and,

an attempt to grab creativity amidst the chaos.

My paintings always like visitors at www3.telus.net/galen/art



Wednesday, December 26, 2012

3 little birds outside my window

Guess who made it under the tree this year?

 
We kept it small
 
 
 
and simple.
 

 
I tried for some handmade

 
bits and bites
that might worm their way into
the hearts of little girls.

 
3 little girls, requires 3 little girls.
 

 

 
They have been named E-O, Molasses and Lilac.

 
The pattern came from Retro Mama
and I hope they stick around.

 
I am kind of smitten.

 
And these dolls with mishapen heads
fit right into our family of mishapen heads.
 
 
Now I know
why handmade dolls cost so much.
Phew,  these little details take some time. 
 
So worth it in my mind.
 
Wishing you all the things that feel worth it.
 
Happy New Year.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Fresh Blossoms

I'm feeling very grateful and blessed these days.
 
Tired, smelly, grumpy and crusty on the surface.
But underneath all my fingers and toes are crossed
hoping that the good will remain
 and the hard edges will soften.
 
 
In a season of giving
and for too many grieving
I am thankful.
 
 
Especially for the Little's,
 
 
Who wanted flower pillows.


 
The biggest one is 'just so' with so many things.
Making her bed is an event worthy of an orchestral conductor

 
After all the sheets are JUST SO
and the stuffies are enumerated and tucked in
the pjs are where they want to be...
etc.
(multiply by 100)
 
I thought it should end off with a flourish.
 
The flower pillow,
like the cherry on top.
 
I give the middle one 5 days before
she plucks the blossoms off
and leaves the pillow like a shame
faced bald chicken.


Merry Ho Ho to all of you celebrating
this week.
 
May the New Year bring on the peace.


 


 
 


Wednesday, December 12, 2012

crochet leaf monsters

 
I saw a necklace on pinterest that seemed so easy
a little crochet, a little metal.
Done!
 
 
Only, these tiny stitches and I,
well...

 
we are not friends.

 
And then I painted them
(as per the demo)
and then we really had words.
 
They were UGLY and terrible and confused.
And I didn't take a picture,
the horrors were howling so.
 
 
They turned into unsightly, clotted
amorphous...

 
Then I painted over them again
 to try and recover something,
which resulted in
(above)
Sigh.

 
Then I started over.

 
Maybe someone has a brilliant
 idea for what to do with
the original mess?

 
I hope so,
 because I'm off to mess with these again.

 
Because monsters are full of potential.

 
 

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

The Inappropriate Elf Contest

As some of you may know,
there is an old tradition that has found a renaissance lately in craftland.
 
It's the elf on the shelf.
For those of you who don't know...
There is a story by Carol Abersold & Chanda Bell
about an elf who watches children's every move
in the month leading up to X-mas.
The idea is he/she, using magic,
 flies to the North Pole and reports to Santa
 on the children's good/bad
behaviors each night while the kids are sleeping.
Then in the morning he/she is back at your house, in a new spot.
A frolicking game of find the elf ensues.
 
For many of us...that's super creepy!!
A weird little dude lurking around all day
and creeping around all night.
Psychic Policing.
Shudder.
 
BUT, in the spirit of embracing weird
holiday traditions
 as we create our own family.
this year we're in.
 
 
For our own piece of mind, and thanks to
Babyrabies I am also entering
The Inappropriate Elf Contest.
 
Now, for the kids,
this elf will be the picture of
wholesome joy and cheer.
But tuck those shorties into bed
and our elf is gettin' busy.
 
We parents need a little diversion
in this hectic month.
 
Now, I realize my entry is chaste,
compared to some.
I don't plan on winning, just playing along.
I'm keeping it PG here people.
 
I think it's best to be a little naughty with your nice.
 

Our Inappropriate Elf

 
While early morning
visions of sugar-plums danced in his head,
our Elf got a happy feeling.
 
It's only natural little Elf,
it happens to all little boys
 both naughty & nice!
 
 


Sunday, December 2, 2012

If you ding my dong, there will be consequences.

For a while now we've had a post-it note
over our doorbell.
 
It pleads with the oncoming postie/ sales rep/
bottle driver/ prospector to knock rather than ring.
 
Our doorbell is very insistent.
It really doesn't want to be missed,
even during nap time.
 
This replaces the post-it.
 
 
I really should have stitched something more along the lines...
 
"Wake the baby,
and I will sic her on you."
 
or
 
 "Ring that bell, wake my baby
 and rabid zombie baby
will come for you.
Then so will her mother."
 
 
 
The bonus is our doorbell is illuminated
 and at night it shines through the linen
to light up the plea.
 
"Ring this bell and I will make you nurse the baby
 you just woke.
Twice, if you're a dude."
 
 
 
And then these little things
 
 
Lace, buttons, canisters and Echino fabric.
yummy.
 
 
 


Friday, November 23, 2012

My High Fashion Muse

In my high cache & exciting life
of blogging for the stars,
 
I find myself in a daily head to head
with narcissistic Prima Dona fashion models.
 
 
 
You know the type.
All "me, me, me".
 
 
 
"Does this hat make me look fat?!?"

 
"Is my fur shining in this light?"
 

Where is my Cab-Sav and my Dexatrim?

 
I stick with it, because a real model
is more of a muse than a hat rack.
 

 
Timeless.

 
The way they can capture nuance in a simple gaze.
 
Haunting.
 
 The way Fran here goes dead inside
and lets the fashion ask the tough questions:
 
Why IS the wrist cuff on a rock?
 
Profound stuff here people.
 
 
That thousand yard stare...
evocative
poignant
existential

 
And now there are BEADS!
 
What does it mean man?

 
Here it's all coy coquette.

 
And here the subject provokes...
"am I in the bowl or out"
Are you?
 
Very Keseyian: Are you on or off the bus?
 

 
These are the big questions.
 
 
(And these are the small, mostly crooked, stitches for Futchie
who was having a Coco Chanel lust fest.)
 


Monday, November 19, 2012


I made another one of these


this time for me.


It's large and simple and accented with history.


The top pocket scallop is from one of my childhood pillowcases.
It lived at one of my favorite places in the world.


 It nestled in the shack we grew up in each summer
euphemistically called 'the cottage'.

Let's be clear, shack it was,
but it had loads of beds
 and loads of cousins came and went.

And,
 there was water and sand and summer.
Nothing better.


Sweet sweet summer.

This loop

(to tuck a dishtowel into) is
reclaimed from hand embroidered tea napkins
that a great great aunt detailed.


Now that I've knit a stitch or two I have
a reverence for the patience and artistry required to
make something like this.


I get tired looking at all those tiny stitches!

At least now
as I build my family and hope to carve out my own
favorite places and times

I will do so carrying a swatch of my historical favorite place,
and a loop from an ancestral stitcher with me.

Maybe that will bring me solace
 as I burn more rice.