Hi All...

Just dropping by to say hi and let you in on a couple of exciting happenings!  I think we all need some stuff to feel good about right about now, don't you think???

YOU FIRST

I would like to invite you to attend the 10 day Polymer Clay Symposium at Curious Mondo.com.  Last fall, I was invited to teach a class at Curious Mondo for this year's Polymer Clay Symposium. Just click on the photo at the end of this post to go there and scroll down for the workshop I will be teaching on Thursday, Feb. 11.

First, allow me to tell you a little bit about it...

If you have never attended the symposium, held each year, you really should!!  It is a 10 day extravaganza of everything polymer and it's free!  You can attend the classes each day and then watch the videos again (or for the first time that day) as many times as you like over the next 24 hours for FREE. You definitely owe it to yourself to check it out.

If you like what you see and experience, you can also purchase the whole symposium for a fantastic price (this year, just $87.00US) and it is yours to watch (or re-watch) over and over again... cause I guarantee you will find a couple (maybe even more) workshops that you fall in love with!! 

So what will I be showing you how to do?

A bit of background... I had initially planned a project that turned out to be much larger, longer and more in-depth than I had anticipated given my time restraints in getting the video done once I started recording it. 

 "What else can I do that would be fun?" I asked self.  

You see, I was getting ready for hip surgery and Christmas was upon us so I had to change gears to get everything done in time... cause I knew that once I had surgery, I would be "out of commission" for weeks.  As it turned out, that was a good move as I ended up with complications that are still grabbing my attention every day!!

Self replied, "Hmm, let me think!  How about the Magical Munchkin Magnets"... they are fun and would be easy even for beginners to do...they make great little gifts for friends or family... and they don't take up a lot of time!" 

"PERFECT!" I replied with a twinkle in my eye and a big smile on my face.

I got to work hauling out all my "stuff" to start recording how to make these cute little one inch faces as fridge magnets or pins or pendants or whatever you can imagine... just scroll down the page till you find me...

https://ty104.isrefer.com/go/pcs2021/sharonhouse

And so, that is where I will be on Thursday, February 11th, 2021 at 11am PST (refer to the chart below for your time zone) Hope you can join me...

Cheers,

Sharon

Time Zones:  See you there!

11am PST (Pacific Standard)
12 pm MST (Mountain Standard)
  1 pm CST (Central Standard)
  2 pm EST (Eastern Standard)

A New Look..and more....

Hi everyone!  Slowly but surely I am getting this blog transitioned to more of a website.  It certainly takes a lot of time to get stuff done, rearranged, updated, designed and looking the way I want it to but I think you will agree, (at least I hope so), I am getting there!

You will notice that I have added some pages... I have decided to give you all a glimpse of all the art work I have done over the years and what I am working on currently.  My studio is brimming with little character people, which I absolutely adore but there is a growing space limitation.  I need some room!!!  With that in mind, I have decided to sell some of my pieces and will be posting some them in the new pages you can find at the top of this page.

One piece of exciting news happened quite recently.  Following adjudication of some of my "little people" art pieces that were entered into the Professional Doll Makers Art Guild annual Gold Awards, Millie the Sweet Witch was awarded a first-place Gold Award in the Intermediate Sculptors Category, I thrilled to bits!!  Millie is one of my favourite pieces and was a lot of fun to bring into being...

Later on this summer, her photos will be published in Art Doll Magazine.  

I know that for many of us COVID-19 has certainly put a crimp in our summer plans.  Like many others, I miss going out for dinner at a favourite restaurant, getting together with friends, family or neighbours. going swimming, to the gym or hanging out at the beach. I think it is difficult for most of us.  But as my late "nurse" sister used to say: You just gotta buckle up Buttercup!! Buckling up and paying attention to the advice from the health folks in charge has certainly made a tremendous difference in our community....

I live on Vancouver Island and with a lot of cooperation from our fellow citizens "who buckled up" along with the excellent leadership of our provincial government and the Health Authority's Dr, Bonnie Henry, we have managed to keep our numbers very low and currently have no active cases on the island.  I truly believe that the three things that were suggested we follow and which consequently have made a HUGE difference have been wearing a mask, frequent hand washing and self-distancing. Three simple acts that can make a huge difference.

Wishing you all good health, patience and persistence in the months to come...

Cheers,
Sharon

Creating a New Look...

Over the next little while, I will be creating a new look on this blog...transitioning it into more of  a website than a blog.  I am still experimenting with different options so please bear with me.  I hope that all of the previous content (well over 200 posts) and more than a 1000 comments can remain.  Some of them may be updated... some may be removed as they are redundant or very dated or some will just go away because a new format won't allow it! 

So stay with me folks... I am not going away... just doing some long overdue housekeeping that got sidelined over the past few years by some major health issues.  Thankfully they are in the past now and I can get on with it...  Have a fabulous day and stay tuned...

Sharon

The Christmas Pickle

Ya'll have probably heard the cute little story around the Christmas pickle ornament before or even experienced it in your own home as a young child and adult.  Hey, just the idea that you might get an extra little gift if you are the one to find the hidden ornament in the tree is exciting no matter how old you are.

As some of you who know me well are aware, I like to do my research before I post anything on my blog or on facebook. I decided to look up the "old German tradition" of the Christmas pickle to see what I could find.  

Now I became suspicious that something might be amiss when I read that the pickle was the last ornament placed and hidden on the tree before St. Nicholas came. "Strange" I thought, "St. Nicholas comes on Dec. 6th and most Germans certainly don't have their trees up that early." Ding a ling... the suspicion bell in my head went off. 

As a younger Canadian ex-pat adult, I lived in Germany for ten years and I never remember seeing a pickle on a Christmas tree. Consequently I assumed (yes, yes) when I heard about it on this side of the pond that I had missed something. Well much to my surprise, I have discovered that this is NOT an old German tradition after all but something, it appears, may have been thought up by American marketers many moons ago and is a myth that has made the rounds Christmas after Christmas!

Well that did it for my short little blurb I was going to post today about the old German tradition of the Christmas pickle!  Hmmm I wonder what Snopes has to say about it??

If you are interested in finding out more about this myth and how it came about, here is an excellent article 

https://www.german-way.com/history-and-culture/holidays-and-celebrations/christmas/the-christmas-pickle-ornament/

The big guy is coming down the chimney pretty soon now! Merry Christmas everyone,

Sharon...

RMR: Seven Day Forecast

You know you live in Canada when...enjoy this video from Rick Mercer, Canada's very funny Newfoundlander!!

Sidney Fine Art Show Art Pieces

Well folks I did promise I would show you what pieces made it into the Sidney Fine Art Show.  As I have mentioned in other posts, these are bookshelf boxes!  What's that you ask?  Bookshelf boxes look like little room vignettes but are meant to sit in a bookshelf among your books... rather like a surprise when you discover them.

The boxes are filled with detail and the more you look at them, the more you discover. Like the fact that Albert has his fingers crossed (well he was hoping he was right about that theory of relativity) and that the "floor" in the Scholar & Gentleman box is a vintage copy of the Book of Knowledge Index that I have had for years and years.  It was just waiting for the right art piece to come along . They are whimsical for sure but also have a serious side to them when you stop and think about what is REALLY going on within this little space.  As those who know me can attest, I like little intrigues in my art...

This first box is "A Scholar and a Gentleman"... Dr. McPherson is a world traveler lecturer who loves to share his knowledge with others...and like most professors I have known, he is not entirely neat!

This box is "It's All Relative" with Albert Einstein and is artfully modeled after his office at Princeton University.  I am a big Einstein fan and this box was done to celebrate the centennial year of the publication of Einstein's theory on relativity (1915-2015).

Now anybody who has studied ANYTHING about him will know that he had a wicked sense of humour. He was also well known for his ability to explain complex "stuff" in simple but often humorous ways. Take his theory of relativity for instance:  He once told a group of his students that understanding relativity was quite easy:  "If you sit with a beautiful girl for 2 hours, it feels like a minute BUT if you sit on a hot stove for 2 minutes, it feels like an hour.  That's relativity."

Have a great weekend,

See you soon.  Keep on arting...

Sharon

The Bewitching Hour is Upon Us...

This past week I finished Maltilda the Classy Witch, a collector art doll who stands just 8" tall (well, excluding her fancy hat).  What fun she was to make... and she turned out just the way I saw her in my mind... a lovely, weathered face full of wrinkles and crevices and a hook nose that only a witch could love!  Her spell book has many pages filled with all sorts of witchy delights.  If you look closely at her chin, you will see a glittering "diamond" embeded in her chin "dimple".  Look at her hat...and you will see a bat that actually moves when you touch it... all that is missing is the spooky music... Halloween is just around the corner.

If you live in the Victoria area and are attending the Sidney Fine Art show this weekend, I will be doing an art doll sculpting demo on Saturday between 5 and 7.  Drop by and you will be able to see Maltilda in person along with two other collector art dolls, Jock, the Scots Curler and Monsieur Pierre, the French waiter.  People are surprised when they actually see these little people... first at the size they are (much smaller than they imagined) and the difference in depth perception seeing them "in person".  They are pretty darn sweet if I do say so myself...GRIN

Hope to see you there,

Sharon

My Little "Guys" Make it to the "Big Time"..

I had some wonderful, exciting news the other day ... two of the roomboxes (although I call my boxes, bookshelf boxes as they are meant to sit in a bookshelf among books... rather like a surprise when you discover them...) made it into one of the premier juried art shows, the Sidney Fine Arts Show, here on Vancouver Island in mid October.

Out of over 1000 pieces that were adjudicated for the show, they took 400... 2 of which are mine.  I have never seen any miniatures/small stuff that have made it into the show before (other than one other of mine that made it in last year but it wasn't a bookshelf box) so I am over the moon!

Once the show begins, I will post more photos (the show organizers don't like it when you spoil the surprises awaiting folks who come to the show).  I have to admit that the photos don't really do the boxes justice...they are a lot smaller than they look in a photo. 

The other day a friend who had dropped by for a visit began "studying" them.  She had seen some of the preliminary photos I took along the way and said, "Boy, you are right. You just don't notice all of the tiny details in a photo (the devil is in the details and it is the details that absolutely make the pieces come to life) and photos just can't show the size and depth of the 3D effect!".  I totally agree. However, I think you can certainly get an overall impression of them nonetheless.  That being said, here are a couple of photos to give you a sense of what I sculpted and created...and yes, it was a lot of work, took a lot of time but was so much fun watching it all come to life...

This first photo is Dr. McPherson, the English Professor who is a visiting Oxford Don... he has traveled the world and now loves to just sit around and share his vast knowledge of literature and the world with his students... in the bookshelf box, he is surrounded by over 60 miniature books and of course his suitcase and satchel...

You recognize this guy below, don't you?  Who could miss him with his wild hair?  I am an Einstein fan... if you ever want an Einstein quote, let me know, I have hundreds of them. This bookbox was made to commemorate the Centennial of the publication of Einstein's theory on relativity (1915-2015).  The bookbox is an artfully rendered version of Einsteins office at Princeton.  Einstein had a delightful sense of humour and some of his quotes are quite insightful... especially the one about the constant state of mess on his desk:  "If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what then is an empty desk a sign?"  Yes, indeed!  I will leave my desk in a mess from here on in...GRIN

The Sidney Fine Arts show runs from Oct. 16-18 at the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney, B.C. (Elizabeth May country...*) so if you are in the area, drop by to take a look at some wonderful art from Vancouver Island artisans.

Stay tuned... photos will be forthcoming...

Cheers,
Sharon

* P.S.  Who is Elizabeth May you ask?  Well she is one effervescent, fiery, and very smart female politician who is the leader of her party (the Greens) currently running for office in her district, Sidney/Gulf Islands, in our on-going, long drawn out, (and for me) totally boring Canadian election.  She lives in Sidney and is one cool lady!!

In a Jam...

My yearly produce "gift" arrived from the Okanagan in the interior of B.C. on Vancouver Island this past weekend... beautiful, round, juicy, mouth watering yellow-orange peaches!

The aroma of sweet peaches filled the air in the kitchen with its intoxicating perfume... ah jam making season was upon me once again!

Out came the bottles, the jam making "tools"... the water canner, the hot bottle gripper, the metal tin top catcher, the ladle, et cetera, et cetera and I got to work!!  It took most of the day and needless to say... after a whole day of standing in the kitchen... peeling, cutting, filling and processing,  I was done like dinner!  But the fruits of my labour (pun absolutely intended) and my inventory is now all labeled and piled up on display for all to see...including you!!

8 bottles of red pepper jelly (okay, not quite peaches, but "might as well" while I was at it)
18 bottles of peach-ginger marmalade
6 quart bottles of peach-ginger chutney (oh a winter of tasty Indian curry dishes coming up)
12 bottles of Seville Orange marmalade

PLUS one happy, grinning husband who loves peaches, ginger, marmalade and chutney.

As I ladled the last of the jam into a bottle, popped on the lid and gave the ring a twist, appreciative husband came up behind me, gave me a big hug and kiss, told me to go sit down and have a glass of wine while he cleaned up the chaos in the kitchen after the day long marathon! Hey,what a guy...

So... I took him up on his offer... AND after a glass of tasty Okanagan wine and a dish of fresh peaches with cream... went for a nice long "peach" of a snooze!

And when I awoke,  my kitchen was as neat and clean as a pin...and..YEP... what a guy...

See you again soon

Sharon

Seattle Miniature Show 2015

For all my mini friends across the web... enjoy... 

Have a great week and keep on arting, Sharon

Say hi to my Buddy!

Well it's been a rather rough couple of weeks... you know that cold bug that's going around... it got me...good!  In the middle of all of this misery that seemed to go on forever, the only bright spot was deciding to go with hubby on our planned trip to Seattle in spite of feeling so rotten.

It was worth it... as it usually is... I love Seattle!!  A couple of side trips down to the Pike Street Market and Pirosky, Pirosky for some Russian braid and smoked salmon turnovers while we were there definitely improved my waistline if not my health...but oh my was it tasty.  It was a nice little getaway and the weather was fantastic... for Seattle!

Now to today's blog entry...

A number of years ago, I had a real yen to make a "little corner buddy" but never did get around to it. What's a little corner buddy?  Well it's a little guy or girl "doll" that is dressed in   three year old clothes and stands in the corner with its face to the wall looking cute!

I decided to make it a reality over the Christmas break... Yes, yes, I know I must be entering my second childhood... wanting to play with minis and dolls... but oh my it is so much fun!!  Hubby just shakes his head when I come up with these crazy ideas, smiles and says "oh go for it sweetie"

I decided we would opt for a "boy"... hubby just sat there with a crooked smile on his face and chuckled audibly!!  He didn't realize at the time that WE were going to go clothes and shoe shopping for this little tyke.

Well it didn't take long before Buddy was put together... I had had the pattern for so long it was yellow with age.  The pattern cut out, the sewing machine humming, the stuffing firmly in place and the last stitch sewn, he wobbled into the guest room and over to the window... bare butt and all!  Yes, this little guy definitely needed some clothes!!

Off to the mall we went.  Now at first, hubby wasn't going to come to the kid section with me (the computer section is more to his liking) but then decided he'd go along for the chuckle.  Well guess who got right into it? 

"Hey look at this shirt... would that fit?" asked the man of the house.
"Is it size 3?" I inquired.
"Yep, and it would look good with a navy blue t-shirt and some jeans!"  He was getting right into this!

Well it didn't take long before hubby had all his clothes and get this... argyle socks... picked out.  Poor thing needed shoes though!  So off to the shoe department to buy some Adidas running shoes and we were done. 

It has been a few years since we had bought kid's clothes, I gulped at the check out.  When did little kid's clothes get so expensive?  Well never mind, he only needed one outfit...thank heavens!!

So here is our Buddy, all decked out in his new clothes.  With his Mustang racing hat on that Mama got on one of their Nascar racing trips down south, he's getting into trouble already messing around with stuff on the blanket box. 

This little guy is as cute as a button and when anyone sees him, they nearly do a double take...(I didn't know you had a grandson, they say) He looks pretty darn real from the back don't you think??
 

So until the next artsy fartsy idea hits me, keep on arting...and see you soon.

Sharon

Happy Hearts Day...

If you have been wondering where I have been... well I have been having just too much fun playing ... a day hasn't gone by since the Christmas holidays without something happening in my art room.  Time just evaporates when I am creating... and I will have lots to show you in the coming months... just have to take the time out to take pictures and to blog!

So I am just dropping by today for a quick visit, to wish you all a Happy Hearts Day and share something rather sweet with you!!  I have been busy all week making valentine heart cupcakes with sprinkles and cinnamon hearts...

Alas, they are the non edible kind... which gives a new meaning to wearing your food! LOL

These little earrings are so darn cute...the photo doesn't even do them justice!  They swing and dangle beautifully!  I made some for a couple of friends and myself and ended up having to make more as a number of pairs were spoken for practically as they came out of the oven!  Maybe I should start up a cupcake earring factory and make my millions one set at a time... GRIN

These little earrings gave me the idea for my valentine surprise for the "little ladies" at our neighbourhood elementary school.  As some of you know, I volunteer as a crossing guard there in the morning on my way home from swimming.  Every "holiday", they get a surprise from me... be it "smarties", pencils, balloons, popcorn or something I have made.

A guessing game started this week with some of the girls when I told them to get ready for their valentine surprise... there are about six of them that I see each morning and they have been coming up with all sorts of guesses... it has been a fun little exchange each morning!

I decided to make them backpack dangles just like the earrings only this time with chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles and a little chocolate heart. I think they will just love them, don't you?

The boys won't be left out... they'll get packages of valentine smarties... I don't think they would appreciate cupcakes!  Ohhh, ugh, girl stuff!!  You get the picture I am sure.

I got my Valentine treat a few days early this year... Hubby took me for tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria yesterday ... What a lovely afternoon we had together drinking special teas, eating dainty sandwiches, strawberries, scones, devonshire cream and scrumptious dessert morsels.  The tearoom is so beautiful... it dates back to 1908 and the acoustics are marvelous.  The enchanting strains of classical music played by the pianist on the baby grand only adds to the room's charm and delight.  Nobody does the traditional "Victorian tea" like the Empress!  

Happy Hearts Day to you...I hope it is SWEET... till next time...


Sharon

The 12th Day of Christmas Gifts and Crafts

On the 12th Day of Christmas it is time for a story!

Christmas isn't Christmas for me without at least one telling of Prince Edward Island author David Weale's children's book... The True Meaning of Crumbfest .

It is the story of a curious mouse named Eckhart, who sets off to discover the truth about that most abundant time of the year, Crumbfest, when bounteous crumbs miraculously appear in the old Prince Edward Island farmhouse in which he lives. It's a heartwarming tale of the magic that happens when the "Outside" and the "Inside" come together.

Thanks, once again, to David for giving me permission a couple of years ago to tell this wonder-full Christmas story.  It's a delightful book... with wonderful illustrations... for both kids and adults that should, in my humble opinion... GRIN... be in every home library.


Before we get to the story though, congratulations for David are in order.  He scored a Canadian literary coup this year.

The Canadian Children’s Book Centre chose Weale’s book Doors in the Air for this year’s Toronto Dominion Bank's Grade One Book Giveaway, the largest free-book distribution program for school-aged children in Canada.

All English and French Grade 1 students in Canada will receive a copy of Weale’s book.

That’s more than 500,000 copies in total. A real honour for a wonderful and deserving author.  More here.

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Today would have been my brother Bob's birthday.  He grew up to be a wonderful guy and we really miss him when Christmas rolls around.  When he was little he loved listening to stories and I loved telling or reading them to him.  So snuggle up on a cloud little brother, put a marshmallow on your hot chocolate and start dunking your toast into that chocolatey goodness as you listen...this one is for you too!

Merry Christmas everyone and thanks a million for visiting my blog.  May Christmas bring you the warmth and love of family and friends and may 2015 be healthy and prosperous for you!  See you in the New Year.

Sharon

Just click on the widget below to listen to the story!

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