Cod Help Us All!

For the "Come All Ye" show in the gallery last summer, we made these tiny, carved cod earrings, pin and hair barret. We thought they were kinda funny. Yesterday, we had a request for 8 pairs of the earrings from a woman who wants to give them to her friends for Christmas. We are tickled like pickles that she loves them so much, but do we want to be responsible for starting this sort of trend?
Cod, I love your earrings!
Photo: Cod earrings, pin and barret by Cara and Pam

Why BooBoo? Why?

Felted wool starfish. With squibillions of tiny beads. I have been making them for Christmas gifts this year. I do this in the late night. It is relaxing. It is meant to be relaxing.

Now, I am truly one of the most unorganized gals in the world when it comes to craft and art supplies. My house is littered with brushes, glue, wires, ropes, tiny wooden figures.....it is chaos.

My glass beads on the other hand are a different story. I spend hours colour matching them, putting them in tiny clear containers. My embroidery floss is wound on little cards. It is a very tidy thing, my bead box. You would be impressed.

Yesterday, I found it upside down, billions upon millions of beads everywhere. All over the house. They are small beads. In fact, they are practically invisible. Floss and yarn strewn across the floor, wrapped around the table legs.

SHE says she didn't do it. Lily and BooBOO tried to deny it, but they both have tiny turquoise beads stuck in their claws. I will never forgive them. Ever. This is not relaxing at all.

Photo: BooBoo helps with the drying of the starfish .

Gretel, Lloyd, Toots and Green Paint

Gretel and Lloyd need a bath. A haircut too. They are going to have a play date with Clio, who is tiny and beautiful and smalls like a shiny princess. She is a lovely, lovely little dog. Gretel is feeling a bit self-consious about her dirty paws, bloating and gas problems. I try to encourage her, but I know how she feels. Today, as I was out the clippers and doggity shampoo, SHE said "OH, having a haircut? There's some green paint dried in the back of your hair there...just right there....." and she was pointing at my head and I gave her a look and she ran outside and up the hill without my having to say a word.

Me and my MUMMER BUM!

Everything has been about MUMMERS this week. Mummers, Mummers everywhere! The Historic Sites Association is having a gallery show at their Water Street location based on Mummers and it opens Thursday, Nov. 26. We have done a piece for the show and have also been asked to display our original mummers.

Before I moved to Newfoundland and knew what mummers were, SHE often told me that I was dressed like a mummer. Now, although I did wear eccentric, somewhat kooky outfits years ago, I don't know that I would go so far as to say I was dressed like a mummer. At least I always managed to keep my underpants and bra UNDER my outer clothes.

Just the other day, we were getting ready to go to St. John's and SHE said, "That coat looks really funny with that hat and scarf...you look like you are going mummering.....do you think you should change?"

I asked, "Don't mummers often stuff pillows in the bum of their pants and up their shirts to disguise themselves and make themselves look bigger?"

"YES!" SHE exclaimed. "Like I said, you look like a mummer!"

And then she ran into the backyard and up the hill.

I haven't seen her since.

Who wouldn't love a gold, macaroni necklace?

This is Girolamo Tordoni. We met him while in Sorrento. He is my favourite living artist, a maestro d’arte! I love his moustache. My most favourite possession is his painting. He glued macaroni to the frame and painted it gold. I, who as a child, spent hours/days/months making sparkly, macaroni necklaces, love it, love it, love it! I am not sure how many other people in the world have a soft spot for painted noodles, but if there are more than 2, perhaps we should form some sort of club?

Photo Top: Girolamo

Photo Bottom: Sunset in a macaroni frame. Brilliant.

No Crumbs in the car!

Home again, home again jiggidy jig! Only 2 small scratches on the FJ. SHE is not impressed.
Had to make her favourite chocolate/orange shortbread slices to make it up to her.
Can’t eat them in the car though, no crumbs allowed!

Photo: Chocolate/Orange slices
Recipe inventor and cookie genius: our friend, Dale....who invents cookie recipes and is gracious enough to share them...she is magic!

MISSING

Missing:

One moderately eccentric charming artist.

Last seen peeling out of the driveway on two wheels. Was wearing paint encrusted jeans and a hoodie, a pith helmet and goggles.

Presently following:

3 reports of FJ’s in trees.

One lead in which an FJ was spotted crossing Conception Bay heading towards Bell Island.

1 eyewitness account of an FJ scaling the underbelly of a bridge.

If anybody has seen a yellow FJ engaging in unusual behaviour, please let me know.

Reward offered for FJ.

SHE is in SO much trouble

SHE is in SO much trouble. We have a new car – an FJ Cruiser. I am almost never allowed to drive it but when I do, I am not allowed to touch any of the buttons. There are a lot of buttons. Buttons called something like “8-Trac” or maybe it’s “A-Trac”and “Rear Differential Suspension”, “16 Wheel Drive”, “Sub-Woofer” and “Up a Tree”. I am forbidden to touch any of these buttons. Monday night, I learned that other friends of ours, who have this same car, touch the buttons. They push them and watch their FJ do all kinds of nifty things. They drive through sand dunes, wade through ocean waters and dance the Tango.
You only live once. Tomorrow, I am going to peel off all of HER sticky red labels that say “DO NOT PUSH THIS BUTTON” and push the buttons. All of them. I am going to push all of them at once. Fare thee well and wish me luck. By this time tomorrow, I plan on being up a tree, soaking wet with a giant headache from the base of my woofer. Happy trails!

Christmas Elves!

We have been busy like beavers and bees and bedbugs trying to get work done for the holidays. We have quite a few really neat custom orders and one of them in particular has a lot of really great detail. I love it when people order pieces for their partners or parents. It is nice to see how much people love each other. Almost every Christmas for the past 5 years, we have had a frantic phone call, from someone's frantic husband begging for a custom piece for his wife.....he forgot to order and could we PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do one for him.... I have a soft spot for these husbands and we almost always end up doing the order. I'll post photos of the neato orders after we are done them ...oops...I mean after they are delivered and opened. That would be a disaster!

Image: "Pop's Twine Shop" by Cara and Pam
Hand-Carved Wood/Acrylics

Midnight Dreamers

There is a lot to be said for those who don't have much to say. Just because they don't say much doesn't mean they don't know much. Not every silence needs to be filled with words. Sometimes, it is enough to put your hands in your pockets and look at the moon. Sometimes, life is so beautiful, there are no words at all.



Image: "Midnight Dreamers" by Cara and Pam

Hand-carved wood/acrylics/mixed media

Friends For Dinner

Friday night we had friends over for dinner. It is amazing how conversations wander and take on a life of their own. We started talking about fondue pots and soups of the world, somehow linked that to the laws of attraction and ended it all with the mysteries of "smell". We had far too much Tuscan Bean Soup, became giddy from the Dutch hot cocoa and drank lots of lovely, red wine. Can you ask for anything more?

(Clio, the visiting canine, skipped the wine and went straight for the bacon-wrapped pork rolls)

Photo: BooBoo, Nana and Bear enjoy their very own treats. They figure they deserve them for putting up with wee Clio. Thanks to Fairy Cat Mother Lori for the treats!

No Dogs Allowed!

No Dogs Allowed

Itchy and Scrapples


Forest

About the Cats.....
Newfoundland cats are the greatest cats in all the world. Maybe it's the environment that's made them so strong of character.... maybe it's the salty, sea air that's made them walk so tall and proud. They're not afraid of nothin' these Newfoundland cats... bruisers they are! Filthy and mangy with attitudes as bad as month old milk they march around the bay looking for a fight, a bit of dinner or a scratch behind the ears. They crack me up, these Newfoundland cats..... I just loves ‘em, I do.... I suppose that's how I ended up with four indoor and 10 raggle taggles outside!

Pine, acrylic, mixed media

47 x 105 x 49 cm (18.5" x 41" x 19")
By Cara and Pam

Photo: Eric Walsh

GULLS NIGHT OUT

About The Gulls......
I have a fondness for seagulls. They make me laugh. I can be in a melancholy state, spy two gulls dancing a tango outside my window and suddenly things seem quite alright. Some people think they are a nuisance, a bother, destructive and dirty... and sometimes they are.... but they also have lively debates, suffer through epic romances, put on comedy shows and have great scrapping quarrels. There is always a seagull soap opera going on outside my front window and the drama never ends. Sometimes I think they act up just to get me to come outside and toss a bit of bread their way. Other times I know things are quite serious indeed..... Victor really DID steal a kiss from Bob's gullfriend..... oh sure.... he says it was just a friendly peck on the cheek ... but Bob and I, we're not that gullible.

Hand carved, acrylic, mixed media54 x 56 x 4 cm (21" x 22" x 1.5")
Artist: Cara & Pam