I think today instead of ending with my thankful thought, I will start with it. Guess what - Kim from Today’s Creative Blog featured me yesterday! Isn’t that cool? I encourage you to go check out Kim’s blog. I’ve had it on my must-read list for some time now. She has a knack for finding some very interesting people working in various media, all of whom are making beautiful things. It makes me wish I had a million hours in the day so that I could keep up with all of the creative blogs I discover through her. I’m thankful to be included in such a nifty “club.” Thanks, Kim!

And to all of you who have wandered over here from Today’s Creative Blog, welcome! Make yourself at home. And come to think of it, maybe some of you creative types would be interested in getting in on the Color Challenge… It’s a monthly event around here, each month based on a color. If you can craft something in brown, upload an image to flickr, and add it to our pool, then you can join us. The more the merrier, all media welcome! You can find out more here.

The pictured images are a few recent challenge submissions that I really like. These particular entries are polymer clay. Interesting how many different hues of brown have been showing up in the pool. I am noticing a really wide variety this time around that I didn’t notice when we did orange, olive, or aqua. Maybe “brown” is just too broad a color name. Perhaps I should have said “chestnut.” Heh. Anyway, my fault for not being specific enough, so I will accept anything from the brownish family. You’ve got a few more weeks to get your submissions in (where did November go already??).

It’s Friday, so you know what that means? Flickr favorites of course. Such a feast for the eyes, that flickr is, wouldn’t you say?

Will you look at what I played along with last night? I, who haven’t exercised in years. I, who have finally decided that I am ready to be serious about losing some weight. I have set a rather lofty goal of 25lbs, but to be honest, if I lose the 15 I gained during the Summer of Comfort Eating and Elastic-Waist Skirts, it will be enough to make me happy. I have to do something. My body is clearly complaining about the extra weight, every time I do anything the least bit active - and sadly, these days I consider moving from a seated position to a standing position to be “active.” Wish me luck in de-pudging. I signed up with SparkPeople.com, who made the video. They have a few tools that might come in handy, and it’s free, so why not?

Anybody have any suggestions for some good family workout videos? I think I’d like to include the kids in this endeavor - particularly the little round one who is entirely too fond of his tv and computer time. (kinda like his mom…)

Happy Weekend!

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Well, I had no idea Orange was going to be such a popular color! There were over 140 submissions in media as diverse as polymer clay, paper, fabric, yarn, paint, cupcake frosting and shoes! Tough choice, but I’ve narrowed it down.

Allow me to introduce you to the finalists, before I reveal the winner:

1. Papier mache Jack-O-Lantern, by Tamara (Block Party Press)
2. Polymer clay Sunset Butterfly, by Jael’s Jewels
3. Fabric pincushion, i chose orange, by Erin (House on Hill Road)
4. Fabric freshcut bag, by Katie Smith
5. Fabric Sparrow bag in brown and orange, byJamie (Fancy Farm Chick)
6. polymer clay tile mosaic, by anticipation_05
7. Polymer clay pendant, Cutout 2, by Bettina Welker
8. customised crocs / ORANGE, by Roscom
9. Mohair bunny, Marmalade Side, by Lisa Thoms

I encourage you to take a closer look at these photos and at the rest of the ones in the pool! Leave your comments on the photos over at flickr and let the artists know what you think - it’s always gratifying to hear that something you made has gotten a positive reaction from another creative type.

If you are one of these finalists and would like to elaborate here on what was involved in creating your entry, be my guest - the comments section is yours

And now, I turn to the trusty random number generator (aka me, picking a number out of a bowl) to select a winner:

Drumroll please…

And the winner is… #4!

Congratulations, Katie Smith! I love the fabric you used on that purse (which is obvious if you’ve seen my new pants)! I will be emailing you shortly with information about your $25 gift certificate.

Everyone else, time to start thinking about November, when our color will be… BROWN! Thanks for your participation!

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It was a rainy day today. I got a bit wet waiting for the bus to drop of Aidan this afternoon. It would have been perfect Fall weather, if the temperature had been 10-15 degrees cooler. At the moment, I’ve got the windows open and the attic fan on to help cool me off, and I’m starting to think I may need my head examined because I’m contemplating turning on the air conditioner. I’ve resisted because it’s only 72 degrees. But the moisture in the air is just plain gross. I am sticking to the floors when I walk, to the banister on the way down the stairs, and to Eamonn when we sit on my bed shoulder-to-shoulder playing A B C D Watermelon at the Between the Lions website. The breeze being pulled into the room by the attic fan would be lovely if it weren’t dripping with moisture.

Still, life goes on and plans continue, muggy or not. Eamonn’s Special Night culminated, as it always does, in the much-anticipated cuddle time, and when I finally left the room, he was snoring quietly, limbs spread out as far as they could be, in an effort to keep cool. I’m having to remind myself that it is not mid-August, but rather mid-October.

October brings, among other things, my grandmother’s birthday, which we will be celebrating on Sunday. I’m thinking of making her something, and the first thing that came to mind is a patchwork scarf. I’ve never made one before, but there’s a nice one in Denyse Schmidt Quilts. Apparently I think Granny is always cold - my usual birthday gift for her is a sweater, and now I’m going the scarf route. I’ve been experimenting with a technique to appliqué polymer clay onto fabric, and I think the ends of a scarf would be a perfect place for some nifty doo-dads. If I manage to play with this, I’ll be sure to share.

Those are my flickr favorites for the week up there.  I just love the softness of the coloring in the first few rows, and the fiery oranges lower in the mosaic.  And speaking of orange…

The Color Challenge is heating up for this month!  I’m so excited to see new people joining every day, and inspiring creations being submitted.  I’ll probably be ready to pull the plug on this month’s contest within the week, so if you haven’t gotten your orange items photographed, better hurry!

I’ve blogged three times today - maybe I ought to take the weekend off to make up for it.  I’d hate to wear out my welcome in anybody’s feed aggregator

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So many gorgeous things on Flickr this week…

I needed two mosaics! I’m not particularly in an analytical mood, so take some time and just drink in the loveliness Click on the photos to see the credits for each mosaic.

I’m so excited by the submissions to the color challenge this month! Who knew orange was such a popular color? There is a plethora of beautiful polymer clay in the pool - someof it positively drool-worthy - but very little in other media. I hope some more knitters, stampers, painters, photographers & needleworkers pop their heads in over the next few weeks. I love variety, dontchaknow

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Well, I spent the last 30 minutes staring at 70+ photos full of lovely olive greenness, and eventually chose nine of my favorites. It was not an easy choice!

Allow me to introduce you to the finalists, before I reveal the winner:

1. Polymer clay vessel, msjade, by Adria Filion
2. Polymer clay and sterling silver pendant, sueleaf0807, by Libby Mills
3. Cupcake, the end of the garden, by Zalita
4. Paper/Stamp art, Art, Creativity, Imperfection, by Penny Richards
5. Handmade baby’s bib, the back,  by Erin Harris
6. Polymer clay, Kaa-bead necklace, by Bettina Welker
7. Polymer clay, Finding Balance Pendant, by Tamara (Block Party Press)
8. Pearl and sterling silver, Earrings - Thai Olive, by Kara Spencer
9. Fabric coasters, Mums on green, by Claudine

I encourage you to take a closer look at these photos and at the rest of the ones in the pool! Leave your comments on the photos over at flickr and let the artists know what you think - it’s always gratifying to hear that something you made has gotten a positive reaction from another creative type.

If you are one of these finalists and would like to elaborate here on what was involved in creating your entry, be my guest - the comments section is yours

And now, I turn to the trusty random number generator (aka Neil, who has not seen any of the entries) to select a winner:

Drumroll please…

And the winner is… #8!

Congratulations, Kara Spencer! I love those earrings! I will be emailing you shortly with information about your $25 gift certificate.

Everyone else, time to start thinking about October, when our color will be…  ORANGE!  Thanks for your participation!

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I thought it was supposed to be 90 degrees and sunny today. I dressed for it. Instead it’s 70 degrees and raining. And I’m desperate for chocolate. I need a bag of Kissables. Need it. I remember shopping on rainy days as a teenager, thinking my mom was weird for driving around the parking lot in search of a better space just to avoid getting too wet on the way in. “What’s the big deal? It’s just a little rain,” I would say. And now, 20 years later, here I sit, avoiding a trip to the supermarket because it’s drizzling. It’s not even pouring. I could understand being grounded by an all-out thunderstorm, but this? This is the kind of rain I used to go out in on purpose. Either I’m using the rain as an excuse for my laziness, or I really am as much like my mother as they say I am…

With rain comes mud, and with mud comes this interesting post I found on the Creative Catalyst Productions blog. Oil painter Caroline Jasper believes that color mixing should be avoided. The idea is that the most vibrant colors you can get are straight from the tube (or package, in the case of polymer clay). Every bit of foreign color you add to the base “muddies” it up somewhat. So, instead of mixing blue and yellow to make green, use the pure blue and the pure yellow in close proximity to each other. Your eye will still see the green, but the vibrancy of the blue and the yellow will not be lost.

I have never seen this idea put into words before, although I have observed it in action. This Swamp color scheme consists of light blue, olive green, and dark brown, yet my eye often combines the green and blue so that I feel like I am looking at aqua. When I think about this color family, I very often envision it as brown and aqua. I actually use straight-from-the-package colors as often as possible in my work. There’s an obvious benefit to that approach - I don’t have to mix a new batch of “Custom Color A” every time I want to make a new cane in that scheme. But what makes a shortcut like that acceptable is the fact that the three base colors are rarely visible by themselves. I rely on those colors mingling with white and with each other in such a way that your eye sees more than three basic hues. And unless you are intimately familiar with the Sculpey III color chart, it’s not likely you would recognize the Candy color scheme as being Dusty Rose, Sweet Potato and Granny Smith-based, anyway.

Another mud-related concept I read about recently had to do with value and saturation contrast. Maggie Maggio is posting a fascinating series of articles on color-blindness. In discussing the task of designing street maps for those who cannot discern the difference between certain colors, the point is made that the contrast between hues is not nearly as important as the contrast between values. A color-blind person may not be able to tell the difference between light pink and light green, but he will be able to tell that light pink and dark green are distinct. This is a concept that does not only apply to the color-blind. The more value contrast in a cane design, for example, the less muddy the reduced result is and the more definition it has. This makes for a more appealing pattern.

I’ve seen this in action with the ubiquitous Retro Cane. This is one of those designs that is so busy when reduced to a small size that you run the risk of losing the pattern entirely if your colors are all of the same brightness. My rule of thumb is to start with three dark colors and one light color (usually white). I create three medium colors by adding the light to the darks in equal portions. As I load the extruder, I alternate dark, medium, and light so that the concentric circles will emerge in a pattern with some contrast to it. This approach nearly always produces an appealing design. If you look at the image, you can see that the tiles with the least definition are the ones where I used a light color other than white. In particular, the Tweed tile and the Vineyard tile are not as eye-popping because they were lightened with tan and gray, respectively.

I’ve been thinking a lot about color lately. Must be that approaching Color Challenge deadline doing it to me…

I think it’s time I put on some shoes and get myself that chocolate I wanted. If I wait too much longer, I’ll spoil my appetite for the gourmet supper I’ll be preparing tonight.

Gourmet supper. I slay me.

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I was going to call this post “Fun With Flickr,” and that reminded me of my sister. When she was in preschool, she would come home from class every week with a little age-appropriate worksheet about somethingorother in the world. One day it was “The Joy of Seeds,” only she, not being able to read at the time, remembered it as “Fun With Pits” - a title that entertained 8-year-old me to no end. So, Fun With Pits, it is.

Only we’re actually talking about flickr. Not pits. Shall we get on with it?

I like to share my favorites for the week every Friday, and this is no exception. I found most of these by looking at what has been submitted to some of my favorite flickr groups recently, or by looking at the photos from my contacts. Check out Erin’s giraffe in the lower left corner - isn’t he great? I love this guy’s quirky expression. My living room has an unofficial giraffe theme, and we have a small empty spot on one wall where an African mask used to reside (it plunged to its death on the tile below when an overzealous child knocked into it). I’m considering asking Erin if she minds me using her image in that little spot.

Aside from the spotted creature, and a few other wild animals, this week’s favorites are almost a step backwards into my summer of aqua love. It must be indian summer

Have any of you looked at the calendar lately? When did it get to be the end of September?? [Note to self: Dad’s birthday is sooner than you think, and you might want to get him a card.] What the end of September means around here in Polka Dot Creations Land is that the current Color Challenge is about to end! I’m aiming for September 25th as a last day, but it really is subject to my ever-fluctuating schedule, not to mention my unpredictable whims .  If you plan to submit an olive green lovely, then it’s best to do it sooner than later, lest a whim strikes this very weekend…

Aren’t these some pretty entries?  I love the colors in the ATC, which really coordinate nicely with the Kato-esque pendant.  These pretty earrings feature some lovely green pearls(one of my favorite colors to use, back when I was heavy into freshwater pearls), and the fabric coasters are appealing to me.  They are made with Freshcut fabric, which you probably know is one of my favorite collections.
Ah, Friday.  Aidan has asked to spend the night with his grandparents, so he’ll be gone this evening.  This morning at the bus stop he declared his intention to stay at their house until Sunday, so if Grandma is having it, it’ll be  an Aidan-free weekend.  I tell you, when I am down to only one boy around here (no matter which one it is), it’s almost like being alone - it’s so quiet.  When both of them are here, they are either playing (loudly) or fighting (loudly).  Of course we miss him when he’s not here, but there’s something to  be said for having a weekend free of pandemonium   It’s Eamonn’s Special Night tonight and last I heard he was looking forward to doing more “how to draw” pages from Captain Underpants like last time.  Not my first choice, but I’ll take one for the team

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I am completely incapable of having one of anything, wardrobe-wise.  If I find something I like, I need to have it in several colors.  This was true of me when I was a teenager and buying GAP pocket tees, it was true of me a few years ago when I was all about the Old Navy perfect fit tee, and this year I developed a liking for Target’s Mossimo tees and Old Navy tank tops.

This personality quirk of mine has manifested itself in my sewing.  Just see the 12 skirts I made this summer, if you don’t believe me.  It’s insane.  I really didn’t think I’d go overboard with sewing shirts, because the pattern I’ve been using isn’t super simple like the Sew What! Skirts have been.  It takes me at least twice as long to make a shirt, and if you know anything about me at all, you know Instant Gratification is my thing.  Still, I found myself buying fabric for another one last week, and stitching it up last night.  I took a page out of Lindamade’s book and made the sleeves about an inch longer than usual and omitted the elastic.  I like it better this way.   The elastic got a bit wonky in the neck this time around, and I am going to have to spend a little time finessing it so that  the kink ends up someplace unnoticeable.  If I’d been on the ball when taking these pictures, I’d have done that first  so you’d all think I was perfect   Still, I got complements while dropping a reluctant Eamonn of at school this  morning, from people who didn’t realize  it was a homemade deal, and that was pretty cool.

Speaking of dropping a reluctant Eamonn off at school…   I wish I knew what happened to the boy who ran into the classroom with nary a goodbye a few days ago.  Today, as soon as we got inside the building, he started playing “hiding” games, and by the time we were at the classroom door, he was physically fighting me to keep from going inside.  He was like this off and on last year, too.  He loves school - comes home happy, telling me stories of all of the great things he did, etc.  He just can’t deal with that initial separation.  He’s got a tougher teacher this year (not that preschool teachers are ever really tough) and I don’t think she’s going to baby him into the room.  As much as I would prefer to sweet-talk him into being happy about the situation, what he probably needs is a strong arm telling him matter-of-factly “this is going to be a nice time, now take off your jacket and go get a puzzle to play with.”

Leaving your kid behind when he’s clearly unhappy is never a fun feeling.  It’s magnified by the general malaise this month has brought to me.   I’ve always considered September to be my favorite month.  I love the feeling of getting back into a routine, and I love the crispness in the morning and evening air.  I love picking apples, making pumpkin bread, sipping hot cider…  I usually make a big deal out of the First Day of Fall and have the kids bring little loaves of pumpkin bread and polymer clay leaf pins as gifts to their teachers.  I don’t know if I can do it this year.  Part of me is in mourning.  And the part of me that isn’t feels like it should be.  I guess I just need to go with that second part of me and make a conscious effort to really do those things that have traditionally made me happy this time of year.  I hate to wallow.  But there’s a fine line between not wallowing and unhealthy bottling of emotion.  I have to find my balance.  Maybe I’ll just give October permission to be my favorite month this year so that I don’t have to feel like I’m missing out while I deal with my September issues.  Nothing like a head game or two with yourself to make everything all better

On a completely different note, I thought you might like to see some of the entries in this month’s color challenge.  I love the diversity.  What are you going to submit?  You’ve got another couple of weeks to Get Your Olive On…

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Mmmmmm. Colors. The image above is of tiles I made to show the different cane designs I’ve made in my Swamp color scheme. This particular combination of colors came to me as I was driving through the Great Swamp in late spring a few years ago - the sky, the bark on the trees, and lush plantlife, really grabbed me and stuck in my mind long enough for me to translate them to clay when I got home. For me, color is an intuitive thing. I just have this “feeling” that tells me when two hues belong together. And I find it relatively easy to mix particular colors in clay. I can compare a block of Mint Green Sculpey III to a piece of aqua fabric and know that some Granny Smith and a small amount of Teal would create the color I want. Don’t ask me how I know. I just do. And I would be at a loss to describe the process of choosing which colors I will put together for a new scheme. Sometimes I’m inspired by something I’ve seen (nature, fabric, a fractal screen saver), but most of the time, I’m standing in the clay aisle at Michael’s, holding blocks of clay in my hands and seeing what looks nice together. And from what I am told, I generally choose well.

This feels like second nature to me. Can’t everybody do this? Apparently not. If you struggle with color, or if you are good with color but interested in knowing some of the science behind it, or if you are simply a color junkie who wants to indulge in some eye candy, here are some links & ideas to get you started.

• Smashing Color, the blog by polymer clay artist and color expert Maggie Maggio. Her site is bursting with fascinating tutorials and interesting information.
• Lindly Talks Color, a new blog by another clay artist and color expert, Lindly Haunani. In the recipes section, you will find a color recipe for making Kaffir lime leaves, and then an actual recipe for soup you can make with the limes. That’s kind of nifty.
• Margie Deeb’s Color Celebration, which is a new one on me as of this morning. I haven’t explored much of her site yet, but I did listen to her most recent podcast while scrubbing my sink. It (the podcast, not my sink) talked about the power of monochromatic color schemes and how to get the most out of them.
• Polka Dot Creations Color Challenge, which features a new color every month and aims to unite very different works of art & craft by color (but you should already know that, right?)
• A Year of Color, which is a flickr group currently in its second incarnation. The concept initially was to feature a specific color each week. This time around, the focus is on color pairings. It’s really quite interesting, and while it’s not specifically related to craft, it does give you some practice recognizing and seeking out pleasing color combinations.
• Color Mixing, another flickr group, which is run by polymer clay artist Iris Mishly. The group focuses on color recipes in various media. Be sure to read the First Post on Color Mixing for Iris’ suggested links.

How about you? Do you have any favorite sites for the color-curious? Be sure to leave them in the comments so everyone can have a look!

Lisa

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I couldn’t wait… I got the color challenge for September started. I chose OLIVE as the color, by which I really mean any green that tends more to the yellow than it does to the blue. Think about the leaves in September just before they begin to turn color…

From dyed clothing…

…to loom-knitted accessories…

…to digital scrapbooking…

…and clay monsters.

Let’s see your best olive art!

See the rules here and peruse the flickr group here.

I look forward to seeing what all of you wonderfully-creative people come up with!

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Well, it was a tough job, but I narrowed down 114 photos full of crafty aqua goodness, and chose nine of my favorites.

Allow me to introduce you to the finalists, before I reveal the winner:

1. Polymer clay “Pendants” by Kim Cavender
2. Polymer clay-covered glass vessels, “closer look” by Orly Rabinowitz
3. Fabric bag and matching wallet, “Custom Order-Fresh Diamonds” by Maia Low
4. “Esther” bunny of hand-dyed mohair by Lisa Thoms
5. “Cupcakes go to hawaii” by Zalita
6. Polymer clay “Faux Ceramic Pendant” by Christie Wright
7. Rubber stamped “Aqua Birthday Card” by Penny Richards
8. Embellished Crocs, “29.07.07” by Roscom
9. “Aqua Doll Quilt detail” by Laurie G.

I encourage you to take a closer look at these photos and at the rest of the ones in the pool! Leave your comments on the photos over at flickr and let the artists know what you think - it’s always gratifying to hear that something you made has gotten a positive reaction from another creative type.

If you are one of these finalists and would like to elaborate here on what was involved in creating your entry, be my guest - the comments section is yours

And now, I turn to the trusty random number generator (aka Neil, Aidan, Eamonn and a bunch of coins) to select a winner:

Drumroll please…

And the winner is… #2!

Congratulations, Orly Rabinowitz! Your plates and bowls are absolutely stunning! I will be emailing you shortly with information about your $25 gift certificate.

Everyone else, stay tuned - I’ll be announcing the color for September within the next few days. Thanks for your participation!

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What a drag of a day it’s been. I spent most of it packing orders and they’re still sitting here! Normally it doesn’t take this long to get this many orders through my system, but today I had a few doozies that just didn’t go the normal route. One took me about an hour to deal with. Ugh. I’m glad I decided to do my packing on the floor in the family room today, because it allowed me to hang out with the little people. I caught a few episodes of Arthur that I haven’t seen before. I like that show. And Curious George. I love George. Seriously!

Anyway, I just have postage to print tomorrow morning and then off they go! Whoooosh!

Now on to more inspiring things. Like magazines…

The latest volume of Belle Armoire Jewelry is here, and wow, is it full of inspiration! There are no fewer than ten projects related to either polymer or metal clay. I love Patty Barnes‘ idea of making photo transfers from her grandmother’s china pattern and turning them into jewelry - genius! I’m really big on using old family photos in my work, but I love Patty’s idea because it’s more subtle. And sometimes, let’s face it, it’s just weird to wear somebody’s face on your person, no matter how much you might like them

I’m looking forward to spending more time with this magazine. Oh! and there’s more good news - starting in the Spring of 2008, Belle Armoire Jewelry will become a quarterly publication. That’s nifty: more great articles to read, and more opportunity to submit your own articles, if you’re so inclined.

Speaking of inspiring things to look at…

Fabric, footwear and clay, are all united by color. Isn’t it pretty? If you haven’t checked out the pool yet, you’ll want to go have a look. In addition to these, there are another 100 or so artsy aqua photos to get your creative juices flowing. And don’t forget - the last day to submit your artwork to the Polka Dot Creations Color Challenge for August is tomorrow, Saturday, August 25th! Sometime after that, I will choose my favorite nine entries (which will not be easy, I can tell already) and of those nine, a winner will be chosen randomly. Good luck!

And now for this week’s Flickr Favorites… I went a little crazy with them - I guess I was just inspired by a lot of things! Several old cars and a plethora of food this time around. Why so much food? Must have something to do with my effort to cut back on the snacking this week Click on this image and take a look at some of these great photos up close.

So glad the weekend is here - this week has been frustrating weather-wise and business-wise and housekeeping-wise, and I’m really looking forward to shaking the funk I’ve developed and having a nice, creative weekend!

Lisa

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As in, I’m trying to be more aware of the special Moments that make up my day. Despite the intentions I declared in June, I have spent much of the Summer hunched over. Hunched over my computer, working, reading email, reading blogs, playing on flickr, posting my own blog. Hunched over my sewing machine, learning to make fun things, mostly for me, but some also for the special people around me. Hunched over the clay table, mixing colors to match favorite fabric collections, turning the resulting canes into coordinating pendants and buttons. Hunched over one time-draining activity or another until I discover that the day has slipped away and then so has the week, and suddenly it’s August. That’s not to say that these distractions are bad. The enjoyment I have gotten out of my current creative streak is immeasurable, as is the fun I have had sharing the fruits of my labor here. As long as I continue to be personally fulfilled by these activities, I have no intention of stopping. Not completely, anyway.

I am working on being more conscious in my choice of activity. That is to say, I endeavor to look up at the clock more often and think to myself, “have I spent enough time on this already today? Is there anybody in this house who’s been looking for my attention? When was the last time we all got some fresh air? Is there something going on under my nose that I should be seeing - a Moment that bears noticing?” Today I looked up from my laptop to see the boys cuddled together in the papasan, the big one reading Captain Underpants to the little one. This went on for at least six chapters - a sweet Moment I would have missed, had I not bothered to take a breather from my email.

In the Encyclopedia of Me, M is for Moments and my personal quest not to let too many of them go by unnoticed.

Ok, next topic I’m so excited by the submissions to the Polka Dot Creations COLOR CHALLENGE! We started off with a lot of polymer clay artist submissions, many of which are stunning, by the way. We’re finally starting to see some pretty aqua pieces in other media too, which I find pretty exciting. One of my goals with this whole thing has been to find inspiration in materials I may not have thought about before, so it’s great to see other arts and crafts making an appearance. Check it out - we’ve got cupcakes - cupcakes - in the pool! How cool is that?

Beaded jewelry, paper arts, felted creatures - fun stuff! If you haven’t submitted your creations to the pool yet, you’ve got until August 25th, at which point, we’ll choose a winner.  Get your entries in, and good luck!

Lisa

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In the Encyclopedia of Me, I is for Impulsive. Impulse buys, impulsive crafting sessions, impulsive hours of getting sucked into reading blogs instead of cleaning the house as I’d originally planned… you get the picture. I’m way more impulsive than I am disciplined. And I’m now going to impulsively switch to a new topic rather than go on about that

I’m happy to report that I’ve started the Polka Dot Creations Color Challenge and already there has been much enthusiasm! As of this writing, there are 44 members in the group and 40 photos in the pool. That’s a lot of aqua. Oh, yes, this month the color of choice is aqua, and you have until the end of the month (give or take a few days) to create and share an aqua masterpiece with us. The vast majority of entries so far are of the polymer clay variety. I, of course, love to see that, but I am hoping to see some other media represented, too. All of you scrapbookers, cardmakers, and those handy with a sewing machine, let’s see what you’ve got!

I finally finished my anklet. Block party press made me these beautiful beads, and I’ve had them for several days. I’ve known what I wanted to do with them, but lacked the materials. When I finally bought the hemp, I discovered I had forgotten how to go about knotting it. Even after consulting the book I’ve used in the past, I still had four botched attempts before I gave up and just braided the darn thing! Anyway, I am very happy with it, and I plan to wear it for the rest of the summer (and beyond, until it becomes difficult to pair with socks). We lost our baby 5 months ago, and while I no longer think about it every day, it has been entering my mind a bit more as we get into what would have been the home stretch of my pregnancy. Lilies have been abundant and symbolic over the last several months, so I like that I can wear this anklet with it’s lily-like beads. It’s certainly no replacement for a squirmy pink bundle of nibble-worthy toes and peachy-breathed goodness, but I think it can be a comfort just the same. I appreciate block party press making me these perfect beads when I was stuck on trying to come up with something myself!

And now for this week’s flickr favorites…

Birds, nature, and maryjanes seemed to dominate my likes this week. As much as I don’t want to rush the Summer of the Skirt, I am looking forward to what I predict will be the Autumn of the MaryJane

I may not be around much today - I have it in my head that I will spend the day taking care of some cleaning goals, making those claythings I wanted to make to go with my bird skirt, sewing another shirt, and having some Family Game Time. That doesn’t leave much extra blogging time. But then, as we have learned today, I is for Impulsive, and you may see me here after all!

Happy Weekend!

Lisa

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