Wily Wednesdays - Horticulture Wreaths

Check out my Thanksgiving post on Homegrown Revival to view some of my latest wreath creations: http://homegrownrevival.blogspot.com/2013/11/wreath-making.html

Wily Wednesdays - Crochet Devil Horns

Hi there, remember me? It's been ages since I've posted something here! As you can imagine, I've been all consumed with my mad hot romance with horticulture, which hasn't left much time for crafting and blogging. But I have a few rare free moments tonight, so let me bring out a new and silly craft to share.

More horns!

I promised my friend Chris -- a whole year ago -- that I'd make him a crochet horned helm. I don't know why, but devil horns seemed to suit him. It arrived just in time for Halloween.


Of course I have to try them out.

Wily Wednesdays - Duct Tape Sheath

I wanted to get serious about this pruning stuff, so I bought myself a nice pair of ergonomic Bahco hand pruners -- pretty top of the line in the field and highly recommended. The only problem is, I couldn't find a suitable sheath that matched its unique shape. There are plenty of generic sheaths out there, and specific brands have their own leather holsters, notably this one from Felco...but screw that. I have Bahco pruners and I want the proper shape. Sounds like the perfect opportunity to do some leather working, right?


Well, I had my first pruning field trip today, and not enough time or supplies for leather working, so I ended up taking Randy's silly suggestion and fashioned a holster out of duct tape. You know, a quick, temporary solution -- wrap it around sticky side up, then wrap it again sticky side down. But it's me, so I made it a little more complicated...







It's a perfect, snug fit, so you can hold them upside-down without the pruners falling out. And, uh, good grief this is dorky. I'm not a duct tape freak, but I kind of love it. Eventually I'll grow up and make myself a more professional looking sheath out of leather.

Maybe.

Wily Wednesdays - Psychedelic Swish

This is actually a tease for the next WW...

Wily Wednesdays - Mixed Media Tree

Polymer clay. Paint. Wood. Go!

Here's my Yule gift for Kai. I wanted to try some new techniques with this piece, so it was a nice excuse for experimentation. I went for a filigree style with the sun, moon, and leaves, and then I tried braiding the tree with long strands of polymer clay. I have discovered that braiding clay is hard, but it has so much potential for some cool Celtic designs.

Wily Wednesdays - Dragon Mandala Weirdness

From the archives. I don't know if this colored pencil drawing is from high school or college. Also, I'm not sure what I was thinking when I made this, but it's kind of weird and neat. The image is a little blurry, as I had to stitch it together from multiple not-so-great photographs.

Wily Wednesdays - Crochet Demoness Horns

Last year, I crocheted my own version of a viking hat, and this year I got a request for a similar hat, only with more curved horns inspired by the demoness on the left:


Dude, this was fun to make! I was a little nervous about the horns, especially because I was working with bulky, unconventional yarn for 3-D crochet. But once the first one started taking shape, I liked what was happening.

Living in the Moment, Revisited

If I had to pick a self-improvement theme for 2012, "living mindfully" is the ideal I've worked to embrace. In fact, that was how I started out the year on this blog. Whether I've been particularly successful is another matter entirely, but I can say that I've put a lot of thought and effort into it, especially in recent months. Immediately after coming back from Ohio -- perhaps out of coincidence, perhaps out of a greater need to ground myself after spending time away from home -- I found a little group of folks who like to talk about and practice that concept of living in the moment. It's an interesting mix of people, ranging from folks who are more on the naturalist, atheist side of the spectrum like me to more celestial and modern religious/spiritual perspectives. Ultimately, though, we're able to come together on the same wavelength to explore meditation and living in the moment.

With that thought in mind, I came across an interesting article today that delves into the psychology of awareness and looking inward, and how that can empower and heal: The Brain's Ability to Look Within: A Secret to Well-Being. You know me -- I love exploring the science behind everything I do (and think), and this explanation about the two different paths the brain uses for attention is a good example of what I mean when I say I strive to live intentionally.

Learning to tune into our bodies could have other beneficial consequences as well. We are so used to directing our attention outward that we often don’t even really taste food because we are too busy watching TV or distracting ourselves in other ways. However, research suggests that our greatest moments of happiness are times we spend fully involved and engaged in a situation: be it a physical activity, a sensory experience, or intimacy with another person. If we are distracted, we are depriving ourselves of some of the greatest sources of happiness.

Next time you find your thoughts racing and emotions blaring out of control, instead of trying to talk yourself out of the situation or turning to a glass of wine, have a seat, take some deep breaths and tune into your body, or go to a gentle and awareness-based yoga or meditation class. Farb’s research suggests that we have an inbuilt ability to calm ourselves down. We just need to take a deep breath.