Charms Arrived

I have OODLES of Blue, White, Silver charms.............which I will photograph and post soon.
Started a long term substitute position today.  I will enjoy knowing day-to-day where I will be subbing, what class and the names of the students.  A smidge panicked that art takes an even further step away from reality, but I will need to focus really hard....to organize and MAKE time.

Will post pics soon.
Until then.................have a great day!!

Blue White Silver charm Swap

so to sum things up.
School started.
I got busy with substituting, co-leading a brownie troop of 25 girls, being a Mom to three kids, husband working 7 hours away.......so something has to give.  and it was and has been my art.

But, I did manage to pull off charms for a new swap with a new yahoo group, artcharms.  I signed up innocently to make charms with the theme of blue, white and silver.  and the list of swappers grew and grew....until 38 signed up.  38!  a little more than what I was anticipating.  But it was a deadline that would FORCE me to create.  Sad that I need a deadline, but true these days.

So here are some pictures from the charms that I made, some attempts that I didn't mail and some that are to be developed some more.

These are the charms in process.  I formed wire, added polymer, UTEE and ephemera.....twisted wire and these are waiting to have beads added and some sari silk (which I am LOVING!!!!)

The finished charms.  I am pleased.

I had an idea to make these felted circles, add some crystal white and clear beads.  Did not finish but plan to, I think these have some potential. 

Playing with making balled headpins without enamel.  I like these.  again, potential.

I am still playing with these disk shapes and adding words.

Hope to be back on here again soon.
Which also means I am playing with some of my projects!

white daisy discovery

My morning walk, with camera in hand. 

Enjoying the crisp air, the changing colors

and discovered this beauty

made my morning

Inspired my day.

Happy Friday!

I Won, well sort of

I am signed up for Silly2, a class offered by Carla Sonheim.  I was super inspired after listening to her podcast on the Notes from the VooDoo Lounge.  During her interview she does a little excercise using a sharpie, sheet of paper and your willingness to let go, just for a few minutes.  We have had a ton of fun doing this excercise.  It then prompted me to purchase her book The Drawing Lab.

This book is FUN.  I can't wait to do this with the kids.  Apparently there are on-line groups that have been doing book studies on Drawing Lab.  Hmmmmm..

I am a new fan of Carla.  Not just because of her super fun book or the class that I am signed up for that starts today but because yesterday she sent an e-mail to everyone signed up to announce that she was going to offer 10 (ten!!!) scholarships to people that we recommend.  So I entered the name of a dear friend in Minnesota, an art teacher and guess what.............................SHE WON!  I amm soooooo thrilled.  I am thrilled that she offered this opportunity and I am thrilled that Jean won this!!!  To top it all off, Carla is totally cool with teachers sharing the exercises in the Silly2 class with their students.  Sooooo generous!

Thank You Carla!!!!!!!!

Okay another note.

My Mom, who recently upgraded to an iPad.....lucky....gave me her iTouch (yes, with a fist pump!).  You see, I have never had one.  Wanted one, yes, had one, no.  But now I doooooooooo!  and I love it.  I love the apps.  I know.....all of you have been there done that, but for me, it is still a HUGE novelty.  Anyway, BIG fan of Podcasts.  I love going for my walks and getting to hear artists speak and inspire me.  So if you so desire, check out Notes from the VooDoo Lounge.  You won't be disappointed.

Thank You Ladies

I worked up a little "Thank You" note to send to my friends in Minnesota. 

I was inspired byKelli Perkins and a stitched pagelet painting tutorial.

It was super fun to do.

I apologize for the glare.  I haven't decided if I am going to mail this "thank you"as a giant postcard or slip it into a manila envelope.  So.....I covered the photo with a thin piece of plastic from the fabric store just in case.  These are my creative friends that I lure into doing projects with me. 

We have set the next swap....and it is pendants!!!

Etsy here I come

I am working on slowing it down and FINALLY getting an Etsy shop up and running.

details coming soon.  Slowing down might seem like an oxymoron when it comes to getting work on Etsy, but what I mean is taking the time to finally set this up.  Does this make any sense????

Hiatus over, time to catch up

Good grief.  A month.  Seriously.  oops!
So consider it a European Holiday, to bad it wasn't really an extended vacation.
No, it was life.  Life, soaking up the last bit of summer with the kids.  Then, that dreaded first week back to school, where we are snapped back into the reality of....schedules.  Yes, schedules.  Curse them.  But....a schedule isn't all that bad.  Now i will retreat to a schedule of sorts that allows me time to create.  As that kinda got lost during the summer vacation freedom schedule.


Here is a little sneak into my trip back to Minnesota.  My dear friends gathered for a night of laughs, drinks and some embellishing of the felted bangles.  Fun!  Lots of fun!!!!!

My dear friend Ann comes up with the BEST drinks. 

This was the Bootleg

Described as Liquefied Minnesota Summer

Also known as:  These Boots are Made for Drinking

1 oz vodka (I used Citron)

1 oz Gin

1 oz Mint Syrup (1 c. water, `1 c. sugar, handful of chopped mint leaves. Dissolve over high heat. Cool and strain out mint leaves)

Fresh Lemons/Limes

Cava Sparkling Wine (any sparkling wine or champagne)

CHARTREUSE

Shake Vodka, gin, mint syrup and freshly squeezed citrus juice--I used about a shot of citrus juice since there was no measurement given.

Strain and pour over ice. top with Cava and a splash of Chartreuse. Garnish with Lemons, Limes and Mint leaves.

Enjoy and don't drive.

 

Felted Wool Bangle Bracelets

so we are planning a return trip to Minnesota to see our dear friends (although some of our dear friends will be in Michigan while we are in Minnesota...how ironic and what a bummer!)

But for those friends that are going to be there, I am whipping up a "project" for our Girl's Night Out.

I was inspired by Bevy of Bangles for this latest craze of mine.  I have been knitting up a slew of these bangles to be felted.  Yes, even knitting one up on the ferry to Mackinaw Island.  The little two year old sitting next to me was mesmerized.  I have been experimenting with different wools and some non felting fibers, just to see what happens.  Here are a few of the bangles before felting.  By the way, I have changed the pattern a smidge.  Instead of the technique listed in the instructions for forming the circle, I use the Kitchener stitch instead.  It gives a smoother join.  Check out knitty's instructions for the kitchener stitch.

Once they are felted they look like this..........

How does a Girl's Night Out play into these bangles you ask?......we will embellish these little gems with more fibers....or beads...or whatever the ladies decide.  I have bought some thick embroidery floss to use to wrap around the bangles.  It will be fun to sit around, embellishing, catching up, laughs and I am guessing a delish cocktail to enhance the embellishing!

Mackinaw Island

We've been here and there and heading out again.  Isn't that what Summer is all about?
Here are some pictures from the always delightful Mackinaw Island.  We had a glorious day, four generations of women and lots of memories made.

The bikes

the horses

the gardens, oh the gardens!

and family......(with the mackinaw Bridge in the background)

What I did not photograph was:  the fudge (delish), the super cool yarn section at the pharmacy, me knitting on the ferry (wool bangle bracelets), ice cream eating, the crowds, etc.

Clay Whistles

Part of our Summer Art Plan was to make clay instruments.  We have made shakers and now...clay whistles.  It took some experimenting, but we got the technique down and they work.  Yes, big smiles all around when we heard the whistle!  Now we need to get all of these instruments fired.  Soon I will post pictures of the fired instrument in all of their glory!

Summer in Full Bloom

Our youngest and I started a lot of our vegetable garden with seeds early in the spring.  So when something grows so wonderfully, so grand, so beautiful....

it truly brings a smile!

And these rascally gourds.....are taking over the entire garden.  Here is a gourd that is climbing, rather successfully I might add, up one of the sunflower plants. 

We are going to be abundant in gourds, ABUNDANT!

I am loving my growing egg plant and the most gorgeous purple flowers.

and I wait patiently, oh so patiently, for ripe tomatoes.

tie dye

We love to Tie Dye.

We try to do it at least once a year.

So with company here we decided to go for it and have some fun.

The storm clouds were brewing the sky so our tie dye effort was a bit hurried.

It did start to rain, which resulted in lots of laughter and craziness!

Then the process of rinsing and rinsing and rinsing and rinsing some more!

And the end result.........

Note to self:  do NOT buy Fruit of the Loom t-shirts, they SHRUNK up terribly.  So by the end of summer, our 7 year old will have about 12 tie dye shirts.  Honestly, she could wear the XL.....that just isn't right!

We also tie dyed wash cloths, which are the pieces that they are holding up.

Gel Glue Batik

First you apply gel glue to your fabric. 

We used pillow cases and cut fabric in the shape of triangles for my banner that 

I plan to hang outside on the front porch.

Once the glue dries you can begin to paint.

We thinned cheap acrylic paint and went to town.

Once the paint has dried you need to soak in VERY hot water to start to dissolve the glue.  You will need to take a coarse brush (think something like a finger nail brush bristle) to rub off the glue and paint (paint that got on the glue which is no problem at all) and viola....check out these AWESOME results!

The kids were genuinely thrilled.  My seven year old gave me a big bear hug when she saw her finished pillow case.  That makes all the prep work on my end so worth it!

I got this idea from the wonderful blog

That Artist Woman

Carnival inspiration

Ahhhhh, the Cherry Festival has expanded to the double Ferris wheel.

Who knew that people staged an area at the carnival. 

I was admiring this "garden" at one of the carnival's food vendors.

Then I saw who was running the site. 

This sweet old lady. 

I wanted so badly to meet her, to hear her stories.

I think I need to make some art, based on her stories. 

I need to name her. 

To have a series of work, based on her stories. 

and then our kids.....

after time at the parade, the carnival and then the beach. 

I think they have been "affected"

Fabric ring

I tell you I am loving these circles, that are evolving into funky flowers

that are evolving into charms, pendants, and this ring.

I wore it last night to a concert at the Cherry Festival (to see a fun band, Tribute 1964), outdoors on a beautiful night on the bay with fun friends (sorry........I digress)

The ring was a hit (yeah!) so was the band!

Wren saw me struggling to snap a picture of the ring....so she generously offered to model for me!