My Little "Guys" Make it to the "Big Time"..

I had some wonderful, exciting news the other day ... two of the roomboxes (although I call my boxes, bookshelf boxes as they are meant to sit in a bookshelf among books... rather like a surprise when you discover them...) made it into one of the premier juried art shows, the Sidney Fine Arts Show, here on Vancouver Island in mid October.

Out of over 1000 pieces that were adjudicated for the show, they took 400... 2 of which are mine.  I have never seen any miniatures/small stuff that have made it into the show before (other than one other of mine that made it in last year but it wasn't a bookshelf box) so I am over the moon!

Once the show begins, I will post more photos (the show organizers don't like it when you spoil the surprises awaiting folks who come to the show).  I have to admit that the photos don't really do the boxes justice...they are a lot smaller than they look in a photo. 

The other day a friend who had dropped by for a visit began "studying" them.  She had seen some of the preliminary photos I took along the way and said, "Boy, you are right. You just don't notice all of the tiny details in a photo (the devil is in the details and it is the details that absolutely make the pieces come to life) and photos just can't show the size and depth of the 3D effect!".  I totally agree. However, I think you can certainly get an overall impression of them nonetheless.  That being said, here are a couple of photos to give you a sense of what I sculpted and created...and yes, it was a lot of work, took a lot of time but was so much fun watching it all come to life...

This first photo is Dr. McPherson, the English Professor who is a visiting Oxford Don... he has traveled the world and now loves to just sit around and share his vast knowledge of literature and the world with his students... in the bookshelf box, he is surrounded by over 60 miniature books and of course his suitcase and satchel...

You recognize this guy below, don't you?  Who could miss him with his wild hair?  I am an Einstein fan... if you ever want an Einstein quote, let me know, I have hundreds of them. This bookbox was made to commemorate the Centennial of the publication of Einstein's theory on relativity (1915-2015).  The bookbox is an artfully rendered version of Einsteins office at Princeton.  Einstein had a delightful sense of humour and some of his quotes are quite insightful... especially the one about the constant state of mess on his desk:  "If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what then is an empty desk a sign?"  Yes, indeed!  I will leave my desk in a mess from here on in...GRIN

The Sidney Fine Arts show runs from Oct. 16-18 at the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney, B.C. (Elizabeth May country...*) so if you are in the area, drop by to take a look at some wonderful art from Vancouver Island artisans.

Stay tuned... photos will be forthcoming...

Cheers,
Sharon

* P.S.  Who is Elizabeth May you ask?  Well she is one effervescent, fiery, and very smart female politician who is the leader of her party (the Greens) currently running for office in her district, Sidney/Gulf Islands, in our on-going, long drawn out, (and for me) totally boring Canadian election.  She lives in Sidney and is one cool lady!!

Say hi to my Buddy!

Well it's been a rather rough couple of weeks... you know that cold bug that's going around... it got me...good!  In the middle of all of this misery that seemed to go on forever, the only bright spot was deciding to go with hubby on our planned trip to Seattle in spite of feeling so rotten.

It was worth it... as it usually is... I love Seattle!!  A couple of side trips down to the Pike Street Market and Pirosky, Pirosky for some Russian braid and smoked salmon turnovers while we were there definitely improved my waistline if not my health...but oh my was it tasty.  It was a nice little getaway and the weather was fantastic... for Seattle!

Now to today's blog entry...

A number of years ago, I had a real yen to make a "little corner buddy" but never did get around to it. What's a little corner buddy?  Well it's a little guy or girl "doll" that is dressed in   three year old clothes and stands in the corner with its face to the wall looking cute!

I decided to make it a reality over the Christmas break... Yes, yes, I know I must be entering my second childhood... wanting to play with minis and dolls... but oh my it is so much fun!!  Hubby just shakes his head when I come up with these crazy ideas, smiles and says "oh go for it sweetie"

I decided we would opt for a "boy"... hubby just sat there with a crooked smile on his face and chuckled audibly!!  He didn't realize at the time that WE were going to go clothes and shoe shopping for this little tyke.

Well it didn't take long before Buddy was put together... I had had the pattern for so long it was yellow with age.  The pattern cut out, the sewing machine humming, the stuffing firmly in place and the last stitch sewn, he wobbled into the guest room and over to the window... bare butt and all!  Yes, this little guy definitely needed some clothes!!

Off to the mall we went.  Now at first, hubby wasn't going to come to the kid section with me (the computer section is more to his liking) but then decided he'd go along for the chuckle.  Well guess who got right into it? 

"Hey look at this shirt... would that fit?" asked the man of the house.
"Is it size 3?" I inquired.
"Yep, and it would look good with a navy blue t-shirt and some jeans!"  He was getting right into this!

Well it didn't take long before hubby had all his clothes and get this... argyle socks... picked out.  Poor thing needed shoes though!  So off to the shoe department to buy some Adidas running shoes and we were done. 

It has been a few years since we had bought kid's clothes, I gulped at the check out.  When did little kid's clothes get so expensive?  Well never mind, he only needed one outfit...thank heavens!!

So here is our Buddy, all decked out in his new clothes.  With his Mustang racing hat on that Mama got on one of their Nascar racing trips down south, he's getting into trouble already messing around with stuff on the blanket box. 

This little guy is as cute as a button and when anyone sees him, they nearly do a double take...(I didn't know you had a grandson, they say) He looks pretty darn real from the back don't you think??
 

So until the next artsy fartsy idea hits me, keep on arting...and see you soon.

Sharon

The 11th Day of Christmas Gifts and Crafts

On the 11th Day of Christmas...I am going to show you just how easy it is to create something rather cool from some modeling paste, paint, some twigs, pearl beads and a flower punch.

A few months back, the Coast Collective Gallery had a black and white ball fundraiser.  They asked some of the participating gallery artists to create a picture on a 12 x 12 canvas that could be auctioned off with the proceeds going to the gallery. 

What many people do not know or realize, is that the gallery is now under the auspices of the Society for the Arts in the South Island (SASI)and relies heavily on the participation of many artist volunteers and just a few paid staff (who do a marvelous job and really get a pittance for the hours they put in and what they do!).  So if we want to do anything at all in/at the Gallery, it takes $$$ to bring it into fruition. 

Well I am no painter as most of you know, so I chose to do something a little different with some things I had on hand.  This was the result.

Shinju (The Pearl)

The inspiration came from a pair of beautiful Mikimoto pearls my husband gave me for Christmas one year.  I love those earrings and wear them frequently.  As it happens I was wearing them the day I looked into the mirror while brushing my hair and this vision came to me from the creative vision factory in the sky... chuckle! 

It's somewhat difficult to see but the texture from the modeling paste on the canvas is absolutely marvelous! Just slap it on a canvas and mess with it... old combs, toothbrushes, sticks... whatever is in reach on your art table.  All you need to do once it is dry... leave it for at least 24 hours... is paint it.

The branches are painted black and then a small cherry blossom with a pearl glued in the middle is attached to the branches.  It would make a wonderful gift for someone who likes simplicity in art and loves the dignified beauty of "Japanese stuff"... art, stories, kimonos... like I do!  Give this idea or something similar a try... you can have it done in time for Christmas.

Till tomorrow,

Happy Arting,
Sharon

6th Day of Christmas Gifts and Crafts

Halfway through today!  I went back and forth on what I would show you today and finally decided on showing you some of my snow buddy polymer clay ornaments that are available at the Coast Collective Gallery during the Gifts and Wishes show.  They come with their own little gingerbread house (if you want to keep it in the box) and are all about 2-1/2 inches high.  Don't you think they have the sweetest little faces?

Till tomorrow, happy crafting....

Sharon

Sidney Fine Arts Show...2014

A quick update...am packing to go off to the U.S. of A. to a storytelling festival in the morning but wanted to touch base with you all before I left.

Just got back from the Sidney Fine Arts Show... oh wow... fabulous art...fantastic artists... wonderful show! There are a little over 400 pieces of art accepted out of the 1100 that were submitted for adjudication.  If you live in our area, take it in...it's a great way to spend a couple hours putting some colour in your life on what the weatherlady is saying is going to be a rather dull and rainy weekend.

As promised awhile back on Facebook when I let you know that my pieces got into the show, below are the photos of my two pieces.  Both of the pieces got fabulous placement and here's crossing my fingers that they go to a nice home with people who love them as much as I loved making them...

My mixed media piece - Just my Type 2 - Thanks to a couple of art buddies for their spare letters that I put to good use!  The top background is a page from an old Eaton's catalogue from 1902, some letter blocks I made a number of years ago for another project, an old typewriter ribbon tin that I made and an antique pencil sharpener.  The bottom background paper is some that I made and then printed with the sage old typewriter practice piece... The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog... a sentence that has every letter of the alphabet in it.  The ruler on the right is a very lifelike digital copy mounted on heavy bookboard of a ruler that I have but am not quite ready to part with yet!!It's a bit hard to see but the middle piece is on the front of the canvas while the rest is recessed.  Was a fun piece to make... but likely one of the last mixed media pieces I will be creating for some time as I move more and more towards sculpture.

My little, handsculpted polymer clay people

Meet... Mabel & Jake - Two lovely seniors who recently met in a seniors retirement home who have decided that, "Takin' a Chance at Love Again" suits them just fine!

And yes, I actually made the bench all by myself... no help from hubby... just figured it out.

These little guys aren't very big... they look much bigger in the photos than they actually are... they are about 10 inches high standing up... half that sitting down.  They were definitely a labour of love from "manufacturing from scratch" original slopers to design and make their clothes to creating their accessories (i.e. Jakes Birkenstocks, Mabel's purse and matching shoes) and making sure they had some age spots on their faces and hands.  The little box on the bench has four tiny cupcakes (for afternoon tea of course).

When our granddaughter saw them for the first time, she squealed with delight "Oh Gramma, Mabel has pearl earrings and she even has nail polish on her fingers!"  Granddaughter approved sculpture!

Just before the show, I added a small hankie to Mabel's hand that isn't in the photo. I kept on feeling that there was something missing and then it occurred to me... Mabel needed a hankie!! All in all, the entire project took close to 80 hours to complete and I loved every minute of it!

Gotta run for now and finish packing...

Have an artsy week,
Sharon  

Introducing the Whimsy Pumpkin Gals...

What a great summer we had in Victoria! The weather was spectacular and I got to spend a fair amount of time in one of my favourite places... the beach.

Hubby and I also had a lovely week up in the Okanogan (Canada's wine country in the interior of British Columbia) sampling all the wines and having a very delicious experience in the five star restaurants attached to the wineries.

In September, we ducked down south of the border to Portland for a stay at the Kennedy School hotel for few days and then over the Oregon shore visiting Cannon Beach, Seaside and Fort Stevens.  How lovely it is at Fort Stevens with its miles and miles of white sand. The drive back up through Washington state is one that I always enjoy. Yep it was a good summer all around.

I was anxious to get home... I missed messing around in my art room and I had a big box of goodies from Blick that I brought back with me that I could hardly wait to get into.  Nothing like a couple of weeks away from creating (and a trip to the art store) to get my juices going again.  And.. with Halloween around the corner, the idea for the Pumpkin Gals popped into my head one morning while I was at the pool (I do my version of water aerobics every morning for an hour or so at the crack of dawn).  What fun it has been coming up with these two beauties!

I chuckle every time I look at them... and now that they are finished I am a bit sad... the juice, the fun is always in the getting ready to create phase and in the creating itself!!

Now I just know you are going to ask...what are they made of?  It's polymer clay sculpted over very large glass Christmas bulbs.  The bat and the cat are also made of polymer clay. The bat is attached to a pipe cleaner so that it moves when you touch it.  The cat just lounges around and looks smugly cool!  They are free standing but can also be hung on a Halloween tree or in a window.  I just chuckle every time I look at those false eyelashes!

Halloween is just around the corner... what are you going to create???

Till next time, have an artsy week,
Sharon

Chalkboard Labels for the Spice in Your Life

Here is a quick project that I completed on a recent Saturday morning... chalkboard labels for my spice jars.

Originally I purchased a spice jar "spindle" at a garage sale with the idea of using it in my art room.  The spindle doesn't take up much space (and I need lots in my art space) and the bottles are very handy for storing little stuff like seed beads, pins, elastic bands, x-acto knife blades, eyeballs (yes, you read that right...made from clay) and other small things that you use a lot.  I already have one and thought a second one would be handy...after all there are 16 bottles to have fun filling up!!  And then...

I got a new RED KitchenAid mixer... the super duper one that you can make all sorts of wonderful things with especially bread!!

I love baking bread and as hubby says:  "You are probably the only person I will ever know who could burn out a KitchenAid making bread and goodies!"  That's exactly what I did recently to the one I have had for 10 years.  Oh it still works but only at beating speeds... okay for whipped cream...not good for bread kneading.

I decided that perhaps it might be an idea to paint this spindle the same colour as my new machine, put some cute labels on the end and free up some space in the cupboard.  Being an avid cook, I have more herbs and spices than you could possibly imagine... a whole cupboard full of them!!  And yes, in case you are wondering, I use them all.

Thanks to my friend Geraldine, I was able to borrow her 1-1/2" round punch (just the perfect size for the tops of the bottles) to get the job done.  A few minutes on the web produced a plethora of free labels for personalizing and printing.

Interested in doing this kind of project?  Here's what you need:

Avery full Label Sheets #5165,5265™, 5975™, 6465™, 8165™, 8465™ (anyone of these will work)
Clear contact paper
A 1-1/2" round punch

World Label has free templates for different types of labels, many of which you can personalize on your computer and then print off. The chalkboard ones can be found here.

Once I completed filling out the template, I reduced the size of the graphic in my graphics program to make the labels smaller.  You may need to fiddle with this a little bit to get the labels down to 1-1/2" in order to fit on the tops of the bottles.

You can find all sorts of labels there for labeling jars in your pantry.  I save the mason jars from store bought sauces and then fill them up with nuts, dried fruit, rice, quinoa, beans, etc.. and slap a label on the front.  Using clear contact paper on the front of the label means that you can (carefully) clean the bottle when you refill it.  As hubby found out recently... don't let it soak in the washing up water while you check the latest news on your laptop...your label will be ....uhh... toast!!

Have fun with this project.  Your cupboards will definitely pass the "mother in law" test once all your spice jars are done!

Till next time,
Sharon

The Happy Gardener Reycyles Cookie Tins!

These past couple of weeks have been spent sprucing up my "secret" side garden and the deck off my living room with flowers, flowers and more flowers.  It's just lovely sitting out there with my morning coffee and my Kobo... a little read,a cup of good coffee, some sunshine and this kid is a happy camper!

First let me tell you about those flower boxes.  They are the best thing since sliced bread for putting over a railing.  They are adjustable to the width of the railing but the best thing is that they have a leveling piece on the bottom of them that allows them to remain upright... no sagging, no danger they will fall over or off.  They also have a reservoir in the bottom of them so that in warm weather your plants won't be suffering from thirst.  They are more expensive than most planter boxes but worth every penny.  Called "fence and railing planters", they are available from LeeValley.

Recycled Cookie Tin Project

One fine sunny day, in the early days of spring, I was cleaning up and clearing out "stuff" that had been lingering forgotten in my downstairs pantry.  I came across some old cookie tins I had been saving for a couple of years.  They were the big ones from Costco that had once held some very delicious Christmas cookies.  I couldn't remember why I was saving them so they were earmarked for the recycling bin.

As I was about to place them in the bin and send them to recycling heaven, it hit me.  Of course, use them to plant flowers in this summer!  But boy the first thing they would need would be a paint job and some sprucing up.  They were okay as cookie tins but pretty ugly for fleurs!!

Over to the hardware store I went to buy some primer paint and some hot red and yellow spray paint for the second coat. Well it was a bit too nippy outside to do any painting so I had to put the project on hold till it warmed up some outside.  But in the meantime...

I went looking for vintage flower seed packet graphics and found  a whole collection of Seed Catalogues at the Smithsonian digital collection.

I found a bunch I liked, re-sized them in my graphics program to fit the sides of the cookie tins and printed them off.  Because they will be outside all summer, I decided to ModgePodge them with a couple of coats to protect them from inclement weather.

Fast forward to a warm spring day.  Out the door into the backyard I went with a big cardboard box, my primer paint and the tins.  Put the tins in the box to paint as spray paint goes all over.  Even being as careful as I was with both the primer and finish coat of red, I ended up with some rather pretty but unusual colored grass!!

Take your time painting inside and out.  Get into all the crevices with the primer.  Let it dry thoroughly... best to wait overnight.  The next day you can start with the your chosen finish colour for the outside of the tin.  You really don't need to do the inside.

Once your tins are thoroughly dry, you can modge podge your graphics to the sides of the tin.  Do all four sides as you may be turning the plants around for even blooming. Punch a bunch of holes in the bottom of the tin. Take a kitchen garbage bag and cut it to fit inside the tin, fill it with dirt and then your plants.

I made three of them... two red ones for the bench in my secret garden and one yellow one that sits on the table at our front door...

Happy Gardening,

Sharon

Character Faces & Dolls in Polymer Clay

Well  it's hard to believe that it has been so long since I last posted!!  It has now been well over six months since my hip operation and I am glad to report that I am coming along just fine. I still can't walk very far or stand for any length of time but I am back to my early morning swims and trips to the gym, as well as dutifully (chuckle) going shopping  spending hubby's money and for the last couple of months teaching myself how to sculpt character faces in polymer clay.

I remember hearing somewhere along the way that it takes about 40 tries until you get it.  Yep... whoever said that was right!!  I have created some absolutely hideous looking faces and heads over the last few months.  I decided right at the beginning of this adventure that I would keep making them and smushing them up until I got one that looked like it wasn't from outer space.  Took about 25 tries and in the end the clay was so absolutely filthy from so much handling that I tossed it out too!
 


But today, after much trial and error, a bucketful of frustrating moments, a few choice words here and there and hours and hours and hours of practice,  I am absolutely tickled to share with you the fruit of my "labour"!

Meet Sister Mary Catherine, the music teacher and Samson, the music room cat.

 

Her music stand was easy to make to scale.  A couple of pieces of cardboard, some paint, a dowel and clay and she was in "business".  Her music book is made from some black leather I salvaged from the cover of an old encyclopaedia and some mini music sheets sewn together.

And Samson, the cat... well he's just being a lazy ole cat, lying there being lulled to sleep by the sweet voices in the children's choir the sister is leading in song.

At just 10" high, I think her personality shines through beautifully.  She has the sweetest face.  I discovered that I like to do older faces  They just have more personality.
 

It has been quite an adventure in costume making!  I scoured the Internet looking for doll patterns for nuns habits and came up empty.  Finally I decided that the only way she would be completed is if I figured out how to make her habit myself.  Well, if there is one thing I am good at, it's research!!  And, being a non-Catholic, what interesting information I stumbled upon along the way. 

Did you know that a nun's belt has five knots in it?  There is a knot for the five wounds of Jesus at his Crucifixion (both hands and feet and his side). 

In Mary Catherine's habit, there are seven pleats across the front for the seven virtues (prudence, justice, temperance, courage, faith, hope, charity (or love).  In a real nun's habit, there are 7 more pleats across the front for the 7 deadly sins (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride)for a total of 14.

She has a set of little keys hanging from her belt as well as her crucifix which hangs around her neck. A gold ring, which signifies her marriage to God, is on her right hand (as some married Europeans do).  Some nuns wear their ring on their left hand (as some married North Americans do).

Her rosary (or prayer beads) with the cross tucks into her belt by her side and has 6 black beads (our Father beads) and 53 little pearl beads (Hail Mary beads)for a total of 59 beads.  If you are interested in finding out more about the rosary and how it is used in the Catholic faith, there is an excellent article here.

So I hope you have enjoyed being introduced to Sister Mary Catherine and now... on to my next project... an old fart and his "new" older gal friend.  This one is gonna take awhile!!

Wishing you an arty week,

Sharon

If the Shoe Fits...

 Fantasy Art Shoes that will bring a smile to your face and a chuckle to your heart...

Oh naughty me for not having posted since the beginning of last month!  My big excuse... I have been very busy with art *stuff*, doing some spring cleaning and supervising (tee hee) hubby's planting of our garden for this year. 

It is about to get even busier in our household as my hip replacement surgery date was set this week for the middle of next month.  Of course this would happen after I bought my super duper backpack beach chair for this beach this summer!  The sun had better shine a lot in the next few weeks so I can at least get to use it LOL

I did promise awhile back to post photos of the shoes I created for entry into the Coast Collective Shoe Show in mid May.  Of course I meant to post them earlier... before the show began... and alas the show has come and gone BUT I did take photos of my entries. 

The show was delightful to wander through and discover paintings, sculpture, and drawings you could purchase of  vintage shoes, boots, running shoes, fantasy shoes, RCMP riding boots, sandals, high heels as well as real shoes all "gussied" up... you name it, it was there.

I had a real blast making my shoes for the show.  It was a lot of fun and I laughed a lot as they came together.  It's delightful to experience that kind of joy when creating "art"!

The first shoe is called "Meal on Wheels" and the wheels on the shoe actually do turn!  Made from polymer clay, that cheeseburger, topped with a dill pickle and the crispy fries look so real you could almost pluck them off the shoes for a little snack and the strawberry for dessert is mouth watering luscious. 

I was surprised that this shoe "art piece" didn't sell at the show... it is just adorable sitting on a windowsill or shelf in a kitchen.  It certainly brings a smile and chuckle to the faces of people who see it!  Guess it is just waiting for the right person to come along, see it and want to give it a home in their kitchen. In the meantime, it will sit on the top of my pie safe in my kitchen along with Chef Pierre (remember him from a few posts ago?) and look cute!

The second shoe "Which is Witch?" is something to behold when you see it with light shining on it.  The sparkles are glorious... and something that photos just can't seem to capture and do justice to!

This shoe is a combination of many different mediums... a real shoe, paper mache, bookboard, clay, ribbon, acrylic paint, and more glitter than you can shake a stick at LOL. 

Anxious to see what it would look like and being somewhat impatient to get it finished,  I started applying the glitter at my art table.  I just happened to look down to see my little white dog, hovering around my feet,  starting to glisten and sparkle in orange, purple and glow in the dark glitter!  Well outside we went, pretty darn quick I can tell you, to finish the job.  Hubby remarked that we had the only glittering grass in our little village for at least a week. 

Once it was done, I just smiled every time I looked at it.  What a perfect Halloween shoe... I just loved the way it turned out.  Well I wasn't the only one it seems... "Which is Witch?" sold at the show and is now in a new home... no doubt bringing smiles to the face of its new owner.

So there you have it!  There is a third shoe that I did... I was definitely into this... that is just as delightful as these two... actually I think even more so,  but I am saving it for now.  I may enter it into an upcoming show and see if it makes the cut.

Have an "arty" week and see you soon...

Sharon

The Wise Old Crone....

Allow me to introduce you today to Matilde, the wise, old crone and storytelling muse who has resided in the creative side of my mind for many years. 

She has finally been brought to "life" through the magic of polymer clay and doll making.  She is a "stump" or bolster doll who stands 17" tall with a polymer clay face and hands.  Her arms and hands can move so she can be bent into different poses.  She has a lovely, old and craggy face that I imagine someone who has been around as long as she has (for she is ancient) must have...

 

She is made from three pieces of beautiful batik fabric in purple, turquoise and green that I had stashed away to save for a special project. They certainly aren't to "scale" for the size of the doll but I think you can get away with it in a doll like this.

Even though you really can't see it in the photos, the front of her dress has a series of pockets in which to stick "stuff"... tiny stories, favourite quotes, little books, dried flowers or small trinkets that hold meaning for me.  Sitting on the credenza in my studio,  in front of the window that looks out onto my "rock garden" on the side of our house, she reminds me each day to ...

Dance like the Maiden

Laugh like the Mother

Think like the Crone

It was a fun project... so much so I am almost (but not quite) ready to make another one!!   

A big thank you to all of you who "liked" this blog last week.  I really appreciate your support in helping me get a Facebook page going!  Now I just have to get to it...LOL

Have a great weekend,

Cheers,

Sharon

Guess Who's Cooking Dinner?

Okay, so a little mouse told me you've been wondering where I have been hanging out since my last post... well...

March and April have been chock full of creativity... finishing off three pieces for an upcoming art show (sorry can't show you the "creations" yet but according to my friend Karen you're gonna love 'em when you do get to see them) and learning to sculpt mini faces!

Boy, let me tell you... sculpting "little stuff" looks a lot easier than it actually is once you get down to it.  I have probably sculpted 20 little faces and then smushed (that is a word isn't it?) them up to start all over again. But the persistent being that I am, I kept going at it until I finally got one that I thought passed the test. 

A little background...

I first got interested in polymer clay as a way to make "stuff" for a dollhouse.  About five years ago, I could tell I was about to enter into my second childhood when my interest in dollhouses and mini dolls started to tickle my brain.  Well I made some cute little mini stuff... cups and plates, bread, cakes, cake stands, little perfume bottles, chocolates, sushi... a mish mash of just playing around.  I found I enjoyed making "little stuff" and played around with it for quite awhile.  I eventually put together my French Bistro Cafe (photo below) and then somehow got distracted by other projects I wanted to do.  I left minis behind... at least for the time being.

As I was dusting off my shelves just before Christmas, I opened up the box with the mini bistro in it.  I am a real Guy Buffet fan and I just love his chefs and waiters.  "Boy", I said to self, "wouldn't it be fun to try and make my own little chefs and waiters!  I could create a whole little scene for the top of the tin pie safe in my kitchen."

Oh dear, I should never say this kind of stuff to my "self"!  Another big learning curve coming right up....

FAST FORWARD...

So here we are TODAY ... hundreds (I kid you not!!) of hours later... and I finally have my first little chef!! 

Meet Chef Jean Pierre.  He's just finished baking a baguette for tonight's dinner.  I just love the smell of baking bread, don't you?  He made some delicious chocolate biscotti this morning for our after dinner latte this evening.  Would you like the recipe??? He'd be happy to share it with you.

 He is 7-1/2" tall (he can stand on his own) and is a regular little flirt with a sexy french accent.  He has studied and worked in some of the world's best french restaurants and I think you will agree, is as cute as all get out... soft, fluffy mustache and all!

See that waiter hovering around in the background?  He's on the list too!!

Well I must say "adieu" for now... Chef and I are about to sit down with a nice glass of wine and discuss dinner menus for the weekend...

Bon Appetit

Sharon

P.S.  Only one more "like" on Facebook and I will be able to start creating a MyStoryART page.  Please join me on Facebook ... click the Facebook "like" button on the left hand side at the top of this post.  Thanks a bunch!!

Signs of Christmas Everywhere...

The west coast has been hit with some fierce storms the past few days and some parts of Vancouver Island, where I live, are in for a white Christmas.... something that doesn't happen all that often.  I love it when it snows around Christmas... especially those big flakes that drift lazily down and if you stick out your tongue you can catch them!

I have been down with a very bad cold and laryngitis this past week (I sound like a fog horn) and with the medication I am taking, all I want to do is sleep.  I have managed to get a few things done although I have not finished Christmas shopping and at this rate, probably won't!  Guess I'll just cut out pictures of what I was going to get, paste them in a card and take advantage of Boxing Day after Christmas sales.

Every year I make an ornament that I give to friends and special people for their tree or desk.  This year, I made some little angels that make up a choir when I put them all together to photograph them.

They stand about 1 inch tall and are as cute as a bug.  If you are interested in making them, there is a wonderful tutorial by Robyn over at Creations by Curry.

During the latest conflict in the Middle East I was inspired to make some clay peace dove pins with peace in English, Arabic and Hebrew stamped into the clay wings.  It may be wishful thinking but perhaps if enough of us think and show support for peace for the Middle East, it will happen.  While I was at it, I also made a dove scarf pin.  It looks lovely with the black knit scarf I have.  I discovered that it's tough to photograph anything white, so I tacked it to some black corrugated paper in the hopes that it would turn out.  Once it was fired in the oven and sanded, it was so smooth.  It's lovely to just run your finger over the top of it and make wishes!

Here's wishing you a very happy Christmas and lovely holiday season for you and your family!  I'll see you again in the new year...

Merry Christmas...

Sharon XOXOXO

Fun Projects to Make in Just a Few Hours

Where does the time go?  Here it is Black Friday already and I don't even have my shopping list together!!

I had planned and made a promise to myself after my last blog post that I would pull up my "socks" and post more regularly.  The spirit was definitely willing... the body however, not so much!  I've spent the good part of the last three weeks down with a wicked cold, sore throat, laryngitis and ear infection that plunked me firmly on the sidelines covered in Vicks, slurping hot toddies and sleeping round the clock.

Honestly, I can't remember when I felt so miserable and had a "bug" that wandered on its own "merry" (ugh) way through my body in slow motion!! The pain in my ears (and the fact that I could hardly breathe) got so bad one night, I ended up in the Emergency dept. at our local hospital.  All they could do, after a good "look see" was tell me it was going around, give me antibiotics, told me to steam, stay in bed, keep warm and sent me home.  I was back at midnight again... this time with blood seeping from one of my ears as in "ruptured ear drum"!  I will spare you the nitty gritty's but it hasn't been the most pleasant couple of weeks in my life. However, today is the first day that I have felt like myself again (by gosh, I am actually going to live LOL) so I decided to pull a few fun things things I've made out of my art/sewing room to share with you.

First up are some pillow with neat French graphics on them.  Kinda the "in thing" this past year.  I purchased some good pillow inserts at the local fabric store (I was surprised at how expensive they are... even on sale) along with some Osnabruck fabric.  I messed with the graphics to change them slightly to make them larger and darken them up to ready them for fabric transfer with HP T-Shirt Transfer paper. I dug around in my lace stash to find some antique lace (had just enough for two pillows) and decided to make the large, two and a half inch buttons from polymer clay.  And here they are, all finished, gracing the antique chairs and couch in my living room...

You can find some neat French graphics at The Graphics Fairy if you are so inclined to make some for yourself or as a "different" Christmas gift for a friend or family member.

Remember all those Reader's Digest books I inherited?  Well, I found another use for them.  I was visiting an antique store this past summer and saw a book that was all bashed up but decorated with fabric roses.  It looked interesting just randomly sitting on an old side table in the store.  At $25.00 a pop, I decided I could make it myself!!  It sits "nonchalantly" on a table in my living room that is covered with my great grandmother's beautiful lace tablecloth (and was on my wedding table when hubby and I got married).

A couple of years ago I inherited a whole box of fabric flowers and ribbon from my sister in law who was clearing out some of her "stash".  She thought I'd be able to use them so gifted me with the lot.  I sorted out what I wanted and stashed it away in one of my translucent shoe boxes that I keep on the shelves in my sewing room.  I knew that some day a project would come along!  Don't they always???? LOL

So here's how to make one of these books yourself.  You can't be squeamish about bashing a book up to do this. Use a book that has no meaning for you or is so bashed up all ready that you are "recycling" it into art and giving it a second life.

Tear off the cover and the spine.  Take some brown ink (Tim Holtz has some great ink pad colours) and splatter it all over the book... spray it with a fine mist of water to spread the ink around.  I took a page from an old German book, crumpled and inked it,  tore it to size to fit the front page of the book and glued it down.  Once everything was dry, I simply took a wide piece of wired ribbon to tie around the book and hot glued some roses to the top of the book.  That's it!!  A quick and very easy little project.

Now I must get my list ready and get out to those sales today... Hope all my American friends had a lovely Thanksgiving and happy hunting in the Black Friday sales...

Cheers,
Sharon

A Be-Witched Tutorial

When I was a kid, I loved Halloween.  The thought of dressing up and going out "after dark" with my neighborhood friends to gather candy from the families in our neighborhood was just down right exciting.  The moment that the calendar slipped into October, I started planning my outfit!!

This year, the "magic spookiness" of Halloween and the fun of "dressing up" wandered over to touch my imagination again.  But first a little background....

This school year, I have volunteered to be the school crossing guard twice a day for the elementary school close to our home.  The street is a dangerous spot for little ones.  Too many cars speed along it.  Some drivers seem to not pay any attention to the posted school zone speed restrictions.  Other drivers are so wrapped up chatting on their cell phones while driving (even though it is illegal to do so in British Columbia) that they even go through the red light!

Because we have so much rain in the winter (and it can become so downright miserable some days that I threaten to pack up and move to Arizona on the next available flight... giggle...), our little school has had a hard time attracting anyone to man the light and cross walk at the school during the winter months.  So much so that the school has not had a crossing guard for over two and a half years.

Of course I only found out about this fact when chatting with the woman in charge of crossing guards for our district.  If I felt so strongly about it she said, perhaps I should volunteer to take it over! Well there was such a tug on my heart strings and seeing that I had practically talked myself into it anyway, I decided that in spite of the arthritis that has taken up residence in my body and does not like rainy weather one little bit, I'd do it.  After all, it is on my way home from the pool where I swim each morning.

Fortunately, living on the wet coast, I've got great rain gear and over the past couple of weeks doing this discovered that the trick to standing out in rainy weather is to dress in layers and as warmly as one can under all that outer gear.  Hoodies are great under a jacket.  Rain jackets with wide hood brims that shield the rain from dripping onto your face and into your eyes really work. Two way zippers in jackets are great! Ski underwear makes a difference.  Rain pants keep you dry.  The rain may be pelting down in sheets yet I am as snug as a bug in a rug!!  If it starts to pelt down hard, I can use an umbrella between trips of escorting kids across the street. Who would have thought I would enjoy this... not me for sure!!  BUT...

BOY it is worth it!  Parents are so appreciative and friendly.  Many of them have expressed how grateful they are to have someone there now even though they may walk their kids to school.  Some of parents of older kids who walk to school by themselves have expressed how relieved they are to have someone looking out after their son or daughter.

Many of the children always remember to say thank you.  I have received little "thank you" gifts from the younger tykes like a candy, chocolate bar, homemade cards, box of raisins, little drawings.  They are so proud when they present their special little gift to me.  It melts my heart.  Every day I am blessed with smiles or laughs from some of their "worldly" observations or remarks!!

Of course, since the calendar flipped to October, the "chat on the street" has all been about "Whatcha gonna be on Halloween?"  Angels, princesses, vampires, zombies, Red Riding Hood, Elvis, Darth Vader, a baby and  peanut butter (that should be an interesting costume!) are just some of the ideas being tossed around.  I am keeping "mum" about my costume... even though some of them are begging me to tell them!

So, if you promise not to tell them, here's a peek at one part of my costume... and how to make one for yourself in just a couple of fun, creative hours...

 Front Close Up

 Batty Witch Hat

 Back of Hat

What you need to make your own witches hat:

3 large pieces of black poster board
black polymer clay (optional)
small piece of black boa (optional)
fish line (optional)
Modge Podge or glue
Glue gun
1 yard of netting in the colour of your choice
a bunch of black flowers
5 or 6 large silk leaves
black poster paint
2-1/2 inch wide black wired ribbon
sparkly pipe cleaners
black shoe laces
thread in colour of netting
bat print out
glue gun

To make the hat. 

This video on uTube will show you how to make a witches hat better than I could describe it.  It's easy and doesn't take long.  The only thing I would change is to double the brims (make two instead of one and glue them together) to strengthen the brim up.  Even though the flowers and ribbon are not heavy, they will weigh it down.

Once your hat is finished and dry, you are ready to start adding the embellishments,  Drape the netting over the top of the hat.  Using a needle and thread, loosely gather it together at the bottom of the netting and baste it loosely with large stitches all around the brim of the hat. Tighten it up so that it fits around wide part of the hat at the bottom. Hot glue it in place to the brim.

Paint the large silk leaves black.  When dry, hot glue them in place to the brim in the front.  Save one or two leaves for the back of the hat.

Make a large bow (click for a good tutorial on uTube if you need to find out how) for the front of your hat.  Hot glue it in place on the brim and close to the top part of the hat.

Cut down the flowers and hot glue randomly to the front of the hat burying them in the bow.

Click on the bat print out in the instructions above to go to a website where you can get a paper bat print out.

Print out as many paper bats from the template as you would like on your hat.  Cut them out.  Trace the cut out on left over poster board and cut out more bats.  Place a pipe cleaner on one of the backs (hot glue it).  Modge Podge (or glue) the bat cut outs to the front.  Staple over the now hidden pipe cleaner for good measure!  Twist the pipe cleaner in a random shape and hot glue to the hat.

Repeat this same sequence for the back of the hat with any left-overs of ribbon, leaves, bats, etc...

*OTHER IDEAS*

If you have some black boa "furry stuff", you could spice these bats up once you have them cut out by adding a little piece in the middle of the bat for the body, glue some tiny button eyes to the boa.  You can then hot glue these furry little bats to the bow.

Additionally you could make some bats out of black polymer clay to nestle in the bow (just hot glue them in) or for your Halloween window.  Using the print out as a template, cut out bats from conditioned polymer clay. Bake as per manufacturer's instructions (about 15 minutes in a 275 degree oven). If you are going to add them to your window, just poke a tiny hole in the middle of the bat's wing (at the top) before curing your clay.  When cool,  finish the bats with the boa and tiny eyes as above.  String fish line through the top of the bat wing and hang in your window.

Finishing Your Hat

Poke two holes in the top of the brim (one on each side) to add the shoe strings.  Thread them through the holes and tie a knot. These will help keep the hat on your head when tied in a bow beneath your chin.  You're done.  Now try on your creation and listen to the oohs and ahhs from friends and family!! 

Enjoy!!  Happy Be-Witching on Halloween,

Sharon




 

A Mixed Media Bunny tutorial

Happy Easter everyone! 

Last week I promised to show you the bunny I was hoping to work on this week for Easter.  Since it turned out to be so darn cute and easy to make (less than an hour), I decided I would post the pattern and write up a little "how to" for you as a little gift from the Easter bunnikin!

So let's get started... and take a peek at what she will look like once she's finished.  She is about 8" tall and is a "stand up" bunny that you could put on a windowsill, a table or tucked away in a niche.  She's a real cutie!!

Here's what you'll need for supplies

piece of heavy cardboard 8-1/2" x 11"
Modge Podge or other white glue
Brown ink pad and a piece of polyester batting
about a yard of 1" pink wire edged ribbon
a cluster of small silk roses
something "fluffy" for her tail - I can never remember the name of that furry, fluffy stuff :)
box cutter
scissors
bunny pattern
white paint or piece of decorative paper

Cover one side of your cardboard with decorative paper.  Alternatively, you could also paint it white.

Here's the bunny pattern.  Just click on the link to download it to your computer.  Print it out, glue it to the other side of your cardboard and then cut it out.  Using the box cutter to lightly go round the bunny will make it easier to cut out with the scissors.  

Ink the edges with your brown ink and a piece of polyester batting.  The batting will create a softer outline.  Glue a small piece of the white fluffy stuff to her tail.

Make a stand for the back of your bunny from the leftover cardboard and glue it to the back.

Tie the ribbon round her neck. In the knot (before you make the bow), place the cluster of roses, knot it and then tie a bow.  That's it!  You're done.  Stand back and admire your cute bunny!

Hoppy Easter... may the Easter bunny bring you lots of chocolate!!

Cheers,
Sharon

Here Comes Peter Cottontail...

Hopping right down the bunny trail...

I woke up the other day with that song going through my head.   I figure it was my inner art calendar just taking a gander at the date and giving me a "heads up"... in the event I wanted to play and make something for Easter! 

Earlier this year I had decided that I wanted to make some little bunny earrings and a necklace for my granddaughter for Easter. Being just seven, I think she'll get a big kick out of wearing them "out and about".  So gramma got out her clay "stuff" and away she went. 

It was pretty easy and quick to make these lop eared bunnies... a couple balls of white clay for the head and the ears, a smidgen of pink for the nose and ears, some fishing line for whiskers, little flowers for the head and two black seed beads for the eyes.  "Cooked" them for 30 minutes and when they were cooled glazed them with Future to give them a nice shine.

So before I package them up to get sent off in the mail, I thought I'd share a photo of them with you...

The necklace was put together with some small white beads and larger pink pearls I have had in my stash forever. However, it was not before I managed to let the beading wire slip from my fingers as I was putting it together and spilled most of the beads onto the floor.  Hubby heard me screech "Oh NO!" and, bless him,  came to help rescue beads as they scattered across the room on the hardwood floor.

Do you have any projects planned for Easter?  Would love to hear what they are...

Till next week, when I will show you some pretty cool polymer clay beads I made this week and what I did with them.  I have another project with "bunnies" that I want to do... and if I get it done, I'll show it to you as well.

Happy arting,
Sharon

Cute as a Button.... and a challenge

The other day I needed a change of pace so I did something that I haven't done in a number of years.... cross stitch!


This little piece, done on 32 count linen,  was inspired by something I saw in a "button" store on a "let's go poking around" day with my friend Karen the last time she was in Victoria.  We both love buttons and we both have large stashes of them waiting to be used for "something".  Many of them are vintage... some have "stories" behind them and some are just ones we have seen along the way that we like!

I have a particular fondness for the old pearl and "bakelite" buttons...  the tinier, the better.  The two tiny pearlized buttons in the photo below (top right hand side) are actually from an old Edwardian vintage lawn dress that was literally falling apart from age (it was about 100 years old).  Every button in the piece is different.

This piece looks big in the picture but in actual fact it is quite small.  The squares themselves are less than an inch.  To give you some perspective... the large button at the bottom is about an inch.

I haven't quite decided how I will eventually frame it... guess I need to take a trip down to the framing store once I get the piece stretched and let the muse decide!!

I really enjoyed the change of pace of doing something different. Cross stitch is such exacting work and you really do have to concentrate on what you are doing.  Discover that you are one stitch off and out comes the "stitch ripper"!

I used to love to cross stitch and do hardanger (a "white work" form of Norwegian stitchery).     I even won many a blue ribbon at the State Fair in Raleigh, N.C. for some of my pieces that still adorn the walls of our house.

 Just doing this "button" piece, renewed my enthusiasm for cross stitch again and prompted me to get my "rear in gear" and finish off a couple of pieces that have languished in my cross stitch box for more years than I can remember!

Here's a photo of the Santa that I finally finished... look how tiny those stitches are!  Thank heavens for magnifiers LOL  Once it is framed, it will look great with the hardanger "Christmas House" I did a number of years ago.  I'll take a photo of the Christmas House soon and show it to you.  It is one of my treasured pieces.  I'm just not sure how well it will show up in a photo as it is "white on white".

What "unfinished" projects do you have tucked away in a bag shoved into the back of your closet or a shoe box that hasn't been opened in a long, long time?

• Mitts that you started that need another one to make a pair? 
•  Polymer beads that need to be sanded, polished and strung?  
• What about that dress you started last spring that never got finished?  
• Or the scrapbook page that needs a few finishing touches?
• What about that book on your shelf you keep meaning to alter?

I challenge you to make this the week to "rescue" an unfinished project from its hiding spot and lead it to the "finishing" line.  Let me know what you re-discover and how you make out!!

Art on my friends,
Sharon

Little Row Houses

It's been quite awhile since my last post.  Thanks to all of you who have inquired as to whether I am still alive.  YES, I am and thanks for asking!!

The silence on the blog has not been due to my incarceration, institutionalization, hospitalization or expiration. Nor was it an extended holiday in some place hot and sweaty, drinking margaritas a la Jimmy Buffet although that obviously would have been preferable to the other options I have just mentioned.  Nope, just lots of stuff going on in my life... some good, some not so good... taking up tons of my time dealing with it.  At the end of the day... blogging has just not been where my head is at.  I'm also taking a semi break from art right now, patiently waiting for my "mojo" to blossom once again!  Spring is coming... that should help!  I am not a winter person... my arthritis does not like it when it is cold and rainy and I get cranky and ornery!  LOL

This past week though I couldn't resist signing up for a swap for some little row houses in one of my mixed media groups. I love those little houses and decided I'd put a morning aside this weekend and get busy to make some.  Joining a swap put the fire under my feet to get them done.

I always admire the pretty little houses that lots of ladies make but personally I like to make grungy ones!!  There's just something about vintage papers, ink and old images that appeals to me and the messier my desk gets, the better!  Go figure....  It felt good to play with paper and ink again.  I didn't realize just how much I had to choose from in my stash.  Collecting it bit by bit sure adds up after awhile.

Here are a couple of photos of the finished houses.  One of the "rules" is that each house contain a number.  I tried to find different ways of including the number that wasn't what you would expect.

It was a fun morning making those little houses.  I am sure I will be just delighted when the houses from the other participants in the swap begin to arrive.  I have already decided that I am going to make a little accordion book with pockets to store them in... and perhaps make a few more houses while I am at it. 

Wishing you all an artful week...

Sharon

The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 1

First up in this showcase of projects I have done over the years is one you might not expect! 

I love antique stores and one year as I was roaming around the wilds of North Carolina, I came across this lovely little shop tucked away in a small town south west of Raleigh.  Well there isn't an antique shop on this planet that I won't visit, so in I went.

As some of you may know, North Carolina once was the "fabric" mecca of the south.  It still is to some extent but not nearly what it once was. As this industry declined and factories closed over the years, old thread spools and bobbins that had been languishing, forgotten,  in the back storerooms began showing up in thrift shops and antique stores.

Well being a sewer and a lover of anything vintage, when I spotted a bunch of them sitting in a large basket on the floor of this little shop, so lost, forgotten and forlorn LOL, I just had to have them.  I scooped up a number of them from the basket and, clutching them tightly to my bosom,  headed for the cash register. 

"Whatcha gonna do with all these here spools ma'am?" asked the sweet little old fellow behind the counter. "They is from the factory that closed here 'bout ten years ago and been sittin' in that basket ever since!"

"Don't know yet." I replied.  "I am a sewer and I just like them.  Maybe I'll put them in my sewing room."

Fast forward a couple of years. 

I needed a small lamp for a little niche area I had created in our living room.  I had scoured every store in town but still hadn't found one that I liked.  Feeling rather frustrated and impatient at not finding what I wanted, I decided to clean up my sewing room. Yep, that's one of my ways that I work frustration and impatience out... I clean!

All those thread spools and bobbins were sitting on a shelf in my sewing room... artfully arranged I might add... and as I picked up one of the large thread spools, it suddenly came to me that I could make a lamp out of these spools and bobbins.  The thread colour on the bobbins was perfect!  A quick trip to the hardware store for the electrical bits.  A side trip to the local lampshade place and my project was underway.  A rummage through my ribbon to tie the bobbins together on the thread spool and  by that evening my new lamp was sitting on my antique sewing machine.  It sits on a little table today, many years later, and I still love it!

Now if I could just get that "inventive" about all the other stuff languishing in my multiple stashes around the house!! LOL

Have you got any ideas about a project one could make using old thread spools?  Please share...


Cheers,
Sharon