Bird Collage

I like the one that I did for Magda so much I made one for my etsy shop. It is about 5x7, and doesn't come with the twig (costs too much to mail it!)

Fabric spread for Magda

I am really loving this fabric RR! Magda's theme was "play" so I figured that I could just do what I love. I'm so happy that I did, because this spread is very "me" It is about 11" long and just over 5" wide. It will fold in the middle when sewn into the book. There is something hiding in the bird's nest pocket. (the overall theme of the RR is "hidden treasures"). I'm off to make some similar collages for my etsy shop. See you there!

Pretty Cards

Hey! I CAN make cards! And even pretty ones!!! They are getting easier... but still took forever. Some of these are off to Heather for her card swap. Some are staying with me to use when I need cards! Maybe I won't have to buy cards for awhile! Yay!

(make sure that you click on the picture!)

Finally -- new art on Etsy!

These fabric collages are about 7" x 9". Very summery aren't they? They can be hung by a twig, or the loops can be cut off and they can be framed. More art is coming on Etsy. I'm getting ready for Christmas! (really! no, really!!!) Maybe I should make some Halloween ornaments first....

We're Back!

We shopped with Lynn Whipple, learned from Sally Jean, then had dinner with Drew Barrymore. Honestly!!! (I can even say I spoke to all 3 -- and yes, they all heard me)(hello; what the heck am I doing wrong?; and excuse me - in that order).
Here's my soldering suitcase during the class -- not as pretty! I didn't take any pictures -- I'm not really a picture taking person -- Ludgera took this one! (thank you!).and these were my charms:
(mine are the six on the left -- Sally Jean made the three on the right)The "Beauties" was my first. I kept overworking it, so I just gave up and I'll save it as "my very first attempt at soldering" . The others aren't too bad. I made them in the order of top row, left to right, then bottom row left to right)They look a bit rough when I compare them to Sally's but when I compare them to all of the other soldered charms that I have from swaps (that I wear all the time), mine look about the same. Jump rings are hard. I really need to practice! I destroyed most of the ones that we got in class. My hands were shaky (not enough lunch) so they just kept going on crooked! I'm going out today to try to find more lead free solder so I can attempt some more. Guess what everyone is getting for Christmas this year????

The Ann Arbor Art Fair was great! Unfortunately it poured rain the whole day, so we only went to one section. The store Found that hosted Sally was a great source for vintage stuff to go into altered art. I bought lots of anagram letters (those vintage cardboard ones) and I even found this:an antique spelling game. I've been searching for one for years. Now I have one! Yippee!

On the road again....

On Saturday Ludgera and I are going to Ann Arbor, Michigan to take a class from Sally Jean at Found! (Soldering for Virgins). We're also going to check out the huge Ann Arbor Street Fair (that's on Saturday -- the class is on Sunday). This fair has hundreds of exhibitors from all over the USA -- and about 500,000 visitors!!! Then we'll do some shopping (at hardware stores) on Monday. Doesn't this sound perfect??? I hope that I don't drive Ludgera nuts in the the car. I'm an excellent navigator/co-pilot, but I tend to talk to much. (Ludgera -- feel free to tell me that you need "a piece of quiet" so you can concentrate on the road -- that's what my dad says to me). I always feel that the job of the passenger is to keep the driver entertained (errr, I mean alert). You know, putting on the perfect music, providing the perfect snacks, giving long heads up on the upcoming exits....
So, I've packed my "soldering suitcase" and I'm ready to go!

Zetti Charms

(sorry, blurry picture -- I tried, but the camera wouldn't cooperate)
These are also going out for a swap today. I'm winding up my swaps this week. I'm going to be concentrating on
a) art for me
b) gifts (working ahead toward Christmas/winter solstice)
c) art for publication
d) art for sale
I will continue doing smaller swaps and a few round robins to keep me on my toes!
(but first I have to finish some cards for Heather's swap -- I can't believe that I signed up to make cards. I don't make cards. I buy them)

zetti style banners

I'm in a swap for zetti banners -- these are so fun -- my colours were black and white with green accents. They are a bit small -- just over 4"x5" -- we had to keep them small because the swap is 12 for 12 -- they will look so fun hanging in my studio! I've been in 3 banner swaps now -- soon they will be hanging in every room! The middle banner is what is on the back. (click on the picture for a close up)

Local Artists to visit

I was at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition this weekend and I came away with a few small things. I had a limit of $40 to spend and I spent $45. Usually, I pick up a pin or something tiny (we're not even done painting yet -- I can't get big art)I got this cool cup from Krystal Speck. I had a beer in it last night. Worked just fine. I'll drink my tea from it from now on. Ray didn't want me to buy it, but I did anyway, because I just LOVE it. But then on the way home he told me that it looks like little penises hanging off of the scalloped border. I see flowers, he sees genitalia. It's a boy thing....Danielle Hession does the coolest collages, often adding wax or resin. Go and look at her website or blog. Very cool. I would have bought something much bigger, but I'm budgeting, right? I bought an "inspiration kit" . The theme for this one was "journey". Inside was a collage, a few tags, some postcards and some meaningful messages. The red collage coordinates well with a much larger collage that I own, and will look perfect hanging together. I'll have to make a coordinating one too - because groupings always look better in 3s.......

ATC night -- The beach, the sea, whatever.....

I love our camaraderie at the store! Friday night was ATC night at Bizzy Bs. The cards were so fun and so different! Marissa also did a demo of packing tape transfers --with pearl ex on the back. hmmm, I should have done that for my cards....
After many, many, many trials and errors with collaging on my cards, I decided to go with stamping. I distressed the backgrounds, then added some stamping in coordinating colours, then I embossed either the fish or the vintage beach postcard (Crafty Individuals). Then I stamped on some text, and away we go! Thanks Daniza for teaching me all that I know. !@#$$ hehehehe. More stamping coming soon!These are some cards that I received:(from the top row, left to right:
Ludgera, Sandy, Marissa
Daniza, Lili, Colette
Kimberly, Bev, Kris (on it's side, oops!)

What's in a name?

A lot, apparently! I'm extending my giveaway until August 5. I am so loving the name ideas -- see my post on July 3 for more information or click here

Friends

I made this collage for a friend for her birthday (click on it to see all of details and layers)-- I've started hanging them with twigs -- I like it!
A few of us got together and played with some art supplies. We dyed tags and cheesecloth with tea. (and some back-up easter egg dyes) Don't they look beautiful drying here on the line? My art-soul needs more days like this.......We also played with bleach. I had so much fun with the bleach that I came home and played with it lots more. I am just loving the fish tags!

White

The theme for my spread for Saundra was "White" She also requested that we used African American images if possible. I wanted a wedding theme, and I just love this little girl. It is on of my favourite spreads ever.... but, sigh... I must send it to Saundra....... it looks waaaay better in person, I must say. And I really must stop using my patio concrete as a background. Maybe that can be my goal for this week. To find some better backgrounds for my photographs........

Southern Belle -- a giveaway!!!!!

Edit:I'm going to extend this until August 5 -- when I get back -- I'm having such a hard time deciding on a name, and whatever I name myself will likely be changed by my cottage companions!! Right now I'm leaning towards Martha Lou, and Martha Mae Billy Rae. Having spilled those beans, I'll throw everyone's name into the hat -- I LOVE hearing your suggestions, they really brighten my day!

Every year I go to my best friend's family cottage, with her sister and her sister's good friend. We always have a theme. We've done Japan (we wore Kimonos) and Ancient Rome/Greece (togas) and this year is Southern Belle. Well, I'm making my corset, and chemise and pantaloon thingies (too hot for the full dresses -- plus we take the train for 4 hours -- and last year I took my sewing machine, so not much room in my suitcase).

But here's the dilemma -- My name. We have to have a Southern name -- here are some options:
Martha Belle?
Martha Rae?
Martha Lou?
Martha Lynn?
Martha Mae?
or should I put something in front of my name?
I'll give a prize to the person who suggests the name that I decide to go with...... so, pick your favourite that is here, or come up with a better one. It has to have Martha attached to it somehow. Thanks a lot mom, for giving me such a boring name........
I'll pick a winner next week, say, on Friday July 11. I don't know what the prize will be, but it will be something that I made....
(oh, and a note to the pay it forward people -- you will be pleasantly surprised some day soon!)

My Dolly

I made this spread for Barb for my "Colour Me Silly" RR tip in.Aren't dollies fun?

On that note -- to reward myself for a job well done with my report cards (error free, commented my principal!) I bought myself a Raggedy Old Annie from Nicole Ellison. Here she is! And she even smells nice!

Why

Lots of people ask me why I stopped making art full time and became a teacher. This is why:It's summer vacation now, I'm going to miss all of my kindies so much! But I can make art full time for 2 months! Well, make art and plan for the next school year.....

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

I made this spread for Cat. It's a weeee bit late (okay, very late -- due in May, I think.....)
I don't usually work in yellow -- I'm trying to stretch myself. Cat's theme was "Romantic Literature" I find the Pre-Raphaelites most romantic.
This image and the accompanying part of a poem is called "Sea-Spell" The poem is considered one of Rossetti's "lesser" works.

Hens and Chicks

I planted a Hen and Chick Sedum in a planter in my back yard -- and two days later it flowered. So Pretty! The plant is quite large -- about 8" across. I don't normally have yellow in my garden -- but I think that I can have an exception in this case......

FabricGirlz! I'm baaaaaack!

This is the page that I did for Belinda's Hidden Treasure book. I had so much fun. I did it in the style that she started for her book -- using lots of Kaffe Fassett fabrics -- and embroidery quilting and beads.
This is the front -- with the little door open and closed.Then the back -- and in the pocket is a hidden treasure!Okay, I'll show you it -- it's a pin!The great thing about fabric pages is that I can do them on the go -- in a car, on the subway, watching tv, talking on the phone. I can't do that with paper! I have some paper pages to finish on the weekend. Report cards are finished, edited and signed! I can happily putter in my nice, cool basement. Yay! I'm finally catching up! Yay!

Show Me Wednesdays! Show your newest collection!

Hmmm, my newest collection. Well, it's hard to admit to a newest collection -- because I just moved and I was supposed to be paring down. The family (aka: the movers) would not be at all amused if I had a newest collection. but shhhhhh, I'll show you my newest collection of rubber. Here are the Catherine Moore stamps that I ordered a year ago that just came in :) . And an adorable birdcage from Just Johanna (see what Ludgera did with it on a bird ATC here -- you need to click on the image to make it larger!). And this M that I've wanted forever -- and the price finally came down. And this double stamp of chandeliers. I'm not sure what I'll do with it, but I KNOW it will make some great wrapping paper. And will look nice on a t shirt.I do have a spectacular collection of green and turquoise fiesta ware -- but I can't show you that. It's in storage. I think that it's even in another city..... someday I'll have everything here, in one place...... I collect old green, turquoise and pink dishes too -- not only fiesta...I want to start a collection of pink and green depression glass....

But my biggest (and heaviest!) collection is books. I've started to use the library for fiction books. But mixed media books and magazines are an obsession for me. I read and re-read them. Over and over and over. Oscar Wilde said "If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all". I have always read my books over and over. Ray has only read one book over again -- The Lord of the Rings. And he reads A LOT.

Art is on the Horizon!

New things are coming. Not only have I been dealing with "The Money Pit", I have been super sick! I'm still sick (I'm at home today, and have had a bit of puttering time, but mostly lying in bed and looking at magazines, which make me impatient to create! But hauling my art boxes from the garage to the basement isn't on the agenda today --- I'm too weak! Only two weeks left of school though -- then I'll be the art maniac! (or maybe should I be painting the house, as planned?)(nah, I have the rest of my life to paint the house, but some VERY PATIENT people are waiting for art from me).

Anyway, I'll leave you with some stuff from my classroom. I teach kindergarten full time, and the kids are amazing! Keep in mind that they are 4-6 years old! We recently finished a unit on oceans/water. Here is some of what we did:

Here is what the classroom looks like:A close up of the bulletin board:
(jellyfish, crabs and starfish)A close up of a handprint crab -- aren't they adorable?Here are some of the of the "Swimmy" scenes (Swimmy is a book by Leo Lionni -- a little black fish loses his family (a big fish eats them!) and swims through the ocean, looking at all of the cool things, then he finds a school of fish in hiding, and makes a plan with them to work together to scare the big fish away. If we all work together, we make great things happen. We made a cool big fish out of little fish, but I took it down before I photographed it. Anyway, we drew pictures with oil pastel, and then did washes of blue and green for the ocean, and then stuck Swimmy on top.

We're now in the middle of an insect unit. I'll share some of that another day!

Show Me Wednesdays!

This week's Show Me theme is "sewing machines" . This is my very trusty Bernina -- my mom gave it to me in around 1983 as a graduation present (high school). (thank you mom -- it has been my favourite gift EVER) It has sewn everything from prom dresses, to repairing diapers and everything in between. It has had one tune up ever (I burnt out the foot pedal -- and took it in to get a new one and thought I'd tune it up while I was there) and that was last year. To see everyone elses machines go to the Show me Wednesday blog (see link button to the right).

I'm also showing my beautiful old treadle Singer base. My mom just gave it to me last week! Growing up, it had an aquarium on it in our tv room. then, when the fish died, it came up to the kitchen, and our microwave was on it for years. The marble top has been on it as long as I remember. I don't think that it ever had the original machine on it. Did it mom? Was it grandma's? I can't remember. I've thought about putting my Bernina on it, but I like the 60's table that it is on (and yes, there is another machine in that sewing machine table)(I have 3 working machines) I LOVE the drawers in that table. All of my bobbins and most used thread is right there, at my fingertips. If I used the Singer stand, it wouldn't be.....
We were also supposed to show our messy studios. I don't know how mine got this messy this fast, because I haven't actually created anything yet. (for any newbies to my blog, I just moved) but I'm getting ready to make a fabric spread in Belinda's book.

Painting

I am the puppet master. HAHAHAHAHA. LOL. Anyway, here are some before and after shots so far. The purple room is our bedroom. Most of the room was purple. The trim was yellow. How very Easter! the yellow trim is still there (it will be white soon, I promise....)Now here is the after:
The ceilings are VERY high, so we will definitely put a big piece of art above the bed. I'm thinking that I'll do a giant mixed media collage on canvas -- maybe 4'x4'. What do you think? The trim and doors aren't painted yet, so I'm not giving you a window shot yet. And the curtain that I'm making might be going to a magazine before I hang it. so it might not go up for many months....

Here's the good news -- the terrible stench in the basement is gone!! The plumbers were here yesterday. Our laundry room had a drain that went straight to the sewer. We had the smells of all the sewage of the neighbourhood coming up in our basement (it made the GAS guys gag). So they installed a drain trap (a little U in the pipe) and presto, no smell. YIPPEE! And can you believe that the previous owners lived with that for more than 20 years? Yucky. My studio is in the basement. I'm so glad that I can work in it now! The other terrible smell is almost gone too (something is dead between the walls). It has finally run it's course, we think. So our house smells almost normal :) The Gas guys were here too. Our gas has been shut off for over a week (no heat, no hot water, no stove). We are having new pipes put in (the old ones had a leak, and it is easier to just put in new ones than to tear apart the whole house trying to find the leak)(our house is so old that it has original gas fittings in the ceilings for gas lights). They promise that we will have hot water for Saturday. This is good because the community centre is getting tired of seeing us in the showers.... The fence guys have promised to do the fence next week so I can finally plant my poor plants. They aren't faring so well....

Re: the pupper master comment. I actually haven't done much to make the house pretty. It's been all Ray and Lauren. But they think that I've done something too. Umm.... I'm the foreman? I pick the colours and make sure that all of the workers are working and don't take too many breaks. And of course I have to read magazines. I have to keep up on what it current in home decor....... And I AM working on report cards right now. Really. I'm not wasting away the hours updating my blog. Really, I'm not. Thank goodness my family doesn't read this.