a giveaway - can you guess what it is?

I know I promised you artwork today but its been a little bit of a nutty day so I thought maybe you would settle for a giveaway instead.

I'm participating in a holiday art bazaar next weekend with the fiber art group I belong to, Running with Scissors. I've been wanting to do an offshoot of Fibra Artysta for a while now. I've got one foot firmly rooted in the crafty world, just love that stuff.

So I decided to use the bazaar to kick that off. I'm calling it Mixed Bag Designs and will use it to indulge whatever crafty activity happens to strike my fancy at the time. I'd hoped to get the etsy store and blog for that together prior to the sale but it looks like it won't happen. When I get it up and running there will be a big announcement here with chances for discounts and giveaways so keep an eye out for it in the next few weeks.

I've been working on stock and the picture above is one of the things I'm putting together. If you can guess what it is, you will get a chance to win one. I'll give you a hint: its wearable.

Leave a comment with your guess and everyone who gets it right (and you have to be completely correct, no partial correctness (is that a word?) so give it a moment before you respond) will have their name put into a hat and the winner will be drawn. You've got until Sunday so get guessing.

**Edited to add: Only one guess per person. Yes, Kate, that includes you. ;-)

his plan is foiled...

Mom and I have been discussing the demise of my battery charger. We suspect Dooley had much to do with it. My camera is his arch nemesis. It was clearly a desperate act, devoid of any real forethought because the UPS man delivered my lovely new charger yesterday. Little man watched as I unpacked it and I can't be sure, but I thought I heard a little sigh huff out of him when I clicked the battery in place and the tiny lights all sprung to life.

Its not an unwarranted hatred. But you know, what can I tell you? He's too damn cute so he has no one to blame but himself.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I walked into the drugstore this morning and saw an animated plushie westie holding a christmas stocking in his mouth and wagging his tail (which is impaled with a jingle bell, slightly sadistic but adorable all at the same time) while it barks merrily. Well...I just had to bring it home and introduce it to the life size version of itself (minus the impaled tail of course).

The meeting went as expected:









My hand in the last shot is me attempting to keep him from dragging the wiggling plushie to the floor. Its a decoration, not a toy and the last thing I want to do is give him a zappy. Sort of defeats the purpose of bringing the cute stuffed thing home.

What I didn't get a picture of was me chasing him into the living room yelling to give it back. But I did and now the little furball (plushie, not little man) is perched on top the TV where he (little man, not plushie) gives it dirty looks every time he walks by.

Ahhhhhhh....so good to have the camera back in working order.

Art tomorrow, promise.

Where I Stand Sunday

My imagination has plummeted into overdrive, yanking and stretching in a mad fit to be satisfied. Projects spool in front of me, half finished as they wait to uncoil into reality, directing my fingers as I stitch and cut and assemble.

Where I Stand is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell. (The project is now in Year Three. Year Three will feature artwork inspired by that week's Where I Stand photo as well as the photo that inspired it. Year One and Year Two can be found here.)

maybe it wasn't such a bad thing

I've been most unhappy about not being able to use my camera (as you all know since you've had to listen to me whine about it for a couple posts now). One of the things I wasn't really sure how to handle is my Where I Stand Sunday posts since its a photo essay. The key word being photo.

I admit that when the project began its third year (three weeks ago), that I wanted to do something different this year. I love the project, its near and dear to my heart but I wanted to put a twist on it.

So not being able to use my camera this week pushed me into having to compensate and the light bulb finally went off.

The third year will be 8.5 x 11 artwork inspired by Where I Stand photos. The blog will show a collage, drawing, quilt, etc.. plus the original photo that inspired it (except for this week because, well, no camera in case you hadn't heard.)

I'll be going back and creating variations of the three original photos already posted so far for this year and will toss them up on the blog when I'm through with them.

I was pretty active in the art world last year but much of that revolved around organizing and curating exhibits and events. What that means is that that was all I had time for. My work schedule was off the charts so I had to choose what would fit in and every time the exhibits won out. I'm not complaining, I make my own choices about how I spend my time and I am responsible for my own art output. But its left me feeling unsatisfied so I've made the commitment to myself to work more art in over the course of the next year. I think this variance of the Where I Stand essay is an excellent step toward that goal.

So tomorrow will look different (I'll add the inspiration photo once my camera becomes functional again) and I hope that you will enjoy the change as much as I will.

the battle is turning in my favor...

Okay, I checked the dining room, the kitchen, mom's desk, my bedroom, my studio, Dooley's toy basket, under the couch and couch cushions, in my car, in all the bags that I've used to travel recently and in my bathroom (not sure why but you never know) and I am accepting defeat: the camera battery charger is KIA.

After a bit of grumbling and generally feeling growly, I resigned myself to buying a new one. Went online, scowled at the $160 price tag Leica wants to charge me for a new one and then suddenly remembered that I am a woman with skills - and access to Google.

So off I went on the internet determined to find a cheaper alternative. Because really, its just a little black thingie with a few electronic doo-hickeys in it...you can't possibly tell me it warrants that much money.

Turns out I'm not the only one unwilling to open my wallet to Leica and throw money to the wind. I was directed to a few "generic" alternatives that work with the battery I use. I grow a bit suspicious of items that are under $10 so I turned my attention toward the $60 one. Still more then I hoped to spend but the camera wasn't cheap and I don't want to end up damaging the battery and have to get a new one of those as well so we considered it.

And considered it.

And then decided to go check Amazon.com to see if there were any reviews to see how the thing stacked up to its name brand brother.

Holy Amazon batman...how does a price reduction to $18.95 sound to you?

I don't know how Amazon is able to sell something that normally costs $60 to under $20 but all I knew was that I was about to question it. I grabbed the credit card before it had a chance to change its mind and claimed one for my very own.

Now, I'm not entirely convinced that I've won the fight yet because you know, there's still the chance that the thing could be a total piece of junk and not work. But for $20, I'm willing to take the chance.

Photos hopefully coming soon....

things that are annoying me...

...ever have one of those days in which you feel like the universe is conspiring against you? Not in any grand stance that leaves it to no doubt but in little petty ways that make you feel like someone is pulling strings and giggling like a vindictive middle schooler?

Yeah, its been one of those days. Allow me to spread the irritation...

1) The charger for my battery has mysteriously been sucked into a realm that I am not allowed to visit. The blasted thing is gone. Gone. G-o-n-e. No where to be found. And a new one costs over $150. Bah. Bah, I say!!!

2) Do people not realize how rude they are? Griping loudly while standing behind me at the post office because I have six priority mail boxes in my hands (which are very organized and take less then five minutes to process thank you very much) and you only have one envelope is a sign of petty immaturity that gives me the urge to crush you. (Okay, so maybe that could be classified as a little immature as well but really, you bring it out in me so its your fault, not mine....I know you are but what am I???)

3) There is some trick going on with the 60" cabled circs that I'm knitting with. Its cruel and causes me to cuss and is upsetting the dog. By some bizarre twist (literally), the yarn keeps getting tangled in the cable and within seconds it has become a brutal mess that would astound even Houdini. Its slowing progress and if this wasn't a Christmas gift, I would set it on fire and laugh hysterically.

4) Something horrific happened when the alarm clock went off this morning (aside from the fact that went off). For some bizarre reason, my bedroom only allows one radio station to come in clearly. And said radio station has already begun playing Christmas music. Waking up to Madonna singing "Santa Baby" was like being doused with a bucked of cold stinky water. Thanks radio station, I hope you get broken coal in your stockings this year.

5) Really? Do you really care what I'm making with the fabric I'm buying? Really? Because the dejected off handed way you ask me leads me to believe that you couldn't give a crap. So leave me alone or I'll have to come up with more inventive responses such as when I said "Making my dog a straight jacket."

6) I'm through dodging goose poop every time I have to visit a corporate complex. Doing the Avoiding-the-Green-Poop-Quick-Step dance is neither attractive nor dignified. Ban the geese, they are vile.

7) NaNoWriMo...well, that's explanation enough really.

I'm done now. Maybe. I'm going to go look for that camera charger again, because you know, I'm a total glutton for punishment. Its only about a two inch square and its black. If anyone has seen it, let me know because I've been avoiding posting since I can't put up pictures...*grumble, kick, stomp*...

Where I Stand Sunday

A sleepy contentment has taken up residence in me, easy and calm and welcome. Its a kindness I am gripping with both hands, this chance to slow down and see everything around me in fine detail. Everything seems possible in this moment, every door has clicked open. The respite will break eventually but until then, I will trace the outline of doorknobs with my fingertips and relish the freedom.

Where I Stand is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell. (The project is now in its third year. Year One and Year Two can be found here.)