A Creative and Joyful Life

Hello there, I'm glad you stopped by to visit.  o<[]:-{D  I finally finished my Elise Shawl!  I added a scalloped shell border instead of the bobble border in the pattern and I'm quite happy with it.  I could have added a few more rows of the lace edge, but to be honest, I was "done".  AND.. I wanted to wear it during the holidays.. AND.. to the Daughters of the American Revolution meeting yesterday.  :-)  This isn't the best "ta-dah" post as it's a dreary day and I had to take it outside to get some light.. but here it is, hung on the back door!  

I loved wearing it yesterday.  One of the ladies at the DAR meeting asked for the pattern.  I didn't even need my coat going into swimming after I left the meeting.  Thanks, Meredith, for suggesting I crochet this shawl.

The edging.. I know I should have blocked it.. but I've never really ever blocked a shawl or scarf.  I guess I still could.. but I'll be busy wearing it.  :-)  I used the Elise pattern, I think it's available on Ravelry.  I used Blue Sky Alpacas yarn - 50% Alpaca, 50% Tussah silk in the color "Ruby".  I get it online from the Webs - Yarn.com.  Next I will be working on a matching tam/beret of my own design.

It's kind of fuzzy and tickles my neck and face a bit, I hope I get used to that.  lol!

This past Sunday Dayle and I went to downtown Portland to Pioneer Place to find a shop called Paradise Pens so I could get a new calligraphy pen.  I am kicking myself for not taking some photos in the shop as it was a pen, ink and paper fanatics dream.  But I was too busy looking and drooling.  After we got my pen, we emerged from the shopping mecca and lo and behold!  The new APPLE store was across the street.  I drug poor Dayle in just to look at the new Apple iPhone 6+.  I don't think it's too big and hope to get one next time I have an upgrade available next October.

I am an unapologetic Apple fan.  Our first computer was an Apple SE, the cute little box one.  I've attended several MacWorld Expos in San Francisco, quite the wonderful experience.  I also visited the Apple store in Cupertino at their campus.  I got a neat leather computer bag and coin purse which I still use.

For some reason Dayle refused to go inside this store with me.. :-)

We then left the cosmopolitan city center and wound our way out into the countryside to find a bazaar recommended to me by Kathy from the Running with Rocket blog.  It was a very nicely put together sale, we got a small box of salted caramels and... 

... and this adorable tote made out of a recycled chicken food bag!  I've used this already taking things to the meeting and bringing things home.  :-) 

I have enjoyed practicing my calligraphy with my new pen.  I also got a wonderful book with all kinds of information and photos. 

I saw this brand of ink when I was shopping on Amazon for calligraphy pens.  I got the color called "tsutsuji" the color is magenta and is called Azalea by the company who made this in Japan.  I promptly filled my fountain pen with it and am thrilled at the fluidity and color of it.  

I want to do some illustrated calligraphy.. I started doodling and came up with this first one.  I envision many more illustrated things in the future.

I just adore using fountain pens.. the way the color of the ink pools at the end of a serif.. how it kind of spreads on porous paper and pools on shiny ones.  It has a personality of it's own.

I must say I was amazed at how hard it was to find a nice calligraphy pen!  And believe me, I thoroughly researched on Google and Amazon, etc.  I finally ordered one on Amazon and when it arrived it did NOT have the calligraphy nib, but a fountain pen nib.. so I had to go through all the hassle of packaging it to send back.  I then settled on a German made pen by the Online Co.  This one has a neat rosewood handle and comes with three calligraphy nibs, fine, medium and broad.  It works great!

The flat nib is how you get the calligraphy letters.. you hold it at a 45 degree angle while writing.  

I was practicing my calligraphy last night and writing with my fountain pen and new FABULOUS ink.. and my little grandsons wanted to try using my pens.  With some trepidation, I told them how to hold them and how if you press too hard and bend the nib tip it would ruin it.. and let them try it out.  Here is Caleb concentrating on drawing "daddy" and a sunshine.  Hayden wrote his name and I gave him some instruction on where to put the "Y" on the line.  He practiced his name and got it right!  Sweet memories for the 3 of us, I hope.  I told them that someday they will inherit my pens.

I wanted to explain the title of this post.  I believe that being creative brings so much joy to your life.. you should try doing something as often as possible that enriches you and those around you.  And the Joyful part -- I know there are some that struggle through this season.  You can make your life what you want.. if you are lonely.. call a friend and make a date to go do something fun.  If you are having trouble finding the Christmas spirit.. it's there.. please look for it.. make it happen.  

OK, Dayle and I are heading out to find some Christmas presents for our grandsons.  Thanks to Amazon, my 2 granddaughters in Ohio have already received theirs and are wrapped by my daughter for them.  ((hugs)), Teresa :-) 

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 *H*A*P*P*Y* * *H*O*L*I*D*A*Y*S*!*!*!*
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