Ring around the Rosie

I haven't blogged for a few days because life has been swirling around me. I was thinking about the nursery rhyme..Ring around the Rosie. In my mind am I the "Rosie" in the center, stable and secure or am I the swirling ring spiraling out of control around it? Some day's I think I'm the "Rosie", other days I'm the "ring". Yesterday was a one month post op checkup. Everything's good. The doctor said he will see me next month and the gas bubble should be dissolved in my eye by then. If all goes well he will release me for cataract surgery. Good report so off  we went to Michael's  for craft supplies, gotta love their coupons! After I had my supply fix it was on to pick up Kentucky Fried Chicken and have lunch with my elderly aunt. Up until this point I was feeling like the "Rosie" stable and secure. Enter the "ring". No longer was there a Kentucky Fried Chicken! All my aunt had talked about to everyone and anyone  all week was the Kentucky Fried Chicken I was bringing for lunch on Tues! With my aunts  limited mobility her world is small and this chicken was a big big deal. Ok make the dreaded phone call..there's no KFC. After delivering the news with caution, we decided on Subway, Pepsi and glazed donuts...the donuts were not my doing, my aunts just a bit stubborn about this kind of thing.....she decides what she wants, diabetes or not..she's 83 and your not going to change her now! So after a quick reshuffle onward with the lunch. I was expecting to do her grocery shopping after our lunch date so when my aunt said.."no no I don't want you to spend your time doing that" I have to admit I was relieved..With a smile on my face I said.."Ok". In my mind I was thinking good, it's hot as hell out, my air conditioner in the car isn't working and really I'm just to damn tired to go grocery shopping. I'm back to being the Rosie! But wait...no more than a minute later I heard the words.."Well I could use a loaf of bread!" and oh, by the way "here's a list of other things I need" as she handed me a shopping list! Ring, ring, ring! I'm spiraling...ok I've got one foot out the door and the shopping list in my hand when I hear.."Oh..I'd like some ice cream" Oh crap now I have to get ice cream on this hellish hot day! Ring a ding a ding! Well to sum this up, everything was completed, my aunt was happy and I was one tired ..one eyed woman just waiting to get home! So, Ring around the rosie, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down! Yep, we do!

P.S I know there are several meanings to this nursery rhyme, I just choose to think of it as a children's fun game!

Little acorn!

With fall right around the corner I thought I'd play around with a smaller version of acorns. These little guys make me smile! It's Sat. and that means trying to finish up all the loose ends I've been working on this week. I have a retail store picking up their Belsnickle order on Monday so finishing that is on the top of my list. Tues. will bring an eye checkup so hopefully the doctor can give me an "eye" dea..ha, ha, a little eyeball humor...of how much longer I will have this gas bubble in my eye. I can see around the bubble now somewhat so I know the eyesight is there. Last step will be cataract surgery then HOPEFULLY all will be done and I can just keep on rolling! The coming seasons are going to move faster than I would like so we need to be ready. Guys been molding  jacks, cats, witches, gourds and a bunch of other things. Shortly he will switch his molding to belsnickles and Christmas figures. German feather trees  are another project we need to get going. We dye our own feathers and Guy makes trees from 2 ft to 5 ft. All of our trees are made
by hand following the originals. Putz sheep are another item we make from the original antiques. So with much work ahead of me I'd better get moving this morning.....

RESPECT..the pig!

Here's a look at the pig and fox lanterns I finished last night. The idea for the crazy pig lantern came to me a few nights ago while working late in the studio. I can't really say what triggered this idea, maybe to much caffeine, lack of sleep or just the inner working of my twisted brain! Could have also been my crazy eye...right now my eyes are looking two different directions! The doctor says this is normal and will correct itself. I sure hope so because I do look a bit like a crazy woman! I guess it all fits! Crazy eye, crazy brain, crazy pig! Well onto my next endeavor whatever that will be, I'm sure it will show up here in a few days!

The candy balls are finished!

Here's a look at the finished candy ball project. All that needs to be done is the urn's have to be painted black. Their new home will be outside the front of my store. This was along project and frankly I'm burnt out on this one! I had plans for a tall candy stick man to complete the grouping but he's going have to wait for another time. Halloween work is picking up so my attention needs to turn to jacks, witches and ghouls for now. Guy will tie up the loose ends on the candy balls with painting the urn's and poly coating the candy balls. Off to the studio to start working today!

This week in a nut shell!

This has been a frustrating week the whole way around. Family tension and professional tension has gotten the best of me. I think in times like this the best thing to do is turn to work and block the rest of the world out. I'm posting a picture of some crazy Halloween lanterns I have been working on. You may be able to tell by their crazy expressions that my mood while in the studio was not lets say, my best! With fall right around the corner work is starting to come in. Stores are wanting their Halloween merchandise so we have been busy making sure we have supply materials and our molds are on the bench and ready to go! I was able to secure a new show this week, for Nov. which will replace our participation in Mifflinburg's Christkindl Market. We will be showing at Der Belsnickle(how perfect is that considering we make a whole line of German Belsnickles)  in Boyertown Pa, a class act show that we are excited to be part of .Back into the studio to play with the ghouls and goblins!

The acorns are falling!

Yesterday I reopened the store after a month long hiatus. I'm fairly use to moving around with one eye now so I thought it was time to get back to work. I had been working on this acorn lantern in the studio and he finely made it into the shop. I had the nicest customers who were new to the area visit the store and they snatched up the acorn right away! It's feeling a little "Fall..ish" here in central Pa. this morning so I'm motivated to shake the tree for some more acorns!

Well things just keep getting better and better!

Just a brief update here from Stamm House. As most of our local followers know we have been a vendor at Mifflinburg's Christkindl Market for the past 18 years. I'm sorry to say we won't have a booth this year. Apparently I did not have my application post marked by June 1st so I was put into "new vendor status". I have to admit dealing with my eye surgeries took center stage and application  was not in my thoughts during this time. I received an email from the committee that all booths have been filled. Sorry. Eighteen years and being part of this community or so we thought....gone.  I feel that the tradition of my customers buying their belsnickle each year at the market is such a loss for everyone, myself, my customers and the market itself. I will have my store open and a special event of some kind....it's a shame that we mean nothing more to this committee than an application......Kay

What the ?!

Just wanted to give everyone an idea of what I live with. This morning as I dragged myself into the studio with my cup of coffee, this is what I found. My husband Guy was wearing the candy ball head we have been working on! I'm standing there thinking..OMG this is my life! I guess when things are getting a little boring around here we have to improvise to give ourselves a good laugh. Most of the time it's me making my santa's and jack o lantern's having the most bizarre conversations while I'm working on them. This time it was Guy. All I could think looking at him was..please lord let him be able to get that damn thing off his head!

Candy ball update and a sneak peek!

Just wanted to throw on a few pictures of some projects in the pipeline. I worked on one of the candy balls yesterday with my one eye..ha, ha..just a little eyeball humor! Hey, my world is small right now so just go with it! The candy ball pictured is going to have a pill box hat on her. The hat won't look anything like it does now, I just needed the striped box for the shape.I'm not sure what color this girl is going to be yet, maybe pink or yellow. The other candy ball is in the garage waiting her turn..maybe in a few days. The Halloween pieces are a peek at whats coming for the season. Lanterns in the one picture and a few nut cups in the other. Now all we need is some cool crisp air to get me motivated!

I'm feeling a bit toasty!

Well today brings another day of not much of anything. I've reached the frustration point with my eye sight. My doctor says the eyesight will come back but it will still be a few months away. Just in case we don't get the outcome we are hoping for I've been doing some reading on retraining. I feel like a little child about to have a temper tantrum when I can't do the simplest thing like picking up a cup of coffee....with one eye my hand and the cup are not connecting. Maybe I could get a "seeing eye" monkey to do these things for me..no, I don't really like monkeys, their creepy and could go nuts and poke my other eye out! I tried to putter around in the studio and I managed to do a few small toasty marshmallows. I always like to think of any situation as a learning experience..this situation, maybe it's telling me I need to go camping!

One fried eye!

Just a quick update. I'm confined to laying on my side for eight more days. Surgery went well but this not doing anything sucks! I am so bored and want to get back to work on sculpting. I'm posting a little picture because I have nothing else to do! Enjoy

Just one more thing!

The count down has begun but here's one more thing I wanted to get posted.....the finished devil lantern. I promise this is it. Eye surgery tomorrow afternoon, then it's the loooong two weeks of not moving...crap!