Silly Sally Says

CHA 2012

2012-01-31T10:04:00.000-08:00

Robin, Kathie, Georgia and Sally

(missing are Jackie and Kat)

Monday, January 30, 2012, I picked up my friend's Kathie and Robin and off we went to CHA. Jackie had been so kind to include us in her The Art In You as her assistants!

After parking as far away as we could (not on purpose and not really necessary), we were off. It was a piece of cake getting our badges. CHA and the Anaheim Convention Center have this down to a science.

We had gotten there in plenty and time and while waiting to go in a long lost friend approached me, Lindsay Ostrom. Lindsay also has at blog. Click here. I met Lindsay when she was just starting out with her wonderful store in Montrose, CA called Paper Rabbit. She is also famous for her doodling and alphabet books. She is special in my heart because she came and did my daughter Kari's 5 year old birthday party at my home (Kari is 33 currently). She now lives in northern CA with her family and is still working in the Arts & Craft field.

I also saw Michelle from one of my two favorite Scrapbook/Stamp stores in the San Diego area - Paper Tales in Point Loma. If you haven't been there, you must stop in and see her wonderful little store. She is moving to a larger location right across the street in the next couple of months. Very exciting. Can't wait to see what she purchased for her store.

I also saw Claire from my other favorite Scrapbook/Stamp store - Stamping Details in Poway. Diane is the owner but missed her and Vickie and any of her other worker bees that were that on Monday. And what purchase orders did she fill out for us to find new in her store?

Ranger's Make 'n Take

Once the doors were open, we made a bee-line for Ranger's and Tim Holtz's booth. We wanted to see what the make 'n take would be there and to see Tim Holtz demo-ing his new Distress Pens. The line for the make 'n take looked about almost 2 hrs so we just got the kit and took pixs so we could make it at home. Thanks for letting us doing that, Ranger.

Tim's "Body Works"

Wendy Vecchi''s

Then I inquire as to which of the 4 corner tables Ranger's thought Tim would be demo-ing and was told that the table where Wendy Vecchi was demonstrating would be it. So, Robin and I went over to that table and met Wendy and took notes. Robin told her that she follows her blog and was totally aware of who she was.

Tim Holtz and Wendy Vecchi

wearing my necklace

(thanks Suze Weinberg for the photo)

As she was cleaning up, Wendy noticed me and my necklace I was wearing and commented on how much she liked it. I said, it is for sale and that I have another one in my purse. She asked to see them and inquired how much. When I told her, she rushed off and brought me cash and took the necklace right off my neck that I was wearing - Yea! Only one left now and then I can start making new ones. I love making theses necklaces.

Garden motif necklace Wendy purchased

When Tim came and we were watching and taking notes, Tim commented on Robin's beautiful bracelet she was wearing. He said he really liked it - kudos to Robin! We were both thrilled.

OMG - I'm just adding this news: Kathie just called me to tell me to go to Wendy's blog and at the end of her blog she mentions me and my jewelry and has a picture of the necklace she purchased.

Dyan Reaveley's page

One of the other tables at Ranger's booth had a wonderful artist from England demo-ing her products, stamps and method. Some of Dyan's altered book pages are reminiscent of Teesha Moore's style which I absolutely love. Her display altered book was so beautiful. Robin and I wish she lived so much closer. We loved everything we saw that she did. Dyan Reaveley is her full name.

What else did we do and see? Well, for our next stop I wanted to go to Prima's booth where I took lots and lots of photos. I love their display at CHA and their products. Here are just a few of the photos I took at Prima's booth.

During the day we got to some book signings and then we missed some other's. We missed Traci Bautista's and Lisa Pace but got to see Lisa demo-ing at the Maya Road booth. I took a photo of what she was wearing - all things she had created. Loved everything! Will purchase her new book for sure!

Part of Lisa Pace's necklace

While waiting in line for Joanne Fink to sign her new book, Zenspirations Letters & Patterning, there was a woman who looked so familiar to me. I finally got a good look at her and her badge and was thrilled to see it was one of my most favorite artist/teachers, Lisa Engelbrecht. I have her Modern Mark Making from Classic Calligraphy to Hip Hand-Lettering book. Debi Harvey and I had taken a class from her a couple of years ago at Art Unraveled in Phoenix. This particular day, the air-conditioning had gone out in the room Lisa was teaching. What a trooper she was and we were. She is an excellent teacher and so very generous. Found out she will be teaching in November in San Diego. Told all my friends this a.m. Yea!

We were at May Flaum's new book signing - Scrapbook Workshop, The Best Techniques from your favorite Scrapbook Bloggers. Love this book with artist's scrapbook pages and references to their blogs!

Another favorite booth for me was eksuccess booth. I loved everything there but particularly the new to me Dimensions needlecraft kits. There website, I just noticed, doesn't have the photos of the new kits up yet so I scanned the cover of their brochure for you to see. They were so hand made looking.

At Plaid's Booth we met Cathie and Steve of TV fame. I loved Cathie's necklace and learned that it was Modge Podge's "Make 'n Take." We rushed over there to make our own. We started with one of their acrylic birds. Kathie picked an acrylic crown to work with. You could either apply the collage to the front or the back. Then we covered our collage with some sparking Modge Podge and then again with some Dimensional Magic Modge Podge.

Cathie's Necklace

We finally met up with Jackie, our leader, and Kat and Georgia. They had taken a room Sunday night and were staying until Tuesday. Kathie, Robin and I were starving and it was getting late in the afternoon. When we got to the food concession stands, they were already closing up shop. That is just nuts. It was only 2:30 or 3 pm and all the booths would be open until 6 pm. There were some men waiting in line who weren't very happy either. Bag of chips and a coke was all I got.

At 6 pm, Robin had asks us if we could stay for a Designer's open house up stairs where tables were set up for designers to display some of their "stuff." (one of my most favorite words when not sure what the correct word should or would be. . .) I saw my friend Jennifer Priest's display and also met a really interesting person, Cathe Holden - Designer, crafter, writer, speaker. Click here for her other website Just something I Made. Enjoyed talking to her. She lives in Petaluma, CA, where the man of my dreams, Leo Laporte of TWIT.TV has his new studios in downtown Petaluma. Leo broadcasts daily his many Podcaste shows around anything computer/cell phone associated like iPad Today, All About Android, Google, Mac Break Weekly, etc.

Finally saw Elena from Scrapbook Royalty ablaze with all her worker bees and her wings. I had heard from her at her birthday breakfast that she was going to be doing a flash mob. She did it at the opening of CHA on Sunday.

The end to a perfect day was when we were leaving and walking the length of the convention center to where our car was parked and out from the floor of the convention center came Wendy Vicchi with about 6 or 7 friends, one who happened to be Bernie Berlin. Wendy shouted upon seeing me, "there's the person who made the necklace I'm wearing," and rushed towards me with her friends. She said they had all asked if she had gotten my name or a business card because they all loved my necklace. I was surprised, pleased, over-whelmed etc. as I dug in to my purse and handed out my cards. Yea! I can now make more of theses necklaces and have faith that I will sell them somewhere unexpected again! Woo hoo. . .

Rita Reade's Vintage Marketplace and Matilda's Mouse Antique

2011-12-04T08:40:00.001-08:00

Silly Sal with Jackie's hat on her head

In November and December I decided to take some chances. My daughter had always remarked about my art, "What are you going to do with all your art you are creating?"

Well, the year before at Elena's Seaside Soiree in Oceanside, she had asked me to donate one of my Suzi Blu paintings for her fund raiser auction. To my utter surprise, two women started bidding on my painting and got my humble 6"x12" painting up to $75. Woo Hoo!

Also in 2010 I had taken my 1st Sally Jean Halloween class where we made layered glass pendant shaker box vignettes. Skip to this summer and what to solder with my dear friends, Margo and Kathie when we get together. Margo had figured out and shared how to make light weight pendant boxes and Kathie had discovered how to make fairies out of beads and bead findings.

One of my many fairy vignette pendants

I went on a mission and made way too many glass soldered pendant boxes for one person to wear.

All my "children"

Then in 2011 I took Sally Jean's "Cuff" class. The most fun I have ever had. I had finally found my venue. But I couldn't just copy Sally Jean's designs to sell, so I made my own pattern with canabalized vintage jewelry and my heart necklaces were created and no two are alike!

My first of 5 original necklaces

In the meantime, Margo was making theses beautiful Christmas Ornaments and had giving me her PhotoShop(ed) design for a present, Christmas 2010. She then challenged Kathie and me to manipulate a copy free print and create our own background for them using all the PS tools we possessed and understood. I liked my designs and started soldering 2 1/2"x 3" glass/soldered ornaments for gifts for my friends and family. Then I reduced them in size to 1"x1 1/2" pendants. Now, I had too many of theses too!

Christmas Ornament Original Designs

Christmas Ornament pendants

Another new friend who I met at a Terri Brush class at the Urban Barn in Escondido was involved in a wonderful Vintage Charm Swap. This had been one of the many swaps at Kim Caldwell's Moulin Rouge getaway in Huntington Beach that year.

Robin helped me and 7 of my friends to hold our own jewelry swap necklace. I had all my mom's vintage costume jewelry.

(I had once considered making one of those boards with a Christmas Tree painted and adorned with costume jewelry and Christmas Tree lights peaking out to be hung on a wall or put on an easel once a year.)

Nope, not for me and MY Mom's jewelry. But necklaces out of her jewelry - Yea! Five necklaces later for a sweatshirt and t-shirt gal? Here we go again. What to do with all theses necklaces?

Well, 1st off - Elena had her 2011 Seaside Soiree and I donated this year one of my favorite Suzi Blu mermaids 6"x12" paintings. Suzi had used my painting for her painting/frame class where she used styrofoam with Golden's Light Molding Paste to embed glass, beads and shells. It ended up being about 16"x20" piece of art for Elena's fund raiser. One more piece of art out of my home.

Kathie setting out our jewelry

Currie Elementary School Craft Fair

Kathie heard about a school near by us that has a yearly huge Christmas craft fair that had an entrance fee. We registered late and we were placed way at the end of this faire. I am happy to report that we sold some of our wares. Kathie had theses darling fairy earrings, phone dangles, pendants and zipper pulls. I had my Christmas stuff, my vintage fairy box pendants and some neckalce charms I had thrown together. We both sold some, but not much. But, our feet were now wet!

Just some of the vendor's tents at

Vintage Market Place

Then two other great friends, Jackie and Bonnie offered us a place under their tuen at Rita Reade's Vintage Market Place off Hwy 15 at Rainbow and The Oaks. Woo Hoo, I sold 3 of my heart necklaces and got so many compliments.

Kathie and Sally's jewelry at Vintage Market Place

Out that way that weekend Kathie and and I took a side trip to Matilda's Mouse, hidden away in rural Escondido - once the Betty Crocker farm house. The theme was Christmas and what a Winter wonderland! Everywhere you looked you were transported to those Christmas Past.

Matilda, the store namesake

Inside Matilda's Mouse at Christmas

I have found a new venue for my "stuff." The hair boutique where I get my haircut and color. Besides her Hillcrest stable of hair stylists, the owner has a jewelry and clothing boutique woven throughout her large studio. She has seen my wares and has offered to display them for sale in the spring. She says she loves my one of a kind designs and their "organic" nature.

Thanks to all of my teachers, friends and family for their support. I also want to give a special thanks to Debby Anderson for her generous sharing of a website where she gets some of her metal pieces that she uses in her beautiful classy art jewelry. I love seeing her designs in Somerset Jewelry Affaire and Belle Armiore Jewelry magazines.

Wish me luck in my sales. At some point an Etsy Shop may be in my future as I move onto new discoveries, ideas and creations.

More photos of Matilda's Mouse

Kathie in front of Jackie's upside down

Christmas Tree at Matilda's

Sally Jean's Oct 2011 classes

2011-10-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

Sally Jean's Sample Buckle

This week I moved up to taking two of Sally Jean's five classes. Last year I was a "virgin solderer" and felt challenged to take even one of Sally Jean's classes. But, I need not worried last year or this. Sally Jean is such an attentive teacher and is at your beck and call all day as she circulates.

Sally Jean's classes are held at her BFF's home in Poway. Cheryl's home and the room we have the class in are wonderful. Cheryl is such a great hostess. Sally Jean's provides everything you need including a soldering iron if you forget yours. Lunch is also including along with homemade snacks along the way. Tuesday's Class we had Cheryl's sister Stacy join us for the day. She brought our "afternoon delight", a chocolate trifle dessert, that we were still talking about on Wednesday.

Girls at Work

Alicia at her work place

Close Up of Alicia's Wall Art "in progress"

Sally Jean had a lot of her new merchandise that has been made commercially there for us to "ooh and aah" over and purchase if we chose. I was lucky enough to win one of the two drawings on Tuesday and have my very own Watch Fob and Chain of Sally Jean's. Yea! Nicky won the first door prize in the morning.

I won a Sally Jean watch!

Cheryl also has her hand made elegant necklaces for sale during the week. They are works of Art and to be admired if one isn't going to purchase. Cheryl also has some packaged beads and little "Charlottes" for sale if we wanted to use them in our work. I purchased some and used one of her "charlottes" on my cuff as a center piece.

Silly Sal's Cuff up close and almost finished!

Buckle and Cuff'"s

Here are some of the gal's pieces that were created in Tuesday's Class. The best thing about Sally Jean's classes are her secrets that you only learn from taking her class. There are tips and tricks that you would never guess are involved in making theses projects. That is why you need to take her classes.

Nicky Wilt hold her buckle

Nicky's buckle up close

Michelle Hurt holding her buckle

Michelle's Buckle up close

Pam Munns holding her buckle

Pam's buckle up close

Ann Crutchfield holding her cuff

Ann's Cuff up close

Silly Sal's Cuff from above

Alicia's "Wall Art" almost complete

Twirling Tiny Toe Dancer

Margo below is holding her work in progress. I am sorry. I didn't get a good photo of Sally Jean's Sample. There isn't a chain yet on Margo's work. Darn, Sally Jean is wearing one of Sylvia's "Rosary" necklaces but you can't see the great cross and what makes up the cross in my photo because the necklace isn't hanging flat. . . Wahhhhhh.

Margo holding her "Dancer" and Sally Jean

The necklace that Sally Jean is where in the form of a crucifix was designed and made by our hostess, Cheryl Simpson. I wish I had taken a close up of it. I love all of Cheryl's chains!

Margo's Tiny Dancer in progress

Michelle Hurtt makes the most beautiful hand bound books with the covers out of silver serving trays. We got to see one of them up close and personal! She just finished selling a bunch of her handmade goods at Glitter Fest last weekend!

Michelle Hurtt and her Tiny Dancer

I saw some gals I had met when we took a class at Stamping Details that is not far from where our class was. "Shout Out" to Kim Fernald and Susan Millsom. Great seeing you guys again.

Susan Millsom

Kim Fernald

Next year, I told Sally Jean, I might really splurge and take three of her five days of classes. It is addicting as I see how many of Sally Jean's students are there for all five workshops and travel to be here and stay at local hotels. She is a great teacher.

Silly Sal and Sally Jean

See you Next Year! Hope you all can join me for some more fabulous Sally Jean classes here in Southern California.

Sylvia Swenson's "Working With Wire" class

2011-10-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

Margo, Sally, Sylvia and Kathie

Last Thursday was the end of a six week "Working With Wire" course that Margo, Kathie and I took from Sylvia Swenson. I had never taken a class from her but Kathie and Margo had and they spoke highly of her teaching techniques, abilities and over all friendliness. I totally concur.

Sylvia Swenson at her table

I had learned what little I knew about working with wire and jewelry from friends like Debi Harvey and Kathie. This had prompted me to purchase some tools with my eye on "cheap" tools - not the best for accomplishing jewelry tasks.

The class was Thursday nights from 6 pm to 9 pm in Point Loma at the Newly built Adult Education Center off Mid Way and adjacent to the JoAnn's down there. There were wire kits to purchase from Sylvia and she always had the materials for us to make what ever project or technique we were learning that particular night.

Samples of Some of our Projects Sylvia Made

We all gathered around her work table at least twice a night for our tutorials as we watched her demonstrate that nights project. She was readily available for questions and brought in many of her own tools for us to use and experiment with using like the tumbler and vise and various ways to twist wires.

The Room where we worked

There was plenty of room and the lighting was fine. The students were all friendly and willing to share what they had created during the week we were at home and on our own. Over all, it was an excellent experience. Sylvia has another course starting in one or two weeks. Plus, in December she will have a series of classes that are on Saturdays.

Here are photos of some class members and their projects:

Talented Students work

Student's name unknown

Same unknown artist name

Crocheted Necklace she made at home

Tammy Lawhead

One of the many friendly students

Tammy's work that she did after class

Close up of Tammy's bracelet

Sarah Petrucci's "Green Stone Adventure" charm bracelet

Kelly Runk's ring she made in another class

Margo at her work bench

Some of Margo's jewelry she made in class

Earrings we learned to make

Some of Kathie's Jewelry she made after class instruction

Little projects I (Silly Sal) made

To learn more about Sylvia Swenson and her classes visit www.sdce.edu/class-schedule or www.sylviaswenson.com.

Sylvia also gives out a 16 page very comprehensive class syllabub for the class with lots of written instructions.

Kim Caldwell presents Robin Sanchez's VINTAGE WIRE CAGED DOLLS

2011-10-03T16:00:00.000-07:00

Sample of Robin's completed Vintage Wire Caged Doll

Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011, I drove to Oceanside to ride with Robin Sanchez and Georgia Lichon to Kim Caldwell's "House Beautiful" in Culver City. Robin was teaching her Vintage Wire Cage Doll class there. I left my home at 6 am. Very long day since I didn't get home until 8 pm that night. But, what fun! Met so many new people and Robin did a great job!

Kim putting the finishing touches to our tables

I had never been to any of Kim Caldwell's events and certainly not to her home. Every nook and cranny of her home that she shares with a husband, son, daughter, dog and feral kitten has Kim's touch including her workroom!

Close-ups of Robin's dolls in progress

Presentation is everything!

Our teacher, Robin Sanchez

Robin was great as a teacher. Our darling "goodie's bags" had everything we needed already cut and ready to go. She took us step by step and gave personal attention where ever needed. Very organized.

Some of Robin's other "stuff" for sale

Robin's worker bee and our friend, Georgia Lichon

Just some of the goodies to snack on at Kim's

Sally asks, "Robin, when should I smile?"

In photo above, check out Robin's bags that she made for each one of us, with all the supplies we would need inside. Aren't they darling and a lot of work. The dresses are fabric on the bags.

More close-ups

Close-up of Robin's doll's skirt

Lunch was delicious. A beautiful fall soup and a delicious salad with walnuts and cranberries, crescents and cupcakes for dessert. Her patio was like being in the Garden of Eden. She lives very close to a large shopping center and busy streets but nothing but her fountain could be heard in her home and back yard.

The table where I worked and my new friends

Starting at the far right and going clockwise around the table:

Aaron, Alicia, Jacquelyn, Priscilla, Olga, Marcella and Susan

Marcella's amazing Day of the Dead themed doll

Marcella and her group of friends came prepared to make theses dolls. Marcella had decoupaged her cup and saucer and had made her Day of the Dead skeleton head. She's not finished yet. All her friends brought everything they thought they would need to decorate their cage. They kept our table laughing out loud all day. What a treat! Can't wait to see Priscilla Cerda, Olga Berdiel, and Marcella Vallejo again, hopefully at Kim's Breakfast at Tiffany's event May 3, 2011!

Olga with her doll in progress

Alicia working on her "witch"

Alicia with her "Halloween Witch" motif doll. She brought all her goods she would need to make this doll happen!

I'll be seeing Alicia two more times this month at Sally Jean's Soldering Workshop in Poway. Alicia is taking all FIVE of Sally Jean's classes (like she usually does. . .). Yea!

Jacquelyn's doll?

I believe this is Jacquelyn's doll head and cup. What was amazing about her dress, was that she had brought an old digital camera that she was "cannibalizing" (taking apart) and was wire wrapping the insides and pieces of the camera to decorate her doll's dress.

Didn't get a photo of Aaron's doll who sat to my left nor Susan's doll who sat to my right. I am hoping we will hook up at Kim Caldwell's Breakfast at Tiffany's event May 3, 2012. They were great to sit next to. Susan shared some ribbon she had that matched the color of my cup. Aaron was the youngest person there and is just embarking on this new addition to her life - art - in all forms. What an amazing and talented person she is, plus she is also a fixed wing pilot! Great table to be sitting thanks to Kim's grouping.

Kim's table with Robin supervising

Cheryl's doll in progress

Check out the name tags that Kim made for all of us. They were available for us to take home as one of her hostess gifts for coming to her home. First Class all the way!

Terry Frias worked with a much smaller cup and saucer

Kim's blonde headed doll

I had a great time at this class for all the right reasons. I would never hesitate to take a class again that is connected to either my friend and teacher, Robin Sanchez or our hostess, Kim Caldwell. Thank you both for all the trouble and fuss you went to for all of us!

I LOVE Pink

Mandala revisited at Jackie's

2011-09-02T08:03:00.001-07:00

Diane's Mandala

On Wednesday, August 17, 2011, I taught my first art class. I received no money for the class. 10 of my friends had admired the two mandala's I had made. One in a class last August at Zinnia's in South Pasadena (see my blog dated Aug. 2010). The class at Zinnia's was taught by an artist named Kari Atol. I believe she had learned the technique from a class she took from Anahata.

Kari's husband had made for class very nice wood pieces to put our mandala's on and then had some extra which she was selling. I purchased an extra one and hence I had two mandalas.

My soldering guru, Margo, has a husband who was kind enough to make us more wood squares. Each student had their own and was told to bring collage/scrapbook paper, gold foil and gold foil glue and craft paint. The other necessary "tools" I made available for everyone to use.

June brought a book with many interested takes on artists in many fields' Mandalas. I brought my one finished mandala that I did myself and had combined designs I had found. I also brought my first mandala that is still not completed (story of a lot of artist's?), for my friends to see up close and tough.

I think I have learned much and so hopefully have my friends. For your project, it is best to work with the simplest of patterns. The one I choose and so did a couple of others, was very hard to follow. KISS (keep it simple stupid) should be remembered when starting a new project with new techniques.

Another very important tip that I don't think I expressed enough because I truly didn't realize the importance of when working with foil and foil glue: apply a very thin coat of the adhesive and wait for it to almost try. Most of us were excited and didn't wait long enough.

Here are my friends as they embarked on their spiritual journal. First step collaging.

lf. to rt. Jackie, June, Deborah and Diane

back to front Robin, Kat, Georgia and Sally

Below are various works in progress. They kind of don't look like much, do they? We still had to let them dry and add the design.

Margo's

Here are my humble beginnings. See my work evolve starting with the collage to the foil and adding elements including Stickles and stars. Still not completely finished but, I think it has come a long way from it's humble beginnings.

Sally's beginnings

Trying to deal with complicated pattern

Sally's almost complete Mandala
It's not quite this dark in person.
Bad lighting

Close up. Can you see the Stickles and Debi's bird printed
on tissue and attached? Sharpie work and punched out stars.
Almost finished.

Robin

Robin's work up close

I believe that Robin said at the end of the day that she wished she had incorporated more color into her piece in the very beginning. I can't wait to see what she has done with this project after adding paint.

Kathie's

Margo and Debi

Kathie working diligently on her own design!

What's up Kat?

I believe we had three people working in the purple color scheme. Kat, Diane and Elena.

June happily at work

June's Mandala

Jackie, our hostess

My first teacher, Georgia

Elena

There are a couple of things special about Elena. One is her charity foundation, Charity Wings, which is a full time job. The other is how fast she works. I have been with her so many times when we all start off at the same time on a project and she just whips through it. And it always looks amazing when she is done.

See below how Diane's project changes as she adds the different techniques and layers to her project. She is so great with color.

Diane

I know all my friends are great with color and designs and some have more experience than others. Check out how much her mandala changed as she added the pattern, foil and paint. Amazing.

Deborah

Below is is Debi's collage. I love the way that she seems to have really planned what she was going to do. The directions that were given to me said not to approach this project this way. But, I think again, there is no right nor wrong way to do this and I thought her project was beautiful. It almost looks like a fabric quilt.

Most of us did not finish. This project is probably best done when you can put your work outside to dry. There aren't any pieces totally finished to show you. I have gone back and done a little more work and I think we might all meet and work more together on our pieces. There is still the doodling and extra stuff that has to be added like Stickles to make our pieces sing.

Crystal Charm Swap

2011-06-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

Robin's finished necklace

Thanks to Robin Sanchez sharing her crystal charm necklace that she made when she was in charge of a charm swap for Kim Caldwell's Moulin Rouge event last year, our small group decided we wanted to have our own swap. Our participants included Kathie, Kat, Robin, Jackie, June, Margo and myself - seven of us. We decided on the date of the gathering and to have two crystal charms for each member. So, we all had to come up with 14 crystal charms. These charms were to have bales already attached and ready to be hung from chains that we would provide for ourselves.

I don't think any of us realized how difficult it is to find and not pay a small fortune for crystal jewelry in the form of earrings, pins, necklaces, etc. Sure, for $15 to $20 you could get beautiful pieces, but who wants to pay that much per piece? Not any of us, for sure. Kathie actually got a great deal on eBay for a large package with various pieces that she could and did use.

My mom's costume jewelry frame

I lucked out in that I had all my mom's costumed rhinestone jewelry saved. I have never know what I would want to do with it. I had used some of the more common pieces to decorate a frame of my mom's photo taken on a cruise the night before she died. I had gotten the idea from Jackie, when I first met her. She had a standing frame completed in the same fashion so I went on a hunt to Home Goods looking for something similar.

First necklace I made with only my mom's jewelry

Added to the pink drop and to the top
of my center piece that I made.
Can you see the difference?

Well, *"best laid plans (sic) of mice and men". . . Kat ended up getting very, very sick; Kathie had to go back to Chicago to help manage her ill father; and June was dealing with a sick husband. So, we ended up being only four people in person but we had everyone's charms to exchange.

All the charms came in decorative opaque packaging. Margo had each person's charm package labeled since she personalized her soldered glass charms with rhinestones encased behind glass. Robin also dedicated her charms to specific persons.

Robin came bearing her charms plus her amazing wire woman that she had finished. We were also anxious to see the finished product since we had watched her start to build it at my home the last time she was here. We are hoping that she will pursue taking this project to Somerset Offices in Laguna and that she will have her "woman" featured at some point in the future. In the mean time, here is Robin's wire woman surrounded by the packages prior to opening them.

Robin's "Wire Woman" surrounded by charm packages

Close up of top of head detail Robin did

After we opened our packages, and started laying them out, we decided that if we wanted to trade with our present friends that we could and should.

Here are photos of our completed necklaces. There still might be some changes and perhaps silk ribbons or more dangles, but this is what we ended up with after lunch.

Robin wearing her necklace

Jackie displaying one of the necklaces she made today

Close up of one of Jackie's necklaces

Margo wearing her necklace

Margo's necklace up close

Von's market provided a foot long delicious sandwich plus tomato/Mozzarella slices with balsamic vinegar drizzled over the top. Margo made homemade potato salad with a delicious addition of bacon (hear that Elena?) incorporated. Yummy. Robin brought delicious mock cheese cake with sliced strawberries for dessert.

By 3:30 pm we were finished and Jackie, who had made her necklace and Junes, also volunteered to take Kat her crystal charms to her home. Robin, Margo and I took off for a short "road trip." Robin, lives about 40 minutes away and works, so while she was down this way she wished to venture to Ocean Beach and a bead store on the main drag for supplies. On the way there, we stopped at our favorite scrapbook store in Point Loma, Paper Tales. We wore our necklaces and the owner of Paper Tales, Michelle, was there and admired our charms. Since we were on the subject of jewelry, we discussed one of our favorite jewelry artists featured regularly in Somerset's magazine, JewelryAffaire Spring 2011 pg. 102, 103 - Debby Anderson who turns out to be a sister of one of our local artists extraordinaire and friend, Jane Pollack. Small world. I met Jane through Jackie. Six degrees or closer, it appears.

Sally wearing the necklace she made today

Margo Photo Shopped me and my necklace
Thank you Margo

The two previous photos of my necklace no long exist. I took it all apart and created this! More like Robin's.

Side note: See the flowers on my blouse? This was one of my most favorite t-shirts that I got a spot on that I couldn't get out. In another of Somerset's magazines I saw theses flowers made from fabric. I took the blouse to JoAnn's to look for similar color and stretchy fabric. Wella! I wrapped and stitched theses down. My friend Debi suggested I attach them off center. It really looks better in person. My little Sony camera is not taking very crisp/sharp photos theses days. I'm super happy with the results and I guess that is all that counts.

Lastly, I was so hoping the little findings I had order from Vintage Jewelry Supplies would come when everyone was here. Debby Anderson had been kind enough to share the website where she purchases her little gems that are found on her jewelry pieces. As I began this blog, "best laid plans of mice and men," they came the next day. They are wonderful. Can't wait to start using them on my pieces. Check out their site.

Margo took this photo of us and then PS'd it.

Future Crystal Jewelry Pieces being created by me:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

*"The best laid schemes of mice and men"

Meaning: The most carefully prepared plans may go wrong.

Origin: From Robert Burn's poem To a Mouse, 1786. It tells of how he, while ploughing a field, upturned a mouse's nest. The resulting poem is an apology to the mouse:

...

But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane [you aren't alone]
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft a-gley, [often go awry]
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promised joy.
...

The poem is of course the source for the title of John Steinbeck's 1937 novel - Of Mice and Men.

Soldering with Rita Reade at Jackie's new Play House

2011-04-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

The Night I met my natural mother

Nov 27, 1980
(date to be stamped on blank muslin above)

This weekend I decided to take a class where I would make something I already knew how to make. Crazy? I first wanted to support my wonderful friend Jackie in having a class at her newly transformed home into the most wonderful shabby chic Play House - her entire home! Plus, my great friend Suzi Blu now lives upstairs (I helped move Suzi here).

Jackie and I had learned this fabric technique from the wonderful K.C. Willis. (Please check out my previous blogs where I feature various classes, teachers and projects: Margo blogs 4/4/11, K.C. Willis blogs 7/22/10 and 2/14/11 and my Terri Brush blog on 1/24/11 ). K.C. has since stopped teaching this class and chosen to preach for Jesus. Plus, she lives in Colorado. Jackie Baxted and Rita Reade had given their wall hanging a new twist by adding soldered words.

Sample Project

(created by Jackie and Rita)

I had seen the above sample with the soldered letters "Mother" and was inspired. So on my own I had designed a project to give my Aunt Chris who lives in New Jersey for this years birthday/Mother's Day present. (I have no idea if she will think it kool or not but know she would appreciate the intentions). It is a photo of her mother and my grandmother.

Helen Malko Gorsczcyk
(nothing sewed - still playing with it)

It is a woman's prerogative to change her mind and hence the night before the class I decided I wanted to make the focal point photo using the photo of the night I met my natural mother for the first time at my full sister 's home who I had just "found" two weeks earlier. Whew, that was a long sentence which I'm sure is grammatically incorrect. I needed new stuff (fabric/canvas) stained and frayed. (See first photo on this blog for almost completely wall hanging).

Joe and Irene
(work in progress)

Prior to all that I had been working on my own for a canvas piece that features the only photo I know of with my natural mother, Irene, and natural father, Joe, clandestinely together all dressed up and on the beach at Coney Island. I decided to embroidery this piece by hand in a very free style manor and once again, the project is not quite finished. . .

New Friends

Patty at work

Patty's work in progress

Sharon at work

Sharon's work in progress

The added bonus to taking classes is always the new people you met and the old friends you hook up with once again. I sat across the table from Patty Montejo and Sharon - new people and very interesting. Sharon is a quilter and together they have their first big even on Saturday, Oct. 1 in Temecula. Lots of artists original work to purchase! Can't wait. Check out the link above to visit their website for more information.

Old Friends

Robin at work

Robin's completed tapestry
(kool hanger)

Plus, I also got to see Robin Sanchez who I had met at Terri Brush's soldering class at the Urban Barn in Temecula. I had invited her to Jackie's once a month "playday" where Margo Beatty gave a great demo of her soldering techniques. I love Robin Sanchez's shabby chic style in all her art and jewelry projects and loved what she created this day!

NOTE:
If you can't get away to take a class, please check out my dear friend Margo's amazing online soldering class through Suzi Blu's Ning site. Margo takes you step by step close-ups and holds your hand and answers all your questions. Plus there is a place to display all you have done in this class for other students to see. Truly IMHO Margo's class for a beginning soldering class is the best and you own the video for life and can down load it to your computer and it is darn cheap - $55.

Photogenic Kat at work

Kat's almost completed tapestry

Plus, my good friend, Kat Baker, was also there. Last month Kat became a grandmother two times! Darn, I'm jealous. Her daughter had a son and her step-daughter had a little girl. Kat is in 7th heaven.

Standing - Sharon, Patty, Kat and Robin
Sitting - Jackie, Rita and Sally

I had never met Jackie's friend/teacher/woodworker Rita Reade. What a well prepared teacher who provided everything for you including a soldering guns if you truly were a newbe to soldering. Knowledgeable and friendly. Liked her very much. In the photos above of Jackie's art room - the cabinets you see are Rita's handy work since she constructed them for Jackie with Jackie's found doors!

Rita also provided lunch. Delicious. Her is her recipe for her marinara sauce with the surprise ingredients - meatballs from the frozen food section at Walmart. Rita is from Sicily and goes back every other year to see her family. She currently lives in Fallbrook with her husband and and kids.

Rita's Recipe for meatballs and marinara sauce:
Soften in 1 T of Olive oil, 1 t garlic (Rita uses the Costco Garlic) and 1/4 of an onion (not a 1/4 of a cup). Add: 1 t sugar, 1 t kosher salt, 2 of the largest cans of tomato sauce (brand not important), fresh oregano and fresh basil (no amounts given). Two secret ingredients: one potato peeled and quartered and a pinch of cinnamon. Walmart's frozen meatballs Cook for 2 hrs. Rita did not put this over pasta. Had it keeping warm in giant crock pot and served with fresh bread and green salad. It was sooooo good! Thank you Rita.

Jackie, Rita and Sally

I hope you will take the time and visit all the links I have included. These talented ladies all have something different to offer in this world of altered art with all the lines are blurred. Scrapbooking, quilting, thrift shop shopping, painting, sketching - it is all over-lapping. I think this is wonderful. Support your local artists/teachers/stores but also be sure to take advantage of those coupons that Michaels' offer also. And share all that you have learned so that we might all benefit from your new finds!

Work Stations

Stuff

More Stuff

One of three sewing machines available

Teacher's products for purchase

Suzi Says So

2011-04-25T15:04:00.001-07:00

Visit Suzi Blu's blog and see what's new.

Soldering with Suzi Blu and Margo Beatty

2011-04-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

I can't remember for sure who first showed me how to solder. I think it was my friend Kathie or else it was Debi. But as far as formal classes go, I have only taken from two artist - Sally Jean and Terri Brush. Both these classes were taken within the past year and I have blogged about both teacher. I found both Sally Jean and Terri Brush's classes valuable to my growth and interested in soldering. But neither of the classes gave me the close up personal instruction that my friend Margo Beatty gave me in my own home with her watching carefully over me and showing me all her personal tricks of the trade that she has finessed. Margo has taught me how to attach a jump ring without fear!

About six minutes into the above video, Suzi interviews me and features some of the pieces I have made that there are also stills shown below.

NOW, you too can have this personal attention from Margo. My two wonderful friends, Margo Beatty and Suzi Blu have teamed up to help you perfect the skills you might already have or to learn how to use those tools (soldering iron) that you purchased in the past and have sat (the tool) lonely on your shelf or in your art/craft drawer. Margo is absolutely amazing. She will hold your hand and take you step by step to some beautiful finished beginner projects. Please check out her class found on Suzi Blu's online class network. Remember, when you take a class from Suzi Blu, you own the video and the PDF's forever. You download them to your computer and therefore, can go back and review them 5 years from now if you choose!

For this class Margo even prepared an EPUB (in addition to the PDF) if you have a mobile device and know how to get it into your phone, iPad or other mobile device. For the Android platform you can use a program for your PC called Calibre that will change an EPUD file to a MOBI file and now you can upload Margo's EPUB to your Kindle App. (Too much info?)

Crown base made in Terri Brush class.
Embellishments were added when I got home.

Crown made at home during a playday with Margo
See what happens when you don't use black backed copper tape?

Currently I am really not into making jewelry. I personally wanted to use my soldering knowledge and add those soldering projects someway to my art and canvases. At the end of the above video you will see some of what I have chosen to do with my soldering. I did learn how to make my initial crown from Terri Brush. But in a huge class like she taught at the Urban Barn in Escondido, CA, there was only so much one on one any teacher can do.

My second crown was done at home after Margo observed, demonstrated and assisted by explaining how I might better from the foundation. The soldering joints ended up so much neater and smaller after practice. Then I decided to include some of my Suzi Blu girls in my art pieces after resizing them in Photoshop. The two crowns I made are not large enough to fit on one's head (I wanted small crowns for "my girls") but look wonderful in my art room.

Above canvas background was made at Elena's Charity Wings retreat "Seaside Soiree" in Oceanside. Liz Hicks directed with new products that gave us this wonderful water background. I then drew my own mermaid when I got home. But, I didn't feel she was complete until I had put one of my own crowns on her.

Glass and technique to make this mermaid Shaker box pendant
was from Sally Jean's Halloween Class
I made this at home during PlayDay with Margo
using my original art

Shrine glass kit was purchased from Sally Jean
My original art Photoshopped

I just realized that my really small crowns can also be charms. Can't wait to do that next week when some of my friends meet at my home for our weekly intimate soldering "PlayDay." There are always new things to discover from all our friends. Keep you eyes and ears open and be ready to find new skills to either discover for the first time or to increase your skill level on old skills.

Above, very small crown charm "work in progress"
Less than 1 inch in width

Again, see the copper when you don't use black backed copper tape

Early soldering work before practicing and having
Margo personally supervise my soldering

Silly Sal concentrating on soldering the branches
in the photo below. What great hangers. But, they need to be blackened.

I learned from Sally Jean that you can solder just about anything!

Beveled Glass 1 inch charms done right!

The above fabric/paper/glass large wall hanging is a work in progress done in KC Willis style. I am doing all the sewing/embroidery by hand since it is a very special piece featuring the only photo that anyone has of my natural mother and father together dressed to the nines at Coney Island Park in New Jersey. When it is completed, I will post the finished project.

*Still need to take a photography class. My camera skills don't seem to be improving.

KC Willis Rides Into Town 2011

2011-02-14T16:55:00.000-08:00

Sally's Finished Canvas waiting for her "secrets"

KC taught two classes this time when visiting San Diego. The first was on Thursday and the next was on Saturday. The following report chronicles what we worked on under KC's guidance.

THURSDAY CLASS IN DAVI'S GARAGE IN ENCINITAS

I got lucky. For some dumb reason I thought KC Willis was coming to my home and then to Davi's home on Monday and teaching on Monday in Davi's garage. If I hadn't checked, I would have missed KC's Paper Class.

Well, I was wrong. I contacted KC and said I was coming to her paper only class on Thursday at Davi's garage. What a great day. There was only 5 of us and KC. We truly only used paper that she gets from Paper Arts - ask for Cee Cee. And, local Southern California artists, KC gets her vintage trims from Gilding the Lily in Fullerton.

Sue priming her canvas

First she handed out 16x20 canvases that we lighted covered with black gesso. (you could use cheap black paint or anything that you have that was black).

Table full of every kind of paper already coffee stained
but waiting to be burnt

Photos of various artists' works in progress:

After choosing our papers we started layering them. KC her sewing machine up so could apply decorative stitches to our collaged paper.

Myself and Diane with our "in progress" canvases

Then KC's infamous paint stripping gun came out and we burnt the edges - a signature of all KC's works. Every thing was glued down with Tacky glue.

Diane's finished canvas

Now we were to create a pocket with more papers that were stitched and burnt and then glued down atop our collage background. KC had told us that this pocket was going to contain what ever we wanted to put in writing. We could tie the mini canvases up if we choose for no one else to see - our choice. KC suggested perhaps to put our dreams to paper and then to have this entire art piece where we could see it always to remind us of our dreams and our goals.

Davi and Ann with their finished canvases

Sue's finished canvas up close

Sue with her finished canvas and KC

Davi's wonderful friend, Ann, thought she would have trouble with this putting to paper her dreams and goals. After lunch Ann decided she would write the names of people for whom she is praying.

Ann's finished canvas

Close up of Ann's canvas

Me and KC and my canvas

SATURDAY CANVAS BOOK CLASS AT JACKIE'S SHABBY CHIC ART /HOME

Students gathered around work table

By 10 am on Saturday we were ready to roll at Jackie's "work in progress" shabby chic studio. Jackie has turned her entire downstairs area into a teaching studio decorated with all her shabby chic finds from over the years. Plus, she had cabinets made to fit the wonderful doors she has found (seen in the background). There were 8 of us today. KC had printed out photos that we had sent her for transfers from her favorite transfer paper from Office Max.

Ann and her photos spread out on the floor

Silly Sal (me) getting ready to sew

Davi checking out all the vintage "stuff"

KC handed us 7 already constructed 8x10 canvases already coffee stained, burnt and backed with fabric. We began ironing our transfers onto canvas and/or muslin and then stitched decorative boarders stitched using the 3 sewing machines made available by KC, Jackie and
Christine. Next we burnt the edges and glued theses to the 8x10 canvases. Embellishments were made with KC's "clumpies". Plus we have piles of coffee stained fabrics and vintage trims and "stuff" to look through and choose from to make our pages shine.

Nelda

I know we aren't suppose to have favorites. But, Nelda's book was truly unique. It told a story with pictures that she has collected - not family photos but illustrated children drawing. Plus her embellishments were so soft and beautiful. I wish I had photos of her finished book. You'll all just have to trust me as to how beautiful it was.

After our 8x10 canvases were sewed and burnt, our pages were glued to prepared canvas cloth about 10x16 that made a the bases for our book. We stitched down the middle to turn it into a book with pages 8x10.

Most everyone choose to make the book about their family and mostly about females in their family like a grandmother. I choose to make my book about my natural father and his family. It was requested by my natural father's family that I keep the family anonymous. Therefore, I have chosen to cover theses photos in Photo Shop and just show what I did to enhance the photos that I have gathered and that are precious to me while respecting my natural father's family wishes.

Sally's book pages family photos obsured

I feel I have much more to do in order to finish theses pages. More embellishments. I love making art that revolves around my family and genealogy. KC has found the black sharpie is best to write anything we wish on canvas or muslin and then attach the writing with glue again.

Here are some photos of KC's book pages:

Now some of the artist work:

Jackie (our hostess) and her book
that's not about her family

Diane Chen's book

Christine's Book always in blue and always about her beloved dogs

Ann's book

Davi showing KC her book

Sunday

On Sunday KC and I just set ourselves on cruise control - no schedule per say. On the way down to Mission Bay for a walk we took a small detour and I drove KC up to the top of Soledad Mountain to see the infamous Korean War Memorial Cross where there is a 360 degree view of the Pacific Ocean, La Jolla Shores, UTC, multitudes of mesas, downtown San Diego, the Coronado Bridge AND Mexico and it's islands off shore. Then we drove down to Mission Bay and KC and I went for a walk on one of the most perfect days we almost always have in San Diego.

KC and my shadow up on Soledad Mountain.

At 11 am Suzi Blu came by to meet KC Willis and hang out with us. We were going to go to World Famous at Pacific Beach on the strand but the wait was impossible. So, we went up three doors to The Mission for a yummy breakfast.

Suzi with new friend

We then walked around the bay so that Suzi and KC could see the quaint little beach houses for rent at outrages prices. We ooh-ed and aah-ed how cute they all were. Then back to my home. Suzi went home to tend to her babies, Gigi and Finnegan.

My friend Kathie whose husband has had major hospital visits/surgeries recently stopped by to meet KC and visit on the patio. Did I say what a beautiful day it was?

Final secrets we learned from KC: what you really want to purchase instead of cheese cloth is something called Drapery Scrim. Huge amounts can be purchased for so much less money.

Words of Wisdom from KC (she will have a book out that will contain all her deep thoughts and witticism) but here are a few:

"I send you hope
I send you wings
Either way you will fly"

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick"

"Inside every woman
A gypsy girl dances by the fire"

Pendants KC sells

Terri Brushe's Crown Class at Urban Barn

2011-01-24T17:40:00.001-08:00

My finished flat quickie crown
with black patina

This past Sunday at the Urban Barn in Escondido, CA, my friend Margo and I took Terri Brush's Crown Soldering class. (Click on this link to learn more about Terri's classes - Terri Brush Designs ) She was very organized and the only thing she told us to bring was some jewelry tools which she told us we could get a kit at Michael's for about $9.99. In truth, we didn't even need those.

Sample Crown

Terri provided all of us with the Weller 100 (the blue iron) plus and stand, a metal tray to work on which she told us we could take home with us, flux, solder, sponge, etc. etc. - everything we would need and then some. And then, of course, the product.

Sally's Tray

Crown in progress Unknown Artist

The Urban Barn is a great place to take a class. It is so big and airy with good natural light also. We were all at one long table as you can see from the photo below.

The long table where we worked

Terri got us all started cleaning, taping, fluxing and soldering about 24 glass bobbles. She is a very calm teacher and kept moving around the entire perimeter and was readily available for any questions we might have. This was not a first time soldering class so there were no Step One, Step Two instructions.

About noon, delicious pizza arrived and we could stop whenever we were ready and eat and have some refreshments. Later in the afternoon, cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies appeared. Plus,s there were giant bowls of M & M's with peanuts on the table.

In my immediate locations I met some new friends. Across from me was a gal named Robin Sanchez who lives in Oceanside and had super information about a "gig" that takes place about twice a year in Manhattan Beach and is put on by Artistic Bliss and Kim Caldwell. Check it out!

My end of the table

To Robin's left in blue was a gal named Nelda. It turns out she lives close to me but is allergic to birds and there for, since we have to my regret, my husband's double yellow amazon parrot, she can not come play at my home.

To my right was a very quiet and sweet gal named Debbie. Margo is sitting at the head of the table and my chair is vacant.

We were to make a base for the crown by soldering three glass bobbles together at a time and then soldering them to themselves to make a circle or part circle.

Two photos of Sally's base for her crown

I choose to work on a small flat crown for my first project. Any of you who have followed my blog know that I am a devout fan of Suzi Blu and her girls. I decided I wanted to make a crown for one of my girls. The width was only 2 1/2 inches. Below is the base that I started with for my crown.

Base for Sally's small crown

Enter the embellishments lady. I could not believe all that she brought in for us to add to our crowns or to just purchase for further reference. I don't know her name but she said that when we saw our credit card statement it would read "Peeps."

"Stuff"

More "Stuff"
That's "Peeps" in the left hand corner of photo

Above
Three photos of Sally's stash purchased from "Peeps"

Margo hard at work

Above is my friend Margo who solders so beautifully. She was very interested in the product we were using this day. She and Robin both mentioned that they didn't have to clean their tips like they usually did. Plus, the solder flowed so easily. I totally agreed even though I have hardly any practical experience. I did take a Sally Jean class last year. Most of what I know, I have learned from Margo. She is a perfectionist and does beautiful work. She also is amazing in Photo Shop. Below is my Christmas present from Margo. It is so beautiful. Thank you Margo.

Tree Ornament created by Margo

Unknown Artist wearing glasses with lights.

I didn't get this gal's name but she was soooo much fun. She is styling ladies with her special purchase from CVS pharmacy of reading glasses with bright lights on both sides of the glasses that shine down on what ever you are working on. She said they cost about $24.95 and come in various prescribed strengths. We all vowed we would be going there to purchase our own. Fun and practical!

Debbie fast at work on her crown

Close-up of Debbie's crown (I think)

Another sample - artist unknown

BEAUTIFUL finished crown - artist unknown

Terri and one tired eyes Sally

Silly Sal - Knitting Once a Year

2011-01-07T15:04:00.000-08:00

Close up of Purchased Purse

Once a year, I knit for a couple of days. The reason it's only once a year? Well, our Best Man, Richard and his wife Sharon, come and stay with us and help us celebrate our wedding anniversary every year. We were married at our home at 8 pm on New Year's Eve, 1994. Sharon is a knitting maniac and makes beautiful and difficult projects. She doesn't scrapbook nor paint nor sketch. So, our common ground and how I can improve my knitting proficiency takes place at this time. This year they were at our home from Thursday before New Year's Eve and returned to their home in Glendale on Tuesday of the new year.

Purchased Purse

So before she visited, I went to the local Knitting Store called Knitting in La Jolla on Prospect. The owner is such a helpful person. I saw this beautiful purse that she had made and said I wanted to make it. Well, it turned out she didn't carry the yarn any more or any yarn like it that would work. Plus, she got the pattern on line from Sweater Babe - pattern #19. In the end, I purchased the sample from her along with the pin that I placed in the center of the flower she had designed that was not part of the pattern. The purse that I purchased is the exact color of the favorite very heavy sweatshirt jacket that I bought last year at JCrew. Plus, I also have Uggs the same color. Yea! I will finally match!

At home I download the pattern and now go off to find yard to make the purse myself. The next closest yarn store is by my friend Suzi Blu's home in Encinitas - The Black Sheep. I didn't find what I wanted there either so off to Michael's. They have this thick yarn always in stock and purchased the black and the gray.

Purse I made with two yarns

Here is the purse I made with the Black yarn. I added a skinny black fuzzy yarn with a white flag that I thought would spruce up the solid black yard. Well, two things happened: the skinny yarn really bulked up the yarn and the purse ended up a lot bigger than the sample purse; plus, you can't see the wonderful simple pattern with the fuzzy/flag yarn added. I then knitted a single stitch to make a latch to go over the plain white button I added.

Close up of my purse fastened with button

OK, what I liked the most about the sample I purchased was the pattern. So, I knitted another one and it came out perfect. But, it needs more than a button to compliment the simple design.

My dark gray purse

Close up of "my flower" that I winged

Amazingly, I picked up a crochet needle that we were using to tuck in the yarn on the back sides and proceeded to crochet a tight circle and try to remember how we did something like this at Margie-Romney-Aslett's workshop called Spark! The Event in Utah over a year ago. I just winged it and I think it is fine. I'm going to sew Velcro at the top to work as the fastener on this purse.

Pink hat that I made

The year before I had learned to make this little hat that was a patter from designer Kim Hargreaves, called Elsie. It is in a book called The Rowan Cork Collection. This hat was the first thing I ever knitted beyond scarves and one shawl. I actually made a couple of them the year before.

Pink Scarf that Patricia made

Well, Suzi Blu rents her house from the neatest gal, Patricia who owns the wonderful little shop in Leucadia called Embellishments. She had theses beautiful scarves that she crochets and I asked her to make me one in pink which she did. So, at The Blac Sheep, I found this beautiful silk/wool/Alpaca yarn that worked wonderfully with Patricia's scarf yarn.

Patricia's pink scarf again

I am going to wear all of this when I go back to Baltimore January 29 - February 1. Yes, this is the same time I was suppose to go with Suzi to CHA in Los Angeles this year. I am very sad to miss this fun time and Suzi understands. I have promised to help her however I possibly can all month while she prepares for CHA. My son is graduating and the entire family is going back there to be present and support Erik's accomplishments. I sure hope it is cold and I will have the opportunity to wear some of theses warm things I have knitted. When I visited him in November they had a warm spell and I didn't need any of the warm clothing I had brought.

New Year's resolution - to improve on my picture taking and presentations. I have no excuse except that I use a very, very small Sony Point and Shoot. But, I truly know PhotoShop and CS5. I need to take the time to use it when my camera fails me. But, I hadn't posted for so long, I just wanted to get this up.

Look What Canada did!

2010-12-09T13:03:00.000-08:00

Would you not have loved to be present at this food court in Canada, taking a little break from Christmas Shopping. Brings tears to my eyes!

My Suzi Blu Cards from Suzi's Stamps

2010-11-01T13:09:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure why making cards is so difficult for me. I surmise that perhaps it is because it is a more exactly art form. Altered Art appeals to me because it is not exact. Plus, the one skill I truly haven't got a handle on is color. It is such a trial and error thing for me.

Here are three of my favorite finished Suzi Blu Stamp cards. The first one is in my favorite color - Pink. I have added a crown and Stickles. The heart is a glitter embossing powder that I had never used before. The flowers were a ribbon roll that I got at Stamping Details and cut apart and then put rhinestones in the centers.

I am wondering if this is Suzi's Stamp or if I copied a card she made for me that I thought she was going to make a stamp. The saying was her saying "Love is the whole point." The design her all hers..

I love this stamp. I just happened to have the ice cream cone sticker and thought it went great. Now I am going to look for actual cupcake stickers. I'm sure they are out there. . .

The backgrounds were done with H2O's and metallic water color paints that i was fooling around with - I don't do that very often. Suzi was videoing and I was just making backgrounds for all her girls I had stamped. Fun.

What has helped me the most when I really think about it is the section of Somerset Magazine where they have an artist select her palette and then show what she did with it.

I have also learned from Chris Cozen , Suzi Blu (at Suzi's link you can see what she did with her stamps) and Julie Prichard is to select something out of a magazine or scrapbook paper that has already made the decision of what colors look good together and then try to emulate them. But, that takes some forethought and preparation.

When I was visiting Suzi the other day at her seaside new home she talked again about selecting your palette before beginning. I just thought artists just picked a color and then looked at what they had done and then selected another color that they thought would look good with the first color. I had no idea that there was preparation involved!

Here are my humble attempts at card making with Suzi's darling stamps from Unity Stamp company owned by this wonderful woman, Angela who I met at Melody Ross' Brave Girl's Camp this year.

Theses were all done before I tried to add embellishments. They are just missing something! The final products are the single photos. There were more and the best one's I did are already sent to some of my dear friends and relatives. I love that I had things I personally made to send. I hope they loved getting them from me.

The remaining cards are the finished cards. I know I talked about being "challenged" are cutting and being exact. Trust me, I truly was on theses but because of the angle I shot theses photos, and then cropping them in PhotoShop, they look like I didn't cut evenly. No, I was just too lazy this time on my birthday - yes, today is my birthday - to mess with this aspect. I hope you can see the difference when the cards are finished.

Yes, those are big dimensional stones that make the flowers in her hands. I love all things lumpy. Glued them down with E6000.

U F O's - Sally Jean Alexander's Halloween Necklace Class

2010-10-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

Silly Sal's almost finished necklace

Sally Jean helping Silly Sal

Last week Margo and I took a soldering Halloween necklace class from Sally Jean Alexander. I consider her a nationally know artist of considerable repute and when ever I can take a class from this level of a teacher - I do. (My first nationally know artist/teacher was Lynn Perrella. I took the class at Art Unraveled in Phoenix several years ago. What an excellent teacher).

Our Work Room at Cheryl's home

Sally Jean's class was her at her friend, Cheryl's private residence in Poway. Cheryl is a jewelry artist in her own right. Her pieces are exquisite and can be purchased in her Etsy store. As you can see, the room where Sally Jean taught was huge. We were not crowded at all and every table had two power strips.

Sally Jean and Margo

There were 16 of us and it seemed like only my friend Margo and I were the only ones who hadn't signed up for all 4 days of Sally Jean's classes. Displayed in Cheryl's home were her chandeliers (yes plural) she had made in previous Sally Jean's classes. So very beautiful.

This class theme was Halloween. Sally Jean took us through simple steps, with a demo showing us what that step entailed as we moved through the process of making the main focal point - a shaker shadow box made out of 5 main pieces of glass and 4 little pieces that her husband had cut for us.

Margo, Sally Jean and Silly Sal

In preparation, I had spent a day with Margo and Kathie tuning up my limited soldering skills. After being frustrated with the two soldering irons I already had, I went out and purchased a Weller 100, a rheostat and a stand. Much better! What a difference it makes to use the right tools.

Friends Kathie and Margo at Silly Sal's

I had also decided to us my own art and choose the 1st thing I had ever drawn from my 1st Suzi Blu online class which Elena of Scrapbook Royalty had commissioned me to draw and paint. It ended up being two paintings called "Good Witch", "Bad Witch." I shrunk them in PhotoShop CS5. Didn't know what I would need them for but they ended up being my main focal point.

Then I went through my children and my Halloween photos when we were all much younger and resized them.

Sally Jean showed us how we can solder ANYTHING including small branches which she attached to her piece. (She has requested that I not publish photos of her necklaces).

If only I had stayed with her simpler design with just a chain and charms hanging from the chain. I thought, what if I don't do this again. I want this to be like I want it. I decided I wanted all my glass charms to be a part of the chain, not dangling from the chain. I had no idea how much work that entailed. Yikes!

Silly Sal's necklace in progress
Taped but only partially soldered

I left that day's class with my main piece soldered and a couple of other pieces soldered with their jump rings. I learned a lot and knew I could do much better with practice.

More charms in various stages of developement

This Sunday I finished my necklace, but I don't wear pieces this big so what to do. In the mean time I had found more photos I wanted to incorporate into my family portrait of our Halloweens. Enter fate or one good turn deserves another!

The newly purchased tree where
Halloween charms will reside in the future

Yesterday I was helping my friend Suzi Blu to move to Leucadia, I met the person who Suzi is renting from and who also lives on the property - Patricia. What a talented and wonderful person. I think Suzi is going to be very happy here. Patricia also owns a store in Leucadia/Encinitas on Pacific Coast Hwy called Embellishments. Here is her card.

Business Card for Patricia's business
Embellishments

Before we went to visit her darling shop we were in her garage because she said she was going to have a garage sale this coming Sunday. There I saw this metal display tree. (I had been entertaining the thought of using a Manzanita branch to hang my Halloween charms). I purchased this "metal tree" and as you can see from the photo below, it is waiting for the fruit (my family charms) to be transformed once again and hung.

Various stages of Silly Sal's second attempt
at Mermaid Shaker Shadow Box

Back at the class, I had purchased two extra kits from Sally Jean. One of that day's project and another of the day's before which I had seen a photo. I decided to make a smaller shaker box out of my favorite mermaid I made in another Suzi Blu class and put teeny sea shells, seed beads and a very teeny tiny sea horse. I have yet to foil wrap it but wanted to get this up as soon as possible. That is the same for the shrine piece of glass that I purchased in the extra kit. There I put my gypsy painting after sizing it and creating a background for it too.

Nothing is finished as you can see. But, like all my friends, I have multiple projects going at the same time. I just started Danita's online class through Crescendoh. Then there is Suzi Blu's current online class which I am constantly sketching and painting.

Sally Jean at Cheryl's Goodie Table

Check out the cookie on top of the scone
that one of the students had made for this class

Did I mention how good the treats were at the Sally Jean class - plus lunch from Panera's - Yummy!I will for sure take another class at Chery's when Sally Jean returns next year to teach. I think you should too. I know you wont' be disappointed.

Side note: This week I was honored to be Jenny Doh's Crescendoh Guest Curator for her Art Saves feature. It is my true story. I am truly blessed by all my old friends - never to be forgotten - and my new friends found and cultivated by opening my heart and soul to art. For me Art Saves!

Oh, by the way, U F O's stands for Un-Finished Objects. Well, my project is almost finished but it is also still a work in progress. I will explain as I go along.

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

2010-09-30T19:32:00.000-07:00

Sally and Alice

Alice in Wonderland has gone home to Nova Scotia. Her two week visit has ended. My husband's Ham Radio/Skype friend Alice has returned home with one more of her "Bucket List" items completed - visiting Southern California, specifically San Diego.

Alice hold photo album gift from Bet

Prior to arrival, Alice knew that I have a group of friends that get together once a week at my home to play. A month ago in anticipation of said gathering, Alice sent a giant box to our home with instructions not to open.

She had been following me and my friends on my blog and said she felt like she already knew everyone.

When the play day arrived, September 23rd, we were all surprised that Alice did not choose to play along with us. I had provided paper and Suzi Blu, Crescendoh, Brave Girls Camp and Elena's Scrapbook Royalty Stamps plus ink for those who didn't have ongoing projects.

Kathie's hands and jewelry

Since we hadn't seen each other all summer, it was a time to share. Kathy had brought the jewelry she had been making recently with metal and wires.

Bet and Jackie working on their Kumihimo with Kathie supervising

Kathie taught Georgia, Diane, Bet and Elena - Kumihimo. She brought a bunch of Kumi looms she just happened to have around the garage. (You ought to see her garage)! It is an ancient Japanese braiding technique. Kathie once was one of the editor/writers of the now defunct Expression Magazine. It was such a great magazine and missed by all who know and read it.

Georgia hold glasses case she made with Kathie

Georgia and Bets besides learning Kumihimo from Kathie , did take time to take advantage of the stamps I had available. They are now ready to make cards whenever they have the need.

Cards Georgia made for me

Georgia brought me a hostess gift of some cards she had water colored and some cards made with bleach. Thank you Georgia!

Kat and Nina with Diane Standing

Diane showed us what she has been working on since her last Chris Cozen class. Plus for her birthday, she received one of Chris' paintings as present from her brother. We were so envious of Chris' painting and also loved the many colorful pieces Diane had completed.

Alice and Jackie

Jackie worked on four 4x4 canvases preparing them for 4 photos of her late husband, Frank, and his Memorial to take place in October.

Kat with Halloween Canvas in Progress

Kat completed a "kool" canvas with a Halloween Theme. She did a great job and we were amazed at how fast she worked!

Kat and Nina Sitting

Nina was very quiet this day. I don't think she had gotten a lot of sleep the night before. Everyone was happy to see her again and congratulated her on being back on the radio again! Nina did work on one of her canvases that she was dealing with flesh color issues and I believe resolved the problem.

Suzi came not to play but to get organized and make lists. She maintains that the book Organize from the Inside Out has turned her life around an made her much more productive. Even her refrigerator is organized! That's a win - win.

Elena and Sally

Elena came to eat bacon. . . and Alice didn't disappoint her with her little munchies made with Wonder bread, bacon grease, bacon and processed cheese. We also had Alice's delicious version of Sloppy Joe Sliders.

The Food for the Day

I had made what I thought was tons of the Barefoot Contessa's Mac and Cheese with 8oz Black Diamond Extra Sharp Cheddar and 12oz of Gruyere Cheese. Surprise, surprise, it was almost gone by the end of the day.

Everyone Hard at Work Doing Something

For desserts we had 5 different choices of Alice's homemade bars: Peanut Reeses Squares, Chow Mein Noodle Drops, Vanilla Fudge, Cashew Almond Bark, and Five Star Bars.. She had made them at home and brought them in her luggage carefully packed. They were a hit with everyone. I especially liked her homemade Peanut Butter Cup with dark chocolate!

Alice's Hand Writing and Acrylic Stamp

After lunch, Alice had drawings for bags filled with "stuff" Alice had brought to share. There had also been "goodie" bags for everyone when they arrived including everyone got an acrylic 4x6 stamp of Alice's unique handwriting. I had 12 of them made locally at Ready Stamps. It's a great way to support the Cerebral Palsy workers who make the stamps.

Sally and Suzi Blu and our stuffed Canadian Beavers from Alice

Kat with two of her "Goodies" from Alice

Early evening found just Kathie, Bet and me sipping Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio and drooling all over Bet's iPad! Kathie has an iPhone along with Bet's and we looked at all the free apps she has. I have the first Droid, so I just tried to find something similar for my phone.

Everyone will all have their own special memories of Alice. They also have all the mementos from Alice of things having to do with her Canada including little Bucky Beaver stuffed animals which Suzi and I got in our bags.

On Top: Elena, Sally, Suzi and Diane. Standing: Kathie, Georgia, Bet, Nina, Alice, Kat and Jackie

Finally for Alice - a group photo. Elena with her amazing Canon camera expertise, set up camera and then was able to jump into the group - not to be excluded! It was a success!

The next day I learned why Alice wasn't creating at the table with all of us. She had been taking literally hundreds of photos of all of us . Thank you Alice. Without those photos, there would have been no blog because to me blogs need photos!

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. She has returned to her beautiful beloved wonderland of Nova Scotia.

Art Saves Again

2010-09-22T10:27:00.001-07:00

"What a caterpillar calls the end of life, wise men call a butterfly," says a Chinese Proverb. This belief along with Jenny Doh's Crescendoh mantra "Art Saves" have helped me through this sad summer.

On My Way

I was able to use art to help me come to terms with my younger sister's death.

Tammie, Michele, Tonya, Christina and Lana in the middle
photo taken 4th of July 2010

Below is a photo of she and I on July 5 of this year. On August 18, she passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her family. She had just been diagnoses with Pancreatic Cancer the week before our photo.

Going Home

What to do? I had just started a new large journal at a Suzi Blu class. Plus, I had photos I had taken during the night when I was helping one of my nieces care for their mom. When she was first hospitalized around August 1, I had been staying across the street from the church/school where I had attended while growing up. Since I was right there, I began to attend daily Mass and offer up my prayers that my sister go "gently into the night."

Incarnation Church Altar

After her Memorial Service, I returned home and got to work. this is the art I created while trying to come to grips with my sister's untimely death.

I printed on plain computer paper the photos of the altar at Incarnation Catholic Church and a picture I took of my sister in her hospital bed at home. After adhering them to my sketch book pages, I just began to put down color and blend the images as best I could. Then add items and words that came to me at that very moment.

The Girls

The sketches of Lana's four daughters are not likenesses. Their hair is about as close as I got to anything resembling them, but it made me think of them. Again, I used Golden's gel medium to place my sketches and then began to add color, both colored pencil and paint.

The two pages with my girls up in the sky flying, I actually started in Suzi's class. This must have been my subconscious working since I had just gotten word of my sister's illness advancing quickly. Theses girls then became about Lana and the events that were unfolding before our very eyes.

Lana Sleeping Peacefully at Home

Theses pages are not done. As I post the photos I can see so many things I still need to do. As a side note, I have found scanning any of my art and then looking at it on the computer screen, things jump out at me that need correcting that I might not notice otherwise. I seem to be able to view my art more critically this way. I'm not so connected to the screen as the tangible paper in front of me.

Jackie's Call to Art

After Lana's Memorial Service I got word from a dear friend who had started a once a month The Art in You gatherings at her home. "Come one, come all" is Jackie's mantra. Such a generous lady truly loved by everyone who knows her. (I know I have posts on my blog of photos taken at theses gatherings).

Since I had met Jackie, her husband Frank, had always been ill. This summer he got a lot worse and sadly passed away a couple of weeks ago. Even though I really didn't know Frank other than to wave hello to him when I came to play at their home, his death touched me deeply. You see, Jackie is the first friend I have whose husband has die.

Time to pause and reflect. I am quickly reminded that I will be 66 years old in November and that the one thing I have to be so very thankful this Thanksgiving is my health!

Jackie puts out the call

In coming to some sort of terms with her husband's death, Jackie put out a call to her friends to please stop by and gather materials and photos for her to assist her in putting up a photo display for Frank's Memorial Service in October when all their friends and family will come together.

That day, I was not able to stay and create with our friends, but gathered up photos and decided on a theme of Christmas with Frank.

Since I was taking it home I decided to take advantage of Photo Shop and play and manipulate her photos. With the original's scanned I could now do anything I wanted including enlarging all the photos and leave her originals untouched.

I took my time and gave this project a lot of thought. This was very therapeutic for me. I was doing something positive in the face of adversity and doing it slowly (an adjective very foreign to me),

Below are my two 12 x 12 pages for Jackie to use. You probably can't see any of the dimensional stuff I did. Some of the magic included putting Jackie's face where Mrs. Claus' face had been with Frank in Mrs. Claus (now Jackie) lap..

First page of two page spread

On the second page if you open the door where the "Do Not Disturb" is hanging you will find Frank having Breakfast in Bed.

2nd page of two page spread

Frank behind the "Do NOT Disturb" sign

By the way, about the 3rd week in October I will be the featured "Guest Curator" for Jenny Doh's Crescendoh. This blog is NOT my article for my detailing how "Art Saves" in regards to my life. It just came up that here is one more way that Art stepped up to the plate and gave me a helping hand to get through one eventful summer's end. Next month my article will be about Art affecting my entire life and all the good things that have happened to me and can happen to you when you let Art in the door to your life!

Mandala class at Zinnia's in South Pasadena

2010-08-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

Kari Atol's Mandala

The camera does NOT do it justice

Mandala by Kari Atol

Zinnia's in South Pasadena is my favorite Art Store in all the San Gabriel area. The owner, Tamara, and her worker bee - Joe - are great. Joe's friend Paul Murray also teaches many classes at Zinnia's.

Tamara gets all the "big name" artist/teachers including Michael deMeng and the generous Kelly Kilmer who started me on my way with making journals, Golden Paint and collage.

Chandelier hanging in Zinnia's over the cash register.

Today I took a wonderful class from a self effacing teacher named Kari Atol. She was teaching a class how to paint a Mandala . She had learned this technique at Teesha Moore's Art Fest from the infamous Anahata.

Large work space for classes.

Kari Atol (same spelling as my daughter Kari) supplied everything and this was great for me since I was up in the Glendale/Pasadena on a business trip. There was no additional supply fee. Everything was included! Kari's husband made the 16x16 wood surface that we first applied papers in a collage fashion using modge podge to both adhere the paper and seal the surface. We then set it out to dry.

Next I was introduced to this wonderful art transfer paper called Saral. Kari had provided us with a Mandala pattern that I believe she created, but not sure. We needed to transfer her "map" as she called the pattern, to the dry surface of our collage via the Saral and a pen.

Kari working on her own piece she started with us.

Close up of Kari's Mandala "in progress"

Surprisingly the next step was to apply the gold foil to those areas where we wanted a gold leaf effect. We all thought that the foiling would have been the last thing we did to our art.

Student Christine working on her Mandala

Student Tamara (not the owner)
working on her Mandala

Sally (me) and Kari Atol

Closeup of my work in progress

Then the scariest part for me began - the painting with acrylic paints over the collage areas, adding new color to the design that had been traced onto our collage. We also needed to decide how opaque or transparent the paint should be.

Lastly, we could embellish to our hearts content with glitter or buttons/rhinestones or what ever we wanted. She suggested that perhaps one of the final steps should be the addition of Stickles.

I have simplified this entire process. If interested, Kari says she would love to come to the San Diego area and stay with me and teach a class at my home. I'm hoping she would contact Diane, the owner of Stamping Details in Poway and perhaps teach a class there. I'll be talking to all my local art friends and see if we can make this happen in the San Diego area! Stay posted.

This was such a fun class and really easy once you understood the process.

Kari Atol Girls

In the mean time, her are some of her drawings that she has for sale. She does not teach how to draw theses girls. She told me she has been doing art forever, but just started drawing this girls a short time ago. They are displayed at Zinnia's.

I also want to give you a feel for the store Zinnia's. Her are pictures of the interior and also of wonderful worker bee and teacher Joe. The place has everything a mixed media artist could desire!

Joe, holding example of paper doll class he was teaching

Lastly I would like to encourage people to take a road trip to South Pasadena. Your fist stop should be Zinnia's.

Inside of Zinnia's

Even the floor is painted

Next, visit the stores in the immediately two block area on Mission Blvd. I couldn't resist stepping out in the street to capture some of the store fronts. Plus, the train stops one block away from the area. Do you see it? Grab some friends and spend the day in South Pasadena and then all the antique stores up and down Fair Oaks in Pasadena. Plus, there is always Old Town Pasadena up and down Colorado Blvd. Some many great stores and wonderful special places to eat!

KC Willis Rides Again at the Urban Barn

2010-07-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

My finished canvas
Commemorating my husband's paternal grandparents
50th wedding anniversary
The quote says "Love Italian Style"

KC Willis of Lipstick Ranch was at the Urban Barn in Escondido on July 21st thanks to my friend, Jackie Baxted, who made it happen!

Urban Barn - Escondido

KC arrived at my home Tuesday from teaching a two day class at her friend's home in Sherman Oaks, CA. A pork tenderloin was ready plus roasted veggies. I had asked her what she liked to drink and she said 'diet coke." But, do you like wine? "yes, a Shiraz would be fine." Well Trader Joe's had the best Shiraz (I know nothing about wine) called Layer Cake from South Australia. Well, just the name clicked with me. I would give up everything for desserts!

After dinner we made a trip to the grocery store to get lunch for the next day. Upon returning KC printed out photos that students had sent her for the next day class. (KC prefers to use Office Max t-shirt transfer paper and after messing around a little we found the settings on my Canon that worked the best). KC answered some emails and dealt with some business and off we went to bed.

Next morning while the coffee was brewing I made my favorite cranberry scones. The next thing we knew, we were off to Escondido. Jackie had met KC the previous day to set up her samples and all the fabric and sewing machines/irons/paint stripping gun we would need.

Table with all the choices of fabrics

Diane with her beginning fabric choices

Diane's almost finished canvas

We only were advised to bring Tacky glue, scissors and embellishments to class. What a wonderful thing to have everything else provided for you.

KC explaining her process

Close up of canvas KC was explaining

KC began her class with a interesting history of how she got to where she is today. She is funny and full of happy positive antidotes. And then we were off.

Jackie getting personal attention like we all did.

Jackie's finished project
Adorable photo of Jackie's mom

KC giving us instructions about "Clumpies"
She should patent this word!

At each step, KC stopped us all and explained what we would be doing next and why we were doing it this way. She certainly knows what she is talking about since she produces 1,400 pieces of work of all sizes each year. Wow! There is a work ethic involved girls!

Ann and her service dog in training
18 month old "America"

America was at Ann's feet the entire day. She is the most well behaved dog I have ever seen. I don't know how Ann is going to part with her next month as America moves on in her training to be an valuable assistant to the handicapped. What a generous person Ann is to devote all this time and effort to an animal she falls in love with and trains in order for someone less fortunate to benefit. Amazing. . .

Ann's finished project

At some point we stopped and munched on lunch and visited. A lot of us knew each other already but we got this opportunity to connect with new people. There were only two people I had not met before, Susan and Leanne and now I know two more sweet and talented ladies! Another thing workshops offer to all of us!

New friend Leanne and her canvas

Leanne's finished project up close
This was a photo of a family member

Another new friend, Susan

The Urban Barn was great for this event because it allowed us so much room to spread out. We didn't feel crowed at all. KC was in constant motion and at our beck and call for advice on all our precious pieces. Some of us had chosen to work with family photos, but KC provided for everyone "her girls" to choose from in various mode of attire.

Christine and her finished canvas
Christine loves blue

Christine was kind enough to bring her computerized sewing machine for everyone to use.

Jenny Lake

Jenny Lake owns Leaping Lotus in the Cedros Design District in Solana Beach. Be sure to stop by her great store for a unique shopping experience. What a sweet heart!

After class and everything was packed up, Davielle generously opened her absolutely amazing home in Encinitas to everyone who could come by for pizza. Thank you Davi!

My dear friends Davielle and Diane

Davi at her work station

Davi's almost completed canvas

The next morning I took KC to my favorite restaurant for breakfast right on the board walk in Pacific Beach - World Famous. Unfortunately the entire time she was in San Diego, we had clouds and very heavy mist and the sun did not peak it's head out. So sad. But, after breakfast and getting gassed up, she was off to her next adventure in Laguna. She should be home pretty soon.

Me and KC and my finished canvas

Please visit her web site(s). Ladies, she will be returning in the Urban Barn the second weekend in February 2011. Below are some shots of the book we will be making! I am signed up. How about you?

The following are some photos of KC's work that was there for us to feel and get up close with. The first examples are of the book she is going to be teaching.

The next two are photos of two of her much larger canvases. They are absolutely stunning.

BRAVE GIRL CAMP - What a Trip!

2010-05-17T06:34:00.001-07:00

And, we "tripped the light fantastic" didn't we girls?! How to describe the journey of 5 days in the forest north of Boise, Idaho with 20 artists (yes Margaret, you are now an artists). And then there were the "worker bees" and some of their family. And finally, there was Melody and Kathy - sisters to the core. Wow!

READY? SET. . . GO!

Suzi and me

Above photo is Suzi Blue and me getting ready to get on the bus for the 2 1/2 hour windy bus ride with Jim, our trusty driver. Thank goodness I brought along 4 sets of wrist bands to deal with motion sickness. It's also a little cold and blustery.

The New Me - NOT!

Playing on bus with Elena's head band and #1 reason why I should never wear one. Should this be my new "avitar?"

FUN

Crazy Elena
(not to be confused with Crazy Rachel. . .)

Me with head in fish at potty-break on way to camp

Mignon and Melody "kickin' up their heels"

I am sooo proud of this photo since I caught it the FIRST TIME they did it with my itty bitty skinny Sony camera. Everybody else seemed to have theses giant cameras with giant lenses. I timed it just right. Love it when I finally do something right! Of course, they then turned around and everyone else's photo is with them facing them. . .

Speaking of "itty bitty". Learned phrase from our new friends Cheryl and Haley - "itty, bitty, shitty committee." I take this to mean the thoughts we have gathered inside our mind from people we shouldn't be listening to - every.

Here is the video Suzi made and posted. How does she do it and do it so quickly and professionally? Enjoy.

The Great Room with the Red Carpet

The Great Room - 3 stories high!

The Food

What was fantastic? Well, to start with, the food! The most gourmet food from the moment we arrived until we left. Three main meals a day then the 3 "snacks" (ha, ha, ha). Yes, scheduled snacks! With an announcements starting 15 min before each dining experience with Marq, Melody's husband, coming to the art room and turning off the light and announcing "15 minutes, until snack or some meal." Returning and announcing "5 minutes, until food." "Time to eat!" Nothing was spared. The quality of what they were serving was the best.

Chelsea with daughter assisting

One of the afternoon snacks

Where we all ate every meal

The Refreshment Bar Something for Everyone

Viewed from above

Up to my old tricks
Hope my daughter doesn't see this!

After returning home and reading all the information everyone sent about themselves including the "worker bees" I have a challenge for Kathy - chief cook and bottle washer - create the most incredible low fat meals for one of the future camps. Knock your self out finding the best and lowest calorie meals and snacks you can create. But, please don't forget to make available for purchase all the recipes from this camp boxed in one of Melody's beautiful tins. I truly don't care how much you charge. I want it and I am sure so does everyone else, even if they don't cook. They will want someone in their life to create theses meals again!

The Art Room

"How big was it?" The perennial questions. . . At my age, a whole new meaning. "Big enough" doesn't begin to describe it. Six work areas that allowed six artists per table plenty of room at each set up. A table with a sewing machine, an old fashioned type writer and a Selphy printer provided by and demonstrated by Elena (Scrapbook Royalty) and Canon printers.

Art and Scrapbook supplies lined the perimeter of the room from top to bottom. Everywhere on the floor and shelves was every product you could image. All provided by Melody and including Melody's products. You truly did not need to bring one thing yourself. Paint, buttons, jewelry, paper, ribbon, fabric, Tattered Angels (provided by camper Liz). All of Melody's products and camper Angela's Unity Stamps provided by Angela including Melody's stamp line (we also got theses stamps as gifts to take home). Be sure to visit their online site!

Beads, ink, foam stamps, Modge Podge, scissors provided by Cheryl (a previous camper and Fiskar representative extraordinaire). More scissors provided by Westcote, Scrapbook Royalty's new sponsor. Chip Board from Melody, all her latest products. Tattered Angel's mists supplied by Liz AND glitter! Do you get the picture because I am not going to show you a photo? I want you to have an "OMG" moment when you enter the art room for the 1st time!

Campers/Artists

Suzi, me and Siobhan (from England)
A shout out to Siobhan!

Rhonda, Kathy and Lynn

Liz, Cortney and Veronica

Rachael

Angela

Cheryl, me and Haley

Margaret

Elena and Cortney

Maureen

Lori and Kim of Express the Moment

Lorraine

From all walks of life and from as far away as England and Poland. All with a story to tell! They spoke and we listened. . . and cried, hugged and loved and supported each individual. We were all rewarded.

Some of the Worker Bees

Jeri Lynn

Mignon and JedMaria

Myrna Jean and Me The two oldest women there!

The Gang of Worker Bees
including Marq, Melody's husband

What I Learned

We all learned what it is like to be part of a very large family. We saw real examples right before our eyes with Melody and Kathy's families present. With Melody and Kathy's mother, Myrna Jean and 4 generations of their family present and working together we learned anything is possible.

Every group needs a leader and compliant "worker bees" that like(LOVE) each other and find ways to turn any job into "fun, fun, fun." Not to hurt anyone's feelings but I have to single out the most fun worker bee who was possibly also the quietest worker bee - Mignon! They were all great, but Mignon had those moves. . .

What Amazed me the Most. . .

That you can really young children present, and if you give them the love and attention they need, they aren't demanding and they aren't spoiled. There was no "mommy mommy" (or for that matter "daddy, daddy" - since there were daddy's and uncle's present. We could have our big group meetings around the red carpet with one woman talking at a time, and the children present in the same room and you didn't realize there were children in the room.

What I Learned

That my house is sacred. I can set boundaries. I can love someone but still "send them to the moon." There are acquaintances, friends, families and best friends. Protect your heart and soul and family from negative influences. You can love your family members but still "put them on the moon" if you find they are too toxic. It's never too late. Remember, today is the first day of the rest of your life.

Saying Goodbye to "The Family". Could I look much tireder? And the family looks just fine including the mom, Myrna Jean. All the girls inward and outward beauty came directly from Myrna Jean, as you can see for yourself!

Me and Melody Ross

Me, Myrna Jean and Kathy

Mignon and me

In closing, thank you Suzi Blu for inviting me to come with you and travel to Idaho. Thank you Brave Girl Camp for being available and getting the word out. Your dream, Melody, has made this world a better place to live in for those who have experience your camp and your family experience in the forest. We will go forth and spread the word. Thank you!

Good Night. "Don't let the bed bugs bite you!"

p.s. People keep asking me "what is Brave Girl Camp?"

"It is where you heart, soul and tummy get fed until you think you will burst!"

Be sure to visit Brave Girls Club and see what all the fuss is about! And, lastly, thank you Suzi Blu and Melody. Without you two I would not have been able to go.

Mermaids and Frying Fish

2010-05-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

The Art of Frying Fish and Creatures of the Sea

What a weekend I had and how much fun can one person have?

First off, I received an email from Jenny Doh inviting me to be a Guest Curator at CRESCENDO. What a surprise and an honor. I am somewhat overwhelmed at the moment contemplating the responsibility this represents. But, most of all I am thrilled to be telling my story to a larger audience of how art and the people I have met through art have changed my life in the most positive way. I will be featured for a week in October. Stand by?

Back to Saturday and Stamping Details in Poway, CA, and Suzi Blu's Mermaid Class. I sat between Stamping Detail's worker bee extroidaire, Vicky and one of my play day friend's Kat. Across from me was a friend I hadn't see in a long time, Angela. And then there were all the new friends I met and made.

To begin with, last fall Suzi and I had gone to this wonderful Christmas Year Around Store in San Diego called City Lights Collectibles and taken photos of various hanging ornaments. I knew I would eventually be doing mermaids and so took some photos. Here is the sheet of photos for ideas for Mermaids that I printed out for inspiration when I began sketching.

Contact Photo Sheet

Sketches made from above photo sheet.

I had drawn three mermaids on Friday thinking this would take up so much of my time on Sat. and really wanted to work on paint and design. Of course, Suzi had already thought of this. and had printed out 3 of her own mermaids for us to work with so that we could concentrate on the face with colored pencil and the back ground and putting it all together. She came with tons of stuff for us to play with and to spark the right side of our brains.

Closeups of unfinished Mermaid

I went home totally satisfied with a promise to myself to finish the project at home. The photo of my mermaid is still not finished. I am going to put pink bubbles down the right side from the top with the letters spelling "Enchanted" inside the bubbles. Suzi suggested I have some pink there and Vicki came up with what it should say and another new friend suggested bubbles. Obviously, "It takes a Village" of wonderful friends to complete my project. Thank you all.

Artists

Christine and Vicki

Artists

Angela and Kat

Artists

Susan and Michelle

Artists

Alisa and Ann

Artist Thinisha Magallanes and Her Painting

Another Beautiful Artist and her Painting

Artists

Kristine and Corrine

Shannon's Birthday

Beer Battered Everything
Celebration

Now we move to Sunday and my daughter-in-law's birthday celebration which was over-due. In my family, a new tradition has evolved. We all cook together for birthday dinners. The birthday person picks the menu. We collaborate on the recipes. Plus, one rule, it should be something I have never made so I don't end up being the boss just another cook with more experience. There is my daughter, Kari; my son, Erik and his wife, the birthday girl, Shannon.

Shannon and Erik on left. Shannon and Kari on right.

Shannon, Erik and Kari

Onion Rings and Zucchinis staying warm

The menu was Beer Battered Everything plus OMG Peanut Butter Pie for dessert. The recipe for this was from my favorite restaurant in my husband's home town of Rochester, New York - The Dinosaur BBQ Restaurant.

For appetizers we used a recipe Kari and I had gotten at a Great News in Pacific Beach cooking class - beer battered onion rings. Oh, of course, everything was deep fried. . .

Halibut and Hush Puppies

Cole Slaw recipe from my cousin in Virginia that was so excellent and no mayonnaise. Great for picnics! We also used my cousin Susan's recipe for the fish and the creamed corn hush puppies.

We started at 2 pm and finished at 9 with some "time outs" to let our stomachs rest. What a feast and how much FUN!

So, the kitchen is finally clean and free, once more, from grease until the next time. My Mermaid awaits me and the recipes need notes added for the next time, documenting all that we learned together.

We once more asserted that the art of anything is a collaborative venture and only gets better each time you participate.

Finished Suzi Blu projects

2010-04-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

Blessed are the Peace Makers

I finally finished my angel on a 12 x24 wood canvass. I didn't deviate from Suzi's design yet it is still (of course) different. I am planning on using a photo of this for my 2010 Christmas cards.

What did I learn from this exercise? How to apply texture to your paintings using stencils, stamps, glitter, Gold Leaf, Permanent Markers, Golden's Light Molding Paste, etc. etc. etc. I really think all the texture adds to the interest of the painting. (Recently in our part of the woods, Michael's has started to carry some of Golden's products. They are full price, but with a coupon, my friends and I are purchasing something new from Golden each time we have a 40% off coupon).

I learned not to sweat the small stuff. If we don't know how to draw hands, blow up some line drawing of hands from a Royalty-Free Design book. Suzi provided us with the hands and body if we needed them, that we could print out on our own printers and glue down with Gel Medium from Golden. I purchased the Dover book FAIRIES, ELVES, AND GNOMES myself which also comes with a CD. To me they are all just angels.

I am excited to start painting my horizontal Angel that is entirely my design, or rather taken from my interpretation of drawing. I did the wood burning a couple of months ago at Suzi's and then shaded the Petite Doll face at home with my Prisma Colored Pencils. It's still waiting for me.

I also finally finished my two "Madonna" 6 x 12's *. Thank goodness Suzi stresses layers because theses two have more than their share of layers.

White Veiled Madonna's

The one on the left turned into the one on the right. There is something I like about each one. Look how her eyes changed as I continued to go over them.

The finished product is the one on the right, that I feel looks better in person. But, I love the simpleness of the one on the left.

Should I have just left it like it was? I never seem to know when to stop.

Blue Madonna's

Again, this is another case where I kept messing with the eyes and the texture. The texture is very interesting in person, but I wonder if it detracts from the painting?

The flower on top of her head and the veil, seemed to take on a life of their own.

Gypsy Woman in Red

A little photo of my favorite 6 x 12 that I have done is in the back of Suzi's new book Suzi Blu's Student Gallery 2009. It can be purchased through Lulu.com. I call this painting, "Gypsy Woman in Red."

Sally's "Gypsy Woman in Red"

If you are interested in purchase this book (not because I am in it - please. . .) but to see all the amazing photos of other student's work, just go to Suzi's Les Petit Academy and scroll down. There is a slide show that lets you preview a few pages of the book featuring the art work which Suzi selected from student who were enrolled in her various online classes over the past year. The book is beautiful and every page is glossy.

I am so honored that Suzi featured me in her first book and has 6 pages devoted to my artistic journey via Suzi's instructions in one short year. I have never had so much fun for better or worse learning to draw and embellish my drawings.

Jenny Doh talks about the healing abilities of art on her Crescendo website. I'm not sure I needed healing. But, I certainly needed a way to slow down and use the right side of my brain. If I am stressed about anything and can't clear my mind of worry, I just go for a walk and think about what I am going to either draw next or what to do with what I have just sketched. In the evening I curl up on my couch with my sketch pad and pencil and practice, practice, practice. Perhaps to some that sounds like work. But to me it frees my mind to go to this oasis in my mind that is not filled with day to day worries. I call this preventative medicine!

Also, ast week was the week that featured Suzi Blu on Jenny Doh's Crescendo website. Suzi made a great video talking about what art means to her. I hope you will watch it.

Right now I am at the beginning of Suzi's new online class on the Ning network called Piety and Passion. I am learning to draw 3/4 faces. What I love the most about Suzi's video's is that you can download them after purchasing her class. For my 65th bday I received a Dell NetBook. With my little netbook I can go anywhere and not worry about wi-fi or 3G. My video is on my computer. Plus, I don't have to wait for buffering. If I stopped at the 13 minute mark in a 40 minute video and I can go directly there and continue where I left off. I can only watch my other online classes at home in front of my computer or somewhere there is wi-fi for my netbook.

Suzi believes when you purchase one of her on-line classes, it's just like buying a DVD from her. That once you purchase it, you can do whatever your conscience feels is correct. What a wonderful attitude that is not filled with fear. Plus all her free videos available on YouTube and if you are signed up for her Ning network, she has just made a bunch of her older class videos available to those already in the Piety and Passion class. She is such a generous person and artist.

I still have projects not started or almost finished. I'm sure I am not alone stating this fact. I look forward to sharing those when they are completed.

* Well, once again I altered the eyes on the blue Madonna. I thought both Madonna's were finished until I posted their photos on this blog. I did not like the blue one's eyes. I liked them before I had started messing with them. I believe what I really need to do is start all over from scratch and do one more Madonna, incorporating what I have learned along the way into a final one that I really feel good about - like my Gypsy Woman.

CHA with Scrapbook Royalty and Suzi Blu

2010-01-29T16:12:00.000-08:00

Suzi Blu, Elena and Sally

On Friday, January 22, 2010, Suzi Blu and I drove to Anaheim for CHA. We were carrying in our car all our own stuff plus also things that Elena needed for Scrapbook Royalty. At 2 pm we met Elena and in the rain, dropped off what she needed at the convention center and then went back around again to the Hilton which we were sharing a room with Elena.

Back to the convention center where along with other loyal Scrapbook Royalty Volunteers, we worked our little tails off until 9 pm and then to dinner with Lisa Bebi and her daughter. Then off to bed to be fresh and alert for Scrapbook Royalty's World's Largest Crop. From 8 am until noon, I did all I could for Elena and her worthy organization including retrieving donated raffle prizes from anywhere down below where CHA was setting up. I certainly got my walking exercise in that morning.

While I was running errands, Suzi arrived and captured events on her video camera as the Crop unfolded. At noon, on Saturday, Suzi and I hit the Scrapbook Expo also downstairs where we could purchase products. Suzi was wearing one of her wild wigs that you see in her YouTube videos and in her online classes. People recognized her everywhere requesting photos with her. What a fan club Suzi has. I also saw many friends and scrapbook store owners from the San Diego area including Diane and her husband plus Vicki (worker-bee on steroids :) from Stamping Details in Poway, Liz and Krystal from Scrapbook Your Life in San Diego and the sweet owner of Paper Tales in Point Loma.

We go there just as Carol Duvall set up at the Judikins, Inc. store. Suzi took lots of video of Carol and asking both well known artists and the public the question of the day, "What does Carol Duvall mean to you?" Be sure to visit www.icraftnetwork.com and also e-mail Carol at icraftwithcarol@yahoo.com.

Here is the video Suzi Blu made at CHA that is also on her site. Thanks Suzi for letting me post it here also. "Bring Carol Duvall Back!"

At 7 pm we returned to the 3rd floor of the convention center and Elena's World's Largest Crop to see artists like Lisa Bebi, Alisa Burke, Traci Bautista present donated art they had created to be raffled or bid on for charity. The final artist/publisher was Jenny Doh previously publisher extraordinaire of all the Somerset Magazines and now creator of Crescendo and online magazine. She told everyone about her vision for Crescendo and Art Heals.

Sunday the doors opened for CHA. I was particularly excited to see what Melody Ross' product line kiosk was going to hold. I had been lucky enough to be included the Tuesday before CHA to go to Gail Lopez's home and experience first hand the new product line of GCD Studios, Inc. featuring Melody Ross's new product. The display was innovative and eye catching. It had been created at Gail's home and had tall panels of wood that turned and displayed all the new products. Plus there were demo's and make and takes.

I also wanted to see Prima's new line of products. Last year, they were the only exhibitors that left a lasting impression on me. And, of course, Ranger Products/Tim Holtz and Claudine Hellmuth giant booth where the line for demo's was sometimes 3 deep.

At Provo Craft, the New Cricut Cake Cake Personal Electronic Cutter Machine 2010 had maybe the largest display where they were introducing the Cake cutting products plus new dies/embossing plates for the Cuddle Bug. You must go to their sight to see what all is new for this year. Everyone was proudly wearing chef hats that they had received.

And at another very large exhibit, everyone was wearing pink aprons that they got from the Making Memories/Slice exhibit. I didn't get a hat, but I sure got an apron!

By Wed. morning, we were ready to go home, Suzi and I. We had come back earlier and earlier each night once CHA opened. And there we read and sketched and painted with our newly purchased wax batik tools.

I had also purchased from the Barnes and Noble Book Store a bunch of art books. It was wonderful to have them there and only art books on display. I purchased image transfer WORKSHOP by Darlene Olivia McElroy & Sandra Duran Wilson. This seemed to cover every method out there and says that it is Mixed-Media Techniques for Successful Transfers.

My First Fairy

This is the Dover Clip Art that inspire "My first Fairy."

Fairy #2

This is the Dover Clip Art that inspire my Fairy #2

I also purchased a Dover book with CD - FAIRIES, ELVES, AND GNOMES. I am always in need of prompts for my drawings. Above are two that I made in my Moleskine back in the room. The faces are mine and I got the ideas for the bodies and background from the book.

And one of my most favorite artists and teachers, Chris Cozen was there with a new book Mixed Media and Color Fabrics, Quilts, Canvas and Papers. I am currently enrolled in she and Julie Prichard's online class that started January 24. It is called Color: Beyond the Basics. I've watched the first two videos today and have much work to do to learn colors using Golden Paints.

I also acquired three books for free! The first is a little book called Cupcakes edited by Lynn Koolish. "30+ Yummy Projects to Sew, quilt, Knit and Bake," it says on the cover. It's only 6"x6" in size!

Khris Cochran autographed her book called The DIY Bride Crafty Countdown for me. "40 Fabulous Projects to Make in the Months, Weeks & Hours before Your Special Day" it says on it's cover.

But, the best I left for last. I got to meet Angela Cartwright and have her autograph her new book In This Garden Explorations In Mixed - Media Visual Narrative by Angela Cartwright and Sarah Fishburn.

Susan Seddon Boulet continues. . .

And lastly is what I consider my best sketch so far. True, I am just trying to copy Susan Seddon Boulet SHAMAN's original, but for me to even get close - I find this amazing. After I sketched her painting as a 9x12, I then scanned and printed it on just computer paper and colored it with Prismacolor Pencils. All this has been possible because of my first Suzi Blu Class - The Poet and The Goddess.

Susan Seddon Boulet original

My 9x12 Pencil Sketch

My sketch with Prismacolor Pencils

Suzi Blu and The Paintings of Susan Seddon Boulet SHAMAN

2010-01-05T07:30:00.000-08:00

Susan Seddon Boulet SHAMAN

"Fox Maiden" by Susan Seddon Boulet

Before Suzi Blu left to go back to New Jersey for Christmas, she left me her book The Paintings of Susan Seddon Boulet SHAMAN. She could see I was fascinated with the paintings. They had the same etherial quality that Sulamith Wulfing's Angel's had. There is such a surreal - not of this world - feel to both of theses painter's work.

I remembered my first painting teacher and dearest friend, Georgia, answer when I asked about 5 years ago, "what should I try to paint?" She told me to just find paintings I like and try to copy them. Then you don't have to think about composition or color and you can concentrate on just getting something down on paper. If you are in a hotel room, use those paintings on the walls of your room. I felt it took too much time to figure out what to draw or paint. I don't feel I have that part of the imagination thing down and going for me. I need inspiration! Enter Sulamith Wulfing and Susan Seddon Boulet! And for technique, Suzi Blu's online classes.

Sally's first attempt in Moleskine of "Fox Maiden"

My 2nd attempt at Fox Maiden
9x12 sketch book

I think my most favorite of all of Susan Seddon Boulet's paintings is Rites of Passage. I am amazed at how she imagined all three faces interacting with each other. It almost looks like a holy picture.

Susan Seddon Boulet
"Rites of Passage"

My attempt of "Rites of Passage" in moleskine journal

Susan Seddon Boulet has an entire series of paintings with men with birds on their heads. Here are just two more. Aren't theses paintings captivating?

Susan Seddon Boulet
"Visioning"

Susan Seddon Boulet
"Young Men Shall Have Visions"

My moleskine version of "Birds of a feather flock together"

My 9x12 sketch I call "Hawk on Head"

The painting below looked so simple to me. I thought this would be one of the easier paintings to try to draw. . .

Susan Seddon Boulet "Tiger Lily"

My scary drawings. . .

Have you ever seen anything so scary. The drawing on the right was done first. I spent hours and hours on it. It just got more hideous as the night went on. Then I tried it on the left. Not too much better. The following night I went to the 9x12 sketch book. That one was a little better. This all makes me appreciate all the work in Susan's paintings. Speaking of paintings, I will want to try to paint theses afterwards. Wish me luck.

Last but not least is the first painting I tried to copy. I choose this one because I am in Suzi Blu's Online Angel class and this one had wings.

Susan Seddon Boulet
"Eagle Woman"

Since I don't know how to do side views, I used the idea of the wings and the body and created this sketch - my first of Susan's - in my Moleskine.

My first attempt at one of Susan Seddon Boulet's Paintings.

Once again, I hope by showing you my failures and my progress at sketching faces and taking Suzi's classes, that you will be encouraged by your failures and see your own progress. I hope you will let me know what you think.

Here is what I found regarding Shaman:

Shamanism comprises a range of traditional beliefs and practices concerned with communication with the spirit world. It is a prominent term in anthropological research.^[2] A practitioner of shamanism is known as a shaman, pronounced /ˈʃɑːmən/, /ˈʃeɪmən/, (|ˈshämən; ˈshā-|) noun (pl. -man(s)).^[3] There are many variations of shamanism throughout the world, but several common beliefs are shared by all forms of shamanism. Shamans are intermediaries between the human and spirit worlds. They can treat illness and are capable of entering supernatural realms to obtain answers to the problems of their community

My Angels in progress from Suzi Blu's online class

2009-12-17T14:42:00.000-08:00

Angel in progress
with MANY layers of Prisma Colored Pencils

"I love my angels." You don't hear that too often from my lips. The progress I have made since August and my first Suzi Blu class has been remarkable. My family, including my most critical daughter, Kari, can't believe. Once again, I am sharing my progression from Suzi Blu's online classes. This time it is her Angel Online class. I am hoping that this will inspire others to try. From my scanty initial block sketches to my sketch book and then on to wood. It has been a satisfying journey.

1st try at composition sketches

2nd try at composition sketch

The Angels started out at Suzi's place out on her lawn. (That day is when I initially injured my back for over a month). Suzi was showing me how she looks at all theses different books and magazines to get inspired. So, I did that. Then she said to make boxes on my sketch pad paper and start getting ideas down on paper. My sketches were really sketchy. About this time sitting on the grass and reaching for something, I pulled something in my back. Day was over as I realized I was really way too old to be sitting on the grass with my legs out in front. That night at home with some pain medication in me, I started drawing.

Page from
"The Fantastic Art of SULAMITH WULFING"

At home I made a copy of the black and white drawing in the book that I had been looking at on Suzi's lawn. I had chosen one of the vignettes from my sketch. Here is the entire page. If you look closely, you can see exactly where I got my drawing. Remember, I am don't selling theses. They are for my own personal pleasure or pain - as the case my be. . .

My 1st angel sketch

My 2nd angel sketch

My 3rd angel sketch

Theses three drawings were all done in two days. There are no other drawings. One of the books Suzi looked so familiar to me and so did the art work. She let me take it home with me and there I realized I had purchased years ago this artist's colored calendar. I then went and purchased the book for myself.

A couple of weeks later I went once again to Suzi's with my sketch now on a large 12 x 16 wood canvas and I burnt my first image on wood. You have to go very slow when burning. I feel I only made one major mistake while burning. Suzi reassured me that this can be easily fixed when I start painting. (The mistake was done when burning her cheek).

Wood burned final angel

When going through all my magazine pages I had ripped out over the years, I found this page. One night I decided to try to draw this. Here is the results.

Magazine page

My sketch of the magazine page

The Angel isn't complete, but there are layer upon layer of Prisma colored pencil on her face. I love her face (again something you don't hear me say very often). After the holidays I will paint her. I am really scared to add the paint. My comfort level is at sketching on a pad and my Prisma Colored Pencils. Golden paints will become my friend again, I'm sure. It's just that I get too married to what I have done and am terrified of ruining it, not realizing yet that I can always do it all over again.

Suzi and my dearest art friend Georgia, will be horrified with this declaration. From the beginning they both have tried to drill into me that there are no mistakes in art - just happy accident. I'm not quite there yet, friends.

2009-12-08T18:04:00.000-08:00

Once upon our time in the far away land of Ho-Ho-Ha-Ha Nova Scotia, there lives a beautiful Princess of the Airwaves. Her name is Alice; she lives in a wonderland of caring and sharing, between two Dave’s, the mountains of masculinity that give her purpose. Alice masterfully expands time for all those she adores, her listeners.

Had my Ernie not encountered Alice out there on the waves of “Ham,” we would not have the pleasure of knowing and loving this determined survivor of three killers, heart attack, stroke, and cancer. Alice authors missiles of daily living with a flare of cursive, second only to hours of melodic ruminations she sets afloat upon the airwaves. Living, Laughing, and Loving humor of the “Frank, Ernie, Alice” kind is oh so rare and wildly contagious.

Now, here comes the mailman! And what to our wondering eyes should appear, but tiny little packages filled with crafts Alice doth share. Socks, shirts, and every other sort, emblazoned with the red leaf of Canada’s Court; handmade dish cloths and chocolate candies galore, letters and photos and how could there be more?

So, I and friend Carol, think,"how do we say, thank you” in the lovliest way? Then came the idea, "we'll make stationery to brighten her day". What you see below, designed in Sally’s workshop, are the results of our play.