Time to Celebrate...

Hi ya'll... glad to be back.  While I have been off recuperating from eye surgery, I have passed a couple of milestones... another birthday (no, don't ask! chuckle), another wedding anniversary, a number of fellow artists and visitors who have made my blog one of their favourites and passing the 35,000 visitors to my blog!  WOW!!  I am just thrilled to bits...and now that my new bionic eyes and I have made up and decided to be friends (it was not entirely smooth sailing), it's time to catch up...

One thing I will say about eye surgery... you don't know what "white" is until you can actually see "white" again.  Phooey, it is brighter than you may think it is.  But I gotta tell you, if the opthamologist had told me that once I had my new "outlook" on life I would see every wrinkle, no matter how tiny, in pure, living technicolour, magnified to the "nines", I might have told her to leave me in "hazy, can't see a darn thing" mode!  Phooey, my illusions are all gone... I have discovered wrinkles I didn't know I had... SIGH!

Reading is still somewhat of a challenge... my old prescription no longer works and I have been making do with a pair of glasses from two prescriptions ago.  They tend to give me migraines (UGH!) so I am not spending much time reading, writing, doing close up work. Ah... just a couple of weeks now and I'll have a new pair... then watch out, I'll be in a frenzy catching up on all the stuff I have felt I have missed (LOTS).

Fortunately, I've had the time to get some finishing touches done on a few projects that needed "something" to finish them off and complete some polymer clay projects.  I haven't quite been twiddling my thumbs, sitting around eating chocolate (although with Mother's Day and my birthday falling on the same day and another wedding anniversary in between, my chocolate stash has done well but alas is disappearing quickly).  Amazing how much time you recover when you can't do housework (ah, such a sacrifice GRIN), gardening or going swimming most days.

My REALLY BIG news in the past month has been that three of my polymer clay steampunk creations have passed the first adjudication for a "steampunk" book that is scheduled to be published next year.  More photos have been submitted of all three projects for the final adjudication and I should know the results soon!  Am keeping my fingers crossed.  I'd love to show you a photo... but alas, not allowed.

Hopefully within the next month, I'll have the blog mp3 player working again (I have to figure out what is causing it to misbehave) and will get back to recording some stories for you... in the meantime... if you have read this far then...

GET READY FOR A SURPRISE GIVEAWAY...
to celebrate all the milestones in the past month and a half! 

All you need to do is leave a comment on today's post... make sure I can get in touch with you...and I will announce the winner on June 11th!  I won't tell you what it is (because I haven't quite made up my mind yet... sigh) but I will tell you that it will be something to treasure.  Does that peak your curiosity?  I sure hope so.

BTW... Do you like "jocks in frocks with knives in their socks" and pipe and drum music? Translated: cute guys in kilts, with Scottish kilt knives (Sgian Dubh... pronounced "scan" "do") stuck in their socks,  beating on their drums and puffing on bagpipes.  If so, see my hubby and his band buddies in their GOLD medal performance at the 147th Highland Games here in Victoria last weekend.  Click on the links at the bottom of this post.

Short and sweet... but glad to be back.  I've really missed chatting with you all...

Have a great weekend...

Sharon

Links to UTube Videos

My hubby's band buddies competing at the 147th Victoria Highland Games (yep, it's been going that long) last weekend.  Here are the links to a couple of UTube videos:

443 Marine Helicopter Squadron (Canadian Air Force) -  hubby's band - two videos..the GOLD medal performance and the march off -   My hubby is the guy showing off (tee hee) by twirling sticks (he's a tenor drummer)

Mass Band ... hubby's band is pretty much front and center in this video. What a stirring moment it is when one sees all the pipes and drums coming into view as they come over the rise in Topaz Park... it gives me goosebumps every time I hear and see them do this!  Unfortunately you can only see them going down the hill at the end of the video.  It's one of those times when you just gotta be there to appreciate it!

My latest "creations"...

I've been playing in my jewelry sandbox this week!  I am scheduled for eye surgery later on this morning so wanted to get some playtime in before I am forced into art withdrawal. Not sure what to expect but my guess is that until all the surgeries are over in May I won't be doing much new art until June.  Guess I'll have to be content with finishing up some of those projects that need some extra touches!

I have had a polymer clay project in mind that I have wanted to do for awhile now.  I found it in the book, "Faux Surfaces in Polymer Clay" by Irene Semancuk Dean.  I did not use the "recipe" for jade in her book but one I found some time back (don't remember where now) and had written down in my clay recipe book. 

Working with polymer clay always reminds me of baking.  Out came the "recipe" I have for jade, got my ingredients together (clay from my stash, my "utensils", a match book to make a pattern, some chinese coin charms for decoration and gold wire for embeslishment).  Put on my "art apron" and got started mixing, chopping, rolling, dicing, slicing and  baking up a new pendant.

I have always liked jade... green is a favourite colour of mine...and I am always drawn to "something" oriental.  It wasn't nearly as difficult to do as I had imagined in my mind and went a lot faster than I had thought it would.

The tricky part was making the clay matchbox, getting it to fit snugly and still be able to open it.  It ended up being a little looser than I really wanted so I decided to glue the two pieces together.  It probably would have been just fine the way it was... it seemed to stay in okay... but I know that if it ever decided to slide out on its own when I least expected or wanted it to, it would bug me to no end.  So once it was cooked, "vintaged" with burnt sienna paint to show off the chinese characters, buffed and the embellishments attached, it got the E6000 treatment as a final step!


I finished it yesterday, just in time to write this post and show it off!    The charms were somewhat brighter than I wanted after I had darkened the clay with the paint, so I just tinted them with "latte" alcohol ink.  It toned them right down and flowed into the "nooks and crannies" of the coins very nicely.   I am absolutely thrilled with the way it turned out. Whatcha think??
 

Digital Media as Artistic "Add On" Materials

Have you noticed over the past year or so  how many artists are using more digitally created media in their art?  

The art world of the mxied media, collage and craft artist has quietly expanded to include more and more print outs of digitally enhanced photographs, digitally created "background" papers, alphabets and scanned ephemera such as old letters and labels in their creations,  Whether it is an altered book, beeswax collage, ATC, bookmark, greeting card, polymer clay pendant transfer or those adorable "moo" cards so popular with artists as mini "works of art" business cards, digital media "add on" material for art is here to stay simply because it expands the realm of artistic creativity with an explosion of possibility.

Last fall, my art bud and friend, Cindy Powell (Latest Trends in Mixed Media mama and co-author of two fantastic "how to" mixed media project books and a mxied media jewelry techniques book) and me started chatting one day about how artists were moving towards using more digital print outs in their art. 

I told her about how, when I couldn't find an antique typewriter ribbon tin for an art piece I was working on, I decided to make one myself using a digital print out and a piece of wood shaped like an old typewriter ribbon tin.  By the time I was finished painting, collaging and distressing it, you'd swear it was an old metal typewriter tin I had found in an antique store. It was definitely a moment where "mixed media" met the digital world... a "Hands On Digital" creation... the name we decided to use for our "art partnership" and blog.  Since then, we have welcomed two more wonderful women into our group, our  talented artists and friends, Cecilia Swatton and Sherre Hulbert (the mama of Art Techniques). 

One of the projects I was working on before I left for Art Fest in March was designing"mini workshops in a kit" ... faux typewriter key jewelry using digital letters, digital label kits for the kitchen and bath using recycled jars and containers and digital art alphas for ATC's, bookmarks and altered or mixed media art.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words... that should keep this post much shorter... LOL  so here they are...

Recognize that bookmark?  I made "moo" cards for ArtFest using this alpha that I designed.  The moo cards were so popular (I gave folks a choice of whether they wanted a moo card or a poker chip) that I was out of them in no time flat!

I love this vintage type jewelry set... with the "Hugs" and "Kisses" earrings, the necklace with my initial and two "function" keys and the bracelet with one of my favourite "texting" shortforms "LOL". They cost literally pennies to make and the full "how to"  instructions including a supply list and tips are included in the package. They are fun to wear and I get a lot of chuckles from people when they notice the X and O earrings.  They always want to know where I bought them.  It just tickles me to no end to see the look on their faces when I tell them I made them myself.  The digital letters are protected by resin... which also makes them look like glass keys! 

Here's an ATC I made by cutting out the letters in the "Just My Type #3 Vintage

Typewriter Keys" package, gluing them on chipboard and then to the background.

The combination of white keys and black keys from the

Just My Type Jewelry kit in an art piece is very stunning!

If you are interested in more information about any of these kits, they are currently available for sale (some for less than the cost of a latte at your favourite coffee shop) at DigiScrap Station.

I hope to get back to blogging as soon as I can.  With any luck (knock on wood) I'll be back writing away in a couple of weeks. 

Happy Arting...and have a great weekend.  See you soon!

Sharon

 

 

ArtFest 2010 - My Artful Trades

I am off to ArtFest 2010 at Ft. Worden, Washington (near Port Townsend) this coming Tuesday... I can hardly wait!  It's just a hop, skip and a jump (well ferry ride) from Victoria to Port Angeles and then on to Port Townsend just down the road (well sorta... )

I have two classes with some great teachers lined up... one with Michael DeMeng and one with Nina Bagley.

I've known about Nina Bagley since I lived in North Carolina.  Nina lives up in mountains (Asheville) and I have always admired her jewelry work.  She does wonderful wire work and that's what I really want to learn and get better at.  She is into narrative jewelry which, being a storyteller, is right up my alley!

Michael DeMeng is another artist whose work I find interesting in a strange sort of way.  I'm not into Cinco de Mayo but  I have heard so many wonderful reports from friends and acquantances who have attended his classes, I just have to find out for myself what the buzz is all about. LOL

I 've wanted to go to ArtFest for about four years now and it seemed something always came in between.  This year, I was determined to go and NOTHING was going to get in the way. It always amazes me (and it shouldn't by now...LOL) that when you set your mind to something and keep focused on it, it happens.  Energy Flows Where Attention Goes... a Hawaiian shaman principle that I continually need to remind myself of...

Being a festival VIRGIN (haven't been one of those for a very long time... chuckle, chuckle), I wasn't sure what to expect.  Fortunately, there is a Yahoo group that one can join to get the "lowdown" on what is happening and what not to forget to bring (like your pillow!).  Being a coffee lover, I went out and bought a little French press yesterday to take with me. I got that great idea from the people posting to the yahoo group. I do love my java in the morning...and someone said they were bringing a kettle to boil water.  YAY!

Early on, after joining the Yahoo Group, I heard about the wild frenzy that occurs when "trading" begins on Wednesday night.  Well I didn't have a clue at first what this was all about but I soon found out. Everyone who wants to participate makes up about 100 pieces of "art" to trade with other attendees.  The first thought that went through my head was :  "Oh dear, I hate doing production line stuff." and the second thought was "Well, you don't have to."  That let me off the hook to decide what I would make for my trades.

I put my thinking cap on.  Here's what I came up with....

I really had fun making the poker chips for my "claying" weekend a while back.  When I put a photo of them here on my blog, they received a lot of wonderful comments.  I decided that Poker Chips would be trade #1.

My second trade came from some digital Moo cards and bookmarks I designed a few months ago.  When I showed them to friends and family, one of them turned out to be a favourite.  I was particularly proud of this one because I  digitally designed the rusty alphabet myself which I used in the Moo card and bookmark. That would be trade #2.

My third trade idea came from my business cards.  I get a lot of wonderful remarks from folks when they see my business card.  It's different.  It's fun.  People keep it.  It amazes me how it gets shown around and I have people coming up to me to ask me for one of those "cute" business cards  When that started happening, I knew I had a hit on my hands.  Chuckle.

There is a little story behind my business card.... A few years back I wanted something different than the regular, run of the mill business card.  Something that reflected who I was and what I did.  Well, as anyone who knows me could tell you, I love to have fun, I love to surprise, I love to laugh, I love doing digital work and I can be a "cheeky" little devil at times.  I am also into vintage *stuff*. So I designed a card that I felt reflected who I am. What about making that trade #3?  "Why not?" I thought.  It is "arty"!

Below is a sample photo of all my trades,  Got them all finished last night.  They are ready to go... I've got lots (probably more than I will ever trade but what the heck huh?) so it should be fun to see how many "trades" I can negotiate next week.  I made an empty chain necklace to take with me to "string" trades I receive.  I think I am going to have one very, very wonderful "artful"  necklace by the time ArtFest is over.  I've been looking at some of the trades other attendees are making and they are just fantastic.  This is going to be a bowl full of frenzied fun...

I'll be back home next Sunday and once I have had a few day to recover (grin), I'll share my experience with you.

Have an "artful" week everyone and see you again soon.

Cheers,
Sharon

Coffee Filters Around The House and in Your Art

Last week, my cousin Linda, who lives in Florida, sent along an interesting list of ways to use coffee filters around the house.

What wasn't on the list, were the gazillion of ways coffee filters can be used in art. For us frugal artists who like to save $$$ on our supplies, it's music to our ears to hear..."You can purchase a big box of them at your local dollar store for practically next to nothing."

I have certainly used them in my art. What about you? I'd love to hear how you incorporated them into some of your art projects. Let's expand this list... leave a comment on this post or send me an email with your ideas!

Like roses? Check out the link at the end of this posting for a fun tutorial, filled with tons of photos, for these pretty paper roses.

In the meantime, while you are all leaving comments for ways you use them in YOUR art LOL, here's how to use coffee filters around the house...

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect china by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.
4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..
13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.
14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."
15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.
16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.
18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.
19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.
20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.
21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.
22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.
23. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.
24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book.
25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.
26. And oh ya, you can use them in your art too! There are tons of ideas on the Internet for using coffee filters in art for little budding artists and big ones too!. Just google "crafts using coffee filters".

You can see the Paper Rose Tutorial by Sara Jane tutorial at the Crafteria

Oh gosh I almost forgot, they're great for using in your coffee maker too. Go brew yourself a cup of java right now to get you going on your next art project. But please, leave a comment before you go. LOL

Cheers,

Sharon

Inukshuks - the Meaningful Messengers Pt. 2 + Inukshuk Tutorial

Hi! Glad you stopped by for a visit today to read the second half of this article. The tutorial for making your own Inukshuk along with some photos of a few of mine follows the article.

What is True About the Inukshuk is True About People

Inukshuks (Inuksuits plural) in themselves are the product of cooperation. The hands and effort of an entire group are required to build these massive stone sculptures. They are the result of a consensus of purpose and focused action by a group united in its goal and labour. The sculpture reminds us that as good as our individual efforts may be, together we can do even greater things.

Each individual stone in an inukshuk supports and is supported by the one above and the one below it. No one piece is any more or any less important than another. Its strength lies in its unity. Its significance comes from its meaning as a whole.

Each individual by themselves is significant. As part of a team, each of us supports and is supported by one another. We are united by a common goal and together we are part of a greater whole.

The stones which make up the Inukshuk are secured through balance. No concrete to glue them together here! The stones are chosen for how well they fit together. Look at the structure below that is on top of Whistler Mountain (the site for the majority of the Olympic skiing events) and see how the removal of even one stone would destroy the integrity of the whole.

Photo courtesy of Bobak Ha'En

So too, with a team. Each individual in a team is necessary for the realization of the team's purpose. The removal of even one person will result in the weakening of the structure. What holds the team together is balance - the complementary nature of individual skills.

Inukshuks are also the symbol of the human spirit. They recognize our ability to succeed with others, where alone we would fail. They remind of of our need to belong to something greater than ourselves. They prompt us to reconnect with our individual responsibility to invest our efforts today so we may all have a better tomorrow. They ask us to heed the knowledge of our inner knowingness, hear the voice of our intuition and move to the harmonious music in our heart and spirit. Inukshuks convey the importance of personal contribution and reinforce our ability to commit to common goals. They implore us to share the fruits of our learning, our wisdom with one another.

The Inukshuk is a reminder for all of us that our efforts towards the common good of our "earth" community are appreciated. It is an enduring symbol that invites us to speak with one another on a higher level, from our hearts and spirit, about what really matters in life.

Make Your Own Inukshuk

My box of rocks... gathered from various beaches all over Vancouver Island

Creating your own Inukshuk is fairly simple. Decide on how big you want your Inukshuk to be. On your next beach or lake stroll, look for rocks that "speak to you". Preferably they should all be about the same size for the body and smaller ones for the legs and arms. The most special rock you find should be designated for the head.

I like to place my little "guys" on a larger rock so that they sit firmly wherever I place them (in bookshelves, on the windowsill, outdoor tables, tree stumps, in the hidden recesses of the rock face in my side garden and of course in the garden itself) I love it when people who visit us in the summer discover them in the oddest of places.

The large Inukshuks in this photo have two arms signifying either a valley ahead or safe passageway. But notice the small Inukshuk in front... it has no arms! This signifies that where this Inukshuk stands there is a cache of food.
Notice the Inukshuk on the left. It has only one arm. This signifies that you should continue your journey in the direction the arm is pointing.

Now, depending on where you live in the country, the trick may be finding stones that are flat enough to sit on top of each other. The arms look best when made out of long, narrow rocks if you can find some. If not, glue some smaller stones together in a row. But how do you balance all of them?

If you have been lucky enough to find rocks that balance easily, you have been fortunate. But don't despair if you haven't! Just pull out your handy dandy hot glue gun to glue your stones together.

Some of the small Inukshuks I have were glued together with the hot glue gun and they have actually held up quite well nestled among the flowers in the garden (I swear they make the flowers bloom brighter and better!). However, they don't like the hot sun beating down on them in the summer. They will fall apart as the sun melts the hot glue if they are left too exposed to the elements.

That's all there is to it when you are using real rocks. Happy gathering!

Oh, Oh, the crowd is clapping and roaring... better go take a look. LOL

Enjoy the rest of the Olympics...

Toodles for now,

Sharon

Inukshuks - The Meaningful Messengers

Is Olympic fever raging in your household? It certainly is in ours! Every night we can hardly wait to watch what is happening. Hubby walks through the door... down the stairs we go... dinner plates in hand. Between bites, we cheer those athletes on. Last night was a particularly good night... Canada struck Gold, Silver and Bronze and we jumped up and down like excited little kids on a sugar high.

When Canada won its first Gold Medal, the idea popped into my head to "plant" a Canadian flag in our front garden for every gold medal Canadians earned. I have a wonderful concrete casting of a "toonie" (Canada's two dollar coin) that nestles amongst the flowers in the front garden in the summer. It has become the centerpiece of my Gold Medal flag garden. The significance? Well, I am betting that "loonies" (our $1 coin) and "toonies" (our $2 coin) are buried all over the Olympic venues for good luck! After all, we are Canadians and it's just SO Canadian to do that! LOL

My neighbours seem to be getting a big kick out of my flag garden... no doubt shaking their heads, wondering what I will think up next! I am as excited as can be when I get to plant a new flag each time one of our athletes strikes gold. Here's an "updated" photo taken this morning...(please ignore the winter weeds LOL)

Now, you might be wondering what the title of this blog post has to do with the Olympics. Well, the inspiration for this week's main blog post came to me when a shot of the 2010 Olympic Logo with the symbol of an Inukshuk flashed across the screen.

Long before they designed this logo for the Olympics, I used the Inukshuk as my coaching practice logo. I love the meaning behind these raw but glorious pieces of Inuit art. The Inukshuk has been a personal talisman in my life for many years now. Little Inukshuks, made from stones that I have gathered from many of the beaches on Vancouver Island, are scattered in my gardens.

Over the next few days... to keep my posts shorter.... I would like to share with you an article I wrote a number of years ago that was published on my websites describing the meaning behind this symbol. Should you discover that you too, would like to have your own talisman after reading the entire blog post, I will share with you a small tutorial for making your own Inukshuk.

Inukshuks - The Meaningful Messenger

Pronounced IN-OOK-SHOOK and meaning "in the image of man", these magnificent lifelike figures of stone were originally erected by the Inuit people and are unique to the Canadian Arctic. Standing along Canada's most northern shores, they endure as eternal symbols of leadership, encouraging the importance of friendship and as a reminder of our dependence upon one another.

In the Baffin region of Canada's Arctic, the traditional meaning of an Inukshuk was to act as a compass or guide for a safe journey. The Inukshuk, like ancient trackers, helped guide people seeking their way through the wilderness. An Inukshuk on land with two arms and legs means there is a valley ahead. At the end of this valley, you will be able to go in two directions and you must chose the path to take. Today, this serves as a reminder that we always have a choice in the direction we choose to take in our lives.

Erected to make the way easier and safer for those who follow, an Inukshuk represents safety and nourishment, trust and reassurance. The Inukshuk guided people across the frozen Arctic tundra and gave them hope in barren places to handle hardships they encountered. These primitive stone images showed the way ahead...pointing you in the direction you wanted to go. Had they been able to speak, I am certain they would have said: "Here is the road. It is safe. You can meet the demands that this path holds. You can reach your goals and attain your vision of where you want to be."

The Next "Installment"

Stop by on Saturday to read the "rest of the story"... "What is True About the Inukshuk is True About People" and the "very easy" tutorial on how to make your own Inukshuk.


Cheers,
Sharon

Happy Hearts Day Giveaway!

Happy Hearts Day! Meant to post this yesterday but got all caught up in the Olympics! LOL

Here's a little something I made for Valentines Day as a giveaway to one lucky blog visitor... a heart pendant with a Swarvoski crystal and a set of matching heart earrings! Read on and see how you can enter this giveaway....



I don't know about you but I can tell you I sure dislike all the hype around Valentines day! So I decided a number of years ago to declare Valentines Day as a day for me (and women everywhere) to spoil themselves rotten LOL.

This is the day to treat yourself to a massage or pedicure with your favourite massage therapist or manucurist.

A long, leisurely soak in the tub with a glass of wine and some pretty music playing in the background sounds good to me.

Buy yourself some chocolates and indulge your tastebuds for a day!

To enter this giveaway, just leave a comment (and how to get in touch with you) telling me how you are going to spoil yourself rotten on Valentines Day! On Tuesday the 16th, I will draw a name and announce the winner on the blog so remember to check back to see if you have won!

If your name is drawn, just send me a quick email with your snail mail address so I can get it in the mail to you "pronto" LOL. If I don't hear from you by Wednesday evening, I will draw another name...


Happy Hearts Day


Sharon

This Month's Audio Story: What a Woman Desires Most

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I thought and thought about which story I would record for February. Going through my list of stories, not a one seemed to jump out and say pick me, pick me. Nothing seemed to strike a chord or resonate. A saccahrin love story? Na... too mushy! Intrigue and romance? Hmmm, sounds too much like daytime television to me. And then, the story popped right into my mind... Lancelot...King Arthur... Genevieve...of course! I knew in an instant the most perfect story to tell.

This story is an adaptation of a very old story from Chaucer's Cantebury Tales. Yes, it's been around that long.... others may recognize it tucked away in the King Arthur tale - The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Radnell.

It's another one of my all time favourites and I hope you enjoy it! One of those stories that every shining knight in rusty armour should listen to... LOL

Cheers,
Sharon

Dreaming ... in Technicolour!

A short and sweet post this week just to let you know what "fun" I've been up to...and to keep my promise to myself (and YOU) to blog regularly!

I couldn't believe the date this morning. My goodness how time flies! It's been such a busy month... playing with digital collage, making some fun poker chips, creating digital paper, designing a website for my Victorian Fashion Group (long overdue!) and getting ready for two workshops... Clay Daze with the Vancouver Island Polymer Clay Group this weekend (oh dear, whatever will I work on!) and a Victorian Valentines Evening with my Fashion Group... coming up quickly.

One of the fun things our claying group does is have a surprise gift exchange between members/participants at the end of our weekend. The only rule is that it be something "handmade" by you and anything goes!

Being relatively new to claying and not about to embarrass myself with something amateurish (after all we have a number of the best polymer clay artists in Canada in our group... Gera Scott Chandler, Wanda Shum and Tina Holden), I decided I would stick to what I know and made the sweetest little "dream" journal for those who like to dream in technicolour! I created the paper digitally because I wanted to see if I could re-create on the computer what I normally do with paints. I was pretty pleased with the result...

Going through my "stash" I discovered some knitting yarn I forgot I even had that matched the paper and with the addition of some scrabble tiles, it is now ready for someone to "dream in technicolour" and journal what they discover.

Now if I could just decide what I am going to work on "perfecting" this weekend... I really want to make an "inro" (a Japanese wearable "purse" ) and work on caning... so I guess that's what I'll go with. I would love to get good enough (eventually) to make teapots like Wanda does. They are something else!!! Take a look at Wanda's slideshow while you are there... I love the whimsy she puts into her pieces. It so matches her bubbly personality! I'll share the results of my weekend with you in upcoming posts.. the stuff that turned out and the stuff that didn't LOL.

I volunteered to be in charge of the gift exchange at Clay Daze so I decided to call it "A Brown Bag Affair" (pretty classy name huh?). Particpants have been asked to bring an unwrapped gift that will fit into a brown lunch bag. In return, they will choose a poker chip (that they get to keep as a souvenir of our weekend) and the lunch bags will get the same number. On Sunday, they will all get to choose their gift bag (other than their own number).

We have 15 participants, so I made 15 altered poker chip charms this week. Of course, there's something interesting about the actual draw, but it's a secret right now! Here's a sampling of some of the poker chips...they are altered on both sides... just forgot to take a picture of the "backside".. vintage ledger paper glued to the backs serendipitously. I just drilled a hole in the top of the poker chip with my handy dremel tool, got out some beads and away I went. I think they turned out pretty darn cute...




Well I have to run for today and get all my claying stuff packed up! Premo was on sale this week at Michaels (Wanda says that's the only kind of clay to use for caning) so I decided to purchase one package of every colour they manufacture (and use that gift certificate I got for Christmas). What fun that was... now I am REALLY ready to create something *fun* with all those happy colours!

Have a great week "arting"


Sharon

A Fun Tale: "Mary Sue's Goin' on a Diet"

Are you ready for a few chuckles in the New Year? If you are a woman, you'll relate to the "age old" dilemma in this story "Mary Sue's Goin' on a Diet" I wrote a few years ago! I only tell this story in January, so take a few minutes to have a listen to a story guaranteed to bring a smile to your face and a large chuckle to your heart.

Happy New Year to you! Hope 2010 and the new decade is good to you... you deserve it!

Sharon

This Month's Story: The True Meaning of Crumbfest

This month's story is one of my absolute favourite Christmas stories: The True Meaning of Crumbfest by David Weale.

The True Meaning of Crumbfest is the story of a curious little mouse named Eckhart, who sets off to discover the truth about that most abundant time of year called "Crumbfest," when bounteous crumbs miraculously appear in the old Prince Edward Island farmhouse in which he lives. This wonderful story for the young and the young at heart is a heartwarming tale of the magic that happens when the "Outside" and the "Inside" come together.

Dr. Weale is a retired professor of Canadian and Prince Edward Island history at the University of Prince Edward Island. He has written a number of books including works of history such as A Stream Out of Lebanon (Institute of Island Studies, 1988) but is best known for capturing Prince Edward Island folk history and tradition in popular books and stage shows. I wish to extend my most sincere thanks to Dr. Weale for his most gracious and kind permission to tell this most wonderful story.

If you wish to read or purchase this book, look in your local library for a copy. To own your own copy or for gift giving here are the particulars for your local bookseller:

Publisher: Acorn Press
ISBN 978-0-9698606-4-8

Book Size: 8 x 8
Number of Pages: 28
Price: $7.95 CDN

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Sharon

What's On the Christmas Tree?

This week I'll share with you some of the clay ornaments I sculpted for the craft fair, for ornament swaps I have participated in this season and for gift giving to some of my favourite people! I was pleasantly surprised to see how well they sold at the craft fair I mentioned last week. I was surprised at the interest in the steampunk ornaments... even though they are not every one's "cup of tea".

There's a little bit of eye candy for everyone today... from a snowman on skis to a bare naked (well, just about LOL) Santa in three different versions. I figured that if we could have a Canadian singing group called "The Barenaked Ladies", we could have Barenaked Santas!

Let's start with the tame ornies...

This cute "Frosty the Snowman" comes in a number of different versions. I just happened to choose this one... on skis... to photograph. They look really sweet hanging on the tree.

This little teapot was a real hit at the craft fair! The "body" of the teapot is a small, glass ball ornament. I was surprised at how long it took to make the rest of the components for the teapot! I thought it would go quickly... wrong... working with little pieces of clay can be tricky and time consuming!

I love the look of surprise on Mrs. Santa's face in this next ornament! This is a photo embedded in clay! I didn't think one could do that but it turns out you can. So far it has held up...even with the glaze on top. Most of my ornaments were glazed with Triple Thick... love that stuff... it's so easy to work with and a lot less expensive that some of the other glazes out there. A jar has 8 ounces in it. It is a diamond, none yellowing clear glaze and available at Michaels.

Here are some the steampunk Christmas bells I made. I textured the black clay, cut them out with a cookie cutter, rubbed on silver pearl ex and then embellished them with "gems".

Here's a closeup so that you can see more detail...

Here are some steampunk birds! I love these. Once again, I rolled out the black clay, cut them out with a bird cookie cutter (I cut the wing out with a teardrop cutter), dusted on silver pearl ex and added the embellishments... watch parts and "gems".

Here's a closeup... sorry it's a bit blurry but I didn't think you'd mind! This one has a small Swarovski crystal for the eye.

And now... the moment you have been waiting for LOL... the original version of the bare naked Santa! There is glitter on his beard and hat... although it doesn't show up too well in the photograph. He is tripled glazed so he "twinkles" on the Christmas tree.

I made a bunch of them and I do have a few left if you are interested in purchasing one. Just send me an email (email link is on the top of the blog, on the right). A fun "stocking stuffer" for the man in your life!

I was showing one of these to a female friend while we were both visiting with some friends. Her husband, who is an avid curler, addicted to that great Canadian sport of Curling, had a good laugh and said: "Can you make one with a curling rock?" "Sure", I said. "Well, if you can, here's my order..." said he. Oh Yippee....

When hubby, who is also an avid curler, saw it, he said: "Well don't I get one too?" Ah, poor baby he thought he was going to be left out! LOL

"What about one with a Scottish horsehair sporn?" said Ray.

What you need to know is that he plays the bagpipes in the same military pipe and drum band as hubby. What's a sporn you say... oh that little purse they wear in front of their uniforms. "Well, I can take a crack at it", said I. " Here he is...

Now hubby, who is the lead tenor drummer in the band, is sending broad hints to make one with a drum! At this rate, I'll be making Santas on Dec. 24th! They certainly are a big hit with the guys! BUT the gals seem to be getting in on the game too judging by the orders I have received and those who purchased some at the craft fair!

A quick sidenote...

Last weekend I went to Vancouver for the Vancouver Polymer Clay Guild's Christmas party. They always have an ornament swap. Well I couldn't help myself. My quirky sense of humour said "Give one of your Santas". It certainly did engender some good laughs and even got a mention on Cindy Leitz's wonderful blog, The Polymer Clay Tutor. (Dec. 7). If you are interested in polymer clay and learning how, visit her site filled with tutorials!

Next week, I'll share with you the ornament I received at the party from Deb Groom! It is absolutely stunning. I was just thrilled to bits. Deb is a very talented multi media artist. Her pine needle baskets are beautiful. Her doll figures are just plain fun, Her hooked rugs are splendid, playful works of art. Drop by her site and take a look at her slideshows. I promise you, you'll drool!

I had such a good time at the party. It was wonderful to meet all the folks who belong to this guild... what a talented group of people and so helpful with their advice! I just drool at what they can make from a hunk of clay. Maybe, one day, if I keep at it, I'll nudge closer to being as good as they are.

So there you have it for this week! Next week, I'll show you all the "jewelry" bits and pieces that you can assemble to wear or use in four different ways. Find out what those four ways are in next week's "show and tell".

Enjoy your week...

Ho! Ho! Ho! to one and all,

Sharon

This Month's Audio Story: "The War Mother"

This month's story, "The War Mother" by Nellie McClung, a well known Canadian author was written in 1917. It is just one story in a series that Nellie wrote to express how Canadian women felt during a time of war as they sent their husbands, sons and neighbours off to the war in Europe.

I have wanted to record this story for about three years now. Although it is much longer than most stories I put on the blog, it is in honour of all mothers who have sent their children off to war and in remembrance of all those men and women who have fought and died in wars. I urge you to listen to the story... perhaps while browing my blog or the Internet... I hope it touches your heart as it did mine when I first heard it. I believe you will find that it is 20+ minutes well spent.

On the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour, we will honor and remember those men and women who have fought for our countries and say a quiet thank you for our freedom.

Lest We Forget...

Sharon