In an on-going effort to learn to create beautiful things and make what I would once buy, I have discovered the joy of cookies. I have long known the joy of eating cookies. Along with cake, cookies are on the top of my sweets priority list. This past year I have been deeply inspired by the work of many talented cookie artists on Flickr.com.

Snowflake Cookies Uploaded by irresistibledesserts

Snowflakes for a Dinner Party

Uploaded by Mad About Cookies

Snowflakes 2009 Uploaded by AMasterCreation

My cookies do not show the same delicate finesse these amazing inspirations do, but they were quite tasty. More importantly, they opened up the door to cookie decorating possibilities in the future! I look forward to continuing to hone

my skills as a cookie decorator.

Cookie decorating skills I am going to need since my best friend got me some very cute wildlife cookie cutter from Ikea ! They are the Drommar Cookie Cutters

Posted: January 1st, 2010 under Uncategorized.
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snowflake cookies

Originally uploaded by JILL’s Sugar Collection

these cookies are truly magical! They look as though they are made from actual snowflakes - they are true works of art. I bet they tasted good too! With practice, perhaps I too can bake and decorate something so whimsically beautiful.

Posted: January 1st, 2010 under Uncategorized.
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Where would a little girl be without her imagination? In a world without possibility that’s where, and I for one have always had my mind drifting in the clouds of possibility. I have always been able to close my eyes and go Wonderland.  My affection for Alice has been life long. This year, I finally felt the pull to become the little lady that could for Halloween.

This year, along with one of my closest girlfriends we will be attending the Alice in Wonderland Festival at trout Lake  (www.aliceinwonderlandfestival.com) For years, I have either been away, or unable to attend due to extreme forgetfulness. This year, finally I will be there and though it is months away I am looking forward to it already. Why? Because I know it will be filled with other fun loving individuals like myself!

Posted: November 8th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
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             Perhaps one of the highest compliments of all for an artist is the request of a custom piece. A merger of two unique points of view into one piece created by an artist envision by a client. To trust someone else with your visionis an amazing thing that can have a wonderful result. To see what you have imagined brought to life by someone else is really amazing. Rarely will the two visions match exactly, but somehow there seems to always be a harmony - a melded vision that takes shape.

I have been fortunate enough these past months at the behest some of my clients with to create some beautiful pieces for their events. It has been very exciting for me to take their ideas and create the combs that they have wanted. I have also done some feather work for clients recently, and I look forward to seeing pictures from their events. I thought I might share some of my recent custom requests. Feel free to drop me a line if you have something custom in mind as well.

Posted: October 4th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
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This summer has brought a lot of positive attention to my little Etsy shop. It seems that people are enjoying my recent creations and have been using them in their treasuries. I’m very excited to see my work through the eyes of others - it pleases me to no end to know that others enjoy what I do. I was absolutely blown away to find that I made it to the Etsy front page 3 times this summer and am currently in the Etsy Hallowe’en guide.

Being on the the front page wasn’t only  great for my eg, it was great for my store’s popularity. I am now up to 370 favorites, gaining over 40 new fans in one day thanks to this most recent Front page with my Golden Butterfly Mosiac. I am sad to say that I have not had the pleasure of discovering myself on the front page - I deduced it had happened when the views on this item went from 200 to near 700 in a day. Searching through the archives that Etsy keeps on Flickr, I discovered that my hunch had been correct.  I hope that my work continues to garner attention and that my ideas remain fresh so that people will continue to get excited about my work.

Posted: September 14th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
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Beauty can be vibrant and colorful, or it can be delicate and fragile in soft shades. Of course, since beauty is in the eye of the beholder it can be anywhere in anything if looked at with a different sensibility. It is with this in mind that I am looking anew at moths - the butterflies of the night. Much less flamboyant than their daytime counterparts, moths are seemingly more fragile and whimsical. As we head back to school and wander from summer into fall the flight of the moth will be seen throughout the continent. Moth are the butterflies for the gals who like things a little darker, a little more gothic and full of subdued elegance.

My butterfly combs having been brightening up my own hair dos all summer. It is a great joy to me to create them and to share them on Etsy. With my most recent batch I have been experimenting with staying within a certain color palette. I think the effect is quite pleasing.   

Posted: September 8th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
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There is not one woman I know in this world that is not involved in changing herself for the better in some way. It may be through diet, exercise, education, motherhood, meditation, or even simply trying to blog more often. It does not matter how small or big the change is, or how often the changes are happening, all these women are in a constant state of change. It is little wonder to me then that so many women and girls are drawn to the beautiful butterfly, the very symbol of change through metamorphosis. Beginning one way, but emerging another to take flight in full beauty. Women are thousands of butterflies born through self initiated change throughout their whole lives. Each butterfly more beautiful than the last because it takes us closer to our final selves back to the cocoon in this world, for freedom in the next.

In the last year, I found myself  drawn to butterfly imagery and ideas. I have been creating collages, hair pieces and needlework all of butterflies. For many years I seen myself in the lovely creatures. It is only now that I see it is not just me, but all women. As we go into fall, I am creating butterfly head combs to remind all of us of the beauty within. The ability we have to change is always there - it is our constant state and through every hardship or triumph, we always emerge a more beautiful butterfly.

Posted: August 25th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
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Using feathers to create hair accessories seemed like a chance to reconnect with a sense of whimsy and create items for gals that enjoy mother nature. Feathers are nature’s original accessory, it seemed they were a perfect fit. I hit the internet, ordered feathers wholesale and I created, but sometimes I noticed the feathers smelt a bit odd. And that smell got me to thinking about the origin of some of the feathers I was getting.

Where were these birds? Why did they no longer need their feathers? I mean it’s not like I order chicken feathers that are a a bi-product of the meat industry.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized that some of the feathers were coming from China - and I am sure they come from poor circumstances. I began to feel guilty about supporting such an industry and, more importantly, I felt it was very contradictory to what I am trying to create with my headbands. Many of my specialty feathers like parrot and peacock have come from  safe source. Where the bird molts the feathers annually. I decided that I would like to source the rest of my feathers this way also. I made contact with a hunter who hunts pheasant for food and I  purchased two pheasant pelts, complete with thousands of feathers. Thousands of feathers that I am going to pluck myself for my craft.

I began last night, and let me tell you I have a new respect for the generations of woman before me. plucking a bird is challenging. It takes a while to get into a rhythm, but it’s worth it. I feel great about the cource of these new feathers and the quality of the feathers is unbeatable. I will continue to use up my previous supply of feathers, but my primary feather creation focus will be shifting from head bands in to headpieces =) I hope you will enjoy the unique creations about to come to my Etsy store!

Posted: August 12th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
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For many years I truly believed one had to be “good” (with natural aptitude or talent)  at something before he or she should endevor to do more or that activity. Subsequently, I believed that since I was not “good” at art, or a “good” cook and gardener that I should keep away from this activities. Now I realize that no one is “good” at anything right away and that in striving to become better one can fidn a sense of self and discover that there are all sorts of levels of goodness to be discovered. I have taken to sewing, gardening, art and baking and am discovering a deep satisfaction in doing for myself what I used to rely on others to provide.

This past week I followed a recipe for pizza dough in the classically Canadian magazine Chatelaine. It was my first time ever using yeast and making my own bread (other than banana, of course!) Eating the end result was so satisfying. I cannot wait until next year when not only will I have made the dough, but the pizza will be topped with items from our garden.

Simple Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) liquid honey
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) lukewarm water
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) or 1 pkg traditional yeast
• 2-1/4 cups (550 mL) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil

1. In a small dish, stir honey with 1/2 cup (125 mL) lukewarm water. Sprinkle with yeast, but do not stir. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 8 minutes. Place flour and salt in bowl of a food processor. With machine running, pour in yeast mixture, then oil and remaining 1/4 cup (50 mL) lukewarm water. Whirl, stopping and scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. If dough is too thick, continue whirling and gradually add more water, a tablespoon (15 mL) at a time, until dough cleans sides of bowl and forms a ball. If it becomes too sticky, gradually sprinkle in an additional tablespoon (15 mL) flour through feed tube while machine is running.
2. Form dough into a ball. Place on counter or a cutting board lightly dusted with flour. Flatten into a disc. Loosely cover with plastic wrap. Leave on counter at room temperature to allow dough to increase in size by about one-quarter, 25 to 30 minutes.

Posted: August 10th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
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While in Toronto I spent some time on Queen Street West being inspired by the heart of the city, the pulse of creative types and having an opportunity to peer into the garment districts baubles and wears for sale. The availability of beads, feathers and all manner of creative supply was awe inspiring. I could have spent hours in each trim shop and spent hundreds of dollar despite relatively cheap prices. Living in a small city means I source as locally as I can (like my yard!), or purchase online because many items are not available here. Seeing a large city’s resources was astounding and I know there was so much more I did not see!

I did purchase a few great items to use in my upcoming creations and I was definitlly inspired by the people I saw. Despite all the wonders of the city, I found it to be too sterile (even though it was covered in garbage) to be a place I would want to call home. I did not hear the roar of the ocean, or see the ridge of the mountains, and for me, that is what  I need to feel truly inspired.

Posted: August 7th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
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