Leikur og List

I Have Moved

2008-01-11T22:55:00.000-05:00

I have moved to moaromigboyles.typepad.com please come and see me there. Follow Dudley he knows the way to the new "Leikur og List".
http://moaromigboyles.typepad.com I look forward to seeing you...I'll be waiting.

Happy New Year

2007-12-31T10:21:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year... My hope for us all, is understanding, peace and love.
Thank you for the many happy times you have given me this year.

The photos in this family collage, were taken during our Christmas celebrations.

Favorite Colors...Red and Purple

2007-12-26T12:10:00.001-05:00

I am passionate about color. My favorite colors are red, purple and yellow. Every year I make a new red Christmas table cloth. My Mother mentioned that of all the Christmas table cloths that I have made, this years table cloth is her favorite.
I also made a new decorative shower curtain for the guest bathroom...a lovely purple/peach iridescent silk fabric.

I am not very good at sewing...straight stitch is good enough for me. You might wonder why I have a sewing machine that is computerized and one that has many decorative stitches and will even embroider. I don’t have an answer for you and I only know that it is capable of all this fancy stuff because that is what the user manual tells me. All kidding aside I do make a lot of pillows, curtains and table cloths on this machine...using the straight stitch. This year my resolution is to learn how to use the machine and all it’s bells and whistles. I have had this sewing machine for eight years, so perhaps it is time to learn to use it and all it's capabilities

Here is a photo of the table set for my book club Christmas party.

And here is a delicious and colorful cake one of the members brought to the party.

Kertasnikir.......Candle-beggar

2007-12-24T08:09:00.003-05:00

Kjotkrokur.......Meat-hook

2007-12-23T08:19:00.003-05:00

Kjotkrokur.......Meat-hook jumps up on the roof and lowers his long meat hook down the chimney to snatch the Hangikjot, that is being cooked for Christmas Eve dinner. When the household notices that the meat is gone, they give chase to meat hook, calling and screaming at the top of their lungs. Kjotkrokur is limber and fast. He quickly hides behind a big bolder and sits down to feast on the stolen meat.

Gattathefur....Door-sniffer

2007-12-22T08:14:00.004-05:00

Gattathefur....Door-sniffer is number eleven. He has a nice big nose and remarkably he never gets a cold. He can smell the good smells of Christmas from afar. Today he can detect the lovely smell of Laufabraud and there is the fragrance of Hangikjot that hangs in the rafters. He tip-toes to the kitchen door, so that he can delight in all the good smells of Christmas cooking. As he is standing there in ecstasy, the housewife walks by and startled by his presence screams. Gattathefur unperturbed smiles and raises his nose higher.

Gluggagaegir.......Window-peeper

2007-12-21T07:42:00.003-05:00

Gluggagaegir.........Window-peeper. He sneaks around looking in all the windows, to case the premises for what he can steal. The people in the house scream in fright, when they see his face in the window. Gluggagaegir only laughs and makes faces to scare them even more.

Look who Gluggaaerir saw when he looked in our windows.

Bjugnakraekir.......Sausage-swiper and Gryla and Leppaludi

2007-12-20T07:33:00.003-05:00

Bjugnakraekir.....Sausage-swiper is number nine. He will seek high and low to find the sausages that have been hidden from him. Sometimes they are hidden so well, that he can not find them. Today luck was on his side, he found a string of seven.

Meet Gryla and Leppaludi the Jolasveinar’s parents. Are they not the most charming couple?

Gryla the Jolasveinar’s Mother, is a huge Troll. She is hideous to say the very least. Her nose is big and crooked. She has big warts on her face with wiry hairs sticking out of them, big teeth, some worn down to a stub, shifty eyes, stringy hair and horns on top of her head.
She has enormous bony hands with long sharp nails, her feet a hoofs and she has a long tail.
It was recorded in the 13th Century that she had 15 tails with a 100 sacks on each tail and 20 children in each sack. It makes me shiver just to think about it, and I think and hope, that whoever recorded this story was prone to exaggeration.
Her diet is one that strikes fear in every Icelandic child, she eats naughty children, just like her pet, the Christmas Cat. Oh! the horror!!! Is it any wonder that the children are particularly good this time of year? As this is the time of year that Gryla and her family, venture from their caves in the mountains, down to the farms, towns and cities.
Leppaludi, whose name means Ragamuffin, on the other hand is a pitiful specimen of a Troll. He according to some telling is Gryla’s third husband.
Her first husband was Gustur whose name means Gust, as in a gust of wind. His death is suspicious and there has been much speculation and talk about just how much of a hand in his death Gryla had. I shall not go into that here, I might frighten you away with just mentioning one of the theories that I have heard. Shivers and more shivers!!!
The second unfortunate husband was Boli his name translates into Bull. Boli did not resemble is name at all. He was a sickly Troll and it is said that he was bedridden for a Trolls age and that he faded away in his sleep.
Leppaludi is the Jolasveinar’s Father. He is slovenly Troll that wears torn and tattered rags, that have been patched numerous times, by whom remains a mystery. He is an uncouth slobbering slacker, who usually waits in the cave, for Gryla to bring unfortunate naughty children, for his dinner.
Today he ventured down from the mountains to check out the story Gryla told him, about how hard it is to find misbehaving children in this day and age. Leppaludi is afraid of Gryla’s wrath and did not want to contradict her story, so for once he roused himself and followed her, the Christmas Cat and the Jolasveinar down to civilization. At worst, he thought to himself I could go to Bæjarins Bestu and steal some Pylsur and Cokes.

Skyrgamur.....skyr gobbler

2007-12-19T07:38:00.003-05:00

Skyrgamur......skyr-gobbler arrived today and made a straight line for the dairy, where he found a barrels of skyr* He gobbles down all the skyr and is rewarded with stomach aches and pains. He is heard far and near, as he cries out “I should not have eaten all the skyr”.

*Skyr is a dairy product similar to yogurt that has been an stable part of the Icelandic diet for more than 1,100 years.
Whole Foods imports Skyr from Iceland's Skyr.is. I am very happy about that...it is nice to have one of my favorite foods from Iceland in my refrigerator here in the States.

Hurdaskellir....Door-slammer and The Christmas Cat

2007-12-18T07:32:00.004-05:00

Hurdaskellir........Door-slammer is the seventh to arrive. He waits until everyone has gone to sleep, then slams all the doors in the house. He delights in the different sounds they make. The household wakes up startled from their sleep, children cry and dogs bark. All this is music to Door-slammer’s ears.

The Christmas Cat (Jolakottur) has been striking terror in the hearts of Icelandic children for generations.
The Jolakottur, is an enormous and ferocious ugly specimen of a cat, who has an appetite for misbehaving children. Naughty children did not get new things to wear for Christmas, thus they would have to stay in bed, miss all the festivities and worse, be eaten by the Christmas Cat.
Oh! The horror of it. I was always a good girl, really I was ;) My Mother always made sure I would have something red to wear, a candle and playing cards for Christmas. And I am here to tell the story, so obviously the Christmas Cat never ate me.
It is not enough that in Iceland adults had to worry whether their Christmas dinner would be delayed or stolen. Whether they and their animals would be scared out of their whits by the pranksters, whose progress we have been following here, the Jolasveinar. Their children had to deal with the Christmas Cat, Grila and Leppaludi who had a huge appetite for naughty children.
Now, the Jolasveinar have become generous benefactors to good children. They each leave them a gift in their shoe. If the Children have been naughty they will get a potato in their shoe instead of a gift. They are still up to the tricks that their name conveys , however, they never forget to leave something in the children’s shoes.
Not a bad life, I would say, for the modern Icelandic Children, who get a present in their shoe for 13 days, before Christmas. Furthermore there have been no reports of children having been eaten by the Christmas cat, Grila or Leppaludi, instead one hears an occasional report, that someone found the dreaded potato in their shoe.

This is a true story.
When I was twelve years old we lived next door to my Aunt and Uncle's house. One of my little cousins was a four years old boy, who had a way of testing ones patience. One evening just before Christmas he came over to our house for a visit. My Mother and I were baking cookies and my father was wrapping presents. He was getting in every ones way, snatching a cookie here, playing with the tape, getting hold of the scissors and asking questions over and over. Finally our patience wore thin so we used the Christmas Cat threat, which started with us saying “The Christmas Cat will get you if you are not good” and ending by knocking on any handy wooden surface, while he was not looking and saying “That is the Christmas Cat, he is trying to get you”
Why we did all the knocking still amuses me. Did we think the Christmas Cat was so polite, that he would knock? My little cousin told us that there was no Christmas Cat and that we were just teasing him. Finally my Mother had enough and asked me to take my cousin back to his house.
When we opened the door there was a new fallen snow and coming from around the corner of our house right up to the door were cat prints. The little cousin screamed in terror, grabbed my leg and tried to pull me away from the door. Finally after soothing him and hearing promises from him to be good, he agreed that I could carry him back to his house.
Some time ago, when I was in Iceland, he told me how grateful he was that I had saved him from the Christmas Cat, when he was a little boy.

Askjasleikir.....Bowl-licker and Nisse

2007-12-17T07:44:00.003-05:00

Askjasleikir.......Bowl-licker is a very brave little fellow. He sneaks around waiting for someone in the household to put down their food bowl. Then the brazen little fellow snatches it away and licks it clean. Askjasleikir has to be fast on his feet to get away from the bowl's angry owner.

Today I am going to show you a little Nisse (Pixie) that I made a few weeks ago. He is on his way to California...perhaps he has arrived there already. He was worried about his hat getting crushed...I told him not to worry. Then I gave him a little kiss...he gave me a wink and a smile and said "I will be happy with my new family in California" I told him that I would never send him to a place where he would not be happy. We both smiled.

Pottasleikir.....Pot-scraper and Theodore

2007-12-16T08:09:00.004-05:00

Pottasleikir.....Pot-scraper arrived today. He found the big stew pot unattended. He grabbed it and hoisted it outside to have himself a good meal. There in the pot were four pieces of meat. He has not had such luck for many years.

Meet Theodore, he does not answer to Ted or Teddy.
Theodore is the first needle felted piece I made after taking Amy Rawson's class at joggles.com three years ago. Do you think Victor will like him?

Thvorusleikir.....Spoon-licker Names and Christmas Meme

2007-12-15T07:47:00.004-05:00

Thvorusleikir...Spoon-licker likes to lick the wooden spoon, that is used to stir the pots. When he sees his opportunity he shoots into the kitchen and grabs the spoon and holds it tight with both hands. This poor fellow is long and skinny and always hungry, as there is not much nourishment on a wooden spoon. Today he was lucky as you can see and has licked the spoon until it is clean.

It is interesting to me how many translations of the name Jolasveinar there are. I have come across Yulelads, Yuletide Lads, Yule Goblins, Christmas Elves, Christmas Men and Christmas Lads. I am sure there are many more.
There have been over 80 recorded names for the Jolasveinar themselves describing their looks or their tricks. I wonder why names such as Bandaleisir....Strap looser, Faldafleikir....Skirt blower this name I have also seen translated as Skirt flipper
Hlodustrangi....Barn roll, have the Jolasveinar become more politically correct?

I have been tagged by my good friend and fellow Doll Artist Dawn Alice Rodgers from Art with a Soul. Who was Tagged by our friend Suzanne Urban of Smirking Goddess Studio.
Rebecca of Cre8Triva also Tagged her readers.
Now I must Tag someone...and that someone is you...if you are so inclined...if not that is also OK!!!

Here are the rules one must follow:
1. Post these rules on your Blog.
2. Link to your Tagger. This is a wonderful PR tool for the Google search engines. Hence the name Tagged!
3. Share 5 facts about yourself on your Blog. Some facts can be random & some unusual. Sharing on Tagger's Blog is optional.
4. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their Blogs.
5. Let them know they are Tagged by leaving a comment on their Blog.

1. As long as I can remember I have adored Christmas and the traditions that we have established over the years.
We celebrate Christmas Eve in the traditional Icelandic way. At around 4:00PM the men in our family smoke their yearly cigar, we like the cigar smell mingling with the smoked lamb fragrance.
At 6:00PM we cue Icelandic music that has the Church Bells of Reykjavik ringing, we kiss everyone and wish them Gledileg Jol. Then we have our dinner, after dinner we open all our presents.
Christmas morning we have and combination of an Icelandic and American breakfast and then we open stocking presents.
We love wind up toys and we all play with them. Many of the stocking presents are from years past and we all have a good laugh...someone always says “I got that one last year” or “Wow, I have not seen this one for years” Silly Putty lasts a surprisingly long time.

2. Each year I make something related to Christmas. Cards, ornaments or little figures. I always find something I would like to make but it is too late to make it that year. I file it away in my mind...sometimes I remember to make it the following year.

3. Every year we love to watch the same movies. My all time favorite is Ingmar Bergman’s “Fanny and Alexander”. It is in Swedish and my son and I sometimes say the lines with the actors. My son loves “It’s a Beautiful Life”. My Husband loves “Christmas Vacation” I pretend not to like it...but it never fails to make me laugh. My Daughter in law loves “The Sound of Music”.
We also watch as many Christmas movies in the season as we can find on TV. I also love to watch the old TV shows Rudolf, Frosty the Snow Man, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas...the animated version, to name a few.

4. Each year I decorate the tree/trees with a different theme. I have antique ornaments that my Mother in law gave me. I also have Red, gold and blue themes. For 34 years my Mother has given my son a silver sleigh bell for Christmas. They are still here, but I suspect they will be going to Denmark soon. I always use them no matter what the theme...silver goes with everything.

5. The first time I put up our Christmas tree with all the lovely antique ornaments that my Mother in law gave me, our new kitten pulled the tree down while we were at a Christmas party...many beautiful ornaments were broken :(
About 5 years later I again pulled out all the lovely antique ornaments again, another new little kitten found them fascinating and made toys out of the best and most beautiful ones...many broke as kitten aimed for the fireplace.
This year I will again use the antique ornaments on our living room tree...no kitten, however there will be a baby in the house.

Stufur....Stubby The Costume, and a Little Nisse

2007-12-14T08:27:00.001-05:00

Stufur....Stubby. He is very small and timid,he is afraid of his aggressive brothers, hardly dares to do any mischief at all. He waits in the corner of the kitchen, where the housewife is frying the meat, in the hope that she will leave the pan behind. Stufur lives in anticipation, sometimes he is lucky and sometimes not.

The costumes that I used for the Jolasveinar, is based on the Icelandic costume the men wore in the 18th century. Sheep skin shoes (saudskinnskor), that were very thin and without soles and had hand knit inserts (leppar), imagine walking in these shoes over the lava fields. Short breeches and hand knit woolen socks, nice and warm. A sweater loosely based on the lopapeysa,I say loosely as the designs I have made on the Jolasveinar sweaters, are not as ornate and intricate as the real thing. Mittens (vettlingar) and a woolen hat.

Speaking of small...here is a little Nisse (Pixie) Angel that I made for my little half Danish Grandson Victor. He is inspired by a little Nisse (Pixie) from Birgitte Krag Hansen’s wonderful book Pixie Felt.

Giljagaur.....Gully-gawk

2007-12-13T07:48:00.001-05:00

Giljagaur........... Gully-gawk arrives today. He is a handsome and most happy fellow. He has passion for the froth that forms on the warm milk as it comes from the cow. He sneaks into the barn and while the milk maid is not looking, Giljagaur dips his finger into the milk pail and licks the froth off his finger. Giljagaur, was lucky today.

Some time ago some of the ladies in my knitting group at The Knitting Room in Medford, NJ asked me to make a Santa that could go on a felted bag or a coat lapel. Here are some of the Santas that I made.

Back in April I made lady and baby faces for the Knitting Room. They were well received and many of the ladies in the knitting group own them.

Stekkjastaur.....Stiff-legs and Jolasveinar

2007-12-12T07:23:00.001-05:00

The first to arrive is Stekkjastaur.....Stiff-legs, he sneaks into the sheep shed, hoping to milk one of the ewes, for his favorite drink. The sheep startled,jump and tumble about the shed. Stekkjastaur legs after his long walk from his mountain home are stiff and aching, so the sheep are able to get away.
Poor Stekkjastaur will have no milk today.

Today December 12th is a big day in Iceland, the first of the 13 Jolasveinar, variously called Yule Goblins, Christmas Men, Christmas Elves or Christmas Lads, arrives down from the mountains.
Today's arrival is named Stiff-legs then comes Gully-gawk, Stubby, Spoon-licker, Pot-scraper, Bowl-licker, Door-slammer, Skyr-gobbler (Skyr is like yogurt) Sausage-swiper, Window-peeper, Door-sniffer, Meat-hook, and on the 24th, Christmas Eve, the last but not the least, Candle-beggar. Then they leave for the mountains one by one, the last one leaving on 12th night, January 6th.
These charmers were first mentioned in print in the 17th century and were known by various names which differ from region to region, with up to 80 names recorded.
Most of the names reflect the tricks they played. They coveted things people found hardest to do without during the lean times and the blackest Artic nights, food and light.
Their parents were real charmers, their names are Gryla (Ugly) and Leppaludi(one who wears tattered clothes). It was said that Gryla and Leppaludi liked to feast on misbehaving children and were used as bogeymen to terrify children into obedience. The family pet was an enormous Black Cat who had the same culinary habits as Gryla and Leppaludi.The children of today, do not have to worry about Grila's, Leppaludi's and the Cat's former culinary habits, as they now probably prefer a Pizza or a Hamburger with a Coke.
In the 20th century the 13 Jolasveinar have mellowed and evolved from bogeymen into benevolent beings. They are now entertainment for, and friends to children. Each night when the children go to bed they leave their shoe on the window sill. If they have been good, they will recive a gift from each of the Jolasveinar, as they arrive from their mountain home. If they have been bad, they will find a potato in
their shoe.

Needle Felt and Christmas

2007-12-11T09:03:00.001-05:00

This is the third Christmas season that I have counted down to Christmas here on my blog, by sharing the story of the Icelandic Jolasveinar.

They come down from the mountains one by one and the first one arrives tomorrow.
The little fellows are needle felted and are my own creation and tribute to Icelandic traditions.

Needle felting is done with a barbed needle and the medium is wool rowing.
Three years ago I took a class though Joggles.com given by Amy Rawson.
I also studied techniques through two excelent books by Birgitte Krag Hansen, New Felt and Pixie felt. I adore Brigitte Krag Hansen's Needle Felt Art. She is Danish and in my opinion, the best needle felt artist in the world.

It has been a joyful experience for me to create and to share my art and stories with my blog friends.

This year I will also show some of the other Christmas creations I have been making for my little Grandson, who will be spending his first Christmas with us here in the US.

Photos: Icelandic Flag, Mountain in Iceland, Needle Felting needles, and wool rowing.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T10:42:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for your wonderful comments and well wishes. I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel...a bit blurry, due to the latest attack medication Prednisone.
This Thanksgiving I am giving thanks to modern medicine and my new Doctor.
As always, I give thanks to all my very special and much loved Family and Friends. This year we are also giving thanks for the new member of our Family, our Grandson Victor, the Viking Traveler...he and his Mother and Dad will be with us at Christmas. Could live get any better :?
What are you giving thanks for this Thanksgiving?

My Husband Ken went out this week and took some photos of the Fall Foliage. Here are some his wonderful photos..

This Little Lady lives by our front entrance.

We will be six at our Thanksgiving Table...I just finished setting the table and wanted to share some photos with you.

My Family and I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.

A Lovely Surprise

2007-11-12T09:24:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. It turns out that I had Walking Pneumonia. It sapped all my energy, so much so that I have not even had the energy to make comments on all your wonderful posts.
The very kind and talented Constance of Rochambeau has written a post on two Icelandic doll artists that she has met here in New Jersey, Mary Louisa Klawetter and me.
I thought it would be nice to have a nice little post, for those of you that come over from her blog. This is one I first published in November 2005.
Thank you dear Constance, you are doing wonders for my recovery. You are truly one of the kindest people I have ever known.

It has occurred to me that I have only given a little glimpse into my art world.
I started making Art Dolls twenty five years ago. Over the years, I have used different mediums, and as the medium changed, so also did my style.
I have often been told that my figures are not dolls. This of course is understandable, as what most of us think of when we hear the word doll, is our favorite play doll from childhood. This is a big discussion in the Art Doll world, as our work is often misunderstood and underappreciated. There are numerous doll artists that cannot get into major craft shows, galleries, group art shows etc., as there is not a category for dolls, in many of these venues. One prominent doll artist was asked by a gallery owner, to dress her doll in clothing made from the same material as her doll, not cloth, as she had done in the past.......in essence she was being asked to make a figurine and not an Art Doll. There is light on the horizon, however, as a few galleries, major craft shows, group art shows etc., will accept us, if we call our dolls, figurative art, three dimensional multimedia art or some other name alluding to what we do. A few have educated themselves about the world and the art, of the Art Doll and will promote and accept it as such, in their venue. I could go on and on, on this subject, however, I fear I would loose you into boredom, rather than peaking your interest.
So instead, I am posting photos of a few of my pieces, to show what I have done over the years. Thank you for looking.

I made this cloth jester in 1989

I call this piece "The Maskmaker" he is part of a three piece scene, with a Lion and Lioness. He is giving the Lion a choice of the masks he made for him, for the masked ball. This piece was made in 1997. He was seen on the Carol Duval Show,in an episode where I was a featured artist. Medium is paper clay and cloth

In 1989, I was all into the jumping jack form and used that form, for my cloth pieces.

This little lady "Princess Papillon" is made from a two part clay called Apoxie Sculpt, over a gourd. I clothed her in paper and cloth embelishments.

Last is my favorite piece called "The Awakening" Made of wood, Apoxie Sculpt, polymer clay, paper and mosses. Made in 2002

2007-10-31T14:22:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. I am back from our trip to Italy. We had a wonderful time, however, I brought a souvenir back with me that I really did not want......a cold, sinus infection and a hacking cough.
I visit your blogs, but don’t have the energy to comment. I miss my blog friends.
I will be back, once I get my bleary head, screwed back on. Happy Halloween!!!!!

Picinic With Blog Friends

2007-10-12T09:51:00.000-04:00

A week ago I had the pleasure of meeting for the first time Constance, Karen, Susanna and Rena. I am always amazed at how easy it is to talk to fellow bloggers, even though we had not met in person before.

We had a delectable picnic catered by the very talented Constance.

We had planed to go to a park close to Princeton, NJ, however, it was overcast and threatening rain so Susanna’s friend Rena offered her home. As it turned out the Sun came out and we had a picnic in Rena’s back yard. In photo from left to right, Karen, Constance and Rena.

Karen showed us photos of one of her Art Books. I was enthralled by them and cannot wait to see one of her books in person.
Susanna showed us a couple of her amazing Sketch Books and one of her beautiful encaustic canvases.
Constance showed us a wonderfulPurse that she makes from antique fur collars and her charming Floralinas.
Rena told us about the book she has just finished writing.
I brought Lepaludur, Candle Sniffer, Princess Papillon and a little needle felted bear.

Thank you Constance, Karen, Susanna and Rena for a wonderful time. I cannot wait for another
outing with my amazing new best friends.

I have a problem uploading photos at the moment...Please go to Constance's, Karen's and Susanna's blogs to see more photos. Links are in the Thank you paragraph above.
I will try to load photos as soon as the problem is solved.

Elinrós Eyjólfsdóttir Icelandic Artist

2007-10-01T12:43:00.000-04:00

I have known her all my life, she is my cousin. She is nine months older than I am...she will just love that I am telling you that ;] Her name is Elinrós Eyjólfsdóttir,Ella for short. Elinrós was named for our Grandmother, Elinrós...such a beautiful name.
We have been friends all our life. At one time we lived only doors away from each other. Now we live an ocean apart, however, we see each other at least once a year, either here in the US or in Iceland. Each time we meet it is like we have never been apart. We love to talk about Art and our Art Journey.
In the 1980's Ken and I lived in Saratoga Springs, NY where Ella and I spent several summers at Skidmore College at the same time, Ella in the Painting Department and I in the Sculpting and Ceramics Department. We attended many art lectures together and talked about the art we had seen and art we would like to create...Those were lovely times.
When we were little girls growing up in Iceland, along with her four sisters, brother and our cousins, we would make art together. One big project each year was making Christmas cards. Those were wonderful times, that I remember fondly.
We love and admire each others art and abilities. I am delighted that I am able to introduce my cousin, my friend and fellow artist Elinrós Eyjólfsdóttir.

Elinrós has been creating all her life. When we were growing up in Iceland all young girls learned the Domestic Arts, knitting, sewing and cooking. We were taught by our Mothers and Grandmother and in our Schools ...Ella excelled and became proficient in whatever she set out to create.

She became interested in Porcelain Painting and in the summers of 1978 to 1981 she took private lessons at Studio Glee, in Dowling, Colorado.

Elinrós became interested in furthering her art education in 1982 -1985 she attended Myndlistaskólinn í Reykjavík(Reykjavik School of Visual Art) and from 1982 to 1987 she attended the Myndlista og Handíðaskóli Íslands (The Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts) now know as Listaháskóli Íslands (The Iceland Academy of the Arts)
where she earned her Art Degree.
She has also studied art Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY seven summers from 1986 to 1995. In Copenhagen, Denmark in 1988 and in Italy in 1997.
Elinrós has had 14 One Woman Shows and has been in 10 Group Shows of which 3 were in the US and one in the UK.

There have been numerous articles written about her and her art in Icelandic Publications and various Foreign Publications.

Ella’s art can be purchased in Gallerí Lind in Iceland and on the web. Her Son and Daughter-in-law own the Gallery. Please make sure you check out their web site...it is a great site not only to see Ella’s art but also a great sampling of other Icelandic Art.

Baby Traveler

2007-09-17T10:06:00.001-04:00

The little traveler is now back home in Denmark.
Yesterday was his 5 month Birthday. In those 5 months he has traveled from the country of his birth Denmark, to Germany, France, Italy, Sweden and the US. While he was in the US he traveled to 6 states Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
I think perhaps his Viking blood is stirring in his veins.

Amma and Victor in Princeton, NJ

Afi and Victor share a laugh.

Gifts

2007-08-29T14:46:00.000-04:00

Don’t you just love gifts?
On Saturday Nessa of “The Chrysalis Stage” aka “Goldennib” came over to my house for a visit.
We had a lovely time talking, drinking coffee and nibbling on some cookies. We also took a tour of my Studio. It was a wonderful time, we talked like we had known each other for ever.
Nessa brought me this gift for my studio...the fragrance is Lavender and Mint...my studio smells wonderful.

The other day Ken took my parents to an Oriental Supermarket in our area and came back with this lovely Gingko leaf, that he found in their parking lot...don’t you just love the shape...and the color...Oh! my. This gift more than any shows me just how well he knows me...I like that!!!

This afternoon Ken brought me three pots of Michaelmas Daisies. They remind me that Summer is leaving and that Autumn will be soon strutting her colors.

Guess who is coming to see his Afi (Ken) and Amma (Me :))? He is bringing his lovely Parents, who brought this most precious gift of all, into the world.

The Hummingbird Feeder

2007-08-22T14:15:00.000-04:00

We have a Hummingbird feeder that is visible from my front porch. Much to my delight it is full of activity. There is a Ruby-throated pair that visit many times each day. As far as I can tell they are always the same pair.

The male has been dubbed the bully by me, as he stands guard over the feeder and won’t let anyone near it.
However, the female is quite tenacious and can get her share.

Several times, I have seen them both at the same time, enjoying a little repast. Some day I will get a photo of that moment.
The little male is quite busy as there are several Chickadees and Tufted Titmice that like to drink the water from the fresh water reservoir on the feeder.

Her Majesty The Queen Of The Sauna

2007-08-16T14:49:00.000-04:00

About seven years ago while living in Salem, MA, I was visiting my parents here in New Jersey.
A few days into my visit my fingers were itching to create something.
I went to the local AC Moore and found Sculpy II clay in silver. The only tools they had were plastic and in not time I had broken all of them. I finally settled on a nail file and toothpicks as tools.
This was the first time I had used polymer clay. My hands get very warm when I am working with polymer clay, resulting in a lot of melting and slumping of the clay. When I did this piece I did not know that I could bake in several stages.
She is not perfect.....I am a perfectionist. For some reason she is one of my favorites of all the work I have done. And because she is not perfect she lives in my house.
The other day I noticed the little crown that is on her head, siting on the counter in the master bathroom.
My husband had left it there when he opened a new bottle of “Royall BayRhum”....*their spelling* After Shave from Bermuda. Not only does he smell good but he also left me a little treasure to find. I just love that :)
That was day of the coronation. I present “Her Majesty The Queen Of The Sauna”

Squirrel Baffle

2007-08-14T10:14:00.000-04:00

In front of my house, there is a small porch, where we like to sit in the evening just before dinner. That is the time the birds come to the bird feeder and the squirrels look on longingly.

One little squirrel has a tenacious spirit. He tries every which way to get past the squirrel baffle on the bird feeder. Finally accepting the few morsels that fall on the ground and a refreshing drink from the bird bath.

The New Leaf

2007-08-08T20:52:00.000-04:00

For a number of years I have made it a practice to go by myself on an Artist Date. I think I have mentioned that in past posts. This is a time for me to get out of the studio, to forget responsibilities and to observe, think about and be inspired by what I see on these outings.

Lately, however, I do not go alone on most of these excursions, my Mother joins me.
My Mother is eighty four years old and can no longer drive due to an eye problem. Now that my ninety three year old Father does not drive any longer either, the only time they go out of the house is when someone else drives.
Mother and I enjoy our outings, we love to go out for lunch at nearby tea rooms,or restaurants and to take a look in gift shop or two.
Last week we went to a tea room called The New Leaf in Riverton, NJ.
Our lunch was delicious and the surroundings elegant. We enjoyed looking around and doing a little shopping in the delightful gift shop attached to the tea room.
Phyllis Rodgers the owner of the shop gave me kind
permission to take pictures and to write about our experiences at The New Leaf.

Angela Giovanna Loroux

2007-08-02T08:44:00.000-04:00

It was four years ago when I first saw Eden this amazing doll by today's featured artist Angela Giovanna Loroux. I was hooked and Eden has been in my memory ever since.
I see a lot of art every day and there are few artist that impress me as much as Angela does. Her art is both poignant and as elegant as their creator.

Angela attended Manhattan Beauty School and specialized in FX Make-up.
She was an award winning Display Artist for a large retail corporation and a resident Artist in a large Theatrical Costume shop where she made all things three dimensional: from hats to mascot costumes to props for productions throughout the United States and Canada.
Her Fantasy Illustration, Children’s Portraits & Photography work can be found in collections all over the world.

I asked Angela a few questions. Here are the questions and Angela's answers.

Mo’a: What direction is your art going in lately and what excites you?

Angela: Lately I have been working on faerie pieces for Faerie Con that will be held in October 2007 in Philadelphia, PA, as well as mythological characters in paper clay. I feel compelled to include my love of Premier paper clay, as I plan on working in mainly in this medium in the future.
I am entirely self taught, with the exception of purchasing and watching the Creager's Instructional Video tapes and Hannie Sarris' Instructional Books.
They are not only extraordinarily talented people they are very lovely human beings, which is important to me.

Mo’a: Do you belong to any Doll Clubs or Artist Organizations?

Angela: I belong to the Dollmakers List as well as other smaller sculpture lists. I am also a member of ASFA, the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists.

Mo’a: In reading about you for this article, I saw that you have had many awards and honors through your art. Would you tell us what they are?

Angela: My work has been featured in the books, "Spectrum 11 & 12, The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art."
I received the Froudian Artist Award for February 2005 and was chosen as the number one Fairy Fantasy Artist of the same month by Hannie Sarris.
I was featured on the french website, Free Land of Fantasy, for my piece "Eden" alongside Thomas Kuebler for appearing in Spectrum 11.

My piece "Morigan" was mentioned in an
Amazon Review for "Spectrum 11, The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art".
My piece "Within A Whisper" appears in the upcoming edition of Contemporary Doll Collector.

Mo’a: What inspired your piece “The Healer”?

Angela: I made "The Healer" specifically to celebrate a man who dedicated his life to helping and healing victims of Gulf War Syndrome and environmentally triggered illnesses. I was later informed the piece will be permanently displayed in a new Healing Arts Center in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Mo’a: Do you work full time on your art?

Angela: I literally work around the clock on my pieces. I only stop when I need to rest. I get my inspiration for a lot for my pieces from my dreams. My work is my way of communicating, it embodies who I am. I feel I have so much more ahead of me, the excitement truly is the journey.

Oden and Frigg

Souvanna

Litza

As you can see by the pieces shown here, Angela's Art is as extraordinary as their creator.
Angela has a blog, please go and visit her there and also leave a comment here. I know that she would like to hear from you.

Dad's 93rd Birthday

2007-07-30T09:32:00.000-04:00

Today is my Dad’s 93rd Birthday. His has been a life well lived. He has seen the Great Depression and he fought for his country in World War II.

In his youth he played the Violin and was Concert Master with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

He shaves and puts on a white shirt and tie every day. Then goes down for breakfast. After breakfast he reads the Philadelphia Inquirer from front to back. Later in the day he checks out the Food Channel on TV. He loves to take family and friends to his favorite restaurants.
He credits my Mother’s good care for his long and happy life.

When I was 12 years old he became my Dad and I am sure my life has bee richer for having had him in my life. Happy Birthday Dad.

Today Is My Birthday

2007-07-23T09:14:00.000-04:00

Today is my Birthday. In true blogger kind of celebration, I looked up quotes from greater minds than mine.
I did lean a few things from these quotes.....but first read the clever quotes.....I will tell you my thoughts at the end of this post.

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.
Abraham Lincoln

A woman has the age she deserves. Coco Chanel

I'm not interested in age. People who tell me their age are silly. You're as old as you feel. Elizabeth Arden

None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm. Henry David Thoreau

First you are young; then you are middle-aged; then you are old; then you are wonderful.
Lady Diana Cooper

People like you and I, though mortal of course like everyone else, do not grow old no matter how long we live...[We] never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born. letter to Otto Juliusburger Albert Einstein

Enjoy Life.........Take care of yourself.....Numbers don’t matter.....Enjoy life with Enthusiasm.....I am not Wonderful yet.....OK!!! Maybe I am Wonderful after all...In closing do as Norman Vincent Peale said ...Live your life and forget your age.

Small Friends In The Garden

2007-07-19T12:28:00.001-04:00

It is amazing to me how much more you see when you are looking for neat things to photograph.
I have gardened for many years and have not often noticed, up close, the wonderful bugs and insects that frequent my garden.....oh! I have noticed some of the after effects, such as holes and bumps in leaves.....but never have I come so close to some of my little fellow garden lovers.
I guess it is true that most people look, but they do not see.

Click on the photos to get a close up look.
Here is a beautiful Butterfly that loves my Herbs.

I must have shot at least ten photos trying to get a good photo of her underside that is amazingly beautiful to me.....the pattern remind me of a Gustav Klimt painting.

Here is a lovely green bug on a Day Lily blossom. Does anyone know his/her name?

Ken took this Butterfly picture in a friends garden.

Just this morning as I was watering I noticed this Praying Mantis. It reminded me of a Fable and a Poem by my friend Doug. You must read it, it is amazing...mine however is green and not golden...if you read Doug’s Fable and Poem you will understand why I just said that.

Here is one more photo...yes, there is a little friend there...Can you find him/her?

New Camera

2007-07-10T15:26:00.000-04:00

The day after our Grandson was born our printer went to printer heaven.....Or is it, inkjet heaven?
This was just days after I had some computer problems fixed. Then while we were in Denmark, my digital camera started acting up. I felt it was time to upgrade especially after seeing these photos of Baby Victor that our son took on his Nikon Single lens reflex digital camera.
I studied for several days. Do I get a Nikon, a Canon or an Olympus? Finally after much study, I made a decision and bought an Olympus that comes with two lenses.....I am so happy with it that I want to show you photos that both Ken and I took of our garden and my Mother’s garden.

On To Live A Creative Life are more photos. I hope you enjoy them.

Back From Vacation

2007-06-27T13:31:00.000-04:00

I know, I know. You have been wondering what happened to me.....You have, haven’t you?
I am fine, I just gave myself a little vacation.
My vacation started in Iceland and Denmark and then continued here at home. Now, I did not sit on my hands, or just stare into space.....OK!!! just for a few moments, then back to my working vacation. I made ten more of these.

Then I battled the Gypsy Moth caterpillars and the results of their eating all the leaves of several of our Oak Trees.....what goes in must come out.

On top ot that.....it rained!!!
Here is what I had to do, until we decided that four hours of cleaning the walk with scrub brush and a hose is not the way to go.....the pressure hose arrives today.

There are hundreds of Gypsy Moth Fellas, doing whatever it is they do, besides fly. When I walk out the door they come in droves and head straight for my face.....now, I like attention....but, this is just too much.

Come to think of it after we left Denmark I have not had much of a vacation.....OK!!! I did put my computer aside for a while and ignored my cyber friends....but is that any kind of vacation?....I would call that neglect.......I am so sorry :( However, I am back for better or worse.

We had four glorious days in Iceland with friends and family.
When I think back on our time there, I realized that almost everyone we saw on this trip, is an Artist.
My cousin Elinros is a painter, my very good friend of many years, Katrin is a Puppet and Mask artist and a costume designer both freelance, for movies etc., and for the National Theater of Iceland.
We had dinner at the home of longtime friends, the husband is the owner and head designer of Jens jewelry shop in Iceland, he is also a sculptor. At the dinner party was an other artist, she is the sister of our hostess. Since there were four artist at the party, there was a lot of Art talk.....I thought I had died and gone to Artist Heaven.

I will tell you more about my Artist Friends and Family in Iceland in later posts.....there will be photos and links. I promise!!!!!

For photos of the Denmark trip please go to, To Live A Creative Life.

Blooms and Baby Faces

2007-05-13T10:30:00.000-04:00

And The Winners Are.....

2007-05-07T10:05:00.000-04:00

Having a contest is a lot of responsibility and it is important to do it right. I learned about this by entering contests on various blogs.

First I made sure that I had all the names of the lovely people that made comments on my blog.

Next step was to find a bag or something to place the names into....Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist was recently giving for a trade, these stunning bags from Trader Joe’s....I did not enter her contest, because I have a Trader Joe’s not to far away from my home...where I got this bag.

See, they are in there.

Now I need someone to draw names. Yes you lovely Brie!!! Please....she is a princess, so I must be polite and say please and thank you :)

You can do it!.....some people have their Dogs draw names.

I have done my work...and don’t talk about Dogs again!!!
See what I mean, she is a Princess?!?!?!

So Ken to the rescue he drew two names.....actually three, but don’t tell Brie I told you about this.....and while we are at it let’s not talk about Dogs either!!!.....She is very sensitive about this subject and I know she did her best.

Then I put the six Chrysalis I had made in the bag and drew one for each name. And the winners are.........

Leslie, Ulla of Ullabenulla and G. of simply said

There is more on To Live A Creative Life see you there.

A Celebration Give Away

2007-04-30T14:36:00.000-04:00

I am an Amma (Grandmother) it happened two weeks ago, when the little bundle was born ten days early in the land of Denmark.
When my son called to tell me the news, I was making little bunting Chrysalis (pupa) figures.
Their faces are made from a silk cocoons, needle felted bodies covered with mulberry fibers, silk hair. Some are embelished with beads and others with silk yarn, all have a loop for hanging.
I frequent many blogs by mixed media artists, who have a lovely habit of sharing their work with their readers.
To celebrate the fact that I am a first time Amma (Grandmother) I would like to give away three of the little Chrysalis figures. All who comment on this post will have their names entered in a pool from which I will draw three winners. Here are photos of some of the Chrysalis. Good luck :)
On “To Live A Creative Life” you can see a photo of our lovely Grandson.

My Studio

2007-04-12T12:32:00.000-04:00

The last several months have been devoted to getting the studio in shape. It is in a very glamorous space...my basement.
The first thing we did was put in a lot of lighting. Then we painted and waterproofed the walls, for that I got lot’s of help, as you can see on this post over at “To Live A Creative Life”. For several weeks I devoted my time to painting and decorating the walls, that I face when I am at my work table.
Then Ken laid a floor down for me with peel and stick tiles...this is a basement remember :)
I have a separate room for my supplies, it used to be a bedroom. We have another bedroom down there that is going to be my Library. There is even a bathroom down there that comes in very handy. A couple of teenage girls had their bedrooms down there, before we lived here.
I have all I need, in my new studio, to be comfortable while I create my Art.
Here are some photos. The room looks a lot better than my photos...but you get the idea :)
“Let The Magic Begin”, this is a saying that Marilyn Radzat has in her studio, I love having this saying on my wall...reminds me of many magical times I have had through my art.

“Here There Be Art ---------> And A Dragon” my attempt at humor. I need humor in my Life and Art.

Between the two walls.

My sewing area.

To my left when I sit at my work table.

A window, through which I see the seasons change.

My work table.

For the Senses

2007-04-07T14:58:00.000-04:00

This week for my Artist Date I stayed here in Medford, NJ. After delivering the faces, see previous post, to the Knitting Room. I walked across the street to another favorite store For the Senses.
For the Senses specializes in Modern Fragrances, Antique Perfume Bottles, Candles and Gifts.
This store is one of the most Girly Girl stores I have ever been into.
Here are some photos to tickle your senses.

In this photo are some large bottles, that were used for perfume counter display.

Don’t you just love this cabinet?

Everywhere you look there are lovely vignettes.

I love these teas, the bags are pyramid shaped. I drink a lot of tea. I think I need a teacup that is as large as the one in this photo.

The Knitting Room

2007-04-02T23:08:00.000-04:00

I was astounded, when I noticed how long it has been since the last time I posted.
The reason for my absence was computer problems. Just when I thought they were fixed, I had a slew of new problems, this time with my connection. After hours of tech help we are now up and running.

I had a lovely commission from my favorite yarn and knitting supply store, located here in Historic Medford, NJ, “The Knitting Room”
This store has the most wonderful yarns sorted and displayed by color. The official greeter of the store is the lovely little Pomeranian, Cierra.

I needed a snap for the felted bag that I showed a few posts ago. I took the bag to the Knitting Room. The owner of the store fell in love with the embellished face. She asked me whether I would consider making ten of them for her store. I told her I would and when I left the store, I was armed with all manner of yarns to use for embellishment. Aren’t they yummy?
I have now completed the ten faces and they are ready to be delivered. Here are some photos to show you how they turned out

Come over to, "To Live A Creative Life" and see what else I have been up to.

Blue Frog

2007-03-09T09:54:00.000-05:00

I just finished this needle felted blue frog, that is on his way to Texas.
I always have butterflies in my stomach, when a piece of my art is on it’s way to a customer.
My head is filled with thoughts like “I hope it does not get lost in the mail” “What if they don’t like it and think they have spent too much money on the piece?” and “I wonder, I hope, I think, I know. I don’t know” in other words I drive myself crazy until I hear from the customer.
I have been lucky so far, as most of my customer have said that my pieces look better in person than in photos. So I guess the answer is to take bad pictures. I am good at that ;^) That is why I am taking classes in Photo Shop and reading my digital camera manual. I just hope that my photos won’t look better than my art in the future, that would defeat the purpose.

There seems to be a Blue Theme on this blog and To Live A Creative Life, where there are Blue Birds and A Blue Cat, go see for yourself ;)

Artist Date

2007-03-05T09:55:00.000-05:00

Lately I have been reading a lot of Mixed Media, Fashion and Life Style blogs. I am charmed by these blogs and have shown you quite a few of them here. One of my favorites is Ullabenulla. Ulla links to an amazing variety of web sites for one to visit and be inspired by.
Another new favorite is A Fanciful Twist. This blog belongs to....I quote her here from her about page, "I am a strange and curiously artistic woman from the 1800's trapped in the body of a thirty year old girl living in the year 2006 in a bizarre Arizona." Go ahead and read the rest of her bio....you will be glad you did :) I am enchanted by her art....her blog is full of her fancifull drawings....,energy and charm.

For years I have had an artist date....a day set aside for myself, to explore places where I can find inspiration for my art and lifestyle.
A few years before my knee replacement surgery, I would go out for perhaps an hour or two, and then come home more exhausted than inspired. Thankfully those days are behind me, now I come back inspired and in one case recently, with a big commission for my work.
A week ago I found myself in Collingswood, NJ and while there I visited a charming place called "The Painted Cottage".
Valerie Boothroyd, is an artist and the owner of "The Painted Cottage".
Here are some things I found in her store.

This is the furniture that Valerie has altered.

I fell for these bags.

More lovely bags.

Easter displays.

Now hop on over to "To Live A Creative Life" and see what I am showing over there :)

Ash Wednesday

2007-02-21T09:45:00.000-05:00

When I was growing up in Iceland this was one of my favorite times of year. Starting with Bolludagur or Cream Puff Day, which was this Monday. We start the day by waking our parents and any other adults in the house, by banging on their duvet with a long stick, and counting the number of blows we could get, each blow meant another Cream Puff for us. This stick was made by us days before, out of a long piece of wood and decorated with strips of crepe paper in multitude of colors.
Sprengjdagur or Eat until you explode day, was Tuesday. That day the menu consisted Salt Kjot and Baunir, a stew made out of salted lamb, yellow peas, potatoes, turnips, and in my family Sod Kokur a big dumpling like cakes made from four and water. I, as a child, loved this meal and still do.......it is on my wish list when I go to Iceland for a visit, my Uncle Eirik always makes it for me.
Then came my all time favorite day Oskudagur or Ash Wednesday. There are new customs that have evolved over the years. When I was growing up, it was the day we...the girls....tried to hang a bag filled with ashes on every male we could find. Days before we made our bags out of scraps of fabric that we had been collecting all year long. The bags were a simple construction that we hand stitched then added a long string with a bent straight pin on the end. They told the story of the what fabrics had been used for each member of the family, much like a quilt would.
My Mother has a cousin who was a seamstress and made all our dresses, I would collect the scraps of fabric left over. We made our bags in our Sewing Club, where we talked about who was going to get each bag and how we were going to hang it on their back. The boys we had a crush on got the most beautiful bags. Planing was important as the men made it hard for us to hang bags on them. They would wear Rain Slickers or Trench Coats that were impossible to hang a bag on, it was important to get the men in our household before they could put their coat on.
One of the most memorable Ash Wednesdays for me, was when there was a man who visited the Book Store, where my Mother was working. He was from a foreign country and was oblivious to the fact that on the back of his Wool Coat were numerous bags. He smiled on each child as they were hovering around him, laughing, pointing, and slapping each other on the back, at this point the boys had joined us in the fun. No doubt he was thinking how happy and friendly the children of Iceland were. By the time he left the Book Store he must have had over thirty bags on his back. As an adult, I imagine his surprise as he took of his coat back at his hotel, to discover these colorful little bags filled with ashes. I know I would have been delighted to make such a discovery.

First published March 2006.

Felted Bag

2007-02-15T17:42:00.000-05:00

It was three years ago that I took a knitting class at a local yarn shop. My project was to knit a bag to be felted. I think I had a fear of felting. A couple of weeks ago I finally felted the bag and then I started embellishing.

Here is the before.

Here is the after.

I had an extra head drawn on velvet. I decided to paint it to go with all the embellishments, that I was adding to the bag.

A Meeting At Starbucks and Creation

2007-02-08T15:08:00.000-05:00

Nessa of The Chrysalis Stage and I met at Strabucks, last Saturday. Nessa and I met through Waking Ambrose, she is the first blogger I have met in person. Well that is not entirely true, I have friends who have become bloggers, but that is another story.
Anyway, Nessa and I talked for two hours. I have a feeling that the reason we could talk so easily with each other is that we have some knowledge of each others life, through our blogs.
She is a lovely and beautiful person and would be easy to talk with, under any circumstances.
We found that we had a lot of things in common. One was that we both like to create and to write. Although she is a more serious writer than I am and her spelling and grammar is far superior to mine. On top of that she had her post, about this meeting, written by Sunday and here it is Thursday and I am just now writing my post. I have an excuse....sinus headache and I am sticking to it :)
It was a fun meeting and I am sure we will get together again, I look forward to that.
I am also looking forward to meeting other bloggers that I have come to know through their blogs. Spring will be here soon and I am sure some people from Connecticut and New York will be more inclined to travel :) Now I must get back to the studio to clean and fix it up.....I will be expecting company soon.

Please visit me also, on To Live a Creative Life, there is a new post.

Above Photo: "Creation" Wooden box 7 1/2 by 5 1/2, figure 3 inches, Polymer clay and paper. By Mo'a

The Adirondacks And A Tiny World

2007-02-02T16:04:00.000-05:00

About fifteen years ago, when we lived in Saratoga Springs, NY, we used to like to go into the Adirondacks. We were charmed by the area, it’s natural beauty and the Adirondack Great Camps. We had the pleasure of staying in a couple of the camps over weekends. See here and
here, check out their movie. And here is the site for the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, NY.
We also fell in love with the Adirondack furniture styles, so much that we have a room in our home furnished in the Adirondack style blended with Navaho rugs, American Indian pottery and a few Icelandic treasures thrown into the mix.
I also found myself being attracted to diminutive furniture in the Adirondack style and collected a few pieces, that have survived three moves and a kitten......that in itself is miraculous.
Recently I was reading a blog called Beautiful Art, where I saw photos of tiny twig furniture that the Debbie makes. Her furniture was featured in Victoria Magazine in their February 1991 issue.
I had not unpacked my own twig furniture, that I had put away in the first place, because Brie, when she was a kitten, used to love to go and bat these little treasures about.....which did not sit well with me, as you can well imagine.
A week ago I made a little environment for my furniture. At the same time a little Tree Spirit by Rachael DiRenna arrived in the mail and she immediately flew into the middle of the little place, that is now fully furnished and lives on top of the piano in our family room. The little Tree Spirit kneels next to it, enchanted by and watches over this little world.

Eye Candy and French

2007-01-30T10:36:00.000-05:00

I am an eye candy junkie.....well at least that kind of candy doesn’t end up on the hips. Lately my new favorite blogs are mixed media artist blogs and French life style blogs. Here are some of the wonderful wondrous blogs, that I thought you might enjoy.
Unnabenulla is a blog by Ulla an artist and art teacher. She writes about and shows images from the most amazing web sites and stores. Many of these sites are sent to her by her friend Florizelle who lives in Paris. See here some of the Paris Discoveries.

After reading one series of posts, on Gypsy wagons, fashion and art I was ready to live in a Gypsy Wagon, wear Gypsy fashion and create gypsy art. Here Ulla shows some of her own wonderful art, now tell me what would you do with an ugly brown bug.
Another favorite blog is Paris Breakfast. Each day Carol Gillott does a watercolor of a favorite sweet, pastry, teacup, teapots, chocolate pots, her luminous watercolors are always sure to make me happy. Today she has an homage to the French Egg. Will you look at boiled eggs with a different eye, after seeing this post? I know that I will.
Is it just me or do French women have a special way, with not only how to tie a scarf, but also in how to design and photograph their surroundings. Take a look here and here and tell me if I am right.
And look here at L’Armoire de Suzanne how clever they are when it comes to finding that special something.
So yes, lately I have been possessed by the French blog. No, I don’t know French well enough to be able to read these blogs without help, so I go to AltaVista Babel Fish. Sometimes the translation is humorous, I love that.
I am inspired by the above, sites and you will notice that on my other blog To Live A Creative Life.

Marilyn Radzat, The Curator of Enchantment

2007-01-19T12:38:00.000-05:00

Today I am going tell you about Marilyn Radzat and show you her amazing art.
Marilyn is called The Curator of Enchantment, this phrase is a prefect description of Marilyn and her art.

In April of 2005, I connected with nine kindred souls at a retreat in Hawaii.
This retreat was at Marilyn Radzat’s home on Kawela Bay. Marilyn and her long time friend Gail Lackey also a fantasy artist, were our guides on our creative journey. Marilyn and Gail are both members of the prestigious doll artist organization NIADA.

When I was in Hawaii, everyday was a journey of enchantment, as Marilyn gently guided us to find our inner artist, our Muse. She did this by taking us on excursions to find the magic in nature and the magic within ourselves.
We went to a Banyan Forest, where we found not only the beauty and the majesty of the Banyan trees, we also found great treasures on the floor of the forest. Banyan trees are able to make magical places with their trunks that at times cling to each other and other times line them selves up to make a Cathedral, with their branches making a roof as they spread and intertwine their horizontal arms.
We went to a deserted beach, there Marilyn showed us the treasures that wash up to the shore. Sea glass, shells, coral, small stones and other objects that have been smoothed by the sea and sand. We all came back with our bags and pockets full of the kind treasures that are so prominent in Marilyn’s art.
Along with using natural materials that she finds in nature, Marilyn has an eye for beautiful manmade objects. Her studio is filled with glass tiles, sequins, beads, ribbons, charms, laces, fabric and many more special finds. These are her medium for magic and enchantment. It takes you breath away to walk into her beautiful treasure filled studio.

For the first time in her 35 year career, Marilyn is teaching a series of classes at the Gourd College Online. She will be teaching techniques, that she has developed and used, while creating her own art.
There is still an opening for some of the classes. I would recommend that you take as many classes as you can. You will learn a lot more than technique, knowing Marilyn she will also teach you to see and find beautiful objects to create your own art.

This year Marilyn and Gail are again offering a Creativity Retreat in Hawaii. When I talked with Marilyn last week, there was one space left. I wish I could be there, however, I am unable to go this year. If you can find a way and the time to go, I recommend that you do, you will never regret it. It is a magical journey, an adventure in paradise.

List of Photographs, from the top:
1. Scorpio, close up
2. Scorpio
3. We the women, who attended the Hawaii Retreat in April 2005
4. In the Banyan Forest
5. Gail and Marilyn in the studio
6. Seating area in the studio. You can see the ocean from the balcony.
7. Ladybug, sample for the class that Marilyn is giving at the Gourd College Online
8. Ladybug open
9. The willow, also a sample for the Gourd College Online
10. The Heart of the Willow
11. A Secret Shared
12. The little "Hoonie" from a Secret Shared, close up
13. The Seven Deadly Sins
14. The Deadly Sins
15. The Deadly Sins

New post on To Live A Creative Life please come for a visit, you are always welcome.

12th Night And A Report On The Jolasveinar

2007-01-06T16:37:00.000-05:00

Today is 12th Night, the last day of Christmas. This is the night that animals can speak in human tongue. When seals come to land, shed their skins and take human form. It is also the night that elves visit humans.
I am stayin up until past midnight, just in case. I would like to see the Hidden People.
This night is celebrated in my home. In years past we used to have large parties and ask each person to bring a branch of their Christmas tree. After a lovely feast and strong drink, we would burn the Christmas tree branches in our fireplace,(fire laws where we lived, would not allow us to make a bonfire) and bid Christmas farewell. This evening will be a small celebration as there will be just the two of us. We will talk about our lovely Christmas and bid it farewell. We will be keeping the memories :)
This is also the night that Kertasnikir-Candle-beggar, the last to arrive and the last to leave, arrives at his home in the mountains. He was a little late this year. He was carrying so many candles in his arms, that he dropped one or more, from time to time. He would stop to pick up the ones he dropped and then having to rearrange his loot in his arms. He would then trudge on, having to repeat this routine several times. At one point he though he would just walk on and leave the candles that he dropped, but greed got the best of him and he does love a well lit cave, which is funny, because he will be sleeping while the candles burn down. He arrived just as Gryla was about to send poor little Stufur.....Stubby to find him. Stufur was relieved not to have to go after all, because for every one step his brothers take he has to take five, and that can get tiring.
You will be happy to know that Meat-hook made it back to the mountains. He was dragging his fat tummy, it was a very good year for him. As he arrived at the cave he flopped into his bed and fell asleep instantly. Snoring was heard all the way down the mountain. Some folks thought it was a land slide, but one of the villagers said with some pride “I have heard this sound before, about 50 years ago, when it was a very good year for Meat-hook”. He then puffed himself up and said “This is Meat-hook snoring” The villagers looked at each other and started laughing, because, this villager is well known for telling fantastical stories about the Jolasveinar. He considers himself an authority on Jolasveina lore. The villagers go along with him because they are not quite sure if he is or not, they have no way of proofing his stories.
Skyrgamur.....skyr gobbler, poor thing ate so much skyr that he had severe stomach ache and was heard crying out loud “I should not have eaten all the skyr” with every step he took. Will he ever learn? It is said that he does this every year.
All this crying out loud did not bother Hurdaskellir.....Door-slammer who was just a day ahead of him. You see Hurdaskellir had slammed so many doors, heard so many dog barks, startled screams and baby cries, that he had temporally lost his hearing. Don’t worry he will get it back after a years worth of sleep. He will be in good form with his hearing back and his arm ready to slam doors.
The saddest story that I must report to you, is the one about poor, skinny, hungry Thvorusleikir....Spoon-licker. Seems that there were not as many dirty wooden spoons, as in past years.....dishwashers. Thvorusleikir was so hungry that he hardly could drag himself up the mountain, once or twice he even fell down and had to crawl for miles. When he arrived at the cave he looked so pitiful that Gryla felt sorry for him, no small feat for Gryla, and offered him some Reindeer Moss soup. Gryla, Leppaludi and The Jolakottur.....Christmas cat did not have much success this year either. The Icelandic children were particularly good this year, so they are stooping to eating Reindeer Moss soup. Leppaludi is looking rather smug and Gryla is annoyed because she can not figure out why, but we know that he ate, more than a years worth in sales, of the Bæjarins Bestu Pylsur and Coke.....hot dogs and coke.

Disclaimer: The Jolasveina story was told to Mo’a by her Muse and is not to be copied by anyone. Her Muse would be very angry with you if you do and furthermore she gave Mo’a copyright :)

Kertasnikir.......Candle-beggar

2006-12-24T07:50:00.000-05:00

Kertasnikir.....Candle-beggar appears on Christmas Eve as the children wait in anticipation while their parents light the Christmas candles. When the family leaves the living room to get the children. Kertasnikir slips into the room and takes as many candles as he can carry.

The Jolasveinars and my project to count down to Christmas, by showing and talking about them each day and introducing their charming family, Gryla, Leppaludi and The Christmas Cat, has brought me more joy than I could ever have imagined. I have met through my blog other bloggers, some from my homeland and others from far and near. Thank you all for your kind words.
This year the Jolasveinar had the honor of being guests on two blogs Waking Ambrose and Endicott Redux.
My family and I, wish all of you that celebrate Christmas. Gledileg jol, Glaedelig jul and a Merry Christmas.
Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends. And to my friends who celebrate Kwanza, Happy Kwansa.

Kjotkrokur.......Meat-hook

2006-12-23T08:04:00.000-05:00

Gattathefur....Door-sniffer

2006-12-22T07:46:00.000-05:00

Gluggagaegir.......Window-peeper

2006-12-21T07:38:00.000-05:00

Bjugnakraekir.......Sausage-swiper and Gryla and Leppaludi

2006-12-20T07:17:00.000-05:00

Skyrgamur.....skyr gobbler

2006-12-19T07:46:00.000-05:00

Skyrgamur......skyr-gobbler arrived today and made a straight line for the dairy, where he found a barrel of skyr* He gobbles down all the skyr and is rewarded with stomach aches and pains. He is heard far and near, as he cries out “I should not have eaten all the skyr”.

*Skyr is a dairy product similar to yogurt that has been an stable part of the Icelandic diet for more than 1100 years.

Hurdaskellir....Door-slammer and The Christmas Cat

2006-12-18T07:35:00.000-05:00

Askjasleikir.....Bowl-licker

2006-12-17T08:11:00.000-05:00

Pottasleikir.....Pot-scraper

2006-12-16T07:44:00.000-05:00

Thvorusleikir.....Spoon-licker and Names

2006-12-15T07:49:00.000-05:00

Stufur....Stubby and The Costume

2006-12-14T08:09:00.000-05:00

Stufur....Stubby. He is very small and timid,he is afraid of his aggressive brothers, hardly dares to do any mischief at all. He waits in the corner of the kitchen, where the housewife is frying the meat, in the hope that she will leave the pan behind. Stufur lives in anticipation, sometimes he is lucky and sometimes not.

The costumes that I used for the Jolasveinar, are based on the Icelandic costume the men wore in the 18th century. Sheep skin shoes (saudskinnskor), that were very thin and without soles and had hand knit inserts (leppar), imagine walking in these shoes over the lava fields. Short breeches and hand knit woolen socks, nice and warm. A sweater loosely based on the lopapeysa, I say loosely as the designs I have made on the Jolasveinar sweaters, are not as ornate and intricate as the real thing. Mittens (vettlingar) and a woolen hat.

Giljagaur.....Gully-gawk and Needle Felting

2006-12-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Giljagaur........... Gully-gawk arrives today. He is a handsome and most happy fellow. His passion is the froth, that forms on the warm milk as it comes from the cow. He sneaks into the barn and while the milk maid is not looking, Giljagaur dips his finger into the milk pail and licks the froth off his finger. Giljagaur, was lucky today.

I have loved the story of the thirteen Jolasveinar, as long as I can remember. When I was a little girl I was given Christmas cards with drawings of them, by Eggert, that I had carefully colored in, with color pencil. I still have nine of the cards and suspect that there were actually only nine in the beginning, as in some of the stories there were only nine are mentioned. One of my favorite Christmas songs is about, Jolasveinar one and eight, who came down from the mountains, and the adventure they had along the way..
I have wanted to create the Jolasveinar for many years, but could not find a medium to work in, that would fit my image of them. I took a class on needle felting on the internet, a year and a half ago with Amy Rawson, through joggles.com. I took to the medium right away and practiced designing and making various figures, until I felt ready to work on the Jolasveinar. I started working on them, in the middle of October last year and had them all done by the 24th of December. I did them in sequence, so that I could show them all here day by day, as they arrive.
This year I have added three figures that are related to the Jolasveinar. They will make their debut soon.
This project has been the most satisfying one I have ever done. I looked forward to going to my studio every day. I started this blog to have a place to show them and to tell their story. I tell the stories in my own way, with the poems from a book called Jolin Koma (Christmas is coming) by Johannes ur Kotlum, which was first printed in 1932 and had it’s sixteenth printing in 1994, as one of my guides.

Check out my, Strange Things About Me Meme, on my other blog "To Live A Creative Life"

Stekkjastaur.....Stiff-legs and Jolasveinar

2006-12-12T08:48:00.000-05:00

The first to arrive is Stekkjastaur.....Stiff-legs, he sneaks into the sheep shed, hoping to milk one of the ewes, for his favorite drink. He is particularly stiff today, after his long walk from his mountain home. The sheep startled , jump and tumble about the shed, and due to Stekkjastaur’s stiff legs, are able to get away. Poor Stekkjastaur will have no milk today.

Today December 12th is a big day in Iceland, the first of the 13 Jolasveinar, variously called Yule Goblins, Christmas Men or Christmas Lads, arrives down from the mountains. Today's arrival is named Stiff-legs then comes Gully-gawk, Stubby, Spoon-licker, Pot-scraper, Bowl-licker, Door-slammer, Skyr-gobbler (Skyr is like yogurt) Sausage-swiper, Window-peeper, Door-sniffer, Meat-hook, and on the 24th, Christmas Eve, the last but not the least, Candle-beggar. Then they leave for the mountains one by one, the last one leaving on 12th night, January 6th.
These charmers were first mentioned in print in the 17th century and were known by various names which differ from region to region, with up to 80 names recorded.
Most of the names reflect the tricks they played. They coveted things people found hardest to do without during the lean times and the blackest Artic nights, that is food and light. Their parents were real charmers, their names are Gryla (Ugly) and Leppaludi(one who wears tattered clothes). It was said that Gryla and Leppaludi liked to feast on misbehaving children and were used as bogeymen to terrify children into obedience. The family pet was an enormous Black Cat who had the same culinary habits as Gryla and Leppaludi.The children of today, do not have to worry about Grila's, Leppaludi's and the Cat's former culinary habits, as they now probably prefer a Pizza or a Hamburger with a Coke.
In the 20th century the 13 Jolasveinar have mellowed and evolved from bogeymen into benevolent beings. They are now entertainment for, and friends to children. Each night when the children go to bed they leave their shoe on the window sill. If they have been good, they will recive a gift from each of the Jolasveinar, as they arrive from their mountain home. If they have been bad, they will find a potato in
their shoe.

Rachael DiRenna Sculptor

2006-12-04T16:09:00.000-05:00

I love this time of year, when the trees are bare and their structure and personality is visible. Each tree’s outstretched branches reach out to me and tell me who they are. When I saw Rachael’s Tree Spirits I knew that we are kindred souls.

Rachael was born and raised in the Mt.Washington area of Pittsburgh, PA.
It is hard to believe when you see Rachael’s art that she has had no formal art training. She told me that she has always been interested in art and was usually creating something, but that she has had no training. She was very young when her first child was born and that sidetracked her.
This used to bother her but now she feels that, because she has not had any training, makes her art a “little different”.
She has no pre-conceived ideas about what each piece should be, “I just make what I feel”
Her inspiration comes from mythic art, books and music that she loves. Her favorite work are always, her "strangest pieces".
Rachael said “I had played with polymer clay before, but paper just clicked for me. I work in paper mache because I love it. It is such a versatile medium. People actually make furniture from it. I find it so satisfying to take waste paper and create something beautiful. It is non-toxic, cheap, environmentally friendly, and the different handmade and specialty papers available are gorgeous. I got started in paper mache about 5 yrs ago because I wanted masks of my children’s faces. It was a small step to then creating figures."
I asked her whether she is a full time artist and what she calls herself.....a figurative artist, doll artist or a sculptor?
She replied: "I am not a full time artist, 3 kids makes that not financially feasible, but I hope someday to be".
I guess I usually call myself a sculptor but I don't really think about it. I just love to create. It feels so good when someone likes my work. Its such a high to connect with people that way. I just really wish I had more time to devote to it".
Rachael’s work is in private collections worldwide. She is a member of the Craftsmen’s Guild of Pittsburgh and has work at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. In November Rachael was featured on Endicott Studio's blog, Endicot Redux

Rachael said: "My tree goddesses are very important to me. I cannot look at trees without seeing people and I try to portray that in my work. They come to life for me while I am making them and I hope that anyone who owns a piece can feel it also".

Take a look at Rachael's Tree Goddesses and Tree Spirits. I am sure you will agree with me, that they are amazing and that you will look for the Spirits and the Goddesses the next time you see a tree.

Coming Back

2006-11-26T11:01:00.000-05:00

I will be back in a couple of days. Working on two posts to delight and amaze you......OK, perhaps that is overstating it, but do come back.....please.

Happy Thanksgiving Fom Our House To Yours

2006-11-22T19:09:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is my Husbands favorite Holiday. He is from New England where Thanksgiving was invented.
We will be six at our house, Friends and Family. As I was setting the table, I was thinking of our loved ones. Family and Friends who are no longer with us, who have left a mark on our hearts. Family and Friends who are far away from us in milage, but live in our hearts.
The china on the table is Lenox, the last of the New Jersey, American made. Glasses, Great, great, grandparents on my husbands side....marked with an P. Vine glasses a wedding present. Flatware a 50th anniversary present from my Father to his parents....marked with an R. Tablecloth made by me....I love to make tablecloths for every occasion. Pumpkins from CVS :) Candlesticks made by my Husbands Grandfather. The table setting has a meaning to us because of the memory of the people who owned or made some of these items, however, what means most to us are the people who have graced our lives. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Doll Artist Robert Keene McKinley

2006-11-16T11:49:00.000-05:00

Bob and I, at a Doll Exhibit in King of Prussia, PA 1992.

In 1993 I had the pleasure of taking a doll making class with Bob McKinley (Robert Keene McKinley) at Gloria Weiner’s (Mimi)place in New Jersey.
This class was and is the one and only class, on doll making, that I have taken so far. The whole time we were in the class Bob regaled us with stories about his life and work. He told us jokes, danced around the room and gave us all help with our sculpting and complimented us when we were doing well. It was the most fun I have ever had in any class. At the same time he was serious when it came to teaching us techniques, that he had come up with, through hard work and experimentation.
This was only a year before he died. During that year except for the last three months of his life, Bob and I talked on the phone often and exchanged letters. He was never too busy to talk on the phone, while he was talking, he was working on a doll and occasionally popping M&M’s in his mouth. One time I said to him “Bob, would you share your M&Ms with me, if I were there” he gave one of his, special cackling laughs, and said “Well you would have to bring your own chocolates and share them with me.” We would talk about chocolate and it’s merits. We had one thing in common, we were both incurable chocoholics.
Bob had a way with people, even though he claimed to be shy. I don’t think he ever met a person he could not share something with, a joke, advice in doll making, or just ordinary chit chat. He was approachable and never made you feel that you had to put him up on a pedestal, even though he was considered one of the best Doll Artists in the country. He was a member of the prestigious Doll Artist group NIADA (National Institute of American Doll Artists).Go there and read more about Bob and to see more of his dolls.
Bob’s first book “Doll Making: One Artist's Approach” came about because a lady in Kentucky wrote him and asked him questions about doll making. Bob made a doll, as he was making the doll, he would take a polaroids and write directions on each step and send those to her each week. In the end he sent her the doll. This shows you how kind and generous Bob was. This book and his book “Sculpting Dolls in Paperclay” are selling on Amazon for astronomical sums, and are worth every penny..
Bob also made a video in which he made a doll and showed step by step how he sculpted and finished a doll.
I feel that I was very lucky that I took his class, as I have the memory of a friendship, albeit short, and I use techniques he taught us in that class, to this day.

Bob with one of his creations.

Bob demostrating technique, in our class.


Front and back covers of his Doll Making books. Click to see larger immages and to read his messages to his readers.

A panel for an AIDS quilt in his memory. The drawing is a copy of one he made for his book "Sculpting Dolls in Paperclay" participates at NIADA 1995 and 1996 signed the panel.

When we were taking his class in NJ, we all went out to dinner together. I said to Bob "Take a bite of something, so that I can show people that I had dinner with you". This was the result.....I can hear his laugh right now.....he would have loved this.

Autumn Photos

2006-11-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

This is my favorite time of year, I love the other seasons also, but in the Autumn nature displays my favorite colors. I also like to hear the crunch of leaves, as I walk through them.
I am preparing other Artist Features and will post them soon. So for the time being here are some lovely Autumn in New Jersey photos.

Log Cabin in Medford Lakes, NJ

From our Japanese Style Garden

A statue by the Library in Medford. I wish I could tell you who the sculptor is, however, there is no credit on or near the statue. The Library is closed today, I will call them on Monday to find out who the sculptor is.

I found out from the Library, that the name of the sculptor is Guy Schover. He gave the scupture in memory of his Father. He lives in Maryland.
I tried to find out more about him on the web but could not find a thing....I hope I have spelled his name right. I will do more study and keep you posted.

Good Friends

2006-11-05T13:20:00.000-05:00

Autumn is beautiful for us this year. I feel invigorated and ready for the busy times ahead.
We had house guests this weekend, friends of twenty four years.
He is a Landscape Designer who has taught us much about plants, trees and garden design. He helped us design one of our gardens that we sadly had to leave behind. We have seen many gardens and flower shows with them. He collects American antique silver, and was able to find some flatware by an Philadelphia silver smith, after much search in Labertville, NJ, New Hope, PA and in Philadelphia. It seems fitting that he found what he was looking for in Philadelphia..
She breeds Pugs and our dear little Pugs Tansy and Toby, who for fifteen years gave us much pleasure and joy were bred by her. She is an artist and a philanthropist, collects American Indian art and worked at one time at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC.
They are gourmet cooks and one of their specialties is Indonesian Rijsttafel. We all went to our favorite Indonesian restaurant in Philadelphia, that serves authentic Indonesian food.
These were good four days with great friends, good food and great conversations with many good laughs.

We went to the Red Barn, our favorite pie place, to order pies for Thanksgiving.
Pie anyone?

Happy Halloween

2006-10-31T07:20:00.000-05:00

I have been blogging for one year......Happy Anniversary to me :)
I had been thinking about doing a blog for quite some time, but lacked the courage.
Linda, a friend who is a doll artist and children’s book illustrator, belongs to a doll artist group ODACT in Connecticut, that I was a member off. Linda already had her own blog "antinomia" that I had started reading.
When I finally plucked up courage to go ahead and start my own blog, I e-mailed Linda and asked her for help on how to begin. Linda walked me through the first stages of blogging and the rest as they say, is history.
I was very shy, however, I realized that the only way to make friends in blog land, was to comment on other peoples blogs. The first blog I commented on, after Linda was an Icelandic lady, Greta on ...inni í litlu húsi... I found her blog while looking up Icelandic Artists on google.
I met the group that I call “The Inner Circle” though "The Ice Queen"when I was displaying my Jolasveinar, the thirteen Christmas Elves from Iceland. I had found her when I googled one of the Jolasveinar’s name. Monika, the name she was known by then, was blogging on the Jolasveinar that were illustrated on Milk cartons, from one of the Icelandic dairies. She was very nice and immediately told “The Inner Circle” to stop over at my blog to see my Jolasveinar. That was when I met most of you, that come over and visit me :)
Bloggers never cease to amaze me by their thoughtfulness and kindness. One of the kindest is our Miz Bohemia, who is my team member and friend.
The first time I had experience with MizB’s kindness, was when I came back from surgery in Jauary and found that Monika, who’s blog until then had been know as “According to Monika”, was now called “ Ice Queen” and had a new template. I found out that the template had been a MizBohemia creation. I loved it and I guess I showed how green with envy I was.......I know not very charming........ am not proud of that.....however, this envy opened a whole new chapter for me.
Miz Bohemia told me that she could make a nice template for me and sent me an example through e-mail. I was delighted and up it went and my new home looked so very lovely.
A few weeks ago I added a new artist feature to my blog and felt that I needed to have a header with my own work. Miz Bohemia came to my rescue again. I cannot imagine not having Miz Bohemia in my life.....it would be a very dull life indeed.....and I would not know how kind and generous some very special bloggers are. Thank you all for a great blog year.

Since it is Halloween I am adding more photos of Bonnie’s Halloween Creations and a couple of my own. Happy Halloween.


Nodder Pulltoy by Bonnie Jones

Witchie by Bonnie Jones

Frost and Pumkinhead by Bonnie Jones

Who's There? by Mo'a

Ooooooh!!!nooooo!!! by Mo'a

Bonnie Jones Doll Artist

2006-10-23T15:45:00.000-04:00

A Halloween Witch by Bonnie Jones

Bonnie Jones lives in Natchez, Mississippi with her husband and a Scottish Terrier. She began her journey in the doll world making cloth dolls. Later she discovered polymer clay, that is when she felt that a whole new world had opened up for her . She now uses a range of clays from different polymer clays, which require firing, to some of the air dry clays. All of the costuming is designed and made by Bonnie. She searches for vintage fabric and trims in antique shops for the costumes, to give her dolls a unique look.
Along with her popular Santa Claus figures she creates other fantasy figures, such as faeries, wizards and mermaids. She has a line called “Holiday Collectibles” which consists of Folk Art pieces including figures for Halloween, that are featured here. Most of these pieces are sculpted from the air dry clays and painted with acrylics and then antiqued to give them an aged patina.
Although Bonnie is basically self-taught, she has taken classes with Jack Johnston and Barbara VanNoy who teaches skin texturing and hand-tied eyelashes. Barbara is considered to be her mentor and friend and someone who has given her the confidence to continue in this venture.
Bonnie Jones is one of the artists that I have met through the on line doll makers list. She is a doll artist that I admire, not only for her talent as a doll artist, but also for her ability and savvy when it comes to promoting herself and her art. Other doll artist would do well to take a page out of her book.
If you google Bonnie’s name you will find that she belongs to many internet groups. Here are some of the places you will find her art on the internet. This is her web site. Here she is the artist of the month. She can be found here on this links site. My clever friend can be found on a "Google Top Shopping List" under "Art Dolls". She is a member of the "Professional Doll Makers' Art Guild". Here she is a "Featured Artist" of the month October 2006, on the "Global Fantasy Dolls" web site and here and on "Homemade in America"
She is one of the artists that the "Santa Fanatic" collects.
Bonnie lives in Mississippi so naturally she would find a way to link herself on their web site They say on their site, "Let Us Be Your Guide For Finding Mississippi Business on The Web" clever woman. Do you wonder why I so admire her business savvy? She is a member of the "Electic Cottage" site, "Original Art and Craft Online". In September 2005 she was a "Froud Artist of The Month", very prestigious, the Frouds are the Holy Grail of fantasy art. I highly recommend that you visit their site. In November 2005 a featured artist on "Art Space 2000". She is on "Epilogue" and on "Primitive Folk Art Treasures of Today".
She has some of her Halloween figures on "Halloween Year Round".
She became a member of ODACA "Original Doll Artist Council of America" in July 2006. To become a member of ODACA one must present a portfolio, if the Membership/Standards Committee has accepted the applicant, after reviewing the CD that the Doll Artist has presented . Phase three is attending their annual convention ODACA Days and presenting three pieces of work. If the Standards Committee accepts the work, the applicant becomes a member.
On top of all this, Bonnie lists one or more of her pieces on ebay each week. She is now listing Halloween figures and will start listing her Christmas pieces, after Halloween

Bonnies work has been published in the following publications: "Contemporary Doll Collector", "Dolls", "Art Doll Quarterly", "The Crafts Report" ,"Country Roads", "Doll Crafter" and the new book "Christmas Dolls" by Joan M. Pursley.

Here is Bonnies Artist Statement:
I am passionate about creating one of a kind figurative art dolls. My love of art and music gave me the desire to create my own art, and the art doll gives me an arena to create pieces of art that evoke emotion. When I see someone smile or shed a tear while looking at my figures I know I have accomplished my endeavor. My journey in dollmaking or figurative sculpture has been so very satisfying, and I hope to continue along this path improving my skills and hopefully transferring my love of this art form to the person who decides to have one of my pieces in their life.

Feast your eyes are Bonnies Halloween creations. Enjoy and say hello to my friend and featured artist.
  Whimsical Halloween
  Mr. Jinkles
  Witch on a Duck Gourd
  Close-up of Which on a Duck Gourd
  Goth Pumkinhead
  Goth Halloween
  White Witch

Doodles

2006-10-14T10:06:00.000-04:00

I am working on two artist posts that will be ready in a couple of weeks.
The first one is an artist that is a great favorite of mine, who does phenomenal Halloween figures. Do you love the timing?
In the meantime I am posting a few of my own creations. These I do for fun and rest from some of the more complicated pieces.

Siggi, he refuses to leave home

Fere Elves, they are like Siggi, so they live here

Benedikt, he lives in Hungary

New Coats

2006-10-06T10:38:00.000-04:00

My Mother and I have had a wonderful time lately looking at old photos and talking about times past.
I came across a photo of my Mother taken when she was six years old.....she is now eighty three. I was struck by this photo as it reminded me of two other photos, one of me when I was four years old and another of my son at the age of four..
The quality of the photos had improved over the forty eight year, however, the story and the poses are very much alike. We are all wearing new coats, notice how our smiles have a familial look.

My Mother. She looks so cute cradling her little doll and wearing her new coat.

This is me, wearing a new coat that my Mother had made for me. She made the hat to match.

Brian wearing the Gucci coat and hat that my Mother bought for him. How cute :)

Magda Watts Doll Artist

2006-09-29T10:33:00.000-04:00

I feel honored that I am able to introduce you to Magda Watts an extraordinary woman and a doll artist that through her doll art has created miracles.

A short while ago I saw a letter on a doll makers list. . Here is what it said:

Hi Thank you to accept me As I am looking the wonderful works , I don't know if my dolls are acceptable because I am doing mostly Judaica dolls, But look my work, and you tell me Thank you magda watts

A flurry of letters from list members followed......we were all amazed by this wonderful artist and her story.
I myself was mesmerized by Magda’s stunning creations. I found myself going back to her web site again and again, taking in every detail and trying to decide which one of her dolls are my favorite.....impossible to say, how can I choose, they are all amazing.
I wrote Magda and asked her for permission to write about her in my blog.. She wrote me back and gave me permission. In exchanging e-mails with Magda I found out that she has a great sense of humor and a positive outlook.
Magda Watts grew up in Hungary until the age of 15, when she and all but one member of her immediate family were deported to Auschwitz. After 7 months in Auschwitz, Magda, along with her sister and other young girls and women in the concentration camp, was picked by the Siemen’s company as slave labor to make time bombs, in their factory in Nuremberg, which was officially a branch of the Flossenbeurg concentration camp.
Magda had suffered unbelievable atrocities, the murder of her parents in Auschwitz and the murder of her brothers and sisters. In Nuremberg she became infested with scabies and was restricted to staying in the "scabies hut". Sick, depressed, hungry and lonely she looked for something to keep herself occupied. She found some rags and from that she created a doll.
During the distribution of soup Magda said the supervisor, “Give me another portion for my baby” the supervisor said “Show me” she showed her the doll and was given an extra portion of soup in return for the doll. That was the beginning of Magda’s doll making career.
Word reached the SS about the talented teenage doll maker and they started bringing her material to make dolls for them. In return Magda was given extra rations that she shared with her sister and her friends and in this way she saved their lives.
In 1983 on a visit to Hungary the memories of the Holocaust started to haunt her mind. Returning to Israel still tormented by her memories of Auschwitz and Nuremberg, Magda as she had done 40 years prior, saved herself by turning to doll making. Since then she has made hundreds of dolls that have been exhibited in Israel, Germany, Hungary and The United States.
Jennifer Resnick made PBS Documentary about Magda’s life called “The Liberation of the Spirit”which was first televised in 1996.
Magda told me that she is self taught. Her medium is polymer clay and fabric.
All the personalities she creates are from her dreams, imagination and from her memories of the people and personalities she knew as a young, happy and carefree little Jewish girl in Hungary before the Holocaust.
Many of the props that go with her dolls are made by her, others such as the musical instruments and china pieces were bought in Chinatown in New York City.....sadly that store has closed down so now she looks for props on the Web.
Magda lives in Eilat Israel with her husband. They have two grown children and four grandchildren.
She is modest about her dolls and said to me “I don’t belong to no artist groups, because my dolls
look like between those beautiful dolls like a thorn in the touches”.
I cannot agree with her, I find her dolls the very embodiment of humanity, that is their beauty.
On her web site Magda said:
“I think my life, even today, inspires many people to higher levels, to teach them to, Never Give Up! There is always hope of survival - even from the most terrible places.”

Changes

2006-09-23T12:21:00.000-04:00

For the last couple of weeks I have been thinking about this blog and the changes I would like to make.
Leikur og List literally means Play and Art. I got the idea for my blog name, from one of my favorite Icelandic sayings: Thad verdur hverjum ad list, sem hann leikur. Translation: Practice makes perfect.

My objective is to introduce my readers to my art world, and the many people in that world, that inspire and awe me. Which leads me to the changes I will be making. I hope that my dear and faithful reader and friends will stay with me.......I think you will like the changes.
In my next post I will be writing about an amazing doll artist that saved her life by making a doll.
In the following posts I will introduce you to one of my cousins who is an amazing painter.
I will give you another look at one of my favorite art destinations and further down the line there will be more interviews with doll artists. Doll art is often misunderstood, consequently many people have no idea what it is all about. It will be my pleasure to give you a glimpse into that world.
October 30 will be my first anniversary of blogging :)

Sophie's List

2006-09-07T19:39:00.000-04:00

Dear little puppytoes Sophie, has challenged me to write a book meme....she was ever so sneaky and had her mommy/Neva tell me about this. So here you are Sophietoes my list.

1. One Book You have read more than once:
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren.I read it in Icelandic, there Pippi is called Lina Langsokkur.
I loved this book and wish I had brought it with me when we moved to the States, from Iceland.
When I was twelve years old I had a pet monkey that used to ride on my shoulder. He would hiss and screech at my Mother, when she tried to pry him off me, the mornings that I had to leave for school. I thought of myself as Lina, with her pet monkey Niels, on her shoulder.

2. One Book you would want on a desert island:
Well, I can tell you that I am not going there.....now if it were a dessert island I would be there in a blink of an eye.
However, Sophietoes, if you insist on sending me there I would bring “The Bible”, Old and New Testament. It has everything, sex, lust, greed, murder, mystery and love.....well you know all this.....I think it would be a good read, if I were to agree to going to this desert island of yours, which I am not, so forget it..

3. One Book that made you laugh:
This one will surprise you. Mya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” there is one scene in this book that had me laughing so hard that I literally ROTBLOL (rolled on the bed laughing out loud) What? you though I would go and roll on the floor.....I know little puppy, that is what you would do, but remember I am human. Anyway there is this scene that takes place in Church......well read it, and you will find out why I thought it so funny. You can read? Yes, I thought you could... you write so well.

4. One Book that made you cry:
Ernest Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” I was very young and this was the first book I read about a war. It made a tremendous impact on me and it also made me sick, so sick that I had to go to the bathroom, to leave my lunch there.

5. One Book you wish you had written:
Now that is a good question. Is that from the point of view of best written? Or a book that has made billions and made the author richer than god.....well, richer than almost anyone?
Who am I kidding? “The Philosopher’s Stone” by J.K.Rowling. I also would have been compelled to write a series of seven books that would lead to muchmuchmuch (borrowed that from you :^), lots of money, movie rights, product endorsements etc. and etc., and on top of that I would have a great, fun web site like this. Hint....the word this (see word before Hint) is a portal and you will be transported to J.K Rowling’s site. Have fun.
But believe me, I would not kill Harry Potter off in the last, still unpublished book, which is the rumor I heard. What makes me shudder is that I heard J.K. herself say that, so I guess it is not really a rumor :( That is just not right and Sophie baby if J.K. does that, which she said she would, scratch the answer above (number 4) and insert that sadsadsad still unpublished book.

6. One Book you wish had never been written:
Blindness by Jose Saramago,.....actually I wish I had never read it. It is so well written and so graphic, that I had to,on many occasions while reading this book, go and deposit my lunch in the bathroom.

7. One Book you are currently reading:
“The Vein of Gold” by Julia Cameron. I loved reading and working with her book “The Artist’s Way” ( see number 9) so much, that I thought it would be good to read and work with “The Vein of Gold” I am also reading “Hja Baru” by Ingolfur Margeirsson......you guessed it, an Icelandic book.“Carl and Karin Larsson Creators of The Swedish Style”. “The Little Locksmith” A Memoir by Katherine Butler Hathaway, this also could qualify for question number one, as I am re-reading this book and tomorrow I will also start on and stop reading...(see number below,number 8) You thought I only read one book at the time? *laughs*

8. One Book you keep meaning to read:
Well this is funny, Minka the Penguin girl had the same answer.
Many years ago my son who was in college at the time handed me this book and said “Mother you must read this” so I started reading, then stopped, started reading it again, then stopped, started again, stopped......you get the idea. This book has been on my bedside table for twelve years and in two homes. Every once in a while I pick it up and start reading. I am sure it is a good book, after all Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a great writer and “One Hundred Years of Solitude” is considered a masterpiece. On the back cover of the book it says, that it is the first piece of literature since the Book of Genesis that should be required reading for the entire human race. What is keeping me from, keeping on reading this book? It is just the kind of book I love to read.*shakes her head*
Perhaps Sophie, I should go to that desert island of yours and read it once and for all, who knows it might become the book that I will read more than once. If that happens, insert this book’s name, where it says Lina Langsokkur.
What am I thinking? I am not going to any desert island.

9. One Book that changed your life:
“The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. I read it at just the time in my life when I needed it the most. The “Morning Pages” and “The Artist Date” are brilliant and everybody should do that. Don’t know what I am talking about, well get your little wagging tail, to a bookstore or library and check it out.....you will thank me.....especially since you are an artist.
And......”The Mastery of Love” by Don Miguel Ruiz. I also have, the 48 card, card deck and every morning I pick out a card with a thought for the day.....have been doing that for two years, it is always a joy to me to see which card I picked.
What, you thought it would only take one book to change my life?

10. One Author who is your very favorite of all time:
I added that, just because, and it is my meme.
Charles deLint. I think I have read all his books.....he is brilliant in writing about the world in which my imagination lives. Feast your eyes on his web site. Better yet read one of his books....I would not recommend “A Circle of Cats” since cats are probably not your interest.

So there you have it Sophie baby/puppytoes/Neva. As for tagging.....there is no one left. Who is left? I ask you. Let me see you tagged, what? five, no seven people and as for the Kyahgirl she tagged a bunch of people, even Doug and he wrote his list. So who is left?

Favorite Places in Arhus

2006-08-31T15:55:00.000-04:00

I have fallen in love with Denmark, that is a good thing, for two reasons.
One: My son and daughter-in-law live there, as well as their extended family. We all get along well and have a great time together .
Two: Now you won’t be listening to me just talking about Iceland, I will also be talking about Denmark.
Here are photos of some of my favorite places in Arhus.

On the street where they live.

Farther down the street where they live.

Someone knew I was coming.

We stopped here for coffee at 11:00AM, there were others there, who had the same idea.

We visit this family everytime we go to Arhus.

Shopping....what more need I say? :)

The oldest street in Arhus....I have people on a look out for a For Sale sign.
I can dream can't I?

2006-08-24T19:13:00.000-04:00

The cake in the garden, where it was served with Champagne and Coffee

The little pair I made for the Wedding Cake, in Mette and Brian’s apartment window.

The cake was an amazing and a beautiful creation. The brides Mother made three sizes of a delicious five layer chocolate cake, filled with chocolate butter cream between each layer.
My sister-in-law made roses and stephanotis flowers out of gum paste, at her home in New Hampshire, ready to be placed on the cake after she frosted it in Denmark.
I made the topper and purchased the Grecian columns here in the States. In Denmark I helped and gave my Sister-in-law morale support, while she was frosting and constructing the cake, right after her long flight from the US to Denmark.
Before we arrived in Denmark there were many phone calls between New Hampshire, New Jersey and Denmark. We talked about what our plans were and what we need to buy and where and who would buy each item need for the cake.
Many years ago my Sister-in-law was a professional cake decorator with a booming business. She had decorated many cakes for my Son’s Birthdays so it had now come full circle she decorated his Wedding Cake.
I venture a guess that not many wedding cakes are made by the Mother of the Bride, the Grooms Aunt and the Mother of the Groom, in three different place and two countries.
The cake was a huge success as most of the Danish people had never seen an American style Wedding Cake like it before.

2006-08-22T15:27:00.000-04:00

Figaro aka Brobro.....my Mother and Dad’s lovely cat, died yesterday. He lived an amazing and charmed 16 years with them. I wrote a blog some time agoabout him that you can see here.
We buried him under the branches of a hemlock tree, that was his favorite contemplating life and hiding from the world space. He could see out but could not be seen by those who did not know he was there.
This lovely spot is behind the gazebo where he spent many happy times with us, as we enjoyed the garden, birds, bees and butterflies by day and the fire-flies in the evening. He was much loved and will be sorely missed.

Wedding in Denmark

2006-08-16T15:11:00.000-04:00

I danced the night away.....well almost. I danced six dances, slow ones and fast ones.....goal accomplished and it feels so good :)
The wedding was the most beautiful I have ever seen. There was a week of celebration, as people arrived from all corners of the world, The United States, Iceland, Germany, Italy, Spain and from various parts of Denmark.
The weather was perfect not a drop of rain until three days after the wedding. Denmark has not had such a good summer in recent history.
The Bride and Groom looked like a Prince and a Princess, they glowed with happiness and all those around them basked in their light.

Reclamation and Paloma

2006-07-17T11:42:00.000-04:00

Last week when I posted a couple of photos of what I was working on, blogger would not let me upload more photos....why is that?
I wanted to share more about the chair. I finished it just before my company came from Denmark.
We had a small ceremony when it had been placed in the garden.
The name I have given it is “Reclamation”.
One day a year ago in the spring, Ken and I saw a discarded chair by the side of the road. I asked Ken to stop to pick up the chair. He stopped without questioning me and put the chair in the trunk of our car.....he knows me that well. The chair was a broken bamboo chair
that had seen it’s last days as a useful item for the family who threw it out. I claimed it and now I have given it back to nature, to reclaim what is her’s.
It is a large chair 30 inches at it’s widest part, 22 inches deep and at it’s highest point 50 inches. I used Apoxie Sculpt over branches that I covered with aluminum foil.
If one looks closely there are faces of all kinds, all over the chair, some are animal faces and other’s are of little elves and gnomes.
I named the female figure “Paloma (dove)” I love the way this word feels on the tongue and the mouth when you say it......Pa..lo...ma. To me she looks like a bird, with hair like feathers.
This is the largest piece I have made. The question I always get is “how long did it take you to make this?” This one time I know the answer....not in hours...*shudder*.......but in months. It took me three months of workdays.......some days longer than other’s.
I know that pride is one of the seven sins.....but just this once, I will allow myself that sin.

Paloma

Paloma's mouth

Kitten Heels

2006-07-13T09:43:00.000-04:00

About six months before my knee surgery, my cousin D and his wife H came for a visit. H had knee replacement surgery a year before the visit. H is a very stylish and beautiful woman, who on that occasion was wearing thongs with kitten heels.....then and there that became my goal. So here are my very beautiful new shoes. I was so excited when I got them, that I was tempted to take them to bed with me that night......just like I used to when I was a little girl.....not so long ago.....well maybe it was long ago.....but not in my mind.
I wore my beautiful shoes the day of the party that we had for our son and his fiancé :)

Kitten Heels and More

2006-07-11T14:21:00.000-04:00

First of all I would like to thank my loyal readers for checking on me while I was incommunicado.
I did not mean to take such a long vacation from posting, however, one thing lead to another and I never found time to post. Truth be known, I did not even use a computer for three weeks.....I was to busy living an actual life. Yes, it can be done......who would have thought?
So without further ado I will tell about some of my adventures.

Neva I finally found shoes with kitten heels......here is a photo of them, and to use one of your expressions, Ilovelovelove them. OK!!!!Arrrg!!!! no photo of kitten heels.....blogger would not let me upload a photo of them. ????????? I cannot show you the painting either......what, what, is blogger a critic now????????

I finished my "Lion Man" mask

this chair, her name is "Paloma". Made a painting, because I-needed-a-splash-of-red-in-one-part-of-the-family-room-to-compliment-the-new-red-chairs-we-ordered-weeks-ago-many-weeks-ago-and-that-have-not-arrived-yet......oh!-well.....yes, I stole - from MizBohemia.
Pilfer: to steal a small amount. 2006 Update: to steal interesting bits from fellow bloggers. Guess from whom I lifted that one? Yes!!!!! from the word and spelling master himself, Doug.

Our soon to be Danish Family.......they will be after the wedding on July 29, 2006........came for a visit. There were six members, our future daughter-in-law, our son, her parents, brother and sister. They all stayed with us, we had a wonderful time together and we are all happy about the upcoming union.
There were visits to NYC, my parent's home here in New Jersey, Philadelphia and Washington DC. They learned what summer is like in the southern part of the east coast......hot and humid. They saw a Yankees game in NYC. We had a big party for friends and family. A small party for family. Many American breakfasts, cocktails and dinners and much bonding.

Soon we will be in Denmark for the wedding. Then we will go to Iceland for a week. Life is good.
Psssst.........I did miss you, we will have fun together for another ten days or so, then I must leave you again, then I will return in three weeks.

2006-06-08T19:46:00.001-04:00

He who plants a garden plants happiness.
If you want to be happy for a lifetime, plant a garden.
- Chinese Proverbs

In May, Peonies are the stars of the garden.

Gardens have been a big part of my life. My Mother has been an avid gardener for as long as I can remember. She has quite a large garden that she works in every day from March through October. I am convinced that her good health and strength are due to this daily activity.
Ken and I have left behind five gardens, that we tended with love and care. Each garden had a different personality and as our experience grew our garden became more special.
I never had a hard time leaving a house, it was always the garden I missed, until we started working on our new garden.

We have had many happy hours in the gazebo in my Mother's garden, enjoying the beauty of the garden as we listen to birds singing. In the heat of the summer, we love to watch the flicker of the lightning bugs.

Laurels and Strawberries

2006-05-29T10:37:00.000-04:00

Cherish Yesterday
Dream Tomorrow
Live Today

Southern New Jersey has an incredible number of Laurels that are in full bloom right now. On our property alone we have somewhere around seventy Laurels that are in full boom. It is a sight to behold and I wanted to share it with you. Here are the ones that frame our Japanese style garden.

Yesterday we went to a local garden center to buy fresh produce, for the Neighborhood Memorial Day Party. While I was there, I bought some Big, Fresh, Juicy New Jersey Strawberries for my Strawberry loving friends.....enjoy.....I hope I bought enough.

"A"

2006-05-22T13:12:00.000-04:00

Alpha: “A”. Thank you Minka for giving me this excellent letter. I quote the Queen on how this works.
"If you comment on this entry and beg for a letter, I will give you one.
Thou shalt write ten words beginning with that letter in your journal, including an explanation of what the word means to you and why, and then pass out letters to those who want to play along.
Of course, if you want to comment but not be assigned a letter, that's an option too.
I'll only design to assign letters to those who specifically ask for them if they pass the credit check and promise to take very good care of the letter."

Alba: White, my favorite color for flowers in the garden, I love the way they glow at dusk and in the moonlight. Alba is also my favorite color for bed linen, so clean and fresh.

Art: I live, breath and create art. I used to think that by hard work and discipline anyone could create art, now I know that it also takes talent. It would be ungrateful of me not to acknowledge the gift of talent that I have been given.
Anthropomorphic: To attribute human characteristics and form to inanimate objects and animals. I use this in much of my art.

Arctic Circle: Just a little part of North East Iceland juts into the Arctic Circle. The rest of Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream. Are you amused that I found a way to get my beloved Iceland into an “A” meme?

Age: Does not matter. Accept that we all will age and that we mark our age annually, with, if we are lucky, cake.

Anger: Our actions in time of anger may cause animosity. Anger can ruin ones health. Anger is.....in my opinion.....a selfish emotion and does not serve us well. Empathy will serve us much better.

Ast: Is an Icelandic word for love and affection. There is a comma over the “A” but I do believe it belongs here. It is an important word to me. I call those I love Astin Min......my love.

Angel: I have had many in my life and I do believe one of them saved my life.

Aloha: A Hawaiian word meaning hello and good-bye, welcome and farewell. It can also mean romantic love, affection and best wishes. Now, that to me is a great word to have in ones vocabulary.

Adventures In Paradise

2006-05-18T17:21:00.000-04:00

Last April, I was fortunate to be able to go to an artist retreat on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. This retreat was in the home of fantasy artist Marilyn Radzat on Kawela Bay. Marilyn and her long time friend Gail Lackey also a fantasy artist, were our guides on our creative journey Ten women worked and played together for seven days, it was an experience I shall never forget.

Amma the gourd doll I created in Hawaii.

The Group....I am the fourth from the right.

Up a tree at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Blueberries and Blossoms

2006-05-11T10:59:00.000-04:00

I feel incredibly lucky to live only about 15 miles from where the Blueberry Capital of the World. That is their claim......the rumor is that Michigan is number one in blueberry production......however Hammonton, NJ sticks to their claim, as you can see by their big sign.
Blueberries have been my favorite berry since I was a little girl picking them from low bushes in the Icelandic lava fields.
This past weekend Ken and I went out to take pictures of flowering trees and bushes. Hope you enjoy them.

Blueberry Field

Close-up of a Blueberry Bush

Yellow Blossom of a Tulip tree.
Also known as Yellow Poplar

Star Magnolia

A Few Things About Me Me!!!!!

2006-05-03T11:59:00.000-04:00

I was startled to realize that I had not posted for over a week. Life has a way of getting in the way of some things.
I wondered what I should blog about, as I am again out of practice, so I thought I would steal the idea from MizBohemia’s resent questionnaire post. I cannot promise that I will be as amusing or insightful as our MizB’s., however, I will have a go at it.
1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:30 as always. I get up to the smell of coffee and breakfast that my Dear Husband, has ready for me. Yes, I know I am a lucky woman and I hope that my male readers don’t feel the pressure....ladies, we have been married for 35 years and I made him breakfast for many of those years so lay off your man....he is doing alright.....however, he will see here what the possibilities are :)
2. Diamonds or pearls? Hmmmm!!! how come I cannot have both? I love both.....I also love silver jewelry and I love to make my own beaded jewelry.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? I don’t remember.....I think it was “Ray”
4. What is your favorite TV show? Well, I like Masterpiece Theater and Mystery on PBS, and sometimes the Sopranos and Medium........very dull I am afraid.
5. What did you have for breakfast? Cereal with Banana, a plum and coffee.
6. What is your middle name? I don’t have one......I used to give myself one and once I used Lisa......you know Mo’a Lisa......well I thought it very elegant, until people started laughing and then I became Mo’a Kim.....but that did not fly either, so I gave up, until I got married then I used my maiden name as my middle by hyphenating my last name.......then some time later that became fashionable.....me the vanguard, boggles the mind.
7. What is your favorite food? I love ethnic food Mexican, Indian and Icelandic are my favorites.
8. What foods do you dislike? Spam, I think, I have not had it for a number of years.....I think I have had it at least once in my life......but I do love to hate it.
9. What kind of potato chips do you like? I hardly ever have them....but Cape Cod Potato Chips are what I buy when I buy chips.
10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? This will rock every ones boat......I don’t buy CD’s ..............the ones I have a given to me, mostly by my son and I don't have a favorite.
11. What kind of car do you drive? A VW Cabrio convertible.....actually all Cabrio’s are convertible....at the moment I am driving my Father’s Honda......my Cabrio is a manual shift and I am not quite up to shifting yet since my knee surgery.
12. Favorite sandwich? An open faced Smoked Salmon, with onion and cream cheese on dark rye.
13. What characteristics do you despise? I have always felt that it is not up to me to despise anything......although I dislike it when people are unkind to others.
14. Favorite item of clothing? A pair of silk pants that make me feel slim and apparently look slim also judging by the question “Have you lost weight” that is asked when I wear them.
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? China and India.
16. What color is your bathroom? Gray and white......it looks clean but ever so dull....someday I will put my own stamp on it and paint it a color that makes me look good when I look in the mirror at the moment I just look pale when I steal a look.
17. What is your favorite brand of clothing? I don’t really have a favorite.....but I always have good luck at Chico’s. Like our MizB. I love to shop for bargains......I don’t like to pay full price for anything.
18. Where would you want to retire? That is assuming I could afford it. I would love to live in Iceland, Santa Fe, Hawaii, New York City, and Denmark. I like to dream.
19. Favorite time of day? At dusk in my garden.
20. Where were you born? Iceland
21. Favorite sport to watch? I don’t usually watch sports.
22. Who do you least expect to answer this???? Me....but here I am non the less.
23. Person you expect to answer first? What, what......I have no idea.
24. Coke or Pepsi? I don’t drink soda, pop, or tonic very often, but when I do, Diet Pepsi..
25. Are you a morning person or night owl? I love both, I don’t need more than six hours of sleep so I generally have both.
26. What size shoe do you wear. 8
27. Do you have any pets? I have a Brie a cat and a Canary by the name of Oli Moses...say it fast...yes that is how he got his name.....we love to laugh about silly things in my family.
28. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everyone? I have already shared my exciting news :)
29. What did you want to be when you were little? An actress
30. Is the glass half empty or half full? Is it a glass of red vine?......well then it is just right.
31. What is your best childhood memory? They are all great......I grew up in Iceland and my childhood memories get better and better the older I get.
32. What are the different jobs you have had in your life? Baby sitter, worked in a grocery store when I was 14, before that I had a job turning salt fish,,,,,,,long story, Make-up artist, Guest Curator for several shows at a museum and a gallery, my last outside the home job was selling function space at a world class museum in Salem, Ma.
33. What color underwear are you wearing? What?!!!!!
34. Nicknames: None
35. Piercings? Yes, 4
36. Eye color: Depends.....gray, blue, green......they change often, I don’t know why...... no yellow, that can be seen, but there has to be, since blue and yellow make green.
37. Ever been to Africa? No
38. Ever been toilet papering? What?
39. Love someone so much it made you cry? Yes!!!
40. Been in a car accident? Yes, two.
41. Croutons or bacon bits? Where?
42. Favorite day of the week? Monday......OK!!!!!.....that was for effect......I give everyday a chance.
43. Favorite flower? I love all white flowers.....they look so wonderful in the garden at dusk and in the moonlight.....I love leaves and the many shapes and colors they can have and yellow roses.
44. Favorite ice cream? Chocolate
45. Disney or Warner Brothers? I don't know, both I guess.
46. Favorite fast food restaurant? I don’t have a favorite.....I don’t much like them.
47. What color is your bedroom carpet? Blue
48. Failed your drivers test? No.
49. From whom did you get your last e-mail? MizBohemia and my son this morning.
50. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? I would never do that, to practical
51. What do you most often do when you are bored? I am never bored.....to me being bored is a waste of time.
52. Bedtime? I read and go to sleep.
53. Who are you most curious about their responses to this questionnaire? I already read MizBohemias.
54. Last person you went to dinner with? My Book Club last night.
55. Lake, Ocean or river? I have lived by each and I love them all..
56. How many tattoos do you have? None
57. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? You think I would have the answer to that?
58. How many people are you tagging with this? No tags.....I am a novice and just figured out what a meme is.....Ok!!! so I am slow.

Update On The Bionic Woman

2006-04-18T16:13:00.000-04:00

Today marks three months since my knee replacement operation. It has been a long and interesting road.
Starting with being on the operating table, and after having been given a spinal and a good feeling Twilight drug, seeing men and women in space suits hovering around the table talking about, things I did not understand. Later hearing sawing and saying to anyone that would listen, “Are they sawing my bone or the prosthetic” then nothing, I guess they gave me more of the” Twilight” stuff. Then I noticed that all was quiet and waved my left hand behind me and said “Is anyone there” Someone said “They are finishing up now” I then said “Are they sewing me or using stables", then nothing again. I guess they did not want a chatter box asking questions, when there was serious work to attend to.
Next thing I knew was in the recovery room very cold and shaking. The nurse was saying “Don’t worry everything is OK, we will wrap you in a blanket to warm you up” then she said “The doctor ordered more pain killer” I did not know I was in pain, apparently I had been complaining earlier.
Then I was in my room very comfortable in a slight codeine fog, with my family smiling and telling me that I was very brave. The three days in the hospital is a distant memory.......to bad really, as I was in a very nice private room with a view. I do however remember that I was up on my feet the day after the operation for just a moment and the two physical therapists saying “She is going to faint, her lips are white”. Then the blood transfusion.
I have told all about the Physical Rehabilitation Center and Nurse Crachet in another post, so I shall not go into that here, if you care to refresh your memory click here.
Now the fun starts I am back home and got sick, you read more about that, if you are curious, by clicking here.
Once I started at Star Physical Therapy, progress came in leaps and bounds. Good days and bad days but thankfully mostly good ones. I can walk without a cane inside and outside, except for the times I go into a store or, where there are a lot of people apt to walk into me and knock me down....I am very afraid of falling......I have been told by those, who are in the know, that this is normal. There are fewer times when I walk like someone out of the movie “The Night of the Living Dead”. I try to walk as a normal person would, bend my knees as I walk and have my arms comfortably swing at my side. That is quite a challenge, I can tell you.
This is my last week of physical therapy, next a personal trainer.....my upper-body has been woefully neglected, I intend to remedy that.
One of my neighbors walks with me everyday during the week, she is very patient with me and leaves it up to me how far we walk and our walks are getting longer each day.
I go to lunch with friends, attend our neighborhood book club meetings....that are really eating and drinking parties, and just today I went to my knitting club meeting......and yes, we do knit, along with eating good and fattening treats.
My only challenge at this time is getting into and out of chairs that either have no arms or are low. I have the getting down just about licked however, the getting up still entails much thinking and or help.
I have been without pain pills for three weeks now.....that does not mean the pain is completely gone just that it is bearable and intermittent.
If you ask me whether I would do this all again, the answer is a resounding yes, as there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I will be Dancing in Denmark in July :) and wearing sandals with kitten heals as soon as I find them.

How Do Others See Us?

2006-04-16T13:15:00.000-04:00

In MizBohemia’s latest post, she honored five of her blog friends, by showing paintings by her favorite artist Farschian and how the chosen painting describes each of the blog friends, that she honored in her post.
This got me thinking about, whether we ever see ourselves the way others see us. About me she said complex, colorful, complete, lovely, am I all that? I wonder and wish at the same time, that it is so. Complex.......my life has been complex, but am I? Colorful......there are times when I find myself exceedingly dull and gray......what does she see, that I don’t? Am I complete?.....sometimes I feel as incomplete, as I was when I was at eight years old. Lovely?...... I hope that I am and that I will always be. Being lovely, is to me, being kind in words and deed.
Do we as bloggers reveal this much about ourselves in our writing? Do people we meet on an everyday basis see us the same way? Would we be described the same way by the people that are important to us, a Lover, Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, our Children and our Friends?
Thank you my dear MizBohemia for including me in your post.

Bunnies and Basket

2006-04-14T10:22:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter and Happy Passover to my friends who celebrate these holidays.

I needle felted this Rabbit, just in time for Easter
This fellow was made for a friend as a Thank You Gift
This was my Easter display last year. I made the bunnies for a class that I took through joggles
the teacher was Amy Rawson and the bunnies are her design

Every Sunday

2006-04-09T12:38:00.000-04:00

Every Sunday, my 92 year old Father, my 83 year old Mother, my husband and I dress up and have Sunday Dinner together.
As I sit here writing this I am wearing a good dress....what some would call a party dress, the good jewelry.....by that I mean not the silver jewelry I buy at TJ Max and wear most other days. I have on my going to a party makeup, eye makeup and bright lipstick and not the every day Bobby Brown lipstick.
Every other Sunday my parents entertain and the other Sunday Ken and I entertain. There are times we go to a restaurant, where the only dressed up women are teenage girls, 20 somethings and my Mother and I. Why is that? You may wonder. I have mulled this over myself and here is the theory I have come up with.
My Mother is European and at her age, dressing up, is natural to her. She works in the house or in her garden in the earlier part of the day and then has a bath and dresses up for the evening.
My Father grew up in an age when men were expected to wear a collar and a tie everyday and at every event. He still wears a white shirt and a tie every day. He has felt uncomfortable the few times he has tried to dress with the times.
I am their Daughter and I grew up being expected to be dressed for Dinner and every Sunday.
Ken dresses up because he has become used to my family after 35 years of marriage. He did not grow up this way, he grew up the way most Americans I know do, wearing casual clothes on the weekend except if and when they go to Church.
I have often been in a Mall and wondered to myself “Where do people wear these lovely clothes that they are buying?” I know that many people wear them at their jobs. Where else do they wear them, besides the occasional wedding or a girls night out?
Teenage girls and 20 somethings tend to follow the current versrion of the runway and movie star fashion.
It may have come to your attention that I am, the new 43 :) I grew up in the 50's and 60's when everyone found a time to dress up and were expected to be dressed up for certain activities. I grew up when wearing gloves and a hat when going to the City and to Church was expected. When, if you did not follow that rule you were looked at as someone who did not know what was the right thing to do. Sometimes in some places with some people, I feel like a relic of the past and I think to myself “Why did I bother?” Then I think “I like to dress up and feel very much the girly girl when I do.”

Spring in New Jersey

2006-04-05T18:34:00.000-04:00

My husband is a great photographer who has a wonderful eye for beauty. He took these photos last weekend. The top three were taken close to our home and the bottom two are Narcissus and Helebore growing in my Mother’s garden.

The Awakening

2006-03-31T15:08:00.000-05:00

One day I was thinking about how many of us sleep walk through life. Then someone or something comes into our life and awakens us up to life's infinite possibilities,"The Awakening."

Thirty Five Years and Counting

2006-03-29T10:59:00.000-05:00

Thirty five years ago I made the smartest move of my life.....I married Ken.....he has been my rock, especially these days while I have been recuperating from knee surgery. We have been fortunate, as we have had a good and interesting life together.
Below is a photo of Ken and our son Brian taken at Christmas time this year.

A Wonderful Surprise

2006-03-24T11:18:00.000-05:00

Why is it, I wonder, that I have not felt like writing a blog for so long? Was I waiting for something to happen? Is it because when I googled my name there were 301 results?
It may be hard for some of you to believe, that I am rather shy and find it hard to talk about myself and my art. When someone opens the door, I can talk and talk about both. This is why I was so pleasantly surprised when I was visiting Terry’s Timeout, this morning, that Terry in her post talked about the Icelandic Jolasveinar (Christmas Lads) that I made in December and linked to my countdown on their arrival. What a lovely thing to do.
I found her blog only this week. She loves Iceland and things Icelandic and has some stunning photos from her trip to Iceland. So now here I am again enjoying the blog world, and the many wonderful people, that I have met through this interesting phenomenon.
Go and visit Terry and tell her that Mo’a sent you.

A Ghost In The House

2006-03-10T10:15:00.000-05:00

Do you believe in ghosts? I do and we have one. Now it could be a poltergeist, except for the fact that there is not an adolescent living here in our house.
My ghost likes to play tricks on us, to keep us on our toes I suspect. One thing it will do is turn the kitchen light on and off. Another favorite is slamming the window screens down in random windows.....this always occurs when the house is very quiet.
The roller blinds in our bedroom is another favorite toy....after I have pulled them down for the night, they will go up, with a lot of noise and drama, just about the time we are about to go into REM sleep.
My all time favorite are the television tricks. Our ghost waits until we are deep into the story of a great movie to turn the television off. Sometimes the television will go on when we are sitting in the family room reading or at our computers.......I will ask what show would you like to watch......if my tone is harsh the television will be turned off again. There is no way to please a ghost......at least not our ghost.
One night I was awakened from a deep sleep with people screaming and crying....I thought this was happening outside my house. Curiosity got the best of me and I got out of bed walked into the hallway to look out the window, it was then I noticed that the noises were coming from the TV.....I got rather miffed and told the ghost if he/she wants to watch television in the middle of the night, at least turn the volume down so that we can sleep. I think it listened to me, as I have not been awakened in the middle of the night since, however, sometimes when we go into the family room in the morning the television is on.....Now I must tell it to turn the TV off when it is finished watching. I would add a photo here if I had one, I think he/she is camera shy, or just shy as I have not seen it.
Do you have a ghost and does it play tricks on you? .

New Socks

2006-03-06T11:34:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a big day for me......I went shopping. Big deal you say......well for me it is, remember, I had the surgery six weeks ago. We went to Eckerd, our local drug store. This store has everything from food to toys and drugs. I had fun looking at all the bunny and chick Easter supplies. I got lost in the make-up section for a while, however, could not find the lipstick I was looking for. I love drug store make-up and creams. I used to work for cosmetic companies years ago and I know a little about the manufacturing of make-up and how to get the best buys. That being said, my Mother went to Macy’s and bought eye cream that she insisted I use, in order to be presentable for my son’s wedding in July. It is a fancy label, Chanel, and the cost was $60.00 all I can say it better have me looking thirty five by July.....I will be faithful in it’s use to give it a chance to do it’s thing.
At Eckerd I bought a face cream by L’Oreal, Lancome’s sister company.....I suspect that the products for both companies are made in the same factory..... Oh! yes, that cream cost me a whopping $4.99. Then I went wild and bought socks three pair for $3.99, I love my socks so much that I just had to share them with you. Here are a couple of photos.

Now I have something fun to look at while I am in Physical Therapy. I had better sit tight for a while before I go on another spending spree:)

Ash Wednesday

2006-03-01T11:44:00.000-05:00

When I was growing up in Iceland this was one of my favorite times of year. Starting with Bolludagur or Cream Puff Day, which was this Monday. We start the day by waking our parents and any other adults in the house, by banging on their duvet with a long stick, and counting the number of blows we could get, each blow meant another Cream Puff for us. This stick was made by us days before, out of a long piece of wood and decorated with strips of crepe paper in multitude of colors.
Sprengjdagur or Eat until you explode day, was Tuesday. That day the menu consisted Salt Kjot and Baunir, a stew made out of salted lamb, yellow peas, potatoes, turnips, and in my family Sod Kokur a big dumpling like cakes made from four and water. I, as a child, loved this meal and still do.......it is on my wish list when I go to Iceland for a visit, my Uncle Eirik always makes it for me.
Then came my all time favorite day Oskudagur or Ash Wednesday. There are new customs that have evolved over the years, however, when I was growing up, it was the day we...the girls....tried to hang a bag filled with ashes on every male we could find. Days before we made our bags out of scraps of fabric that we had been collecting all year long. The bags were a simple construction that we hand stitched then added a long string with a bent straight pin on the end. They told the story of the what fabrics had been used for each member of the family, much like a quilt would. My Mother has a cousin who was a seamstress and made all our dresses, I would collect the scraps of fabric left over. We made our bags in our Sewing Club, where we talked about who was going to get each bag and how we were going to hang it on their back. The boys we had a crush on got the most beautiful bags. Planing was important as the men made it hard for us to hang bags on them. They would wear Rain Slickers or Trench Coats that were impossible to hang a bag on, it was important to get the men in our household before they could put their coat on.
One of the most memorable Ash Wednesdays for me, was when there was a man who visited the Book Store, where my Mother was working. He was from a foreign country and was oblivious to the fact that on the back of his Wool Coat were numerous bags. He smiled on each child as they were hovering around him laughing, pointing, and slapping each other on the back, at this point the boys had joined us in the fun. No doubt he was thinking how happy and friendly the children of Iceland were. By the time he left the Book Store he must have had over thirty bags on his back. As an adult, I imagine his surprise as he took of his coat back at his hotel, to discover these colorful little bags filled with ashes. I know I would have been delighted to make such a discovery

Aurora and Birdie

2006-02-25T10:34:00.000-05:00

Just after I came home from the Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, I got the itch to create something. I created the bird you see above. I was amused when MizBohemia sent me the Template that she made for me, that the color scheme was the same as in this silly bird. I made him before I had all the problems with the various medications and their effect on my system. I noticed that he looks the way I feel.....holding his stomach and cross eyed.....I have been seen doing just this lately LOL Oh! yes, I also made the mushrooms to go with the bird.....don't ask me....I was compelled to make them ;0
The other photo is of a sculpt I did this summer. It is attached to a tree stump that I see just out my bedroom window, when I sit at my dressing table. I always felt that this stump had the shape of a lady and that it just needed a head and wings. Her name is Aurora.....first light or dawn. It is also the first name in Aurora Borealis, the light show that fills the Icelandic sky in the dark of winter