Bamboo Osage Orange Socks

Bamboo Socks Dyed With Osage Orange Natural Dye

Since you saw the Osage Orange Chiffon Scarf yesterday, you can contrast the color difference with these Osage Orange dyed socks.  These were actually batched for a much longer time (ie over night or all day, vs. about two hours) and yet the color is more brilliant on silk than bamboo.  Plant fibers are great because they are vegan and don't have as much impact on the food chain.  But plant fibers just don't take color the way wool and silk do.  These ladies socks were custom ordered and I can make you a pair in some pastel tone such as peach/salmon or soft yellow as here.  Just send me an email or reach me at etsy by sending a conversation.

Osage Orange Dyed Silk Chiffon Ladies Scarf

Silk Scarf, dyed using Osage Orange

Dyeing using natural dyes is just an unpredictable adventure.  Here is an amazing piece.  I was dyeing a pair of bamboo custom socks for a friend in Oklahoma Food Cooperative, and had this osage orange dye made up so I thought I would test the results on silk and had a chiffon scarf that I could use.  The socks came out buttery, khaki and sort of lighter than I would have preferred.  (One can never be very unhappy with bamboo socks because they are just incredibly soft and comfy.)  But the scarf came out a rich yellow.  Actually, this outdoors pic doesn't show how bright and golden the color is.  Its darker yellow than lemons, and has subtle shading.  It reminds me that no two fibers will strike color the same.  Protein fibers always give more pow.  And though it is fussy and hard to work with, causing lots of waste and errors that cannot be corrected because the silk is delicate... it remains my favorite medium because there is always a surprise.

Cherokee Syllabary Cherry Silk Scarf

Here's an interesting new design.  I made this silk scarf using syllables from the Cherokee language.  I won a benefit auction for a used working Nacho Cheese heater, and converted it to a soy wax heater.  I keep the was there all of the time, and when I am planning to do soy wax resist batiking, I flip the switch.  Like a double-boiler the water heats the wax to a low melt, and I don't have to fiddle with the dangerous microwave in my utility room-slash-art studio.  I rarely work in reds, but was making a peppermint swirl tiedye tee for a custom order and had prepared the soy wax resist lettering in advance.  This is made using analine dyes of 3 blended shades of red, so it has shading and is not just a solid vat red.

Most of the clothes in stores is made from cloth which was vat-dyed.   The cloth goes thru a batch of dye and is highly agitated (although not mad ) in order to achieve a consistent monotone of color.  If you've a friend who tells the same joke over and over, you can appreciate how I feel about solid monotone colors.  It is just boring.  It is done because vat dyeing looks better when fabric is dyed before the clothing is constructed.  Or, only after clothing is constructed does nonvat dyeing "look right."  Basically, its easy, quick and cheap to vat dye... if you're doing millions of, ie, yards.

Much more time-consuming and thus expensive is anything ombred (ohm-burred) where the colors shift like watercolor, or tied and dyed as in tiedye and mudme.  This scarf was time-consuming because of making each syllable and its pronunciation.  (Not all Cherokee Syllables are there.  My chart shows 13 rows of 6 columns and some columns have 2 syllables as in Ga Ka and Dla Tla.).  The dyeing itself was rather simple compared to some dyes I use which are prepared with exotic stuff like inner bark, heartwood, fungus, bugs and the like.

This sweet cherry scarf is being listed at Island Retreat on etsy.  You will find a link on the right, perhaps to this very scarf if it is listed.

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Invitation to Nature

It is the twelfth hour before this event, but it is the first chance I've had to invite folks.  Tomorrow from about 10 to about 2 at Looney Preserve, you are invited to join some of who are getting together to think about some things about nature.  We are tossing out ideas about what would be included if there were in the  Greenway of the Cherokee Ozarks, stretching from I-40 to 412 and surrounds.

Looney Preserve is between Colcord and Jay on SH10, I think.  Well, you'll see some balloons or streamers and maybe a sign referring to The Nature Conservancy.  It cuts back hard to the South, so look carefully if you are coming from the South.  Go down that road and you will find it.

Here is a story about how I found it the first time.  I was coming home from a Court appearance in Jay.  Storm clouds blew up and it began a torrential rain, as I was driving SH10 going South back toward Tahlequah that morning.  Beside the road was a haggard-looking man with a big burlap bag.  I thought he must have been picking up cans.  The weather was severe, and I gave him a ride.  I told him I'd take him home, and he directed me to the Looney's house.  He said he'd been a journalist or publisher and for some reason I think it must have been of a local paper.  He was about my age... or within ten years either way.  It wasn't that far, but by the time we arrived there, the rain had subsided and it was humid and sunny-- one of those sudden Spring freshets that pass thru.  He invited me in to meet his parents.  I was fascinated with the beauty of their modest place, with bird feeders hanging from the trees and went in.  His mother and father were there-- quite old and it seems spry, in a light-filled sunny room, reading or piddling around.

They were the Looneys.  I later learned that they were reputed conservationists, but it was obvious by the way they took care of the birds.  This fellow told his parents that he was out picking mushrooms and had gotten caught in the thunderstorm and I'd brought him home.  He told me about a cool cave there, and asked if I'd care to see it.  That day, the rain had made a place impassable and I was in courtroom attire:  a suit and leather shoes but didn't mind getting my feet wet although we couldn't go in.  On the ground he picked up an arrowhead and gave it to.  He said he had knapped it and had left it there on the trail for finding.  I thought that was kinda cool.

Before long, I had to get back on my way home.  Maybe I spent an hour there altogether.  When I got back to my office, I joked that I had been waylaid by mushrooms which kidnapped me and took me thru a time warp.  But my law partner, Mary Barksdale, and our secretary/paralegal was accustomed to me ambling off the career path on some unplanned adventure such as this from time to time.  I had only wet shoes to corraborate my adventure.  I always had happy thoughts about that special natural place where like-minded people lived, that I had met in an unlikely way.

Here is a note about Mr. Looney's passing  from 2005:

Murray L. Looney

July 20, 1914 - May 29, 2005

Murray L. Looney was born July 20, 1914 and Died May 29, 2005.  That just states 'when' he lived, not how he lived. Murray was a gentle man. He is one of the founding members of the Central Oklahoma Grotto and was an excellent caver. He was the equipment manager for the group and would rework a carbide lamp for you if you managed to mangle yours into inoperability -- with a smile and an eye twinkle.


Not that he couldn't get a bit irritated at times of supreme human dumbness, but then who wouldn't? Murray was husband to Mary Looney, who preceded him in death in 1989, and stepfather to Nick -- also gone now (1999) -- and Joe. I've asked Joe to write up a piece for the newsletter, so I'll not step on personal toes and wait for his erudite words.


Personally, Mary and Murray greeted John and me with open arms in 1973. We were relative neophytes to caving and absolute greenies to Oklahoma caving. Our interest matched their passion and we stuck with the COG family quite happily. Murray managed all the grotto equipment, while Mary managed the people and FOOD! It was Oklahoma Caving at its best.


Always thin, Murray would be one who could slither through the cracks and is, I believe, only one of two people ever to have made it out the Texas Entrance of Nescatunga Cave. This is something no one wishes to do. There is nothing nice about that passage --  it just had to be mapped and Murray was half of the two-person mapping team. And, just so you know, Mary was NOT the other half!


The graveside funeral service was held at Row Cemetery, just north of Colcord in Delaware County, Oklahoma. Joe Looney spoke of Murray's life and accomplishments and the group then regrouped at the Farm for reminiscences and repast. The Farm is the retirement property (paraphrased) that was Mary and Murray's dream retirement home which they shared together for 10 retirement years before Mary's death. The cave resurgence is in the front 'yard' and the water from the cave flows all year round providing  a blissful murmur. The two-bedroom home is well maintained ...and will become a nature cabin for conservation groups, available by reservation -- soon. Submitted by Sue Bozeman

So on Saturday May 22nd come if you can, and perhaps it will also prove to be a magical experience as it was for me in 1985 or 1986.

Tribute to Robert Frost

Tribute to Robert Frost

I spent many hours on this gorgeous steampunk mirror frame.  It started out as a tacky junk store find, all tired and icky.  But I gave it a new perspective, new paint, and encrusted it with a wealth of interesting texture bits-- copper enamel beads and keys, stamped brass and... yes, a reptile eye.  It is a masculine piece.  The bottom part is a mirror, but I happened to angle it to capture some chandalier danglies and lace curtains that were just hanging in the background.  The more you look at it, the more you see.

The Steampunk Desk Accessory

Steampunk Desktop Card & Letter Organizer

I love to find old abandoned wooden things in the thrift stores with good sturdy bones, so I can give new life to something that might otherwise have gone unappreciated.  When I found this neat old letter and business card holder, how could I resist punking it all up with femo beads and watch parts, twisted wire and copper edging?  This lil sweetie is shown featuring my business card which says on one side, "Make Bad Problems Go Away."  (I am an attorney).  This desk piece will be available at my Island Retreat etsy store in a few days.  If you'd like to visit there, click on one of the pictures under the Island Retreat Widget and you'll be swhisked away to my lil store.

Steampunk Desk Organizer

Art of Living Festival

This year marks the second Art of Living Festival in downtown Tahlequah.  Our Trio, Tibbits & McCracken plays at 11 a.m. at the Cherokee Courthouse Square.  Events and activities are planned for both the Square and Norris Park throughout the day, so plan to come for an extended festival. 

I've heard that several vineyards will have booths.  I'm sort of a fan of regional wines, because I have found that they have a brighter flavor than wines shipped from afar.   My fave is Post Familie Red Muscadine.  It makes a nice base for wine gravies and sauces, as well as for sipping.  The White Muscadine is nice also. 

Oklahoma's vineyard near Vinita, maybe Route 66, has a lovely raspberry wine.  These tasting booths are a great way to compare several wines and learn your own preferences.  Others are Stone Bluff near Broken Arrow and Nuyaka down around Okmulgee or thereabouts.

I make wine, or used to.  Recently, I donated my winemaking supplies and brew supplies to my son-in-law so that someone young and strong could keep the family tradition.  Last year at Strawberry time, I cleaned a couple of flats and made nice strawberry wine.  Hey.  Think about tossing gold coins into a fountain as a less-expensive hobby.    The work and toil, lifting and monitoring, washing and sterilizing, stirring and bottling, driving and shopping are downsides.  But nothing is more delicious than nice home-made strawberry wine.  And here's a tip I learned the expensive way:  Catch the end of berry season.  You'll find overripe flats at a discount at the side of the road, from desperate strawberry growers who overproduced more than they could sell to passersby.  You will have to work a little harder at making sure you don't introduce any mold into your batch, but will save $2 to $10 per flat. 

I always wash my berries in a clean sink, then lay them out on towels to dry thoroughly... ideally just as soon as I get them home.  Ideally, you could dehydrate clean berries overnight before sending them to the mashup, and you'd get an even richer and sweeter intense flavor.

Here's a secret:  If you are lazy or caught off-season, you can use frozen Stilwell Strawberries from the store.  They're packed in sugar, which sort of takes away the vintner's ability to get a quick dry wine.  But it will give you  a richly flavorful wine far exceeding any that you can buy. 

I'm sort of clever at making wine from whatever's at hand.  For Murder Mystery Weekend, we took some nice cranberry strawberry wine made from a bottle of juice from the store.  Just look for juice without added citric acid and other preservatives--- they are present to prevent wine from becoming so.  Uncap the bottle for an hour.  Then recap it and let it set for a week before you decide whether to add yeast.  A word of advice from experience:  Don't leave active sparkling wine in the car for a few days or you'll get a jar explosion and wine will seep into the rug.  That can be very stinky.

Look us up Saturday, May 15 at 11 a.m. on the Square.  Bring a lawn chair, I bet.  And don't miss the Squeeze-Inn Reunion in Norris Park where the Squeeze-Inn once was.

Its Mardi Gras!

Mardi Gras Picture Frame

It is always Mardi Gras at Fluffy's Compleat Boutique.  I made this fun happy picture frame using stuff from my Mr. Collage kit and flowers for my mother.  Its a stand-up fabric covered commercial frame, recycled to make a nice 4x6 inch tribute to someone who graduated or somebody's birthday, or for a child.  Don't let little kids eat the parts, though.  This frame is going to be listed for sale at etsy.  Click one of the pictures on the Island Retreat widget at the righthand side of my blog to explore this and other items in the housewares and art end of things.

Mardi Gras Picture Frame

Cinco De Mayo in Stilwell Oklahoma

Cinco De Mayo in Stilwell

Back From Hiatus

Zigmund Cadbury Snugglesworth

I've been on hiatus for a couple of days, but now I'm back.  If the weather clears up, I'll be posting some new art.  Just to keep things going, the next few days I apologize for the stifling indoor flash photos.  But I found this lovely pic from last week of our male British Shorthair, Ziggy.  He's such a doll to help me when I'm laying out a backdrop to take a picture.

And if you missed Cinco De Mayo, our little town of Stilwell had quite the hoedown.  Live music and fresh home made tamales and corn soup were just a few of the delights.  Thanks to Maria Maldonaldo at Cafe Mariachi who coordinated the event and made the paper flowers for the stage.

Steampunk Train

Steampunk Train

When my kids were little, I was a big Dr. Who fan, mostly because my son was The World's Biggest Dr. Who fan.  Today, he can still tell ya what actor played Dr. Who in sequential order.  So, couple that with Douglas Adams and Hitchiker's Guide the Galaxy, Metropolis, Dark City, Boys from Brazil, Mad Max and Tank Girl---- who wouldn't be fascinated by trains and steampunk.  Heck, I even bought an espresso machine so I could produce hydrogen in my own kitchen.

So, I found this dinky sad broken little train in the junk store, and recycled it into a thing of art.  This steampunk train is about 11 inches long and has a cargo area for Things.  A 1980 RCA TV transistor circuitboard fits perfectly over 4/5ths of the top, if you wanted to use it for ink pens but only had 5 ink pens.  And as I was remaking it, I wondered if  Thomas the Tank Engine looked like this when he grew up.  This little assemblage will be available via Oklahoma Food Cooperative.  Check it out at http://www.oklahomafood.coop/ .

Pensil Fairy Organizer

The Pensil Fairy

The Pensil Fairy works in the wee hours of night, carefully timing her visit during REM-stage sleep so as to avoid human detection.  She sets about the business of sharpening your pensils and *plink* restoring the erasers on the top.  This is her busy time of year, because so many people have been doing their taxes.  Pensils are in sad disarray across this vast continent.  But she's undaunted.  It does not bother her that she has to work in a crown of modge podge flowers with a corona of lindor ball chocolate wrappers, nor that she does her work gloved in a jaguar hand.  It is a privilege and an honor to be the Pensil Fairy, though it is a burden to have the weight of the world's pensil inventory maintenance on her delicate, almost Viscorian shoulders.

That is why I thought I should make it easy on her by creating the Pensil Fairy Organizer.  It is dually useful.  It can be a recycled tin to hold your pensils.  Or you can buy it for The Pensil Fairy Herself as a labour union meeting hall where she can change the whole Pensil system by training apprentice Pensil Fairies and journeyman Pensil Fairies in a proper Division of Pensil Labour.  It is truly an Organizer of Pensils and Labour. 

___
Today is the birthday of my grandmother, Mary Eliabeth Ross Carter.  She was born in Treat, Arkansas and is interred in Tahlequah City Cemetery.  She played the banjo, and sang gospel songs.  She moved her lips when she read the newspaper to herself, and she made great biscuits.  She had red hair, and after my grandfather passed away, she became a driver for the blind, and a nurse aid.  She kept an extremely tidy house and worked hard.  Later, she married a man who loved wrestling on TV.  I saw the moon landing at her house.

Funky Little Photo Creche

Funky Little Photo Creche

Today (Friday) it is storming, so for some reason this blog is refusing to justify left.  See this delightful little creche?  It is made from a gold thing and a little crate (about CD size) that I got at a thrift store.  I love recycling found objects, especially rusty metal things crushed by cars.  This one, though, is not made with a lot of crushed metal.  It does have a couple of steampunk swirls on top.  I thought it would be nice for those tiny 2 by 3 inch photo frames.  It has some cool femo clay beads that I made, which look like eyes and a heart.  It has feathers and stuff, too.  This piece would be ideal for a girl's room or your darling one who is going off to college.  It is available for purchase via Oklahoma Food Cooperative.  Coolest of all, I love to do custom pieces reflecting the personality of the person that I'm making the creche for.  If you are a girley girl and want girley stuff, then I'm your girl.  If you need a Father's Day tribute to your supergreat man, I can make art for guys... which is kinda hard to find.  Want to commemmorate the birth of a new child?  The celebration of Grannyhood?  A special thank you thinkpiece?  Reach me if you'd like an affordable and fun custom assemblage.

A Little Steampunk Bird House

Here's a sweet little birdhouse, in my steampunk style.  To me, birdhouses are symbolic 'nests' like homes or comfy spots.  And I love birds.  We got our first hummingbird nipping at the hanging basket this week, and strong winds on Friday may have blown the little fellow up North.  This birdhouse is an art piece that is listed for sale at Oklahoma Food Cooperative.

Mudme Natural-Dyed Scarf

Mudme Natural Dyed Scarf

Mudme is a Thai technique for making great multi-colored tiedyes, by coloring bound objects which are then removed.  You can see I used a roundish shaped object (a rock) for the tie on this one, and instead of the traditional multi center, I used a soy wax resist to keep the white silk.  It is an imperfect process, and that is what makes this work so very intriguing.  Each scarf is a work of art, unlike any other.  There are so many uncontrollable variables which are interdependent.  For instance, the Madder Root dyestuff I was using had been reheated several times and was almost dust and twigs in the bottom of the pot when I sat it outside.  Then it rained and I thought for sure I'd get pale tones because the root was both exhausted and diluted.  But no.  You never know.  This one came out bright and just the color of fresh salmon.  Was it because oak flowers had fallen in?  Who knows!  There is a huge amount of serendipity in the process, and that's fun!

Silk, hand-dyed with natural madder root using vegan soy wax resist in a nontraditional mudme technique.  This scarf will be for sale at Oklahoma Food Coop and perhaps on etsy.  To buy it you can notify me by email.  $18 and that's a bargain!