Juice Feast

I'm so excited to be announcing that I am embarking on my first Juice Feast tomorrow morning. I have been trying to figure out some kind of cleanse to do for a few weeks and just hadn't found what I was looking for until I was inspired to do a Juice Feast.

One of the main attractions to this idea is the name. The word 'Feast' invokes a feeling of abundance as opposed to 'fast' which makes me think of lack. And, for some reason, that's a really important factor for me. Maybe I'm just tricking myself with words, but I don't care :-)

So, I'll be spending the next few weeks partaking in little more than fresh fruit and vegetable juices (I say 'little more' instead of 'nothing' because I know that there's a large chance I'll give in to some outrageous craving during this time, and don't want to give up on myself because of it!) And, I haven't given myself a set end date, just playing to take it day by day, but at least last for 2 weeks.

I can't wait to share all the mood swings (not having my daily large amount of sugar is gonna have some heinous effects I have no doubt!) and triumphs (be they physical or emotional)

Transition

My life has recently entered into a definite state of transition. This is truly an exciting time of changes for me. A time of closing doors and opening new ones.
As I stated in my previous post, I will no longer be making stamps. And, after even more deep thought, introspection, and listing to my intuition, I've realized that it has come time for me to close the doors to my Etsy shop all together.
This is a huge decision for me, and was not taken lightly by any means! But, I am a firm believer that shutting the door to something that no longer fits my life's path will open another door. I have no idea what that new 'door' looks like just yet, but I can't wait to see!

I haven't yet set a date to close up shop (sometime within the next couple of weeks is the plan). So, please stop by to see if there is anything you'd like, since they'll all be gone soon.

This blog will remain, although it will definitely shift. I'll share more about my journey through this state of transition and be sure to write a post all about that new Door once I find it!!

End of an Era

...Well, sort of.
After much deep thought and debate, I have decided to stop making hand carved stamps. I realized that I need to find something more creatively challenging for myself, and carving stamps takes up much of the time I could be using to find that creative challenge.
Thanks so much to my stamp customers. It really was a delight creating stamps for you, and working to make custom stamps was a great experience as well.
But, it is time for me to move on in my creative journey
Note: I have decided to sell my personal stamp stash, and as of this post a few stamps are still available in my shop.

I'm Loving this song right now!

Humble Beginnings

While helping my mom clean out a room in her house I can across a few of my old crocheted creations. I must have made these well over 10 years ago!
It's sometimes amazing to look back at items like these and see how much a talent can progress. Often I find myself wanting to be able to create amazing works of art with a brand new (to me) medium, and forget that it takes time to get really good. And that time is important. So much is learned with each project no matter how hideous it may look to me today! Each one is a step toward mastery of that craft.

Log Log Log

Logs

I have this love of logs. There's just something about them...it might be the rings...but I think it stems from you love of trees.

Anyway, I've taken that love and interpreted it as Log Holders. Not holders for your logs but holders of any item that fits inside of the log shaped holder. (My sweet 4 year old son ,Shepard, is calling them 'holders' so I figured it was a good name for them)
These handy holders are complete with complimentary moss and leaves. As well as rings on the bottom.
I'll be listing them in my Etsy shop soon! And, probably making more log shaped items, 'cause I just love the logs!

Enchanted Teas Giveaway

I just can't wait for others to try this Dreamy tea blend! So, I've decided to giveaway three 1/2oz bags to the first 3 people to comment on this post!

There is one stipulation though, well maybe it counts as a few! I'd love for the winners to tell me what you think of the tea! (how it tastes, how it enhanced your sleep and dreams and anything else you'd like to add)

I'll send a message to the 3 lucky winners soon after they've left their comment to congratulate them and get address information!

Dreamy Teas

I'm super excited to finally share my new Etsy shop! I love herbs and herbal teas. I've been drinking and concocting my own recipes for years, so it just seemed fitting to begin sharing my herbal blends with others!

I am proud to say that all of my teas are packaged in 100% biodegradable bags and I use only Certified Organic & Wild Harvested herbs.

The first tea that's available in the shop is a Dream blend. I thoroughly researched folklore, myths, and common herbal information to create this blend. I included herbs that have been known for centuries to enhance dreams, calm and relax, and protect from night-mares. It's a fragrant tasty blend of herbs that's perfect to accompany a cozy chair and good book in the evening.

I've got lots of ideas and recipes brewing so I'll be adding more to the shop very soon!

Enchanted Teas

Look What I Made

It's been over a year since I last used my sewing machine! I recently got the urge to sew again. As my first project back into sewing I decided to make something for myself. This is pretty unusual since I'm generally making things for other people and hardly find the time to make something for myself. So, I am really happy with how well this tote turned out!

I used Anna Marie Horner's Multi-Tasker Tote pattern. And, Amy Butler fabric.

It's been finished for 2 days and has already been put to good use by accompanying my family and I on a trip to the beach.

Simple Cucumber Treat

I thought I'd take a moment to share my favorite Summer time snack.
I assemble this simple recipe almost everyday during warm weather. It's easy, yummy and refreshing during hot Summer days.

You'll need:
1 cucumber
1/2 a lemon
2 tbs olive oil
garlic salt to taste (you can also use sea salt with fresh minced garlic)

Slice cucumber and place into bowl.
squeeze lemon juice onto cucumber slices.
add olive oil
add garlic salt
stir
enjoy

Interview with Loriann of Plumevine

I have been a huge fan of the exquisite Plumevine jewelery for some time now. Each one is not just beautiful, but also a small reminder that there is magic all around us.

So when Loriann agreed to do an interview with me, I was eager to learn more about her!
Here it is!

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I was born and raised in Puerto Rico to a third generation family of Spaniards with some Irish strands in the mix.

My childhood memories involve mostly long hours in offices. Being surrounded by desks, typewriters, photocopy machines, paper, tape, pens and all sorts of office paraphernalia. You'd be amazed just how quickly a child finds ways to entertain herself with such things.

I suppose having so much time to myself also became a wild breeding ground for the imagination. But there are also plenty of memories in sunny beaches, coastal islands and fishing trips.

It was a charming boy that got me to the other side of the world, here in the surreally beautiful land of trolls, dark winters and midnight suns.



Where do you find inspiration for your work?

A misty dream world where all majestic creatures imagined reside. Something very abstract and undefined that is very akin to nature, and those qualities about nature that make us believe in magic, such as rainbows, stars, the aurora borealis, crystals, iridescent sea creatures and flowers.

Antoni Gaudi has been a massive inspiration for me as well as the Art Nouveau period, and films like The Neverending Story and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.



How/when did you get started creating your unique jewelery?

I started working with wire and beads about six years ago. I did a series called "Elemental Necklaces", which was a collection of necklaces with colours, materials and symbols that were akin to each of the four elements. I wanted to make a bridge between faeries and nature, and items of power that people could wear on a regular basis. To act as a sort of reminder of the magic of life.

Later on I took a sculpting course to try out new things and get my hands in the earth. I did some pottery until I learned about other types of clays and the wide variety of things you can do with them. That's when I started to work on the technique for my current jewellery, but the concept took about a year to put together. I wanted to present something that I absolutely loved and I suppose that took a bit long. Then Plumevine was born in 2006.


What do you enjoy doing when not making jewelry?

In order to photograph the jewellery I got a really nice camera and have really enjoyed experimenting with it. Going around and just taking pictures, feels like bringing home a goody bag, for free!

I also love delving into raw food preparation and have been enjoying yoga lately. Just recently I started to work on dolls which is really addictive! And as those who read my blog might've noticed, I have a long-standing affinity for astrology.


You may find Plumevine on the web at: Plumevine.com
My blog "Naiad Dawns" can be found through: Naiad Dawns
Plumevine is also on Facebook for quick updates, at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Plumevine/69710423366

Stamp Carving Class

I'm super excited to be teaching my very first stamp carving class at Pleasant Memories in Dublin, CA next Friday! The class is at 11am. And, if anyone is interested in joining in there are a few spots open still.

I've created kits that include everything you need to get started carving your own stamps (I'll soon have the kits available in my Etsy shop too!)
A select few of my stamps (a couple of my best sellers) are also available at Pleasant Memories now too!

!!Winner!!

I had planned on accompanying this post with photos of myself cutting names out, folding them up, and having my oldest son pull one out of a jar.
All of that did happen, I assure you, but the batteries in my camera ran out of juice and refused to let me take even one last picture!

None the less, the winner of the giveaway has been chosen!

And the winner is........Wabisabinaturals

Thanks to everyone who left such kind comments. They were really appreciated by both myself and Mary Ann!

And, If you didn't win, not to worry! This was just the first of many giveaways I plan to do on my blog!!

Fairy Garden Update

Now that Summer is in full swing my little garden has transformed a bit. I thought I'd share a few pictures I took a couple of weeks ago (yes, a couple weeks ago! With moving and trying to keep up with orders I hadn't found the time until now to share these! Thankfully this garden is actually located in my mother's yard, so the move didn't effect my keeping up with it!)

The Chamomile has taken over the space and seems to be really happy in this shady little corner of the yard. They've turned into giant bushes of delicate, fragrant flowers. And, although it's not visible from the photo, I'm happy to report that the maidenhair fern has begun to grow. Which tells me that my uprooting it, chopping it down to just a few stems and replanting over a few feet didn't kill it! Sadly, I can not say the same for the passionflower vine. It died soon after I transplanted it.

So, I didn't get as much planted here as I'd hoped. I wanted to add some ferns in the back, and maybe a stepping stone or two. I'll call it a work in progress, as are many things in my life....

Interview with Mary Ann Hudson of Rumpos (and GiveAway!)

I am delighted to share this interview with a very talented designer of childrens playscapes. Her creations are unique and inspire the imagination of the young an d old alike.



Tell us a bit about yourself

My name is Mary Ann Hudson and I am getting ready to celebrate my 10th wedding anniversary with my nerdy husband, Matt. We have a hilarious two-year-old son, Gus, who inspires us to use our imaginations every single day. My husband and I are originally from the midwest, but consider ourselves pacificwest for a a few years to complete graduate programs and are planning to return home to the rain and sea afterwards.

How did you get started creating your unique playscapes?

A dear friend wanted one for her super magical daughter, and though I had been making mostly clothes and quilts up to that point, her request really resonated with me. It makes sense, really--as a kid I was always making tiny worlds. I created dioramas, built elaborate fairy houses and bird cemetaries outside, made things for my dollhouse that I would spend hours with, collected minatures. As a "grown-up" I got an MFA in poetry--another way to make tiny worlds. That first playscape I made for my friend's daughter, in many ways, wasn't my first at all--it was just the first one using the materials and skills I had available to me then. I love to plan and imagine the little playscapes, and in my head there are always particular inhabitants and kinds of magic associated with each one. Then, when I give them away or someone acquires one for their family, I imagine that they make themselves new, waiting for their recipiants to imagine life into them all over again.

As far as the creation of them, specifically, I am able to reinterpret quilting, applique, and softie-building skills. I love that I can take skills that I've learned and then, in a way, free myself from those skills by "playing" in the making of these little worlds. For example, I love piecing and creating quilting designs, but it's very precise work that requires adhering to a certain skill set. However, in the playscapes, I can free-cut designs in both two and three dimensions, put everything together as I go, and free-motion quilt according to whims of texture and organic shape. So, those good skills got me started, but the playscapes go their own direction.

What most inspires your work?

Nature and the outdoors. I feel pretty strongly that I want these items to represent what we can find in the out-of-doors and to remind children of all ages how much possibility and play there is just outside our doors. I do incorporate the human and magical-being made into the playscapes, but with a light hand. For example, I love creating a pastoral/farm scenes because all of us have a connection to farms for our food and it is something important to teach our children about--but the emphasis is still on the natural world and the water, mud, and plants. I think that it's no wonder that children and children's poets and authors have populated the natural world with magical creatures and talking animals and adventures and quests--the outdoors is the normative backdrop for big ideas, possibility, imagination, and magic. Trees and fairy rings and flower-covered hillsides are infused with beauty, possibly, and real magic simply by being what they are. I would hope that the idea that we are all gorgeous and meaningful and magical simply by the virture of being ourselves would be something every child everywhere can learn.

What are you up to when you're not creating playscapes?

I am a full-time graduate student in a pediatric nurse practitioner program--from an MFA to a science career! I found this path via volunteering and realizing, with the help of some amazing mentors, that there was a calling I couldn't ignore in service to mamas and papas and their kids. I am also a mama, a writer, and walker/explorer. Anything else you'd like to share.

I really appreciate the opportunity to share what I do and to participate in a culture of handmade. I feel really passionately about keeping my family's resources local, handmade, repurposed, recycled, and low impact and I know that more and more families feel this way everyday. I think that kids "get" these kinds of values instinctively and that every time we reinforce those integral values by introducing a handmade toy into the playroom or making something ourselves or making (beautifully) do, we are giving our kids room and love to take care of their planet and each other.

I am giving away, in honor of the opening of the camping season, my lakeside campsite playscape (pictured above)! My lovely blog hostess will explain the raffle rules and get your info to me for shipping. Even if you don't win, please visit my shop and enter 'Whimsy' in the "notes to seller" and get 10% off of your order until the end of June (or convo me for a custom listing that reflects the discount if you're not fond of paypal refunds)!

Thanks!

Please enter a comment at the bottom of this post to entered in the drawing. The winner will be chosen on June 8th at random. I will post the winner on the blog that day!

Non-Blogging

Just wanted to write a quick update as to where I've been lately.
I have had good intentions to blog, taken many photos of my boys and my crafting, made up blog entries in my head, but just haven't had the time to get 'em out here!

My family and I are unexpectedly moving this weekend! It's been a whirlwind for the last couple of weeks.

So, I'll be back at it as soon as I'm settled in our home :-)

Xavier's Haircut

We decided to give our little Xavier a haircut yesterday. The weather has been so hot, it seemed like a good idea. And, it'll grow back soon. But, before it was done I already missed his baby curls.

And, just wanted to show off my newest Scrapbook Layout!

My New Obsession

I've discovered Digital Scrapbooking!
I'm super new at digital design in general, and only just got Photoshop Elements last week. But, I'm already loving how creative I can be with this medium.

I've got plans to make mini scrapbooks for the grandparents, personalized calendars, invitations, and detailed layouts to hang on the boys bedroom wall. I'm really excited to know that there is so much I can do with this skill, and am soaking up all the tutorials I can find!

Ice Cream for Breakfast

That's right, you read it. My boys had ice cream for breakfast today.

We go through a lot of bananas in our house. And, I don't complain since I like my boys to eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies.

Now that the weather has begun to warm up it's a perfect time for Banana Ice Cream, and why not for breakfast? After all it's 100% vegan, raw, and Organic (as long as you use Organic bananas)

I froze about 6 pealed bananas over night, then fed them through my Champion Juicer. It really is amazing how creamy it comes out. It looks just like vanilla ice cream, complete with little flecks (look like vanilla beans, are really bits of banana seeds). Anyway, my Shep Loves it (and so does his baby brother)! It's equal to regular dairy ice cream to him, maybe a little better since he gets to watch it being made and take part in the preparation.

I added a bit of 'Raw Goji Berry & Cacao Powder Mix' to add some more healthiness and make it look and taste a bit more special.


Needless to say, the bowl was empty in no time!

Watering Can

Here's my newest stamp. Just listed it in my shop this morning. And, I really love it :-)


It makes the perfect addition to Summer page lay outs, and garden inspired gift tags.

New Stamps

Just thought I'd share a couple of my new stamp designs here.

I love this branch! I wanted to make one that was more realistic and detailed than my original branch design. And, once I got the sketch just right I got to carving, and came up with this little beauty. I love that it can be used to frame something, a photo, a page, or a journal entry.


I have been wanting to make a crown stamp for a long time and finally decided on the design. I made it have just the right angle so that it can be placed atop something to 'crown' it.


I'm busy working on more and will be adding them to my shop with in the week!

Sandy Bar Ranch

We just returned from a trip to the gorgeous Klamath region of Northern CA (think Old Growth forest, a waterfall around every turn, misty mornings, and moss covering everything)

It was quite a drive from the Bay Area, but so worth it!








We spent two days at the beautiful Sandy Bar Ranch. A permaculture based farm that offers cabin rentals right on the Klamath river.










It was a wonderful time to visit. All the fruit tree were in bloom with bees buzzing about.



The boys really enjoyed themselves. The goats and chickens at the ranch were a big hit with both of them! Shepard got to feed the goats and Xavier spent a lot of time just watching the chickens pecking around in their coop.

Easy Solution for Left Over Oatmeal

Here's a recipe (sort of) for those of you who have also been plagued with the question of what to do with that left over oatmeal. Since Oatmeal is such a common breakfast for my children and I during these cold and rainy Winter mornings I came up with a yummy treat that uses up that oatmeal that's left in the pot.

You'll need:

Cooked Oatmeal (I used about 4 cups worth for this recipe. I make extra now that I've come up with this treat, but you can save whatever you have left over a couple of days and plop it all in a bowl when it comes time to mix your ingredients)

Apple, Pealed and Finely Chopped (you can use a whole apple or just improvise by using the left over apple slices your kids didn't eat, that's what I did :-)

Raisins and/or Currants (I used a bit of both. And just add as many as you'd like. The more the better, in my opinion!)

Sweetener (I like to use a bit of honey or maple syrup. But, not much is needed since the raisins and apples add sweetness)

Cinnamon (I used about a tablespoon full)

An Appropriately Sized Glass Baking Dish (Buttered)

Heat your oven to 350. Mix all ingredients and spread into the baking dish. You may wish to add a few small dollops of butter to the top to help it crisp up a bit. Bake, uncovered, for about an hour (maybe more, maybe less depending on the thickness of your mixture) You'll know it's done when it looks pretty dry on top and feels firm to the touch. I like to serve it warm, right out of the oven, but I'm sure it will keep well in the refrigerator for a few days.


If anyone decides to give this a try I'd love to hear comments on how it comes out! And, let me know if you come up with any variations, I'd love some ideas for what else I could add!