May 30, 2012

I have definitely been neglecting my blog.  Amazing how this JOB thing cuts into the creativity, along with inspiration! 

I finished a basket a week or so back and I absolutely love the way the new 'harvest' has added to the mix!

This one is for Greg! 

 Here you can see the dark green of the Queen palm, the off white of the Palmetto frond new growth and there is even some of the wild Muly grass that we picked in there.  The center is a piece of Oak that he had in his shed for years.  He originally cut it many years ago for a cub scout project for his son, who is now 20 something.

I twisted the rim pieces and love the barber pole effect!

It sits proudly on his dresser and he uses it to empty his pockets into when he comes home at night.  I am honored!  Both at he uses it and that he and his wife have been such good friends to me.  Below you see the bottom.

It is not a very large basket, but very striking with the different shifts in colors.  I am on to the next one...that is if I can find some time in the day!

Busy, busy, busy!

I am truly sorry my fellow artists that I have been slack with my blog for the last few weeks. 

Things have been happening very fast for me.  I put in an on line job application, knowing that you are one in hundreds and I probably would never hear anything from them...WRONG!  Within 3 hrs. I got an interview and got a job. 

I had just surrendered my metal tag for my car that should have been surrendered 2 yrs. ago and they kept my driving license.  Thus no pic I.D. making getting a new job very difficult.  Seems that now, due to homeland security new laws, you must have a birth certificate to get any kind of state i.d.  No problem, I have one at home with the rest of my important papers.  WRONG AGAIN!  I even had the empty envelope with a postage stamp 2000 from when I ordered the last one, but of course the birth certificate was not in it.  And to make matters worse the average wait time for one in the state I was born in was 14 wks.  Now what?  Well I was in touch with some very nice folks at the Vital statistics and of course the DMV and they agreed to try to expedite the process for me.  Unfortunately that would not have been in time for the new job.

However, I do have a voter's registration card and a social security card and these two documents will suffice to prove U.S. citizenship and ability to legally work.  Whew!

Then, instead of the job I actually applied for, they put me in another position all together.  The first job's schedule would have matched my roommate's exactly and transportation would have been a snap.  Not so with the position they put me in.  Now what do I do.

Well, the same folks I am buying my RV from (once I got a job) also came into a car that they were selling to someone who wouldn't make their payments.  Only I don't have a legal driving license. Now what?  They agreed to help me get my license (think finance me) and tag and insurance for the car.  Thus after tons of paper chase, and lots of being taxied around from one office to another I am a legal driver again.  After 2 1/2 yrs.  I am also in debt for more than I have ever been in my entire life.

But I have a JOB, a CAR and a place to live as soon as I gather up money to put it in the camp park I have chosen. 

I work nights so far, and I am exhausted when I get done.  It is a truck stop and I work the fuel desk.  Even though I used to drive an 18 wheeler, I had forgotten how busy these truck stops are. 

So my friend's no only am I adjusting to driving, (I am hyper-vigilant without even meaning to be) I am adjusting to the job and the schedule, and will also be moving in the up coming couple of weeks.  These are all wonderful things, butttttttt, it means I will have much less time for art and for blogging as well.  I may not even have internet for a while ;-(.  It depends, like most things, on the money. 

So for now, know that I love you all and will write when I can.  And getting internet will be a priority as soon as I can.  Let's just make good use of the time I have left to be visiting with you and know that it has been fun.

Your fiber artist friend,
Marsha

I've been harvesting some new materials.

Today is April 29th, Sunday.  WOW!  Where is the time going.

Anyway, I was sitting by the pool with some friend's the other day and (same friend's where I got the cool Oak center's for my basket) once again her hubby was busy putzing around in the yard.  This time he accidentally cut the wrong limb from a Queen Palm.  He meant to cut a dead ugly one, but instead got a beautiful live green one.  So I immediately sprang into action and took off the frond leaves.  They were a VIBRANT green, but then got a softer milkier look to them.  They have only dried for about a week, but here is one of the two bundles.

Here is a shot of one of these tree's.

Also, in my daily walks with my dogs I did indeed find a new growth Palmetto spear.  They come right up out of the center of the Palmetto bush and before they fan into a frond they look like a spear.  I got two small ones, love the whiteness of the new growth.  They will turn a lovely buff color with age.  I also got one about 3 ft. tall.  They kind of accordion out when you want to use them and I then split them into the size for what I need at the time.

Here is the tree.

Here is a pic of one of the smaller spears parts.  They dry out very quickly, alot quicker than I would have thought.  These are often used instead of thread by the Gullah ladies who do sweetgrass baskets in Charleston.  Much longer ones of course.

So far I am only adding in these things to my Pine needle baskets for color variations.  In this case I am not looking to make solid stripes but very much like the look of the colors swirling around which ever way they want to.

Yesterday I worked on this basket until my shoulder was really bothering me, so it is bigger than you actually see here.  In reality I have 5 founds of the added in colors of green and white along with the brown Pine.

And I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this type of Oak for the center.  It has a much different center than any of my other Oak.

Keep watching, I am also trying out Needle Tatting.