New Flowers and Ana Forrest

Ok, so flowers and Ana Forrest are not necessarily related, but I wanted to discuss both topics in one entry. So there ya go.

Alright, so for years I have been wearing flower barrettes in my hair. Many people have commented on them... "those are so cute! Where did you get them?" I have made most of them... so I finally decided to make a big ol' batch and now they are finally for sale on my etsy page.

OK, Ana Forrest. She is an incredible yogini, teacher trainer, and generally amazing woman. She's doing a teacher training in Boston at the moment, which I am not a part of, but I am attending 8 of her morning intensives at Back Bay Yoga. They start at 7AM and last two hours, and they are most definitely intense. She is all about power, healing, and strength... so having that be at the forefront of my brain for two hours is almost a bit emotionally exhausting. Oh yes and she happens to be the arm-balance queen.

I must admit that I was first a bit frightened to take her workshops. I have heard that she can be a bit on the hard-ass side, but I realize that she does it out of love. Ana has a great sense of humor, she does make little mistakes, she is human, and she is a powerhouse of incredible energy. Here's an amazing yoga demo of her at a Yoga Journal conference.

I have six more intensives to attend and I am highly looking forward to the rest of them...

Needle-Felting....

OK, so I have ventured into the world of needle-felting. I bought this lovely book called LITTLE FELTED ANIMALS by Marie-Noelle Horvath, purchased some roving wool and barbed needles on eBay, and then had a go at this stuff. I gotta say it's one of the most wonderfully bizarre feeling in the world to needle-felt. Basically you create little shaped dread-locks with wool (except they don't smell bad and are soft). How cool is that?

Here's how it works. You get a piece of sturdy foam (the thicker the better). You take some roving wool. Put it on the foam. Take your fancy barbed needle and jam it into the wool. Do it a lot and listen for the lovely crunching noise it makes. "TSH-TSH-TSH-TSH-TSH-TSH." Yes, just like that. After you've poked and prodded for several seconds, turn the forming-dread over. More poking. Repeat. Pretty soon you have a cute little mound of whatever. Add wool to it, do cool stuff, get creative.

Yeah.

So the needle-felted octopus that is shown in the picture above is quite a guy. And he just sold! I've only had him a couple of weeks, but he's been a fun center-piece in my funky apartment. Now he's off to New York! Actually the strange thing is that a classmate from THIRD GRADE (thank you Facebook) purchased it. Go figure!

Alright, I'll try to post more often. I promise. Wait, no I don't. OK. But stay tuned. Ish.

What I love about making stuff

Making little creatures/objects/items/whatever is a very important part of my life. Sure, I go through periods where I just kind of cease to create for a while, but I know it will always come back.

Recently a woman from France commissioned me to make some guinea pigs. When I first received the request, I had to admit to myself that I was a little bit frightened. I hadn't made any creatures in several months and I had never made a guinea pig. Not one. The idea had never even occurred to me. "Oh well," I thought, "I'll just go for it." So off I went. I have now made a total of eight pieces for this woman (she's quite the collector, it seems) and I have also been re-inspired to make more critters.

I started a new series called "yoga critters." So far I have only made four sculptures, but more will be made.

Back to the title of this post... what is it that I love about making stuff? I think it's that there is no set standard except my own. As a classical musician, I have been through the wringer in terms of criticism ("constructive," as they say, of course... right... ), snotty colleagues, snarky teachers, and any other cliche-classical-musician-trait one can muster up. I have also had MANY supportive teachers, colleagues, friends, etc in my musical life, but of course the negative experiences cannot be forgotten. Anyway, when I craft I do not have to worry about someone else being competitive or lame with me. I just make stuff and that is that. If you don't like it, that's fine. As long as I like what I create (and I do!) that should be enough for the world. Right?

Ok. Have a good day.

Been making stuff....

Since the erection of the new Etsy Constitution, I have been inspired to make a somewhat naughty piece. Well, the first one I made before people got psycho about censorship of "mature" items:



Then I went a tad further and made a little nude sculpture:



Her name is Sarah B. Wilkinson. Her bio can be found on my Etsy page, yet I have conveniently included it here:

HOTTEST NUDE Polymer Clay Super-Model~~

This is Sarah B. Wilkinson, and she loves hanging out naked. Although she doesn't like being completely naked, as she is sporting a hat, earrings, and a necklace. She is just glowing with excitement, as you can see from the little glitter sparkles emanating from her chocolate-colored flesh. I haven't asked her, but I've got a hunch that she had a really good night.

Sarah B. Wilkinson measures 3.25" from hand to toe (in the reclined position) and is about 2" from her bum to her head. Her limbs are supported with metal wires so that she doesn't fall apart (like in clay-matian).

Hehe....

In other Etsy news, I sold my Pig Pin:



That made me happy. :) :)

2 items sold today!

Today I sold this lovely "Bling-Bling Black Sheep" pin and that made me very happy. Seconds later, I sold my little shovel pin and that made me even happier. :)

But now I go to bed.

Flickr!

Because I'm too lazy to post actual pics, please visit my flickr page so that you can see not only the wonderful quirky kitsch I made last night, but also the many nasty dirty piles of snow that surround me!! (the link to my flickr is at the bottom of this page).

I'm home. And alive.

That cutesy-wootsy snow ain't so cutesy-wootsy.

There was a storm yesterday, which left the whole city a MESS. This isn't news to anyone who is from the area, but of course it was an ordeal for me. The part that makes it very difficult is that I have to travel with my cello on the street. At one point I did have to literally CRAWL on a pile of snow with my cello on my back so that I wouldn't fall.

My suede boots, which have been sprayed with water-repellent, have kept me dry, yet they slip like crazy. A girl at Longy recommended buying a pair of "Yak Tracks," which aid in the death-fear-factor of walking on ice. So I went to City Sports after rehearsal (with my cello et al), got a pair of Yak Tracks, and realized that there was no way I could wear these things indoors. They are metal coils wrapped around rubber that go on the bottoms of your shoes that act as little clamps in the ice. Since these little guys are only practical while en route and not on concrete, I decided to buy a pair of tall rubber boots. These came from Eastern Mountain Sports, which is a few shops over from City Sports. These boots are hefty, yet not warm. So I bought 4 pairs of warm socks. $150 later, I felt guilty but more safe than before. I took the subway home, as the bus is just too gross and I didn't feel like trudging up my block from Mass Ave after getting off the bus. I exited the subway at Davis, and realized that I had no cash and that I should probably get some and deposit a few checks. Another little trek to the bank, no big deal. Then I realized that I was almost out of fruits/veggies, so I got some at the little Indian super-market a couple blocks down from the bank. At this point I had my cello, my huge shoe-box, and my canvas tote bag. After getting some groceries (including salt for my walkway), I added 2 more enormous bags to my load. Adding a good 30 pounds or more to myself, I made the final trek home. I almost tripped only once, which is a good sign. The rubber boots (which I wore immediately after purchasing) gripped to the snow pretty well.

The moment I turned onto Cameron Ave, I felt the most genuine sigh of relief I have ever felt (I think). I only had about 2 more minutes of agony before I stepped into my lovely apartment....

And now I'm here. I can practice cello, drink tea, and enjoy the warmth in peace.

Yay blog!

Ok, it's snowing outside. It has been since midnight (I think). I stepped outside this morning and everything was eerily quiet. I love how the snow absorbs street noise.

I have rehearsal at noon (at Longy) and I'm kind of scared of going out in the weather. Perhaps I'm being a ninny, but gimme a break. 'Tis my first real winter!

My cello teacher said the most excellent thing yesterday. He said, "Technique is easy stuff done really well." So beautiful. He was talking specifically about cello technique, but I think this could pertain to all aspects of life. As complicated as any system/process is, it is always made up of smaller units that make up the whole. If any of these parts is weak or lacking, the potential of the whole will be diminished.

And because most of you don't know me, my basic "deal" can be summed up in the title of the blog. :)
1) I play cello (I can't not at this point...I'm constantly inspired by new thoughts regarding music and am occasionally overwhelmed by the simple enormity of it all)

2) I balance this by making weird stuff. I've posted some pictures of my stuff, but you can also get your very OWN crafts at http://LadyRayCello.etsy.com

3) I treasure my surroundings. I try to make my world as comfortable as possible.