SuzeBlogz

Sally is d'bomb !

If you watch American Idol (Go Adam Go)......you'll know that to be "d'bomb" is a very good thing! It means you're the bestest.

My friend Sally Cendral from France is just that...d'bestest bomb ! She's my French Idol !!!

when you ask Sally to go on a mission for you she doesn't just go....she GOES !

Sally and I spotted this very interesting piece of jewelry on a lady when we were together in Paris in March

Im not even sure it's a piece of jewelry....I think it may be a good luck or religious keychain.

It didn't matter....I only knew it was tres cool and I liked the ribbons and I had to get my hands on one.

Sally, who lives in the south of France, went up to Paris (hours away)  &  began her search....and....

Today a package with a hilarious 5 page note arrived at my office... I could not stop laughing.....it was the story of how Sally, thinking she totally remembered the store that sold them, walked all over Paris searching for it...everywhere.

She walked the whole length of the Marais browsing and keeping her eyes open for just that one store she was sure she remembered, stopping everywhere, asking everyone.

The bead shop lady sent her to one place, the shoe shop sent to her another, the Japanese storeowner sent her up another block.....she went up, she went down, she went perpendicular, she schlepped, she had a coffee and a little sit & proceeded again.
People who thought they had a clue had none ! She was walking in circles. Her feet ached.
Determined....she forged on! For hours.

She even went so far as to do a virtual tour on a computer and looked at building facades...she was on a ribbon mission. God Bless her !
She is one SERIOUS SHOPPER !!!!

FINALLY....SHE FOUND THE STORE...BUT...they no longer made that item. Oy vey!

HOWEVER...they did have JUST the ribbons.....YIPEE !
So...Sally got the ribbons and an adorable little keychain and told me to be creative.
Which I will be, but not today !
Today I am just so excited and still laughing !



I LOVE YOU Sally !

Just a quick FYI: The Ranger Alcohol Ink fillable pens and the Memory Capsules are now in stock. Most are already sold or accounted for, but it would be a good time to get your order in as they are shipping.

The Beauty Biz

Well....a free guest pass from a friend in the biz had me driving into New York City today (top down on the convertible, 90 degrees outside )  to see what the International Beauty Expo at the Jacob Javits Convention center was all about.

Well...let me tell you.....I have never seen so many hair products, nail polishes & accessories, blow dryers, flat irons, wigs (well get to them in a minute ), airbrushed body parts, spa products and all around colorful looking people in my life....BUT...was it fun...and artsy...it sure was !

Check out this painted guy...

and this gal is getting an "eyelash perm".. ..so help me. It's supposed to last 2 months. I swear !


By now I'm thinking...lotsa wigs....what the hell....everyone eggs you on...who am I to resist.....the Chinese lady kept saying...
"Lady, you try this one on "...so I did....

think that's scary...wait till you see this one....


dont ANYONE dare email me that they liked it.....I'll come through the screen and kill you.
oh.....Okay..I'm a good sport...I'm game for all this nonsense.

Like the lady who put glitter eyeliner on me.....


Yes indeedy...glitter...it's a GO !
and then nails....oh I found this way cool product (which I did have to buy in EVERY COLOR )

because it isn't a brush on product..its a pen that draws designs.

Holy smokes...THIS is just a bit overboard...even for me

Tomorrow I'll show you the "brushes" I got that are meant for coloring hair but I want to try them with Claudines paints !
I had a good time today..it was different.

Charity

When I find other Blogs I really like I can't wait to share them....I got to meet the very talented artist Jerri Kay a little while back & have shared her site before, but if you need fresh inspiration and want to go back to simply beautiful rubber stamped cards she is the one to keep inspiring you.

In the meantime....my "inspiring" project was to make a Tzedukah Box for my synagogue.
I'm picturing those of you who don't speak Hebrew saying a "WHAT ??" Box .

Ah c'mon....give it a try....slooooowly........Tza..duck..ka...you got it ! Now..what is it?
Aaaah....well, Tzedukah means Charity.

so...in essence, it is a charity box. It's not about how much or how little you put in it but the spirit in which you give. Same goes for deeds.
It's the same for all religions, right ?


so.....here is what i did...

1. Went to the craft store, bought a large solid (but hollow) unfinished wood block that was in the scrapbook aisle. They called it a photo block.
2. The Lenster cut me a slot to deposit money and a proper bottom for a bank.
3. Beeswaxed it. Several layers, wax, fuse, wax, fuse.
4. Put a layer of tissue paper over the 3rd layer of wax to give it texture. Waxed again.
5. Used Perfect Pearls and Rub n Buff over the waxed surface. Now it looked like metal.
6. Made a mold n pour mold of a large Mezzuzah (oops...another word !)


7. Filled mold with black UTEE from The Melting Pot
8. Used Gold & Silver Rub n Buff on the UTEE surface.
9. Attached molds to the box with a strong glue.
10. Bought Hebrew sticker letters at the Judaica store. Glossed over them with clear nail polish to be sure they stayed.
11. Added some nailheads to the top of the box.


Making this box is called "doing a Mitzvah" (good deed)....

another good deed I did was to make a donation to someone who desperately needs it.
Please take a moment to read Judy Wilkenfelds April 19th post on her blog regarding JoAnnA Pierotti's husband and do your best to help out as well.
He needs brain surgery and may only have a month or so without it. Donations are secure. JoAnnA herself is a breast cacer survivor. This is a family that needs a good deed.

Its a Diva Day

This afternoon, at 2:20 EST I'll be interviewed by the Scrapbook Diva, Danielle Forsgren and the Duke of Crafts, Rayme Sciaroni, about the project I did for their DESIGNING WITH THE DIVAS book.

It was a project showing how to make Faux Dichroic Jewelry (example below) using a CD and UTEE (page 24 of the book). So..tune in today to the Diva Craft Lounge


The Lenster put up some really great bird feeders this weekend so I am sitting on my patio with my large camera lens trying to get closeups of the finches, the orioles,  robins, bluejays, bluebirds, sparrows and hummingbirds. ..and the squirrels...because, as far as Im concerned, we have to feed all of them. And, beside, the squirrels are a riot when they jump from branch to branch trying desperately to get at the food.

I found this very good tutorial on YouTube from HERO ARTS. I think you'll enjoy it too.

and Julia Andrus has just done another one on her dry glazing technique

and now for something fun & uplifting.....get dancing...

Today we'll try this

The sun was shining big time in New Jersey today...so gorgeous & warm out...just no way I could sit in the house...so...I only got around to doing 2 small pieces....
but they are easy and doable and something that has a really cool look...give it a try...

Drop alcohol inks, directly from the bottle,  on a piece of memory glass.
Use Glossy Accents to adhere torn pieces of collage words and images to the backside.
Insert into a Memory Frame

SHORT, BUT SWEET !!!

Just stuff

Last night was girls night out. Several of my friends from my Temple have April birthdays so we celebrated at Connies house (uppper L). I love when you put the camera on the timer & you run into the picture ! See Suze Run.


 when i got home I had to catch IDOL on TIVO...and the results were just as expected...bye bye Anoop and Lil...
Adam's got it in the bag, I hope & pray! Can't wait for May 9th when tickets go on sale for the tour. I've been to every single Idol concert tour since the very first one. I'm a groupie.

MAKE A RING: I just uploaded a 30 second 'HowTo' video showing the wire from Belgium. Might help some of you wanting to know how to wrap a ring. There are no mistakes...you wrap any ole way you like...very easy. Just a couple of steps.

PROJECT FOR TODAY:
1. Color a CD with Alcohol Inks
2. Stamp on CD with Black Pigment Ink
3. Sprinkle on regular Gold embossing powder & heat emboss.




NOTE: I know many of you have signed the guestbook on my website to recieve the newsletter but, whoopsie...... I got hundreds of returned mail from earthlink and comcast subscribers because of your SPAM filters. If that's a problem you can read all the newletters on the site because we archive them under the SUZE SEZ header. Here's the latest.

BIG SALE: I want to have one hell of a live, in person Gar-ART sale at my office (1301 W. Park Avenue, Ste G, Ocean, NJ 07712)  on Sunday May 24th from 9-5.
Does this date sound okay for those of you in the NY/NJ/CT/PA areas? I know its the Memorial Day weekend.

My good friend Nancy Gall..Queen of Stamps...(whom many of you have seen at stamp conventions), will be joining me in this sale. She has more ephemera than God. We're doing a massive cleaning out of both of our collective excesses and, we're very excited to kiss it all goodbye. There will be stamps up the wahzoo !!!!
and.....jewelry components, beads, ribbons and trims, found objects and vintage treasures, paints, inks, tools, papers and more. It will be the ultimate shopping experience to stock up on all of your art needs. Everything will unbelievably priced to sell.

NY ART FAIR: This Fri & Sat is the COLUMBUS SPRING ART FESTIVAL 9am – 6pm (Columbus Ave. Bet 79th – 80th St.) in NYC. I go every year. It's fabulous. Last year we motorcycled  there ! Usually about 150 exhibitors.

Well.....it's time for lunch now...sushi????

Spinning out of control

I'm IN LOVE again !
My friend Debbie Tlach turned me on to the kids SPIN ART MACHINES.
I'd been doing the obvious...alcohol inks.
But then....I had a dream....it actually kept me up...what about wax...Holy S**T !
I couldn't wait to get to the machine again.

Listen to how simple....
1. Insert water color paper in the spinner tray
2. Turn machine on
3. Hold Hot Wax Stylus Tool over the spinning paper and touch it to a cube of wax.
4. Wax drips on the spinning paper and spreads out.
5. I even dropped some alcohol inks into the mix.








I love, love, love this technique......there aren't enough hours....


but I found some......extra hours that is....so, I diluted some of Claudines Studio Paints with water and gently poured them onto the spinning card. Once it dried I decided to try stamping on a part of the design using Rangers Black Pigment...

then I cut it up and made a card.


OH HAPPY DAY !!!!
Now I want to have 10 machines and make multiple mixed media art all at the same time!
Look out Toys r Us.......I'm a-comer !

Things from friends

Looks at this fantastic GARDEN CHIC stamp set from my friend JULIA ANDRUS

you can pre-order it on her site for under $20....and, get this..it is made from REAL RUBBER. That's the best part. They come on a laminated light weight panel with easy mount cling foam.

if you're local to the central New Jersey area, Ranger's own Patti Behan has all new scrapbook related classes coming up at the A.C. Moore in Middletown. Patti always shows a lot of great Ranger techniques.


Check out what Diane has done with her Melting Pot & Mold n Pour and why she can't believe it took her this long to get hooked !


See what designer Alisa Burke is doing with Claudines sticky back canvas...positively mahvelous earrings dahlink!
I forsee a whole necklace like this in MY future....


and what have I been doing....in between the teeth, the motorcycle and getting my nails done....LOL
well..try this....

1. Stamp on black cardstock with Rangers Black Pigment Ink
2. Brush over the image using Perfect Pearls.

that's it !

Remembering

Yesterday, despite it being a tad chilly The Lenster and I went on a motorcycle ride along with our group the HILLELS ANGELS and a NY group, the CHAI RIDERS, to attend a special 2009 HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE OBSERVANCE service at the city council building in Bayonne , New Jersey.

A few hundred people attended and clergy from all faiths spoke beautfully. Local government spoke as well.

A very special & unique teacher, Gene Woods (all of 27), was honored for the work he has done to promote awareness of the Holocaust. Mr Woods is a social studies teacher of World History and 20th Century American History at Bayonne High School and he had his 11th graders read "Night" by Elie Wiesel in order to have them connect with the Holocaust. The students did journal entires, poems, analytical essays, skits and each student had to choose a "friend" of Wiesels character in the book in order to become a part of that history.
The names of all the concentration camps were read out loud. Six survivors attended and lit memorial candles.
What is there to say.....it was such a moving day...and I did a very brief video showing just a few highlights. The actual service, speeches and honorings were too long to put on YouTube, but they'll remain with me for a long time.

The "paperclip" on this customized bike  is a symbol of the R2R... "Ride To Remember" the group took last year.
The wheels have Star of David spokes. The bike is a work of art.


Well...this morning began a new day....I was off for my Spay & Neuter Clinic volunteer thing..I love going to this and helping the kitties (my personal favorite)...BUT...I was running late, so, I threw some food in my car to eat on the way...bit into it and ......whoa.........BROKE MY FRONT TOOTH!!!!!

Did an immediate detour....to the dentist.....2 hrs later.....fixed...temporarily...more crowns now....whatz up with this !?
My teeth suck !

Come let us sing

Last night The Lenster and I went to a wonderful dinner dance from our synagogue. They were honoring the choir.
What to honor them with????  Who needs another plaque to hang on a wall ??

I offered my services....let's give them jewelry I said...tee hee...what else is there !!
By "offered my services" I kinda meant I'd make their gifts. I wanted them to be meaningful but not take overly long because I had to make A LOT OF THEM !!!
They did take me two weeks in all.

1 inch Memory frames seemed the perfect answer..add a hanging charm (from Michaels) and some rhinestones.

The long middle one was for our Choir director, Esther so I wanted it to be different and a little more special. The hanging charm (leaf) came from a bead shop. Of course I used UTEE, Zamora Beads and some Glitz Stickles.
Glitz Stickles are the answer to every design problem...got a blank space? UTEE didn't fill all the way? Glitz stickles fixes everything !
This particular jewelry finding comes from Amate.

The Hebrew was taken from Psalm 95, 'Come let us sing a song to God......'
very appropriate. I photocopied it from a prayer book & made the text smaller to fit the frames.

I also made each Choir member their own individual card using the gorgeous papers from Glitz Co. and personalized each one so they were all different. Lots of work...but, let it be known, these volunteer singers, with their gorgeous voices, were worth every minute of my time. Oh yes..the guys got key chains that I jazzed up !

MORE CRAFTING....
I don't get to stamp that often anymore...not sure why because it doesn't take that much time to do, but I remember that I used to love SOOT STAMPING.
Very simple.
1. Get a cheap candle...cheap..cheap..cheap. Try a birthday candle.
2. Hold a piece of glossy cardstock a  few inches over the candle flame
3. Watch dark soot form...don't set the paper on fire !
4. Press an uninked stamp into the soot residue
5. If you're happy wth the image take it outside and spray it with a sealer, like Krylon Crystal Clear

Today The Lenster and I are going on the Bayonne Holocaust Remembrance Ride with a huge group of motorcycle riders. There will be hundreds of bikers from throughout New Jersey and New York. Leaving soon...gotta get my leathers on !!!!!

Pictures tomorrow.