a surfacing light

The Sudsy Scent of Handmade

A glass Ball jar filled with handmade soaps we made over Christmas.

The kitchen smelled like a parfumerie and the little circles of color

 - aqua, saffron and cranberry - 

glowed on our windowsill like precious jewels.

 

***

end notes

 

*** 

 

 

A Flurry of Snow & Swords

 

 

SNOW WAS FALLING ON RIVERSIDE,

GREAT WHITE feather-puffs that veiled the

cracks in the façades of its ruined houses;

slowly softening the harsh

contours of jagged roof and fallen beam.  

Eaves were rounded with snow,

overlapping, embracing, sliding into each other,

capping houses all clustered

together like a fairy-tale village. 

Excerpt from “Swordspoint” - Ellen Kushner

Photographer Unknown 

I'm both listening to and reading Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner.  

The fabulously talented Neil Gaiman has just produced a new

"illuminated" audio version of this quiet cult classic and  

"melodrama of manners", now available on audible.com.  

Everytime I put in my headphones,I step right into a world of

buckled leather boots crunching across snow covered cobblestones,

a duel to the death fought to the clang of steel swords

on a bitter cold morning, the glug glug of good brandy poured

into a crystal snifter by a warm fire, the clink of a

champagne toast floating down river from the extravagent

party barge of a duchess, whispered conversations, and of course,

a truly bittersweet love.  So if you're in the mood to escape into

a drift of winter, a touch of fantasy and some good

conversation, either version will do.  

 Photographer Unknown 

 

Cover art, below, by the brilliant Thomas Canty 

 

***

 

end notes

Wishing you a good book, a toasty fire,

and a delicious cuppa' of your

favorite beverage.

Cheers!

***

 

The "Tada!" Blog...kind of.

 

 

Most of the knitting, crochet, crafting and sewing blogs that I

read have something called The "Tada!" moment, where the writer

unveils a beautiful crochet afghan that she's been working on for months

or a mouth watering handknit sweater, lovely lace scarf - you get the

picture.   Unfortunately, my knitting and crochet projects usually have a

big WONKY, often right in the front.  With the introduction of fun filters,

like the snow daze app I used on on my Starbucks mitts photo, I've been

able to salvage some of the photos of the bits and bobs I make, but for

the most part, I'm usually pretty disappointed by my handwork.  As the

good Queen said, (insert frosty, clipped tone here) "We are not amused."

But miracles do happen, (it is Christmas)  and I finally have

a "Tada!" moment!  I have produced my very first downloadable pdf with

my drawings as print, color and cut holiday gift tags (above).  This is

the first many installments as I will be uploading other kinds of

downloadable art - cards, gift tags, paper dolls, (a personal favorite) as

my online business venture, (Mama gotta keep the lights on around here,

after all) but the annual Christmas gift tags will always be my gift to you. 

To download the tags, just pop over to my website, judvalenzuela.com or

even easier, just click on the art itself (above) or the big box with

the crayons right beneath the banner.  This magic box of crayons will take

you directly to the coloring book page.

By the way, speaking of the banner, perhaps you noticed that Schrödinger

has found other things to hunt for instead of the snow blower we discussed

in the last post and also, that the title of the blog is slowly being

covered by snow drifts?  Once again, "We are not amused." 

Thank you so much for subscribing, reading, sharing and forwarding this

blog and links with your friends and family - it's been alot of fun!

 Schrödinger and I always look forward to hearing from you, either by

email or comments left on the blog itself.  

Have fun shopping and wrapping and cutting and coloring

- just 10 more days!

 

***

notes

Wishing you packets of sparkles and glitter,

pretty pens and pencils

and lots of twinkling lights.

 

 

***

Books, Tomatoes, Ladders & Lovers - My Favorite Christmas Trees

 

 

Alternative Christmas Tree - Artist Unknown.  

 

I finally got some weather, both outside and inside.  Outside, it's

raining, cold and misty and inside, it's snowing on my blog banner!  

I've been waiting for snow on my blog banner all season, now

Schrödinger is going to have to dig out his snow blower.

 

We're going to get our Christmas tree this weekend, our kids come

home from college and from out and about in the world and we're

so excited.  Our tree is going to be a pine of some sort, but I've

seen several different sorts of "trees" this year that are so lovely.  

Of all the alternative trees I've liked, I fell head over heels for

the little book tree, above.  That room just works on every level

- from the floating book shelf on the warm orange wall, the plank

floors, flower print lamp, orange arrows on the bike wheels (I can't tell

if those are clock handles or some kind of interesting wheel accessory)

to that touch of green in the throw - every item picking up the colors in

the book bindings.  Best of all, the lights are white, setting

everything off.

I also like the recycled tomato cage and ladder trees - find out how

tomake these unique beauties at New England Design and Construction.  

I think the kissing couple make a nice tree too, perfect for

hanging lights on.

***

 

 

New England Design and Construction.

"Christmas Tree Lovers" @ www.haleysheffield.com

 

***

 

end notes

 

Wrap yourself in twinkling Christmas lights 

and give someone a kiss!

 

***

 

 

Mitts to Match The Starbucks Christmas Cup

 

"Christmas Farm Truck" - Photographer/Artist Unknown

Here in Southern California, I'm longing for some real weather,

we've been expecting rain - but alas, the sky outside

our picture window is clear.  I would love a snowstorm,

but in lieu of actually driving to the mountains to get some snow,

I look at lovely pics of snowy moments

like the farm truck above and any other way to get a little winter.

One of the most tangible ways for us to

mark that winter and Christmas has arrived

(besides the Christmas Carols that annoyingly

start before Thanskgiving), is the Christmas Starbucks Cup

- that red and white mainstay of tradition

and delicious holiday cheer.

 

Those of you back East, rolling in fresh snow drifts,

nordic woolly sweaters and cute hats with ear muffs

attached may laugh at such a measly bit of winter,

but I know I'm not the only Southern Californian

who looks forward to the breaking out of the red cup!  

So, in honor of this most anticipated moment,

I made these mitts.  Yes, I admit to actually hand knitting

a pair of mitts to match the Christmas Starbucks Cup

and just as soon as I finished them on Sunday morning,

I proudly wore them down to the local Starbucks

where I was rewarded with many compliments on my mitts

by the lovely gentleman in front of me in line

and a peppermint mocha latte with whipped cream!

"Because It Snows in Starbucks" - © Judy Valenzuela Gielow

My sister found the pattern in a vintage knitting catalogue - you

can see some of her lovely work here.  It's an easy peasy, very generic

pattern - the kind with a knit button hole for the thumb rather than

a thumb gusset.  I adapted it to my particular holiday needs by crocheting

a contrasting color around the edges and adding a crocheted faux thumb -

just pick up the stiches around the thumb hole and crochet four rows of

single crochet, decreasing on the third row to fit your thumb.  After all,

it certainly won't do to have a cold thumb while waiting in line at

Starbucks, because as you can see, it snows in there!  (Digitally

anyways, via the very fun snow daze app!  This is LA, after all!)

If you'd like the pattern, leave me a comment.  That pattern book is out

of print and as it was very generic, I can just post my notes - and then

maybe I'll see you in Starbucks wearing cozy mitts too!

  Starbucks Christmas Coffee Cup Art

***

end notes

Sending you oodles of fresh whipped cream,

colorful sprinkles, warm mittens, and a

 

bit of cold to enjoy it all!

***

A Whole Buncha Days of Christmas

There is absolutely something to that song about

the true love bringing a gift a day starting with

that crazy bird in the tree.  Not so sure I'd want a partridge,

or any other bird, for that matter, as a gift,

but I just received a pre-Christmas prezzie

in the mail that made my day!  

My daughter sent me a lovely package which

included a Christmas present she just

couldn't wait to give me - Edward Gorey's fantod pack,

re-released via Paper Source.  

She knows very well that anything by Gorey is

catnip for me.  I'm a woman who would much rather

do the Christmas decorating with my beloved  

"Nightmare Before Christmas" collection than

the usual culprits of bulbs and lights.  

 Gorey's take on the traditional tarot deck is,

as they say in the blurb, vintage Gorey

- dark, droll, bleak and hilarious.  So if you need a

laugh and perhaps a prezzie for that odd (literally)

bird on your Christmas list,  I can assure you,

anything by Edward Gorey will always be well received.

 

***

 

ps, if I were Christmas shopping on the this

lovely, snowy street,

I don't think I would ever go home.

 

 ***

 

end notes

 

Pick someone to send an early Christmas prezzie to,

wrap it up and ship it out,

sending love and blessings and abundance to all

when you pop it in the post.

You know what they say,

"What goes around comes around!"

 

***

Winter Ranuncula

Artist Unknown

Jan de Heem

The photo of the ranuncula's took my breath away.  

I think they look like a Jan de Heem painting

brought to life and they lifted me right out of the

busy work and background static of Christmas carols,

shopping and gift wrapping and dropped me down

the rabbit hole into the hushed world of the Dutch painters.  

For one still life of a moment, I was transported

- a quiet peaceful studio, the sharp odor of

turpentine and oil paint, a drift of snow falling

outside a lace covered window.  

 Anyhoo, Schrödinger took advantage of the long holiday

weekend and strung up the lights, (I think they look

a little gaudy, but what can you do?) and is on the prowl

for interesting Christmas items while I finish drawing

the side bar items for this blog, (the post box

and new umbrella piece with the gorgeous quote

by Longfellow are finally done!) and try to finish

up a new line of iPhone covers and gift tags

despite his continuing interference!

 

***