Cassie's 8th Farm Birthday party: Spring Bash!

Cassie's birthday was March 14, but the universe conspired to keep us from having her party at the Farm that weekend so it was moved to yesterday. I was so tired from Friday night's events that at first I couldn't even take any pictures. Misty took my camera around and got some great ones for me! This is my least favorite.


(Ellie and Emily


Kids are lined up to get their birthday cake: Sacrificial Lamb red velvet. His head slid off because I packed his neck with red cherry pie filling for when you decapitate him. He was still cool though, and yummy.
I brought out the meat cleaver too for serving him up.


It was fun because Vanessa, Karla, Jud and Cory all came out; such a treat! Karla and Vanessa are the other half of me and Brandi. The four of us grew up together, getting to see each other a few times a year between here and Mississippi. Now Karla lives in TN and the rest of us are in Charlotte so when we all get together it just feels right.
I am going to have to do an entire post on each of them. The first time I laid eyes on Vanessa she was galloping by the car as we pulled up her sweet country dirt driveway. Her pony's name was Dusty, a gray, feisty little mare! Girl and horse were one; a red streak atop a gray streak flying by, what a vision! I was struck by the impressive sight and I've had hearts popping out of my eyes ever since.
Like I said, that's it's own long post for another day.
Actually, I intend to write individual posts on all the people I know or have known who I am enamored with or who just fascinate me. I wonder if I can cover most of that this year? I have so many who I'd love to write about...Only one way to find out.

But back to the birthday party! Jim grilled up all sorts of gourmet stuff, I don't even know what all since I was so tired. Jim is always in his element in front of a grill with a Miller Lite, that's his natural habitat.
Even though it was a beautiful spring day (the first official spring day!) we had a fire, a main attraction for all kids.

Misty took a picture of her cute rain boots. Doesn't it look like a shot in a magazine or something really fancy?
She was also able to get some cute shots of Ellie, who usually eludes me when I am behind the lens.
Ellie and Rebeca play with the fire.

Cassie darts and flits about like a little humming bird.

See, another shot of Misty's; what a great picture of Connie!

Zoe is always good for some comic relief, you could write an entire book with her verbal gems. I must start recording them.

Here's the poor old mush headed lamb. The droopy stuff on the left is what became of his head.

Rebeca running around with a stick. Isn't she beautiful?

Bran & Karla cracking up in the spring house, a familiar sight! Next time I'll have to get a picture of their graffiti from the 80s inside!
The Spring House is a entity, both worthy of and in need of its own post. It is an institution, an icon of The Farm and a Sacred place.



Cassie is wild with excitement for candy fresh from the pinata!

"Cassie Q" is so pretty in the Spring House between green crepe paper and the lake.

Ellie & Danny's birthdays are right in Halloween season and Cassie's is at the Spring Equinox. Such lucky kids!
For the record, I love celebrating birthdays with the kids out at The Farm right where I grew up in the very same paradise. I'm not that sentimental about any place in Charlotte, even thought it's my hometown, therefore I love it. Nothing else can touch The Farm.
I am so grateful for it! I have so much to be grateful for and so much to look forward to. Family, friends and The Farm, just to name a few.

A little bit of tombstone wisdom.

I was just looking at this picture I took Tuesday and wanted to tell you something about it.
See the decorative edge around this stone? That motif is called "Egg and Dart". It is one of my favorites among woodwork and architectural trim. It has been traditionally used among graveyard ornaments for ages because of its symbolism.
The egg is of course a symbol of life, containing the promise of new life within while the dart is a deadly weapon, delivering death to all that it pierces. Thus the cycle of life and death. You can't have one without the other.
Isn't that lovely?
Carry on!

When it rains, it pours.

What a week so far! Time to stop and smell the cemetery, I mean rose colored statues.
Today was an infusion day, and after it was over I went to the Landmark Diner for a piece of chocolate cake which is awful for me but I allow it on infusion days if I want.

Directly across from the diner is Evergreen Cemetery. It's one I've always admired while driving by, but I've never been in. I was going past with my camera in the car and I decided with such good light and beautiful weather I would stop and take it all in. I got out and walked around and took some pictures of things I like for visual reference later.

I've never know anyone with the last name of Garden. Whoever they are they sure have good taste in gravestones. Isn't it beautiful?

There is an entire section of Greek families and the names are very cool. Also, they weren't really bright enough to photograph but several of the graves had red glass lanterns with those tall religious themed prayer candles in them...and they were lit! I will have to return when it's a bit darker to get a picture of that. But how often do you think the families come out to light the candles? And they weren't "new" graves either; that's either serious devotion or it's some kind of religious holiday I don't know about. I'm a terrible heathen, is today some important Christian day I don't know about? I know we're getting close to Easter...

I finished this yesterday and tried to get a good shot of it this morning in the great southern exposure light that fills my kitchen. I have to devise better lighting for my photography indoors.

Another one, this one is BOG on bling and not for shy reserved types. The medallion is 2 1/4" in diameter.
Cassie's eighth birthday was Sunday and Mom & I went to the McKenna's for b-day supper.
Here is the birthday girl ready to get into the red velvet cake her Mom made for her. Such enthusiasm!
While being chased around the house by his Dad, Danny stole the show when he told him "Daddy, let me enjoy my good time!" That was hilarious.
Here he is taking after his Dooda (that's what my neices and nephew call my Dad), eating cake off the kitchen floor. He was a whirling dervish of cake eating madness and I could not get a good shot of his face as it was mostly pointed at the ground scarfing down floor cake.

He was very thorough in his task...

As I said, when it rains it pours; I have at least three different jobs to do this week if I can get to them all. I just started Monday at McIntyre Sales as their "Master Baker" or "Master Bakestress" as I prefer to be called. I bake large batches of treats in their serious industrial kitchen for food shows, the work is part time seasonal so the schedule will vary a lot. I go back in Friday to bake for another Monday show and I got a message today that they could use me on Thursday as well. I also got a message from Trade Winds that they have some furniture repair they'd like done this week. Friday night is the Goralicious Sideshow where I will be a vendor selling my jewelry to all the cool kids who come out (I hope) and I am very excited about that! I don't know how that will go but I'll be interested to ge the feedback. I have got to get the hang of this whole marketing my work situation.
So on a normal week I pick away at my writing and art making and hope for some paying work to come along. This week I am flush with jobs and not enough time to do them all! What gives?
Oh well, such is life.
It is spring time in North Carolina, the days are getting longer, the grave yards are calling my name, there is money to be made...
Life is good.

Ramblings of a sick woman.

I have a sinus infection. I have been sick for only a day and a half and I am already at the end of my rope!
Okay, my pity party is over. Thanks for putting up with that.
I am sitting here going through photos and adjusting color etc. and wanted to write.
Here is a shot of what I do for work, when it's available. This is a Victorian tea table (or is it a Bistro table?) in the warehouse that I do repairs and touch ups in. Trade Winds is a furniture designer right here in Charlotte and this is where they import their stock from overseas. When things get damaged I fix them and touch them up good as new.
This table had some shipping damage and I fixed it and "viola", my job is done.
I'm lucky to have this job because it flexible to say the least and allows me to work when I'm able to. That and the people are really nice. In fact they're about the nicest people I've ever worked for, come to think of it.
My friend Jason hooked me up with them. We went to high school together, limping along equally and painfully in math class in tenth grade and then with equal enthusiasm and talent in the last few years.
A quick interruption: here is one of the best examples of why art doesn't have to be good in Charlotte, it just has to be big.
There are a few more examples I have yet to photograph...coming soon.

Here is the Fabulous Mr. Jason standing in front of a piece of his art on my mantle that I bought five years ago, wearing one of his incredible hat sculptures and holding his Steam Punk Octopus sculpture.
Not only is he adorable, he's also an awesome elementary school art teacher, absolutely hilarious, and a fantastic working artist who produces on a consistent basis.

We were friends at West Charlotte; we both drove old VW Beetles, hated Math and loved Art and we were both sassy as Hell. We still laugh at memories of our confrontations with our preppy obnoxious rivals and dreaded Economics teacher. Actually, me, Jason and the afore blogged about Dana Nagle were all in 11th grade gym class together! Ugh...high school! So glad that's over. If not for friends like Jason and Dana it would have all been for nothing.
Look at him, can't you just see him breakin' down how dumb your outfit is in about 15 seconds?

Lately I've had a few chances to spend time around people closer to high school age. Here are Lindsey on the left and Kerrie on the right. This was taken earlier at Timi's fifth birthday party. Timi is the little short princess and Kerrie is her big sister, they are both my friend Dee's girls. I'm more used to hanging out with five year-olds than eighteen year-olds. They are all so much fun to be around.
I was telling someone recently that the older I get, the broader the spectrum of different aged people I am friends with; it's wonderful. It seems like when I was younger I mostly wanted to have friends around my own age. When I was twenty I thought people who were thirty were so grown up; I thought that by that age growing up would just "happen" to you, like magic. Like you just wake up one day and you are an adult.
Now I know I'll never feel any older than I do right now. I may have older people health problems, but I probably won't think of myself as old. Does anyone ever?
I clearly remember being Timis's age, in fact I remember my fifth birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's. But I remember thinking "I'll never be seven. It will never get here". Much less eleven or 13 or 18; you may as well have asked me to explain the infinite nature of the very universe as tell me "When you're eleven you can go to the movies with Brandon by yourselves". Useless!
Parents always say things like "The time will fly by", balderdash! I am still quoted on my response to that useless saying with "Time never flies until it's already flown!"
Now that is true. Actually, both are true. How's that for a brain twister?
Right now I am being very un-Zen-like and wanting to believe that the time will fly by; I do not want to live in the moment. I feel CRAPPY at the moment and I just want it all over with!
In a few days when I have my health back these past few miserable days will feel like a distant memory. The time will fly by, but not
until
it's already
FLOWN.

"Crafting"

It has been too long; isn't it amazing how time keeps zipping by at record speed? I've wanted to sit down a write several times but have been lured away by other projects.
I figured I better post something tonight before I forget how.
Here is the latest!
I wasn't sure if I could cut into porcelain with my Dremel or not, turns out I can. The face is one I cut off a small doll "Hanibal Lecter" style. I finished it with a real bronze paint which can be oxidized to a blue/green patina while it is still wet. I love the touches of color in the recessed areas around the features. I hung the face in front of a segment of silver fretwork, a scrap from my cuff material. I found the coolest chain to hang it from that was a very tacky 80's gold. I treated it with a chemical to oxidize the new right off of it so all the materials are in harmony.

This is the clasp of one of my necklaces, I like the back to be pretty too.

I think I've posted these before, but here is a tiny silver meat cleaver I cut out. I just love tiny things.
And I can not get enough of this anvil, I'll admit I've been wearing it. Isn't it funny how you can get hooked on something and you never want to wear anything else? I have plenty other necklaces which are "prettier" but every day I'm drawn to this one.

Also these cuffs, I'm addicted! I had enough of this particular pattern to make about 4 cuffs and I love them! Maybe it's because I fulfilled my childhood dream to turn my Mom's silver serving pieces into jewelry?

Having an idea about something you want to create and not knowing how, or not having the right tools to do it is simply torture. I wish I could have gone to some kind of fantasy trade/art school growing up. When I'm a rich philanthropist some day I'll start up such a school! Wouldn't that be a great legacy?
But for now I will carry on selfishly creating things in the delicious solitude of my own sanctuary.
Tomorrow I will get some great close ups of some more of my pieces to post on Etsy. I sat down with the manual for my D-50 tonight and taught myself to override the flash in macro mode. When all else fails, I resort to reading directions. I'm actually kind of surprised that I was able to figure it out at all. Not too shabby Dust!
Alas I must get my rest, I feel a cold coming on...the burning of my eyeballs and nostrils, swollen glands, post nasal drip etc...
I won't wait as long to post next time, even if I'm sick.

Model!

What a difference a gorgeous model makes!
This is Kerrie Clayton, daughter of my friend Dee Clayton and super gorgeous cool Hipstress (both of them).
This is a tiny silver plate anvil on a vintage snake chain. I love this one.
Here she is in the "Gin" necklace with fleur de lis and large jump rings.
This is a glass pendant with soldered edges. A page from a hymnal is behind glass, with a skull and crossbones in ink drawn onto it.
Here is the brass Victorian pendant with a skull.

Here are Kerrie and Dee wearing the new cuffs together.
I am so lucky to have so many friends to help me with this Etsy project. Kerrie & Dee are the perfect models. And the multitalented Dani Nelson so generously helped me step by step over the phone today with the technical details and she is making a banner for my store!
I am so excited about all this year. There are so many things brewing in the air...can you feel it?
It's all coming together. I'm telling you, success will rain down on us all this year!

I can not believe how fast the last week flew by. So many times I started to write but other projects just called to me and I was like a slave to it. I gave in every time.

On the left is a cuff I made earlier in the week. The other three to its right I made this weekend. I have a "new" silver chafing dish to cut up and hammer out. I love the pattern on this one; it's less common than the material I started off with.

I tried several different patinas, from fairly bright and clean to heavy patina. I am partial to the grungier look.
I also Made the cuts at the ends a few different ways. I think I like a straight cut like the two on the either side.
Ah, I love looking at them as a group. Don't you just feel rich when you have a bunch of your own work in stock piled up? Tomorrow I will add them to my new Etsy store. I am really looking forward to getting adept on this site. My goal is to be lucky enough to sell about as much as I can make eventually. The market is flooded with jewelry but what can I say, I think I'm pretty hot stuff. But perhaps more important, I'm humble. And fabulous!

As I said, I've been consumed by metal all week long. I feel very lucky that I enjoy so many different passions; restoration (automotive, antiques, wood), writing, metal smithing, woodworking and photography to name a few. Whenever I hear someone say they aren't creative or talented in any way it blows my mind. I don't believe it for one thing. Lots of people have latent talents and interests that have been long abandoned, but could be revived and I'm all for it.
So get to it! Pick up a pen and doodle on the power bill, something.
Come on...