Picker at Heart

My husband tivos the American Pickers Show every week and we really look forward to watching it.  

We both grew up in New England where there was so much history all around you. 

 I know I didn't really appreciate that until I moved to the west coast 

and was really surprised that they thought 50 years old meant antique. 

This week's Pickers show revolved around items from the Civil War 

and the guys;

Mike and Frank
 participated in a re-enactment of a battle someplace along the way.  It really stirred my memories.   I used to walk past the 200 year old Isaac Davis Home where the minutemen gathered to begin their march to Concord to fight the British in the Revolutionary war every day on my way to school.  We re-enacted that march every year with "Minute Men" who march to the fife and drums.
I actually found a recent Youtube video of this from my hometown- Acton, MA!

I really never thought I would ever be a huge fan of antiques but that changed over the years.  

When we lived in WA there was a little town, Snohomish, I visited often filled with antique shops.  

I bought some old kitchen utensils that I made into a garden mobile and now use to rust fabric.

 I oggled beautiful old furniture that I couldn't really afford at the time.  

I dreamed of what my house would look like 

with a really ecclectic collection of these pieces and art everywhere.  

Fast Forward to our move to Las Vegas.  

Never ever dreamed I would live here.  

My husband had a job out in Palm Springs he needed to check on 

and invited me to go with him for the day and wander while he worked. 

It was a long drive for a day trip but so worth it.  

That little town is filled with little art galleries and antique stores.  

I had a blast and came home with some beautiful painted fish for my bathroom, 

new lamps for our bedroom
and the best find ever. 

 I dragged my tired husband to see this and he really didn't want to go 

but when he saw what I found I could see the excitement in his face.
We haggled and got it for what we felt was a great price.

  I finally found something my husband could not resist.  

He has a small collection of swords and knives, 

some decorative and a couple authentic ones; a civil war sword and bayonette. 

We display them in our entry room around the pool table. 

Well here is what I found. 

The Wooden Carved Crest of a Family Distillery and it is amazing.  

I take it down and polish it with olive oil about once a year. 

The griffins are so cool.

We both really love this piece- a great pick!! LOL

Erin of Treasures Found had a post about the Pickers show on March 29th, 2011

and I promised I would share a picture of this piece, 

I finally remembered to photograph it so I could share it's unique beauty.   

Be sure to visit her too to see some beautiful Garden Soup!!
My eye candy of the week, delivered today to one happy Etsy Shopper.

One special order Blue and Purple Glam Wrist Cuff.
The flower is made with upcycled and (washing machine) felted wool from Sally's Boutique.
Have a delightful weekend everyone!!

Polymer Clay Class last week

I took a class with a wonderful teacher and clay artist, 

Sophia from my local Las Vegas Polymer Clay Guild last week.  

She also does beautiful ceramic work. 

We learned to make a faux wood or bone technique and made pendant dolls. 

I had to be a little different and make my mouth 

with the sliced coffee stir stick we used for the eye indentations. 

She looked too sad with  a frown 

so I added the up turn spots 

and look she's a

Little Faux Wood Vampire Doll

for all those Twilight Fans out there.  

It was especially fun to make the wire coiled hair and the tiny earrings. 

This doll is 5 1/4" tall from the bail to the tip of her tooth shaped body.  

This is the first time I have ever used super soft sculpy as a base for beads too.  

It was a little difficult to keep it from getting lumpy 

when you cover the center with the sheets of the wood grain clay.  

All in all it was a really fun day with some new people I hadn't met 

and I would like to make more dolls with my own style.  

I have been dreaming up ideas for more faux wood pieces, beads...... very inspiring class. 

I am taking a few moments to think about all those gave their lives to preserve freedom,

something I never want to take for granted.  

Thank you to all those with loved ones in the military for your many sacrifices. 

I am off to mow the lawn before it gets too hot.

My dream mower- it's either this or I hire Chippendale's Men!

Our  friends Rick and Tanys are in town this weekend 

so I am looking forward to seeing them tomorrow night 

and having a chocolate-raspberry beer at the Yard House Brewery. 

Happy Memorial Day 

and I hope you all have a very safe and wonderful holiday week-end.

Best Mother's Day Ever!!

I know I missed a week and didn't post but I have a really good reason.

On Mother's Day my daughter Jessie said: 

"Mom, I have to go pick up your present, I will be back in a half hour."

My imagination was going wild 

trying to decide what she would be picking up on a Sunday, Mother's Day. 

She left and shortly after that 

my other daughter, Corrie, who lives in Seattle, WA 

called to wish me a happy mother's day.  

While we were talking I suddenly noticed her voice sounded like it was in stereo.  

I told her something weird was going on with my phone.  

She told me to turn around and I wish I had a picture of the look on my face. 

 There she was standing in my entry with her phone, suit case and sister!! 

They both kept this secret so well 

that even my husband had no idea she was coming down for a visit. 

I started to cry and had the best hug with my two girls we have had in a very long time. 

Jessie hadn't seen Corrie for 2 years and a half years. 

What a joy to see them so happy to be together.  

We had a fabulous week t and that was the best mother's day gift ever! 

So I did not take the time to post last week,

I was busy having a wonderful time with the whole family here together.

Here are a few things I did have to finish though.

I teach crochet classes at Gailknits here in Las Vegas 

and the owner got a phone call asking for someone to do 

a special crochet commission. 

Well, she recommended me so the fun began. 

I would never have come up with this on my own. 

A young gentleman and his best friend 

who are both fathers expecting their first baby boys,

and both went to college at Florida State,

 wanted two little baby hats with the school logo on them. 

Here is the almost finished product:

I had to make four of these tiny logos- only 4 inches across!

Machine stitch the really tiny details onto them adding stabilizer  

and then hand sew them onto the two crochet helmets.

Too Cute!! 

I forgot to take pictures of them completed so

I hope to get a picture of the babies in these hats later this year. 

I have also been madly making samples for my classes;

crocheted roses, pansies, double petaled flowers, daisies, loopy flowers ect. 

and various leaves to go with them. 

Then projects in which my students can use these flowers, 

a flowered granny square purse, headbands with flowers, a box hat pattern...

and writing up the directions for these projects.

Writing the patterns has been very time consuming 

so I will soon be adding more of my original patterns to my Aquariart Shop on Etsy 

and hopefully submitting them to some magazines too. 

Like beading I enjoy crochet because I can be sitting with my husband 

while he watches TV his favorite hobby, 

and feed voracious creative appetite and keep my itchy fingers busy. 

I also made a cuff for my sister, Bonnie who lives on the East Coast for her birthday.

Organza flower and needle felted wool leaves.

Coffee dyed lace and linen and the key to my heart

The entire cuff for Bonnie, my sister.

My first published work!! Squeeeeeeeel of Joy

Pardon me while I brag, squeel, dance, sing, shout and carry on for just a minute-  

Here is my  "Leap of Faith" necklace 

My first time Bead Soup Necklace- "A Leap of Faith"

from the 2nd round of Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party 

in the Bead Buzz section of the June/July 2011  issue of Beadwork Magazine,

which will be on the stands May 27th.

I am so grateful to Lori for the opportunities she has provided me. 

I sent her my April ABS entry- "Finch and Bamboo Necklace" in last weeks post. 

Got to share the joy!! 

Last Night I peddled my wares in front of Studio8ten on Las Vegas Blvd

with several other Handmade in Vegas Etsy Team members.

Unfortunately I only had one sale. 

I lot of lugging for $25 but I truly hope my little polyclay fish 

is happy in her new home.

"Marmelade" my little tropical beauty

I bit the bullet and ordered 3 tons of rock for our backyard last week. 

Funny how my brain just doesn't work sometimes. 

They delivered it on Monday, pouring it onto a huge tarp in my driveway-

Right behind where my car is parked in the garage. 

Soooo, guess who couldn't go anywhere on Monday.  

Me.

"Brain Douche"
They are not just for kids!!
I need one right away. 

 I moved about 1 ton of it on Monday and promptly took four days off.
(I have 3 commissions to work on and 
have to recreate my inventory because the
old PC died 
and now I have to learn Numbers on my Mac.) 
Today I am back out to do some more Rockin"- thus the brief post. 
This time of year all the strenuous outdoor activities must be done in the morning. 
It will reach 97 degrees here today! 
Have a Rockin" Week-
That's what I will be doing.  
Remember ( if you can- I can, but only if I remember to take my memory herbs) 
Laughter is good medicine!

Whottah Weeek!

So much completed this week my head is still spinning and I haven't photographed all of it. 

Here is the Art Bead Scene April Challenge inspiration. 

Finches and Bamboo, Northern Song dynasty (960–1127)

Emperor Huizong (1082–1135, r. 1101–1125) Chinese

Handscroll; ink and color on silk; 11 x 18 in. (27.9 x 45.7 cm)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

John M. Crawford, Jr. Collection, Purchase, Douglas Dillon Gift, 1981

Here is my necklace:

I had to photograph this in the afternoon so the orange tones are not showing very well. 

It all started with my little polymer clay baby finch.  

She is a little chubby like all the baby birds in my yard. 

I apologize for my dried up fingers in the close up 

but that gives you an idea of how tiny she is. 

I also made the Chinese Character tablet beads 

with a blend of yellow and copper clay, 

antiqued after baking with ochre yellow and titanium white acrylic paints. 

I made the bamboo leaf beads from a twist of blended yellow, green and white clays 

with a tiny touch of blue mixed in.  

Then I covered that tube of clay with translucent clay 

that has mica powders in green and pearl blended in. 

I love how they came out a little irridescent and 

they are a perfect match with the little glass beads I wired up near the finch.  

Several styles of antique brass chain, some rafia wrapped garden wire twisted beads, 

scraps of red leather from a skirt I bought at the Salvation Army store 

and 

a strip of linen I dyed with instant coffee to mimic 

the background of the handscroll in the inspiration photo. 
I finally finished my sister's birthday present and forgot to take a picture so more about that later. 
I put together a necklace/earring set 
with a wonderful ceramic bead I purchased from  
a very talented Sophia in my Polymer Clay Guild. 

And I am perfecting my"Flip Floppin Flowers" design.

I will be selling these as a summer item in my etsy shop. 

 Love mixing the colors.  

I machine felt a bit of roving onto the leaves 

which are recycled wool 

from a very large green wool coat I bought at a thrift store. (only $6)!! 

The flowers are made from different sized circles of cotton fabrics 

machine zig zag stitched around which gave them a lovely ragged edge. 

The circles are layered with a couple tea candle singed circles of organza 

and then beaded in the center. 

 I am testing different ways to attach these to flip flops so they can be taken on and off 

and several color combinations can be worn on the same flip flop. 

I made a set for my art quilt monthly challenge "It's all about shoes", using my old Tivas.

  

Of course I had to have a matching cuff and earrings too!  

They are adorable on. 

For this pair the flowers are sewn directly onto the wide band on the Tiva.

Pictures thanks to Mary Ashcraft who photographs all our Art Quilt Ect Creations and posts them on her blog.
Go HERE to see more. 

Stay tuned for more fun next week as I catch up on my photo taking.  

My wishlist chair at Cactus Joe"s. This is soooooooo comfortable- molds to your body. 

My gorgeous florabunda copper red roses photoshopped.
The wind this week has pretty much stripped off all the blooms- so glad I took this photo when I did.

I will be installing new software and linking up a new printer today-
my printer bit the dust this week.
Got the Epson Artisan 835 yesterday which takes up to 8.5 X 14 inch paper.
I am very excited to print on fabric with it!!!!
Gotta love getting that tax return!
That's all for now have a wonderful weekend!! 

Happy Easter!!

Spring has really set in here in Las Vegas.  

We are up in the 80's or higher most days and the sun is lasting longer each day.  

Taking pictures is a challenge as it is much brighter but I have some to share from this morning:

Thursday was a day trip to Red Rock and Bonnie Springs with my girlfriends above

(The Four Menopausal Musketeers)
(amazingly there was no chocolate involved in this day!)

We skipped the old cowboy town routine because it was school vacation week 

and the place was overcrowded with families having a ball. 

But if you ever get to come to Las Vegas in the spring or fall 

and can make a trip through the loop at Redrock the scenery is amazing, 

there are lots of hiking trials. 

Bonnie Springs has live outdoor theatre in the this little old replicated cowboy town 

with gun fights, bank robberies, 

a trial shere you are the jury all quite comical and very entertaining.

I saw this several years ago with my nieces and nephews and they loved it.  

We decided to walk through the petting zoo for inspiration

and had a great lunch in the restaurant. 

Here are a few of the creatures who posed for me:

Mr. R

Mr. Rooster Close up

Lovely Lady Peacock- she posed for me a ruffled up her front feathers too. 

Mr. Peacock chose to stand with the mountains in the background.
I only had a few seconds to capture this before he hopped down.
 His tail was stunning!!

A Toddler Wild Burro we stopped to greet on the ride home.

His Mom getting a good massage on a dead Joshua Tree.  Pretty sure another baby is on the way.

Today it is all about

flowers, flowers, flowers,

I can never get enough of flowers.  

My honeysuckle is in full bloom and smells delightful.  

Everyone who comes to my front door gets to inhale the sweet perfume 

that I wish I could bottle and send to you. 

When you stroll up my walk and look up this is what you see.

A mass of vines covered with delicate little amazingly fragrant yellow and white blossoms.

Straight ahead is my Spring Front Door Decor.

These are silk flowers as there is no sun in this spot. 

Just love the mama bird guarding her eggs!

Have a Very Happy Easter everyone!!