Merry-Go-Round - Is place of the essence?

Jump on our merry go round and join a group of artists/crafts-women from around the world as they link hands and tell you a little bit about their lives in craft.

Do look up the answers from the rest of this band of crafters (links to your left).

If they haven't posted yet, remember we all live in different time zones and check again later...

This month's theme:

How much, if at all, does your geographical location affect your art/craft?

Well, truth is, I am away right now, in Morocco.

So that is definitely affecting my crafting, as I am away from it all. But I do plan to keep my eyes peeled and find new inspiration. I've also taken with me a large cross stich project, but I'm not sure how much time I'll be able to put into it... Able, willing, whatever. When the sand and the ocean beckon, strength of character is really not my forte.

Other than material contigencies and lack of space, I'm not sure that my current geography affects what I do, or how I do it. Wherever I am, I am always on the lookout but also thinking of, remembering, looking forward to— other locations.

I think it's much more about personal culture than geography, for me.

Though my location definitely affects how I feel, which in turn...

That'll be all from me, 'cause I'm off to the beach! Sorry about that. :-) Not!

I'm pretty sure you'll find much more interesting reading on my fellow merry-go-rounders...

Celebrate the Fleur de Lis and donate

I'd like to show off a few photos of my first Fleur de Lis items, all created with Louisiana in mind, celebrated the old tie with this "cousin", and trying to help.

I've already made a donation because I wished to help in any small way to clean up and save as many as possible of the unsuspecting creatures that have been victims, as usual, of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, but there is only so much I can do on my own...

Now, when I posted a question about this on the oh-so-friendly Etsy forum, I got a biting remark about the first victims which happened to be the human fatalities and casualties at the site. So I guess I had better point out right away that however saddening the loss of these lives, I still find the the loss of innocent animal lives (and the wrecking of quite a few human lives too) even more saddening and quite maddening. Not that I'm happy about the plants destroyed either...

I should also add that I'm fully aware that Louisiana is not the only state suffering from the consequences of the spill— I just had to pick.

Anyway. I have begun listing a few original Fleur de Lis items and whenever I sell one— nudge, nudge—, I will donate half the price to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation (here, scroll down to the very bottom). To help clean up the mess and save lives and keep people busy in a good way.

I began with the two "Carnet de Bal" notebooks, and then went on to create two different pairs of earrings. Everything handmade by me. Everything listed in my Etsy shop.

So— thanks in advance— nudge, nudge...