ONCE

Just fell in love with the Indie movie "Once" and the two singers are amazing, especially Marketa. The song "If you want me, Satisfy me" portrays Marketa's soul to perfection. Walking to the store in her pyjamas with her muffies to buy batteries in order to hear the music and sing to it....ahhhhhh. EVERYONE must see this movie; the story as well as the music are beautiful.

Hopefully we have all had a love like this; I know I have and it was definitely ONCE.

Childhood Memories

I find myself wanting to regress to my childhood fantasies. As I little girl I had a large windowsill in our London flat which I converted into a house for my trolls. I used to make chests of drawers with matchboxes and beds out of the larger ones. With the curtains drawn, they had their own little world in there with a much better view than I did at night since they could see the moon and stars. I dreamt of living in a tree house or in a giant toadstool converted to house surrounded by nature and befriending animals. Maybe it was all those Ladybug books my mother used to read to me when I was sick or my falling in love with The Wind in the Willows which Claudio and Paula took us to see. Mummy and I used to sew together on days off from school since I was a sickly child and still remember this blue corduroy mouse we put together with a shoe lace as the tail. It is one of my favorite childhood memories. It was non-stop for me making my own toys, doll houses and furniture after watching her sew on the machine and knit my brother and I matching sweaters. I remember also spending hours brushing my dolls' hair and making all sorts of buns on them and was bitterly sad when our dog Sebastian chewed off one of my dolls' feet. I proceeded to make some red knitted boots for her so you couldn't tell she was maimed.

So it's no wonder I made this felt and crochet gnome house today. Now all I need is one of Jo's Fairy Cakes.

Searching for decorating ideas

I found this spectacular website today in England with the most beautiful decorator items http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/ . Ofcourse I was led there by the roses, Kit Kathston, and then wandered off to the artwork section and sculptures. It's really time for me to restock on cardigans and skirts and a decent pair of boots, but no, I always end up in the decorating department. I must be firm. I do not need any more stuff. But for those of you who do, take a look a few I saved in my wishlist.

COFF COFF COFF

A few photos of what I saw in the sky during the California wildfires being that I live over 40 miles from Malibu.

Saturday visiting my brother in Topanga Canyon

Tyler, Martin and AndreaAndrea's fresh picked veggies and fountain and homegrown pumpkins

Headed to Topanga Canyon yesterday to visit Martin, Andrea and Tyler. The winds that are now devastating Malibu had not picked up yet and the day was beautiful. Made lunch for Tyler and Martin (Shrimp Alfredo Pasta and strawberries from the Farmer's Market) and then headed up the drive to Andrea's house where she was tending to her vegetable garden and pruning an old plum tree. Hard to believe that today the sky is dark and ominous looking with over five wildfires in the area.

Celestitas

Celestitas 2
Originally uploaded by Chiquilla Malcriada!

Need I say more? Yet.........forget me not!

For Tomorrow May Rain So I'll Follow the Sun

So much going on these days. I have discovered this amazing artist from Portugal who works with crochet and felt and embellishes her pieces with vintage plastic kitsch. Her name is Maria Kjo; I discovered her on Flickr. She inspired me so much that I altered a black velvet bolero jacket by crocheting layered cuffs and in bell bottom shape and hand sewing them to the sleeves. I am now working on a very thin detail for the collar to bring the piece together.

Also just devouring Eric Clapton (I wish literally since I have had an aching crush on him for eons), actually his autobiography I ran to buy on Saturday and found the last copy in the store. I just can't put it down. I love the black and white portrait on the dust jacket; you can feel his eyes. There I go devouring him again. It seems strange how one can platonically be in love with someone you don't even know but somehow know you have some connection with. Well anyone who has heard him sing Old Love tell me if I'm imagining things. I can think of only two other blues songs that touch me as much: Gary Moore's Parisian Walkways and Still Got the Blues for You.

Also happy I got a custom order from Spain for one of my doll's beds. I made it in red this time also with a handknit crochet border blanket and alphabet comforter in red and white.

NEW DIRECTIONS

September was spent mainly cleaning out closets and taking inventory of what is really important in my life and (Huichol Sun) where I would like to go from here. Costa Rica for one and then a two or three month trip to Chile to visit my Mother and all my friends: Paty Alonso Marambio, Titi, Paulina and Armando, Petra, Anita, Tania, Jenny, Alfredo and Maria Esther, Mariela and my Nanny, Rosita and her husband Beto. So much nostalgia- for Vichuquen and Frutillar, the scent of eucalyptus and the dirt roads in the south.

My art, too, mutating to a truer expression of myself. I have just fallen in love with fabric art and textile art and have returned to embroidery joining a knitting group in Camarillo that meets twice a month at Palermo Coffee Shop. I am determinded to strive for excellence. Too many years of financial pressure made me create for the market rather than what I really liked and I am now focused on taking the time to find time to make larger pieces and frame them professionally. I have found so much inspiration on Flickr where there are thousands of works by similar artists to draw from. Cannot believe the talent out there.

ZNE has also injected new energy into its netwrok thanks to Chelise and friendships have arisen out of the ashes. I joined a Raw Art forum in hopes of talking about how we work with objects non-vintage or store bought to begin a piece.