Still Up to No Good, As Usual

My apologies if you are put out by my lack of blogging these past two months. I have been busy but unsettled, trying to figure out where my life is going to go next. I'm employed once again which is always good for the ego.
Recently I got crazy busy and knotted up several bracelets to put on Etsy but nary a one has sold yet. I'm not all that surprized; I think Etsy is besotted with jewelry already.
I finally got around to skeining up a big uhhh wad of single ply wool I bought off a guy from New Zealand. It took me three nights but I now have 24 skeins of lovely yarn to play with.

It took me another week to wash the skeins because they were lanolin sheep sweat stinky. But now they smell fresh as cheap shampoo!









I also knit a pair of plain old socks for myself. I like the southwest colors especially on dark dreary rainy winter days.











Two weeks ago I had the great good fortune to see the Firesign Theatre perform live at the Kirkland Performance Center. I am still absolutely smitten by those crazy guys after all these years.

And last week I was blown away by a broadcast of a live performance of "Nation" which was aired in a little theatre in Mount Vernon, about 40 miles north of Seattle.
The National Theatre in London has been broadcasting performances of some of their shows all over the world by satellite and the Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon is one of three venues in this area that participates in the live broadcasts.
So I have been out and about, making mischief and bon-vivanting around town.

Stuff Around the House

I don't have a whole lot to say right now, so I thought I'd just shoot some stuff around my house.
Narnian Lamps











Shoes I bought for $1.49!











The Avon critters who took roost on the bathtub














Some ornaments I made for Christmas that I didn't get to put up because I had such a bad cold I didn't really have Christmas this year...

Hey! Book Giveaway Contest on My Other Blog!

Hello! Today is the first anniversary of my micro-macrame blog and I am giving away a copy of my book Micro-Macrame:30 Beaded Designs for Jewelry Using Crystals and Cords to the lucky winner who best describes what it is they like so much about micro-macrame...So click on this link to get over to the micro-macrame blog and leave your answer in the comments field there (not in the Annika's Atelier blog comments here). The winner will be announced this Friday, January 1, 2010! What a great way to start the new year!

Long Time No See...

Okay, okay, I have been gone a long long time. I've been quite busy with other things like: finding a new place to live, moving house, teaching classes, the Swine Flu, traveling to Oslo, Paris and Kiel annnnd sorting out my new place and looking for a job. I suppose you'd like to see pictures of at least some of these excuses. Like maybe Paris and Germany.

Obligatory Eifel Tower group shot. Tini, Clare and I weren't taking any of this seriously.







The Sacre Coeur in Montmartre. For some reason, I kept returing to this place, first with one group of friends, then again with another.








Hanging with Val at Versailles.












Dinner with friends old and new.







Tini's turkey, in Daenischenhagen in Deutschland. The poor bird barely fit in the oven. It was magificent, but that's not surprising, since Tini is an excellent cook.





Me learning to spin. It's all Tini's fault; she made me do it. Now I am addicted to spinning.







King Tut! Who knew we'd find the King Tut exhibition in Hamburg?

Lucky Find

Linda and I visited the local Goodwill this afternoon and she spotted a lovely costume for me.
It must have been either a stage costume or perhaps the original owner had lost weight and had to give it away. It is missing a few pearls and Swarovski rhinestone spacers at the neckline of the bodice which are pretty easy to replace. Also, I need to create some sort of chemise to cover the underarm area or continue to go au naturel and astound the neighbors. I donned the wig (which doesn't match period-wise) just to hide my own ragged haircut (world's worst haircut inflicted on me about a month ago which is growing out. Slowwwwwllllyyy.)
Anyhoo, the costume cost a whopping $60.00! Luckily, I already had a standard corset which works underneath.

Back from the Bead Bazaar

This past weekend I had a booth at the North West Bead Society's Annual Bead Bazaar, which was held in the Lynnwood Convention Center. I sold quite a lot of books and micro-macrame kits for making my infamous owl earrings and kitschy baroque bracelets. Both days I knotted kitschy baroque bracelets and answered questions about cords, crystal beads, the history of macrame, and where I found the gnarly wire tree on the display table where all the owls were perched.
Many people stopped by to gawk and talk about my jewelry because they hadn't ever seen macrame done on such a tiny scale before. It was great fun to be there in the midst of so many talented jewelry artists but today, I am exhausted!

Sand Animation

The following video is from Ukraine's Got Talent. Sand animation artist Kseniya Simonova won for her two pieces on that competition.




Her work is so powerful and heart-breaking.