Miss Vee's Marvellous Miscellanea

The Adventures of the Polter-egg: Part 3

2010-10-07T21:32:00.001-04:00

The Polter-egg forges new alliances while its human captors sleep.

To be continued...

The Aventures of the Polter-egg: Part 2

2010-10-07T18:21:00.003-04:00

Just as I suspected! The Papier-mâché Head, the Polter-egg (recently returned from its trip to California), its Unsuspecting Host and the Owl Teapot are plotting against me.

Feline minion! Do my bidding! Avenge meeeeee!

And lo! The Om-nom-noms of Justice shall prevail!

To be continued...

The Adventures of the Polter-egg

2010-10-07T16:59:00.002-04:00

I don't know how it happened, but I just pulled this creepy egg out of a pot of boiling water. Of course, i immediately anthropomorphized it. And now I can't bear to toss it into the compost bin.

Behold! Polter-egg is born!

Polter-egg claims its first unsuspecting, fashion-conscious victim

Polter-egg hitches a ride to LA and rocks the bar circuit.

And now, I shall eat its non-terrifying pot mates while pondering what to do with it... Preserve it in vinegar, perhaps?

Playing with shiny, shiny Swarovski crystals... So... Shiny...

2010-09-19T21:08:00.003-04:00

This is my first time working with Swarovski crystals. They're so distractingly pretty. I just hope I finish these commissioned pieces in time for the wedding at which they are meant to be worn!

My thoughts on the Smarties cat

2010-08-24T17:47:00.000-04:00

Another satisfied customer!

2010-08-18T11:55:00.002-04:00

This is the end result of the piece I was working on earlier this month. The bracelet was commissioned by my friend Lucie to match a particularly gorgeous dress. It was pretty hard to hand it over though--I'm thinking a similar piece would go well with my own wardrobe... Hmmmm.

Progress!

2010-08-02T10:13:00.001-04:00

Working on a commissioned piece.

2010-08-02T09:19:00.001-04:00

Summoning the Tiki Gods

2010-07-01T16:05:00.006-04:00

Aloha! I'm getting ready to celebrate my 30th birthday this weekend. We're calling it Miss Vee's Hawaii 3-0 Birthday Luau Extravaganza. I enlisted the help of my family to whip up some Tiki decorations.

Here's a quick how-to guide, if you're into that kind of thing.

Step 1: Ask your LAN Admin for empty computer boxes. (He will be grateful that you are taking these out of his cubicle. LAN guys are messy but we love them.)

Step 2: Distribute inspiration and Sharpie pens to everyone who likes to draw.

Step 3: Brew a large pot of coffee.

Step 4: Ask your sister to cut large rectangles out of those boxes and then remind her of the time, back in art school, when she sliced open her finger with that same x-acto and needed stitches.

Step 5: Draw and cut out Tiki faces. Do not let your nephews assist in the cutting. Remind them of the time, back before they were born, when their mother sliced open her finger with an x-acto and needed stitches

Step 6: Borrow your brother's technicolour acrylic paints.

Step 7: Trust your mom to select the most awesome colours.

Step 8: Hand the most intricate designs to your nephews because they love to paint and you don't really.

Step 9: Get your dad in on the action too!

Step 10: Wait for paint to dry and guests to arrive.

Good times ahead!

Sewing up a storm

2010-06-28T14:03:00.005-04:00

Spent a rainy weekend glued to my sewing machine. I made everything from jewellery pouches with leftover scraps of my cubicle project, to pillow cases, to place mats (see the apple and pear fabric below?).

Well, more pretty fabrics came in the mail today from my favourite fabric shop, Fabricworm.com! (Check them out, buy some stuff, support a great little shop!)

Lucky for me, the weather is still grey and my sewing machine is still on my kitchen table. I see some fab skirts and things in my immediate future...

Green thumbs and elbow grease

2010-06-21T12:33:00.006-04:00

From May to October, my parents live in a tropical paradise. Luckily for them, they don't have to fly there. Nope. They just have to slide open their screen door; their tropical paradise in hidden the middle of the bustling suburbs.

I wrote a long post years ago, on my old blog, about why my mother gardens. In a nutshell, she became a serious gardener over 20 years ago while undergoing aggressive radiation therapy. She turned her pain into a place of beauty, and I firmly believe that the positive energy in her garden helped her recovery. (It's a great spot for writing and laughing and stringing beads and snapping photos and sipping coffee... which I do there quite regularly!)

But the point of this post is to show off my dad's latest handiwork--he's is the Official Architect and Woodworker of Paradise. Behold the Cedar Pergola, Fence and Deck That Frank Built!

If you need me, I'll be over there, under the pergola with a steaming mug in my hand...

Corks and wire and wings and things

2010-06-21T08:17:00.010-04:00

I'm a huge fan of Terry Border's work. So much so, that I've supplied copies of his Bent Objects book to a lot of bookshelves, including my sister's classroom. (It won't surprise you to learn that she teaches fine arts.)

Yesterday, my 8- and 7-year-old nephews surprised me with these fun mini-sculptures that were inspired by Terry's cork-person how-to guide. They asked me to "post our Guardians of the Vegetable Garden on the Internet so Mr. Border can see that we love his super-cool book." So, here goes!

Kristofer's chicken minds the broccoli seeds.

Alexander's dragonfly chases the inchworms away.

The boys' butterflies flutter about in the breeze.

My sister also added a few of her huge wire-work insects to the menagerie. She's been making these for years, and decided to add them to her sculpture curriculum this year. (Fact: give teens a lump of boring clay and they'll moan. Give them a spool of shiny wire and their minds will come alive.)

I covet this electric-blue snail. (Hey, Natascha, my birthday's coming up......)

Here comes the trippy grasshopper.

Spot the stick-bug?

Happy summer to y'all! Now grab a strangely orange snack, go enjoy the sun, tend your gardens, get inspired and be inspired!

Working on my shiny online inventory...

2010-06-12T12:01:00.002-04:00

Do not fear my people!

2010-06-02T17:57:00.009-04:00

Contrary to popular belief, editors are not stuffy grammarians who live only to insert nonsensical punctuation marks into your documents or scribble on your copy in horrid red pen.

Editors don't chose this line of work for the glory or the money. In fact, editors tend to avoid the limelight; they wear dark-coloured clothing to better blend in with the shadows.

We chose this line of work because we are kind-natured people who live only to make you look good. We selflessly wield our mighty en dashes for you. For YOU.

Show your support and join us in the fight against editorphobia!

Miss Vee's Magical Mossariums!

2010-05-06T20:31:00.013-04:00

Last winter, I read an article on BoingBoing about how to make a mossarium. I got very, very excited. Perhaps a little too excited. I shared my excitement in an e-mail to my friend Christie, who sits two cubicles across from me. Yes, I'm lazy like that. My message was probably something along the lines of ZOMG, DUDE. We are SO making these for the office! I am super excited, yo! because I am a gifted "professional" writer. Christie got excited too. She probably replied something along the lines of Word, yo! because she is also a gifted professional writer.

Then, the long winter months came and slowly devoured my soul. To pass the time, I made fairies, strung beads, recorded demos, took photos of my cats... and forgot about the mossariums. I blame the shiny things. What?

I was home sick earlier this week. When I came back to work today, I found a lovely bag of lush, green moss on my desk. Christie has a great memory; she is not easily distracted by shiny, shiny things. Then I got excited again. As soon as I got home tonight, I grabbed some old jars, collected moss and twigs and things from my backyard, and assembled these lovely little fairylands.

Aren't they magical? Let's have a closer look, yes?

Moss found in Christie's yard, river rock and lilac twigs in an apothecary jar.

Moss found under my deck, river rock, spruce needles and acorns in a scented candle jar.

Moss found beside my pond, white pebbles, pine needles and lilac twigs in a large salt shaker.

Now, the (shiny, shiny) salt shaker lid posed an obvious problem in terms of creating an air-tight, self-contained universe. I taped over the holes, and embellished the whole thing with a pinecone and miniature dried gourds. Voila! I am clever. Glue gun, FTW!

Now, if I can just keep Mister Hedgehog Puppet from eating all the mossy goodness, these tiny fairylands will become annexed to my magical cubicle tomorrow morning...

The Bountiful Birthday Bauble

2010-04-29T19:34:00.009-04:00

I've been waiting for weeks to post a picture of this necklace, which is perhaps my favourite piece ever. It was a birthday gift for my dear friend and beading buddy Cinthia, who had a Milestone Birthday yesterday.

What better way to mark a Milestone than a whole lot of stones? (Note to new readers: Vee + bad puns = regular occurrence.) Yes, the necklace is as massive as it looks--a true labour of love for one of the loveliest ladies around. It's made up of roughly 350 (!!!) beads, ranging in size from 3 to 8mm, and in shape from rice to round. I thought it best to keep the earring design simple, and used 12mm oval coin beads and oversized hooks.

Yup. This necklace is definitely my favourite piece.

Happy birthday, C.! Lang zal ze leven! Hiep Hiep Hoera! xoxox

I probably shouldn't store these things side by side on my beading table.

2010-04-21T19:32:00.001-04:00

I gotta lotta agate...

2010-04-20T20:10:00.001-04:00

You want a piece of me?

2010-04-15T20:00:00.009-04:00

Just posted four new bracelets (including the finished subject of my previous posts) on Etsy. (Many thanks to my awesome friend Christie for modelling these pieces for my shop!) Have a peek, treat yourself, help me pay my bills! :)

Edit to add: Sorry, folks! These guys were sold privately. Look for more stuff on my Etsy page soon.

Charmed, Even More So

2010-04-12T18:47:00.005-04:00

Been toiling away on the soon-to-be-for-sale bracelet non-stop since my previous post. I'm at the halfway mark!

(Like what you see? Now would be a good time to claim this as yours, before I change my mind and keep it for myself! *wink wink.)

Charmed, I'm Sure

2010-04-12T15:51:00.006-04:00

Well, I've finally decided to restock my Etsy shop! Here's a sneak-peek at a soon-to-be-for-sale charm bracelet I'm working on. It was inspired by this piece, which is always a big hit whenever I wear it.

I'll be doing a few variations on this theme. Stay tuned for updates as this piece progresses!

More cubicle fun

2010-03-30T20:15:00.007-04:00

Found this awesome wire photo-mobile on a recent shopping trip.

I couldn't decide which pictures to print and display on the photo-mobile, so I opted for a few of my favourite Edward Gorey illustrations, taken from a page-a-day calendar I received years ago from my friend Helen. Yes, I keep everything.

I also added that sweet little birdcage, in case my lamp-bird needs a warm place to spend the night. Isn't it adorable?

I'm expecting a few more goodies in the mail soon. I will keep you posted when they arrive!

Jazzing up my Cubicle of Despair...

2010-03-25T23:00:00.016-04:00

I got bored with my boring grey cubicle walls. So I went online, bought a few yards of quilting fabric and went nuts.

Behold my fancy new Proofreading Nook! The pattern is Darcey Lanterns by Anna Griffin. I thought it was fitting with the 150 paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling...

The framed picture hanging to the left is of my parents, chillin' in the Black Forest in 1968. I scanned, enlarged and digitally restored it.

Also fancied-up my lamp with a bird vinyl decal and lime-green grosgrain ribbon, which doubles as a photo-holder. (And yes, that is indeed a miniature Velvet Elvis propped-up against my lamp.) The ribbon was a fluke; it was tied around the fabric when I got it. I'm big on reusing/recycling that way.

I used Geo Mirror by Michael Miller and more lime-green grosgrain for my guest chair.

Where's Vee?

Cubicle-life has never been so fun! No, wait, our little area is always fun.

remember me?

2010-03-25T19:02:00.002-04:00

My dear, sweet blogger blog. I have returned! Onwards and upwards!

Cupcakes, Crossbones and Cats, Oh My!

2009-10-03T11:34:00.006-04:00

Just finished baking 60 cupcakes (!!!) for tomorrow's party!

Sugar rushes + big-ass piñata + real-live reptiles = very happy kiddies!

Vanilla cherry chip + French vanilla frosting + Gum drops!

Milk chocolate + Chocolate frosting + Smarties!

Butter pecan + Vanilla frosting + Choco sprinkles!

My baking socks!

The Tower of Awesome!

Now that is one big-ass piñata!

2009-09-30T20:44:00.010-04:00

I made this piñata for my 8-year-old nephew's reptile birthday party. I didn't follow a pattern, or bother with ye olde papier-mâché-over-balloon technique, because, really, who needs that kind of mess in their kitchen? Not me. Here's what I used:

- a wild imagination
- a large paper grocery bag
- multicoloured scrapbooking paper
- 2" diameter hole punch
- tape
- hot-glue gun
- heavyweight cardboard (I used some old boxes)
- candy!!
- ribbon
- two crazy cats
- patience
- a few glasses of wine

Crap. Now the internet knows where I shop for groceries.

Ginsberg wrangling the cast-off bits of scrapbooking paper.

Recycled-cardboard-box lizard head.

Taping the lizard's scales to its paper-bag body.

Kerouac selecting/om-nom-noming scrapbooking paper.

Hooray for Costco!

Mmmmm. Lizard guts!

TA-DAAAAAAAA! Who's the coolest piñata-making aunt ever?

The best part? Watching a dozen 8-year-olds smashing it to bits!