cleaning and arting

i have been busy for a couple of weeks reclaiming, cleaning and organizing my studio by day, and sometimes when i am on a roll into the late night.

before heading back downstairs this afternoon thought i would share a few pics of what i have been doing by night.

rag roses created from ripped strips of muslin.

twist 'em tight or twist 'em loose and you get a whole different look.

it is amazing how many of these can be made while watching my fav comedy or

science geekery  show.

a close up view of a loosely turned, twisted and stitched rag rose.

steph and i recently each purchased drawstring backpacks hoping to get some

inspiration for creating our own pattern.  we each then embellished our bags.

3 lovely rag roses with some satin stitched leaves above an exterior pocket.

a cascade of glass pearls on the pocket.

loved stitching the pearls on all willy nilly.

on a wing and a prayer. 

wings stamped onto muslin with stazon and the word pray stamped

onto a separate piece of muslin and then stitched and pillowized (yes, it is a word, in my world at least!)

scrap fabrics and tuelle added and stitched to the bag.

a bit of blanket stitch on the exterior pocket to give some detail.

gratitude - something i am so very grateful to have learned the importance of.

bliss - i am learning to follow it.

faith - something i am learning to have and amazed at experiencing the miracles unfold.

it is the simple things that can bring so much happiness.

steph created the pattern for this bag and stitched it together.

i am getting ready to embellish it.

this one is MINE....all mine....

but we will have 2 or 3 more of these up for sale soon.

beads, buttons, sequins, tassels......hmmmmm what to add, what to add?

still gathering info for my tutorial on growing patina on brass charms.

stay tuned!

bertie bert recouperates after getting a chance to go play in the backyard with the puppies!

till next time

smooches to you

so busy, so happy, so excited......

for the first time in 2 years my studio is almost mine again.

it is a long story. 

do i explain?

 to speak of it again would be like hauling a bag of trash around and constantly smelling the stink of it. 

it is time to just get rid of it.

it is time to celebrate.  be happy.  be free. 


when someone uses you....when you let yourself get into a situation where you are taken advantage of and you suffer from 'too freakin' nice for your own darn good' syndrome....

i have learned my lesson......mmmm.... i have learned A lesson.

for 2 years i did not make art, a few pieces of jewelry.....but no real art.  lots of bouts of depression every time i walked down to my studio and became overwhelmed by the mess. 

getting back to happy.....so happy......

my soldering table and glass cutting table still need to be cleaned.

several pieces of ephemera and vintage photos need to be filed.

i now have a full 2' x 2' of work space!  whoo-hoo!

lots of trash dumped.

lots of someone elses stuff to be returned.

lots of stuff to goodwill.

i sat in my studio and cried as i looked around friday.   

the chaos

the clutter

the confusion

the sadness

fading away......

i lost a huge piece of me during that 2 years.  being so sick on top of the situation i ended up in....made it worse.

would i find the same me i lost 2 years ago? 

i don't think so.

i think......i know i am going to find a new improved me.

a healed me.

a more creative and inspired me.

a happier me.

a stronger me.

a ready to be successful me.

a faith filled me.



this arty girl was a hopin' and prayin' to be full time in her studio as of  today, but the weekend did not go as planned.....it was better. 

today was not as planned either, but so good to get out of the house. 

tomorrow i can not wait for it to get here, ok it is technically tomorrow, so i mean my version of tomorrow......

 i am running to my studio,

expectations high, face happy,

attitude properly adjusted....

patina and verdigris everywhere

i have been on a mission to figure out how to patina and obtain the verdigris effect without chemicals.

my first tutorial will be on how to add patina to brass, and eventually to other metals.

this arty girl is on a budget at this moment in time and knows others are too and my mission to find the safest and least expensive way to give an aged appearance to metals has driven me into mad scientist mode.

my kitchen looks like the lab of one!

here a just a few quick picks to give you an idea of what i am seeing take place in my lab right now!

sea salt and distilled vinegar method 1

sea salt and distilled vinegar method 2

hard boiled egg method

can not wait to have all of my results to pass on!

the last month in many photos...few words

this last month i have

1. finally recuperated from my visit from the tooth fairy
2. recuperated from the effects of the pain meds and anti-biotics
3. am no longer melting...we got our air conditioning fixed finally!
4. realized i hardly see my kids anymore now that it is summer. 
5. realized how much i miss them when they are gone so much
6. realized just how much they are growing up and becoming their own peeps
7. realized i really have neglected my blog
8. hormones suck
9. insomnia due to sucky hormones sucks more
10. celebrated the 20th birthday of my baby girl, and yes i will say it again, how did she age and i did not...really
11. played nurse to a really ooey gooey boo boo....i really don't like ooey gooey boo boo's
12. had my mind blown while trimming my middle guys beard....i have a baby with a beard...weird...hey i rhymed
13. said good-bye to my 80+ year old love seat...sniff sniff.  the hubs saved the fabric and springs
14. a livingroom filled with vintage/antique chairs and really needs a coffee table in the center of the room, kind of looks like we are holding 12 step program meetings!
15. refinished a few pieces of furniture
16. realized my work is never done
17. learned alot about how to patina and verdgris brass charms....stay tuned my first tutorial coming soon, still learning!

found myself very sad that the telephone nook-soon to be shrine was ugly wood underneath all those years of paint i oh-so-carefully stripped off.  so the first coats of primer were going on here.

ummmm  on the shrine...but if you forget to make sure the lid is on tight when you shake, shake, shake the can it ends up all on the ground, your feet, your legs....

primed and painted white.  not sure if it will stay white since i am not sure where exactly i will hang this, at least in this house.  once we move in our dream house....lots of wall space!

this really needs to be distressed...it looks tooooo new.  the chair a few pics up had the holy canoly distressed out of it. 

the guys and i blew up the air mattress and layed out on the driveway and watched fireworks

blech.

this is what happens when a boy flies over the handle bars of his bike.

you know the saying the taller they are the harder they fall

seems to be true

my baby, just shy of 6 feet tall

made it back home before he let the tears

flow.

the front side

the back SLIDEEEeeeee

the yummy inside

stephs 20th birthday cake-tas-trophy

and finally

guess what this is?

the answer:  a lesson not learned.

always, always, always put the toilet paper away as soon as i get home from the store!

who did this?

nighty night!

an artsy bloghop.....

sounds like a good way to have fun, be inspired and keep cool on these oh-so-hot summer days!

a month? really?

i have lots to share. 

i have had lots to share for a month .

i did not realize how much time has gone by. 

a crummy reaction to the meds from my visit to the tooth fairy and my crazy 45 year old hormones have had my attention diverted to keeping sane and not to keeping up on my blog. 

with 5 of us in the house sharing 1 computer this arty girl is usually to busy or pooped when it is time for her turn. 

i will return later to share pics and thoughts as soon as the house quiets down tonight.