This time last year I was recovering from pneumonia. I was barely able to drag myself through the OPA show. This year I happily traipsed through OPA and the Guild shows. The Guilds were all in one big hall this time. There was a large, unused space in the middle. They really need a multi-guild gallery there.

Unlike past years where we bought many small things, our strategy this year was to just get a few larger pieces. We are tickled as heck with what we brought home, though there was a small pang at not picking up something from all our old favorites. We’ll probably go back to nibbling next year.

We did actually end up with a couple of small things. I got some dazzling roving from the Handweavers Guild show, and a couple of lovely beads from the Bead show.

I originally spotted the bowl on the right, but as we were checking out, the Spousal Unit decided it simply must be paired with the bowl on the left. He was right, of course. If you turn them around and hold them to the light, they are translucent. Gorgeous work.

We also couldn’t resist adding to our collection of Michael Fromme critters. This mousie will join a rabbit and a fox.

Our method as we browse the OPA show is to bring a map, and mark the artists we want to come back and consider buying from. But sometimes we are thwarted by potlust. This wonderful Ginger Steele cried out to come home with us. We have a smaller piece by her, and it was high time we had something a bit larger. Speaking of Ginger…

This was our great prize this year. Note: we named him, not the artists. We had just come from Ginger’s booth, happily toting her pot in our basket, when we found an old favorite, James DeRosso. I have a collection of his tiny monsters. This is not tiny–it’s about 10″ high. I spotted it on the back shelf and said “Hey, that looks like James collaborated with Ginger Steele!” James just happened to be lurking behind us, and filled us in. He’d left this piece in Ginger’s studio for her, and when it got leather hard “she just went nuts”.  They then used her glazes on it. The result is one of my favorite pieces ever. The Spousal Unit is also completely smitten. And not only is it a delightful piece of art, that second fin comes off to reveal a slot–it’s also a coin bank!

Good show, everyone! We really enjoyed the addition of the Handweavers Guild to the guild shows. We talked to lots of artists and saw many beautiful things. Can’t wait for next year.

I’m not much of a gamer, but this sure is pretty. Pretty creepy:

One of my favorite creepmeisters, Dahlia Dreary, has started a book club.  The first assignment is Sarah Rayne’s A Dark Dividing. As usual, the Kindle edition is full of copy-editing errors. Nonetheless, I’m enjoying the novel, which is oh-so-gothicy thus far.

So I posted a beautiful foam monster built of foam on facebook a few days ago. Turns out the creator used the building of this monster to film a tutorial on scaling and building in foam. It’s fascinating, and boy do I want some of those tools. If only tools could make me a brilliant sculptor.

Very cool stop-motion vid from Jamie Caliri for The Shins:

 

 

Nick Cave’s Shamanic Sound Suits (sorry, Spousal Unit, not that Nick Cave):

 

 

Urban Geodes:

 

 

Stunning porcelain art dolls from Marmite Sue:

 

 

Finally, a spooky little automaton by Thomas Kuntz:

 

Ze Frank has resurrected A Show, and the internet rejoices. Today’s Show was about make believe:

 

This is something I’ve never had trouble with, much to the Spousal Unit’s frequent consternation. For example, I am convinced the Custom House in downtown Portland is full of spies. Look at it:

Looming there with its stony edifice and its formal courtyard. Why do you think plans for the building continually fall through? Spies.

Then there was the time when we lived downtown and I’d hop the bus in the mornings for a short trip to work. One morning, I saw a handsome black gentleman, about 50, dressed in a dark turtleneck, charcoal slacks, and polished dress shoes. The Spousal Unit and I agreed he was quite sharp. The next day, there was another black man, very similarly dressed, with features very much like the fellow of the day before, except 20 years younger. Father and son? Of course not. It was the same man. When we saw him the day before, he’d obviously come from the future with a dire warning for his younger self. We never saw the older man again, though we saw the younger several times. See, his older self went back to the future.

Recently, the Spousal Unit and I were pulling a set of letterboxes I’d planted temporarily. Heading along the trail, he asked me where the turn was. I told him that according to my clues, it was at the castle ruins. He looked at me skeptically. Eventually, we came to a trail on the left, marked by a few overgrown slabs of concrete. “Castle ruins!” I said. She shook his head and said I had to be kidding. I harrumphed that it was perfectly obvious.

It’s possible I have an excess of imagination, but I’m not giving it up.

I really need to put some stuff on the walls.

Wandering through an antique shop in downtown Forest Grove today, I found a treasure. I am fascinated with old photographs, but generally pass them by because I want so badly to know about the people pictured that it becomes frustrating.  This, I could not pass by. For the princely sum of $5, I took home an intimate piece of someone’s life: a scrap book from the 1880s.

The gorgeous Art Deco cover bursts with peacock feathers, flowers, and landscapes. Within are pasted amateur poems clipped from the local newspapers, birth and marriage announcements, obituaries, woodcuts (mostly waterfalls), and the occasional inspirational story, even a scolding article about stingy husbands.

 

Inside the front cover is the only color illustration: a sailboat, with the hand-written caption “May my birthdays be life’s golden mile-stones.”

While I haven’t gleaned the name of the owner, I do know some things.

• The clippings are from the paper in Weston, Oregon, so I’m assuming that is her home town.
• She is a most sincere Baptist and a believer in temperance.
• Beelers and Dentons are mentioned many times in the announcements, so she may be a relation. Interestingly, there is a wedding announcement for Ella Crawford of Pendleton. Crawford is my birthname, and my father’s family is from Eastern Oregon. Perhaps I’m hold the scrapbook of a distant relative?

Many pages are missing, and the ones left are mostly loose, so it is difficult to determine order. I do think our scrapper used this one book for most of her life, as her handwriting clearly ages. The front pieces are from the 1870s. Here is a later page, with something even older, and a note:  “Torn from wall of my birth place [...] Scio about 1912. Probably used as wall paper by my parents.” I’m guessing she was visiting in 1912? Or perhaps there is more than one author? On the back of this page is a note that appears to be different handwriting: “Polk Co, June 23 1877.”

Here are some gems from the pages:

MARRIED. DAVIS-BARKER — On Sabbath, Aug 26, 1877, at the residence of Taylor Cotton, in this city by the Reverend T.B. White, Mr. Commodore P. Davis and Nellie J. Barker.
Accompanying the above notice was the most delicious silver cake, which received due attention from the whole force. Mr. Davis is one of our best young men; honest, capable, steady-going and temperate, he fully deserves the rich prize which has fallen to him. May they meet with nothing but happiness as together they float down the stream of time.

–

BORN,–To the wife of O.G. Beeler, Sept. 15, 1890, a girl. Weight eight pounds.

Oren goes around with a look of utter bewilderment on his face.

–

A BOY’S DETERMINATION

G.E.B.S

You can’t make the pledge too strong,
Though I’m a little shaver,
I’ll to the temperance ranks belong,
And never, never waver.

King Alcohol’s a foe to all,
Who give him any quarter;
The best of drinks for young and old,
Is pure unmixed cold water.

No brandy sling, or cherry bounce,
No wine to soak a cracker;
Nor will I touch a single ounce
Of that vile weed–tobacco.

Though rum and ruin rule the world
They shall not conquer me.
I’m pledged to total abstinence,
The true way to be free.

No word profane my lips shall pass,
Nor filthy juice bespatter,
I will not touch the poisoned glass,
Though all the world may flatter.

Then when I grow to be a man,
And vote for legislators;
I’ll do the very best I can
To beat the temperance haters.

Aren’t you just dying to know what a cherry bounce is?

Yep, that’s me, holding a juvenile alligator. As in, a young alligator, not an alligator who makes fart jokes.  My friend Anna volunteers for Hart’s Reptile Rescue, so I had a bit of an in, and got to hold not only this beauty, but a lovely bearded dragon as well.  The Spousal Unit got thoroughly snuggled by a sweet Dumeril. She just settled right in. It was adorable. Hart’s facebook album has a few more pics of us.

After snuggling critters, we headed off to the SE Portland Art Walk. We’ll hit a few more tomorrow. Today, I glommed a “dog monster” from a favorite: James Derosso. He just started making these. Aren’t they great?

 

I also found a spoon rest by Terry Batte. She made it from recycled windows. I loved the quiet beauty of the piece. Also, I’m a sucker for practical items that are also art. Sorry the photo is sub-par–glass is a pain to photograph!

 

Finally, I saw some jewelry I liked, but I admit I didn’t buy a piece. I loved that it was different, that the design was so sharp, but I just wasn’t sure it was something for me to wear. But it might be something for you to wear! Ana Eugenia hasn’t updated her site yet with her new pieces, so here’s a sample:

 

I was very tempted by some honeycomb-inspired rings.

So we’re driving home, tired, and I’m thinking the only thing that could make this better is if I found a letterbox. Got home, and lo and behold, I had notification of a new local box in my email! Bill opted for the couch. It was a little further down the road than I thought, but still pretty close. I got first finder!

Supah-dupah day.

Just chucking a post in here so I can tell when DNS has propagated. I am now on Dreamhost.

spices

Originally uploaded by frykitty

I was at the end of my spice storage, so I went to Kitchen Kaboodle in search of ideas. I found some stainless steel canisters that are about the same size as my ceramics, but what I’m really proud of is the rack (hey, nice rack!). It is bamboo drawer organizers, mounted to the fridge, cupboard, and each other with light mounting squares. The organizers come in a couple sizes, so even though the rest of the counter isn’t big enough to double storage, I can still expand using the smaller organizer.

 

I’m really enjoying the understated cards. They make me feel all designer-y. I’ve been wanting to use this little Christmas tree stamp by Studio G (yep, the ones you get in the bargain bin for $1)  for a while, so that’s where my inspiration started. With this card, I actually had the whole thing in my head, pretty much as it turned out. When you can get the thing in your head to be real, it’s a good sign! I did have some trouble finding paper. My paper collection is like Powell’s Books–great if you want to browse a ton of stuff for inspiration, but hopeless if you want something specific. The joke is that I found it in the last place I looked–but in fact it was the last stack I owned! But find it I did.

I cut the paper from DCWV’s Stack 6 to 2-1/4″ x 4″, rounded the top corners, and carefully affixed some holiday washi tape. Wish I could tell you more about the tape, but I bought it last year, and it has long been separated from its packaging.

Next, I stamped my little tree on the same kraft paper as the card base (I actually cut up another card, since I didn’t have any kraft paper) and embossed it in white. Painted the stripes with matte paint. I got out my usual tub of gold for the little circle on the top, and after struggling with it for a few seconds, I realized there had to be an easier way than a soak in hot water to get the lid off, then five minutes of mixing for one teeny dot. Eying my supplies I found it–Smooch Accent Inks to the rescue! Just a dab of Sundance did the trick. I set that aside to dry.

Again on the kraft paper, I stamped my sentiment using a darling Memory Box stamp and Colorbox Scarlet pigment ink, and cut it out. I cut little banner ends and edged everything with the ink. I attached the background to the top, but left the sentiment off so it wouldn’t be in the way.

Next, I got to use my Stamp-a-ma-jig! I was so excited. I stamped a tree on the right where I wanted my cut-out to go, then I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig to position the other three trees. I didn’t want them as intense, so I stamped off twice with that same Colorbox ink.

Next, the sentiment banner and tree were attached with popdots.

Now, if I had my druthers, I would have done faux stitching with a pen. But I do not yet have a pen that is satisfactorily opaque. I know what I’m getting, though, and tomorrow I’ll tell you about it if I can find it locally. Anyway, I figured dots would work. I applied them with the tip of a makeup swab, and ended up pretty happy with the results.

 

Get In My Belly is my personal recipe book. I also keep notes on restaurants we go to. Well, when I think of it. It’s updated infrequently, so I really should remember to copy things over here if I want to share them with everyone. And oh, this was sharable. Perfect for a vegetarian Thanksgiving entree!

Roasted Veggie Pie

Ingredients:
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 carrot, sliced
6 large mushrooms, sliced
1 tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 c pesto sauce
1/2 c cream cheese

1/3 sliced olives (about half an 8oz can)
2 small tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 veggie patties, cooked and diced (I use Morningstar Farms Garden Vegetable)
1/3 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 pie crusts (yep, I just buy ‘em)

One egg
2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 350°. Toss onion, garlic, pepper, carrot, mushrooms with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes. When done, mix with cream cheese and pesto while still warm.

Increase oven temp to 450°. Put bottom pie crust in a 9″ ungreased glass pie pan. Load with veggie mixture, pressing lightly to make sure it’s distributed evenly. Top with tomatoes, olives, veggie patties, and cheese. Cover with top pie crust. Cut four slits in the pie crust. Wisk the egg and water together to make an egg wash, and brush the top of the pie. Bake for 20 minutes.

 

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