Candy Corn History

 Candy Corn is so bright and colorful. Some like to eat it and others hate it. Where did the famous candy corn begin? I wasn't sure myself so I did some quick google searching. There are lots of articles written in many different ways but they all pretty much say the same thing.

Candy corn was invented in the late 1880s by a man named George Renninger, an employee at Wunderle Candy Company in Philadelphia. It was first advertised as "Chicken Feed" as many people were farmers and considered corn as animal food.  

This is the 1898 packaging design for Goelitz candy corn, now Jelly Belly candy co.

In 1920 the motto became "King of the candy cornfields"

The arrival of the war brought a shortage of wheat making people start using corn for human food. It was known as penny candy, later becoming more popular as  Halloween candy. 

Well, there's a little history lesson about the bright little candies that we all know, whether you are the king of the candy cornfield or throw the corn to the chickens.

April
~FriggleFraggle~
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Fall is in the Air once again

I'm in the mood for Fall because I can feel it in the air already! Here in Southern Canada spring and autumn have been very short with winter lasting more than half the year. I know, it's just the beginning of August but I have felt it for a few weeks now and have started working on Halloween-ish items. Here's a sneak peek at a few that I will be listing in my Etsy shop soon. 

These are part of the Fortune Teller Series that I am working on.

Something a little more colorful...Candycorn!

I have a long list of things that I am going to create so stick around to see what's in store.

April
~FriggleFraggle~
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Presenting ~ Dragon Eggs ~

Dragon Eggs!!

Each one is hand made so no two will be just alike. I offer them in a range of colors.
These will arrive in small treasure chests.

All available in my etsy shop

www.FriggleFraggleFinds.etsy.com

Tiny Dragon Eggs

Tiny Dragon Eggs!!

Each one is hand made so no two will be just alike. I offer them in a range of colors.

All available in my etsy shop

www.FriggleFraggleFinds.etsy.com

Dragon Journals and Sketch Books

~~NEW~~

Dragon Journals and Sketch Books!!

By FriggleFraggle

Hello lovelies! I have been busy these last few weeks making Dragon journals and sketch books. I love to write and draw so I carry a doodle book with me at all times to jot down ideas and I know many who do as well.

It's been a while since I made books and really wanted to again. I used to gather with a few friends and have a day full of creating, talking and eating. Oh how I missed it! I love creating things especially when it's something that can be used often and these fit right in with the Dragon theme that I enjoy so much.

*These are very time consuming to make so I don't know how often I will offer them but I have a small variety available right now.*

Sketch book or journal? Why not both!
Either can be used for sketching or journaling but I prefer the lined paper when journaling and blank paper to sketch, but what you like is up to you :)

Journals are a great way to write down your thoughts whether it's a story you want to share or used as a secret diary, it can be therapeutic and a stress relief.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Journals
They are (B6- 125mm x 176mm or 5 x 7 in.)
160 lined pages

To see more details about these journals go to links below. I have added separate posts with more details so this post won't be overloaded.

Green Dragon
Red Dragon
Brown Dragon
Purple Dragon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sketchbook
Close to a (A5 - 140 x 210mm or 5.5 x 8.25 in.)
160 pages of artist quality drawing paper
32 pages of smooth brown drawing paper
4 pages of sturdy brown card stock paper

To see this Sketchbook in action check out the video on YouTube

To see more details about this Dragon Sketch Book go here. I have added more pics there as not to overload this post with detailed pics.


Each one is hand made so no two will be just alike. I offer them in a range of colors.

*Again, in case you missed it...These are very time consuming to make so I don't know how often I will offer them but I have a small variety available right now.*

All available from my etsy shop  *Coming soon!*

www.FriggleFraggleFinds.etsy.com

April
~FriggleFraggle~
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Red Dragon Sketch Book

Red Dragon Sketch Book

by FriggleFraggle

This is a post dedicated to the Red Dragon sketch book from another post that included all the Journals and Sketch Books.

To see this Sketchbook in action check out the video on YouTube

I love fantasy and would like to share some of my world with you. When I carry around a dragon journal or sketch book I feel like I am carrying another world with me, the kind not everyone can see or understand. The kind of world where your imagination can turn an ordinary bird into a dragon, a flying bug into a fairy, a mushroom into a fairy's table. The world does not have to be dull or plain, it is so full of beautiful things if you just stop to look around.

Sketchbook
Close to a (A5 - 140 x 210mm or 5.5 x 8.25 in.)
160 pages of artist quality drawing paper
32 pages of smooth brown drawing paper
4 pages of sturdy brown card stock paper

There are 3 different types of paper in the sketchbook to doodle on.

This sketch book has a detailed hand painted eye that gives it depth.

I added a scaly mesh and 3D textures to resemble Dragon skin.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I also make the Magic Wand Pens in a variety of styles and colors.

Looking for the Dragon Egg in a little treasure chest? Look here!

*These are very time consuming to make so I don't know how often I will offer them but I have a small variety available right now.*

April
~FriggleFraggle~
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Business Card Holder

Dragon Eye Business Card Holder

When I tell people that I am an artist they ask, "Oh? Do you paint?" I smile and then say "Yes, but It's more than just painting..I am not a painter like what you would think of, canvases and such. I make things...like wands...." Then they usually look at me with a confused look. So I have been trying to think of ways to carry some of my creations with me besides pulling out a magic wand.

I had a really cool business card holder that I found thrifting but it is old and started falling apart so I thought it was time to get a new one. I found this one and thought it would be a great way to show off some of my work while handing out cards.

It has a nice flat base to work with so it was perfect for what I had in mind.

I think it is actually a cigarette holder which makes it even better than a business card holder for the fact that it can hold more cards than a regular card holder!

If you are following me then you know my style is Fantasy, Folklore, Fairies, Elves, Mermaids, Wizards and Dragons...So what to put on the cover was just so obvious for me I didn't even have to think about it.

A Dragon Eye! Inspired by my Dragon Eye Necklace, wand and books.

Now when someone asks me what kind of artist I am I can pull out my business card holder and show them a sample of my work :) 

Pictured above is:

Dragon Eye Magic Wand

Dragon Eye Business Card Holder

Dragon Egg

Magic Wand Pen

April
~FriggleFraggle~

I am not the only one

My son told me today that I am unique and not all people are as creative and ambitious as I am.

I forget that.

It's good to have a reminder every now and then. Some people relax by watching T.V., reading, sleeping or playing games.

I create.

I love the feeling of bringing my thoughts to life.  Seeing the beauty as the work is in progress. There is something magical about holding the finished product in my hand. Not everyone feels that way but I do.

I can not but create.

Thinking of my friends and family I realize that my father is the same way, for the most part, but on a different scale. For me it's fanciful things like Dragons, Mermaids and Fairies. I make things that I decorate with, wear or give to friends.

He builds.

Using tools and machines that I can't even figure out how to turn on he can make them do things I didn't know was possible. He built the house I lived in as a child with secret rooms and a waterfall, tennis courts and game rooms with arches of rock that look like they belong in a castle.

He makes magic in his own way.

So, when my child gives me a reminder that I am different and not everyone is like me, I smile knowing I'm not the only one.

And that is okay.

How the Jewel Encrusted Dragon Egg came to be....

*Dragon Egg from Friggle Fraggle

*Story by Friggle Fraggle

When a dwarf came into possession of a dragon egg all he could think about was his lost treasure. So he decided to hatch the egg and raise a dragon because where there are dragon, a treasure is sure to be.

Keeping this wonderful secret to himself he found an abandoned cave and began to make the hottest fire he could possibly manage. Using the embers of rock from the dragon's cave that still held the heat from it's breath he tossed the egg in and waited.

When the egg had been in the flames for quite some time, pulsing veins could be seen on the red hot shell and little cracks began to appear. Suddenly, there was a snort and horrible howls coming from deeper down in the cave. It was not abandoned after all but inhabited by a group of nasty trolls who were not happy to have unexpected company.

The dwarf carefully fished the egg out of the fire even though it wasn't ready to hatch. He had to get away from the trolls quickly and cover his tracks along the way. They were moving in on him and the egg was still glowing with heat giving him trouble keeping it covered.

He finally made it to the entrance of the cave and was ready to head into the forest when he tripped over some twisted roots of the giant oaks that rested above the cave opening send the egg tumbling out of his hands to the ground. It rolled downhill back into one of the smaller side tunnels and stopped in a pile of jewels, diamonds and pearls.

The trolls had caught up having longer legs than the dwarf and knowing the caves much better and were just around the bend. The dwarf looked at the eggs and then the jewels. No time for delay. He scooped in the spot where he saw the still glowing egg and hurried off, bag full.

When he was safely out of the trolls area he stopped for a rest. Looking into his bag he let out a loud cry realizing that he had missed the egg and was only left with a bag of jewels. The egg sat in a pile of gems where they attached as it cooled.

 When I go to make a post on Instagram of a new creation sometimes the post becomes part of a story and it just flows out before I even know what I am doing. They may sound silly but these are the kinds of stories I would tell my kids when they were little while we were out picking blueberries on the farm or playing in the garden. I hope some of you enjoy them :)

~April~

Friggle Fraggle

Mother of Dragons

Mother of Dragons... Closely watching and caring for the eggs until they are hatched or adopted. I carry one around my neck and another in my pocket. Some are placed on shelves and others in boxes. But all are uniquely special and loved.

 *Dragon Egg by FriggleFraggle

*Dragon Egg necklace by FriggleFraggle

*Curly frizzy hair from my mother

I have a variety of Dragon Eggs and Mermaid Eggs that I will be listing in my shop.
Which one is your favorite?

~April~
Friggle Fraggle

Mermaid Eggs

Mermaid Eggs

When I was a small child mother took my sister and I on trips in the summer and long weekends. We usually went camping or hiking somewhere new but sometimes we liked a place so much that we wanted to go back again and again.

One year we went to Aquarena Springs in San Marcos Texas.  As a wide eyed child I still remember seeing an Aquamaid for the first time and fell in love with the idea that Mermaids really do exist outside of movies and story books. 

They swam so gracefully in the water as I watched through the thick glass that separated us yet let me feel like I was right there in the water with them. They had a show and did tricks such as back flips and my favorite was when they drank coke out of a glass bottle.  I was amazed and wished I loved water enough to be a mermaid, yet I was still afraid from my near death experience in the past.

We rode the glass bottom boat and could see all the fish and underwater creatures swim below. The whole time I was watching out for more Mermaids and was sure I spotted a glimpse of a tail. Ralph, the famous swimming pig was also a sight that people traveled far to see.

The history of Aquarina Springs in interesting and I wish it was still open so you could have a chance to experience the magic as well. Sadly, it has closed and is now a nature center. Here is an article explaining more in detail of what it was and is now.

That is a place I will never forget and remember fondly to this day.

~~~~~~

Over the years I often wondered if Mermaids lay eggs or give live birth. What a silly thing to think about but it does cross my mind. They have human features on the top and are fish like at the bottom so that makes me think that both are possible. 

When the idea of Mermaid Eggs came to me I tried to think of what an egg from a Mermaid would look like. I imagined it would be similar to a mermaid in their beauty yet a little rough like a fish. So I made the texture layered and scale-ish but encrusted with beautiful colors and gems. 

Here are a few pictures of my Mermaid Eggs

This one is a dark blue and black with a blue stone and little blue gems.

This one is pink and black with a pink stone and pink gems.

This one is a pearl encrusted black and white egg.

I have a few more varieties and create new ones as I am inspired.
I also have Dragon Eggs!!
They will be available in my shop soon.

Have a magical day...
~April~
Friggle Fraggle

5K!

One of my new years resolutions or goals for the year was to do a 5K race on my birthday. I have been working on it and I finally did my first 5K today since I was a teen! (Don't get me wrong, working on the farm and having kids, I walked way more than that everyday but just to do one on it's own, in my free time) AND I realized that today is exactly one month until my birthday! This was not a race, I am just training in my driveway. (see earlier post here - yes, I know I need to update it :P)

Now that I know I can do it time to find one and sign up :D

Ants in Macro

A few days ago I walked past a big mass of ants that seemed to have been disturbed by something.

It was odd to see because they were in the gravel so I wouldn't have noticed them if they weren't all out at once.

It thought this would be a great time to get the macro lens out and see the little creatures being so active together outside of their secret underground world.

 It was hard not to notice this many ants

 So I took a closer look

They seemed to know what they were doing, where they were going..

They all had a purpose

They were working together to save their community

Ants are amazing little creatures

What is your purpose?

Are you going where you are supposed to be going?

Stop. Pray. Meditate. Listen. 

Do. Be.

Blueberry Farm

Yesterday I went to the farm to see what the state of the blueberries were after the frosty nights we have had.  The bushes are loaded with blossoms but many have been kissed by the frost and won't turn into delicious blueberries :( 

All the little pink blossoms would have been blueberries

These bushes are about 25+ years old 

They stand over 6' tall and about the same wide

This variety is a southern Rabbit Eye

The berries are large and sweet

The poor little brown flowers are the ones that were frosted

These seem to be untouched :)

 These are a variety that are more tolerant of the cold weather

They are called Northern High Bush

These are my favorite kind

They have a strong tart blueberry flavor

We make many smoothies and freeze as many of these as we can

The bushes are much smaller and don't produce as much

as the southern Rabbit eyes

They are only about 5' tall and about 2-3' wide

They are the about the same age as the others

While the Borer bee is very annoying around the house and barn 

They are vital to the blueberries

They help open the blossoms so the honey bees can get to them

and are one of the first pollinators seen at the farm

If you haven't picked blueberries at a farm you should try it at least once

to see how they grow and have a real, fresh blueberry

be warned though:

 you might not be able to eat the store blueberries again ;)

Life is a journey

Life is a journey, not a destination.

You won't reach your destination until you die.

So choose your path wisely and change it when you need to.

Love, forgive and live with passion.

Pray with an open heart and listen.

Learn as you go and enjoy the ride.

The time is now

Are you doing things to get you where you want to be?

Will you look back in a month, a year and be any closer?

Today is the day to start.

"The time is now."
-I have seen this message quite a few times in the last week or so.
Time to listen.

~FriggleFraggle~

Million Mile Month Week 1-2 Updated

Week 1 April 1-7, 2016

Day 1    2.11 miles @ 40.52 min. 19.03/per mile  Total 2.11 @ 40.52 min  60* nice
Day 2    1.06 miles @ 17.29 min. 16.09/per mile  Total 3.1   @ 57.81 min  50* windy
Day 3    1.07 miles @ 19.50 min. 18.29/per mile  Total 4.24 @ 1.3 hours    60* windy
Day 4    1.07 miles @ 17.46 min. 16.19/per mile  Total 5.31 @ 1.6 hours    60* rainy
Day 5    1.32 miles @ 28.46 min.  20.49/per mile Total 6.63 @ 2.08 hours  40* windy
Day 6    1.04 miles @ 20.59 min.  19.49/per mile Total 7.67 @ 2.43 hours  50* very windy
Day 7    0

Week 2 April 8-14, 2016

Day 8    .38 miles   @ 8.43 min.  22.49/per mile Total 8.05  @ 2.51 hours   50* windy/rain
Day 9    0                                                                                                40* rain/snow
Day 10  0                                                                                                 40* rain
Day 11  1.35 miles @ 31.15 min.  22.58/per mile Total 9.41 @ 3.09 hours  50* cloudy/wet
Day 12  1.36 miles @ 29.52 min.  22.19/per mile Total 10.76 @ 3.59 hours 60* nice
Day 13  1.52 miles @ 30.18 min.  19.31/per mile Total 12.28 @ 4.1 hours 60* beautiful
Day 14

The goal I have set for myself is 30 miles in the Month of April. I figured if I do a mile a day (or more on the days I am up to it- so if I have to skip a day because of weather or schedule, I could be a little ahead) I can accomplish the goal.

I am going to keep a weekly log of my progress. I am mostly walking, jogging, or running on a gravel driveway that is on a hill. When I get to go to the track I will note it so I can keep track of the difference in the terrain.

Here are some pics of the driveway that I am using right now. It is convenient because it is just outside of my house and I can just go when I have the time. Going to the track or trail will be nice when I am able to schedule it, but it also means driving longer than I will be working out.

According to the GPS tracking on Map My Run I need to walk down the length of the driveway 9 times and up 8 times to make 1 mile.

Down the driveway

Down the driveway

Up the driveway

Gravel I am treading on :P

I use this time to either clear my mind, pray or listen to music depending on what I need at the time.

It is getting easier each day. The weather is also getting nicer. It has been quite windy the last few days though and it rained on me on day 4 but I kept on going.

The wind and cooler weather make it harder for me to stay out for very long. I can't handle the cold very well.

P.S. I don't like being in the rain because I will melt :P

~FriggleFraggle~