In creating my pieces things seem to happen as they should. I may begin because of a bit of fabric, become inspired by a word or a poem or be taken by an image that speaks to me its unique story.
I look through volumes of public domain line drawings, photographs, and engravings; quotes, literary works as well as considering personally authored things.
Finding cast-offs at thrift stores, Good Will or garage sales can send me into wet-my-pants excitement. Eccentric, I know. Oh those single earrings who have lost a mate, the rusted baubles for a nickle, jewels of the past who beg me to take them in, “I still hold great value” they seem to say, and, “Just Imagine”.
Indeed. Imagine my delight when our local dealer of antiquities and other interesting things gifted me with a bag full of old slips and damaged fabric-based debris. I dug through the lavender-scented cottons and delicates, finding I was literally trembling as with the anticipation of Christmas morning.
There within the pile were delicate crocheted or tatted cotton strings which created flowers and dripping filigree as they were worked by some ancient hands – Maybe someone’s Great-Grandma who was from Germany and immigrated as a young child somewhere out East, but came as an old lady to Florida for the warmth and walks on the beach. That bit will be honored in a botanical art piece, no longer forgotten, gladly rescued from the dustbin’s gaping jaws!
And here was a slip, consistent with the ‘40’s with its fine opaque pleating and intricate lace. So intimate and personal; it hinted at, almost whispered, its legacy.
Whose young breast did this slip rest upon all of those decades ago? Was it treasured for its sweetness? A favorite turned over when the young girl who wore it became the old woman (she just couldn’t part with it even though it did not fit past her plump shoulders any longer); who died and didn’t witness the contents of her perfumed drawers as they were bequeathed to strangers, “just get rid of them” the grandchildren said as they began the chore of readying the house for sale… and then it was given to me to be thought of again, and reincarnated.
Which brings us to my latest work. Two pieces are offered for your enjoyment (well, hopefully you’ll enjoy them). Introducing Moth to a Flame and Genesis 1:25.
Moth to a Flame has an interesting story. I adored the public domain image of the moth (which I found on the web stating it was “the best butterfly” ever). His wings were clipped and the colors muddied. So I healed his wounds with PhotoShop and proceeded to choose my fabrics and the color palette for his presentation. I wanted something bright and richly hued, that had sheen in its textures, something that would frame him and set him off to distinction. That done and waiting for the final steps takes us to the text. I had chosen a poem, but just wasn’t happy with it so went on a search. I found this delicious bit from Robert Browning:
Be still my heart! Which of course prompted me to research what made him write that – It was Elizabeth, of course. Oh how romantic! I get squishy just thinking of them.
In 1845, Browning met Elizabeth Barrett, who lived as a semi-invalid and virtual prisoner in her father’s house in Wimpole Street. Gradually a significant romance developed between them, leading to their secret marriage and flight in 1846. (The marriage was initially secret because Elizabeth’s father disapproved of marriage for any of his children.) From the time of their marriage, the Brownings lived in Italy, first in Pisa, and then, within a year, finding an apartment in Florence at Casa Guidi (now a museum to their memory). Their only child, Robert Wiedemann Barrett Browning, nicknamed "Penini" or "Pen", was born in 1849. – Wikipedia
‘Sigh. So, I incorporated some more Victorian looking embellishments to honor the lovers they were. Remember the ‘40’s slip? I made a decoration out of that sweet, pleated part and crowned it with a rhinestone jewel. Luscious.
Genesis 1:25 celebrates my love for order in the world.
Insects represent that every-thing-in-its-place-ness, in a random sort of way. Plus they are uber-industrious which I appreciate and identify with. So this piece is symmetrical, solid, and Old-Testament simple. It reminds me of Shakers or Quakers or Amish. “’tis a gift to be simple…” I love its lines from the drawings to the placement of each lovely bug, which were printed with a hint of green. I think the entire piece is so easy to look at and genuinely solid somehow. Below is a bit of revered crocheting, see, I harvested its flowers. Love it.
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Well we had some guesses last week on the photos I posted for Pink Saturday from my mother’s garden. Our savvy Sue, the Florida gardener extraordinaire said “Disco Belle hibiscus … am I right?” According to my mother, in a word, no.
Mom said, "mallows are flat and hibiscus are cupped" and Sue said, “Disco Belle hibiscus look like mallows, so they must be a cross of some kind. I have always been fascinated by them.”
Now I’m not one to argue with mom or a master gardener. I’ll let you judge for yourselves. Here are a couple photos from last week, plus a photo of the gorgeous thing next to a plate she sent since the initial post.
Then, for this week’s something pink I’ll put in yet more of mom’s beauties for you all to enjoy.
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 “like a faerie, dancing on the head of a pin” |
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Happy Pink Saturday, thank you Beverly for hosting. Be sure to visit all of the other Pinkies on today’s list.   How Sweet the Sound eotioe Like this? Please pass it on!
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You know that radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, with Garrison Keillor? He doesn’t know it, but I know him. We have a connection that goes waaaay back.
Yep. We do. Here is the story.
I lived in our “Lake Woebegone”, (Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota) and my boyfriend at the time was watching Garrison’s cat, a female Maine Coon, I believe.
At one point my boyfriend had to go on a field trip and so he asked me to watch Garrison’s cat, which I did. Although I was thrilled at the honor of caring for something of his, there is so much more to my knowing Garrison Keillor than feeding and playing with his cat.
That wonderful radio show came to our town and was broadcast down the street from “Ralph’s Pretty Good Grocery” – it really was Ralph’s – above the library in the town hall, in a room that had those old varnished hardwood floors and a little stage. 
This is where Marine Elementary held its productions; where my sister Molly played the fiddler and the dead wife Fruma-Sarah in “Fiddler on the Roof”. It was a small space and could only hold a certain number of Marine’s elite. But my friend who had an “in” got me a seat.
My parents were fans of pubic radio and The Prairie Home Companion was not unknown to me. As I had been raised on music, art, and the kind of lifestyle that was akin to this genre, it felt like he was our hometown-son that had made it and had come home to show us his medals. I remember the energy in that room. We were all proud that he was there and that he had done so well, his success felt like our accomplishment too somehow.
This event was an initiation into the world of possibilities for me. It took my perception of it from familiar and funny to the reality of what it was. I personally witnessed sheer magic that the actors, musicians, and especially Garrison created – I had a view of how it worked from equipment to the live performance. I remember thinking, “I could sing with this show, I could be up there – I could do this.” He introduced me to a unique version of self-realization and belief.
Of course he taught me something about writing, too. The most affirming and compelling thing I learned is that it is an exercise in discovery. When you begin, you don’t know where your story or character might go – as the tale unfolds, it leads you. I think it’s why I love my writing like I do, I am as surprised and delighted as my readers to find out what happens.
When you write, you draw on your experiences, upbringing, and emotions and weave them subtly or not so very, into your story. That’s what makes it believable and “real”. Even if it is a faerie tale. People want to recognize themselves in what you write – to identify with the work, from the story to those characters within the covers. Or, they yearn to be taken somewhere foreign, exciting, exotically new and sail with you on uncharted waters.
“What and where is that land you’re taking me to?” They wonder. “Who will I find there?” The anticipation and revelation of these unknown factors is exciting and compelling; and therefore they are engaged and captivated. What they don’t know is the author often is just as much.
I have to confess something. I didn’t put all of this together until last night, when I saw a PBS special on the man. I couldn’t sleep you see, and was flipping through channels from midnight until 1 a.m. when the special called American Masters Garrison Keillor came on. I watched the entire thing which ended at 2:30 a.m. – and was so glad I hadn’t been able to sleep.
As I watched and remembered that time, (back then I was all of 16 going on 17 and now, well, I’m not) it struck me how he’d influenced me so very much.
I thought of his literary contributions, instruction, and of course the entertainment. From his humorous and personally resonating writing style to his delivery with its lilting inflections and waltz-paced tones (he sort of speaks in 3/4 time), he is indeed my companion.
He said something though, and on this point I don’t see eye to eye with him. It was about people dying and leaving a hole in other’s lives. He said the hole doesn’t last – they just dig one and put you in it and people move on. Or something like that.
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Oh I don’t agree! I am sure there will always be hole, a Garrison-sized hole in our hearts when you are gone, Mr. Keillor. Or when I am gone – don’t you think so too, really? |
| One more thing is this, his influence has extended beyond just writing. How very funny to have this suddenly strike me – meet our Maine Coons, whose breed he inadvertently introduced me to (unless of course that boyfriend was lying about cat-sitting in which case, never mind): |
Frankie (Frankincense) |
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Cleopatra, who is our “little” girl and is dark like his cat was as I recall… |
| From MaidensWood, where anything is possible and my feet are firmly planted in mid-air – Thank you Garrison. xJ |
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eotioe
Like this? Please pass it on!
There comes a point in your life when you realize:
Who matters, Who never did,
Who won’t anymore, And who always will.
So, don’t worry about people from your past,
there’s a reason why they didn’t make it to your future.
| Happy Pink Saturday, thank you Beverly for hosting. Be sure to visit all of the other Pinkies on today’s list. How Sweet the Sound milywen
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I have a question for you savvy bloggers out there.
- What blog host allows selling?
I’ve been searching, but haven’t found a “selling blog” format. I’d like to take DeStash from an ecommerce format to one that has selling AND conversational/informational info, like a blog.
Can you point me in the right direction? Any help would be very much appreciated.
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Here’s what’s been keeping me busy around MaidenShade and DeStash.
Listing Products On MaidenShade At Etsy:
Listing Items On eBay:
- replacement shades (not handmade)
- dish towel and table runner
- office set
Attending KC Willis’ Collage Camp and Creating Fabulous Art Pieces:
“I Ain’t Askeerd”
- “I Will Not Be Triumphed Over”
Creating Custom Shades:
- Love Lights Wedding Shade
- Elegant Damask Shade
Well, suffice it to say all of this activity has been keeping me out of trouble!
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I got 45 of these lessons in an email – wondering who authored them, I typed ‘45 lessons’ into a Google search and wha-la – look what I found, an amazing woman who was nominated for a Pulitzer!
I am so glad I looked as I got 5 additional lessons that I would’ve otherwise missed.
I started bolding the ones I liked best, but as I was reading and bolding I realized that they nearly all were bold… emphasizing how profoundly pertinent these are.
“…for her range of compelling columns that move the heart, challenge authority and often trigger action while giving readers deeper insight into life’s challenges.”
– 2009 Pulitzer Prize Committee
From her website: 
The single most popular column ever written by Regina Brett was “50 Life Lessons,” written for The Plain Dealer when she turned 50 years old in 2006. So, despite what you may have read on the in an email or on the internet, Regina is NOT 90 years old !! You can read the original column here (and a recent column by Regina about the “internet aging process” here).
You’ll get to read more about the “lessons” in April of 2010 when Grand Central Publishing releases her book, “God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life’s Little Detours.” Please watch this space for more information.
“To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written My odometer rolled over to 50 in August, so here is the column once more”
1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over-prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.
Thank you Regina!
Well, it’s the summer solstice today – that must mean we have to laugh, a lot. As I was cleaning my inbox and throwing away ancient emails last night, I came across this and had a good laugh.
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They’re Back! Those Wonderful Church Bulletins! Thank God for church ladies with typewriters. These sentences appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services (Summer, 2007 Release).
- The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
- The sermon this morning: ‘Jesus Walks on the Water.’ The sermon tonight: ‘Searching for Jesus.’
- Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
- The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.
- Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say ‘Hell’ to someone who doesn’t care much about you.
- Don’t let worry kill you off – let the Church help.
- Miss Charlene Mason sang ‘I Will Not Pass This Way Again,’ giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
- For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
- Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.
- The Rector will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing: ‘Break Forth Into Joy.’
- Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24th in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
- At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be ‘What Is Hell?’ Come early and listen to our choir practice.
- Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
- Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
- Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
- The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.
- Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM – Prayer and medication to follow.
- The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
- This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
- Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.
- The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
- Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.
- The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare’ s Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
- Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use the large double doors at the side entrance.
- The Associate Minister unveiled the church’s new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: ‘I Upped My Pledge – Up Yours’
☼ ☼ ☼
The Crosswalk
Every once in a while, a seemingly-simple email comes around that ends up being quite profound. This is one of them. Too good not to share … a very wise reminder!
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(I just know the others would have let him cross their bridge, that’s how His followers are. My story ends like this: He has in fact crossed, and is on the other side, looking back at where he has come from. Our little human is praying to God, asking for forgiveness for his weakness and doubt, and thanking Him for His strength, wisdom and for the kindness of his brothers and sisters in Christ who helped him across…)
Have a wonderful longest day of the year!
