More Stress....hence more bowls

As we go thru re-organization at work, my stress level rises and rises - at this point I am hovering around the ceiling from all the rising (and yes Virginia, it is made of glass) - I come home and make Hope and Dream bowls (thank you Lo).

The bowl above was creamy white and smooth and chalky. Then I painted it blue and started drawing.





I like it, DH was a bit unsure, felt the shape wasn't perfect for the design, which I sort of agree with but I like the concept.

So I was going to make a small bowl, with a taper and do the same approach, but in the end I didn't.
I made a small bowl and used a used up light bulb for a mold. Worked great until I had to break the glass - what a mess, but I got all the glass out.

Then I sanded it, and painted it an ivory color and then...this is the secret part....I used matt gel in a thin layer, let it dry and then rubbed paint on it so that it all merged and looked good (to me at least). And of course, a gold inside.

I took pictures in my hand so you could see the size. DH immediately claimed it as his.

So I guess I'll just have to make some more......




Cute, it's sort of like a dinosaur egg don't you think?

Too cute videos for Animal Wednesday - probably too many.....

I don't know how to upload a video from youtube so that it shows here....but can link (aren't I clever?) so here are some adorable snorting pugs .

Also - this penguin is so lovable....

The call of the wild

I wanted to help this little turtle pup....it's cute but help the poor thing up - won't you? Oh thank goodness!!

Happy Animal Wednesday to you all....

More Bowls

I think that when I feel stressed, I make bowls. In fact, I know that when I am stressed I make bowls. Hence lots of bowls lately! I think I might be almost done, except I have one in the works that intrigues me, so I have to finish it to see what happens. I'm not sure of the significance of the bowls...is it a place to put things or a place to put hope? or keeping things together? I'm not sure, but don't really want to psycho-analyze myself too much. Bowls are not going to hurt anyone, and making them keeps me off the street.


Anyway - these three were made at the same-ish time as the pink one but took a bit longer to completely finish.

Love that musical paper, and a furry top edging - DH ain't crazy about the top but who asked him anyway.
And a gold leaf painted tissue paper inside - I love gold (had you noticed?)

This is a smaller version of the Blue one that Robin bought - I had a few of the round things left over so decided to use them. Actually - they are the white round things that come on pre-filled watercolor brushes and I take them off and paint them gold.

DH is not a fan of this one either - thinks it looks like a helmet. (for what dear - a baby? it's small)

ohh - I just saw an almost face in the next picture - do you see it? Damn...now the things' come alive for me....

The last one is my latest experiment - somewhat successful. You have to remember that just about everything is an experiment to me. I never make anything the same twice. I didn't plan on the lumpiness of the bowl, but like it now. I painted it about 5 colors with wiping/scrubbing in between. The gold hoops are curtain hangers, and I might add more metal somewhere.




with a gold inside - what else???

This next one was a true experiment - I used the Sculpy Ultra light that Pam uses with such success. It was like working with taffy! but way fun. I rolled sheets out and then curled the edges and added leaves, and then painted it inside and out. It's almost done, touches to be added and a varnish but it really was fun to do.



oops - touch up needed - blue on gold...gotta fix that.


The last (hopefully last for awhile) one is a paperclay one, made in thin layers. Many cracks...but it should be fun in the end. I'm going to paint this with an underwater scene, and am actually (unusual for me) going to sketch it out before hand and PLAN what it should look like...I'm hoping the inside with be sky blue, but we'll see.



Hope you enjoy this travel thru Mim's bowl world. What in heavens name am I going to do with all these bowls!

Peace

When my MIL died on Christmas we had no funeral, no service - according to her wishes. She was cremated and we brought the ashes home where the box has been sitting in my living room for months.

We decided to hold a small graveside service in the spring, and in consultation with DH's aunt, (MIL's sister) we picked the Saturday before Easter. We figured it would be nice weather, we could spend the weekend in New York with the old aunt and uncle, and everything would be fine.

Thursday night we heard from the Aunt that she has an infection on her leg and is in the hospital. So she can't come, but we're going to do it anyway - the plans are all made and mentally we're ready. We plan to drive to New York for the day only, hoping for nice weather.

Typically yesterday was a rainy, rainy cold day - so rainy that we couldn't talk in the car as he had to pay attention completely to the road.

Really, how nasty is it to be at a graveside service, with the rain chucking down, and the cold wind blowing. It was so classically awful that I couldn't believe it, it was movie quality awful.
We had the service under umbrella's, wept, hugged and then it was done.

Since she's been dead for 4 months, I didn't expect much emotion in a way, but I also didn't expect that having this funeral would mean so much to me - i.e. bringing it home that she's really gone. It struck me very hard that this was it, done, finito. But I also had a very strong feeling of closure - which is good, very good.

The best thing about the day was that a semi-estranged niece came for service - drove down from Maine with her partner for this event. We haven't seen this niece for about 4 years - lots of baggage there but she came thru in the end and it was much appreciated. We had lunch together after the service catching up, and then we both drove the 3 and 5 hours back to our respective homes. We're hoping for somewhat closer relations with this niece, but will not hold our breaths.

The cemetery was one of those where they have lines and lines of mausoleums - all built in different styles. Some are like Gothic churches, there was one made mostly of glass (do they expect anyone to enjoy the view from inside?)

I decided that I would like either a replica of a thatched cottage or a pyramid with the walls covered with art inside. Since I think either one of those would cost a ton of money, I guess I do plan on "taking it with me". I think it would be interesting to build something like that, and suddenly understood the power of planning for this inevitable event.

We also had to go to the monument place to etch MIL's name on the headstone and while there, I was fascinated by a life side statue of an angel. It was all smooth, and must have been made by sandblasting instead of actual carving. So I also decided that - perhaps in front of the thatched cottage - I should have a life size, or close to life size - statue of Miss Em, with her yellow shoes. She wouldn't have to be sad as in the picture below, but rather welcoming in her cheery way.


Well...whatever it takes to get thru a difficult day is OK with me. Imagination helps, family helps more.

Have a lovely Easter day if you celebrate, or simply get together with friends and family. What could be better!

chilly.....cold....nasty weather

I am still in Prince Edward Island and guess what....it's snowing. And sleeting. and cold.

Can't wait to get home....if I can get off the island.....

Animal Wednesday - odd "animals"

I am heading to Prince Edward Island this week, where I expect to encounter these animals - hopefully in abundance - and steeped in garlic.

These animals - meh - I'm not fond of this delicacy - I'll stay with the mussels thank you very much!


Happy Animal Wednesday - isn't this an odd one?

(note: I am here working and...we are expecting 2 inches of snow tonight. Guess I won't wear my open toed sandals to dinner tonight!)

More Crafty stuff

Antique Map pendant

Most of these necklaces and earrings were completed last week except for the chains. I stuck with a theme of long pendant and earrings until the last one, which I did sideways - and I like it. I wore one set on Friday and got a few comments at work - but when I stopped at a department store all the sales people commented on the pendant and earrings.

This pattern is from a quilt that I made.


Art Deco image

Black and White paper, backed with silver paint. Two sets of earrings one with a larger pattern and one with the smaller pattern.

Random image that I had in a pile of papers - but I like the black and white.

No earrings with this one - it's a triple layer collage.



I've also been playing with bowls this weekend, as I am still stuck at home with a cough. (DH went out bike riding today and I stayed home - that'll tell you that I really don't feel good!)

Anyway - paper mache musical bowl, painted with pinks - and of course gold inside. I made this cord on the top from twirled tissue paper, fancy ribbon, and gold thread. This one is a big size - about 10 inches across the top and about 6 inches high. I think it's too pink in this picture and has more depth in real life.


The next three are tiny bowls/cylinders made from the leftover paper I had from the bowls I was working on. They are all three about 4 inches high and 2 inches across. The first one is painted and stained and wiped, and restained - in person it looks antique - like something you'd find at an archaeology dig.

This one is tissue paper and musical paper and it glows if you put a tea light in it. Plus it's the perfect size for a tealight.

This one is tealight size also - and it really glows when lit from inside. Pretty one I think.
I have three more downstairs waiting for final touches.

A friend nearby is hoping to have a yard sale in May and she asked if I would sell some artwork. YES - I nearly yelled. Everything is also going on Etsy, and then if I'm still invited - there is the YART in October.

ETSY 20% off coupon is still ongoing - code word is SPRING!!!

Crafty day

So what does one do when not feeling well, and ones' muse has fled? Well - look for new inspiration for a quick project. Patty did this project and I loved the idea. I had some glass bits hanging around and got some other bits for necklaces and earrings and put together these little necklaces and earrings.

I have a total of 8 of these - some waiting to be finalized. They were fun and easy to make - I just used papers that I had in house - no hand drawn zentangles like Patty did. I'm wearing the 3rd set today - I want to see what peoples comments are.

YART - here I come.....

Animal Wednesday?

This is one of those weeks where I got nothin'. Well maybe this video which I find lovely, but nothin' else.

Last week I got a cold and lost my voice. Then I drove to NYC and went to a family reunion and worked thru 2 eye infections, and sneezing and now a cough that just won't stop. I had a great time at the party and danced all night long but maybe that didn't help this darn cold, and my energy level is about zero. Cozy bed calls me at 8:00 pm and I surrender. My plan this weekend is to lay low and try to recover.

Hence, no energy for animals, or people, or blogging, or commenting, or talking, or artwork....on and on it goes.

But have a Happy Animal Wednesday if you've got the energy.

It's 6:00 am and I'm going back to bed!

The paperclay family

The paperclay family is moving to Etsy - don't forget that 20% off coupon - code SPRING - and you could be the proud owner of some strange little paper clay people. (who -according to the pictures in ETSY -have no heads. grr...too late to do anything about it tonight)

(one smart Textile artist has already snatched up two of the sisters - yay!)

Makeup

I stayed home this morning because I couldn't talk and wanted to go see the Dr. to make sure that I really had a cold and not something awful like....I don't know...just something awful. ( I didn't. It's the "common cold" and "inflamed vocal cords...do you do alot of talking at work?" duh).

Anyway, so while I was home I decided to clean out the cabinet in the bathroom. It's stuffed with my crap so I wanted to see what was under there and what could be organized or discarded. And what I found was sort of a surprise to me.

It was mostly Makeup.

I don't WEAR Makeup. Not really.

I had all sorts of creamy tan colored stuff, and lash stuff, and that stuff that you paint on your lash line to make you look like Cleopatra. And lip stuff and really - who wants to use a product that claims/promises to "plump up your lips". Who wants plump lips?

I guess I do or did at some point. .

About a year ago I decided that I really should use some kind of cover up on my face - you know - that getting older thing and maybe I needed a bit of smoothing out. So I went to the mall and got this powdery stuff that they show on TV and you "buff" it on, and voila - beauty skin. It takes me all of about 15 seconds to put it on, and I think it lasts all day but I wouldn't know. No one has run screaming from the room at the end of the day, so I guess it lasts. That's all I use. All I need is one brush, and two little tubs of this stuff. Yet I had BUCKETS of different products under that sink! BUCKETS!! Some of it is probably 20 years old - I have never used it.

I washed everything off and cleaned out the cabinet. Most stuff went in the garbage cause I've heard it can grow bacteria. I kept my two little tubs of powdery stuff and a few other items that I can use when a hot date calls and wants me to get all dolled up (Read: never) I found that there are some true treasures in the bowl of makeup brushes - small brushes that are smaller than anything I can get at the art store, so most of the brushes are making their way downstairs. I might also try that Cleopatra stuff on some paperclay faces - with varnish it might just work, and again - the brushes are so little and fine and cute and preloaded!

I found this web site where you can retouch your own photo's with makeup and getting rid of wrinkles and etc etc. Here is my naked before and "glamorized" after picture.


Yes...my skin color is way red (we had just come from the beach in early winter) and my eyes don't have makeup on (who wears makeup on the beach in early winter?) and I suppose my teeth could use a whitening (hey...we went to wine country - remember delicious red wine??)

I salute those of you who have learned to navigate the makeup highway. I have never learned the skill - especially the Cleopatra thing - but there are times when I could use a little extra glamour. Till them...I'm sending "touched up" pho.to's.

Animal Wednesday - hanging fish and other stories

More paperclay fun - a flat fish hanging from fishing line. I like him although he does look a bit startled.

This fish is literally my only artwork for the past few weeks - I've been so busy. NYC a few weekends ago, then traveling for work. I also apologize for not visiting or commenting - no time to do anything in depth. And now, I have a cold and it has (as my mom says) "settled" in my throat and I literally can't talk above a whisper. no joke - I whisper and even that is hoarse. I went to work yesterday because I feel fine, and everyone made jokes about it being their lucky day (ha ha) and then they'd come into my office to talk and THEY'D start talking in whispers like we were sharing secrets. It's all pretty funny, but I suppose I'd better take it a bit more seriously and ask the doc if I should do anything about this. And I can't call the office! I'll have to stop by the office and ask - in a whisper - if they can see me today!

Plus, I am supposed to drive to NYC tomorrow to meet family, so....we'll see if that all works out. I am looking forward to going, I have a few pretty dresses to wear, and my whole family will be there. Don't want to miss an occasion to dress up!

Have a Happy Animal Wednesday!

What a Week!

It's been a crazy week - what with traveling to NYC last weekend, then traveling for work (with 18 hour days!) and snow on April 1st. It's no surprise that I'm now fighting a cold and somewhat dread going back to NYC this weekend for a family party.

But it's sort of spring like here today - so I'm celebrating with a 20% off on my Etsy shop - the coupon code is "spring".



Have a lovely day