New Work and a busy busy gal.

Blahhhhhh I have been soooo soooo busy lately. I have been totally neglecting my little blog. I have been getting a few things made though and managed to list a few of them on etsy. Included in that is this little piece that I just love. I know I always say that, but I just love making everything I make so I am not lying! I used an old earring for the skeleton of this one. Using copper wire I wrapped some turquoise and yellow trade beads and some tiny little purple pearls in the earring. I hung it from a recycled piece of denim braided with some colorful yarn and hemp. Love the look so much I decided to start using more fabric in my designs. Now I am on the hunt for rag rug balls of fabric yarn....because the dozen or so I already have are not enough???? Yeah I have a problem. Anyhow this piece does close in the back with a lobster claw and chain. I also am thrilled about the old atlas that you see in the background of the picture and look forward to using it for many more pictures in the future.

Tomorrow I am hoping to play in the studio after teaching a summer art class at the Rahr until 1:00....so don't come in until the afternoon because I won't be here. Have a happy summer day!

Going on Vacation!!!

This is a great picture from our last family vacation in October of 2007! That just isn't right so we decided as an early birthday present to me we would take off for a few days. Heading up to my Great Uncle Tommy's cabin in the Rhinelander area. Love it up there and cannot wait. Best of all it is pretty much FREE! So the STORE WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY JULY 20TH THRU WEDNESDAY JULY 23RD. So enjoy the week I know I will!

Published again!!

I got a couple of copies of the Fall issue of Bead Unique in the mail today. My article on a button bauble bracelet is on page 52. I love how it turned out and the pictures they took actually look like ones I would have taken! The best surprise about the article is that I got paid! It is my first real getting paid and published gig. I think I may be ready to make this a regular thing. I am thrilled that they also used my bracelet for the issue web page and it makes a little appearance on the page index in the beginning of the magazine. Oh happy day. :)

Ahhhhh fun times in the summertime.

We went to Bay Beach on Tuesday. For those of you who live nearby you have surely all gone there and enjoyed a full day of amusement fun for very little money. We got $20 worth of tickets, went on tons of rides and still had $5 worth at the end of the day! Molly had a blast as you can see in the photo above.

In the studio I am working on these little dolls. I bought a frozen Charlotte from one of my favorite little stores...Assemblage Studio in De Pere. I used my new favorite material, no bake clay and created a mold of the doll. The first try shrunk quite a bit so the dolls were small and a little smooched. I made a second mold and it shrunk just a little but kept all the details and shape. I am just experimenting with paint and color and then hope to make necklaces with this little cuties. Tried to wire wrap a few of them but I am thinking it looks a little morbid for some reason. We'll see.

New work and Sisterhood of the Traveling Canvas

I recently got an issue of Belle Amore Jewelry and it really opened my eyes to possibilities in jewelry making. I think making soldered pendants gets so automatic that I forget sometimes that I can explore with glass and metal to come up with unique one of a kind art jewelry. Well today I had a blast doing just that. I shaped copper for this piece and backed it with a 1 inch by 1 inch glass pendant featuring one of my mini drawings. I hung colorful beads and vintage metal pieces from the bottom and used some of those same colorful beads for the necklace part. Finished it off with some vintage fabric that you tie in a pretty bow. In addition to this one I made quite a few other unique pendants that I hope to put together tomorrow.

The July/August issue of Somerset Studio features the Sisterhood of the Traveling Canvas. A fantastic project that I had the honor of being a part of! I started a canvas by painting it and doing a little transfer. With the canvas I ...and the remaining 7 talented artists ... created a journal page to document my time with the canvas. When I was done I mailed it to the next person and she mailed it to the next and so on. It was such a pleasure doing this project and seeing the canvas become the beautiful work of art it turned out to be! I would like to thank my "sisters" Pam, Jodi, Kathy, Denise, Glenda, Alisa, and Nancy for not only including me in this project but for being such a supportive and talented group of ladies I will forever call friends!