Andy Griffith Show Viewers' Choice

I was flipping through the channels looking for something to watch while I work, and came across the Andy Griffith show, one of my all time favorites.

TV land is having a viewers' choice marathon for the show's 50th anniversary celebration on October 3rd. I'm not sure how the countdown will pan out, but here are a few that BETTER rank in the top 10:

this is just a few off the top of my head, mind you:

• The Haunted house (don't laugh but this one creeped me out when I was a kid)
• The Loaded Goat
• Dinner at Eight (one of the only good episodes in color)
• The Darlings are Coming
• The Pickle Story

And one of the all time best episodes of any TV series EVER:

drum roll please............................................................

I have to watch this episode at least once every Christmas. For me, it ranks right up there with the Grinch, Charlie Brown, etc. The only difference is that it involves my favorite TV characters, lending a family-like atmosphere.

Now, back to my marathon, and maybe a bit of sculpting!

Hive Creative Challenge - "Sweet Leaves of Autumn"

When Melissa posted this challenge, I was thrilled! A large portion of my work is inspired by autumn , so naturally I was up for the challenge.

The only problem was to create something that would stand out from my other fall inspired pieces.

When I think of autumn, I think of three main things: multicolored leaves, candy corns, and pumpkins. I decided to combine these elements to create something to sum up the season, at least in my eyes.

Flight of the Grumpkin

This Grumpy guy is available now at STJ!

If Creativity is a Car, Music is the Fuel

The question is, what kind of fuel are you using?

I mentioned earlier at the STJ group that I can't seem to get my creative wheels rolling, and a friend suggested listening to some music as a remedy. At this, I decided to fire up the old CD player and get to work. Problem solved.

Here are a few choices that never fail to inspire:

This is easily one of my favorite soundtracks. It's almost impossible to listen to it without feeling the need to create something.

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis are two of my favorite composers. This is a moody, yet whimsical and inspiring score. It's great to pop this one in on a crisp autumn day.

Also composed by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. This is a dark movie with hints of light, and the music is a perfect reflection. At times this one can be down right creepy, great for spooky inspiration!

Needs no explanation.

My favorite Christmas album, by my favorite band, Jars of Clay. This is one of the most original sounding Christmas albums you will hear, and for me it was an instant classic. If I'm sculpting Christmas, I am likely listing to this CD.

In a nutshell, soundtracks are very inspiring.

So what music inspires you?