just duckie

keeping warm.....

2012-01-22T11:47:00.004-06:00

i've been swamped at work and still don't have internet at home. winter has finally come to MN and so the boys and i are cocooning while i work on spring duckies, FINALLY start work on my book proposal, and do little projects around the house. this is what happens when i try to lay down on the couch to read.

if you don't have luxurious fur coats, layers are the key. i have begun to collect a wade range of blankets and throws which i constantly use throughout the house. since the kitters' favorite game is to duck under the covers and explore the fabulous land under them, this pleases them no end.
here they are mid-bed making in the morning. this is also how they usually sleep, one at my feet and one by my side.

house bits

2011-12-04T14:04:00.004-06:00

oh faithful readers. i swear i miss this blog-but with everything going on with the house and the new job and trying to get some holiday duckies done for my various vendors and art fairs, i barely have time to read my emails and facebook let alone post on this blog! coupled with the fact that i don't have internet at the new place.....i'm sorry i've neglected this corner of the interwebs lo these two months. i'll make it up to you.....

here are shots of the living/dining room. both rooms are a study in 'found' furniture. the futon frame and cushions, dining room chairs, and coffee table were all FREE on the side of the road, with the exception of the cushions which I saved from the dumpster pile at work. kirk models the smaller of the two rugs from home goods, and he's staring at the refinished cabinet of curiosities which my mom and dad stripped for me. the lamp and shade came from goodwill, and there's oodles of frames on the walls from various thrifts and garage sales. i love the built-ins but they severely limit the floorspace. i wouldn't trade them for the world, though!

that's it for now, more to come i promise!

gotta find my corner.......

2011-10-01T08:00:00.003-05:00

12 days from today i will be the owner....of.....my very own corner of the sky......

my work time is blissful (except for the carpet-moth infestation that we've been battling in our warehouse).

my at-home time is like a an episode of HOARDERS; buried by crafts. sorting, tossing, organizing, and trying to work on my holiday orders while maintaining some minimum level of personal hygiene.

all my current web time is going towards banking business, pinterest dreaming, and online furniture shopping. my favorite blogs have gone unread for WEEKS!

i feel so....amish!

sorting it all out....

2011-08-29T20:53:00.002-05:00

i think we need to just light a match and let it all burn
-Jason Schommer

my very good friend jason recently moved to vegas. he is a 'collector' of cd's, movies, books, and other media. his favorite person on the planet is madonna. by the time we got into his 'save forever' closet, he was in such a purging mood that he threw away a collection of about 20 madonna posters and countless magazines featuring the material girl. helping him sort through his years of accumulated stuff lit a fire under my own bum to get moving and get on with my life. thank you jason for being an inspiration!

instead of viking funeral, we had a full dumpster. i still wonder if he went back and fished them out after i left. but i digress....

i am trying to decide, what things do i need to let go? not only physically but emotionally and spiritually......what has been holding me down and strangling me all these years?

i have gotten a new (old) job again. i am returning to work in theater full-time, as the shopper/buyer for the props department at the Guthrie theater. i couldn't be more excited. i won't post much about my job except to say that it's going to be awesome and it will allow me to do things i've not been able to in my current position, but i will miss my job at the church very much.

i am also hoping to buy a house soon. once again, i don't want to say much, except that if it does happen you can count on a LOT of house/DIY posts in the future.

the goal is to make sure i don't end up on TLC's hoarders, buried alive. i could probably actually film an episode from my car. but i need to develop a new attitude....let it go....and watch it drift away...

cuteness and naughtiness

2011-08-07T09:40:00.002-05:00

cabinet help.....

2011-07-30T18:21:00.005-05:00

i need your help faithful readers. this chippy cabinet has been in the family longer than i have. and it needs some help. right now it's a not-s0-awesome blue, and i want to paint it. i hope it will be the centerpiece in my studio when i move out. and i'll have a wee tiny bit of downtime next week so i want to spiff it up. here's what it looks like now:

and these are the other things that will for SURE be in my studio:

here in no particular order are some ideas i have been kicking around.

Blue large-scale suzani

pink large scale suzani

shabby turquoise

grey otomi pattern (or any color)
blue/green ikat

small scale suzani (could be any color obvs.)

mint suzani (that sounds like it should also be a drink...hmmm...)

ok what do you think!?!?!?

crashy mc crasherton

2011-07-13T21:41:00.003-05:00

computer crashed due to a malfunctioning power cord, about a month ago, but it was restored to two weeks prior to that by my friend who is my own personal geek squad. but then last week, it really got messed up with a virus.
so i'm thankful i put a lot of photos on my facebook and blog because they're all gone. :(
a single tear falls for the girl who didn't back her files up.

video update

2011-06-27T11:46:00.000-05:00

12 hour daze....

2011-06-20T20:42:00.003-05:00

after the weeks of hard work, vacation bible school started this morning. i'm bone tired. this job has spurts of 10-12 hour days like this and you'd think by now i'd be used to it.....

today's theme was God is the one responsible for the creation of our amazing world.

anyway this little short film was adapted from the GoFish script, edited on my crummy work PC, and stop-motion animated with paper that some high school aged kids helped me cut out and design. enjoy!

florida!

2011-06-19T21:30:00.004-05:00

we took a family trip to florida to celebrate my cousin jay's wedding.
i got to spend TONS of quality dorothy time, swam in the ocean and saw a shark (not as scared as i thought i'd be) and had a wonderful vacation.

dorothy performed her flower girl duties very well!

studio shots

2011-06-04T11:25:00.002-05:00

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just a few snapshots of the studio. the cori dantini poster is from last year's creative connection event. the flowers are from our garden and include columbine, chives, and a bunch of other lovelies. no it's not my birthday, but for some reason this is quickly becoming the birthday board!

quicky on color

2011-06-03T18:55:00.004-05:00

now that i am pretty much finished with the stage manager/wardrobe assistant/retail uniform needing part of my life, i'm trying to avoid buying black and bringing other colors into my wardrobe. i never thought i'd wear orange EVER (being very freckl-y) bit it turns out bright colors actually look better on me than dark ones.....along these lines.....today i got purple and red streaks put into my hair (!)
it looks sooooooo cool. i can't get a good photo of it. but in the mean time, here's some fabulous tiles i found at augsburg college last week-i went for an ELCA gathering for youth/children's workers and ended up winning a $100 gift certificate to their gathering in NEW ORLEANS in 2012! WOOT! Sure, I have to spend like $600 to save $100...but hey, i won something! i should use it!

sneezy, goofy, and spock.

2011-05-31T22:41:00.006-05:00

our entire family got walloped by a nasty cold this last week and my computer also battled a virus or infection of its own. i seem to have lost a lot of my hard drive. i'm bummed about the photos of early duckies, but what was i going to do with those photos anyhow?

i've been battling through it to finish a bibelot order. the kittens aren't making it easy on me. they love to 'inspect' my work and offer their assistance with the thread, scissors, etc. i'm surprised i haven't snipped off one of their tails let alone a whisker or two.....i hope they grow out of their kitten curiosity...but not too quickly. it's fun to see their crazy antics as i sew beaks onto birdies, talons on to owls, and yes, whiskers onto kittens. can you see how long their whiskers are in these photos? it's absurd. i'm going to enter them in the twin cities beard and mustache competition next year. fer reals.

workin' on the night moves....

2011-05-25T22:45:00.002-05:00

having a dayjob in addition to helping folks with wedding flowers, doing the duckie thing, and teaching means that my day runs from about 7 AM to 11 PM or even midnight. my kittens are modeling good evening productivity followed by intense periods of sleep. their nighttime mania is even more entertaining than their daytime antics.
i am putting out the feelers on finally buying a house. 3 years ago (before i lost my awesome gig at the college) i had been pre-approved for a loan and started even touring homes...but i'm SO thankful that didn't work out because i'd have long defaulted on the mortgage. i feel like the timing is much better now.
but in order to make it happen i need to squeeze extra time to make extra $$ out of my days.
maybe i'll teach kirk and spock how to sew for me while i'm off earning their kitten chow......

ask...and ye shall find it at a garage sale.....(or fleet farm)

2011-05-08T20:24:00.006-05:00

it's a constant struggle to store and display my art supplies in a useful yet pleasing manner. during our road trip, i bought the latest 'where women create' magazine, which my mom calls 'where women store stuff'. it's true, they offer great storage solutions to artist's tendency to hoard. n-e-way....

my boss asked my co-worker if we wanted to hit a neighborhood garage sale to raise funds for some girls to join a traveling soccer team-and lo and behold, i found this spice rack for just a dollar! hollar!!!!

this project would have been impossible without the help of a dishwasher-these jars were NASTY greasy. i should have soaked the caps in something because the rubber gaskets on some still smell a bit 'spicy'. but overall i am quite happy with how this turned out.

i'm also excited about my new gardening boots, found at the 'man's mall' AKA fleet farm. they carry *almost* everything a person or farm animal could ever need, including things NO one needs like circus peanuts. if they carried craft materials, there'd be no reason to shop anywhere else.

growing boys

2011-04-30T08:31:00.005-05:00

holy week was amazing, exhausting, powerful, and wonderful. a marathon of ministry. my boss and 4 of the pastors told me to get out of town for a week. left the cleanup to my co-workers. HA!

went to missouri after easter to spend some time with my nephews. julie had ankle surgery 5 weeks ago and is SUPPOSED to be taking it easy. as a physical therapist she knows what she can and can't do, and i swear she can hop faster than i can walk. anyway....the boys are 5, almost 3, and almost 1 i can't believe the funny things they do and say. obsessed with 'STAR WARS', 'The Lion King', and Mickey Mouse, they love to hear my Yoda, Puumba, and Mickey voices.

the other boys in my life, spock and kirk, are growing fast too!

they no longer look kitten-y they are very much teenagers. i have been spending very little time with them due to work and i think they are taking it out on me by chewing where they shouldn't be chewing, getting into boxes and containers that are NOT for kittens, and just generally being silly.

here's spock demonstrating what he thinks is the proper place for scraps and kittens.

where i've been....

2011-04-17T17:01:00.002-05:00

where have i been the past month? i'm taking on more responsibilities in more departments of the church-and that's a good things-but it also means less time for outside activities like; doing interesting things, photographing those things, and writing about them.

i have been wracking my brain to come up with a suitable item for the japan auction, and i think i have settled on one, now just to find the time to make it. this week at church (which started today with Palm Sunday) i am going to work about 80 hours, give or take. maundy thursday and good friday we're expecting over 1800 people to come to the three services we hold...

here's a quick little video that i not only helped to edit, but that gives you an idea of what kind of stuff i'm working on. this is last year's Palm Sunday- we had about 250 kids participate today over the two services.

what's been keeping me busy....

2011-02-28T17:34:00.002-06:00

brought these guys home last week. loving *almost* every minute ;)

Valentine's for you!

2011-02-14T07:53:00.004-06:00

hey sorry it's been quiet lately-i have been beset by a series of horrible colds. this probably means i won't get to spend valentine's day with the ultimate valentine, my grandma. it's her birthday today and she was delivered 92 years ago today by dr. valentine. fer reals!
it's a little late to the party but here are some absolutely amazing free valentines for you by some of my favorite artists.
amy rice
ann wood
and an oldie but goodie from me, a quick tute on winged hearts.

Summer wardrobe...

2011-02-02T19:52:00.001-06:00

i hope this round with watchin' the weight is successful enough that i just haveta haveta HAVE TO buy a whole new summer wardrobe. been polyvore-ing some ideas.
n-joy!

summer 3 by beccajo75 featuring cap sleeve tops

Hot Dotty Dress | Mod Retro Vintage Printed Dresses | ModCloth.com
$85 - modcloth.com
Vintage look dresses »

JB by Julie Brown brown leaves printed jersey wrap dress
$113 - bluefly.com
Wrap around dresses »

Pink Citrus Dress
$55 - modcloth.com
Pleated dresses »

Frankly, I Don't Give a Dress
$85 - modcloth.com
Dresses »

A One and A Turmeric Top
$68 - modcloth.com
Short sleeve tops »

Women - tees & knits - Vintage cotton petite bead shell - J.Crew
$58 - jcrew.com
Vintage tops »

Dream V-neck cardigan - J.Crew sweet tangerine
$78 - jcrew.com
V neck cardigan »

J.Crew Button-back cotton-jersey T-shirt
$43 - net-a-porter.com
Cap sleeve tops »

Alex striped cotton tank top
$28 - theoutnet.com
Oversized tops »

Filigree Cardi
$118 - anthropologie.com
Tops »

Gap Wide whale corduroys
$20 - gap.com
Corduroy pants »

Old Navy Womens The Flirt Skinny Flared Trouser Jeans
$35 - oldnavy.gap.com
Old Navy »

J.Crew - Cord Pencil Skirt in Golden Wood
$98 - jcrew.com
50s style pencil skirts »

Eureka
$169 - fluevog.com
Wedge heel shoes »

Just Like Honey Heel ModCloth.com
$65 - modcloth.com
Heeled shoes »

First Name Basis Heel
$93 - modcloth.com
Mary jane shoes »

SQUARE MESSENGER BAG WITH BUCKLE
$80 - zara.com
Buckle bags »

Dutch Wax Collage Cuff
$38 - anthropologie.com
Chain jewelry »

Amelia multi textured bangle set at boohoo.com
12 GBP - boohoo.com
Bracelets »

Rachel Roy: Jewelry > Rings & Things
$40 - rachelroy.com
Rachel Roy rings »

Bedouin Scarf
$115 - allsaints.com
Striped shawl »

Bomulds tøklæde
$55 - youheshe.com
Rabens Saloner scarves »

Pompom Print-Trim Cap Mustard Yellow - One Size
$50 - yesstyle.com
Yellow hats »

Gap First original jeans (lightweight khaki wash)
$25 - gap.com

Handmade Paper - Lokta Batik Circles Fine Paper - Paper Source
$6.50 - paper-source.com

Free Scrapbooking Software Templates Embellishments Backgrounds
$12 - scrapbookflair.com

SquidFire | New designs are here!
squidfire.com

My Alabama Chanin Corset - News - Melanie Falick Books
melaniefalickbooks.com

nagging...

2011-01-23T19:16:00.002-06:00

had a headache the last few days. nothing like a migraine, another one of which i had a few days back. this is more like a nagging ache-like someone scratching the inside of my head right behind my eyes. i suspect it's a sign i need new glasses. in which case, i'm gonna get some craaaaazy frames this time to encourage me to wear my contacts more often.

i know i'm a little late to the party but i am looooving me some polyvore.

the possibilities are literally endless. i'm not a big online or catalog shopper, i feel the need to try things on and see how the fit, quality, and cut looks before i buy and i can't be bothered to return something via the mail or UPS. so i prefer to pre-shop online and go in person to the store to see for myself. and it's kept me from making many, MANY a bad purchase.

anyway-polyvore is a fun way to dream and put together outfits without stepping foot into a store!

victorian seaside by beccajo75 featuring a high waist skirt

CHIFFON VICTORIANA BLOUSE
14 GBP - selectfashion.co.uk
Chiffon blouses »

Vivienne Westwood Red Label Check Blazer Pink - Vivienne Westwood...
485 GBP - hervia.com
Black blazer »

Sportmax code skirts DENIM
138 GBP - matchesfashion.com
High waist skirt »

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD 3815 PURPLE GOLD PRPL OWL RING
234 GBP - farfetch.com
Purple rings »

CHINA BLUE TULLE FLOWER ANYWHERE CLIP
$80 - tarinatarantino.com
Hair flower accessories »

▶▶▶ Vivienne Westwood Boudoir Eau De Parfum Spray - 50ml/1.7oz |...
amazon.com

H&M Shop Online
hm.com

Amazon.com: Pack of 6 Bubblegum Pink Mirrored Glass Disco Ball...
$6 - amazon.com

White Hurricane Candle Lantern (Ibiza design)
$21 - lunabazaar.com

round, french, gilded, mirror, mirrors, wall, art, framed | Wisteria
$249 - wisteria.com

Paris Flea Market Collection Champagne Chandelier
$700 - laylagrayce.com

under the big top, 8x10 print : product : papernstitch
$23 - papernstitch.com

Enamel Coffee Pot.
jpeterman.com

-15 poppies...

2011-01-21T10:45:00.003-06:00

it so, sooooooo, SO cold out there. how cold is it? it's so cold, our outdoor digital thermometer doesn't even register a temp! parts of MN are -30 below today. the suburbs are supposed to be about -15-18. i wouldn't doubt that one bit.

i decided to combat the cold with some GIANT POPPIES!!! i used this awesome video and tutorial from queen Martha with a few small tweaks of my own....

i used some good old scrapbooking cardstock sheets, and was able to fit four petals around the corners, i lost a wee bit of corner off the template but it's hidden by the folds anyway. and i used 8 petals instead of 7. AND, i folded the petals two at a time to save time-without using the bamboo skewer/pencil. i think my paper is stiffer than what they were using but it's the colors i was going for not the texture. it's still a good idea to condition the paper a bit before you fold so you don't get sharp creases but rather nice soft folds.

for the center ruffle-y part i folded my circle into quarters and that was SO much easier to make the fringe...for the center 'puff' i used a giant punch from ek success, drew a small circle in the middle about the size of a dime to know how far to cut, and that made cutting the 'wedges' a lot easier.....and i used my scissors to curl the pieces up like curling that ribbon you put on gifties.

these poppies are going into the studio. it's a mishmash of crazy color already so even though i tried to repeat the colors within these flowers, in the future i think i'll make the color combos even wilder!

a midwinter lull...

2011-01-19T11:21:00.002-06:00

95% recovered from my cold, i decided to visit my sis and bro-in-law and adorable (but sick) dora in evanston last weekend. i delayed my trip due to a storm in MN that ended up passing pretty quickly. got stuck in a massive blizzard through wisconsin on my way home. ugh. my shoulders still hurt from gripping the steering wheel so tightly.
i am ever so grateful to my boss for letting me take a sunday off-usually unthinkable when you work for a church-and thankful that the morning functioned well without me.
i love the creativity and flexibility my job offers me most days. i do miss being an artist though. it's a side of me i don't get to indulge as much.

while in chicago i got to meet aunt peaches-we shopped at uncle fun and paperboy, sharing ideas and stories. i can't wait to see what she comes up with-she bought some pretty hilarious stuff!

siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick

2011-01-03T08:34:00.002-06:00

i have a horrible, no good, very bad cold that i believe has turned into a sinus infection. i've gotten to catch up on some trashy reality TV though so that's been good.
nothing new to report in the studio unfortunately. will keep you all posted though. happy new year!!!

A VERY MERRY!!!

2010-12-25T09:22:00.000-06:00

WHEW!!!

2010-12-19T13:32:00.004-06:00

it's over!!!! the kids, congregation, staff, and pastors all had fantastic things to say. i'm so happy and so thankful that it went well! i really felt the power of the Holy Spirit today, honestly, in the support and encouragement of everyone in the house. it was so fun to see the church packed to the rafters and to hear the crowd reaction to the kids as they played their roles. yay!

now i just get to enjoy christmas like a normal person. i don't even have to repair the star again this year! since we made a new one last year, it's holding up a lot better than the first one. it's construction foam (the pink stuff) which i painted with two coats of primer then decopauged with gold tissue paper. the old one was just painted and dented/scratched a lot quicker. the gold paper gives this one a nice crusty shell that is almost un-scratchable!

if you want to be moved to tears by a story of what freedom of religion can look like, go here now. i have been reading her blog for several months now and i feel like peaches is my sister from another mister.

the week's big chop...

2010-12-17T21:40:00.004-06:00

you know it's time when pencils and knitting needles substitute for hair bands and a hat substitutes for a shower. when you wash and dry it and that's it. it's time to give your hair to someone else who will make better use of it that you will. it's time to chop it off for locks of love.
three pony tails worth of boredom will be packed into a padded envelope and sent off to do something for a change. the longest one is destined to be made into a kid's wig, and the two shorter ones will be sold for toupees and the like, and the money will go back to LOL.
i feel SO much better with short hair again. it's been years since it's been this short-and people's reactions are hilarious. 'You look younger!' 'You look older!' the head pastor at work keeps calling me the 'new becca' which i think is hilarious since i've worked there off and on going on 18 years now.
tomorrow is the pageant rehearsal and sunday, it all goes down. due to snow and kids being out sick, we've only had one day of actual song rehearsal and only one day of rehearsing the lines with the kids, and i'll never have had the 'adult' cast together in one room before we perform it DURING WORSHIP on sunday. OH and Mary has to take her ACT's tomorrow since they got snowed out last weekend. it's fine, not like she has a huge role in the whole thing......... i'm terrified. if this pageant is a disaster i fear another big chop this week......

Owls and Snowmen

2010-12-11T09:18:00.003-06:00

As the storm of the 21st century blows into MN, I'm delighted to spend a third day in a row in my studio. I actually took a sick day from job numero uno on Thursday, what a treat!!!!

The Bibelot has placed a final pre-Christmas order, and my wintery stuff is selling well at I Like You so I'm in a mad frenzy to re-stock for all the non-big-box shoppers out there in the world. Thank you for supporting local artists!
The owls pictured are going to the Bibelot, they have four locations so check each one. These are ornament sized-they fit in your hand. I loves them! Each one turns out cuter than the last!!! Bigger owlies are also available at their stores, and ILY will be getting medium-sized ones (photos to follow). Find snowmen like these at ILY.

my monthly gift...no...not that one!

2010-12-01T19:11:00.005-06:00

ah ok so this whole regular blogging thing is not working out so great now is it?

if you'd had a glance at my calendar you'd see why.

highlights since we last spoke include (but are not limited to) the green gift fair at the midtown global market, the annual i like you ornament sale, then thanksgiving with a visit from my cousin jay and his family and a trunk show at the bibelot. oh and then that whole night in bethlehem business.

videos and photos follow. animal and ornament construction continues unabated.

recap of the last month....

2010-11-05T21:37:00.003-05:00

got a quick visit to chicago in just before halloween. how adorbs is this baby?

work is full-tilt crazy pace, charging ahead into christmas and the pageant and the advent fair and the star of wonder brunch and on and on and on. sometimes i miss semi-retirement but i love love LOVE my job.

i'm cranking out the christmas ornaments in the studio. i've come up with a pretty solid assembly line, where i'm still able to give each one personality and different looks but it goes much, much quicker! yippee!

break out the glitter!!!

2010-09-22T08:30:00.003-05:00

i'm going to actually have time to craft this weekend! what a revelation!
i have to restock my stores for the upcoming 'holidays' and get ready for my next bibelot trunk show, which is going to be BLACK FRIDAY aka the day after Thanksgiving. and this year, i've decided to get to work earlier rather than later. what a concept!

going to focus on the smaller ornaments, making more things in the 10-20 dollar range, for gifties and what have you. lots of birds, penguins, and little guys. not so many of the big guys. if these 'tough economic times' have taught me anything, it's that people aren't really spending much money right now, especially on things like ornaments. even super cute ones.

these ornaments were at the i like you trunk show last year. they did extremely well....and are identical to the ones i had at the state fair except for the scarves. is a scrap of yarn really what it takes to sell a bird? am i gonna have to add scarves to all my birds this winter? would a bird be able to fly with a scarf? am i over thinking this? yes, yes, no and yes.

Cabinet of Wonders...

2010-09-18T19:46:00.006-05:00

I took a class with the amazingly talented and sweet Jennifer Murphy at The Creative Connection. We got to make TWO lovely ornaments in the class! She was a fantastic teacher, and helped a group of women of all skill levels through to beautiful finished products....with all the teaching I do it's always a treat to take a class from a wonderful teacher!
The wee little blue bird comes from yarn that she hand-dyed for the class (here you can see her photo of all the samples lined up for class) and is so stinkin' cute! I decided to give my guy a mohawk which might be hard to see in the photo....and we also made a little bird standing on a tree clip with a nest of tinsel and wee mercury glass 'eggs' at his feet! How adorbs, eh?

They'll join the other handmade goodies in my 'never sell' cabinet in my studio.....prototypes, one-offs, things I made from patterns and won't sell because I didn't design them myself, things like that.
It's great to see the oldest Duckies and how far I've come....If you look closely you'll find a hand-jointed rabbit made from a book on teddy bears, two Steiff mice, owls and penguins of all sizes, Porkchop the monkey, and Duckie Ugling himself!

A day of thanks...

2010-09-17T21:51:00.004-05:00

My boss forced me to take a day off after last week's marathon-THANK GOODNESS!!!!

I volunteered at The Creative Connection in downtown Mpls. A little bit of a hike from the 'burbs but OH so worth it. The Handmade Market was mindblowingly awesome. I had to resist buying everything I saw. I did snag a few treasures and more than a few ideas!

I met amazing women/artists/businesspeople/bloggers that i have admired for YEARS, including the lovely and amazing Jen O'Connor of Earth Angels Toys. Even ran into my sister's husband's aunt and uncle and cousin in law! What a small world, eh?

And tomorrow, I'm taking a class from Jennifer Murphy! I can't wait!

I also got the FANTASTIC news that one of my dear friends gave birth to a healthy, happy baby boy. Welcome to the world little Kagan! I can't wait to meet this little guy....

I've also broken my vow of no craft shows for a year and committed to doing a Saturday show during the St. Paul art crawl. No booth fee, no pressure. Maybe some of the billion birds I have left over from the State Fair will make it on to the table. Or maybe some old jewelry spiced up for new eyes. Who knows......

double rainbow, all the way!!!

2010-09-04T10:21:00.004-05:00

you've no doubt seen the double rainbow video by now, and it's hundreds of tributes/spoofs.

and now, he's makin' money at it. go bear!

we had a fantastic storm earlier in the week, and i got to introduce my parents to the double rainbow phenomenon. they LOL'd and loved it. this is our double rainbow, yes it did reach all the way across the sky. started and ended on our property. i know there's no pots of gold out there, but there are acres and acres of lovely trees, swamp-y creatures, and beautiful wildflowers. i am eagerly anticipating the color show when all those trees turn gold and red.

where does the time go?

2010-08-30T18:19:00.005-05:00

no...seriously....where does it go?

summer is wrapping and sunday school is about to start up again, up but the weather here in MN hasn't gotten the memo. it's been 80-90 these past few days. and just about unbearable. so glad my new office at church is airconditioned like a blast chiller.

the state fair is on, and i dearly love it. the great minnesota get together is one of my favorite events of the year. i've only missed it a few times in my 34 years on this planet. i went yesterday (by myself) and found amazingly adorable rabbits that i was THISCLOSE to stuffing in my bag and running off with, so-so deep fried food items, and then handed out postcards and talked up the store to anyone who wandered within 10 feet of the i like you booth. sold a few t-shirts and other fabulous items as well, but no one wanted or needed a duckie ugling ornament in their fair schwag bags. who knew!?
if you go, visit the booth in the lower level of the grandstand, on the back wall. you can't miss it. i wish we had these shirts in adult sizes.....

oh yeah it's too hot! too hot baby!

2010-08-04T20:15:00.002-05:00

red hot art was last weekend and i scored some killer new earrings and a super cute jersey scarf from Lauren and Whittney of Spilled Milk Factory. they had ventured out to hugo earlier in the week to pick up my lucky red umbrella and visit the farm, and we had a delish waffle breakfast.
last year's red hot art was anything but, considering the pouring rain, however this year they lucked out with gorgeous weather and fabu music.

today i tech-d a fringe show then went to pick up the VBS supplies from the st. paul church and put them upstairs at my church. picked up my soldering kit (which i forgot after class the other night) came home and melted into a puddle. all thoughts of getting anything done flew out the window. i don't want to turn the A/C on because i love open windows and the sounds and smells of the farm. we've had intermittent rainstorms all day and it's absolutely magical to hear all the bird sounds.....

one thing that wasn't magical was the gentleman (!) who hocked a loogy on my hood on the way back from the church. i was driving in the left lane, going 10+ over the speed limit like the rest of the traffic, but OH NO he wanted to be in front of me so he could follow the car 20 yards ahead of me. so as he passed me on the right (after another car exited) he placed his head outside his window and spat at my car. YES. SPAT. disgusting. another human's spittle outside their body is one of the grossest things i can think of ON THE PLANET.

indignant rage threatened to grip my soul.

however, i thought, i'm driving a carload full of materials back to my church, from another church, were i spent the week teaching kids about Jesus' disciples in the book of Acts. Seriously. WWJD? i'm not gonna let satan (in an F150) get to me...

so as he slowed down to exit (about 1/3 of a mile past passing me) i made eye contact with the gentleman, smiled, and waved sweetly. he looked at me like i was insane. and yes, possibly i am.

i hope my smile and wave made him realize what an a$$ he'd just made of himself, how he really had accomplished nothing. he hadn't ruined my day, he had just soiled my vehicle with his DNA.

studio time!

2010-08-02T09:46:00.002-05:00

i can't believe it. i'm back to makin' stuff!
here's a cabinet full of owls and birds-destined for the bibelot

and here's my soldering setup. i'm teaching a class tonight, and another one soon in northfield, so i'm making class samples.

feels good to flex my creative muscles again!!!

van gogh, eat your heart out.

2010-07-29T09:56:00.002-05:00

just a few shots of sunflowers in the garden and on 'mt st. hugo'. that's my pet name for the highest point in hugo, the pile of peat moss that we turned into our ill-fated sledding hill where my nephew matthew broke his leg just after christmas (he's totally fine now BTW).

volunteer sunny in the weedy garden. none of them have 'perfect' faces'. last year we had some crazy double-faced ones. i don't see any of those yet this year.

some 'teddy bear' sunnies and red ones in the veg garden. since i got the job it's been very neglected, and the weeds have really taken over. in the back are the rain barrels my dad set up. since remodeling the studio, we added a gutter to the front of the barn. it captures up to 55 gallons of rain PER SHOWER from just the front side, and instead of just letting it run into the driveway and then the yard, we're going to use it to water the gardens. my dad is so proud of all the engineering he did on these barrels. i am going to paint a lot of the garden accessories this blue color next year. i love it.

secret garden. here's how it looked last year.
it's really growing like crazy!

more of mt. st. hugo. look at all those wildflowers! there's tons of bees and butterflies that flit around. sounds like a million tiny vuvzelas out there.

Tiiiiiiiiiiiny house!

2010-07-23T20:40:00.002-05:00

i had heard about this guy and his tumbleweed tiny houses somewhere on the internets, and now, here's a walkthru of his 96 sq foot house. WOW.

as a maximalist, i am quite impressed by this guy's organization and skill in living with so little in such tight quarters. i think my room is bigger than his whole house.

What's the buzz? Tell me what's a happening...

2010-07-07T20:21:00.003-05:00

Oosh. What a couple of months.

The posting has dried up, as you faithful readers would have observed by now, due to new jobbage and general lack of time due to new jobbage. I haven't sewn any duckies since the beginning of April, due to the studio being remodeled and expanded so my mom can have a workspace again.

But the weight loss has continued, and I'm the lightest weight I've been in 10 years. I don't feel like I've had to 'give anything up', I just have to make other changes, like working out or having less of something I decide I really want! I'm not saying I'm perfect by any means, but I've discovered that I am addicted to sweating every day!

I'm excited for my siblings and their kiddos to come home next week...what else can I say? I'll have photos, news, and a real update. But for now, I hope this will do.

another day, another dress

2010-05-27T21:40:00.002-05:00

dress: super on sale Calvin Klein from macy's. first item of mr. klein's that i have owned. i think it was 80% off. RAWK!
shirt: generic macy's brand shirt but i have it in purple and pink and i loves it.
shoes and earrings: borrowed from my sis.
pins: thrifted from various sources. loves me some bling!
i worked at the church AND the store today. busy day! my summer is going to be fully of days like this: 5-6 hours at the church, 4-5 hours at the store. tomorrow is an all store day. i am going to work on class ideas and sew some more alabama-chanin inspired items to rev up the wardrobe. i'm also window shopping some more dresses..i think it's time to break out the sewing machine and whip up some jersey dresses for myself. we'll see if the heat breaks before or after my ambition.

SoD and MAX!!!

2010-05-22T18:18:00.004-05:00

Max my nephew is finally here! more photos to follow, of course but here's a teaser with big brothers Matthew and Michael. 9 lbs 3 oz. That's a big baby! I won't get to meet him in person for a few more weeks, but he and his momma are doing great!

Today I kept up the summer of dresses with this little number from Lane Bryant. I wore it to a wedding two years ago, and haven't worn it much since. I lost one of the two (removeable) straps, so today I made it into a halter so as not to lose the top. With the cardigan over the top, you can hardly tell! I feel very 50's housewife-y in this dress. It's super, super big on the top so if I lose any more weight this summer, I don't think I can wear this one any more.

I am totally loving the Summer of Dresses, but I'm either gonna have to start sewing or hit the thrifts on Monday to pad my stash!

Summer of Dresses!!!

2010-05-21T09:02:00.003-05:00

Even before I knew about this blog, I was determined to wear more dresses and skirts this year.

Here's my first submission to the Summer of Dresses. I notice that my farmer tanned arms are like two shades darker than my legs. Better break out the fake tan lotion and catch those puppies up!

Dress: Merona (Target brand)
Jean Jacket: Style and Co (Macy's brand)
Boots: Thrifted from the Goodwill

farm shots

2010-05-19T18:31:00.002-05:00

i have had very little art-making energy lately. instead i've been enjoying the great outdoors. here are some shots to help you understand what i mean.

summer has arrived!

2010-05-17T10:56:00.001-05:00

super cute shoes by land's end outlet, amazing landscaping by my parents and a small army of diligent workers.

I'm back baby!!!

2010-05-05T19:39:00.003-05:00

I got the job I so mysteriously hinted at several weeks ago...working in Children's Ministries at my home church. YAY!

It's very similar to the job I held through high school, college summers, and after I got back from Chicago. Nothing like coloring, playing games, and singing songs with elementary kiddos! I love it!

Today was my last day at the major department store. I'm glad they employed me for a time, but I'm also glad to be done. It allowed me to get a YMCA membership, and I've been going before work, after work, and sometimes exercising at home, too! The weight hasn't been coming off as fast but I'm feeling bones emerge where earlier there was only layers of flab. It feels good to have a waist again!

quickie

2010-04-19T09:38:00.004-05:00

i did a saturday earth day work shop for artscraps and had a fantastic time. being outside, with kids, crafting with recycled materials...how could it get any better than that? i'm so looking forward to my signatures camp this summer, i'm getting all sorts of ideas on what to teach the kiddos.

we are also planning an addition to the studio. a room for storage. i'm SO happy about that. my situation is OOC (out of control) and i know it's frustrating for my mom to not be able to use HER studio since MY stuff is in the way. over there is a studio board with the theme of 'wings', and with about as much yellow as i can stand to look at. HA!

i have an interview tomorrow, which i'm very much looking forward to, which i will tell you about at a later date because i don't even know if the job is actually open. we'll see.

Camera located! Worthy pictures taken, not so many.

2010-04-14T07:54:00.006-05:00

The headline pretty much says it all.

Here though are some shots of Oscar the Octopus, made for submission to the One Yard Wonders 2 book. I thought the one in the 'cave' was especially hilarious.

On a side note, YMCA joining comes in the midst of a 3-month weight-loss plateau. I keep hovering around the same 3 lbs lost and gained. I know I could be tracking more dilligently for one thing, and that my clothing and measurements are really changing, I am able to walk longer, faster, and further, but darnit I want to get past this hump! Hopefully the return of the Farmer's Markets will help me to eat more fruit and veg. Our Chives and Asparagus and Rhubarb are being consumed almost daily.

this whole week has felt like monday....

2010-04-08T11:47:00.003-05:00

not having a regular work schedule tends to mess up your internal clock a bit. this entire week i've had to check my phone, a calendar, etc. to see what day it really is because i was sure it was still monday. yes, i do feel a wee bit like garfield this week. that photo over there is of Katzen Ploofen, sold last year on ETSY.

had a shopping spree with my mom at the rosedale location of the Store-Not-To-Be-Named where i am currently part-timely employed. she helped me find all the black pants and tops in the plus-sized section. but.... i was SHOCKED to be buying clothes in a size 16. i am utterly amazed because the last time i remember wearing a 16 was early in college. or about 30 lbs from now. so either i was wearing WAY too large of a size (grunge was on its way out so i might have been ahead of the curve so to speak) or they've slid the sizes up again. you hear how marilyn monroe was a 12 blah blah but really she was more of an 8 by today's standards. or maybe a 6.

joining the Y today instead of in May. though spring has hit MN it's still chilly out there. and though i'd rather exercise out-of-doors it's just not going to happen when it's 38 degrees. they are remodeling the place and the pools will be ready in June. i can't WAIT! i love to swim. gonna need a new suit though my old one was a size 22!!!

one last tidbit that i feel needs commenting on: this monstrosity from KFC.
wow. 540 calories and 32g of fat. did the WW points on it and it comes out to 13. TWO slices of bacon, cheese, two patties, and sauce. ugh. it's like they let the stoners into the kitchen to make whatever they wanted.
this exhaustive list will tell you how much activity you need to burn this baby off.

Yah, spring has sprung!

2010-04-04T19:11:00.006-05:00

Well it's officially, REALLY spring here in Minnesota. The 'last hurrah' snowstorm has yet to arrive, but I'm starting to doubt it will rear its ugly white head this year! Wouldn't that be a miracle? Speaking of miracles, Dorothy has lost all the hair she had at birth and is now bald as an egg. Appropriate, since this photo of her was sent to us on Easter morning. Betsy and David came for a visit last weekend and Dorothy got to meet most of her second cousins and great aunts and uncles that live here in MN.

I seem to have misplaced my own digicam so I borrowed my mom's for yesterday's trunk show at the Beeb. The coat I'm wearing came from last year's Hal loween Costume and back then, I couldn't even button the thing. Now I can button AND zip it closed! And roll up the sleeves!
The best part is it came from Goodwill and cost only $6. I'm gonna get a lot of use out of it this spring. The dress and shoes were also thrifted and were very lucky finds. I know I don't *have* to buy clothes at the GeeDub but it feels extra awesome when I do.

Anyway. Back to the Trunkshow. I was pretty happy with yesterday's outcome, but I wish as always that I had made more lower-priced things that people would snap up. The plus side is that I now have a whole pack of giant pastel rabbits to put in my Etsy shop. Providing I don't keep them for myself.

The new job at a giant department store not-to-be-named* has gone quite well so far. My co-workers are all EXTREMELY nice and though I have yet to catch any shop lifters or buy anything new, I am getting excited about having a regular source of income. Since it's so close to work, I'm going to join the YMCA in May, and the first 5 hours of work each month will go towards paying for that membership. It will be my reward!
*In training they said I couldn't blog about my job and mention it by name. So I won't! I've learned my lesson from Dooce!

Tunk Show!!!

2010-04-04T09:24:00.003-05:00

yesterday was SO much fun-meeting customers at the bibelot and seeing so many friends and relatives....more photos to come but I wanted to just give you a quick taste. Happy Easter to all, we are off to church then back for lunch. Photos of baby D coming soon!

Pop Fizz Trunk Show Article!

2010-04-02T08:52:00.000-05:00

From PopFizzDaily.com

Talk about a bad start.

You overslept. Your boss shot you nasty looks all morning. And just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, the cute office manager caught you scratching your nose in a manner that might easily have been mistaken for picking.

You're inclined to reach for the chocolate, but why not try hugging a cat, a bunny, or a bird instead? The fuzzy types from Duckie Uglings, a collection of insanely adorable stuffed animals, handmade by artist Rebecca Jo Malmstrom of Hugo, should do nicely. They are more like art than ordinary plush toys, and they're perfect for keeping at the office as a source of comfort. Each features adorable details like button eyes, dresses with rickrack, vintage name tags and tongues sticking out. One look and the disappointments of the day melt away.

In other words, they're the best cheering-up you can get without a ridiculous number of calories.

Duckie Uglings, $10 to $50, available at Bibelot Shops locations and I like You (501 1st Av NE, Mpls, 612-208-0249). Trunk show on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bibelot (1082 Grand Av, St Paul, 651-222-0321). Special Easter creatures and bunnies, birdies and nests will be available. Plus, register to win one of her creations.

Ooh! Trunkshow in the St. Paul Paper!

2010-03-29T16:05:00.001-05:00

Give your Easter basket an edge with Duckie Uglings, loveable little creatures handmade locally. Artist Rebecca Jo Malmstrom will hatch her spring collection, including bunnies, birds in nests and of course, ducks, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Bibelot, 1082 Grand Ave., St. Paul. Register to win a one-of-a-kind creation.

— Allison Kaplan

Saturday's OOTD

2010-03-15T21:18:00.005-05:00

I thought I looked super cute on Saturday. I didn't feel like washing my hair, and it was *just* cold enough that one needed extra layers to preserve optimum body temperatures when out-of-doors. So out comes the trusty Beret. But off came the bling that usually decorates the brim.

Here's my outfit o' the day.

beret: super old GAP, like 15 years ago. I know I had it college because one year I was a squirrel and i made my boyfriend at the time be an acorn. He didn't like dressing up. That should have been a major clue that it would never work out.
scarf: I knit it about 2 years ago.
brown cardi: From marshall's. Some random plus size line
tank top w/ beading: old navy
jeans: Liz Claiborne via my MOM! Yes they are Mom jeans, literally. And they are also 6 sizes smaller than the jeans I was wearing last year at this time. Though women's sizes go by 2's. So really, it's 3 sizes. But the math is pretty exciting regardless.

The sun has FINALLY come out in MN and that means everyone and their dog heads outside to soak up the sunshine. I've walked outside the last two days instead of in the mall and it's been GLORIOUS. Just when you get sick of living in a miserable gray and rainy world the sun comes out and reminds you that spring is worth going through winter. We know there will be a few more blizzards before winter slinks away for 9 months...but we don't care!

Dropoffs, pickups

2010-03-11T20:50:00.004-06:00

Dropped off some new creatures at Bibelot this week. Some Easter-y, some not. Those over there are nests, blue birds, and little rabbits. I also dropped off some giant rabbits and some gianormous cats. Whee!!!!

I have been thrifting like crazy, probably a little *too* crazy, and I found these sweet little bottles! You can have them for your very own if you visit my etsy site.....

I also got a *very* part time job this week at a local department store, in the home department. I'm looking forward to the employee discount and a regular source of income! So that's pretty awesome....

Where you at?

2010-03-01T09:58:00.003-06:00

life has been like a hugh grant movie for me. minus the witty comebacks and age-inappropriate romances.

i have driven about 1800 miles in the past week to visit my new little niece dora and then return for a wedding in MPLS and a meeting for easter with the bibelot folks (more on that later).

on the way back to mpls, i heard the sad news that my former roommate's father passed away, so on my planned return to IL i attended a funeral in des moines. i'm now back in chicago to enjoy the little babe for a few more days and we're leaving tomorrow AM to get back to MN so i can house sit in MPLS. it's a whirlwind, i tell you!

i can't believe how much she changed in little over a week. she's growing like crazy and is SO strong...i don't want to leave!

Welcome Dora!!

2010-02-19T07:46:00.006-06:00

My older sister Betsy gave birth on Wednesday night to her first kiddo, little Dorothy! She's named after our Grandma and her husband's aunt as well. Just the first of what I can assure you will be many, many pictures.

and here are a few oldie-but goodies of matthew and michael. now, i know i'm biased, but are these kids cute or what!?

One Yard Wonders TWO!

2010-02-12T15:43:00.003-06:00

Yay! A sequel!
Since my e-mail wouldn't let me upload the photos, here are the project photos I'm submitting.
THIS PROJECT IS SO EASY IT HURT TO EVEN TRY TO WRITE INSTRUCTIONS.

Alabama Chanin Inspired T-shirt

2010-02-12T12:19:00.004-06:00

I read Natalie Chanin's first book a while back, and devoured her most recent one just a few days ago at the Book Store, aka my second office. Imagine my surprise to find a contest on Burdastyle.com to win a workshop with her! What to do...what to do!?

The print major in me wants to silkscreen. The stuffed animal maker in me wants to use wool. But the practical side of me knows to start with something small. So I did.

Behold: Old Navy t-shirt plus scraps of Mossimo t-shirt plus favorite stamp plus thread and two nights work =Altered T ala Alabama Chanin!

There are two of these patches, and each one took about 2 hours total from stamping to finishing. My knots are on the back side, hers are usually on the front.

Using this stamp (which I have used for many other projects) tells me I need to go with a pattern that has fewer undercuts and more 'negative' space.

OOTD: walking on sunshine

2010-02-10T14:32:00.004-06:00

Today's outfit, as I'm heading to Har Mar Mall to do some walking. Yes, it's sunny out today and all the snow is melting. But I have new walking shoes and I don't want to mess them up! No, I am not a retiree.

*Mossimo t-shirt printed up by Amy Rice Her studio is above I Like You, and Sarah came down with one of her shirts. I ran up the stairs as fast as I could to snap one up for myself. There are a limited number that she is now selling at the store. How cute is that Little Person?
I blew Matthew's little 3.5 year old mind when we were playing Little People in the basement and I was wearing the shirt!

*Old Navy ruffled hoodie. Tag says '07-09/09' so I guess that means I got it this last summer. My fave color of turquoise!

*Jeans (unseen) were a gift from my old boss, they are from Lane Bryant and they are a titch on the tight side, a touch on the mom-jean side, but for walking with the other mall walkers they will be just fine.

*Earrings, homemade! I used components from The Bead Monkey, but these pieces are not online. E-mail me if you're interested in more info!

Crib Notes OOTD

2010-02-09T16:42:00.003-06:00

OOTD means outfit of the day. On days when I'm feeling particularly awesome about my fashion choices, I'll start posting my OOTD. you'll also see more fashion blogs popping up on my faves list. I've gotten way into a few that I'd like to share with my loyal readers. So here's the first of many!
Smooches!

Mossimo Little Black Dress dress, from Goodwill but originally Target. Found this girl today for $8.99 and was quite pleased, since I just gave up my two other LBD's as being too big (YAY WEIGHT WATCHERS). Earrings are 'Swell' via Target and the scarf is also Target, from two seasons ago.

Cardi is Relativity via Herberger's which is my mom's favorite word to say. Insanely clearanced, I think it was $9 or something. I love the bright purple/pink shade, very spring-y.

Boots which you can't see are my go-to black boots from J.Crew. They were also very clearanced back when I got them 2 years ago, I think they were originally $150 and I got them for around $40. They have been re-heeled once already and even though they are salt-stained right now, these are my go-to black boots.

Tights, unsure. No label. They are faux-fishnet.

The Old Magic Crept Back

2010-02-07T11:28:00.003-06:00

my little submission for the 'foot in the door' exhibit at the MIA. they only do it every 10 years, and they accept ALL Minnesota artists. so it's not like a *huge* deal. but i did grow up going to this museum all the time for school and family trips. and when my mom worked at the MIA in the ed. department, i got to go to work with her during the summer or when i was sick. i spent hours wandering the museum during the days, usually one of only a few people in the place. it was certainly magical. so i decided to bring some magic of my own to this challenge.

the dyed paper flowers came about because i wanted to use up some old dye that didn't work for tye-dyeing anymore, so i used it on the book pages. the crystals and shell centers of the flowers have long been in my stash. the tree limbs were an abandoned attempt at a mobile hanging device. and of course, the mousie was made by moi. the more i look at it and think about it, the more i want to do something to the walls and back of the IKEA frame. i better get it turned in before i change my mind!

More, around the way....

2010-02-04T21:31:00.005-06:00

I need to get a medium-sized order in to the Bibelot tomorrow so I have been focusing on that, but here is another Easter preview for ya.* Look for them in my ETSY shop starting very early on Saturday AM.

I wove these nests while watching the Vikings season crumble like a cracker, and then made the wee birds to fit inside. I will be making an edition of 4 in brown/blue, and a few more different color schemes as the days go on.

I had made a nest with wee birds a few years back, with my older style of long-legged bird and some TINY little baby birds....and sent them out to my first ever out-of-state show in California. I've come a LONG way since then!

*My facebook friends can get them for 10% off through tomorrow! Go to duckie uglings' facebook fan page for information!

What happened to that stuff you dyed?

2010-02-03T20:40:00.005-06:00

Well, I made some cute pins out of them! The pin at center top is wool I had purchased, but the other ones are from my blueberry dyeing experiments. Cool, eh?

If you are interested in purchasing them, they will be going on ETSY on Friday. But before then: if you're my FACEBOOK fan you can get 10% off!!!

Look for Duckie Uglings on Facebook and become my fan, m'kay?

Me and you and a berry named blue....

2010-01-30T10:30:00.010-06:00

I got a super sweet white woven wool coat at the thrift store. While debating if I was going to completely cut it up or not, I decided to cut up the sleeves and leave the 'body' whole for now. However, after this experiment, the whole thing may soon become fodder for this exciting process. This is by no means an exhaustive post on dyeing, but just a way to experiment with it.

You need:
Frozen Blueberries (unsweetened)
Glass container with lid that can go into your microwave (VERY IMPORTANT)
100% wool fabric, cut into managable pieces
Water (tap is totally fine)
A fork
Paper towels
Microwave
Air Freshener
Clothes you don't mind getting some spatters on.

OK. So start by making sure your wool pieces fit inside your container, then fill the container with water. Microwave for 1 minute, making sure the wool pieces all get completely soaked. Drain off the excess water, being careful not to burn your hands!

Without wasting much time, dump some frozen berries on to your wool! I used about 3/4 of a cup of berries and frozen water that had accumulated in the bag. They started melting almost immediately in the hot wool, which is totally fine.

If you want to make sure your pieces are all dyed to a uniform color, add water to cover. If you prefer a more random look, do not add more water! Cover your dish, and place in the microwave. Nuke for 1 minute, let rest for 30 seconds, stir the berries and wool with the fork, and repeat. You will hear some of the blueberries exploding and thank yourself for covering the dish.

Be prepared for a funky smell. The wool smells like a wet dog, and then you get the high sweet notes of the blueberries. It's real, real weird.

If you have sensitive family members, spray the air freshener.
Then tell them to buck up, you're making art!!!!

If you want a deeper, more intense color, nuke one more time. Otherwise, you can carefully take your container out of the microwave, and fish out the wool pieces with your fork. Rinse the wool until the water runs clear. The color will change slightly as you rinse, just make sure you squeeze and scrape off all the berry bits.

Don't get rid of those berries in the container, you can dye another set to a more subtle
color using t he same process!!!

I even left some flowers overnight in the leftover juice and berries, they gave me the lightest colored flowers you can see in the photo, which represents 3 different 'batches' of dyed wool.

The finished color of the wool gets lighter as the wool dries, but with luck you can get a good range of purples and blues. Don't eat the berries after you've used them for dyeing. They may look tempting, I don't think it'd be a good idea.

I have used vinegar in dyeing yarn before, but I didn't have any in the house so I skipped that step. But I am going to try this again with blueberries and vinegar to see how that affects the color.

I wouldn't recommend trying this with very large pieces, as you really need the wool to boil to really set the colors. If you try this, please link back and let me know how it goes!

Winter Wanderland

2010-01-28T17:23:00.005-06:00

Piggies! They are all at the Bibelot Stores, in time for Valentine's day! I doubt that I'll be making any more of these little guys, but you never know, do ya?

January is so. close. to being over.

But somedays I feel like the winter has just begun. It can get so blasted cold here. I usually wear long underwear or tights at all times. And multiple pairs of socks.

That new banner up there shows you a beautiful morning when the hoarfrost covered all the branches with a layer of frosted ice. The photo doesn't really capture the quality of light. It was a hazy, dreamy blue. The light out here in the country is really spectacular, all throughout the day and night. If it wasn't so cold, I would be spending more time outside in the moonlight this week. It is bright enough to read by, I swear.

In other exciting news, I hit the official 25 lb mark at Weight Watchers on Monday. I had to take off my glasses and socks to make it, but I did it!!!!

I am trying to only have items in my closet that fit, flatter, and are in top condition. Everything else has gotten donated or turned into rags or PJ's. Which means I have very few cold weather options right now!!!!

I know there aren't many pictures of me on this blog, since in the past I haven't liked having my photo taken, but as the winter ends, I will try to focus the camera on myself from time to time. This butterfly shall emerge from the cocoon of waffle-knit leggings and polarfleece zip-ups!!!!

for keeps

2010-01-21T22:46:00.004-06:00

i had to keep this little guy.

something about his face.

his super long tail.

that little pout.........

i heard a story (perhaps it's an urban legend) that rivers cuomo (of weezer fame) has a notebook that he fills with data, analyzing successful pop songs of the last 40 years.

he looks at every aspect of a song, from the repetition of the lyrics, to the chord progression, to figure out what made a successful song. he uses the formulas to write hit songs.

i will use this monster for the same purpose. i wuv him so.....

And the winner is......

2010-01-21T12:16:00.001-06:00

Deena from Minneapolis generously bid $100 on Henny LaRue. I will match that $100 and so we will send $200 to Haitian Earthquake relief. Look for another auction in 6 months and 1 year, also to benefit the victims of the earthquake.

AUCTION!!!

2010-01-17T17:49:00.005-06:00

UPDATE: This auction is not through ETSY. You leave a comment with your bid price below, and I will contact the winner with the final total. Please be sure your comment allows me to contact you! If you have a hidden profile, I can't send you your confirmation! You can always reach me at duckie (at) duckieuglings.com .

You can pay through PayPal or a check. I will match the funds up to $100 with my own donation.

Also, here's a great article on the waste stream for clothing items. I know it's ironic that I used clothing to create this animal (as I do with about 90% of my creatures) but they are heavy woolen items, and have already been used by one or more folks before I get my hands on them!!!

To benefit the victims of the Haitian earthquake, I'm offering this one-of-a-kind chicken Duckie Ugling named Henny LaRue for donation! I will donate half the proceeds to the Red Cross, and the other half to Doctors Without Borders. In addition, I will match the proceeds (up to $100) with my own donation to the two organizations. And shipping on this girl will be free (within the US).

Ms. LaRue is 12 inches high, and made from a variety of materials including yarn, recycled sweater felt, upholstery scraps, and several different wool skirts. Her stuffing is from recylced sources (mostly other sweater bits) and she comes from a non-smoking home. She is not meant as a toy but rather as a collectors item.

If you wish to bid on Henny, please leave a comment with your price. If no-one decides they must have her, I will still make a donation to the RC and MSF. The bidding will end on Thursday, Jan. 21st at noon Central time so I can contact the winner and get Henny LaRue in the mail.

Bid away!!!

Wrap up..and an auction!!!!

2010-01-16T09:52:00.006-06:00

this week has been a whirlwind, and so I'll just give the high- and low-lights.

*food poisioning over (i think) but man do i hate being sick. especially when i'm home alone.

*electric fetus event a total win! they will continue to carry my stuff at the store, and through the end of the month it's all 10% off!

*super excited about my employee, Katy. She's been an absolute dream, and has helped boost my output by about 50%. i no longer need to work from 9am to 11pm to get my orders out the door. whew!

*am home alone while my folks visit the grandkids. my dad's birthday is today, we celebrated before they left so i forgot today was *the* day. sorry pop!

*found a page that lists the points in girl scout cookies. ugh.

*am once again so thankful for the safe, clean, and warm housing i enjoy based on my parents extreme generosity, support, and love for their 34-year-old artist daughter.

And now for the auction.....the situation in Haiti is so unimaginably bad, and inspired by the amazing Nina at Ornamental I am going to create a one-of-a-kind piece to auction off here, with 100% of the proceeds of the auction item going to Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. I will match the first $50 with a donation to the Red Cross and the second $50 (or portion of $50) to Doctors Without Borders.

Look for the auction tomorrow evening, I do need some time to make something fabulous and amazing for you all to bid on. I'm thinking a big chicken, like this one, with some baby chicks in a flock around it.

Me HAT!

2010-01-12T21:15:00.003-06:00

AWESOME!!! Finny Knits honored the Good Hat Day Hat with a sew-along this month!

So. Freaking. COOL!!!!

I love her fabric choice, her tips on the pattern, and her whole blog in general! She also loves to cook and experiment with the crafty side of life. Right on! She does swear a titch so be warned, fair readers!!!

I am thinking of whipping up my GHDH in wool for my deal at the Electric Fetus on Thursday. Got a super cute ruffley top and some super awesome Newsies-esque pants to go with them, so I don't want to get too costumey , so maybe the hat will have to wait for a different event.

Okay, Seriously? This is awesome....

2010-01-06T17:57:00.002-06:00

ROCKIN'!!!!

If you are in Minneapolis next Thursday, come check me out!

I'm so excited to be the Featured Artist at the Electric Fetus, a Minnesota institution!

Things are happening so quickly these last few months, I will promise to keep up better with this blog in 2010. I thank you for bearing with me as my business and life continue to grow and change.....

the ABC's of 2009

2009-12-31T21:53:00.007-06:00

It's 9:53 PM as I start to write this post. We'll see how far I get into the alphabet before the year goes BOOM!

A is for Asparagus. It's gonna be ready next spring, and I'm SO excited! Spent a lot of time in the garden plot this spring, summer, and fall. It is so fun to grow ur own food, and fry it up in a pan! Makes me feel like a pioneer.

B is for Bryant Lake Bowl. I got onstage again this past year, thanks to my friend Jason and his desire to do a sketch comedy show. We did 4 rounds of show this year, and while it was a ton of fun to write, act, and direct again, I think I've gotten it out of my system for the time being.

C is for Cat. My sister's cat, Raja, who has been my foster cat off and on over the years, ran away from their brand new house in Chicago, and was found safe (a little dirtier than normal) a week later! She and her husband met all their neighbors handing out flyers and everyone was lookin' out for the Raj. They are SO lucky, she is 15 years old and is on her 8th life, for SURE. She ran away a few times while living with me, but never in the 'big city'. Oh, how I wish we'd attached a camera to her during her travels.

D is for don't have any clue what D is for.

E is for Elegance, my buzzword for 2010 (is this cheating to already be on to the next year?). I felt like I was coming out of a cocoon this year, in many ways. And moving forward, I will be looking to create my most elegant self. This will affect the way I dress, express myself, and treat myself and others. Eee!

F is for Flowers, again, I did some really fantastic weddings for some super-fabulous couples. Each wedding I do, I think to myself, "I could do this for a living!". And the next day, when my back is killing me and I'm nursing stuck fingers from pinning corsages, I think, "Whew, I'm glad I don't do this for a living!".

G is for Guthrie Theater. Once again this year I got to work in the Prop Shop, on several shows including a brand-new work by Tony Kushner, a hero of mine. As a writer myself it was fascinating to be on the fringes of something so epic being worked out before our very eyes. And when I say fringes, I mean it. I didn't see any of the hundreds of drafts or re-writes, I just heard about them being trickled down to my level of responsibility. Which was to gather props, furniture, and other items called for in the script. But in a work that's constantly in flux, those things can change in an instant. And they often times would be superfluous by the time I got them back to the shop. But that's what makes it such a cool job.

H is for HAT PATTERN in One-Yard Wonders!!! Yes I know, the last two were ALSO in last year's ABC's, but hey, they're both still exciting!

I is for Injuries. 2009 started with my sis breaking (ok, shattering) her wrist the day after New Year's. And then, just a few days after Christmas this year, my nephews and sister-in-law and I were sledding on the craptastic snow/rain/slush mix that we had gotten on Christmas, and my 3.75-year old nephew Matthew broke his leg! He was such a trooper. I think I have complained more about the cuts I got on my arm earlier in the day than he has with his broken tibia! He got a super sweet cast though, purple with a band of glow-in-the-dark wrapped around it.

J is for Jokes. I started to write a lot more Jokes this year, to give to my comic friends. Some of them were hits, some of them were misses, some of them are yet to be appreciated for the genius they are. I'm sure future generations will look at my work and say, AHA, so THAT's what that meant. Just like Wyld Stallyns, I guess.

K is for...uh....that's a tough one! Last year it was 'Kitchen', and I guess I'll say this year I spent even MORE time in the kitchen than last year.

L is for Learning to Crochet! Thanks to my friends Sarah and Hunter, I finally picked up the hook and got busy crocheting. I LOVES IT. Many more possibilites for structural work than knitting offers. Why was I so afraid to learn?

M is for Mahtomedi Class of 1994 15-year High School Reunion. Wow. 15 years. I helped plan the festivites, but couldn't come to the shindig at a bar in Stillwater until about 10:30 because I was flowering a wedding, but HOO BOY that didn't mean that I missed out on all the drama! A good time was had by all, and it was fun to see who had changed and who hadn't changed a bit.

N is for New Stores for Duckie Uglings! This year, I tripled the number of places that carry Duckie Uglings, and just at the end of the year I picked up yet another! In addition to i like you, and various art workshops that I do through Art Scraps, these new stores have given me enough income so that I'm working FULL TIME as an artist now! YAY!

O is for Octopi, which I've perfected the pattern for, and now love to make! I just took some to the Electric Fetus, where I will be the featured artist for January.

P is for Purple Coat. I got this bitchin' purple coat at Old Navy, 50% off, then I also had a 30% off coupon. They might as well have given it to me! I love it. I get awesome compliments on it when I wear it.

Q is for QUIET DOWN! Sometimes when I'm on the phone, like, just this moment, my mom comes down and tells me to pipe down because they're trying to sleep. Sigh.

R is for recycling. I am going to recommit to recycling plastic bags and paper this year. It's ridiculous how many plastic shopping bags I have collected this year, when it was a goal last year to always use re-usable shoppers. I know a lot of places collect those bags to recycle, but that just creates more waste and pollution if they're doing it to newish bags! I'm gonna wear out the ones I have, and remember to bring my own when I go shopping.

S is for soda, as in Baking Soda. I learned you can use baking soda to wash your hair, so this summer for about 2 months I gave it a try. I LOVED it, made my hair very soft and gave it great texture, until I got my hair colored, and I realized it would strip out the color way too fast. I may go back to it next summer when my hair gets too oily, but for now, I'm back to using the Whole Foods Lavender stuff which is to die for. (Can't find that one, so here's the mint one)

T is for trainwrecks. I realized I am a sucker for gossip websites, magazines, E news daily, Jersey Shore, Real Housewives, Rachel Zoe, pretty much anything or anyone who has a self-destructive thing going on. If I had a therapist (another T word) we'd probably have to talk about my own self-destructive behaviors, and how it probably makes me feel better to see others screw up their lives, too.

U is for unemployed, again, which I am SO happy to be. I was able to do things and be places that I would not have been if I were employed in a job where I had to show up and punch a clock for a certain number of hours per day. I am so incredibly lucky to live with my parents and not have to make a mortgage or even a rent payment, and I understand that this arrangement can't last forever (and probably shouldn't, since I'm neither an Italian man nor an elephant). But for several reasons this year, I am so thankful that I had the freedom and flexibility to be there for those who I felt could use my help.

V is for VALENTINE'S DAY! No, I didn't have a Valentine of my own, but it was my G-ma's 90th birthday this year. Born on Valentine's day, delivered by a Dr. Valentine in Tracy, MN, my Gram is a very big part of my life. Here she is in the Halloween Costume my mom and I made her, since her name is Dorothy we thought it appropriate!

W is for Weight Watchers. My mom and I joined at the beginning of October, and I've lost 20.2 lbs so far on the program. I am proud to say that I had lost 10 before starting, so I am down 30 lbs from my heaviest. That means I have another 70 to go and I will be down 100 lbs, which is what I have gained since High School. It's going to be a struggle, I have no doubt. But Weight Watchers has been an amazing tool to help me fix some very bad habits that were creating a very unhealthy lifestyle. Sure, I have bad knees, but they're not going to get better with 100 extra pounds on them! With these first 30 lbs gone, I have seen a huge difference. What excites me the most is the thought of doing a total overhaul to my wardrobe this spring. Vapid? Shallow? Perhaps, but I'll be making some better choices as far as style and fit go, rather than buying whatever fits. And taking my 'What Not To Wear' book along for guidance.
Doing the program with my Mom has been really amazing, we are able to support and cheer each other on.

X is for size 3X, the largest clothes I had, and now I'm fitting comfortably into some things that are just good old XL (though a lot of things are XXL). I know that's not as accurate as numerical sizing, but to me, it's pretty awesome. After I've reached my goal, the X will be a thing of the past.

Y is for younger than 34, which I feel that I am most days. But I'm not, and I still sometimes answer 31 when someone asks me my age, not out of vanity, but out of forgetfulness.

Z is for it's time for some ZZZ's, I have a long weekend of sewing ahead of me, so even though the ball is dropping at this very moment in Times Square (it's 11:00 CST), I'm signing off and hitting the hay.

Smooches to you all, please post your very own ABC's of 2009, and link back to this post!

hurry! hurry!

2009-12-16T16:54:00.002-06:00

in my haste to get the pattern up for the owl ornaments, i left out a few key steps. ah...perhaps a full tutorial would have been better. in any case...

the updates are in blue in the instructions. and here as a PDF please refresh the jpg and pdf, if you need to, to get the corrected version of the instructions.

happy owling!

At Long Last....

2009-12-15T12:09:00.002-06:00

OWL ORNIE INSTRUCTIONS!!!
and here as a PDF.

I didn't do a proper tutorial with photos and what have you, because these guys really are very simple to make. Covering the back with pretty paper covers a multitude of bad crafting sins, so don't worry about making them too exact.

One step I did skip, is that if you use animal eyes, you have to cut the backs off the plastic pegs of the eyes. Whoops!

And I will post some photos from Betsy's baby quilt and pillow when I get a chance. In the mean time, I am trying to get everyone's gifts done before a quick trip to Chicago to celebrate in her new house, with her newly rescued cat :) (raja had been found by a neighbor! yay!0

creating space....

2009-12-09T07:42:00.005-06:00

i promise...i haven't forgotten about this....but it's just gonna take me a few more days.....

wondering what that button over there on the right hand side of my blog is for?
check out this awesome website, and perhaps win a wonderful christmas present (to keep of course) while you're at it!

i have both of the 'where women create' books, and devour the magazines as well.

though it's well documented on this site, i have a constant battle with organization and decoration in my studio. some day, it would be my dream to have it into good enough shape to be shown in the magazine. but at this point, it seriously looks like an elf exploded in there.

the last of the giant beeb orders is out the door, but thursday (i.e. tomorrow) we have our valentine's day meeting. and the W7 collective opens tomorrow and i have given them...like...almost nothing. AND betsy's shower is this weekend. so the studio won't be getting cleaned up any time soon, the making of messes will continue, at least through the weekend.

28 hours per day needed

2009-12-04T07:49:00.002-06:00

because then i could get in 20 hours of work/sketch comedy/star manufacturing/driving and 8 hours of sleep.

i have to pull out of the ginkgo coffee house show this weekend due to the fact i have not had time to make anything, ANYTHING except stuff for my bibelot order, and get stuff ready for my sketch comedy show (which opened last night and was HILARIOUS). so it's with regret i have decided not to do that show.

however, lauren and whitney will be there with their beautiful scarves, wraps, and jewelry, so check them out if you are in the neighborhood!
that is all....

confound you, internets!

2009-11-29T09:51:00.002-06:00

the internets seem to be back in working order around this house. for over a week i wasn't able to log into some sites (including this one) or see photos or post them!
so sorry blog! it wasn't my fault!!!!

ok last week i alluded to a present for my readers...it's going to be coming later in the week. but i'll give you a sneaky-peeky.....

Santa's Workshop....

2009-11-14T20:04:00.002-06:00

...ain't got NUTHIN' on me!
I'm busy crankin' out the creatures for all my upcoming sales and shows (see the sidebar over there for details), these are some of the bigger owls and monsters that I'm bringing to shows. Ornament photos (and a treat for loyal readers) coming later in the week. Whee!!!

Party, like it's my birthday....

2009-11-08T08:43:00.003-06:00

'cause it was! yippeee!!!

the book party at crafty planet capped off a wonderful week that started with a halloween to remember (see photo and video evidence), and the play @ NWC was mindblowing. the celebrations continue today with my g-ma, up at her place in chisago. the weather here is SO beautiful, i was actually gardening yesterday. so i'm gonna run out and take a walk while i can!

oh and there's no sound on this video. i updated last year's costumes so they could actually see out. they complained so much, i had to come up with a good solution. see-thru plastic mesh from the needlepoint crafting aisle @ michael's fit the bill.

the waiting....is the hardest part!

2009-10-30T07:29:00.002-05:00

i am waiting for one yard wonders to hit the shelves, and my mailbox! it's the very first time i will be published in a book, and i couldn't be more excited!

in the mean time, check out the new additions to my etsy store. i will be updating etsy every wednesday through the end of the year for all the out-of-town folks who will miss my upcoming shows and events (listed over there on the right hand side of the blog).

cranky yeti

2009-10-23T22:26:00.002-05:00

it has rained 14 out of the last 24 days here in MN. today was a snow/rain mixture. in honor of the approching winter, here is a cranky yeti photo for you. he's going to be featured in an ad for my upcoming trunk show at TRULY in white bear lake. come visit him and plenty of friends, Nov. 5th from 4-9 PM.

WHERE have you BEEN?

2009-10-11T22:35:00.006-05:00

*i have been squirreled away in my studio, stuffing and fluffing hundreds of tiny ornaments for a giant order. how many times have i said this on the blog? first person to count wins an awesome prize ;) in addition to stocking up all my stores, every week from november until january i have an art show, a class, or some other event where i will be sellin' my animals. 'tis the season for duckie uglings!

*i did the wedding flower for my friend heather's nuptials at the como zoo conservatory. a magical night, a beautiful couple, and a rockin' party.

*i went to my 15 year high school reunion and homecoming game. caught up with old friends and re-discovered some new ones.

*i've been cleaning and organizing and finally 'moving into' my room where i've lived for the past year, getting my studio and storage space in order, and just generally trying to get myself ready for this marathon crafting season.

*i have spent entirely too much time watching 'reality' shows.

so that's where i've been for the past three weeks...how about you?

it started with a sparkle.....

2009-09-22T22:40:00.002-05:00

mid morning. a sparkle in my vision. strange feeling like i wanted to close my right eye. right hand twitching without me moving it.

maybe i need to eat. make a sandwich. choke it down. texture in my mouth bothers me and i want to spit it out. hmm...still not....drink some water....better?

no. grey shimmering clouds up and to the left. my body is listing to the right. my fingers are playing piano in the air. can't remember..did i eat? where is my mom? where is my dad? with grandma. hunting. should i call them? no answer. i feel like i can't walk.

there's her car. mom, i don't feel...so.....i need to lie down but my friend is coming to drop. off...vases...flowers...wedding.........."eat some peanut butter and i'll get you lunch".

can you get me some migraine pills...this is another one. 6 years since the last one. she leaves. heather comes. we walk around the gardens somehow and my head feels like it's tethered to a string and it's flying above my shoulders. my mom gets back. i swallow the pills. dad arrives. mom rubs my head. towel over my eyes. still not enough. i lie down.

i get up. up comes lunch and pills and peanut butter and lots of other things. brush teeth and feel each bristle like a telephone pole in my mouth. i lie back down with a sledge hammer smashing my right eye until i blissfully doze. the neighbor's chickens the saw down the street the washing machine the dogs' bell the ceiling fan everything pounds!!! it starts to lessen. but man.......................then around mid afternoon the curtain lifts. my stomach grumbles, the crackers taste fine and then the soup tastes better then the ice cream tastes amazing....

if you've never had a migraine, count yourself lucky. i was cursed with them for about 10 years during the teens and early 20's. last one was 6 years ago. without health insurance, this is as close as i've come to taking myself to the hospital, before i realized what it was. i had forgotten how quickly it can happen. ugh. i hope it's a long while before it happens again..........now i can't bring myself to fall asleep again. my head is still not right. at least i didn't hallucinate this time.

you're soaking in it......

2009-09-19T19:55:00.003-05:00

i will treat myself to a nice long bath, after i have a few hours of crafting under my belt. my etsy store is woefully empty. and i have a medium-sized order due monday to the beeb. i feel like i've been neglecting my other wonderful stores, and i have two shows coming up! plus lots of behbehs to make gifts, and oh so many other things coming up.....

this is the life i've asked for, right? to be an independant woman/business owner who makes her own schedule.....i just have to figure out how to get 30 hours out of a day. or how to sew in the car.....

shows, glorious SHOOOOOWSSSS

2009-09-17T22:32:00.003-05:00

so one of the reasons i've been neglecting this blog is that i got hired again at the G, for a nice stretch of about 2 weeks. prop shopping is one of the funnest jobs you could imagine, you're given a list, some money, and the keys to a big ol' shopping truck, and you MUST RETURN with something that will make about 90 people happy. i take a lot of cell-phone photos, do a lot of measuring, and make a lot of snap decisions.

the best part of the job though is that i have to use not only the hunting brain but my problem solving brain as well.

when pink doilies can't be found, i have to paint white ones with red food coloring and iron them until dry. when a cake we ordered turns out to not work for one scene, i have to figure out how to make it look like tea cakes for a different part of the show, that an actor can eat 7 of in less than a minute and not choke. things like that.

almost any tool or material i could want exists in the work space, and we also have an entire warehouse, like indiana-jones-and-the-lost-ark type warehouse, from which to pull furniture. it's a pretty amazing job, and i'm SO lucky that they (for the most part) like my work and my soloutions to problems.

in addition to that, i got roped into doing a show at the BLB. it was originally going to be an hour long scripted show, but through various twists and turns it's now a sketch comedy show. which is SO much fun but a lot. of. work. i have such an amazing time on stage though, and my fellow actors are beyond talented, so that part makes all the headache worthwhile. we have three more shows, and if you're in the twin cities seriously, this one is worth comin' to see. i play a county fair beauty pagent MC, a chicken, a jug band washtub bassist, and so many other fun characters. crazy!

besides trying to get my bibelot orders done, i've also committed to two art shows, one coming up on october third and the other as part of the st. paul art crawl the weekend of the 8th, 9th, and 10th. (yes, my company name is mispelled on the poster. whatchagonnado.)

lil' queezie

2009-09-15T11:08:00.004-05:00

A few weeks back I discovered the mini-cuisinart * hiding in the back of a cupboard. No one seems to know where it came from, but it has quickly become one of my favorite things that plugs into the wall, and yet another reason why I will never be Amish. Many a delish meal has been whipped up by it's whirring blades. Tomatoes go straight from the garden into the chopper. Here I share two quick delights that I have made with lil queezie, as I affectionately call it.

PRESTO PESTO:
1 cup or so of Basil leaves washed and picked. Not the stems, or the tops.
1/2 as many Parsley leaves washed and picked
Plop of garlic (about 1/2-1 Tablespoon, depending on who is eating it)
Pecan, pine, or wal-nuts, about 1/4 cup
Olive Oil, about 1/3-1/4 cup
Shredded Parmesean cheese (i like LOTS, like about 1/2 cup)

Start by chopping up the leaves, then add the garlic. I add the nuts, oil, and cheese last so they have a coarser texture. If you can let it sit for a few minutes on the countertop, the flavor develops a bit more. I have also added chili peppers and/or cherry tomatoes to this and had it taste AMAZING.

SORTA SALSA:
Broil the following:
1 large jalepeno pepper, covered with chopped garlic (one clove or 1t of canned), 1/2 a large white onion or a few scallions chopped, and 1 T of olive oil

Remove when the pepper starts to turn color, and the onions and garlic have gotten some color, about 12 minutes on low. I de-seed and de-vein my pepper so it's not so super hot. Leave the broiler going to melt cheese on your tortilla chips.

To the lil' queezie add the pepper, oil, garlic, onion, and two large tomatoes or 8 small, cherry sized ones. I remove the 'stem' end and cut in half so the blades don't have to work so hard. Pulse until everything is pretty well blended, then add 1/4-1/3 cup sour cream to cut the heat of the pepper, blend until you like the consistency. You can also add 'hamburger spice' or something like ground pepper if you want.

*I can't even find a photo of it online, it's that old. I love my new one too, but this one is just so teeny and cute.....

the mornings...

2009-08-26T08:04:00.002-05:00

no photos today because what i want to capture is WAY too fast. the past few days, within moments of waking, there is a humming bird outside my window. it darts into the holly hocks, then darts off.
i wake at a different time every day, so this little guy must be visiting several times a morning. either that or he radios ahead to my brain to tell me to wake up.

i have been cleaning and organizing in my studio, into giant cabinets with many shelves that hold smaller boxes that once held computer keyboards, that my mom hoarded from the old school remodel like 15 years ago. they used to be the kids' supply boxes for her class so i'm coming across some wicked graffiti. my first inclination was to cover the entire box with nice paper, but then i realized just the ends need to be pretty. when that gets done, i'll take a photo of that for y'all.

time to make the donuts.......

flowers, 'chuters, and more.

2009-08-23T14:24:00.005-05:00

well that meeting with the beeb buyers went splendidly, they placed a MASSIVE holiday order due in the middle of september. their halloween order has already been delivered, and they asked for MORE. my friend Sarah has been helping me with the cutting out of the animals and organizing of the studio, and taking long field trips to visit fun destinations around the cities. i am so thankful to be busy with work that i LOVE it's been an adventure, to be sure.

did wedding flowers for another pair of former students and had a blast, but i am going to probably need 2 more days to recover. the wedding was held at an amazing house on a beautiful lake, but that was eclipsed by the happiness the couple radiated, magnified by their friends and families. each wedding i go to seems to get sweeter, how is that possible?

i also recently finished a group my friend Colleen commissioned of 6 parachuting mice, to be sent to friends all over the place that have had little kiddos. here they are, hanging from the birch tree outside the studio. i am refining the pattern even more, and hope to propose a show at my former college where i'd hang like 300 of them in the gallery, with some owls and other flying creatures interspersed.

tough times...

2009-08-03T21:05:00.003-05:00

a friend of mine recently suffered a great loss. i am so fortunate to have been able to spend time with her and her family, i am once again so thankful i don't have a job!

it has been hard to enjoy the beauty of the farm in the summer and sort of to enjoy life in general when i think about how much pain people around me are in, but i realize that life is for loving and if i didn't live it to its fullest, what good would that be?

i find myself listening more to the birds, staring more at the clouds, napping in the hammock, and enjoying the twinkling stars. i do find i'm spending less time on the computer and on the internet in general. back when i did have full-time jobs, they were mostly me plopped in front of a screen for 8 hours a day. it seems to be the reverse of that now!

i have greatly enjoyed sharing the bounty of the garden with my friends and family, and am LOVING finding ways to use beets, basil, parsley, green tomatoes, peas, carrots, and all sorts of delish produce. the 'brown thumb' that i thought i was cursed with, turns out to only regard houseplants. if they're in the ground, i seem to be able to care for them enough so that they flourish! nothing like rolling out of bed and picking some peas for breakfast. i'm already starting to plan for next year....

i was informed by the lovely folks at articulture that my first batch of animals sold out in about 6 days. so i brought in a bunch more stuff for them to show off, here are the non-wee bird animals in their little green suitcase.

tomorrow i have another meeting with the bibelot buyers, regarding holiday ornaments and Uglings. so it's been good to get back to working, but man i wish i had someone to clean up after me....my studio will never look as good as any of the ones in Where Women Create, but at least i can find things 99% of the time! now, to capture the tree frog that has gotten into the studio....

The farm, late July

2009-07-23T11:11:00.006-05:00

summer is in full swing here in minnesota.
here are some beauty shots of the farm.
enjoy!

the dala house was built by my parents' former students, they bought it from the shop class and had it installed in the yard and wired for electricity. i joke that i might move out there. it's got toys for the kiddos and an assortment of wild animals living underneath it.

garden basket i made up with my fave pink and green flowers/plants. i love those colors together!

the labyrinth v. 3.0! it certainly has come a long way!

the 'secret' garden. ringed by rosa rugosa which are in different stages of bloom. it smells heavenly in there.

my g'mas white bear from her old townhouse. guarding the roses.

my little pond! the lily is fake (for now) and there are hundreds of tadpoles and like 3-4 resident frogs in there. there are also some pretty wild diving bugs and other small creatures. i feed them lettuce from the garden, i can't wait for them to all start growing legs!

kale in the veggie garden. some bug is eating them. boo!

my basil was off to a rocky start but it looks GREAT now. mint and parsley are in the background.

watermelon is growing like crazy! yesterday it was barely reaching the rocks. today.....it's heading for the fence!

bees fighting for a flower. i wish you could hear them, it's like hundreds of tiny kazoos.

the order is out tha door!

2009-07-07T22:19:00.004-05:00

watched the michael jackson tribute today and finished up the bibelot order. i'm so happy with how everything turned out!

GARDEN PHOTOS! here's a few quick photos of the veggie garden. tomorrow, the 'secret garden' and the labyrinth!

right outside the door of the studio we have these gorgeous orange/pink daylillies. and there's about 6 million tadpoles swarming around in the little pond in the secret garden. i've been feeding them lettuce from the garden, and i swear they double in size each day.

i love to watch the progress of both of these living things-the bursting of the pods into flowers and the growing of these little living commas into hopping frogs....i'm still not allowed to bring the taddies into the studio but i keep asking. it'd save me a lot of time!

not gone..

2009-07-06T09:47:00.003-05:00

just..you know....being my normal busy self.

i am working my little fingers to the nubbins to get this bibelot order out the door. also trying to spend a little time every day sweating, be it in the garden or on a bike. i need to treat my body better than i have in the past few years, even though i'm down like 20 lbs from my absolute heaviest, i NEED to shed some fluff. if only it were as easy as repairing an overstuffed stuffed animal...find a seam, cut the threads, remove some stuffing, and re-sew. the problem is that the stuffed animals don't stuff their faces each chance they get. much like i have been doing lately. boo!

the garden is coming along VERY nicely, and the tadpoles in the small pond are growing very nicely. my parents have two garden tours coming up, so they have been working THEIR fingers to the nubbins getting ready for that. they have a small army of former students who come out to toil in the fields as well, but man can my parents work! they are up super early and go to bed super late. i guess retirement isn't so relaxing after all!

PS that lil' guy up there was a gift to my cousin's son. I realized that though he's my facebook photo, not everyone is on FB and hadn't seen him! If you are on Facebook, become a fan of Duckie Uglings for lots of news and updates, 'kay?

rainy days and news!!!

2009-06-27T08:56:00.003-05:00

matthew, michael, julie and chip are visiting us, after we spent a weekend in Missouri celebrating the little guy's first birthday! betsy and david also came last weekend, so I've been living in the studio, literally and figuratively.
it's been either raining cats and dogs or broiling hot while they've been here, but we've had lots of fun on the gator, hanging out at big marine park, playing with turtles we find out in the wetlands, or with inside toys on the days it's too rainy to go outside.

one of the highlights of this trip included a visit to the como zoo, were we got to meet this little guy, who it turns out, is not so little. his eyelashes are almost as long as michaels or matthews.

in other news....i had a very exciting meeting with the buyers for one of my very favorite stores, and they placed an order!!!! Bibelot will now carry a selection of Duckie Uglings in their 4 Twin Cities stores!!!! you can still find the one-of-a-kind duckies at truly and i like you, and the Beeb will carry my small-edition creatures! OMG so exciting!!!

Red Hot, Cold and Wet...

2009-06-14T10:25:00.002-05:00

(from this flickr pool)

it rained. it froze. it was still a blast.

i misplaced my camera for a few days so i apologize for the lack of original photos of red hot art, which was super fun and moderately successful, and of the wedding of two of my former students, which i did the flowers for, which was phenomenally fun and exciting.

after driving for about 10 hours and working for two weeks to get ready for the show, i was pretty exhausted and spent most of last week cleaning, doing laundry, sleeping, etc. i apologize for not blogging more frequently, i'm gonna work on it. ;)

we are in MO right now to celebrate michael's first birthday, photos to follow i promise!!!

red hot art in two weeks!

2009-05-24T10:52:00.003-05:00

sorry blog!

2009-05-09T07:49:00.005-05:00

been working at the G again, running around doing errands, destroying books for set dressing, sorting 'mike and ikes' to look like pills, things of that nature. my body is KILLING me, i'm not used to lugging furniture, climbing ladders, yanking out staples....i awake every morning with fresh aches and new bruises going 'where did that come from?' and realizing how old i really am....

our show opened at the BLB friday, i think it was moderately well received. as with any play, there were some behind-the-scenes snafus but honestly i don't think the audience cared. you have three more chances to catch the show if you are in MN....

while propping our show at my fave thrift store in minneapolis, i came across an awesome toy sewing machine. i think it's missing a few parts but i would LOVE to get it working again...how great to have a little portable like that?

over the weekend, my folks went down to take care of the little guy; julie was going to take matthew to chip's archery teams' national competition in kentucky, but then he got very sick so my folks just went to keep michael away from matthew as much as possible. they came back late saturday nite, but i was already at john haynes' show and then celebrated jyksgiving.

mother's day was spent with my gram, we took her to church, then culver's in forest lake. afterwards my folks and i went to STAR TREK. it was freaking awesome and everyone should see this movie. that is all i will say about that.

one more little photo to leave you with, a group of birdies that i will be selling @ RED HOT ART in stevens square park. after last year, i realized i needed some more things in the 'under $20' category, so here are some little $10-12 birdies on a rhubarb leaf.

Loadin' up the shop...

2009-05-03T20:47:00.005-05:00

just listed a buncha new animals on my etsy site, it's been really fun making these little monsters and such. a new chicken is also pictured, she's going to a private collector. dropping her off tomorrow while running prop errands for our show that opens on friday at the bryant lake bowl, which is gonna be so totally awesome.....

tuesday i'm helping with a friends' wedding invites and favors, finishing up the murals in edina, dropping off my art for the preview for Red Hot Art, and then going to tech rehearsal. Wednesday, I will be napping all day.

katzen ploofens

2009-04-28T14:32:00.002-05:00

largish cats, the small one has a white angora belly and green eyes, the bigger guy is made from just about an entire sweater's body shrunk down. one of them might get to go live in bermuda! wish he could take me along.....

i like you too!

2009-04-26T20:21:00.003-05:00

yay-the store is grandly opened!
what a fun nite, lots of supporters of local art stopped by. two of my parachuting mice had sold earlier in the day, i hope the folks who took them home give those little guys a good home ;)
here are links to a few photos of the store, snapped by some very talented ladies.
and here's one of my own snaps of the wall above the door. sarah put old book covers up and they look absolutely amazing. if you are ever in the NE minneapolis, you need to check it out. if you come on a saturday, chances are good i'll be working! it's just down the street from my first 'office' job, at magnetic poetry, and it's so weird to be back in that neighborhood after all of the change it's been through.

we visited my gram this AM, she was doing SO much better, then we went to her church, my parent's church, and then to red lobster. i think my favorite part was the family that came in just before us, the little 3 year old boy gawping at the tank full of live (but not for much longer) crustaceans and shouting 'wook at that wobster's cwaws! they're huge!!!' . runner up to that would be the women behind us, complaining to the manager that their meals were too salty...she tried to explain that they didn't season the seafood with salt because it was already salty, having come from the ocean and all, but that she would let the cooks know they got some extra salty crabs and they should let people know. even though they complained, they still both took home their leftovers.

collected the key from my next house sitting job in WBL, and came back here to read the internet, play some games, watch some videos (including dr. horrible, now i know what all the fuss was about), etc. nursed a window-struck bird back to health (in reality, just put it on a piece of newspaper so it wouldn't have to lay on the ground as it recovered), watched a mexican standoff between two blue herons, an egret, and a canada goose in the pond out back, and now, am contemplating going to bed with the sound of real rain instead of my noise machine's version of it.

will possibly be going back to work @ the G for a few days this week, but it could also work out that they don't need me. i've got some new projects and ideas brewing in the studio that i'm excited about, and there's the little matter of cleaning the highland park house before the house sitting folks return on tuesday. .....