SuzeBlogz

A visit with Kecia

Isn't it funny that you have friends that live really close  but you rarely see them except at trade shows when you're 3,000 miles away !!??

Kecia Frazee Deveney lives 20 minutes from me but we never seem to be able to hook up...until today...

OH BOY...what a treat this was...

first...Out for sushi...of course...

Loved the paper origami swans at the restaurant

and then the grand tour of Kecias house

Okay...it's not exactly fair to say it's 'just a house'....

when you walk into Kecias house you walk into the most eclectic wonderland ever...

Kecia spends a lot of time browsing flea markets...you can't miss that element on every turn...she's an incredible bargain hunter

she has 5 pets...3 dogs, 2 cats...what a hoot. Some were not camera shy...

and she has lots of 'loves' all around the house

she's a master at altering just about anything.

My very favorite was this incredible light fixture that Kecia made from scratch from a find at a flea market... she used old glass bottles and christmas twinkle lights and attached them to old table legs.

it's like something you'd see at Anthropologie !! I wanted to rip it off the wall and take it right home !!

Same for her work space...the tile table...another flea market find.

The guest bathroom is completely decorated with findings


and even the back of the door has been hand painted by Kecia

Over her bed she has taken an old duvet cover and made a canopy

My mind was boggled....

in the dining room area, which is actually Kecias sewing area, she has altered this piece of furniture

and in the living room area she has this chandelier

and this altered torso

everywhere you turn has been either stenciled or painted or mosaic tiled..by Kecia...where does she find the time !!!

but thats not all...she finds great flea market storage for her flea market finds

I felt like I could just 'go shopping' right in her living room !!

she also collects MOO business cards...and hangs them

she is bold and daring....not all of us could go this far and be okay with it...it is who she is !!

Kecias specialty is her amazing soldering and jewelry..she has an ETSY site.GO VISIT

I had such a urge to go flea market shopping after I left her house...good thing they don't open till the weekend !!!

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However...I did pass these meat eating birds of prey on the way home....maybe it was an omen !!!

Neck Pain !

if you have ever tried beading for 5-6 hours straight you surely know from neck pain. And shoulder pain. Today I am but one big pain !!!

But...to be brief cause its bedtime now...

I managed to get 6 new items done...and up on ETSY... 






just go have fun checking them out. Tomorrow I'm off to spend the day with artist Kecia Frazee Deveney who lives close by and has a faaaahbulous studio.

It'll be a sushi lunch and a play date !!

sketching more

thought I'd offer up some more of the talent we saw at the Sketchbook Project yesterday

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apparently The Lenster and I were spotted by a fan !!! I look so intent !!!

remember...as I said...many of the books were amazing but some were totally off the wall ridiculous and some were just plain poop. People used all kinds of things, pencil, type, crayons, watercolors, pulls outs, cut outs, rubber stamps, ..you name it...ANYONE CAN DO THIS.

The Brooklyn Art Library also had things for sale like this cool magnifying glass

so you can examine all your wrinkles up close & personal

and many many books and blank journals with fun covers

and they had some old items for sale too...I behaved...I didn't leave them any of my moolah..I saved it for something I bought online..***more on that down below...

Next year when this project becomes available again...SIGN UP ! You won't be sorry.

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so...what did I buy ***online...something that was shown at CHA...and won best of innovation award....OH BOY...

its a little portable scanner ! It is freakin' wonderful. I scanned this beautiful card that was sent to me on Valentines Day by my talented friend Gwen Emanuel in Pennsylvania
Gwen is not only a certified Pergamano teacher but check out her expertise with Zentangles.

 

Blogger buddies...go buy a FLIP-PAL...take it with you EVERYWHERE !! It IS Portable...size of an Ipad !!!

oooooooooh!!!

much to share

as Martha would say..."It's a good thing" 'specially when there's so much to share.

Lets start with this gorgeous girl...

Miss Lisa Pace

 
we finally got to meet at CHA and its was like an instant love fest.

It had to be the red headed connection !

Lisa loves UTEE and I have crowned her the next Queen of UTEE...since I have retired. Someone has to be Queen. She deserves it. Don't yell at me...yes she does !!!

Lisa loooooves jewelry and she perused my ETSY shop and found the little number with the vintage lucite beads and the glittery rhinestone bird....SOLD to LISA !!!

Now...the fun part is..she took that snapshot of herself...one of those people with nice long arms who can hold the camera out and snap it at the same time ! The only other Lisa I know who has perfected this trick is the pixie fairy queen herself,  Lisa Kettell  (l) !!!

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More sharing......and more UTEE

Looks what Becky Olsen has come up with using metal, Perfect Pearls, Graphic 45 paper and UTEE...

check out her step by step right HERE !

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now...let me tell you where I went today...

The 2011 SKETCHBOOK PROJECT began its nationwide tour today at the Brooklyn Art Library in New York.

10,000 sketchbooks were available for perusing

it was overwhelming and obviously you could never see them all...not even in a weeks time.

So..this is how it worked. You signed in and if you were one of the artists you got a little sticker..

then you 'registered' and got a 'library card'

you took the card to one of the facilitaters and they handed you 2 books from one of the many subjects. You could ask for a specific subject. You could repeat this process all day...you got 2 books at a time, each time.

Of course I asked to see my own book...

and I wanted to see others that were in the same category I had originally picked "Coffee & Cigarettes"

and here are some of the pages from a few other books...

and of course we tried to look at some other categories as well...just way too much to take in

It was a dazzling display and I have many more images that I will share over the next day or two.

all of it was very inspiring and gave me an even better clue as to what to do when it comes around next year. There is nothing to be intimidated about with this project...as you can see....ANYTHING GOES. Some people were sketch artists and some cut & pasted, and some...well, some were just plain horrible....but...all in all...it was a visual treat.

and a terrific ride into my home town of Brooklyn & back through Manhattan where grafitti reigns supreme...

and you get to see great architecture

and a terrific view of the Manhattan skyline from the Williamsburg bridge

the evening came to a lovely end...sushi dinner with our oldest son Marc and two oldest grandkids, Michael 15 & Alyssa 13.

A GREAT DAY !

well, la de dah

not every single day can be filled with blog-worthy stuff, but yesterday certainly was

I think I probably have more pictures of Julianna Hudgins and myself eating at PF Changs than I do of my grandkids !

did you ever notice the PF Changs cute horsey tush???

awwww..it has a heart on it. A butt heart !!!

You'll also notice that oddly, we never age !!! Every pix I have of us in that restaurant looks exactly the same...same booth..same pose...it hysterical !

We live 2 hrs from each other so we always meet up in the middle at The Promanade Mall in Marlton, NJ...notice I said MALL...as it is a fantastic outdoor adventure !

Lunch can never be just a simple thing...we bring stuff to show & tell. Last month we did wire wrapping in the booth..this time Julez brought some of her amazing beaded creations

she was wearing this one...that little show off !

if you bead you know how much time & work goes into these pieces. She has turned them into little pockets and they are filled with a precious rock or stone.

oh, but thats not all she does....oh no...these were her FIRST dabblings in PMC (precious Metal Clay)...like duh !!!

and what did I contribute to this artistic afternoon...

I gave Julez great IPhone lessons cause I am attached at the hip to my "God" !! If I might say so myself..I give the BEST iPhone lessons !!

Yes...my iPhone is like God to me...if it isn't with me at all times I might have a minor anxiety attack !! Oh, and see my little green PoGo stick? Get yourself one....the Apple store has them or they are online. Its a Stylus for the iPhone/iPad ! Can't be without mine. I'm a sicko! Have several !! What if I misplace one ??

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Ok..so on with the show...now mind you...all of these pix were done on my IPhone.....

after dessert (oh that mini red velvet thingie again)

we do the fortune cookie thing....

and you can see how badly 4 weeks without a manicure made MY purple nails look !!!! Just look at that growth !!

oh sorry...we were moving on...

The Purple Hat ladies were lunching as well

Im sorry nice ladies but you will NOT ever see me in one of those things !!! Its just not happening anytime soon !

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next door to PF Changs is the fabulous ANTHROPOLOGIE store. This is one of their bigger stores....

now you know I flip out over ANTHRO. Everything is HIGHLY overpriced but so freakin' cool you don't much care because you come away with great ideas and inspiration

like this display...

I'm already envisioning telling The Lenster that I want to hang fabric from the ceiling wrapped in hemp. Yeah..that's gonna go over big !!

or cover a letter with puffy fabric

now...someone tell me how they are growing succelents sideways on the wall cause I WANNA DO IT and I wanna do it now  !! What the hell glue is holding those rocks in ??

and paper flowers...everywhere..paper..big..but we paper lovers knew that, right?

paper, yes

and...could you possibly need a plate or a plant holder??

a doorknob perhaps ?

and whats with the Domino Sugar packets in the bowls??

got cups ??

Im tellin' ya...ANTHRO has it all. And while Im sure most of it is made in China it sure is cool looking!!

Just like Julez...she's cool looking too.....!!!

so..I'll depart todays blog with just a few extra snaps of their groovy, wonderful, innovative stuff

and I think we should all go and flick some paint right now !!

Always Bizzie

I can't believe that from the time I decided to "maybe do an ETSY shop" to the moment I launched it and told people...I sold 5 pieces ! Like...hello.......for heaven sake !

Well..that depleated things...(LOL) so I made one new thing today

it uses a vintage lens

and some lovely bright blue Swarovski crystals, pearls,and that pretty leaf chain...heck...just go check it out HERE

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meanwhile it was a busy weekend with Valentines day & The Lensters Birthday all rolled into one

we decided to take up the offer for $15 off at one of our favorite sushi places and celebrate The Lensters Birthday

is this a handsome 69 or what !!!

on Saturday we went with our friends Gail & Jerry to a local performance of The Wedding Singer. The cast was amazing and the show was completely hilarious.

Sunday was our annual Valentines brunch/dance. People in The Lensters industry (he's a marine engineer) throw this soiree every year at The Landmark in East Rutherford, NJ

Families take their kids

they have face painting

a magician complete with the requisite 6 year old bunny named BooBoo

and he invited kids up to help him do tricks

 

of course some people act younger than others....nuff said...

all the ladies got a rose

and there's dancing, they have a huge give-away raffle (a cruise somewhere...we didn't win !!), delicious food (choice of 3 things to pick from) and a TON of desserts

plus a popcorn machine and a cotton candy machine

and ice cream, and gummy bears

and cake, cake, cake

& more cake !

I loved my date !! You can see why we enjoy going every year.

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I'm working on planning a trip that the Lenster and I will be taking in August.  We're going to Lisbon, Portugal. I've been to Faro Portugal but not Lisbon (except to change planes)

I'm going to take some classes from Michael deMeng. I've taken a class from Michael B4 and it was the most terrific experience. He's a friend & an exceptional teacher. Now we'll turn it into a vacation as well.

From there we thought we'd go to Spain...anyone got any suggestions for a few days stay ???

 

did someone say retirement was quiet ??!!

Gifts

so nice when a friend makes something and gives it to you.

That gorgeous Angela Bannatyne in sunny Orlando, Florida made me this brooch and matching ring with a honkin big "diamond" in the center. I'm still swooning over it. Perfect on my jeans jacket. Luuuuv U Angela !

 

Roberta Lee Woods, Santa Cruz, California....wax artist extraordinaire

 

gave me this necklace (front)

(Back)

its just gorgeous in its simplicity. Here's what Roberta describes...

          "its made from stampboard.
       One side is clay coated to take ink
           i used a series of 
        catseye stamps for basic color, 
       joss paper that I aged is on the back, 
     jacqaurd gold paint on the edges, 
            colored hemp 
    for the cord, a pretty shell bead 
                as an accent, 
       a black skeleton leaf and some 
     mica chips on the top, drill a hole, 
      and sit back and wait for the 
            diamond glaze to dry."

    We just need to get Roberta a little more hooked 
            on using Ranger products !! 
    Glossy Accents instead of Diamond Glaze !!

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I gave myself a prezzie....this pin cushion (that I couldn't resist when I was in CA)..I know...don'cha just love it !!

now, how many of you remember that I got a pattern to make a bag from some drapy oilcloth and some other very cool fabric

....well...my intentions were good...I did intend to make it

I gave it a Gung HO start

and then...(lets sing together) WELL...Along Came Wendy... and her wizardry at the wheel skills ....and BINGO...

with a little trim supplied by Judy

CHECK IT OUT...Wendy whipped it out & finished it for me

whad'da I mean 'finished it for me'...she freakin made the whole thing !!

You know what's so funny....these prints are so NOT my usual style..I can see Claudine or Michelle Bernard drooling over them. I'm usually a brown or black girl.....but.... they can't have it cause IT'S MINE !!!...and, I cant wait till summer to use it.

Judy put in a snap, Wendy lined it and made extra pockets...I mean, its fabulous!!! F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S !!!

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well..no grass is growing under MY feet as they say

I decided to do an ETSY shop

maybe you'll enjoy checking it out ! It's called FANCYSCHMANCY

Here's some pieces that just went up today

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Planning your summer art events? Come and take classes at INSPIRED

May 11-14

I'LL BE THERE....DOING TWO COOL 90 MINUTE CLASSES...

Embassy suites 5400 John Q. Hammons Drive NW Concord NC, North Carolina 28027 http://www.embassysuitesconcord.com
 
come join in my fun !!!

Oh yeah....The Party

Back on January 26th my daily 'TUT...a note from the Universe' (that comes in my email)  said

"In many regards, Suze, it's as if everyone is playing a giant board game, and this time around you chose the Suze Weinberg token. Clutch!

Now, the object is not to buy properties, or to contort your body, or to vote others off, but simply to like all that Suze Weinberg likes, to choose all that Suze Weinberg wants to choose, and to follow Suze Weinberg's heart, all in the tiny little turn you're given.

Proceed directly to "GO," and collect your very own house key -
    The Universe"

I thought...how amazing...TUT actually knows me....!!!!

I, Suze Weinberg,  want to celebrate each and every phase of my life with vim & vigor...so..let's gets this out of the way and quash all the rumors...because they're true

YES....

I HAVE RETIRED !!!

It became official at this CHA. The Ranger gang made me this fabulous card which everyone signed

I thought...this is just so nice..and then...

WOW

They gave me a fabulous gift certificate to CHICOS..I think you can tell I was stunned !!!

and then....

out came the cake

a delicious yummy amazing cake

it told me to keep schmoozing..which I will, of course !!!

Claudine & Carmi

Ludmilla & Tim

Mario & Teresa

The Rangerettes

Wendy, Linda & Linda

OK....now that the gasping has stopped...here's what it doesn't mean

It doesn't mean I'm still not going to be ME.

I am NOT going to stop being artistic or creative..I am not going to disappear or stop blogging & tweeting...I am not totally going to give up teaching (just occasionally !)...and I am not going to stop enjoying every single day.

I am going to do some consulting for Ranger for the next few years  & promote Ranger products in any way I can. UTEE and the Melting Pot are not going anywhere (they are still Ranger products) ....and I am going to finally be able to TAKE some classes from other artists....

but from now on...no more schlepping or demoing...YES !

I have wanted to retire since last year and now was a perfect time for it. The Lenster and I can travel more and do other things a lot more freely. So..for the people who stopped me at CHA and said "OMG...what will you do with yourself".... R U kidding me !!!

EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING I WANT

I've been in the craft industry 30 years, the last 15+ with Ranger. I feel like the Regis Philbin of crafts !!!!..If Regis can retire....I can too....!!! it was the right time.

Be happy for me cause I am V-E-R-Y happy !!!

 

Homeward Bound

I never think of it as 'over"...just another journey to something else. Right now I'm sitting at San Jose airport, ordering lunch and waiting for d'plane!! Good time to do some re-caps of the last day of the wax on paper class at WaxWorksWest.

On paper that the gals brought back from Korea (like a mulberry) we did some bleach doodles.

 
I did the alphabet...of course !

we left them outside in the beeeeeautiful sunny weather to drty. Once they dry we rub off the bleach partiucles. The bleach spreads out on the paper quite a bit

then we take them to the huge pan filled with melted Beesax Medium (Medium is a combination of beeswax and Damar Resin) and coat the bleached paper. This will all be incororated into small books at the end of class. I made 3 small books...this is one of them.

BTW... The BEST medium comes from Clairvoyant Encaustics.

Oh...now about the 'holes' on the wax...that was a cool technique...using insence sticks...burn thru lighweight paper

then brush medium over the page

and in the end it will go in the book

we also made rusted paper

by spraying 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 water (all done outside )

and left overnight to dry.

There were several layers, which also included fabric, that we rusted.

The results were amazing...and then they were waxed..

to be included in our books

the fun never stopped... writing in sumi ink (outside)

and then we hung them to dry overnight

and next day...whadd'ya think...but them up, added textures, waxed them..they were amazing

well....the airplane is calling..

next blog from home and I'll fill you in on so much more...

in the meanwhile...

go catch a class at WaxWorksWest...Corralitos, CA

the best thing you'll ever do for yourself !!

Bye Wendy, Judy, Daniella....love you..and thanks for EVERYTHING !!!

cowabunga..!

 

Some of you have told me you'd love to go on a shopping adventure with me. COME ONE....COME ALL....Shopping with the WaxWorks Girls is the ultimate fun experience. Sometimes you flip your lid over the things you see !! This is my 'serious' artist friend Wendy posing as...a tomato??

hip, hip hooray I say ! No cat & mouse games here...

so...for those battling the snow & ice back home, I'll rub in  some cheer......here the flowers are blooming

the pussywillows are in bloom (this blew me away)

and now.... I'm into a whole new line of work... 

I think I'm gonna become a shopping Streetwalker !

This was Not formally The Lenster !!!





 






inspiration abounds ! I was flipping out ! Every new shop was another little 'sigh' !

HERE...I'll sigh some more....

how many people do we know who are like this ? LOL



 someones clever idea... PAPER blocks...great for assemblage


overload...overload....

BIG SIGH !

NOT done yet....

completely vintage

make believe vintage !

cork...yes cork...

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after the shopping overload we went to the Montalvo Arts Ctr where they had a cool display called "Cease & Desist". Kinda obvious the Mars candy people didn't want anyone using their brand outside of their control. They sent an actual Cease & Desist letter concerning this wearable art by Charlotte Kruk.

The actual "Cease & Desist" letter was carved by an artist into this vase. Amazing.

WOW...we did a lot in one day...but, the journey continues...a visit to Judys house & apple farm..this was just fantastic for me...

this is Judys bedroom door...outside and inside..painted by artist Carol Bowie

check out these chair covers (thats Judy)

and this Jester chair...

G-R-E-A-T  Day...G-R-E-A-T friends..

Wendy & Judy, real sisters..my adopted sisters

tomorrow....classes at Wax Works ...you wont want to go away !!!!