Mother Nature's Art

We weathered hurricane Arthur here in OBX.  I live in a great community and all of the neighbors reached out to help and support each other.  There was wind, rain, lightening and tree branches blowing and roaring, but we made it safe and sound.  The fun part was waking up the next morning to bright sunshine and treasures on the beach.  These are just some of those treasures. Also, the main road to the island is cut off and not everyone made it through Arthur unscathed, so my prayers go out to them.  I hope that their recovery process goes quickly and smoothly.

Sometimes chaos brings creativity.  Here's a little vignette.

Mini Camp Crafty Diva

We have started July off in full creative swing.  Tie dye and silk painting with the neighbors.  My head camp counselor Samantha enjoyed teaching and playing with the paints, dyes and kids.  Creativity is blowing our way... The calm before the storm.

Mom & Me Crafting Vortex

As you know I have been ramping up the crafting getting ready to teach my summer workshops.  I've been crocheting, collaging, painting, writing , etc. etc!  School is out for my youngest and she is at home bored stiff.  She's going to be helping me out this summer, so she can't go to camp.  She has organized and reorganized her makeup boxes and trays.  Gone through numerous hairstyle changes and downloaded and read a couple of books already.

My oldest who is a full-fledge adult and working full time came to visit us and took her little sis to Katy Perry's summer concert.  My treat for both of them and she was helping me out.  She and I used to go to her boy band concerts in middle and high school, but since my health issues I can't go with Samantha, for now.  Luckily, even with the thirteen year age gap my daughters are becoming close friends.

While visiting Courtney asked me to teach her how to crochet.  She already knows how to knit but since her best friend and I crochet she wanted to learn.  I was teaching her how to crochet and it reminded me a little bit of teaching her how to drive her Barbie Corvette up our hill.  (Smile).   Her little sister chimed in and started crocheting like a fiend.  I forgot that I had taught her (my craft buddy) a few years ago.  Courtney was perplexed that Samantha remembered and was going so fast.

Now, both my daughters have a lot in common, both are sassy, snarky, smart, intuitive, confident and have a wicked wit and sense of humor.  They also are very loving, generous, considerate and creative.  Samantha is an artist through and through.  Courtney is a prolific writer and very tech savvy.  I wouldn't call them crafters though.  They like traditional, non frilly, conservative clothing and decor with a label.  They do not like my 'Artsiphartsi' style.  Courtney loves Lily Pulitzer and Vera Bradley. Samantha is all glam and MAC.

Courtney texted me the next day after work and sent me a picture of yarn and needles in a shopping basket.  She was in the craft store buying supplies to make a afghan.  Hold up!  what's going on here is this my daughter?  Then Samantha asked me for yarn and began crocheting.  Like a Fiend, up all night and using up every bit of extra neon yarn that I had.  Next, she wanted to tie dye tees.  Now I have two craft buddies.  I can't believe their color choices.  (A little Crafty Diva influence?)

After all these years we are crafting again. I guess the family that 'crafts together, stays together.'

Yarn Addict

As most of you know I suffer from a very strange affliction.  I love wool, cotton, silk, bamboo, nylon and all kinds of natural and man made fibers.  I also love all the colors in the rainbow and more.  I adore texture, bits, bops, feathers and eyelash.  If you didn't know it by now, yes, my name is Michelle and I am a 'yarn addict.'  Everywhere I travel I look up the yarn shops in the area.  For the past 10 years I have been stopping by the Knitting Addiction shop first in Kill Devil then in Nags Head.  Now Jeanne the owner has taken her show on the road.  The Knitting Addiction Truck making its stops up and down Hatteras Island this summer.  Love it!!

Studio Time

All hail 'creative chaos'!  It's nice to have a clean organized studio, but!  We all know you can't create or make art in a 'Virgo', perfect space.  Fabric, glitter, glue, paint all run amuck when making the latest art project.  So here's a toast to the creative process.  'Embrace the chaos'!

Fun Crafting Circles

I'm having a blast crafting these dream circles for my summer workshops.  The more I make the more ideas I get.  I can't wait to see what my students come up with.  That's the joy for me, planting the seed and watching it grow.

Dream Catcher display

I have been working on my display for my workshops.  Just finished my crochet dream catchers.  They hold different energies.  Next I'll embellish them and add a touch of whimsy.  I've really enjoyed making them.   My lighting isn't good so they are not showing as vibrant as they do in person.

Upleveling process

I got home a few days ago from a wonderful Upleveling experience with Christine Kane.  I went to get new business ideas, let go of old negative mind sets and refresh my entrepreneurial Spirit.  I experienced all of these and more.  I met some awesome 'kickass' women and men who are having the courage to step out of the old business box and into a new Upleveling business model.  For me personally, it was a Soulful event disguised as a business event.  Definitely food for my soul.  I came out of my four year semi-retirement (healing) to began pursuing new and more heartfelt business opportunities.  Right before I left for the event I submitted a proposal to facilitate my creative arts workshops this summer.  I am now trying to reintegrate myself into my environment back home.  It's a challenge since I just moved to The Triangle area in Sept and I don't know my way around yet.  So, I found my own creative way to process all the new energies.  Here it is a granny poncho!  What? How is crocheting a granny poncho an Upleveling experience.  Well, for one the colors are very sophisticated not my citrus color ways; Two it's made from silk and mohair (definitely up leveled from wool).; and Three it has a bright sheen (light) to it that the photo does not show.  Plus, I feel a lot of love energy as I am crafting it.   I can't wait to find more Upleveling metaphors as this project progresses.

Uplevel Live 2014 Conference

Here I am at the  Uplevel Your Business conference.  I'm so grateful that I was able to make it and walk through the physical pain and discomfort.  This was just what the doctor ordered.  Connecting with new business owners and re-establishing old relationships.  Changing out dated business 

Paradigms and upleveling my mindset to new ideas for creating a business that's more in alignment with my goals, dreams and desires.  It's also giving me the courage to not let my physical limitations limit the quality of my life and my role as a Creative Arts Coach and business owner.

Granny Blanket

Finished it!  Pumped out the product.  Massive love for this queen size granny blanket.  The photo doesn't do the Neon colors justice.  Or convey the nice cozy squishiness of the yarn.  Love, love my hot pink picot edge.

Coffee, cookies and crocheting

First gathering at the beach this summer.  Crafting with the ladies, drinking coffee, eating cookies and crocheting.  Had a great time teaching the ladies to crochet water bottle and cup cozys.  Thanks Suzanne for holding the gathering.

Mindless crafting

I have been participating in some mindless art therapy. Crocheting this neon large granny square throw. I just love creating fabric whether it be knitting, crochet, weaving or dying. It's my passion! I'm ramping up for the finish, can't wait to see the results.

My Craft Buddy

My Craft Buddy is gone:  just a few short years ago I couldn't craft in peace.  I had a little craft buddy who wanted to learn every craft that I did.  I could count on her to quickly capture the new technique and make it her own.  She began knitting at age 2 mastered it by age 5, channeling ancient potters at age 31/2 and sewing, weaving, drawing by third grade.  We loved sick days and snow days, the perfect time for mom & me crafting.

 She was marketing and demonstrating for me at craft shows.  Now she is gone.  She's moved on to creating flawless makeup and hair selfies, dying and styling her own hair and her friends hair, turning my kitchen into a beauty salon, and frequenting the MAC counter for 'just one more lipstick, please!'  She has perfected the perfect eye liner and lashes, she's the go to girl for getting a makeover.  Sometimes I can get her to reluctantly model my knitwear designs.  It must be 'selfie' style though.  She can't stand my 'itchy' yarn and bright colors.

 But, last night she came back for a minute.  We had terrible storms and I was working on my neon granny throw to calm my nerves.  When she came into my room I was surprised to hear 'Mom, wow, how long have you been working on that I love it!'  I realized then that my Craft Buddy hadn't gone anywhere she just moved on to a new phase.  Which I call 21st century 'Glam Crafting'.  (Also, she's been influenced by Watching too much Bravo.)

My Mission

This is the mission of Crafty Diva Cottage to create wellness through play, joy and laughter.

May Flowers

I love, love flowers.  They make me soo happy!  The past few months have been filled with wild wacky weather.  Let's hope that the April showers bring bright, beautiful May flowers.  Here's a look from my garden's past.