My milk snake brings all the neighbors to the yard

Today I noticed something very odd.. many people in cars were stopping right in front of my house, peering down at the road and driving off. I finally had enough when a high school jogger girl went jogging by only to stop dead in her tracks in front of my house to scream. I finally had enough. I grabbed the baby, put on my shoes and walked down the driveway to see what it was. I was shocked to see a brown and white stripeyish snake laying there squished in the street. I never seen anything like it! I am afraid of snakes, this one gave me the creeps so inside I went to google this thing. Sure enough, it was an Eastern Milk Snake. They say they are not poisonous but have a painful bite. What is up with all these snakes lately!

Here is a link to the photo:
http://www.reptilesweb.com/reptiles-section/snake-world/eastern-milk-snake.html

Little Toadstool

Here is one of my latest creations using a little tiny bluebird atop a tree. It is so funny how I get attached to these creations, I get sad sometimes when I send them off :)

Obviously, I do not do this to get rich. If I did, I would charge a lot more and hustle my work on all the networking sites. I do not have a Facebook, Myspace or Twitter. I do it not for the money, but because I LOVE doing what I do! I make them at my leisure, when I can and when an idea hits me. ALL of my ideas come from my own mind. That is what I love, I follow no one :)

Toad Houses

Yesterday, my husband decided to close the front window because it was hot and we thought it would be a good idea to turn on the air conditioning. As he was closing the front window, he looked down into the garden and noticed a snake.. The snake was burrowing it's head into the loosened dirt of our freshly planted hydrangea. He yelled out to me "Do snakes dig holes?". I replied, " I think they do live in holes.." . Just as I replied, he witnessed the snake pluck a sleeping toad from under the dirt by the foot and attempt to quickly coil around the little guy. Now, I know, nature can be cruel, but there was somethng gratifying about being in that moment and being the hero for the toad. My husband (who is as sensitive as I am) ran out and shooed the snake away from it's unlucky victim. The snake slithered away hungry on to another destination for lunch. This time I hope he caught a big spider instead.. :) My husband took the toad and placed him in the shade near the garage. The poor little guy was fast asleep and woke up to not only a snake trying to eat him, but then a large human creature lifting him 5 feet into the air and moving him to a new location. The poor little toad must have been in shock! He was a good size toad too, about the size of a large walnut.

I thought about it all day. And I kept thinking about toad houses and how if I had one for the little toads in the garden, would it be a cozy home or a death trap? Would it be a slither in lunch spot for hungry snakes or a safe haven for toads. I think I will leave nature to nature and let the toads find their own homes. I don't think I could live with myself if I set up a buffet for snakes and didn't know it.

I am glad my husband was there to save him, but understand that nature must be allowed to do it's thing, no matter how cruel it may seem. But for one little toad, yesterday was his lucky day :)

Cobblestone Fairy Houses

Here is a photo of my very first fairy house. I made this out of concrete and pebbles. I actually made up my own method (like we always do here) and tested it outside for a whole year before selling a similar one. I actually have one still outside, it has lasted through 2 summers and a whole NY winter and is still strong as can be. I am contemplating making tutorials for these. I will if I come across a demand for them. But right now, it is all in my head :)

Branch Bundles

Oh my goodness.. I went through a phase (and still am!) where I decorated my home in baby fairies in little papoose bundles. I actually sell a small scale terrarium version of a branch bundle in my Etsy shop (http://www.bettysfantasy.etsy.com/) but they are not quite as large and detailed as these ones. I actually donated all of my large branch bundles (except for the full sculpted fawn.. She is still on my wall) to The Ronald McDonald House in Rochester, NY.

Knowing a child smiled because of one of these is priceless~

The First Fairy I Ever Made

I am going through all my old pictures and I found a monumental one in my life. This was the very beginning for me of my love affair with fairies and anything fantasy. This was the VERY first fairy I ever sculpted. I never finished her, she still looks just like this :) I have gone through many stages as an artist (still feel bizarre calling myself that..) and I feel that you have to evolve many times before you really feel fulfilled in what you are doing.

Alice In Wonderland Terrarium

Here is my latest creation, it is a special request that I actually fell in love with :) I have been focusing on a fusion of Kawaii and Matryoshka's lately.

The roses were "painted red" and a little lottle in the back tells Alice to "Drink Me".

My Latest Obsession....

The art of the VERY talented David Joaquin. I saw Isabella the bunny on the front page of Etsy a while ago and I found that I could'nt stop thinking about it. I added it to my favorites and before you know it, I had purchased my first Isabella print. Two more followed, and I plan to own the entire collection. I am in awe of this artists ability to make magic with paint.

Here is where you can find Isabella and many other breathtaking works of art:

http://www.dkjart.etsy.com/

Woodland Fairy Tale Bed On Etsy

Oh my goodness. I stumbled across this bed on Etsy and I almost fainted :) If I could sleep in this scene, I would be so happy. I would of course remove the cow skull (I love cows :)

And it wouldn't be the same if I bought the bed and had it here. I want to sleep in this photo, the ambiance, the wall decor, the bedding.. It just makes it all so dreamy~

If you want this bed, you can buy it here:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/18999276/under-the-apple-tree-canopy-bed-modern?ref=sr_list_11&ga_search_query=fairy+bed&ga_search_type=&ga_page=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

Fairy Bed

Isn't this fairy woodland bed from Kidtropolis amazing?! I am in awe!

The Best Generation

I was getting my blood taken on Monday and while I was waiting for my name to be called, I was sitting in the waiting room listening to the back and forth coversations between the older people in the waiting room. I am not a teenager, I will be 30 in July, but to them, I am a baby.

There was a little man in his 80's with light wash denim shorts down to his knees with white socks pulled up and velcro sneakers. He was seated next to another man in his 80's who was heavy set, bald on the top with white hair on the sides and had the cutest little campbell soup kid rosy cheeks. "Today is gonna be a hot one" the man with the cute cheeks said to the other one. "Yeah, gonna be 81 today" he replied. Meanwhile, the hustle and bustle of the waiting room was going on simultaneously. The nurse calling out names, people walking to and fro. The whole time, I kept one ear on them because in my mind, it was a precious thing to witness. A little lady also in her late 70's to early 80's comes in the building and sits next to me. "Congratulations!" she says as she looks at my very large pregnant belly. "Oh, thank you!" I replied with a smile. "The weather is beautiful today, they say it is going to be a hot one" she exclaims. "Yeah, I heard it was going to be 81 today!" I say as I look over at the two older men and smile.

My name was called and I had to leave my new friend. After my blood was drawn, I walked out of the lobby and smiled at everyone noticing that no one in the whole place was under 65. You know, I am going to miss this generation. The depression era people who lived through so much. Maybe it is because I miss my Grandparents so much, or maybe it is because the sad reality that once they are all gone, they are gone. These older people we see are the men and women who lived through Pearl Harbor, WW1 and WW2. It was a time when the value of a dollar was highly regarded.. When women enjoyed being conservative. It was long before reality TV, breast implants and Myspace. These people almost have an innocence to them that I savor. I will miss this generation more than words can say. If your Grandma or Grandpa is alive, hug them, call them, send them a card. Listen to their stories, remember them, write them down. This world will change without this generation in it and I am greatful that in my lifetime I was able to witnesss them and enjoy them.

Welcome to the blog!

I will first start this blog with a link to my new treasury on Etsy~

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4bfbed40364a8eeff295f73f/life-is-too-short-relax-induge-and-savor

I love Etsy . I LOVE Etsy! I am a serial buyer and have noticed that it has become an addiction :) Handmade is so amazing. The whole buying experience is so personal. As an artist with a shop myself, I also find joy in supporting grassroots businesses and also find something very amazing about being able to tell people what state or country each item was made in.

You will find my art at:

www.bettysfantasy.etsy.com


I hope to add more fun to this blog, I hope you will join me! :)