It's raining, it's pouring...

Well actually it only rained a little bit but it feels like rain, and I sure wish it would rain! I'm in the mood for a fire in the fireplace but with the summer heat so fresh in my mind (read nightmare in my mind LOL OK so I'm not big on 100+ degree weather) it's really hard for me to think of anything hot just yet!

Have I mentioned I will be glad to have DH go back to normal hours...then maybe I'd get more accomplished before it's time to pick up kids....well hey it sounds good in theory right? ;-)

I've been working on an assemblage piece recently that a friend and I collaborated on as a gift for another friend. My friend started the piece using an oyster can and then torched it and added the fork leg and the brackets for the arms. I patinaed it using Modern Options and then added the rest. As an altered artist I'm lucky to have a DH that brings home goodies on a daily bases for me, from his work :-) Some of the items he's brought me in the past I used in this piece such as the gauge, chain, broken tape measure and my personal favorite the metal piece that reads "Manual Operation"

(Click the images to view larger versions)

I also just finished up is several sets of earrings using my Vintage Bottle Caps. Here's a scan of a Christmas themed pair using virgin bottle caps and crystal lacquer and images from my Christmas II Collage sheet:


(Click the images to view larger versions)

Back to work I go :-)

Yesterday was one of those wacky kind of days where you accomplish things but at the time it only seems like you went in circles. Looking back I see that I did get more accomplished then I thought I had but at the time it wasnt' feeling like it.

I finished up more Christmas themed optical Illusion necklaces:



These can be made from my new Christmas Collage Sheet I just finished:

Glorious Fall!

This weekend definitely felt like fall is here and today really feels like glorious fall has graced us with her presence! Our fall here is so fleeting that I always hate to see it leave it's my favorite time of year!

Spent the morning with DH running errands and enjoying each other's company at the bookstore for an hour that's always nice. I finally found the latest issue of Expressions magazine http://expressionartmagazine.com/ .

Back to work I go I have more projects to complete for the boutique!

Time flies...

Don't faint I took a little, well okay, a rather long break from blogging Life got crazy with kids out of school and trying to run a business. Due to the encouragement from a crazy friend, I like to call Herbie, who incidentally just wrote a book for artists that I highly recommend, I'm back to blogging (Thanks Herbie!) :-)

You can check out Di "Herbie" Barton's books at the following website: http://artist-how-to.com/shop.html she also has a new one due out soon!

The Kid's are back in school and we're into October already and I'm trying to maintain some resemblance of sanity during our busiest time of year. Why so busy? well hubby starts working *crush season* at the winery he works at 7 days a week from July through November (yes you read right no days off during this time). What does that mean for us the support group at home....it means Mom attempts to play dual roles as both Mom and Dad (i.e. chief bottle washer and taxi driver extraordinary!). In other words no tag teamin' to get kids places or go to meetings etc. (Anyone have a copy of How to Clone for Dummies?) It also means that hubby works long and hard and comes home very tired and only gets to see the kids in the mornings before they're off to school.

Now that Mr. Morgan is in Junior High (yikes how can that be!) he is as busy as his brother. Jazz band and music lessons after school. Spencer has marching band and that in itself is time consuming and then throw in there Scouts for both of them and its a wonder I have any sanity left...wait maybe I don't LOL

I have snuck some art time in mostly getting ready for a boutique my local art group is putting on: http://www.alteredasylum.com/gildedofferings.htm

Ohh exciting news Flat Aileen has returned home and is washing clothes and packin' her bag to continue on her adventures: http://www.outsidethemargins.com/flataileen.html

She had the best time at Christys in Virginia going to Art & Soul with her getting to rub elbows with celebrty artists! Yes, I'm jealous but someone has to stay home and mind the store LOL! A big thank you goes out to Christy for putting up with Flat Aileen and being such a generous hostess. You can check out Christy's art here: http://www.picturetrail.com/christygrantva/


I've been having fun etching copper recently here's my first piece a Copper square with a leaf etched in it:
I used following directions: http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/Linda-jewelry.htm


Here's an Altered Journal I created using the copper piece: