I haven't deserted my blog!

Just to let everyone know that I am NOT missing in action yet again. I have been working on a few blog posts as well as getting our house and yard tidy. Actually it has been more getting everything ready for company and a little bit of working on the blog posts. Our daughter Melissa, her husband Jon, and their little boy Ethan, our grandson, arrived today from Toronto. I will get those posts done but possibly a little slower than anticipated. Thanks everyone, have fun whatever you are doing.

Church of the Advent Garage Sale

I went to the Church of the Advent garage sale today. I had a good look around and did not see a thing that I would be able use for future sculptures, that was a sad moment.

I was talking to an old friend who was selling the picture frames and happened to look down and saw more boxes of frames under the table. Usually there are only empty boxes under the tables but not this time.

This was the first frame that I pulled out. I almost didn't buy it but thought that maybe I should, in other words I would be crazy not to buy it!

A 1933, the date has been written on the back, Art Deco inspired frame was the next one in the box.

The frame on the left I think may be leather. It is about 4" high. The metal picture frame with the Chinese dragons on it is slightly smaller. The backing papers inside the frames are quite beautiful as well so they may be used in some way, I'm not certain.

I saw these metal beads earlier but dismissed them. They are just over a 1 1/2" in diameter, they may get used as exotic lanterns.

When I saw the metal frame with the dragons on it I immediately thought of this 2' square embroidery that I bought last year at a Salvation Army store up island. The dragon is hand embroidered with metallic gold thread onto black silk. I was blown away when I found it for two reasons, it was so beautiful and it was $2.99! I have been thinking about using the embroidery as a stage backdrop for an Oriental magician and that frame works splendidly it.

Have a look in my Etsy shop to see some of the vintage and antique items that I have incorporated into my sculptures.

Salvation Army treasures.

I  go to Salvation Army regularly and have been a fan of thrift shops since my teens. I didn't ever look at this as recycling but as a source for interesting art supplies that no one else was using. I realized several years ago that I recycle when I am creating a sculpture. I have a good selection of vintage and antique textiles, trims, and props that I can select from.

In the last few months I have found some great props and textiles for future sculptures. I have some ideas for stage magicians using my veggie guys that I am excited about creating. I was wanting a carpet to go on a stage underneath a levitating lady. It was a momentary thought, then not considered again. Two months ago there were these 4 carpets hanging in the textile section for $6.00.

FOUR CARPETS!

$6.00!

I am quite picky when it comes to scale. I don't work in 1:12 scale or anything like that but the thickness of a cups wall should look right, the curve and bowl of a spoon should look and feel correct. I suppose some of what I am referring to is intuitive; I just don't want anything to be a distraction when someone is looking at a piece of my work. These carpets look like a real carpet on a small scale. They are tufted, the edges look the same as a large carpet, and the fringe ends are from the actual carpet when it was made not sewn on.

A few of the props that I have picked up lately. The circular stand with the lion feet will possibly be used to create the base of a large Victorian/Edwardian stage illusion.

I have several frames and trays with fancy pierced metal edges. These are cut apart and used for proscenium edges on stages. The necklace with the bangles hanging from it may be used as edging for curtains or as part of an "oriental" costume. The other necklaces and green buckle will be used for costuming.

Here is a sample of the fabrics that I have picked up. I buy silk vintage scarves whenever I find them. The silk has a nice drape to it and as I mentioned before the visual weight, I hope that makes sense, looks correct. I suppose what I am trying say is that if a piece of fabric was made into a costume and shrunk down to the correct size the thickness of the fabric would change as well. I think that I am being a little obsessive aren't I; not only with the fabric but the description as well! HAHAHA!!!!

I buy silk saris whenever I find them. They can be very colourful with some beautiful patterns. This red and gold sari reminded me of theatre curtains so we shall see how it gets used.

Have you noticed that I enjoy the exotic? At the turn of the last century and earlier for that matter Orientalism was very popular. The world is so much smaller now with easy communication that exotic is taken for granted. I am not trying to recreate exact countries and costumes but a theatrical idea of the exotic.

I picked up this lamp shade on Friday. It is a very unusual shape. I almost passed it by but decided to get it. My decision of possibly not buying it was based on storage space not actual use, fortunately practicality did not win out! It was in perfect shape but as you can see I have already started stripping it of the fabric.

I forgot to mention that one of the carpets that the lamp shade is resting on will be turned into a flying carpet. In the upper left hand corner of the photograph you can see a brown ceramic urn holding a silver salt cellar standing in front of a fancy turned wooden salt cellar, these will be turned into exotic oriental treasures that will be on the back of the flying carpet.

The lamp shade stripped and ready for use. I definitely like it better with the fabric taken off, so many possibilities.

I will keep in touch with the progress of the sculptures.

I'm back

I am back in the land of blog! I have been doing a MAJOR clean-up in my studio. You have no idea what a sorry state it was in. It is now much tidier, thank goodness.

That interspersed with figuring out what to do about a website and sales kept me busy. Last year my website crashed at my host including all of their backup files so I haven't had a website for quite a while now. I decided to consolidate various blogs and the website and anything else that seemed to be floating around into one area. My blog is now the home base for Happy Holidays; Etsy is my sales area.

I have been adding work to my Etsy shop and will continue to do so over the next month or so. Click this link or click the link underneath the blog header to visit my shop.

giant portrait rattle - "Lovey of Lovey's Tearoom"

This is a close-up a giant portrait rattle - "Lovey of Lovey's Tearoom". She is waiting to take her famous sweet potato pumpkin pie and hedgerow berry pie to a very discerning home!

"Edna came as a Paris runway model"

Edna loves Haute Couture and decided to go trick or treating as a Paris runway model. She created the hat herself; she is delightfully eccentric as well as a lot of fun.

The red and yellow "Victoria shoe" candy container

If you love shoes there are several shoe candy containers to select from. There are more that I will be posting in the near future.

I have been frequenting Salvation Army quite regularly so I will show you a few of my treasures in a few days, in the mean time enjoy looking around the shop.

Happy Easter!

We have made these hot cross buns for a very long time now and I thought that I would pass the recipe on. It comes from an old cookbook published by the Vancouver Sun called "Edith Adams Bread Book". Good ol' Edith Adams was a ficticious character. I hope you enjoy them.

This image is from a Victorian book called"Children's Songs With Music". The inscription on the inside reads "Dear Irene, with Grannies best love. Xmas 96.

Spicy Hot Cross Buns

Sift together 4 cups all-purpose flour with 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon allspice, and ½ teaspoon cloves.

Add ¾ cup washed raisins, 1/3 –1/2 cup of mixed peel, ½ cup chopped cherries (opt.)

Dissolve a teaspoon of sugar in ¼ cup warm water; sprinkle with 1 package yeast. Proof for 10 minutes and then stir well.

Heat 1-cup water; add 1-teaspoon salt, ¼ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons soft shortening, and 1 beaten egg. Mix well. When lukewarm add yeast.

Pour into well in flour, stirring until liquid disappears. Form into a ball and knead for 2 minutes. Brush top with melted butter, cover with damp then dry towels. Let rise double. Punch down. Put ball of dough on lightly floured board; cover; rest 10 minutes. Cut in two; form into cylinders. Cut each cylinder in to 9 parts. Form into slightly flat balls. Put in 2 greased 9” square pans or 2” apart on baking sheets. Cover and let rise. Cut crosses in tops. 

Bake. After 15 minutes brush with glaze of 2 tablespoons sugar and two tablespoons of hot milk or hot water. Finish baking. Reglaze. Cool on racks. Frost in creases if desired. Makes 18 buns. BAKE: 375 deg. F for 20 – 25 minutes.

My adaptation to the recipe

I use whole-wheat flour. It does make them denser but they are very tasty. Add 1 tablespoon off fresh lemon juice for every 4 cups of wholewheat flour and it will make your wholewheat bread less dense.

Any time it mentions sifting I put the flour and /or spices into a large bowl and incorporate them with a French whisk. Using a whisk to fluff up the flour is so much faster and tidier.

I use ½ a cup not 1/3 of peel, plus I use candied citron. I make a quadruple batch of buns so when I measure out the mixed peel I measure 1 cup candied citron and 1 cup mixed peel. The raisins must be washed, it helps to plump them up when baking so that they are soft otherwise they tend to be hard. I do a mix of 1 cup golden raisins, 1 cup dark raisins, 1 cup sultanas, and 1 cup currants.

I don’t like to use shortening so I substitute it with butter. We try to use honey in place of sugar. The hot cross buns are baked in two large pans. One pan is left unglazed and the other I glaze with the sugar/milk solution. I like the sugar for glazing. Have fun baking.

Happy Valentine's Day!

  HAPPY  VALENTINE'S  DAY!  

Here are

a few

1920's Valentine's to wish everyone

a very happy and love filled day.