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Miniature Worlds- Cemetery Edition

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One of the things I enjoy making are miniature worlds. It's kind of like the real world, but in a much tinier form. 1:87 scale ratio to be exact. I like to use HO scale railroad miniatures in my creations, but there are quite a few different sizes out there. Feel free to check out this Wikipedia page which outlines the various railroad scales available. For me, anything smaller than HO scale is just too tiny to work with. You can buy painted figures, but I do prefer to buy the unpainted figures and hand paint them myself. That way I can customize them to my liking. They usually come in a pack like this: There are several brands out there, but Preiser is my personal favorite. Since the figures are plastic, they are easy to clean up using an x-acto knife or something similar. And then I paint them.  So I was asked to do a custom piece for someone, as a wedding gift, who loved all things creepy (ie. Halloween, cemeteries, etc) and they also happened to be getting m...
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Art Dolls

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https://www.etsy.com/shop/JRlele I've always had a love for handmade art dolls. Perhaps it's partly because growing up, both of my grandmas loved dolls. One even would make doll clothes and drew paper dolls for each of us girls (the kind with the little tabs on the clothes so you could redress them). As I grew up, I was introduced to other kinds of art dolls. I realized they didn't have to just be made of porcelain or paper, but could also be made of cloth, polymer clay, and many other materials. So this post is dedicated to some artists I've come across who make some wonderful and beautiful art dolls. I've included links to their pages, so please check them out and show them some love! https://www.etsy.com/shop/CuriousBoudoirDolls https://www.etsy.com/shop/HeronsGateArts https://www.etsy.com/shop/MagicDollsWithLove https://www.etsy.com/shop/IsabellasSecretAttic https://www.etsy.com/shop/Enivati https://www.etsy.com/shop/Linas4...
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I'm Back!

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I'm back! Did you miss me? Well anyway, here I am and planning to post more regularly. I've been busy with life and art and work. You know, the usual things. Or as Jane Austen said in Mansfield Park , "Life seems nothing more than a quick succession of busy nothings." While I don't entirely agree with that sentiment, life can sometimes fly by and you don't even notice the time you've let slip past. So I'm back and ready to grab the bull by the horns, so to speak. Not that I'd literally grab any bull by the horns...ever. What, do I have a death wish? No, but I've returned and have lots in store. So sit back and enjoy. I've been working on loads of new art projects, some of which you can check out in my Etsy shop. Click here if you want to see what I have for sale at the moment. I work with a variety of mediums, from polymer clay, to jewelry making, to painting tiny HO scale railroad miniatures. I really try not to pigeon hole myself and l...
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Wooden Utensils

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So, I have always had a love for wooden cooking utensils, be it wood spoons, spatulas, rolling pins, you name it.  My mom used a lot of wooden utensils so I grew up learning to cook with them.  Most people probably don't think twice about it or don't care, but give me a wooden spoon over a plastic one any day. Well eventually the day will come when your spoons begin getting tired, and you need to consider replacing them even if it is like saying goodbye to an old friend.  However it isn't always easy finding good replacements. I don't care much for the ones you can buy at Walmart or other super stores because I know they were mass produced in a factory someplace far, far away.  The soul has been bleached out of the wood and they just don't do it for me.  So whenever I'm lucky enough to find a wood carver making utensils I get excited.  Now with Etsy at my disposal, it's even easier to locate new wood utensils to join the rest of the utensil family current...
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Well, hello there.

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Hello world!  I've finally entered the blogosphere.  Now let's be realistic.  I doubt many people will ever even read this, but this is for the sake of my own sanity.  Mwahaha!  Sometimes I have ponderings that I just have to put into words. A bit about me.  I'm a photographer, a crafter who is always experimenting with new ideas, a movie lover, and a dog-mom living in corn country.  I also enjoy supporting other artists and creators of handmade items so I will always take the opportunity to help promote others in anyway possible.  So for any of you who happen to stumble upon my little piece of the world....welcome and I hope you enjoy your stay!
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Day 1

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Day 1 of juice fast....complete.  I swear today was the longest day ever!  Man oh man was that hard.  In the morning, I was very optimistic and felt like I could really do this, but by about 2:00 I was really struggling.  My brain and stomach was telling me that I was hungry, but I kept fighting.  It's instinct to run to the refrigerator and just grab something when you're stomach growls.  But today I had to resist and stick to my juice...it was so much harder than I expected.  Plus seeing others around you eating and smelling their food just makes it that much harder.  I've spent so many years of my life just eating everything and anything so for me it was hard to limit myself and tell myself no.  It's going to be a big adjustment during this fast, but I just keep reminding myself of my goals and that I want to be healthier. I juiced some apples and oranges for breakfast.  I made the mean green juice for lunch (recipe below)...
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My new boyfriend, Breville

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Meet my new boyfriend, Breville.  It was love at first sight.  He makes me yummy beverages, is fairly quiet, and is easy to clean up after.  Ok, yes, he is really the Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus and he's amazing!!  I never thought I'd be so excited to get a juicer for Christmas! So far, Breville is amazing and is perfect for my needs.  It is super fast, heavy duty (I don't feel like I'm going to break it), and pretty easy to clean.  The price tag is a bit steep...$149 on amazon or $149 at Bed, Bath & Beyond + 20% off with the coupons they send in the mail.  But for me, it's worth the investment since I plan to use it a lot in the upcoming months.  I could have settled for the $35 Black & Decker one, but I was afraid it would break in a week and then where would I be?  Juiceless and alone...  So far I haven't experimented too much, but I have made three different juices so far so I could test ...
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