Artful Living on the Bluff

Hearts and Flowers - A new treasury on Etsy

2012-01-30T09:59:00.000-06:00

I've never been included in a "Pay it Forward" treasury list before but here's how it works...
Amanda from acjewelrystore included some pretty earrings from my shop in a treasury list and left instructions for how "Pay it Forward" works: I build another treasury with an item from her shop in the first spot and be sure to tell those I included how to also "Pay it Forward".

Please visit, click and comment - we love that! :)

'Hearts and Flowers (Pay it Forward)' by CindyCaraway

VALENTINE'S DAY... acjewelrystore $19.99	Mixed Heart Valenti... queenoftartsca... $45.00	Red and Pink Valent... MadisonReeceDe... $12.00	Valentine Fabric Bu... ellerosedesign $25.00
Handmade Lampwork G... StoneDesignsby... $30.00	Felted Hearts Valen... Fairyfolk $24.00	Valentine Book Hear... greenpix $10.00	VALENTINE'S DAY... dottiegray $55.00
Holiday Scarf. Croc... crochetgiftsto... $22.00	Full Spool/Roll of ... KurtKnudsen $13.95	Mini Spools Threade... ScrappyStuffSh... $4.49	Valentine Satin Ros... YoYoCottage $6.50
Pink Hearts on Red ... daydogdesigns $14.00	Valentine Hair Flow... BloomDesignStu... $80.00	Owls...Five Darling... rosecottagebou... $25.00	Valentine's Min... BakersBlingSho... $3.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Tikka Masala Earrings.... really!!

2012-01-25T11:36:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I told you I made some earrings inspired by my Tikka Masala cuff bracelet but they hadn't turned out quite like I wanted. Today, I made another pair!! Much closer to (nay, exactly) how I had hoped they would look - dangly and bohemian.

Each coral pink cab is nestled in a pretty peyote bezel and features gold chain loops that add wonderful movement to the earrings. If you like these and want the perfect necklace to wear them with - here it is!

No need to ask what became of those too-heavy earrings! They made very pretty pendant necklaces.

These, along with the cuff will be posted to my Etsy shop on Friday but, in the meantime, feel free to contact me if you are interested in any of them.

Cheers!

Tikka Masala Earrings

2012-01-24T17:09:00.000-06:00

Last night I made some earrings to match my Tikka Masala cuff. I was thinking something big, dangly, bohemian... and made these:

I really liked them except that they weighed a bit too much. Back in the 80's, when my earlobes were more adventurous, I wore lots of heavy, swing-y earrings but I'm just more delicate these days and refuse to submit myself to pain for the sake of fashion! So, I decided these will look quite lovely as Tikka Masala pendants hanging from nice gold chain. And they weren't really boho enough anyway, so earrings are still in the plans...

Re-make and make do

2012-01-23T15:09:00.000-06:00

What do you do with projects that just don't sell?? I have several. most of those are large (aka. expensive) gallery pieces that I'm happy to keep around for gallery shows. Not that I wouldn't LOVE to send some of those off to new homes but... anyway...

I have a few pieces that I plan on tearing apart and re-doing. Here are the ones at the top of my "re-make and make do" list:

Here's Lookin' at You

There are things about this piece and matching earrings I adore - the combination of orange and blue and the evil eye theme - but I think it can be more than what it is at present. It was made for a beading challenge and probably rushed a bit to make the deadline. This one deserves a make-over.

Southwestern Cowgirl Steampunk

First off, this one just never got a "real" name and, second, the plethora of beads laying (I hate to say it!) uncomfortably about the neck just will NOT do. I love the concept and the center focal but it's just not working as it is.

Mosaic

This one came about because of a personal challenge I gave myself - you can read about it on my blog here. I found a nice jar of junk jewelry at a thrift shop and decided to see how many new pieces of jewelry I could craft from the beads and goodies in the jar. I did pretty well for a while, finishing half a dozen or so pieces but then decided it was time to move on to something else. I really do like this one but feel it has run its course - time to for this little caterpillar to become a butterfly!

Seaside Wedding

This one has been a favored selection in my shop for some time so some of you will probably wonder why I want to change it. Again, the theme and overall concept are great. I wanted it to look like something you might find washed ashore on a beautiful white sand beach (originally I wanted to call it "All Washed Up" but that wasn't quite romantic enough!). Lately, I have seen this one becoming something a bit fancier. I still hope to keep the organic nature of the piece but... we'll see.

So, I'm not sure when I'll get started on this little project but I'll be sure to keep you in the loop once it gets underway. Let me know what you think about putting earlier pieces "to pieces" and re-making them - I'd love to hear your comments! :)

Frost on the Window

2012-01-22T08:58:00.001-06:00

All photos by Cindy Caraway

Tikka Masala - Latest Project

2012-01-21T14:19:00.001-06:00

In an earlier post I told you about being invited to design some jewelry using the new line of clasps - "Elegant Elements" - from The Beadsmith. The first clasp was used to make a cuff bracelet called "Brocade". Read more about my "Be Elegant" adventure here.

The second piece - using "Elegant Elements" clasp #CLSP58GP - is now finished! It took me a bit but I really like the final result called "Tikka Masala". My husband and I have a circle of friends that meet for dinner once a week at our favorite (and the only one in Dubuque) Indian Restaurant - Hot & Spicy - and my favorite dish is the Paneer Tikka Masala. My husband thought the cuff looked "Indian" and the red/orange color palette reminded both of us of that tasty curry.

So... here is "Tikka Masala"!

I started in the usual way, by gathering bits and pieces together...

As expected, I don't use all of the components that get pulled but the items keep me focused on the color combo and overall look I want.

I finished the peyote bezels for the cabs...

...and was stuck!

It wasn't until I remembered some UFOs (Un-Finished Objects) in my studio that things seemed to click. When I first started working with fiber and fabric, I made this "Harvest Cuff"...
Hoping to make more, I prepared several background pieces but never used them...

These were exactly what I needed! I dug one out that I liked and made a cuff that ended up being a perfect fusion of fiber and beadwork! It was definitely a learning experience and the outcome was so nice that I think I will try to make more pieces that truly incorporate but fiber and beads.

Here are some shots of "Tikka Masala" - I hope you like them!

Morning Coffee - Senior Jitterbug

2012-01-20T12:54:00.000-06:00

My hubby and I went out Ballroom Dancing last Sunday evening. We enjoy getting out there even though we don't really know what we're doing most of the time! We get lots of "polite" smiles from people who I'm sure would rather we sit down (too bad for them!!)

The type of dancing we'd REALLY like to do is the Jitterbug. We've got a LOOOONG way to go to even dream of keeping up with these folks! Enjoy :)

Morning Coffee - Harpo plays the harp

2012-01-18T09:52:00.000-06:00

This one certainly made me smile! As my husband stated, "Look what people were able to do in the days before the internet!". I think he's correct in thinking that the internet and television suck a terrible amount of our creative energies away. Something to think about... what could you accomplish if you weren't reading this blog, for example. What could I accomplish if I weren't writing it?? Hmmm....

Everybody's doing it....

2012-01-04T12:05:00.000-06:00

As I make my way through my favorite blogs reading the many posts missed during this hectic holiday season, I find almost everybody is doing it... recapping 2011 and making plans for 2012.

While most days I wonder just what it is I do and most days feel like nothing really gets done, after looking back on 2011, I realize there were some pretty cool things I managed somehow to accomplish. This recapping thing is something new for me. Confession time... I rarely make goals for the coming year and have never done it in conjunction with looking back at the accomplishments (or failings) of the past year. Old dog, new tricks... it can be done!

Since I'm new at this, I will concentrate on the accomplishments. So, feel free to stay with me (or not) as I indulge myself and look wistfully back at 2011...

January
I volunteered for a local arts organization by joining the organizing committee for DubuqueFest. It was lots of work and sometimes frustrating but a great learning experience.

The Feb/March issue of "Super Beadwork" hit the newsstands with a project designed by me - The Roller Rink Bangle. It was renamed by the editors and I didn't argue with them but I still liked "Bead Loop Bangle" better...

February
"Tea Rose Garden Party" was featured in the Bead and Button email newsletter!

March
My work was featured in a solo show at MidCoast Fine Arts Gallery West

April
I redesigned my blog and website...

I started work on a wonderful custom order which eventually became "Night Out On The Range"

And "Tea Rose Garden Party" appeared in the April issue of Bead and Button Magazine.

May
I was chosen to sing as part of a special choir with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra - What fun!

June
I tried my hand at my very first outdoor arts and crafts market... and actually sold some stuff!!

July
I started a wonderful friendship and partnership with Gail Chavenelle - a talented metal sculptor and all-around good-feeler from right here in beautiful Dubuque, IA! Getting to know her has changed my personal and professional life FOREVER!! I love you Gail! Be sure to visit her website at www.chavenellestudio.com and Etsy shop at www.chavenellestudio.etsy.com

August
My "Waves of Symmetry" bracelet design appeared in Vol. 6 of Creative Beading...

September
I was invited by Alma Stoller to take part in STITCHED 2012! Since I am a relative newbie when it comes to fiber art, I was flattered to be included among the ranks of the 20 fiber artisans on the teaching staff of STITCHED 2012! (BTW - you can still register to take part by clicking here!!)

October
My work was on display at the Dubuque Carnegie-Stout Public Library as part of their Art @ Your Library gallery show series. I shared space with Beth Roberts - a talented painter/mixed media artist. This was the first time my work was featured in a showing in Dubuque!

I taught my first ever fiber art class on October 22nd! The Fiber Collage Fabric Cuff class at the Dubuque Art Center was a hit!

November
I turned 47... I never thought I'd live to be this old and I feel as though I'm just getting started!

This was the first year I actually planned for and followed through on having a holiday sale in my Etsy shops! Preparation pays off! It was a great year for selling vintage (lots of items went to new homes) but not so good for jewelry (exactly one handcrafted jewelry item sold during the holiday season!!). This has me thinking of new ways to use my talents besides making wearable adornment...

December
Steven Weiss of The Beadsmith invited several bead and jewelry artists to take their new line of clasps - Elegant Elements - for a test drive. I was very pleased to be included in this distinguished group which includes some of my personal beading "rock stars" - Sherry Serafini, Jean Campbell, Zoya Gutina (just to name a few!!). You can follow my Elegant Elements adventure by reading past (and probably future) blog posts here.

Here are some photos of the clasps I received and my first project - Brocade - Enjoy:)

So... that's some of the professional and artistic highlights of the past year. When I put them all together like this, I feel like I truly did accomplish some great things! Onward and upward for 2012!

Resolutions are at hand now as I attempt move ahead professionally, personally, spiritually and physically. I'm not sure what those resolutions are at the moment but they will come into being as I ponder the ways of the world this afternoon. Wish me luck! :)

Morning Coffee Quotes for a New Year

2012-01-02T09:44:00.000-06:00

"As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being."
- Carl Jung

"Let us not pray to be sheltered from dangers but to be fearless when facing them."
- Rabindranath Tagore

"The secret of success is constancy of purpose."
- Benjamin Disraeli

"There are more things to alarm us than to harm us, and we suffer more often in apprehension than reality."
- Seneca

"Genius, that power which dazzles mortal eyes, is oft but perseverance in disguise."
- Henry Willard Austin

"I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving."
- Oliver Wendell Holmes

"You can either take action, or you can hang back and hope for a miracle. Miracles are great, but they are so unpredictable."
- Peter Drucker

"That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach."
- Aldous Huxley

"Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die."
- G. K. Chesterton

"Things come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle."
- Abraham Lincoln

Morning Coffee - All That Glitters: The History of Shiny Things

2011-12-29T10:52:00.001-06:00

I liked this little video about glitter :)
I think I'll try to add more glitter to my days in 2012!

All That Glitters: The History of Shiny Things from Etsy on Vimeo.

Morning Coffee - Glass Duo

2011-12-23T08:09:00.000-06:00

From what I hear, I'm the last person in the entire world to know about these talented people! While I am classical music geek, of sorts, Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor is not one of my favorites (I really don't like organ music in general) but it takes on a very different feel when played on the glass harp. Anyway, I hope you find it as mesmerizing as I did!!

Favorite Foodie Photos of 2011

2011-12-22T15:00:00.000-06:00

All photos by Cindy Caraway

Leek Soup!

2011-12-21T11:49:00.001-06:00

We went to our local Winter Farmer's Market here in Dubuque and bought a lovely leek! We neither of us had ever used leeks before and were excited to make some leek and potato soup for friends. It was a hit! We made a basic potato soup recipe only instead of an onion, we used the leek. While the soup was very yummy, the beautiful color and design of the leek was also pretty tasty.

Morning Coffee Quotes

2011-12-19T11:19:00.000-06:00

We had the first snow of the season (that stuck around for a while, anyway!) this past weekend. We haven't seen too many rabbits running around the neighborhood since some cats moved in a 2 years ago but there was evidence of at least one in the new-fallen snow!

Bunny Tracks (photo by Cindy Caraway)

"The most successful people are those who are good at Plan B."
- James Yorke

"It's much easier to suggest solutions when you don't know too much about the problem."
- Malcolm Forbes

"A fault is fostered by concealment."
- Virgil

"All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
- Edmund Burke

"Short words are best and the old words when short are best of all."
- Winston Churchill

"All the masters tell us that the reality of life - which our noisy waking consciousness prevents us from hearing - speaks to us chiefly in silence."
- Karlfried Graf Durckheim

"Other people do not have to change for us to experience peace of mind."
- Gerald Jampolsky

"You will be the same person in five years that you are today except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read."
- Charles 'Tremendous' Jones

"We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world."
- Helen Keller

"The number of new things a man needs to learn is less important than the number of old things he needs to be reminded of."
- Samuel Johnson

"Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start."
- Nido Qubein

Introducing "Brocade"

2011-12-14T15:31:00.000-06:00

The cuff made using one of the beautiful Elegant Elements clasps is finished and I'm calling it "Brocade". The texture made by the layers and ruffles of beads reminds me of the rich embroidered fabric of the same name. There is the main beaded section which you saw in an earlier post. The rest of the bracelet is made from various silver chain and finally finished with the box clasp. As an added detail, I have added a small dangle which is the main motif of the piece. My intention was to have the swirls of beadwork echo the flowing motif found on the clasp. I hope you like it! Please let me know what you think

Getting closer...

2011-12-12T14:33:00.000-06:00

One step closer to a new beautiful bead embroidered cuff! I hope you like these shots. The main section is finished - now for finishing with chain and beads and the stunning silver Elegant Elements clasp from The Beadsmith!

Morning Coffee - Bunny with a Toolbelt and Hilary Pfeifer’s “Elephabet” Book

2011-12-11T12:17:00.000-06:00

Bunny With A Toolbelt has been mentioned on my blog before.I "discovered" these wonderful wooden creatures at the One of a Kind show in Chicago a few years back and fell in love! I have since been following the blog and enjoying the great animations made using the critters.

One of Hilary's most recent projects “Elephabet” Book. I have watched in a amazement as the creation of this book has been chronicled on her blog. I hope you will check out her blog but, in the meantime, enjoy this wonderful introduction to her new book:

Elegant Elements Seaky Peek

2011-12-09T11:13:00.000-06:00

Just some peeks at the piece I'm working on for one of the Elegant Elements clasps I received from The Beadsmith...

Cheers! I'm off to do those dishes I've been ignoring because of beading!! :)

Elegant Elements in Stormy Blues and Silver

2011-12-08T12:41:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I showed you the beautiful clasps sent to me by The Beadsmith. Even though I had a long list of things to do, I just couldn't help myself but to drop it all and start on a new project (who really wants to do dishes, anyway?). Those of you have been hanging around a while know that every project starts with the grand gathering of bits and bobs surrounding a color scheme or theme. This project will be a bead embroidered cuff bracelet using the silver clasp and I selected a nice assortment of beads in stormy blues and silver tones. I'm hoping to capture the lovely curves of the clasp in the beadwork - I'll be sure to share the journey.
Here are some shots of the gathered goodies - I would love to know what you think!

Registration is open for STITCHED 2012!!

2011-12-07T15:30:00.000-06:00

I hope some of you lovely people will want to get involved in STITCHED 2012! I have been invited along with 19 talented fiber artists to present a series of video tutorials and classes. For information about the artists and projects - check out my blog post "Announcing STITCHED 2012". Here is some info about the series of workshops and what you will receive for your registration fee...

What is STITCHED?

STITCHED is a collection of 20 online video workshops by 20 talented fabric artists.

Each workshop provides you with high value and high content information

to get you sewing, designing and creating 20 unique fabric art and sewing projects.

How is STITCHED set up:

By registering for STITCHED you have access to all the STITCHED workshops all at one time. You are able to pick and choose which ones you want to dive into first. The workshops are available to you any time you wish, until STITCHED closes on June 1, 2012 10pm EST.

Once you are invited to the private STITCHED site, you are free to view and work on any workshop you want any time of the day, any day of the week. The workshops are designed so that you can watch and easily create the project. The workshops are self-guided and you can take it at the pace that you want. If you have any questions, you can post it in the STITCHED site, and the instructor will help you. It is that simple.

What do I get as a STITCHED student?

-As a STITCHED student, you have access to all the STITCHED video workshops.

The workshops have been designed and created by the talented cast of STITCHED instructors.

Each workshop includes a pdf file which you can print and keep for future reference.

Each PDF file contains information about each workshop, including a pattern (if applicable).

-In addition to the 20 workshops, you will also have access to a video workshop by Alma Stoller called Beaded Fabric Jewelry and 5 additional mini video workshops.

-STITCHED has received the support of several sewing, quilting and craft companies.

They have provided me with a wonderful assortment of sewing items.

Within the STITCHED site, we will host giveaways for all STITCHED students....from sewing machines, fabric packages, sewing and embroidery notions,.....just to name a few.

------

Registration Information:

Early registration starts December 1st 2011.
STITCHED workshops will open on January 1st 2012

STITCHED is hosted in a private online site. Once you register, you will get an email confirmation.
On January 1st, you will receive an invitation to the private STITCHED site.

STITCHED workshops will be open from January 1st 2012 to June 1st 2012

STITCHED videos are not downloadable.

Registration is only $89. (USD)

If you would like to join me on this amazing adventure, please click here to view more details!

Elegant Elements from Beadsmith

2011-12-07T14:25:00.001-06:00

Several bead artists and designers have been invited by The Beadsmith (a supplier of beads and bead stringing supplies to qualified wholesale distributors throughout the world) to create jewelry using a lovely new line of clasps - Elegant Elements. Lucky me! I'm one of them!

I chose 2 clasps and also asked about some cool bails they have so... one of the bails was sent along, too! Here is a shot of the goodies I received:

Stop by tomorrow for shots of the beginnings of a new bracelet! I am, as we speak, picking out some lovely beads to go with the silver clasp. Just little old me, my beads and the extended versions of Lord of the Rings... a very nice evening, indeed! :)

Morning Coffee Quotes

2011-12-03T07:38:00.002-06:00

"Deprived of meaningful work, men and women lose their reason for existence; they go stark, raving mad."
- Fyodor Dostoyevsky

"You are writing your autobiography with your checkbook and calendar."
- David Cooper

"The word 'good' has many meanings. For instance, if a man were to shoot his grandmother at a range of 500 yards, I would call him a good shot, but not necessarily a good man."
- Gilbert Keith Chesterton

"If it seems a childish thing to do, do it in remembrance that you are a child."
- Frederick Buechner

"It is not enough to aim; you must hit."
- Italian Proverb

"None of us is as smart as all of us."
- Ken Blanchard

"There is no witness so dreadful, no accuser so terrible as the conscience that dwells in the heart of man."
- Polybius

"What mankind wants is not talent; it is purpose."
- Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

"When a girl marries, she exchanges the attentions of all the other men of her acquaintance for the inattention of just one."
- Helen Rowland

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"The firm, the enduring, the simple, and the modest are near to virtue."
- Confucius

"I’ve always been haunted by the gap between theory and practice, the difference between what one thinks and teaches and what one does."
- Warren Bennis

"You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win."
- Zig Ziglar

"Life is not a having and a getting, but a being and a becoming."
- Matthew Arnold

"Experience is knowing a lot of things you shouldn’t do."
- William S. Knudsen

"Don't let your worries get the best of you. Remember, Moses started as a basket case."
- Unknown

"The two powers which in my opinion constitute a wise man are those of bearing and forbearing."
- Epictetus

"Back of every creation, supporting it like an arch, is faith. Enthusiasm is nothing: it comes and goes. But if one believes, then miracles occur."
- Henry Miller

"Everyone is necessarily the hero of his own life story."
- John Barth

"The world pays more attention to your conduct than it does to your creed."
- Michael Guido

"Trusted counselors, mentors and guides make an indelible mark on the lives they touch, and they provide the two ingredients to success in life--caring and sharing--that cannot be learned or purchased."
- David Cottrell

"There is no success without a successor."
- Peter Drucker

Gifts! Yay!

2011-11-28T08:07:00.000-06:00

My friend Gail stopped by one morning with a perfect gift for me - vintage jewelry!! Such a pretty bundle of treasures...

Pretty silver shoe clips

The piece-de-resistance! This incredible beaded necklace!

A 2nd attempt

2011-11-27T12:48:00.000-06:00

Still trying to figure out the journal cover project, I tried one using quilt scraps but this time I made the cover with a turned edge. There were several things that didn't work. First, I did not account for the extra size needed because of the bulk of the quilt fragment so the cover was a bit too small. Then, in my attempt to make the composition book fit better, I chopped off the edge of the covers. Hmmm... that wasn't such a great idea either. In the end, it was decided this cover would be better if I tear it out and do blanket stitch on the raw edges like the first one. The positive point - the quilt remnant for this one rocks and I love the antique shell button! Anyway, here is the second attempt for you to look at...

Morning Coffee Quotes

2011-11-26T14:59:00.000-06:00

Morning Drops - photo by Cindy Caraway

"Properly trained, a man can be dog's best friend."
- Corey Ford

"Long-range planning works best in the short term."
- Doug Evelyn

"It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it."
- John Steinbeck

"Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one."
- Charles Mackay

"There's no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love. There is only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen."
- Wayne Dyer

"Trust him little who praises all, him less who censures all, and him least who is indifferent about all."
- Johann Kaspar Lavater

"Keep meetings to the shortest time needed to cover a brief agenda."
- Robert Heller

"Even among men lacking all distinction he inevitably stood out as a man lacking more distinction than all the rest, and people who met him were always impressed by how unimpressive he was."
- Joseph Heller

"I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can't be done."
- Henry Ford

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."
- Roger Caras

"Liberty is often a heavy burden on a man. It involves that necessity for perpetual choice which is the kind of labor men have always dreaded."
- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

"I wish I had an answer to that because I'm tired of answering that question."
- Yogi Berra

"A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others."
- L. Frank Baum - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

"Grief knits two hearts in closer bonds than happiness ever can; and common sufferings are far stronger links than common joys."
- Alphonse de Lamartine

Birds at the Feeder

2011-11-25T08:38:00.000-06:00

I have a bird feeder that hangs on the front porch and I can enjoy seeing the birds visit throughout the day. Here are some shots I took through the window from my desk...

I loved that I had captured this little guy in flight and zoomed in to get more detail

Kat's Treasure Shop blog

2011-11-24T08:27:00.003-06:00

I was honored to have my jewelry featured on Kat's Treasure Shop. Kat's blog is a wonderful collection of handcrafted finds as well as her own lovely jewelry - upcycled treasures fashioned from vintage jewelry. I hope you will stop by her blog and also make a visit to her Etsy shop where you will find beautiful creations like these...
(**Click on the photos to visit the Etsy listings**)

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...

2011-11-23T14:34:00.000-06:00

Mom and I were off to the Quad Cities Festival of Trees (sponsored by Quad City Arts) last weekend. There were so many beautiful trees and holiday decorations to see - I loved just about everything I saw! Here is a little peek of some of my favorites - Enjoy :)

Mini Journal Cover Tutorial

2011-11-22T09:00:00.002-06:00

I made this mini journal cover last night - I think it turned out pretty cute, too! Since this was my first crack at it, it didn't turn out perfectly but I had somehow managed to take some photos during the process and thought I'd share them with you as a tutorial of sorts. There were some steps I didn't catch on film but I hope you will still be able to follow the instructions and... I hope you like it!

I bought some mini composition books at the local big-box office store - they are the perfect size for carrying in a purse or jacket pocket - but the cover art is certainly less-than-inspiring! A new jacket was needed! So... here's how I started...

Using an old envelope, I made a template of the raw dimensions - this template is the exact size of the journal when laid out completely flat and takes into account the width of the spine.

Then, so I never have to measure the darned thing again, I write two sets of measurements on it - the "raw" size and the expanded size after adding 1/2" seam allowance.

Since this cover fits over the journal like a book jacket, I needed to decide the dimensions of the flaps - I decided they should be 2 1/2" wide. Then, because I really don't like measuring in eighths of inches, I expanded the other measurements again by 1/8" to get these:

Using these expanded measurements, I made a final template from a left-over chipboard box. I will use these to trace around before cutting the pieces.

For the journal cover you will need 4 pieces of fabric - 2 for the cover flaps, 1 for the front cover and one for the lining. If you don't care about seeing the stitching and such from the cover embellishments, you could nix the lining piece but I think having the lining also provides some overall structure.

Now for the fun part! Pick out some pleasing scraps, trims and embroidery floss and start layering to make a fabric collage. It doesn't need to be big or fancy (unless, of course, you want it to be big and fancy!).

Sew everything into place. I enjoy handsewing so I basically embroidered everything into place...

Since I wanted to use a button for the closure, I added that after all the other embellishing was done.

Finish one long edge of each flap by turning a hem, sewing a zip-zag stitch or handsewing a whip stitch or blanket stitch.

Then layer your pieces: the embellished cover face down, the lining fabric face up and the flap pieces aligned at each end with the finished edge toward the center.

I decided to finish my edges with blanket stitch - like so...

You could also do a quick zig-zag stitch around the entire piece, too.

The last step was to make a string wrap for the closure and sew it on to the edge of the back flap and slip my little composition book into it's new jacket!

Voila!! I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial - I would love to know if you give it a try. Comments, please!! :)

Thrifting Treasures!

2011-11-21T08:57:00.002-06:00

Tuesday is my errand day. Part of that day is devoted to stopping at the local thrift shops to see what treasures I can come up with. Not the largest haul I've every made but a bit of fun, a bit of fashion and some crafty goodness came to my house this week...

I am a magazine addict! I'm pretty good about not buying too many at the bookshop but when they are fairly recent and only $.25 at the thrift store - I'm a happy girl! My soft spot are travel mags and home decor. These issues of House Beautiful and Elle Decor should keep me happy for a little while.

You will also notice in this photo some wonderful upholstery fabric samples and 2 pair of super fantastic earrings! I have no idea what I will do with the fabric but the beaded earrings will go straight to my Cynthia St. Anne shop on Etsy. The enamel earrings will go in my stash for use in a jewelry project sometime down the road...

Speaking of stash... I was really excited to see some beads and a whole baggie of chain remnants in the "craft bin" at my favorite thrift store.

These are great and the beads are VINTAGE, no less!! Woo hoo! My stash just got a little bigger...

...as did my movie collection. Here's something you may not know about me... I'm a movie fanatic. period. Favorite generas: Romantic Comedy, Historical Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Art or History Documentaries. If I like a movie, I can watch it hundreds of times and never get tired of it. My favorite part of any DVD? The extra features - commentaries, "making of" featurettes... yep, I'm a geek. So, how happy was I when I went to the second-hand video/CD shop and saw these boxed sets from "The Lord of the Rings"?? My only disappointment was that they didn't have all three. Oh well, something to keep my eye out for...

I also have a soft spot for hats and snagged this vintage beret...

Finally, I found a loom for making hair pin lace! My friend Kristy has a truly great scarf that her grandmother made. She couldn't figure out how it was done but when I saw it I knew in an instant it was hair pin lace!! It sort of looks like this scarf from a vintage craft book...

Hair pin lace was one of the first crafty things my grandmother ever taught me. Anyway... I found this loom (actually 3 looms) and I think I'll give one to her. Maybe she'll want to give it a try!

Does anyone do hair pin lace anymore??

**post duplicated from my other blog - "Cynthia St. Anne"**

Owl Sculptures from my friend Gail

2011-11-20T08:05:00.000-06:00

My good friend Gail Chavenelle is a metal artist. She sculpts wonderful and whimsical figures from single sheets of steel - they really are magical! She is my weekly Etsy buddy - we get together and talk about how to improve our online shops (find hers here). She has lately gifted me two very sweet owls (I consider owls my spirit guide) and they have taken up residence around my favorite smelly candle. No doubt trying to stay warm as the winter chill sets in.

Morning Coffee Quotes

2011-11-19T08:20:00.016-06:00

Chickadee - photo by Cindy Caraway

"You must get involved to have an impact. No one is impressed with the won-lost record of the referee."
- Napoleon Hill

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
- Jim Elliot

"The quieter you become the more you can hear."
- Ram Dass

"I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor."
- Henry David Thoreau

"Here's what management is about: Pick good people and set the right priorities."
- Lee Iacocca

"Power is like saltwater; the more you drink, the thirstier you get."
- Charles Colson

"We deceive ourselves by the smallness of our surrenders."
- Derek Kinder

"That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God."
- Albert Einstein

"If things go wrong, don't go with them."
- Roger Babson

"Beware of the person of one book."
- Saint Thomas Aquinas

"If you remember the Sixties, you weren't there."
- Grace Slick

"When you’re on a journey, and the end keeps getting further and further away, then you realize that the real end is the journey."
- Karlfried Graf Durckheim

"Pity the man who has a favorite restaurant, but not a favorite author."
- Jim Rohn

"You can’t spell integrity without the word grit."
- John Maxwell

"It's not the bulls and bears you need to avoid -- it's the bum steers."
- Chuck Hillis

"In a full heart there is room for everything, and in an empty heart there is room for nothing."
- Antonio Porchia

"I never said most of the things I said."
- Yogi Berra

Birthday Flowers Make Me Happy :)

2011-11-18T07:59:00.000-06:00

It was my birthday on Monday and my sweet hubby surprised me with these beautiful flowers. Set in a vintage Shawnee vase and paired with some lovely squash they make a very pretty picture...

Last Leaves in the Neighborhood

2011-11-17T07:59:00.000-06:00

This tree is always the last to turn in the fall and the last to finally lose it's beautiful golden leaves. They were falling steadily after the chilly night we had - by tomorrow, they'll be gone.

The Winter Sort and Thrift Store Fashion

2011-11-14T07:59:00.001-06:00

A fashionista I am not. Wish I were.... sometimes. My daily uniform consists mainly of an old ratty pair of sweatpants paired with an oversized men's shirt and turtleneck. It's about comfort and, in the winter, warmth. When one decides to work from home there is a danger of becoming like me. What has slowly happened over the past few years is that I virtually have no clothes aside from this scruffy uniform. Panic inevitably sets in any time there is a party or gallery opening because I just don't have cute clothes anymore! I have lots of cute friends with cute clothes and I'm starting to feel like the neighborhood frump.

The other day, as the first snow of the season was falling, I knew it was time to do the winter sort. Assess my warm weather clothes, put the worn-out and/or stained pieces in a bag to go away and carefully fold the keepers into the storage boxes until the thaw. Then comes the joy of pulling the old winter favorites from their hiding place. This is one of my most anticipated activities. You see, I love winter... and turtlenecks... and Pashmina scarves... and wool... and stocking caps. What amazed me as I set these beloved clothes out was how few of them had survived the spring sort.

On this sad day, I came to realize that I had exactly one pair of jeans worth wearing. One pair of jeans?? And exactly 2 winter sweaters - a beautiful Irish wool cable knit and a vintage Dale of Norway - both keepers to the nth degree. A handful of turtlenecks had survived without some sort of spot smack dab in the middle of the chest - but all of those were in some shade of dirt or faded black - you know... beige, tan, some drab grayish-green color, etc. I realized that things just have to change! No more frump girl.

So, I summoned up my courage, took a shower and set off for the local big box thrift shop - aka. Goodwill.

Four hours later (yes... you read that correctly... 4 HOURS!) I emerged victorious having found some very nice pieces: 2 new jackets, 2 turtleneck sweaters, 1 dress, 1 skirt and (yes!) a pair of jeans. I am now looking forward to having someplace special to go so that I can wear them. Fortunately, Mom and I are off to Chicago in a couple weeks to go to the One-of-a-Kind Show and enjoy the holiday lights along Michigan Ave.

These photos don't represent everything I found but you will get the idea, I hope:

First, my new favorite outfit: a cute denim jacket, a lime green silk cable knit turtleneck and a large weave plaid wool skirt! Paired with my black leather boots and black Ultrasuede skirt (both also resale store finds!) this will be a sweet outfit! Finish it off with one of my beadwork necklaces in just the right shades and I will NOT be embarrassed to be seen at the next artsy-fartsy event :)

I also brought home a vintage wool jacket originally from County Seat. Paired with the black turtleneck (and the aforementioned skirt and boots), this goes nicely with my favorite little cap (also a thrift store find!) and fabric flower brooch (my own creation)... or just the brooch if I'm not in a hat mood:

Orange has been one of my favorite colors for a couple of years now. I was very happy to find a pretty orange V-neck sweater that will go nicely under the denim jacket and show off my Aztec Amulet necklace:

Speaking of Orange, as I was unpacking the winter stuff I found a vintage wool jacket that I bought last year and never wore because I'm a big chicken. Well, no more! Next chance I get, I'm wearing this one with head-to-toe black and my Chameleon necklace. Let 'em look (I'm pretty sure they will!):

Finally, just because I love shopping resale (actually, I haven't, except for undergarments, bought new clothing in many, many, MANY years), here are some other thrift store finds from past trips that I will wear ALOT this season -

My boots...

...and my 2 Ultrasuede skirts!

I may have to splurge on some leggings!

A Happy Holiday Sale on Etsy!

2011-11-13T10:12:00.000-06:00

Some of you will know exactly what I'm talking about when I say I have been listening to lots of podcasts re: broadcast marketing vs. "engagement" marketing and how you shouldn't just shamelessly promote yourself and your shop but on this day I'm going to ignore all that... :)

I am simply here to tell you that A "Happy Holidays" Sale is going on now in my Etsy Shops! Use coupon code HOLIDAYDBQ11 and receive 20% your entire order. This offer is good through Jan 1st. Stop by these shops on Etsy:

Cindy Caraway - www.cindycaraway.etsy.com for one-of-a-kind beadwork and jewelry creations

Caraway Cache - www.carawaycache.etsy.com for vintage goodies and supplies of all sorts

Cynthia S. Anne - www.cynthiastanne.etsy.com for fiber art, select vintage treasures and inspiration kits to jumpstart creativity

Also taking part in the sale is Gail Chavenelle of Chavenelle Studio - www.chavenellestudio.etsy.com

At Chavenelle Studio you will find beautiful metal sculpture. With prices starting at just $25, it's the perfect holiday gift - and you get 20% off!

So now is the time to get that piece of handcrafted bead embroidery or sculptural fiber jewelry, a unique vintage find or an inspiration kit to kickstart your next project! Be sure to stop by any and all of these shops for the "Happy Holidays" sale! Feel free to forward the coupon code HOLIDAYDBQ11 to friends and family.

Window on a Garden 2

2011-11-13T08:57:00.000-06:00

Window on a Garden 2 was inspired by the wonderful colors and florals in the reclaimed acrylic cabochon. Simple and sweet, the pendant measures an impressive 3" across. Named as number "2" because there was another Window on a Garden that lives in New England now...

Morning Coffee Quotes

2011-11-12T08:25:00.004-06:00

Northern Wisconsin Sunset - photo by Cindy Caraway

"We learn from experience that men never learn anything from experience."
- George Bernard Shaw

"When you are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger."
- Epictetus

"Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out."
- Vaclav Havel

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!"
- L. Frank Baum - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

"Charity sees the need, not the cause."
- German Proverb

"Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you."
- Pericles

"A man can believe a considerable deal of rubbish, and yet go about his daily work in a rational and cheerful manner."
- Norman Douglas

"Exaggeration is a blood relation to falsehood and nearly as blamable."
- Hosea Ballou

"We need not only a purpose in life to give meaning to our existence but also something to give meaning to our suffering.
We need as much something to suffer for as something to live for."
- Eric Hoffer

"Precisely because our political speeches are meant to be reported, they are not worth reporting.
Precisely because they are carefully designed to be read, nobody reads them."
- Gilbert Keith Chesterton

"It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them."
- Confucius

"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
- William Jennings Bryan

"What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving."
- Adrian Rogers

"There is no greater hell than to be a prisoner of fear."
- Ben Johnson

"At too many companies, the boss shoots the arrow of managerial performance and then hastily paints the bulls eye around the spot where it lands."
- Warren Buffett

"My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four unless there are three other people."
- Orson Welles

"The great act of faith is when a man decides he is not God."
- Oliver Wendell Holmes

"It is another's fault if he be ungrateful, but it is mine if I do not give. To find one thankful man, I will oblige a great many that are not so."
- Seneca

"The most decisive actions of our life -- I mean those that are most likely to decide the whole course of our future -- are, more often than not, unconsidered."
- Andre Gide

"Hope is a good breakfast but a bad supper."
- Francis Bacon

A bouquet of flower necklaces

2011-11-11T14:54:00.000-06:00

Just a shot of a few fabric rose necklaces I was working on the other night:

They're ready for the upcoming holiday market and my Cynthia St. Anne shop on Etsy.

So sweet and simple to wear, they seem to attract attention whenever I wear one out and about.

Dear Diary... A Year of Art Every Day?

2011-11-08T11:35:00.001-06:00

As usual, I have been evaluating my growth as an artisan and small-business owner, reading (or thinking about reading) books on personal growth and finding purpose. One book that I came across recently and really enjoyed was "The Right-Brain Business Plan" by Jennifer Lee. Her ideas about making a vision board and using it to help direct your actions/thoughts in positive ways that will enrich your art, business and life were especially intriguing for me. I haven't made one yet but it's on my to-do list.

While perusing her blog for more valuable information and possible freebies, I found an interview she did with Cory Huff of The Abundant Artist (which I enjoyed, that's why I mention it!). I also found out that every November for the past few years she has taken part in a challenge started by Leah Piken Kolidas. During the Art Every Day Month challenge she makes little sketches in a tiny 3" x 3" journal and shares those sketches with her followers and friends.

Being intrigued by that idea, I remembered a small vintage diary that for some mysterious reason did not sell in my vintage shop but I was loathe to get rid of. It measures a diminutive 4 3/4" x 3 1/2" and has space for 2 daily posts on each page - basically the size of a regular business card per day. Hmmm... how's this for a crazy idea? What if I filled that little tiny biz-card-sized space with art every DAY next year? I am no sketch artist but I really enjoy collage. I can manage to make a tiny collage every day of 2012! Right? Well... I think it might be fun to try!

Ooops! I just made my first resolution for 2012! *eek*

P.S. If you're interested, here's Jennifer's interview :)

Announcing STITCHED 2012!

2011-11-07T14:12:00.004-06:00

I have been invited by Alma Stoller to be a teacher for STITCHED 2012! STITCHED as described by Alma herself, from her blog:

"STITCHED is a collection of 20 online video workshops by 20 amazing and talented fabric artists. Each workshop provides you with high-value and high-content information to get you sewing, designing and creating."

Registration for the series of classes, which concentrate on fiber arts, starts on December 1st. You get access to all 20 online classes (plus some added extras from Alma) for just $89 dollars!! When the time comes, I hope you will contact me for official sign-up information. I get a bonus for every friend that takes the course! Yay!

Find out about the instructors by clicking here or scroll down following links:
**All of the beautiful graphics are from Alma's blog!!**

Blog: OriginateAndRenovate.blogspot.com

Blog: www.DeborahsJournal.blogspot.com

Blog: www.WildOlive.blogspot.com

Blog: www.SewHooked.com

Blog: www.PaulaJoerling.com

Blog: www.SewSweetness.com

Blog: www.KarenRuane.blogspot.com

Blog: NikkiWheeler.blogspot.com

Blog: Stitchworks-Jackie.blogspot.com/

Blog: www.AppliqueToday.blogspot.com

Blog: www.ShinyHappyWorld.com

Blog: www.TheLavendarTree.blogspot.com

Blogs:

www.CynthiaStAnne.blogspot.com

www.ArtfulLivingOnTheBluff.blogspot.com

Blog: http://DaleAnnePotter.com/blog/

Blog: http://FaerieAcres.blogspot.com

blog: www.TammyGilley.com

Blog:

http://RadicalRecycks.blogspot.com/

Blog: CraftyGemini.blogspot.com

Blog: Sew Old Sew New, www.sooldsonew.blogspot.com

Blog: www.EphemeralAlchemy.blogspot.com

If you would like to join me on this amazing adventure, please click here to view more details!

**All of the beautiful graphics are from Alma's blog!!**

Morning Coffee Quotes

2011-11-05T08:06:00.004-05:00

Photo by Cindy Caraway

"Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again."

- Franklin P. Jones

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."

- Lao Tzu

"It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel."

- Proverbs 20:3

"Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others, we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as ourselves."

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Republics decline into democracies and democracies degenerate into despotisms."

- Aristotle

"The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see."

- Winston Churchill

"It's not what your are, it's what you don't become that hurts."

- Oscar Levant

"I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me."

- Fred A. Allen

"If you have it [Love], you don't need to have anything else, and if you don't have it, it doesn't matter much what else you have."

- James M. Barrie

"Big pay and little responsibility are circumstances seldom found together."

- Napoleon Hill

"No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical."

- Niels Bohr

"The understanding that underlies the right decision grows out of the clash and conflict of opinions and out of the serious consideration of competing alternatives."

- Peter Drucker

"For all the advances in medicine, there is still no cure for the common birthday."

- John Glenn

"As an apple is not in any proper sense an apple until it is ripe, so a human being is not in any proper sense a human being until he is educated."

- Horace Mann

"Resting on your laurels is as dangerous as resting when you are walking in the snow. You doze off and die in your sleep."

- Ludwig Wittgenstein

"When you are faced with a busy day, save some precious time by skipping your prayer time and devotion."

- Satan

"To be blind is not miserable; not to be able to bear blindness, that is miserable."

- John Milton

"When our hatred is too keen, it places us beneath those we hate."

- François duc de La Rochefoucauld

"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err."

- Mahatma Gandhi

Scenes from Silver Dollar City and Harvest Fest 2011

2011-11-04T08:46:00.002-05:00

Hot Spiced Cider!

My mom and I had a dang good time going down to Silver Dollar City for the Harvest Festival.
We have great time whenever we take trip - I'm happy to say this one was no different! :) Here are some of the sights from our fun weekend!

The trip down...
We traveled the Great River Road south while listening to "Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince" on CD. The weather was perfect the entire weekend. We stopped at The Nauvoo Cafe for lunch on Day 1.

After an over-night in Columbia, it was on to Branson. Unfortunately, we got a bit lost... missed one of those pesky exits!! Lucky for us we stumbled upon "The World's Largest Candy Shop" along Interstate 63. Nothing like a little sugar rush to keep your spirits up!

Finally, we reached Springfield and had a delicious (although late) lunch at Hemingway's Restaurant at Bass Pro Shops. Always on our list of stops and always yummy!

Bass Pro Shops - Disneyland for the outdoor enthusiast!

We reached Branson and headed out to Silver Dollar City to wander around for a few hours before closing. If you visit the park after 3pm, your ticket is good for the following day - what a great idea!

If you have never been to Silver Dollar City, you really should make a visit. It's one of the most beautiful theme parks around - lots of trees and flowers and winding walkways.
Scenes from the park...

Some of the great vendors, handicrafts and artists we saw there...

I loved this handpainted stool!

I bought some vintage seam binding ribbon from this vendor!

My mom liked the fish painting. When we came back the next day, it had sold :(

This lady was a hoot to watch and she made beautiful papers

Rachel Wilson makes these fantastical sculptures from scrap twigs and branches

Fun pumpkin carving!

This lathe is powered by the guy turning the huge wheel! He can work for 20 minutes every hour.

OK... so this guy isn't an artist but he was sure cute :)

Lovely shawls were made on this triangle loom

Like this one!

And here's one of my favroite photos from the whole trip! A picture of the crystal blue fall sky...

...perfect.

One down... four to go...

2011-11-03T08:22:00.002-05:00

I haven't had as much time as I would like to work on this series of pieces but I did manage to get the cuff done. It turned out really nicely! The separate components - a ceramic turquoise bead, vintage Lucite cabs and some vintage Swarovski Crystal Pearl cabochons - were individually captured in peyote bezels and then connected with simple beaded links in beads that compliment the color scheme. To that was added a silver filigree box clasp. You can find it for sale at CindyCaraway on Etsy. Let me know what you think :)

Fiber Cuff Class and Dubuque Art Center

2011-11-02T14:47:00.002-05:00

I taught my first Fiber Collage Cuff class at the Dubuque Art Center on Oct 22nd. We had so much fun and the cuffs everyone made were fantastic!It's on the schedule again for Winter - can't wait to teach it again :)

Here we are hard at work!

Jess's Cuff - what a show off!! :)

Erin's Cuff

Courtney's Cuff

Cindy's Cuff

Photos from Art @ Your Library

2011-11-01T08:30:00.000-05:00

Here are some shots from my recent gallery opening for Art @ Your Library. I shared space with a very talented painter named Elizabeth Roberts. The opening was a great success and I even made a sale! :)

My good friend Curt and I discussing which piece we liked best

Giving Gail the thumbs-up for wearing another piece of mine - Green Acres

Gail is the proud owner of Green Acres! She wears it a lot :)

My sweet hubby providing music on the Russian 7-string guitar

One of the cases holding my beadwork and fiber jewelry

The "SOLD" piece - Victorian Romance - went off to a new home!!

TSS Mardi Gras

2011-10-31T14:08:00.000-05:00

Some of you may know that I was, for several years, an entertainer onboard cruise ships. I joined my first ship in 1989 - the TSS Mardi Gras of Carnival Cruise Lines.

The Mardi Gras was Carnival's first ship, too, and she was a beauty! Unlike the monstrosities they have the nerve to call ships these days, the Mardi Gras was truly a ship. Teak paneling nearly everywhere, brass, cut glass, real wooden decks that weren't made to be something else like a golf course or a running track.

There wasn't any such thing as Wi-fi. If you wanted some entertainment while sailing (as if the incredible views and sea air weren't enough for you) then you went to the movie theater (yes, the Mardi Gras had a movie theater) to see a movie. There were usually 3 or 4 to choose from - not first-run films but it was fun anyway.

There was one casino, one disco...

I taught morning aerobics in this room! What a hoot!

...one piano bar that was more fun than you could imagine...

...and one dining room where the waiters and busboys would entertain by dancing with flaming trays and fancy cakes balanced on their heads (it was the one night NO ONE missed dinner!)... If you didn't like what they were serving in the one dining room, you could order a sandwich and some chips from room service for $1.

As I remember, she carried roughly 800 passengers and had a crew around 150. After a week on the Mardi Gras, you really did know people and you felt as though she was home. Again, not like these days when cruise ships carry 4000 people and after a week you come to realize there are parts of the massive ship you never even saw - this was cruising the old way, the better way.

My job was to dance and sing in stage shows in the beautiful Grand Ballroom.

We actually did live shows back then - just 4 singers and the 6 piece "orchestra". Those were great days! We also hosted BINGO in this room. We would sell one card for $5 and 3 for $10, good for a set of 3 games. It's amazing... I can look at this picture and feel like I'm there. (God, I miss it!)

I worked for basically 2 years on the Mardi Gras. I loved that ship! She was ultimately sold to another cruise company I worked for - Royal Olympic Cruises. It's funny to think about it now...

Many years later, in 1998, I was hired as a Social Hostess to work aboard the Stella Solaris (Royal Olympic Cruises) and arrived in Piraeus, Greece on Thanksgiving Day. I (and my luggage) were dropped at the pier and there was absolutely NO ONE from the cruise line there to meet me and my ship was not scheduled to arrive in port until the next day. So... there I was standing on a pier in Greece, not knowing a word of Greek, with $300 in my pocket and a load of luggage. As I was standing there on the verge of a tearful fit, a taxi pulls up. From behind me I hear, "Cindy?? Is that you?". As I turn around, I see Tom, a man I had met while working on the MS Tropicale (also a now defunct Carnival ship). He had sailed on the Trop as a craft instructor and we had struck up a friendship. Here he was standing on the pier in Piraeus, Greece!! Saints be praised! He and his partner Judy were going to be teaching dance classes on the Stella Solaris.

Luckily, he had more than $300 in his pocket! He, Judy and I loaded our luggage into a cab and found our way to a nice hotel to stay at for the evening. To say my life was saved that night is an understatement!

We found out the next day that our ship was due in the early evening so we took the opportunity to visit the Acropolis and walk around Athens for the day. When we returned to the pier, the Stella Solaris was indeed there and ready for us to board. As we were making our way along the pier we walked by a ship that was being stripped and readied for the scrap yard. As we walked by, I felt something incredibly familiar about that ship. As I peered into the darkness at the top of the gangway, I felt like I had some connection to the vessel - like if I walked up the gangway, I would be home. I put it down to feeling a bit homesick - I had, after all, left home on Thanksgiving morning and it had been a rough couple of days. It was only many days later - after we had already set sail - that I found out the ship I felt such a connection to was the Mardi Gras. I broke my heart to think of that grand ship being torn apart and sold for scrap. It still does.

I'm not sure why I felt compelled to write about her - Lord knows, I have a multitude of Mardi Gras stories... memories... photos... maybe I'll scan those photos one of these days and share them here. It really was the most exciting time of my life - a real adventure - and I am ever so thankful to have had it.

Decision made :)

2011-10-28T08:04:00.004-05:00

OK, kids! The other day I showed some components of a work-in-progress...

...asking if I should make one big, gaudy piece or break it up and make a few. Now, you KNOW how much I love the big, gaudy pieces (and from the comments I received, so do you!) but I have decided to take these bits and make a pendant, a necklace, a bracelet and a pair of earrings. Can you believe that I can get that many pieces of jewelry out of it?? Neither can I!!

Here's how it works out:

This will make an impressive pendant!

These will fit together nicely to make a cuff bracelet

I'm not sure how these will go together to make a necklace

These will make a nice pair of earrings

I'm planning on working some more on it tonight and, of course, I'll keep you posted :)

SOLD!

2011-10-27T16:03:00.000-05:00

My latest piece found a home this morning and I couldn't be happier! It went home with my good friend Gail Chavenelle - she is a talented metal sculptor and fellow Dubuquer (Be sure to visit her website at www.chavenellestudio.com and Etsy shop at www.chavenellestudio.etsy.com!). Doesn't she look beautiful wearing her birthday gift to herself?

One of my favorite pieces from Gail's Etsy shop is this wonderful garden sculpture of seahorses:

She does large scale and small - showpieces for inside and out - sculpture ranging in size from 5 inches to 5 feet and more! If you're looking for a great gift - you simply must visit her shop to find items like this jazz quartet...

... or this lovely piece called "Hope Springs"...

So, you get the idea :)
Visit her shop and browse her unique offerings - you'll be glad you did!

Getting there...

2011-10-26T12:53:00.000-05:00

I have been busy at work on a new project! I am loving it so far but am torn between keeping it within some "normal" wearable bounds (splitting up the components I have made into a few different pieces of jewelry) or just going hog-wild and making it one big, gaudy piece. Here's what I have so far - laid out for the big, gaudy look - let me know what you think :)

What Am I Working On Today??

2011-10-23T11:31:00.001-05:00

Morning Coffee Quotes

2011-10-22T07:57:00.001-05:00

It has been busy around here, to say the least! Watch for posts about my gallery opening, news about "Stitched 2012" and a quick trip to Silver Dollar City for the Harvest Festival. Here's a sneaky peek - I hope your lives have all been full, happy and busy, too :)

"Say not always what you know, but always know what you say."
- Claudius

"To be big! To be powerful! This is and has always been the longing of those who are little or feel they are little."
- Alfred Adler

"It's not what you tell your players that counts. It's what they hear."
- Coach Red Auerbach

"There's a big difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do."
- Potter Stewart

"The virtue of courage is a prerequisite for the practice of all other virtues otherwise one is virtuous only when virtue has no cost."
- C. S. Lewis

"A great city is not to be confounded with a populous one."
- Aristotle

"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."
- James 1:19

"Apathy is the glove into which evil slips its hand."
- Bodie Thoene

"Men in general are quick to believe that which they wish to be true."
- Julius Caesar

"Be careful of your thoughts; they may become words at any moment."
- Ira Gassen

"Some things you have to do every day. Eating seven apples on Saturday night instead of one a day just isn't going to get the job done."
- Jim Rohn

"How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?"
- Leroy 'Satchel' Paige

"Telling lies is a bit like tiling bathrooms - if you don't know how to do it properly, it's best not to try."
- Tom Holt

"There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell them."
- Louis Armstrong

"There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Be wiser than other people if you can; but do not tell them so."
- Lord Chesterfield

"We are all such a waste of our potential, like three-way lamps using one-way bulbs."
- Mignon McLaughlin

"Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect."
- Vince Lombardi

"Force may make hypocrites, but it can never make converts."
- William Penn

"A friend who cannot at a pinch remember a thing or two that never happened is as bad as one who does not know how to forget."
- Samuel Butler

"Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use."
- Emily Post

New Necklace

2011-10-21T11:52:00.000-05:00

You might recall my early in-progress photos of this piece... well, now it's finished! It's already posted in my Etsy shop - I hope you will stop by. Please leave a comment to tell me what you think! :) ....oh... and it comes with matching earrings, too!

Morning Coffee Quotes

2011-10-10T14:20:00.000-05:00

I was saddened by the passing of Steve Jobs this past week. It seems odd because I have never owned anything made by Apple. That doesn't change the fact that I see this man as a luminary and a great inspiration. He was complicated, passionate and dedicated and, because of this, he made a profound difference in our world.

"Stay hungry. Stay foolish"
- As quoted by Steve Jobs from final edition of The Whole Earth Catalog

"It is always your next move."
- Napoleon Hill

"In most people's vocabularies, design means veneer. It's interior decorating. It's the fabric of the curtains of the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a human-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service."
- Steve Jobs

"People will choose unhappiness over uncertainty."
- Tim Ferriss

"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face."
- Mike Tyson

"Christopher Columbus, as everyone knows, is honored by posterity because he was the last to discover America."
- James Joyce

"The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts."
- Marcus Aurelius

"Man was born to live with his fellow human beings. Separate him, isolate him, his character will go bad, a thousand ridiculous affects will invade his heart, extravagant thoughts will germinate in his brain, like thorns in an uncultivated land."
- Denis Diderot

"It is a rare person who wants to hear want he doesn't want to hear."
- Dick Cavett

"We work on ourselves in order to help others, but also we help others in order to work on ourselves."
- Pema Chödrön

"No one yet knows an antidote to the political disease of single-interest pluralism."
- Peter Drucker

"Whom the gods wish to destroy they first call promising."
- Cyril Connolly

"You cannot be friends upon any other terms than upon the terms of equality."
- Woodrow Wilson

"Sometimes I think we're alone. Sometimes I think we're not. In either case, the thought is staggering."
- R. Buckminster Fuller

"I'm as proud of what we don't do as I am of what we do."
- Steve Jobs

"If written directions alone would suffice, libraries wouldn't need to have the rest of the universities attached."
- Judith Martin

"To be persuasive, we must be believable. To be believable, we must be credible. To be credible, we must be truthful."
- Edward R. Murrow

"The greatest love is a mother's, then a dog's, then a sweetheart's."
- Polish Proverb

"No one respects a talent that is concealed."
- Desiderius Erasmus

"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."
- Confucius

"He is the best sailor who can steer within fewest points of the wind, and exact a motive power out of the greatest obstacles."
- Henry David Thoreau

"Eminence without merit earns deference without esteem."
- Sebastien-Roch Nicolas De Chamfort

On my desk today...

2011-09-27T07:59:00.000-05:00

...is a new project! I have only just started to pull together the components but I like where it's headed. The polymer pieces and some of the seed beads were included in the wonderful bunch of goodies I got last week. Too bad I've got other work to do today 'cause I can't wait to get going on this one!

Morning Coffee Quotes

2011-09-26T10:59:00.000-05:00

The Sunflower Maze at Kickapoo Orchard - 9/24/11

"Don't water your weeds."
- Harvey Mackay

"Failure is the line of least persistence."
- W. A. Clarke

"Skepticism is unbelief in cause and effect."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Life ain't fair. Fair is where you ride the merry go round and eat cotton candy."
- Unknown

"The safe and general antidote against sorrow is employment."
- Samuel Johnson

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment."
- Jim Rohn

"When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude."
- Gilbert Keith Chesterton

"What we must decide is how we are valuable rather than how valuable we are."
- Edgar Z. Friedenberg

"It is difficult to discriminate the voice of truth from amid the clamor raised by heated partisans."
- Friedrich Schiller

"Part of the $10 million I spent on gambling, part on booze and part on women. The rest I spent foolishly."
- George Raft

"He who awaits much can expect little."
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez

"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."
- John Milton

"The greatest weakness of all is the great fear of appearing weak."
- Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet

"Cannot people realize how large an income is thrift?"
- Cicero

"When you know a thing, to hold that you know it, and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it: this is knowledge."
- Confucius

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after low pricing is forgotten!"
- Leon M. Cautillo

"Someone who knows too much finds it hard not to lie."
- Ludwig Wittgenstein

"You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, and that's good enough."
- Laurence J. Peter

"Maturity begins to grow when you can sense your concern for others outweighing your concern for yourself."
- John MacNaughton

"It is not irritating to be where one is. It is only irritating to think one would like to be somewhere else."
- John Cage

Ta da!! :)

2011-09-22T17:43:00.000-05:00

Well, she's finished! I have no idea what to call her - any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Making out like a banshee!! (aka. I love great gifts!)

2011-09-21T17:17:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine once owned a bead shop but decided that being a shopkeeper was not her passion. She closed her brick and mortar store to open strictly online but then decided that wasn't really doing it for her either. Finally, one day she emailed me and said she was planning to have a garage sale. She was getting rid of ALL her beads and beading supplies.

I went to her sale but my purchases were limited by a strict budget I had put on myself. I went home very happy with the treasures acquired for a mere $20 but was not home an hour before the phone rang. She was on the line saying, "The sale is finished, come back over and I'll give you all of the beading and jewelry supplies I have left BUT you have to come RIGHT NOW or I'm taking it all to Goodwill!". Well, you can bet I hopped right back in the car and drove straight over to her house.

Now, all this comes on the heels of my decision to back away from beading a bit because of my misgivings regarding the origin and manufacture of the supplies needed. I had told myself that my artwork will ONLY use materials that I've found second-hand, salvaged from other sources or that have been gifted to me. These supplies definitely fit the "gifted" category!!

So here's a taste of what I got:
First... seed beads by the boatload!

What you are seeing in this photo are all of the seed beads, which I sorted by size into zip lock bags: 1 gallon of size 11/o, 1 gallon of size 8/o, 1 quart of Delicas, 1 quart of size 15/o, 1 sandwich baggie of size 6/o and 3 sandwich baggies of various fire-polished crystals, Swarovski bicones, cubes, niblets, bugles, drops, hex and triangle beads. Crazy....

Lots of thread - I love my Nymo and S-lon...

...and a large bin of findings and other treasures to numerous to name.

When you add in the 10 or so beading books, you could say it was a pretty darn good day!! My husband and I had a wedding to go to that night and it just about killed me to not stay home and dig into the booty. Oh, the sacrifice! :)

It's been a while since beads have been on my work table but, thanks to this incredibly generous gift, I am back in the saddle again!

I am notorious around here for tearing pretty pages from catalogs and magazines. This latest project is inspired by some of those pages. The article was about decorating and the use of color. I loved the combination of the lime green and cerulean blue.

I almost added purple but green and purple appear so often in my work that I decided to go with a fuchsia pink instead. Here are a few shots of my work-in-progress - I hope you will leave a note to let me know what you think :)

New Blog!

2011-09-12T13:54:00.000-05:00

I have opened a new shop on Etsy! "Cynthia St. Anne" is the synthesis of a passion for vintage and a quest to create beauty through the reuse of lovely vintage items. You will find vintage home decor items, accessories, knick knacks and supplies of all sorts alongside handcrafted jewelry and other goodies! Using vintage lace, trims, fabric, jewelry and found objects, Cynthia St. Anne hopes to entice you while making use of precious pieces of the past.

I hope you will also stop by the accompanying blog at www.cynthiastanne.blogspot.com and consider becoming a follower. The blog will not only focus on new offerings in the Etsy shop but also on vintage/eco fashion and home decor, as well as offering tutorials, recipes and just good old fashioned fun! Eventually "Artful Living on the Bluff" will be replaced by "Cynthia St. Anne"... it's just so hard to say "good-bye", you know?

So, here are some samples of recent posts on the Cynthia St. Anne blog:
Looking Forward to Fall! - Where I featured some cozy fall fashions from favorite Etsy shops

To Follow the Sun - Pretty shots of sunflowers from my backyard that helped inspire a late summer treasury collection called "Follow the Sun".

And in Fall Florals Line Inspiration - I offered a glimpse into the studio and showed how I pulled together fabrics, trims, bits and baubles for a complete range of lovely colors inspired by Autumn.

In the midst of all this some of you may be wondering if I'm giving up an beadwork entirely and the answer to that is a resounding "NO!". But I am stepping back from it a bit and trying to rethink how I source materials and am actively researching ways my business can be more sustainable. Is it worth it to get metal findings or glass seed beads for a cheaper price if they've been manufactured on the other side of the world and shipped to me in huge gas-guzzling container ships? And if they've had to travel so far to get to my door (or local hobby shop, or suppliers' warehouses) how can it be possible they are so inexpensive? I can't help thinking that somewhere, somehow, the price was paid for these - either by the environment or the factory workers who made them. Just my little rant... but these are the things I have been thinking about lately.

So... please try to stop by for a visit... I would love to hear from you...

2011-07-27T15:23:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy summer! In addition to just being... well... busy, things have also been changing for my business. Wanting to cut back on my vintage inventory, I am trying to curb my insatiable need to stop at EVERY garage sale I see and am getting rid of stuff (aka. donating) by the boxful. Going through years of accumulation and deciding what to keep and what to purge is HARD work!

I have also been trying to change the focus of my artwork away from factory-made beads, supplies and findings to using more and more found and upcycled materials such as fiber reclaimed from used clothing and trims and treasures found and/or scavenged second-hand.

So, that being said, here are some shots of my newest creation made entirely from upcycled materials including vintage crochet doilies, fabric remnants, scraps and trims found at tags sales and thrift shops. I haven't named it yet - the naming part is always the hardest - so let me know if you have any suggestions :)

A Busy Weekend!

2011-07-13T15:47:00.000-05:00

We had a busy and super FUN weekend this past week. First, we woke up early and went to the Farmer's Market. We are lucky here in Dubuque, IA to have a really cool farmer's market every Saturday.

It was a perfect morning.

We entertained ourselves walking around, enjoying the fine weather...

...and finally bought eggs, baby onions, kale, broccoli and beets.

That evening, my hubby's rockabilly band, "The Fast Clydes", had a gig. It was a basement concert at a house outside Maquoketa, IA where they host a fantastic series of live-music concerts - "Codfish Hollow Barnstormers". On their Facebook page, they describe it as:

Awesome LIVE music + cool old barn = a Codfish Hollow Barnstormer

This wasn't a "Barnstormer" concert but was what they call a "Basementstormer" concert - a smaller live music event held in their decidedly cool house with an even cooler basement. Here are some shots from the evening:

Nothing like a game of pool to loosen you up before a big gig!

The Fast Clydes in action!

On Sunday, we went to a picnic in Eagle Point Park for DubuqueFest volunteers hosted by the co-directors of the planning committee. (Be sure to visit the website - it was designed by my friend Kristine!!) Good food, great company and cold beer, what's not to love??

Later that evening we went to "Music on the March"! Dubuque has a world-class Drum and Bugle corps - The Colts - and they hosted several other corps for an evening of competition and just good ol' entertainment. If you have never seen a drum and bugle corp performance, you are missing out! Check out the Drum Corps International (DCI) website for an event near you and GO! You'll be glad you did!

Here are some shots from "Music on the March":

The Madison Scouts

The Boston Crusaders

The Colts

This Morning in My Garden

2011-07-12T10:56:00.003-05:00

A Busy Bee...

I'm not sure what type of bee this little guys is - that beautiful green you see is natural!! If you happen to know - tell me, will ya??

A Perky Pooch...

A Magnificent Morning Glory...

And some Rumskill"yum"cious Raspberries (emphasis on the YUM, please)!!

Sorry... I know Rumskillyumcious is not a real word but I liked it!! :)

New Vintage Blog for Caraway Cache

2011-07-11T17:56:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to let the vintage fans I might have know that I have started a blog all about thrifting and enjoying vintage goodies and treasures. I hope you will join me over at www.carawaycache.blogspot.com and become a follower!

Morning Coffee - Dance like you mean it!!

2011-07-07T10:00:00.002-05:00

Scenes from the 4th of July

2011-07-05T20:30:00.000-05:00

We had a quiet evening enjoying our backyard on July 4th.

Singing songs, dinner al fresco, good vino, a fire and our puppies - what could be better?

Summer Pinks and Turquoise

2011-07-04T10:40:00.000-05:00

Summer brings to mind tasty pinks, cool turquoise and golden sunshine! I hope you like this collection :)

This is a screenshot with no active links. Please visit the original treasury page - be sure to visit these wonderful shops and leave a comment, if you please!

The Art Market

2011-07-03T11:07:00.000-05:00

The Art Market is a local arts and crafts show held the 1st and 3rd Saturdays during June, July and August down along the riverfront in Dubuque, IA. The Art Market is put on by The Dubuque Art Center (in conjunction with other local sponsors) and I have taken part in the last two. This is the first time I have ventured into selling my wares "face-to-face" and I have really enjoyed the experience so far. Not that I have made a ton of money or anything. The little money I have made has come in handy but times these days are not easy for a lot of people and I make jewelry. No matter how you slice it, jewelry is a luxury item. 'Nuf said.

BUT I will say that I enjoy seeing people react to what I make and I love it when one of my creations goes off to a new home. I also like the feeling of accomplishment that comes from a day of honest work. Selling at fairs is hard work! It's definitely not for woosies and (for me, at least) takes some strategic planning to make sure you have all of you ducks in a row. The bottom line is that I really enjoy it and would recommend it to anyone who has been thinking about diving into doing weekend craft shows.

My advice is to start small and local. Borrow a tent canopy your first couple times out. Unless you know you will want to use a canopy anyway for backyard picnics and weekend camping trips, don't invest in one right away. If you start by doing shows locally, you will not have to worry too much about hotels, meals and travel expenses. And if you forget something, you will be close enough to (A) drive home and get it or (B) call someone who loves you enough to bring it to you.

Money aside, I find that I enjoy it. REALLY enjoy it! And I know I want to expand and continue exploring the art/craft show possibilities. Here are some shots from yesterday at The Art Market:

THE SHOW

MY BOOTH

Morning Coffee Quotes

2011-07-02T09:17:00.000-05:00

The first blossom of summer! - photo by Cindy Caraway

“If the whole world followed you, would you be pleased with where you took it?”
- Neale Donald Walsch

“Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth.”
- Ludwig Börne

“Things turn out the best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
- John Wooden

“Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought.”
- Henri Louis Bergson

“What torments of grief you endured, from evils that never arrived.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Learn how to separate the majors and the minors. A lot of people don't do well simply because they major in minor things.”
- Jim Rohn

“There is no worse sorrow than remembering happiness in the day of sorrow.”
- Alfred De Musset

“To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves.”
- Will Durant

“We have the Bill of Rights.
What we need is a Bill of Responsibilities.”
- Bill Maher

“Respect gained by fear is only an empty pretense that turns to contempt the moment the threat disappears.”
- Michael Josephson

“An optimist is someone who goes after Moby Dick in a rowboat and takes the tartar sauce with him.”
- Zig Ziglar

Quilt Scraps

2011-06-27T14:45:00.000-05:00

I told you yesterday about some quilt scraps I bought in Branson. I have started making some cuffs with them and I really like how they are turning out! My jewelry typically tends to be a bit on the "over produced" side - which I think is good in most cases. Threads are clipped and secured, the edges are meticulously finished, details are seen to - so much so that the slightest oversight in one of my pieces, ones that are not even noticeable except to myself, will bug me forever!! I'm not bragging about this - I am a perfectionist and (some might say) a control freak. It might be labeled as neurosis :)

I am, none-the-less, very attracted to clothing and accessories that look like they've been around for a while and arose spontaneously - raveling edges, loose threads, amorphous shape. So, I am using this as an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone. Working more with fiber than beads has already helped a lot. Here are some shots of cuffs I've made so far. The tops are made from the quilt scraps which are then embellished using my fun stash of lace, doilies and other trims. Some embroidery is added to hold the layers together and it is backed with some lovely tea stained fabric and finally signed and dated. Let me know what you think of them :)

My summer vacation....

2011-06-26T17:05:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm sure it seems that I have been on a summer vacation for more than a month! I have been busy but only 2 weeks of the last month+ has been actually spent "on vacation". Every year for the past, oh... 10 years or so my mom and I have taken a trip down to see Mickey Mouse in Florida. We go to the Disney parks and to Universal Studios to ride the rides and take in the general, unabashed commercialism. It's all great fun - exhausting - but still fun, none-the-less.

We left on May 27th and headed toward Branson, MO to visit Silver Dollar City. We also spent a nice day wandering around old Branson. What fun!! Antique malls are kind of passe up here in the Midwest but they are going strong in downtown Branson. I found some really cool stuff and a little diner worth a trip to Branson all by itself!!

The antique mall I liked the best :)

~ Here are photos of things I liked but did NOT buy ~

BUT I did buy some sweet bags full of quilt remnants!! When I brought them up to the front to pay, I thought the woman in line behind me was going to arm wrestle me more for them! She was jealous... I had found them stuffed under a bottom shelf in one of the stalls - they needed cleaning badly but I knew they would clean up just fine once I got them home.

One of the coolest things about this little antique mall?? The painted floors! I'm known to take photos of things like bathroom floors and such - these were pretty cute. The floors throughout most of the building were painted but covered up by fun vintage treasures. Here are just 2 examples:

The bathroom was painted up like a garden with a paved patio and sweet painted rugs

So fun!! More to come from my summer vacation a little later... (to be continued)....

Beauty in the "everyday"

2011-05-16T17:50:00.001-05:00

Things have been a bit overwhelming lately. Why? I have no idea. I'm not alone - I've spoken to others who are also having trouble getting their "poop in a group" for some reason. After much thinking and wondering about it I have figured out my reason: I have somehow forgotten to find the beauty in the things I see every day - to find joy in the common place. It has infected nearly everything I do and I'm getting tired of it!! From now on, I am going to try to see the beauty around me - not just "beautiful things" but rather "things of beauty". I think there's a difference in those two because a thing of beauty may not necessarily be universally beautiful but have intrinsic beauty or beauty in its usefulness or potential.

So, every once in a while, I am going to post some photos of the every day beauty from my life. Self-indulgent? Maybe. But, hey, it's my blog :) Maybe you will see some beauty in the common things I share here, too.

Lingonberry Jam on homemade bread

Laundry on the line

Our colorful yard

Creeping Charlie

Beautiful Dandelion

I love my candle!!

Things I cannot do without

Stuff to do this week

The beginnings of an upcycled journal

T-shirt Yarn

2011-05-16T07:56:00.000-05:00

Fanciful Fibers and Fabrications

2011-05-15T18:00:00.000-05:00

'Fanciful Fibers and Fabrications' by CindyCaraway

Glorious fibers and things to make out of them! What more could you want??

Hand Dyed Ribbon Savanna Hal... JodyPoesy $5.00	TREE DWELLER Kaeriefaerie52 $65.00
Woodland Stream Fringe Effec... KnotOriginal $6.50	Beaded Brooch. Hand dyed sil... sesenarts $28.00
Assorted 2 lb 5 oz Vintage C... VintageKeepsak... $25.00	Custom Made OOAK Crochet Cov... StitchHappens7 $80.00
Silk Sari Ribbon Variety of ... designtalented... $13.50	Midsummer night dream, fiber... Cesart64 $49.00
Lavender Wine and Sage - Flo... CindyCaraway $250.00	Recycled Sari Silk Ribbon - ... YarnAndFiber $11.99
Magic Rainbow Nuno Felted S... beatassoul $75.00	Organic Merino Roving-Hand D... moonlightandla... $17.00
Set of 2 - French Inspired L... 5dollarfrenchm... $5.00	Spring Fabric Flower Bracele... petrillij $42.00
Cashmere Fantasy Textile Art... vanessahandmad... $24.00	Seam Binding-15 yards Iced M... Bluebirdlane $5.50

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

A Day in the Life

2011-05-15T10:25:00.001-05:00

Morning

An organized closet

Lilacs on the table

A tasty lunch

First rhubarb of the season

An evening retreat

Ogie

Freckles

Balls of T-shirt yarn

Bedside books