Adventures in Design and Other Stuff

Little boy's new tooth box

2012-02-10T18:57:00.000-08:00

I'm really experimenting with different shapes. This one was easy, but the cut out for the lid made for quite a dramatic day. Nice thing was that I seem to have it figured now re no slumping and easy, peasy lid removal....but that doesn't mean it won't happen again. Fingers crossed.

Of course, I'm now spending time thinking about how on earth to display these. I know the cabinet I will use, but within the case I need to think about how to raise them to different heights, but stay line with my typical, sparse display. I live for dilemmas like this, so don't cry for me Argentina:)

...wherein nobody tells Sue to stop trying to build a better mousetrap...

2012-02-10T04:53:00.000-08:00

So, do we all remember my post on the proper mixing of tiny amounts of Ice Resin and how I have a formula for figuring out the exact amount based on weight as opposed to volume? I'm not even linking to it cause I don't need to belabour how finicky I am. Turns out that you CAN mix by volume, and it doesn't affect a thing, so much ado about nothing.

Sue mixing resin

The REAL goomba aspect of my weighing experience was my lack of knowledge re the 'Tare' button on my scale. Who knew it sets the weight to zero every time you push it....well, rather, who didn't know....oh....ME..... For someone who can't see the forest for the bark on the trees, the fact that this button never raised any red flags for me is truly bizarre.

Put cup on scale. Tare. Scale reads zero.
Put resin in cup. Read amount. Tare. Scale reads zero.
Put hardener in cup till scale reads same amount as resin.
DONE! Now wasn't that easier:)

I am so freaking precise in my work that I make things so much harder for myself. Although, I do still want to know why my bottles say ONLY measure to exact volumes (therefore, weights are different), and the 'generic' bottle directly from the manufacturer says to mix exactly by weight. I guess if I were mixing huge amounts, the disparity would have to be addressed then.

I am currently using resin for all of my 'after firing, joining' needs...bet you didn't know one could have such needs...such as putting the feet on my boxes. I could fire them in place, but then they would interfere with the final finishing of the piece, which I also like to fuss over. I've used two part glues, but in EVERY case I can tear the glued pieces apart after curing if I really try. Resin is the only permanent solution I have found.

Oh Happy Day!!!!!

2012-02-09T06:42:00.000-08:00

I am sooooooo happy with how this box came out that .....well, I don't even know. It's a 'tooth box' gift for a friend. I've faded out the baby's name and photo inside the lid just for their privacy, but you get the drift. There are still a few details to go, and I'll give the resin a good 2 days. I'm getting completely excited having little, unexpected details inside of the boxes, such as the photo and the colouring. Of course, when I discover something new like this, I tend to go overboard. I won't be happy till I have Bruce Springsteen shrunk, gold plated and resin-ed into the next one:)

I was so worried when this was in the kiln because of the box drama I had 2 days ago. One thing that worked beautifully was using the filings of my kiln shelf to keep the top from sticking to the bottom during firing. Also, I fired upside down as I never seem to be able to keep the top from slumping a tiny bit, so who cares on the bottom....right?

Now, I have honestly got butterflies in my stomach waiting for the resin to set up...praying it works:).

Dimensions are approx 1.5" accross.

I can't tell you how happy this makes me....

2012-02-08T06:12:00.000-08:00

...and I don't even know why.

Lullatone - "Growing Up" from lullatone on Vimeo.

I know it's typical to want our kids to grow up and become titans of industry, but the first thing I thought of when seeing this was...

what kind of place would the world be without people who do stuff like this?

...think about it.

Oh, yeah, got the link from one of my new fav blogs, Wit and Whistle. She is heavily into celebrating weirdness, which I take to mean Celebrate Suzanne:). Hmmmmmmm................

The neverending story....

2012-02-07T14:01:00.000-08:00

Eureka! I arrived safely back from Lewiston, replaced the thermocouple in my kiln (EASY!!) and we had lift-off. Then........in went the boxes...out came the tears. The first box didn't work at all.....don't even want to talk about it:( The Spring one has hope, and the round one came out well.

Don't forget the insides and backs of your pieces. That's where you can really go to town, and customers appreciate the extra steps that you took to make their piece beautiful inside and out.

I've decided to colour the inside with liver of sulphur. I just can't leave it plain. I LOVE it. I especially love when I get really mottled colours. I still have to do some enamel paint on the under the lid flower, and the flower for the handle. The next time I post a pic of this it will be DONE. Of course, in my haste, I forgot to put my mark on it. Might not matter, cause this one may stay on my mantle.

In my box firing frenzy, I was reminded of all of the intricacies of firing them. So many things can go wrong....the walls can bulge out, slump in, the lid can slump, blah, blah, blah. But......can't wait to do more:)

Still waiting....

2012-02-05T17:46:00.001-08:00

...for my LAST package to be delivered to Lewiston so I can get down there and get productive. Honestly, I really wonder if this forced waiting period (broken kiln, no clay) has been the best thing for me. I normally would throw my stuff in the kiln so quickly, then decide later that I should have done something differently. I like this configuration for the latest box. Sheesh, I sure hope when I get all of these boxes fired, they are not going to be a BIG, FAT DISAPPOINTMENT!! If I don't pull for a higher title (Toddler's and Tiara's speak), I'll be crushed:)

I may go tomorrow anyway, but to tell you the truth I don't know if I'm brave enough. The Man is out of town, and with Charlie in school, I don't feel 100% comfortable going to another country with no backup. A few weeks ago I went to pick Charlie up from school and my car was dead...no reason, it tends to be a VW thing...there are a lot of 'technical errors'...goodness, you'd think it was a PC. Anyway, I fear being in Lewiston, gathering my stuff, then discovering that I am stranded. At least if The Man were in the same province, he could get Charlie from school if worse came to worse and I had to stay in the US for the rest of my life. Ahhhhhhh!!!!! You don't even want to know all of the problems I would have with that............to begin with

WHERE WOULD I GET MY CAESARS for Y&R Caesar hour?????????

Even if....

2012-02-05T15:29:00.000-08:00

...you think the Big Bang created the stars, don't you wonder who created the flowers?

I had a quick inspiration today to make a different shaped box/vessel, and I was able to do it with the dregs of my metal clay. I can't make the inside lip yet cause I'm completely out (it's sitting in Lewiston waiting for me). I don't think this heart will remain as the pull, but I wanted to see it in the photo to get more perspective. I also have to figure out legs...and....I think there will be a grand surprise inside when I'm done. Dimensions... 1 5/8" wide, 3/4" high.

Hollister.....or Sears?....god knows it's too dark to tell

2012-02-05T06:11:00.000-08:00

Friends came over last night and brought some stuff with them, presented in a lovely Hollister bag. We got to laughing over how freakin' dark it is in that store, and how you can come out thinking you've bot a red top, only to find out it's orange. Actually, my niece came to Thanksgiving dinner last year and when I told her I liked her top (Pink), she said:

"Thanks. Got it at Hollister. Thought it was Red."

This was too funny, cause then my step-daughter showed up to a function soon after that, and I told her I liked her top she said:

"Thanks. Got it at Hollister. Thought it was a different colour."

Get's me to thinking.....do you think this ever happens:

"Got him at Hollister. Went in with my regular husband. Came out with this....."

(BTW, this man/boy can't be more than 12, but since he's obviously got no mother to ensure he dresses for the weather, I thought I'd adopt him).

maybe...

2012-02-03T08:19:00.000-08:00

I think this is the top of my new 'Spring can't be far away' box. It's been good and bad not having my kiln in working order. It's forced me to think on things without rushing. The new part, and various other packages, are now waiting for me in Lewiston. I avoided doing the 'US shipping address' thingy for many years, but UPS seems to be upping their arbitrary 'just cause we touched it' fee. So, off to Lewiston next week to pick it all up.

My webinar date

2012-02-02T06:51:00.000-08:00

Have you ever 'attended' a webinar? I LOVE Celie Fago, an incredible metal and polymer clay artist, so I was so happy to see this. Combine this with my manly love of tools and it's a match made in heaven. I simply followed the links, signed up for free, and now have the e-mail ready to click on at the appointed time. I looked on the Craftcast site and listened to an earlier one....great audio, so I'm quite looking forward to this. Man, the innerwebs are just sooooo incredible....I should really check them out further....

Celie is the ONE metal clay artist that I simply must take a class from at some point. She's located in a beauty area of Vermont, but her classes are all 4 days long, and not just a hop, skip and a jump from an airport where I can fly directly from Toronto. This would all be fine, but since The Man would have to take time off work to take care of a tiny person at home, this turns into a logistical nightmare. We'll see..... Celie does teach at other venues, but I think I would enjoy the whole Vermont extravaganza.

love. this.

2012-02-01T16:31:00.001-08:00

Art is subjective. There inherently cannot be experts.

How to article

2012-02-01T14:11:00.000-08:00

I am very pleased to have been asked to write a how to article for a major metal clay publication. It greatly appeals to my anal nature...my biggest problem will be keeping it at a normal length, not writing in things like 'roll forwards, roll backwards, lather, rinse, repeat'...little control issue Sue??? p.s. don't try bringing food to my house when I have a party....it will be relegated to the nether regions of the house because it wasn't IN THE PLAN!:)

Actually the hardest part I'm finding is coming up with a project that I can be proud to put my name on, that will teach people some very handy skills, but won't turn into a 'Here's how you can copy my work' article. I really do admire those who let it all hang out, and share ALL of their secrets, but I think those people make most of their income from teaching, as opposed to selling their art. So, I've decided on a box project that will be chock full of my homespun techniques, but won't tear the roof off of my processes:) My big reveal will involve how I get perfectly mitred corners in 10 seconds (nope, not using a hobby miter box - walls aren't high enough)...my process actually involves two pieces of wood. I may yet change my mind, but stay tuned...

Who knows, they may read my article and decide it's not up to snuff. My bigger concern is that they will not like some of my observations, such as:

There is no need to ever join two pieces of metal clay with paste!

It boggles my mind that people are still using paste to put box walls together, then having to deal with messy sanding/cleanup. I have beat my head against the wall too often trying to make people see the light....perhaps this article will do it? Most likely not. I'm sure I'm hanging on to some crazy habits as well....:)

Anyway, don't hold your breath...although the deadline is next month, the issue won't be out till towards the end of the year. I'll keep you posted as to whether I get turned away at the pearly gates of magazinedom, or welcomed with a shiny pot of paste:)

Spring can't be far away

2012-01-31T16:46:00.000-08:00

For my new 'Spring' box, I'm going to try something a bit different for the top, just haven't figured it out yet:)

I was sooooooo thrilled this week to find out something new about box firing. I fire my boxes with the lids on so that I retain a tight fit, but separating the lid from the box later has proven to be difficult. BTW, the two pieces never technically fuse together, they just kindof stick, then you have to bang them to separate, or use pliers. This can sometimes mark the box. THANK YOU to Wanaree Tanner, a lovely metal clay artist, who found out quite by accident that dusting filed Creative Paperclay on the areas that touch keeps them from sticking.

Of course, once this was brought to my attention, my mind went to various other things that could work.....filing my soft kiln shelf for instance....although this may cause some pitting? Someone else also suggested giving baby powder a try.....ahhhhh!!!....where have I been???? Anyway, some Paperclay is on it's way to me, as well as a new Thermocouple for my kiln. Yahoo, it was only a $20 fix, just hope it works.

I'll post more about the box decor when I figure it out.

The box was snuggled all safe in it's bed (kiln).......

2012-01-28T06:57:00.000-08:00

while visions of defective thermocouplers were NOT dancing in it's head!!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!

My kiln has loved me and served me well for over 5 years, so I should't be all that surprised. Off to discover how best to get this dealt with.....

Doodling

2012-01-27T16:03:00.001-08:00

For the past few years, I've created all of my patterns and designs using Adobe Illustrator, mostly by manipulating fonts or lines and curves. Things were looking a little too precise, so I decided to draw some new patterns freehand using my tablet. It was great fun and I'm so happy with the results.

I'm getting back into boxes...tooth boxes, presentation boxes, 'just because I love them boxes...so I made Littlest One a new tooth box today using the doodles that I drew. I really love how boxes look before firing, so clean and easy:). The firing and finishing is the challenge for boxes, how to polish inside, etc. (I just put the pearl on for the effect of the finished product....it won't go into the kiln).

The round cutout will hold a baby picture, or a recent Stephen Harper shot:) when the box is finished.

New look

2012-01-26T14:08:00.000-08:00

I'm fiddling around with my blog design and banner. Don't like this at all, but it will take a couple of days to get it how I want. I was sick of the all black. Be patient......In the grand scheme of world issues, this is not a real problem:). No.....this is not an open invitation to give me suggestions:) Remember, I don't play well with others....

Oh, that reminds me....I should add graphic designer to my add for a new sistah wife!

And....by the way....these do not count as real problems either.....

....actually, as a mac lover, this one might....

Drift

2012-01-24T06:53:00.001-08:00

I've been working on components for something that has been in my mind for quite a while.....involving drifting parachutes made out of hankerchiefs....remember the boys on the street used to use old bread bags or hankies, and tie them to their plastic war figurines or GI Joes and throw them off things:)....Marky Walsh, are you out there?:)

The first was fine, but after I saw it I thought some pattern would be nice. Also, I had put tiny holes in the corners for the strings to attach, but remembered that we used to just gather up the edges and tie it around.

Then came a nice pattern, but I was having difficulty gettting the corners how I wanted them....although the more I look, they seem fine, just can't get the string to grab.

Then came a bit of a different cutout with more 'corner' to grab.

I'm getting there....usually takes quite a bit of experimentation, but when I get the right pattern down it will be easy peasy. I have a lot of vignettes in mind for this, so it's worth the time.....and $. This silver alone is about $20 worth, but I will most likely still find a use for these.

This brings me to another point. The above illustrates why, when people ask me how long it takes to make something, I say "About 10 years". That's because that's how much learning went into being able to make the final product. Take the parachutes for example....once I have this figured out, I will be able to make one very quickly....maybe even in 45 mins. They would think....wow, it must be easy, and definitely not worth what she's asking for it. What they will never know is that to get to that time frame I had to:

Perfect my skills making photopolymer printing plates in order to be able to render such fine lines and detail. They may look large, but those 'stitch' marks are zero stroke outline....the parachutes are about 1" square.
Figure out the exact pattern for the hankie.....it's not just a square.
Perfect my skills transferring that image onto the VERY THINLY rolled metal clay (1.5-2 cards) without having it goop up in the printing plate.
Figure out how to make the corners look like fabric gathered up and tied.
Firgure out how to make my tiny name tags (it's on the corner of my 2nd hankie)
Blah, blah, blah.......:)

Remember, each vignette has a number of components, so lather, rinse, repeat for each one:)

On another note....When is the snow coming!!! I love winter, and this rain and yuck is really bothering me. Littlest one goes to a lovely private school with a 'rigorous' athletic program (Think Gordonstoun...Prince Charles???.....Helll??????)....they cross country ski every day in the winter, but where is the snow? We don't mind, cause if you knew Littlest one you would realize that the word 'rigorous' should NEVER be used to describe anything in his world:). Anyway, of course we still had to buy equipment to fit this year, and I will be quite bummed if they never get to use it. Chances are the shoes will be too small next year! Ah!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Vickie!

2012-01-22T14:52:00.000-08:00

Re: my previous post......a wonderful metal clay artist, Vickie Hallmark, was so kind as to quickly send me a Pinterest invite! Thanks so much Vickie!

Please send me a Pinterest invite!!!

2012-01-22T08:37:00.001-08:00

To any of my followers out there....please send me a Pinterest invite if you have an account already. Pinterest is an online bulletin board where you keep all of your inspirational photo's under various headings.

You get a Pinterest 'button' right on your browser bar, so when you see something you want to remember (recipe, beautiful kitchen idea, blah, blah, blah....) you simply press 'Pin it' and it ends up on your board, in whatever category you create for it. Currently, I troll the innerwebs and save all photo's that appeal to me to iPhoto, then move them into a 'Design Inspiration' folder. I also have to print off any recipe's that I find, or save them in another file. The beauty of Pinterest is:

It's easy
You can access it when you are not with your computer
Others can look at your boards and perhaps be inspired themselves.

The reason I'd love an invite is because when you sign up on the Pinterest site you receive an e-mail saying that you are on the waiting list!.....What????? It made me feel like I was in high school....waiting for the cool kids to decide to invite me to the cool lunch table.....BTW, I only ever made it for about 1 week to the VERY END of the cool lunch table:)...thank you Nancy Wise:) Anyway, I have read that you can be on the waiting list for 1 day, but then others have written that they've sent 10 requests and still can't get on. Apparently, once you are on Pinterest you can send invites to people, and they can get pinning fast.

Soooooo.....PLEASE send me an invite if you are out there reading this.

For now, I'm happy to browse the pinterest site. I am in a perpetual state of "When I do my kitchen", and the pics I've found here for kitchen inspiration have been ones I've not found anywhere else. Waiting.....waiting......waiting........

ooooops......you can send the invite to my business e-mail: sue@suemcnenly.ca . Thanks!

Go Big or Go Home

2012-01-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

I've spent a lot of creative head time over the past 2 weeks thinking about something that in the past I've tried to squash. What keeps popping into my head are larger (still made of miniatures), more intricate pieces. I've started one today that I'm quite excited about, and the first element...of about 20?....is in the kiln. In the past, I've been worried about larger pieces, because of the cost, but the funny thing is that I've never had trouble selling them. It's often the smaller pieces that don't sell. I'm always trying to come up with pieces to fit the frames that I have made (I get a better price buying by 10's), but I've simply got to get out of that habit. I'll create, then fit the frame to the piece. BTW, I'm not talking huge here, probably around 12 x 15 + , as opposed to 8x10.

I think the real lesson here is that I should just make what I want, regardless of whether I think it will sell. Seems that the pieces I create purely for the love of the concept are the ones that fly out the door. I'm so excited right now:)

A big glass of inspiration juice

2012-01-04T13:09:00.001-08:00

I am sooo inspired right now that I can't think straight. I have mentioned in the past my love of Cybele Young, maker of exquisite miniature paper vignettes (among millions of other things). Anyway, I am on her mailing list and she sent a note that she and her family were featured in a new online magazine, Covet Garden. I am in LOVE with this mag!!! Click on Cybele's name above to see the issue on her.

What I love is that these homes are apparently not styled, and have been designed by the owners themselves. I love home mags, and used to love the 'Reader design contest' issues when people sent in their own spaces. Used to love cause when you read further into the descriptions of their spaces it seems that they were designed by professionals, etc. I like to see what regular, artistic, inspiring folk come up with on their own, with their own real-world budgets.

Anyway, whenever I read anything at all about the lives that other creatives live, it shoots picture after picture into my brain of future projects.

I am now working on my first commission order of 2012, and have discovered that 2 of my vignettes sold over Christmas at Zilberschmuck Gallery. I am feeling very blessed for such a grand start to the year. My first goal this year is to have a new sectional made...I've found the maker (FAB furniture guy...yep, I have a 'guy' for everything), got the quote, just need to come up with the funds. Here's the inspiration piece.....I love it in that forever kind of way:

I would also like to come up with charitable component for my business this year. I've long been a fan of the many autism service providers out there, but am well aware that our family is in a unique position in this community to be able to afford what Littlest One requires.....most are not. I can't decide whether to donate a portion of sales, or develop a new line, or sumthin, sumthin.....I'll think on it.......

New Inspiration

2012-01-02T18:57:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and that the new year brings health and happiness. We are still recovering from our FABU New Years party...what a grand time was had by all. My sister has made the rather disappointing discovery, however, that she and Champagne must end their relationship:( They clearly do not get along:)

We wanted to get out of the house today so took a drive to Elora, 1/2 hour from home. I was blown away by how beautiful it is. I have been once before, but don't feel like I took it all in. The Mill has been closed for about 1 year for reno's, and we can't wait till it opens. The company doing it (Calgary based!) has done other beautiful reno's around (Cambridge Mill, Oliver's down on Lakeshore...I think in Burlington?) so we feel confident it will be lovely. I was immediately inspired to get creating again. There is a lovely show there in the summer, Art in the Yard, same weekend as Toronto Outdoor, so If I don't get into one, hopefully I'll get into the other.

Upon arriving home, I wanted to take care of my taxes immediately so I could start the year fresh. I got everything done, filed, and HST remitted. Boy it feels good. I was also pleasantly surprised by my sales figure this year. I find that spurs me on as well:) For those who care, I do my books on Quickbooks.....love it.

Some art wishes I have for 2012:

Get acquainted with the new Sterling Metal Clay and make some fabulous rings and cuffs with some large stones....I've never been a stone junkie but I've been inspired lately.
Make some more precious boxes
Incorporate more delicious felted pieces in my vignettes....perhaps some stand alones as well.
....Tie all of the above together somehow so that I can present a cohesive display at shows:)....OK, probably not the jewelry, but we'll see.

What are your dreams?

Hello....goodbye?

2011-12-07T18:37:00.001-08:00

First, thank you to all of the wonderful people who visited me at the One of a Kind Show last week. Your support is truly appreciated.

When I finish that show, I am always completely out of commission for days. This time was no exception. I did absolutely nothing for 2 days, then got to work on my custom orders. All are at the framers now and will be sent out early next week.

While working and resting I watched all 4 seasons of my NEW FAV SHOW...Sons of Anarchy....LOVE IT!!!! For years I have thought to myself that I should be watching this, but just never got around to it. Watch it.....very Sopranos'ish but hipper...OK, not like living a life of violence is hip, just can't explain...:)

During these past few months you'll have noticed that I've been blogging less. I'm kindof shocked that I ever started cause I am simply not a writer, nor have I ever enjoyed writing. I'm not a diary maker, a scrap booker, a memoirist or poet. Every year I come to the conclusion that I don't enjoy it, then take a break and start up again. So......I'm breaking again now. It's just dawned on me that I feel way too exposed. I'm a very solitary person, not social at all, and I feel like having a blog is like leaving my front door open and saying "come on in":). I dumped my facebook account a few months ago for exactly that reason. I am such a techie (usually have my mac, ipad, iphone and kindle all in the same heap), but when I'm exhausted it drives me nuts to know how 'available' it all makes me.

We'll see if the break lasts.

Have a wonderful holiday, everyone, and all the best for 2012. I myself will be enjoying my 'occupy New Years' party:) We always have a small party with our tres interesting friends, so this year I have threatened my husband that I will be hosting the campers of the occupy movement...he is against the movement in general (shall we call him 'The Man'), I am all for it....story of our lives:). Hmmmmm.....we can get a lot of tents on our 4 acres.....perhaps I'll give Max Yasgur a run for his money.....Woodstock, people, Woodstock:)

Morning has broken - FIXED!

2011-11-21T15:18:00.001-08:00

I have been fretting over 'Morning has broken' since yesterday. I knew there was something not right, but I'm so stressed for time with the upcoming One of a Kind Show that I jumped the gun and just needed it framed. I dropped it off this morning at the framer and on the 1/2 hour drive home was still fretting. When I got home, I made an extra piece and raced back to the framer. Now I'm satisfied. I added another balloon floating the morning paper up to the bird on the top branch. This ties all of the pieces together, creating a more unified flow to the vignette.

This is a BAD photo taken from my iPhone in my framers workroom where I added the pieces. I just snapped it in the shadows, but you get the idea of the flow.

Morning has broken

2011-11-20T13:40:00.000-08:00

These are rather bad pics, but 'Morning has broken' is my largest piece yet...14x19. I LOVE this song, my grandma used to play it so regally seated at her piano, and just belted it out, enunciated as we Eplett girls were taught so effectively:)

Pics are really bad...can't fit this into my light tent, and it has to be completely upright since the resin in the coffee cup will take 1/2 a day to set up. It's sitting in the shadows currently, but I don't want to move it. You get the idea.

For some reason the video of my beloved Cat Stevens singing is not uploading. Too bad, you're missing out:(

OH, HAPPIEST OF HAPPY DAYS!!!!!!!!!

2011-11-16T18:04:00.000-08:00

Praise the Lord yet again, heeeeeeeeeee's baaaaaaaack hosting the Golden Globes!!!

I get a kick out of the fact that he is the only one who pokes fun at actors who take themselves far too seriously....yep, those people who make 40 bajillion dollars for ACTING!....no....not saving the world.....ACTING!!!! (and usually get out of jail after 5 minutes.....hey, jail?!!!), and still get many things for free...then periodically go bankrupt. As my Dad has always said....."Well, if you can't take a joke........":)

Disclaimer...if you think I'm picking on actors, yep I love me a great movie, but, again.....

It's my blog and I'll rant if I want to.

...consider this my own little 'occupy'.....occupy my blog:) Wonder if I'll get evicted?

New Bracelets

2011-11-14T16:36:00.000-08:00

Although the One of a Kind Show starts in about 10 days, and I am WOEFULLY behind, I have a small, one day show at my son's school this Saturday, Hitherfield School in Campbellville. It is actually a joy to participate in because they assign grade 7 and 8 students to you, who fetch food, water, etc., and they give you lunch....home made chili....Awesomesauce!!! The booth fee goes 100% to a fab charity...Sleeping Children Around the World. They provide bedkits to children living in poverty in 3rd world countries. This is not a big venue for my vignettes, because the parents are soooo supportive of my jewelry. Since this is basically the only show of the year where I display jewelry other than my dress pendants, I feel like I have to come up with stuff they'll like.

I will be displaying some earrings along with my dress pendants at the OOAK show, but I am strictly held to those items, and they may only represent 5% of my display. For Hitherfield this year I made some precious little bangles that also draw from my pendant designs. They are double sided....cat on one side...mouse on another...

The bird bangle at the top has a single bird on the other side. I'm partial to the oval, but I'll mix it up between circle and oval. I have no desire to do squares, though:(

Exciting news in my world!

2011-11-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

Mitsubishi Materials will be coming out with Sterling Silver Metal Clay in December!!! Let me explain why I am head over heels with this.

I currently work with fine silver. The difference between fine silver and sterling is that sterling has copper in it, which makes it great for jewelry, as it is much stronger. I do use fine silver for jewelry, and even rings, but for hard wearing items I wouldn't use it. I always let people know that their piece will scratch more easily than sterling, and I design my pieces to mitigate that....texturing my pieces, etc.

With the new sterling clay I'll be able to design what I want without worrying as much about strength...I'm excited to make bracelet cuffs, etc.

I know that there are various 'recipes' out there for making your own sterling clay by combining silver clay with copper clay, but I'm just not interested enough to go through the learning curve. The reason I have stayed away from the base metal clays is because the firing seems to be such an issue...sometimes things don't fully sinter...and I'm just not personally drawn to anything other than precious metals. I have always used PMC3 (a Mitsubishi product) with perfectly consistent results. They have tested this new sterling clay for 2 years, so I'm trusting that the learning curve will be shorter than with the other clays. I am not disparaging those who make the other clays, I'm just loyal to my brand, and I want to open a familiar package that is ready to go:).

I completely moved away from jewelry in the last year, so I am already freakishly excited to start experimenting in the new year!

It's so exciting to be part of this medium, and to benefit from it's growth. What's next? Platinum clay????:)

Knock, knock

2011-11-09T17:55:00.001-08:00

I really enjoy making these little 'door' vignettes, but the big problem is....there is $90 worth of silver in the door....and it's only about 3 inches high!!!! Oh well.......:). It will look lovely hanging somewhere in my house, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it will sell...quite a few people have 'a thang' about doors!

Praise the lord!!! Finally!!! Mobile credit card processing for Canada!!!

2011-11-08T10:39:00.001-08:00

I, and MANY others, have been waiting for The Square credit card processing system to come to Canada. They are still not here, but now Kudos is up and running! For those who don't know about these systems, they allow you to attach a small card reader to your iPhone (or other similar device) and swipe credit cards. The discount rate is really high, but there are no contracts, so when you don't use it, you don't pay. I currently have to pay $30 per month whether I use my system or not, and there are MANY months in which I don't sell. I did the math, adding up all the credit card payments I put through last year, and I still came out far ahead with Kudos.

I've done some transactions where I have put small charges through my own account. We'll see if they show up in my account in the next few days. BTW, just like at the apple store, the customer signs their name with their finger right on your screen, and they immediately receive their receipt via e-mail or text.

I also set it up so that I only have to put in the sale amount...the tax adds itself!

Anywhere your phone works, Kudos will work! I'll keep you informed. How awesome for outdoor shows!

"Great location...stellar views!"

2011-11-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

...the 'For Rent' sign is only 5mm wide...

Where have I been?

2011-10-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted very regularly for a while, and I can't see a time in the near future when that will change. I have been suffering from the most yucky, sustained bout of vertigo ever. Not being able to get out of bed because of such bad spinning, crazy headaches, etc.

I had a fabulous show at Appleby College last weekend, but the downside of selling a lot when you can't stand up straight and have a huge show coming up in 3 weeks is that YOU HAVE NO INVENTORY! I have been overwhelmed by my sales this year, and simply left things a bit late. Losing days to dizziness just make the stress worse.

Of course, wouldn't you know it, my most popular pieces now are my flower pieces. They are sooooo time consuming and vertigo inducing, but I so love the end product. At a school function tonight, where I could barely open my eyes fully, someone asked if I ever get sick of it all and want to stop. Nope....despite my body's best efforts to make me. Oh, good news though. My carpal tunnel is on a break, so Whooooo Hoooooo:)

It'll all work out, but remember...

It's my blog and I'll whine if I want to.

Great Photos

2011-10-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

Got my disc back today from my amazing photog in Maine, Robert Diamante, and am so happy to have this great pic that I will blow up to at least 20 x 30.

Also have this one, First Born, which I'll blow up about 20x20. It's great for people to be able to see the detail that they miss when peering at the tiny vignettes.....the eggs are actually about 1 cm diam....

and have cracks in them.

Excited for this Saturday

2011-10-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

I will be at Appleby College for their Harvest Colours show. Can't wait...I love doing shows!

Out on a limb

2011-10-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

A leisurely stroll

2011-10-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

Forever Spring

2011-10-05T16:43:00.001-07:00

.....I'm more of a fall girl myself, but this one practically made itself:)

'She's come undone' grows up

2011-10-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

I've created another 'She's come undone' with a more grown up look dress, and a slightly different shoe design. It's funny how just changing a dress pattern can change the tone of a vignette.

Going somewhere?

2011-09-30T20:37:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about this precious little vignette. It came about in my favorite way...the ladder was lying askew on my island and a little dress was situated close by. I saw it immediately. Forgive the photos...I'm too tired to get them right:) Actually, I'm thinking of making a poster of this vignette, after my pro photographer works his magic. We'll see. I like that it would be long and skinny.

I haven't framed it yet, it's just sitting in the frame, but I like the tight matting. I had a 'good mat' night tonight. Sometimes I can't cut ANY of them properly, let alone a double mat, and tonight it just worked perfectly. Praise the Lord and all that Jazz.....hey!....that could be a Broadway musical....No????? Along the lines of The Book of Mormon????

Mixing tiny amounts of Ice Resin

2011-09-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share another one of my processes...mixing small amounts of resin. I am currently using Ice Resin, which is a two parter, and must be mixed in exact proportions. The directions say the smallest amount you should mix is 1/2 oz of resin to 1/2 oz of hardener. Only problem is, I usually have NO need for a full ounce of finished resin, as I work with such tiny stuff. I would end up wasting the product, and since I have to order it from the states it's just best to really stretch it.

So...........I started to experiment (my FAV thing) with the proportions to make small amounts. A fellow artist had told me that I could just use my gram scale and weigh out equal portions, but there is a problem with that. The resin is to be mixed with equal volumes, but they do not weigh the same. The hardener weighs less than the resin. Just by picking up the two bottles you can tell this.

By weighing 1 oz of each, I came up with this formula to get a good mix in any amount.

weigh out the amount of resin you want to use.
divide that amount by 1.263 and weigh out that much hardener.

For ease, I do the following:

Place my empty cup on the scale....s/b 1.5 grams.
Add resin till the scale reads 4.5 grams (3 grams of resin)
Add hardener till scale reads 6.88 grams (2.38 grams of hardener)

When you are adding each component, go drop by drop when you are approaching the target weight. That will ensure you hit it bang on. If you go over, just redo the math and add more of the other in the proper amount.

Got it? Got it? GOT IT????????:)

Ooops, almost forgot. Keep your used resin mixing cup handy to keep checking if the resin has cured. DON'T touch the resin in your piece...unless you're into the 'fingerprint in the Jello' look:)

A bit about my process

2011-09-28T14:53:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a bit about my process, and I how use props and things in order to make 'stuff' in the most efficient way. I'm a really efficient person so whenever I have to make something I like to do it in such a way that if I have to recreate it at another time it will be easy peasy. The first ones (or 100's!) are usually experimental, and it takes a bit to get to the production point, but I eventually end up there.

I'm making a few vignettes this week incorporating daisies, so I had to make a bunch. First off I have to make 'paper' with Original PMC in order to punch out the daisies with a cutter. I like to use Original cause it shrinks the most and I want the smallest flowers possible.

After cutting out a bunch of daisies, I have the dregs of the paper left. Obviously, that is a ton of silver, so I simply reconstitute it by adding water, and maybe a bit more glycerine, then I roll out again and punch more. Reconstitute the dregs of that, etc., and eventually I have used ALL of the original PMC clay. Efficient...hmmmmmm........ p.s. I also put in the bits and pieces of what I take off of the punched out daisy...I don't use them as is, punching is the start.

When it comes time for painting, I put the daisy on an upside down pin that I have pushed up through some foamboard. I've also glued some mat board underneath so that the pins don't fall out when I pick it up. Since the daisies are tiny, I can paint them on the pins, and also spin them around to get all petals easily. If I stuck them down on the table, they would stick to the paintbrush, and I can't hold them in my hands. Believe me, pins are your friend in the studio. I use them a LOT!

So....off the pins so that I can paint the tiny centre part. I have some foamcore with some dents in it to hold the daisies in one spot.

Now for the resin. I have to have a way to hold the daisies in one spot while the resin sets over a number of days, so, another prop. I use a third hand to hold up the foamcore. If you notice, I've put the resin on top of some (my norm), but I decided to experiment with putting the resin underneath instead. All of this holds the stems in place in case you're wondering. I decided to try putting it underneath because I noticed that the dollop on top of the flower tends to dilute the yellow in the centre of the flower. Maybe I'll prefer this, maybe not.....we'll see.

Of course, all of this gave my vertigo a run for it's money. It's been really bad lately, and I have a few more shoes to make, so I'll just hang on for dear life.

New Puppy pattern

2011-09-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

I've had a puppy pattern for quite a while, but I've often thought of changing it up. Today I made another cap-sleeved dress with a puppy tracks pattern. After I've made the final vignette, I'll post a pic.

Sleeves are the new Sleeveless

2011-09-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to make a few changes lately to my sleeveless dress patterns, but there are construction difficulties in doing sleeves. I've done a few in the past, but I've jigged the pattern now so that it really works out. I have no doubt that I could do things like long sleeves or puffy sleeves, but that would involve a type of sculpture that I don't really enjoy as much as creating a 1 piece pattern. It would also drastically add to the cost as the time involved would be much greater.

I'll probably make a few more patterns with this cap sleeve based on some of my original designs, but I've also got some ideas for new ones. Funny, I find that these sleeves seem to add a few years to my little girls...Can't really explain why...

Poppy Love

2011-09-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

I couldn't get anything to go right today in the studio, then I saw some of these Poppies lying on my painting table. I made some tiny silver hearts to embellish them with, and I really like how it turned out. I've done this before with Iris's, so I think I'll make some more flowers this week to make a few more. Most likely Black-Eyed Susans and Daisies. Just have to think of how to embellish them...

First Born

2011-09-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking this is the nest vignette that I will send to my photographer in order to be properly photo'd so I can blow it up to 20x30. I'm getting tired of my old poster's, and since they only have my dresses and shoes, this shows that I'm not just a one trick pony.

Clare-Bear

2011-09-14T05:59:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to make a custom piece for a lovely woman whose daughter, Clare, was turning 1. She has 3 older brothers who dote on her and call her Clare-Bear.

The three heart flowers in the pockets represent the brothers. Apparently, they were happy about that, but much more enthused about the bubble wrap that the vignette arrived in:)....who doesn't LOVE bubble wrap???

Mary's REALLY little lamb

2011-09-06T16:19:00.000-07:00

When I first envisioned the little felted animals, this was the vignette that had popped into my head. When I started making them, however, I couldn't figure out how to do it so it would look like a little lamb was draped over Mary's shoulder. I finally sat down yesterday and tried it without thinking much, and this was the result:

I'm happy with it, but feel like I could do better....we'll see.

Lamb ear earrings?

2011-08-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

The other day when I made my little lamb, I fell in love with his ears. Immediately I thought....oh...those would make cute earrings. I made some today and think they are very precious, although about 3 times the size of the lamb ears:).

This is what the backs look like:

I will be offering them at shows suspended from my care cards...care instrux on back. Easy peasy:

Look, Ma...no eyes!

2011-08-25T15:14:00.000-07:00

The next in my felted line.....Teddy. I'm working on a custom piece and I needed a teddy to make it really personal. I had been fiddling with one, so it was nice to be able to get down to it and perfect it. I'm quite happy with him...still needs a bow....I'll figure that out tomorrow.

To any of my followers on the East coast....WHAT ARE YOU READING THIS FOR! Batten down the hatches and stay safe! We'll be thinking of you and praying that the hurricane passes you gently by:)

Look who was waiting for me at my studio door this morn...

2011-08-19T07:37:00.001-07:00

...wait for it...

...wait for it.....

ta da!

Still waiting for the stars to discover Puslinch. As of yet, it's just the creatures:( Ahhhhhhh! Country life...

My first corner display

2011-08-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

I've spent the past two days coming up with my first corner display for the Xmas One of a Kind show. 'But it's August!' you say.....'But I'm Crazy!' I say:). Until I got this figured out, there was no way I could sit in my studio with the freedom to start moving. It has been nagging at me. By the way, that book that I sketch in is only 3" wide...yep, even my sketching is tiny:)

It's actually not as simple as it seems. I only take a 5x10 booth, and a corner takes away one of my walls, theoretically. For an artist who needs wall space, and storage, this is traumatic. However, after 24 hours of thinking about it....yep, honestly, this was the result:

I am sooooo pleased. Not only do I still have a little storage area, but I actually have more wall space than I had with my regular, non-corner booth.

I can also use the outside of the side wall to hang stuff. It is only 2' wide, so still leaves the corner open, but catches people coming up the aisle from behind.

I am sooooo in love with my Pro-panels. I don't think I have ever used the same configuration twice, and I think it's getting better every time. The first display had no storage, that was a PAIN....

The second time, I had storage, but less wall space....

I also use it for small shows:

I am ever so lucky that I can actually set my booth up in my studio. I will now leave it up for about a week while I stare and decide where photo blowups will go. After that it will get packed up for November, and I will not even think about it. A few days before the show, I'll pack all of my vignettes into totes, put admin stuff in another tote, and that's all folks.

Mary's REALLY little lamb

2011-08-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

I am soooo happy with how this turned out, considering I have never needle felted before! I am a fan of it now....so nice to stab and stab at wool....actually quite meditative and stress busting. I didn't want to do the body in silver because I just had a feeling the 'precious' factor would be upped by using something soft and natural looking.

Future attempts will use mohair or merino wool, with perhaps some silk for sheen. We'll see. This roving just came from my local craft store, but boy am I pleased with it.

And, remember, I don't do eyes:)

I'll work on vignette placement and post something in the near future.

An exhausting brainwave

2011-08-12T17:48:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying a lovely 2 days in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, at the moment. It is so beautiful here....this is the view from my perch by the pool....8 hour drive home tomorrow....yuckers. All praise the iPad for keeping littlest one busy with movies and games. How we used to drive to Florida with 3 of us stuffed in the back and no entertainment baffles me:)

I am completely and utterly exhausted, all because yesterday I had a brainwave of a vignette that simply must be made titled "Mary had a VERY little lamb". I have been thinking of a tiny lamb for a while, but nothing has made me feel like I hit the nail on the head, style wise. Yesterday the finished lamb popped into my head. It actually involves the following:

Silk roving, for all of you non-fibre types. No, I will not just be felting a tiny lamb...that would be expected.

The problem is that when I come up with something, it exhausts me in a way that you may remember after writing a looooong exam. My mind is so focused on the issue that when I finally get it and the job is done, I completely crash. I actually dreamed of it all last night as well, so I woke up feeling like I had been working all night. If you are currently in Tremblant, I'm the crazy lady walking around making shapes in the air with my fingers in order to get my brain to get the sizing right. This is all part of the process before I even touch the silver.

Stay tuned, and hopefully within the next few weeks I will have something. You just never know, It may turn out to be nothing:(

Summer Break....and furthering my obsession

2011-08-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

I won't be blogging much till September when I start creating anew. We will be taking a short vacay....(3-4 days is the norm for us), then doing some general puttering.

In line with my new Frank Lloyd Wright obsession, we watched a great documentary on Netflix this morn (45 mins left to finish). You simply HAVE to love a man who didn't even come close to doing his best work until well into his '70's! I also genuinely appreciate that he was completely enamoured with his own talent and dreams of grandeur...shouldn't we all dump the false modesty and embrace what makes us great?....really.....no.....really??????? Also, what's not to love about a hat, cane and overcoat-as-cape:)

Since we went to Arizona and took a Taliesin tour, I have been bothered by only one thing......his designs truly speak to me, long and low, with the first versions of 'vignette seating areas' in interior design (my opinion), but I am so not a fan of triangles. His designs all seem to incorporate them. I think this is also why I am not drawn to Native American art, I tend to like curvy stuff. Perhaps he was thinking of me when he designed the Guggenheim??????:)

Another amazing insight from Littlest One...

2011-08-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

Today as we made our way up the drive of our neighbour's home for the first time, in order to enjoy their pool, Littlest One commented...

"Wow...it looks just like Fallingwater, without the water."

Fallingwater is a masterpiece designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the '30's. Imagine my surprise when I told my neighbour this, and her response was...

"Wow, that's remarkable. Our house was designed by 'xxxxxxxx', who was a student of Frank Lloyd Wright's"!!!!

Remember...Littlest One is 8...

Morning's progress...

2011-07-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

Spent the morning with a little break in production.....packaging. I actually love to package things up and send them away. I like to make the 'bubbled' package looks as pretty as possible, and to put a hand-written note with each.....oops, just noticed I didn't start the note with the customer's name, oh well.

Tomorrow morn, off to the post office. I find the Canada Post services great. They are guaranteed to arrive within 2 business days, with insurance and online tracking. Just such a feeling of accomplishment when they're off to their destinations.

Two more pieces to complete, 1 waiting for sending....almost there!

....still workin'.....

2011-07-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

It's been almost 3 weeks from the show and I'm still workin', workin', workin'. I'm aiming for my last 2 pieces to be at the framers by Monday at the latest. Right now I'm working on a bunch of flowers. First is the painting, then the cleaning up by removing the paint from the edges...I think a fine silver line makes the flowers look better. Then the stems, then affixing them to the flowers, then protecting. Then layout. These last two are going to take quite a bit of time each....I'll lay them out, come and go (every time I walk into the room I see a bit that needs to be tweaked), then finally silicone everything onto the board. That alone is quite a job. Then comes looking through the magnifier to see if any miniscule threads of silicone ended up in the wrong place......yada, yada, yada.

Picking up some pieces at the framer today. Only problem is, a tiny detail in one of the pieces has been bothering my head, and I may end up un-framing it to change it. Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!

It's been a blast, but I'm also excited about making some new pieces. I need to get some new photo's done of my nest pieces so that I can blow them up poster size for my display. I've used my old ones for 1.5 years now, and I need to change it up. Only problem.....sold out of nest pieces, so I'll have to make more. That is actually a break for me....making purely for the joy of it as opposed to an order. I've decided to take the rest of the summer off from formal stuff so I'm not booking any classes till September. If I change my mind I will certainly let people know.

Bugs, Bugs, Bugs

2011-07-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

Every SINGLE TIME I walk in my studio there is a new and sundry bug marching accross the floor. And I dare not even go out back cause the wasps will attack. Ahhhh, country life:)

Haven't been able to post anything cause I have literally not worked this hard in my life. I have a number of my show orders going to the framer tomorrow, with others in the beginning phase. I'm really having the time of my life.

I'm having to break for yoga cause my neck is about to fall off. It honestly is magic. Littlest one does it with me sometimes....now there's a treat:)

Back to the studio....yep, 10:45 and I just took a 10 minute break to let some silicone set up. Just going to go back in, remove the supports and call it a night. Yee haw.....oh yeah, cried me a river cause I missed Stampede last week, but we're all used to me crying over missing Calgary in this house so no one pays attention:)

Whew!

2011-07-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

I have been working non-stop all week to make a dent in the custom orders I received from my recent show. No, I never did take that day off:) The only piece that is really weighing on me is one of my 'nest' series involving a twig. If you remember, a while back I was having a 'bad twig week', where EVERY twig I made either fell apart in the kiln, or while I was finishing it, etc. I thought I had tried everything until a blog reader suggested that maybe I should dry my twigs beyond where I thought they were dry. Seems that did the trick.

Anyway, over the course of the week I've been making two twigs, and they finally went into the kiln today. The typical stuff happened....fire alarm went off when the twigs burnt out, etc.,....and when it was time to open the kiln I actually held my breath. Anyway, out they came in one piece, and they held up well to the finishing process. The one on the right is for the custom piece, and the one on the left is for.....well, I have plans for it....I'll post it in a while when I'm happy with it. Here's a hint....it has something to do with birth order.

Thank You, and a Funny...

2011-07-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

I cannot thank you enough for all of the support at the recent Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. I was overwhelmed with wonderful comments. I really love my customers because for a person to even respond to such whimsical art, they have to be precious themselves:)

I am completely exhausted, taking the day off today, then will start with custom orders tomorrow. If you purchased a piece from the show, and I asked you to please leave it on display until the end, they have all now be sent out. You will receive your piece tomorrow, or Thursday by the absolute latest.

When I come back to life I'll post some funny stories from the show, but I'll leave you with what made me smile this morning from my precious Littles One.

Me to Littlest One: "Time to get up for Art Camp. Get dressed and I'll make your breakfast"

Him (groggily): "OK. Can I have Apple Cinnamon Cheerio's?"

Me: "Yep"

Him (still eyes shut, half asleep): "And plus....they expire on January 15."

Precious kid. He has a photographic memory for expiry dates. He doesn't go looking for them, his eyes just take them in and his brain stores the info back there for the appropriate time. Also, whenever he is about to impart some important tidbit or fact he says "And plus......"

Locked and loaded....almost time for the yummies!

2011-07-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

I'm just beginning to discover how truly anal I am:)....hmmmmmm.....just now, eh? I am completely packed and ready to go for my show......Friday! Actually, we will be going into Toronto Thursday night for a yummy Rodney's Oyster extravaganza, followed by a viewing of Bridesmaids for comic relief. Got my sleeping pills from the Doctor, so all in all, I'm looking at a nice, relaxing evening before the show, with a good night's sleep, and a drive of a few blocks in the morn to set up. p.s. No need to remind me that this is not prime Oyster season. I trust Rodney implicitely, and if he's servin', I'm eatin'.

Here's all my stuff (art, display, etc....from the art portfolio's forward)....

....here's my tent...

...and here are my weights...

It's shaping up to be a nice weekend, so they won't be crazy necessary, but they'll come in handy in the future.

I use a checklist for every show, so I'm missing a few items, but that will be rectified. I also will input any of the forgotten items onto the checklist document, so next outdoor show it will all be in order.

I have a compact SUV (Tiguan) and we are thinking we MIGHT be able to get this all in, with the both of us as well....actually, I'm fairly sure the dolly will be our downfall. If we could use our Thule rooftop carrier we'd be laughing, but we knew that we wouldn't fit into the hotel parkade with it on, so if it doesn't work we'll simply take two cars.

I'm soooo excited for the show. Please drop by and say hi if you are in the area. I love to meet people who follow my blog, or have even seen my work at some point in the past.

I'm also lucky to be next to my friend, uber amazing photographer Charlene Serdan. If you are not familiar with her work you must see it!

A mighty wind

2011-07-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

Think I'm done for this weekend's show. Praise the Lord and all that jazz! Come to see me!!!!

I made another Canadian Gothic, cause I love it so, but when I was laying down the wire to fuse out another 'normal' window frame, the wire laid itself out in such a way next to another piece of wire that it had the feel of a whimsical, Whoville kind of thing. A skewed frame was born, and A mighty wind followed. The final layout came to me within 30 seconds of seeing those two wires!

So many of my things happen this way....I look down at a piece of wire, or a tiny shoe, and just the way it is laying there inspires something new.

Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle...

2011-07-02T15:33:00.000-07:00

Today's fun task was to print out my gallery style price cards to post beside my pieces at this weekend's Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. As mentioned previously, I'm well aware that the tone of this show is very different than what I'm used to.....it's more visual art than craft. In order to make my display appear more 'gallery' style, I realized that those little white cards posted beside artwork in galleries with titles, medium and price were in order. Problem is, that's just not me. I've held back quite a bit display wise for this show, not wanting to appear too 'cute and crafty', but at some point I've had to say 'To hell with it.....I am what I am".

To that end, I am really happy with the price cards I came up with. The three colours are all pulled from the bubbles in my logo (branding, anyone???), and the three different photo's denote my 3 current lines.....dresses, flowers and nests. They are printed on photo paper, mounted on foamcore, then have tiny curtains hooks push in to attach them to my mesh walls. BTW, I think I will change the font colour from white to gunmetal on the orange one to make it more readable.

Great thing....I had all of this stuff at home already. I have packs of photo paper that I never use (you could also use plain paper), my studio abounds with foam scraps, and the curtain hooks are also a staple, and tres cheap. Yep, it would be easier just to print them out on business card paper or such, but I just so enjoy the hands on part of this. I completely LIVE for the last part when I'm cutting with my exacto knife, and a perfect little card sits smiling at me:) Won't matter to anyone else, the art is all that matters....but I think they're pretty, and since you know my work, pretty and precious makes my mouth water:). Remember, my work is all pretty much one colour, so it's important to me to bring some colour in. Photographers and painters probably ARE best to stick with the white cards cause their work is often colourful in itself.

I urge anyone out there who enjoys this type of thing to invest in Adobe Illustrator and a basic class in how to use it. I seriously only use about 1% of what it can do, but it is just so darned much fun putting this stuff together. I totally love the inkdropper function....I simply click on any of my logo bubbles to fill another space (text background) with that same colour. It's a real boon when designing your marketing materials.

Yes, I realize it takes a fair bit of time, but this is what I do when I'm watching a movie, or the freakishly addictive TODDLERS AND TIARA's!!! Btw, folks, clue in.....that show is a comedy!.....ooops, it's not???????

All the while I've been doing this, I've been postponing one last marathon studio session. I have to be in the right frame of mind to create, and if this marketing stuff is in my head I can't do anything till I get it out. Tomorrow.......

The fun stuff

2011-07-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhhh.....I so love the last week or so before a big show. I totally get off on organizing my stuff, making little details, etc. Since the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition is my first outdoor show there is much to do and change from my regular indoor display.

Since I will have mesh walls to hang my art, rather than my propanels (which I just velcro everything to), I had to figure out how to hang my pendants. I took one of my frosted plexi pieces left over from my original display stand and made a new pendant display. I like it so much I'll probably use it for my indoor shows as well. With my propanels, it will simply attach with velcro on the back, but for the mesh walls I just stuck a curtain hook through the velcro, hanging the hook on the mesh.

This is just laying on the floor as the stuff is not attached. The little signs and the hangers already have heavy duty 2 sided tape attached on the back. When we arrive at the show I'll just take the backing off the tape and stick it right on the plexi. I don't transport the plexi with the hooks on, etc, because they could easily get knocked off. The plexi is flat, and the hooks and signs just go in a baggie in my admin box.....easy peasy. Because it's plexi, the tape will come off when I'm done with just a good tug with some pliers.

The sign and picture are mounted onto foamcore. How did I get that nice round shape you ask? Ohhhhhh.....my new toy! The Foamwerks circle cutter. I attached the photo to foamcore and used the cutter. Sooooo much fun....I can tell I will have many foamcore circles in my future:).

Nice thing about this show as well is that with no electricity I don't have to transport any lighting and electronics...that really cuts down. Also, since I've got a white tent with white mesh walls, I wanted a bit of colour (normally get that from my lime green carpet), so I am forgoing my usual plexi panels that attach to my cash out stand and purchased a simple length of a nice lime green fabric to wrap around. It's held in place with bulldog clips at the back so another easy peasy set up, and it folds up to nothing (oops, thought I had a pic, but no). The tubes for my display stand go in a skinny artists tube, and the top simply goes flat into a portfolio, along with any plexi I may have...in this case my pendant plexi above.

Now to make gallery style price tags for all of my work. At other shows I put the price right on my frame with a sticker, but this show is more art than craft, with more of a gallery feel. For that reason as well my overall display is more gallery style than my usual fun look. I'll take pics at the show, but don't prepare to be wowed:).

Bonehead move Sue!

2011-06-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

Was making some more smokey poppies yesterday, put the resin on to give them that extra 'je ne sais quoi', and when I came and checked on them today I discovered that they had resined themselves to the holder. Ahhhhhhhh...........

Also made some more tulips for another 'Tiptoe through the tulips'. I'm in flower mode, if you can't tell:) A month ago it was twigs, then birds, then pendants, then butterflies. I actually have to make some more butterflies, but they are soooooo fiddly I'm putting it off:)

A walk(?) in the park...

2011-06-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

...also painting a bunch of flowers today. Here are some tulips, done and in place for the protector spray. Remember, fine silver and fine silver wire will discolour a bit (a brownish colour), so the spray keeps them in their original, shiny silver condition.

Just a hint...

2011-06-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

...of what I worked on today. I'll post a pic tomorrow after I perfect the layout.

Iris and Clarence

2011-06-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

I am bereft today at the loss of one of my fav performers...Clarence 'The Big Man' Clemens. Gotta love a man who could kiss The Boss and just make it look fun:). His autobiography was one of the first books I downloaded when I got a kindle, and it was quite neat. I really love how their relationship spanned 40 years. In this celeb world of 'in one minute, out the next' I think that's special. And imagine...an entire celeb life with no bad publicity or silly reality show. Good on yah Clarence:)

Our wedding song was "If I Should Fall Behind". Clarence sings at 3:38....beautious....

I also put together a little 'Iris' vignette. Did a similar one once before, but added the butterfly to this one...her name is Iris:)

In the garden...

2011-06-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

Just fixed this down to the matboard...as you can see from yesterday's post I changed the name:). I'm really happy with the composition now...it's amazing how the placement of the flowers really changes things. Things often don't look right till I move one of the flowers up or down 1/2 cm.

Nature Girl.......or......Natural Woman

2011-06-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

Can't decide on the title....it changes it from a precious gift for a child to a unique piece for an older woman who knows her own mind. It'll hit me when I do the final framing. This is just laid out on mat board.

This piece jumped into my mind because I had 1 butterfly left over from my custom butterfly piece. Thanks Karen for inspiring me!:)

Butterflies

2011-06-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a custom piece for a lovely woman based on a sweet 'butterfly' poem that her young daughter brought home for her. Although I thought the butterflies would be easy, they turned out to be quite a challenge. I tried numerous incarnations, and finally have it figured out...the number of broken wings littering my studio is staggering....ok, so staggering is a BIT of an exageration:). I will definitely use some on future pieces, and am even thinking of placing one hovering above the flowers in 'Summer of '69'.

Once the piece is safely in the hands of it's owner, I will post a photo and the story. I don't like for the world (my little blog world:)) to see custom pieces before they reach their permanent homes.

Too precious for....June

2011-06-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

I often take my ring (s) off in my studio when I start to work, and just lay them down in the mess, always worried I'll forget or lose them. I was out the other day and came accross this Umbra bunny ring holder and I had to have it. It is sooooo sweet, and the simple shape inspires me and makes me happy. It now lives in my studio and ever so kindly keeps my rings safe.

Wouldn't it make a nice addition to your window sill above your sink, to keep your rings company while washing dishes???

Summer of '69....finally!

2011-06-11T19:26:00.000-07:00

Off to the framers next week. I really can't believe how much work went into the not so fun parts of this. I spent hours just placing the clothes line, then the clothes, then the flowers.....they took forEVAH!

I'm so happy with this. I remember that year so clearly, for some reason, my 6 year old self thought that 1969 was just such a cool number. Oh, if only I'd know that it really was the end of many great things...the 70's being just around the corner:)

Decisions, decisions...

2011-06-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

....or What shall I wear???.

A busy day....finally!

2011-06-07T17:05:00.000-07:00

I've been having trouble getting REALLY going for the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. My work is so fiddly and there are sooooo many steps involved in making my dress pendants that I tend to make some then let them sit, then fret about them, then let them sit some more, then worry about the huge workload ahead, etc. Anyway, it always works out and today I had one of those just do it days.

Got 15 pendants almost completed...still have to spray protectant, then do chains. These have been 3 weeks in the making, so I'll be so happy to have them done. Tomorrow, tomorrow......

FYI, here are the steps involved in the pendants alone:

sculpt/create them
file and shape them
add embellishments
fire in kiln
file parts that won't be accessible after hanger goes in
make hangers
fuse hangers and loops
heat harden in kiln
apply Jax blackener to certain parts
apply liver of sulfur to certain parts
sand and polish colour off certain parts
tumble
apply protectant spray....

ahhhhhhhh............details, details..........

I'm also in the process of layout for 'summer of '69'. I've laid out 1/2 of the components just to get an idea, and cut a sample mat size out of paper to see what will work. I'm good with this sizing. Still have to add birds and flowers, but I need to check layout along the way cause sometime that will make a diff to what type of flowers I make, etc, or to the overall piece.

Summer of '69 Part 2

2011-06-06T09:50:00.001-07:00

The last 2 items of clothes for the line...didn't you just love to wear halter tops? I feel like the top may be a tad small in scale, but when I held it up to the other pieces it worked. Usually stuff like that drives me crazy, so I'll see how it looks when I'm further along in the process.

Made 2 tinier than normal birds today to perch on the clothes line, then I'll do the flowers. I'm thinking of framing it at about 12 x 15, but that may change 4 thousand times.

My paperbark maple went in today and I couldn't be happier. Now for some shrubs along the front of the house, and some boxwoods to cover the well and outlet pipes and some filler type things and that tiny part of our 4 acres of weeds will be tackled:) Problem is that the area right in front of the house that needs the shrubs gets zero sun, and the only shrubs that will work in deep shade seem to be extra yummy for deer. Oh well, we'll figure something out. Praise the lord for Greta the Garden Coach...my fabu next door neighbour who is doing far more than coaching:).

Summer of '69

2011-06-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

I've long had in my mind that I would do a larger piece that would be more for me, unless someone felt inclined to pay $500+ for it. I've always had an idea or two simmering around, but as often happens, today it just came in full. Summer of '69.

This is just a sneak peak at a few of the elements. Need more clothes, some birds, flowers, etc. I'll need to have a custom frame made in a larger size than usual, but since I anticipate keeping this one I don't mind.

I've always been a '60's girl, and it was quite funny, cause today as I was working on this and listening to music in my studio, I had to laugh at what came on:

Wild World...Cat Stevens

Vincent...Don McLean

Gingerbread Man....Bobby Sherman (Yes! Bobby Sherman!)

Puppy Love...Donny Osmond

To Sir With Love...Jann Arden's version ROCKS!

I Think I Love You...David Cassidy

I have very little on my ipod cause I like the same stuff over and over, but it is all '60's and '70's. The only '80's+ is Bruce and Jimmy Nail and a few flashes of brilliance...Lady Gaga, etc.

I'll post a full pic when it's done.

Love Seat

2011-05-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

Can't you just envision a nice summer evening on the swing with your love bird. You can't really see, but the bird on the left has him arm/wing around his sweetie.

Story of my life....

2011-05-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

The Independent One...

If I had been a bird, I would have found my way as an egg to leap out of the nest and perch somewhere completely solitary. This mama bird is calling out to her egg to 'be careful!' cause she knows better than to demand she come home:)

Completely unrelated to anything design.....

2011-05-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

....but it's my blog, so I can pretty much do what I want:)

I spent today driving to three different places to purchase my all-time favorite tree for the front of our house....yeah, I'm in a forest already, but I can't live without this tree...ok, so it makes me happy..... The Paperbark Maple.

First trip was to Waterdown (40 mins there, 40 mins back)....no luck, just a few Charlie Brown specimens. Then to Kitchener (35 mins there 35 mins back)....more Charlie Brown's! Then....bonanza......45 mins to Ancaster where I found the most beautiful one.

I simply LOVE this tree. The bark is a cinnamon colour and peels all the time. They really are works of art. Can't WAIT for it to go in. BTW, this is not a pic of mine, just an awesome shot of what the bark looks like.

Flight School final

2011-05-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

I've completed 'Flight School'. I took away the nest and added some little legs and feet to the students....they needed them to show movement.

I've spent today doing a complete inventory of my pieces and frames. I have sooooo many frames left over from my original huge show where I didn't have a clue as to how much inventory to carry, so I won't need to purchase any for a while. Only problem is, I love frames and love coming up with different sizes. I'm going have to avoid the temptation to purchase new ones for the time being.

I do believe I may sell some of my silver with gold wash frames on Ebay or something. For some reason, they were never popular, and I'm not a 'hanger on' type of girl. I've never sold anything on ebay, so I guess I'll just see how it goes.

Flight School

2011-05-18T15:16:00.001-07:00

This is just laid down for a concept, not yet affixed. I like the idea of 'Flight School', with the mama or daddy bird teaching the little ones how to fly, shouting out directions. I'll think on it more tomorrow. The bird on the far right is rolling over which is why you can't see it properly, but it will work when I silicone it down.

Don't read if you are easily offended.......

2011-05-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

I have, unfortunately, unintentionally offended a few people in the past few months, so I was not going to post this, but, I simply can't make myself live my life in any other way.

Like many people, I've been watching James Frey on Oprah this week, as she attempts to redeem herself (I think) after her 'I might as well be God' stunt the last time she interviewed him. I'll tell you why I have ALWAYS been on his side....

I DON'T CARE THAT HE LIED. The book was amazing, awesome, I read it twice and I'll read it again. Period. Yep, it was a bit better when I thought a person had actually been through that, but it was brilliantly written, so in the end I simply don't care. Also, if you couldn't tell that something was a bit fabricated after the second book, your bad. And in case you are now thinking I have no morals, no integrity, etc., I simply don't care. The man never molested a child, he never raped a person and he never killed or harmed anyone.....GET A REAL PROBLEM PEOPLE.

It was a bit uncomfortable watching the show this time cause he looked like a deer in the headlights waiting for the crash, and she was trying so hard to treat him like a wet kitten in need of a cuddle.

So since I'm on a roll, I tackle Survivor too:) My god, every time the finale comes and the losers question the winners about how they crossed a line, etc., I just want to shout at the TV. Do they not understand that if the potential winners did what the losers wanted, that would have meant at a crucial time in the show saying "OK, I will give you $1,000,000"! Don't take a spot away from the thousands of people who apply if your thinking is "Boy, it would be rude to win"?????? In the history of survivor there have been only 1 or 2 who have won by being nice and NEVER having to blindside anyone, but they are simply products of their season. Those have typically been the seasons when there have been fairly bland characters. I think a lot worse of the people who stand up at the the end in judgement and say "Your parent's will be ashamed of you" than the people who play to outwit, outlast, outplay. The part that I found the most hysterical was that the people this season had seen Rob play 3 TIMES!!!!! Hello!!!!! Did you think he was a fluffy marshmallow..... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh..........

And....one last comment.....the one spewing the most judgement about Rob and his blindsides actually said to two of his faithful "Why didn't you get rid of him when you had the chance?". Good question, I was thinking all along that they should have, but wouldn't that have been a nasty blindside??? Ohhhhhhhh, it's OK for some people to do it?????????

Success!

2011-05-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

I am now cautiously optimistic. I had about 6 twigs in a row (and a lot of time and $$$$$) collapse on me. A reader, 'Kath', sent me an e-mail suggesting that maybe I needed to dry out my twigs a lot more. I was drying them, but will all the rain we've had here, even an hour or so in the dehydrator was probably not enough, so I put one in overnight and.......SUCCESS! I love how this one came out...I really am into the organic nature of them....I DON'T want them perfect. I just love when they crack in the right spot...on the knots...and some blackener highlights it all.

Come to think of it, the first two twigs that worked with no problem had been sitting in my studio for weeks, so they were probably totally dry. Thanks Kath!

Another happy mistake. I'm working on some TINY (2mm) eggs, and since my clay was not fresh as a daisy, I got the perfect crack! You can barely notice it with the naked eye, but with some blackener it really comes to life. I LOVE it, and have incorporated the crack into my design. Hope to have the finished piece posted in the next week.

When will it end????

2011-05-15T09:18:00.003-07:00

I simply can't lick this twig problem! 2 more broken ones from the kiln.

I MAY have figured it out...and it had better work cause this is my FAV twig that I've ever had. It's in the kiln right now, so I'm praying it comes out ok. I should walk away from this freight train, but I can't. I need to complete my nest series cause I can't think of anything else till I have some beautiful, finished pieces. In between I've been making pendants so all is not lost work wise:)

...a not so good studio day...

2011-05-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

I've been having a difficult time in the last few days with my twigs. I made a few really nice ones and got a bit complacent....thinking they were just so darned easy:) As often happens with me, I'm brought down to earth pretty quickly. I had some beautifully shaped twigs, put them in the kiln today, and lo and behold.......yuckiness is what came out. Obviously this one had a bunch of 'stuff' in the paste, although it looked smooth to me....can't see it too much in the photo but, believe me, it's yucky.

This one must have been made with paste that was just too thin. It had the same number of coats but completely fell apart. It is kind of neat, though, and gave me some ideas of burnt out logs, so I may incorporate it into a future vignette.

Worst thing is that since the original twigs burn away in the kiln, these lovely little specimens cannot be duplicated:(.

I'm working on two more now and I'm taking advantage of the lessons learned....smooooooth, thick (enough) paste.

Tents, weights and other important outdoor stuff...

2011-05-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

Upon my acceptance to the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition I immediately ordered the tent of all tents, the TrimLine Canopy. Upon my acceptance to my first One of a Kind Show I ordered my awesomesauce hard walls from Pro Panel and have NEVER regretted the decision. That's how I roll.

Purchasing this tent was a priority for me this year, so the saving/budgeting began long ago. Here are the benefits to me:

It's waterproof, not water resistant like most others (also the seams are welded). I will be miserable if I am being dripped on, or worried about being dripped on:). I won't even mention my level of misery if any of my work gets water damage.

The top has a frosted skylight running front to back (still waterproof, just lets the light in). As there is no electricity available at most outdoor shows this will be a major boon to the lighting in my tent. My art is VERY tiny, so I need all the illumination I can get.

The top is an open barrel, so the tent appears spacious, as opposed to the umbrella type ribbing that most others have. Anything that makes my tent inviting is worth it to me. Also, rain will not pool in the corners, but should roll off.

The top has vents at either end that will allow the wind to go through on windy days and help with stability.

There are StaBars around the bottom, which adds HUGELY to the stability. If you have another type of tent, this option can also be adapted....people highly recommend it.

I have purchased the mesh walls with the tent. I have to have hard walls to hang my art on and these have a nice, tight, clean look. They fold up and roll up so are easy to transport, and quick to attach. I will be using my propanels just near the back, so I got mesh for the side walls. Yes, they also sell these to function with other tents. Also, without the outer walls of the tent down, they look more solid than grids, but the wind can pass through and they have a nice translucent appearance. With the walls down it's a more opaque look. Ohhhhh....options:)

Although this tent is not as easy, breezy to set up as a pop-up, I am blessed in that the set-up makes perfect sense to me and I really enjoy putting stuff together. Remember, I've watched the set-up video 4 million times:)

I plan on buying a few metres of sturdy canvas and some webbing and sewing simple bags to hold all of the poles, etc. They are too heavy to carry all at once, but multiple bags will be great. Ease of transport is terribly important to me.

I will also be weighting down each corner with concrete weights that I will make. I found this great link which describes how to make them. Yep, I even enjoy this stuff, but husband might possibly enjoy it more, so it's his job:) I won't be making each weight 40 lbs as they suggest, but will split into 2 x 20 lbs. I have to be able to carry them myself. Don't make them heavier than you can comfortably carry.

As I have mentioned numerous times, I do every possible thing I can to be able to sleep peacefully during show time (I even take sleeping pills for the show duration so I do not have one sleepless night. Forgot to refill my prescription for the Spring OOAK, and boy did I suffer...1 hour sleep each night cause I was so wired!). No, this tent will probably not survive a ridiculous freak tornado, but short of building a concrete structure it's my best possible scenario, so if it starts to storm in the middle of the night (not that I'll hear it in my coma), I won't have to worry quite as much.

One last thing, remember to keep everything off the ground, or in rubber storage totes. Here's a pic of a show in Windsor last year that had to be cancelled the second day due to a freak storm/flood. If stuff was on the ground in cardboard boxes, it was doomed!

Sooooo, long story short, get whatever tent you will be most comfortable with and best fits your budget, use heavy weights, get rubber totes and consider stabilizer bars. It pays to be as prepared as possible.

OK....now you get to laugh.....aren't I quite the authority.... AND I'VE NEVER DONE AN OUTDOOR SHOW!!!!!!!!!! Bah, hah, haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....

Oooops.....HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TOMORROW ONE AND ALL:)

When all else fails...

2011-05-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days when nothing worked in the studio. I have a custom dress pendant to make for a customer, and it just wasn't working, so I scrapped it, and I'll try again tomorrow. I tried to make some birds but they just didn't feel right today. Sooooo.....I made a little sample pendant with littlest one's picture. I always need beginner samples to do in classes, and this one covers all the basics...texturing, rolling, cutting, joining, drilling, finishing. The resin didn't work out but that's just cause I didn't take much care, etc., but I may perfect this and offer it as a new custom piece. I'll do another with a black and white photo to give people an idea and maybe a pretty picture, but we'll see.

Drama, drama, drama

2011-05-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhh.....I had a framing drama/meltdown this morning getting those darned singing Robin's permanently into their home. Here's the rundown...

Figured out how to attach the vignette without being seen from the edges.
Used 3 NEW blades on mat cutter, and cuts still came out jagged. Bad batch, wasted 3 mat boards, 3 blades.
Got the foamcore attached to mat to create lift, and it wasn't high enough. Nest would 'bang into' glass.
Added another layer, then too high to fit in frame with glass and clear spacer.
Spacer could be seen on edges of glass from the front, so off they came...not before leaving their gluey residue.
Minutely flattened the nest without disturbing anything to make it not bang.
Yahoo! (This was about 1.5 hours of drama during which I was going to 'walk away from the freight train', but was incapable of doing so)

The ante room between the studio and house has beadboard (not really a fan) but it suits the piece. I always thought these would look good in a cottage.

Also diggin' the way the back looks. I LOVE my new stickers, and I really enjoy the black backing. I just think it looks more professional than the kraft paper....it's all in the details.

Also spent the morning following the UPS progress of my new fancy, shmancy tent for outdoor shows. It has been to 4 different US locations, can't imagine that is cheaper than just putting it on ONE plane ONE time! I will be writing a post in the very near future about my tent purchase. Right now, to relax, I'm going to watch the online video of how to assemble it....that's right people! My tent needs video assembly instructions:) I totally get off on that stuff so this is as good as an episode of Y&R:). By the way, how weird am I? I've already seen this video before, when the dream of this tent was just a twinkle in my eye. And people wonder why I am the queen of minutia....I've seen the video!:).

Also spent an hour this morn IN THE RAIN with my garden coach! Yes! I have a garden coach:) I hate gardening, but we have a huge property with a LONG driveway and the weeds had taken over when we moved in. I'm totally getting off on thinking of appearing in a gardening magazine 10 years from now saying "It was a disaster when we moved in, but over 10 years of toil and sweat has transformed it into this award winning vision". Now to figure out how to turn my garden coach into the 'toiler' and 'sweater'. Hmmmmmm...........

Rockin' Robins

2011-05-05T18:16:00.001-07:00

One down, 4 more to go in the Nest Series I hope to have completed for the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. I'm a little stressed/bummed because I have at least 5 drawings that flew out of my brain 5 minutes after my initial nest inspirmania (ohhhh....nice word!!!), and I CAN'T FIND THEM!! I have special, handmade leather bound books that I got each time I went to Rome to visit The Exorcist, then she got me one at Christmas (a beautiful orange suede), and I can't find it since my Phoenix trip. I've checked all possible luggage pockets and am at my whit's end. It was on the plane to Phoenix that I first watched the Anne Geddes Beginnings documentary and the ideas were pouring out of me into my beautiful, tiny little book. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh....... All is not lost.....I KNOW I will find it. Please concentrate some good thoughts for me!

A productive day...

2011-05-05T09:36:00.000-07:00

The baby birds have hatched! I worked on them this morning, and now have a system down in my mind for making them. When I know I will be making a lot of something, I like to know exactly how big the initial clay blob should be, size of beak, etc. The hours that went into designing them is now rewarded by quick and easy (kindof) baby birds at my finger tips.

Here they are in the 'protection' phase. I protect ALL of my work with a product that I get from the states called Nikolas Lacquer. It is the same product used on musical instruments (not wood!) to protect the finish. This keeps any of the antiqued finishes intact, and keeps the plain silver finishes from showing tarnish. Of course, it will eventually wear away from jewelry, but at that time, regular cleaners can be used to remove tarnish.

I got an interesting question yesterday from a follower and I thought others might be interested in my response. She asked how I get all of this done. After I answered her (I am just FAST....that's it) I realized that there was another major reason for all of this work happening that I have just always taken for granted. I literally spend 100's of hours IN MY HEAD designing my pieces and figuring out the design steps. Before I ever sit down and start using my hands, I have already built the piece NUMEROUS times in my head. Yes, after putting my hands to it, I still need to experiment for days, but 75% of the work has been done in my head. I'm kindof fortunate because this activity goes on in my brain even while watching TV and especially when I first lay down to sleep. I love the first 15 mins laying in the dark at bedtime because I actually say to myself "OK, now you get to have totally interrupted time to think about the birds".

I believe this is what helps me so much when I do shows as well. I will literally run though the entire set-up in my head as I am packing, so I have everything together that needs to be together, and don't forget anything. I also do this with classes....I will create the sample piece in my head, and as I see myself preparing my space, getting out the clay, rolling, cutting, etc....I gather all parts and tools involved and lay them at my seat. This way I'm not just higgly piggly thinking..."Oh, I need this, and this and this". I believe this is the same sort of technique that athletes use to envision their race or event from start to finish so they feel totally confident with the outcome....VICTORY!! Ok....I'm talkin about an art show, not the Olympics, but I can dream:)

If you know me you know exactly what I'm talking about. I often zone out, not because of disinterest, but sometimes because I simply can't continue what I'm thinking about without totally zoning out. Funny, about 5 years ago I was in some sort of exercise class, and all of the sudden I heard the teacher saying "sue.....sue.......SUE". I was standing still in the middle of the class looking at some poster up near the ceiling totally engrossed in some aspect of it. Doesn't bother me at all, and I figure it's entertaining for those around me, so I'll keep it up:)

I also wonder if this is why I connected soooooo strongly with Anne Geddes documentary on the creation of her 'beginnings' series featuring nests and such. You can clearly see when she's looking at a scene she has set up, she is totally in her own head, zoned out. I have never seen that before in anyone except my uber-creative older son and it just had such a familiar feeling to it.....Ahhhhhhh......I've found my own people:)

Hungry baby birds

2011-05-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned, I've been working for a while on perfecting the tiny birds for the vignettes. I got the mama pretty much how I want her (although only in one particular pose) but the babies were driving me batty....hmmmm....when have I said that before????.....anyway......

I've been after this type of look for the babies....babies hungrily waiting for a yummy, nummy worm.....

I've tried many incarnations and I'm definitely making progress now.

This is just the clay stage, of course, but needed to photo it just to see what was missing. I'll probably make the neck a bit thinner, and the beak a bit larger and more open, but I'm on the right track. I don't usually put eyes or anything on my tiny things....too realistic for me....and the bottom is cut off cause of course these will be sitting in nests. The most difficult part for me was to show the 'yearning/straining' in the neck, and I've figured that out. As you can see, they are only about 1 cm long, and the beauty is that as they are sculpted in original pmc, I will get much more shrinkage than usual. As a matter of fact, they may turn out too small, but they have to live in the nest with 2 or 3 siblings, so it might just be fine.

Thought I'd show you the tools required to make this tiny being. Actually, these are my fav tools for everything I make.

Fiddling and editing

2011-05-03T09:20:00.001-07:00

Broke down and bot 5 of the more expensive frames, just cause I love them. I'm now fiddling with layouts, mat sizing, etc.

I like tight matting, but may go a bit bigger than above. Working on babies for the nest, deciding where Mama Bird belongs, and may change the nest up a bit (looking to use a slightly less green)....just need to get some visuals now. Until I take a sample photo I can't tell anything. At that point all of the flaws reveal themselves to me and the editing begins in earnest. I'm thrilled with the way that the frames complement the organic nature of the overall vignette. I am also especially in love with how this particular twig came out.

The name of this one will not be as written above, that mat board is simply an old sample I use to get a visual. I really need to see a title written as well just to complete everything. Soooo.....not as easy as 'make a nest, make a bird, make a twig, glue it down' is it:)

Oh Happy Day!

2011-05-02T16:23:00.000-07:00

Just got the news today...got into the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition in Toronto, July 8, 9, 10. I am sooooo thrilled and excited. I really need the motivation (and income!) from a big show to put me into creative experimentation mode...this is just the kick in the pants I need.

Hope to see you there!

p.s. I did have to take 1 hour today and be royally peeved as a show of solidarity, as a BRILLIANT artist friend of mine did not get in. I will never understand juries. I own 2 or 3 pieces from this artist, so obviously I feel her work is awesomesauce.

Too precious for.....April AND May!!!!

2011-05-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

That's HOW precious these are....worthy of double month accolades!:)...OK, OK, so I forgot to do it in April, but weren't these worth the wait?

Was 'web introduced' to this artist by the fabu Ruth (again!) of Birdland. How precious are these!!!! Needle felted mini math wizards by Julie Blanchette (AND she's Canadian!). I'm a math/numbers person with an extreme, mouth-watering love of precious things, so I just might need my own set.

Tweet updated...

2011-05-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned previously, the next step in my nest series was perfecting the bird. Think I did that today. This one will be one that may perch on a branch...need a bit different of a pose for a nested baby, but I'm on my way. I wanted him to look like he was calling to the babies, I'll probably do a serene, closed beak one, but this was what came from my hands today.

I was inspired to use a colour inside of the beak by Ruth of Birdland Creations. She made a bird with gold inside of it's beak.....this is just liver of sulphur. Thanks for the inspiration, Ruth, I hope you don't mind.

This tiny tweet is about 1 cm long. I posed him on a penny so you could get a better idea. People always ask about the size of my things, and even when I put pics with pennies and dimensions they still ALWAYS say "Oh, I had no idea how tiny they were".....!!! Pay attention people!!!:)

These will only be used as accompaniments to my nest vignettes....they will not be made as individual earrings or pendants for sale. I'm just not comfortable with that as they are dangerously close to the works of other 'bird artists'.....Yes, I realize that there are very few ways to sculpt a wee, whimsical bird, so similarities are inevitable, but for the time being I really view them in relation to the vignette as a whole.

First Communion custom piece

2011-05-01T04:36:00.000-07:00

I was approached a few weeks ago to create a special gift for a little girl receiving her first communion today. I am not a fan of custom designs as literal translations of an event (read ginormous cross!), and thankfully the customer did not appear to be either. She has one of my custom name pendants, so we tweaked that a bit to come up with the final for her daughter. This can be worn long after she grows up to memorialize a special day in her life.

Thought I'd show a little bit of what went into the finishing decisions. The customer was sure she wanted gold embellishment on the cross, but was unsure about the antiquing. I mentioned that the plain silver does not show the gold off to it's full potential, and I've often thought the antiquing sets off the text better as well. I showed her a photo of the piece un-antiqued, and she decided that antiquing was the way to go.

Congratulations Elise....hope you have a wonderful day:)

Toodles!

2011-04-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

Off to my Tea Party. Of course I had to change the pic on my 'Royal Order of the Water Buffalo' pin to the kiss photo. The engagement photo is sooooo last year:)

LOVED everything about the wedding. Grace Kelly's wedding dress has always been my all time fav, so it was lovely to see it served as an inspiration. Have a great night everyone!

A special thanks to my own Prince for watching with me:).

The Depths of my Wedding Fever

2011-04-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

I've been frantically hopping around while waiting for the acceptance/rejection to the Toronto Outdoor Art Show, so I've been attending to other things.....updating my 2011 business account records, reconciling statements, ordering supplies, and generally doing everything I can to avoid frantically checking my e-mail for notification. Normally, I would be making stuff, but with the price of silver at the moment I want to wait to hear from the show before committing to inventory.

Anyway......I'm going to a tea party on Friday to celebrate the wedding, and although I have my red hat and royal blue dress I was missing some bling. Ta Da!!!!!!! My Royal Family Orders broach! I was always fascinated with these types of broaches (the Queen pins them to her sash on royal occasions), so why not make my own) Apparently, most of the other women attending the party won't be wearing hats because they are a little embarrassed....hmmmmmm.....never crossed my mind:) Hope there's an award for best dressed!

Our family.....kindof

2011-04-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

Littlest one's french project. His poor sister is once again the 'androgynous German' (she was born there), and Daddy and oldest bro are very furry. No worries, one of his brothers didn't even make it into the pic as he only 'had' to use 5 family members, so that was that...