I am well, I have missed you, and I am coming back on the blog I think ;)

I just wanted to visit and say that I am going to be posting again! I have written a book, been taking care of myself, and tending to my life. My health was not the best (fat and run down) and I have been changing that. I want to be healthy.
Tired of being tired, I wanna grow old like my parents, they live a full life and they are my idols and still dancing and loving life at 76. My mother looks more like my sister now!
My grand daughter is getting big, she is 4 and a wonderful child. I don't see her as much as I used to, but will be starting to watch her time full again this week. Her mother is going after her dream and I am so proud of the changes my "little girl" has made in her life. Going back for her high school equivalency at 30, damn, I am so proud of my girls, such wonderful women, my gifts.
She is now going to continue her education for the next 11 months.


I am going to post things that are more general here, about me, my life, my family and what I do to create.
It has been a long time and I need to get familiar with the program again.
I have missed you!

Here is the first tip of the day.

I save the lids from canned frozen juice, (Oh hell, why lie? I save everything.)
I love their perfect circle-ness. I just knew there were things I could do with them. I love to recycle when ever I can, I think we should, and I have been saving these for a while. They are just hanging out and falling in front of me all of the time. LOL!
I am going to share this once in a while so you can expect that.
Do you save them?
Have you got a good application for them?
Have they never even crossed you mind?
Will they now??
LOL!!

Here is one.
I use them to mix small batches of epoxy

Update and apology!

I am so sorry to leave you all hanging.

I was in a creative blizzard. I could not stop making things. I adore that!

This is a new heart. I am deep in to this series, I call them "hearts of stone".




I am also in to making quite a few sacred hearts right now.

I did a new steampunk unzipped heart with an angel, I absolutely love this one.








There is more too.

We were training a new employee

She is quite friendly.
LOL!!
And so willing to be helpful.
Training this new employee is taking up most of my time and she is very busy and wants to know everything.
The only problem is no one understands her on the phone!



I love this picture of Madi, she would rarely play with this adding machine until we plugged it in. Now she loves it.


I made a couple of trades with people and have been working on those. I can't show you pictures because they haven't gotten them yet.
One is another version of... HEARTS, go figure.

I don't need to get smacked with a 2 by 4 to know I deep in to this heart thing.

I have also gotten addicted to Etsy Treasuries, I love making them. I love looking at them and I love talking to people afterwards. Who would have thunk it?

Here they are to look at.
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c37362fa4088eef06ae2830/buttwait-theres-more?index=0

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c3608cf64a98eefd04ea0b2/a-talented-group?index=1

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c35edeadf336d91e60b147d/holidays-all-year-long-mha?index=2

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c35df98df336d910e31127d/frankly-my-dear?index=3

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c35013740278eef0df13bcc/orange-you-glad-i-didnt-say-banana-mha?index=4

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c34e31eda918eefcfe6316f/a-little-sacred?index=5

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c34c427da918eef7fe82c6f/slightly-off-center-mha?index=6

I really want to do this all day but I finally had to put the computer down.
There is so much talent out there and some really interesting things, it just amazes me.

I am trying to do an hour each day for clutter clearing and getting rid of things, reorganizing the house, cleaning and making things easier around home. I usually start with an hour and then find I am doing way more than that.
I have a very hard time with deciding which to let go of.
Like how many cheese graters do I really need, could I use them for an art thing, I will think of something to do with this tomorrow and then I do, my recycling heart says don't you dare get rid of that. LOL!! you see my dilemma don't you? And is it really clutter clearing if you move it from your house to your studio?
Life is just expanding and I have a hard time managing everything.

I am cutting back trees and bushes, trying to get rid of the extra there too. I haven't done much gardening this year and it feels good to get outside.
We have been so very lucky here to have wonderful and mild weather and I am just loving it. I am so grateful and I hope it continues.
I have my own personal summer wherever I go, so any extra is just to much.
It is actually cool and nice. We might be the only place that is though from what I hear!
Stay cool all of you!
We do though have a mockingbird that thinks it is still night in the morning with the june and july gloom. He never shuts up. He must be exhausted.

My life has been busy, but my blog friends are never far from my mind.
I do get to stop by once in a while and sometimes even leave a brief comment, but when I look at the calender I realize I haven't commented in a long time. I do read the blogs a lot when I have the time in the morning when Madi is down for a little nap (very little). I also have to cram so many other things in that time too.
What I want to know is "how did I do this before?"
I have finally figured out why you should not have children at this time of your life.
I was beating my self up for not reading all of the blogs and visiting, but I was also finding that I needed to sleep. Not just my usual 6 hours, but sometimes 8 or 9. I am just plain tired when I finally go to sleep and boy do I sleep well. So the sleepless nights from menopause are somewhat eliminated with watching this child.
I apologise for my absence, and thank you for sticking with me in my vacancy, I will be back!

I want to welcome all of my new followers, thank you!
Love and hugs to you all my pretties!!

Nobody does it better!

I caught Madi in a perfect visual description of how I have been feeling for the last month.

One picture is worth a 1000 words sometimes.

Madi says "Life just knocks you over sometimes Grandma, just take a nap and then play with me!"

I am off to Sandy Camp, my guild's version of a retreat!! I have been to many of these events and I feel that my guild, the San Diego Polymer Clay Guild, does a fantastic job of this.

This is our 11th event, Sandy Camp, and this year looks to be even better than the last, which was pretty damn good...

Warner Springs Ranch is where I will be, living the life of luxury (LOL, everything is relative) and playing with clay and doing all kinds of artsy craziness.

I will be having cocktails in the evening and hanging out with some incredibly awesome and friendly people and it is a jewel in my life.

The hot springs is wonderful and it feels like champagne bubbles on your skin!

The stars out at the ranch seem so close that you could grab them with your fingers. It is really amazing to see, but unbelievable in the dark of the moon!

I love you all, I will miss you, and I will be back soon, maybe the 5th, maybe the 6th.

Do not forget to enter the giveaway while I am gone, I have comment moderation on and I will not end the contest until I get back.

http://mariesegal.blogspot.com/2009/09/5th-giveaway-trick-and-treat-12-winners.html

One foot forward

This is one of my most favorite pieces that I have ever made. It stands on one foot and the basket comes free from the stand. The basket is nothing with out the stand. It will not stand up by itself. It has to lie on its side if the stand is not there. It is also a square basket.

It is an idea that came to me in the night and would not leave my mind until I made it. It is to me is the epitome of human existence. We can not survive with out help from others. Sometimes we are square but we are still beautiful and even though we are one, we belong and are stronger as two or more. Life is a balancing act and it is good as long as you keep one foot forward.

Faces with names

I love this picture.

That on the right is Carolyn Potter, a very talented polymer clay artist and dear goddess of a woman friend. On the left is me. We are both wearing masks that Carolyn made. Carolyn also works with gourds. She is grounded and loving and I am forever better knowing her. We did not stage this, the clothing was just perfect for the moment and so it was. The picture was taken by another goddess of a woman friend, photographer, writer, and polymer clay artist Cassy Muronaka, her web page is here, http://cassymuronaka.wordpress.com/ , she is well worth the peruse, she has wicked wit and a phenomenal eye. This picture was taken a very long time ago at one of the first Ravensdale events (1996?) in the Northwest for Polymer Clay. The event is run by the Northwest Polymer Clay guild and you can find their information here, http://nwpcg.org/. The Northwest Polymer Clay guild also has a upcoming class with Christi Friesen, her page is here http://www.cforiginals.net/ in Edmonds, Washington this weekend August 8th and 9th at Artworks http://www.artworks-edmonds.org/ where my sister friend, goddess woman, comedian artist, Meredith Arnold works , her web page here, http://mereditharnold.wordpress.com/. Artworks is an awesome resource for artists in the Washington state area.

Ravensdale I remember as being a diamond of a moment in my life and these are diamond women in my life. The way in life is built on connection and is woven in love.

For Bella

http://bellasinclair.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-life-unfolds.html

Day of the Dead

The festivities were dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl,[2] known as the "Lady of the Dead," corresponding to the modern Catrina.
In most regions of Mexico, November 1st honors deceased children and infants where as deceased adults are honored on November 2nd. This is indicated by generally referring to November 1st mainly as "Día de los Inocentes" (Day of the Innocents) but also as "Día de los Angelitos" (Day of the Little Angels) and November 2nd as "Día de los Muertos" or "Día de los Difuntos" (Day of the Dead).[3]
Beliefs

Many people believe that during the Day of the Dead, it is easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living. People will go to cemeteries to communicate with the souls of the departed, and will build private altars, containing the favorite foods and beverages, and photos and memorabilia, of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so that the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them. Celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed.[3]
Plans for the festival are made throughout the year, including gathering the goods to be offered to the dead. During the period of November 1 and November 2, families usually clean and decorate graves;[2] most visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with ofrendas, or offerings, which often include orange marigolds called "cempasúchitl" (originally named cempoalxochitl, Nahuatl for "twenty (i.e., many) flowers"). In modern Mexico this name is often replaced with the term "Flor de Muerto" ("Flower of the Dead"). These flowers are thought to attract souls of the dead to the offerings.
Toys are brought for dead children (los angelitos, or little angels), and bottles of tequila, mezcal, pulque or atole for adults. Families will also offer trinkets or the deceased's favorite candies on the grave. Ofrendas are also put in homes, usually with foods such as candied pumpkin, pan de muerto ("bread of the dead") or sugar skulls and beverages such as atole. The ofrendas are left out in the homes as a welcoming gesture for the deceased.[2] Some people believe the spirits of the dead eat the "spiritual essence" of the ofrenda food, so even though the celebrators eat the food after the festivities, they believe it lacks nutritional value. Pillows and blankets are left out so that the deceased can rest after their long journey. In some parts of Mexico, such as the towns of Mixquic, Pátzcuaro and Janitzio, people spend all night beside the graves of their relatives.
More of this holiday...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead

http://www.dayofthedead.com/
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/feature/daydeadindex.html
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/dayofthedead/