foxaz handmade

We have a domain & a website

2011-07-25T22:04:00.000-07:00

http://www.foxazhandmade.com

come check it out- it's hosted by Weebly. So easy to make, even for a doofus like me.

2011-07-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

Some new pics of the cactus in bloom in the front yard. We take the cold sensitive plants inside for the winter, and when spring comes, we put them outside under the trees in the front yard. There they enjoy mottled sunshine and monsoon rains. The cactus, which is at least 20 years old, blooms every year with a giant showy blossom. This year, it has many buds and will no doubt continue to bloom through August.

The kitteh is our oldest cat. He is 14 years old and still handsome as ever. He always wonders, though, why I crawl on the floor to get good pictures of him. I'll let him wonder...

The Monsoon Rains have come!

2011-07-09T22:46:00.000-07:00

It rained today! So nice! Cooled everything off, brought the cats in to get dry...The smell of rain is heavenly!

I took photos while the sun was out and posted some new pieces on our various venues. Pretty things:

Swimmies

2011-06-08T18:15:00.001-07:00

Here they are- The Swimmies! Taken before their escape to the interwebz.

If you click on the picture, it will get bigger!

Arizona, Crispy as a Taco and twice as HOT!

2011-06-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, the big fire is still burning in the White Mountains of Eastern AZ. No containment at all, and Eagar is on standby to evacuate. I saw pictures of the sky in Albuquerque...it was yellow with smoke and ash. Yellow! People are being cautioned to stay indoors and keep the air conditioners off in ABQ.

For us in the northwest of the state, things are dry, but not on fire, yet. We've been lucky, because the winds are blowing from southwest to northeast, and we haven't even had smoke or ash. But poor New Mexico! The town of Luna NM has been warned to be ready to evacuate.

There have been few reports of loss of buildings, but firefighters say part of that is because they can't see in the smoke, and planes and helicopters have been grounded by the winds. Over 300 square miles has been blackened.

The economy is based to a large extent on tourism. Tourism is based on people who want to go enjoy the the cool pines and mountains... but that will be impossible to do. There's nothing quite so sad as the land after a fire.. blackened sticks, pointing to the sky.

Pray for the evacuees, and pray for rain.

Arizona's on Fire!

2011-06-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

The eastern part of Arizona, with tinder-dry forests and beautiful dry meadows, is called "the high country"- It's a getaway for the people of the Phoenix area in the summer, when temps reach 100 and beyond. Some of the most sought-after places for cabins in the woods, the town of Greer, Alpine, Nutrioso and others are on evacuation watch from the 3rd biggest fire in AZ history. The Wallow fire - no idea why the name, but that's what they call it.

We've had very little rain, and plenty of high wind and dry lightning storms. 144,000 acres is burning. (UPDATE: Over 200,000 acres)

Pray for rain.

A Few New Things

2011-05-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a few new pieces on the webz. There's a few on ARtfire, Zibbet, and Etsy. Prices are quite reasonable.

Check out the sites and see what you might find...

More Beautiful Flowers / Iris

2011-05-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

Getting the yard in order...little apples on the tree, lovely iris blooming, Betty Alice gives some kitty love to the Buddha... All the houseplants out under the trees for the summer...

It's May in Arizona; Life is good.

(And this just before running a garden stake into my leg and having to go to UrgentCare to have it removed) I had the biggest splinter they'd seen in a while...

Springtime Iris in the Fox Garden

2011-04-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

Stuff in a Jar

2011-04-22T21:25:00.000-07:00

Lately Etsy has been featuring a lot of stuff in Mason Jars: sawdust, string, various other stuff in the whimsical barnwood, farmhouse chic style.
So a bunch of people who frequent the Creative Breakroom forum were challenged by Eclipse to create our own Jars of Stuff. She's made a Treasury using some of the examples we listed on Etsy.

My entry is a one eyed bird, in a nest, in a Mason Jar, pictured above.

Etsy

2011-04-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

I have shops on Etsy. Two of them, one for original ooak work, and one for vintage.

Today I saw the INC article on Etsy's founder, "raking in millions at his online 'fleamarket" Up til now, I never thought of Etsy quite that way. I thought it was "Buy, Sell, Live Handmade"

But I've been wrong before.

Then I thought I'd ask a question in the Etsy forums, but one of the admins said it might take 5 years to get an answer. Really? I just don't have that kind of time.

Sorry Etsy, you disappoint me.

The Adventures of BaldyLocks -Cancer Blog: Let's Do Something Good

2011-03-26T16:02:00.000-07:00

The Adventures of BaldyLocks -Cancer Blog: Let's Do Something Good: "Save a life. Become a bone marrow donor. OneMatch.ca -Canadian Registry National Marrow Donor Program Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide My life ..."

Become a Bone Marrow Donor

2011-03-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

Recent discussions I've been a part of (just a tiny tiny part) have made me think of how important it is that people become bone marrow donors. You can sign up here: http://www.marrow.org/JOIN/

It only takes a few minutes and could save the life of someone who really needs a transplant, maybe even someone you know.

Baby Apricots!

2011-03-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

It must be Spring!

2011-03-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

Betty was helping me take photos for our vintage shop, CallMeOut on Etsy. She's always anxious to lend a paw to whatever I'm trying to do outdoors in natural light.

I was able to take some not-so-bad pics. Do you just LOVE the Zebra planter? I think it's so cute. It will be up in the shop very soon. The buckle is up now- a great Western style piece, made by Justin Boot Co.

The little fox is showing off one of my Mom's rings. I'll be putting it up in the next few days. The vintage shop seems to be doing a little bit better than the ooak jewelry, but we have a sale every now and then.

Have a good weekend. It's been absolutely beautiful here the last few days. I've been working outdoors with Mr Foxaz, re-doing the iris bed. It was being overtaken with trees and weeds. I wish I had the energy for digging and lifting things that I used to have. Guess older isn't always better.

Vintage at CallMeOut on Etsy

2011-01-15T22:32:00.000-08:00

Some neat mid-century jewelry from Monet and others. The kind my mother wore to her PTA meetings, and other special places, like church...

It's a new year! It's a new fresh start!

2011-01-05T21:46:00.000-08:00

We're back on target to make some creative moves again!
Mr Foxaz spent 12 days in the hospital, from Dec 5 to the 17th.
It kinda put the hammer down on our holidays. Had to close the Etsy stores, and the others til we got back from Phoenix Good Samaritan. When we got back, I opened them up again and we had a few sales. Not much.
But what can you do when you're out of town and in the hospital?

Today was a good day - January 5th - and I hope we have more to come.
All the tests came back negative for the serious bad stuff (cancer) so for that we're very very thankful. Still doing follow-ups and taking it one day at a time.

But today was a good day, and that's crazy good!

Oh boy- it's almost Christmas!!

2010-12-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

I realize, I've been remiss.
I don't deserve to have any followers.
But I love you guys, I do.

We've been busy with - nothing.
We've had a month of sickness, and now mr fox is in the hospital, trying to figure out why he can't eat. Asking the doctors why.

Tis the season of eating, and he can't eat a regular meal.

So if I can, I will keep a more regular posting schedule, with some more creativity and a better outlook. You can still find us on Etsy, Zibbet, and ARtfire..

Here's a pretty new piece: above ^

There will be more!

Holidays, coming right up!

2010-11-13T21:22:00.000-08:00

A couple of new items in my Artfire shop.

The cranberry red crocheted brooch is perfect for a holiday gift, stocking stuffer, or pin it on your own lapel! Simple statement, soft wool-blend with felt backing. The buttons are vintage.

The necklace, Planetary Evidence, is a crazy Lace large multicolor focal bead, with red flower jasper and copper beads. I'm sure you've heard that a new planet, very much like Earth, has been discovered. This is that planet. The mother ship leaves sometime after the first of the year, and should arrive in this pristine, natural, unpolluted planet sometime in 2022. There will be no cost for the spaceship ride, and all amenities will be provided.

You can purchase this necklace, and make up (embellish) your own stories in time for all those boring holiday parties. Just check out my ARTFIRE shop - the link is on this page.

And now it is August...

2010-08-12T15:32:00.000-07:00

Can Fall be far away?

Days are shorter, nights are cooler, a little rain has fallen.

We live a quiet life. We play Farmville. Do a little gardening. Take lots of naps. Play with our kitties.

Sometimes it's like we're waiting for the old folks home to come and get us. Kicking and screaming all the way. But still...

Life is good.

Summer's here - the heat is on...

2010-07-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's so hot! We're having a heat wave- over 100F every day- and it's trying desperately to rain... clouds everywhere, but no rain. The funny part is, it could rain 5 miles away, downtown, and not get a drop here.

Years ago, when I lived in Jerome, we'd sit out on the porch and watch the build-ups of clouds over Sedona, coming our way. Clouds from over our mountain would go out and meet them, and POW!! a thunderstorm, and rain, rain, rain...

Not so in Kingman. We get rain rarely, if at all- and our garden could sure use it. The cucumbers are overwhelming us- the peppers and basil and nectarines are doing very well. We have beans and lettuce and lots of greens- Such a joy to not have to buy veggies. Tomatoes will be coming in soon.

Some rain would just make everything pop. Must be time for a rain dance and some drums.

Mother Earth is pissed

2010-06-03T19:57:00.000-07:00

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/06/03-12

The oils spill is such a disaster. The oil has the potential to affect the entire Atlantic seaboard, in addition to the Gulf.
From there, it's anyone's guess where it will turn up.

We will drown in oil.

When Copyright Goes Bad (English)

2010-04-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

cupcakes are NOT a trend...

2010-03-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/wayoflife/03/23/cupcake.craze/index.html?hpt=Sbin

For anyone who thought cupcakes were just a silly trend... they're not.
I wonder why that is?

Etsy's Offices- Peek in and see!

2010-02-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

The article is from November 2009 and offers a look inside the new Etsy offices:

http://www.businessinsider.com/etsy-brooklyn-headquarters-2009-11#etsy-is-in-brooklyn-but-not-way-out-in-brooklyn-the-york-street-subway-station-exit-dumps-you-under-the-manhattan-bridge-1

Only a couple more weeks...

2009-12-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

and the holidays will be essentially over. I don't know why people get so stressed out. I mean, I've put away my high expectations, the ones I had as a younger person - soft lights, chestnuts roasting, tinseled packages holding all my most cherished dreams... and now I just try to navigate through the holidays with as little personal damage as possible.

I'll clean the house so the family doesn't call the hoarder police, put up some lights so the neighbors can enjoy them, try and make healthy foods so my blood sugar doesn't skyrocket... the simple things, really. And , of course, empty my bank account to provide glorious excess for my children & grandchildren.

Not to mention the food banks, the ASPCA, the Humane Society, ... Click on the Animal Rescue Site button to provide food for animals, and then click on each tab for all the other good causes. Volunteer some time in your community too- And keep at it even after the holidays are over.

It's almost Thanksgiving

2009-11-08T13:31:00.000-08:00

We're having chicken.

Maybe yams. Salad.

Our neighbor gave us a blueberry pie.

I think we're all set.

Coolest Cat on the Planet

2009-10-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

Un chat boit au robinet - Blog

The last sunflowers of the year

2009-10-25T22:27:00.001-07:00

I love sunflowers. So do the bees, and the birds. The little finches have been working the seed heads for days. The cats love to watch them through the locked screen door. Wouldn't they like to get out and catch them! Not on my watch...

Some New Work.. and an old picture...

2009-10-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

Warm and cozy for winter, just ahead. I'll be listing these for sale someplace soon. Probably Etsy, or Artfire. I've been knitting alot since the weather cooled down. It's a fun way to stay busy and productive. My parents valued being productive. Very important.

This is a picture of an old bakery in Jerome, sent to me by my friend Bobbi. Late 1800's perhaps, with the smelter stack in the background. So neat and tidy - the smelter smoke kept anything green from growing. Ah the good old days!

Is it Christmas Yet?

2009-10-04T13:15:00.000-07:00

Because we have some new things to put in the shops... Above, a tiny antler tip on red leather cord. It's cute, and didn't hurt Rudolph at all, since these are naturally shed antlers found on the forest floor.
These earrings are my favorite stones- Carnelelian and turquoise. I made these with the powers of the stones in mind- carnelian invokes passion and energy; turquoise is a lucky stone which aids in relieving anger. What could be better than that? And the copper finding aid in transferring thoughts into action.
This is a mystery stone. It must be some kind of agate; it takes a wonderful polish! And there's a tiny tube along the side which has the black of the stone inside. There's a crystalline hole in the middle and some opalescent bubbles on the side- altogether a wonderful accent piece for any outfirt
Here's another agate with a crystalline inclusion. Perhaps it is a piece of geode. It holds a super polish and has both mystery and excitement in it.
This piece started out as a bead, but broke in half. Such an outstanding natural bright blue color! It's set in a cast sterling silver backless setting, and hangs on a sterling silver figaro chain. We just love the beautiful blue color of natural Kingman turquoise.

These and other outstanding pieces will be posted on our various sites over the next few days.. Hope you like them!

Changed my profile pic...

2009-09-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

... cuz I'm just not that angry anymore. Now, I just have my popcorn ready and wait to watch the next train wreck.

Whether it's Kanye West, Serena, or Joe Wilson, - or just a typical Etsy Etc thread - I'm ready.
Cheers!

Mr Foxaz's Super Studio

2009-09-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

Betty like a good place to rub... like my feet...
Pretty turquoise...

Here it is- insulated, air-conditioned, clean, with nice anti-fatigue floor mats...

What's more fun than Insulation?

2009-08-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

Putting up 4'x8' sheets of ceiling panels, that's what!!

Mr Foxaz gets it in his mind to do a project, and it's a one-way highway towards his goal.

He has his epidural pain shot this coming Tuesday, so it was important to get most of the rough stuff done before that. He's supposed to take it easy after the shot, and he usually does. So a week ago we got the bundles of insulation and paneling, and rassled it all into the workshop last Friday. Started on Friday night and got to the paneling at the end of the weekend.

Yikes! What a job! At one point, we had ropes and pulleys hooked up to lift the panels into place. Talk about Two Stooges! Mr Foxaz is quite particular about how things should be perfect. Me, I'm just standing there, holding the ropes and the pushing stick, saying "put the screws in, put the screws in already!!" I'm type A and get frustrated easily. He is so much more calm than I am- just moves forward in a careful, calculated way.

He's one of the only people I know who can measure, cut, and have the piece fit perfectly.
I just try my hardest to keep my mouth shut - but it's not my nature to stay quiet. I try though.

Back from the 300 miles drive

2009-07-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

We're back from our all-day drive. Mr Foxaz's eye is no worse. The ciliary body mass is the same size, no larger. The doctor excised a chelazion, we got a script and went on our way. Ordered Quiznos subs from our hotel room- yum!

We drive down the day before (takes all day) then the appt is the next day, then drive back the following day. I missed my exit on the way back though, and wound up in Peoria for awhile. But thankfully, no horrible wrecks on the highway, no road closures in the heat.

It's good to be home. It's too darn hot out there to be driving all day. 54 mpg isn't too bad though. Yay for the Prius!

The Wolf is at the Door

2009-07-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

I'm taking my felt pins in a slightly different direction. This is the first of what should be an iteresting series of animals, birds and insects. Minimalist, yes, and hopefully different in a good way.

I love making things. My Bucket List is mostly things I want to make, projects I haven't finished, promises I've made about one thing or another. As I get older, the weeks just seem to fly by, and what with my fixation on keeping updated on blogs, current affairs, Etsy, Artfire, Artistry Arts, etc- I'll often spend hours reading on the net.

My photo project is HUGE! Every time I open a box or bag I find more pictures to document. And Mr Foxaz has been making a lot of new pieces, which I need to photograph, edit and list. As you can see up above, there are lots of new things in our Etsy shop, which I've decided to focus on his work with antler and turquoise. I think he'll be doing some Cherry wood and turquoise pieces for the vegans in the audience, too. So stay tuned! (an Etsy turn of phrase)

I know I'm a critic of Etsy in the forums, like so many others these days, but I have no intention of closing shop there. Not willingly, at least. I have too many business cards with my Etsy address! And the forums are addictive. So hopefully my big mouth won't get me kicked out.

Artistry Arts is a new selling site. They just moved to an all-new site, here:
http://www.artistryarts.com/index.php?/
and they are definitely worth a look. If you had stuff listed before the move, you'll have to re-list it all (bummer) but it's fairly easy to do, and they have a "list similar"function if you sell a lot of similar items. It costs $5 a month, with no selling or listing fees.. Check it out!

Here's a wonderful picture of a couple of the old folks at home:

Facebook

2009-07-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

I'm on facebook, here: http://www.facebook.com/susan.d.fox?v=feed&viewas=1096466571

I don't use it much, because it seems to generate spam, and such. Over the course of time, perhaps I'll get into it more. Maybe when I don't have so many things to do in real life.

Etsy now has a cute little button where I can uoload my items to facebook. It seems like spam to do that, since the info would go to my friends, who already know about my shop.

It's a lot of work keeping up with all the blogs and shops and reading others blogs and flickr and facebook. People who manage it, and do it well, have my utmost respect.

Old Pictures, Bittersweet

2009-06-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

Relatives I hardly knew, people I can't name, houses I wish I'd lived in, wars that surely shaped my fathers' personality. I'm putting my parents photo albums on disk. My grandaughter Shay was here for a week , taking pictures of each old photo, with me uploading them to my computer, editing them, looking into faces I can barely remember. My mom & dad on the beach at Stony Point; my sister and I, my dad as a high school soccer player, my parents at her parents house, smoking cigarettes in front of the fireplace.

My sister and I rarely smiled; perhaps we knew what was coming.

Both my parents have passed, dad in 1966, mom in 2006. So we'll never find out more than the cryptic statements near the pictures: Seneca Falls, 1937, Niagara Falls, Lake Lucille. Winters in deep snow (it was New York) and summers in backyard blow-up swimming pools, and, like clockwork, the posed pictures of Easter Sunday, and every Sunday "ready for church."

We hung out with bunches of neighbor kids, dressed in Cowboy and Indian suits, building forts for plastic army men, carving acorns into doll dishes. It was actually a pretty idyllic childhood, there was a brook to explore, dams to build, frogs to catch and release. The outdoors was a wonderful place to play. Indoors was another story.

I'll post more pictures as I work on this project.

Lovely Days, Lovely Nights...

2009-06-09T13:01:00.001-07:00

Here's Betty, checking me out while I take pictures of some of my latest creations. She's a very good helper, making sure things are set up right and everything's in focus. She helps Mr Foxaz also, keeping track of his turquoise and watching out for intruders.

Sometimes I wonder...

2009-05-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

Does anyone read this blog?

I know it's not as exciting as reading other blogs, the ones with giveaways and gossip and drama.
But drama really isn't my thing. I leave that to others.

I also wonder:

do men wear cowls in the summer?
will my cucumbers produce great cukes?
will Sotomayor be confirmed?
has the housing market hit bottom?
will we get rain this week?
how many goodnplenty would fit in a gallon jar?
is Etsy really a cult?

If anyone has answers to these questions, please leave a note.

How about these IRISES!

2009-05-16T16:39:00.000-07:00

I love their little bearded throats, and the colors are sooo cool. The easiest flowers to grow, and they reward you every spring / summer with color. What a photo op! I never get tired of admiring their beauty.

When it gets HOT in Arizona...

2009-05-11T22:34:00.000-07:00

We decide to have a yard sale. Are we crazy? Maybe we are.

We spent the last two weekends sitting in the shade with icy non-alcoholic drinks, our little fanny packs strapped on with small bills inside, for change. While we didn't make much money, because America as a whole has no money to spend, we did get a chance to meet and greet with neighbors and passersby... and with the exception of one woman who spent her time screaming full blast at her unruly children, we had a great time schmoozing with the customers.

I would say our little yard sale / social experiment was a success. We cleaned out the shed and the garage, and will have a nice donation for the local thrift store. We decided upfront that we'd sell or give away the stuff we will absolutely never use again. Tools that we bought to use once; tools that we bought with hopes they would work properly and never did; things too heavy to lift, peculiar oddities I've rescued from dumpsters and swap meets, the kind of things we love but have no place for.

I've had a love affair with red glass for years. And copper. And things that make me laugh. I put these precious things out for sale, knowing people would snap them up.

But this particular yard sale was different. People wanted things for next-to-nothing....

If we'd had furniture- chairs, tables, dressers - we could have sold them all day long. Computer monitors? Not so much. Turns out, you can't even give those away.

Over the next week or so, we'll be packing up the leftovers for donation. At least we'll get a little tax deduction. I guess that's all we can hope for.

Remembering the Kentucky Derby...

2009-04-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid - long ago in a land so far away (just north of NYC) my sister and I used to get real excited about the Derby. The Sunday paper would have pictures or paintings of the horses; some were nice enough to cut out and mount on a piece of cereal -box cardboard. The horse I chose was black as coal, a real beauty.

The Derby was run late on a Saturday afternoon, usually.
Our dad would be fishing. That's what he did on weekends, and we were just as happy he was gone, since when he was around he cracked the (figurative) whip and made us do chores and clean our rooms.

Our mom got in the habit of allowing us to have a healthy dinner of Wheaties and ice cream on tray tables in front of the TV. There we'd watch the Kentucky Derby, or perhaps some other horse race. New York was a good place to live if you liked to follow the horses. So many NYC race tracks and upstate ones as well. The Belmont, Triple Crown, Saratoga Springs... all the races were televised, and we watched them all.

I loved horses back then, and when I was 30 , I finally got one, riding a lot in the mountains around Jerome, AZ where I lived.

My black beauty never won that long ago Derby, but I still have that cutout in a box of memorabilia out in the shed. I'm sure my grandkids would be (will be) impressed.

Finally! My First Cowl / Hat / Headwrap / Neckwarmer

2009-04-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

I resisted, oh I did, I did! I didn't want to be just like everyone else... I march to my own drummer, after all...

But here it is- Cowl #1, in blue and purple - purple homespun, blue and purple boucle, and fluffy fun fur yarn.

I'll be listing it on Etsy, the home land of all things Cowl, later today.

Lemon Sun

2009-03-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

Vintage faceted ab glass bead earrings shatter the sunlight in a wonderful lemon-y way. These are available in my Artfire shop.

Copper nest with Sea Glass

2009-03-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a smooth piece of seaglass in a crocheted copper nest. It was fun to make and has a secure pin closure on the back. In 20 years, it will be a vintage piece - hah! Will it still be listed in my etsy shop by then? It's possible...

New Buttons at CallMeOut.etsy.com

2009-03-18T17:24:00.001-07:00

OK - Just a Reminder about YOUR EYES...

2009-03-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, we remember to check our boobs, and have our regular dentist and doctor appointments... but, don't forget to have your eyes checked regularly.

Mr Foxaz and I went for our eye appointments together last week. He gets seen pretty regularly because of his Graves Disease, and I go to the Retina Center annually because of my Diabetes, but we weren't prepared at all for what the eye doctor said. He looked into Mr Foxaz's right eye and saw something dark and scary, and very rare -- a pigmented ciliary body mass. Thinking it could be melanoma, he got us an appointment with the next guy up the ladder on the specialist chain.
This one did an ultrasound and thinks that, yes, it is melanoma, so Monday at 8 AM we will be in Tucson (300+ miles away) having a 4 or 5 hour appointment to find out what our next move will be.

By the end of the appointment, we should have a diagnosis and a plan of action. And they said they usually spend 2 months working out the details.

I guess that gives us the perfect excuse for neglecting the garden this year. :(

Get your eyes checked!

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

2009-03-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

This picture turned out so Etsy, don't you think?

I haven't listed it yet, but it's a very cool, matte-finish, yellow pebble from my collection of rocks and things. It hangs on a copper colored figaro chain with a twist clasp.

Such fun, and so funky. Just the way I like it.

Vintage from Japan

2009-03-01T20:36:00.000-08:00

Is this a pretty necklace? Four strands, and that carved clasp is just gorgeous. I just listed it on Etsy- in my vintage shop: http://www.CallMeOut.etsy.com

Come take a look!

The Countess' Jewels

2009-02-23T19:53:00.001-08:00

Aren't they beautiful?

Sunday Secrets

2009-02-22T11:46:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday, and I just finished reading the Sunday Secrets at http://postsecret.blogspot.com/.
Post Secret is one of those guilty pleasures that make the weekend special.

So here's a convoluted secret from long, long ago:

My Dad came from an immigrant Czechoslovakian family. Language barriers, lots of kids, no money- and the father picked up and left the family, leaving his unstable wife to raise the kids as best she could. My Dad's dad was always referred to as a "skeleton in the closet." Needless to say, as a young child I spent time inspecting the closets, making sure there were no skeletons hanging around in there.

My Dad was the youngest and probably the cutest, very charming and with a great smile. He married my mom, and shortly thereafter was drafted to fight in WWII. He was stationed with Patton's army in Europe. He drove a tank.

He never talked much about the war, except that during the final days, and during the "clean-up" - he met a Countess, who lived in a castle in Czechoslovakia, where he was stationed. Since he spoke Czech, they hit it off immediately, and when he left, she gave him some lovely jewelry to take home to his wife. So, amongst the war memorablia - a bloodied Nazi armband, medals and coins, two large and heavy swords from the 17th century (I think) - he brought my mother the Countess' jewelry. A poison ring, gold beads, cut crystal beads with earrings to match- beautiful, museum quality, fine jewelry. The absolute best she would ever have.

Over the years, my sister and I would be allowed to play dress-up with it, try it on, pretending we were girls in a castle, in Europe. ( We were also reminded to clean our plates because "children are starving in Europe!")

My Mom & my Dad have both passed on now. So we can't ask them what really happened back then. But the story of the Countess and my young and handsome father might have been a good start for a Sunday Secret-- Don't you think?

I Just Had ONE Kid..

2009-02-03T10:12:00.000-08:00

All this buzz about the woman who had octuplets last week has got me thinking. (And usually my husband thinks that's not such a good thing.)

When I first heard it, I wondered why her husband wasn't there with her- after all, when people have fertility treatments, it usually means that they (husband and wife) want children. But not in this case. You'd think with 6 kids already, there would be no need for more. And as a single mother, how does she plan to support them all?

I guess it will be up to us as a nation to kick in the millions of dollars it will cost to raise all these children. Of course, no one asked us if that would be OK.. (Well, in all fairness, they didn't ask us if we wanted to bail out Wall Street either)

Maybe the book and the TV deals will pay the bills., but it seems unlikely.
Maybe the mom's parents can step up and pay the bills. Maybe even the frtility doctor who thought implanting 8 embryos wa a good thing. The bills for the birth alone are astronomical.

When I had my son, back in 1971, the hubs and I were poor folk, living in a ghost town, with a couple goats and a garden. We ate beans and rice, made our own bread, cooked from scratch. We gave birth at home (no bills) and had a friend help with the delivery. And we knew immediately that one child would be our legacy, and our limit.

He'll be 38 in a couple weeks, and I'm real proud of how he turned out. He grew up just fine without book deals or TV specials (we didn't even have a TV til he was 8.)
We went to the library, and read books together, did outdoorsy stuff, arts & crafts, grew peaches and had homemade ice cream birthday parties.

He's all grown up now, with a wonderful wife and two beautiful teenage daughters. Granted, like many young families, they could use a bailout right about now. The economic collapse has been unkind to a lot of working folks, and they're no exception. It's a struggle to make ends meet.

I just don't know how a single mom with 14 children (some with special needs) would do it. What would childcare for 14 kids cost?

Vintage Beads - Gotta love 'em

2009-02-01T23:10:00.001-08:00

I don't know which I like better- the beads, or the pictures of them...

Cherry Heart 4 Valentines Day

2009-01-25T12:23:00.000-08:00

Isn't this just lovely? Made by Mr Foxaz out of our neighbors poor dead cherry tree. Such beautiful wood! - And it hangs on a 925 sterling silver figaro chain.

You can find this in our Etsy shop - www.foxaz.etsy.com

Latest Creation: Hand-embellished!

2009-01-20T16:00:00.000-08:00

I've had this hammered brass bracelet for almost 30 years. Used to wear it dancing at the Disco (oh the stories, the stories!) It was made by Dana Driver, an artist/jeweler I knew back in Jerome, AZ.

Well, now that I've got a few years on me, and the Disco is but a distant memory, I decided to fancy it up a bit with some faceted red glass beads, a mother of pearl flat donut bead, and a foiled glass gold colored bead. I like the way it turned out, don't you?

It's listed on Etsy, in case you are interested.

Macro Monday

2009-01-12T16:05:00.000-08:00

The cats at the door

2009-01-08T19:33:00.001-08:00

It's 2009 - So Fine...

2009-01-01T09:56:00.000-08:00

Amid huge displays of fireworks, light shows, massive numbers of revelers and half-frozen celebratory crowds, the New Year was greeted by the world, - and the old year was kicked to the curb like a bad bf on Jerry Springer.

Not that we participated in the festivities. I did look at MSN's slide show this morning, but that's about it. Today is sunny and crisp, - 46 degrees. Just perfect.

Mr Fox says he's turning over a new leaf and will now be waking up early instead of staying up late. I guess that means I'll be doing the same. It ought to be an interesting change of pace.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy, productive and peaceful 2009.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday

2008-12-26T19:04:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the Last Friday of December. I hope everyone has made their tax-deductible contributions to charity by now- If not, you have just Monday Tuesday & Wednesday to do it.

Local food banks, animal shelters, homeless centers, your religious group, your kids' school- all these are good places to share a bit of what you have and receive a tax deduction on your 2008 taxes.

You can also make political contributions, donations to Diabetes or MS research, Breast Cancer research, the ASPCA, - there's many, many more--- choose a few and share the love. There's still time, so get busy!!

Macro Monday

2008-12-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

Just listed - on Etsy!

2008-12-10T10:12:00.000-08:00

I added 3 things to my Etsy shop last night. The process, though tedious - 5 pages! - went fairly smoothly. Since views have bee re-calculated, or using a different set of criteria, views have fallen significantly.

The antler pendant got 4 views; the red copper pearls has 3, and the lampwork earrings garnered 2.

That's sad. Just sad.

Lookie Lookie!!

2008-12-07T13:48:00.000-08:00

I bought some of those cute little flower beads- in my continuing quest to create items just like Etsy likes...

The beads were fun to use though, and I think they came out well.

Look on Shophandmade (link at right) for these two...

Another 800 Billion...

2008-11-25T19:19:00.000-08:00

Our American financial wizards have decided the banking industry needs another $800 billion - to encourage LENDING.
So, if I'm understanding this right, we give money to the banks, so they can LEND it back to us, thereby putting us (and our heirs) more deeply in debt.

I guess I'll never understand finances like this.

If the US actually has $800 billion, why not just give to us - and leave the banks out of it. (Unless we decide to put some of this newfound cash - that's really OUR CASH- into some of these banks.)

But then - what do I know?
Just that Webster's word of the year is "Bailout"

Lazy Saturday

2008-11-22T15:56:00.000-08:00

MrFoxaz & #1 Cat. Discussing what's for dinner...

There's a New Venue in Town...

2008-11-15T19:32:00.000-08:00

Check out my Artfire shop! It's a new venue, and so easy to list new items.

http://foxaz.artfire.com/

Here are a few things I've listed there:

The site is really new- still in beta- but I'm liking it a

lot. And the customer service is awesome. Plus, they have stats!!

Refreshing

2008-11-06T22:44:00.000-08:00

Well, I must say the past 2 days have been a refreshing change of pace. America voted - and we have a great new President -elect, someone I can listen to as he speaks and not have a gag reflex...

The hysterical phone calls from Sarah & Cindy & John have stopped. I no longer Google Canadian real estate. I feel a sense of hope, even though the Dow is diving daily. Things will straighten out; they will improve. The war will end. Returning soldiers won't be thrust into the classroom as untrained teachers. Africa is really a continent; fruit fly research is important; global warming is real. "Drill, Baby, Drill" is no longer the rallying cry.

Plus, I'm looking forward to finding out whether all those clothes get donated to charity. If we're lucky, the GOP will be revealed for who they really are - fiscal non-conservatives, given to socialism (bailing out private business.)

If we're lucky, the middle class will be given a fair shot at success.

Whew! We sure dodged a bullet on Tuesday! Yay for Obama!

Busy Busy Busy

2008-10-29T15:21:00.000-07:00

We've been busy making new things. This vintage lucite scarab bead necklace has copper accents and solid copper toggle. I haven't listed it yet, but I was pleased with how the photo turned out. That is vintage driftwood I picked up on a trip to Mexico in 1984. And a piece of flagstone collected on a trip to a Sedona mine.
Such a lovely necklace!

There's so much you can do with a head of butter lettuce! These little antler tips earrings look cool against the pretty green leaves. They are about an inch and a half long on copper kidney wires. They have an antiqued copper bead cap on top of each, and would be perfect to wear to a hunting lodge weekend, or to impress that wild-man hunter in your life. They are smoothly polished and such a great natural color! (Made by mr foxaz)

More to come... http://www.foxaz.etsy.com/

where's my Bailout?

2008-10-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Today GM said it may cut a bunch of its' workforce. It "lost" billions last year."Lost" - as in paid out more than they took in. "Lost" meaning paid out to employees, who then supported the economy with their paychecks. And also paid out in bonuses to CEOs, and who knows what happens with that- probably "lost" in the Caymans, or on Wallstreet, or at the Mercedes dealer...

Why are bonuses paid out for failure? Why are companies still in business when they don't show a profit? How does that work? I mean, after 3-4 years of negative numbers, how is it they still pretend to be viable?

Something here is just not right..

Keep Calm & Carry On

2008-10-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

Watching the stock market bounce up and down is giving me a stiff neck. Following politics has my head spinning. So I thought I'd make earrings.

I bought some antique copper findings from Artful Market and got busy. You can see some of my output above. Cool, huh?

The World Without Us

2008-10-16T17:37:00.000-07:00

As if things were'nt bad enough in the world, I bought a book- The World Without Us by Alan Weisman.

A couple of years ago I read Collapse, a riveting history of why ancient and not so ancient civilizations failed. It included the Incas and Mayans, Islands in the South Pacific, the state of Montana (U.S.), Australia, Greenland... from over-fishing, to overpopulation, to the introduction of non-native species... it's a fascinating acount of the progression of civilization and in some cases the ruination of ecosystems. Highly recommend it for anyone interested in the way environment and man interact.

This new book- The World Without Us - looks to be every bit as compelling. It's supposed to be "a sketch of where we stand as a species that is both illuminating and terrifying." .. Barry Lopez, author of Arctic Dreams.
It's going to tell me how we're doomed as a species, we'll become extinct, -- but--all our architecture and art and stuff like that will stay around as mute testimony. But we won't be here...

I'll give you a deeper book report after I've finished reading it.

In the meanwhile, don't forget to vote.

The Temptation

2008-10-06T19:21:00.000-07:00

of politics... It's so futile, yet so overwhelming.

Thankfully, we have no investments in stock. If we did, I'd prbably be a blathering idiot. Oh, I'm sure we'll feel the pain in many ways, but we won't actually have to watch our money disappear on a daily basis. So this week we've seen the government hand over hundreds of billions of dollars to Wall St, which has proven so well how it uses our funds. We've watched as our Congressmen actually voted for the bailout, barely batting an eyelash.

We've received our mail-in ballots.

We've seen the beauty pageants and the you-tube videos, seen the cartoons and heard the late-night jokes. Watched SNL explain the bailout. Saw the newly homeless doing what they can to make a last-ditch effort to maintain some dignity. Read the sad story of the man who shot his whole family because he saw no way out of his financial crisis.

During the great depression, brokers jumped out of windows. Now they just hold out their hands, palm up. Government is their friend when they're in trouble- but please! No oversight or regulation. That would be wrong.

Here's a bit of history for all you folks (all 2 or 3 of you) reading here...
the story of the Keating Five:
http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo

watch it, it's very enlightening for anyone who missed the real thing. And it gives insight into McCain's way of thinking.

In the meanwhile, I stay busy with my crafting and artsy-ness. I'm coming out with my new Recession Collection very soon. And after that, the Depression Collection should be following soon.

Gotta keep your chin up!

Problems with searching Etsy...

2008-08-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

So we list and renew our items on Etsy - some people do this more than others - it's generally the only way to have your work show up in the searches. Today they announce there are problems with listings not showing up. Photos appearing as grey squares, whole categories showing zero stuff.

Until this is fixed, I won't be listing anything new, or renewing anything.

But I still make stuff, every day.

Tonight Leanne (leannimal on Etsy) won her first challenge on Project Runway. It's a fun show to watch; so many different types of designers, it's inspiring!

Have a great end of August!

This is fun...

2008-08-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun game to test how well your brain works:
How to play the Flash Fabrica Game--

1. Touch 'start'
2. Wait for 3, 2, 1
3. Memorize the number's position on the screen, then click the circle from the smallest number to the biggest number.
4. At the end of game, computer will tell you how old your brain is.
Good luck !!

http://flashfabrica.com/f_learning/brain/brain.html

it's harder than it looks, but my brain tested at age 34, and I'm alot older than that, so I was thrilled.

It's the little things like this that make life worth living, eh?

A Joke, Kind of- and Saturday Thoughts

2008-08-16T11:30:00.000-07:00

So George Bush Sr says to GB Jr: Did you hear? Russia invaded Georgia...

GB Jr says: Oh! I hope Atlanta is OK...

Only a few months left for this sadly comedic duo... and not a moment too soon. As I get older, I have less and less patience with liars and fools. At this point, though, I feel sorry for the next yayhoo who takes the reins. Trying to right this sinking ship is a task I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've been a bit creative this week- here's a picture or two:

The turquoise is Chinese, stabilized- I've had it for quite a few years. Copper freshwater pearls complement the look.

The old photo is from a few I picked up at the flea market. The necklace reminds me of something she might have worn. It's made of glass crystals, swarovski dangles, antiqued brass and gold filled chain. Pretty.

Both are available in my Etsy shop http://www.foxaz.etsy.com/

2008-07-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

The end of July! Days are getting shorter, folks on Etsy are getting antsy to hear Holiday Plans from the top dogs, the ones with initials: CEO, CCO, CFO, CTO.

What kinds of promotions will be featured? What kinds of advertising will occur? Will EtsyKids finally end? Will the issue of copyright infringement be dealt with? And especially-- will sales pick up?

Ah the many questions of an online handmade seller...

"Monsoon" rains and Crabgrass.

2008-07-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

When it rains, it pours. It's Arizona, so it's not like a real monsoon - just a time of thunderstorms, humidity and rain. Generally it starts around the 4th of July and lasts until September. During this time, the crabgrass grows about 3 feet a day, and the ants try and move into the house.
We've been doing battle with the ants, and I think we'll try hiring a young and healthy gardener to remove the crabgrass. Woman or man, it doesn't really matter, just so long as they can identify tomato plants, squash, beans... and are willing to pull the grass out by the roots. Crabgrass puts down roots along the length of its stems- spreads out and digs in and is very difficult to get rid of. Believe me, if we weren't both a couple of arthritic old people, we'd be doing it ourselves. But It's hard work.

Doesn't sound like rocket science though, does it?

I assume in this economy, we might find someone willing to pull weeds for money. Or a gas card...

Meanwhile, we continue to make things and stay busy in a non-painful way. We'd rather not damage ourselves any worse than we are already. After all, it's only money, right?

Random Thoughts

2008-07-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

As soon as I say it, they'll probably be back, but: The Ants are Gone! for now. Which is a good thing.

Speaking of good things, I read where Martha Stewarts' company is predicted to be on the downhill side of the bell curve. Apparently making fancy stuff to sweeten up your home is becoming passe. When the economy falters, does that impact the crafting venue?
Folks have been crafting for hundreds of years, so I don't expect that to stop. But as finances tighten, disposable income fades. "Good things" cost money- more so than "Just OK" things... Walmart (the home of "Just OK") has a new logo and is said to be thriving in these tight times.They do have the advantage of offering everything in one place. It may not be what you'd really like, but at least you aren't spending wads of cash on gas to drive from store to store. And for some, that is a big deal.

I saw a really good paperback the other day, kind of like the "Whole Earth Catalog" from the 70's - all kinds of info to help you live off the land, or closer to the land at any rate. There are so many simple ways to cut costs and be "green" - things we used to do back then that saved us money. I thought- "Wow, maybe I'll check that out-" so I picked it up to thumb through.

The typeface was so small I would have had to use a magnifying glass to read it. Sadly, I set it back on the shelf.

The attack of the Killer Ants

2008-06-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

OK, so to preface this entry, we're OLD, and we don't see that well anymore, either one of us. Mrfoxaz has Graves eye disease & he sees double most of the time. I have parafoveal telangiectasias- and when I try to focus, the center part of my retina has some dark spots, so I can't focus for close vision. I have to kinda look off to one side.

So the other day, we decided to take a little nap. We snoozed for maybe a half hour or so and I woke up itching and scratching. I had big red welts all over me!
We took all the bedding off the bed and looked everywhere. I thought it must have been a Walpi Tiger- a bad bug that sucks blood from people & pets. After moving the whole bedroom around & crawling around with flashlight, mrfoxaz found an ant. A teeny little nasty ant. A pissant. Ouch!

The other day, we had pissants swarming the cat food, and we sprayed and vacuumed and cleaned and we hadn't seen any more. Ahh, but we were wrong!

Tonight, Mrfoxaz went in the bathroom to take a shower and the sink and counter was covered with those damned ants!! So we cleaned and sprayed and took everything out of the drawers & cabinets... Then went outside and dusted all around the foundation and vents.

It's been really hot the last week or so- over a hundred during the day- that's when the ants come in. We're waging WAR!!

Got my foot fixed, Mrfoxaz got his pain shots...

2008-06-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

Ah, yes, the booboo report... We're slowly getting back to normal- I had my toe straightened out Friday (it was hammering, but not in a productive way) so I'm stumping around with a funny shoe- the kind that's oh-so-fashionable... Thankfully I can drive, so today I drove Mrfoxaz down to the surgery center for his pain block shots. He gets them once a month and they seem to help. It's amazing the number of people who are disabled in this way- chronic pain.

Sunday my faithful computer decided 5 years was long enough- and it told us something was corrupted and it just wasn't feeling up to booting up. After dusting and checking all the connections and basically spending the entire day trying to figure it out, I decided my stimulus check could best be spent on a new one. I mean. I was having serious Etsy forum withdrawals and needed my "fix" So now, all I have to do is restore al my favorites and my email addresses and retake my photos... you get the drift. A big pain in the patoot.

I'm working on a couple freeform crochet projects- when I get the camera software back up and running, I'll post photos...

Stay cool, and enjoy yourself.
Mrs foxaz

Rearranging my "blog furniture"

2008-06-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, before computers and the Internet - (yes, I could be your mother) - I used to enjoy moving furniture around , often, to make it seem like the room was new. I just enjoyed seeing things from a different angle, making a new space.

Now, I can change my blog page around to satisfy that urge. And it isn't half so painful, in terms of lifting and back injuries.

Today, I added a hit counter (so I'll know how many times I've visited) and a slideshow of some of our work. Some of these are available at our etsy store - www.foxaz.etsy.com. I've been experimenting with ACEOs-(Art Cards Editions & Originals) using some of my digitally tweaked photos. They are a lot of fun to make, like little baseball card-size art pieces.

In the slideshow you'll also see antler pendants and earrings are by mr fox, crocheted stuff by me, and some photos of the iris in the garden this year. The iris blooms are so beautiful and short-lived. And this year, the wind has been so strong. It really sucks the life out of plants, drying everything out and knocking it over.

Now that I've changed things up and added some deep thoughts, I think I'll go craft...
Don't forget to check the Sunday Secrets at www.postsecret.com !

Arizona's getting hot-

2008-06-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

Time for summer crafting by day, and gardening early in the morning and later in the day. I'm out of commission for the garden - have a diabetic ulcer on my toe, and will have surgery next week. Diabetes is certainly one of the biggest bummers that life can hand you.

But I can sit with my foot up and make my little crocheted pins and pendants for my Etsy shop. And read the forums and look at all the pretty treasuries. Life is good. Sorta.

I marbled some paper the other day, and will probably make some little notebooks with the many kinds of paper I have collected over the years. Can you say "hoarder"? That's me.

Mr fox is doing all the weeding and continuing to work on his beautiful jewelry. Stop in at our store to see more!

Here's our Etsy Mini-

2008-05-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

It will probably take me some time to figure this out- Got the Etsy Mini up at least; next will have more pictures, and perhaps some thoughts on the amount of time i spend looking at this computer screen. Being retired has its' perks- like unlimited time to spend at this sort of stuff. In between gardening and doctors appts...
Until next time-
Peace out!

just starting out...

2008-03-17T22:30:00.000-07:00

I'll try to have some things up and interesting soon.