I've made a lot since my last post. I'm working on a novel (or maybe novella, we'll see). I've written more poetry, and even got one published! I've completed a Sith robe, a certain impending grandchild's nursery, and several smaller projects that I'm hoping to add to my etsy shop soon.

I make Food!

blackberry cake w/ cream cheese frosting

chicken tacos

peach upside down cake  

strawberry parfait

pasta bake

pulled pork arepas

This is just a sampling of tasty foods I've made recently. I really enjoy cooking, and would love to find a signature dish. I watch the food shows and people talk about their signature dish and I ponder it and I think, "Man, I can't narrow it down. There's so much I love to make." And then I realize how very much that applies to me in all things creative.

I make Photos!

  

           

            

I got to play with a nice digital Nikon while visiting friends, so I got goofy/creative with it at times. From top left: antique bookshelf in an old plantation house we visited, blueberries, a flower, steampunk art installation outside a Memphis club, dragonfly (there were dozens of them in this one area, I managed to zoom and crop the photo to get this), random license plate I saw, museum Texaco sign (my grandfather used to own an old Texaco), and petrified wood. 

I made Friends!

I already knew all these people, but some of them didn't know each other and now they're friends and it's awesome. :)

I make stuff from Fabric!

Basic tote bag with interior pockets and stabilized bottom. I'm planning a small quilt (baby or lap sized) to match this and hope to sell them as a set. The bag was fun, especially since it's from a book with a lot of variety and flexibility in bag options. I look forward to making more of these.

 
Sith Robe - a commission
This was interesting - a learning experience in creating patterns from instructions, but I made it work and it came in at the estimated budget and the customer is happy, so all is well.

Baby Quilt - for sale

I loved working on this baby quilt because of picking out all the fun, colorful scraps. It was originally going to be my first hand-quilted item bigger than a pot-holder, but I soon learned that my hand doesn't like that grip + motion, so I'll keep machine quilting things instead.

The back of this quilt is a soft, light-flannel type of fabric. I bought it so long ago I can't remember what it was called, but I think it would be lovely for any baby wrapped in it.

Large carry-all bag

Funny story - about a decade ago when I first started sewing, I decided to make a funky patchwork/strip skirt for Heather. I picked out all sorts of fabrics that probably "shouldn't" be used in the same garment, but I was using my artistic eye, not any kind of sewing knowledge.

The skirt turned out okay, got worn once, and then we realized it was fraying too much to continue being used. I didn't have a serger back then, didn't zigzag the seams, (again, still learning). So I made it into a bag - created a lining for it, to hide all those raw seams, attached some handles, stiff interfacing in the bottom for a little stability. It reminds me of a Mary Poppins bag in a way.

Of Petrichor and Amortentia

Petrichor - the smell of dust after the rain. Yeah, I admit I hadn't heard the word until "The Doctor's Wife," an episode of Doctor Who where it was used as part of a psychic password. The idea of a psychic password based on scent is really ingenious, much like the Amortentia potion from Harry Potter that smells differently to each person based on what they find attractive. There's really no shortage of blogs, websites, forums, articles, and books out there about the power of scent, so I'm going to focus mostly on my own experiences here.

taken from my front porch after a summer rain

I've long been aware of the power of certain scents. I have both asthma and migraines that are triggered by most perfumes and chemical smells, so I spent a lot of my young adult life discovering which scents were okay for me, and which would cause blinding pain or extreme coughing fits. Those latter ones I still like to stay away from. Still, there are so many lovely scents, and they do trigger some powerful feelings at times. I'm sure many people have this reaction, but the smell of freshly baked bread makes me feel at home no matter where I am. Citrus-y smells always make me smile and feel more cheerful.

herbed Italian bread - I really should make this again soon

The smell of the rain - that one is harder to put into words. It relaxes and energizes me. It calms and excites me. It soothes my soul and stirs my spirit. I associate it with all things Mother Nature, and creation, possibility. Petrichor is only one scent associated with rain, but I love them all. The freshness of it, the ozone from storms, even the days when it's been raining so long that you can't smell anything but "soggy" don't seem that bad to me.

 

Over time, I learned that the more natural the scent, the more likely I'd be okay with it, and as I got a bit older and more aware of environmental issues, I quickly learned I preferred the natural products in most cases. I guess this is what led me to using essential oils. I think my first time consciously using aromatherapy was around 2000, maybe 2001. I had learned that peppermint oil could help with headaches. I would mix a drop of it with a dab of unscented lotion and rub it on my forehead when I felt the ache coming on. It was kind of amazing. Eventually, I decided to add some lavender oil to help with relaxation, and over time, it evolved into my "Clear Head" oil blend which we still use around the house all the time. It helps with headaches and mild congestion.

Clear Head Oil Blend

It's really kind of incredible what scents can do for us emotionally and mentally. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that they could help physically, too. I started studying herbalism and aromatherapy, even looking into certification a few times. I amassed quite a collection of dried herbs and essential oils, carrier/base oils, vegetable/plant butters, and more. I started out by reading several sources from certified aromatherapists, and received a most excellent reference book from my friend Koren. When I had a problem, like a blister or sore throat, I played around with several combinations and trials based on recipes recommended in the book or on a couple select websites.

I ended up turning this blend into a spray as well. It's very relaxing.

Of course, like all my "recipes," they start off as suggestions, and then the creative switch in my brain flips and suddenly I know I need to add a little more of this, or I wonder if I should try some of that instead. Ultimately, I discovered there are things I prefer not to make. I'm not fond of making body butters, though I did get some good reviews from them while I had them. Now I stick mostly to the bath teas, rooms sprays, and oil blends, plus the occasional custom order here and there.

  

I still learn something new about it all the time, and try out different oils for different things here at home. Between the herbs and oils and all the different applications possible, there's a lot to experiment with, and that's half the fun of Making anything.

I'm Bella. I Make stuff.

I've pondered this "first blog post" for far longer than I care to admit, wondering if it should be about a specific project, or set some sort of goals for the blog, or follow a certain format that I would use in every post. (Seriously, I claimed this url back in December. It's honestly a bit ridiculous how much I debate these kinds of things internally.) Anyway, I've ultimately decided that I would take the swimming approach to this - dive in and hope I figure it out. At least if I don't "figure it out" in this case, it'll just result in yet another dead blog out there in the internet world.

So, I'm Bella. It's a name I chose, to remind me to see the beauty in everything and everyone. Like the Doctor says, "The name you choose, it's like a promise you make." (The Name of the Doctor)

I like to make things. I don't limit myself (okay, I wouldn't know how to limit myself if I had to) to one or two types of creation; I prefer to use any and all means available to me. In fact, one of my very favorite quotes ever is “Write it. Shoot it. Publish it. Crochet it, sauté it, whatever. MAKE.” from Joss Whedon. (yes, you might be picking up the fact that I'm also a TV/Film junkie)

Sometimes I Make things in the kitchen - I love to cook, and many of my favorite recipes still have some throwback to the meals my mom taught me as a child. I often cook for community gatherings, spiritual events, celebrations, etc., and my friends and family call me a "kitchen witch," a title I was honored to have bestowed upon me by some very wonderful friends and some very skilled kitchen witches in our community.

 

Sometimes I Make things with sticks and string - I learned how to knit in early 2005, started knitting "backwards" as soon as my teacher left my apartment, but was still creating knitted works. Eventually, I re-learned how to knit the "right" way (there's much more story behind this, but I'm willing to bet most of the people who'd care, were living it with me) and also discovered that I knew how to crochet. I don't think I learned it, and I don't remember anyone showing me, I just picked up a hook and started crocheting.
  


Sometimes I Make bigger things out of little pieces of fabric - I learned how to quilt in the fall of 2005 during a family vacation to East Tennessee. We were spending a timeshare week at a mountain resort, and I took a quilting class. I was the only student, but for about $25 or so, I got 2 hours of instruction on how to piece a block (hand stitching) and layer, quilt, and bind a potholder. I now teach quilting classes at the local Joann's.

Sometimes I Make things with my sewing machine - Yeah, I do a lot of my quilting on the machine, too, but this is different. I sew... most anything that comes to mind or is requested by a paying customer. I've done curtains, purses, tote bags, clothes, roman shades, altar cloths, ritual robes, Halloween and cosplay/convention costume pieces and accessories, clothing alterations, custom pajamas, and more.

 

Sometimes I Make pictures with thread - I like to embroider and cross stitch. I've done much more of the latter and am currently practicing several embroidery stitches to learn more. In some ways, I'd love to have an embroidery machine, but for other things, I just don't think a machine has the right... feel. I'd love to do more with cross stitch, like landscapes or something. I'd like to try needlepoint sometime, the stuff that looks almost like a tapestry or something.

 

Sometimes I Make jewelry - I first started jewelry-making back in 1999-2000ish. I used to make a LOT of jewelry, even set up a little "business," did a few craft shows, some custom orders, some sales to co-workers. Eventually I decided that I prefer making custom pieces with someone specific in mind or for a commission, but I just can't give up my love of beads completely.

  

Sometimes I Make things with everything! I recently did seven multi-media collages including fabric, cards, jewelry, beads, embroidery, ribbon, shells, and all sorts of other objects, and I hope to eventually do a post (or a few posts) about them, especially once I manage to finish the 8th one in the series. (I'm saving photos of those for that future post)

Sometimes I Make things with words - I've been a writer for as long as I can remember (maybe longer, considering my memory loss when I was ten), which is really part of the reason for this blog. Oh sure, I want to show off the pictures of my projects, and I'd love to gather a little interest in my work and get a few sales or custom orders from it, but also, I just like to write, and I love to talk about my projects, so what better way to combine all my loves?

Sometimes I Make things with herbs and oils - After several years of casual interest and aromatherapy use, I spent a couple years in intense self-directed herbalism and aromatherapy study, and I now regularly use (and make to sell) all natural herbal bath soaks, herb & rice/flax filled pillows, aromatherapy oils and sprays, and sometimes custom orders in these categories as well.

So, that's the things I Make. When I'm not Making something, I'm reading, watching movies and TV shows, listening to music (and dancing around to it if no one is watching), decluttering my home and garage, spending time in various social setting with my amazing family and friends, and continuing the study into who I am. Welcome to my blog!