just love that!
I have started beading on my November BJP and December is laid out and ready, but they've both taken a backseat of late. I'm not too worried, as my bead journal pages are fairly simple. The holidays, of course, have been the other focus lately. 
Thought I'd share another project that I have been working on occasionally. It has been sitting around in a zip-lock bag for at least a year now and I thought it was time to get it done. I have two antique beaded purses that are in sad shape that I've wanted to harvest the beads from. The bags each have holes and the threads are disintegrating. Every now and then I go sit for awhile and cull through the pile of beads, selecting and sorting the beads by color and remove any that are not healthy. This bead pile is one side of one of the purses. The beads that are in bags are what I already sorted from the other side. I don't know why I enjoy doing it, but I do. In a way it's like shell or treasure hunting to me. They are valuable little beauties and it's wanting to save them. Soon it will be another thing checked off my to-do list!
Well...the temperature has dropped while I have been writing this post and it is 10:15 a.m., and it is snowing!!! Big, lush, beautiful flakes!!! The cold air wasn't suppose to be here until this afternoon or evening! It's going to be an interesting five days! I hope you are well, staying warm and feeling the spirit!!! ~Lisa ;-)
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Thoughts and actions have turned toward Christmas and the lights and decorations have begun here. It's hard to believe Christmas is in 23 days...it has come so fast this year!
A few months ago, I received a package from Monica containing some squares that were leftover from the Pink Artist Project. We were asked to make a 10" x 10" art quilt out of the squares we received. When done and sent back to Monica, she is going to do her 'MAGIC' and stitch the art quilts together and make one large wall quilt. The quilt will be sold with the proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. I was honored to be able to help with this project and enjoyed stitching love and hope into this quilt. It was such a thrill to see and hold the art squares I received. You certainly could feel the love in each and every one! I can only imagine how Monica felt when she received hundreds of heartfelt art squares!!!
I had sketched and decided exactly how I wanted to do the quilt. My intentions were to do needle felting on each side. Intentions don't always work out! ~wink~ The needle felting worked out fine on the pink side but when it came to the red side, the shade of red roving did not go with the square nor the red and blue wool felt I had bought. What to do? I finally realized to just do what I had intended to do but with the felt only. So it evolved. I used a variety of 8/0 and 11/0 seed beads, triangle beads, and bugle beads. I added Antique French red flower/clover sequins, Vintage French sky blue white-heart seed beads, Antique French sky blue white-heart tile cylinder beads, 2 mm Swarovski crystals, and mother of pearl fuchsia heart buttons. I did 3-bead picot stitch around the red side and attached the white side to the back with 3-bead picot stitch also.
I hope I honored each artist and their squares that were sent to me. I'm looking forward to seeing all the art quilts stitched together! I know it will be just beautiful and will raise more money for such a worthy cause! Thank you Monica for including me in this project! I really enjoyed working on this piece!!!
"Keep Hope Alive" ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I received a wonderful package in the mail from my friend Tammy! Awhile back we decided to do a swap. Tammy created this beautiful book thong made with a bamboo tile. It is so light weight. She decorated the tile with birds on one side and bees on the other. Does that not have my name written all over it?! It is embellished with gold leaf around the edges, braided silk ribbon, and beautiful beads. I just love it! It immediately went into one of four books that have been sitting and waiting for me.
Inside the box were two more beautifully wrapped packages! She totally stunned and surprised me with this beautiful beaded doll!!! Isn't she wonderful? I just adore her!!! She is tiny, standing 3 inches tall, and Tammy made her face too. Check out the cute ruffle around her body! She certainly has Tammy's heart art written all over her. She also shared some lovely beads with me and not one that she shared do I have. They are beautiful and I'm looking forward to using them soon.
Tammy is a sweetheart and I always enjoy visiting her blog. She is a talented and fun gal who is always experimenting and trying something new. She is making soldered pendant/charms right now and I'm looking forward to seeing what she does with those. She shares wonderful pictures of 'Mom Nature" in Connecticut...her part of the world. If you have a chance, swing by and visit her!
Thank you Tammy!!! You are so generous and I am honored to own your heart art. I will treasure them always.
Isn't she a doll!!!Well...back to beading and all that comes with the season! I hope you are finding the time to enjoy the sights and sounds of the holidays! ~Lisa
I have really enjoyed working on this page other than her insisting she needed more leaves than I had started with. I've been a little hard on myself for not being done by the end of October (which has been my biggest BJP fear all along), but I decided I'm not going to rush just for the sake of getting it done by the end of the month. This project is just for me and I want to cherish all my pages at the end of the year.
I named my October page "October Glory." Every October, I always think of Nana, my maternal grandmother. I have so many wonderful memories of her. Her name was Marion, and she was born on October 31st, 1906, in Mandan, North Dakota. She married Papa on March 16th, 1931. She died March 19th, 1981, three days after their 50th Wedding Anniversary. She was a lovely person and always a "lady" in the truest sense of the word. The tree in the first picture is one of three maple trees we planted in our yard years ago. It is one of two in our front yard and it is a beautiful tree called October Glory.
The picture I chose is one of my favorite pictures of Nana when she was young. I don't have very many pictures of her, but this one was most appropriate for fall. Forgive some of my photos, as I took pictures of the original snaps I have. We had a fire in our home years ago and the heat and smoke damaged most of our older pictures. The tree is stitched with vintage brown Charlottes and 15/0 bronze and moss green seed beads. The glass pressed leaves are small, 6 x 10mm, and the pebbles in the road are stitched with smoky quartz chips.
She was a mother to a son and daughter, and a Nana to two grandchildren...my sister and I. We were always close and spent a lot of time together. We became even closer after my parents divorced when I was 12.
I REMEMBER...
* how beautiful she was inside and out
* how she lived her life with compassion, kindness, and love
* she always had a dress and apron on when Papa got home from work
* she was a wonderful cook and loved to entertain family and friends
* she loved to garden, loved roses and flowers, and was President of the Alameda Garden Club
* she was a Daughter of the Nile and volunteered time to many charities
* she loved to sew, knit, and needlepoint
* she was a wonderful wife to Papa
I REMEMBER...
* hugs and kisses
* being spoiled by her
* games (Tiddlywinks & Candy Land), story books, and color crayons
* loving her home and how it always smelled so good
* getting to spend the night
* watching Lassie, The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, & The Jolson Story
* walks to the park and dime store
* baking cookies
* her candy dish and a little bird in a cage that when wound up would move and chirp
* hamburgers at Yaw's and Green River's, ice cream at Farrell's, and shopping at Lloyd Center
* loving to snoop at all the old stuff in the attic and basement
* dressing up in her clothes and jewelry
* trips to the beach
I REMEMBER...
* her unconditional love
* her being always gracious and fun
* cereal or a warm baked chicken sandwich in the evening for a snack
* two trips to Palm Desert, swimming, and long walks picking huge grapefruits & lemons
* many dinners at Ringside
* being so grateful to have both Nana & Papa at my wedding (Papa lost 40+ lbs so he could fit into his old tux and walk me down the aisle)
* Mom, Sissy, and I throwing Nana a big 70th Birthday party
* helping them move from their one and only house to an apartment in Portland
* surgery and hospital visits when Nana found out she had uterine cancer that had metastisized to her bones
* helping Nana shop and run errands when she was sick in my VW bug
* being at her home, by her side with my Mom when she left us
In reflecting, I realize these memories and her love are the legacy she left and it is something precious to me. Her strength and values ran deep. While she was beautiful on the outside, she was full of love and passion on the inside. I am grateful for the memories I treasure and the love and patience she always showed me. I loved and adored her and miss her dearly.
She is a fragment of my life that lies within my heart...
I was tagged by Bobbi for this meme a week ago. I know...it's been a crazy week! Thank goodness she's a good friend and won't hang it over my head! It seems everyone has been tagged so I'll spare you!
7 unknown facts about me...
1) I love tea. Hot tea and iced tea. My favorite is "Constant Comment" by Bigelow and it is a black tea that is flavored with rind of oranges and sweet spice. This is a picture of me having tea with my tea set at Nana and Papa's house...tea and tea parties started early!
2) My Nana and Mom used to call me Gerry Giraffe when I was little. I was always tall and skinnier than a rail. At the time, I didn't think it was too funny. In the early 90's, Mom bought me this whimsical folk art giraffe to always remind me. It is a treasure to me now! 
3) In 1970, when I was 12, I spent the month of July in Mexico with 9 other friends from school as an exchange student. We all stayed with host families. While there, we visited the anthropology museum, floating gardens, caves, and the pyramids. This is me (white pants and red shirt) coming down the pyramid. I'm not sure if it is the pyramid of the sun or moon. But I remember that the steps are huge and it is steep!4) In the summer of 1974, when I was 16, a friend and I picked up two hitchhikers while we were on a family vacation in Bend, Oregon (hitchhiking back then was common), and were kidnapped. They drew a knife and pistol and told us to drive the car toward Paulina Lake which is located in the Deschutes National Forest. They had us drive off the road into the forest. We were gagged and tied to trees while they stole our wallets, money, and my mom's car. Long story short...a few hours later they came back (furious) for the key to the gas cap. When they took the car, the first time, they only took the ignition key. They kindly untied us for a bit because our hands were swollen from being tied so tightly. During this time, I asked if I could take a pill that was in my purse because I remembered my nail clippers were in there. They let me and while I took the Tylenol, I slipped my nail clippers down the back of my pants (un's) without them seeing. They tied and gagged us again and left. About an hour later, I got myself cut free and freed my friend and we ran to the road and sat in the bushes until someone drove down the road (that wasn't my Mom's car) and we flagged them for help. That person drove us to the State Police in Bend. They put out an APB (all points bulletin) in the seven western states and at 3 a.m. they were busted in a motel room in Portland, Oregon. They were arrested and charged with armed robbery, kidnapping, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle (unauthorized...STEALING is more like it! ~wink~). They were also busted for doing the same thing to an older couple that were tied up in their apartment and were hit over the head and knocked out, in California, while they ripped them off and stole their car. Do you think I've EVER picked up another hitchhiker?
5) I was introduced in the summer to my husband, by a mutual friend, when I was (14) and he had just graduated (17). I fell head over heels and it was love at first sight for both of us! We were married on my 19th birthday, May 13, 1977, on Friday the 13th at 7:00 p.m. Nope, not superstitious. I carried thirteen red roses in my bouquet. The 13th of May also falls on Mother's Day some years. We have been married for 31 years. Other than my two boys...Mark was the best gift I've ever received!!!
*Notice his jacket...5 minutes before we were to walk down the aisle...he put on his jacket and they forgot to alter the sleeve length...the sleeves were about 3" too short! Still makes me smile when I look at our pictures.
6) When we were first married and renting an old farm house, we were finally able to have some pets. So we bought two female Korat cats and named them Ebony and Amber. I didn't know about Korat's until my boss told me about their two cats and they were 22 and 20 years old. Mark and I bought them from the same lady in Woodburn, OR, 20+ years later. They are native to Thailand and are considered a symbol of good fortune. They are beautiful cats with a blue-gray coat with silver tips. They only have one coat and do not shed much hair. They have heart shaped faces and when they are little their eyes are amber and once they are a few years old they turn a beautiful and vivid peridot green. At night with a spotlight their eyes reflect green rather than the usual red that most cats do. They are very sweet-natured cats.
This is Ebony when she was a baby.
7) Twenty years ago, I got my business license and started my own medical transcription business. It was called Southwest Transcription Service. I started it so that I could still work for the doctors I worked for, but I could stay at home with my youngest while he was young. I stuck with it for about eight years.
Extra tidbit #8...my husband made me do it! I was a car thief!!! When I was 13, and my Mom was asleep, I took her keys and my little sister (10) and went for a joy ride in her Buick Skylark! The passing gear was very exciting! Thankfully, I did no harm and we are both still ALIVE!!!
Did you know Grace came to Oregon this past week? I was so fortunate to meet her and three of her very fun and dear friends this past Thursday. I drove about an hour to Hillsboro to meet her. Historic Hillsboro is a quaint little town that was founded in 1842. Being a native Oregonian, I have truly only been to Hillsboro once or twice in my life but never to old town. We met at Planet Bead and shopped, then the five of us had a delicious lunch and lots of laughter together at the Stratford House, a very L O N G photo shoot...thanks to me always closing my eyes~wink~, and then we all went to Craft Warehouse. We even went into a an old drugstore that had an old fashioned soda fountain and bar stools that was very cool. Believe me...Grace is just as sweet and down to earth as you can imagine she is! I was so excited and kind of nervous when I left home about meeting everyone, but as soon as we said hi...the nervousness was gone. It was like picking up where you left off with an old friend. It was such a pleasure and honor to meet 'AMAZING GRACE' and her sweet friends. I have always loved the name Grace and thought it was so special...there is a reason why her Mom named her that! I had the best time and will always cherish the afternoon we shared. The hardest part of our visit was how fast the time flew by! I've been fortunate to meet Bobbi and Grace and I have found that there is something very special about artists...we are all the same...honest...kind...kindred spirits! You'll have to watch her blog...I'll bet she'll post some great snaps of Oregon! She visited the Columbia River Gorge...Mt. Hood...and even went to the beach...and the weather has been BEAUTIFUL...all week! Anyway, it was such a pleasure and my honor to meet her and you would adore her too!!! Thank you Grace, Anne, Bobbie, and Sammie for sharing your time with me!
Wouldn't it be fun if we could all meet one day! ~Lisa ;-)
Sad story...big lessons learned! Have you ever opened your mouth and from the gland under your tongue...out squirts some saliva? This has happened a couple times in my life, not very often, gratefully, but it has happened. I know, disgusting but true! I was literally finishing the last of my beading around the boys picture when out of my mouth saliva spurted right on Spencer's shirt! I about had heart failure and my poor husband was tip-toeing around for awhile! I attempted to stay calm and let it dry. Once dry, it was still there. So I got some Q-tips wet and moistened the area and when it was dry, I thought I had saved it! Little did I know or see until I was proof reading my post Sunday...that the spot was still there!!! Oh, my heart just sank. I sat down, cut it out, and redid it again. I included both photos so that you could see...and I know in my heart it was for the best! I wasn't very sold on the ink jet fabric sheets I was using in the first place. The picture seemed so washed out and their faces were lacking color, the fabric was very thin and hard to keep smooth, and it certainly didn't hold up to a drop of saliva hitting it! But after reprinting the pictures on a different brand of printable fabric the second time around...what a huge difference! Believe me, I am totally ready to start my October page and I stitch with my lips sealed now!!! ~wink~
The theme I chose for the 2008 Bead Journal Project is 'Fragments of My Life' and what lies within my heart each month and every year that passes. I named my September page, "I Pledge Allegiance." Every September I can't help but think of fall and school starting and remembering my boys school days. There are many memories that live in my heart that relate to their school days and learning. They had so many happy days, so much growth, and many life lessons were learned during those years. There were the crazy and hectic schedules that we all kept between work, school, family, sports, and other activities. The new school clothes, shoes, and supplies that were needed each year. I often wonder how many backpacks, notebooks, pens and pencils were bought through those years! ~wink~ I knew with a photo of my boys that I didn't want the page to be too busy, so I thought I'd bead a flag. I remember saying the Pledge of Allegiance every morning when I was a young girl and the big flag that flew in front of the school. My boys remember those same flag memories of their school days. I also thought it appropriate because I pledged my allegiance 'loyalty' to them as their mom.
My pages are 5"x7" and I stitched ultrasuede to Pellon. The flag is stitched with vintage 9/0 venetian beads and was stitched on a separate piece of ultrasuede and then stitched down to my page. I tried to get the flag to have movement and be waving in the wind. I'm not sure that I captured what I was trying to convey, but I did the best I could. I inserted a small amount of batting under the flag as I stitched it down and when I was done I made a few tiny tack stitches in between some rows of beads to give it some movement. The flag pole is stitched over a bamboo skewer that I painted silver with french faceted steel cuts that I have been hoarding for some future day. These were either my grandmother's or great-grandmother's beads from a crochet/beaded bag that was in sad shape. The photo was edged with vintage stressed silver nailheads and steel cuts.
*This is the sad photo that was torn out...can you see the spot on Spencer's shirt? And see how washed out and faded the picture is compared to the other!*
I learned some things stitching this page. First and foremost, to keep my lips zipped while stitching! I did not enjoy trying to stitch through the corners (four layers of ultrasuede)! My fingers have some holes in them even though I used a thimble at times and my pliers too. I folded an inch over on the back and my future pages will be a half inch or so. Since the ultrasuede doesn't ravel, I feel confident that a smaller amount will work out better and I will attempt to stay away from the corners while beading if I can. *ADDENDUM... after thoughtful consideration...it 'finally' occurred to me that I could use pellon or paper and do my beading (no layers) and then whip stitch the fabric to the back when I'm done!!! H e l l o...Lisa!!! ~wink~* I wasn't sure if the flag would turn out and be the size that I wanted it to be, so I stitched it on a piece of ultrasuede first and used Japanese Sumi painting paper for stabilizer. I was amazed how stable and supportive the paper felt to use and how soft it became as I beaded along. I will certainly be open to using paper again as a stabilizer and I'm glad I tried it. The other thing I am not totally sold on yet is the fabric sheets! The first (sad) photo was printed on Printed Treasures by Milliken, from a local fabric shop (Pendleton Woolen Mills), because I thought the pima cotton seemed a little finer (smoother) than the Avery printable fabric that I had. The final photo was printed on Avery Ink Jet printable fabric and it certainly turned out better. I would like to try the Jacquard cotton fabric too. I do know that I won't be using the Printed Treasures. Since all my pages will have photographs, this is an important decision to me. The other thing I remembered, at the last minute, was to clean my vintage nailheads. As I was handling them and taking them off their strings, my fingers were dirty/dusty and I realized that I hadn't cleaned these yet. The lady I purchase some of my vintage nailheads from forewarned me about cleaning them as she learned the hard way. I am grateful I didn't have to learn that lesson too!!!
I am going to finish the back by stitching another piece of ultrasuede to the page. I think I will insert a piece of mat board for a little more support, as the flag is heavy. Now, onto October, thankfully! I need to catch up with friends and visit the other BJP members that I haven't taken the time to do yet!
My sister and I just got home from the beach last Tuesday evening after spending three fun days together! The weather was so beautiful for the last couple days of September! It was a sunny and fun filled trip with lots of laughter and catching up!!! I thought you might enjoy a couple pictures.
This is a shot looking south from Ecola State Park in Oregon.
And this gorgeous fall sunset and Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach. The next trip to the coast will either be in the stormy weather or next spring!
Keep Pursuing Art...Life and Dreams! ~Lisa ;-)
Hi friends...Happy New Year! I hope 2009 will be filled with inspiration, creativity, good health, peace, and the love of family and friends for us all!
Black bamboo is not happy with ice and snow!
Digging out and getting some weight off the deck. See the aqua line in the snow...it is the ice layer from the freezing rain.
Friends out and about. . .
