Joni's Things

New Jewelry Sept. 14, 2011

2011-09-14T15:19:00.000-07:00

Approx 6"

Approx. 7"

Approx 7"

Approx 8"

I've finally caught up and I've slowed down a little bit, other things are taking priority over my jewelry making.

New Jewelry, Sept. 3, 2011

2011-09-03T16:17:00.000-07:00

My Happy Place (well one of them)

2011-08-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

It's Friday and seconds from my afternoon of painting shows (always hoping to pick up tips) but I decided to catch up here and post what I've gotten finished this week - this has been a slower week. Actually the pendants below I've finished a while ago but had them stashed back. I'm still concentrating mainly on bracelets. I've just had life interrupting in a major way this week. I've spent two days at the hospital's health campus having tests and I'm scheduled next Thursday to see a surgeon and probably looking at some surgery and a short vacation at the hospital the next week. The last couple of days I've spent on the sofa sleeping when I wasn't participating in the tests, trying to replenish my electrolytes and stop the room from spinning violently every time I got in bed. But I have managed to have a few ideas pop into my head.

I'm thinking I probably need to work on some more pendants too.

This memory wire wrap bracelet is not my original idea/design I had a kit come in from Simply Beads Kit of the Month that made a bracelet similar to this so I decided to do another one. I love, love, love agates and I loved the look of the bracelet in the kit.

Oops, I hear Bob Ross - gotta go!!!

Bracelets 8-14-2011

2011-08-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday's Bracelets

2011-08-14T16:48:00.001-07:00

Friday's Bracelets

2011-08-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

A good finish the the week, I think, 53 new bracelets total, now on to the weekend. AND it's preseason!!!! The Chiefs and the Buccaneers are playing tonight. Oh how I love the sound of FOOTBALL!!!

Running on High Creative Energy

2011-08-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

I've been busy the last two weeks, making over 200 pairs of earrings and these bracelets and necklaces I made so far, the earrings shown are just a portion of what I've done. The cross pendants on the necklaces were actually pins I bought on sale at a local store and cut the pin off the back:

Slowly Coming Back

2011-08-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

Despite the extremely hot (we hit 100 the other day), humid southern summer I seem to have put on a little burst of creative energy. Thankful everyday for a cool home to hide from the heat in, I have busied myself lately making earrings, over 200 pair to be exact over a weekend and off and on during the last two weeks. About 80 pair still need ear wires or posts, I've run out of both and put a big dent in my head pin stash. But I have learned an easy way to make my own french hooks and make them come out uniform every time. But for this batch of earrings I'll be making a trip to Michael's and/or Hobby Lobby to get the hooks and posts. It seems like the earring making has finally opened up my creative energy. I finished 3 of the 8x10 partially done canvases this past week too. Here they are:

I have two more 8x10's and several smaller pieces to finish whenever they tell me what they need (lol). I'm enjoying my recent upswing of energy and hope my ideas keep forming in my head. Today may be a very slow day however, it seems I am dealing with an FM flare that is zapping my energy and making me sore and achy all over. May need a nap on the sofa later. Headache, sore muscles, painful knees, and swollen lower legs, ankles, and feet have me moving at a turtle's pace. Glad for the quiet. I am busying myself with light housework and resting some, I have a "date night" with my two best buddies later.

Canvas 6 2011

2011-05-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

This one started out different but I like the end results. The center picture is a side of a small gift bag - another thing I hoard along with decorative paper and tissue papers. I edged it in copper tape and added a patina wax to it to age it. Out of curiosity I swiped the patina wax on a spot on the canvas on the background in a spot that would be behind the center picture and loved the color that happened and so I covered the entire canvas. The metal zebra is a charm and then I added beach glass and rusty clothespin springs and edged the canvas with copper wax.

New Day

2011-05-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

My newest canvas - 16x20 - a big deal for me, normally I don't work on anything this big, but I'm trying to step out of my comfort zone and stretch a bit. This is a do over, actually it's done over the canvas I painted last year (2010) shortly after February. When my heart was broken and wounded at the loss of my best friend. I took the piece down from the wall in the stairway several months ago, realizing that time has healed, the memories I keep are good ones, but time goes on and my heart has healed and reopened to a new love and new possibilities months ago. I realized I could let go of the mourning piece and covered it with several coats of gesso and then glued an oversize piece of muslin over the top and started gluing on papers, tissue paper, etc, even a few dried Japanese Maple leaves. I gave it an ink wash and then trimmed down the edges of the muslin and burned and scorched the edges. I've done this in the past with atc's but never on a canvas and never anything this large. But I was careful, took the work outside so not to set off the smoke alarms in the house (lol). Only had one accident, one skinny strip of cloth I was burning flamed up and burned my left index finger and thumb a bit on the ends but not bad, didn't blister up thankfully. Actually I was sitting on the front porch when I finished the burn and was gazing at my red Japanese Maple and it occurred to me that some of the dried leaves from that tree would look good on the piece and so I brought it in and dug out the leaves and the gel medium and went to work. Then I attached the copper - I don't know why I have such an attraction to this metal but I love it. I love the richness of the color and I'm hoping in time it will develop a beautiful patina. The copper wire is from the piece that helped hold my second bundle together outside during the winter.

Beautiful Sunday

2011-05-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

Finished another Maya Road tin pendant - I'm loving making these little wearable shadowboxes.

Bowl 3 - Series 2: "Citrus" Celluclay, acrylic paint, mulberry papers, "Strawberry Daiquiri" Memory Mists, and iridescent green and yellow glass beads.

Bowl 4 - Series 2: "Afternoon Walk" this one is palm size it is celluclay too with handmade papers lining the inside and a gathering of moss, a Japanese Maple leaf, palm seeds, rock, pieces of a long hoarded robin's egg shell among other things. I drilled holes around the edge of the bowl with my dremel and decided to sew aged twine (from Bundle 2) to the edge with heavy duty carpet thread. About the third round I decided to keep going and cover the back with the twine, sewing it together basket style. Ok, I didn't make a photo of the back because it is messy, my stitches are so far from evenly layed out and consistent it isn't funny, but this was just a practice run for me anyway, just to see if I could do it and how it would look basically. So next time I'll do better and spend more time making sure to get it uniform. My hands are sore but I'm satisfied with the end result and it was a nice calming way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

New Bowl Series & Ponderings

2011-04-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

Bowl 1 - Celluclay, painted with acrylic paints, accented with copper leafing, wooden beads, copper wire and piece of black bamboo.

Bowl 2 Celluclay, acrylic paint, scrapbook paper, gold leafing, red coral chips, metal tag.

I've been trying to keep myself busy the last 24 hrs. The south has been hit with extreme weather, over one hundred tornadoes, extreme storms, several hundred dead over 6 states. Alabama seems to have been hit the hardest. And my heart is in Alabama, specifically Huntsville, AL. Finally got a call from him this morning a little after 7am, he had no power, said things were bad there, we were talking and got disconnected, don't know if his mobile went dead or just mobile trouble in general. Sent a text this afternoon, no response. I know at least this morning, when things were over that he was ok. I know when he can he'll get in touch soon. So in the meantime, I keep busy, thankful that things didn't get as bad here and equally thankful my friends scattered from Alabama to NC & TN are all safe and ok. My heart hurts for the ones who have suffered losses in all this. I pray we have quiet weather for as long as possible to help them pick up the pieces of their lives and start to heal.

The Unveiling!!!

2011-04-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

The end of Week 16, and this morning I went out and brought in my bundle and I have to say that I'm much more pleased with the results of this one than the first. I love the way the colors of the inks "cooked" this time for one thing, the blues and greens are beautiful. But then this bundle, the winter bundle had more exposure to wet weather than the summer bundle, so I'm thinking hanging one out in the wetter part of the year or a regular soaking in the dryer works better. Anyway here are some of the results:

The copper wire and piping didn't green up like I hoped, I'll work on that.

Bookmarks

The inside of the bird cards - some of these papers will definitely have to be scanned before I use them just in case I want to use them again. I'm not sure what caused the circle (seen better on the outside of the cards), I have it on several papers and love it. It seems to have placed itself on each just right.

Is it just me or is there a palm tree in the middle of this one??????

These are tea bags I left closed with the tea inside, some others I opened and dumped and cleaned before I put them in.

These papers were laying below/against the unopened tea bags - the dark brown spots on the papers are the result.

The inks on this one above and below remind me of a map.

I think there are a lot more usable papers this time. There are also pieces of brown paper bags splattered with paint, ink, gesso, coffee filters, baby wipes, and one of the layers of dryer lint grabbed some of the ink and may prove to be an interesting addition to a mixed media piece. Time will tell. I think I will take a break from "bundling" until I use up some of the papers, etc. I have. The drawer is packed full of possibilities. But then again I may get an urge to hang another soon. I love the experimenting.

Striking While the Iron is Hot

2011-04-14T23:08:00.000-07:00

My muse is hanging around a while it seems so I'm taking advantage of her good nature (lol). I've been playing around with making some new chunky, fun, funky rings. The first two have soft suede bands, the first has an old earring glued on top. The third is a redo of a ring I bought (actually, I bought a lot of them) after finding them in the $1 bin at Michael's. They are silvertone rings with 1" clear round cabochon that had a floral sticker underneath that I found would come off easily after prying the cab off the ring. I've been putting a 1" round mirror on the ring frame and then adding mini images and then gluing the clear cab back on top. The 4th ring is made of one of the $1 ring frames and an old pin.

I'm needing something new and different hairstyle wise so I'm letting my hair grow out after a zillion years of keeping it very short. I find myself in a position of very soon needing barrettes to keep it back out of my face, glue, paint, glitter, gel medium (well you get the picture). So I'm making barrettes for myself. This one is just an odd cut piece of leather and "leopard" skin (from an old purse) and beads from an old necklace and copper wire glued onto a large metal barrette form.

New soft cuff - Safari. Like the denim it is on a suede base with "leopard" material, beads, buttons, broken jewelry, broken "coins", etc.

Eventually I'll Stop and Go to Bed (Maybe)

2011-04-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

This necklace has taken a while (over a year) to finish. I bought a bag of old shoe buckles at the thrift shop and used one to alter to make the pendant, then adding the cording and chain was the easy part. It took me a while to decide how to keep the cording and chain under control. The charms are from a pair of earrings, and I had enough to make earrings to go with the necklace.

Altered box (Maya Road ordered from Altered Pages) aged with copper rub'n'buff and patina rub'n'buff, the inside has background paper, altered scrabble tile, rusty clothespin hinge, copper microbeads, copper beads on the catch, I used leather cording and copper beads on necklace.

It's Been a Productive Day

2011-04-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

I happened upon some strips of a suede at the local Goodwill, one of my favorite places to shop according to my eldest grandson. I purchased a fairly good size bag full of several colors. I had a free form piece of denim/lace/antique brass studs applique I've been hoarding back for a while. I cut a double strip of suede to fit my arm, then sewed both pieces together with the applique on top. I cut around the applique leaving a bit of a suede edge and free form cut the ends and sewed around the edge. Couldn't leave well enough alone so I decided to encrust the piece with bits and pieces of things including buttons, broken "coins:, beads, broken jewelry, polyclay faces, charms, etc. I added a patina colored rub'n'buff wax to some of the metal pieces to age them a bit. Now it's just a decision as to where and when to wear it.

Ok, I Changed My Mind

2011-04-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

After a brief thought, I decided to turn the Chocolate Scrabble Tile bracelet into a necklace and earring set. Not having copper earring hooks, I made my own.

Bundle 2 Week 15

2011-04-12T07:19:00.000-07:00

Oh I'm getting anxious now! One more week then I can open this baby and see what nature has given me this time. It's almost like Christmas. Bundle 1 went thru the extreme heat and dry summer last year. This one has experienced cold, rain, snow, ice, and hopefully hasn't gathered a ton of pollen this spring (lol). I'm counting down the days till I can see how some of the experiments I layered into this one changed/developed.

So I've taken my first walk of the day, with my knees and hip joint I've broken down my 15 minute start-to-rebuild-me walk into manageable (easier, less painful) 8 minute or 5 minute walks, doing ever how many I need to in order to do the 15 minutes. I'm looking forward to the day, soon I hope, that I can breeze thru the 15 minutes in one walk and start adding more. I've been keeping my Sketchers on all day, from the time I get downstairs in the mornings until almost bedtime at night and I can honestly tell the difference in my knee and hip pain. This has been a new experience for me, I'm a barefoot girl, always have been. Guess I get that from my Granny Taylor. But I'm seeing in less than a week that I'm better off in supportive shoes the older I get. Now if I can just figure out how to stop my feet and ankles from swelling so much I'll be set. I hope the walking is going to help that too. So I'm sitting here, catching up my blog, drinking a big glass of water, waiting for my head to cool off (good ole nsaids) and then it's a short slide of the chair over to my work desk and playtime.

Got New Toys!!!!!!

2011-04-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

I watched a tutorial on Facebook the other day from Michael's using Crayola Slick Stick Twistable crayons. Had to have some!!!! I went on the Crayola site and ordered a 12 color set for 9.99 plus s/h. They came in today. They are really cool, softer than regular crayons, their consistency is more like lipstick. They go onto your surface very well (this piece had layers of background paper, images, a transparency, gel medium, gesso, tissue paper, first). I am the first to admit I am a remedial drawer but these crayons help buffer that (lol). You can draw with them and then dip your finger in water and rub over the colored areas and that blends and spreads the color giving the piece a watercolor look. I attempted a tree, then plants around the door and then just loose, abstract color around the transparency (still not liking the square look of those edges - got to work on that). It seemed a bit bright to me so I added a layer of gesso over the entire piece, this was too thick so I dipped my sponge brush in water and went back over it. Still not quite there, I counted to ten, then pulled a baby wipe (keep on hand for cleaning my stamps and all sorts of things) and wiped down the entire piece rubbing over and muting areas. I had a dry paper towel laying on my work area that I used to clean the yellow crayon after getting some red and orange on it so I picked it up and started rubbing the color from the towel onto the canvas adding more subtle color. I went back to the used baby wipe and did a bit more rubbing here and there to flatten the color. I think it still needs a little more, I like the look so far and I know in time it will tell me what else it needs.

New Bracelets

2011-04-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

Da Vinci Bracelet made from altered scrabble tiles edged in microbeads and copper leafing on the back.

Goddess Bracelet - altered scrabble tiles/silver beads.

I have one more to finish, well it is finished for the most part, I just have to get a clasp.

The End is Almost in Sight

2011-04-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

Week 14, two more to go. The bundle got a real good soaking last night from the sounds out my window. We had a big storm blow through our area. The power went out for a few seconds during the night and then again this morning after 9 am. The world gets really quiet, or at least my little corner does when the power goes out. Leaves me thinking I really could live without of the hum of convenience and technology in this house. But then again I do enjoy my internet and unspoiled food. Today we've enjoyed sunshine and chilly wind. I just hope the rain took the bulk of the loose pollen with it.

I believe the bird nest in the wreath on the storage room door has been abandoned. I have been watching when I'm in the kitchen and did a close inspection today when I went out to photograph the bundle and I see no signs of it being used. I'm thinking that little bird decided there was too much traffic and noise in that location. I hope she's managed to get another nursery ready. I was hoping she would feel safe in that nest. Evidently not. But the mourning dove is still happily perched on her nest in the arch. I've had to pass under her several times lately but she doesn't budge. She seems smaller than most of the mourning doves I've seen wandering around the yard. But she's determined. I think she'll be a good momma.

New Simply Beads Kit-of-the-Month

2011-04-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

Well my mail carrier halted any and all ideas I had about yard or housework today. She stuffed my mailbox full of goodies that included a new big, thick Fire Mountain Gems catalog and this new jewelry kit from Simply Beads Kit-of-the-Month Club. I look forward to those fat manila envelopes in my mailbox each month. They come with all the materials you need to complete the project. You just have to supply the time and tools. They have simple instructions to follow and walk you thru step by step. This was a new one for me - the necklace, bracelet and earrings are made on polyester chain. I've never worked with it before, in fact I've never seen or heard of it before. It's beyond lightweight and easy to work with. I did mine a little different. I was watching a movie (88 Minutes with Al Pacino - very good movie) and I sat at my desk and watched and made up all of the dangles to begin with. The instructions in the kit have you making them as you need them and adding them to the chain before you close the loop, I decided to do all of mine and add them onto the pieces with extra "O" rings from my own stash instead. I love the fact that the kits also send you a little more of everything material-wise. This gave me enough leftover materials to make a second pair of earrings on an "O" ring chain. The set has the look of wrapped wire chain.

Been Busy Tonight

2011-04-03T21:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight, inspiration hit, along with a desire to make this "pearl" and turquoise necklace, bracelet, and earring set. I have been hooked on the TV show Criminal Minds from the first episode. I try to watch it every week and watch the reruns on ION channel. I love all of the characters but my favorite it Penelope Garcia, their computer girl. I love all of the jewelry she wears and two weeks ago she had on a necklace something on this order and I wanted one badly. I just loved the look of the pearl/turquoise combination and the fact they looked like they were floating around her neck. I knew I had to try to make one similar. I don't know who designed the one she was wearing but my hat's off to them. I pondered on the necklace for two weeks trying do decide how to get the "floaty" effect and decided on clear seed beads to provide that. So this week I took the plunge and bought the beads and would have been happy to have had just enough for the necklace, but was thrilled that I had enough leftover beads to make a necklace and earrings, I did not, however, because of the weight, add the turquoise to the earrings. That will keep them light and also allow me to wear them with other things.

I spent the afternoon with my eldest grandson (aka Nana's best art buddy) and after he left I ran to Michael's for a moment to ramble - they had their Bead Gallery beads on sale (50% off) and during my rambling and looking and drooling I spied the coral beads and they just screamed BRACELET and I decided "half off, might as well". I love the weighty, chunky look of it.

One More Done!!!

2011-04-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

My latest 8x8 board canvas: layers upon layers of a variety of papers - tissue and scrapbook - gesso, and I originally thought of framing the center section with the copper wire but didn't have enough of the wire so this is how it ended up being completed.

On my way back from the mailbox this morning I got to take in one of my favorite spring views, my Lady Banks Rose is showing out again this year and I love every moment of it's beauty. I know it's going to have to be severely cut back as soon as it stops blooming, there are eave repairs that cannot be put off much longer, but I am leaving it alone until it finishes it's show. I love the way the new leaves on the Japanese Maple contrast with the rose and although the Lady has taken over the Red Bud you can still see glimpses of it's magenta/purplish blooms.

Week 13 - The Soggy Weekend

2011-03-27T15:20:00.000-07:00

After beautiful, warm weather this past week, we are having a cold rainy weekend. BUT we need the rain to wash as much pollen as possible far, far away. This has been a bad year for me and pollen. It seems it's effected me more this season my nose is stuffy, I'm sneezing more, and my eyes are itching and burning and gunky. It makes me only want to lay around and sleep.

So here we are on Bundle week 13, it feels like this time the weeks are going by faster. I haven't started compiling Bundle No. 3 yet, I've had other things on my mind. My Japanese Maple that's holding the bundle has started to leaf out this week, adding some shade to the days.

Spring is starting to decorate my yard and I'm loving watching the daily progress. The Lady Banks Rose is starting to bloom and is creating a cascade of yellow around and over the front steps. It needs trimming, it will get cut back now after the blooms die. I love the look. The wisteria on the back steps railing makes me smile every time I walk onto the back porch. It's hard to see from the

photo but the combo in the side yard of the pearl tree, Lady Banks, and a Redbud is stunning. And the Redbud in the backyard is in full bloom. I'm still looking and waiting patiently for my Musa Bajoo Bananas to show up again this year. My mom was telling me the other day that her bananas didn't come back this year. I told her it may be early yet, give them time. I'm sure when the weather warms and holds mine will start popping up out of the ground. The bamboo isn't wasting any time - I'll have to go out and break off the shoots starting up out of the ground soon to stop them. I'm looking forward to the coming porch days, but I need to get busy and get the porches ready.

Canvas No 4 Mar 2011

2011-03-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

This turned out to be one of those "leave it alone, it's finished" pieces. It's an 8x10 stretch canvas with layers of background papers consisting of scrapbook papers, tissue paper, handmade paper, turpentine paper; gesso, silver leafing, silver wax, polyclay faces.

The yellow jasmine, redbud tree, wisteria and my beautiful lady banks rose are all starting to bloom but it's impossible to be outside to enjoy them right now. The pollen is beyond horrible. Which poses a question in my mind, will my bundle have some pollen stained papers inside? Hmmmmm. Running errands today it seemed like the air was just a yellow/green haze. We're promised rain later on tonight, the storm alert keeps beeping interrupting the tv and driving me crazy (lol). But despite the side effects, rain good and steady to wash away the pollen will be a welcome visitor around here. All seems to be well in the dove and wren nurseries. I'm trying to stay away from them as much as possible. Which gives me an excuse not to have to open the storage room door to get my saws and clippers to do any yard work (lol). I am looking forward to the wren babies being born hopefully on the porch. It will be interesting to watch them from the kitchen window, and it's safer right now to enjoy the spring blooms from that vantage point too.

Bundle 2 Week 12

2011-03-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

A day early photographing this week. Things are moving right along I guess, four more weeks and then I can see what I have to work with. Although I'm far from using up all of the papers I have from the first bundle, I can't wait to see what I have here. I'm curious to see if there is a noticeable difference in the summer and the winter aging effects.

Oh I'm Going to Pay for This

2011-03-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

I got slightly industrious yesterday - I do know better than to overdo it so I took it easy but decided to start slowly working on cleaning out the side and back yard, actually the side yard is getting clean the back is hosting a big pile of trash. It's looking better, more light coming in, now there's the big pile of debris to be done away with so I can make another one. That's the beauty of having a tiny yard, I think, you have to work in small increments unless you have some strong bodies standing by with a dump truck, I wish, I wish (lol). I stopped midway up the side yard, not only out of exhaustion, but because a little mourning dove has designated the dilapidated arch in the middle of the side yard as her nesting spot. And I will honor her wishes to raise her little ones there and then the arch will be removed. And then this morning while standing at the kitchen window I got a surprise - Nester No. 2. She's decided my wreath on my storage room door on my back porch will be the perfect nursery. Smart little wren (I think), she's on the porch out of the weather, and now I think I know just who has been knocking the seashells off the box on the wall (lol). I will honor her wishes too and be very careful any rare times for a while that I have to go into the storage room not to disturb her and the future babies as much as possible. But there's work to be done before the long not days of summer hit here in the south and the new "neighbors" will have to get used to me going in and out and sawing and such. The wisteria on the railing is about to bloom - love that!!! I love wisteria and so I planted (yes I'm a little bit crazy) some at the railing on the back porch steps and I keep it trimmed constantly to keep it under as much control as possible. I also love my wild violets that are scattering and slowly taking over the ground in the back yard. The Pearl Tree (can't remember the actual name) is blooming so there are white clouds just over my head. The big surprise yesterday (thrilled) is I found my eucalyptus tree isn't dead after all!! Several years ago we had a bad ice/snow mainly ice storm around Thanksgiving and the poor little thing broke almost in half (it was tall and skinny, almost 12'). I took the broken top and tossed it, but couldn't bring myself to dig it up despite the fact a well meaning friend told me it probably was a goner. I just left it and it had gotten surrounded by the privet and hidden. I was dancing on my toes yesterday when I saw the new height and buds on it. Hopefully it will continue to survive. There's so much to be done out there, in small bites, one at a time, like eating an elephant (lol). Today I'm sore - feel like I've been in a bad train wreck but I'm happy I've gotten this much done, and I will rest and putter around inside. I actually feel like I can go out there and sit and contemplate what should be done next and just enjoy watching the birds scurry around in the bamboo and shrubs. And I have put St. Francis and the alligator (he's undercover) in charge of keeping the peace and keeping the creatures safe when I'm inside recuperating from a few hours work.

Canvas No. 3

2011-03-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

I seem to keep moving right along despite the fact I still have no light over my work area, depending on my light over my computer desk which isn't as bright but serving the purpose. This is one that started out as something entirely different and ended up Asian themed. It's 8x10 in size, background papers, old book pages, images, gold leafing, faux coins, glass kimono ornament, gold wax.

Two Done Seven to Go!!

2011-03-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

It would seem I can work in semi darkness when I need to do so.
The first pic has been almost a year in the works, I get inspired, hit a wall and have to stop. It hung patiently above my work area for a long time before I decided how I wanted to finish it. There is a cocoon on it sent to me by my friend Els that as soon as I saw it I knew I had to work it into a piece asap! So it preceded slowly and finally today told me it was finished. I love working with nature's free art materials.

The second pic is a canvas I've used some of the papers and twine from my first bundle on along with rusty clothespin hinges and washers and a piece of a metal belt. The photo of the lady is a transparency - something else I love playing around with and there are bits of torn book pages copper wire and paint on it.

Both pieces are 8x10.

Promises of Spring!

2011-03-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

Found some wonderful surprises rambling through my yard this morning. My ornamental quince and forsythia are blooming - my early promises of spring. And my beautiful Christopher Columbus rose will be blooming soon - looking forward to those beautiful pinkish/coral blossoms. My double orange daylilies and iris are up several inches too. I love to watch the waking of my yard this time of year.

Bundle 2 Week 11

2011-03-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

Well the rubber bands that I used to bind my bundle have broken but the twine and naturally the copper wire and tubing is holding steady. Five more weeks and then the fun starts.

I had all intentions yesterday of coming downstairs and working steady on 9 8x10 canvases - all different - that I've been slowly completing in bits and pieces and baby steps. A couple are becoming do-overs. I have given myself permission to completely cover over the original start with paper or paint and take the piece into a completely different direction. Three are almost complete. But I found out very quickly that wasn't going to happen for the most part. The light over my work area is out - a circular florescent bulb. Not a spare one on hand. Note to self, buy a spare. So only non-messy work could be done on my computer desk. But I made some progress. Adding twigs to one, gold ink and gold leafing to another, copper paint to one (very carefully). When I started adding the twigs to one canvas, using my dremel to drill holes to wire the twigs to the canvas, that was short lived. The battery was low. Recharging time. Every thing I tried seemed to only end in a brick wall in my way but I had a good day anyway.

Today I've been outside taking pics of the bundle and other things that caught my eye and gathering River Birch twigs to replenish my supply. They are all cut to a workable size and in the box with the bamboo twigs, reeds, etc. Ready for the next project. So now I am wondering, what shall I do today..........

Some of my favorite things......

2011-03-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas ornaments made by my sister Jana this past Christmas. She took linens, dishes, etc she's inherited from our grandparents and pressed into the clay to make the designs before firing.

My $1.00 Bin Angels from Michael's - not sure what I'll eventually do with them but couldn't resist them - I love the old weathered look.

My little dining table

Close up detail of my little dining table's legs - the base is a bottom of an old pedal sewing machine. It had originally a rectangular wooden top and a marble top from an old dresser on top of that (broken into 4 pieces the marble now lives on each side of my stove and serves as a spot for hot pans, etc.). The legs and marble pieces were given to me by my mom when I moved into my townhouse (she thought I needed a little table for my kitchen), the pieces were once a washstand, holding a bowl and pitcher on the back porch of my great grandmothers house. It was there so my great uncles could wash up after a day of working in the fields before they came in to dinner. I primed the legs and painted them a pale cream/yellow and sponged them with copper and bronze glaze.

The first pine needle basket made by my sister Jill - I have several others she's made but this one sits out and holds some of my smaller seashells.

One of my favorite small pieces of pottery. A thrift shop find - I was drawn to the color. The frog buddy isn't attached, he just loves to hang on the side.

My faux "Wine Celler" under my kitchen cabinets.

I made this table years ago and painted it with several coats/colors of paint and sanded/distressed. It sits in my downstairs bathroom and is one of my oldest grandson's favorite play spot - he loves stirring up the shells.

My paternal grandfather had the carpenter's in the mill carpentry shop make this dresser for me before I was born.

A butter mold given to me by my great aunt.

Another thrift shop find - a little piece of pottery I couldn't resist and a found turtle shell.

This little statue occupies a spot on my kitchen counter - it isn't old, it was a piece my mom had at her store for sale that came in damaged. What a treasure!!! I left it outside for about a year to age it.

An old seashell was given to me by my great aunt - she told me it had belonged to her dad.

One of my favorite pieces of pottery - bought on a SPS trip to Tallahassee, FL a couple of years ago. Loved the color and the little lizards on top.

top view of pot.

I am definitely a pottery junkie!!! Can't get enough!

Oh if this table could talk - it would tell you how it originally was kitchen table height till I decided one day I wanted a rustic coffee table. Then I painted it white, then painted it 4 different colors layering them and sanded it to expose "worn" areas and decoupaged vintage postcards on top of it, then it went to live for a few years at my friend Lynn's house till she tired of it, then it went from the backporch in the winter months to the yard in the summer months holding small pots of palm seedlings for several years, then I decided I wanted a rustic coffee table again, so I stripped it.

Oh the days when I could still get in the floor and paint/stencil at floor level (lol). This is on the small wall going into my kitchen.


A basket (another weakness of mine) bought at my mom's store.

Bundle 2 Week 10

2011-03-08T09:36:00.000-08:00

Ok, now it's getting to the point that I want to open this baby already. Today is a soggy day for bundles, we've had rain and I'm starting to see more of the next layer peeking through. I honestly think the thing is thinner than when I first hung it outside, from the side, from my kitchen window the other day it looked like the copper tubing was sticking out more from the sides.

I finished the last necklace/bracelet/earring set for the AFA swap I'm in. FINALLY - I was beginning to think (oh me of big doubt) that inspiration was never going to hit. But it did, Sunday and in a matter of a couple of hours I had my set. I decided to make links for the necklace and bracelet by putting 5 red stone chips on a silver eye pin and then trimming and making a loop on the opposite end. I used up all of the eye pins I had in stock (WOOT - that means a trip to Michael's - like I need an excuse) but I got lucky and ended up with 28 red stone links. I used head pins (cutting off the head) to make eye pins for the alternating link which was made up of one black glass bead. I made a pendant from a carved red glass asian style large flat bead and smaller black beads and voila! The necklace! The bracelet was made from the same links and is a 2 strand bracelet. The earrings are made from leftover links and black beads - now I want a set for myself! I was very pleased with the way this turned out.

My new Simply Beads Kit-of-the-Month stole my heart this month, I'll try to remember to bring the finished set back downstairs and photograph it. It was a jewelry set made up in silver and turquoise - may ALL time favorite combo. But the main thing, aside from the fact I'm loving my new jewels is the bracelet had a hook clasp that you make with a head pin, 4 small beads and wire which wraps around the end of the head pin and then over and below each of the beads to separate them. I love the look and now thanks to Simply Beads I have a new way of making a hook clasp that is really pretty.

My other new love of the week? I have a webcam. Came in last Friday and I'm thrilled that I can now not only talk (thank you Skype) over this computer to my sweetheart in Alabama but he and I can see each other. I'm loving that!!! All in all it's been a good week. Now I need to get off this machine and get busy. Art awaits!!

New Jewels

2011-02-27T13:02:00.000-08:00

I've been creatively busy off and on the last two weeks finishing up these pieces that are for an AFA swap. The bracelets are done with scrabble tiles I used to make charms & I added images to them and two bracelets have charms I encrusted with microbeads on the edges and the third I used silver leafing on the charms. I added bead dangles in between to jazz them up. The earrings are simple. Just strung on eye pins and hooked to the earring hooks. The pearl necklace set is a design I borrowed from a Simply Beads Kit-of-the-Month set I got recently. The other necklace set incorporates

fibers and a beaded fringe on the pendant I made and I also cut up part of the extra fringe to get the beads to string for the bracelet and earrings. I need to make one more set. The swap is a 2 for 2 (send in 2 in each category you sign up for and you get 2 back) but I always make an extra for the host. So this evening I will be making jewels and getting all packed and ready to mail tomorrow afternoon.

Bundle 2 Week 8 & 9 or Behind Again!

2011-02-27T12:50:00.000-08:00

Ok, the last week got away from me, so what else is new (lol). It was my last week as a full time babysitter for my 6 month old grandson, aka: Nana's littlest angel, and he's a full time handful when he's awake because he isn't still. Actually he's not always still when he's sleeping unless you swaddle him and get him bound up like a burrito (lol). I'm going to miss that smile everyday and the fun but I'm not going to miss the exhaustion I felt at the end of the day. I told my son Matthew recently that I realize why God decided we would have our children in our younger years. I know my FM and arthritis has a lot to do with the trouble I had keeping up with him. But now I can go back to being just Nana again and babysitting when mom and dad need a date night or such. And his older brother is excited because now Nana can pick him up again occasionally (normally once a week) at school and we can have a play day and he can have me all to himself. I need to sit down in the morning and make a list of things I need to do around here, I want to do around here, I may try to do around here, working in one or two small chores a day and setting up a fairly set time for art, catching up my reading, cleaning out, etc. I also want to make time for some art classes either close by or online.

As for the bundle - you can see we are still pretty much in a holding pattern, not much happening. I believe for the most part (hope, hope, hope) that our cold weather is passing - we had days in the 60's and 70's last week, however the past couple of nights have been freezing, or at least to me. I love my room cooler for sleeping, I can pile on the covers, when I'm not too lazy or whatever to get myself out of the bed and get more, but I'm ready for a happy medium. Warm days and cool nights. I officially turned off the heat this morning when I came downstairs (you are welcome Matthew), actually I noticed when I went out to photograph the bundle and take out the trash earlier that it's warmer outside than inside. So the days ahead, if they remain like this will be great for opening windows and airing out the house before the pollen season is upon us and we have to shut the house back up tight. The birds have been rambling around in the yard flirting and gathering nesting materials. My son Michael saw a chipmunk friday when he came to pick up Luke. Birds, squirrels, chipmunks, lizards are fine, but I truly hope any and all snakes that may be residing in or around my yard stay hidden.

Bundle 2 Week 7 & Amulet Bags

2011-02-15T19:07:00.000-08:00

One week shy of the half way mark. Seems we're at a standstill, not seeing much change this week.

Meanwhile, I'm liking the way these amulet bags turned out for ANg's swap on AFA. I decided to weave them again but went for a twist this time - I cut up a scarf and a never-will-fit-me top of mixed materials (copper colored lace, burgundy shear material and a print material) into strips to use to weave the bags instead of fibers this time. I used seed beads to embellish and make the neck straps and copper beads and sequins. Now just got to get them packed and ready to ship..............

I'm still fighting a bad bout of fatigue so by the end of my days I'm too exhausted to try to start a new project. I'm just puttering and cleaning out some of the drawers in my work space. I have one jewelry swap to get ready before March 1st but that won't take me long once I decide exactly what I'm going to do. It looks like as of the first of March I will be retired again and hopefully my energy level will balance back out and projects will start rolling out of my head and fingers. We shall see. I need to sit down and write out a plan so that my days don't end up being wasted. I need to balance the "chores" that have piled up around here with my fun time. I need discipline and need it badly. I want to be able to say at the end of the day that I have accomplished something.

Bundle 2 Week 6

2011-02-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm thinking that the outer cardboard (aka cereal box) is starting to deteriorate a bit and I'm seeing signs of paint bleeding thru - PROGRESS!!!! I'm starting to think that winter weather helps the process of aging and distressing more. One thing about it, since Christmas this bundle hasn't much of a chance to dry out completely like the first did in the heat of summer.

Week 5 (Yawn)

2011-02-04T18:46:00.000-08:00

We are in a "hold pattern" it seems this week, we are starting to get to the point that it is going to appear that nothing is happening for some weeks to come. Oh well, another lesson in patience, one I can never have enough of. So while I wait for signs of change, and study my lessons in patience, I will be working on ATC's and jewelry for swaps, and anything else that pops into my head. I am still trying to get back into my "art groove" slowly but surely. The weeks since Christmas, with the bad weather in our area, my pain and fatigue levels have been very high so I'm having to pace myself between babysitting, art time, and resting. I'm hoping that the days are going to start drying up and warming up which will help keep my FM more under control. I'm also hoping that my hands stop being so stiff and sore and I stop dropping things and having trouble picking up things, especially small objects. I feel a need to challenge myself too however to get into the habit of creating something every evening, no matter how tired I am. Right now, few ideas are forming in my fatigue laden brain so I at least try to go into my art space every evening if for nothing else than just normal straightening up, culling out, rearranging - trying to make my space work better for me.

Week 4 Bundle 2

2011-01-26T17:03:00.000-08:00

I'm behind this week, fatigue and a week long headache has taken their toll on me. I can't believe a month has passed already. I can see darkening on the copper (WOOT!!!) and the outside cover definitely seems to be shrinking a bit exposing the inner papers to more weather. We've had cold rainy days after the snow disappeared that doesn't help my physically but hopefully is "cooking" my bundle. Twelve more weeks and then we open!!!!

I managed to get some art energy together and finished 2 swaps and got them in the mail. I have amulet bags to weave. The weaving isn't the hard part, they work up pretty quickly. It takes me longer to pick out the fibers to weave.

Week 3 for Bundle 2

2011-01-20T15:56:00.000-08:00

I'm starting to see some shrinkage of the outside cardboard (cereal box) and color shining thru on the top edge and papers hanging out the bottom. Fortunately I have bound this one up pretty well. The snow is gone, and we've had rain this week so this bundle is getting a good work over weather wise. I'm ready to start seeing my copper tubing turn green (lol).

Week 2 and Early Days of Week Three (aka Winter Beauty)

2011-01-11T21:24:00.000-08:00

So we are still in the early stages of the bundle process and very little difference has developed in the second week, as expected. Hopefully the events of the first days (Monday and Tuesday) of week three will have an interesting effect on the bundle. We've had snow. Which is a rare thing in our area of the country. We occasionally get a light dusting but this one has been a good one. It started late Sunday night after midnight and we woke Monday morning to a quiet, peaceful, white world. It always amazes me how snow can make the world so serene and still. I was up early in case my children had to go to work and I would be babysitting. I ventured out onto the front and back porches to take a few photos as it was just getting daylight. Came back into the house and fixed myself my favorite new breakfast: toasted Italian 9 Grain bread (from Publix) topped with homemade yogurt (learned how to do this from my new love interest) and mango jam. YUMMY!!! One of my next moves was to do my normal "snow ritual" - I picked up a stale baguette from the kitchen counter and went

out to the back porch, broke and crumbled it and threw it out onto the fresh snow for the birds and squirrels and any other creatures that may be out looking for a meal. Later when my son Matthew got up we both went back outside, he got out in the yard, I decided my knees would rather me stay on the porch and we both took more photos. I spent the day watching the snow fall, learning how to use my bluetooth with my phone (finally), worked on cards for two swaps and watched movies. Today (Tuesday) we have ice topping the snow and the roads and drives are really bad.

The "frog prince" watching from the porch.

Matthew snapping some pics.

And measuring for accuracy (lol).

One of my favorite sites when we have snow is seeing my Sabal minor covered with a dusting of winter magic. There's something about palms and snow that have a mystical quality to me.

So my bundle has been exposed to snow and ice on the start of week 3.

I saw 3 different size footprints in the back yard late Monday afternoon, definitely animal/bird. Would have loved to have seen what "neighbor" made them.

Bundle 2 Week 1

2011-01-02T18:47:00.000-08:00

Well week 1 and this baby has seen rain and snow and so far I see very little changes but I didn't expect a lot of changes. Actually it's been out a couple of days longer than a week but today was the first time I had a chance to take a photo. I'm thinking I may try tampering with it a bit during this 16 week aging process, maybe soak it down occasionally or water down some paint and pour over the top edge to soak in - may make some interesting effects. I'm really interested in how the copper is going to respond - I want it green!!!!

I've been thinking the last few days about New Year's resolutions, not making them because I'd probably only break them inside a week. There are things I want to do or changes I want to make in the coming months. I want to get in the habit of eating better, I've learned how to make my own yogurt and add my own fruit and cut some of the overload of sugar I consume, stay away from fast food restaurants as much as humanly possible, stay away from junk food period. I have decided, thanks to my online friend Sarah Bush at Make Great Stuff (makegreatstuff.com) to assign a theme to 2011. Reading her latest blog entry about setting a theme for the new year to work on during the year lit my mind up like the fireworks booming outside my house on New Year's Eve. I immediately knew what I wanted to do - a mixed media journal with the theme "New Beginnings" and a tag "It's My Turn". I want to commit to work on this as often as possible, hopefully my muse will co-operate and start talking to me again or I may have to hire a new one, pages once completed will be posted her. I also want to get back into making some sort of art everyday. It's hard to do most of the time during the day, keeping my youngest grandson, he requires much of my attention but I need to get back in the habit even if it's in the evenings after he goes home, of sitting at my work desk and at least starting something. I've gotten out of that habit when my shoulder and arm got in such a mess over Thanksgiving and lasted for about 4 weeks making creative work hard. I've found once again like I did in the early months of 2010 how stress and getting sidetracked can get you so far off course. So I've got to get back to work. Also I'm going to tackle some much needed cleaning out with strong determination. My youngest sister told me once that anything I haven't used in the last year needs to go. OK, I did that for a while but I've gotten slack - so I have to get touch with myself and start shoveling out the "why did I buy this, what was I going to do with this" items I've accumulated so I can breathe once again. So yes, this is going to be the year of changes. Some will probably not make some of those near and dear to me happy but they are going to happen just the same because it's definitely my turn. Life is taking some interesting turns for me lately and I want to be ready to turn with it.

Ready to Age

2010-12-21T17:15:00.000-08:00

I decided to hang this bundle in the Japanese Maple instead of hanging it on the iron chair beneath the tree. So week one has officially started. There have been some hints of maybe a white Christmas for us, maybe, I'm not holding my breath but it would be nice and maybe have an interesting effect on my project.

Bundle No. 2 Ready to Hang!

2010-12-20T17:59:00.000-08:00

I finally got around to putting together my winter bundle of art papers. I have layered all sorts of papers, including brown paper bags, white bags (the kind the pharmacy puts your prescriptions in), paper napkins, used tea bags - some with and some without tea - used coffee filters, images, dryer lint, store receipts, and a few baby wipes I used to clean my stamps among other things. I didn't layer any rusted items this time. But I sprayed and sprinkled misting sprays, gesso and inks on some of the papers. I used lots of twine to wrap it (loved that weathered look of the twine) and used copper wire and copper tubing. Now I just have to decide where I'm going to hang it this time. And no, I haven't even begun to use the stack from Bundle No. 1 but since it was weathered during summer I decided to do one to weather during winter and see how the results go. So I will hang it outside at some time this week and this begins Week No. 1.

Paris 'n' Rust

2010-11-13T14:01:00.000-08:00

I've finally decided this one is finished - it's an 8x8 piece on canvas board. I've been busy with other things in the last week and a half. For some time now I've been receiving a jewelry kit each month from Simply Beads Kit of the Month Club (SimplyBeadsKitClub.com) and have been stashing them back - my heart just wasn't in creating much of anything, despite the kits are so simple - everything you need is there to complete a beautiful piece of jewelry or set except the tools. Couldn't be easier but except for a couple of projects I had started before February and AFA swap commitments, most everything else has been put aside. Till now. The energy just hasn't been there. And now life it different in wonderful sort of way. I feel like doing things again. Let's give credit where credit is due, first of all - the stress and depression of the events of the last 11 months have lifted - causing the meds to work like they are supposed to: keeping the FM under control and quiet and keeping my head lighter among other things; my days are filled during the week with keeping my newest little angel grandson, Luke and spoiling him as much as possible (sssshhhhhh, don't tell mom & dad) - when he naps I catch up on computer things and work on art; and there is a new person in my life that is keeping a big smile on my face these days - looking forward to the day we can actually spend time together face to face and not have to just settle for long talks on the phone and email. So I'm pulling out partially finished projects and making a big stack with promises to them and myself to get to work on them even if it's just a bit here and there every day or so until they are finished, like this piece. I'm determined to turn some of this new energy into finishing old projects and creating new. In fact this morning I started a new batch of turpentine paper - it's mellowing on the back porch (my son Matt insists that my stinky projects are to be done outside - lol). And I've been fingering thru the papers from my bundle project - can't believe how they've turned out, and I've already started using some on one of the newer projects. I have everything paper-wise I need to start the winter bundle and that's on the list of "to-do's" to get ready to go out in about another month when the weather gets cooler than it is right now, or maybe wait until January when winter actually hits here unless we have an early one. It's not unusual in my part of the country to have mild weather in December. I've had yellow jasmine blooming on the porch at the front door at Christmas. I definitely want the winter bundle to experience some frigid weather, lots of frost and maybe some ice or snow if that's in store for us here. So today I've been puttering, catching up emails and such, watching a Harry Potter marathon on ABC's Family Channel (my inner child demanded this), and enjoying some French Vanilla/Hazelnut flavored coffee. And no, the floor has not been vacuumed yet, nor the furniture dusted (I suspect highly that the dust is a perfect protective cover for my "treasures") and yes, I know I need to get going with it because Clemson plays Florida State tonight - kickoff at 8pm and I will get NOTHING done at that time. But I may take a thought from my sweet ex-mother-in-law, Lord rest her - as far as the housecleaning goes I may be like Miss Scarlett "I'll think about that tomorrow" and tomorrow I may be like Rhett Butler "I don't give a ......." well, you get the picture.

New ATC's

2010-10-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

I've had a productive week. It's amazing how a little boost of your spirit and ego helps get the ideas rolling again, but that's all I'm saying about that right now. Things are going too good and I don't want to jinx it. I finished these atc's in the last two days and uploaded them. And I have a new series of 23 on my desk getting the finishing touches. I've also added a bit more to several canvases I've been working on for months. I seem to keep adding to them in bits and pieces. A bracelet is almost complete (I'm probably going to keep it) and a necklace that has been hanging right in front of my face for over a year, maybe even two if I can admit it will be finished this week. I have new ideas on how to complete it.

I spent part of the day yesterday rambling through 2 of our local thrift shops and found several deals - one was a brand new pad of 12x16 gesso primed canvas paper. I think I'm going to enjoy playing around with this. I gathered an armload of goodies for a tiny amount and even found 3 blouses at our local Goodwill. I had lunch and with my friend Lynn, I enjoyed getting to spend some

time with her and got home in time to see the kickoff of the

Clemson - Georgia Tech game. All in all it was a good day.

Our days are cooler and much more pleasant to be out in - I love fall. The beautiful jewel and earth tones this time of year always spur ideas. Cooler days makes the FM quiet down and my brain clearer. And I jump on those rare opportunities to accomplish as much as I can.

Today has been a day of rest and football and now time to finish up some projects and get ready for the new week.

A Change of Pace

2010-10-15T20:57:00.000-07:00

Jewelry finished up today for the Jewelry Swap on the AFA site hosted by Adifferentstory. I decided to keep it all simple. The earrings worked up literally in minutes. The bracelets I decided to add just one charm made out of a scrabble tile with background paper, transparency image and silver leafing, leaving the remaining portion of the bracelet open for more to be added by the new owner. The pendants are made with microscope slide frames but not the slides which would possibly be broken during mailing. They are simple collages with small buttons, old jewelry pieces and watch parts added to the front. They are reversible but the backs are simpler with just the collage paper and micro beads. Both sides have been sealed with several layers of crystal glaze.

Days are getting clearer for me finally, the clouds are lifting. I'm feeling better and having a little more energy. I'm getting ideas again for art. I think the dry spell is finally coming to an end. Life is going on for me and in a very good way from what I've seen so far. That makes me smile for a lot of reasons. But don't look for explanations, I'm not revealing my secrets. They are sweeter right now kept to myself.

Grand Opening!

2010-10-04T14:01:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to opening the bundle today, giving it time to dry out, which it did for the most part. There is still some dampness so now the pages are scattered to dry. I brought it in and and carefully opened it with one hand, Hot Shot bug spray in the other - 3 small spiders and one larger and faster one later (and yes all are dead) - I can honestly say I'm pleased with the results of the experiment. This is a great way to distress pages, papers, photos, etc. Let nature do it. I'm looking forward to how the winter bundle will turn out - for one thing, there should be no spiders. The copper wire wrapping the bundle didn't age like I would have liked but I can work on that. Now I just have to decide how to use the new stash, after scanning the more interesting ones before I cut or tear them.

Week 16 - Comparison

2010-10-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

I brought my bundle into the back porch Tuesday morning. I haven't opened it yet. We've had several days of rain and damp weather and I'm giving it some time to dry out a bit. But looking at my first photo - packed, bound and ready to hang outside - and the second - the end of the project - more changes took place than I realized. Tomorrow is a busy day so I'm thinking Sunday or Monday I'll be able to open the bundle and I'm sure I'll have to hang some of the pieces on the back porch to dry a little more.

My new ATC series, "Vixens, Vamps & Heartbreakers" is finished, well there are 4 cards still to be completed, not sure what they need at this point.

Week 15 & Previews of Things to Come (maybe)

2010-09-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

One more week, one more week and then I get to open this baby!!! My box of papers for the next one is almost full and with bundle no. 2 I'm definitely taking more "before" photos and making an inventory of what it will contain.

I've tried my hand at tie-dying this week too. I cut 2 new white linen towels in quarters and folded, scrunched, rolled, or fan folded each piece, bound them with rubber bands and then dyed them with alcohol inks and Tim Holtz Distress Inks. I'm very pleased with the way they turned out. I don't know at this point what I will do with them except iron them and stash them away with the rest of my fabrics but I definitely want to do more. I just need to get some more ink colors and then start cutting muslin maybe this time.

My Paris piece I'm currently working on is on an 8x8 board canvas. It's been a slow process but not as slow as the new series of atc's I've been working on - I have about 10 left to finish out of the 40 in the series and then they will be ready to upload.

So it's been kind of a productive week and today I got to spend some time with my brand new grandson who will be 4 weeks old tomorrow. He's just like his brother - a great snuggler (lol). I'm looking forward to having him with me every day in about another month.

Week 14 and a little reminder.......

2010-09-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

This thing is definitely shrinking - could be a good thing, it will be interesting. I have included this week a photo of the bundle all stacked, tied and ready to go outside 14 weeks ago. Definitely a big difference.

Something New

2010-09-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

Finally!! I've finished one new atc. I have to admit, it's been hard trying to get myself back in focus after the events of earlier this year but slowly I seem to be progressing. I'm still having bad days mixed in with the good and when they come I just have to park everything else and fight thru them. To be perfectly honest, I have 39 others (atcs) - a new series - almost completed, they just need a little bit of something more and then they will be ready. They have yet to tell me what exactly they need (lol). The Gothic Fairy Arches are for an AFA swap and are my first attempt at arches. They are 4x6 and it's fun to work on this size for a change. I love the way these turned out so much I've spent the afternoon cropping and printing out more images to make some more to add to the ones I will receive from the swap - they are book pages and I also need to make a front and back cover for the book. And brainless finally learned in the process today how to get multiple images on one sheet and print them. Techno savvy I am not, but I'm learning. Some days I just feel like I'm running on empty. This has been a better day. The way it works for me is I will spend time during the day working on a new piece and then hit a point that I know I need to do something else to it but can't quite figure out what that is and "what that is" normally comes to me about the time I drag myself to bed in the wee hours of the morning and I have to fight the urge to get up and come back downstairs and do whatever I'm seeing in my head. I refrain from this because I know that I would probably get to the point I wouldn't sleep at all. So I have a lot of "almost done" pieces stacking up on the side of my work area. I will be glad when that day finally arrives again when my brain is completely geared in create mode and I can work like I work best - don't think about it, just let my hands move and work and finish it. If I sit and ponder on a piece I can't do anything with it. I have to just let it happen. Normally my brain and hands work better together if I don't try to interfere. I guess you could say things work out better if I don't try to put my two cents worth in.

Week 13

2010-09-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

This week I definitely see some changes going on. The outer papers and exposed edges of the inner papers are starting to get a transparent look to them. The green comes and goes. The photo on the front has definitely had some "alterations". I'm planning on including a few more of those inside the next bundle. I'm hoping that things have gotten to that "critical" stage where nature is going to start really working with me on this project. Three more weeks and then the grand opening! I'm hoping something I find here sparks some creative endeavors. My work area is covered behind my desk with project in progress but I'm having trouble getting to a certain point on a piece and being stopped dead cold with no idea as to what to do next. OK, one excuse on one piece is I'm out of rusted clothespin hinges and I have some of those and some nails "cooking" in a pan of vinegar on the back porch - son's orders: "Mom, PLEASE, stinky stuff outside on the porch". He's right about this I guess because if I left it inside there would be times when the house would be strewn with pans and buckets of things processing (lol). So I wait on those and I need to put a note on my art materials list to buy more. Julia Cameron says in her books that artists need an "artist date" - time spent on your own wandering thru a museum, art gallery, where ever you feel inspiration will hit. My "artist dates" are time spent wandering and plundering the aisles of the thrift shops in town and Dollar Tree looking for inexpensive materials. Well, I confess, Michael's and Hobby Lobby make great date places too (lol). But lately with limited funds I stick mainly to their sale/clearance sections. But I have found lots of good materials in the first two mentioned places. It's the items that can be taken from their normal use and given new jobs that are fun to find. A friend told me not long ago that ground cinnamon makes a great rusty look on paper, cloth, etc. So I headed to Dollar Tree and bought a jar - and she's right! It's not what an item is supposed to be for, it's what can you turn it into.

Today was errand running day, including having blood drawn, my right hand xrayed (thinking ole Arthur may be creeping into my finger joints) and after much debate because I've never had one, I found out that medicare covers a flu shot for me 100% so I indulged, considering I will be keeping my newest grandchild when my daughter-in-law goes back to work and Nana can't afford any sick days. Got some quality time in with him today too. Mom needed to go to the grocery store and I was more than happy to take care of him. There's just something about a baby snuggled up sleeping on your shoulder that puts the entire world right, at least for a little while.

Week 11

2010-08-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

Doesn't seem like much is happening at this point. I have 5 more weeks before the "grand opening" and the box of bits and pieces for the winter bundle is filling up.

This has been a week that my mind has been on art very little, except today when my friend and art buddy Pam spent the afternoon - this was a good "art" day. It doesn't matter if you are just sitting around discussing ideas or actually doing something - it still works! But my mind has been on a countdown this week - tomorrow at 5 am we (my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson) head to the hospital to welcome the arrival of grandson no. 2. I am planning on napping a bit later on this evening, maybe, and be up and ready to go with them. Any and all prayers and well wishes for a safe delivery for mom and baby are appreciated. Can't wait to get that little one in my arms and rock him.

Week 9 - The Bundle Continues

2010-08-11T17:47:00.000-07:00

Well we're just past the halfway mark with the aging process and I'm seeing subtle changes each week, I think (lol). It looks like things are starting to disintegrate here and there and the green "patina" is starting to blend and I'm beyond curious as to what's going on inside the thing but I will not peek, not yet. I'm feeling the urge to start working on another pile to bind and get ready to go outside.

Week 8

2010-08-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

I'm noticing some shrinkage now - the color goes green and then a good rain washes most of that away. The birds are still keeping watch on it too. I think they are coveting the twine (lol). Eight more weeks to go and then the unveiling!

Week 7 Has Arrived

2010-07-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

Another week down - honestly it's getting hard not to grab this bundle and rip it open. This project will definitely challenge your patience level. I can see the results on the outside - I want to know what's going on inside. This urge probably goes back to the days of my childhood when I would get small transistor radios from my parents/grand parents and lose patience waiting for them to quit working and open up the backs and gut them and take the insides apart - still love doing that. I even let my curiosity overtake me once and cut open a stuffed alligator my grandparents brought me from their Florida vacation, yes a real gator hide cured and stuffed people. We got a number of them over the years. I just had to see what was in the thing. My youngest sister had a jack in the box that met it's demise one summer day after it ended up in the toy box outside, partly because I wanted to see what was making the music when you turned the handle and mainly because I HATED that thing and anything that makes a fast jump at you (still do).

But to keep my mind elsewhere - I DO have a swap I need to do, due in August and I have 2 sets of cards to do for it. I have to clean off my desk first - everything I acquired last Saturday as my friends and I rambled is piled on top of my work, as usual. I've got a new series of atcs started 37 cards so far, well almost finished, I'm to THAT point on most of them: it needs a little something but won't tell me what that may be. And I spent last night watching ART 21 season 1 on Netflix and working on 3 new 7x9 canvases. I had 3 I prepped with a good coat of black paint months ago. I read about an idea I decided to try on two of them: take pages from a magazine or junk mail and cut 1" squares (thank goodness for my handy-dandy 1" sq. punch) and then lay out the squares randomly on your surface and when you get the look you like, glue them down - don't lay them in order mix them up. So I did two last night - shows like ART 21 and Craft In America, etc, inspire me to get my hands busy. I didn't have any pattern in mind when I placed the "tiles" on the canvas - I just sort of mixed them around and worked without a lot of thinking about the look or the outcome - which is normally how I prefer to work on a piece. If it isn't following a particular theme like the swaps I join, I like to work, in silence mostly, and without a lot of thought or planning - that always messes things up for me. They looked passable last night, today since they are dry and ready for the next step (whatever that may be) they look REALLY good. And no, before you ask, they aren't perfect, they aren't perfectly placed but they are close and that suits me just fine. If I've never mentioned it, symmetry drives me crazy. I've mixed up the fragments of pictures and words. So now I'm waiting for the pieces to tell me what I should do next, all of my art buddies know what I'm talking about - I need to clarify here and now that I DO NOT hear voices - well I do occasionally, in times of pain and depressed despair still can clearly hear my maternal grandmother's voice giving me advice.

Parting - Such Sweet Sorrow . . .

2010-07-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to be in Atlanta for our summer SPS meeting at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens yesterday, hanging out with my palm buddies. I was supposed to be, but life doesn't always have the same plans in mind for you as you do for yourself. We, my friends Fred & Kathy and I started out on our little adventure at 5:30 am or about so I could make the 8am business meeting, but at 5:45, thankfully before we hit the interstate, we ended up in the local Chrysler dealership parking lot in front of the service area (did I mention they don't open until 8am on Saturday?) - broken power steering belt - found that out for sure when Fred attempted to turn into the parking lot and almost relocated their crepe myrtle at the front entrance - and a busted water pump - evidence of that was clear when we stopped: water & antifreeze river and smell. So there we sat with around 2 hrs to kill before we would know if they would be able to fix the problems for us. BUT as usual when we're together - life is not dull and we had fun just sitting and talking and laughing which carried on after we got into the waiting area and met other people waiting on car service. It was around 10:30 when the repairs were finished - we decided Atlanta was out of the question so what are the first words out of my mouth and Kathy's???? Goodwill - and off we go, we found some good buys and everything was half price - even better. Then I took them to see Jerry's house and yard, they had never been able to work out a trip to see us earlier and see his palms. And I have intended for a while now to go over there and take one last round of pictures of the yard and the palms, sago's, and bananas, etc. The things I've help plant and help tend and love for so long. I just have hesitated going by myself. So the perfect opportunity presented itself. It was a good thing - I was glad we went and they got to see his treasures, but it was sad for all of us too. There's still a big empty space in our group now - always will be I know. So we walked around the yard, took one last look and said our goodbyes. Then is was off and running again and a stop at the local thrift shop and we all walked out with an armload of bargains. I found a practically new (hoping all the parts are there) Narnia board game for myself and my grandson to enjoy. I told my son I needed to sit down and check out the rules of the game and learn to play to I could teach my buddy, and he and I both agreed on one thing - I could learn how to play and I could teach him and then he will alter the rules whenever necessary to ensure he wins. But then when you're 4 you can get by with that with Nana. We had a late lunch/early supper and ended the day with hugs and goodbyes and wishing once again we lived closer to each other. So the day went well and the company was wonderful as usual. It doesn't matter where we end up, the time will be an adventure. And I have my final photos.

Week 6

2010-07-23T15:06:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to post my photo this week. Thank you Pauline for the reminder!!! I took this photo on Tuesday - I think it's still progressing very well. Tried to explain the experiment to my mom yesterday, got kind of a blank look. Being what I consider an artist herself, she paints (mainly on clothes), sews, you name it, I think she understood, maybe (lol), actually, I think she got the concept of what I am doing, but just looks at me like I've lost it. I still haven't gotten Bundle No. 2 started or ready to go, I will make sure I take photos as I stack it and get it ready. I have a trip coming up tomorrow. The Palm Society will be holding it's Summer meeting at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. I'm hoping to pick up some interesting bits and pieces laying around to use in future projects and bundles, along with filling my camera with photos. It's supposed to be our hottest day so far so I'm hoping for comfy air-conditioned spaces occasionally too. The main thing I'm looking forward to is a day with my friends.

Week 5

2010-07-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

I made quick work of photographing the bundle this week - just outside long enough to snap 3 photos and back in - less than 2 minutes - it's beyond hot and sticky today and hard to breathe out there. While I know the mugginess and heat and evening rains are helping the process of this project, I personally would welcome a constant flow of non-humid days. Today is definitely a day to stay indoors!

Week 4 - One Month Down!

2010-07-07T13:59:00.000-07:00

This thing is starting to get very green (lol). One month "curing" in the back yard - 3 to go. Once I see how this "summer" bundle ages, I'm definitely going to have to try a fall/winter one or two - I'm just too curious as to how the weather at different times of the year will effect the outcome. And I'm thinking that maybe a purchase of a small roll of chicken wire to make a pouch/pocket to hold the bundles may have an interesting effect on them too.

Bundle - Week 2 & Week 3

2010-07-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

Things appear to be coming along nicely. Last week after I photographed my project, I was back inside at the kitchen window and I noticed a bird sitting on the back of the iron chair looking intently at the bundle. I wondered if he/she may have been trying to decide how to "acquire" the twine or other materials for nesting purposes. Or he/she may have been sitting there thinking "well the crazy woman is at it again, oh well at least this time it isn't turpentine paper she's processing". So far it hasn't been disturbed. I'm thinking it may be time to start a second one with different papers and items............

Waiting, Patiently Waiting

2010-06-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I L-O-V-E the art magazine Cloth Paper Scissors??? I can hardly wait for each new issue because I'm always getting ideas for new art. In the May/June 2010 issue they have an article on "disCO - disintegration Collaboration" which immediately caught my interest by Seth Apter. It is a project of making bundles of art materials, bits and pieces, found objects, etc. and hanging them out in the weather for a period of time to let nature take it's course and fade and weather the layers of the everyday items to use in future art projects. Always looking to new treasures to use, naturally this has intrigued me and I set down at my desk on Saturday, June 12th and made up my own bundle of odd and ends: scrapbooking papers, old book pages, newer book pages - some with illustrations or photographs, store receipts, handmade papers, recycled coffee filters, several duplicate 4x6 photographs, you name it, I stacked it in there. I went through the stack and dripped and sloshed ink and paint on some of the areas. I bound it up with twine and copper wire and I've hung it in the back yard on an old rusting iron chair I have out there under the Japanese Maple in front of the hardy bananas. It was suggested in the article that you photograph the progress as the weeks go by - in the article the bundles were left for approximately 4 months, with the artists watching the process. I guess I'll have that much patience (lol). I completely forgot - why are you surprised - about taking a photo this past Saturday, so I went out and took one today amid the humid, stifling heat and the high pitched song of mosquitoes that I swear are big enough to carry off a full grown cat. Ah, summers in the American South........... Anyway we've had rain - storms actually almost every afternoon/evening since I put the bundle out to "cure" so it is starting to look sort of interesting to me - the photos won't do it justice but I am going to try to remember to photograph the bundle weekly from now on and upload the photos. It's hard to wait, I'm thinking that in a few weeks as I see how this first one progresses, I will go ahead and stack up another using a different variety of items and hang it out in a different location.

Trying to Find My "Journal Style"

2010-05-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

The little clock on the lower right hand side of my monitor says it's 1:37 AM - Friday morning technically. I need to be in bed, I needed to be in bed an hour ago at least, I'm trying very hard to get my sleep pattern straightened out - whatever that's supposed to be. But I have been playing blissfully for the last 2 hrs, adding images, quotes, magazine articles, etc. to another almost packed full journal (approx whatever a half size of an 8x11 would be). I've been doing this for years, actually I've been keeping a written journal - not consistently, but trying - for almost 29 years now (since my youngest son was born). These have helped me in many ways over the years although I have always tended to write down the better side of my life and leave the gritty, blood and guts, and pain off the pages. Going back occasionally reading different ones I often wonder just who wrote them - they tend to amaze me, but that's all I'm going to say about that. Normally I'll pick up a simple, inexpensive lined one, with a cover that appeals to me. Right now, after the circumstances of my life in February, I am using a different notebook. Jerry had a very nice Franklin/Covey day planner with his name on a gold-tone plate on the front that was going to be trashed, I rescued it, finding it contained snippets of his handwriting (typical man, very little detail, just an abbreviated "to-do" list some days). So I'm filling the pages of that right now, blocking off his notes and writing around them, straight across the pages no matter how they are divided. I'm using it for my new journal and for my morning pages - don't always manage 3 like Julia Cameron (The Artist's Way) suggests and the way my sleep is out of whack right now, they are usually mid-day or evening or late night pages. Oh well.

I love the journal pages created by other artists I see in the art magazines I buy - and I keep thinking "one of these days...........", and I am trying to do something similar I have one journal I am in the process of painting and doing a little collage here and there getting ready to write and "art" in. But most of my collage type journals - my best way to describe them - are a series of the small journals I've used to store images, quotes, articles, bits and pieces of this and that which interest me. I found out some years ago I was accumulating a large library of books on home decorating, gardening, how-to, etc. and I realized that very little in these books interested me - only a handful of pages normally in each. And I stopped buying magazines of the same type topics because I feel like there's more advertising and less what you want to see in them. So I decided one day to just start making what I call "Joni books" - I went thru my books, tearing out the pages I wanted to keep, started buying old magazines at the thrift shops that were topics of interest to me and occasionally an old book or two on the subjects. Then I started going thru and cutting, tearing, clipping and gluing and taping them collage style in the journals, I go thru a lot of tape. I have found these are also good places to keep notes on what ever book I'm currently reading (non-fiction) wrapping my scribbling around the images, etc. So now I have an ever growing set of books that are good companions on quiet rainy Sunday afternoons to settle on the sofa with and thumb thru - helps recharge my brain when I hit a slump and need inspiration for a project. But I have found that the tearing, cutting, placing, and taping that goes into compiling these personal everything books is a very peaceful way to spend a few hours.

I am still determined to continue to try to do an art journal - more on that later.

Truth With a Little Chuckle

2010-04-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

I ran across this the other day, a friend sent it to me, I missed this commentary the night it was on but I get a kick out of Andy Rooney and wanted to share it:

    In case you missed it on 60 Minutes, this is what Andy Rooney thinks about women over 50

    As I grow in age, I value women over 50 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:

     A woman over 50 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, 'What are you thinking?' She doesn't care what you think.
       If a woman over 50 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it's usually more interesting.
       Women over 50 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.
      Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.
     Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 50.
     Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 50 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.
     Older women are forthright and honest.. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk, if you are acting like one. You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.
       Yes, we praise women over 50 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 50, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize.
     For all those men who say, 'Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free? Here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage.. Why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage!

      Andy Rooney is a really smart guy!

For the Beading Lovers out there..................

2010-03-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

Everyone who loves to bead, I found a wonderful new blog - Nicole Camparella's Beadwright. She's a fantasic artist. She's giving away a beaded gourd bowl this year on her birthday so if you aren't familiar with her, click on her link at the right of my blog and check her out.

There's a Hole in My Life

2010-02-18T14:33:00.000-08:00

My heart hurts, the man I have spent the last 8 years of my life with, my best friend, my soulmate, died last friday night. A small consolation is that I had spent 5 1/2 days with him before he ended up in CCU wed. evening. I had gone out to run errands, came back found him non-responsive, and he never woke up, I talked to him like the doctor's told me to, I said my goodbyes to him friday after lunch and told him how much I would miss him and told him it was okay for him to go, choking back tears. I didn't go back into his room with his family when they started shutting down the respirator, I couldn't watch him die. This last week has been rougher than any I've been thru in my life. I miss him so much. The silence of my phone is deafening - we always talked several times a day, he always called to tell me goodnight. I can't think, I can't create, I can't stop the crying spells that keep coming up when I have my guard down. I spent the entire day with my grandson today and it was the first time my mind was on something else. I know it will take time, I have received tons of emails from friends since last wed. - words of encouragement, prayers, support. They've gotten me thru so far. One day at a time, sometime, one minute at a time. What I wouldn't give for one more hug, 5 more minutes with him.

Learning something new

2010-02-03T11:17:00.000-08:00

These are amulet bags (approx 2"x3") I've made for an AFA swap I'm in. I have to admit, I put it off almost till the last minute, I've spent the time since I signed up stumbling around trying to come up with a design of some sort I truly liked. Finally I decided to try weaving the bags out of yarn/fibers I have accumulated so much of, so last Thursday I started. I have a number of beading looms: metal, wood, and acrylic. I decided to use my wooden loom and did the black & white bag first, and found out that it was a better idea to wrap the warp threads completely around the loom (on the 2nd bag) rather than trying to simply wraping them around the screw in the dowel on each end. The first attempt wasn't hard to do, weaving is fairly easy but by not wrapping the threads around the loom the outer threads on each side had a tendency to move on me and get out of line. Plus wrapping the loom completely gave me longer threads to tie off when I finished - easier on sore hands. The black & white bag I made a tassel instead of using a button to close it. The loop closures on all three are braided as well as the cord. I chose an old button for the green bag as a closure and made a button out of an old scrabble tile for the third. I have a fourth one almost finished (it will be mine). They worked up fairly quick (took about 1 1/2 hrs. to weave each one). Once I took them off the loom and tied off the threads and snipped off the excess, I folded over the top ends and glued them with some super tacky glue and with right sides together I handstitched the sides and after turning them right side out I hand stitched the cords, loops and buttons on.

The things you find when you're cleaning up............

2010-02-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

I had forgotten about these, I was looking over the weekend for a box of thread (heavy weight) to use as warp threads for some weaving and found these stashed in an old wooden cigar box a friend sent me. The smaller abstracts are atc sized (2 1/2 x 3 1/2) the larger ones are approx 5 3/4 x 5 3/4. They are done in acrylics and one of the larger ones has copper tape binding it. When I did these, I used just basic colors: blue, red, yellow, green. I sort of plopped them on the paper or mulitmedia board and took another piece of paper or board and placed it on top and just smudged and twisted it. The thick paint left a textured look and feel that I liked. The large one that is mostly blue I did do some extra dabbing on.

             I remember growing up, spending vacations at Myrtle Beach, SC and
             going to the Pavillion in the evenings to walk, watch the crowds, ride the rides, have a dip cone, etc. There was a booth just inside the pavillion that always intrigued me. The counter had spots - holes really, and inside each was a turn table. You could pay for a piece of paper and lay it on the turn table and it would spin and you could drop different color paint on your paper - the end result was sort of a splashed, spun, very cool (in my teenage eyes) piece of abstract art. I always wanted to do that but was never allowed to, guess my parents considered it              a waste of money. And honestly, if I EVER find a child size machine thingy (whatever you
                           want to call it) of it, like the rock tumblers you can buy, rest assured, if I have the money, I'm going to own one, if for no other reason than just to be able to try it just once.

Gonna keep it up till I run out of paint!

2010-01-24T17:55:00.000-08:00

I've been up to my elbows in paint this week and having a blast. I think I'm going to get really brave and pull out the watercolors this coming week .............................

Painting Practice

2010-01-23T12:51:00.000-08:00

I'm trying very hard to get into the practice of pulling out my acrylic paints everyday, incorporating some of the lessons I'm learning from my favorite tv shows on our local PBS channel. Haven't tried using my watercolors yet, but I do have a couple of sets of paints and a new set of watercolor pencils with a how-to book and paper that's whining to be opened and I have a new set of sketching pencils I picked up at Hobby Lobby last week. Although collage is my first love, I'm trying to step out of my comfort zone, however with these new abstracts, I have added some collage elements with images, old book pages, silver leafing, foil, and micro beads.

Abstracts

2010-01-14T15:52:00.000-08:00

These are 4"x4" hand painted abstracts I did for a swap. I was a little hesitant starting them - a bit overwhelmed at the thought. But I'm pleased with the way they turned out. I had six to do to send in for the swap, now I have to do one for myself to add to the returns I get. The multicolor backgrounds I did just by dabbing several colors of paint to dampened paper and then smearing, twisting, spreading it around with a scrap piece of paper. I like the effects I get with this process. The flowers are "Joni flowers" because I am not to the point I can paint actual flowers, so I settle for my version. I ended up with about 18 or so backgrounds in the beginning of the project - a few were altered last night by my grandson and his safety scissors, but I managed to grab some of my favorites and hide them before he started his "work" so I have a few to work on.

New swap:

2009-12-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

I didn't have to look at Muchas twice to be drawn to them. I love the colors and style, so participating in this swap was a no brainer for me. I put the prints on black background and added a little silver or copper leafing to them before glittering them.

Present Making Time:

2009-12-19T07:55:00.000-08:00

My "acquired" son asked me last month if I could make a necklace for his fiance and his future mom-in-law for Christmas. He wanted a black & silver one for his fiance and when I was gathering the beads and chain I needed I found the Celtic pendant - I thought it set it off perfectly. He asked me to do a necklace in blue & orange (Auburn Univ.) for his mom-in-law to be. I had enough beads & chain pieces to do her a bracelet too.

It Just Hit Me.........................

2009-12-08T12:19:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking, pondering for the last few days about this time of year. It's December 8th, the 25th will be here before we know it. This time of year recalls Decembers of my past, especially my childhood, and Santa. And it occurred to me the other day the reason, or several reasons I feared that jolly old man with the white beard and read suit, I mean, I've always had a fear and distrust of that guy, he's right up there on my fear list, right under talking apple trees and flying monkeys. Ok, other than the fact he traumatized me severely one day in the Toy Department of J.M. Fields when I was rambling thru that area of the store and I THOUGHT my mom was behind me - I had a sense of someone behind me - and I reached back to take my mom's hand to show her something I wanted for Christmas and grabbed a gloved hand instead. I knew INSTANTLY is wasn't my mother, even without looking, but I did look, I peeked over my shoulder and saw red, and white, a very large adult. I think I started screaming or crying loudly for my mother. Actually, to put it honestly - I freaked out. Instant trauma. Ok, that's one mark on my "bad Santa" list. Another is that all during the month of December especially, I really had to behave, I mean, one step out of line and I got the "Santa is watching you!!" or "Good little girls get presents from Santa, bad little girls get switches and coal in their stocking!" or "Keep it up and I'm going to call Santa and tell him you are being bad, look, I'm dialing his number RIGHT NOW!!". To make that threat worse, my mom HAD a phone number, she'd dial it and let me listen to Santa telling me to be good, mind my parents, etc so I would get what I wanted for Christmas. It's hard for a child to see that "jolly ole fella" as a benevolent, loveable, figure who spreads joy and cheer and gifts this time of year. And it's probably a good thing that the Christmas Eve my uncle dressed up like Santa and came over to our house, mom and dad wouldn't let him come in and wake Jill and myself up, I doubt seriously I would have ever recovered from that one. I developed an image in my mind early in my life that Santa was like a stern, serious figure - one you definitely didn't want to cross.I would get images in my mind of me misbehaving and Santa giving me "the look". My sister Jill had the right idea, when she was little, mom would take us to see Santa and when she climbed up in his lap the first thing she did was give his beard a real good jerk. She normally came away with a candy cane and a big hunk of hair. I never, because of my history with him, urged or pushed my children to go sit in his lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas, when they were old enough, I let them make their own decision. But for me, the trauma continued. When the boys were little, we were in Walmart one evening and wouldn't you know it, there HE was, all decked out in his red outfit and black boots. The boys headed to see him and place their order with him. I was standing a little ways back, and then it happened. Santa looked at me, got a bit of a grin on his face and said "I know you" and I looked at him and said "no, you don't" and he looked very amused and said "yes, I do" and I said "no, you don't". At this point, being single, I'm mentally trying to erase the beard from his face and wondering if it's someone I've dated recently, or someone we go to church with, or someone I worked with, but I'm drawing a blank. Needless to say he got very amused, but I didn't, I hurried the boys off after they spoke to him and headed toward the check out and to the car. I still wonder............ and the trauma continues.

I almost forgot

2009-11-30T15:27:00.001-08:00

I finished these two pieces months ago and hung them over my work area and forgot to photograph them. The palm piece is a decorative wall tile I found at one of my favorite thrift shops in town. I tore the palm from a piece of wallpaper border and glued it on the tile and then distressed it. The Paris piece is on a 12x12 canvas collaged and distressed with inks, gesso, etc. the smaller 6x8 canvas is done the same way with bits and pieces of rusted metal, buttons, old broken jewelry, etc. I glued a piece of wood to the back to elevate it on the background canvas.

This was fun!

2009-11-30T15:12:00.000-08:00

A month or so ago (not good with time anymore) I was invited by a new friend on a site I'd recently joined to join a mini journal pages swap. It was supposed to be a round robin but it was decided that because of time/due date we would just create a page for each of the artists/traders involved and send them to each one. Our leader sent all of us the mini journal kits that had the covers and enough page blanks to create our masterpieces. Everyone picked a theme for their journals and you created a page in that theme, I picked a beach/palm theme. These are my pages from all who participated, thank you Treez for the idea and the invitation to join in, and thank you Valerie, Ali, Diana, Suze, and Sandra for your beautiful pages! And no my page for my journal and my covers aren't shown here because I haven't finished them yet (lol).

Check this out..........

2009-11-29T10:03:00.001-08:00

Lisa Volrath will be posting images on her site during December, you can click on her link listed at the right to access and download images daily. Thanks Lisa!!!!!!!!! Never have enough images to play around with. Or go to this site: http://countdown.tentwostudios.com/ Lisa has uploaded 40 sheets for this!!!!!!!

BOO!!!

2009-09-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

I bought some blank cardboard/chipboard tombstones at Hobby Lobby (or as Tyler calls it, Nana's Favorite Store) last year, sticking them back, knowing I'd find something to do with them at some point and time - they were on sale - how could I resist!!! I ran across a skeleton garland at one of our local thrift shops last year - saw the same at Dollar Tree this year - so I got busy. I covered the tombstones with distressed looking scrapbook paper and added the names. I broke down some of the skeletons for parts and left others whole and glued to the stones and added the distressed fence pieces and sand. Think they turned out pretty well. Four traded within hours of uploading to the AFA site and Tyler took the other two home with him.

Trying my hand at something different

2009-09-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't really "gotten into" chunky pages - 4x4 art that has more embellishments than atc's normally do - I've done I think 2 other chunky page swaps but I signed up for two that looked interesting on the AFA site and have finished these for the first one - the Botanica Swap:

New putterings.................

2009-08-27T14:32:00.001-07:00

4x6's done for AFA swap

New ATC's

Waste not, want not...........

2009-08-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

I'm intimidated by painting - not walls, although I can't do that anymore like I used to, but hand painting cards, etc. for swaps. Abstracts are no problem, everything I do looks abstract to me or at least primitive. I'm working on some 4x6 Flower Pot themed pieces for an AFA swap Jean is hosting. I'm roughing in the basic shapes, trying to use lessons I've attempted to commit to memory from watching Create TV on our PBS channel. Tyler was here last night and I covered his paint palette after he finished, because for the first time he didn't decide to mix all the colors together (lol). I bought him some crayola washable paints to play with but he also uses my acrylics some too - nothing is off limits. Hating to dump the paint I decided to leave it until today and am using it on the cards and to paint/wash two more pages of a journal I'm coloringto later use. Bob Ross I ain't - I haven't gotten to the point of trying oils yet. I am not sure I have the patience for them to dry. But I have picked up some pointers from his show. Hand painted, hand drawn, etc. stretches me - I know this is a good thing - I constantly remind myself I need to step out of my comfort zone and have a good stretch. So at the moment, I am to the point that I'm sitting here watching paint dry, trying to decide what to do with the rest of the leftover paint, and wondering what to start on next.

The Perfect Friday Night Date

2009-08-15T11:04:00.001-07:00

"Let's watch Narnia" "Then let's watch Shrek- the first one - with the dragon" "Open my cheese/peanut butter crackers" "I want my macaroni & cheese too" "I need juice" "Let's go work" "Here's my round punch, here's your square punch" "I need paper" "Let's go watch Narnia" "I like this part" "I want to paint, I need my apron, I need my easel" "The red goes here, the blue goes here, I NEED COPPER PAINT" "I want some tea now" "Open these cheese crackers for me" "Let's play with the tinker toys" "I love you Nana"

He's Home!!!!

2009-06-03T07:13:00.000-07:00

This fellow was a welcome sight last week. I love watching him, don't want to touch him or have him hitch a ride on my shoulder, but I do love watching him. I miss him when he disappears for a while. I know what to keep outside or put out food-wise to keep the birds and cats and the occasional opossum or raccoon stopping by but I'm not sure what to set out for the lizards. They are on their own, like the green tree frogs that I love. One of those used to perch on the rail under the front porch light in the evenings and wait for supper to come flying by. I'm waiting for the day I'm on the back porch with my grandson painting or blowing bubbles and he spies the lizard - he loves trying to catch them. Hopefully this fellow will be fast enough to get away.

A Rose is a Rose, is a Cat..............

2009-05-12T10:56:00.001-07:00

Cotton has decided that the shady spot beneath the Loquat in the tangle of weeds, roses, etc. is the perfect place to chill out and watch over the back yard.

Ah, my Christopher Columbus Rose!!!! This is proof, people that some things thrive best on total neglect rather than my TLC. I have propped it up this year - rain, wind, sleet, snow over the winter has bent it over (I know how it feels) and it will need pruning - later, I'm glad I didn't get to it earlier - it has been overloaded with blooms that I can see through the branch's of the Japanese Maple. Right now it and I am content to let it brace itself on an old iron folding chair, graceful as ever. Years ago I planted it in front of the hardy bananas (hooray, three-2 old ones and one new are finally coming up) and planted another rose (red) beside it - I forget it's name. There is a knockout rose (red) behind it covering a multitude of weeds, etc. making a perfect backdrop for this one. Yes, there is black spot on some of the leaves, but it doesn't hold that against me. I've enjoyed just being able to peek at it through the leaves while getting in some daily porch time with Cotton. I even had a brief visit from one of the garden lizards a couple of weeks ago. We've had a lot of rain, thankfully, so he/she's hiding. I hope the wet season we're having will tempt the tree frogs back out and into the yard, I miss them.

New Art & Hooray!! The Sun's Out!!

2009-04-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

Working thru and trying to forget the soreness and pain, sometimes accomplishes much.

Sharpies & Photo Paper - What FUN!!!!

2009-04-12T17:24:00.000-07:00

My cards for AFA's Colorful Southwest Swap (hosted by EraserQueen). I sat down friday and did some sketching and puttered around a bit sat. evening. Today I sat down with my sketch book closed and with my markers and photo paper and just jumped in.

Bookmarks x 2

2009-04-06T18:49:00.001-07:00

Last bit of work this week - bookmarks for a swap in InchArt site.

I also FINALLY opened up my Bind-It-All last week - only had it 2 years. I bought it and have never had a place to put it out and leave it. I let it sit a day or so and finally curiosity got the best of me and I cut pages of sketch pad paper and cut pieces from the back of the pad to make myself a smaller sketch book that I can hopefully remember to carry with me when I know I'm going places where I am going to have to wait. Punching the holes in the paper and covers was a snap - so was binding it - this is going to be a fun new toy for me. The main thing I have to remember is not to make the same mistake next time - decorate the covers before binding it all together (duh). Collager that I am, I've managed to bit and piece the covers to look presentable and hide the fact I got a bit over zealous. Now I just need to run across a sturdy table in the thrift shops to set up my sewing machine - I want to work on some paper/cloth/fiber atcs.

Bookmarks

2009-04-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

It's always fun working on a different size background/base. The backs are collaged as well as he front. The one I kept is hanging on my bulletin board over my desk, not sure I'm going to hide it in a book.

I'm almost caught up.......

2009-04-06T18:28:00.001-07:00

My cards for the "Measure Me" swap on AFA.
I have one more to finish that I'm procrastinating on but I know I'll have it done by mail-out time wed. I just need to work on the backs. I woke up this morning with not only an idea for some new beads but actually seeing them in my head. They are underway too. I hope this kick lasts a while (lol).

I'm on a roll!!

2009-04-06T18:23:00.001-07:00

Cards finished today for two more AFA swaps. Playing around with gesso, transparencies, copper leafing, beach sand, shells, ink, and stamps.

New collage swaps;

2009-04-04T18:19:00.001-07:00

My new collage cards for the upcoming "Atc's with Text" and "Little Girls" swaps.

New cards = new swaps.

2009-04-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

Remedial hand drawing participant here! We have two swaps going on at AFA right now that I'm participating in that does a good job at pulling me out of my comfort zone, which I need on a regular basis. One is a swap to draw a new Spiderwick character (of our own imagination) and one is a mixed media (I chose to draw) card swap celebrating that "little house out back" These have given me the chance to use the colored pencils sitting on my desk, gathering dust.

We have a new artist in the family........

2009-03-22T22:43:00.000-07:00

I moved my great-grandmothers monster of a buffet out onto my back porch several months ago. I needed more space for my work area. I have debated what exactly to do with it and have decided to strip and refinish it and get rid of 100 years of finish and grime and whatever. It only has the original finish on it so it will be easy and the weather it's been exposed to sitting on the porch has loosened some of the finish. I sat outside this evening and took a wide paint scraper and cleaned the finish off the three small drawers with relative ease. Most of the finish is going to just scrape off or I wouldn't undertake such a job because of my arthritis and fm. I ended up with a small amount of scrapings that I had sat and gathered into a nice neat little pile afterwards with my foot, while I talked to a friend on the phone. I came inside, forgetting to sweep the pile off the porch. I went to the back door later, after dark and flipped on the porch light to see if the neighborhood opossum was back for another meal (he came by last night), I was hoping for a picture, and I found the above scene. Something has been playing with my varnish flakes (lol). I don't know if it was one of the cats or an opossum or raccoon (have those occasionally too) but "someone" has been creating on the back porch - the paw print proves it was just to tempting to leave alone. This is just too funny. Next thing you know they will want to come in and make atc's with me!!!

Fun C-A-T Weekend!

2009-03-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been the March Collage-A-Thon on the AFA website. It's my 2nd one I've done. Saturday's theme was "green" so I leaned toward St. Patrick's day in honor of a long line of Irish ancestors. These among with another set traded pretty fast. I have still yet to learn how to balance creating the cards, uploading, and looking at the other members submissions and asking for trades. I managed to do a few this time but I still took the easy way out with some and just asked the artist to pick me something - either way I know I'll get a great piece of art from my fellow traders.

Taking a Lesson from Cotton

2009-03-09T20:49:00.001-07:00

Oh how wonderfully unexpected our weather is this time of year. We've gone from freezing snow to 70 degrees. The weatherman is predicting colder weather again after Wednesday, but today is stuffy warm and sunny. I'm so glad Cotton adopted me - he keeps reminding me to slow down when I get too fast and busy. I managed to get him to pose on the back porch this afternoon. If I could get down on the floor, I would have joined him. I used to do that growing up. When mom didn't catch me one of my favorite things on a warm sunny day was to stretch out on the grass and nap with the dog. We always had a dog. My dad wasn't a big fan of cats (I'm being kind here) so they didn't make their way into the family until my youngest sister started asking for a one. One cat in particular she had started a very annoying habit (where dad was concerned). Every morning about the time dad was up cooking his breakfast the cat would jump up on the kitchen windowsill and take his morning bath. My dad refused to watch the cat bathe while he ate breakfast, so one morning he decided to help the cat out by taking the sprayer attachment on the kitchen sink and giving the cat a shower. The cat I think got the message pretty quick. My other sister had a pet rooster once. When we were growing up there was a cruel tradition (now I think so anyway) at Easter. The local dime store would get colored Easter chicks and ducks in to sell. My great-aunt worked there and one year brought us a chick in every color - 5 in all, I think. One survived to adulthood - the meanest rooster God ever put on this earth. He would peck at my heels and my youngest sister's when we tried to go outside. We each kept a stick by the backdoor. The other sister had him trained to fly up and sit on her windowsill and although she to this day won't admit it, I truly believe she used to let him in her room. He was mean. A pitbull would have ran from that bird. But he was no match for my grandfather and the boiling pot.

Changing seasons have me in a cleaning out mode too. A good friend said it sounded like I am nesting. I'm always nesting. But I have tried over the years to adopt a rule of life given to me by a very wise woman - my youngest sister - if you haven't used it in a year, get rid of it. I haven't always followed that rule, but I'm trying. Especially where my art supplies are concerned, well the items that have made their way to my home from the thrift shops. I'm trying to stay out of them and do normally, but I hit one on payday, but I'm learning to really question myself and not toss items into the buggy that I can't immediately see a project for. There are two exceptions to that rule - I just can't help myself when it comes to old jewelry and books, but they have to be really unusual books or very old, with old images or in foreign languages or something really cool. My grandson loves punching shapes out of what he calls "music paper" (pages from old music books). He claimed three small punches as his own before I even offered. He now has his own supply drawer at my desk with his name on it. He has discovered the fun of playing with polymer clay but I've yet to get him to make something and allow it to be baked. One day soon when he's here we will start playing with watercolors, or acrylics. He punched paper and picked out a background and with my help gluing, made his first atc a few weeks ago. He even signed the back with a "T". I have a friend who means the world to me, she will be the first to admit however that she's not "artsy-crafty" as she calls it - never has been and never will be. Still I worry about her because outside of her job - she does little else. She spends one afternoon a week with her new grandson, but otherwise she complains that all she does is go home after work and sit and wait to go to bed and get up and go to work again. She doesn't like to read. She despirately needs a hobby or something in her life. Her grandmother taught her to sew and she has a new sewing machine but says hobbies are very expensive and can't afford the materials she needs. So she sits, watches the soaps she's taped that day. It saddens me that I can't give her some of my interest in art or reading or something to ignite some sort of outside interest for her. I think it would help her healthwise. I have a hard time understanding people that say they have no hobbies, or can't do this or that, or aren't talented. I try to tell them and her that they are talented they just haven't developed it. I believe everyone has this gene or whatever to do something to bring interest and enjoyment and others into their lives. You just have to find out what it is and open it up to possibilities. She loves to sit and watch me do things, especially if I'm working on a new jewelry piece for her. She loves to ramble in the drawers and boxes surrounding my desk and ask me what I do with this and that. I keep hoping one day she'll pick up something in one of these boxes or drawers and it will spark something deep inside of her. I have more than enough raw materials stashed around here to share with her. I guess because my mom was curious enough about different art mediums and technics and the fact that she instilled this in myself and my sisters makes it hard for me to understand how you don't have "it" as my friend says. Still I'm determined that one of these days it will be like the scene from "The Miracle Worker" where Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan have that confrontation at the water pump and it all connects for Helen and she understands hand spelling/words. I guess I'm just waiting for the day my friend is here or we're out rambling and she discovers water.

March 1st and it's Snowing!!!

2009-03-01T16:55:00.001-08:00

I went to our annual SPS meeting at the Bamboo Farm in Savannah, GA this weekend. It was a wonderful, warm day in the high 60's/low 70's friday (not sure exactly-but it was wonderful). We left the upstate and dealt with rain until around the Newberry, SC exit. Yesterday was cool but pleasant because the breeze kept those little sand gnat demons away most of the day. Today, here, home - wet, cold, rainy, then huge snowflakes started falling sometime after noon today. The jasmine in the yard is ready to bloom, the ornamental quince has been blooming for over a week. The bamboo in the back yard (yes, I planted bamboo), rough estimate is over 20' (way taller than the porch roof) but tonight is bent and barely over 6' or so tall. I've been snapping photos off and on all day, and discovered that night snow photos turn out pretty cool too. The neighbor's cat has been hanging around on the back porch today, I've put a piece of an old rug down in a far, dry corner in case he need's a spot to sleep. Photos - after the cat: front yard-about 7pm, back yard-bamboo about pm, my sabal minor palm "frosted" version and the front side yard early today.

Latest Endeavors

2009-02-16T18:45:00.000-08:00

I participated this past weekend in an AFA Collage-A-Thon (CAT). My first a-thon since joining the site. I really got inspired once I managed to take care of outside situations so that I could just sit at my desk and work. Over half the cards (some of which are above) I did traded immediately. I was thrilled. It is a bit hectic however trying to create, upload finished cards and keep check on the thread to see what everyone else is doing. Kind of took my mind off things too. This past week has been rough physically. Sometimes I wish I could remove the painful parts and store them away until they stop hurting. I'm grateful that my time at my desk, creating, is therapy. I tend to forget the painful days when I have my mind on my art.

Check out this Site!!!!!

2009-01-25T20:41:00.000-08:00

I have made a new friend in the last week. Her name is Diana Bracy and rather than try to explain her mosiac art she creates with fabric, yes fabric, click on her name in my list on the side of my blog and sit back and watch the slideshow on her blog of her art. She is one talented lady.