I'm Not the Only One... Clearly

Hope you enjoy today's post. It's full of wonderful pictures. Soon to come, an instructional video on how to make these cute (and oftentimes gorgeous) little flowers. A couple of posts back I took the opportunity to brag on myself (just a little). You see, I have been crafting stocking flowers for over twenty years and can make just about any bloom I put my mind to. (There I go bragging again *sigh*) In my defense, I'm used to seeing basic flowers such as these these:

Well! I've come across a site that has made me aware of how much I need to step up my game. I realize that I'm not as much of an expert as I thought . You know what? Let's not even waste any more time with too much talking (or typing). I'm gonna get straight to the site so that you can check out all their awesome pieces. So I did a Google image search for "stocking flowers". Many of the results led me to where I could purchase cheap items from China. But then I came across Flowers That Last. This site is based out of Australia. My brain could only produce one thought: Amazing. My mouth could only produce two words: Oh my. I've just got to show you what I mean.



Was my brain right, or what? Amazing, right? Each calla lily is hand-shaped wire covered by nylon stocking material. As I looked through this site, I realized that I'd already made a majority of these flowers myself but had yet to arrange them in the way that this artist has so obviously succeeded in doing. How about a little something more for your viewing pleasure?





While I was impressed by what was before me, I also saw on this site I also saw that there were a number of flowers that did not appear here that I DO make. But of course, this is not the only site out there. Well, maybe it is. I say that because although there were tons of pictures many of the sites were no longer available. That's unfortunate. Hopefully, that won't happen to me. Here's some more of what I found:

Considering my tendency toward apathy, I need as much motivation as possible. These pictures DEFINITELY serve as such. There are so many ideas that I've had but never took the time to turn into a reality. I see some of them here and it lets me know that I CAN make it happen. That's encouraging. But me being me, I'm also convinced that I can do it better. Actions speak louder than words, right? Because I'm not the only one... clearly!

My Guilty Pleasure (and Ultimate Time-Waster)

I work best under pressure, especially when it comes to schoolwork. Knowing that I have less than an ideal amount of time to complete an assignment is great motivation to prove the universe wrong. And I usually succeed. Does the work end up being my best? Honesty compels me to answer no. But I typically end up doing better than I thought I would with the time I allotted myself. Sadly, (depending on ones point of view, I guess) my instructors are usually impressed so I have yet to truly learn my lesson. Although I PROMISE myself that I will not wait until the last minute next time, each time the pressure is lifted, I go back to my old habits and indulge in my guilty pleasure. Interested in knowing what that might be? Well, it's not reality TV. Many people claim that one. It's not some seedy, underground activity. You know, I'm almost ashamed to say what it is. But I've started this so I'm just gonna get it out already. It's Sorority Life. Huh? What's that, you say? Oh, it's a social game on Facebook. How about some pictures so that I can show you why I find it all so dazzling. (I'm sure you'll remain unconvinced.)



A place where you can be young, beautiful, slim AND in college forever.

(I'm young, some might say beautiful, not so slim and have NO desire to be

in school forever. Maybe this game is fulfilling some part of my life. FASHION!)

  

 There are opportunities to wear amazing fashion for which

you would never have the occassion to purchase in real life.

(And when you wear heels with every outfit, your feet never get tired.)

 Anyway, this is my ultimate time-waster. When I should be studying for a test, working on an assignment, or even tackling a project on my extensive to-make list, I am fighting girls in other houses, doing the next social event in order to get more money or influence points or dressing my paper dolls. That's what my mom calls them. Cyber-paperdolls. I have three. Yup. That's right. You can play with up to ten different avatars. This means you can start the fun over and over and over... (up to ten times) again. Yay.

A plus to this social game is that it really does help you to meet new people. Yes, I know that I've never really met these people and only know how they look based on the pictures they post. (And some of them never post real pictures of themselves.) But, believe it or not, I've had some really good conversations with some of them. And I've had opportunities to encourage a couple of them and be encouraged in return. I know it sounds like I'm trying to make excuses for playing the game but really I'm not. I understand what a collossal waste of time AND money this game is. Yes. Money. I have spent money on what they call brownie points (BP) *hanging head in shame* With BPs you can purchase outfits and accessories that are not regularly available for free.

These are different hairstyles that are cuter than what is available
and can give you better advantage when fighting.
(I didn't buy any of these.But that black one is nice.)

This is sad. I know. Sometimes the items are just so cute and you manage to tell yourself, "I have a little disposable income. I can do this." But ones money can always be better spent than on a make believe fantasy land. But it's so much fun!

I guess this is my moment of confession. (There may be more.) And I'm not sure this is what I intended. I mean, there's a chances that people I know, love and respect will read this and know how frivolous I can be. Spending money on a game that does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to improve my real life? That's just no good. And each time I tell myself that I won't do it again. There's probably some sort of dependency group out there for me but I'm not sure if I need it yet. I really think I'm getting bored with Sorority Life but you never know. They may come up with something else exciting to do. If they do, I'll be sure to NOT let you know.

What I Do

I've talked about a number of things on this blog already. Okay... maybe not that many. I mean, did go on and on about the [sing it with me now] ♪♫ Intergalactic planetary ♪♪ Planetary intergalactic ♫♪ bead show, didn't I? Well, I'm sorry! I was excited and it took me a while to down off that high. I'm good now. I promise I will TRY not to be such a geek about it when I go back in July. But I will probably still sing the song (Gonna have to find a link for that so you guys can listen to it) and I'm DEFINITELY going to show you all the goodies that I purchase. I'm saving my money so there will be a great deal more next time.


Believe it or not, after all that talk about the bead show and the goodies that can be had, that is not what this post is about. Today, I want to bring it back home, sort of speak, to my first love. That would be wire sculpturing. To be more exact, floral wire sculpturing. You see, when it comes to knitting, jewelry-making and even cooking, I am still learning. But floral wire sculpturing... that's my baby. That's where, if I were so inclined, I would claim some level of expertise. I don't just make your simply flowers or butterflies. I can shape roses, daisies (where I incorporate a little knitting), calla lillies, day lillies, orchids, sunflowers, peonies, brown-eyed susans... there I go getting carried away again. What can I say? Art excites me. Creating thrills me. I can stare at something I've recently made for almost an hour, thanking God for the talent He's blessed me with the entire time.


Enough talking, right? Here are some pictures to give you an idea of what I'm rambling about.

This was just a little something I threw together sometime last year... or the year before that. You know, I really don't remember. What I do remember was that Hobby Lobby (I'll have to rave about them in another post.) was having one of their mad crazy sales where the mirror and the candle were more than 50% off. I'd seen this combination of elements before and always wanted to try putting it together myself. This sale presented the perfect opportunity.

I often blame being a fulltime student and being employed fulltime for not keeping up with my art. But in the end, I don't really have any excuse. If I were a better manager of my time I could probably produce something once a week... Alright then! Here's another picture before I REALLY get down on myself.

This is just a closer look at the blossoms: blue-tinted, pink roses (I don't think these exist in the natural.) and simple yellow day lilies with pink stamen (Once again, probably not found in nature). I took a little creative license with this piece. Usually I like to keep things natural but I think I was just working with what I had. I remember thinking that there was no point in purchasing any new material since I had no intention of attempting to sell this item. Here's another bit of floral art for your viewing pleasure:

This is one of my daisies. The center is knitted and then sown around a circular wire frame that I shaped myself. It was my intention to make this into some sort of barrette. I either decided that it was too heavy or just never got around to it. After handling it again today, I'm thinking it was more than likely the latter. *sigh*

Creation Care: A More Detailed Look

Creation Care? What's that all about? Let's find out, shall we?

I began my investigation at a site called Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN). Their stated mission is to be "...a ministry that seeks to educate, equip, inspire, and mobilize Christians in their effort to care for God's creation, to be faithful stewards of God's provision, and to advocate for actions and policies that honor God and protect the environment." There are some who make the argument that it a biblical responsibility to care for the earth. When God gave Man dominion He also gave Man the responsibility of stewardship. All of that sounds very noble but I've learned not to take anything at face value when it comes to environment issues.


Not everyone sees this as such a noble calling. So I did just a little digging to see what the critics have to say. This movement has gone as far as to create a The GREEN Bible and many Believers are taking issue with this. As stated in an article from WorldNetDaily.com "... the book is not about spreading the word of God, [but]... it is about environmental indoctrination." Someone who has been RATHER outspoken about this matter is Jan Markell. She has a daily two-hour radio show and is the founder of Olive Tree Ministries. She has also written several articles on the matter. One of them includes an unflinching piece about what she sees as the scam of global warming. I cannot speak to whether or not she is a conspiracy theorist but she did state that "The real agenda of the global warming crowd is global government." She even disputes that the earth is warming. She believes, along with others, that it is actually cooling now.


To a point I believe what the scientists tell me. What I mean by that is that I am not the one keeping tracking of the changing weather patterns of the earth. I barely check the forecast to see what I should be wearing the next day. Everyday is a wonderful surprise. (lol) But I am getting off track. Basically, I'm not terribly concerned about incremental changes in the weather. If there's something Man can do about it then we'll figure it out. If not, then it's that sooner that I'm on to Glory. What does pique my interest is when there's talk of passing legislation that will impede my freedoms and then basing it on 'science'. That's when I feel the need to start doing some investigating and discern the facts for myself.

Something for Momzah

So... I don't know about you but I have the greatest momma in the world. I would go so far as to say that she's better than your momma. (JK JK) I don't know your momma but still... mine is pretty awesome. Man, with all that fanfare I should probably save this entry for Mother's Day, huh? Oh well, it's happening today. I'll just have to rave about her again when that holiday comes. Alright... Momma's great. Covered that. If you haven't guess already, my nickname for her is Momzah. Where did it come from? I don't know. My brain? *shrug* Anyway. It's pretty cool because every time I say "Momzah!" her reply is "Yah-zuh?" Guess that's her way of saying yes. Might be lame to some but I like it. We have a great relationship. (As if you couldn't tell)


So, why all this rambling about my wonderful momma you might ask? Oh, it just leading up to show you this:

BAMM!

Alright, they may not be that impressive. But they were crafted by yours truly. I tell you though, the lighting in my kitchen - scratch that, virtually EVERYWHERE in my place - really does the pictures I take absolutely no justice at all! I mean, no matter where I go there's this dull yellow casting on every photo! I'm just sayin', good grief! The same in every room?? *pouting* Oh... umm... yeah... sorry about the ranting good people *using inside voice* I'm all better now. But they do look kinda professional with the recycled jewelry packaging, don't they?


I'm sure Momzah's gonna like them. After all, red is her favorite color. How could I possibly go wrong? And there is the repeat of the detail in her necklace with the square black beads. You might not be able to make it out that well but trust me, they're there. Of course I got those from where? Here's a hint: ♫ Intergalactic Planetary ♪♪ Planetary Intergalactic ♫ (lol) That's right. The Intergalactic Bead and Jewelry show. (No need for a link. It can be found in one of my previous post.) They are a belated Christmas present so I will try to get them to her BEFORE Mother's Day. Don't laugh. That's something I would do. Hand them to her on Mother's Day and tell her "Merry Christmas!" (lol)

I was going to put them on in order to model them but for some strange reason I want her to be the first to wear them. *shrug* I'm sure I'll get to model another pair in the near future. Not that you'll be waiting with great anticipation but I'll keep you posted her response. 

Explaining the Purpose

Hello again. Gotta tell you, it's ever challenging to figure out what I'm going to blog about each day. I simply don't understand how someone can have that much to say about life... even if it is from a certain perspective. I've always felt that blogs were just a little pretentious. Not so much the helpful one but the "everything from my point of view" ones. As if the public is really THAT interested in what you have to say on the subject. To be even more honest, I'm still pretty uncomfortable with putting my thoughts into cyberspace for all (yeah right) to read. At the same time I do have plans for this blog and hope that it will segueway into something grander. (On a side note: Don't you just love when nouns are turned into verbs? Segueway... hilarious!) I'm thinking an edgier online magazine with a particular point of view... if such a thing exists. (More detail to come... as always) Something that addresses every aspect of life from the frivolous and fun to the sustantive and serious.


And that is the reason I chose this particular title for my blogging adventures. "... From a Certain Perspective" Although would say that I agree for the most part with this perceptive from which I write (Only makes sense that I would, right?) I will be the first to tell you that it is not mine. At least, it is not mine alone. It is shared (I would hope.) and it has a higher origin. With that said it is my hope that once things really get going I'll have meaningful input from others to share with my readers and not just mine. This would even include views and arguments that are not quite in line with the perspective displayed here. All are welcomed as long as they are respectful. Notice I DIDN'T say not offense. I'm not so concerned about being offended as I am disrespected and I do believe there's a difference.


Ideally, I'd like this to be a resource of sorts. A go-to reference for art, fashion, music, spiritual/godly matters and pretty much life in general. I know that sounds like quite a bit of work and I'm a little overwhelmed just writing it. But hopefully I'll be able to dedicate more time to it and it'll become a passion. A little help would be welcomed as well. I guess we'll see. I'm hoping that this is another venture I get involved with that just fizzles out after some time. But I guess I'm in control of that, right?

Better Get a Move On

It's been a while, huh? What's my excuse? How about overwhelmed with school? Nope. How about having a really heavy load at work? Nope. I know... How about been so terribly busy creating lovely handmade items to show the world? Sadly... no. Now don't get me wrong. Working fulltime and going to school fulltime have been keeping me quite active but the truth is that I really haven't had anything to say lately. And I'm a strong be believer that if you don't have anything useful to say then keep your mouth shut. I guess that a bit of a spin on that whole "If you don't have anything nice to say..."


So, I consider myself a bit of a slacker even though other people may disagree. (Maybe their just being nice and really do think I'm a slacker too, huh? *shrug*) Well, if you've read any of my previous post, you know that I frequent Etsy.com. As I was perusing all the wonderful handmade items on this site I came across something that startled me. Here... Let me just show you:

Knit Beanie for Toddler/Tween with Detachable Butterfly Hair Clip



I see I need to explain. Okay. I knit. I knit hats, scarfs, legwarmers, armwarmer... I think you get the picture. But before that, and most of all, I am a wire sculptor. Floral wire art mostly. And that there picture up above is something that I've been working on but haven't gotten quite right. Below are some of my attempts at doing this same thing:

My issue is that I feel like my flowers are too heavy for the hats. But in order to make the flowers look realistic I feel I need a realistic number of petals. Perhaps the answer is to only do flowers and designs that only use a few petals. Or perhaps I could find wire of lighter weight. Usually, I use floral wire for my sculptures but perhaps it would be good to try jewelry wire.With this last idea in mind I began my Google search. And of course I came across many sites that sold jewelry wire. But I chose one in particular because the name caught my eye... http://www.wire-sculpture.com/. Perfect match, right?

Well, I'm looking at the website and I'm wondering... is jewelry wire ever lighter than floral wire? If anyone knows, please leave a comment.