Hell Hath no Fury

like Mother nature...it's hot as hell and I'm told it's even hotter in other parts of the land. I worry so much about the critters.People stay in AC and  don't think the animals feel this...They do, they sweat, they die of heat and lack of water...Oops there I go again...my brain drifting from the Happiness that abides here in the enchanted forest to those unfortunate forgotten ones. I know in my heart that anyone reading this is as worried as I am.
I have spent some time out in this heat. Wetting down the farm animals and exercising my dogs in the pond (which they love) but even they know when they've had enough. Mostly I have been playing in my Studio, which is like a refrigerator. Have I mentioned hating heat ?
I have not been very good with Blogging or e-mail and I do apologize to all  those I've neglected. I wanted to get things done before heading back down to Long Island. I do so tomorrow. I have limited  computer access  while down there but any time I get a chance I will touch base with this Blog. There are so many of you with beautiful Blogs that I haven't been to in a while...I really have to get better with my time management. I always seem so BUSY...why is that?
I've gathered some projects to work on while down on the Island. I get up early, work like a crazy woman, take a shower at 4 pm, eat dinner then play. I HAVE to have my play time or I get 'mean'. After 30 years in one place things do have a way to accumulate. I wish I could just close my eyes and throw...but I can't...so I won't complain about the time it's taking. Hey, I was 47 dollars richer my last trip...Did I mention that I have a  tendency to hide money...like in books, magazines etc. Perhaps I used them to mark a page.
Today I made a sack to hold the "Match Box Vacation" I didn't want my partner to miss anything, so now it's all contained.
Not sure if I mentioned it, but when I took my beautiful frame out of the package it was plastic ewe!! It was real pretty and the holes even went well but I couldn't get beyond the plastic. I had a real pretty wood frame that I bought for a family picture....it was sacrificed to the swap LOL now instead of silver gilded it's shabby chic. I love it, hope my partner does too.
My Goth doll...now she has been a trip every step of the way. When I showed her to Rich he said "She has beautiful eyes Hon, but she looks dead" I yelled 'Yesssss". I'm sure he thinks I'm nuts. He was with me when I was telling a local shop owner about the doll  and what Rich said and she said "Wow! Looks like you nailed Goth" he looked at both of us like we were nuts. Men just don't get us...
In between, I'm taking notes for my mannequin swap...maybe I'll just hang a bunch of nuts on her LOL
Going to just throw in some pic's I took of sketch stuff and dolly parts..Can't let the whole cat out of the bag yet can I ? Hope everyone is having as much fun as I am...I'll miss all of you while I'm away..please drop in  just in case I get a chance to Blog.

Too much fun????

I must say I think I might be having too much fun with swaps. No really, there are other things to do, like clean and shop and do laundry etc. but all I seem to do is tend to my animals and then play :-)
I've run into some major snags and still I smile. I get these pictures in my head and refuse to surrender until the final touch is added..Then of course , like all of us, I wonder if my creation is "good enough". It is so seldom that I am not happy with what I get in a swap, of course there are things that are over the top that just blow me away..and every once in a while..well you know. I think we've all, at some point in time, had to deal with a swap partner that waited until the last minute..or as in my case, didn't bother at all.
I must say, since starting with doll swaps I've not seen that happen...Now I'm the one who feels I can't meet expectations because the work I see is absolutely gorgeous. But I'm here to tell you I give every swap 110% of myself..what it turns out like and how it is accepted is up to the Swap gods LOL
My Goth doll is gessoed and ready for her next step..Warning trying to give a work some texture that need gesso over it can be challenging. So much for idea's getting stuck in my head LOL It worked fine, just a bit of a PITA, if you get my drift.
I have another swap in the works, a sewing tray swap. So far the idea is working well but the frame itself is giving me a hard time. These trays are made from picture frames. Don't worry, there will be a picture...Hopefully a good one. I am a person who can take the easiest project and turn it into a nightmare...must be the kid in me...I can never take the simple way for anything.
I do hope you all have a fabulous day and take time to PLAY!!!

A Frogs Lesson

Oh I bet your all waiting for me to start that old tale about the scorpion and the frog..NOPE!!
Last night I had a meeting and as any of you country people know...If you are on a country road after 9 pm, you are pretty much alone. Farmers are well into their sleep.
So I'm driving down the road and up in the distance I see a little critter. Now I'm a bit of a cowboy, safe but far from a slow driver. So I approach this critter, turns out to be a frog, pretty fast.
That little guy was on a mission, hop then reach, hop then reach...I'm sure my lights coming at him were a bit alarming, probably more so when I stopped. Now you may ask yourself why I'd stop for a frog..Well why not? There wasn't any one on the road and if someone was coming up they would have slowed down to see what was wrong...cuz that's what country folks do. But as I watched that critter reach and hop to the other side of the road, I thought to myself that his life wasn't much different then mine. Or any one Else's for that matter. We spend out lives reaching and hopping. Life is full of paths and each road we cross, we find another..it may lead to marriage, companionship, a new job etc. but we are always on the move to get to the other side of the road. Sometimes we may get hit by the pains of life, rolled over and not given a second thought while there are other times a friend will stop and shine a light into the darkness and help us along our way. I pondered those thoughts as I drove home. I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful friends that are always there to light the darkness.
Now speaking of darkness does anyone know what GOTH is all about LOL This is the first time I have found myself researching a swap doll. LOL I find the culture fascinating, if not a bit frightening. I can assure you I am not making huge holes in her ears or piecing anything.
As I was working I  found myself gazing around my room at all the things I've acquired over the years from all my sweet friends...Did I mention how blessed I feel?
It's no wonder I find comfort in my studio. If I was that frog, this would be my light in the darkness :-)
I hope everyone had a very productive day.....

Trust is a beautiful thing

31 years of dealing with dogs and cats and I was never bitten. My vet finds that odd....I've had a lot of odd situations involving animals and I think it all boils down to trust.
Several years back (7) Daisy, our resident deer had a baby doe we called Nellie we watched her grow, saddened when her Mom seemed to turn her away to take care of her new fawn. Nellie grew up a loner but she spends all her time right here with us, never straying too far. I think she knows she is safe here and she knows if she stays inside the electric fence the coyotes won't bother her either...She always gives birth to twins and we watch them grow and then join herds and leave. Of course in winter Nellie has a lot of friends because she has food in abundance and in Spring she introduces us to her mate, but for the most part she is alone. Over the past two years she has become very close to me, something I tried to discourage for fear she would trust humans...But when I have company I see she DOESN'T trust humans, just me. In the morning when I feed the peacocks she comes running to the sound of the MULE. I talk to her and warn her when my dog are out...she seems to understand so much. This is the first year she has allowed the twins to come close to me. Now I know she truly trust me (probably figures if all the fairies and trolls and wood spirits trust me, why not) I have several friends from several different American Indian tribes, my friend Joan (one feather) said that when a wild animal trust you it means you have a pure heart. She said it is something only animals can sense...True or not true I love the reasoning behind it and I would like to think that the animals sense that I love and would protect them at all cost. Now I don't expect the entire world to buy that explanation, nor do I expect the world to LOVE animals to the extent I do...I would just like to see people  respect animals and their place in society...be kinder and more considerate. When I see a child being cruel I always ask them...what if that frog was very big and was squeezing you? What if  you were in the cage and the dog was poking you with a stick...How would you feel? It's amazing to see the look on their little faces. What if we were the prey? Needless to say , you know I enjoyed Planet of the Apes LOL
I ask you to look into the eyes of Nellie and tell me you could do her harm. I'm looking for names for the fawns so feel free to give me some input....I look at this picture, Nellie is actually looking at my husband in the window...she seems to not care at all about me taking pictures...Trust is indeed a beautiful thing..

Life is Good

All days are wonderful and then there are some that surpass your  expectations.
Yesterday was one of those days. It didn't start out all that wonderful because I had to take Punkin (my choc Lab) to the Vet. I felt it was a back problem he felt it was a torn ACL so x-rays were in order and I had to leave my baby. The look on her face sent me home weeping.
As I got out of my car I began looking , once again, in the pebbles for my lost Butterfly. Rich gave me a "Just because" gift a while back. I love those kind of unexpected gifts for no special reason. These were beautiful butterfly earrings. I got so many compliments on them. A couple weeks back I lost one. The good news was that I never left the house, the bad news was it's small and flat and could have fallen anywhere. got kicked someplace or worse yet, ended up in my studio (meaning it would be lost forever). I had walked out to the car so I kept hoping it fell in the pebbles and I'd see it sparkling :-( that hasn't happened.
I decided while I waited for the Vet to call I'd work on organizing my studio (which I've been doing for several years now LOL) I've promised myself I'd get it done once and for all and I've been doing pretty good.
Of course once in my studio the creative juices began to flow. That always seems to happen in that place.
I thought it might be better if I worked on my Swap Goth doll...as I walked over to grab the fabric I needed, I had to move a pile of new fabric...as I'm doing this I'm apologizing ...to God...to myself for breaking a promise to myself..."I'm sorry, I should be cleaning but I REALLY want to make this doll". So as I move the fabric, I'm deep in thought and I hear a click sound I almost ignored...then I say 'what the heck was that' I look down and there is my Butterfly twinkling away...Oh happy day!!! The click I heard was the earring falling on a piece of plastic. Had it fallen on fabric it would still be there. needless to say I was VERY happy.
When I went to pick up Punkin it wasn't the best of news but it sure wasn't the worst. I saw the xrays as I walked in and breathed a sigh of relief, her hips and knee's looked perfect, doc confirmed that they are.
Of course then my thoughts went to her back and I'm looking at her spine for a slipped disc which is what I feared. Doc points out a bridge of bone in several places , one is impinging the nerve to her leg which is why she goes lame once in a while. It's a form of arthritis....better then what I suspected and medication will help.
She was as high as a kite but very happy to be going home. Last night I sat with her on the deck and we watched what mortals call Fireflies...of course Punkin and I know they are really beautiful little fairies carrying lanterns, but thats our secret. As I sat there looking at her glassy eyes I wondered what those "fairies " were looking like tonight LOL a twinkling blur I imagine. But there I sat Punkin on one side, Rosie and Rich on the other...Yup Life is good........

Having fun in the Forest

I recently had a visit from my DGD Krista, which is why I haven't had time to post. We love exploring the enchanted forest and find such magical things...Of course we are always on the look out for "Fairy tears" (they look a lot like those little glass drops you see in fish tanks) but Krista and I see them much differently :-)
I was a bit disappointed that I never got any word from my swap partner about the paper doll fairy. My Grandmother used to say "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" That quote comes to mind as I wonder why she didn't at least say she got it...Oh well, I was completely out of my comfort zone on that one so I completely understand.
My Matchbox has been a hoot. I spent the week-end with my DDIL gathering local things...like goat milk soap, Maple syrup etc. I suddenly realize this is a BIG state and there is a lot of ground to cover. But it's a lot of fun. I feel like I'm taking a vacation while putting it all together.
I have finally decided on a design for my Gothic doll swap. She looks beautiful in my head, I'm hoping she comes out as lovey in person. I always love working on dolls...my little fairy friends twirl around me and seem to whisper to the unborn doll...Soon she tells me her name and that's always a point of excitement to me.
There is another swap in the process and that's a mannequin that will be embellished to project our personalities..LOL first thing that came to my mind was a mannequin with nuts hanging all over it LMAO
but then I realized I do go far deeper then that. I think it's going to be a ton of fun to see what people come up with. there is a great deal of talent in that group.
My DGD also got to meet Nellie. one of my resident deer. She wasn't totally trusting of a young child, but she did come close enough to send Krista into a state of awe and wonder. She also brought the babies out, which was another trip for my visiting family.
My little fox came out an hour after they left. I guess that was his way of telling me he doesn't like company.
My wish for every one is that they can have a place like this that brings them peace and comfort. If not, feel welcome to visit me in virtual reality and share the experience.
Wishing all of you a Blessed day.......

A New Fairy in the Forest

I was completely blown away this morning . As I had just opened a piece of e-mail from Kai I heard Rich yell "Mail Call, you've got a big box here". He had just come home from the P.O...e-mail could wait as I raced to the living room. What I found in the box was the most amazing fairy.
The swap was a "Paper fairy" that's all Kai would say and it was the only direction she gave "Make a paper fairy" OMG!!! My talents do not go in the direction of paper anything and I thought about not joining. But folks who know me know I love a challenge. Sorry to say I do not think I met that challenge very well after seeing what Kai made of paper.
Her name is Eka-Nape meaning Red Foot..not because she has red feet (she doesn't) but because she walks the Red Road, believes the old ways and lives the life of a traditional Comanche person as much as possible. She is a spirit woman that attracts Shapeshifters and she came with Esa- wolf. Right now they are resting on a big K (which could stand for Kai or Kathie LOL) Tomorrow will be soon enough to introduce them to the rest of the fairies, wood spirits, troll etc. They are at peace now, knowing they have found the perfect home.A home not only where they are welcome, but where they are held in high esteem.
It is difficult for me to even post the pictures of my Paper fairy, but I will...It is a perfect way to show the difference between someone who embraces Paper art and someone who doesn't have a clue. Kai told me to make a Paper Doll and that's exactly what I did :-( not a testament to the talented person you all seem to think I am...But I am Happy (I think) with my Vacation in a match box...That was fun...
Speaking of Fairies Donela is knocking on my window and pointing (Donela means "dark haired Elfin girl")She is letting me know that Nellie (a resident deer) has her twins out and is looking for food...Have to run...
Enjoy looking at Eka-Nape and Esa.

Busy, Busy

But in between all the work is "FUN" busy. Yes we do work here on the mountain, there are acres of grass to mow, animals to clean up after and tend to, wild critters to tend to as well. Nothing living in the Enchanted Forest goes uncared for....nothing..even spiders are handled gently. So yesterday I cleaned out the goat pen. Easy you think? All winter long I leave hay on the floor to create warmth, it gets packed down and along with  some wee and pooh becomes quite fragrant. The pen is cleaned every day, but winter build up has to be removed comes summer. It's like pulling fibers apart that are tightly woven. 34 buckets later, it is whistle clean...I put a layer of fresh made pine bark and wow what a wonderful difference. Of course today I hurt in places I didn't remember having...but that pen is clean and the goats are happy :-)
I also worked on getting my "Paper doll" swap ready to be mailed. One of the woodland Fairies let me trace her. Then I designed clothes of paper. Problem is the woodland fairy liked the clothes so now she wants them for real...Sheesh Fairies can be a real PITA
My Vacation Match box is also almost done, just adding a few finishing touches.
I am forever saying that I am going to stop with swaps, but ya know what? It is my way of touching other people. I live a quiet (okay, not so quiet) uncomplicated (another fib) life. I keep to myself a lot (that is true) so the swaps afford me a way to have fun with others and not have to leave my mountain.
Here are two places I'd like you to check out  http://celebratingchristmasyearround.blogspot.com/
That site belongs to my friend Kai, she is the one with the Matchbox and Fairy swap, but now she also has a doll swap to sign up for...a Gothic swap which should be fun. So go check it out, her wee little brain is always busy searching for fun stuff to do.
Another fun place to visit is

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FabricInAlteredArt2/

My friend Norma just mentioned a mannequine swap (look in the files section) Also Cathy , the owner of the site is talking sewing tray, that sounds real interesting, made from a picture frame. Check it out.
Don't forget, if you have a site and you are having a swap, let me know about it and I'll post. Sooner or later I will get more followers and together we can form a net work of fun and new found friendships.
Oops a little wood nymph just came to the window to let me know there is a hay wagon by the barn.
300 bales of hay have to be stacked, too bad all the woodland fairies and wood spirits are so small, I could sure use their help. Have a wonderful creative day and watch for pictures of the latest swaps.

They arrived at their New Home

So now I can discuss them. But first I must tell you I had forgotten about the community garage sale YIKES!! As if I hadn't had enough sorting out trash from treasure. I made $67 on stuff that would have been thrown away anyway, so I think I will donate it to the animal shelter for food. Actually I'll just buy the food and drop it off.
So let me tell you about my exciting mail from Pam, my swap partner for the Bugs. The first bug to pop out of the package was Pam's version of the Twirl-a-wing, done in a kind of macrame` and beads. also included with them was a bracelet which I slipped on and failed to photograph. next was a pretty paper Butterfly whose body was made of waxed twine. Then we had a bookmark (you all know how I love to read and tend to use a lot of book marks) cover with my favorite bug of all...the Butterfly, she also sent along a little goodie of note paper. It was delightful swapping with Pam and she seems happy with her gift from the enchanted forest.
Also not related to any swap was a "feel good" Happy Mail gift from my friend Kai...I book mark with my initials done in counted cross stitch. In the picture I took it looks white so my friend is going to take a picture so it will show the work Kai did.
I have been one very blessed person. There have been a number of  angels I have met along the way that have filled my life with such color and Joy...I can't even begin to put into words the happiness that some of you have brought into my life and continue to do so each and every day. I have also been blessed with wonderful swap partners that truly go out of their way, go that extra mile, to send me something I will treasure  forever.
Sometimes I wish everyone could live in this magical place...Good and wondrous things happen here, the least of which is fabulous people coming into my life.
Let go post the pictures of my bugs to Pam and her treasures to me so you can all enjoy them............