One of my very favorite pastimes is doing arts and crafts.  I get my inspiration from many different places.  Sometimes I flip through craft books, other times I see something I like and decide to make it instead of purchasing it, but most of the time I am usually trying to find a way to solve a problem or decorate when the big ideas hit.  At home I assure I am always equipped for any burst of creativity by keeping my craft corner fully stocked.  Some of my creations are complex, while others are simple.  This page tells about some of my favorite pieces I have created.

Dragon Lamp - I was inspired to create this lamp when the maintenance at my old apartment left this huge glass dome after replacing our kitchen light fixture.   My imagination created the huge dragon and fire which was painted on with acrylics.   I installed a light fixture onto a trivet and placed it under the lamp.

Tiki Plant Stand – This piece was an entry to a contest. The challenge was to use old    gallon milk jugs to create something.  Although I did not win, I did have a lot of fun building this sculpture.  It is made from three milk containers, a dipping bowl for the base, and stones inside to keep it steady.  I painted the outside with acrylics and placed a plant in the top.

Food Creations – I love to experiment in the kitchen and cook.  Therefore, sometimes my creative side comes out here too.   Last Thanksgiving I made a turkey out of veggies.  For Halloween I’ve been known to create little mummies (like pigs in a blanket).   I know that no one will ever forget my lollipop garden planted in brownies.  I have also made many different decorated cakes.   Some of my favorites were a Tinkerbell cake for my sister’s birthday, a basket weave cake with daisies for a friend’s wedding shower, and heart cakes for Valentine’s Day.

Mosaics - Using Sculpty clay I created many different colored tiles.  Then, I used my chili filled kitchen as inspiration for this one.  It took a few hours to get each piece where I wanted it.   A little unknown fact to many of my friends is this actually started out as a clock.  After trying to attach the hands I noticed they took away from the pepper and went for a decorative wall hanging instead.

Flower Fairy - I also have a small background in floral design so it is no surprise I have done many arrangements, as well as use silks for some of my crafts.   I can't really explain these.  I saw the idea in my favorite magazine "Family Fun" and wanted to try it.  I used all the fairies I made to make a wreath which I hang on my front door in the spring.

Below:
Photos of some of my favorite creations: