Welcome to Where (and how) I create...

Welcome to my 'Little House in the Big Woods'! 

(Yes, I grew up loving all things Laura Ingalls Wilder!)

Have a cup of coffee/tea and join me as I show you where (and what and how) I create!

Hopefull, you'll be inspired, and maybe you'll be interested in a few of the links I've shared.

I share my little cottage/cabin in the Santa Cruz Coastal Redwoods (we have 25 redwoods on our property) with my wonderful husband, and these two helpers. This is Molly and her little Buddy.

We really are in the deep woods! Here you can see the lovely lake 

Loch Lomond, just 1/2 mile from our cabin.

So, come on in, follow the path. My angel welcomes you as you meander past our little  Zen pond.

Just a bit further.... (soak in the prayers from the Tibetan Prayer Flags)

You're almost there.... You can see my little pink studio.

So, come on in. At the door you'll see my creative corner.

Looks nice and neat... but rarely is!

And here is the work table just to my right hand side... 

This table often is so over-flowing, that my actual work space is only about 15x12 inches! Usually piled high with laces, fabrics, and trims!

Like A LOT more of this!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE vintage laces! 

I try to keep them organized in these see-through plastic containers. I know! Plastic, ugh!  I used to be inspired by crafters who use beautiful vintage boxes, dressers, and sweet containers. After many frustrating years of trying to remember where I stored what, I tried out a couple of see-through containers. Tadaa! Now I'm (almost) organized and I've cut my search time by 80%!! The hanging thingy on the left is an antique towel rack. Ok, next to it is a hat box. But I know that it holds all my gimp trims.

There are many more clear containers here... these include my feathers, stones, and Spirit Doll supplies. The larger containers came from the dollar store! They work too!

Here is just one project. I made a Memory Bag for my niece. My sister passed away way too early in life. This pouch is about 14x8", just the right size to store little momentos. All the laces are vintage, heirloom pieces. My sister was very Catholic, so you can see the vintage Mother Mary medal in the bottom right corner.  Sis loved a little bling, so the heart will remind her daughter of all the fun they had, especially dressing for my niece's wedding! The roses on the upper left corner are Mulberry paper flowers I buy from Wild Orchid Crafts. (Look at their catalog here!) Sometimes I change the flower colors, either with some watercolor or spray inks.

Here is another project underway... I created a Wedding Book for my cousin when she retired as Captain of a local Sheriffs department. The couple is her grandma and grandpa. Here, I'm just auditioning layers and layers of vintage laces. The process for the photo is interesting...

 Well, if you really want to know... First I print the photo on fine linen paper. Then I use an ordinary glue stick to adhere the photo to a piece of cereal box! yes... After cutting to size, I ink the edges to give the photo an aged look. In the mean time, my little crock pot is heating up some bees wax, fresh from my girlfriends bee hives.

 I brush on the encaustic (hot, molten wax), using a cheap $2 natural fiber paint brush. I learned the hard way, not to use a synthetic brush, it melts! Photo looks messy, but interesting, right?

In this closeup you can see the inked edges and the fine linen quality paper. To get this smooth, velvety finish, I burnish the encaustic layered photo, until the layer is smooth and shiny. I just love the look this give my vintage-like lace books. (Oh, I just have to mention, aren't they a beautiful couple? This is circa 1938ish. My aunt was 5'11" and my uncle was 6'5"!!)

I'm kinda on a roll here, showing off a bit. Hopefully, you'll be inspired...

So, here's the cover of the lace album... the little pink roses are over 100 years old!

 Here's part of the process to make the sweet doily flowers...

And, here is one of the inside pages. I always include pockets to stash sweet memories.

 Just one last show-and-tell... this picture is of my cousin's wedding in the late 1950's. The laces on this page came from her wedding dress! Believe me, it caught my breath, when she blithely cut off the lacy sleeve! Said sleeve became the pocket on this spread. I later tucked in a photocopy of their wedding certificate.

More show and tell....

Here are two more lace books. This one is titled 'My Dolly'. I loved cleaning up and restoring the little Frozen Charlotte doll, plus making her dress and blankie. 

 And a few of the inside pages....

 This book, 'Wise Women,' is all about our ancestors who paved the way for the world we live in today.

 On each page, I try to emulate the clothing style of that woman. It's hard to see, but the foundation for Anne Frank's page is vintage wool, much like the coat she's wearing.

I created one of these books to give Ellen DeGeneres when I attended her filming last March. Sadly, she never acknowledged receiving the book. I even created a page with Ellen's quote:' just be kind to one another' with her photo facing Mother Teresa. Here you can also see the representation of Ellen's style, shirt sleeve cuff, a scrap from a memory quilt I made my friend when she lost her husband.

For a diversion... I sometimes make prayer flags. 

And, for a number of years, I've also been creating Spirit Dolls.

This one is 'Baba Yaga, Young Crone of Too-Muchness.'

Smaller dolls I call 'Zen Dolls'...

 Was selling these on Etsy for quite a while, so I finally pulled together a how-to book. Create Space is a fabulous resource for actually getting your ideas in print. (Find them here.)  I encourage you to get your ideas and photos organized and create your own book! It's also a fun passive money resource. This is available on Amazon and my Etsy Site.  I'm hoping to pull together another how-to book on what to do with heirloom laces.

  

 Well now... this has been a lot more about what and how I create in my studio. I just wanted to share a few resources with you. Oh, and please check out my muse Suzy Quaife! Here is her blog. Suzy has inspired me for years. Check out her class on making lace books! HERE Tell her Chris says hi!

So thank you for sharing this time and space with me. It's been a pleasure!
Please, if you would like any info or encouragement, feel free to email me, or leave a comment.
Namaste and Sweet Blessings to you...

 PS, one more thing. While I use primarily vintage laces and fabrics, I find MANY amazing Designer Fabric Samples at FABMO, in Mountain View California. If you're in the area, check them out! Such a wonderful way to rescue FABULOUS fabric samples that would otherwise end up in a landfill! Check out FABMO HERE!

A sneak peek into the new studio....

Good morning dear friends. 

Welcome to a sneak peek into my new combo studio.

Combo, because I combined my tiny paper crafting studio 

with my tiny sewing studio.

Even though this space is not as large as the other two if they were connected,

Everything I'll need is in an arm's reach!

As you see these preliminary pictures

Remember, it's only about 2/3 complete.

(Meaning I've got loads of stuff to still incorporate.)

This first view is from the door.

 I'll be covering the windows with lace since the view isn't so hot.

 Along the back wall, my "lace station" and the antique music cabinet where I've just stashed a few items before finding their proper home.

 We're blocking out a North facing window here. I love the turquoise book shelf. The white cabinet is a 1950's kitchen cabinet I purchased at my shop (from on of the other dealers). I'm so excited to fill it with my treasures!

 This will be the main workstation. Great storage in the corner with the Ikea cabinet. Great light!

 And to the right, will be my sewing station.

 And here are a couple close-ups of my lace station. I think this is where I've spent most of my time so far. Pressing those beautiful antique laces and hanging them on an antique towel dryer.

The swivel arms of the towel dryer is PERFECT for hanging laces. 

The cake plate stand is perfect for my round doilies too.

 And, if I get bored....

Here are my Redwood Muses! A vision right outside my window!

 Well, thanks for stopping by today!

Much love, Chris

A little break.... driving along the coastal mountains...

Hello dear friends.... You're invited to join me visually, on my journey yesterday.
I drove up to the SF Bay Area to visit my niece Lisa, driving East along our beautiful Highway 9, then North on Highway 35, better known as 'Skyline'.  The rolling hillsides are still greenish. I stopped a number of times to just breathe.... breathe the fragrant grasses, the freshness of the lifting fog.... it was just beautiful!

This spot is near a place called 'Windy Hill' looking West just South of Palo Alto and Woodside.

 You can't see the ocean on the horizon today.... but I know it's there. The fog had just lifted, so everything was so fresh.

 I've always loved the architecture of the rolling hills. I think the elevation is around 1800' or so. This is a place where I often stop to pray or meditate.... or just quietly sit.

 This picture is from high up on Hwy 9, just before the summit. You're looking over the San Lorenzo Valley. I've been coming to this spot for more than 45 years... since I first learned to drive.

 Back in the early 80's I hiked this trail the day before I was scheduled for surgery. Wrote a long letter to God, asking for healing and health. It's just such an amazing Vortex of spiritual and earth energies... a place where I care deeply feel my connection to God and the Oneness of all.

Today, I'm back home and will take pictures of the new combined studio space.
Sweet blessings for a super Spring day.
xoxo Chris

Writing, Sewing, Painting, or Posting...OH MY!

It's kinda like trying to pat your head and rub you tummy at the same time. I love having inspirations! and I love creating... just can't do it all at the same time!

Here, you see my latest Diary of Faces painting

 

Oh... and this has been keeping us somewhat busy.... sweet hubby is creating a sewing room for me... I can't possible sew and craft and paint in the same small studio! lol.... that now stands for Lucky Old Lady! Thanks honey!!