Fluffy Flowers

distraction through crafting

Thank y'all so much for your kind thoughts and sweet comments about the tornado situation here in Macon. The clean up process is underway and folks are working hard to restore things back to order. Just one more day before I can get back to work and see the damage up close.

I've tried to use this unexpected time off as best I could. During the initial shock of the first days I lost my creative mojo and couldn't make anything at all. Finally, I decided to do a bit of creature crafting to make me smile again.

I've had the idea for this Owl pillow in my head for quite some time. Its just one of many ideas swimming around up there. I'm so glad that I finally managed to make it because I think it turned out might cute.

Concentrating on this new design took my mind off other things I didn't really want to think about which that was a good thing. I've never sewn a pocket onto anything before and I was having a tough time figuring out how to make it accommodate the little plush owl. Then I came up with the little pleat detailing and everything worked out perfectly.

I made a couple of these little cuties which will soon be in the Fluffy Flowers shop. And I'll also make them available at ICE Atlanta on June 7th.

Hope everyone has a thoroughly enjoyable day!

a mother of a weekend

This mother's day weekend was one I won't forget for a long while. The good part of the weekend was that my mother-in-law enjoyed her gnome gift. He's a cutie, isn't he? She named him Alfie and he's living under a tree in her front yard.

The bad part of the weekend is that several tornadoes ripped their way across my town.

We lost power early Sunday morning and didn't get it back until late that night. And still there are thousands without power. I couldn't believe the devastation until I saw it with my own eyes. Street lights ripped from their wires and slung off into the ditch. Business signs broken and glass everywhere. Many buildings and houses damaged in some way. Not enough cops around to direct traffic so you've got to treat intersections like a four way stop.

One thing that broke my heart was the damage to the trees. The center of the storm seems to have located itself over a part of Macon with many mature and beautiful trees. Pine trees were snapped in half and their tops lay scattered far. Mature oaks and such were pushed over and now expose huge root stocks. Thousands of trees were lost. I haven't seen anything like it since the aftermath of a hurricane back home in Florida.

Many of the beautiful plant photos on this blog are photographed where I work. Now the place is going to look very different. I was so upset when I saw the destruction that I couldn't even take pictures. But when they let us come back on Thursday I'll take those photos as a record of what happened that day. And I'll remind myself to enjoy the beauty of every moment because you never know what it will be taken away.

bad crafting & creature brains

What happens when crafting goes bad? Part of the fun of crafting is trying new and different things. Often this requires learning how to use new materials or familiar materials in an unusual way. And frequently there's a bit of a learning curve.

Now I don’t know about you but I like to jump in with both hands and learn these skills along the way. All the while I’m usually thinking, oh this is going to be fabulous! This is going to be great!

Then at some point in the middle of the process it occurs to me that maybe this project isn’t really going to be so great after all. Because things really aren’t working out the way I imagined or the way they’re pictured in the book. But I push through it thinking “well, I’ve already invested this much time in making it, not to mention the money”. And on I soldier.

Unfortunately, carrying on usually results in a hideously disappointing disaster that is now taking up valuable counter space. This is what happened when I tried to make marble magnets.

Sounds easy, right? Marble magnets. Everyone is making them. It’s just some glue, rocks, magnets, and pictures. Yet mine seem to have turned out not quite right. No, strike that, mine are ugly. Yep, I’ll be the first to admit it. They’re ugly as homemade sin.

I’ve been putting this project off for quite a long while. All the necessary materials were purchased weeks ago or maybe that was months ago now. I’d even printed and cut out pictures of my little Fluffy Flowers creatures. They’ve been patiently sitting in the cabinet waiting for me to assemble them.

I lit a fire under myself a couple of days ago when I remembered that ICE Atlanta was coming up on June 7th. Since I wanted to have some of these items available at my booth I decided I’d better get cracking on them.

But here’s the thing. I don’t do so well with paper. Now don’t get me wrong, I love paper crafts. Mostly I love looking at them and admiring them. But it seems like every single time I actually decide to make something with paper it ends up like Peter’s volcano that erupts all over Marcia in the Brady Bunch. Not good!

So what’s a girl to do? I know those marble magnets look wonky. A lot like a kindergarten project, in fact. So I’m afraid they’re destined never to see the light of day and to live out their lives in the land of Crafts Gone Bad. I wonder if they go to group therapy to endure the rejection?

But I have made a few successful things the past couple of weeks, promise! To prove it, here is a picture of a new batch of creatures nearly complete. Just have to squish their little fluffy brains down into their heads and sew them up.

Hope everyone has an awesome weekend. Creature making awaits!

adventures with Slashables

Slash a.k.a. Slashables takes his afternoon walk.

He usually has to stop a moment for a good roll around in the dirt.

Often he makes stops, perking up his ears at some noise in the distance.

But then he saunters on to check out a few more things.

Because you never know what kind of excitement is around the next corner.

Finally, he decides to sit and wait for the excitement to find him.

weekend wrap up

It was another beautiful weekend here in central Georgia. I was able to spend a lot of time outside including setting up at my weekly craft market and mowing the lawn. Did I mention that we started weekly mowing a few weeks ago? Yep, spring comes early here in the deep south and those pesky outside chores can get out of hand if you don't keep up with them.

In between checking out  a new woodsy trail and housework I still managed to squeeze in more creature making. I've completely lost track of how many creatures I've made. But I must say they're looking mighty cute all piled up in the studio. I'm also planning to build a lightbox to aid in photographing them. Has anyone made one and want to share tips?

And how about this pretty map, eh? Its almost as cute as the mapmaker and model.

busy in the Plush factory

Boy has the Fluffy Flower factory been busy lately. I've been making all sorts of fun creatures for my upcoming ICE Atlanta craft show. Some are twists on old favorites and others are brand new designs. Promise I'll take some pictures for you soon. In the mean time I ask myself how on earth I'm managing to get all this done?

There are certainly no more hours in the day. And I seem to have just the same amount of daily responsibilities. Yet, somehow, I'm managing to squeeze in more creature production time. Multiple plush creatures are laying all over the studio is various states of completion. Just exactly how am I managing to get all this stuff done?

It must be the pressure of working under a deadline. June 7th will be here lickity split so I know I've got to ramp it up a notch in order to have a fully stocked creature booth. Without this target date I'd probably still be thinking about what new creatures I'd like to make instead of actually making them.

Its the preplanning that seems to make all the difference. All those lists both on paper and in my head are helping me to break down the myriad steps into manageable chunks.

I must have learned this skill in college. I can remember many nights of working until 3a.m. on a paper that was due at 8a.m. I didn't always leave things until the last minute, but I did it often enough to know that I prefer to plan ahead and work steadily over a few days and weeks toward my goal rather than to squeeze it all in at the last minute.

Having that little extra bit of time to create means that I can enjoy the process. So here I am, hip deep in giving life to new, cute little creatures. And I'm having a blast.

flowers from another place

Thank you all for your sweet comments about my blue boys. They're nearly complete so I'll try to get them photographed for you soon.

When I was in Florida a couple of weeks ago I saw oodles of flowers bursting out everywhere. They were different ones than were blooming here in Macon, Georgia.

These beauties were all tropical and vivacious. Colors deep and rich and fairly far from the pastel range.

And even the textures seemed dynamic and more alive. Florida's strong sun and mild winters appear to ramp everything living thing up a few degrees.

There, cacti bloom out regularly and passion vines grow so strongly they turn into hedges.

One simply can't help feeling the passion everywhere. Sometimes I really do miss home.

blue boys among the flowers

What a beautiful weekend in central Georgia. It rained about half the time but that's a delightful thing because we're still suffering a drought. And that cloud water is just what we need to perk the flowers right up.

I managed to get all my lists in order so that I'm well on track to get things made for ICE Atlanta. The fun part of the list making was going through my studio and pulling out various craft supplies to decide what items to make.

During my search I discovered these poor little blue boys languishing in my WIP pile. They've been there for a while so I decided it was high time that I get these little fellows finished and stuffed. I also managed to get some purple, green, and pink ones made. They're the short haired cousins of my sweet little Pinky. Now finally they're stuffed and just waiting to be sewn up and beribboned.

Spring is everywhere I turn. Hope your fluffy flowers are showing up too.

another Purple Iris

I hope your weekend is full of joy.

a drive in the country

Sometimes a drive in the country is just the right cure for what ales you. You never know just what beauty lies around the next corner. Even everyday, utilitarian things can become objects of beauty.

Living in central Georgia, it doesn't take much to get to the country. A fifteen minute drive in nearly any direction will produce some sort of farmland with cows grazing a large open field.

How lucky we are to have such beauty so nearby.

check marks on my list

I'm feeling that time crunch again. The one where you feel like you've got nine hundred and fifty two things to do and very little time to do them in.

One of the hardest things to do sometimes is to take time to sit down and make a list. Or in my case, two and sometimes three lists. Lists make me feel much better. It really does help me organize my thoughts to get out a notebook and a pen and start writing down the things I want to do.

I also love the feeling of accomplishment from finishing one of those tasks on the list and then putting a big ol' check mark next to it. That check mark is mighty satisfying. Its kind of like the documentation that I actually got something done. Sounds a bit silly, I know, but its true.

I think I'll make some lists today. Not sure how many check marks I'll be able to put on there but it'll make me feel better all the same.

a tour of roses

We had a lovely weekend here in central Georgia. Beautiful blue skies with puffy, white clouds as far as the eye could see nearly all of Saturday and Sunday. Except during my market. Thats when we had dark gray skies and all this funny wet stuff falling down on us from above.

There was a slight break in the weather Saturday morning and amazingly enough some local folks braved the rain and made it out. Thanks y'all! And the groovy thing about a weekly market is you can always give it a go again next week.

On the brighter side of things, I did get a bit of good news this weekend. I got into ICE Atlanta. Yippee!

This Indie Craft Experience show is happening in Atlanta, Georgia on June 7. Thanks for selecting me folks! This is my first big show so I'm super excited and can't wait to start preparing my Fluffy Flowers goods.

The City Market on the Green

Saturday, April 19th my creatures & I will be hanging out at:

The City Market on the Green

8a.m. to 12noon
corner of Poplar & 3rd Street

Downtown Macon, Georgia

Come on out and meet the Fluffy Flowers creatures!

I can't believe opening day of the Market is finally here. I've been getting things ready for the last several weeks but still I don't feel prepared. Silly, I know, when I've got enough stuff to overload a full size car. But I worry just enough to spur me on to create new and fun things.

One of those new and fun things is a colorful line of pretty princess tutus. Didn't we all want one of those when we were little girls? Don't we still want one of those now?!

There'll be a whole lot more variety in the Fluffy Flowers offerings this year. If you're local, I hope you drop by and check out the market. If you're far away you can still shop in my online store. And please everyone stop back by here soon for a full report on opening day.

Wish me luck!

ode to a fisherman

I've been off planet for a few days. Well, it feels like I've been off planet anyway. Maybe I've just read too many J.D. Robb books.

Actually, I made a trip to the sunshine state, Florida, for a sad occasion. Turns out there wasn't much sun of any kind to be had. Gray skies were just about everywhere.

My mom's significant other passed away. I only ever met the fellow a handful of times but I feel like I know him well from her talking about him. And it was sad, so sad to see her suffering without him.

It's hard at times to know what to say or do. But I hope that just being there is enough.

He was a fisherman at heart and truly loved nothing more then to spend hours casting his rod and reel. We visited one of his favorite fishing spots at a local park. The tide was in and the icy wind slashed at our short sleeved shirts. But it didn't keep those devoted fishermen from casting out their lines.

And I like to think that where ever he is, Steve is having a fine ol' time casting out his own.   

Spoon River Anthology

Edgar Lee Masters was famous for one book, Spoon River Anthology. He wrote other things, many very different from that work, but those pieces were received with lukewarm enthusiasm.

There was something about the Anthology that struck a chord with readers. The small, fictitious town of Spoon River is the setting for a series of first person short stories about the townsfolk. Short, blank verse poetry almost. And after a while you might suspect that there is some deeper meaning going on here.

These short pieces are actually stories told from beyond the grave. Some readers say it's what would be written on the tombstones of the departed. All have an interesting story to tell and some provide valuable life lessons indeed.

Its fun to figure out the relationships that existed between these characters. And just like in every town there are mean folks, nice folks, honest folks, and cheaters. A handful are hateful and a few are truly kind souls. But most fall somewhere in between.

I've enjoyed this work both reading it linearly from start to finish and by just turning to a page at random. And somehow its a comfort to imagine that there is an awareness beyond this world. I'm sure they'd have it at your local library if you want to check it out.

Rest in peace, Steve.