My Neato Cool Multi-Color Sweater. I made this sweater last year, using every color yarn imaginable. And just to make it doubly colorful, it's knit with two strands of yarn at the same time! I had no pattern... and when I finished with it it didn't fit. There was just no way I was going to unravel the entire sweater, and that was the only way I could think of to fix it. So it sat in my closet for awhile, and every so often I'd pull it down from the shelf and look at it just because I think it's such a neat sweater.

Today, though, I finally just decided to list it on Etsy and see what happens. There's a LOT of yarn and a LOT of time invested in this, so it's listed for $90.
http://www.etsy.com/view_item.php?listing_id=507325

Did you know that Red Lobster is having their Endless Shrimp special? Apparently, endless shrimp for me means three helpings. I thought I could do better, but the salad was so good, and the iced tea, and those yummy cheesy biscuits they serve, and the baked potato... and, well, all I could manage was three helpings. Oh well. It's probably better that I didn't eat myself into a food coma.

Went to the movies today for the first time in a long time. Most of the time it's just DVDs from the local video store -- with the $14/month plan for unlimited rentals, how can you go wrong? But there's a new movie that seemed "theater-worthy" -- Flyboys. It was okay. A bit too romanticized, but I expected that was going to happen as soon as the music began playing.

Almost time for one of my favorite TV shows -- Numbers. Yeah, so I like the geeky guy. Those geeky, nerdy guys always have a certain appeal. Like Monk. He's my hero. :)

Mackenzie Loves You. In honor of pinkparismatch, one of my favorite eBay friends, this little blonde cutie has lost a couple of her front teeth and she's learning sign language. The Mackenzie on the card is the cousin of Dooley and Dolly, the redheaded twins from North Carolina. They're her favorite cousins, and she's theirs. :-) If you're on eBay (or even if you're not), go check out the cool artwork by pink! She's got a great, quirky sense of humor; and it spills out into her artwork.

It's been a busy week! Knitting, making paper beads, making gift tags, bead crochet... I just keep moving from one project to another. I still have about a million ideas that haven't been tackled yet, but they're all written down in my little notebook until I get the time to work on them. Now I have to photograph a bunch of finished projects and get them listed on Etsy -- hopefully before the listing price increase.

Reading... a book by Jasper Fforde, sent to me by Emily, was great fun -- The Eyre Affair. There's one more Fforde book, but I just couldn't resist beginning the new Karin Slaughter novel.

Joann Fabrics had a big sale today. My credit card melted... But there were SO many great deals on things that I just couldn't live without. Fun fun fun. Three hours in the store wandering around with my shopping cart. Every time I thought I was finished, something new hopped into the cart.

Don't you just love shopping trips like that? I know I'll use all the things I bought eventually, but it may be 20 years from now at the rate I'm going. There are just too many cool things to create, and there are never enough hours in the day to do them!

I now have 1" pinback buttons listed on Etsy. Someone else assembled them for me, but I designed them all. I think they're fun, but no one's bought any yet. :-( Maybe they're just waiting for exactly the right person to come along and sweep them all up! Yeah, that's it.

Okay, time for some sofa time. Maybe I'll come back to this post and add a picture later. For now, though, it's just words........

I found some of my favorite yarn! It's Red Heart Light and Lofty, and it's my absolute favorite yarn to use. I've made all kinds of baby blankets from the Red Heart Baby Clouds, which is the same basic yarn but in baby pastels. They're always the favorites of the kids who receive them. I made one for my husband's cousin, Marcus, when he was tiny; and now that he's a little over a year old, we're told that he drags his blanket out into the living room floor, fluffs it into a pile, and dives into it headfirst! Now how many baby blankets are that soft!!! :-)

So anyway, I found some of this yarn in some colors I hadn't used, so I just couldn't resist. And now I find that they're making even MORE new colors and calling them Bright and Lofty. Mmmm mmmm mmmm. I've already knit three scarves and am working on a fourth. They'll all make their appearances on Etsy pretty soon.

We have a new tool in the household... The John Deere didn't appreciate being used to mow over rough terrain, and it began to come apart. Rather than track someone down to weld it back together, we are now the proud new owners of a Clarke Welder. Thirty minutes of watching the video that came with the machine, and another thirty minutes of reading the instructions, followed by about an hour of trying to make sure everything is set up correctly -- and we're welding! Actually, I'm standing near the outlet to yank the cord out of the socket in case something goes awry, and my husband is in the driveway welding. The weld certainly isn't pretty (and I don't foresee my husband crafting any jewelry or other decorative items any time soon), but it appears to be sturdy. Guess the true test will be when the mower is used again.

Carissa the Colorful Witch has arrived. There was just something about the little face on the fairly ugly fairy that made me want to draw another character like that. And with that face, it can't possibly be a sad character! So out came little Carissa.

She's on eBay now, because she'd like to find a home for Halloween: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180028899108

Today was a day of experimentation with knitting and crocheting. All done at a time when I should really have been doing something productive, but where's the fun in that!?!?! So I made one funky t-shirt scarf using giant size 19 knitting needles, a cut-up t-shirt, and some leftover embroidery floss. Then I made another funky scarf using six different spools of sewing thread. I'm not sure if I like that second one or not, but it sure is a good way to get rid of thread!

Bead crochet... It's so much fun to do, but it seems that every time I'm working on one thing, I'm thinking about another pattern I can create. Today I spent awhile making multi-colored ropes -- really long ones -- out of size 11 beads. Lots and lots and lots of beads. For a rope that's 68 inches long (since that's the length of one that was finished today), there are 48 beads per inch. 48x68=3264 See? Told you it was a lot!

So here I am crocheting away with those 3000+ beads, and what I'm thinking is how cool it would be to have a Halloween-colored rope or necklace or something. Having the attention span of a gnat, I immediately stopped crocheting to go look through my bead supplies (tens of pounds of beads!) to see if I have just the right shade of orange. Now I just have to determine whether it will be a random design or something with a pattern. Hmmmmm....

There's a new addition to Dooley's family, also. One of my eBay friends, pinkparismatch, mentioned that she has a six-year-old daughter who's about to lose her front teeth. So Dooley now has a cousin named Mackenzie. Pink hasn't even seen the picture yet! It'll be a surprise when I post it in the group. :-)

Okay. Enough babble for today. I'm in the middle of a project!

Fairly Ugly Fairy. She's a strange-looking little creature, but I actually find her somewhat endearing. My Mom used to draw characters that looked kind of like this, with big noses and strange features. Maybe that's where this one came from... When I listed her on eBay, it just seemed appropriate that she should have a poem, so here it is:

A fairly ugly fairy
flying through the sky.
A fairly ugly fairy
flying way up high.
With a nose so long
and feet so big
and such a goofy face,
this fairly ugly fairy
flies all over the place.
She doesn't mind that you don't like
the way she may appear.
She's a happy little fairy
and has been for many a year.
'Cuz looks don't really matter.
Instead it's what's inside.
This fairly ugly fairy
wears her looks with pride!
She loves everyone around her
no matter how they appear.
Her heart is filled with love for all.
She's really quite a dear.

Dooley Babysits. Yesterday's addition to the swiftly-growing collection of Dooley art. He's a fun little character to draw.

The Motorcycle is Listed on eBay. Hooray!!! I sure hope it sells. It already has a bid, but there's a reserve price that will have to be met. I want to be rid of it, but I don't want to just give it away either. It'll be so nice not to have that sitting in our garage... and even nicer knowing that my husband isn't going to get squashed by someone driving a car while they talk on their cell phone, put on their makeup, read their morning newspaper, etc...

A day of remembering...

Today's TV shows are going to be filled with memorials for the 9/11 attacks.

Five years later, and it's still difficult to watch all the footage of the plane crashes and the buildings falling down. Unimaginable, even though we all saw it happen.

It's heartening to see the stories of how the families have dealt with their loss and gone on with their lives.

Hey there!!! I'd like you to meet some of my friends and fellow artists. I've added links to their blogs, so you can check out their work.

These are fellow members of one of the eBay groups to which I belong: RESPECT - Artists Who Love Art

• Mouser-kins (Jenna's cuties) has some of the cutest little mice and bunnies you've ever seen.
• Barry's Art has some wonderful florals, birds, and landscapes.
• GardenPainter (Kim) does some beautifully colorful ACEO collages and some great, whimsical little art dolls.

Check 'em out!

Today's drawing... Old Crow.

Now I'm not really old, although I am old enough to have retired from working in the corporate world. It's been almost a year now since I left the company where I had worked for 26+ years. I haven't missed a day of it!

My days are now consumed with creating all sorts of things, which is something I've always wanted to be able to do. The problem now is that the days are still only 24 hours long, and there's only so much I can do in a single span. I keep a notepad with me all the time so I can record all the ideas that flit through my brain. I've always loved making things, all kinds of things, and I have so many ideas that I can't possibly hope to complete them all. It's fun trying, though! :-)

Today's drawing seemed like it needed to be immortalized in a poem:
Some days I look in the mirror,
and I don't like what I see.
Some days I look in the mirror,
and I think, "That can't be me!

Why, that person's old and has wrinkles!
And crows' feet right next to her eyes!"
But then I remember that wrinkles denote
a person both aged AND wise.

I've learned a lot in my time on the earth,
and I've had a really good life.
I've never been a mother,
but I sure love being a wife.

I count my blessings every day,
and I just want you to know
that I really don't mind getting older,
but please don't call me a crow.

eBay Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=008&item=180026919830

I was just in the mood to draw faces, and out came these two weird things. No pre-planning on my part on either the composition or the colors. And that lack of pre-planning contributes to the fact that the Geometric Face looks like it's sitting in the middle of a construction zone. The other face is a bit more serene and peaceful.

Neither is a self portrait. :-)

They're on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=008&item=180026614208
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=008&item=180026614698

You can't see me now, but I'm doing the dance of joy (remember Bronson Pinchot from that TV show called Perfect Strangers?). The motorcycle purchased in 2000 will be going onto eBay, looking for a new home, on Sunday night. Sunday Sunday Sunday!!!!! All the photos have been taken, the listing content has been written up, the owner and sometimes rider of the motorcycle has approved the layout of the listing, and he's requested that the listing be placed on Sunday (presumably to optimize bidding from people who are home and browsing on eBay on a Sunday night) and run for 7 days. HOORAY!!!!!!!

I've decided that there will be more hats in the near future. Having gone through my stash of fleece, I find that there are quite a few pieces that just aren't large enough to make anything else -- unless, of course, I chose to assemble them into a quilt -- so they're destined to become hats. Since I have no actual hat pattern, I have to figure it out all by myself. I think my head's a normal size. :-)

I'm Batman! (Dooley's Halloween Costume)

Dooley's been so excited about Halloween, and he's known since July exactly what costume he was going to wear. Batman is Dooley's favorite cartoon character, and he spends a lot of time running around with a towel around his neck, pretending it's a cape. Dooley's Mom knows that he loves Batman, so when the Halloween costumes went on sale last year, she decided to pick one up for him. She was trying to keep it a secret, but when his twin sister, Dolly, began to ponder all the different costumes she could wear, their Mom decided it was best if she let Dooley know about the Batman costume. You should have seen Dooley's little eyes light up!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=008&item=180025658353

Dolly Goes Trick or Treating.

Halloween's coming up quickly, and Dolly couldn't decide at first whether to be a fairy princess or a clown or a cowgirl. Her Mom even took her out shopping for a new costume, and there were so many fun things she could choose from that it was really really really REALLY hard to decide. Unlike her twin brother, Dooley, she really didn't have anything in mind.

After looking through all the costumes on the racks, she finally found one she really liked. So Dolly picked out a witch's costume, but not for the reason you might think. She's only six years old, so she doesn't know anything about witches. She just liked the cape that came with the costume. After all, Dooley's wearing a cape with his costume,and they ARE twins!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=008&item=180025659217

Dooley and the Tooth Fairy...

This ACEO was created for the monthly theme for one of the eBay groups to which I belong -- RESPECT - Artists Who Love Art. The theme for the month of September is "Letting Go," and Dooley's pretty happy to let go of his too th to the Tooth Fairy, because he knows he'll get a shiny quarter from her! At least that's what happened with the last tooth. :-)

Listed on eBay. And this one already has a bid! From my fellow RESPECT member, Vicki!!! (that's her eBay ID). I'm so thrilled that she bid on it, because she used to be a professional cartoonist. :-)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=008&item=180024394751

Dooley and Dolly, 6-year-old redheaded twins from North Carolina...

I was inspired to draw these little kids after reading one of Jan Karon's books, Life in Mitford. There's a character in the book named Doolie, and the description of him was so striking that I just had to draw a little Dooley of my own.

I've already created quite a few Dooley and Dolly drawings, and some of them are on eBay... all listed for a $7 opening price. And if no one likes 'em, at least I do! Is it a bad thing to think your own artwork is cute? :-)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=008&item=180024089801

Today began with designing buttons. Lots and lots of 1" pinback buttons. I just kept having ideas for them and running back to the computer to make them. Some wound up being too complicated or detailed to fit onto a 1" button, but I'll eventually figure out something to do with those ideas....

I also wanted to clear out some of my fabric supplies; and in the process of doing that, I discovered that I have yards and yards of fleece. As I sat there staring at all the pieces, many of which aren't large enough to make into pants or a top, I decided I could make some funky hats!

And, having the attention span of a gnat, I immediately stopped whatever it was I was working on at the time to whip up a couple of hats. They turned out pretty cool, even if I do say so myself. Now I'll know what to do with all that excess fabric. I hate to let anything go to waste. Now I have an idea for incorporating beads into my fleece hat designs... :-)

There will probably be more hats tomorrow. There's lots more fleece. I have to resist the urge to go out and buy more. And there'll be more buttons tomorrow. And maybe some beading. Probably some drawing. I really should list some more things on eBay...

Today's entertainment: Aquamarine
Not the greatest movie in the world, but somewhat entertaining. Geared more toward the 14-year-old audience, I think.

Today's food: Homemade salsa with nachos for lunch. Yum!

Cat Want Treat



An ACEO, pen and ink, listed on eBay for the bargain price of $7.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=008&item=180024653653

I love drawing surly cats.

At an early age, I was young.



At this point, I was 2 years old. My Mom said I had been sick right before this picture was taken. I sure looked like I didn't feel very good. I don't remember.

I also don't remember if I went through the Terrible Twos. I probably did.

Until I become ultra-famous, I feel it necessary to introduce myself...

I'm MaryLou.
Grew up in Tennessee.
Live in Illinois now.
Want to move to North Carolina soon.

I do lots of artsy and craftsy stuff. Lots. I have a house filled with stuff I've created, and filled even fuller with materials to make more. I'm trying to eliminate some of it, but all the ideas swirling around in my head just won't let me eliminate it all. And sometimes, late at night, I think I can hear the sound of the stuff multiplying on its own.... because I couldn't possibly have bought all those things myself!

I used to work, but not no more. At least not at a job job.
Creating art and making stuff isn't work, now is it?

I sell some of the stuff I've made.
Drawings and ACEOs/ATCs (Art Cards, Editions and Originals or Artist Trading Cards)
Art Dolls
Jewelry

I'm on eBay (isn't everyone?). My ID there is time2cre8!!!
I'm also on Etsy (and everyone should be!). My store name there is time2cre8.etsy.com

I wanna build a website of my own... and I have the domain name... time2cre8.com... but haven't gotten around to writing it all out yet.

Figured I'd give blogger a chance. At the very least, it'll allow me to record some of my ramblings.

Read 'em if you want.
If not, just enjoy the pictures.