The Polka Dot Pixie

A little bit of Christmas...

2011-12-19T16:47:00.000-08:00

in my kitchen....

Well actually, its a dining nook ;-). But never-the-less....

I love lots of warm and happy colors. Most of the ornaments sourced from thrift and antique shops.

Happy Christmas everyone!

Santa's Flight

2011-08-31T07:34:00.001-07:00

Santa's Flight, a photo by thepolkadotpixie on Flickr.

I'm still here!

Been busy getting ready for the Spooky Time Jingles Soiree in New Hope, PA on Sept 10. Like me, this Santa is flying out with all kinds of goodness to share! :-)

More updates coming soon :-D

18 years!

2011-02-13T12:28:00.000-08:00

Today marks my husband's and mine 18th wedding anniversary. We married young and we were completely broke, but very much in love.

I have really good memories of our wedding day. Since money was scarce, we relied upon friends and family to supply the setting, much of the food and even the entertainment.

My dress was a 1920's drop waisted gown that I found at an antique store ( along with the pearl choker) and my veil (which I fell in love with) was found at a second hand bridal shop.

My aunt had a huge backyard that she generously welcomed us to use for the setting. The fare was simple... my mom and I went to a local, mom and pop owned Italian deli and purchased trays of meats and cheeses. A talented friend made the wedding cake.

With over 100 guests we were grateful to have 3 D.J's in the family which provided plenty of music for dancing.

I have always been a bit of a romantic. I think that is why so

many of my clay characters are shown happy, lovey-dovey settings like the guys below.

I hope you have happy plans for Valentines Day tomorrow. To celebrate, I modified the image below for you to you use as you please in your Valentine's day tag or card making. Feel free to download and resize as needed . To download, left click the image and choose "save as" (note that this image is for personal use only).

Happy Valentine Day!

Storybook inspiration

2011-02-09T16:38:00.000-08:00

As I have oft mentioned, I absolutely adore vintage children's illustrations. Some of my favorite Rose Bowl flea market finds included the lovely books below...

These books have already found a happy home snuggled between the stacks of volumes in my cozy studio.

Every now and then, when looking for inspiration, I'll pour over these illustrations whilst sipping on a cuppa something good, warm and sweet.

Little Miss Muffet pictured below was in my head for more than a year (thanks to the brilliant mind of old school animator Ray Harryhausen) before I finally took the time to render her in clay.

I created the tree and "tuffet" (what is that anyway???) out of newspaper which was wrapped in masking tape and covered with handmade paper mache. I then formed the little five petal flowers out of paper clay (using a gum-paste cutter and a paintbrush) and attached them all over the greenery.

Little Miss and her charming spider friend were sculpted from paper clay over foam, wire and wood. The little spoon was made with floral wire covered in paper tape.

Foregoing the usual box, I chose a wooden tray (found at the Goodwill) to paint and polka dot to arrange the scene. I am so happy with the way these guys turned out. I hope you like them too! If you would like to purchase them they'll be on offer at midnight tonight over at PFATT marketplace.

I'll be back on Sunday with a free Valentine's Day card/tag image for your printing pleasure!

More Fleamarketing adventures

2011-01-29T07:09:00.000-08:00

I am grateful to be on the other side of what was a long and stressful week. Having found a few early morning moments to pour through my favorite blogs while listening to Pandora, I thought I should do a little posting of my own and share some photos from my last trip to the Rose Bowl Flea :-)....

While famous, I have to say the Rose Bowl Flea Market is probably my least favorite, due to the overwhelming size and scope of it. It also seems a bit pricier than other flea markets. However, on this last trip I was able to find (an even purchase) some really wonderful stuff. So much for my resolution to cut down on the clutter...

Rows and Rows of Vintage dresses... I cannot resist spending a good 20 minutes in booths like these.

This stained glass wasn't vintage, but it was lovely the way it caught the dim sunlight on that cold January morning in Pasadena...

Not even a single stem from this box of millinery was in my price range, but I liked it all so much that I needed a photo!

This=cuteness

It wouldn't be beyond me to wallpaper an entire room with vintage valentines... the graphics always reel me in... also, I've liked the word "swell" ever since watching Dobie Gillis reruns on Nick at Night when I was a kid...

Seeing all these aprons in one p;ace just made me happy...

More kitschy cuteness....

I love the glamorous figurine in the middle of this collection

Always lots of pretty painted furniture at the Flea... none would fit in the hatchback of my Nissan Versa though

And at last... this was the dress of regret.....

I contemplated purchasing this sweetheart of a dress for a good 15 minutes before the practical half of my brain won out. The Romantic in me fell in love with color, the polka dots (of course!) the drop waist, the pockets, and the lace trim, while Miss Practical reminded me of it's stains, unfix-able threadbare patches and of the 1/2 dozen other vintage dresses in my closet that I NEVER wear. So, I contented myself with of photo and a promise to don one of the old dresses that already have residence in my closet before purchasing another one.

I'll be back in a few to show you what did manage to come home with me (despite Miss Practical's protestations) and an update on some upcoming classes. Happy weekend everyone!

Laughter and Lemondrops

2011-01-14T12:29:00.000-08:00

I wanted to pop in to share the beautiful web page and work of my new friend Carrie Sherman. Her website, entitled Laughter and Lemondrops ( I just love that name!) has some magically beautiful jewelry offerings. Below is sample of her whimsical work.

I'll be back in a couple of days to share the spoils of my recent flea market adventure as well as with some updated news about classes :-). Happy weekend everyone!

Whirlwind weekend

2011-01-11T17:55:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful day of teaching at Whimzy in beautiful Tustin, California. And the group of wonderful women that took the class did an excellent job at creating their lovely bluebird boxes (pictures coming soon!). After a fun day of teaching and long night of catching up on overdue sleep, I got up early to spend the day doing a little flea market shopping at the world famous Rose Bowl Market.

When I go flea marketing, I am always on the prowl for old books (my inner librarian must have her way). Amongst the many delightful finds, I came across this coincidentally cute book created in 1914 by Thorton Burgess: Jerry Muskrat Wins Respect.

I say coincidently, because just a few days before, I put the finishing touches on this friendly frog fellow.... (based upon the old folk tale, a Frog He Would a Wooing Go). Do you see a sort of resemblance? I think these guys look related (even down to the red shoes)!

Mr. Froggy was listed on PFATT earlier this month and soon will be happily hopping his way across the country to live with a lovely customer. But in honor of day, I will have two other Valentine's inspired creations, beginning January 13th on Spookytime Jingles.

Dish and Spoon in Love

Spooky Love

I'll be back in a couple of days and have lots more to share about my classes, my flea market frenzy as well as some recent favorite finds :-)

Classes coming up!

2011-01-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a good ending to 2010 and excellent start to 2011. Despite the freezing icy weather here in Flagstaff, AZ, I actually find much to enjoy about the prospect of a fresh new year "with no mistakes in it" ala Anne of Green Gables.

So have you made any resolutions? I am proud to say that I actually kept a few of my goals last year by starting a new jogging and healthy eating regime that helped me to drop about 30 pounds and quite a few dress sizes. I'd like to maintain that goal this year and increase my endurance and speed on the ole' treadmill. I also kept my resolution to return to school, and I am happy to say I am at a 4.0 so far in my grad program. It's been slow going though and I wound up only taking 2 classes last Spring and one in the Fall. Hopefully they will still be hiring librarians by the time I am finished with my program :-)

Another thing I did a lot of in 2010 was teach. And I am actively developing more classes for the new year. Coming up next weekend (in honors of Valentine's Day, which will be here before you know it) is my Lovebirds Class at Whimzy in Tustin California. I have taught this class in New Jersey and Mesa and I am excited to be bringing in to Southern California. At last check there were a few more spots open, so if you are in the area and would like to take a class, click on this link for more info.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

2010

2010-12-27T06:49:00.000-08:00

How blessed I was this year. Although my school and work schedules prohibited me from posting much, I did snap some photos throughout the year in an effort to capture happy moments....

Teaching from coast to coast: New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Mesa..... (Art Opera, Artistic Bliss Les Sirenes and Mystic Paper)

Traveling in New Mexico, Colorado and New York

(the photos above are of me and my family enjoying stops on our summer road trip at the Red Rock Amphitheater outside of Denver and at the the International Museum of Folk Art in Santa Fe; Below is a collage of my one day solo sojourn into New York City.. Central Park, Times Square, Broadway, Harlem and the John Lennon Imagine Memorial were just a few of the sites that I explored that day in April)

Vending at beautiful shows like Glitterfest in Tustin, California, and at the NAU Holiday Art and Craft extravaganza........

And taking a little time out to enjoy some Flea and Farmers Markets!

I hope you had a wonderful year . And thank you so much for coming by, for your emails and comments over the past 12 months. Here's a toast and a wish for an even better 2011!

A gift for you...

2010-12-23T08:14:00.000-08:00

If you are like me, you may just be putting the final touches on your Christmas gift wrapping and lo and behold, you forgot to buy tags! Because it's a snowy cozy day here in Flagstaff, Arizona and I don't want to make a run to Target, I created these happy little gift tags from some of my finished Christmas creations. If you like them feel free to click on this link to download the PDF. Then you can print, cut and tag away :-) (Please note that these are for personal use only)

Available on Spooky-Time Jingles at midnight Tonight....

2010-12-12T17:23:00.000-08:00

I saved one of my favorite Santas for the Spooky Time Jingles update :-) Blog friends get 15% off (just let me know you are a blog reader). Here's the link....

Guest curating at Crescendo....

2010-11-29T11:47:00.001-08:00

If you haven't heard of this awesome project created by Jenny Doh, I encourage you to head on over and check it out! Give yourself some time to explore the site! There is a ton a great information over there! I was given the opportunity to do some guest curating this week where I get to share some blog links that have inspired me recently. Here's a bit of my own story.... (that's a picture of me and my goofy hair working on a little pixie doll below :-) )

Thankful Sale :-)

2010-11-26T04:50:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post today to let you know that you can use the coupon code THANKFUL to purchase anything and everything in my Etsy shop at 25% off until 6pm PST tonight! The way the discount code works is to put the item in your cart and during checkout you enter the code and it will reduce the original price by 25%).

I'll be posting this publicly in the store itself in an hour but I wanted to give blog readers a little heads up just in case, like me, you were doing a little handmade happiness shopping today :-)

Hope everyone had a joyous Thanksgiving!

Quick Hello :-)

2010-11-18T20:16:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone! I hope you have been enjoying your fall. We have had an unusually mild one here in the Northern AZ mountains and after last year's record breaking blizzards, I have to say I am sooo glad!

In between work, classes and jogging I have manged to get a bit of sculpting squeezed in here and there and tomorrow is the huge NAU Holiday art craft fair which I show at every year. I snapped some pics of my favorites before packing them up. Let me know what you think :-)

And a quick announcement.... I will be having my annual Etsy sale on Friday Nov. 26. Everything I list will be priced at 25% below retail for one day only, so be sure to check it out.

I am a horrible blogger

2010-09-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

warning.... long, kind of personal post ahead (mostly rant free)

I am really bad at this juggling everything bit. I don't know how so many women do it. One of my favorite food bloggers posts daily and she is a physician. Too which I say WOW! I, on the other hand, can't seem to post monthly lately. I am in my second semester of graduate school now and since I got my bachelors in '98, I had since forgotten how much work school is. And work is work too.. since getting laid off in 2008, I have had a few job transitions, and at the moment I have two part time jobs and one consulting position that takes up well over 40 hours a week. My family seems to think I should be making dinners, doing laundry and grocery shopping too..... Hope this post doesn't sound whiny, because I really like my work, I really like school and I really really love my family. I even like doing laundry! Deep inside of me lives a domestic sort of person that has always romanticized homemaking and housekeeping. I have the cookbook collection to prove it! I like blogging too, I like doing lots of stuff...I am just not so good at making time for it.

Do you ever go through those periods where you question your priorities? With a newfound jogging habit dangerously close to being back-burnered and a stack of overdue library books on "time management" that I haven't found time to read, I have had a few thoughts lately of putting away the clay and taking a sort of hiatus from doll-making. I think I am probably clay addicted so that's not likely to really happen. So I hope it's okay with those still reading if I pop in and post when I can. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed lately.

I have managed to squeeze in a tiny bit of pixie making though. In fact lots of Pixie making for Glitterfest this weekend in Santa Ana, California.

I really fell in love with these guys while I was making them. I was going to make the pumpkin man a pumpkin girlfriend, but for some reason, only a pickle shaped girl was able fit just right next to him. I imagine that they both like each other very much, he's got the arm around her so it must be the 3rd or fourth date. And she's taller, that's why he wore the top hat.

This is what too many late nights of studying does to your brain. Thanks for hanging in here with me. Come see me on Saturday here if you're nearby :-).

Some new studio pics

2010-07-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I am back from the beautiful Les Sirenes event in Manhattan Beach. I must say, if you ever have the opportunity to attend one of Kim's events, do go! No detail is overlooked and it's both a pampering retreat and opportunity to create and learn new techniques. I am still in the process of editing my photos from the event, and I will be sure to post some along with a recap later this week. In meanwhile, I wanted to share a couple of photos of my new studio space (while I have it a bit cleaned up). If I could paint the walls in this rental, I think I'd go with a jadeite green or robin's egg blue, but since I cant I have done my best to infuse some color where I can.

The desk where I create, and a view of shelves overflowing with books, art supplies and flea market/thrift shop bounty...

A small nook with bins full of supplies and lots of vintage inspiration:

Here's the wide angle shot from the entry way. I am on the top floor and the light is very bright on sunny days.... The dollhouse in the corner is going to get rehabbed one of these days..

There's me, happy as a clam, pixie making :-)

Thanks for taking the tour! Let me know what you think :-)!

Busy summer....

2010-07-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

Finishing up some new work to sell at the Artistic Affair Vendor Soirée... I had these guys drying on a rack outside after applying sealant (and before the" antiquing" stage) and I thought they looked sort of happy hanging out together so I snapped a quick pic...

Okay so the little green witch doesn't look so happy, but then again she never is!!!

And here's one all finished, a bit of Christmas in July :-)

This one makes me crave sweets... hmmmmmm.....

Tomorrow is Spookytime Jingles 2 year annivesary! Head over to say hello!

I hope you all have the chance to relax and breathe a bit during this beautiful summer season!

Updates and and interview

2010-07-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

I have been blessed with some wonderful mailbox goodness lately thanks to the amazingly talented Magpie Ethel. She does awesome thing with vintage finds including these sweet spun head creations that look happy to live amongst my vintage books...

Life remains busy up here. Less than two weeks away until Artistic Bliss in Los Angeles and I am buried in paper clay trying to get 50 mermaid kits together. I love to teach, but I am always fueled by nervousness about it and it my hope that every student walks away happy and satisfied with the class. I am still in the process of getting an online sculpting class organized for those of you that have expressed interest. I'd like it to be an interactive class with video and chat and not just a series of PDF's. Still working out the technology on my end. In the meanwhile, I do a few a couple of pixie kits left. I will likely make a few more in August. (see kit samples below).

In other news, I was recently interviewed by the Glitterfest Gazette. If you want to check it out, please do so here.

Hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend so far!

Smoke gets in my eyes....

2010-06-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

Lots about these fires in the news lately. :-(

We had been enjoying out new digs and the local area immensely. A couple of weeks ago my husband I went hiking in an area known as the "inner basin" (the fires are burning not too far from this area.) It was a hot, beautiful day and we packed a picnic and hiked the two miles through this

and this

To see this....

and this

Please send prayers and wishes for rain.

On the front page of our local newspaper today was a beautiful story that brought tears to my eyes. I encourage you to pop on over and read it. (I have been weepy a lot lately... Not sure why... lots of changes going on around here. A Billie Holiday song is making me tear up even as I write this).

Speaking of being weepy, have you seen Toy Story 3 yet? Wow. I never cried so much at the end of a movie. Describing the plot of the movie alone brought tears to my eyes when I was explaining it to a coworker. The first Toy story was the first movie that I took my sweet son to see and now, much like Andy, he is growing up, becoming a handsome young man before my very eyes. Wish I could slow time down a bit.

Long Overdue!

2010-06-03T15:19:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! So my first grad school semester is finally over and we are getting close to being settled in the new place (photos coming soon). Thanks for being so patient with me and for continuing to read and comment here. Reciprocation on my part is long overdue. I took the summer off from school so that I could focus more on getting The Polka Dot Pixie restocked and ready for the upcoming seasons and so that I could refocus my blogging. and have the chance to read my favorite blogs (I have over 1000 unread posts in my Google Reader).

One thing I never had the opportunity to share was my fabulous trip to the East Coast where I participated in the lovely Lisa Kettell’s Art Opera. It was a blast and I have to say, I found the people of New York and New Jersey to be some of the warmest, kindest and funniest I have ever met. I hope to head back there in the fall. Here’s some photos from the Art Opera Vendor fair….

(My Alice collection kept the moo card swap spot company)

(Lisa’s beautiful display)

(Everyday is a Holiday- Jenny and Aaron’s work is even sweeter in person)

(Just gorgeous work by Vintage by Crystal!)

I found some awesome vintage goodies at the fair which i will be sharing in a future post.

I taught two classes at Art Opera and my students were amazingly talented and sweet. I really love being able to share the joy that sculpting brings me.

(Above is the mega-talented Ann Denise Anderson, proudly displaying her almost finished bluebird couple from my Bluebird Wedding Cake Topper class)

(There is the amazing Miss Lisa herself, putting her own spin on her fairy in my Sculpting Your Inner Pixie class! Check out her work in progress Pixie )

Speaking of inner pixies, I will be making the kit available soon for purchase for $30 (includes pre- sculpted pixie, wand, armature, choice of fairy wings, crepe, ribbon, glitter and instructions). Please email me if you are interested in reserving a kit. (update, June 23... they are ready! )

I have so much more to share with everyone . It’s been too long! But in effort to kept this post relatively and readably short, I will postpone a few more pics for my next post (which I promise, will not take 2 months to write). I have missed everyone and look forward to catching up with you all.

Farewell Fern Cottage

2010-04-22T16:44:00.000-07:00

(Above is our home back in 1916. I nicknamed it Fern Cottage, after the little girl standing on the front porch with her mom.)

So much as happened since my last post it's hard to know where to begin...

Last fall, Mr. Polka Dot Pixie was assigned to a new duty station over 35 miles away. Because he has a crazy police schedule, he was no longer able to come home for a meal with us regularly (an important ritual in our family). Also, with the insane winter storms, there were times that he wasn't able to make the commute home at night at all. Adding to that, our kids have become teenagers, and the opportunities for safe and supervised activities for youth in our current community are becoming even more scarce thanks to cutbacks to local recreation programs and the like. Our local schools are also taking a hit and programs for my artistically gifted daughter and musically gifted son (no drama club, no band at the local high school) are almost non existent. We made a pro and con list, and decided that, despite how much we love our house, the best decision for our family was to make a move, closer to DH's work and to a community that provides more opportunities for our kids. And so, with mixed emotions, we are saying goodbye to our sweet Victorian cottage....

A lovely couple has agreed to lease our home and hopes to purchase it by summer's end. In the meanwhile, we will be renting a cozy modern condo in our new town, Flagstaff! For those of you not familiar with Flagstaff, it is an active college town, surrounded by forest and mountains. Our townhouse is right in the heart, and we look forward to being able to walk (or use public transportation! something our former community didn't have!) to get just about anywhere! I am excited about being able to attend First Friday ArtWalks, watch Movies on the Square, and enjoy a play at the university every once in awhile. Adding to our "pro" list, our daughter was accepted into a performing and visual arts high school in our new community, and I know it will be the beginning of exciting opportunities for her!

It'll take some adapting (we haven't rented since we were first married... can you paint your walls in a rental?) and I can't help feeling some sadness as I sweep out dusty corners of our sweet old place for the last time. Also, moving stinks :-P

Busy busy....All of this happens during another job change for myself and in between the fabulous Art Opera (pics coming soon!) that I was blessed to teach at a couple of weeks back, and the upcoming Mystic Paper class I am teaching in a few weeks and Glitterfest that I will be vending at in less than a month!

So lots and lots of changes! Thanks again for bearing with me and my infrequent posts as I adapt. I do have some exciting news coming up regarding new products, icluding much asked for kits and online sculpting classes. Look for an announcement in about a month (once the moving dust has settled). In the meanwhile, please enjoy these photos of a few corners of my (now former) home sweet home.... I'll post some shots of the new place once it feels more like home... And if you are in the Southern California area, please come see me at Glitterfest! I could use a hug!

Goodbye cute kitchen!

So long blue bathroom....

Farewell movie theater room, music room and dining room :-(

I'll check back in a few weeks everyone.... ((((hugs)))))

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

2010-03-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

The 20th comment was made by Nan McNeal! Thanks everyone for all the great tips and comments and well wishes.

Nan, please contact me via email with your Polka Dot Pixie wish!

If you didn't win this time, don't despair,

I promise to host another giveaway soon :-)

Happy Healthy ((((((hugs))))))))))

Giveaway Winner to be Announced Tonight!

2010-03-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! Thanks so much for all of your thoughtful comments and emails. I have been busy getting ready for the Art Opera in New Jersey (Only two weeks away)! Giveaway winner will be announced tonight :-)

Whew! and a giveaway

2010-03-08T18:58:00.000-08:00

I am just back from the doctor's office with my pathology results. I got the all clear! Thanks so much for your prayers and good wishes.

The other good news I received at the doctor's is that thanks to a successful exercise and healthier eating regime I have dropped my blood pressure significantly and lost 15 pounds since January!

To celebrate, I think it's time for a giveaway! Simply post a comment sharing your favorite health tip, be it a snack, exercise, or mental health activity like journal writing. I will randomly select a winner next week. The winner will receive one custom made polka dot pixie creation of their choice!

Thanks again everyone and many (((((hugs))))))

Recuperating

2010-02-24T12:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Wednesday everybody!

Well, if school, work and pixie making weren't keeping me busy enough, my body decided to add a bit of a medical issue on top; So today I type this from my cozy bed, having finished a cup of delicious vanilla pudding, recuperating from yesterday's outpatient surgery. I have a tendency to worry a bit, so I am doing my best to keep my mind off of words like "pathology results", which I should have in few days time. Fingers crossed and prayers requested...

The flip side of surgery is that it has given me the excuse to rest (I am one of those women that never sits down) and I have been having a blast catching up on all of my favorite blogs and Lostpedia madness.

In the interest of good health, here are some pages from a sweet vintage childrens' book that I found at the Long Beach Flea Market a few moths ago. It's full of simple, old fashioned healthy wisdom. Enjoy!

Coming up roses....

2010-02-09T05:51:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to show you some of the rosey finds I have chanced upon recently in my thrifting adventures....

Difficult Mr. Groundhog :-(.

I am sooooooooooooooooooo ready for Spring!

Snow + Time + Scraps = Tutorial (sort of)

2010-01-23T09:16:00.000-08:00

A very belated "Happy New Year" to everyone! I am just getting back into the swing of things here as I learn to balance grad school with work, family and Polka Dot Pixie making.

Our little town was smack in the middle of the outrageous storm that has been pounding the west and it brought record snow here as seen in my house photo below....

One happy result of the snowfall was me with some rare time on my hands in my studio.

I think when you craft "professionally" , you don't often remember to take time to craft for your self. An MP3 player carrier has long been on my "to make" list, and felting is one of my non clay crafting loves... so here's what I did.... (sorry about the quality of these photos.. taken on a dark and snowy day)

I started with the dregs of an out of date, ill fitting wool jacket, cutting out a couple of rectangles to fit the dimensions of my beloved Sansa Fuse.

I then cut out another scrap of pink polka dot cotton. I felted this wool monkey face right on to the cotton (I used leftover upholstery foam for my felting pad).

I sewed the polka dot cotton to one of the wool rectangles, then stitched the rectangles together into a pocket (raw sides out) turned the "pocket" inside out, made some tiny slits to thread a ribbon through and viola...
A happy little MP3 case that I can wear around my neck as I jog, houseclean and more!

I hope your 2010 has gotten of to a wonderful start. I will be back on a regular posting schedule as I get my new routine settled.

The Elves Themselves....

2009-12-22T18:00:00.000-08:00

I know I have said this before, but that talent and warmth of the creative community still blows me away. Take the lovely Vivian Neroni, for example.... she has this fabulous blog where she chronicles all of her latest crafty endeavors. She is one of those talented folks that seem to be able to master any art technique. So I was beyond overjoyed when I learned that she would be my partner for her 2010 Littlest Elf Swap.

Between crossing state lines to teach, gobbling down my Turkey dinner, shipping off boxes of Polka Dotted Pixies, and picking myself off of the floor after opening up my grad school tuition bill (YIKES!!!) , I was able to sneak some studio time in to whip up this little guy..... (Snow Pixie Class takers,.. do you recognize the body shape?)

And in exchange, Viv sent me this wonderfully whimsical fellow...

(Thanks for the picture Viv) He is gracing the front parlor as I type.
Now after you are done reading this post, head over to Viv's blog and check out many of the other lovely elves from the swap. Sooo much talent out there! It's exciting!

Since my camera is M. I. A. (I hope you are reading this, Santa, or husband, hint, hint) and my son will allow me use his camera phone provided I pay a small fee, I am only able to share photos of last year's Yuletide Decor....
(Music Parlor)

Dining Room

Awesomely goofy vintage carolers in my kitchen windows. Makes dish washing a delight! (well... almost)

As I am sure this will be the last post of the year for me, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who read this blog, to all who write the awesome blogs that contribute to my laundry pile procrastinating, and to everyone who purchased or took a class from me over the past year. I am truly grateful for your friendship.

Happy Happy Happy Christmas and see you in the New Year!

Sale today!

2009-11-27T06:17:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to remind that I have a 25% off everything sale happening in my etsy shop today only (I extended the hours until approximately 5pm since we are traveling today) At last check only 9 items were left! Lots of good stuff on Etsy today! Happy Shopping :-)

Etsy Sale on Friday...

2009-11-23T16:03:00.000-08:00

Whew it's been a long time since posting! Between a recent job switch...more about that later (spending a couple of weeks doing 2 jobs), Art Fair season and a short visit from the flu, my blogging has been once again been back burner-ed. I do, however, have something to show for my absence.... these sweet new wintertime offerings will be available on Etsy very soon. And if you check in on Friday morning (from 6am-12:00pm pst only) all items will be discounted by 25%! In case I don't post again this week, I want to take the opportunity to wish you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-11-02T06:30:00.000-08:00

(My anthropomorphic salt and pepper shaker collection)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween.
For the 3rd year in a row we ran out of candy. And we like giving out the good stuff. So it was a mad rush to the grocery store for some last minute chocolate.

This Menu Plan Monday thing has been great in assisting me in the time management battle as I frantically have been preparing for upcoming shows, filling orders and prepping for classes. Here's what's on the menu this week:

Monday: BBQ Ribs, broccoli slaw, macaroni salad
Tuesday: Out to eat and see a movie to celebrate my daughter's Birthday!
Wednesday: Martha's Perfect Macaroni and Cheese, green salad
Thursday: Crock Pot Roast Beef Au Jus, Assorted Fruits and Raw veggie tray
Friday: Leftover Night
Saturday: I am teaching (woohoo!), so am picking up a Pizza (my most favorite food), Green salad
Sunday: Chicken Parmesan, tomato basil and zucchini pasta, salad

Hope everyone's week is off to a great start!

More Crafty Classes Coming Up!

2009-10-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

This next one is practically in my backyard. I'll be teaching students how to craft this sweet little Snow Pixie at About Memories and More in Flagstaff, AZ on November 7th.

And.....If you are in the Southern California area, I will also be offering the Snow Pixie class at Paper Tales in gorgeous San Diego on December 5th. Check out their lovely website here

Also, I have at least three more classes coming up in the near future. I'll teach how to create a Santa in paper clay at Mystic Paper in Mesa, AZ on December 12, and will be teaching two classes at the Art Opera in Red Bank, New Jersey on April 8-9. I am also planning to teach in Los Angeles next July for one of Kim Caldwell's renowned Artistic Affair events! (Stay tuned for more info on these awesome events!)

These opportunities are such blessings as I truly love to share my craft. In fact, I am always looking for more opportunities to teach, so if you have a shop in your town that offers classes or a crafty event in mind, please let me know.

Menu plan Monday

2009-10-19T18:19:00.000-07:00

So that Garlic Cheddar chicken I put on the menu last week.... huge thumbs up all around the table... here's what's cookin' in the Fern Cottage Kitchen this week.....

Monday-Simple Grilled Chicken, Rice, salad
Tuesday-Sausage and Peppers, with pasta aglio e olio, green salad
Wednesday- Chicken and noodles, broccoli
Thursday- Meatball and Mozzarella Calzones, green salad
Friday-Chinese Takeout
Saturday-Tacos, rice and beans (carry over from last Sunday, since we didn't make this after all)
Sunday- Spaghetti Bolognese, homemade bread, green salad

I'll be back in a couple of days with some exciting announcements regarding upcoming workshops! Hope your week is off to a good start :-)

(PS. Be sure to check out Org. Junkies Menu Plan Monday for more awesome meal planning inspiration!)

Work/Life/Business/Balance and Beyond

2009-10-12T16:25:00.000-07:00

Fall is definitely in the air here. My giant (silver leaf maple?) tree in the front is just about finished putting on her golden costume. I snapped this pic while saying goodbye to the last of the shady green leafiness that I have enjoyed all summer.

Change is in the air too! I recently was delighted to receive a letter in the mail confirming my acceptance into graduate school, and beginning in mid January, I will will be pursuing my Master's degree. I am not sure yet how much this will affect my full time job ( but I am anticipating a huge change with that as well, which I will share when I am able) and I am determined to continue to maintain, and perhaps even grow The Polka Dot Pixie buy adding more pieces to my line, pursing more wholesale accounts and creating more workshops so that I can share my love of paperclay sculpting! In short, I plan to spend the next few years pursing my passions and and focusing more on my family, as the kids are growing so quickly and before I know it, will be up and out of the house, pursuing their own dreams!

In the meanwhile, life has gotten incredibly busy... but all happy busy. And have been taking advantage of some of the wonderful time management tools and advice that I found while surfing around (hooray for Google Calendar!!!). I have been a long time believer in menu planning, and now more than ever, I need it t help balance my schedule and bring some order in what can be a very chaotic life. To keep inspired, I jumping on the Menu Planning Monday bandwagon!

I hoping this will keep me both organized, and accountable for cooking more at home, and I know the planning will help me make more time for sculpting! I will need it as the Christmas orders and craft fairs are already underway and time is so limited.

If you are a busy mom, have a hectic schedule, or need some quick meal ideas while your crafty schedule fills up, I encourage you to visit Organizing Junkie's website to get some yummy inspiration.

The post below is my plan for the week....

(My first) Menu Plan Monday :-) !

2009-10-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

(above.. my vintage but functional, 1920's gas stove)

Okay I hope I am doing this right... click on the links where applicable for recipes

Monday-Carmel Apple Pecan Chops with Potato Pancakes
Tuesday-Leftover Night (we had a busy kitchen this weekend and mom is working late!)
Wednesday- Garlic Cheddar Chicken, Spinach salad with vinaigrette
Thursday-Shepard's Pie (check back for recipe)
Friday- Cheese Pizza, green salad
Saturday- Going to an Anniversary Party!
Sunday- Tacos, rice and beans (My mom-in laws authentic recipes)

Check out more awesome menu plans at Org.Junkie!

Guess Who.....

2009-10-08T20:50:00.001-07:00

Since I had been doing a Storybook and Nursery Rhyme Series for PFATT, (and recently inspired by that awesome cool vintage Ray Harryhausen animated short) it was clear that it was high time I crafted a doll in honor the lady herself... Ms. Mother Goose!

She was sculpted from paper clay over a padded wire armature. Her dress was crafted entirely from crepe paper, including the super cute polka dot skirt from crepe I purchased at Castle in the Air.
She carries a happy little hand sculpted goose and a full color Nursery Rhyme Book (in the public domain) that I reproduced in miniature form.

Ms. Mother Goose is number 10 in the series of twelve that I have been creating over the past year and will be available on PFATT at midnight on October 10. Blog readers and newsletter subscribers get free shipping!

The residents at Fern Cottage thank you :-)

2009-10-05T06:53:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone for keeping us in your thoughts this weekend regarding the fire. School was canceled (as they are currently being used as emergency shelter for evacuees) and I have taken the day off from work today, but other than that, thankfully, we have been able to stay put.

I have been following the National Forest's service's Twitter feed. (I love technology).
The high winds have been keeping the helicopters and planes grounded, but I think the cooler temperatures helped, and so far, they have been able to keep the fire from growing worse.

Thank you also for the sweet comments on the house. Below is a picture of it from 1916.
The little girl on the porch was named Fern, and according to our research, grew up in the community and lived here for years. I like to call the house "Fern Cottage" in her honor.

If you compare this photo with the one in the post below, you can see subtle differences in the architecture. I think the gingerbread was changed out 30 years ago, and at some point, someone added an extension to the front parlor. But the fence is still the same. It's a really sweet house to come home to. Thanks again to everyone who has kept it (and us) in your thoughts and prayers.

Twin Fire

2009-10-03T09:19:00.001-07:00

(Image from AZFamily.com)

Burning only a few miles away from my home pictured below...

I can see the flames tearing up the other side of the mountain and they have evacuated homes about 6 blocks away from me. We have some bags packed just in case...Hopefully they get this thing contained today. Please keep my little community in your thoughts and prayers .

(((hugs))))

Jenny

Sale in My Etsy Store! This weekend only!

2009-10-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well it's time to make room for Christmas, so I recently discounted everything in my Etsy Shop by $ 5.00 to $10.00.

And for blog readers and email subscribers I am offering free shipping! Just be sure to mention that you are taking me up on the free shipping offer in the "note to seller" field at checkout and I will refund you the shipping cost! Happy weekend everybody! :-)

Little Miss Muffet

2009-10-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

What a perfect way to come back from a small downgrade in screen time... a vintage claymation movie courtesy of Archive.org. I think this will provide inspiration for a future Polka Dot Pixie Doll....

Hope this put a smile on your face like it did for me :-)

Turn off the TV week?

2009-09-20T10:02:00.001-07:00

Today begins a week long nationwide effort to encourage Americans from coast to coast to "unplug" (not just televisions, but computer screens as well). At the clinic where I work, the television screens that keep patients occupied while they wait to get called back to see their docs will be turned off.
I don't watch tons of television (outside of Lost and The Office), but I do often (like, every single day) find myself glued to my chair in front of the computer and before you know it, my behind has fallen asleep, I have consumed more than my fair share of pistachios and time has run out to get my workout in (again!). While I can't completely unplug (have to use the computer for work, to list stuff in my Etsy shop , and check customer emails), I have decided to do a modified version for the next week by limiting myself to a 1/2 hour a day of non-work related computer time. It will be an experiment of sorts. If you, like myself, spend too much time with your laptop, I encourage you to take a week off (or a modified week off) and rediscover some of the things that you haven't done as much since the internet web-volution. Myself, I have a million library books that I need to read, lots of new dolls to dream up, and a treadmill that has been a bit neglected, so I am sure the week will fly by!
See you all next week :-) (((((hugs))))))
(Just so you know, I will be checking emails at least twice a day)

Quick Post

2009-09-16T17:06:00.000-07:00

....to encourage you to pop on over to the Martha Stewart Dreamers into Doers and vote for the fabulous Papier Mache Artist Johanna Parker! Her work is truly unique!

Etsy Update on Friday!!!

2009-09-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Just a quick heads up that I will be listing more than 15 newly crafted Halloween goodies in my Etsy store on Friday night.

Lots of super cute ghoulies will be available for purchase! Here's a sneak peak!

In the meanwhile, this kooky Halloween Kitty is available at Spookytime Jingles!

What a Blast (and a quick survey)!!!

2009-09-13T15:50:00.001-07:00

I had such a wonderful time teaching at Mystic Paper in Mesa! All of the students did so well. All in all, we had 6 students with a varied backgrounds and experience in paper clay sculpting. Each participant did a fabulous job and created Party Kitties that were completely unique, even while following my basic pattern.

The class was a blast, and I am so happy that I was invited to come and teach again in December! Next time will be crafting Santas! Class size will again be limited to 8 or less, so if you live in or are planning to be in the Phoenix area around December 12, please be sure to contact the awesome ladies over at Mystic Paper to sign up.

In the meanwhile, can I ask you to help me choose a Santa project for the next class? Take a look at the Santa photos below, and tell me what you think would be the most fun to learn...

Mr.Mad Hatter

2009-09-10T06:27:00.000-07:00

Now available at PFATT Marketplace!

Free shipping and a 10% discount for for blog readers!

Teaching!

2009-09-06T09:21:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do is to share my passion for sculpting with others by is by teaching! I am so blessed to have the opportunity to do so next weekend right here in Arizona at Mystic Paper!

Students will learn how to sculpt this sweet little Paper Clay Halloween Party Kitty. If you're in the area, pop on over to the Mystic Paper website! I will also have a vendor booth at the event and will have a limited number of Halloween goodies for sale.

And coming up...

I'll be sharing more about this event soon! In the meanwhile, check out the Art Opera Event site at http://artoperanj.blogspot.com/

Cottage Bathroom redo...

2009-09-03T19:28:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, we tore out a hideous bathroom, complete with peachy floral wallpaper ala' 1982, soggy vinyl covering up rotting pine wood floors, and a tub and toilet that had seen better days.

Since our house was built in 1895, we wanted to do a retro- renovation. So with a small budget and a wonderful contractor: here's the result.....

The renovation started with a tear out of old walls and floors. We replaced them with this octagon and dot porcelain tile pattern, new drywall, and bead board painted a creamy white. The claw foot tub was rescued out of another family's house who were doing a modern renovation. It fits our aesthetic perfectly! The shower curtain came from the Shabby Chic collection at Target. I have had this curtain for a loooong time! I took it with me to the hardware store so that they could match the wall paint perfectly.

The pedestal sink takes up much less room than the old vanity, and the mirror doubles as a medicine cabinet for extra storage.

This little cabinet is one of my favorite flea market finds. I cleaned off the glass (which was grimy and sticky), spray painted her to match the white bead board. I filled it up with antique talc tins, pretty soap boxes, collected seashells and some sweet vintage posies.

Old school photographs of flapper-esque bathing beauties adorn the walls framed up in 2 for $5.00 resin frames. Instead of hanging a window curtain, I installed faux stained glass in an antique pattern with Decra-Led window film and real leading.

Hope you have enjoyed the tour! I'll be back next week with some exciting announcements!!

Drumroll please......

2009-08-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

And (according to Random.org) the winner is.......

Harley Dee!!!! Harley Dee has a cute blog here: Koala Fuzz.

I'd post pics of the "Random Number Generator" but my image editing software keeps crashing. I think I am better off going to bed early.

Thanks so much to everyone who left a comment or sent an email. I can't express how much I truly have appreciated all of your support and encouragement. ((((hugs))))) and goodnight everyone :-)

On PFATT tonight....

2009-08-09T08:16:00.000-07:00

At midnight Pacific.....

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum

After seeing that movie preview, my hands stated itching for clay.
These guys are number 8 in the series of Storybook Dolls that I am offering on PFATT throughout 2009. They were individually hand sculpted in paper clay and painted and finished with acrylic washes and glass glitter. They stand upon a harlequin painted wooden box (very fussy to paint that pattern, but worth it!). I think it looks like they are having a lively conversation. What do you think they are saying? Their hats indicate that they might be on the way to a party? Perhaps someone has invited them to tea?

Thanks to all who left such sweet comments about the magazine feature. There's still time to enter the giveaway. I'll draw the winners tomorrow night and announce it on the blog on Tuesday. Happy Sunday!!!!

Hot off the presses!!! (and a Giveaway!)

2009-08-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Crafts!
With lots of creative projects to get your holiday mojo going, including.....
Hooray!!!

Last March, the magazine's editor very kindly emailed me and asked me if I would be interested in submitting a project for their 2009 issue. Of course (dancing around and bouncing and shouting for joy) I said yes! And a few months later, there he is. A very sassy Santa indeed!

My sweet husband insisted we buy all of our grocery store's copies. I talked him down to 4 copies, 2 for me (one to cut up and put it a frame for when I do craft shows) and one to keep. The other to give to my mom in law, who has always encouraged me to make dolls (even though I have given her some horrid ones when I first started sculpting. She still displays them with pride.)

And because all my fellow bloggers and blog readers have also been such a encouragement to me, the final copy I bought I'd like to offer as a giveaway! Simply leave a comment and share what your favorite holiday craft is. Do you make ornaments? Embroider? Handmade gifts? Gingerbread Houses? Winners will be drawn 1 week from tomorrow.
Thanks so much for sharing in my goofy excitement :-)

This sweet little baby...

2009-07-31T05:22:00.001-07:00

Is 16 today. It's such a cliche to say, but really.... where does all the time go? I'll never forget the day he was born, the thrill at the discovery that he had inherited one of his daddy's dimples, just in the left cheek, the little blue knitted cap they put on his head before letting me hold him for the first time, me, only 20 years old, utterly terrified but oh so in love with this perfect gift...the day my life changed forever.
(Geeeeeez, is it nomal to cry when blogging?)

Happy Birthday to my beautiful son Alex!

Unprecedented second post...

2009-07-25T20:52:00.000-07:00

But Tim Burton is worth it....

Ooooooooooh!!!! I can't wait!!!!!

On a sunny Saturday....

2009-07-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

I find myself wasting away a gorgeous morning (I should be catching up on housework and laundry after a long workweek and a short trip to L.A.)

Instead I have been lured by the contents of my google reader, the Etsy storque (love the There's no Place Like Here series) and the fabulous resource Archive.org. I wanted to share that last one with you in particular as I sit here typing away while Fats Waller sings to me in that rich, sweet, velvety jazz voice that I adore. Fats Waller was one of the great jazz pianists of the 1920's. Lots of his songs are in the public domain. Take a listen here and if you need a little portable lift, I highly suggest you download and add some of these tracks to your MP3 player....

All that Meat and No Potatoes

A Porter's Love Song to a Chambermaid

Abercrombie had a Zombie

You can save the tracks to your computer by clicking the file; save as; on your browser. Lovely!

(Vintage photo: Picnic on the beach obtained from the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA )

...then whip up some lemonade, wrap up some sandwiches and go enjoy yourself a little picnic in this gorgeous, glorious summer we are so blessed to be enjoying. Happy weekend everyone :-)

It's beginning to look a lot like....

2009-07-07T18:04:00.000-07:00

Christmas in July!!!!

So grab a cup of hot cocoa.. okay, a chocolate milkshake will work too :-) And check out my newest little addition to my Storybook collection for PFATT's annual holiday celebration.

This sweet little Santa was inspired by that famous Christmas song that had the kid version of me double minding my P's and Q's in order to make sure that my name made it on that famous list!

If you take a closer look, you can see lots of names... ..Whew, looks like I am a- ok this year. (Wait......That's the good list he's holding, right??? ) This Santa is in a miniature dollhouse scale with head hands and legs hand sculpted from paper clay. Vintage polka dotted fabric and aged cotton batting creates his coat. Even his little black buttons were hand formed from polymer clay.

Included in Santa's bag are hand crafted toys: a minty swirled paper clay ball, a cane created from wire and painted in a candy stripe, and a needle felted bear, complete with a polka dot tie.

This unique Santa will be available on PFATT Marketplace this Friday July 10. Blog readers will be offered free shipping this month.

Crafting before crafting was cool...

2009-07-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

Does anyone remember Aleene's Creative Living? Way before the "handmade movement" was mainstream, Aleene's Creative Living was a daily hour long craft show that featured wonderful tutorials and crafty genius guests. They also had a monthly magazine and would come out with varoius crafty books. It was must see TV for me. I had a giant sketch pad, and would watch the show with it and pencil in hand, and draw out my favorite ideas . I believe it was Aleene's that introduced me to polymer clay which got me on the dollmaking path in the late 1990's. I really loved that show! As a stay at home mom at the time, it was just the type of show I needed to help me take a break from exhausting toddler chasing.

(above... one of the Aleene's books... I love crafty recycling!)

Sadly, Aleene's Creative Living went off the air awhile back, and it seems like since then, despite the popularity of crafting in general, other wonderful creative shows like Carol Duvall have also slowly disappeared.
I am happy to report that the ladies of Aleene's are now doing a weekly radio show that can be listened to and even downloaded here... This thrilled me to discover. It was like running into friends you haven't seen in years! I encourage you to give it a listen. The ladies also blog here. I think we need to start some kind of letter writing campaign to the television networks bring craft shows back! What do you think?

Office decor

2009-07-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

I am super fortunate that my workplace allowed me to decorate my cubicle space as seen in this post . A month or so after that post, I was able to move into an available office... I wasted no time in dressing it up...

The view right as you walk in the door... vintage tablecloths tacked to the wall add some coziness. I want to slipcover those chairs!!!

The hutch on my desk.. forgive the mess. I prefer the little vintage lamp light to the overhead fluorescents. You'll notice one of the best children's books ever...The Little Engine that Could... leaning against the wall. Who need motivational speakers when you have that kind of truth so colorfully illustrated.

I purchased this unusual lantern from Castle in the Air

And these lovely lanterns are from the Crown and Crumpet's fabulous little boutique.

I love vintage toys. This cute metal carousel was a gift from my sister in law

The file cabinet plays host to an awesome hand painted umbrella that I found while antiquing in Phoenix this past wintertime. The stained glass window panel was a Christmas gift from my mom, brought back from an artisan shop in Mexico.

And the bookcase to hold office supplies and essentials (yes I actually have work in this place). The record player is great for impromptu dancing. It helps to put on some disco midweek to shake off a bad day!

I get lots of smiles from people who walk into my office. As my program serves clients who are over 50 years old, it's great to see their faces light up when they recognize the linens that their mom had.

We spend so much time in our workplaces that I think it's essential to make them as comfortable as you can. My job in particular, can be very stressful and emotion filled (I coordinate a cancer screening program). So having a warm and welcoming office (complete with the record player) helps me get through the hard parts of the day, when I'd rather be up in my studio, making dancing cats out clay.

Happy July everyone!

An Enchanting Read....

2009-06-21T15:29:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to meet the talented Lisa Kettel at the ZNE Convention recently, and I couldn't resist purchasing her new book Altered Art Circus. I wanted to share some of my favorite projects from the book with you...

See.. even the cover gets the creative buzz going in my head....

I love the fairy circus theme of this enchanting train...

I love these Storybook pails. With all of the wonderful vintage imagery available, you could really customize this look to reflect your favorite fairy tale. This may be my favorite project in the book.

Ooooooh! It could be this one too! Can I pick two favorite projects? A sweet fairy captured fairy wand! Perfection!!!

My photos don't to justice to the quality of the projects in this book. If you love fairies or altered art (or both) I can't recommend it enough.Plus, Lisa is just an awesome person and artist. It was such a treat to meet her! You can purchase the book from Lisa through her site. You can also find it on Amazon.com (where it has received a well deserved 5 star rating :0 ) ! )

Worth a Thousand Words

2009-06-16T15:38:00.000-07:00

This June 17 marks the 11th anniversary of my Grandpa "Tom"'s death.

According to his baptismal certificate, Grandpa (full name Anthony Thomas Celestino) was born on March 30th 1916 to Pasquale and Caroline La Peza Celestino. I don't know too much about them, as they both passed on before I was born, but family history says they came to the U.S. from Naples, Italy in the early 1900's and settled in Brooklyn, N.Y.. Below is a photo of Pasquale with a cousin of my mom's...

It's funny when you are a kid, you imagine that your grandparents have been parked in front of the television watching Lawrence Welk since the dawn of time. My maternal grandparents moved to Arizona to settle near my parents in the late 70's. We used to have dinner (the kind you eat at 3pm) every Sunday at their house as far back as I remember. Always Grandpa was seated in the Harvest Gold upholstered wing chair with the t.v. on, and as my 5 year old self bopped on in to plant a kiss upon his papery cheek, he'd exclaim "Jeeennnieeee!!!" in that accent that Italian Grandpas from Brooklyn have.
Nana kept their house spotless... plastic runners protecting the 70's shag carpets up and down the hall, plastic covers keeping the blue and green furniture safe from me, the one with the butterscotch candy sticky fingers. Religious artifacts made up most of the home's bric-a-brac, primarily Roman Catholic, but Nana also snuck in a few Budda statues. She used to tell me to rub the statue's bellies for luck. Oh, and there was always something amazing cooking in the kitchen on those Sundays. ..typically Italian, stuffed green peppers, lasagna, manicotti. Sometimes a beef roast with oven brown potatoes and a creamy cucumber salad... my favorite.
Sadly, I remember both of these maternal grandparents as quiet, and dare I say, kind of grouchy/unhappy folks. But recently, a perusal of some old photos of them in their youth told me a different story.

My mom was gracious enough to lend me her photo albums, and since I find the pictures to be so fascinatingly nostalgic and sweet, I thought I'd share come of them with you.

The photo above was captioned "Coney Isaland 1938". My grandpa is the one on the left. Bathing suits with belts!

The one above was also taken on Coney Island, but two years later, in 1940. Nana Cecilia is the beauty in the middle.Here she is again. Super cute!

Grandpa and his friends goofing around circa 1940... Still wearing the belted suit I see...And here's a couple of photos of them all together. Looks like they were having so much fun. I wish I could have glimpsed some of that carefree happiness in their later years.

A classic photo booth shot of my grandparents in the 30's. I love his tie.

Grandpa served as Marine and was separated from his family for almost 5 years as he served in World war 2. He lost his brother Joey (pictured below with his girl) in that war.

My mom is pictured between my Grandparents in the photo above dated 1953. She is the eldest of two girls.

The final photo shows my Grandpa modeling in ad for an Airline company, silver haired and handsome still!

It's funny how a perusal of an old photo album can give you new perspective on the people you thought you knew. Looking through these photos, I find myself wishing that I had taken the time to hear more of my grandparents' story (as I was fortunate enough to do with my paternal grandmother that I posted about here). If you are lucky enough to have your grandparents still around, I really encourage you to ask them to share their memories with you. If you are a grandparent, please take the time to share your story with your grand kids (with photos too!). What a gift that would be!

Snapshots from the road

2009-06-15T14:31:00.001-07:00

Not lots of time to write today, but wanted to share some last lingering pics of our SF road trip from last month...

A rainy evening in North Beach. We dined upon Gnocchi and Bolognese. (and cannoli for dessert, mmmmmm. Sometimes I want to sell everything, pack up and move to a city like this where I can work in an Italian bakery)

On our way home we stopped just outside of Bakersfield to scoop up Sweet Pea bouquets and fresh picked strawberries which I later turned into jam...more mmmmmm.... blogging is making me hungry today....
The Farm also had a little petting zoo...These hens were posing for me, seriously posing
But these guys didn't care...

One last stop on the 12 hour trip was at this antique store just off the beaten path .I purchased one of my favorite childhood books. More on that in a few days.

In the meanwhile, go check out Spookytime Jingles! Lots of cool stuff on offer this month!

Getting Spooky around here...

2009-06-08T05:47:00.000-07:00

While the fragrance of summer looms on the wind, a creepy chill has blown through the attic studio these last few weekends as I have been preparing for Spookytime Jingles and the PFATT Marketplace updates for June....

Each June, PFATT Marketplace prompts all of us to think ahead a few months, and prepare some creepy creatures for the annual Halloween in July sale. In keeping with the storybook theme I have been focusing on for all of my PFATT releases during '09, I came up with two new miniature scale dolls....

Since every good fairy tale collection needs a Wicked Witch, I introduce to you, Wicked Winifred. She has head, hands, hat and boots sculpted from paper clay and painted with acrylics. She wears an orange dotted blouse and a crepe paper dress that has been dusted with glitter. Looks like she's daring you to add her to your collection....

Another PFATT offering this month is a Mr. Cat with the Fiddle. A Halloween twist on the Nursery Rhyme classic, Cat n' Fiddle also has hands, head, hat and boots sculpted from paper clay. His clothing comes from my scrap stash and his bow and fiddle were painstakingly sculpted from paper clay and wire.

Both Winifred and Cat will be available here on June 10. I am also excited to be the featured artist for the June 10 PFATT.

And last (but not least) this Ghoulish Gala of Halloween ornies will be proffered on SpookyTime Jingles this month. (One of those kitties will be offered as a giveaway). They are hand sculpted from paper clay over foam and re purposed Easter Eggs. These guys (along with a Wintertime friend) will be available here on June 13.

Hope everyone has a great start to their week! Like your aunt and uncle with the interminable slide show vacation photos I'll be back in a few days to wrap up my SF trip. :-D

The Crown And Crumpet

2009-05-22T06:02:00.000-07:00

This gorgeous tea room was featured in Romantic Homes a few months ago, and after taking in all the pictures in the article, I knew I had to add it to my must see list. No one's photos (certainly not mine!) could effectively capture the whimsical loveliness of this magical place... I could truly picture Alice enjoying a cuppa whilst gazing upon the San Francisco Bay....

Love the TV in the fireplace...

You may reconize some of the knick-knacks from Lollipop Workshop! Love her stuff!

Oh yeah, the food!!! Mmmmmmmm..... little tea sandwhiches, hot buttered crumpets and scones with clotted cream and jam, and the most heavenly tea.

After we finished our tea, we spent time browsing the attached shop and I did a little damage to my debit card buying up Cath Kidston-esque paper lanterns and a reusable market bag. And of course a visit to the Fishermans Wharf area wouldn't be complete without stopping into my most favorite plave in the world... Musee Mechanique!!!

If you ever plan to visit the San Francisco area, I must wholeheartedly recommend the Crown and Crumpet be added to your dining list. You can visit their website here.

We interrupt this "what I did on my trip to California" posting series for a commercial break....

2009-05-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to announce quickly that I have listed some new stuff in my etsy shop and that there will be two new guys listed on Spooky Time Jingles tonight (midnight EST)!

Now back to regularly scheduled posting ;-)

Castle in the Air

2009-05-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

When arranging the trip to ZNE last week, I made sure to include an extra day to do some local exploring in lovely San Francisco and Berkeley. Our hotel was located pretty close to the end of the B.A.R.T (Bay Area Rapid Transit System) in Pleasanton, so we opted to use it instead of tempting the fate of our rental car in big city traffic.

Of course, having grown up in the suburbs and now residing in small, no public transportation type of town, I was totally geeking out tourist style at the opportunity take this subway- like train. If you live in the area, and saw some goofy redhead taking photos of train signs, yeah, that was me. We only had one day to pack in some long anticipated visits, so off to the station we headed early on Friday. Our first stop was at the North Berkeley station... our destination.... Castle in the Air!!! (I apologize in advance for the blurriness of some of these photos. I was so excited I couldn't hold my camera still. Photos do not do justice to how awesome this store is!)

I am telling you fellow bloggers and friends, that this store was well worth the 30 minute train ride and 10 block walk (through a gorgeous neighborhood....see pic of fairy tale type cottage below found on our 10 block walk). It's absolutely magical.

Those that can't make the trek to the Bay to experience the shop for yourselves can get a sampling of the enchantment by visiting their website here.

I'll be back in a couple of days for part two... The Crown and Crumpet!

Winner !

2009-05-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to everyone who left a comment or followed me on blogger or on Twitter. It was such a wonderful welcome back! Between the comments and the followers there were 128 entries! I decided to use technology to assist me in picking a winner and according to the random number generator, the winner is......

Since I counted comments first, number 15's comment belongs to......the very talented Heidi!!!!
Thanks again to everyone who entered. I love doing giveaways and I promise to do another one soon!

I'll be back soon with some Art Fair and Bay area goodness photos on Saturday. Here's a quick glimpse of the route we took (can you tell I just now learned how to use the Alt PrtSc function on my computer?)
and finally a snapshot of good ole fashioned drive in dining in Wasco, California...

(and on one last totally unrelated note... LOST this season has been completely mind blowing! If you are not a fan already, (and you like action, adventure and mystery) I really recommend this fantastically conceived and well written show. You can catch up with us die hards by renting the DVD's during the too loooooong hiatus).

Giveaway winner announced tommorrow!!!

2009-05-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. After a mind blowingly wonderful trip to the beautiful Bay area, it was back to grind today in Sunny Arizona. I am going to comfort myself with a bit o' LOST on the television and some lasagna for dinner (and dream of the handmade gnocchi I was privileged to eat in North Beach on Friday night).

I'll be back tomorrow to post the name of my giveaway winner and share some pics. Here's one until then....

Happy Wednesday!!!

Back!!!! Older, Tweeting, Teaching, Vending and Giving Away

2009-04-26T14:56:00.000-07:00

Hello blogland! It's been so long since I last posted. I have been going through some personal stuff that I don't want to bore everyone with... the short and sweet of it is....I am back, doing well and have tons of stuff to update you on. Also, since I have been so neglectful of this blog, I feel like I should offer a giveaway to everyone and all who has been kind enough continue to read it. More details to follow.....

Firstly..Twitter! I have jumped on the bandwagon. Do you twitter? Drop me an email if so, so I can follow you.

Nextly.. older! I celebrated the big 36 on Friday. The world must
be turning faster. This one almost caught me off guard.

And.....Teaching!!!! Regalo Per Mi, next weekend May 3 at the wonderful Art, Paperire and Pleasantries event. Learn how to create this sweet little Spring Birdie in an egg ornament....

Also... vending...
some of these guys at Art, Paperire and Pleasantries. (Sunday teaching, vending both days, May 2-3) Are you in the Bay area? Come check out my table. I have crafted over 50 new pieces for this fair and will be taking an extended break after they sell out. So come and get em while they are hot! :-) The event takes place at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, CA from 12-5 Saturday and Sunday. Mention that you read my blog and you get a 10% discount on anything in my booth.

Finally... giving away! Leave a comment or follow me on twitter, (or my blog) and you'll be entered to win a sweet Spring pixie, just like this one...

only you choose the colors and themes. I'll draw the winners after I get back from Pleasanton next week!

Thanks (once again) for hanging in here with me. Happy Spring!

Little Bo Peep

2009-03-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

Wow!!!! Thanks for all the sweet comments about my cubical. Wouldn't you know that just last week, I was moved into a private office! I am enjoying a whole new space to decorate. I'll post photos when I am finished.

And speaking of finishing, I wanted to share a photo of my latest finished Storybook Doll. Meet Little Bo Peep!

Little Bo Peep has a head, arms and legs sculpted from paper clay. The paper clay pieces go through a 4 step painting process, which gives the colors a nice glow, I think. Her body was fashioned from a wire armature that is first wrapped in paper tape, then wrapped with natural cotton batting. Over that, I built her costume using both vintage and new fabrics. At her feet are millinery flowers and just enough glass glitter to make her sparkle, just a wee bit. Little Bo Peep in the 3rd in the series of Storybook inspired dolls and are available on PFATT Marketplace on the 10th of each month. Here's a link to my page.

Finally, I apologize in advance that, in preparation of many exciting events forthcoming, I'll be posting pretty infrequently over the next few weeks. One of those events I'll have to wait a bit before announcing, but I am really excited to share once I have some confirmation. Another event which is consuming my spare moments is preparing for the Art, Paperie and Pleasantries show happening in less than 2 months! I am teaching a mini workshop and will have a vendor tabe at the event so I need to dig in my heels and get some studio time in for sure.

Happy March everyone! Spring is coming!!!!

One cozy cubicle

2009-02-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

In my former job, I had the pleasure (and the curse) of working from home. In many ways, it was fabulous because I am a big ole' homebody and am quite happy with a quilt, a cup of coffee and a lap top to pound away on while big snowflakes sashay past my office window. Bad because, when you work from home......you are always at work.

The new position has afforded me a new type of work environment.. the much maligned cubicle. In order to make my cube a bit more like home sweet home, I added few whimsical touches...

Papa Smurf keeps me and my monitor company. The photo sitting next to the keyboard is of me and my best friend Charlie, taken when I was about 4 years old. You can't tell from this angle, but I have a maniacal grin on my face, probably delighted that I roped him into yet another tea party. Poor boy....

Photos of family in Black and White, quirky circa 1950 ornaments, Valentines (thank you Alba!), and Jenny Holiday cupcake, and a lovely handmade blue bird plaque created by my immensely talented neighbor, decorate the pin boards.

A vintage head planter (otherwise known as "the boyfriend") holds pens, pencils, highlighters and the like.

My other "boyfriend"..... a cookie jar (husband broke the lid in a frantic cookie excavation) holds the requisite office plant. We joke that these two boyfriends get into fights at night.... hey Pixar... how about a movie with office staples that talk and do the real work at night, ala shoemakers' elves???

Bailey's happy winky face cups and a vintage tin recipe file are creative containers for office essentials like push pins, paper clips and business cards.
Where books and binders should go is a sweet vignette.

I choose some of my favorite vintage linens to hide the dreary gray of walls and file cabinet.

Finally, the most charming vintage lamp found on eBay, repainted and with a new shade. This is the world's cutest lap... you wind up the kitty and the little girl in the rocking chair rocks back and forth...

This is what I have done so far, but am on the prowl for some more art to hang. I love the charm of paintings like these by Mystele.

Not quite home sweet home but it's a start. Thank for taking the tour!

Video Tutorial Tuesday..Shadowboxes

2009-02-17T05:54:00.000-08:00

Another great project from MyLifetime.com. This time, a shadowbox with the O'Neil sisters. This project would make a fantastic gift for a birthday or mother's day. Although it's late for Valentine's Day, think about how you could change it using a different shape or materials! Enjoy!

16 years ago.....

2009-02-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

Today is our 16th anniversary. My husband and I will drive down to Prescott after work, stay in a lovely old B & B, and have dinner in the same restaurant that we ate in on the eve of our wedding. Tomorrow we will spend the day scouring thrift and antique shops for the perfect present to gift to each other.

Married at such a young age, it hasn't always been easy for us (is it for anyone?) He puts up with clay ground into sofa cushions, and a super girly cottage bed room, complete with rose festooned Shabby Chic bed linens. I put up with a policeman's schedule (and stress), and him banging on his drumset for what seems like hours (to relieve aforementioned stress.) Not to mention his ever expanding catalog of The Who songs that must be played on every. single. long. roadtrip (he makes fun of me listening to Jeff Buckley nonstop). We agree to disagree on many things, we have fights about all the usual stuff.

But beyond all of this we are each other's soft place to land.

And he's so stinkin cute in that Uniform.....

Video Tutorial Tuesday

2009-02-10T20:09:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the amazing geniuses at Stampington have their own Youtube channel? So many pretty ideas! Of course I had to pick this one in honor of Valentine's Day. Happy early one and I hope you enjoy the awesome video.

By the way, if you haven't subscribed to the Stampington newsletter Creative Impulse, I encourage you to do so here... . It's free, and (I think) it arrives in your inbox every Friday. Another reason to look forward to weekends!

Hello Little Red....

2009-02-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

One of everybody's favorite fairy tale heroines, here's my version in paper clay!

I have been wanting to make a "Little Red" for so long. I was so excited when I finished her late this afternoon I didn't even let the glue dry on the forget me nots before I started snapping photos.

"Little Red" has hands, legs and head sculpted from paper clay. She is in miniature doll house scale, measuring only 5 inches tall (6.5 if you add the box). Her body is a wire armature that was wrapped with wool felt. A variety of vintage and new fabrics were used to create her dress and her famous cape (I am really loving my new scalloped pinking sheers!). The yellow button fastening the cape to her neck was also made from paper clay. I couldn't find a mini basket for her so I made one out of brown scrapbook paper. And of course she has to carry some sweet millinery forget me nots for grandma!
"Little Red" Stands upon a painted paper mache box that was lightly sugared with German Glass Glitter. She is second in a series of storybook dolls that I am creating for PFATT each month. She'll be available for sale (usually by midnight) on the 10th. I hope you like her as much as I loved making her!!! I can't wait to start working on next month's storybook inspired sweetie. In honor of Spring, I think I'll create a Little Bo Peep. What are some of your favorite fairy tales and Nursery Rhymes?

A sweet video tutorial...

2009-02-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

(Photo above is a set of Conversation Heart Pixies I made in 2005)

I am so glad you like the idea of my sharing the best video tutorials I can find on the web. There is lots of user created content to choose from, but this week, I thought it might be fun to go with a classic.

Remember the good old HGTV... the one with craft shows and home tips. Shows like Carol Duvall , Crafters Coast to Coast and Typical Mary Ellen. Call me sentimental, but I miss the old format and the programming!

Lucky for us you can still find lots of great clips from those old shows right on HGTV's website. The one below shows how to create scrumptious chocolate boxes... just in time for Valentine's Day! Oh and if you are inspired to make one of these... you can send a few my way ;-)

Click here to watch the tutorial...

A new weekly feature

2009-01-27T05:52:00.000-08:00

I am getting my act together here by trying to organize my blog in such a way that will require that I post more often. At least on a twice a week basis. In support of that effort, I am planning on devoting Tuesdays to a feature like post.. Terrific Video Tutorial Tuesday.

A new technology investment of mine has prompted me to be on the prowl for the best craft video tutorials, and I am happy to say that the WWW has a-plenty! For this inaugural Video Tutorial Tuesday, I present to you the lovely (fellow Arizonan) Crafty Chica. In this video, she shows you how to make the coolest Valentine Light Box you have ever seen. Check it out! (click here if you cannot see the video below)

Folk Art Storybook dolls of the month

2009-01-25T09:32:00.000-08:00

I was delighted to come across this wonderful vintage book in the second hand bookshop:

Written by the late great dollmaker Edith Flack Ackley (see more about this wonderful dollmaker here), I found the book to be a throughly enjoyable read, and although written in 1941, full of ideas and advice that a perfectly applicable today.

Of course, a brick and mortar doll shop of my own wouldn't be practical for me, but the book inspired me to dedicate the next 12 months of my PFATT listings to the idea of reinterpreting my favorite storybook characters with cloth and clay. For my first month's storybook offering, and in anticipation of Valentine's day, I present to you... The Queen of Hearts.

This sweetie sold on the day she was released (PFATT listings update at midnight on the 10th of every month). But I have some ideas for next month that have my heart pounding....

here's a hint:

I came across this book in an antique store and immediately recognized it as one that I had owned as a kid. I was always fascinated with the three d like quality of the illustrations. I can't wait to make my own version of Lil' Red for next month's PFATT.

And finally, once again I must apologize for such long absences in posting and commenting on your blogs. I started the new job a few weeks ago and I am still struggling with adjusting to the increased hours and new schedule. I have also made the resolution to, like Oprah, put my health back on my schedule, and have started jogging again regularly for the 1st time since this past summer. I am following the Couch Potato to 5K model and hope to be in mini marathon shape by the big 36th birthday in April. Who is with me?! :-D

Thanks for hanging in here with me :-) ((((hugs)))))

Some of my favorite projects from 2008

2009-01-01T07:39:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Some of my favorite blogs are starting out the new year with reflective posts. I thought I'd jump on that wagon by posting pics of my favorite polka dot pixie guys that I created in 2008!

A Happy 2008 Blue Bird!

Humpty Dumpty Fell in Love for Valentine's Day

Spring into Easter Party Chick

Springtime Bunny in an Egg

Mama Love, for Mother's Day

Inspired by the June Wedding Season: A Blue Bird Wedding

Fourth of July Trio!

Halloween lasts for three months in the Polka Dot Pixie Studio:
Spooky Dancing Kitty

A Spooky Trio!

Crazy Kitty in a Pumpkin Car

Wintertime inspirations

The worlds smallest snowpixie...Peppermint Santa says Happy Christmas!!!

I wish you all a most happy and healthy New Year! I am so excited to see all of your creative ideas blossom in 2009!

Happy Christmas!!!

2008-12-21T14:16:00.000-08:00

I plan to use my final few job-free days to take a short technology break (other than a once daily email check). I am looking forward to doing some nesting, enjoying spending time with the kids, cooking huge dinners for friends and neighbors who we will be blessed to share time with, and finishing up some personal Christmas crafting. Before I log off, I would love to share a few photos I took this morning of our home, finally all decorated for the big day on Thursday! :-)

These super cute vintage felt carolers sit in my kitchen window. They were thrifted by my husband, who clearly knows my taste very well! The sweet green bottle brush tree was an Esty score from the always fabulous Magpie Ethel !

I kept it pretty simple in the parlor this year, only adding a slender tree full of my favorite vintage and handmade ornaments and a ponsietta garland or two.

Some of my favorite ornaments include ones I inherited from my grandmother.

An apothecary jar in the dining room holds homemade sugar cookies my daughter and I whipped up yesterday. They are almost gone already!!!

The dining room table is set with mismatched Homer Laughlin and Ridgway Staffordshire china that I also found in a local thrift shop. Even the lovely glass glittered star that hangs from the chandelier was thrifted. A closer view below....
Before I sign off, I wanted to share one more cool resource that I came across on the WWW... archive.org. Check out this cool antique Dennison Christmas Book available to download (there may be restrictions on this outside of the U.S.) If you love vintage style decorating, you'll find some of these ideas truly timeless!!

Happy, Happy Christmas to you all. Thank you so much for all of your kind words and thoughts over the past year, and especially in this last difficult month. I am so blessed by you. ((((Hugs)))), good wishes and see you next year!!!

Vintage-y Christmas-y Thrifty Finds

2008-12-17T23:06:00.000-08:00

I hit the jackpot last weekend at the St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store in Flagstaff. They had all of their Christmas Goodies marked down to 50% off, and I was blessed enough to happened upon a huge bag of Ornaments (only .50 cents for the whole bag!!!). Some of my favorites are pictured below....

The Snowman pictured above is made of a very hard plastic, almost like bakelite... so charming!

This guy cracks me up! Look at the sweet little mini bottle brush tree in the back of his sleigh.

Okay... wheels are turning in my head now... this has got to be an Alice in Wonderland inspired goodie!

Love vintage deer...

The creme de la creme! How cute is that Santa on the right... is he playing cymbals and skiing at the same time? That's one craaazy multitasking Santa! And the chenille elves look easy to replicate. I think I'll try to make a few pixie-fied versions. :-)

Most of these will wind up as package tags or be incorporated into collages to hang on my studio wall. I love what some of these fabulous artists, like the mega talented Magpie Ethel, can do with their vintage finds. Also Check out Sea Dream Studio's lovely Fairy Shadowbox made from vintage elements here. The talent of these ladies and so many others out there blows my mind!

(((hugs))) everyone! :-)

Going Fast....

2008-12-17T08:57:00.001-08:00

These Sweet Little Snowpixies, which were added to the Lollishop yesterday. As of this morning there are ~~only 3 left~~, but I will be making more for the Valentine Season (With a more valentiney theme) in January :-)

New Blog on the Block!

2008-12-14T22:08:00.000-08:00

Please go give a warm blogland welcome to Michelle who has just started a very sweet new blog!!! Click on over here and say hello! :-) http://www.vintagesquirrel.blogspot.com/

((((hugs))))) everyone!!!

The dreaded pink slip....

2008-12-12T17:32:00.001-08:00

... made it's arrival on Tuesday for me and 7 of my co-workers. I don't like to get too personal on my blog, but I thought I owed some explanation to my frequent and long absences here lately. Work has been very stressful for quite awhile now, and I have been doing my best to balance it, along with family commitments and to spare some time for pixie making too.

So for most of us, and for me, work is a love/hate relationship. As far as my layoff goes, I saw it coming, and in many ways, it was a relief, but emotional I am, and therefore, this week has not been without much sadness and tears as I said goodbye to beloved coworkers and a program I gave 110% to. I did my best, I gave it my all, and my job was still lost. It hurts a bit, so I am adjusting still. Please bear with me as I take a wee bit of a blogging break.

Thankfully, and I am so grateful, that I was offered a new job at a different organization which I plan start in the new year. I did a lot of soul searching before accepting the offer as it will require a bit of modifying (and an added 1 and 1/2 hour daily commute) to my schedule. I really need to clear my head over the next couple of weeks before jumping in full footed.

In happier news....I am busily working away on the winner's snowpixies, and will make a few more to add to my Lollishops. Also: Look for the lovelies pictured above (available on Monday in my Lollishop) in the Somerset Life ad coming out ~~this month~~ (whoops! ad coming out in the Spring issue!) to subscribers, ~~next month~~ on the newsstands.

I know a few weeks back I had promised some tutorials, and I will indeed deliver on that as soon as I can motivate myself to photograph and describe some of my creative process. In the meanwhile, Below is a list of some tutorials on other blogs that I have found to be wonderfully inspiring. Go check 'em out!

Make a Lovely Vintage Holiday Corsage with Elizabeth Holcombe

A Cottage Industry's Joy to The World!

A Multitude of Cute Tutorials at Glitterville TV

Make a Garland Wrapped Letter at Thrifty Decor Chic

Snowy Day Gifts your kids can make on Activity TV

Thanks so much for your patience with me at this time in my life where I seem to be at a sort of "crossroads". Again, I am so very grateful for the love and support I receive from you via comments and emails. I'll pick myself up out of this slump soon. I am so blessed by all of you.

Edited to add: Spooky Time Jingles Updates tonight! Go check all the wonderful handmade goodness by clicking here !

We have some winners!!! And More wonders of the world wide web

2008-12-01T18:13:00.000-08:00

According the the free random number generator, comments number 34 and 7 are the winners of my giveaway!!! Woohoo! That means AwtemNymf and AlbasWorld get a sweet little snowpixie custom created just for them! Ladies, please email me with your requests and I will have your pixie ready in about two weeks.

Thanks everyone for all the lovely comments. If you would like a pixie but you didn't win, please check out my brand spankin' new Lollishop. I only have a few guys listed in there right now, but I'll be listing few wee snowpixies as I get them finished and will be adding all kinds of inventory there over the next couple of days (Snowpixies will be listed by Sunday).

For those of you who commented on my lovely new banner... I am so happy to recoomend Dale MClain of Sea Dream Studio as the designer along with my new Lollishop banner. She does an amazing job and is such a sweet peson too!
In other wonderful world wide web news....

(Image above obtained from the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division )

The wonders of the internet never cease! First all these awesome creative blogs, essentially replacing my need for magazines (well, not really.. still a magazine junkie), then, the AMAZING Pandora (thank you Dani for the heads up on that), totally replacing my need for regular radio, now Classic Cinema online. Did you know about this... it's a free website that plays a variety of classic movies and tv shows! Like one of my favorites... the 1937 version of A Star is Born.
So go get some popcorn and watch one of the oldies but goodies, My housework is never getting done. Ever!

A Grateful Giveaway

2008-11-22T06:21:00.001-08:00

I am so touched by the many responses to the post I wrote last week expressing my pledge to buy handmade. Thank you so much for your comments and emails. I am constantly amazed at the warmth and kindness of the blog community.
At my job on Monday I received some pretty sobering news about possible budget cuts that has myself and my coworkers nervous and keeping our fingers crossed. It's been a stressful week, but as I settled down into bed last night and looked around, my heart was utterly overwhelmed by gratitude. We are safe, we are warm, our house is filled with love.
This next week in the USA we celebrate Thanksgiving. While there are many things I have to be thankful for, there are a few (in no particular order) that I want to mention specifically here:

My family- As mentioned in this post, it's been a rough past few months for our close knit family. I am so thankful that I get to spend Thursday with my beautiful sister in law who has her last chemo this week!!! Woohoo!!!
This little space- It was a chilly fall afternoon when I was sitting in a messy unused loft/landing space in my creaky, drafty beloved old house and was blessed with the idea of turning that space into a long coveted "room of one's one". A little bit of planning and small storage furniture purchases later, I finally had my own little studio. It's perfect for pixie making, and nobody cares how messy it gets. Here, paint spills and glitter catastrophes are encouraged!

You!!!- Although I haven't posted as much as I would have liked to this year, and definitely not have commented as much as I should of, I am so grateful that I have this blog and for my friends that visited it. I am especially grateful to Jenny, who encouraged me two years ago to "go get a blog", and when I did, she posted about on her blog and sent lots of lovely people over here to welcome me. If you are reading this and you haven't started a blog yet I really encourage you to do so.

What are you grateful for? Please leave a comment and you'll be entered to win a custom mini Polka Dot Pixie Snowman like the tiny ones displayed below. I'll chose a random winner next Saturday. Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

This holiday season.....

2008-11-15T03:56:00.001-08:00

I have made a personal pledge this year for gift giving. Handmade (meaning made by another Artisan), Homemade(made by yours truly) or Vintage ..... (and cash for the teen set, the 15 year olds in my life just don't appreciate vintage hand crocheted potholders, for some reason).
Here's my why...

1. The Economy: I have grown so tired of the talking heads on T.V. blathering on about how bad the financial crisis is, I have decided to turn it off altogether. I am not sticking my head in the sand, but I am not letting any more negativity into this house which is my family's sanctuary. Everything happens in cycles, things are going to get better, Call me an optimist, but what else can you expect from a doll maker who pours her salt and pepper out of a pair of angry grapefruits.
2. Artists and vintage vendors need our support: So buy handmade. You will not regret this. Everything I have ever purchased from an artist has arrived beautifully packaged, with a sweet note thanking me for my business, and it makes me smile every time I look at it....triggers a happy memory. You can't get that kind of service from a big box retailer.
3. The Globe:Handmade goods are typically produced in a fashion that has little environmental impact. In fact, many artists recycle goods to create their fabulous wares. And purchasing vintage is the ultimate in recycling.
4. The Love: I have nieces and nephews ranging in ages from 5 to 25. I know my sweet little niece will be delighted with her hand felted bear (waaaaaaaay cuter than a Bratz doll) and my 25 year old bachelor nephew will probably enjoy my homemade chocolate chip cookie dough better than he would a boring baseball cap that I picked up for him at "Whatever"-mart.

I will be posting a few tutorials over the next couple of weeks to share some handmade ideas for ornaments and gift giving (including a handmade stress management kit!). Next week I will also be having a giveaway, in honor of Thanksgiving, and in honor of how much you all have blessed my life through your encouragement and support.

I hope several others will join me in buying handmade and vintage this year.

Where I have been and Why glitter is never coming out of my hair......

2008-11-12T10:19:00.000-08:00

www.flickr.com

thepolkadotpixie's New for November photoset

Theres 34 more to see here... These guys will all be available for sale very soon.

Still here....

2008-11-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

Happy belated Halloween.... The cold I mentioned earlier this (now last) month turned into a nasty case of bronchitis. Also, it's craft show season so the studio has been in overdrive mode. Even my DH has been getting in on the pixie prepping action. Check back in a few days for photos :-) In the meanwhile, here's a little glimpse of our spooky decor. Our house was built over 100 years ago, so she dresses up well for all holidays, but especially Halloween! (iF you click on the mosaic below, it will pop up with a much better quality view... not sure why it looks so blurry in the one below) And for those of you have asked, yes those are Disneyland Haunted Mansion Portraits from the Streching room (reprints, of course). They used to sell them at a Disney-owned Art Gallery outside of the park, but we purchased them from ebay). We leave them up year round. They lend a sense of humour to an otherwise stuffy Victorian parlor. :-)

The Worlds Smallest Snow Pixie....

2008-10-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

Is now available here...

This month only... blog readers and friends recieve 25% off!!!! PLUS fee shipping!!!

Ugh!

2008-10-10T07:10:00.000-07:00

I have caught an early fall cold... yuck. I hate being sick. Especially when the autumn weather is beckoning me from outside and there's so much fun stuff to do!!!!!

This cold started out on Sunday, so I pretty sure I must be on the mend by now (although in the mornings it doesn't feel like it). In the meanwhile, please go check out PFATT today. Lots of new goodies for you to see from some wonderful artists! The goofy guy pictured above is available too.

(((hugs)))) and happy weekend all!

Teaching!!!

2008-09-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

I am bursting with excitement to announce that I will be teaching a "Regalo Per Me" as part of the the 2009 ZNE ConvenZioNE in gorgeous Pleasanton, California!!!

"Regalo Per Me" classes take place during Art, Paperie, and Pleasantries, May 2 and 3, 2009 - at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. They are open to the public and cost only $15 a session! If you are a ZNE ConvenZioNE registrant you can take this, or any "Regalo Per Me" class for free with additional "Regalo Per Me" classes for only $10 each!!!

I am so honored to join some of the other fantastic make "Regalo Per Me" Instructors like the awesome Sadie Lou, Donna Cook, Ann Denise Anderson, among so many talented others!

In addition to the teaching, I will also have a vendor table at the event where an assortment of handmade Polka Dot Pixie concoctions will be available for sale. I plan to have all kinds of promotions going on for this event!

And your jaw will drop when you find out who the other full and 1/2 day class instructors are. Too much talent to fit onto this page!!! Go check it out!!!! www.ZNEcon.com

Here's more info about the event from the ZNE Scene Blog:

ZNE ConvenZioNE registration is NOW OPEN, and class registration begins on November 1.

Registration includes full and half day classes with world renowned art instructors, 3 evening entertainment events, 2 lunches, 2 dinners, a sneak preview and discount at our vendor fair, and much much more.

I plan to post more about this event in the upcoming months. In the meanwhile, please go check out the ZNE website. Lots of cool stuff there!

Quick Announcement

2008-09-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend and Spooky Time Jingles creator Dani Nelson will be interviewed on the Block Head Rod Internet Radio Show tomorrow (September 23) at 1pm EST (that's 10am for those of us in the Pacific area). If you miss the show you can listen to the archived show later on, but if you have the time, check it out. Dani will be chatting about her artistic endeavors and there will be prizes!!!!

You can listen to the show here......

Kitschy Kitchen tour

2008-09-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

Wanted to show you around my tiny kitschy kitchen...

When we purchased this place a couple of years back, the cabinets were a depressing muddy brown and the counter tops a faux peeling butcher block. I painted both with a low VOC paint to freshen them up until we can afford to replace them. The vintage stove you see above is from the 1920's. I use the burners but not the oven (it's non insulated), thus the counter top oven pictured to the right. The pom pom trimmed gingham curtain hides an ugly microwave, circa 1983...

The Humpty Dumpty cookie jar was a Christmas gift from my husband. The record player is perfect for playing Fats Waller tunes to stir spaghetti sauce to! The fruity cake tin was a Rose Bowl flea market find. Only $9!!!

Found the miniature replica stove at this flea market last Fall. The veggie head potholders, funny head cookie jar and anthropomorphic postcards were eBay finds. The vintage egg carton is from the super sweet Lil Melfie. (see the other cool stuff she got me here... I use all of it!!!) I was lucky enough to have been her partner in a Vintage Kitchen Swap.

Legend has it that the swinging door (which leads to the laundry room seen here) once hung in a Hollywood Restaurant that was frequented by Humphrey Bogart. I am not sure if its true, but I like telling the story to our guests anyway! Lends the joint a little romance, me thinks :-)

I covet anthropomorphic salt and pepper shakers and condiment containers. Those angry grapefruits are my favorite, and have inspired many a not so happy Polka Dot Pixie guy.. Most of these were found in antique stores or on eBay. I made the pumpkin couple out of polymer clay a few years back.

If you can see the old fridge in the corner.. we found it in the yard of an antique shop, all battered and worn. A trip to a local automotive painter gave it new cheery lease on life. It works, but not well, so it stores dry doggy treats instead of people food. Behind the vintage tablecloth/curtain is a very messy desk, complete with fax machine, computer, printer and scanner. If we ever can afford it, I'd like to bump out that wall a bit to create a cozy breakfast nook like this one...

A closer view of my kitschy bluebird collection, all from eBay (except for the canary S &P which I found here). The milk glass cake plate was a thrift store find :-)

Hope you enjoyed the little tour! This kitchen redo was definitely done on a budget, and often we chose form over function when it came to things like appliances (see inefficient stove). But I am very happy cooking in this little space. Wish I could have you over for pie!

Spookytime Jingles Site is up!!! :-)

2008-09-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

Despite a small technical glitch last night, the SPookytime Jingles Pages are up and functioning thanks to Dani and her team! Polka Dot Pixie Stuff is available here and here!! :-)

Thanks for your patience! :-)

And Premiering Tommorrow at Spookytime Jingles!!!!

2008-09-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

Pumpkins and Kitties here....

Santas and Snowpixies here...

Thanks for looking!

Coming Soon to PFATT Marketplace near you.....

2008-09-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

Available here at midnight tonight :-) Blog readers get free shipping!! :-)

A Spooky Trade!

2008-09-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

Dani of Ambitions Designs recently concocted the spooky idea of hosting a Tombstone Trade to help usher in the spookiest of all seasons....

I was fortunate enough to be paired with the Marvelous Marie of Marie Patterson Studios. It just doesn't get better than this......

and this...

and this!!!!!
I love it!!! If you love Marie's work be sure to stop by her Etsy shop, or her page on Spooky Time Jingles! :-)

Below is the Creepy Creation I crafted for Marie....

The Polka Dot Pixie just can't seem to get out of Circus/Party Mode this year. Hop on over to my Flickr Page to sneak a peek at some new Halloween Pixies emerging from the studio...

See you there!

Felting Fun

2008-08-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

I have sculpted in earthen clay, porcelain, paper mache, polymer clay, and even in salt dough and cornstarch clay. My favorite medium of all time, of course, is paper clay. But recently Jenn Docherty's AWESOME book has inspired me to try sculpting with something a little different.... Wool!!! :-)

Pictured below is a little bear using needle felting techniques I learned from reading her book Sweet Needle Felts: 25 projects to Wear, Give and Hug. (The cupcake that this sweetie is presenting was made from polymer clay a-la that fantastic You Tube tutorial posted a few weeks back).
The lovely lady whose birthday it was is a beginning sewer, so I thought I'd make this birthday party bear into a pincushion to make it more functional.

It was refreshing to work with a new material, and I have to say that wool is a a lot more portable than paper clay. Perfect for those business trips that leave me stranded in a hotel at night with my hands itching to do something creative.

Below is the birthday card that accompanied it.

The card was a used 1940's gem picked up in my last flea market trip. I was able to strategically cut it apart, and with the addition of a little scrapbook paper, fashion into something new, yet vintage... my "giftee" loved it!

Sigh.... I just love the graphics on this beauty. And the dimension on the little umbrella. So pretty!

Happy weekend everyone!!!

Land of Enchantment

2008-08-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

All's quiet on the blog front here, thanks to some busy work related travel. On a business trip, I recently had the opportunity to explore a bit of lovely southern New Mexico. We only had a bit of free time one evening, but I was able to snap a few shots of the gorgeous Old Mesilla, an area of Las Cruces that seems untouched by time...

This gorgeous old adobe theater plays art films.... check out the color of that sky!

I love "Day of the Dead" Folk Art...

Unfortunately, at this time of evening, most of these shops were closed, but still it was a pleasure to view the murals...

I wonder what treasures I could have acquired in here... my bank account was happy that this shop was closed!!!
I would have loved to have explored this studio...
Both art and architecture are abundant here...

More inspiring Folk Art
Lovely Ladies!
Thanks again for your well wishes and continued prayers for our family. I'll be back in a few days with some photos of some new Pixie stuff. :-) I'm off to catch up on some of my blog reading.

Look what I won..... and I am so blessed

2008-08-14T19:50:00.001-07:00

I was so lucky to have won this absolutely sweet doll from the super talented Michelle of Gingham World. Please run over to her fabulous blog and take a peak at all of her wonderful handmade goodness. Not being a very adept sewer myself, I am always impressed by those with awesome sewing talents like Michelle.

I want to say thank you again. I cannot express enough how much our family has blessed by your prayers over the past few weeks. My sweet sister in law is doing well. In fact, the oncologist re-staged the cancer from a stage 3 to a stage 2b. That slight difference in staging has lifted all of our spirits. Chemo starts for her next week, and treatment will be very aggressive, so please do continue to keep her in your prayers, as well as my husband and son, who are having a hard time dealing. I usually don't like to get too personal on my blog, and debated for a long time before I decided to share what's been happening in our family. After receiving so many supportive comments I am really glad that I did.

We are looking forward to a wonderful weekend with my husband's 37th birthday and his father's 67th! All of the in-laws will be coming up from a broiling hot Phoenix to our wonderfully cool 70 degree weather here in Northern Arizona.

The picture below is of my husband's family at a big birthday celebration for his grandma taken about 10 years ago. Marrying my spouse at the young age of 19, his "familia" has become very much my family as well. You can probably guess which one I am here (polka dot dress may give it away)... only redhead amongst all that gorgeous glossy black hair.

In anticipation of this weekend's family birthday celebration, my kitchen will go from spotless to covered in a giant mess of tomatoes, tortillas and chili peppers as my mother in law prepares her mouth-watering tacos for the birthday celebration. I can't wait to see (and taste!)the evidence of all that overflowing love.

Love and (((hugs))) to all of you too. :-)

New stuff available at Spooky Time Jingles and PFATT

2008-08-12T22:03:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for your sweet comments about my sweet sister in law. Your prayers and good thoughts have uplifted our spirits!!!!

I have tons of stuff to update everyone on, but in the meanwhile, just wanted to let you know that I have a few new items available in both my PFATT and my SpookyTime Jingles shop.

I'll be back on Thursday with updates. Thank you again for all of your continued support and prayers.

((((hugs)))))

Jenny

Prayers Needed...and some thoughts on crafty giving

2008-07-31T12:21:00.001-07:00

Sorry not to have been around much lately. It has been rough sailing around here lately. Computers went down, cell phones fell apart, then we received the news that my beloved sister in law was diagnosed with stage III metastatic breast cancer. This is her second time around, having been diagnosed 14 years ago at age 32. I have been out of town away from home and staying with her to be closer to her and the rest of the family as she prepares to fight once again.

If I could ask all of my sweet blog friends to include her in your prayers, especially over the coming few weeks. While I have been down here we received more bad news that my husband's grandmother passed away.This has been a rough time for my husband and his family, so please keep them in your prayers as well.

Something I want to share with you about the wonderfulness of creativity. Some awesome crafter was kind enough to donate what seemed like a lifetime supply of gorgeous beads to the thrift store that my mother in law works in. My mother in law purchased the beads for my sister in law, and thanks to that generous crafter, my sister in law has had the pleasure of making the most lovely jewelry as she recovers from her recent mastectomy. Even cooler... everyone, old, young, teen aged, male or female, that has come to visit her over the past week has sat down and made a bracelet. The process of engaging in creativity with someone you love is wonderfully therapeutic and has meant the world to my sweet sister in law. We are going to be setting up an etsy shop to sell these bracelets soon. I will post a link when it's ready.

I am sure the donor of those beads had no idea how much we would be blessed by her generosity. It has made a huge difference in my sister in law's recovery.

I love what the Fly Lady says about donating your no longer needed items to thrift and charity shops so that you can "bless" someone else. If you, like myself, have a tendency to hang on to craft supplies that you really wont likely ever use, consider donating them to a thrift store or hospital in your community. You never know how much you can contribute to the health of someone out there than can use some "crafty therapy".

With that said, I send you all huge (((((hugs)))))) and love. I am headed back home next week and should get back to regular posting then. :-)