My Creative Space

I am forever scouring the Internet looking at the creative spaces of others and end up drooling and wishing I had what they have...but it isn't so, but I must say I do LOVE my creative space and it meets my needs quite well. Welcome and come take a tour:

 This room belonged to my toddler, but since he would not sleep in it and my creativity was all over my family room and kitchen sideboard...I moved him out and me in...we are both very happy now. This is not a huge room, but it is cozy and quite bright.

 The buffet style changing table/dresser stayed and has been put to perfect use. It displays lots of product ready for market. I covered to canvases with some fabric I really like and made an elastic bulletin out of them to display past creations. Baskets hold other creations and wool scraps.

 Drawers hold broad cloth, printed cotton and flannel, all laid out for easy perusal. The little cupboard holds felt, material scraps and recycled fabric pieces and such.

 This is the business side of Darla Creations and another bulletin board I made. I also have my cutting board on the desk since it is so big!

 This is where I do most of sewing machine sewing....see the cradle full of MONSTERS! I can look out into the backyard. I love the old vintage sewing machine and even more so my NEW machine that my husband bought me...I am so lucky to have his support.

 I make dolls and I inherited this Legion Doll from my mother when she passed away recently. This doll was made for her and it is in full Legion uniform, I am so happy to be able to have it displayed in my creative space. My mom was creative when we were young, making quilts, sewing curtains (she made the ones at this window) and loved to crochet.

 I have lots of little places to put baskets and products.

Yet another sewing machine in this area. I use it just to sew felted wool. It was a gift from a friend who didn't need it anymore and it has really inspired me to sew, create and make the products that I do, however I have been a full-time crafter for more than 8 yrs and have dabbled all my life and even studied art and art history at Acadia...it is in be to create. I love this picture on the wall of my boys that I took, they are my world and certainly aide me in my creative thinking  process and execution.

So this it, the grand tour, not amazing, but comfortable and does the trick...oh I should mention that I have whole another room in the attic that hold all the surplus supplies...piles of felted sweaters, fabric, paper, machines, display items and so much more....enough for a whole another POST!

Creative Play

I really wanted to get some work done this afternoon, my creative need was beckoning me, but my little man was also constantly calling my name. Truly the largest Human Resource issue that Work at Home Moms face... and we must be creative in out attempts to solve the problem, we cannot call in a sitter, ship them off to the neighbour or for me send him to Nanny's house. He also loves to venture into my creative space and claim all items for himself...today once again he found himself drawn to the fabric drawer... and what should appear, but that same Bob the Builder material he spotted last week that he begged me to make something out of, for him, of course. I had said no, he had said, it is craft night, I said, I am busy, he says, I need something..well today he "got" that something....and I can still use the material for its intended purpose later on.....

And as if this teepee/tent was not enough for fill his needs, he went over to the door where some finished product hung and decided he needed something else, it is not like it was not just hanging there. I really have trouble saying no, and so I let him choose, now one would think he would choose the one with tools on it, but no cupcakes...WHY? "I love cupcakes", he says. Enough said.

This cupcake toolbelt/apron would allow him to have a belt like Woody (he loves Toy Story) and all was well and my own productive creativity prevailed and together in our creative space had a wonderful afternoon.

A Mother's Strength...a Daughter's Passion

A week ago tonight, my mother peacefully passed away. When I think of her and reflect, the things I remember the most fondly are her independence, her strength and her passion. She could make anything from nothing. Missing an ingredient she still baked, made a costume out of old sheets, no make-up - markers will do. She was about doing with what she had, never complained, always smiled and always gave to others. What was there not too love and above all she did not want anyone to worry, she would handle that too. She believed in me as a mother, a woman, and thought that it was awesome that I followed my passion. In a tribute to her, I will be

blogging a few pieces over the next while that will show how I get some of inspiration, why I am crafty and above all to show a little more of who my mom was, and why I miss her. On this note, I would like to post the Eulogy I wrote and read at her service:

Eulogy of Irene Nickerson
Thank you all for sharing this day with us. I will try to be brief, but for those who know me, I am not brief, but when talking with Mom, I think she would just look at the clock and cut me off, having had enough and the Legions calls! Many of you have known Mom from her time on Bernard St. Many of those stories she shared with us so I thought that I would share of few stories from hers after. Mom and Dad moved to Cat Island shortly after marrying into a house that he bought her on the way home from fishing, the same house she sold in a yard sale years later; only Mom would do that. When we were young she went to watch us skate, swim, but she couldn’t swim. Watch Troy moss in the river, but like I said she could not swim, she was there, it was important to keep us safe, that is what she was about, even to the last moment, keeping us safe. When we would get home school she always saved us dough to fry and she always seemed to find spare change when the milkman came so we could have chocolate milk – it was such a treat. She knew how to make $20 be $40, I don’t know how she did it. She made the best rappie pancakes, raisin cookies, hamburger soup and a mean chocolate fudge, this took years to perfect.

When she moved back to town, she said she gave Dad 20 years of country living, now it was his turn to live where she wanted, he didn’t argue. With this, she was able to dedicate more of her time to volunteering, in particular the Legion and its Veterans. She started holding every position in the Auxiliary and for the past 11 years as an Associate of the Main Branch. You could call the Legion and ask for Ma, you didn’t need to use her name. She brought her grandsons as sidekicks and it was fine. If she wasn’t home, you knew where she was. She loved the work, the people, the cause; she needed no awards, medals; the smiles on the Veteran’s faces were enough. She wanted to educate everyone about who they were, and we understood her passion and didn’t mind. The Legion was her second home. Thank you all for being here and celebrating her and we ask that you join us at the Legion, her second home, for a reception where we can share more about what made her so amazing. Thank You.

Walking Encyclopedia!

I grew up in a small little neighbourhood on a spot of land called Cat Island...(Glenwood, Argyle take your pick) in Yarmouth County. My dad bought my mom the house on his way home from fishing one day....she was a "Town" girl, but a house of your own is what everyone wanted in the 1970's so a pump on the sink and now indoor bathroom mattered little, a home is where you raised your family, and that they did and did it well. As a part of this raising is right, my parents put an emphasis on education...wanted us to obtain more than them and for us to have all the opportunities in the world, and it started with the purchasing of "The Merit Student Encyclopedia"....and although published in 1978, it is still a fixture in the house they own now...yes, it has been moved twice...oh and some of the books even ended up in the freezer on the first move, while the food thawed on the floor...talk about dedication to education!

I was in awe of these books when I was young, remember I was only about 6 when they bought them. The neighbourhood kids (I was 6-10 yrs younger then all of them)came to use them and I so wanted to do research too, I could not wait to read them all....and over time I read most of them and used them for my own studies as well. I knew facts about things that I just didn't need to know and my dad would read the children's books to me, those in the bottom right of the picture. The cream ones you could look up medical information and there was a 2 volume dictionary too. All any aspiring kid could want. They are fixture that truly show my parents dedication, although little did they know at the time that their little red head would be the one to use them the most, would be so nosy when others came to use them, or would go on to spend 7 plus years learning in a post-secondary environment. This would have been an expensive purchase at the time, remember, these were bought before an indoor bathroom or about the same time...thank goodness for those travelling encyclopedia salesmen and thank you Mom and Dad for seeing a bright future!

Peaceful Afternoon

So I made it through my 30 day challenge and blogging and picture taking for 30 days was so rewarding, so much so, that I have decided to continue. Not sure if I will keep up everyday, as I skipped yesterday, but I was suffering from mental drain. But here I am happy and back on track...and would like to share my sleeping beauty.... This picture represents a peaceful afternoon and a creative one....well completed a part of a project...but really is all about progress at this point.

27 days....

I am sure you did not read it here first, as all that has been on TV lately is awards show, and I have so say, I watch, not always do I listen, but oh do I critique...yes the wardrobe choice, not whether or not the winner deserved to to win or the other deserved to be nominated. Actually I am really not qualified for any sort of critique, but my personality leads me to have an opinion nonetheless. One thing my friends know, if I don't like your outfit, and you asked my opinion, I will tell you...if you don't want the truth don't ask. But more importantly, it is 27 days until Oscar Night, and well for me that means walking the Red Carpet, no! in Hollywood, in little old SJ and to be more precise my dining room.


A few years back, I decided that my friends needed an excuse to wear clothes that they had no place to wear them, clothes that made them feel special, if not glamorous...well to my surprise everyone was on board, and the event has grown...why someone has not created a fundraiser based on this who knows, so much better than "Wine Tasting" and much more classy. So now, the issue, WHAT to wear.... Last year was SIMPLE

I wore this amazing dress crocheted by my dear friend Sharon from a Vintage McCall's Magazine...the dress was Oscar Red Carpet, She was my Nora Walker and I was her Catherine, minus the $10,000, but a friendship weighed in gold.


So this year, I am at a loss....I have lots of bling....

But, not sure what to wear with it....another reason not to purge those dresses a talked about a few blogs back...never know when you may have to dig deep. Also, I am not a seamstress, so I am hoping something fits...oh and did I mention that I have been saving my dryer sheets...yeah I have....I might not be a seamstress, but I am crafty....oh and I do have an amazing Sari, I have yet to wear. What I do know is that I will not be wearing a strapless number with wings or fans (not sure what the technical style word would be) coming up from my boobs, they have enough issues without trying to make them fly or creating an opportunity for them to catch all the crumbs from the yummy food we will be eating. All I know for certain is that I am going to have blast, and I can't wait to see what everyone is wearing...it truly is the best part....oh and sharing the night with great FRIENDS!

Sunday Supper....lost tradition

Sunday suppers were somewhat of a tradition, it was the day when Mom made a big meal. Not that she did not make a meal every night from scratch she did, but they were quicker and did not have dessert. Sundays were different, she wasn’t as busy and could have the stove on all day...she would make Chicken, Roast or something along those lines, or spend her time making potato pancakes, imagine she even made long before she had a food processor, can you say “all day event and look out for knuckle skin”. But she was dedicated, unfortunately, I fall very far from the tree in this respect, I could live on Popcorn and Coke, neither I of these I might add would she be caught eating or drinking EVER!

It’ s not that I can’t cook, she taught me well, not too much water in the potatoes, but don’t boil them dry, always have another side, always have bread, always have something of substance, somewhere along the way, I lost the importance of the meal....when Kelton was little mixed veggies and tomato soup, was a MEAL more than once...poor guy no wonder he likes nothing....well that was until tonight’s supper...yup...he went outside his food comfort box...um no he still did not eat rice or potato dressing, but oh my he ate the other items and even tried the sweet and sour sauce, no complaints, but still not going vegetarian. I am so pleased; make my three hours and the use of some 15 spices and 10 ingredients at least later worth it. Oh, and more importantly perhaps is that Jeevan loved my Tofu meatballs, well that means not more packaged ones...still need to tweak the recipe a little, but they were devoured by all including the meat eaters!

Although I still miss the atmosphere created by mom, and I will in no way be able to create it myself, as it she who makes it was it is, I think I created my own today!

Menu:
Rice
Potato Dressing
Veggie Gravy
Corn
Zucchini Patties
Turnip Puff
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Tofu Meatballs
Crispy Crunchy Squares