Lisette Root resides with her husband in Omak, Washington, in the foothills of the mighty Cascade Mountains. Her days are filled with artwork, home making, and caring for the many formerly homeless animals that she and her husband have rescued over the years. While living in Alaska for many years, she and her family had many exciting adventures mining for gold. Most of the time she home schooled their two daughters, Bonnie and Silver, and they had plenty of time to try new arts and crafts together. They took their animal family of wolves and cats with them on their adventures , which was actually an adventure in itself! Now, her home base is Malott Washington, and there will be lots more adventures to come!


Touching bases

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I want to see if there is any activity on this site.

A solemn day.

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     I wrote two haiku to mark this sad day, 10 years ago in New York, 6 months ago in Japan.

     the moon softly shines
     white chrysanthemums are laid
     upon the altar


     after ten long years
     towers of light climb high
     september again

      Hello from beautiful (and dry) O'Brien Oregon! We have another wildfire nearby, about 4 miles away, and I do hope they have it out tomorrow. We had a fire about 2 weeks ago about a mile from here, and it was really scary, and it was windy too. It has been a long time since we had rain, I hope we get some soon. We aren't in a drought like the south in Texas and Louisiana, or in floods like so many others, so I feel blessed. I have been hauling buckets of water in my wagon to water the garden as the springs have slowed way down, but it is worth the effort because I have a large garden and I do not want anything to go to waste! Great exercise too,lol! I have been incredibly busy with several large projects, and I have been working to expand my knowledge online so I can follow my dreams:) I have found so many new interests and friends online, it is quite staggering really! I am going to take some tutorials on the Printroom site, a wonderful online place to sell your photographs and other related items, thank you Laura (my sister) for steering me in the right direction! She has been my teacher and my rock with all things computer, and she is truly a gifted teacher:) I have begun my next (third) large beading project, which is becoming clear now in my mind. It will be an Amazon Rainforest piece, with an Azure Poison Dart Frog focal piece. My Facebook friend Christy Beale is a spectacular photographer who has graciously allowed me the use of her photos for my work, Thank You again Christy! I have finished one, no two large pieces with the knowledge shared by some very wonderful bead artists books, Jamie Cloud Eakin has a book called Beading with Cabachons with wonderful detailed directions on so many techniques, and Sherry Serifini has an amazing book out called Sensational Bead Embroidery which has filled in the gaps in structural knowledge. Both of them have new books coming out any minute, I can barely wait! I have discovered Heidi Kummli's beadwork too, and she feels like someone I already know, one of those strange Deja Vu feelings, her work touches my soul:) I am going to be very busy for a long long time, I can tell you that, lol! I need to capture the end of summer's dragonflies with my camera, they have been such an inspiration for my beadwork, and I just love everything about them:) I am posting completed beadwork and a dragon or two for your pleasure, goodnight from lovely Southern Oregon, Lisette

Dragonflies

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I caught this little beauty sitting on top of my car antenna! Just glorious colors!

What a overnight change from what I consider to be spring temps, to full blown summer! We are lucky enough to live in a restored 100 year old wood log cabin home, so we can do without (so far) air conditioning by capturing the cool nighttime air and using a fan to circulate the cool air during the day. Our place is a beautiful open bowl of medow and fruit trees surrounded by a variety of trees. Tall trees of conifers and madrona and oak surround the houses, (there are two houses, one our landlord lives in, and ours), and the woods are full of ferns and scrub, and Lots of Poison Oak, the only downside so far! I have been trying to capture as many different wildflowers and critters as I can on my digital camera. Now I dream of piles of ink cartridges and paper so I can print them out! For the first time we have hummingbird feeders and we have been able to really watch the antics, and it is a real pleasure. Today I watched a pair of swallowtail butterflies courting! They were so lovely and so graceful, I was mesmerized and forgot all about my camera! ( I gave it a fleeting thought, but the moment was so entrancing I could not leave to grab it :) I have seen the most amazing dragonfly for the last few days, completely red, fiery red, and it is spectacular! I will do my darndest to photograph it tomorrow. My sister Laura told me you have to be careful to acclimate your camera when you are dealing with extreme temps, or it can damage them, so I will take my camera with me and leave it in the shade until I need it. Right down the road, ( 7 miles ), Cave Junction was 98 degrees today, and I think we were around 94 or so. I really love cooler weather but the plants sure seem to love the sunshine! I found a discarded arrowhead several days ago. It is made of chert, and was about 3/4 of the way done, but then there is a flaw in the rock, so it was tossed away before it was finished. I will take a picture of it and show it to you:) Tonight we are having Afghan Snowshoe Naan Flatbread, with pulled chicken barbeque style chicken thighs loaded with onions, mmm,mmm! I also have sourdough bread rising, from my 8 year old starter. It will taste like tart cheddar cheese when it is finished, really sour and yummy! I am posting pictures of my last flatbread  as soon as I download it from my camera:) Good Evening from Indian Hill Ranch, O'Brien Oregon, Lisette

Poem

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I hope this makes it readable.

It is hard to believe it is the 27th of May! The locals and old timers here say they have never ever seen it so cold and wet. They say it is like winter here, which is actually encouraging for me because Washington state winters are brutal! I love all the beautiful ferns and wildflowers blooming here, and  beautiful songbirds and hummers are showing up. I put up a hummingbird feeder for the first time and there are at least 2 hummers who might have a real hard time without help. I am trying my best to capture them with my camera, but I fear I need a much better camera to catch their fleeting beauty! My husband is totally entranced by them, (he was a fighter pilot and has a keen appreciation for the complexities of flight) and he is really connecting with them! I adore them and I am trying to get them used to having me outside so I can eventually photograph them without frightening them:) I've started really exploring the forest here, and it reminds me quite a lot of Cape Yakataga Alaska. It also reminds me of the mountain passes of the Cascade range in Washington state. The trees here are just amazing, so numerous and varied. However, there are a lot of ticks, so you have to watch for the little stinkers. (Actually, I feel them if they crawl on my skin, and I can't get them off quick enough!!!) Every garden of eden has its serpents I suppose:) Fortunately for them, I love snakes too! I am entranced by the creatures of our world, and I find beauty in almost all of them. There are a few which spook me though (like ticks) but is is simply fascinating to think of a creature which can expand its body so quickly. There must be some useful information about that, perhaps growing skin very very quickly or something like that. Now that the snow is melting in the high country, we will be going on more and more mining expeditions. We are going to be working in an area where there is a LOT of jade and serpentine, another green related mineral. I do believe we will be able to set up our lapidary shop in the near future, and that will be great fun! Well, it is time for a midnight snack, so I will close for now. ( My cat Mr. Hyde is howling, so I know it's nearly bedtime:) I do hope we hear good news soon about the attempts to stop the oil in the Gulf, most of my family lives there, and their sorrow is my sorrow too. We simply MUST start growing our alternative fuels, especially the most environmentally friendly ones. I also think we need to use our train systems MUCH MORE. Trains are super efficient users of fuel, and the newest ones are truly amazing. If I had money to invest with, I would invest in trains, and soybeans. Goodnight for now from Indian Hill Ranch, O'Brien Oregon, Lisette

For more info on my Upcycled Yellow Eyes Quilled Round Box, visit me at ETSY!
 

Wildflowers

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Just a quick hello from O'Brien:) I took some pictures today of a lovely field of wildflowers and just had to share one:) They smelled heavenly too...

One month today!

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     It is hard to believe we have been here in O'Brien for a month. Time is a fluid, I am thinking, with rapids, eddies, whirlpools and the like. It must be, just close your eyes, and count to three. Viola', you are a different person than you were three seconds ago! Some moments seem so very fleeting, and others so very long. We went to a gem and mineral show today, in Medford Oregon. It is so very strange to realize the time involved in the creation of gemstones and minerals, and what brief snatches of time we humans live in. To hold a gem or fossil in your hand, to actually observe such a thing, really puts into perspective the thing we call time. I am so very glad that this is my time! And your time, as well! I am sharing a picture I took, on the banks of the Illinois River, on the 20th of April. I believe it is a type of lily, and it was so beautiful it took my breath away! My husband ordered me a very nice tripod, made of repositional polymer, so you can imagine my delight! I need to get more inks and paper, before it gets here! This is such a strange and beautiful place. The trees around us are over a hundred feet tall, a lot of them, and just a few miles down the road are the giant redwoods. If you have not seen them in person, I truly hope someday you can. They are magical, and some of them are so very old, I felt such great patience and peacefulness from them, and it made me wish that I could speak "tree":) Maybe some day... Goodnight from Indian Hill Ranch, just down the road from O'Brien, and up the road from Happy Camp...:)

They've Arrived!

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Lisette, Merle, 1 horse, 1 wolf, 1 big mutt, two chihuahuas (princesses of the universe), 12 kitties, 11 rabbits, 4 fish, and one chicken, Pagan, have safely arrived in O'Brien, where Lisette is already in love with her new house and surroundings...

Although her computer is up, she won't have time for a day or two to get online and do updates, but when she does, I'm sure she'll have wonderful, exciting news. Although the trip was very hard for all involved, it was well worth the effort and exhaustion.

I personally can't wait for her first Beach Visit report!

Love to my sister, and all who follow the blog are in for a treat as Lisette and Merle begin their new lives!

Laura


Hi Lisa!

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Hi Lisa! You know it s funny, all my childhood my nickname was Lisa! Have a lovely evening, Lisette

Moving on!

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It has been quite a while since I last updated my blogspot, I plead insanity due to getting ready for a big step forward, from Omak Washington to O'Brien Oregon! I can't believe we have so many belongings! It seems impossible, but there you go! My husband and myself are stepping back into the world of gold mining, and also beach combing( one of my favorite pasttimes!). We have missed the Pacific Ocean so much, and are really looking forward to our move:) Considering the size of our animal family, it took quite a while to find just the right place! We have very good friends who are going to help us on our one day journey, and we are very grateful for their help! We have 1 horse, 1 wolf, 1 big mutt, two chihuahuas (princesses of the universe), 12 kitties, 11 rabbits(we just had a litter of 9 baby bunnies), 4 fish, and my chicken, Pagan, I do believe that is everyone! Oh, and my husband and myself! I will be taking pictures of the caravan for future family photo albumns so our grandchildren will believe us! My husband and I decided together that we needed one more big adventure, and we are very excited and happy:) Even though the logistics are complicated, they are simpler than all our previous mining expeditions! This will be the first time we can drive to a claim rather than flying in to be dropped off in the bush of Alaska! Time is such a strange thing, it seems to lurch forward the moment you close your eyes:) So I plan to do as little sleeping as possible!!! Actually, the type of mining we do is green, and done with our own hands and backs, not bulldozers and dynamite. I LOVE finding things, and fortunately when you are doing our hands on type of mining you get a close look at the rocks and minerals which are part of the process, and then you have the bonus of the gold itself. It seems strange to me that civilization runs on gold, but there you are, it indeed does. I also believe that seeds are worth their weight in gold, and I grow a large garden each year. I am taking lots of starts with me too, especially my raspberries, currants, and catnip, and various flowers and herbs. Here irrigation is mandatory, but where we are going mother nature will be helping me out quite a bit! Good thing, because I don't think I will have a lot of free time this year:) I also have been devoting a lot of time to my various art forms, especially lampworking, and silk ribbon and thread crazy quilting, and sculpting, which I adore. I have my own mad science to help me, I experiment all the time with unusual materials and methods, especially using recycled and reused materials. I understand that the community we will be a part of is an artistic one, which excites me very much! My husband is also getting back to lapidary work which we both love. It is hard to find inspiration when you work for corporations, but surprisingly easy when you work for yourself:) Wish us luck, I will update the blogspot after our big move( the 31st of this month,yay!) Goodnight and goodbye from up the Chiliwist, Lisette ( I am posting an inspirational photo collage of past work)

How time flies!

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So much has happened since my last posting, it is hard to believe! I think we are experiencing an early spring, only a tiny bit of snow is on the ground right now. We have has the least snow I have ever seen this winter, and I really think this will be a drought year here in Eastern Washington. I have been very busy with my arts  and crafts. I have resumed my glass lampwork and am developing some cute new designs, which I am considering naming "grabbys and boos" fun and a little spooky too! I have been teaching myself to dye silk ribbons and it is so much fun! It is so satisfying to use those ribbons in my silk ribbon embroidery and crazy quilting! I am posting 2 glass lampworked beads and a nearly finished crazy quilt, just for fun:) I am going to be a grandmother again! I'm very happy about that! I have also had a request for two twin size log cabin quilts, and so I am adding quilting to my busy schedule, I just wish I didn't have to take the time to sleep, darn it all! It is a love hate relationship! I am going to add silk threads to my stash, and I am really looking forward to embroidering with them. Every type of thread has different properties and I just know silks will be wonderful! Well, time to eat lunch and get ready for the rest of the day, goodbye from up the Chiliwist, Lisette 

It is nearly Christmas and I am so happy we are through the tunnel!  Today was a diamond in the snow day for a few hours this morning, and tonight it is supposed to freeze hard, so I know tomorrow will be another diamond day. I love trying to capture the lovely rainbow prisms with my camera. I have WAY too many pictures in my files, but photography is an addiction! I bought a little present for my sweetie, two beautiful ACEO pictures of chihuahuas, painted by a wonderful artist, Ron Krajewski,  of dogsartstudio on ETSY. I am going to buy several for my father too! Another big talent on ETSY, what a great place to look for serious art! Well, now we know what a horse who has twisted his back acts like,poor baby! Our horse Shadow slipped on the ice while bucking around for fun. He enjoys bucking at the snow or rain, but it will be a while for that. He is getting better(thankfully) but he does not like his medicine! It is scary when these things happen, and give me a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach! One of my chihuahuas (Angelina) choked tonight while barking with food in her mouth, and it was a close thing! I pounded her back, did a firm but restrained shaking, and stuck my finger down and sideways when she could not get air. I think it forced her to swallow the food and it is possible a little went down the windpipe.  I gave her a dose of baby benadryl, and we will watch her closely. Thank goodness one of those things worked. Hairy children I tell you! I have lots of hairy children! Well, Merry Christmas everyone! I am going to post a few pictures, of diamond snow, and newborn beans, just for fun! Goodnight from Up The Chilowist, Lisette

Catching up!

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Well, here we are just 2 weeks and a few days from winter solstice! Almost through the tunnel! It's a bit chilly here tonight, but the next few days will be brutal. Even the coast will be really cold. We have no snow on the ground, which is worrysome when thinking about the plants and the pipes, and of course all my outdoor animal family. This afternoon I took a big pile of saved craft paper, and put it in the bunnies hutch, they were very pleased and started shredding it right up. I take hot water several times a day to the critters when it is cold like this. The horse has been getting an extra measure of grain in the evening, the kitties get people tuna fish mixed with their food, just a few bites alongside their dry food each day. I don't give them fish in the summer though, because the bees go after it so much. The bees also go after the dry food, and also to the water, that means I  must check the water even more in the summer! Brian Williams just came on, so I'm going to watch the news, but Ill be back! Saturday morning has been warmer than predicted, but it is still pretty chilly. A nice big cup of tea, and I am good to go! On todays agenda is creating some aluminum wire worked clasps, and starting a new crazy quilt large panel, which I may sell for an aspiring crazy quilter to embellish, a plug and play sort of thing:) I recieved my newest order from my favorite fancy fabric supplier yesterday, and I really enjoyed adding it in to my stash! It is like eyeball candy playing with my fancy fabrics! Well, my new shop on ETSY is open for buisness, and had its first showcase on the Storque Main showcase. I have another showcase on Storque Main Monday December 7th for my MelangeByLisette shop and another Storque Main showcase for LowTek on the 11th of December. ETSY is growing by leaps and bounds, and I am studying as hard and often as I can to learn how to promote my work. I really need my own studio, and I hope this year is the year for that dream to come true. My beautiful model Lucy is living in the corner of my bedroom, but she really needs to be suspended from above. That is how I designed her. I can't recall if I have posted a picture of Lucy and Lillith, so I am going to do that right now:) Have a great weekend everyone! Good day from up the Chiliwist, Lisette

The end of November

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If I wasn't so busy in the house, I could have been busy in the garden! I have never felt it so mild here at the end of november!  I have been very busy working on items for my shops. I have been studying diligently all of the interviews and success tips that etsy has to offer. The suggestions have been invaluable, and motivating too! There are so many truly talented people who sell on etsy. I have 4 showcases lined up on etsy, the first one (melangebylisette) is booked for Nov. 30, on the Wedding Showcase, and then a (lowtek) showcase on the Storque Main Showcase Friday, Dec. 4th. I then have another (melangebylisette) showcase Monday December 7th on the Storque Main Showcase, and finally another (lowTek) showcase on the Storque Main Showcase on the 11th of December. We'll see what happens:) Today is my husband's birthday, and he's getting Shake and Bake oven fried chicken and potatoes, a small salad, and then cherry chip cake with buttercream frosting! He's working out on the gym, and I've started having a little coffee in the afternoon, which helps me perk up for nightfall.  It won't be long though, and we'll be through the tunnel, and headed for the light again! Only a little over three weeks until Winter Solstice. My bunnies are showing me their personalities, they are quite different, both precious! Well, I'm posting a few pictures here tonight, wedding items for melange. Even though I take lots of pictures, it isn't easy to show detail on etsy pictures, some of the full size versions can been seen here on my blogspot. Have a great friday night, goodnight from up the Chiliwist, Lisette

New Work

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A quick post of my newest veil, and a picture of my four rose silk bouquet.

Bunnies

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 Time sure seems to be whizzing by quickly, just look how big the bunnies are already! I truly hope that they are the same sex so I can focus all my love on them:) I am trying to tame them so they come to me, but it is slow going, they really are timid by nature, but, they don't bite me when I catch them, and they have big teeth! They do have big hind feet with very sharp claws, and it they are scared they scratch really hard, just to get away.  They are so soft! Yangs' fur is a little coarser than Yins', but both have lovely fur. I love to just sit and watch them eat and groom each other, it's soothing. They don't smell bad up close, and they don't have stinky poo, but boy, they sure make a lot of it! Altogether delightful creatures. I believe time, food and patience will be my best tactics to tame them, (just like husbands!) lol!  In my personal experience, feral  felines are the hardest to tame, even though you know they love you, it is difficult for them to trust us humans. Heck,I don't trust those humans either! I know my own behavior resembles that of the wolves I adore, and a bit of the cat also. Today the wind blew like mad for an hour or two, and it really got cold a few moments before sunset. It has been above normal for several days, so I still feel lucky! It is supposed to drop some very wet and slushy snow for the next 4 or 5 days, I actually think that would be good for my plants, since the land is still so dry. I am considering planting a few seeds if the snow doesn't stick. Maybe some onion, chive, and lettuce and greens. Well, the baked talapia is almost finished, so I need to make some tartar sauce! That was good, I used pork flavored generic shake and bake, and baked the fillets for 14 minutes, at 375 degrees, on a baking sheet with parchment paper. The fillets were fairly thin, it was just perfect. I need to go feed Mr. Hyde, he loves fish! It is time to settle the inside family down, and I hope to finish my newest miniature vignette, of irises and forget-me-nots, silk ribbon and traditional embroidery, on a background of white velvet. It's movie time, End of Days is coming on! Goodnight from up the Chiliwist, Lisette

Rose Bouquet

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I finished this hand sculpted bouquet last night after three days of working on it, and it was time well spent! This is my first pure silk ribbon bouquet and I learned a lot making it. Silk has a life of its own, you cannot force it into shape, it must be gently encouraged into shape. It was like working with butterfly wings!

A Little About Me

Welcome to MelangeByLisette, I hope you find something interesting within... I love all forms of Art, and I have a great desire to try my hand at whatever captures my interest. I do not believe in mediocrity, or carelessness. When I create something myself, or when I am drawn to other artists works, I want to see a small piece of that persons soul in their work. I want to be able to feel and see the time of creation it took to bring forth a piece of art (any kind of art). After all, to me, this is what brings meaning to my life. The time it took to create a thing is non refundable, but extremely valuable. To love and to be loved, and to share that love with others, with art, for instance, is why I want to wake each morning. I truly love our planet Earth, and when I use her resources, it matters how I do so. I will always strive to do no harm. I am of course drawn to others who share this philosophy, and I seek them out if possible. In this last year, I needed to learn to use a computer to share my artwork. I don't drive, and I am a bit of a happy hermit, and I knew nothing whatsoever about computers and I would have been lost without the loving and extremely patient help from my sister Laura, who helped me every step of the way, thank you sister! I honestly did not believe I could do it, but here I am! My store is located on ETSY, and it is simply amazing, and I feel comfortable and happy there, and I feel privileged to be a very small part of it. I try to reuse, repurpose, and recycle whenever I can. I am always experimenting to that end. I am happy to share ideas whenever possible, and am open to creating special request items. What an amazing thing to be in touch with so many artists, tradesmen, and the whole wide world! Wow! I hope you enjoy my blog and my shop, which will have new works as often as possible. Sincerely, Lisette

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