Sunday, August 12, 2012

An Absurd 3 Weeks

As many of you know, I was getting ready to go to Colorado Springs to help my daughter, Nichole by being there to watch her two kids, Kai 12 1/2, & Evie 2 1/2.
They drove down here (Albuquerque, NM) on July19th and planned on leaving July 22nd.  I had an appointment come up at the last minute,  I had to be here for, so I planned to go up on the bus, the night of the 24th.
Here's how it actually happened, and what happened afterwards!
I don't remember exactly what day it was, but before the 22nd, Nichole's car (1990 Volvo)just stopped.  Couldn't get it started again.  It had gas, wasn't the battery, nor the starter.  It was towed to a shop, the fuel pump in the gas tank had gone out.  They did something to it so she could drive it to a friends house, so he could help her fix it.  Car was fixed and we hit the road the evening of the 26th.  Got into Co. Sprgs about 2:30 am Friday.  Sat the 28th we got up (about 10 am) to a flood in her laundry room, kitchen and part of the dining area. The main sewer line had backed up through a drain in the laundry room.  YUCK.  that got  cleaned up. She had called the maintenance guy right away, but the plumber didn't show up until 9pm! he was called about 8pm.  Oh duh, the owner (in CA) didn't realize nobody on either side of the duplex couldn't use the water!!!
Sunday am - I woke up with a minor scratchy throat and not feeling great - I was sleeping downstairs - everybody else was upstairs.
Sunday night after the kids were in bed, Nichole and I with gloves and masks on started ripping up carpet and linoleum.  Oh yeah, the owner had refused to pay for someone to come clean it up!  I got the section of carpet up and Nichole had part of the linoleum up in the laundry room and she said, "STOP" I'm not doing this anymore, there's feces under the linoleum.  So, we stopped.
(That's TP around the drain - after she pulled up the linoleum)
 After a call to the sewage dept, they said we should get out of there. Nichole informed the owner, and we took off to her boyfriends small one bedroom apt.  (3 adults, 2 kids, 2 cats) Owner finally offered to pay for a hotel room, for at least one week, but with everything they have to do, more than likely two weeks.  Because oh yeah, they also had to clean up the asbestos!
Well, to save everyone some $, Nichole decided we should just stay at the BF's and not pay any rent for Aug as it would save the owner almost $900 for the 2 weeks in the hotel.  OK.
Meanwhile, Monday am - both Nichole and I are feeling pretty ill, my throat hurt, glands hurt and swollen, woke up every am with my nose so clogged up I could hardly breath, feeling bad all over...............that kept up most of the week. I started steaming myself right away.   Same thing with Nichole except she was also nauseous after a few days, but not quite so clogged up. .
I needed to come back on Sunday Aug 5th for a few appointments, and we decided it would be better to have Kai come with me, and for us to stay here for a few weeks.
Only Sat, I woke up and started vomiting!  I felt horrible. Trip to urgent care!
So, we planned on Tuesday Aug 7th.  I had everything packed up and ready to go - Nichole went out about 8am with my suitcase and came in  a few minutes later, on the phone with the police dept reporting that her car had been hit!!!!!
Oh yeah!  We stood on the side walk back to the apt and just started laughing!  WTH????
The right tail light cover was all broken up and her trunk smashed in enough that she couldn't open it!
 She thought it might have been the people parked in the carport on the opposite side of the parking lot so we had to wait around for the police to show up!  They did, about 2:15!
Shortly after 7pm the 4 of us went out to her car to go shopping for snacks on the bus, and some food for the house.  Kai, noticed a few very small pieces of amber plastic in the parking lot just behind her car! Oh wait! there had been no amber plastic on the ground at 8am, but the entire amber cover was broken!  There was red on the ground, but no amber! Sitting right next to her car,  is this Dakota truck, front facing out, with front end damage with it's amber light missing!!!!!!!
So, I guess they figured they could pick up all the amber plastic and we'd never know who hit her car!  (?) There was some old damage on the truck, so it would be a little hard to prove, but the lower part of the bumper and their license plate sure looked like it matched the Volvo bumper! A friend took me and Kai to the store while Nichole once again waited for the police.  The pieces of plastic were too small to really do much with I guess, and so basically she is SOL, on getting anything out of the person who hit the car!
Kai and I made it on the bus on Wed. Aug 8th, I had an acupuncture appointment on Thurs and a Dr's appointment on Friday with errands to run both days, by the time I got home both days, I was exhausted.
My Dr. did give me some antibiotics for the congestion, which had traveled down to my chest in the past few days as well as still hanging out in my sinuses.  However, I'm going to steam myself some more and see if I can get it cleared up without.  If I'm not cleared up in a few more days, then I'll take the antibiotics.

Amazing what can happen in just 3 weeks!

 I had taken my computer up there, the monitor had been left on the coffee table under the living room window - well, when Nichole went back over there I think it was the day after we went to her boyfriends, she had to dump the water out of the monitor - it had rained, and the windows were left open!
We checked it out when I was getting stuff to come back ( brought the computer back with me) and it didn't work! So, I'm using her old monitor for now.  I never did get my computer set up there!
Thursday - I got up and wanted to take pics of the baby ducks - it seems as though the little door to the memory card will not stay shut tight - and the camera doesn't want to work!  so I have a rubber band around the camera until I can afford to have it fixed!

Oh yeah, I had to put all 3 shops on vacation mode as everything in my shops is in Colorado!  I'm working on a few crocheted items I hope to have listed pretty soon.



For the sake of space, I left out a lot of little details, but tried to include as much as possible without writing a book!
Nicole said she was thinking of having a sign made to put on the car and one for her that's reads, " I'm going through a lot right now, please don't make it worse!" or something to that effect!
Thanks so much for coming by and I hope you have a terrific day!
Oh how they have grown!
Mama & the 3 babies 7-12-2012
7-12-2012
7-12-2012
7-19-2012
How they have grown! 8-9-2012 The  pic on 7-19 was the last pic of all 3 of them - not sure what happened to the 3rd baby!
8-10-2012 Proud Mama & her 2 babies
8-11-2012 Just like most babies, these little guys take naps too (on the grass)!  they had just woke up and I was able to get this pic before they went back in for their afternoon swim! Mama is never far away from her 2 surviving ducklings. 

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

IBH Guild Featured Artist HopesandDreamsStudio

I'm a bit crazed this week, so I'm going to let the pictures do the talking for me with some wonderful creations from HopesAndDreamsStudio

Beautiful Sea Shore Set

So sparkly!














My Little Princess Charm Bracelet and Earrings  Sweet!














Lady In Bird Cage Necklace 

How cool!













Mermaids Matching Necklace and Earrings
Love mermaids!



Go take a look at some of the fun and pretty jewelry in HopesAndDreamsStudio

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

HandMadeArtists Featured Artist CrochetHooked

If you love those pretty sparkly crystals, you'll love  CrochetHooked! Cari, creator of Braidlets, which are beautiful crocheted wire bracelets also shares her expertise with a pdf pattern.

This exquisite Grace Pearl and Crystal Bracelet and Earring set are in her Wedding Jewelry & her Bracelet & Earring Set sections















This is pretty cool, this gorgeous Phantom Wire Crochet Bracelet is also adjustable!















Cari has been creating some very pretty crystal and pearl bracelets lately, and this beautiful Ocean Blue Swarovski Pearl & Crystal Crochet Bracelet really caught my eye!
(oh that would have matched my jeep!)


Besides these stunning bracelets, I think Cari's photography is pretty stunning too!  She seems to really know how to make those gorgeous creations pop!

I'm not a big jewelry nut, but even I like a little bling now and then!  Pay Cari a visit at Crochet Hooked, on HandmadeArtists her about me page Cari Baker, and her blog CrochetHooked and enjoy the sparkles!

Thanks so much for coming by and have sparkly day! :) sorry, just couldn't resist it!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

IBH Guild Featured Artist GlassSculptureOrg

Its Glass!!! Enough said!

No, seriously, if you even half way know me, you probably know I love glass! And hand blown glass rates right up there at the top of the list.  Finding wonderful creations by Joy Alyssa Day of GlassSculptureOrg was very enjoyable.  This delightful woman switched collage majors her junior year from computer, science, math to Theater, Costume Design, and went on to painting and then ventured even further and learned how to work with glass!  Yeah! I can tell you,  switching from that "career field" to an artistic one part way through school is a little scary (for a moment or two!).  But, at the same time, you know deep inside you it's something you HAVE to do!
Ok, I'll shut up now - well sort of!
Of course I'm going to start with an ornament! Love this unique Blown Saturn Christmas Ornament 
I'm not sure that I'd put this one away in the box of ornaments, it would probably hang in a window all year! (Oh, yes I do!)













Living in the desert SW having a Flaming Salsa Bowl would be fun to have! and then maybe some scrumptious ice cream afterwards! Of course wash it out 1st hehe.   Although, salsa flavored ice cream...........................no!








This is totally awesome! This Fused Glass Tile Pendant - Waves is created from a detail of one of Joy's original paintings which you can see here http://glassnebula.com/waves.html.


I'm inspired!

You can also visit Joy here http://bengalmania.org/  and here http://joysblog.glassnebula.com/

These 3 items are just a small sampling of her beautiful creations, I do recommend you go visit her studio GlassSculptureOrg

Have a glimmering day!

For fun, New Mexico, my home state, consumes more chili peppers (in various forms) than any other state in the US.  and yeah, I do add to that statistic!

Friday, July 6, 2012

IBH Guild Featured Artist Howling Caterpillars

Howling Caterpillars!  Ok, I've seen plenty of howling coyotes (too many in fact!) a few howling rabbits ( I even designed one), but really, howling caterpillars?!

I love it! and this avatar is so cool!

This mom and wife in Weymouth MA, has some pretty cool creations in her shop, such as this OOAK necklace titled And a Star To Steer Her By









she also creates DreamWebs, not calling them Dream Catchers because she isn't Native American (I really appreciate this about her) I really like this SemiSweet Paisley 12in DreamWeb









Although this next item isn't made by her, it is made by a friend and it's awesome.  This lovely Rose Quartz and Silver with Black HairPipe Choker is Native American made.
Oh yeah she also gives some great background info on all her items - I love reading about these things.

You can also find Howling Caterpillars here http://howlingcaterpillars.blogspot.com/
 and  http://spottedcrow.blogspot.com/

Wait, wait, wait, be sure to visit Howling Caterpillar on ArtFire too!  I love the way she writes!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

New Studio Opening

I'm excited!  After some deliberations and what in the world do I name it, it finally hit me as I was editing pictures for my to be shop!  Originally, it was something rather bland as Art by Lisianblue, then as I was editing pics I thought about Through the Looking Glass - nixed that idea, but reflections came to mind as I was reading the mission statement of a business named Through the Looking Glass, so Reflections by Lisianblue came to life. It is simply Reflections, http://handmadeartists.com/shop/reflections, however my banner and longer studio name is Reflections by Lisianblue.
Reflections fits - in different ways!

For now, I'm listing my hand painted stained glass butterfly wing pendants, such as this White and Black Butterfly Wing Pendant 













and other  hand painted stained glass pendants such as the Cherry Tree Art Glass Pendant


The hand painted stained glass pendants were created several years ago, but I haven't had them listed anywhere for a while.









and my newest creations,
Blue and White Art Nouveau Domino Art Pendant















and
Domino Art Pendant Red and White Zen Art



I have another one, that was supposed to be a brooch, but I can't get it to hang quite right, so I'm probably going to turn it into a pendant also.

I will be adding some original art on paper & canvas as well as some of my fine art photography.

For the month of July, enter  coupon code -  newshop  - for 20% off every item.  (Sorry, does not include shipping)

The background in the pictures is really white - what do you think, should I lighten up the pics more?
Welcome to Reflections by Lisianblue and thanks so much for coming by! Would love to hear what you think! Honestly!

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Handmade Artists Featured Artist Rasmussen Gems

I thought I would start this feature off with John's profile from his studio, Rasmussen Gems on Handmade Artists


"John Atwell Rasmussen was educated in Geology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. He then taught geology and after ten years switched professional course to prehospital medicine. He retired from emergency medical services and is pursuing his love of rocks, minerals and gems as the lapidary and jeweler at Rasmussen Gems and Jewelry LLC. He has been educated in Gemology and Jewelry Design and Repair at: International Gem Society, Gemological Institute of America and Penn Foster Career School.

Dr. Rasmussen is assisted in the shop by his wife, Debora Lee Rasmussen. She is disabled and does bead design and crafting making all of the beaded pieces in the shop. Debora previously designed decorative swags and wreaths custom made for home decor."
And on to the wonderful hand crafted jewelry creations


Bloodstone Pendant
It's interesting that bloodstone is called bloodstone, as it's green! but it has these wonderful red speckles in it! It really is a gorgeous stone, and I love the way this pendant is done.





































I really like the way this Mossy Agate Cabochon Pendant is wire wrapped






































I'm not Irish, (part Scottish), but I have a fondness for the Irish and this sweet Irish Heritage Necklace










If you are into making jewelry and are looking for some great stone cabochons, pay Rasmussen Gems a visit for some awesome cabochons such as this Jadeite Oval Cabochon


Hand Made jewelry at it's best!


Thanks so much for stopping by and I would love to know what you think!
P.S.  sometimes, my replies are a bit delayed - I have accupuncture appointments on Thurs, and I'm usually wiped out for a day or two after!
and now I really know how to spell cabochon! lo
Have a wonderful day!