How I spent my winter "vacation"

Well, it is a more positive spin on being on doctor ordered house arrest due to a serious bout of pneumonia.   Apparently, prednisone is a great creative kick in the pants and I ended up creating 70 tarot bags.  I've been playing with applique, bead embroidery and quilting for rebels techniques for a while now, but all of a sudden, it all came together.   I love playing with pairing different fabrics together and working in miniature just makes it a greater challenge.   

Jeffri and I often joke about locking the Inner Perfectionist in the basement with Robert's Rules of Order.  I learned to do this years ago.   When you have learning differences, you almost have to accept that  perfection is not going to happen.    It's more about the process than the end result for me.  I never fail to learn from each project- and that is really what the creative process is about- at least in my little corner of the world.

The four bags pictured here came out of a personal testing- they are works of faith and a gift from Spirit and my Creative Muse.    Better known as the Divinely Demanding Duo.

First is Fire Fairy.  She is surrounded by carnelian and citrine beads.   The original version/vision included a fairy wand with a toasted marshmallow star on top.  I blame the codeine based cough syrup and thankfully, had a "revision".

Next, is Water Fairy.  She has freshwater pearls and cradles a baby dolphin in her hands.  Of the four, she was the greatest technical challenge.  Very difficult to piece the image together.   The trim is actually shells and pearls.   Love the fabrics in this bag- I guess I found my inner mermaid.

Little Miss Airy Fairy with a lapis and blue lace agate wand.  She was the first one to come into vision.  I wish I could float above without a care in the world.  The inspiration for this one?  A mostly forgotten dream but the only part I remember was clearly hearing, 'LOOK UP!"

And perhaps my favorite of the four.  I am a water baby by birth but a gnome at heart.  I love this happy little gnome surrounded by tiger eye and peridot.   He was a bit of a challenge as well, but I love the richness of the fabric and pop of the flowers in the ribbon.

Are they perfect?  Not by  a long shot.  Do I love them- absolutely.  It will be hard to let my babies go, but that is also part of the creative process.  For someone's tarot or oracle decks, I hope these will provide a happy home and inspire great readings.

And the Demanding Duo is already poking me with ideas for the next crop of tarot bags.   For now,  I savor the rare sight of bare coffee table and not having plastic bins of fabric exploding all over my apartment.

Rising from the Tar Pit.. sort of

The first two weeks of January tend to be a challenging time of year.  I spent most of the this weekend alternating between laughter and tears as I absorb that Mom left this world 8 years ago.   Our relationship was good, but complicated, as mother-daughter relationships often are- she was strong willed, opinionated and her vision of my life didn't always jibe with my own.   There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about mom and miss her.

What shook me out of it a bit, was an email sent my my cousin in law.  My uncle has alzheimers and now my cousin needs to sort out what is best for him.   And, her mother is in need of surgery.  Another friend just lost her beloved uncle.  And my boss's younger brother is terminally ill.  For the first time, I find myself grateful that while Mom's death was completely unexpected, she was spared Alzheimers, which I think was where she was heading.  We were already seeing some early memory loss and other signs.  

Our parents are aging- and it is a bittersweet experience.  My relationship with Dad is cordial, but distant.  He's very much living in present tense and happy.   He has a warm, loving girlfriend and her extended family including her great-granddaughter.   Life just didn't deal the cards we hope they will, but he's a great example of making every day count.

When asked how I felt about the new year, my answer was disconnected.  My resolution is to reconnect.  And figure out how to make my days count for something more important than moping in my own tar pit.