Daily Dish...um...how about Monthly, Maybe!!!

I am such a horrible blogger! It's been a couple weeks since I posted anything and most of what I have been posting has been well...fluff! My husband headed over to the Middle East in the middle of April, I hurt my back, I have been dealing with dr visits, a craft show, a yard sale/bake sale and an impending surgery. Every little thing just seems to run together!!!
The boys and I are doing well...they are very eager for school to let out. (and honestly so am I) My hubby is doing well also although he would MUCH rather be home!!!
My back is fine now! :-) Doctor visits should be ceasing with my surgery next week, well after the follow up! LOL It's nothing major really, just an outpatient procedure to stop my non-stop feminine issue ;-) It's a procedure called an ABLATION and YES to my guy friends out there it's one of those feminine issues! LOL While under anesthesia they are also going to tie my tubes for me! =D I am very happy about all this. My mom is flying in from Ohio on Thursday to take care of me and the boys! I am not really worried about the surgery, but I am very glad to know that she will be here! I miss having my mommy close by!
My craft fair, that I worked feverishly on for almost 3 weeks...was well kind of a bust! It was scheduled from 10-5, but most everyone had packed up and left by 3! The weather was actually rather nice, but the sky was rather threatening, and the wind was pretty gusty! I felt really bad for many of the other artists who had paintings or photography for sale...those things just couldn't stand up to the wind!!! I did ok...I made about $60, which covered my table fee, lunch, and dinner for Saturday and Sunday night. So not bad, although it could have been better...at least I sold something!
This weekend is our Post-Wide Yard Sale...that means the whole military community has their yard sales the same day. It's a HUGE deal...I am by no means ready for it, but I honestly never am! LOL I can think of a ton of stuff already that I just need to pull out, wipe down and price. I also told my boys that we will make goodies together, but they can have a bake sale and 'lemonade' stand. AND whatever money they make they can split between the 3 of them! They are all very excited about that! (heck they might end up making more than I do! LOL) So tomorrow I need to start baking away so there will be tons of goodies for them to sell. We are also gonna do lemonade, sodas and waters. I've gotten some really great deals on those things, so I think it'll go well!
Then next week is my surgery, so I will be out of commision for a couple days. I don't think I'll really need it but my Momma says I am going to relax if she has to lock me in my room! LOL So I guess I better get my TV hooked up, my books ready and my Farmville set! =D

I have tons of new polymer clay items to share with you, but need to get pictures taken. Hopefully over the next few weeks I can do that. Thanks for listen to me ramble! Y'all have a wonderful week!
Deborah

I never promised you a rose garden...

but how about a little bouquet????

Last year at my pre-Mother's Day craft show, my flowers did really, really well! So I am hoping that will hold true for this year as well! I spent several hours last night making these polymer clay roses. Each petal is hand shaped and then added to the blossom. Each one is unique. The largest blossom is about 1.5 inches across (3 cm). They are on floral wire which will get wrapped in green floral tape and they will get calyxes and some leaves as well. I think these guys are gonna be mixed media pieces as I am planning to use handmade paper for the leaves and calyxes. For some reason I don't care for the way clay leaves look! (go figure! LOL)

I am very happy with most of the colors. The really deep burgundy actually baked a tad darker than I had hoped, but they are still very pretty. The other one I odn't care for it the peachy color. These were the first ones I made and I'm not entirely happy with them. BUT I am sure someone will love them! I want to make tons more of these as I intend to 'package' them up in little vases and boxes just like the full size 'real' ones! I think I am going to have some pre-made 'arrangements' as well as some loose ones so customers can choose their quantity and colors.

For now though I need to switch modes, as my left hand is a bit sore from pinching and smooshes around 400 individual petals! So on to some other cute things. :-)

PS silly me I forgot to add the link to my Flickr so you can see more pics of my roses!

YEAH!!!! I finally got some work done!!!!

It's about darned time too!!! I finally decided that my craft area re-org is just too time consuming. (right now) I have my first craft show of the season on the 8th of May and I am NO WHERE near being ready enough. So my claying area is 'set-up' I am started production! Since my show is the day before Mother's Day I am focusing on things for Mom. Yesterday I started with pens and pendants. I am only including 2 pics, but please check out my Flickr account for more!

Urgh...my apologies...

Again time has just run away with me. *sigh* So let me see if I can remember what has been going on in my life the last almsot 2 weeks.
When last I left you I was preparing for my one and only craft show of the season. it amuses me that I was invited to participate in 3, chose 2, then had to drop out of one due to being ill. *sigh* Oh well, the show I ended up participating in was put on by a local Art Guild. I went out Friday night for their Artisans Reception. I willingly admit to being more than a little intimidated and thoroughly scared about the show. Most of the artists in the guild are either painters or earthen clay sculptors. As I walked through the gallery, I couldn't help compare my little polymer clay pieces to the fabulous oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings and the fabulous sculpted bowls, vases and greenman masks. I was honestly beginning to wonder what I was doing in with these other artists. I left Friday evening apprehensive, but happy. I met many of the wonderful painters and sculptors and think I made some new friends as well!
Saturday morning I arrived about an hour early to begin to set up my booth. As i unwrapped and placed each piece someone would stop by and 'ohh' or 'ahh' over something. I bought a pair of small christmas trees (that once I start decorating, will flank my front door) I set one of them up on a low table beside my booth to hang all my beaded and polymer clay Christmas ornaments one. It does light up but unfortunately I didn't have an outlet available. =( Oh well, with a big 'bay' window behind my booth, plenty of light came in and showed off my ornaments perfectly. I took all of my polymer clay pieces (well the finished ones anyways! LOL There are still several in various stages on my table) and had them laid out.
The show opened at 10am Saturday morning with a nice crowd of people...And within the 1st 30 minutes I had made my first sale. And they just kept coming. I couldn't believe it...my fear from the night before was actually at one point replace by a little bit of guilt. The painters and sculpters had a hard time selling things, while I just kept moving little bits off my table. I sold several snowflakes in various forms and many of my small figurines. I sold several pair of earrings too. I even sold one of my large dragons. I traded another of my large dragons with another vendor who does earthen clay work. I got several small fabric Christmas tree ornaments and a lovely sage green bowl for my dragon. Another artist is a photographer...sho had this gorgeous matted photograph of a silhouetted beach at sunset. The sky was streaked in these luscious shades of magenta and burgundy...it's perfect in our master bedroom. During a lull in the crowd and wandered over to purchase it. She offered to trade the picture for a unicorn I had sculpted. I was only too happy to oblige. Yet another trade came from a lovely older woman who painted the most adorable set of snowmen I have ever seen. I will be honest I initally walked over to talk to her, because she seemed lonely in the corner by herself. Her framed snowmen were just a wonderful perk to meeting an equally wonderful lady. I bought the snowman that she had painted that best matched my living room...he will be proudly displayed this coming holiday season. The next day she bought a little piggy I had sculpted. (the painting and the piggy were priced the same, so I chalk it up to a trade;-D)
All in all I had a wonderful time, met many talented artists and actually did really well!
This last week has been spent trying to catch up on neglected house work and such. I have some miniatures I need to make for a swap...those need to be in the mail by Wednesday...(I'm working on them Kathy! lol) The I have a few more swap items to make, but those are due in early December, So I most likely won't start those until AFTER Thanksgiving. urgh MUST CLEAN HOUSE THIS WEEK!!! We will most likely be having some of my hubby's soldiers over for turkey day next week.
My next major project will be a bash and smoosh of a trio of Orchids.(dollhouse kits)
I bought one from Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago intending to build mom's shop in it...well I think it is just too small! So in talking to my hubby we have decided to buy 2 more Orchids (gotta love 40% off coupons!!!) and some balsa sheets to 'build' our our house for mom! I love the Orchid for all it's lovely gingerbread and fretwork. Mom's house will be painting in 3 shades of blue, ranging from pale ice blue for the exterior to deep navy for the gingerbread. Donnie is going to build me a full front porch for a rocker or two and possibly even a porch swing.
I am very excited about this project and can't wait to finish it...honestly even more so I can't wait for Mom to receive it!!! I'm thinking that the video camera might serve me well for that. =D

Now that I have rambled on and on for a while now I should scoot...the laundry room is calling me and my kitchen table is screaming my name, although the cries are muffled under mounds of papers and craft bits and bobs!
Thanks for sticking with me and reading this far. Talk to you all later!