happy monday

OK...here I am last night, preparing for the possible tornado. It was a wild night but once again ...we survived. Our shelter is a little room under the stairs. Inside the pantry is a door with shelves on it and it opens to a secret? room. DH was sleeping with his clothes on. That's never a good sign around here. Oh, now it is thundering so I had better shut the computer down.GET ME OUTTA HERE!!!

It's the last day of studio peeks and it's a view of some of my rubber stamps. I got the cool box at a thrift store for a couple bucks and just painted it pink. Is there any other color? Just kidding....I love them all. Have a great week.

studio & art mail

One more studio day left and one more day until a new warmer month. This is my doll house. It's from England (I used to live there) and when my Mom came to visit she bought this for me. I still have my doll house from the 60's and after dragging it around the world, DH says it's time to let it go. It's the kind that's made from a thin type of wood. I was hoping for a grand daughter but was blessed with grand sons.
This house has 3 floors and opens to the front with hinges on the side. So it makes a cute cabinet of sorts. I love it! Oh and that is one of my mini Santa dolls on the front.

Just some recent random mail art.

This was a package with a plethora of my stamps.

The back. The end.

3 days left

This is one of the scarves I dyed yesterday at class. We were supposed to make two of them because we had to give one away. Some ladies only completed one and had to give it up. I managed to squeak out three of them. Then we stood in a circle and everyone took the one they wanted. This one went around and I was lucky to get it back. I wanted this one. I'll admit it took me back to the seventies.
This is half of it and the other half looks the same as this.

I also tweaked the old suitcase. I added a few more elements and I like it better now. It was sitting there and the sun was hitting it just right so I snapped this picture.

studio shot #29

If you are wondering where all the clutter is, I like to hang it behind the bathroom door. You knew it was there somewhere.
Have a great Saturday!

class today

That's right, I have class today! I am late posting today. Got up early to take a class on dying and fabric manipulation. The photo above shows some melted fabric via the heat gun and fabric scarves to be unfolded. And let me tell you my hands are purple and blue!! I used gloves for the dying but couldn't wear them for the undoing of knots. And the paper towel with the pretty turquoise dye on it will be incorporated into an altered book page.

Our instructor made these quilts using a giant printer. The image is from the computer and printed on fabric.

And he quilted them on a Kenmore machine.

This is a huge dyed silk quilt made by one of his students . She quilted it on a long arm machine.

Studio pic #28

One of my bulletin boards.

Why do we call them bulletin boards?

I think the name should be changed, you know-updated.

There are no bulletins here....just fun stuff.

More tomorrow......Have a creative weekend.

Already Thursday

I have another messy shot today. This is my embossing section. It's pretty bad but I am always rushing before things dry. Like I said these are random photo's.

And it's time for art.....so have to run!

winding down

Winding down on studio month. These are the last photo's of going up the steps to the studio. I got this bubble gum machine at a yard sale for $3. I repainted it in my colors, and turned the black base to copper.

These were a bit more pricy.

My first quilt using only batik fabrics and of course the studio cat in the back overlooking the whole thing. He makes me nervous when he sits there.

Speaking of Harley, he is asking me Whyyyyyyyy Mom?

a new family member

Saturday we added a new member to the family. Her name is Pepper and she is 9 weeks old. Here she is after her bath.

Harley and Pepper getting acquainted .

There were cookies in the studio. I love fortune cookies. I am one of the few that actually eats the cookie and these were really yummy! Now they aren't ordinary fortune cookies these are MARYLAND fortune cookies. Each fortune has a tidbit about Maryland on the back instead of the lucky numbers, ect. Just thought I would share.

the last week of studio pic's

This is my sample for the creative stamping class. We will be experimenting with different techniques and I think using tags would be the best way to go.

This is from the sewing portion of the studio. The ceramic cat pin cushion is very old. From the early 60's. I bought it for my Mom when I was young. The tongue pulls out and it's a tape measure and the tail turns up and holds a thimble. I love the Longaberger sewing/pin cushion basket and the sewing machine in the back is a picture frame. And the doll pin cushion is my own creation. Oh, and the Japanese pin cushion is from Japan...duh. My sis used to live there.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to everyone. This is Jigg's and he sits on the steps leading up to the studio. I saved this photo for today (also his favorite Holiday.)I love his knitted bunny hat.Enjoy the rest of your day. Easter is by far the best candy holiday!

random shots

These are just random shots of the back wall.
I love hearts and seem to collect crowns. And I was once into the letter Z.

A beach chair to remind me of home.

it's fridaaaaaaay!

Are you ready for Easter?

This is Henry. He is the keeper of the brushes. Hey, there's another bucket....sort of. I could do a Where's Waldo with buckets. He was gifted to me for my Birthday from my niece. I think he is supposed to be a garden guy, but it's OK, he likes the studio.

Go ahead....have some.

it's here!!

It's finally here! Spring....my favorite season. The season of re-birth and all things renewed.

These wonderful huge paper mache chicks are at the Paper Crown. Everything there is Springy and cheerful. GOODBYE to winter and the blahs and everything else winter stands for. I know, it's a restful season for the plants and all but come on. My poor nephew up in Maine will be digging himself out of snow for another month. That's just wrong! Sorry if I offended any Mainer's out there.

Today's studio pic is little buckets. I have a thing for buckets. Hey, maybe that will be my theme for next month? I do collect them.

It's going to be nice here today weather wise, so I will probably start on some yard work.

Enjoy your first day of Spring!

new art

This is what I made last weekend, between the theatre and parties and all the other weekend stuff. It was so easy. The base is a candle stick I got at the thrift store (75 cents) and the form is a dollar store doll with the appendages removed. I painted it and used a little webbing spray for texture. Then covered it with UTE and put gold embossing on the top. I just tore the strips of fabric and topped it off with a silk flower.

For those of you that enjoyed my David light switch, here are the two guys that hold up my mirror in the studio powder room. I'm just into funky things.

oops!

My daughter informed me last night that Easter is THIS weekend! I thought it was next weekend. So as usual I am running late on my holiday's. But isn't this eraser just the cutest thing? I am always saying oops so I had to have it. And I make lot's of mistakes.
I got it at the Paper Crown. My favorite store for paper and fun goodies.

This is another view from the landing. Leading up to the studio you are greeted by Gabe and Adam....the altered guy's.

Have to run....Easter is just a few day's away, have to get some Peep's!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

There's a new challenge out there called The Artist Mess Challenge. Julie challenged us to show the mess. Well, here's mine. It's called my work table and it's pretty big and usually looks like this. I give myself a scant 8 x 12 inch area to work in. There is a new book coming out with the perfect studio's. Someone suggested that they make one with the other side . I agree...I think it would be interesting.....and funny.

OK, now the shot's I'd like you to see. This quilt hangs on the landing on the way up to my studio. The sign is an old headboard rescued from the garbage bin and painted by a friend from Maryland. It's the name of my doll business.

And today's Mail Art. Sent to me by Sharon. I sent her one but lost the photo. Anyway she has a thing for hands and put several on here and someone has a broken arm. I hope that's not an omen. No, it's those mail people...( I know, I used to be one.) Thank you Sharon! It's sunny and springy. Spring is here! I am seeing robins and the pear trees have bloomed and things are popping out of the ground. YAY! I am currently working on some mail art and will post that soon.

sunday quickie

No, no, no......I am just in a hurry. I know how you ladies think. Anyway, this is a little house shelf thingie with a chick pin cushion that I made out of a log cabin block and above that is a hand carved dog that my brother made.
Sorry about the mail art. It was too late to take pictures so I will do that tomorrow. And I have a fun new thing to tell you about.

furniture art

Happy Saturday! This is the front side of my sewing desk...well half of it, but you get the idea.

And here is the back side. Like I said if it doesn't move, it gets painted.
Tomorrow I will show my mail art.

sweet weekend

Spicy, sweet, garlic, dill crayons? Why not. You might think this shelf is from the kitchen not the studio, but the wings are angel wings not chicken.

Just for the weekend...a bonus shot. Hey, everyone needs a little David. This is in the studio powder room.

Plans for this weekend include dining tonight at a dive that has the best chicken you will ever taste. But you need to bring your own sides. They serve this whole chicken with pickles and raw onions. Don't ask me why...it must be an Okie thing.

A party on Saturday for one of our guys returning from Iraq. And on Sunday we go to see the play "Annie." Not much time for art but I will squeeze some in somewhere.

Have a great weekend yourselves!

feeling purple today

Today's studio pic is my art bra....redone. I was playing around with my new Photo Impact until around 1:00 this morning and this is what happened. Oh, I see that one of my paper doll's left her purse on the wall.

Sharon declared March mail art month. Here is a peek at one of mine. Do you mail art?