Saturday, September 18, 2010

I Am Losing Control, I Am LIVING Art, I Am Giddy, Happy, Making Rainbow Serpents & Writing Three Books. Something In Me WOKE UP!!!

When Life Hands You Lemons, Make Lemonade...


The handspun yarn that I didn't feel was "Up
to snuff" to sell so I kept it and it took on a life
of it's own. Or should I say HER own. That ball
of yarn was the beginning of my 3rd Rainbow
Serpent Of The Dreamtime...

I think someone sprinkled fairy dust on me! My creativity is bursting in 27 directions at once and it's startled the pugs no end, Big Dog Moe prefers the parrots to the pugs and I these days, and there is yarn, knitting and crochet hooks and spoolknitters too many to count, PILES of books for the three books I'm working on, and my eyeballs are going all googly-fied. 
 


 And I am happy. HAPPY. 

For those of you who have been reading this blog for awhile you know it's been a rough year in a lot of ways and to be coasting into fall (always my favorite season) having wholly re-entered my writer/artist self is simply astounding and glorious and wonderful. So I'll give you a little whizz-bang tour through current life and times at Dragonfly Cottage, our humble home with little pugs and parrots and Big Dog Moe and art and books and more tucked into the woods with handmade dollies everywhere from a dear dear friend and more that I am making myself. The energy here these days reminds me of the sparklers we played with as little kids (And a Big Person Who Will Never Grow Past That Magical Little Girl Self that lives on inside me!)




Okay, to really appreciate Mellisandra's humble beginnings you can go to my currently inactive fiber art blog (which I will be updating now and then as I make things and if any of them happen to be for sale, though that is not a focus now...), Maitri's Heart & Hands Designs, (My studio...), and as you scroll down and through you will see, way back when, when I was beginning to handspin the yarn I called "Lemon and Lime Fizzy." I was very excited about it, even as it hung drying out on my deck overlooking our back woods, but then... sigh... well you will just have to read about it there if you are so inclined. It ended up in the ball at the top after I decided not to sell it, and in the way things usually work for me I just started knitting (and then crocheting, and then...) before I even knew what I was making, sure enough it turned into one of my Rainbow Serpents. (You will also see a couple of other serpents that I made on the fiber blog.)

I will give you a brief little photo-essay of the yarn that it turning into a serpent, currently over almost 5' long on her way up to perhaps 10'.


Hanging to dry...

Closeup, hanging to dry...

Yarn in a ball...

Starting to knit who knew what?

Once I finished the ball of yarn I started crocheting. At
this point she filled the entire large ottoman to the chair.

Front of piece early August...

Middle of piece early August...
 End of piece early August...

And the head starts to form...

Just behind the growing head...

The growing middle...

The end, mid-August...

Now she fills whole ottoman and entire seat of chair.

What once was a pointy head that looked like a tail
is beginning to grow into a Rainbow Serpent's
Magical Head
, and on she goes...
 
She is getting bigger and bigger and bigger and at nearly 5' long I have realized that we will not make next weekend's deadline for the fiber festival I hoped to have her in, but life has had it's way with me this summer and things just haven't moved as fast in any direction as I'd hoped, but then as my whole life is about slowing down now, Mellisandra will be finished in her own good time and anyway she is helping me write three books and I need her here. Writing books with a Rainbow Serpent wrapped around you to work on when you hit the blank patches on whatever book you are working on really helps you unwind your mind, and we are having such fun she's liable to end up 30' by the time we're done. Who can say?

I just had to stop after the above to get the doggeries out, play with my dollies, and make some tea. This afternoon's tea is one of my all-time favorites, from Scent By Spirit TeasEarl Grey de la Créme Tea. This is one I am never without and it will lift me up and carry me through the hours ahead.

I was going to write more about the wild, out-of-control, over-the-top fabulous new direction my books are taking and how I finally realized what was REALLY holding me back, and, and, and... but my tea is ready and I'm never late for tea. The pugs are daintily holding their scones up with their paws and giving me a look like only a pug can, so you'll hear the rest here in a week or two when I write again here or sooner on Twitter or Facebook. I'm not online much but I do rather blather on here and there when I'm in the mood. You can follow me on Twitter where I'm most likely to appear these days because I can pop in and tweet a time or three and get back to my work.

And now it's teatime. Can I pour you a cup?


The pugs will pass the scones...

11 comments:

Laane said...

Yes, pour me a cuppa.
What a happy sounding post. I'm very curious how your serpent will end.

I've already found you on facebook. I finally gave in and got kind of settled there. Well, to be honest, I like one of the games. For a while, I guess.

It's nice to do while I lissen to spoken books.

Have a great weekend!

maitrilibellule said...

Laane honey! It's SO good to see you! And here's your cuppa! :) You know you wrote to me after I'd left EC and I got your note but had no way to write back because the account was closed, and then I've kind of been swallowed up by life this summer but I've thought of you so often and felt real pain over what you have been going through. I hope the dark clouds pass and you come into rainbow days very soon.

Much love and big big hugs!

Maitri :)

Split Rock Ranch said...

Oh, I'd love a cuppa, too! Let's sit and chat about Rainbow Serpents, pugs and Quarter Horses. Isn't it amazing how when you start a project it takes on a life of its own and becomes whatever The Creative Muse desires?! So glad to hear that you are HAPPY! Warm hugs my dear friend.

maitrilibellule said...

Oh honey, here's your cuppa! Wish we could sit down and have one for real. I'd love to visit your fibery world but at least I can live vicariously through your blog because it's been in my blogroll for a long time! :)

And yes, I remember having coffee with Miriam Sagan in Santa Fe nearly 20 years ago. She is the niece of Carl Sagan and an incredible poet. She talked about being "Used by the Muse." Amen! And don't you just love it!

Big Warm Happy Hugs to you, and I'm clinking my cup of tea with yours!

Love,

Maitri

Lidian said...

I would love to join you too! I would like to bring something wonderful, what shall it be?

What a wonderful treat it was to read about Mellisandra - she is beautiful, and it is great to hear that things are going so well for you. You deserve it all and more :)

xx Lidian

maitrilibellule said...

Lidian, Dearheart! It's so good to see you! I was thinking about you the other day because NaNoWriMo will be here before we know it. I didn't stay with it last year but I'm going to this year. Are you in?

And I've just poured you a cup of tea and how about bringing some clotted cream for the fresh baked scones? :o) I'm warming up some lemon curd for them!

I love love love your blogs. They are so charming. I keep up with them on my blogroll!

Blessings and Love and a Big Hug to you,

Maitri

jeanlivingsimple said...

The Rainbow Serpent is so neat. I love the colors.

I also would love a cup of tea.:)

maitrilibellule said...

And here is your cup lovely Jean, :o)

I all of a sudden was told I had to meet a deadline next weekend for a fiber show I'm supposed to exhibit in and Mellisandra has to be finished by then.She won't be as long as she was going to be but she'll be glorious any way! It's going to be quite a challenge so wish me luck all of you!

And here's your nice hot cup of tea and Coco the puggerini will be right along with a warm scone!

Hugs,

Maitri

snoring solutions said...

I love love love your blogs. They are so charming. I keep up with them on my blogroll!So glad to hear that you are HAPPY! Warm hugs my dear friend.

Elvira's Roundabout said...

pour me a cup, please!
i am doing some needle work too but it's cross stitching. i'm into these for two years but till now i haven't finished as my laziness always rule. i always admire your work, from just a roll of yarn, you make it a piece of art work.
have a nice day!


From my blog:
The Photo and Its Photographer

insurance quotes said...

What a happy sounding post.I'd love to visit your fibery world but at least I can live vicariously through your blog because it's been in my blogroll for a long time!

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