greenpepperpressblog

Tag: cool stuff

scoop

It's been a while since I've posted about some cool finds from ETSY. Here are a few things I've gathered as gifts for birthdays and Christmas. Shop now and scoop up some terrific artsy items for your loved ones. Maybe you'll find something (like lists of somethings) you can suggest to Santa for yourself.

LOVE these little plates. They are 3-1/2" inches and Caroline packs them so beautifully. Visit PalomasNest to find a message that speaks to you or have one custom made. And look at these lovelies from DGordon. She has a clever thing going on – I can't wait to send!

My wish list from DownToTheWireDesigns is long. Santa, are you listening?

And check out these earrings from SmilingSoul2 and Gingeroni1. Pretty earrings make you feel pretty don't you think? Such yummy beads. Browse both of their shops.

Someday I may learn to knit and felt, but for now I appreciate being able to buy handmades from others. How about these roses! I bought a red one to pin to my beret. I think I need to go back for a pink one too. Check out GoldiesKnits.

SCOOP of another kind…. Judi discovered this Depp photo which was leaked earlier this week. A few sites have removed the image so I may be in trouble for posting this. I was hoping Burton's Mad Hatter might look like V.V. I'm just relieved it isn't Wonka-like, as in the Burton-Depp-Wonka. It almost looks Wilder-Wonka-like.

Anyone see Twilight at midnight? Me neither, but it's on the agenda for the weekend. A quick look at the soundtrack: no HIM. What were they thinking? Come on, at least use Vampire Heart.

Mad Hatter, yes. Vampire, yes. Hippo, what? I have been watching this trailer with great amusement. Check out Moto Moto, the large male hippo. You HIM fans have probably already seen it.

Ever the chameleon, tomorrow he's a birthday boy (32).

And congrats to Ingrid Dijkers for being the Top Hat pick for Crusade No. 24. We're playing with gesso now. Lots of cool stuff being shared by the teamers. Come see.

November 21, 2008
one glove

Chilly weather = gloves for the morning carpool. Messy closet = sorting hats, scarves, and mittens to meet the needs of the season. Found: one glove. Uncovered: a mountain of memories.

I will print this page (maybe on transparency) and attach in my journal. Then I will write what has been shook loose as a result of seeing this glove again. I don't know where the other one went. It doesn't matter. I don't know where I got these. It doesn't matter. I do remember that I had to have them, back in high school, because I had the skis. OLIN MARK IV COMP. Orange. Wearing these gloves was a badge – a symbol that I had the coolest skis. I will never forget getting those skis. I wanted them SO bad. The skis I had were great, but the Olin's rocked. They had squared-off front tips, and the back curled up a little – like they'd be awesome if I decided to take freestyle ballet lessons. They would be perfect with my rockin' white Hanson boots. And my rad bindings with the new-fangled "brakes" (no safety straps!)

We were on a family trip in Aspen. We saw the skis in a shop. I swooned. One night, after hanging in the lodge with my brother and cousins, I headed back up to the room and quietly got ready for bed so I wouldn't wake my sister and parents. I pulled back the covers, slid in to bed, and SCREECHED. There in my bed were the Olins. One of my favorite memories that my Dad *got* me.

This glove has been around for years – one of those things you can't get rid of. It's traveled with me from Minnesota, to Boston, to Chicago, to Traverse City, and to Jersey. I'm sure I've seen the gloves in the mitten basket every winter. Occasionally I would wear them to shovel snow. Now that one has gone rogue, I decided I better take a photo of the faithful friend. It's part of my history, as are the stories attached to it. If this one goes missing, I'll have the evidence in my journal.

What do you see everyday that should be documented in your journal? Get out the camera and walk around your house. Write your stories. It feels good.

November 11, 2008
one glove

Chilly weather = gloves for the morning carpool. Messy closet = sorting hats, scarves, and mittens to meet the needs of the season. Found: one glove. Uncovered: a mountain of memories.

I will print this page (maybe on transparency) and attach in my journal. Then I will write what has been shook loose as a result of seeing this glove again. I don't know where the other one went. It doesn't matter. I don't know where I got these. It doesn't matter. I do remember that I had to have them, back in high school, because I had the skis. OLIN MARK IV COMP. Orange. Wearing these gloves was a badge – a symbol that I had the coolest skis. I will never forget getting those skis. I wanted them SO bad. The skis I had were great, but the Olin's rocked. They had squared-off front tips, and the back curled up a little – like they'd be awesome if I decided to take freestyle ballet lessons. They would be perfect with my rockin' white Hanson boots. And my rad bindings with the new-fangled "brakes" (no safety straps!)

We were on a family trip in Aspen. We saw the skis in a shop. I swooned. One night, after hanging in the lodge with my brother and cousins, I headed back up to the room and quietly got ready for bed so I wouldn't wake my sister and parents. I pulled back the covers, slid in to bed, and SCREECHED. There in my bed were the Olins. One of my favorite memories that my Dad *got* me.

This glove has been around for years – one of those things you can't get rid of. It's traveled with me from Minnesota, to Boston, to Chicago, to Traverse City, and to Jersey. I'm sure I've seen the gloves in the mitten basket every winter. Occasionally I would wear them to shovel snow. Now that one has gone rogue, I decided I better take a photo of the faithful friend. It's part of my history, as are the stories attached to it. If this one goes missing, I'll have the evidence in my journal.

What do you see everyday that should be documented in your journal? Get out the camera and walk around your house. Write your stories. It feels good.

November 11, 2008
another sign

I took this photo earlier in the week as it was time to relocate the items to make room for the halloween decorations. I am late, and we are having a party Saturday!   Since I mentioned the four leaf clover in my last post (seen framed below) I wanted to tell you about another sign.

The two ceramic pieces are from Lisa. The rose arrived last Christmas, and the Deer Rider arrived in August. It's one of the most extraordinary and unexpected gifts I've ever gotten. You know when someone Gets you?   I have a precious story I have only shared with a few friends. Lisa not only listened to me, she heard me. And she cradled my tale, held it tight with both hands, and made it real. She validated me by sharing some of her beliefs. And then the deer sculpture arrived - reminding me of the story every day.



The day after Shannon left with the angels, I felt her presence. It was her, and yet not.  It was most definitely a moment where I felt a filling of love energy. That's the only way I can explain it. It's like she sent it. Deliberately. It was a connection. A time-stands-still experience. Graham and Fallon were with me and saw it so I know I wasn't imagining it. We were in my parent's backyard. Deer are often seen grazing in the grassy opening to the woods. That day there was a young deer – no spots, no antlers. Just a young deer, alone. She stopped and looked up at us. She stared. She stayed. And stayed. I turned and asked Graham "do you think it's her?" because she just was so still and watching us. I blew her a kiss and she lifted her leg. I'd never seen that. Never. I called to my nieces to come out and look. Even the door opening and the girls coming out didn't frighten her away. She was about 60 feet from us. When she heard my brother's dog she started slowly toward the woods, keeping her head turned towards us. I felt she was looking right at me. A wave of peace come over me. A calm. A love energy filled me because I knew it was a sign. It wasn't until a day later that I shared the story with Andy, Shannon's husband, and while telling the story we saw a sign. A different one – one for him. But we knew.

Imagine this: I am opening a box. It's filled with bubble wrap. I clip the tape and carefully pull away the layers. I'm holding an item in my hands and before I peel away the last of the wrap I see two warm dark eyes looking at me. I burst into tears. I am brought to my knees. I am dialing frantically to call Lisa. I see the girl rider. She reminds me of little Shannon. My favorite memory of her as a toddler was getting her up from her naps. She would cling to me in a sleepy drape with wet ringlets from being in her mist tent. I loved that she would snuggle into me and let me carry her around. Sleepy baby. And there she is, my dear with the deer.

I share this with you because I believe in signs. I know some of you believe too. I think when you trust, and believe, and live with an open heart and open mind and open eyes you will see the signs.

Lisa Hoffman's blog is HERE. And ceramic artist Caroline Douglas's blog is HERE. There is another deer/sign story that Caroline shared with Lisa that makes this gift even more cool. It's amazing what we learn when we are willing to share our stories.

October 22, 2008
another sign

I took this photo earlier in the week as it was time to relocate the items to make room for the halloween decorations. I am late, and we are having a party Saturday!   Since I mentioned the four leaf clover in my last post (seen framed below) I wanted to tell you about another sign.

The two ceramic pieces are from Lisa. The rose arrived last Christmas, and the Deer Rider arrived in August. It's one of the most extraordinary and unexpected gifts I've ever gotten. You know when someone Gets you?   I have a precious story I have only shared with a few friends. Lisa not only listened to me, she heard me. And she cradled my tale, held it tight with both hands, and made it real. She validated me by sharing some of her beliefs. And then the deer sculpture arrived - reminding me of the story every day.



The day after Shannon left with the angels, I felt her presence. It was her, and yet not.  It was most definitely a moment where I felt a filling of love energy. That's the only way I can explain it. It's like she sent it. Deliberately. It was a connection. A time-stands-still experience. Graham and Fallon were with me and saw it so I know I wasn't imagining it. We were in my parent's backyard. Deer are often seen grazing in the grassy opening to the woods. That day there was a young deer – no spots, no antlers. Just a young deer, alone. She stopped and looked up at us. She stared. She stayed. And stayed. I turned and asked Graham "do you think it's her?" because she just was so still and watching us. I blew her a kiss and she lifted her leg. I'd never seen that. Never. I called to my nieces to come out and look. Even the door opening and the girls coming out didn't frighten her away. She was about 60 feet from us. When she heard my brother's dog she started slowly toward the woods, keeping her head turned towards us. I felt she was looking right at me. A wave of peace come over me. A calm. A love energy filled me because I knew it was a sign. It wasn't until a day later that I shared the story with Andy, Shannon's husband, and while telling the story we saw a sign. A different one – one for him. But we knew.

Imagine this: I am opening a box. It's filled with bubble wrap. I clip the tape and carefully pull away the layers. I'm holding an item in my hands and before I peel away the last of the wrap I see two warm dark eyes looking at me. I burst into tears. I am brought to my knees. I am dialing frantically to call Lisa. I see the girl rider. She reminds me of little Shannon. My favorite memory of her as a toddler was getting her up from her naps. She would cling to me in a sleepy drape with wet ringlets from being in her mist tent. I loved that she would snuggle into me and let me carry her around. Sleepy baby. And there she is, my dear with the deer.

I share this with you because I believe in signs. I know some of you believe too. I think when you trust, and believe, and live with an open heart and open mind and open eyes you will see the signs.

Lisa Hoffman's blog is HERE. And ceramic artist Caroline Douglas's blog is HERE. There is another deer/sign story that Caroline shared with Lisa that makes this gift even more cool. It's amazing what we learn when we are willing to share our stories.

October 22, 2008
check mates

X and O were my partners in crime for a while. Of course x and o would eventually take you to tic-tac-toe, right? Then onto checkerboard…..the scale made me think of the chess punch, and soon I was channeling new ideas which required new tools. Here's the visual story:









Oh, let me take a moment to recognize that this is my 300th post. When I noticed I had just hit 100 on the Street Team blog I checked the count over here and it was at 299. Wow!  Dear readers, this platform, my blog, helps me define who I am – and it cleared the path to meet you. What's that saying? It's out on the limb where you gather the fruit. I ventured out and you served the fruit. Thank you.



Back to chess…..like WAY BACK. Making these new tools was like revisting old friends. For nearly ten years I have incorporated chess pieces in my work. Here's some of the visual history:

October 8, 2008
check mates

X and O were my partners in crime for a while. Of course x and o would eventually take you to tic-tac-toe, right? Then onto checkerboard…..the scale made me think of the chess punch, and soon I was channeling new ideas which required new tools. Here's the visual story:









Oh, let me take a moment to recognize that this is my 300th post. When I noticed I had just hit 100 on the Street Team blog I checked the count over here and it was at 299. Wow!  Dear readers, this platform, my blog, helps me define who I am – and it cleared the path to meet you. What's that saying? It's out on the limb where you gather the fruit. I ventured out and you served the fruit. Thank you.



Back to chess…..like WAY BACK. Making these new tools was like revisting old friends. For nearly ten years I have incorporated chess pieces in my work. Here's some of the visual history:

October 8, 2008
on my desk

Love shopping at tjmaxx, marshalls and home goods. There are several that are dangerously close to everything. This weeks score was a journal. Cheap thrill.  And how about these pins? What? Your first stop at the mall isn't Hot Topic? Usually it's our only destination.



It's time to read up on how to handle the seasonal change with my lovely rose bushes. I'm clueless and need to figure out what I need to do asap.   It has brought me such simple pleasure to go visit my roses every day and I want to keep them safe for next year. Any hints?

My cousin Molly sent me this book, 90 minutes in heaven, and suggested I read chapter 2. I admit I have not read the rest of the book. All I needed to hear was Don Piper's account of heaven to give me a rush of peace and comfort. Sure, I trusted that heaven was the kingdom it is promised to be, but his words came at the right time for me. He describes, in simple words, what it was like to enter heaven. My take-away is that there are no words yet invented to express the immense joy ahead of us. My take-away, from this one chapter, was to be thrilled that my sister is there. Thank you Molly, for this precious gift, for this perspective. Another book I have found helpful is Surviving the Death of a Sibling. Grief takes on many faces and it is different for all of us, even within one family. Shannon was a wife, a daughter, a friend – but she was also my sister.

Love my jumbo size Sharpie paint pens. Messing around with them makes me really happy. Love when they smear. The nib on these things are 1/2" wide! Get some!!



And the braces are off! Look at this lovely face. I promised Fallon I wouldn't blog about her new *friend* (Anthony)….I'm not. He may have been edited from the photo, but the blush he provoked is there. Does that still get me in trouble?  *wink*

Congratulations to Kathryn Antyr for being the Top Hat Pick for Crusade No. 23. It's our second anniversary at the Street Team blog!

*Throws confetti on self*.

October 2, 2008
on my desk

Love shopping at tjmaxx, marshalls and home goods. There are several that are dangerously close to everything. This weeks score was a journal. Cheap thrill.  And how about these pins? What? Your first stop at the mall isn't Hot Topic? Usually it's our only destination.



It's time to read up on how to handle the seasonal change with my lovely rose bushes. I'm clueless and need to figure out what I need to do asap.   It has brought me such simple pleasure to go visit my roses every day and I want to keep them safe for next year. Any hints?

My cousin Molly sent me this book, 90 minutes in heaven, and suggested I read chapter 2. I admit I have not read the rest of the book. All I needed to hear was Don Piper's account of heaven to give me a rush of peace and comfort. Sure, I trusted that heaven was the kingdom it is promised to be, but his words came at the right time for me. He describes, in simple words, what it was like to enter heaven. My take-away is that there are no words yet invented to express the immense joy ahead of us. My take-away, from this one chapter, was to be thrilled that my sister is there. Thank you Molly, for this precious gift, for this perspective. Another book I have found helpful is Surviving the Death of a Sibling. Grief takes on many faces and it is different for all of us, even within one family. Shannon was a wife, a daughter, a friend – but she was also my sister.

Love my jumbo size Sharpie paint pens. Messing around with them makes me really happy. Love when they smear. The nib on these things are 1/2" wide! Get some!!



And the braces are off! Look at this lovely face. I promised Fallon I wouldn't blog about her new *friend* (Anthony)….I'm not. He may have been edited from the photo, but the blush he provoked is there. Does that still get me in trouble?  *wink*

Congratulations to Kathryn Antyr for being the Top Hat Pick for Crusade No. 23. It's our second anniversary at the Street Team blog!

*Throws confetti on self*.

October 2, 2008
x meets o

It was back in June that I shared my journal work spinning a "+" into an "x". See {positive spin}.  Now "x" has a new friend, meet "o". Duh, right?

My ritual is to collect and create supplies and then process the palette (or in this case shapes) on journal pages. If it clicks I will have filled up many pages and will take what I've learned onto other surfaces. What started with an xoxo stamp from the dollar bin ended up as a full arsenal of custom tools: stamps, masks and stencils. I saw that x next to that o and I was toast. Hyper-focus designing new tools was my mission, and trying them out in the journal was a satisfying reward.



Because we had terrific weather this week I was able to move my studio outside and spray with abandon, completing six painted canvases where x meets o.  A peek at the canvas work:



When you want a little something different to bring to your art: make new tools. When you can't find a supply that you need: make new tools. When you want to create authentic and original art: make new tools. xoxo

September 26, 2008