This Little Dude Had a Birthday!

He is five now! I guess he's really not so little anymore. He's getting bigger every day. He's one amazing kid. We had a great time with our friends and family and look forward to what five brings us. Happy Birthday Ciaran!

Abner and Imogene Have A New Home

It all started with some black plexiglass and some bark I found outside.

Then some silicone and "great stuff" foam joined the party to produce some "fake rock"

Then all the friends set and rested awhile while they cured and dried and were topped with layers and layers of waterproof glue and coco fiber.

Once all was said and done, Abner and Imogene the shelled wonders were introduced into their new stylish and private new home. I hope they like it.


That is how I spent last week. Well, that and doing taxes. Now I get to get back to the secret lab and CREATE, CREATE, CREATE!...........Well, after Ciaran's birthday anyways.

So This is What I'm Considering

I have been running things back and forth in my head about my creative endeavors for some time now. With all that has happened over the last meanwhile, I'm just needing things to be a lot more simple than they are. I have been trying to keep up with far too much and can't quite seem to make my goals for many reasons. It's all been really depressing and making me worry far too much. So I am thinking that I need to consolidate, get my motivation back, and then maybe I can strive for bigger and better things. The fact is, I enjoy what I do, I don't want to hate it, or ever come close to resenting it. I want to keep enjoying making leathery/metal-y things and I want explore and do more with both mediums. So my plan is to close my Artfire shop for now, I just can't make sense of putting money into it when I can't keep it stocked and promote it as well as my Etsy shop. In the future I may open shop on another venue but maybe just for some custom items and such. I will have to see where this all takes me. Hopefully, back on track to bigger and better things.

I Have Nothing To Share Except for Cute Geckos

I Know, I know, I keep going on about this darned lizard vivarium and Beazus and Lulu, but they are really cute and I get so excited when I actually get a picture of either of them out and about. Or in Beazus' case almost out and about. Beazus is quite a lovely lady and just shed last week so she's sporting brand new skin to show off for everyone. She really seems to like that I added some taller, fuller plants to the vivarium so she can curl up and hide among the leaves.

Lulu is getting bigger by the day and is now developing some yellow coloration along with more spots all over her little body. I can't get any good pictures of her right now since she spends the majority of her time curled up in the many gigantic leaves in her little gecko condo. She is also calming down quite a bit and letting me hold her without trying to jump away as far as possible. I am hoping that by spring, I can put her in with her buddy Beazus and they can enjoy the big vivarium together. Lulu has got to grow a bit more and put on a little more weight. So we wait ever patiently.

I will be re-vamping the tortoise enclosure for Abner and Imogene in the next couple of weeks. I wish I could do some planting in their enclosure but they are little eating machines and chomp on everything that they find interesting so for now it's looking like I'll be making a "fake rock" background covered with coco fiber and peat/sphagnum moss. I am excited because I think it will look great and keep the kiddos a little warmer during the day which they really do need. I just hope they enjoy it.

That's the news for now. Other than my various reptile projects, I am furiously finishing up my custom orders and getting ready for tax time! So the next couple of weeks might be slow around here while I finish up.

The Mushroom!

It's a little fuzzy, sorry. I found one yesterday while I was looking for Beazus in all of the vivarium foliage. Little teeny thing, I always feel bad when I have to pull them out, just because they look so beautiful hanging out there in the little jungle. They look like little tiny jellyfish shaped ghosts.

My Obsession

I keep messing with the lizard vivarium. I am thoroughly enjoying all the growing and changing that takes place inside. I just recently replaced a couple of plants that were not really thriving inside and it looks marvelous right now. The moss that I hunted down locally and put in is finally seeming to be comfortable and mossy in it's new home. We've even had a bunch of teeny tiny mushrooms sprout up! They looked so incredible, like tiny little ghosts hiding beneath the bigger plants, but, not knowing if they are toxic or not, I had to pull them out. I don't want to accidentally poison Beazus or Lulu. Beazus seems to enjoy romping around inside. I can hear her in the middle of the night jumping back and forth among the plants and vines. I can't wait until Lulu is big enough to put back in there so we can see how they both like living there together. I think other than a couple of plants to fill in empty spots, I am looking at another magnetic ledge for the girls and that should do for this project. I hope to eventually make them a much bigger home, but I think I'll wait until we have more room for a bigger enclosure.

I Slept Right Through.......

I missed the end of 2011 and most of the beginning of 2012. I slept right through! It was nice though. A little bit of a break for the mind and the body. Well, 2012, I am curious to see what you have in store for us. Hopefully it's going to be a lot of happiness and fun and kind of minimal on the not so happy, fun stuff. Either way, it's going I'm going to try to make the best out of it.