SuzeBlogz

Live Long & Prosper

and now...with the new beginning for the franchise, I believe we all will.

because....as you can see...they've made me a Commander !

Does this give you just the slightest clue about how much I LOVE STAR TREK !!!!
I even have a pair of Spock ears in a drawer somewhere in the house...I'd really have to search (The Search for Spock Ears,  LOL) !
I have been to a lot of their conventions...and proud of it !
don't miss the new movie !!!!!   The Lenster and I went on opening day. LOVED IT !

Remember the beeswax collage I did a few days ago...with the Shellac? Remember I said I'd have to frame it and hang it before I changed my mind and remelted it...well...I not only found a frame hiding in the garage, I found two...so..I made a partner for it.


Those old window frames make great frames and I added a few UTEE pieces to it.

The picture I used on this one came from the Anthropologie catalog that I picked up when i was there the other day and I glued on a few beads. They are a perfect pair and now they're hanging. !

I've also started a new wax collage frame, using melted wax colors. I set up a few melting pots with project pans and melted some of the cube colors so i could brush them on. I used a round cookie cutter to impress into warm wax (not hot).
Fusing in between layers helped me to move around the colors. I also applied a little bit of the dry brush technique.


Tomorrow is Mothers Day and I'll be off to see Kooza Cirque du Soleil....will report back ASAP !
In the meantime....don't forget to look at the really cool new Arrow Pendants and the House Pendant

and EVERYONE HAVE A FABULOUS MOTHERS DAY !

Get the Ark ready

Damn...what is up with the weather...

it's enough already...I don't know how to swim but I'm learning fast, let me tell you !

However...being stuck in keeps you productive...and since we JUST got in these darling Arrow pendants from Amate I've been even busier...

 

The neat thing is you can fill them, pour hot melted clear UTEE over the filling and once it cools you pop it out of the pendant. It's not permanent till you glue it in. So, if you don't like it, or you change your mind, you can re-do it over and over.

Same for the ring blanks. Pour it in, pop it out, glue it in. Easy art!

The rain let up for a tiny bit so I scooted over to Anthropologie for my monthly home decor fix. I've said this before...whomever merchandises their stores is a genius.

Check out what they're doing with clipboards as a way of showing off merchandise. This display was behind the counter...and..they are so nice in my store...I ask if I can take pictures and they say YES !


This was a jewelry display behind glass


Now...if you think THAT'S clever...here's what they did with plain cloth..or maybe they were rags..who knows..


and I really loved this storage idea....it looks super simple to make one.


I'd love to visit their art department...they obviously have some very clever people working there.

The Divorce Party

Aha..that got your attention.....well...relax........we're not talking about me.

The Lenster and I were invited to a happy party....our friend Barbara threw herself an "I'm so happy to finally be divorced" party for all the friends that were supportive of her when she was going through that tough time. At 9 this morning it became final.....Barb is a happy camper now !

We decided to give her some thoughtful gifts....

First we bought her a favorite of ours...we have one in OUR house just cause it's so hysterical....
It's the Voodoo Doll Toothpick Holder. It makes every party "painfully amusing " and it's very good for emergency hexes !

Then I happened upon this really good book at a local store called "Ever Wonder" (ISBN # 978-888387-55-1) which is comprised of questions to ask and live into the answers. Things like "What do you pack to pursue a dream and what do you leave behind?"
Or, "What difference does it make if the things you are scared of are real or not?", and another "Who are 'they' that they hold so much power over our lives"...and so on.

and lasty I made her a bracelet. The main piece says "BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE" and the SS componants came from Hip Chick Beads.

we had a really fun time...all friends, all laughter, all funny stories, all good toasts and then I came home for the end of American Idol....not that I think for one minute that America got it right !!!!! Oh well...that's life.

You're Fired !

okay...still raining.....I'm gonna need an ark soon....

It's Cinco de Mayo......a day of celebration......so today I'm celebrating with another strange experiment.

My friend Sylver wanted to know if I needed any special credentials to do this......nope.....you just need to be a little weird.

Opened the windows, turned on the fan..needed good ventilation.

Got out the Claybord...love it. I referenced it in yesterdays blog.
Brushed on and fused 3 layers of beeswax

Took a paper towel and dabbed  SHELLAC on cooled waxed surface
Threw Perfect Pearls onto the wet shellac.

Used a paper towel to spread the PP into the shellac

Took a small flame torch and starting setting fire to the shellac spots.
Ooooh..it was such fun.....and Ooooh I was freaking out  ! And, oh...the house stank and so did my hands...didn't care....

what cool effects it made......I knew I was gonna love this....it made pits and holes & I'm not sure what else.
I kept adding....more of this...more of that....I got out the metal brush that comes with the Hot Wax Stylus tool and brushed texture into the cooled piece.

Added a few dark papers,  more this and that then waxed on a photocopy of a picture I took last year when I was in Bali. Sadly the photograph doesn't do justice to the deep texture and rich color on the actual piece.

 

Here are some closeups of the amazing textures you can get doing this

Very pitted, very altered......so HOT it's COOL !

This one I might have to hang before I blow up the house !

Karma ?

This is what it looked like again today..... duh....

It must be as the golf ball predicts....


because The Lenster played golf today...a tournament, in the rain. Poor guy. That's two days in a row he had outdoor obligations and it rained !


I ventured out, but only cause Chicos is having a sale starting Thursday and I wanted them to put stuff on hold for me....obsessive compulsive help the economy person that I am !

Then I came home and decided to try some alcohol inks on white claybord with a beeswax overlay. It seemed more productive than watching TIVO !

Okay...so....I just dropped the inks directly on the surface from the bottle. These inks LOVE claybord

I have to admit..I had absolutely not one clue about where this was going...I'm not sure I do now either, but, experimenting is always a good thing..,so....forging on....

Brushed a layer of beeswax over the inks (they were dry), fused with my heat gun, brushed more, fused...did a few layers.

Added a piece of Asian writing collage paper, brushed, fused and then began scraping away some of the wax layers just to give it a texture

Then I used my mesh roller doodle to impress a pattern into the wax that remained.

Then I brushed on some Perfect Pearls around the white edges and added some gold Rub n Buff to the mesh texture

Added a rub on from the OWL collection, attached some Memory Glass that I'd alcohol inked (one of which I broke in half for the effect)
and called it a day !


Here's a closeup of the elements.


Good solid rainy day fun.
if the sun doesn't come out tomorrow I might just remelt and start over ! !

A lazy day

rain...rain...rain....it's not supposed to happen in May in New Jersey. And the poor Lenster. Once a year he goes for his motorcycle safety test which is an all day thing OUTDOORS...rain or shine.

I decided to spend the kind of useless wet day to play with some of Claudines sticky back canvas. My favorite thing is printing on it using my Epson R1800 ink jet. I've somehow managed to collect a lot of tin boxes so I've been covering them with the printouts.
This box originally came from Fossil watches. The design was one I did as a free download on my website last month. There's a different one this month.

This collage was one of the first I ever did on the website and I used it to cover a round tin.

The free download this month is the Buddah with Purple Flower.

I thought I'd also show you how I keep my fibers. I found both of these items at my local Home Goods. This one's kinda "handy"...LOL

and I love the mirror glass


that's it boys & girls...just a lazy day!

and we need more beads, because???

Aaah...the silliness of that question....
because they were there...that's why!
Because I'm a freakin shopaholic...that's why!

The Lenster and I went to the Bead & Wire show in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania today.

Damn, it's intimidating....there were so many beads, and so much wire and everything looked like something you had to have. There's not enough time in your life to use everything. I was doing really well till I found all the little charms and some cool brass findings. Heaven help me !

The brass, above,  came from Kabela Design 
they had some lovely and unusual pieces. Their website gives their show schedule too.

And award winning polymer clay artist Lynne Ann Schwartzenberg had some of her phenomenal artistry on display using the Kabela brass findings as her backing pieces. I was in awe. ATTENTION PEOPLE >>> She gives classes !!

 


If you were looking for chains.....there were a zillion booths with all different kinds.

so, I'll just post some of the creations I was able to get some shots of....
in no particular order (as they say on Dancing with the Stars)....

This is a Susan Lenart Kazmer bezel that someone made. Her bezel shapes are fantastic.

A unique Bead display.


I always enjoy seeing Hip Chick beads...she has very cool words stampings. All sterling silver.


Some ideas from displays.....






and..I got REALLY excited when I saw THIS.....whoa.......


Trays of Bake-o-lite...if you're into that 50's style

and Jennifer Perkins darling book was there too.

and African beads...big trend

and lots of color


what a fun day I had....The Lenster is always a really good sport. Tomorrow is HIS day !

Okay....last thing for tonight....dont miss Patti Behans newest 5 minute video tutorial on her blog...this is a girl who always comes up with the most fun projects.