Ok, I should just never make promises to do anything weekly. Maybe if my to do list looked like one I found recently in my 7-year old daughter’s notebook, I’d be better at getting everything done. Here is her list:
I am writing an article for my writing class on dysthymia, and I am stumped! Dysthymia is a type of depression that lasts at least two years (sometimes much longer), and in which the sufferer can have many of the same symptoms that people with so-called “major” depression face. I’ve seen it described as “mild,” “less severe,” and even “minor.” The thing is, people with dysthymia (dis-THIGH-me-a) have often been depressed for so long, they’ve forgotten what it feels like not to be depressed. Depression becomes their “normal” state. Everything seems hopeless; they have no motivation; they have no energy. They get by, but they have no joy, and they feel they have no worth. And this is what normal feels like.
My article started out as a list article – you know, like “57 ways to cut your grocery bill” or “16 Green Crafts Using Your Old Milk Jug Lids!” Mine was “Get a Handle on the Blahs.” I really want to write this article – I was dysthymic myself, for many years, and if I hadn’t come across the term somewhere, I never would have gotten the help I needed. The thing is, I’m getting caught up in the futility of writing a self-help article for people who don’t recognize their own need for help. Also, I only have 1000 words to work with.
Any ideas?
So, here is part of what has kept me from my keyboard the last month or so…these dolls were supposed to be Christmas presents, but they just would NOT cooperate. Fortunately the lady who ordered them is very, very nice. She told me she wanted happy dolls, with no stress sewn in to them. At last they are done and delivered. (Actually, they’ve been delivered for a week or two…I’ve not been on the ball with uploading photos, either. Sigh.)
It always amazes me how they come out with their own personalities, even if I’m using the same pattern! I used the same basic pattern for the three smaller ones, and they couldn’t be more different. The two henna dolls started out the same, too – but the blond is definitely sassier than the brunette, don’t you agree?
My friend, Tammi, and I were attempting to figure out how to get her daughter’s toy to work, to show my son. The toy in question is a hobby horse with a chip in its ear that makes galloping and neighing noises when pressed. The chip is apparently broken. Tammi squeezed the ear for awhile, then I gave it a go. Finally, her nearly-three-year old came over and said, “I can show him how it works, Mommy.” She took the hobby horse, straddled it and skipped off across the room.
“This is how you make it gallop, Frederich!”
Then she added, “And you can make it neigh, too – Neigh! Neigh!“
My 4 1/2-year old said, “Cool!”
Sometimes grown-ups can be really idiotic.
Hi there! Long time no write, I know. But I’m determined to do better – and I’m participating in WordPress’s “Post-A-Week 2011″ challenge (they have a “Post-A-Day” challenge, too, but let’s be realistic….). I’ve also signed up for an online writing class. (That means the class is online, not that the writing is necessarily for online use!) I am looking forward to a busy and productive year. I hope you are, too! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
This week’s Smoosher is Chris Newcomb, aka EagleHawk. Chris lives in Cypress, Texas (the 2nd largest state…;) ), with his wife (“the most wonderful woman I know” he says! Isn’t that sweet?) and two daughters. He is primarily a woodworker. Something I love from his Art Fire shop‘s Artisan Gallery is this wonderful decorative violin:
More representative of Chris’s work is this gorgeous little scrollsaw ornament, which he says is “perfect for little hands to hang on the tree.” Living as I do only a few miles from the North Pole, I had to include this one!
How does this work make Mr. Newcomb a Smoosher, you ask? Well, although Chris is relatively new to polymer clay, he has come up the great idea of inlaying some of his woodwork with polyclay, which has resulted in some very cute keychains. 
Using wood and polymer clay together can be problematic, because of wood’s tendency to shrink and expand. It is nice to see someone experimenting with the combination, though, because there is wonderful potential for creating beautiful items. This is my favorite of Chris’s keychains – I love the combination of the poplar with the pearl polymer clay:
I hope you’ll have fun browsing at Chris’s Art Fire shop!
This week, the Smooshers spotlight lands on Jennifer, of Crafty Baby Hope.
Jennifer uses her Art Fire profits to fund treatments for secondary infertility – hence the name of her shop. You can read about her story at her blogs, Jewelry for Hope, which is where she shows her creative side, and A Look Into My Life which is her forum for discussing her hopeful, if frustrating, experiences with MTHFR, PCOS, and endometriosis…and an active little Boy Scout called “Boober.”
She does lovely wirework, as well as polymer clay work. I love this little bird’s nest pendant:
And this bracelet is just stunning:
Of the many adorable polymer clay items in her shop, I think my favorites are the “kawaii” things. I had to look up what that means – “kawaii” is the Japanese word for “cute” and refers to the culture of cuteness that has developed in Japan since the 1980s. This is the trend responsible for Hello Kitty and Pokemon, though even everyday items and food can be kawaii. Here are some of Jennifer’s kawaii items:
I hope you’ll take the time to visit Jennifer’s shop and blog. She is a strong lady with a lot of hope, and she makes really cute stuff!
This week, the guild spotlight is on Dori, of Sassy Clay Creations. Dori has perfected the trick of layering clay to build up lovely and fun textures on her jewelry and home decor items.
This mirror would cheer me up on the worst bad hair day!
I love this little glittery white bowl. Working with white clay is a HUGE challenge for me – mine always ends up mainly white with flecks and smears of other colors and fuzzy with dust. This little bowl shows Dori’s meticulousness and patience.
And just look at this pretty little pin! Reminds me of childhood vacations at the ocean. (Sigh – the nearest ocean to me now is the Arctic! Br!)
Dori’s blog is Sassy Clay Creations – check out the wonderful tutorial on making Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) from polymer clay. Her Art Fire shop is SassyClayCreations. I hope you’ll spend a little time browsing through her lovely products and admiring her creativity.
Thursdays are going to be my day for profiling my guild mates from the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild of Art Fire. I’m pleased to start this weekly feature off with my Guild Master – ColtPixy! (Her blog is over there >>> in the blogroll.)
ColtPixy is a multi-talented artist from Tennessee. She has worked in many different media over the years, including painting, stained glass and mosaics, and of course, polymer clay.
She seems to have never-ending energy, though she says it’s all due to coffee. I’m thinking I need to switch to her brand.
These are her latest creations – some of the most beautiful beetles I’ve ever seen!
She has a sense of humor, too, as you can see from these “Ticked Off Peas in a Pod.”
My daughter would kill for these miniatures, even if the mask is really a very cool little pendant!
I LOVE this pendant – it’s so simple and striking.
Ok, that’s all I’ll show you, but I hope you’ll go visit ColtPixy’s Art Fire shop or check out her Flickr pages to see all the lovely things (like amazing mica shift work and her fabulous “PixyStones”) that I couldn’t post today. Of course, you can also go to her blog or the blog she maintains beautifully for the Smooshers.
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