Collecting Grandma-isms

OK, so you may know that my husband is a teacher in a Waldorf school. He will be with his class for their final year (8th grade) this coming year. And he uses expressions in the classroom, to show surprise, chagrin, shock, that we might not hear other places except maybe a facility for older folks. Such as: "My Land!" or "Oh my stars!" or even "Oh my stars and whiskers!" Another one, from Hannah: "You bet your sweet bippy!" Jonas made up this one: "By my blazing bloomers!" And while I know that my dear husband is capable of *other* types of expletive language, learned from ghetto rap in his youth (and look how he turned out), I think it's so sweet that he is passing along these quaint turns of phrase.

a tightrope for spiders

I have learned of a new one from my friend Miss Smith lately, which I am hoping we (collectively, in our various corners of the world) can resurrect into popularity: "Toodle pip!" Do you love it?! She says it's mostly used by older New Zealanders and it means "Bye! See you later!"

my A-line skirt as basket

So. Here is the question: Can you share with us any unique Grandma-isms from your neck of the woods? That way I can give them to the Mister to share with his class and we can preserve these bits of our linguistic heritage with the next generation. Please don't be shy!

So check this beaded ribbon out, made especially for me by Robinsunne as a thank you for proofreading her latest book. And see that pattern in blue? Robinsunne used it because it was my doodle, you know the thing you do over and over in high school algebra class, if you aren't very excited by the content of the course, and perhaps also you have terrible basic skills and want to try really hard NOT TO BE NOTICED under any circumstances?

The nifty thing about it is that you can squinch it all together and make neat designs. She also tells me that you can actually cut it, without a bunch of beads flying everywhere. Not being a beader, this seems really miraculous. So you could use it as trim on a bag, or an accent on an ATC. Neat! Also, it elicits a really visceral response from me that makes me want to either rub it on my cheeks and maybe even lick it. Sorry if that's TMI.

Reusable Shopping Bag #2

Just my kind of Sunday: in my bathrobe until 3 p.m., lots of sewing time, some chores, watched a a fabulous art video by Traci Bautista, and was just mostly thrilled to be home all day long hearing the sounds of my family singing snippets, listening to the Beatles White Album Listening Party on the radio, weatherizing the windows, and constructing block/Playmobil castles.

So I finished Bag #2, and the learning curve is flattening a little! Things were easier! And check out my little innovation for finger-pressing the top seams (since pinning seemed wrong):
Handle seams came out straighter this time around. But the width between them is slightly more than 1) the pattern asked for, and 2) it was not on purpose. Oh Well.
Inspired by the amazing mixed media artist Bautista, mentioned above, I decided that my seams don't all need to be perfect-looking. Yup, here they are, NOT PARALLEL! Get this, Traci doesn't even pin stuff down when she is art-quilting!!!! I love it and can't wait to try.
I was watching the video because Robinsunne and I are currently dreaming up possibilities for more art in the Rockport Public Library in 2009, and we are considering Art Journals (remember Jonas's Travel Journal I made him?). Yes, amazing, creative, and sometimes messy...so alive with potential that it's a little overwhelming for us planners. More fun is obviously beckoning and we need to work out the details now.

I am most thankful for loving my life and work, being surrounded by people who make me laugh, always making time for my creative outlets, getting three eggs from our chickens yesterday (who mostly think it's too dark to lay more than the occasional egg lately), a husband who loves my quirkiness, an exercise class that rocks my world, one boy who twinkles, and one who doesn't want me to become "shrinkled." Have a happy happy Thanksgiving.

I'm a Winner!

I'm a winner because I have creative children who use tires to make their own fun. So if you drive by and look at my yard, don't think we are unkempt because you may see plastic sleds and rope, tires and stepladders and bicycles strewn about. Be happy for us because we are good-hearted people who sometimes use our things in unusual ways.

I also won my first Blog Giveaway from My ZoeBug, in honor of Amy's birthday! Well, yay, I got a lovely gift certificate to Amy's etsy shop. (Her birthday and I got a present!) And after a lot of deliberation, I decided on this lovely hand-embroidered felt bird...I am already seeing it on a future bag.
But that's not all...She also included some sweet handmade cards featuring owls. Amy, did you see my owl bag and know I am having an owl-love thing right now? So great. Thank you so much, Amy!
And I am also a winner because Robinsunne came to the library yesterday and gave me a hand-made, crocheted, autumn leaves-colored vessel:
She held three strands of yarn and I love the way the diagonal pattern of the single-crochet stitch becomes really noticeable, when you have a nice light color there like the orange.

And get this: Robinsunne is holding an All Hallows Eve Blog Party. The vessel above is featured at the party! You should go have a little look-see. It is so lovely, full of gnomes, fancily-dressed ladies, delicious treats, and even a "party favorite." Beautiful job, Robinsunne! And thank you!

I'm an Art Guinea Pig!

Hey, I got a great invitation to be Robinsunne's art guinea pig! She is working on a new book and wanted some feedback. Art Journals are in my head a lot these days (remember the one I made for Jonas when he went traveling this summer?), so it felt perfect to get to try out this concept for Robinsunne and offer her my feedback about the experience.

She is hoping to take these to press soon, so I also have a deadline....see how much I can do in it in one week (that will be next Wednesday). This works well for a girl who loved homework! There are many pages of blank colored cardstock, as the one below (my response after my first day of my internship at the Camden Rockport Middle School Library):
But there are also pages that include a word or image or photocopied "texture" to work from:Do you recognize my owl fabric? I am working on my Owl Bag and this was a scrap:
This page has the look of blue tissue paper glued to a purple background, that Robinsunne then photocopied:

And do you see that little silver word, "love," above? That is a little extra surprise: tucked into the back of the book, a handmade envelope includes several shiny metallic tape embellishments with words on them. And the last few pages of the book have stuff to cut up and play with: fairy wings, stamps, labels, and art-y sayings and encouragements.

SO MUCH FUN. It's great because I can pick it up and put it down...start a page and come back to it later...Just go with what comes to me. She asked for my family's participation, we'll see if that happens! This would be perfect as a gift for someone as a way to introduce them to the fun of "visual" journaling.

5 Minute ATCs

I decided to challenge myself: could I put a time limit on my creativity? How to be more intentional, thinking of my 5 minutes as a type of practice. Like those writers who say that they just sit down and write for a certain amount of time each day, whether they think they have something to say or not. On the card above, I got a great idea from Robinsunne to use that air-drying Model Magic (in terra cotta) to print a stamp into. You ink it up a little, then imprint it into the soft clay; when it dries it's like a little medallion. My kids have been trying it too, and somehow I keep finding bits of it that are snipped up in strange places around my house. So I just gather up the bits and think of ways to recycle. Above and below, these are some 5 Minute ATCs.

(Do you recognize the origami paper from last post in the above card? I still haven't been able to cut into the paper, the closest I came was cutting up the squares above which appeared on the packaging. And the background paper, that Macaroni-and-Cheese-in-a-box Orange, somehow always surprises me by looking great on a card.)

Above is one more 5 Minute ATC. Do you recognize my handcarved stamp, on the background? And the vellum is from the cover of Peter Sis's book Tibet: Through the Red Box. The tea label says: "A Relaxed mind is a creative mind." I wasn't feeling that relaxed, but it was my wish for myself at that moment.Finally, this is a detail from a Secret Project I have been working on. "Angels Fly...because they take themselves lightly." Hannah may be able to guess who this is for. And I promise to tell you all about it later, just in case the recipient is reading this!

All Through May the Comment Pile is Growing!
No, I didn't mean Compost Pile (though that is growing too), I mean the pile of names I am gathering for the Thank-You-For-Your-Comment ATC Giveaway! Any time you leave a comment during this month of May, even just a little hello, I will add your name to my little pile of slips. At the end of the month I will be drawing 4 names and sending ATCs to folks who have been kind enough to say hello or leave an encouraging word!

Happy May Day

"Yellow Cape House dress/thirty years loved, then passed on/for another's use."

On Monday, Jake's last living grandma died at 100 years old. Trudy had just about the most lovely death you could imagine, surrounded by her four children, two of their spouses, and one grandson (Jake); as she died they were holding her, speaking encouraging words, and giving their love. What a gift that Jake was there with her. The whole last day of her life (she was sleeping), she had a full hospital room of her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids coming and going, rubbing cream on her hands and feet, laughing and joking, sharing stories of her life.

For Jake's whole life, whenever he visited the family home on Cape Cod, Trudy wore a yellow shirt-waist dress. The dress meant summer days and lots of cousins and family, the beach and ice creams. I knew her in the dress there as well, and one year remarked to her that I always thought of her in that dress at the Cape. She replied, "You know, I finally gave that dress to the Goodwill. I was just sick of seeing myself in so many pictures in it, but it had plenty of use left in it for someone else." A true Yankee who had lived as an adult through the Depression, she never wanted to throw something away that might still be useful.

Below, inspired by a Neruda poem, a child wrote these words:
"Where did the star leave its book tonight?"

And look at these gifts from friends...
Robinsunne noticed my delight at this lovely stamp she made, so she stamped me up some cards for my "crafting pleasure!" They came in their own pocket on an ATC.


And Emily, of Ravenhill, was actually on this continent and right in my neighborhood, but we weren't able to connect this visit! But we managed to pass each other some lovelies anyway. I sent her some ATCs and she sent me a little gift bag with one of her most special Babushka dolls inside! I am thrilled. Ravenhill has an Etsy site also, if you'd like to see more. Did you know that in Norway there is a saying: There is no bad weather, only bad clothes? I love it, and learned it from Emily's blog!

I am disappointed that my camera cannot really capture the details, but I think you can see that there is some delicate applique and embroidery, not to mention a delightful mix of colorful fabrics.

Month of May Comment Give-Away!
So, yes, the commenting should be easier now, so I wonder if you'd like to leave one and have your name entered in a bowl for a "Thank you for Reading" ATC giveaway? In your comment, leave your name and email (if I don't have it) so that if you are the lucky winner I can let you know and find out how to send you your booty. I will draw four names, for the four weeks in this month! Just drop a little note...it doesn't have to be fancy