Christmas Presents

My parents both said they didn't want anything for Christmas.  My brother said he didn't want anything that wasn't consumable.  But I get so much joy from the giving, as well as receiving.  So, I made slipper socks for the guys, and pocketbook slippers for the gals.   We celebrated Christmas with them last Saturday, and my brother said he needed the slipper socks, since they were trying to teach the dog to bring the slippers, and all she did was tear them up!  The pocketbook slippers look like a little purse before you put them on.  Jackie, my brother's SO, said she liked them, because they were easily packed for trips.

Do you make some or all of your Christmas presents?

Slippers

This stocking was made for the daughter of a fellow teacher who has an inoperable brain tumor.  Other teachers are filling it with girly things like make-up, nail polish, fuzzy socks, etc.

I have made several pairs of slippers for "The Pink Slipper Project" and will be mailing them soon.

I celebrate Christmas all year by making things for others, and sharing God's love, hope and peace.  I am blessed to be able to create and to share my creativity.

Double Duty

I made a hat and neck wrap out of this yarn last year, and decided to make wrist warmers to match.  I also wanted to make a muff, but wanted to have both hands warm, so I made the wrist warmers a little longer so that I can combine them into a muff. Good timing too, since we had our first snow of the season the other day.

Prayer Shawl

I love a bargain!  We have a store in our area called Big Lots, and they carry clearance items that have not sold in other stores, as well as large quantity items.  They have yarn there on which I can get a great deal.  I recently purchased three skeins of yarn in coordinating colors that were a total of one pound for about seven dollars. I started this prayer shawl on Saturday night, and finished this evening. It worked up pretty quick with thick yarn and a large hook.  It is supposed to be for someone who needs to feel surrounded with prayers, as we pray for comfort, strength and healing for a person while we create the shawls.  My daughter asked me if she could have it.  We'll see... :) 

Chemo Sweater

My 19 year old neice has recurrent brain cancer.  She has fought this for four years.  She had some good news recently when the MRI showed that there had been no tumor growth for a year!  Almost two years ago, after the news of the first recurrence, her parents got this cute little puppy, and she pronounced it was good chemo, and his name stuck.

We were at Kelly's house for Thanksgiving this year, and she saw me making a scarf for my daughter.  She asked if I was making a sweater for Chemo.  So, before we left this morning, I made this sweater for him.  We all thought it was adorable, especially on him!  When I called Chemo a pretty boy, Kelly said to the puppy, "Yeah, you're pretty, but your Mom is ugly."  I told her, "Kelly,  I think you are beautiful!  Your bright blue eyes...and you are so strong!"  She smiled a little smile, and said "Thank you, I try..."  The poem I wrote on Thanksgiving day was about/for her.

Ocean Waves Afghan and Scarf

I finished up the afghan before we left for my sister-in-law's house for Thanksgiving.  I brought my leftover yarn with me, and made a scarf for my daughter.  I wanted to take a picture of my daughter with it on, and this is how she posed. :)

I think she likes it.  She just doesn't like to have her picture taken.

Sunset on the Prairie

I snapped these pictures on the way home from school yesterday.

And then I decided I had to do something more with the one in the middle.

But I kinda like both, after all.

Green Glass Bead Vine

Another necklace with thread and beads.  It is supposed to get colder this week, so maybe I won't get so warm trying to finish a lapghan I am working on.  I have been more interested in short, quick projects lately, but I really don't have that much to do on the afghan, either.

A Scared Young Tom

Just in time for Thanksgiving!  In speech therapy, not only do I correct speech sound errors, I also work with my students to understand the subtleties of language.  One of these is IDIOMS.   This idiom has always been a favorite of mine for this time of year.  This illustration will help me talk about what this idiom really means.

So, I combined creativity with work today!

How do you use your creativity at work?

My Face of MS

One side is fine

The other is wonky.

But you can't see that,

Unless you really

LOOK at ME!

(I added the glasses after my daughter reminded me)   A person with Multiple Sclerosis struggles with the fact that they look "fine," like there is nothing wrong.  But, if you really look at the person, you can often tell they are hurting in their eyes.

With a hook and thread

This pattern was written from an antique baby bib.  The hook I used was very small, with a gauge of about 10 stitches per inch.  It takes a lot of patience to work with this hook and thread, so when working on this I usually did only a row or two, and then put it down to come back later.  On the edging, I misunderstood the pattern, and came up with a different design.  I read the pattern again, and decided to leave it as is. :)  I finally finished it last night.  I am not sure it is really functional, more of an heirloom piece.  How would you use it?

I made the earrings to match the bib necklace I made earlier this week.  I just love these colors together!

Art

art ¹ (ärt)

noun

1. Human effort to imitate, supplement, alter, or counteract the work of nature.
2. a. The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty, specifically the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium.
   b. The study of these activities.
   c. The product of these activities; human works of beauty considered as a group...

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.





So
What is Art?
It is
Altering,
Illuminating,
Creating,
Perceiving,
Imitating
Nature
and/or
Beauty.
Through Human Expression.

Art is
the combination,
conduction,
arrangement and
determination of
elements
enriched and
experienced by
 one
--or many,
in unison of thought.

Art is that which we
perceive
and produce
 it to be.
Art is within
(and without)
and surrounding
Me.

Painting digitally

This was created with my  "Paint" program in Windows.  So fun to create over a photagraph.  It is really fun to see the different effects.

Night falls gradually

Shadows grace the trees with lace.

As the sun descends.

Guess What?

I am a little embarassed to say this, but the Upsidedown Turquoise Crown is no more.  I really appreciated all of your encouraging comments, and even the one that said it reminded her of a scanty bikini.  I really snickered at that!

But, personally, I wasn't really happy with the necklace.  It didn't turn out like I meant for it to.  I commented in another AEDM'er's blog about liking the thought that when I crochet I can always redo what I don't like and make it better. After some thought, I decided to rework this piece.  I am much happier this time.  This is what I meant for this necklace to be.

Upsidedown Turquoise Crown

I was trying to make a necklace like the ones I've seen in jewelry catalogues.  I think they are called "bib" necklaces.  I used a pretty turquoise thread and blue, green, purple and clear beads.  Not quite the effect I wanted, but I still like it.  What do you think?

More crochet

I also like to do monograms and names in filet crochet.  As a speech pathologist, I call the room where I do speech therapy the C.H.A.T. room ( Communication=Hearing+Asking+Telling).  So, I made a little sign to go with my Redbird that is in my window, from Friday's post.



Halfway there!

I was looking at my posts, and noticed that I am behind.  Even though I have been creating, I seem to have missed a day.  That happened earlier, but I thought I double posted one day, to make it up, but find my counting is off again.

So, anyway, I have been learning more about mandalas, and decided to create some earrings, based on the circular pattern.  I ended up adding some seed beads, too. :)  I guess iwith my camera, you can barely see the sparkle around the edge.

Inspired Geometry

Here is another design from a nine point square, this time with circles involved.  One person who saw it said she thought it looked like a kaleidoscope.  What do you think?

Redbird in the Clouds

Lately, I have been photographing a lot of clouds, especially the lights that shine on them.  I happen to look out my window at work the other day, and saw this:

It struck me as being humorous, since there was a bird in the clouds.  Does anyone else see the joke in that?

BTW:  The Redbird is my school's mascot for sports teams.

Interconnections

I was inspired by this website I found about Native Amrican Geometry, at this link: http://www.earthmeasure.com/native-american-geometry.html. I started with a nine point square, and began connecting the dots...

Family Moments

Make your own free slideshow design

I have been looking for a digital scrapbook design of a family tree.  This is one I liked, and made today.

Passion for Pink

I love the color pink.  I also think orange looks nice with pink.  These two colors are two of my cause awareness colors.  Pink for Breast Cancer, and Orange for Multiple Sclerosis.  I found a necklace today that I had made several years ago.   I didn't like the design, so I took it apart and redesigned it.  I am pleased with how this one turned out.

Parachute Ultralights

We saw some parachute ultralights flying around our local airport the other day, and I had some fun today creating with Picnik again.


Feedback welcome...

Peace Triumphant

Rededicated today.
The World War One memorial
For all the soldiers
In Oak Park, Illinois,
In the United States of America,
Who sacrificed the life they had known
For our country
In the "War to End All Wars"
(which it didn't).

Not all 2,460 odd soldiers died
In the war,
But they all gave up all they knew.
They left as boys,
And returned as changed men.
Men no longer known
By their families or friends.
Men who needed to relearn
Who they were themselves.

It is fitting we rededicate
This memorial today,
When we continue sending soldiers
To new wars
   (which we haven't won).
We need to  renew our plan
For a changed society.
We need to redefine our obstacles
To Peace.

                                                       

                                                        

The Flying Bird, revisited



Before and...




after Piknik



I wanted to try my clouds picture again, but chose to make it less abstract.  I remembered a technique a friend used for her painting.  She projected the image from a photo onto canvas to outline her sketch first, and I decided to try something similiar.  Since the picture was on my camera, I just enlarged it and traced the shapes onto my paper.  Then, I filled in the details and left out the parts I didn't want.  I added only two colors, wanting to make them contrast the rest.  After reading posts about using photoshop for digital art, I decided to experiment a little with Piknik, that is linked to my Picasa Web Albums.  On the right, you can see the results.  I think I captured the light a little more.

Feedback appreciated...

Spirit Wear

Every Friday is spirit day at Dwight Grade School. We all dress in red and white  (the school's colors) to show our school spirit.  I have designed and crocheted several pieces of beaded jewelry for myself to wear on this day.  This is the latest.

                               (update in RED)

Day 4 of Art Every Day Month

Recently, I have been fascinated by clouds, especially the interesting shaped ones.  This morning, my friend Michelle

@brainangles.blogspot.com, inspired me to do some abstract art.  I don't usually draw, but my students often remark how they like the drawings I have made on my flash cards for speech therapy .  So, I used the photograph above, and interpreted it as a bird in flight.  Below is what I came up with.  Your comments are welcome and appreciated.





Across the Miles

On slow country roads                      

The bright sunrise chases me.

Dawn breaks into day.