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More Enabling

YES....another very exciting day....a whole round of new people at my Stampers Ink classes today. I'm repeating the same classes I did on Thursday & Friday for this group ....so..we're waxing again and doing great UTEE projects.

I encourage everyone to take their time and relax...we don't watch a clock or rush !



The Beeswax Transfer technique is always a winner...

and, It's simple..
We worked on STAMPBORD.....a clay coated surface that is fabulous for beeswax.

1. Brush on a layer of melted beeswax
2. Use heat gun to go over the waxed surface only until wax becomes shiny. Don't overheat.
3. Repeat those steps a total of 3 times....wax, fuse, wax, fuse...etc.

4. On the last warm layer of wax place your toner copy (not ink jet) face down.
5. Lay a piece of waxed paper over copy and burnish it well so it really makes contact with the wax.
6. Remove waxed paper and apply small amounts of water to the backside of the copy.
7. Use fingers to remove the paper backing until image shows. Remove as much paper as you can.
8. Use a heat gun over the image. This will remove any additional "paper fuzzies". They become absorbed into the wax.

Here are samples I made in class as a demo.
I added embellishments...of course !

and....I often rubber stamp directly on the waxed surface.

and, I showed a napkin applied to a waxed frame that I started in class on Thursday...


but I finished it in todays class....I love it ! It looks like a watercolor.


The "pinkish" color comes from adding Magenta "To Dye For" to melted beeswax, brushing it on the surface, brushing on some Perfect Pearls and heating it with a heat gun to soften the effect.


and, here are some UTEE pieces the students did today.
1. Place a cookie cutter over a photocopy. Make sure the inside of the cookie cutter has been treated with some type of lubricant, like Clear Embossing Ink.
2. Throw in a few beads
3. Pour UTEE into cutter


VOILA



and this is also simple....
1. Place a photocopy into a Memory Frame (no glass involved)
2. Add To Dye For to melted clear UTEE
3. Pour into frame
4. Looks like colored glass


STOP only to EAT !

More tomorrow !!!!!

things are heating up....

WOW...it hit almost 100 degrees today, here in the land of OZ...but..it got even hotter in the classroom when we fired up the Melting Pots and the UTEE !

You know how excited everyone gets when they make those donut necklaces !

we use Teflon coated Mini Donut pans that come from www.cooking.com
They need no coating....just pour in the UTEE, let it completely cool, pop 'um out...put a ribbon or cord on them..wear it out. They always come out fabulous when you use the UTEE BRIGHTZ.


Then we moved on to the all time favorite of every class....Mold n Pour....students were digging through my box of items to mold and making a bazillion UTEE molds. They loved it !

The items below are all UTEE and these were done by adding blue "To Dye For" to Pearl UTEE...it created an amazing color which was enhanced with a little bronze Perfect Pearls dusted over the top.

When class ended I was dead (but, never to tired to pose for a great class photo)


.....but then.....I grabbed Tanya for more excitement and we scooted over to the Blue Gallery in the artsy Crossroads District to meet & greet my friend from California, encaustic artist Daniella Woolf.

Daniella's work was on exhibit. Her theme was "Away With Words".
(you have to see her body of  work up close & personel because it is a total oooh & aaah moment...here's a small wax oooooh)


 and she was also in town to teach at the Surface Design Association Conference, held downtown. Fiber artists from all over the country were there and I got to see 2 of the quilters that I'd met in the California encaustic classes that I took last year....what a small world.

Susan Else (L), Debbie Wambaugh, moi and Daniella.

BUT...as if that was not enough excitement for one day...OH NO...we were so tired (and I had to pee !!)...but....we flew over to the Suface Design Trunk Show at The Marriott when we heard there was stuff for sale......

....and oh..... dropped some moolah....yes indeedy....and..did I find STUFF ! You know...Suze..Shopping..one word !

but..I'm gonna save that for another day cause I want to turn you on to some interesting new people and what they make...so..stay tuned....
more Stampers Ink classes tomorrow and Sunday.....so much to report.

Thought for the day....
Starting something is the best way to finish something.
And just doing a teeny, tiny something, today, anything, from wherever you are, is the best way to start something.

Everything but the Ruby Slippers

But hey...no biggie...cause this class had the most wonderful group of people



 who not only loved the full day of Melting Pot fun but made the most fantastic finished projects and brought home made cooking for everyone to share at lunchtime!
Damn...home made food..potluck lunch...awesome...& these were just the desserts!


We started with beeswax....frames using napkins....





then I broke out the jewelry samples done with UTEE


Oh boy...everyone was doing the happy dance &  made lots of samples

and then everyone learned how to make The Leandra Bead


more happy dance day....and they took pictures of all the samples and bought tons of products !


tomorrow we'll play with the UTEE Brightz, metallics and Black...get out the dancing shoes !

I'm here to see The Wizard

I arrived today in Kansas....no Toto here and I did not have to click my heels together to get here...actually, I took Continental Express......, but, did I ever mention that my real middle name is Dorothy...that's the honest truth. Do you think my parents were able to foresee into the future ??!! Hmmm.....



In my case the Wizard would be Tanya Kostynuk, owner of STAMPERS INK in Shawnee. This is one really pretty lady...inside and out.


Do you love Tanyas necklace ?? I made it for her as a gift for inviting me..I'm going to teach at her beautiful store for 4 days and she sold out all the classes.




she also carries a ton of Ranger product and even has  several sections of Suze stuff...


I'm excited....today a few of the class ladies stopped by to get their shopping baskets started...dedicated shoppers...they also drove 3 hours to come to the classes.

I didn't forget about the leftover stamps from my office..I'll have to get to that after I get home...meantime, look forward to class posts if I'm not out looking for the ruby slippers.

Gar-Art Day

Well...the sale was a great success. people began showing up in our parking lot as early as 8:15 AM and we didn't open until 9.

I think rummaging through the boxes & boxes of stamps was a favorite for just about everyone.
The Lenster ran the cash register. He is the worlds BEST helper.

Nancy had tons of ephemera and other old, old stuff...it was just blowing out of there.
The pile of vintage magazines went home with happy camper Oxsana !

and I made Nancy stash away this old French book for me....from the 40's.....because of the most "unusual" advertising....can you believe it !!!!????

This is one of those times where when you say "Oh...I had to have it.....it had my name written all over it"...you actually meant it !!! LOL

My friends Kathy & Nedra came (as they always do...so supportive) and Kathy was wearing a fabulous necklace made of UTEE...that you would have sworn was real beach sea glass....she has thought up & developed a technique on how to do this...it's HER secret...I'm not allowed to share...yet !!!

But I can share a closeup that you can drool over !! There is no shine to these pieces...they look flat just ike sea glass. The "pearls" are polymer clay. Kathy is one super talented artist.

BUT...not to be outdone..... Nedra....another talent...made this unbelievable wall hanging as a gift for me. She makes them from Pony beads.....this just floored me...

yes...pony beads...yes...Mona Lisa. yes...the patience of a saint !

and, my last share of the day comes from my friend Estrella who has a brand new series of hand carved rock star images, Lennon, Joplin, Hendrix and Morrison that The Stampsmith has turned into rubber stamps. They can be purchased by contacting The Stampsmith and asking about them. They might not yet even be up on her website....but they are a must have.


Well.....there are still some stamps looking for a good home, so, tomorrow I'll post how you can get some. Now I must just put my feet up and watch a rented movie with the Lenster who is getting out the popcorn as we speak.

Memorializing Stuff

Well..it's time to say goodbye to stuff....

My good friend Nancy Gall, (whom I've known for a zillion years) , and I decided to hold a weekend Memorial Day Sale and get rid of stuff we've collected for years. I have enough stamps to open ten stores and Nancy has more old vintage stuff than a 1940's movie star.

The sale begins tomorrow at my office. Today we started getting it all ready
My stuff to the left, Nancy's to the right...c'mon down !

Her Eiffel Tower alone is worth the whole sale...I am tempted to buy it right from her...The Lenster would kill me...we're trying to get RID of stuff not add to it....

and, you really haven't seen the half of it.....!!!!

Tomorrow I'll post the results...in the meantime...hope all of you have the very best weekend and don't forget to remember our wonderful troops who fight for our freedom every single day.Memorial Day used to be called Decoration Day, remember ?

Playing Catch Up

Well, as you know, the ride from Savannah to Charleston by motorcycle was quite an adventure, but then i came home with a sore throat..so..I'd been laying low for a few days.

Then, needless to say, my boy Adam NOT WINNING American Idol did me in big time...but, never the less...I already have my AI concert tickets for August at the Pru Center - great floor seats - and I'll be there screaming for him along with everyone else.
Now, please don't write me about how much you really liked Kris or Danny...I ain't listening.

First I got cheated on Dancing With the Stars because Gilles should have won and then Adam...it was just not a good week....BUT...So You Think You Can Dance has just started and I'll be happy again soon.

So...whatz been up otherwise...well...my darling Sally in France found more of those delicious ribbons...

of course i didn't know that until I got to the office & opened up that beautiful purple envelope...Sally...you are simply a great, thoughtful friend who never stops amazng me.

Then...I was the winner on Sharilyn Miller's Blog....this has never happened to me B4.......I was one of many who posted comments and got randomly picked...and my present was this fabulous hand made sterlng silver butterfly ring...I am falling over from excitement !!!

The butterfly is not stationary...he moves...it's really terrific. Now if I could just do something about those wrinkly fingers...LOL.

I went to a surprise Bday party for my good friend Connie (holding the drink )and we gals knew how much she likes to support charities so we gave her one check from all of us for her favorite charity as our gift.

But, seperate and apart from that I personally have her the book I'm currently reading (her own copy, of course) called The Good Book by David Plotz....it is really a great read..it's almost like a blog on the bible...very funny, very informative and just a great adventure.

Well....tomorrow is massage day and then, this weekend will be the big Memorial Day GAR-ART sale at my office with my friend Nancy Gall....if you live in NJ and want to come we're at 1301 W. Park Avenue, Ocean, NJ 07712, Sunday 9-5....C ya !!!

Frankly Scarlett.......

I know...its been days since I posted....its been so busy here in Savannah with the 36 motorcycle clubs and hundreds and hundreds of bikers all here for the same purpose...to raise funds for Holocaust education...which they have...over $50,000.

My middle son Lee (Air Force, Florida) was sent to Savannah on a military  assignment and he's here at the same time as we are. Fabulous timing !  He picked me up at the airport. This was such a nice thing because I don't get to see Lee all that often.

Savannah is amazing for its college of art & design (SCAD) and all the phenomenal art & boutique type shops. It's a feast for the eyes....& the pocketbook. A shopping mecca.
Not to mention the pecan pie at the trendy Gryphon Tea Room...oh Lordy

and Pizza at the Mellow Mushroom

and home to the Girl Scouts and those beautiful Spanish Moss trees and the 3rd oldest synagogue in the U.S. which is gothic in design and actually resembles a church inside..it's incredible looking.

but now...let's discuss the weather...remember..I came here to go on a motorcycle ride from Savannah to Charleston SC (2 hours) ....and so did all the other hundreds of bikers....and when I checked the weather from home before I left it said sunny, high 80's.....it lied !


pouring, teaming, torrential rain....even all the rain gear did nothing to help....drenched to the bone....nothing like wet undies!!! Oh Yuck !

Lee rented a bike and joined us for the whole trip...that made it all worthwhile. He and his dad not only look alike but share the same love of bikes.

My trip was completely worthwhile...I took tons of pix and lots of videos but just wanted to get something up here because I didn't want anyone to think I dropped off the planet.
They say the bad weather that's here is moving up to New Jersey...so..cross your fingers that I am able to fly home today...I hear it's foggy and rainy already !

Ornate Plates

Tim has these cool ornate plates in his Idea-ology collection that I think were designed for scrapbooking, but, since I don't scrapbook I have been using them for jewelry designs. We just got them in today so I wanted to get this idea right up.


I use them with....what else...UTEE.
and with molds that I make from Mold n Pour.

It's pretty simple actually.
Make a mold of an interesting object...let say a face from a small statue or a charm
Lay the ornate plate on top of the mold and pour melted UTEE into the space making sure it fills the plate enough to attach to the backside of the plate.
If it doesn't stay in you'll have to glue it in or remelt the UTEE and begin again.
Thats how I made this ladies face....a mold & some UTEE topped with a dusting of Perfect Pearls.


Now, on this one, below, I used a piece of paper and stamped on it, then poured in the UTEE to fill. Simple, fast, great looking.


and, I use collage pictures. Don't be afraid to use alcohol inks on the plates to alter the color a bit.


these techniques are not all that different than pouring UTEE into Memory Frames or the Amate Ring Blanks which I've shown before.

When you read this I will be on the plane heading off to Savannah Georgia to meet up with The Lenster...I'll fill you all in later...its gonna be exciting !

Some Tales to Spin

First Spin......try to tune in to HSN tomorrow (Monday, May 11) at 10 AM Eastern time. I couldn't make it down to Florida to do the segment, but Abby Riba will be showing the Hot Wax Stylus tool and that's a good time to pick one up (or an extra one) at a special price and get some wax to go with it.

Second Spin....Today, being Mothers Day was really special.
I went with my oldest son Marc, my daughter Jennifer an youngest grandchild Jared to see Kooza, Cirque du Soleil at Randalls Island, NY. It was shown under a huge tent..it was fantastic. Lots and lots of spinning. It's not to be missed.

As you approached the big tents it looked like something out of the Wizard of Oz !

The Finale. You weren't allowed any pictures during the show. I grabbed the camera at the end, snapped & ran !

Tried on a few masks too.

and, if you were wondering where's The Lenster....well....

he, and his Motorcycle Club The Hillels Angels, biked out today on their way down to Savannah Georgia to meet up with other bike groups for what is called "The Ride To Remember". They raised a large sum of money for Holocaust education and every year this group does a R2R. They have been all over the United States.

I will fly down on Wednesday and meet up with The Lenster and the group ...I'll ride on the bike with them the 110 miles from Savannah to Charleston, South Carolina to the Charleston Holocaust Memorial, attend services and fly back home on Saturday.

AND NOW....The Final Spin....On You Tube
Jared...who is 6 loves using my Spin Art machine wth Alcohol Inks (as I've mentioned in previous blogs). Well...with his mommys permission I filmed him and she said it was okay to put it up...so..if you're thinking about trying this....it's as easy as childs play !
Take The Spin !