Morning Coffee Quotes

Sailing - photo by Cindy Caraway

"You can do anything, but not everything."
- David Allen

"Expectations are premeditated resentments."
- Unknown

"A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it is committing another mistake."
- Confucius

"It's sad when someone you know becomes someone you knew."
- Henry Rollins

"There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about."
- Oscar Wilde

"In the long run people hit only what they aim at."
- Henry David Thoreau

"Faith is not a shelter against all difficulties,
but a belief in the face of all contradictions.
- Unknown

"There is no need to fasten a bell to a fool."
- Danish Proverb

"He, who fears he will suffer, already suffers from his fears."
- Michel Eyquen

"The trouble with you gringos is that you think manana means 'tomorrow'.  What it really means is 'not today'."
- Unknown

"You manage things; you lead people."
- Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper

"Blessed are those who give without remembering. And blessed are those who take without forgetting."
- Bernard Meltzer

"One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity."
- Albert Schweitzer

"Don’t let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning."
- Robert Kiyosaki

"We tell our triumphs to the crowds, but our own hearts are the sole confidants of our sorrows."
- Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

"A great many people mistake opinions for thoughts."
- Herbert V. Prochnow

Sonoran Skies 2

If you know me, you know that I REALLY like big statement jewelry! Not everyone does. Go figure... right? So, I decided to try making a smaller version of "Sonoran Skies", one of my needleweaving jewelry pieces. The pendant section measures 3 1/2" x 2" (instead of the 8" x 4 1/2" of the original). It can be worn in lengths up to 30". Here is "Sonoran Skies 2" - more compact in size but not in punch! I hope you'll agree...

Morning Coffee - A Bird Ballet

I thought this was cool and wanted to share it! Happy Autumn!


More of my work on http://neelscastillon.com
An incredibly poetic murmuration of starlings.
We were shooting for a commercial, waiting for an helicopter flying into the sunset, when thousands and thousands of birds came and made this incredible dance in the sky. It was amazing, we just forgot our job and started this little piece of poetry... Enjoy !
Directed by Neels CASTILLON
Shot by Mathias Touzeris
Producted by Masterfilms.
Music: Hand-made - Alt J

Something New - Freeform Crochet

Not that I'm planning on becoming an avid crocheter but... I have really enjoyed trying my hand at freeform crochet! Here's my first "scrumble" (aka. a small piece of freeform knitting or crochet) made with yarn that I bought at a garage sale. It's not really my typical color palette but I bought a gallon zip-lock full of partial skeins and small balls of yarn - the perfect stuff for trying out a new technique. With the help of YouTube videos (most in Russian or German!) I had great fun exploring freeform crochet! :)

Morning Coffee TED talk - Guerilla Gardening

I love this guy! As Ron Finley would say, "Let's plant some shit!"

Sonoran Skies Cuff

After finishing my latest neckpiece, Sonoran Skies, I decided to try to make a woven cuff to match. Here is the final product! -

Sonoran Skies Cuff by Cindy Caraway

I am quite proud of it but really wasn't too sure while I was making it....

Everything started as usual: a design was drawn up, colored, pinned to the board, warped with Irish waxed linen and off I went. Once the weaving was finished, though, I realized a couple of things: since I was used to sizing cuffs made with bead embroidery (which tend to be bulky), it was too long for being so thin and it felt too delicate to stand up to being worn on the wrist - I was afraid it would stretch out-of-shape too easily or snag on something.  
**That being said, please realize that I am a worrier and am always thinking about what could go wrong with a design or whether it can withstand being out in the "real world".

So... having a fabulous selection of very nice leather remnants thanks to my custom boot-maker friend, Paul (be sure to visit his site here), lining it with leather was my best option. And that's exactly what I did!

The top weaving is lined with one piece of leather and secured with embroidery (chain stitch) around the edge.

Then I padded the inside with some soft eco-felt and backed it with another piece of leather. The edge was finished with more embroidery (button-hole stitch).

I also added a clasp - two antique shell buttons and a wrap so the fit is completely adjustable.

Anyway, it's lovely (IMO) and super comfy to wear! My hubby even asked if I would make one for him (more masculine in it's design, of course!). Look for it soon in my shop on Etsy -

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Morning Coffee Quotes

St. Ulrich's Priory - Black Mountains, Germany - photo by Cindy Caraway

"Of all the people on the planet, you talk to yourself more than anyone. Make sure you are saying the right things."
- Martin Rooney

"The search for a scapegoat is the easiest of all hunting expeditions."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Forgiveness is not a matter of exonerating people who have hurt you. They may not deserve exoneration. Forgiveness means cleansing your soul of the bitterness."
- Harold S. Kushner

"We gather our arms full of guilt as though it were precious stuff. It must be that we want it that way."
- John Steinbeck

"Failing to prepare is like preparing to fail."
- John R. Wooden

"The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong."
- Ecclesiastes 9:11

"People are attracted to you by what they see in you; they remain attracted to you by what you see in yourself."
- Mark Amend

"Faith is a knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof."
- Kahlil Gibran

"Neither situations nor people can be altered by the interference of an outsider. If they are to be altered, that alteration must come from within."
- Phyllis Bottome

"The more you know the less you need to say."
- Jim Rohn

"Poor God, how often He is blamed for all the suffering in the world. It’s like praising Satan for allowing all the good that happens."
- E.A. Bucchianeri

"Those who lack the courage will always find a philosophy to justify it."
- Albert Camus

"Our lives change in two ways: through the people we meet and the books we read."
- Harvey MacKay

"He showed the words “chocolate cake” to a group of Americans and recorded their word associations. “Guilt” was the top response. If that strikes you as unexceptional, consider the response of French eaters to the same prompt: “celebration."
- Michael Pollan

"The weak makes excuses, the strong makes changes."
- Habeeb Akande