spotted this fantastic piece today. what is she expressing? i'm picking up grief, loss, peace long-sought-after ... maybe you have a different reaction. explore more of christina romeo's work on her flickr photostream.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
sweet stitching
sharing this precious piece today! Mindy Lacefield thoughtfully combines original art with tattered, feminine textiles. check out her etsy shop full of prints, original art and more.
Monday, February 27, 2012
typewriter love ... clickety clack clack
Remember the typewriter? What a sound it made! It might have even qualified as exercise, with the strength and agility required to navigate the keys and return the carriage at the end of the row - ding, whoop!
Ah, so long ago ...
Love Michele Maule's collage tribute to that weighty appliance. Check out her etsy shop!
Friday, February 24, 2012
today's mixed media jewelry love
just a quick post. sharing this wonderful piece that I discovered while browsing the ICE resin group on flickr. beautiful wrapping, handmade headpins ... fantastic.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
a fellow resin artist - hearting these hearts!
Lisa Patencio commented on one of my Instant Ancestors necklaces (sweet!) and, naturally, I had to explore her flickr Photostream. Such inspiration! And she's a sister in resin, too ... these heart pendants feature prints of her paintings. Love 'em.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
A batch completed, now off to mix marketplace in ypsilanti
what a blast i'm having with these necklaces! i have plenty more vintage photos and illustrations that need homes. now to make some bezels ourselves ... that will be even more gratifying (though i think i may order a few more of these from objects and elements. By the way, the glassy finish is accomplished with with ICE Resin from Susan Lenart Kazmer.
now, for some inspiration. It's been a few years since we've been there, but dave and i are off to MIX and MIX Marketplace's tuesday market. the tuesdays and saturday pop-up markets feature different produce vendors, home goods and artisans at each market. dave and I can't wait to shop!
now, for some inspiration. It's been a few years since we've been there, but dave and i are off to MIX and MIX Marketplace's tuesday market. the tuesdays and saturday pop-up markets feature different produce vendors, home goods and artisans at each market. dave and I can't wait to shop!
Monday, February 20, 2012
i declare this a creativity day! and photo tips
took today and tomorrow off this week to work on new jewelry. unless i have blocks of time, progress seems slow. those of you with full-time jobs and family know what i'm talking about! it's worth burning a couple of vacation days to get down with new materials and techniques. just finished taking some new photos so i can to get these new lovelies into our etsy shop soon.
TIPS: i am far from a pro photog, and we have a modest digital camera (fuji finepix s2000hd), and i live in michigan, so natural light can be unpredictable. solution: light box! mine is small (I graduated from a homemade one made with a corrugated box and tissue paper - here's a great tutorial), but it's perfect for jewelry and other small objects. i picked it up from this amazon shop.
*and* do you like the jewelry stand? i used multiple 40% off coupons for joann's and got them for just a few bucks apiece. covered them with vintage papers, using diluted modpodge. they dried overnight. here they are online.
watch our shop for these listings. probably later tonight. now to get back to creating!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
so excited to share first pendant on sari silk
after some trial and error, i am excited to share my first necklace using sari silk. i love the tattered look with the vintage illustration. more pics to come as i string up my other charms. took the next couple of days as vacation days to get back into my jewelry. can't wait to just work, work, work ... but not at capital-W Work. and dave's making some new copper links. wahoo!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Sari silks came in today!
I can't wait to finish off my instant ancestors pendants with these alternatives to chains. ::mind is working:: Thanks to designtalentedone for making them available.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Granny Squares as art
Anne at the Handmade Gift Guide picked up this Pinterest pic recently and I just had to share! Making Granny Squares is a popular way to use up your yarn or string scraps. Here'a great idea for using GSs as art! Mounted on a piece of linen, it adds to this fabulous mantle collection.Props to Laura Normandin of Wren Handmade for this fab square. Visit Laura's blog to see more of her work.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Collage love - lu summers
Another of my favorite collage artists, lusummers. I have some very simple gocco prints of hers - floral graphics printed on vintage book pages. They hang above our salvaged piano (which needs a new paint job, btw ... must add to to-do list ::scrickety scratchety with pencil adding to list::). Anyway, if you love collage, too, explore her flickr photostream. Oh, and here's lu's etsy shop!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Vintage photo collage love
One of my favorite stops at a flea market or thrift shop is the table or basket with old photo albums. Alisa Nordholt-Dean (ANDStudio on flickr) has grouped a precious collection of old snapshots here, adding dimension with chunky canvases, stenciling, and paint. I'm mesmerized!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
12 years ago, we met
While you consider Love-related events as we approach Valentine's Day, add this anniversary. On February 4, 2000, Dave and I had our first date. Everybody say, "Awwww." :)
But let me tell you about the embroidered tea towel. I cleaned out our china cabinet to prepare for some renovations and I noticed, in the pile of tea-towels-of-the-month (a Christmas gift from my sister Erika a few years ago), that the February towel had never been washed - had never been used! I had yet to hang the February towel on the oven door, as I had with other towels of the month!
So, I have decided, that in the month of February, I will hang the tea towel in commemoration of my first date with my now-dear-husband Dave (xo). It will remind me of how special our relationship is. Silly towel that now is not just a towel. Goofy, I know.
Oh, and need a chuckle? Read this blogger's post with Valentine's Day gift advice for husbands. The writer begins, "Married men, practical gifts on special occasions do not bode well." Read on and be entertained. (Stole this link from a former colleague, Katie Orloff, who shared the link on FBook.)
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Big day tomorrow!
This is our dining room before ... walnut laminate! I'll share the "after" pics tomorrow. I will be so glad to have our heirloom dining room set - that belonged to my grandparents - be the first thing you see when you come into the house ... instead of that dingy carpet. Wahoo! Oh, by the way, our wall color is Behr
Harvest Brown - painted more than five years ago - I've got the date on the paint cans to prove it! Phew. It will be nice to feel closer to "finished" - at least in this room.
Monday, February 6, 2012
I guess my favorite color is "sunset" ...
I am attracted to Susan Najarian's piece because of its liberal use of grades of orange - rust, tangerine, almost red ... It's said that Frank Sinatra opined that "Orange is the happiest color." OK, I'll buy that!
And this must really be my year because Tangerine Tango was chosen the Pantone color of the year for 2012. Read more here.
Now to find a place for a color like Tangerine Tango in our home ... hm ... Maybe a Behr color like Fiery Red will do ...
Oh, and see more Susan Najarian art in her etsy shop, Red Truck Designs.
May your day be full of orange!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
More Instant Ancestors you can wear!
I almost can't wait the 72 hours required for these resin beauties to cure entirely. These pendants feature vintage photos, illustrations and text from books protected by jeweler's resin. Should I use ribbons to make the necklaces? (that would be new for me) Or a combination of ribbons and chain? Stay tuned. 72 hours from now (give or take) I'll have the answer for you - and more pics. Check out my flickr photostream for more pics. Silvertone bezels from objectsandelements. Brass bezels from studioonthehill's etsy shop.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Happy birthday, Mom!
My mom's birthday is February 5, but I ran across this picture from summer 2010 and I love it and think it's fitting to pay tribute to her today, a couple of days early! So Happy Birthday, Mary Ann White!
I treasure this pic because it represents the character of my mom. She stands behind my son in the picture, like she stands behind all of her grandchildren - all 12 of them! Like a sentry, she is looking out for all of them. Add five children (and their spouses and significant others) and a husband and all the rest of the people in her life that she cares about and you can imagine how much "looking out" she's been and will continue to be doing.
For 70 years, Mom, you have been a blessing to so many. Here's to many more! We love you! xoxo
I treasure this pic because it represents the character of my mom. She stands behind my son in the picture, like she stands behind all of her grandchildren - all 12 of them! Like a sentry, she is looking out for all of them. Add five children (and their spouses and significant others) and a husband and all the rest of the people in her life that she cares about and you can imagine how much "looking out" she's been and will continue to be doing.
For 70 years, Mom, you have been a blessing to so many. Here's to many more! We love you! xoxo
Thursday, February 2, 2012
"She Saw It On Pinterest"
You know why I am drawn to this - because I'm drawn to Pinterest! I imagine that the woman in the print saw a sweet DIY project and was consumed with urgency about creating jars embellished with hearts. Well, who can't relate to that?
The artist, Amy Rice, uses a Gocco printer to make her pretty prints. Learn about Gocco here. Amy uses antique journal pages for printing. More about that at her etsy shop.
I haven't used my Gocco printer in months - maybe more than a year ... hmmm ...
Amy's inspiring me to dust off that Gocco.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Peace be still | Mark 4:35-41
"Angry winds blow suddenly
How this world can threaten me
Then the Master speaks with sure authority
Peace be still,
Peace be still,
Peace be still."
Twila Paris
Click here to read Bible reference
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