Greene Earth Originals

Sea Spirit and some art journaling...

2012-01-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

My friend Marla Niederer, a fabulous artist, gave me this doll/ornament for Christmas. It's called Sea Spirit, and the face is sewn from fabric and painted. Marla has a very delicate touch! You can check out her blog here. I LOVE this sprite! And the expression is fabulous!

I went out and bought a new journal for my art journaling. I like the spiral bound kind because it lies flat and you can work on both sides of the paper. The cover is black and I have yet to collage it with meaningful things... but I did make the first page yesterday... a bit late for the new year:

"Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should Dance..." Unknown

This is the cover of last year's journal:

This is something I wrote in it on October 12: BELIEVE... when you open your eyes and dare to look, you'll see a NEW world, one that was made just for you 'cause you fit right in it!

I'm afraid to open my eyes. What if there's nothing there?

Ideas brighten the sky and lift me with them...

Freedom is flying into the future, finding new and exciting patterns that I didn't know of before. A new life begins, a new story unfolds in the drama of life.... believe... fly on, fly free...

A new year is on the horizon...

2011-12-31T14:33:00.000-08:00

I just want to wish you all a great end to 2011 and a wonderful new year filled with possibilites!

New Year 2012 Pictures Comments - Photobucket

Merry Christmas...

2011-12-23T18:19:00.000-08:00

My creative funk is continuing.... a real desert around here. :( Anyway, I have this happy painting from a couple of years back that will spread some holiday cheer, my Christmas Angel. I want to be able to make more and share more, but for now, this is what it is.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS everyone! I love your blogs and they give me inspiration all the time, and I thank you for that! :)

I painted this in 2004...

Better late than never...

2011-12-03T17:37:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I posted. Moving to a new area threw me off my creative wave completely, but the inspiration is slowly coming back. Creating is living well!! I sent off a box of bracelets and necklaces to a artsy shop in Indiana this morning. The line at the P.O. was unbelievable. People are getting an early start with their Christmas shipping. The line was reaching out the door and only two clerks working...

Some of the bracelets were simple beaded designs, but I also made this beaded necklace with a center bead that I found at JoAnn's of all places. I love the colors...

What have you been making lately? If you leave a comment I'll have a link to check out your site!

Black Friday SALE going on!!

2011-11-25T18:34:00.000-08:00

To all you kind and creative people who stop by and say hi, thank you!! Without you, this would be a lonely and sad blog. You bring me creative inspiration and great vibes. :) I want to give something back, with this SALE, if you're in the mood for something handmade. Please check out my etsy shop Greene Earth Originals. I'm running a sale until Sunday, midnight. Everything is 15% off. Just enter the code blackfriday at check out...
http://www.etsy.com/shop/GreeneEarthOriginals?ref=si_shop

xoxo

Maria

I have moved...

2011-10-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

It has been a looong month for me... I moved to a different location, and I'm still setting up my stuff--always too much of it, right? I have more art supplies than I know what to do with, but there's always that possibility of using the items on some art piece. Maybe I should pick up pencil drawing in sketch books? Sure less to keep track of in the materials department. I'm hoping my muse will return shortly, but there are so many distractions! I'm hoping to delight you with some new pieces soon, even if they are from my art journal. Yeah, where did I pack that?? Must be in the mess of boxes over there in the corner.

Just saying hi... I'm still alive but overwhelmed with "stuff." And, my cat is not happy with the move...

A little snooze beside me...

Disgusted...

2011-09-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been a whole month since I posted. That's just not acceptable. However, the creative juices have not been flowing much, and now I'm in the middle of moving. Aaargh, don't like moving. I'm really sore everywhere. I did make a collage this month, which I put up on etsy for sale, but didn't post here. And I made a necklace with glass beads, and a bracelet... At least it's something... Have a great creative day (life!)

Dream bride...

2011-08-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

I have been a creative funk for a while, and then I decided to take an old collage that I did not like and make into something I do like. Using polymer clay mosaic tiles, fabric and paper, I went to work on this otherworldly bride. Like something out of a dream. I hadn't planned on doing a bride, but when the white dress had been decorated, I decided she needed a veil so it all evolved from there.... Seems that it was windy that day... Had a lot of fun, and it's always good to incorporate all the different angles of my art. Together they become something truly unique. Maybe some would say it's a cop-out to use a molded polymer face, but it fit into this picture perfectly. I have always wondered what to do with that face.
What do you think?

Sisters, girlfriends, ladies, women, mothers, and grandmothers...

2011-08-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

I don't know where I would be without my trusty girlfriends.... There is always someone to lend an ear to anything that I have to say, or complain about, or praise, or wonder about. However, lately I've heard many of them complain about the men in their lives, and it makes me angry and sad at the same time. We are strong! We are capable and intelligent people. We raise kids and have full time jobs. It's really disturbs me when someone offers a deeper insight into their life, about their relationship with The Man, be it hubby, lover, boyfriend, sometimes brother or dad.

What I hear is, "I would really like to get involved with that man."
"But he's married," I say, or "He's not emotionally available."
"Well, maybe he'll change, and he says he doesn't get along with his wife. He gets jealous when I talk to other men, so he must feel something for me."
"No," I say. "He'll never leave his wife to marry YOU, because you're already willing to give him everything he wants. He does not want to marry you LATER... and jealousy is not love."

Or this one...

"He doesn't have a job; I pay for his stuff, and I give him money, but that's okay because he loves me, or he's so wounded I have to help him get over his past."

"NO," I say... "he's using you! It can't lead anywhere but to heartache. He needs to grow up and heals his own past. It's just a convenient excuse to get sympathy and to free load on you."

Or this one...

"He yells at me, but that's okay. I know he's in a lot of pain. I just let it run off me."
"No, it's not okay!! Yelling is emotional abuse, and if he's in pain, why doesn't he do something about it??"

Or this one...

"My husband wants a divorce but I won't give him one. I'll hold on to what we have created together. It wouldn't be right. And he's never home anyway."

"Maybe he found another woman?" I say.
"No, he would never do that." Doh. Well, what can you say to that?

What is it with women that we allow a man to treat us without respect, and then come up with excuses why he's behaving like a brat? Are we so insecure that we can't stand strong and demand that he acts in a respectful manner? Are we afraid of being alone and willing to accept a relationship that is less than fulfilling just to be with "someone." Are we so insecure that we think he's right and we're wrong?

Please! Stand in your power, accept nothing less than respect and genuine caring, accept yourself completely as you are today, and know that you're worth the very best!! Don't sell yourself short... don't accept the crumbs. It's not love... it's groveling madness! Obsession, addiction, you name it, but it ain't love...

Honoring my girlfriends for their kindness toward me, here's a painting I painted today, Sisterhood 8. The other Sisterhood paintings are available as prints at Imagekind.com. Just search the site for Maria Greene and my paintings will come up.

Old tote becomes new...

2011-07-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

Recycling, upcycling, those are popular words these days, and they should be! I did my part yesterday by upcycling an old canvas tote bag. I washed it, dried it, dyed it, and then embellished the front with various fabric scraps and inspirational words. The scraps were colored with acrylic paints and then let to dry. I used my hands as paint brushes. When all was dry I cut out pieces to please my eye, attached them together with fusible web on a panel of fabric the size of the bag, then stitched on top. Machine and hand stitched with various colors and then attached the panel to the bag. Voila, a nice bag for your art supplies, journal, or any other can't-live-without item(s.)

I used a lovely teal dye and the bag was wrinkled and got this wave pattern.

Maybe recycle or upcycle something today??

Bad hair day under the sea...

2011-07-04T15:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day! Eat lots of water melon and cake! :) I spent the day painting, the most fave thing in the whole wide world. Came up with another mermaid, and here's the result:

This has many layers of paint and texture, and then I decide to paint it white and start over.

I did have the texture to contend with when I began on the face, but it added some interest to her features and to the roiling sea. The sky is about as roiling, but what the hay, it's windy and sunny! :)

I forgot to post about when Horizon Magazine, the Magazine of Presbytarian Women offered me some good money to use one of my images:

Out of the blue they emailed me and asked if they could use one of my images. Heck yeah!

The article is by Nancy Copeland-Payton, A Prayerful Sorting

My piece is a mixed media mosaic collage that I made a few years back, called Heart Path. For a better view of the piece, you can check my Flickr stream. There are lots of photos of my older stuff there if you're interested. Anyway, the March/April issue was focused on Native Americans and the USA Mission Experience. I was really impressed. I've never heard of these people, or the magazine before. I knew about the Presbytarian church, but not what they had accomplished. If you want to know more about the magazine, check it out at: http://www.pcusa.org/horizons.

No art but busy times...

2011-06-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

I NEED to create something... It has been several weeks. I went to Sweden to see my mom and the rest of the family. A good time, indeed, but so hectic I'm still recovering from the busy days and the change in my "clock" from all the traveling. I felt a strong need to write, so I bought a small oilcloth covered notebook that I kept for jotting down my feelings as the days sped by. It helps to write things down for sure. Here are some random pictures of my adventures... Sweden is lovely in May with all the flowers going wild and the green, green landscape.

My niece's new baby. My first encounter with little Klara...

My brother and little Klara... grandpa

My niece Isabella. She just graduated from music college. She's a fabulous opera singer, a soprano.

Erik, nephew on the couch, just graduated as well, He's now an R.N.

He was very happy!

Isabella in another role...

Graduation feast....

Tiny daisies....

Wild roses... the scent is incredible...

Buttercups...

Meadowy hill with rapeseed flowers

Great little meadow with flowers until I discovered this discarded McDonald's bag... :(

Mom on Mother's Day. I did buy an extravagant bouquet of flowers because she's the BEST!

Loved the dew drops on this leaf...

Blue and yellow is the Swedish flag..

The view from the kitchen window at my mom's condo.... she loves geraniums and they are indoor plants in Sweden.

My other niece with her baby....

My brother is an artist, and he was part of an outdoor exhibit. These pieces are not his though, but I took some pictures...

large mirror pyramid that gave interesting angles of reflections...

Intuitive painting "party"

2011-05-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have really been slacking in the blog lately! I've been doing other things except art, but here I spent a Sunday afternoon teaching an intuitive painting class. Most of these women had never tried that kind of art before, and we began with relaxation and a short meditation to get in touch with our center. Then they chose the colors they wanted to work with and we started by covering the canvas with paint. They really had a good time, and so did I. We were right on a lake, the most beautiful spot you can ever imagine! The day was perfect in every way except for the wind blowing, but it kept us moving forward with the projects. No stagnation in that fun and creative group! Here are some pictures.

This was the first layer of paints drying in the sun

Check out the lake in the background!

Having fun with paint! Everyone really painted from the heart...

Some of the supplies...

Progress....

If someone got stuck, another artist would paint something on the canvas to kick start the project again...

All so different....

Soul Collage class...

2011-04-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

I taught a soul collage class yesterday, and it was fabulous! Everyone made great collages, which I knew they would. We began with a short meditation to get in touch with our inner flow and off they went into a creative wave that did not end until the last layer of varnish had been applied. I always hear "I'm not creative" or "I could never make" or "I don't know how to draw." EVERYONE is creative; it's only a matter of getting in touch with that creative flow and someone to help you get past the first daunting hurdle of a blank canvas. Here are some pictures of the event.

Ann-Gayl with her sunny creation.

Spring feelings with JoAnne.

Happy place made by Monica.

Spiritual by Kari.

Lots of fun by Bonnie.

Tom had lots of fun too.

Filled with ideas by Patty/

Shannon the gracious hostess! She gave us spring feelings as well. :)

Three little birdies...

2011-04-07T06:41:00.000-07:00

Since we last "spoke" we've had the Invasion of the Catepillers here. They denuded lots of trees of all their leaves except for tufts on the highest branches. I had thousands (not exaggerating) on my front porch, around the front door and in the ceiling. I swept them away and two hours later a new batch would fill the space. This went on for two weeks, but now they have abated. Whew... No critter ate these things. I guess they become some type of moth. We get them every year, but this year was like the locust swarm in the Bible. Nature trying to balance herself?? Toyed with the idea of taking some pictures of them, but I don't want to gross you out.
Instead I'm posting a picture of my latest art work, The Birds. No, not the 60s band, but some fantasy birds that had their origin in my twisted mind. This is mixed media with lots of layers that don't show up well in the picture.

Spring and silly fun in my backyard...

2011-03-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

I don't have that great of a camera, but it's okay on a good day, and it takes great close-ups. The other day the sun was shining brightly through the spring leaves, so I took some pictures. I love the bright green color of spring leaves! In my spare time I've been working on a book cover for a fantasy novel that I wrote. The manuscript is now being copy-edited, so I won't share the finished cover until it's uploaded to the Amazon Kindle. It'll be a while, but here are some pictures of weird vines and roots that I took and manipulated, and of course a sword... I was after a mysterious and slightly creepy look....

Vines

Old potato vine pod and lots of twisted dead leaves

Fairy abode....

Dead potato vine smothering a group of bushes.

Roots from a fallen giant...

Goddess or Angel of Creativity....

2011-03-11T12:54:00.000-08:00

You choose the name for my latest painting! She doesn't have wings, but she is an angel ... or goddess.
36X24" acrylic painting on canvas. It evolved intuitively as I had an abstract that I'd thrown paint at before. The face and the symbols came out of the initial spatters. A fun way to create.... :) Of course there are lots of dots!

Dreamworld with a heart...

2011-02-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

I painted this intuitively seeing the figures emerging out of random color application. I love it when I can see things in the paint and then enhance them to mean something. One of the figures has a heart, and I added the word peace, since that's something we're all looking for, right? I think I have a different style of painting emerging!

I sold a painting at the exhibit at Easy Street and I painted Dreamworld to hang in that spot. Looks great there. It'll be up on etsy shortly.

The first azaleas of the season are in bloom! I love Florida...

And the lone red bud tree in the yard is blooming. At least I think it's a red bud.

The neighbors have a horse paddock back there, but the horse was in her stall eating, so no photogenic picture of her--Sara. I will take one though; she's adorable. She likes me because I spoil her with treats. Speaking of horses, check out this Youtube video about a really smart horse.

Crazy lots of detail....

2011-02-15T13:05:00.000-08:00

I just finished a painting/mixed media that I've been working on for a couple of years, a bit doodling here and there. I could never make up my mind if I liked it or not, and I still can't... I do love my white birds that appear a lot in my art, and I love bumble bees. These "B52" size bumblers somehow fly by divine grace. :-D Monarch butterflies are so pretty so I had to have one in there too, and a heart on the tree because everyone knows that trees have heart. There's an inspirational saying on the trunk that goes: "Sow the seed of Love, and you will be rewarded with the most incredible feeling of love dancing in your heart." Those pearls of wisdom are by my spiritual inspiration Maharaji, wopg.org The ultimate law is love, and everything in nature goes by that law (even predators.) Maybe we're taking a page from them? Things may be getting worse, but REALLY, they are getting better! My cup is definitely half full... :)

Below is an older painting but also with lots of detail. I don't recall posting this one, but I had a similar painting, a larger one that sold for good money! This is inspired by Island art, especially Haitian. I love using the bright colors with the turquoises and the pinks. Wear sunglasses while viewing!

Keep on creating! xoxo

February 12...Mom turned 93 today!

2011-02-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

More showings locally...

2011-02-03T12:16:00.000-08:00

Hung some of my art at Easy Street Home Decor here in town. I hadn't planned on it, but the artist whose month it was had another obligation, so voila, I spent an evening putting wire on some of my art, and then took it into town the following day! There's a mixture of old and new, very different styles. It's interesting to see the progress of HAVING FUN, which art is to me.

Wild and wacky colors...

A friend of mine came in as I was hanging the art and saw my moon painting. There wasn't really room for it, so I gave it to him as a belated Christmas present! All of these are pretty much mixed media.

My latest painting: Joyous Birds

"Inchies" Embroidered puffy fabric squares on mixed media canvas. I made a very rustic narrow white frame for it. Now it stands out from the wall.

Art Show at the Polly Wogg...

2011-01-25T16:57:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I took part in an art show/fair at the Polly Wogg Gallery in Hudson, FL. Lots of fun, but Saturday was cold and windy, and the tent threatened to blow away. Sunday was a lot warmer and gloriously sunny. Delicious food by Chef Audry and a great local rock band played. I took a couple of pictures of my things. I don't usually do art shows, but this was close to home, and I had a few things I really wanted to sell--spring cleaning and all that. Sorting through my art I felt compelled to clean my studio. Yay, it's so much better. A thrift store is going to get some blank canvases that I will never use.

Can't wait 'til spring! The violets are out--the first flower of the season. I posted pictures of those last spring, so I won't repeat myself. :) We had severe thunderstorms here today, and a couple of small tornadoes touched down locally. The trees were dancing with happiness, celebrating the good soaking!

Patricia Ritter fellow artist and friend, and Jerry Cowling, story teller extraordinaire!

Susan Wolding, owner of the Polly Wogg, and Patricia.

All shells! By next door artist, Caroline. These shell creations are amazing!!

SKETCHBOOK CHALLENGE

2011-01-13T10:43:00.000-08:00

Helloooo, another cold day in FL. I think global warming is a hoax.... Anyway, if you look in the sidebar of my blog there's a button for the Sketchbook Challenge. Lots of fun, and there's a prompt for every month. January is "Highly Prized." I added two entries to the Flickr group. There are some prizes and things, and I like that blog where the artists post about the challenge. Great artists abound! The entries can be in any media, and you can upload as many sketches as you like.

So, what is greatly prized in my life....?? DUH!

I added some cut out kittens when I didn't feel like sketching any longer. Then I noticed that I had spelled "prized" wrong and had to fix that. You don't have to put those words on the sketches, but I kind of liked it.

Heart is in the air!

2011-01-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

I guess Valentine's Day is one of those days...."eat-massive-amounts-of-chocolate" days, but we can also remind ourselves about focusing on heart related things like LOVE! Or "lurve" or "luv" ... Beloved thing that has many names that basically mean the same thing. I think of a great big heart that encompasses our entire planet where people will lay down arms and instead make a joint effort to make sure everyone has enough to eat, a decent place to live, and clothes on their backs. It could be easily accomplished if our attention wasn't focused on "this is my border" or "I want to control your oil/money/minerals/diamonds." I would think it's time to grow out of this disease of "mine and yours" and focus on what is best for all. What affects people in Africa affects us here in the U.S. Time for humankind to grow up, don't you think? I visualize a world where there is peace and people are happy, sharing their hearts with others!

Anyway, on a lighter note, I have been thinking "hearts" lately, and came up with some mixed media wall art with my ubiquitous polymer clay tiles. I posted one on etsy which sold in 20 minutes! I was so shocked I almost fell over! :) I made another one and posted that as well, and I'm working on another. Running out of puffy hearts to use, though. They are actually Christmas ornaments that I sanded and covered with strips of paperback books, and then painted and embellished with uplifting words.

The trees are dancing in the windy yard. They are so happy it rained! The cat wasn't too happy, but he could at least sit on the porch to prevent any water drops from touching his precious fur... :)

1-1-11

2011-01-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

Inevitably a new year! All those ones. Welcome to 2011 and happy new year to all of you my blogger friends. You inspire me daily, and I get excited when I find someone new to follow. Today was a quiet day. I played with my cat Bailey whose favorite game is "hide the cat in the bag."

He likes to hang out inside the bag, only parts of him sticking out. A gentle poke with my toe on his hip makes him crazy as he scrambles to turn around in the bag to swat at me. Usually my toe is long gone by then. :) He knows that... the crackling sound of the bag is what's music to his ears, go figure. He also has a catnip ball that he loves, and if you toss that into the bag with him, he gets lively. Mostly though, he's a super laid-back dude, like the Dude, minus the dope... :)

I made veggie soup for dinner with black-eyed peas. Yummy, and I loved the colors!

It had red cabbage, onions, celery, garlic, parsley, balck-eyed peas, olive oil, and seasoning.

Then I finished a shadow box project that I've had sitting around for such a long time it had a 1/4" of dust on it. I used an old hook rack that I painted and distressed, then filled with meaningful words and symbols. Hearts are close to my heart, and also anything natural, like the outdoors. I had glued on some bought eggs in the nest of Spanish Moss, but they were too big so I had to make some polymer clay eggs that I painted robin's egg blue with brown spatters.

Happiness is NOW, look within for peace and love. (Rather than the outside where it doesn't exist.)

I had a red plastic heart that I covered with paper from a paperback I wrote myself then glued inspirational words like "live your bliss" and "choose joy." It is a choice, either we decide to dig for that good feeling inside or we spend the day being negative. Gratitude is a good path toward feeling joy! The twigs are from outside where there is no shortage of those! :)

Nature has a thing or two to teach us, so I like to include natural elements to honor that. I'm grateful that I live in the midst of glorious nature!

The whole piece is about 16" inches long and 8" high. Lots of fun to make!

Bailey now fell asleep next to me. He's dreaming and twitching. I wonder what he thinks he's catching... He was not happy during the fireworks last night. It sounded like they were setting off bombs in the neighborhood...

Do you know what you want to accomplish this year? On a physical level I'm sure what I want. I know what I love to do-art and writing. On a spiritual level, I want to follow my Inner Voice more closely and also find the bliss in every situation. I don't want to waste any more time on letting things "happen" to me, or to wallow in pity parties, or dwell on the horrendous things we do to each other and Nature. If I can be an inspiration for upliftment, I'm one less problem in this world! So, I wish all of that for you too, savoring living in the moment and looking toward things that uplift you and make you happy! Happy people make good choices that are good for everyone. Happy people spread the happy bug around! You know what I mean! ;-D

I wish you a GREAT creative year!

2010 is almost done!

2010-12-30T12:47:00.000-08:00

I can't complain about 2010. I've had better years, but it was a creative year though I spend more time writing than making art. Very cerebral, not colorful and hands-on, though the fingers fly nimbly across the keyboard. Had a creative spurt lately in the winter gloom. It has been too cold to do anything but hunker down in my studio and create. Also, knitting is a cold weather hobby so I made another knitted and felted purse, more like a tote bag really. I found some great frames to embellish with my polymer clay mosaic tiles, so here they are, among other things.

Making polymer clay tiles is addictive. You roll out the clay, stamp, bake, and paint. A colorful meditation when things are going well. Sometimes the pieces come together really fast on the frame, and sometimes I really have to dig deep for the perfect pieces to fit together. Always a happy ending, though... :)

One of those boxes that you've seen many examples of. I made a bunch of new ones.

Just want to wish you HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

2010-12-18T19:17:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season as they say! I wish you peace, joy, and a stress free Christmas and a great new year.

Let some music into your life! :)

Where have I been??

2010-12-14T16:03:00.000-08:00

That's a good question... I got away from blogging and blog cruising for a while. I miss it! I've been making some things, but mostly polymer clay mosaics, so those types you have already seen. Though, I have a couple of things that are a bit different, a large star box, and a mirror that promotes PEACE! I thought that was a worthy thing to be reminded of while looking into a mirror. Peace begins within, with us. When there's peace within, there will be peace all across the world!

I've been selling some art pieces and there's a demand on the polymer clay mosaics, so here is the "how to" for the star box I made. It'll appear in my etsy shop pretty soon. I'm mostly selling locally, but you never know...

The stamped and painted tiles for the star box.

I painted the lid black to conceal any cracks showing between the tiles, and also to seal the wood.

Trial and error. The star shape is a challenge!

Voila! Laid out and glued down. Yay! Where there's no space for tiles, I glue down glass beads.

I decided to paint the box itself red. It was spray painted gold inside and on the bottom. The inside of the lid is a bright turquoise.

Angel wishes... BELIEVE they can come true!

I like loud color combinations! Finished.

The Peace mirror! Available in my etsy shop now. It's difficult to take pictures of mirrors without the camera showing, hands, or inside ceilings. Did you ever encounter that? Those trees are some live oaks in my yard.

Giving Thanks and Black Friday...

2010-11-24T18:49:00.000-08:00

Somehow those two words don't really go together, Thanks and Black, but that may just be a personal opinion . . . I have so many things to be thankful for, one, living in a peaceful place, a great roof over my head, lovely neighbors, sweet animals, friends . . . food on my table every day, and plenty of it. No turkey though as I'm a vegetarian. My friends usually wish me Happy Tofurky Day, but to be honest, I've never had tofurky. I am grateful for family but they don't celebrate Thanksgiving as they live overseas.

Black Friday sounds like something dire out of history, like the Black Plague, and for some, this particular friday could be considered a hazard to your health . . . throngs, traffic, rabid shoppers, sleep deprived shoppers as the stores open at 3 am. How nuts is that? Anyway, I won't be joining the throngs. I might just go for the handmade gifts. So, if you're into handmade and you like my things at etsy or artfire, I'm offering 25% off on everything in both shops, starting Black Friday and ending at midnight on Cyber Monday. The etsy shop takes the 25% right off the price at checkout with code blackfri51, but you'll have to convo me on artfire.

Click on the links in the sidebar to get to my shops.

HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY THANKSGIVING dear blog family!

The theme is RED!

2010-11-11T16:47:00.000-08:00

If you check out June's blog, A Creative Dream you'll find a creative prompt for November and it's RED. She has all the rules on her site and it looks like fun! Here's something red for you. :) A trip down memory lane for me... We're not supposed to post this until Monday, but I might not have the time then.

This is an old painting of mine RED HOT! that I sold on ebay some years back. My, has my style changed! I used some really heavy texture in this piece.

Very cosmic, and undoubtably some red though you can count all the primary colors in this one. The ole Black Hole.

I actually ended up gesso-ing this piece. It's all white now, with very heavy texture. Looks like something from the 60s, don't you think. What was I thinking...? I don't know what to do with it.

This was a mixed media. The flowers and the fence are cut from paper that I painstakingly glued onto the canvas. I wonder where it is now. Sold thru ebay years ago.

And yes, the reddish purse... I use it all the time when I'm not using the blue one. As you can see it was for sale at a local store, but nobody bought it, so I brought it home and put it into my purse stable. ;)

I'm more of a BLUE Green person, but red is one of those colors that makes you get up and GO!

10 great things about (my) life right now...

2010-11-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

I can only see my life from my perspective, but I know we can all relate to the same ideas. This morning I was petting my cat, Bailey, and I had an idea for a blog post. Why not focus on the positive? :) It gives me a lot more joy than being down in the dumps. Joy lasts through the day if we let it...

1) It makes me happy to slowly pull my hand down Bailey's incredibly soft, newly grown winter fur. (Yes, they grow winter fur in FL too.)

2) After six weeks of drought, it rained for two days! All of nature is smiling around me, and the fresh scent is so intoxicating.

3) I got a set of almost new Maytag washer and dryer for FREE!

4) My computer geek friend fixed an ongoing online problem in an hour for FREE and speeded up my computer!

5) A horse and two goats next door remind me to be grounded every time I walk by (often with slices of bread, which they love.)

6) I have fabulous friends. A friend of mine had a scary mammagram result, and she said "I'm amazed at how many friends I have." I said, "That's because you're such a good friend to others." (I think she'll be okay.)

7) Learning new things...

8) Amazingly beautiful Morning Glories growing on the old wood pile (they are late this year.)

9) My Vitamix blender that makes great green smoothies, and just about everything else.

10) People stopping me at the grocery store and asking when the next collage class is happening. :)

Bold and Beautiful...

2010-10-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

I created a Treasury on etsy, and tried to post a link here. It doesn't work. Blogger is giving me more and more grievances, can't link, can't comment on friends' posts. Aargh! But you can check out the treasury on Morna Crites Moore's fantastic blog, or go to etsy directly. Bold and Beautiful...

Mermaid at Home, mixed media collage... how to...

2010-10-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine, Marla, asked me to do a commission for her. She makes beautiful dolls and other kinds of art, a truly creative soul. She sent me a box of things I might put into it, but I only ended up using some of the background papers. I knew she likes mermaids, so I thought I couldn't go wrong with that! :) So I made a how to post with this project.

This collage is smaller than the usual sizes I work with, about 9x8" so the design got a bit more challenging since the elements have to fit the format. I tore pieces of decorative papers and glued them on good with medium. Make sure the edges are glued down. The shells are from wallpaper border remnants, the butterfly from wrapping paper, and the others are decorative papers from the craft store. I have gazillion in every color you can imagine...

When it's really dry, I like to smear on acrylic paints with a paper towel. I like soft blended edges. If you want bolder lines, use an old credit card. Torn paper edges lend themselves well to smeared paint.

When the paint was dry, I added on elements and blended them into the background with more layers of paint.

I added on more elements and some stamped images with permanent ink, and I outlined the mermaid and painted her tail with paint pens, also permanent.

More detail, and I worked on her hair. Wasn't all that thrilled, but I kept on going.

I ended up adding more details with some inspirational words and two women who are friends at the bottom, symbolizing our friendship that has lasted for many years. I fiddled a lot with her hair and face, and painted some fish, plus added some fish pictures I found, which were tiny! Then I let it all dry before I varnished it. The acrylic varnish really deepens the colors and the details.

I took the last picture outside, and also captured a picture of my "rioting" mum on the front step.

Art reception at the City Hall...

2010-10-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

Had a great time at the art reception, and my art was very well received. I even heard some people talking about it without knowing that I was the artist. At least you know they meant it! :) As the weather is cooling I'm having more inspiration to work, and my cat is getting friskier. He ran around like a "mad person" this morning. My neighbor's cat came in and ate Bailey's food, and then left... A cat's life. :)
Here are some pictures from the reception, most of them of local friends, artists mostly.

Rhonda Hancock and I. Rhonda is the director of the City Hall art gallery. She's also a great watercolor artist.

Brian Brjibag, photographer. These pictures were from a mission to Equador.

Jana, Larry, and Diane, and a fantastic quilt. There's is an ongoing quilt exhibit at the City Hall.

The spread! OMG! Supplied by the Brooksville Junior Service League and the drinks and service ware by Hernando Fine Arts Council.

Angles of the mezzanine. I like angles. :) One of my pictures at the very end of the corridor.

"Balance."

Mermaid. Mixed media collage with polymer clay tiles on the tail.

Karen and Joey. Karen is a fine watercolorist.

"Moon Goddess."

I'm wondering what Lynne was saying. :) Pastel artist extraordinaire!

"Rainbow Rose."

"Before the oil spill..."

A great time was had by all, and I'd do it again for sure. Some of these are going up on etsy for sale.

Sitting down....

Mosaics galore!

2010-10-08T15:04:00.000-07:00

There are many ways to skin a cat as they say (what a nasty saying anyway...) There are many ways to put together a mosaic. I'm a "controlled" addict of mosaics. :) Some will mosaic anything as long as it doesn't move. Christmas is coming so I've been making boxes after a long hiatus, and also some mosaic mirrors. Some are with stained glass, some with broken china. The boxes are going to a local shop, and the mirrors are going up on etsy. Not easy to ship mirrors since they are both heavy and fragile, but maybe? I need to make more boxes to put on etsy and artfire, but I have to say I've been lazy keeping new things in the shops, due to the writing frenzy that I went through lately. Well, rewrites are A LOT easier, so I'm on the home stretch with those, and I'm really happy with the story.
The weather finally "broke" here in Florida and the evenings are cool. Yay! It's weird to wear pants again. It was so nice today that I washed my car and detailed it, yessiree. I deserve a medal or something. :) It's something that doesn't happen often enough--car washing. Never ever received a medal, but I remember a few gold stars.
It was a gold star kind of a day today, no procrastination, no excuses, no whining or swearing, a "just do it" attitude. Aren't those days great? They should happen a lot more often. By the way, my car looks like new!

What a deal! The small boxes are only $32. Can be personalized.

Smoky blue....

Live from the heart!

Follow your heart! The only way to live...

Wedding and Mom...

2010-09-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

I had a great time at my niece's wedding in Sweden. Isabella and her sweetheart Luciano tied the knot and we all danced the night away! She's studying to become an Opera singer and a bunch of her friends and teachers offered some GREAT music during the night. That was really one of the highlights. I didn't score any Opera wear, but a little black dress and an embroiders scarf. But I got some good pictures of those who did dress up for the event.
And the cakes ... OMG! Not one cake, but ten of them! I gained a lot of pounds during the trip.

It rained, but they say it's lucky...

The vows...

Cute, cute, cute...

Opera theme, and some dressed like this!

And some like this!

Mother of the bride and one of Isabella's buddies from her music program

An entire family of Carmens!

Mother of the groom, his son, and myself..Some of us are tall....

First dance--not such a great picture, but the expression is great!

And some like this. My other niece, Karin, her hubby, my two nephews. She's expecting a baby at the end of December...

Obi One ... There's actually a caftan worn in some opera. My brother checked it out online.

The picture says it all...
Weddings are such happy events. I still have a few nephews to "give away."

I spent lots of time with my mom during my two weeks away. We had some quality time together. She was like the Energizer bunny, and I'm pleased that she's better health-wise than she was last year. Isn't she sweet?

Today I'm jetlagged and tired. It's raining here in Florida, and fall is definitely coming. The heat hasn't "broken" yet, but it will, very soon. The nights are cooler. Sweden was in the sixties during the day and about 45-50 at night. Brrr. Back to some creativity soon! I'm raring to go...

First draft finished--Trials of Hallion is born!

2010-09-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

Should I take out an ad? I don't think so, but it should be celebrated with champagne. I don't have any on hand alas. So maybe I have a bit of postpartum depression, but only for a day. It's a great feeling, a burden off the mind, to birth a book, all 425 pages. It gnaws at you and gnaws until you do something about it. I made a marathon mental run, and it feels good to be done. Now I'm going back to the colorful and the visual. The brain must rest before the revisions.

I'm going to a wedding in Sweden. My niece is getting married, and the theme is "opera." My brother's girlfriend has some connection with opera costumes and it looks like I might score something to wear there. Yay. I was getting stressed out about what to wear. I admit I know VERY little about Opera. My niece, Isabella is studying to be an opera singer, so you might see her on the great stages some day. She just had a baby boy in April: Florian. Sounds opera-ish, don't you think? New born picture. Just divine.

The wedding invitation! Aren't they handsome?

Lazy art journal entry, but so true! This is what I live by now.

I also get to spend time with my 92 year old mom, and I really look forward to that. She's such a sweetheart. I have to say LIFE IS GOOD!

Even clumsy birds fly free....

2010-08-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

I was thinking the other day that "freedom" means a lot to me. Besides "love" it's up there on the scale of importance. My business partner bought my part in the furniture store so I'm free to ponder at the crossroads, breathe free for a while. I love spending the day without schedule or obligations. Get up in my jammies and sit down at the computer or in my studio and do all the things I love to do. Creativity of all kinds flow freely in an relaxed body and mind. That's how we're meant to live--Free!

I'm the queen of my own domain so to speak, not some CEO or other boss, or a friend telling me what they think I should be doing. When I don't have to be some place at a certain time, I can listen to my intuition and go with the flow. People's intuition has been clouded for centuries due to schedules and obligations. I'm not against those per se, but they only work if we love what we do. I have given way too many years to jobs and careers that I didn't love, but I've also worked for years with things I do love, and I intend to stay that way now. Let my God-given gifts rule! Be my own boss, create income where I can be my own boss, and continue with my two greatest passions, art and writing!

We have made it so difficult for ourselves as we struggle in this world of unceasing toil. Do you think that was the purpose for coming here when we were given that first breath at birth? I think we were meant to be free and follow that guidance inside. That part was never acknowledged though. Sadly, it gets completely covered up as we go through school.

I have been writing a lot, but I snuck in some art last week. I made a mini book for the Cloth Paper Scissors' challenge. The front and back covers are cardboard with lots of collage and paint. The inside covers are hand-painted fabric. I sewed some brown paper bag pages inside, and it became an artistic goal setting journal for 2011. I have a friend who is a fantastic artist, but she always shortchanges herself with her art. Making money is more important than her creative expression. I can understand the necessity of a regular paycheck, but the choice to always put that first comes from fear. It may be an excuse not to create. There's no real security in a regular paycheck, just as the job could be gone tomorrow. I have friends who work regular jobs and still manage to create every day, but they are the exception. She's getting the book for Christmas! :)

What's your most cherished word?

Blogger problems....

2010-08-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

When I try to leave comments on some blogs in Blogger the link is gone! I went on Blogger help and there were some suggestions about enabling third party cookies and also to enable URL in security settings in firewall program. I've tried everything, and still I can't get anywhere. If anyone has ideas, please let me know. I run Firefox. Thanks!

Art journaling...

2010-08-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

When all else fails, do some art journaling. I have one that I've been working on for a couple of years, and it's mostly a spiritual reminder of what is important in my life. It's a way to do whimsical things and try out new techniques, write silly or profound stuff, and basically laugh at the artful fun that comes out! Well, when it all boils down to it we are cosmic if lovable jokes, but we might as well have fun while being . . . Artists grab the cosmic by the throat and wrangle some unique art out of it, if we are lucky.
On those "unlucky" days, we can get by with some doodles with jelly pens, or a regular ballpoint pen if things are really bad. I like to jot down goals and visualizations that invariably get turned into the ditches of the road of life, but one can try . . . A lot of Gulf of Mexico sadness went into those pages, but I did mark the day the well cap went on. I'm into doodling trees now, those stately wise beings that we share our lives with. I touched one in reverence the other day and came away with squirrel poop on my hand. Cosmic joke or what?! At least someone is having fun. :)
My neighbors are feeding hummingbirds this season, so I get one coming over my way. He is a ruby throated and he checks out my tiny yellow flowers and the trumpet vine that grows high in the live oaks. He also checks out a red teapot/birdhouse that hangs on my porch, never quite figuring out why such a large red flower has no juice. I like to think he's looking in my window sometimes, but he's probably getting those tiny insects that abound on the walls. No pictures of this magical creature alas, only a musing.
I'm so grateful Bailey, the cat, doesn't go after anything. He just lies there and looks at things, kindly, and lazily.

These are some of my fallow brushes with pretty paint stains, and one brand new, looking regal among the worker bees . . .

Another POP event!

2010-08-08T13:45:00.000-07:00

We had a great time last Saturday during our Day of Discovery at POP. It rained part of the day, just like today. Huge downpours and thunder. It's painfully green outside if you can use that word!? And pretty dark for 4 pm, but the sun will be back tomorrow as always... Check out the pictures. I didn't get pictures of everythnig that was made, but what a talented group! I had them do mini collage on playing cards, and they turned out fantastic!!

Pastels with Lynne Simone.

Me before the classes started.

Kathleen, she dyes textiles and does watercolors that are very fluid. The picture of her art here didn't turn out very nice.

One of Kathleen's textiles. Hard to see the glorious detail.

Kathleen Wilson and Karen Heidler

Mini collages in the making!

Collages and oil painting bookmarks

Love this!

My plate of the catered lunch. It was soooo good that I had seconds. Didn't have to eat more that day...

Jana Withers oil painter extraordinaire, and plein air as well.

I'm envious of her brush bag!

Rose from Evie Harper's polymer clay class. This was a first time effort!

Karen's watercolor class. People went into the "zone" here. :)

I can't believe I didn't get a picture of Evie, but I took bunches of pictures with her camera and probably thought I'd gotten some with mine.

CREATE!!

What am I doing?

2010-08-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

Maybe you thought I fell of the face of the earth, but I've been busy WRITING, not making art. I can't take pictures of my computer screen; it would be very boring. I am gearing up for the art show at the City Hall in Brooksville though. All art has to be in by August 10, so I have to make labels and make sure all of the pieces have wire on the back. Details, details...

I have posted before that I had a career as a writer. I got burned out big time after 18 years, but I'm at it again. I guess you can't remove the writer within. It's so much more difficult than making visual arts because you can see your art take shape. Writing is a wholly mental adventure, but when it's inspired you wonder where the good stuff comes from.

I'm working on a possible trilogy, a set of sci-fi fantasy novels, more fantasy than sci-fi. The first one is titled Trials of Hallion and I've got some spunky characters venturing into a new world where there's lots of weird stuff going on. I'm hitting the story from two viewpoints, two women who will meet at some point, Kate and Keitrah. Don't know where. This morning I had to write a scene that I only had the vaguest of ideas for, but it came together as I wrote one word after the other. Funny how that works... The ideas and pictures appear in my head as I write, and the story goes from one sentence to the next. I have a general synopsis of the story, but it tends to change a lot as I go along. I feel a lot of trust in the process, and the craft of writing is ingrained in my DNA. :) I wrote a couple of how-to fiction writing articles for Fortitude if you're interested in reading more about the writing process itself: http://fo.rtitu.de/how-to-write-bestselling-fiction-49 and http://fo.rtitu.de/how-to-write-fictional-characters-successfully-30
Having fun in the summer heat, indoors with the A/C going... We're in the mid to high 90s every day, a very hot summer for us in FL.
Stay cool!

Collage classes galore!

2010-07-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I did another collage class in town at POP today. It was really hot outside, and rain threatened to happen. It happened as I loaded all of the materials into the car after the class... of course! :) Four sweet people made some beautiful collages, and I so enjoyed talking to them. If it weren't for the class, who knows if I would've ever met them? Here are some pictures from the event.

I really enjoyed that there was a guy in the class this time!

Masterpiece underway.

Tom did a great job, don't you think?

Michelle's piece was deep and mystical.

Dawn was focusing on order and de-cluttering at home. An insight she had during our mini meditation. I can really relate to that.

Shannon's happy piece. She could've been a flower child, but too young for that. She did capture the spirit of that time, though. I thought all of their pieces were remarkably happy, so no wonder we had such a good time!

Children's Advocacy Center art camp!

2010-07-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

The artists in my artist group POP (People of Passion) did an art camp with the kids at the Hernando Children's Advocacy Center this week, and a great time was had by all! I did my art collage class, and their collages were fabulous. I had brought my camera and FORGOT to use it! Today was clay class and, fortunately, the collages were still there, and so was my camera. I didn't get a picture with the kids holding their collages, but I share these beautiful masterpieces with you. Kids are so much fun, and so creative. There are also some pictures from the "how to create a safe My Space page" class as well that my friend Lynne taught. The kids ranged from 6 year olds to 14. By the way, we used lots of glitter!

Lynne to the right, and Julie, both fab artists.

Before.... the oil spill

2010-07-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

Collage class!

2010-06-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Vickie and Dana took my collage class last week, and we had lots of fun! Check out these pictures and the beautiful collages they made.

Vickie putting layers upon layers!

Isn't this gorgeous so far?

Dana really likes 3D!

More layers!

Dana's finished collage that she made for her granddaughter Vegas.

Vickie's collage has a lot of details that her mother likes. It reminds her of her mom, which is really cool in my opinion! Everyone finds their own theme as they work through the various layers of paper and paint.

Yesterday, I took part in the peaceful demonstration Hands Across The Sand to stop offshore oil drilling. I went to the Dunedin causeway beach and about 300 had gathered there, and at the adjoining Honeymoon Island, 200 more had gathered. People held hands all over the world actually, whether they had beaches or not. Petitions were signed and will be sent to the White House. It was great despite the 97 degree heat. I stood with my feet in the water, wondering how long it'll stay pristine. Hopefully, for a looooong time, if a way can be found to stem the flow of oil.
I forgot my camera, but here's the Facebook link to Hands Across The Sand, if you want to see some pictures. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/HandsAcrossTheSand?ref=ts

Blessings to all!!

Went to the beach, just to get my feet wet...

2010-06-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I went to the beach with an old friend. Susan, from Texas. We drove along all the touristy traps in Clearwater Beach, and went down Gulf Blvd. to the other beautiful beaches along the coast in Pinellas County. We didn't plan to do any swimming in the Gulf or sunning, but there were plenty of tourists and pelicans about on the beach! I did wade into the water, and then got sand all over my feet. That's what Florida is all about!

We picked up my friend Caroline in Dunedin and had a great ole time eating pizza and other goodies. Didn't stay outside too long since it was 95 degrees. We've had a crazy hot June so far. The afternoon thunderstorms have arrived, and it freshens up the air, or makes it into a steamy sauna.
Susan and I went to Busch Gardens and had a sauna experience there, but we also saw a lot of "cool" animals, among them, white tigers. Forgot my camera, but I got some pictures when we did the beaches:

That's Susan on the left, and myself on the right.

Aren't we sweet...?

Caroline

It had our name on it...

Susan has been following the World Cup since she's British, but here she had her back toward it...

Redington Pier...

Redington Beach

Ode to the Gulf of Mexico...

2010-05-30T16:22:00.000-07:00

I have been working on this mixed media collage on and off, and it finally came together, in kind of a sad way, but with HOPE, that we, the human species, will change with the progress and horror of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
I want to say that I'm so sorry to the dolphins, the turtles, the various species of fish, the ospreys, the egrets, the herons, the pelicans, the Thomson's plowers, the snowy egrets, the gulls, the aingas, the coral reefs, the sea horses, the shrimps, the oysters, the squid, the crabs, all of the species that have to suffer from the oil spill. I'm appalled at the stupidity of the human species, and the greed that governs all!

I have walked along the shores of the Gulf so many times, totally wrapped up in my own agendas and problems, and then have my spirits lift as a dolphin plows out of the water and jumps with joy into the air, maybe 50 feet from the shore. I love the sound of the waves surging against the white sand, and all the wildlife surging with it. I remember the day when there were hundreds of stranded squid on the beach, and how we threw them back into the turquoise water with the sun diamonds dancing across the waves. I remember the shoe horse crab frenzy of mating, that had the beach covered with them, and some that were left behind because they were washed over with the sand.
I remember the gesture of gratitude eye-to-eye after saving one of the horseshoe crabs from suffocation in the sand. (If that's what happens to them.) These are memories that come to mind after a decade of living in Florida and walking on the beaches, and I can't tell you about the sadness felt in Louisiana at this time, because they see the pelicans diving into the oil, looking for food.

I just don't know how it's possible to do so much pollution! And so much damage! Why don't we learn...?
I don't want to be a downer, but my whole world is turned upside down with the thoughts of what we're doing to the sea. I LOVE the sea that keeps on giving and giving and giving. It's time to soul search--how much do we need the oil? Can we support a simpler lifestyle, or alternative fuel? This is a time of choice, and to live by that choice. Please let's get together and pray to what feels good to you that major change for the better will be the result of this atrocity

Ode to my cat...my soulmate...or one of them!

2010-05-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

My cat Bailey is the most wonderful being to be around. He's definitely one of my soulmates in this lifetime. I came home from some art classes this afternoon, and as he always does, he met me at the car. He followed me into the house, and followed me around until I'd changed into my shorts-and-Tshirt. Then I lifted him up and sat down on the couch holding him to my heart. The connection of love is so strong, and he never falters. His love is ALWAYS there, never questioning me or wondering where I'm coming from. We connect in Unconditional Love just sitting there, close.
HIs fur is so soft and his purr so healing. The best companion you could ever wish for. He even comes when I call...
I used to work at this cafe that was open until midnight with an outside patio and live music. The night I met Bailey, the cafe was packed outside. A lady came up to the window and said there's a stray cat in the crowd.
I went out to check him out, and he was an orange stripe and white, long-hair. I asked if anyone in her group was going to take him home, and she said no. I'm a sucker for orange cats and I had lost one three months earlier. The heart ache, and you doubt you can live through another loss!

I thawed out some slices of turkey to give him, but he didn't like turkey, so he went without.
I went in and out of the cafe all evening long, and every time, he was sitting on someone's lap and trying to go home with them. No one took mercy on him.

At the end of the evening, after clean up at 1:30 am, I was the only one left there--and the cat, sitting in the middle of the patio. He looked at me and I looked at him, and I said, "I guess it's you and me."
I had a truck at the time, so I loaded him up in the front and took off, realizing I had to stop at the all-night Walmart and get food and litter for him.
He slunk out of the truck as I opened the door at the store and started running across the empty parking lot at Walmart--a very bad place to be a stray kitty with lots of big roads all around it.
A guy tried to help me catch him, but we couldn't.
I felt really bad, and stood talking to the guy for a minute or two.
The next thing I knew, the cat came back, right up to me, and rubbed against my leg. I lifted him up into my arms and he rested there. It was as if he knew that I was his "saviour.". :)
He and I bonded right away, and have had 4 happy years so far. I don't know how old he is.
One twist... For about a year he was named Bella because I thought he was a girl, until one evening when he washed himself, I realized differently... Bella became Bailey... It was quite an exercise in rewiring my thinking... He took it all in stride because he doesn't care. He lives in the 5th dimension, and he's all LOVE.
What a great feeling to stick my face into his long soft fur and smell the woodsy scent of him. He just purrs...all is right in the world when you have a cat to remind you. :D

More boxes....

2010-05-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some more boxes. I finished five over the weekend. I think my creative drought that has lasted for months is over (at least hoping so.) I'm working on a mixed media collage mermaid incorporating polymer clay tiles on canvas. Yes, another mermaid, but she isn't ready to show herself to folks yet. Somewhat shy, and the fish are embarrassing her with their garish colors! Too bad...
The boxes are already available on etsy!

I really like these blogs...

2010-05-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

Learn to change from consumerism to do-it-yourself. Green living, getting back to sanity, taking pride in self-propelled survival, enjoying a simpler life... Check these out!

Down To Earth

Simple Greene Frugal Co-op

I will have to post some pictures of my garden...

My dad...

2010-05-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

My dad would've been 96 today if he had lived. He passed on in 2004 after a short illness. He was a strong spirit and healthy until near the end. Not always the easiest person to get along with, but I give him A+ for courage. I don't have a picture on my computer to share alas, and I don't have a scanner. I could maybe take a picture of a photo! Next post if I get around to it.

Here's to Dad, see ya in the Great Hereafter! :)

New blog to check out...

2010-05-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

My friend Diane has joined us in blogger land! Please check out her blog and leave a comment. We all need a push in the beginning. :)

http://mysealofapproval.blogspot.com

Not in the mood!

2010-05-09T17:12:00.000-07:00

Everything got out of whack for me with the oil spill in the Gulf, and I'm still really upset about it. How do we move on from here?? I haven't been able to create anything much since. If feels pointless.

I did however produce some polymer clay mosaic boxes over the weekend, and as they read "miracle box" and "angel wishes," you know what my wish is... I also painted a load of tiles for future boxes so now my work surface is bare and inviting. Maybe? Soon?

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

I'm so bummed out!

2010-04-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

This whole disaster with the oil spill in the Gulf has me spitting nails! How was that ever allowed, and why do I feel so helpless about doing something about it? How can we as people just stand by and allow things like that to pass the various channels that say "go ahead, drill for some $$$ in the Gulf, no matter what." They didn't put a "safety" on the drill, because they didn't have to. It saved them $ 500,000, but that is now killing, and is about to kill countless sea life, not to mention fouling the air with oily smoke and soiling the beaches. As if the Gulf isn't polluted enough as it is. This is crazy!!!!! What were we thinking? I say we, because we're all in this madness together! I just want to stop the abuse to the planet, animals, and plants, and people.

Sorry, getting off my soap box. :( Today, I'm ashamed of being part of this super STUPID species called mankind.

Reading a GREAT book...

2010-04-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

This is a great book and not what you think: THE ARCHITECTURE OF ALL ABUNDANCE, by Lenedra Carroll. She's the mother of singer Jewel. It's about how to live an abundant life that is in total alignment with our soul purpose. Here's a link to the book on Amazon, so that you can check it over. It's not about how to make more money, but how to make a better LIFE. :) I'm riveted!

Eclectic Visions of an Altered Journey...

2010-04-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day everyone! I have sent loving thoughts to my Mother, Earth Gaia, today, in gratitude for the wonders she presents every day of my life. I try to walk lightly on your green skin, Mom. I also sent my love to Father Sun so that he feels appreciated as well! :) Without you two, there would be no journey, no experience of living on this beautiful planet.

I sent prayers for help for all the starving and sick children in the world. It's not necessary if we all come together in support instead of living in separation. There's plenty of food and medicine for these kids to be healthy! I wish for housing and food for everyone and that we can come together as one family, in peace. In the new world there's peace, harmony, abundance for all, and everyone is able to follow their passion and is supported in accomplishing their dream. In the new world, we are focused on the HEART! :)

And I've been following this wonderful blog for a while. Linda makes the most incredible collages in Sydney Australia. We do live in a global village, don't we? Check out her blog Eclectic Visions of an Altered Journey.

Art Walk in Brooksville...

2010-04-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

Woo, we had a great time at the Art Walk in Brooksville. I'm part of Hernando POP (People of Passion) and we teach art classes in the area, my part being mixed media collage. I call it Soul Art 'cause it comes from intuitive prompts rather than painting from a picture or scenery. Anyway, we were pitching our classes, and right next to us, or really surrounding us, were THREE FLORIDA HIGHWAYMAN PAINTERS!!! Yes, I know I'm yelling, but how could I not with such fame all around me!!!? One of them, Roy McLendon Sr., is one of the original gang who used to paint pictures and sell them along the highways of Florida. They are of course BIG in this state, and PBS has done fabulous documentaries about them. Wowsa! Check out the pictures! There are lots of them, and we (POP) really had a lot of interest from prospective students. Such a great day!! And the weather was perfect.

I'm wearing face paint at the art walk, but had to take a picture before I washed it off.

Setting up the booth: Karen Heidler, water colorist extraordinaire, and Evie Harper (to the right) sculptress.

Lynne setting up the booth.

Johnny Stovall, Highwayman painter!

More arranging at the booth!

Johnny Stovall by his art

He smiled just for me! :)

Roy McLendon Sr. original Highwayman Painter. LOVE his face!

Roy McLendon Sr's art. It pulled you right in.

This is Jimmy Stovall's art. He's Johnny's twin brother. The camera didn't do the colors justice. They are SUPERB!

Jimmy Stovall, Florida Highwayman painter

Lynny looks as if she's about to hit someone with an easel... :)

Lynne and Evie are setting up the booth... the pictures are somewhat scrambled.

A couple of my collages, and Lynne's in the back (the sun-drenched one..)

Karen Heidler and our POPpa, Gus Guadaginino, a local tycoon, who spearheaded POP from the start.

The Blues Brothers... or sisters, really. Lynne and Evie. They do look like sisters, don't they?

Roy McLendon Sr. painting...

Lots of art affectionadas...

What a great day! We filled up all of our email list sheets, and handed out gazillion flyers for classes. ART RULES! :)

New bracelet...

2010-04-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

I was trying to come up with something more interesting than my latest jewelry project, but times have been "more of the same" lately, so I haven't had any hot ideas! So, here's DREAM!

Azaleas, cats, collage in progress...and finished!

2010-04-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

I have a medley of pictures today. The azaleas have been going bonkers outside, so I got some real close-ups. I might have posted some last spring, but you don't remember that. :) Then of course there are the cats, Bailey my "heart throb" and Tabby the neighboring "ham." They get into everything.

I finished my mermaid collage and put it in that old window. The collage is fabric that I painted with my hands, literally, and then applied more fabric and paint on top of that. The face is wholly painted with acrylic paints. She looks happy, doesn't she? Why wouldn't she in a warm sea among the fishes... :)

Hands of many colors!

2010-03-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

I have this old window that I'm going to do some beachy/ocean/mermaidish/Florida thing with. It's going in my shop WHEN I get it done. It's only in the planning stages, but I got some fabric scraps "dyed" today, and as you can see, it was a rather messy job! Instead of using dye, I used craft paint that I squirted over the fabric that I'd laid in the sink. Then I folded, squeezed, and rubbed. I got some nice blends of color. It dried stiff in the warm sun. Some looks like the old-fashioned tie-dye fabrics that ran rampant in the 60s (and today as well.) I'm going to use fabric and paper for my ocean inspired collage, and maybe I'll paint something as well. I have a cardboard backing that I painted a light turquoise, and we'll go from there. I will post the finished product, but here are the bits and pieces so far. I intend to cut up the fabrics into smaller pieces, and I love the ocean colors I've already got going.

Inchies and Tabby...

2010-03-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

I was making some "inchies," scraps of fabric that I sewed together with some batting in the middle, then glued to a canvas. I think a good name for it is Squared... Anyway, the neighbor's kitty wanted in on the action, so the shoot became "Tabby modeling herself and blending in perfectly with her surroundings." We have a thick mat of wild oak leaves on the ground now since they fall off when the new leaves are coming in. I liked the background for my mostly blue Squared. These are not real inches, they are 2 inches square. One inch would just be too tiny to work with and then combine into a pleasing pattern. It's kind of like quilting, you can't really go wrong if the colors harmonize. So, this is what I do when I watch TV, which is not very often. But they come together mindlessly, a meditation in fabric!

Spring colors against the drab gray and brown...

2010-03-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

I went outside and took a couple of pictures of the lovely spring colors around here. It has been so drab this winter, and today it was raining oak leaves. When the new leaves shoot out on the live oaks it starts raining brown oak leaves, literally. At least you don't get wet, but you'll find leaves in your hair and in your pocket. They are like leather and almost as enduring. To live in FL the vegetation has to be pretty hardy to survive our summer heat (which I love.) :)

The view from my front porch

More azaleas

This is a shoot straight out of the end of a piece of shrub. How exuberant, don't you think?

The backyard is covered with violets. It was pretty windy out there and difficult to get a good shot.

A fresh shoot of saw palmetto. It looks like a praying mantis, don't you think? Or some kind of spider.
I so enjoy this time of year. The sun is bright and warm, life is boiling under the surface, and overnight, it seems, it just explodes with the new season. Must say spring is my favorite season. And there's some green on St. Paddy's Day.

Fly Butterfly, fly!

2010-03-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

I saw this beautiful glass pendant of a butterfly and thought of the possibilities. I made a simple strand of glass beads and crystal to support this stunner! So much fun. I like the subtle glitter of the crystal beads, but that doesn't really show in the pictures.
On a roll, I created another bracelet with torch-fired enamels, this one with icons, symbols we all know and love. So here are pictures of Icons and "Madame" Butterfly.

Creative day in the rain...

2010-03-12T09:50:00.000-08:00

It has been raining cats and dogs all day here in FL. (Why do people say that??) The trees are happy and waving their branches, some of them fuzzy green. The azaleas are Finally blooming. They are about 6 weeks late blooming this year, the ones that survived continued Mr. Hard Frost. So pretty in pink!

I just finished a charm bracelet that has more of my torch-fired enamel beads. I'm low on supply, but "you take what you have" as Kajsa Varg used to say (famous Swedish cook way back when.) I added some sea inspired items, some pale beads, and wings-charms! So the piece is titled Wngs. We could all use a pair of those... No security check at the airport.

Also, I started a pair of wool socks before Christmas that I wanted to felt. I have never felted socks or mittens, but this time, I Would Do It, so I did. I had knitted them bigger than usual since the felting makes them shrink quite a bit. Funny part is that the heel didn't shrink as much though I used the same brand yarn. So they ended up with quite a large heel and somewhat tight over the arch. Pretty, however, if I may say so myself. I used two strands of yarn the whole time, and they are WARM. I might put them up on etsy even though the winter is just about over.

Orsini's Angels...

2010-03-02T19:59:00.000-08:00

My friend Marla in Upstate NY just started her blog ORSINI'S ANGELS. She's an incredibly talented doll artist, and you can check out the pictures here. Please leave a comment or two; I know she would be thrilled. She's very modest, but there lives a very creative mind inside her. I've known her for years and always sparked off her creativity.

Hernando POP, People Of Passion!

2010-02-26T16:14:00.000-08:00

Hernando POP is a non-profit group for the arts that was just founded by Gus Guadagnino, a local businessman here in Hernando County (Brooksville.) In the front of the building he runs a marketing firm, Dream House Marketing, and in the back there's a huge studio that is used by local artists to offer classes. (This organization is too new to have a website, but when it does, I'll post a link.) I'm one of those local artists (of seven,) POP, People Of Passion. I'm offering my polymer clay mosaic tiles as one class, and another is mixed media collage. I held my first class, and two women had signed up (you have to start somewhere...) One canceled, so I did a one-on-one class with a lady named Becky who is passionate about art in all forms! I forgot to bring my camera so she emailed me a picture. She has kindly agreed to let me share the picture of her collage here, and I think she created a fantastic piece of art. Take a gander!

Honest Scrap award! My first blog award. :)

2010-02-24T19:55:00.000-08:00

I received the Honest Scrap Award from Amanda Makepeace, check out her blog here.

Yay!!

Recipients of this creative award have to list ten things about themselves that few others know. Then they pass it along to seven other blogs. :-D

Ten things you might not know about me:

1. I'm a closet gamer, I play Mafia Wars and Castle Age on Facebook.

2. I love to eat really healthy! (Boring? Nah.)

3. I talk to trees.

4. I fly by the seat of my pants.

5. My favorite movie: The Big Lebowski.

6. I was born above the Artic Circle in Finland..

7. I don't like cold weather.

8. I spend too many hours on my computer! :)

9. I don't like chitchat much.

10. I, and my neighbor's horse love apples.

Sold a bracelet on etsy today...

2010-02-22T16:33:00.000-08:00

Time to break out the champagne...! Sold this steampunk bracelet on etsy today. It has all kinds of goodies on it, and it's going to Dallas, TX. I used to live there once upon a time, back in the 80s. It was a good place to live, and I think of the Texans with great fondness! :) And I love the enormous. mostly blue, Texas skies, although they could get pretty scary at times. I've got pictures of tornado clouds, and the thunderstorms were horrendous. They've got bigger bugs in TX than we do in FL, and hotter summers, if you can believe it. For the record, didn't mind the heat... :) Anyway, keep on keeping on!

If you like spritual blogs, this one's for you!

2010-02-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

My friend Rev. Caroline Dawley has a delightful blog with lots of inspirational posts. Check it out here.

Winter is back here in FL!

2010-02-13T09:09:00.000-08:00

It didn't snow yesterday in the Tampa Bay area, but the panhandle got the white stuff! As I sit in my house bundled up with 3 sweaters I wonder if it ever will get warm again!? I love the warmth, the hot chili pepper living, the sultriness (or you can call it muggy) of our summer days. Can't wait! My most beloved plants are inside, crowding my living room, but a lot of them froze dead in the past hard freeze we had. It's the coldest winter here since 1956! (So they say.) I know, I know, I shouldn't be complaining. For Valentine's Day have lots of LOVE and Chocolate, in that order! :)

Bead Soup Party---day of the reveal!

2010-02-10T07:26:00.000-08:00

Today is the big day of the REVEAL! I made this lariat necklace with beads I received from Norma in Oregon, and I'm very pleased with the result. I am auctioning it off and I will send the entire profit to The Prem Rawat Foundation that deals directly with sending funds to help suffering people all around the world--right now Haiti. Shipping is free and the bid starts at $ 10. The auction will run until midnight February 17, and all you have to do is post a comment and leave a bid. Even if you don't want to bid, please leave a comment! No pressure. :) Please check out the other blogs involved in the party. We had more than 80 entrants, so the variety of jewelry created is spectacular!
Check out the list of other blogs involved here. Thank you Lori Anderson for creating the party!

The lariat measures 19" and the pendant is 3" long.

New Ning site for torch-fired enamel affectionadas...

2010-02-07T16:25:00.000-08:00

Barbara Lewis of Jewelry of Distinction has created a ning site for us torch-fired enamel bead lovers! If you're interested, there are lots of tips and know-how, and AWESOME pictures of jewelry fabricated with torch-fired enameled beads. I think it's the hottest thing (no pun intended.) :) Come one, come all!
http://www.paintingwithfire.ning.com

Bead Soup Party...

2010-01-31T16:42:00.000-08:00

The REVEAL is coming up soon, on February 10! I made something delicious out of the beads that Norma, my swapping partner sent to me all the way from Oregon. I can't wait to show you! Anywho, I'm planning on auctioning off my piece and sending the money in aid of Haiti. Not that many people hang out on my blog, but I'll announce it on Facebook as well, and Twitter, and hopefully people will bid. I got all excited about that! We had to use the focal and the clasp, but I actually used most of the beads, and added on a few of my own. Check in for sure on the 10th.

My mom is turning 92 in February...

2010-01-27T17:34:00.000-08:00

It is true, I don't know where the time went! I get a lot of my creative ability from her. She always had a great eye for color and form. She's of that generation (and growing up on a farm) that knew how to shear sheep, make roving, spin yarn, and then either knit or crochet something useful. She even made linen from flax, and knew how to weave. They wove their towels (which lasted forever), their tablecloths, their rugs from old clothes that we used to sit and cut into long strips and ball up when I was a kid. The destruction was fun. She even taught me how to weave, but I had no patience weaving that thin linen thread into towels.
My grandmother even wove sheets, and they had a seam down the middle (the loom wasn't large enough.) They had a loom always set up in a big part of the upstairs bedroom at my grandmother's. Mom never had a loom in the places where we lived, but she always wove rugs when we spent the summers with my grandparents. She still has some of these brightly colored rag rugs on her floors, and if I peer closely, I might recognize the rag line from one of the dresses from my youth. I do have a lot of her things that she embroidered in the "old days," things that are truly vintage now.
In her youth, she was pretty much self-sufficient in making her clothing, and later those of my dad, but with modernization, she stopped those habits, though her hands were always busy. During the 2nd World War the women used to knit hundreds of mittens and socks for the soldiers. That was before my time.

I asked her if she remembers some of my fave sweaters she made for me when I was a kid, but she doesn't. I had a really comfy gray and blue patterned sweater that I wore ALL the time; I still remember it clearly.

She loved to sew clothes, made fabric collages, embroider, needlepoint, cross stitch, knit; she even dabbled in porcelain painting, but my dad complained about the fumes. She could knit and crochet anything. We used to get excited about some new pattern; I would start it and she would finish it because I always got bored somewhere in the middle.

I have the patience now, however. I don't know how that happened--with age maybe. I have been more of a dabbler than making something "useful," though. In one of the pictures below I made a fabric collage from a picture in a book about Medieval life. I now marvel at how large the horse is compared to the women, but I didn't think of that at the time. I could never finish it since I couldn't decide whether to frame it or make it into a pillow. It now lives with my mom's things in a plastic bin.

My mom's hands are twisted and stiff due to Parkinson's these days, but she can read without glasses, so that's how she spends her days. She has all her marbles still. :) She's the kindest person you could ever meet!

I haven't worked with fabric for a long time, but I'm following some really cool fabric art blogs, and getting more inspired to get out those bins. Check out this great blog, Spirit Cloth, by Jude Hill. It's a whole different feel to explore creativity through fabric. (Though I usually prefer paint--get my hands down and dirty as they say...! :)

This is a really old piece, possibly embroidered by Mom in her youth, or Grandmother might have made it. I don't remember. But look at the needle work! These cloths were hung on decorative rods to hide the everyday towels used in the kitchen.

I have two tablecloths like this. Mom crocheted those from a very fine cotton yarn, then patiently crocheted the flowers/snowflakes together. It's fine like a glorious spiderweb!

This is a newer tablecloth; possibly one of the last ones she embroidered before her hands gave out. She sent it to me. My brother who is an artist always wanted the same pieces, so she often made two of the same pattern. You would think a man wouldn't care, but he does.

This is a tray tablecloth that is meant for a birthday cake placed in the middle of the wreath. The word "Gratulerar" is Swedish for Happy Birthday (sort of, more like "Congratulation" if you want to be picky.) A gift for one of my birthdays. I use some of these things, but I worry about getting them dirty.

My foray into Medieval art (must've been in the 90s.) I loved combining daring fabric patterns into a cohesive look. Even the birds wore armor in my picture. The fabric was mostly machine stitched even though I'm not very good on the sewing machine, or my machine isn't very good...

Another lifetime, but everything runs in cycles.
BTW, I love my Mom. :D My dad could've been a painter, but never really pursued it. He passed on in 2004, at ninety. I do have a couple of his beautiful paintings.

Sea Mist...

2010-01-21T19:43:00.000-08:00

From frost to thunderstorms...we had a mist hanging over the blue blue sea and it inspired me to dig out those trusty sea inspired charms that I like so much. Blues, greens, turquoises, pale lavenders, and what the hey, throw in some pink as well, and you have all my fave colors. I made one of those dangly charm bracelets that get in your way when you wear it, but as my mother used to say: you have to suffer to be beautiful. I never bought into that though, and now I can see the fashion police coming, but Comfort is my key word when it comes to fashion. I happily supply someone else with the bling though... Some Swarovski clear crystals hold in the copper torch-fired enamel tubes. I have to buy some more beads to fire! Too many interests; I have artistic ADD. I'm also knitting a pair of wool socks, don't ask me why. We had 75 degrees here today... I've been following some fabric artist blogs and now I'm tempted to dig out my huge plastic bins with fabric. They are living in the farthest reaches of my closet where only spiders live. I used to be into fabric art big time, in one of my life times (we're talking 80s and 90s.) The era of the leg warmers, followed by moth-eaten leg warmers. They were comfy though. Speaking of the 80s, I could never get the right poof in my hair, no matter how much I permed it. Not enough there to work with. And I never had to wear shoulder pads since I'm graced with impressive shoulders, (I'm 5'10"). Remember those jackets with massive shoulder pads? Dynasty size pads... I used to cut them out and give them away. :) A strange decade... but I think of it fondly.

Keep creating!

The devastation of Mr. Frost...

2010-01-17T18:34:00.000-08:00

We had an unprecedented cold snap here in Florida recently. We might have 1 or 2 nights a year of frost, but we had ten nights in a row with frost, some heavy. Brrrr... Today was a balmy 70 and you can barely remember the cold. My plants (that were) reminded me. My spider plants are a sad group. Maybe they will come back??
I put some of my faves inside, and they are vibrant in comparison. Well anyway, out of death comes life, and spring is around the corner!!!
The citrus and strawberry farmers around here sprayed water so heavily to protect the crops that the aqua fer got so low we now have sink holes cropping up everywhere, some on major highways. Strange world... The aqua fer has been low already due to droughts. Sometimes I think FL is just a floating island of sand. My soil is all sand in the garden unless I fortify it.
Check out the picture of my Christmas cactus! Isn't she gorgeous. She lived in my bay window during the cold snap, and so did the Burro's Tail. Love those plants...

I'm taking part in a bead swap party!

2010-01-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

This is going to be fun! I'm taking part in a bead swap party, and when everyone posts their creations, we hop around to each other's blogs to check them out. This invite came from Lori Anderson. Her blog is lots of fun!

Copper wire bracelet with BEADS! :)

2010-01-08T18:56:00.000-08:00

Another bracelet creation, this one with coppery bling! I uploaded it to my etsy shop, but one of my local friends laid eyes on it and said "it's mine!" So, what do you think? Copper is .... shiny to say the least!

Florida has been under a cold weather blanket lately and it's hard to live with it. I know I shouldn't complain, but my blood is thin and I don't like the cold. I'm wearing Canadian winter boots, leftovers from my life in Upstate NY some years back. They don't often come out of the closet, but they've been out for a week now... :(

My knitted and felted purse is done....waaay later than I thought...

2010-01-01T13:01:00.000-08:00

I took pictures along the way of this knitting project. I have several purses like this in different colors, and they all turn out unique even though the pattern is the same. They are knitted on round needles, very simple really, with three strands of yarn. This last purse I washed and washed, and it didn't want to felt, and then it almost felted too much. Very tricky process that you have to watch like a hawk. I love the purple/blue/green/burgundy color scheme. It was to have been a Christmas present... I did give away some polymer clay mosaic items as part of my handmade Christmas this year. They were well received.

Bailey is wishing y'all a Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

Have a happy and healthy and creative and prosperous 2010 my dear blogging friends! You are a continous fountain of inspiration. :)

Still "torching..."

2009-12-27T10:51:00.001-08:00

I'm experimenting with my torch fired enamels, and I tried some copper wire shapes today. The copper heated up okay, but the enamel is peeling off after the copper has cooled off. Picture shows where the copper shines through. I also have white enamel powder, but it comes out pinkish even after three layers of firing. Can't figure that one out. So, the pink bead in the picture is supposed to be opaque white, but hey, I'm not complaining. :) I like the pink. I guess you never quite know what the end result is as you fire away. This is sooo much fun!

How I used my new torch-fired enamel beads...

2009-12-23T14:01:00.000-08:00

I really wanted to use copper chain for this charm bracelet, but since I didn't have any and couldn't get to a store, I took my good ole oxidized chain, some steel wire, some charms, and my blue/green/mauve/lavender enameled beads and created this bracelet: Mermaid's Gift!

Torch fired enamel...

2009-12-19T16:05:00.000-08:00

My first foray into torch-fired enamels. Yeah! How much fun I had, and how much more fun I will have when I find more types of copper blanks and beads, and more enamel colors! I especially love the cobalt blue. It had a tendency to overpower the gentler colors. I was a bit nervous about using a torch, but I had a clamp that securely attached the cannister to the table, and all I had to do was to turn on the gas and "whoosh" off we went on the enameling adventure. I can think of many ways to use the beads. The long beads are refrigerator copper tubing that I cut with a pipe cutter and smoothed with a rasp. I spent an hour and a half at the hardware store and now I know how men feel when they meander around a women's clothing store looking for something in particular, or any other store for that matter--EXCEPT for the hardware store. They might not have any qualms about lawnmower or gun stores either...
Anyway, there were lots of cute guys in there... ;)
Thanks to Barbara Lewis at Jewelry of Distinction I got more than enough instruction to get myself going. Thanks Barbara! Check it out, you might get addicted! :-D

Oh Christmas Tree...oh Christmas Tree...

2009-12-16T16:44:00.000-08:00

Steampunk, from the dusty forgotten corners of my studio...

2009-12-06T20:02:00.000-08:00

Rooted through some stash of the "wild and wonderfully dusty stuff" in the corners of my studio today with the aim of making something different. I went with the grungy look, steampunk, though steampunk isn't necessarily grungy. I have some watch movements lying around in a bead tray (don't ask me about my stash sorting system,) and I dusted some off and applied some E6000 to the back of some and affixed them to others. Interesting sequence of events... I had no idea how the parts would all come together. Grabbed a few charms, some Swarovski crystals, my handy pliers to bend that rough steel wire, some semi-precious stones (have lots of those,) and went at it. In a flurry of inspiration, I made two bracelets, truly OOAK. Posted in my etsy shop, but here are some pictures. If you want to read the story line, please check my etsy entry.

Well, if that's not enough, I went and bought myself a Christmas present. Yes, yes, I know it's early, but hey, there was only one of each of these two items left...
I'm getting into enameling on copper next! I saw an article about Barbara Lewis and her fabulous jewelry in the latest issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry (what a great publication!) and promply visited her blog, and then her etsy shop where all these goodies were avaiable. Torch, work station, lots of friendly advice... I'm fired up!
Check out her blog here.I felt like I'd hit the jackpot in blogland as well. You know those peoople you instantly connect with... Well, my PayPal account is empty but I'm going to haunt the post office box for the wherewithals to fuel my addiction to ART! Yay!!!! :)

It's hard to knit with a cat in your lap...

2009-12-01T18:12:00.000-08:00

I spend some time every day in my favorite, super comfortable easy chair (in other words, my super ugly brown recliner) and knit. It's something I learned from my mother and other brave women in the generation before me. I didn't have the best of patience... This time I'm making a wool plus purse. It'll be felted, but the added fancy yarns will look the same since only wool yarn felts. I've made some of these purses in the past and I thought some friend might get this one for Christmas. I love the muted blues and purples.
My cat Bailey loves that chair as much as I do... So, there is this cat with lots of paws and claws and constantly moving yarn. You can imagine the action, or longing for action that goes through this (rather lazy) cat. He knows the word "NO" but that doesn't always work.
Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of him in my lap crowding out the balls of yarn, but he did let me take a picture on the porch this morning of my knitting efforts. The finished product will be posted at a later day.

More stuff...got really busy all of a sudden...

2009-11-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

Gotta deliver some boxes and mirrors to a shop locally where they sell pretty well. Also got a project done for one of the chapter prompts from Taking Flight, Kelly Rae Roberts' book on collage and mixed media. I belong to a group of creative souls on a ning network: On The Wing and we work the projects in the book. Great fun and also challenging! Everyone's style is so different even if we're "sparking" off the same project.
This latest mirror states that "all we need is love," --to take a line from The Beatles. I made a rather large picture frame as well "sisters" "friends." We are all sisters, and hopefully friends as well. :)

Busy with my mosaics...

2009-11-24T16:43:00.000-08:00

Maybe you're expecting pictures of Santa and the elves, which would not be farfetched at this time of year. However, I'm still deep into my mosaic tiles, and some of them will land on gifts this year, but I'm still behind with my creations. My latest efforts... I've been into the blues and greens lately, and aren't they a fresh combination, with some red thrown in. I like to add some "startling" elements. Red is for Christmas!! :)
xo
Maria

Slipping...

2009-11-21T16:34:00.000-08:00

I've been slipping lately, very much so, with posting here. Should I blame it on Twitter or Facebook, or etsy, or Artfire, or any other venue that takes sooo much of my time? Nah. I went to Sweden to see my mom who is 91 years old. Went for two weeks and it was really good to see her! She still lives alone, but it's a worry for me. Thank God I have a brother who lives locally, or I don't know know how I would cope with the situation.
I just got back home to FL, made some more mosaic tiles and now I'm trying to catch up on the Christmas opportunies for sales in my various online shops. I have to tell you I sent out some big waves of gratitude for the warm and delicious weather we're having 'cause I can't cope with the slush, the grayness, or the fog that I experienced over in Sweden. It gets dark at 3:30 this time of year, and it's one of the reasons I always looked for a sunny place to "perch."
I'm behind on my Christmas things, but it'll all come together and there will be pictures to follow!

xoxo
Maria

I'm definitely having a handmade Christmas! :)

2009-10-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

MariaGreene

Unique Gifts

This Christmas will be unique and wholly handmade. Fun, fun, fun!

They are back!

2009-10-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's already fall again! It seems just yesterday that I went out to walk the back yard and saw some morning glories in all their glory! Well, it's happening again. They are back, and this time I found some that were accessible to my camera. I went back inside, charged the camera and took some great pictures. I just LOVE the blue color of the morning glory. It's like Heavenly blue with a core of pure light. Aren't they just fantastic?
I've also been busy here in blogland and in my studio. Here's another winged box, and I'm really happy with the outcome of this puppy! You never know, but that's what makes art interesting. Every project is an unchartered path even though the path is familiar.

Something new in my shop for your prayers or trinkets!

2009-10-21T12:38:00.001-07:00

I like to write down intentions and put them somewhere. I have my own little box, well, it's not so small, and I keep all my wishes in it. I date the pieces of paper, and later on when I go through my wishes/prayers/intentions, I find that most of them have been answered. Of course there's a Big Ear in the sky that hears everything, and not clamped to a cell phone either! My prayers might not be answered in the way I envisioned, but they are always answered. I'm very grateful that someone wants to listen to me! This box can be purchased at Artfire here and it's quite reasonably priced, and of course made with love. :)