Coozies that look like undies!!

How about these for the perfect stocking stuffer? I can make them in any color that cotton yarn is made in, panties or boxers, and even briefs (with an embroidered y-front fly) if you wish. These are my original idea, one of my former co-workers called regular coozies panties. Get them on Artfire or Zibbet for only $2 each, and just watch the recipient's face when they first see them!

I'm back!

Really, I never went anywhere, have just been doing a bit of job-hunting, with success after these couple of months. I work as an LPN, so it was just a matter of finding the right opening for me, and I'm now doing homecare for an agency and getting plenty of shifts. The weather has been hot in Tucson until recently, so my knitted and crocheted items haven't done very well at craft shows, but things are looking up there as well. I'll be posting some of my items here shortly, so keep your eyes open.

When the sun comes out after the rain

After all our recent rainstorms, the desert has a few blooming plants, though not quite like the spring wildflowers. These bushes are known as Texas Rangers, and they bloom in shades of purple after monsoon rains. These particular ones are in my backyard, complete with bees pollinating them.

The little furbaby is Oscar, more commonly known as Ozzie, doing his morning explorations.

Shawls on Sale

All of the wonderful shawls, both knitted and crocheted, are now on sale for the Artfire Stimulus Sale! Check out my studio for lots of goodies, large and small. More stimulus promotion coming up soon, not only my studio, either

When it rains again in Tucson

Take a look at the flowing water in the Santa Cruz 24 hours after yesterday's post! It's been higher, a few years ago, but this was rather spectacular. By 4 in the afternoon (this was taken at 6:30 in the morning) the river was back to a slightly lower flow than yesterday's high.

When it rains in the desert...

Yes, it really does rain in the Arizona deserts, in the summer and winter, and the summer rain pattern is called the Monsoon. When these rains finally come, and they were a bit late this year, the dry riverbeds fill with very powerful flowing water. Here are some photos of the Santa Cruz River, usually only a few feet wide and inches deep with treated water from the facility a little bit downstream. This past morning I took a walk on a paved walkway on the riverbank on my way home from work, and this is what I saw.

The ducks are a bit of a bonus, though they are frequently swimming around.

New Treatment of Old Tecchniques

I happen to be a needlework addict: knitting since the age of 6, crocheting since college, embroidering in different ways all along the way. Hardanger, a form of withdrawn thread work that originated in Norway, is the latest technique I've learned, though it was abou 17 years ago, and I give it my own twist, like everything else in my crazy life.

My newest creation in Hardanger is now for sale in my Artfire studio, Hardanger brooches. They are seen nowhere else on Artfire, Zibbet, or Etsy, that I could find before listing them, and I only hope they go over well. The technique of Hardanger is usually done in white or ecru thread on matching fabric, but I love using color in unusual ways, so mine are all done in unique color combinations. I have one example here, just go to my studio, Acadienne, if you want to see what else I have up my sleeve.

Christmas in July on Artfire

Now is the time to shop for your Christmas gifts on Artfire! Premium handmade gifts are reduced in price in some studios, or, like me, some are just promoting their reasonably priced ornaments and gifts. Lots of goodies to buy, and then you can relax during the holiday rush and be the envy of all your friends!

Wildlife in the city

One of the benefits of working night shift here in the desert is that the native wildlife comes out in the morning, before many day workers are out and about. I get to hear the multitude of birds, watch the rabbits munch on the native plants in my workplace yard, and occaisionally get to see wonders like this pair of Harris Hawks right here in an established city neighborhood.

I unfortunately don't have a night vision camera, because from time to time we have a bobcat that hangs out in the flowerbed right outside the living room picture window! We regularly see coyotes and javelinas, also nocturnal for the most part, crossing the yard and even going right past our cars, parked next to the house.

This is a regular house in a regular Tucson neighborhood, not on the outskirts, that has been here since the 1970s, which only goes to show that we indeed live right next to wildlife, even in the city.

Seeing the unusual

So many times we all fail to see the things in nature that are really quite remarkable, especially if they are only visible at certain times of day. One thing it took my several years to notice is that the top of the mountain closest to my home smiles every morning shortly after dawn. It is only when the angle of the sun is just right, for about a half hour, but I now look at it as a really wonderful example of joy in our world.

What is a Life Lived Otherwise?

Well, I remember hearing the phrase from a college professor of literature that teachers of English are those who teach otherwise, and I now paraphrase him to describe much of the way my life has gone. How else can you refer to a Baby Boomer female who has spent most of her life doing things that most women don't even consider, but now finds herself working as a nurse (lpn) and also selling needlecrafts online? Of course, I was the one who did needlework while watching sports with Dad, and also gave my commanding officer a handmade Christmas ornament, so I guess I've always been a bit conflicted. I've also recently discovered that part of what makes me so different is that I very likely have Asperger's Syndrome, mildly so, thus I never quite fit in, but manage to function just fine most of the time. In this blog, do expect examples of my crafted items as well as those of my fellow Artfire artisans, and, of course, my thoughts on various subjects.