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Yes...turkey day is tomorrow...I send all of you wonderful warm and heartfelt greetings for a brilliant holiday
filled with love, peace and family and lotsa good food !!
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I've been keeping pretty busy
if you're feeling a little Looped today...
are you a member ?
and I'm adding more and more....You can't imagine how busy I've been stayin'
Holidays are coming..so tell hubby to visit
XXXOOO
aaah, it's Sunday...best day to take a wonderful, exciting, enjoyable class
especially when the one giving it is Mary Jane Dodd. She is extraordinary.
she's a wonderful teacher, with great samples, very inspiring and ALWAYS helpful.
So..we begin...first we cut some shapes
then filing
and measuring
and cleaning, and sanding, and stamping (with Stazon)
then etching (which I'd learned from her before !)
then baking soda to neutralize, scrubbing, washing, sanding more, punching the holes with a large punch
Mary Jane always helping....
using jumbo crimps as the 'rivets' (another trick I'd learned earlier from Mary Jane)...
and hammering (go Lena, go !)
then Mary Jane cut copper rings for us, measured out the solder and showed us how to brush on the flux (all a first for me !!)
and we begin to assemble everything and fire away !! (at least I knew how to use a torch!!)
after soldering some of us left the copper alone with just the flame color (which is stunning) and some put it in liver of sulpher to blacken it some. I did one of each.
now we fill with resin. For class Mary Jane likes to use Lisa Pavelkas' Magic Glos
because we are able to cure it in 15 minutes under a UV light.
this was the best part...just waiting a mere 15 minutes for the gorgeous results. Now here's another cool thing...Lisas resin can be built up. Layer upon layer...put in a small amount..cure it...lay an object in, add more resin, cure it..and so on.
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so....you know me...I had to complete my pieces after I got home and turn them into ready to wear....after all these were my FIRST SOLDERING ATTEMPTS and I was proud !!
HERE WE GO...!!!
(yes..this is a real flower, dried)
How do you say overjoyed in 12 different languages !!!
If you live near Marlboro NJ Mary Jane will be doing another class December 4th....at The Birds and the Beads, Rt 79.
Ya gotta come !
This has been a weekend of crafting and bead shows...I love those kinds of weekends...always a visual delight....and one that makes my wallet a little lighter too...right??!!
Yesterday I took a drive over to the Innovative Bead Expo.
The fun at these shows is seeing familiar faces
friends Priscilla Marban and Meg Fillmore
these gals each have a totally different & individual jewelry style..nothing at all similar, but both appeal to me completely
Here's a look at one of Megs creations...fabulous !
and Priscillas creativity
and then there's always the beautiful findings from Beth at Kabela Designs
and her clever ideas
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Today was a huge craft show called Granny's Attic. Mobbed with people and wall to wall booths of holiday stuff to shop for...and lots of "Oh Boy" moments !!
Here were some of my favorites..
BUBBLE CONFECTIONS
Unique hand made soaps and accessories
609-259-8752 (NJ) ask for Gail or Sherry
Pauline Leone's ShuJuan Creations Silk Bags
856-264-3570
Chain Mail
this stunner was only $85...one of you out there ought to grab this up !! Tell her you saw it here !
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One of the most wonderful was Hands of Time by Judi
She has a rich appreciation for vintage, steampunk and authentic watch parts which she scours all over for, painstakingly takes apart, dremels the sharp bits off of, puts together into jewelry of all kinds and then polyurethanes them to preserve. So...all of these gears are from real watches..not craft stuff !
her prices are amazing
she is from Wyncote, PA 215-663-5797
Cathy Borowsky had some blingy belt buckles !!!!
Magnificent hand blown glass from Billy Mayer of South Yarmouth, Massachusetts
508-760-2727
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then..I just went a little nuts for this darling...darling...darling booth..I even bought a sushi ring for $5 (see if U can find it in the pix below) ....I'm in love and I'm so not into cute....what gives with that !!
Speaking of cute...
these are gift boxes...can you imagine !! Lots of pix on her flickr site.
made from CD's and he'll make whatever you like $20
and these large handmade quilted one of a kind bags...super for travel..from..
THE THREE MUSES
908-839-3635 (NJ)
but it's the inside that's so cool...
Love all those pockets
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and, last of all
so wonderful to run into old friend, jewelry designer Rebecca Gruber (603) 499-2031,who owns Beaded Beauties
and whose mom used to own "It's Elementary", a charming bookstore that I used to go to and demonstrate rubber stamping back in my very early days as a beginner stamper.
well....these were just SOME of the things we saw today
tomorrow I'm thinking of taking a class from another favorite gal friend of mine Mary Jane Dodd. I ADORE Mary Janes work !
Have a happy...like these fabric pumpkins!!
they make me feel happy.
I know I blogged about this wax canvas I made a few days ago but, as part of a STENCIL HOP,
I'm going to blog about it a second time...
I want you to know more about the TRIANGLE stencil I used and all the other fabulous stencil designs out there.
I chose this fantastic geometric shape for my project. It's a Julie Fei-Fan Baltzer design made for Crafters Workshop. I adore Crafters Workshop stencils and have used them for a long time. Great quality. Terrific value. Wonderful designs.
I'm guessing most of the other artists involved in the hop used paints or similar medium with their stencils...not moi...I used Julies stencil with Beeswax.
which I brushed over the stencil with wax melted in the Ranger Melting Pot.
then I began building up the piece. I worked on a large canvas from Ten Seconds Studio
I added Rangers Perfect Pearls and some Pan Pastels to the top layer of wax to give it a finish.
and, on the sides of a second canvas I used Pan Pastels to imprint more of the triangle design
if you'd like to see what the other amazing artists have done with their stencils
these links go live at 6 AM EST November 15, 2011
and each of these gals has done something terrific with their stencil choice.
GO AND CHECK IT OUT !
WE'RE WAITIN' FOR YA !!!
Even though Christmas is not my holiday (I'm a Hanukkah girl) I always appreciate the beautiful decor in the shops. Gives you lots of ideas that can be translated to ANY time of the year with some imagination.
We have a West Elm not too far from us...they are one of my absolute favs...right up there with ZGallerie (which we don't have !, boo hoo)
like who's to say we can't have a glitter bird or two in the house all year round. I have several...of course!
and somehow I just know these balls would make cool earrings !!
but...seriously now...
get out the paint pens
get out the paper shredder
got a bad bird habit ??!!
need more...
I mean, birds must be EVERYWHERE. When are we gonna be done with the bird craze (I should talk !!)
trees maybe?? made of natural materials
not so natural materials
glittery feathery leaves
dishes....how do you feel about dishes??
these come in a boxed set
I feel like a walking advertisement for West Elm...well..what the hey...they are a deleriously delicious store...
could you possibly use a candle?
are you a gluton-free eater?
and HEY...how are you on Hanukkah...???
fake display ?
or real deal !
and my fav.....
I might need one of these little glowing 'houses' in my living room...
perfect for entertaining all those people I "COOK" for...ha ha ha !
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then a brief hop over to BoConcept (do you have one of these shops??)
after the Lenster made his way around...brave thing..
he needed a nap (too clever...an ottoman that becomes a sleeper)
time was a-tickin'
and he needed some sushi...okay...I needed some sushi...
yup....a very fun day with great weather.
who could ask for anything more !!!
I hadn't been on ETSY for a while....between the poor Lenster and his foot (he's way better), my little excursion to Las Vegas, my wax projects and the craft show I just participated in I had no time.
Now, it's back to the business of beads !
Just put these 3 up today and there will be more.
This gorgeous necklace is two strands and loaded with beads in Black, Silver and clear lucite
and then there's that stunning drop centerpiece hanging from a silver bale. $40
next we go back to the vintage and/or steampunk look
this uses embellishments from Tims stuff, Susan Lenart Kazmer and beads I brought back from Bali.
The Les Miz face is encased in UTEE...of course ! $30
in keeping with my love for faces....
and keys...and all things vintage...$30
in case you need the link again
please...go visit !!
after having done retail shows, traveling with a big booth for years and years, I'd completely sworn off ever doing anything that even resembled another one.
BUT...never say never as they say...!!
I was asked if I'd participate in a local craft show where the cost of admission, the table fee & whatever home made foods people bought all went to support the local First Aid Squad...can't say no to that.
lots of lovely neighborly vendors which included my very close friends Gail (l) and Eileen (R)
Gail has a FABULOUS soap business...she makes REALLY incredible soaps using only the purest of ingredients and scents.
her displays are visually a joy !
and her Chanukah (and Xmas) selection is completely wonderful..she even has Lego shaped soaps !! below is a Chanukah Dreidle soap
and a Chanukah Menorah soap
Duck soaps are very 'in'. This one wears a Star of David, others carry Chanukah 'gelt' (money)
I think $7 for one of these amazing soaps is just a perfect price !
For Gails soaps you can email her for more info.
here's more from the vendors
beaded fan pulls
crocheted bracelets...they were so pretty
Eileen shows off one of the raffle baskets
and I get to hold this cute little visitor
we all had a wonderful, charitable day !
So...as I've been saying..I L-O-V-E the canvases from Ten Seconds Studio
remember...they come already pre-gessoed so you want to cover up that surface to insure the wax layers don't ever peel or fall off (wax and acrylic gesso are not friends)
so..... first brush on a layer of Encaustic Gesso over the canvas and let it dry.
Now you can brush on the wax.
This time...instead of using just regular beeswax I used Encaustic Medium. What is the difference between beeswax and Encaustic Medium ?
Encaustic Medium is mechanically filtered beeswax with the addition of Damar resin ( Damar resin is a natural resin from a tree. It seeps out of the tree from a cut, similar to how maple syrup is harvested from maple trees.). The resin is what allows you to buff up and 'polish' your wax piece when you're finished and adds a sense of transparency.
The finest Encausrtic Medium that I've found (without question) comes from Clairvoyant Encaustics.
I also got a few emails about the HAKE (pronounced Hah-Kay) brush...I basically use the 1" size and I get them from WaxWorksWest. They have the much desired well made split shank brushes direct from the Far East.
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after several layers of wax medium (4 or 5) and fusing in between with a heat gun, I began applying pan pastels in random colors around the canvas.
apply another layer of wax medium and fuse
did I have a plan...absolutely not....everything is a total experiment
now..an application of Rangers metallic Perfect Pearls over the medium and then buff to a high shine
then the addition of a wee bit more Pan Pastels here & there...WHY You ask? have no idea...felt like it
and, while it may be hard to see, all the colors from the first application of Pan Pastels are showing through because of the transparency of the Encaustic Medium. You dont get that effect from just beeswax which tends to look cloudy.
Now...holding the frame upright I dripped wax medium around the entire frame using the niche as the starting point. This is where the value of a good flexible Hake brush comes in extra handy. Love this effect.
now...apply some foils. Plain ole T-Shirt transfer foils (any craft store). Color facing you, scrape or use a sharp tool. I used a metal brush
it transfers the foil to the surface.
next....Into the scrapbook paper bin I went...found this Martha Stewart paper from Halloween...glued it in
up until today I had no idea where I was going with this cause trust me...skeletons are not my usual choice of art !!!
Then I remembered I had these way cool skeletons sitting on top of my old computer screen
like HELLO...........!!!!!!
I glued some ball chain on the canvas
and added my skeletons
lets just say its finished...until....who knows...??
maybe its still a work in progress
or not
It's been a short while since I dabbled in beeswax...one of my favorite mediums.
Last time was at Art Is...You in Connecticut.
so..before I get to the wax project let me tell you a bit about Art Is...You which is now coming to Australia in March 2012
Sallianne and Ellen are focusing solely on bringing some Australian artists out into the public arena. They have some wonderful support from Jo Packham who is actually flying with them, presenting and teaching. They have a fabulous array of Aussie teachers lined up...maybe you'll recognize some..
and it's being held at a resort in Bondi Beach.
I've been to Australia 3 times...I've been to Bondi Beach....you WANT to go !
and the classes will be spectacular.
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But...before I digress further...on to my wax projects.
I've been enamored with the large canvases from Ten Seconds Studio.
These canvases are pre-treated with an acrylic gesso. Wax and acrylic don't always get along. Wax doesn't particularly like to adhere to anything with a plastic finish (which acrylic has), so, I have to re-prepare it by brushing encaustic gesso on the surface to give it a perfect finish for applying wax.
when it dries I start brushing on the wax which has been melting in my Melting Pot. Using the right brush is a real plus. I only use HAKE (pronouced Hah-kay) brushes with wax which I get from WaxWorksWest. They have the best brushes in MY opinion. Then I added a piece of scrapbook paper into the niche.
in between each layer of wax (I brushed on 5-6 layers of wax) I fuse using a heat gun. This causes each wax layer to attach to the one beneath.
Next challange was to use the new stencils from Crafters Workshop from artist Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. I brushed wax over them to create texture
and then brushed Rangers Perfect Pearls over the texture. Im especially fond of the metallics.
then...I brushed a variety of Pan Pastel colors on the texture as well.
jumping ahead....I waxed a shadowed figure into the niche (cut from a magazine) and a transparency with words on it and then I used E6000 glue to adhere all the embellishments.
the wonderful clever houses, the letters & the transparancy all come from AUSTRALIAN artist Julie (van Oosten) Cadd
and her wonderful Collections Elements line. Julie has a BLOG too.
and I wanted to use the stencils around the edges too...with Pan Pastels
am I happy???
Loooooooooove the result !
and so....the three of us just had a laugh-a-minute weekend...
which culminated in the decision to make our own private little Halloween celebration
don't even ask how incredibly stoooopid we got with one another....
we bought these very clever eye shadow pads
okay...ridiculous and expensive...but too much fun to pass up...just pat them on and they transfer the pattern..up to 10 times
and Judy and I applied them so artistically don't ya think ??..LOL
BUT..Wendy got a tad carried away
I have never laughed so hard in my entire life !!
and the wigs...WELL..that about did us in !
not to mention the ginormous chandelier earrings that weighed ten tons !!
and....The most fun you can have on an Apple computer is with Photo Booth and all the funny distorions it can make !!!!
HOWEVER... we did see some other really fabulous faces throughout the day
ooooh....check out those eyes....
I hope you had a really spooktacular day too !!!
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NOW..let me move on to another clever idea...seen at Anthropologie in Vegas
This totally made me think of Claudines Sticky Back Canvas
a full wall and door covered in canvas strips
I LOVED this idea !
and here are some other settings from Anthro....just for the inspiration they provide..
they now sell these great little charms
and their room settings are always the best
and how DO they find these fantastic things !!
using parts of furniture in a completely different way
check this out....these are hangers !!
Distress at its finest !
Gourds...
well...it's back to normal now.
I'm doing a jewelry show on November 10th at The Allentown First Aid Squad's Craft Fair. 70 Route 526, Allentown, NJ 08501 at noon.
if you're in the neighboorhood drop by and say Hi !!
