Gingerbread House

I just pulled in another box of stuff from the fire from the front porch and saw that it had some of my journals in it. As I was wiping off the soot, trying to see what was salvageable I noticed the edges crumbling. Trying to keep my own spirits up, I had this random thought. We as artists spend all kinds of distressing our work. We wet it and sand it and burn the edges and smudge ink all over it to get the look, and I got it for free from as a Christmas gift from the fire and the overzealous fire department that wet the whole house down for me!

I know, I’m a bit warped, but how else am I supposed to keep wiping this stuff down if I can’t find a little bit of humor in the whole situation?

Tags: general art by Dorene
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And it’s early in the season. I used to love snow, but now I dread it. I guess that means I’m getting old. Won’t be long till I’m a snowbird heading south for the winter. I have a friend who lives in Florida and that’s what they call the older people who come to Floridy for the winter. Maybe I’ll go a little farther north, like the Carolina’s, and hope they don’t call me a snow bird there. Anyone know a Wilmington NC real estate agent? I’m reading to go now!

I also think I’m an ADHD knitter and crafter. Someone asked me yesterday how many projects I had on the needles so I have to list them here.

OTN I have:

a powder blue baby cardigan
the first sock of a pair made from panda wool yarn
a red, white, and blue dishcloth
a sweater for me out of a pretty coral color
a pair of socks, knitting two socks at a time on two circe from Reynolds Sea Wool in a pale pink
the beginnings of a shawl that I’m going to frog and start over
the beginnings of another shawl that is white yarn and carrying some wild novelty yarn I got at Hobby Lobby on clearance for .65 per skein
a pair of fingerless mits out of my own handspun
the first sock of a pair of baby blue socks
the first of a pair of novelty socks that will be my own design and will resemble a funny, fuzzy creature-that’s all I can reveal right now since this is my first original, without a pattern sock

See what I mean? And that’s not counting the sign I’m altering for my daughter’s room, my son’s colt’s blanket and covering his outlets in colts fabric, and a bracelet I need to get done before sunday for a Christmas gift.

ADHD, I’m tellin’ ya!

Tags: general art, Knitting, Life in General by Dorene
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I don’t use my ipod nearly as much as I should. There are so many great knitting and art podcasts out there, and now that my daycare clients are deserting me for providers that don’t spend their time at children’s hospitals waiting for tests for their sons, maybe I can use it more. It’s hard to keep control of a group of kids with earphones in your ears.

Maybe I could even knit a cute little cozy like the one above that Grumperina made. If you clicky click on the pic, you can get her free pattern. Son is grouchy because of his tummy and taking it out on me again, maybe it’s time to update the pod and find some peace behind the earbuds.

Tags: general art, Knitting, Life in General by Dorene
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I’m taking my candles to craft fairs again this year(I hope, remmeber I’m moving and time is really tight for me right now.). I’ve been trying to decide on display options. The fairs I’m doing this year are small, local ones, so a table, tablecloth, table skirt, and a neat way to display them on the table top is all I’ll really have room for with the size constraints of the venus and the booth sizes. Good thing, the booths are cheap and there’s lots of traffic, though.

I think I want lots of color, and maybe some of those wooden crates you see in the craft stores stacked up on parts of the table for displays. I’ll probably paint them,though I’m not sure what colors yet. I probably won’t be taking any yarn or fiber this year, unless I can really get my tail in gear and get things unpacked and get into production mode. I really wanted to take some yarns, because no one else ever has anything like that here.

Tags: general art by Dorene
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I’m looking for a reasonably priced mini van to start out with.  I have my eyes on one, but it doesn’t have the van rack.  I wanted the rack on top for additional storage space for luggage in case I decide to travel to fairs that are far enough away for an overnight stay.  I hate to spend too much money modifying a used van, but with another car payment already, an new van is way out of reach for my.

How do those of you that sell at fairs and festivals transport your stuff?  Should I just look for a small closed in trailer and put a hitch on my car?  I take candles, too, and those are pretty heavy when they are boxed up.

Tags: general art by Dorene
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