I love waking up to a blizzard raging outside while I am safe and snug in my bed. And that's exactly what happened this morning. I lay there for awhile with Roman on one side of me and Simon on the other (my cats) and savored the fact that I didn't have to jump up and get the kids off to school. I took my time and when I was ready I slowly got out of bed and went downstairs. 
Ickles stretched off in front of the fire.
The view through the dining room window.
Outside my studio window on the day of the snow storm. You can barely see the birdhouse that hangs just beyond my window.
This is a page from my art journal. I created this piece using an image transfer from a copy of a graphite portrait that I drew a few years ago. I love this technique so much....
This little piece with the image of a bird, was created using a sand dollar handpicked from the rugged shores of Newfoundland. Each sand dollar is hardened before I begin the painting/collage process. Two coats of varnish is then applied to protect the artwork as well as to harden it further. Painting, stamping, pieces of vintage newspaper from 1937, images and text were used in the creation of this piece.
Ickles is back safe and sound. A kind couple who live not far from here took Ickles in when he showed up on their doorstep last night. He was cold and scared, but otherwise, fine. The sad thing is that on Wednesday night their cat, who looked just like Ickles, was killed by a car. A bittersweet ending.
Ickles has been missing since yesterday afternoon and I'm so worried about him. He never ventures very far from home and is back within hours. We went out looking for him, but there is no trace at all. We are expecting snow tonight and I'm sick to my stomach just thinking about it. He is so very sweet and the house is unusually quiet. I want him back.....
Imagine my amazement and delight when I discovered that Meggie had layed an egg last night. It's the tiniest egg I have ever seen. I have it in the fridge until I can figure out what to do with it. I was thinking of blowing the insides out and making something cool out of it -- the egg not the insides.
When my kids would help me in the kitchen when they were younger, it almost always turned into a nasty situation with my daughter, Rebecca, being the instigator. Now that she's older she is much easier to get along with and a huge help. This year I'm going to teach her how to make a cherry cake. My grandmother and my mother both made cherry cakes every year at Christmas time for as long as I can remember and I kept up this tradition when I moved out on my own. Now it's time for Rebecca to learn. I remember so many Christmas's when I cut the cherries in half while mom would mix all the other ingredients together as carols played in the background. She had to keep a close eye on me though, because when she wasn't looking I would eat a cherry or two or three.
Here's Meggie! She didn't mind having her picture taken at all and was quite gracious about it. I think she and I will get along just fine.
I created these spiral earrings using steel wire that I filed, hammered and tumbled polished to a beautiful shine. They are available for sale in my Etsy shop.I brought home the latest addition to my pet family today -- Meggie the cockatiel. She is a little stressed out about the move but I think she will adjust just fine as she gets used to me. I'm looking forward to having company in my studio and I love the sounds that she makes. Tomorrow I will post some photos of her...she is really quite cute and I love her already.
Dangling from these little polished steel hoops are light sapphire celsian Czech fire polished drops. 
Some milk and honey soap I made using the hot processed method and a pair of earrings.
The above necklace I made using a gorgeous teardrop shaped crystal from a chandelier that I found in my favorite second hand shop. It had many of these beauties dangling from it as well as some small ones that I use to make earrings. It's hanging from a strand of creamy pearls that I wrapped with steel wire. I wear this piece of jewelry all the time and I'm thinking it will look lovely against something red during Christmas. 
"Forgotten"
