Carly's Creativity Corner

                                                         

       
      

        
        I have been working diligently on my jewelry trying to get pieces together for an open house (Date TBD). I am thinking a Saturday in mid November!? In addition, I have decided to create a website, with help from my friend Erin, so that people can go on and see the work that I do. Since I do take requests for custom made jewelry I felt this would be a great vehicle for communicating my style! Although it's definitely under construction, here's the link so save it to your favorites! (Carly's Creativity Corner)
      My friend Lauren will be photographing different peices of my jewelry so I can put them up on my website, and hopefully sell some pieces via the web or at least have a photo gallery (Wow - technology these days is incredible!) Since I don't want to limit my business to just jewelry, my "business" name is "Carly's Creativity Corner." I've been really into sewing and getting back into painting so who knows where that will lead - but I am excited about this new venture!

Fun with Baby Food Jars - Vol. 1

Having a baby who is now eating baby food means lots of baby food jars. I had been collecting a bunch hoping I could find some neat craft projects to use them for. Well, after some good ol' computer research I found a perfect Fall project! I love Fall and all that it has to offer, including Halloween and it's decorations! When I found this project on Skip to My Lou I knew I had to make these especially since they are so easy to do (always a plus)! My girlfriends and I plan a girls night once a month and we take turns hosting. This month was my turn to host so I decided this would be a fun craft for us to take on. The result was some very BOOtiful Halloween votives!

Sew Motivated

                        

      I am both proud and exstatic to say I completed my second handbag and I love it even better than my first. Not to mention I actually finished this bag the same night I started it without a single hitch (yay - silent cheer)! Ok so maaaaybe a couple human errors but I am becoming more and more comfortable with my sewing machine.
      I love the pattern of fabric I picked (JoAnn Fabrics) - perfect even for the upcoming winter months! Total project took about 3 hours but it was worth it in the end! Mission completed - and boy does it feel good! I even have a potential "customer" who wants me to make her one. I'm thrilled!

Here's a cute poem I found about a woman's handbag! I think it's very appropriate for this entry.

The Handbag

The handbag is a rare delight, it's like Aladdin's cave,

All sorts of things are hidden there, that females like to save,

It's black and big and heavy, with a nice long shoulder strap,

Its weighted down with odds and sods and other stuff like that.

But the lady finds just what she wants deep down amongst her treasure,

Of keys and pins and leg hair wax and a metric rule for measure,

The remnants of forgotten ills with aspirins held so dear,

Birth control and other pills with labels quite unclear.

Calorie counters, cotton buds, old lottery tickets too,

Handkerchiefs and white tissues for visiting the loo,

A book of stamps, a tube of glue, letters from I don't know who,

Horoscopes with personal star, petrol vouchers for the car.

Perfume loaded by the box, knitting needles, pairs of socks,

Bank statements and counterfoils, sachet samples, body oils,

Cassette tapes and eye mascara, postcards from old Connamara

Itineraries for keep-fit classes, lipstick and a pair of glasses,

Emery boards, a pot of Vic, silver tweezers, half a brick,

Screwdriver, spanners, ball of wool, ancient notebook partly full,

Bristle brush for long tresses, photographs and addresses,

Polo mints and a mobile phone just in case they stray from home.

Cheque book stubs, leather gloves, insect spray for the shrubs,

Driving licence, bingo card, cuttings from the paper,

Favourite verse, loaded purse and a windscreen scraper,

Credit cards, safety razor, golden buttons off a blazer.

All these things are lugged around and many more as well,

It could be that you need them, you really cannot tell,

So come on fella's don't take the mick - out of the lady's handbag

You never know there could be a flood and you could use it as a sandbag.

But best of all it is a friend, that's with them every day,

Slung upon the shoulder in a casual way,

And don't forget it is a club - not of the member kind,
But the bag itself when wielded right could change a mugger's mind.

by Joe Earl

Hummus Obsession

My latest obsession has been hummus. There's just something about that chick pea goodness matched with some pita chips that send my taste buds into a tizzy! Roasted red pepper, horseradish, spicy chipotle, roasted pine nut, and garlic are my favorite flavors. Hummus can even go beyond a snack! I took a whole wheat wrap, spread some Tribe Origins spicy chipotle hummus and added some cucumber for a delish lunch! If I had spinach on hand I would have added that as well! Try it out... your taste buds will not be disappointed!

A Daddy and His Girl

                    A Daddy's Love

A Daddy loves his daughter more with every passing day.
A Daddy loves his daughter in a very special way.
A Daddy loves his daughter when she is sad and blue.
A Daddy loves his daughter when she is happy too.
A Daddy loves his daughter larger than the sky.
A Daddy loves his daughter even when she tells a lie.
A Daddy loves his daughter forever and a day.
A Daddy loves his daughter in a very special way.

Vacation

Mountains surround us

An escape from reality

Ideal vacation destination

Never a disappointment

Exceptional beauty everywhere we turn

Sew Inspired

I can still vividly remember the day my friend Kate walked into work with her adorable new handbag. When she told me that she sewed it herself my jaw must have nearly hit the floor. I knew from that day forward I wanted, no I needed, to learn to sew!

Kate so graciously invited me over her house so she could teach me how to make my very own hand crafted bag. Before we began our sewing endeavor she introduced me to the most darling little fabric store called Sew Inspired. Well, I was quite inspired just browsing through all of the different styles of fabrics - floral, polka dots, stripes, solids, bright colors, soft colors - you name it, they have it!

Back at Kate's we were off to a great start - we had selected our fabrics, measured, ironed... time to start sewing! And then the troubles began...
My stubborn sewing machine just did not want to cooperate. In fact, it decided it wanted nothing to do with my aspiration of creating my project. After a lot of fiddling and fussing we gave up and decided to just share Kate's machine. Needless to say this slowed down the process.

Long story short...

After encountering a couple more obstacles and a second visit to Kate's house, the bag was finally finished! A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into this sewing project. I am now able to display my handbag upon my shoulder, feeling quite pleased (and a little bit impressed) with the final result. Nothing beats the sense of pride achieved when someone asks, "Where did you buy that?" and you simply answer with a smile - "I made it!"

I can't wait to see what future projects I will undertake and, hopefully, succeed at!

Oh and please do not fret or lose any shut-eye worrying about my poor sewing machine. She is up and running again; waiting for her next challenge.

Hammocks

What is it about a hammock

that can send you into a trance?

Is it the gentle

                         swaying

                                       motion?

The way it swallows

your body

 up?

Match that with warm weather

 and a cool breeze

shhhhhhhhh 

and you have the recipe

 for complete

 and utter

laziness. 

It is a mystery to me how merely r

                                                          o

                                                                  p

                                                                        e

tied

and

twisted

 together

can cause one to be

 so at ease and

hmmm 

so relaxed.

ahhhhh

Feet

My Feet

My feet, my feet,

I love my feet.

I think they're great,

I think they're neat.

They're pretty, pink,

and picturesque.

They look so perfect

on my desk.

Unfortunately,

sad to tell,

they also have

a funny smell.

So though I'm fast,

and though I'm fleet,

and though at sports

I can't be beat,

no team will pick

me to compete,

because they always

smell defeat.

--Kenn Nesbitt

London Withdrawals

It was always a dream of mine to one day visit London. Last August that dream became reality when I went there for two weeks to train for my new position at work. What an experience - seeing firsthand those iconic structures I have only seen on television, in movies and books. I had trouble putting my camera down and living in the moment. I was so afraid I would miss an opportunity for the "perfect" picture. So what if I ended up with 23 pictures of Big Ben and 37 pictures of Tower Bridge? I was in my glory... there was no stopping me!

Well, it has now been almost a year since my London voyage and last night the withdrawal pains began. All because of one movie - Sherlock Holmes. Pathetic, I know. Why I cannot even watch a movie which just so happens to take place in my London London without feeling a little forlorn is beyond me. You would think I would be satisfied with having the opportunity I had... to go even once. You would think...

Dory the Dragonfly

Ok, yes you may find it strange that I took a picture of a dragonfly resting on my finger. You may find it even more peculiar that I went as far as naming it. I have to admit I consider dragonflies to be a bit misunderstood, if you will.

Yes their eyes appear abnormally large for their bodies. Yes they can go from hovering ever so gently nearby to whizzing by your head without so much as a polite warning. Yes they may follow you around in droves. Truth be told - I find dragonflies quite endearing. From the whisper their busy wings produce, their charming nature, their long paper thin wings, even those bulging eyes that appear to be watching you no matter which way they face.

The reason I chose the name Dory is because it means Gift of God (Greek origin). You may not agree but I consider these creatures just that - a gift from God. They are a reminder of the beauty he has created all around us - from the peaks of the biggest mountains all the way down to the tiniest of creatures... such as Dory.