One of the important keys to creativity is to give ourselves the permission that we so desperately need to simply play.
Play? Yes!
It’s essential to be willing to break through the rules and conventions we set up for ourselves
and to be willing to try new things.
We need to be able to take artistic risks and
to suspend judgement long enough to experiment with new approaches,
new techniques, new thoughts…
or to look again at the ways we have always worked and
to see if there is a hidden treasure waiting to be re-discovered, re-invented, re-created.
So, give yourself permission to play, play and play some more, …read more

Any month that starts with with a day of foolishness deserves to have a celebration of playfulness, doesn’t it?
I’ve been reading up on ‘play’ (click the link to read what wikipedia has to say about play)
and playfulness.
Expert after expert has talked about the importance of being playful
for our entire lives.
There was a wonderful conference about Serious Play last year.
All the experts agree:
Play is essential to our well being, in body, mind and spirit – as individuals and as communities.
Being playful can alleviate all kinds of stress.
Playfulness increases resiliency and flexibility….and, whew… do we ever need to be flexible these days!
Because …read more

Because I have been running the Creative Clutter Control Contest, I felt that I had to clean up the mess on my drawing table in my studio.
In the contest announcement, I  posted a pic, taken from my computer desk, looking across at the drawing table.

There’s no way I am showing that pic again (click the link if you must…. shudder….)
But, I am showing the newly cleaned off drawing table, tadah….
I can actually sit there and draw again! Hurrah!
Thank you, Diane Dobson Barton for inspiring me to clear up some of my creative clutter!
(Click on her name to order your copy …read more

Last Friday evening, I watched one of my most favorite telly shows: Bill Moyers.
He interviewed Karen Armstrong , and author and philosopher who recently won a TED award.
Here’s the link to her on the TED website:
Karen Armstrong
What’s TED?
TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It’s a fabulous conference, website and community that is one of the most inspiring and hope-filled sites on the entire web.
What does Karen Armstrong want to create?
A Charter for Compassion
I am thrilled to bits that Karen Armstrong is laying the foundation for the creation of a charter for compassion.
One of the grace points of living in a …read more

This is the second heavy duty snow storm we have had this week…. tons of snow coming down and a nasty wind….
Earlier this morning, I took this picture out the studio window:

This is our second heavy duty snowstorm this week…. enough already!
Well…. I declare that ‘Snow Day = Yarn Day’!  so I am going to do some serious playing with yarn, here in my cosy studio.
We knew the storm was coming, so we brought in lots of extra firewood for the woodburning stove here in the studio.
Just a couple of other notes to post and then, I am diving into …read more

 
Cool Journal Tool
Try this fun tool to create art for your journal, or just to play
Cotton Monsters! The Work of Jennifer Strunge
See some of Strunge’s amazing and fun soft sculptures made from recycled clothing and linens.
Eco crafts- Credit card bobbins
How to recycle old credit cards into bobbins for embroidery floss, crochet cotton or, threads or yarn.
Homecoming Mum Season Alert
If you live in Texas, Oklahoma and other parts of the South and are in junior high or high school (or know anyone who is , it’s time to get started on your homecoming mums. Go team!
Layers …read more

Yesterday, I posted about
making a tatting shuttle that broke.
And, so I recycled it and made it into a necklace:

And, now, I am debating about the cord for the necklace.
I know I am going to use Lion Brand Lamé in the oilslick version, but I am waffling about how I am going to make it.

I know that the Cordelia cordmaker on the left, works soooooooooooo beautifully for making square cords.
But…. since the necklace began it’s life as a tatting shuttle, it would make sense to tat the cord….
So, that’s what I have done!
Here’s the link to the finished cord: Tatted …read more

OH!!!!! I am just delighted! After reading my posting about Hinka Osinga’s spectacular crocheted model based on the mathematics of the Butterfly Effect,  Kristi found the actual pattern for it!
I’ll never have time to do it, but I love it that now I COULD!
Here’s the pattern URL: Crocheted Mathematics of Chaos Butterfly Model   by Hinka Osinga and Bernd Krauskopf

thanks so much, Kristi! Wheeeeeeeeeee!

Here are the links for my mixed media woven dolls:
Woven Earth Listener Angel  Doll
Dame Julian and Neni 
Three young spritely spirited mixed media dolls 
Mixed media dolls with found objects 

The previous entry had pics of my spritely mixed media dolls
Here are some more of my mixed media woven dolls:

A woven Menopause Fairy Doll
and a collection of my ‘Reclaiming Dolls’ (Dolls that have parts made from reclaimed, recycled or re-purposed components and found objects,  as well as weaving):

I’ve put together a Links posting so you can catch the group of postings on mixed media woven dolls.
Hmm, it just struck me that they are like three dimensional collages. Neat!
Image Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright