NEW YEAR'S REVOLUTIONS

NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTIONS

Ideas for 2014

The time between Christmas and New Year’s is always an inspirational period for me. Visions of all the wonderful things I’ll create for the upcoming year pop into my head and before long find themselves in sketches on my desk. Getting them from the sketch stage to the finished product is the most rewarding though.

I like to add all the new inspirations to my New Year’s Revolutions list. Yes, I call resolution, revolution each year. I like to think what I plan to accomplish will be earth shaking..ha. Usually it doesn’t get close but at least I keep a lot out there to aim for.

Here is a list of the new craft projects I am planning on creating and blogging about for 2014.

Fairies: I have the urge to create “Philosophy Fairies” I don’t have a finished one to show you but here are some parts I have assembled. "There are Fairies at the Bottom of Our Garden."

Some components for new "Philosophy Fairies"

Small and extremely unique planters for next spring:

Very Small Planter

My new book:

Still in the fact searching stage but I am hoping you will enjoy reading my new book..title is a secret til I have a publisher..which may be a very long time!

I also plan on a 3rd edition of “She Who Whispers” which contains the stories I assign to each of my sculptures.

She Who Whispers-2nd Edition. Third Edition out this year

Cards: I am copying pictures of each of my sculptures and paintings for the cover of my hand made cards. I include a story for each inside. I tested these on the market for Christmas and they were a hit at $5. each. Sounds pricey but they are actually worth every penny.

Gift Cards-Can Also Be Framed

Gypsies: I’ve long been a fan of gypsies and their carefree lifestyles. When I hear gypsy music, I can visualize myself dancing around a campfire in some far off place. My gypsies will be tall standing sculptures and I am painting canvases to match. This last fall, I started to paint each one of two and sold the sculptures which made me have to paint from the picture of them instead of the real thing. It’s more of a challenge but I am enjoying the experience.

Have any of you out there made any New Year’s Revolutions? I’d love to hear about them. My art revolutions seem to work out every year but the standard list, which is the same every single year, never gets done..i.e. loose weight and learn Italian!

Gypsy Painting of Gypsy Sculpture-Long Way to Go

Along with my art/craft items, I will be adding a new interest to my posts. Book reviews. I love to read. My critiques and reviews of books may be different than you have ever read before. I tell absolutely the truth about the books I have read in my reviews. Of course, my truth may be different from your truth. I'll also be posting a recipe or two along the way.

First book review will be of The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani.

Happy New Year Everyone!

ROLO PRETZEL DELIGHTS

ROLO PRETZEL DELIGHTS

EASY, EASY, EASY

Oooey Gooey Caramel Chocolate!

When I saw this recipe in our own Bella Magazine, which is published in Roanoke, Virginia, I knew I had to make them. They take only minutes and taste heavenly. The gooey caramel and chocolate drizzling through the salt covered pretzel and pecan send them over the top. Perfect for Christmas or anytime.

Different Toppings

Recipe:

Small pretzels

Rolo chewy caramels in milk chocolate (I used the mini)

Pecan halves (I used almonds as well)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. Place one pretzel for each cookie. Top each pretzel with one Rolo. Bake three to five minutes (my oven took 3 minutes) or until caramel piece begins to soften but not melt. Remove from oven; top with pecan halves and let cool completely. Yumm..

Ready for the Oven

LAST THREE GODDESS BURNING BOWLS FOR 2013

LAST THREE GODDESS BURNING BOWLS FOR 2013

Warrior Woman, Skylar and Amethyst Burning Bowls

My burning bowls have literally flown off the shelf this year. I love creating them and hopefully I’ll have one for myself sometime soon. I try not to become attached to any one in particular. This time was a bit difficult because I actually fell in love with Skylar, Warrior Woman and Amethyst.

Warrior Woman 10 h x 6"w x 6"deep

Sold

All the Goddesses feature one of my stoneware clay sculptures and beautiful stained glass base. Warrior Woman is accented with an old watch part in her headpiece and various other embellishments.

Back of Warrior Woman

Close-up detail

Skylar is a beautiful name for her don’t you think? She features a butterfly on her crown and an antique head piece. I adorned her neck with dolphins. She is 9" high x 5" deep x 5" wide.

Sold. Thank you Gloria!!!

Close-up

Amethyst features a beautiful amethyst glass bead and is perfect for someone who loves the color of purple. She is 11" h x 6" deep x 5"wide

Sold. Thank you Holly!

Hope you love them as I do..I may create one for myself for New Year’s Eve. I have a feeling we are in for an interesting year ahead and I want to get rid of all the bad energy I can before facing 2014!

For those of you who do not know the story of the burning bowls:

Unity Church has a special ceremony each New Year’s Eve. A large bowl is placed at the altar and each member of the church is asked to write down problems or vices they wish to annihilate from their lives.. It could be a wish to quit smoking or drinking. It might be a desire to loose weight or to quit any of a number of addictions. Each person places their list into the bowl and at midnight, the bowl is lit. Everyone watches as the fire burns away all the troubles.

I decided to create individual burning bowls that are smaller and feature one of my sculptures and they have been a hit.

You can purchase directly from me. Just e-mail and we will go from there. I take paypal or checks.

Thanks so much to all of you who have purchased my burning bowls this year-especially Gloria! Gloria has several of my bowls for her altars featured on her charming blog. You can see them here.

HOLIDAY SPECIAL SALE!

FIRST HOLIDAY SPECIAL SALE

Cosmic Light Was $89 now $58.00

Cosmic Light is approximately 2 1/2 " wide x 6" high and has a chain drop from neck to top of necklace of 13." I created her with one of my original clay faces and used antique jewlery for the base. You will be the center of attention when you wear her with any outfit since she can be dressed up or down.

Sold. Thank you Trish!

I have a few items that are still available from my studio work for 2013. Perhaps you are looking for a last minute gift or something for yourself at a real discount..well, here is your chance! You can contact me by e-mail if there is anything that strikes your fancy and I can ship out immediately.

Goddess Kartek-Burning Bowl Was $68 now $46.

Sold. Thank you Gloria!

In designing my own burning bowls, I knew I wanted to personalize them and make small enough to burn incense, sage leaves or a small votive candle when not in use for an actual burning ceremony. I decided that a female Goddess was in order. Kartek is approx 10” high x 5” wide x 6” deep. I used stained glass, which I fired in my kiln, for her base. I’m sure anyone receiving her as a gift will be delighted, if you can bear to part with her.

Goddess Face Jar Was $25 Now $15.

I hand sculpted each face, added all types of interesting finds from the year’s antique and flea market shopping. The apothecary jars are 3” in diameter and hold 10 oz. of whatever you choose to place into them. I think candles or creams would be sublime.

Hopi Indian Woman-Nampeyo Was $200 Now $145.00

Nampeyo is 10" H by 7"w and 7"xD. She is sculpted from stoneware clay which has been kiln fired and is an original.

Kimana Planter Was $54 Now $36.

Sold-Thank you Katharine!

"Kimama" Shoshone Native American Tribe Means "Butterfly" 6" round Features Turquoise

Ancient Herbalist Planter Was $78 Now $45.

Sold. Thank you Alicea!

"Ancient Herbalist" 7"w x 7" deep x 11" high Stoneware Clay

Egyptian Goddess Necklace Was $89 Now $58.

My Goddess necklace features one of my original stoneware clay faces. She is 6" high x 2 1/2 " wide with necklace extending 13" from the neck to top of necklace. She can be worn for ceremony or dressed up or down for any occasion and is perfect as wearable art.

Oceana Was $78. Now $46.00

I created Oceana with stoneware clay which I then kiln fired. I stained and embellished her with various sea shells from my collection. She has a sea horse on her forehead. Dimensions are 8" wide by 14" high by 4" deep.

Ocean Sea Fan Was $110 Now $79.

I created Oceana with stoneware clay which I kiln fired and then added beautiful sea shells that I collected during my travels. There is a small sea horse on her forehead and the sea fan is from the Carribean Ocean. She is 12 inches wide by 18" high from the bottom of the sea net to the top of the fan and about 3" deep.

Gentle Spirit Wall Hannging- Was $68. Now $45.

Gentle Spirit is 6” wide x 13” high

Goddess Magical Necklace Was $135.00 Now $74.

My necklace is an original-one of a kind. It is 4” w by 9” h and the chain hangs 8” from the neck. Gems are centered around one of my original clay faces.

Woman Whose Voice is Older Than the Stones Was $125. Now $65.00

Would make a nice wall piece as well as wearable art.

Gaia Earth Mother Was $235. Now $175.

She is 18x24x2"

Please let me know if you would like me to send you one of my special sale pieces. We can use paypal or checks if you prefer. You can contact me by E-mail

Thanks so much!

WITHIN THE WITHIN WALL HANGING

Front View

Red is usually not a color I work with much. I am not sure why because I do love to wear red. I guess I just don’t decorate with it. It’s amazing what a red wall can do for a room though. I heard somewhere that red is a wonderful backdrop and that everyone in the room will look vibrant and alive in a room painted with red. Might be worth trying.

Close-up

My Within the Within wall hanging certainly would go well with a red theme. She is pulsating with energy. Maybe it’s because of the very old basket I used as a backing. Surely some of the energy from the years of wear has worn itself into the very fibers. I also used several pairs of beautiful ancient looking necklaces, some have brass beads entwined. I used horsehair which has been cut from a horses tail, and sculpted her original face with stoneware clay. She is approx 9” wide by approx 27” long. She is priced at $85.

You can see better on the pictures on Etsy and purchase there or e-mail me directly. Thanks so much!

Here is the story I have written for her. It represents the Senaca tribe I studied with years ago.

Within the Within

At a very young age, she had learned to speak the language of the stones and the language of the trees. Her people, the Seneca, Keepers of the Western Door of the symbolic Longhouse, had taught her. They taught her of the foundation of truth which is called "within the within.'" She learned of the sanctity of the circle and how it symbolizes perfect truth and is considered the pathway of peace and harmony. But of all the many truths that she was taught, he sould knew a truth that her mind was just beginning to comprehend..HER truth. For there is no collective truth. The truth of one soul is not the same as that of another. She knew that truth's purpos is growth...soul growth. She would be open to all truths but true to her own. She knew that by being true to herself, therein she would find her withiness.

GRATITUDE/BURNING BOWL-FLY

GRATITUDE BOWL-FLY~

Full view

For those of you who are not familiar with my burning/gratitude bowls, here is a brief explanation.

Sold. Thank you Evelyn

Unity Church has a special ceremony each New Year’s Eve. A large bowl is placed at the altar and each member of the church is asked to write down problems or vices they wish to annihilate from their lives.. It could be a wish to quit smoking or drinking. It might be a desire to loose weight or to quit any of a number of addictions. Each person places their list into the bowl and at midnight, the bowl is lit. Everyone watches as the fire burns away all the troubles.

Close-up

I designed smaller bowls for personal use. Uses for the bowls are numerous. You could perform a ceremony and write problems, burn and watch them disappear in your mind and life. Blessings could be written on paper and placed into the bowl-chosen at random to remind you of your many blessings. When not in use for ceremony, the bowls can be used to burn a small candle, incense or used as a smudge bowl. One of my friends wrote to me of a blessing bowl ceremony whereby everyone gathered to welcome a new child into the world.

My blessing bowl features a beautiful filigree butterfly signifying flight - release. She is 5" wide x 5" deep x 12" high and I sculpted her from stoneware clay that I then kiln fired. She is priced at $68.00. If you would like to view more pictures and purchase please visit my etsy shop. You can also e-mail me directly.

Thank you!

Filigree Butterfly

GALENE AND AMPHITRITE SEA GODDESSES

GALENE AND AMPHITRITE

SEA GODDESSES

Amphitrite left, Galene Right

I was delighted and surprised one day when a past customer and friend contacted me on Facebook. I remembered Maralynne had meticulous taste in her decorating and I was humbled years ago that she chose many of my sculptures to adorn her home. Maralynne saw the Sea Goddess I featured on my blog a few weeks ago and felt that a similar one might be perfect for her new home in Florida. Maralynne gave me specifics and I was up for the challenge since I knew she would be easy to work with and we would end up with gratifying results.

Amphitrite Left, Galene Right

I wanted to create a Sea Goddess that looked as though she was the very essence of the ocean. When I finished sculpting her, I named her Galene. In Greek mythology, Galene means Goddess of Calm Seas. I tried to infuse a serene and tranquil look in her eyes, as if she is gazing off into the ocean and remembering her beginnings.

Galene Front, Amphitrite Back

I was pleased with the results but I wanted to be sure Maralynne was happy and decided to give her a choice of another Goddess. Amphitrite was born. Amphitrite, in mythology, is the queen of the sea and wife of Poseidon. She is the female personification of the sea. I wanted to bestow her with a look and feel of one who rules the ocean and yet is humbled by it.

Amphitrite

I gave both Goddesses white garments that billow and will match Maralynne’s dining room chairs and soft Florida light. I’ve added touches of purple and green and a smattering of turquoise, as Maralynne suggested. These items can be removed if desired. Both Goddesses are regal and render chic sophistication - just like Maralynne.

Galene

Since Maralynne will be seeing this post the same time as my readers, she will choose which Goddess will come to live with her. The other Goddess will then be for sale and placed on Etsy. If you are interested, please e-mail and I’ll let you know which Goddess she chooses. Goddess Galene is approx 25” h x 15"d x 15" wide. Goddess Amphitrite is approx 23" h x 25" w x 15" w. The billowing fabric can be expanded or contracted according to space. I created both with stoneware clay and of course love.

Galene

Amphitrite

Thanks for viewing.

CELTIC TREE GODDESS DRUANTIA

CELTIC TREE GODDESS

DRUANTIA

Front View

I almost always name the pieces that I create with tree bark, clay and all sorts of moss and woodsy items, “Grandmother Tree.” I’ve recently decided to use the same story but to give each ‘tree’ a Celtic Goddess name.

For my latest “Grandmother Tree” I decided on the name Druantia. She is celebrated at Beltane and given credit for the creation of the Celtic Tree Calendar-the Oghman. It is believed that Druantia had her origins in Gaul. The 'root' of her name drus, means ‘oak’, and she is associated with the Dryad. She also reigns as queen of the tree fairies. The Dryads were known to be protective of their native trees and believed, as do the followers of flower essences and nature spirits, that trees must be given respect and be thanked for anything taken from them such as acorns or tree branches.

Close-Up

“ TREE GODDESS DRUANTIA”

The trees are alive! She wandered into the garden early one morning and she heard them speak to one another.. It was a language spoken on another frequency..in another vibrational time frame. They spoke of healing with power and energy and of the relationship between energy and matter.

She was drawn to an ancient Chinese Elm and as she leaned her body next to the base, somehow she felt immersed in the tree and felt herself slip into the tree..was one with the tree and knew that she was the tree.....

~Cheryl Dolby~

Side View

I created Druantia with moss, driftwood, clay, feather, lotus pods and of course love, as is in all my pieces. She is 18” high and 9” deep and 8” wide and I have priced her at $225.00 If you are interested in purchasing her, I just placed her on Etsy, where you can also see more views or you can e-mail me directly.

APPLE UPSIDE- DOWN CAKE

APPLE UPSIDE- DOWN CAKE

Close-up

About once a week, I try a new recipe. Sometimes I create one of my own by experimentation and other times I try one I find online or in one of my hundreds of cookbooks. My recipes don’t always turn out but every once in awhile I find a “keeper.” Apple Upside-Down Cake is just such a recipe. I found it on the King Arthur Flour website.

Wonder What Happened To The Rest Of The Cake?

A few years back, the King Arthur crew came to Roanoke and taught a bread making session. My daughter Kirsten and I were able to attend. We were quite impressed.

What I like about this cake is that it uses only one cake pan and the finished product looks like you have been slaving in the kitchen for hours. It is very impressive looking. Unfortunately, my friend Leslie and I had already dived into it before I remembered to take a picture, which is the reason you see the half cake. Another good thing about the cake is that the sauce can be heated and served over the cake at any time, making it seem as if it just came out of the oven. Perfect for a Thanksgiving gathering.

King Arthur’s site featuring the cake is : http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/apple-upside-down-cake-recipe

I’ve copied it below as well with a few minor revisions I made.

APPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Topping

2 medium apples

•

4 tablespoons butter

•

3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

•

2 tablespoons boiled cider or thawed apple juice concentrate-I used the apple concentrade.

•

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

•

1/2 cup light corn syrup

Cake

•

3/4 cup vegetable oil-I didn’t have any so used Olive oil-expecting the worse and got really good results. I’ll try the vegetable oil next time.

•

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

•

2 tablespoons boiled cider or thawed apple juice concentrate

•

2 large eggs

•

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

•

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

•

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

•

1/2 teaspoon salt

•

1 teaspoon baking soda

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1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

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1 large apple, peeled and finely chopped

•

3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" round cake pan at least 2" deep. Line the bottom with parchment, and grease the parchment.

2) Slice the top, including the stem, off one of the apples and set it aside before peeling and slicing the rest of the apples into 1/4" thick wedges.

3) Place the apple top, stem side down, in the middle of the pan, and overlap the rest of the apple wedges in a ring around it.(Be sure the apple is sliced to lay flat with the top of pan)

4) Prepare the topping by heating the butter, sugar, boiled cider, cinnamon, and corn syrup together over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

5) Pour 1/2 cup of the syrup mixture into the prepared pan, and set the rest aside.

6) To make the cake: Beat the oil, brown sugar, boiled cider, eggs, spices, and salt together for 2 minutes at medium speed

7) Mix the flour with the baking soda, and stir it into the batter.

8) Add the chopped apple and nuts, and mix until just blended.

9) Drop scoops of the batter atop the apples in the pan, gently spreading to cover.

10) Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean.

11) Remove the cake from the oven, and run a thin spatula around the edge to loosen.

12) Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a serving plate, bottom side up. Scrape out any sauce that remains in the pan, and spread it over the cake.

13) Reheat the reserved topping. If butter starts to separate as you reheat, add water by the teaspoon and stir until the butter rejoins the rest of the sauce.

14) Pour the sauce over the cake. Serve cake warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream if desired. I used ice cream..delicious!

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.