art fair continued

Art Fair/Craft show preparations

Several neighbors and I are going to sell at the Golf Club art/craft show this November. My neighbors sew...I do not....LOL...so I decided to make items that are "green" using or re purposing items for a new use.
Below are photos of how I decided to re purpose spoons, old wooden textile bobbins, vintage optical lenses, rusty bed springs. Enjoy....I am still working on a few other projects and more angels...

Word Queen of the Universe

This page is for a 4 x 6 page swap that will be made into a book. One of my Yahoo groups is 10 years old and one very ambitious moderator is volunteering to collect pages from as many participants who send her a page...she is then going to laser copy the pages and make a book for each participant of all the pages... this will be a treasure to explore once the book returns...I can hardly wait.....

The Fairy Door....

It is said, if one installs a Fairy Door...the Fairies who are wanting to move out of the woods to the more urban areas...will move in....they are said to bring good luck with them. Only a Fairy can open the door and if one forces it open...the Fairy will leave.

At Hobby Lobby this week, they are 40% off in the unfinished wood section....so I decided to get one and painted it today. (I know my shading is off...but maybe the Fairies won't notice?) Anyway...I will put it by the front door...perhaps with a vacancy sign for a bit until I see that a Fairy family has moved in...then I plan to decorate it with the passing holidays...it should be fun...I am also thinking of writing a little story to go with it and record the happenings with the Fairy Family that hopefully comes to live here....

updates

the new roof is on...took 10 days of the workers pounding and making noise and me picking up nails from the yard and driveway...but it is done...mostly,...they still have to come back for some cosmetic issues.

Saturday we had the condo community annual garage sale....I decided to not sell this year so I could walk around and see other goodies....and I did. I picked up some costume jewelry and some keys, a lock and a victorian floor lamp...not bad for $14.50 total!!! I picked up a green malekite stone necklace for $1 and took it apart. Dallas stripped some electrical wire for me to the copper core...and I guess it is around 14 gage...and I made my version of the tree of life pendants using the copper and green stone....they are all different since I was not sure how to make them but experimented.
And I took a jewelry solder class last week and made myself a greenish glass/silver bracelet and also one for DD(Jenny) for her up coming birthday....hers of course is pink. And I have also made a new wreath for over the fireplace. Flowers are planted and looking pretty and we are having more sunshine than rainy days now,..so what could be better?

Ties That Bind Raffle tickets are now available

this is such a wonderful cause to help fight ovarian cancer. About a year ago, over a 100 artists were asked to donate a homemade charm or tie to be assembled to make an art doll to be auctioned off with all proceeds going to ovarian cancer research.

the time has come and from now until September 2009, tickets are available to win this awesome doll.
http://www.scrapbookroyalty.com/tiesthatbind.html

The Hunt

Ok, so who knows what the term..."geocaching" means? Have you heard of letterboxing?
they are darn near the same thing except with geocaching you use a GPS to find the spot or close to it.
So the newbies that we are....I downloaded about 8 possible sites to try to find....noting that I chose mostly level 1's and 2's on the terrain and difficulty scale. Well, the first one we got to the area but could not find the cach...same with the second one....OK, perhaps we need a level 0 difficulty....sheesh....then we found the 3rd, 4th ones....yippie....opened up the micro box and signed the logs....and then rehid in the same location for the next seeker. then we headed out for the 5th one....hmmm....would have to walk into someone's yard to find it....and I won't do that and being unfamilar with the neighborhood, we didn't know how to get to the woods behind the houses that were along a fence line...so headed out to the 6th, 7th and 8th....found them...some were tiny nano boxes...and one was a sandwich sized tupperware like container...it actually had treasures to trade but since we didn't bring anything to trade...we just signed the log and rehid...but I now want to make "signature" treasures...that people will want to collect...got to come up with something not too large but coveted and unique just the same...I may paint wooden nickles and leave those...but then maybe not...LOL...
anyway...the weather was nice and we had fun walking a bit in the woods and parks to locate the caches...and trying not to be noticed by anyone.
If you have a GPS and are looking for something fun to do -outdoors -with the family...go to geocaching.com and read a bit and download some hidden caches in your area to go hunt.

beach in a bowl

OK, so I bought some of these shells since Myrtle Beach has bone crusher waves and breaks most shells. One can get them on some of the smaller beaches that have sand bars...but....needless to say...I picked up broken shells for their color and bought some fancy ones.... but...the sand is pure authentic. I had the bowl and added the fish net a attached some shells to the outside...My little beach at home....all that is missing is the sound of the ocean and the breeze and the cold water....hmmm...wonder if Dallas would mind if I hooked up the hose and turned on the fan....? LOL

Beach Vacation

We have had a time share in North Myrtle Beach for over 25 years. On week 14 every year or there abouts, we either head to Myrtle or exchange it for another destination...but mostly Myrtle. This year we wanted to see some things we had not discovered in the past or for a while. We toured one of Myrtle Beach's wineries and took a day trip to Charleston and Georgetown. We also visited Brookgreen Gardens and walked the beach...a lot. I picked up various shells, and sand and was looking for some jelly fish...(we always see dead jelly fish washed up after the storms) but not this year...instead...we saw this large pile of sponge...I thought it unique that it was in a heart shape, and we saw dolphins and people....LOTS of people when in past years there would be about 50 on the beach on a given day. We had fairly decent weather...a bit chilly at times...but no snow and we took our time and relaxed...no set schedule...nor rushing around...no expensive shows...just a nice week on the beach to blow away the winter duldrums

Rescue

Last week, one of my neighbors who is a quilter and sews everyday...was cleaning out her closet of unfinished projects and asked me to come over to see if I could use anything before she tossed it. Already in the pile to be tossed was a bag of cut out pieces to make a purse. She had cut them out but lost interest and it sat in her closet for a few years... I loved the colors...and looked at the pieces...it was hard to tell what was what but I thought I could put it all together and make a few adaptations from the left over fabric. I had to buy a zipper and take it back as once I got the pieces somewhat hooked together...the zipper I had was going to be too short...then I picked up some black bias tape to use to finish off seams as the quilted fabric would be too thick for a traditional seam. Any way...I used my Baby Smurf...(teeny tiny blue Kenmore) and it worked like a trooper even through 4-5 thickness in some areas of quilted fabric...I don't think my older more expensive machine would have gone over some of those bulges...LOL... I had to do some hand sewing...not my favorite....around the inside of the zipper to hide and finish off the seam...this would not have been so hard...except for the fact..I had no regular needles and had to use a dull round point....yes, I could have waited until today to go buy what I needed but I wanted that purse done yesterday!!!!
I love it....!!!!

More Flower Pot Figures...and a nest

the weather outside is foggy and ice is covering everything. Soooo, nothing better to do then stay inside and work on some projects...I got my chores done and rewarded myself with some art play.
I created the angel and snowman from the tiny terra cota flower pots and a small wooden ball for the heads/hat. The nest is from copper wire and some beads I had laying around. This may not be the "correct" way to make a bird's nest...most of the experts around here have flown south for the winter...(smart)...but I think this concept will work and make a believable replica.

Community Craft Group

A group of ladies in my condo community get together once a month and make a project. Snowman flower pots was the theme this past month. I made the first one on the left for myself and the last one on the right was made for one of the gals who got sick and could not attend...I did all the gluing and the other gals handed me stuff to attach... the little snowman is also mine...I added garland and mini lights to the picket fence posts...and the red gingham tree is made from an old rusted bed spring with bells glued to it. Anyway...this is a fun and easy project and we had a great time.....after the craft session, we enjoyed homemade soup, dessert, veggies, rolls and chips and dip... no one minded that it was 20 degrees outside...we were having fun and warm inside.

my ornament tree

this is my art ornament tree that I leave up all year long... decorated with art from the various holidays. Right now it has a mix of store ornaments and handmade by me and from the Diva 12 Days of Christmas swap. the packages at the bottom are yet to be opened....smile...isn't it pretty?

Flower pot Snowman

I took 5 small terra cota flower pots and painted them up and made this little snowman scene. I even added snow...(white caulking) and a stir stick from Starbucks that DH had found and brought home...(well trained)....and a white picket fence which will have wreaths and red bows added tomorrow....The bottom is several cardboard coasters from the local restaurant.....
with it being 18 degrees outside...this snowman is more fun to build.

more art play

I made two more spoons for DD and her friend for their Christmas trees...both are OSU nuts. I printed the logo off (reversed) and used gel medium to coat the ink several times then wet the paper and removed it....the logo is almost like a decal. I added it to the bowl of a spoon which I had painted white. She is picking them up tomorrow..so nothing like me waiting until the last minute to get them done.

12 Days of Christmas Diva Swap

I belong to a wonderful group of on line artists and friends and we decided to have a swap this year. Each gal of a group of 12, made 12 handmade items and sent 1 out to each of the other gals. We were all assigned a day from 1-12.... Begining on Dec. 1st for day 1...we began to open each designated gift for the day. I am day #4 and above is the ornament I made from an old silver plated spoon. I used a drill press with a round cutting blade to cut off the handle, and to drill the hole into the stub. I used a belt sander to smooth the cut edges, and then I painted the scene and sealed it, added a bow and charm and told each spoon to behave and bring a smile to the recipient's face.

Glass Block project

I have been wanting to try this project for some time now. The reason I had not done so until today...is that the blocks have to have a hole drilled into the side...with a diamond drill bit and hopefully not crack the glass. But, today I was at Lowe's and saw these in the Christmas section and they already have a hole drilled plus a plug. Bingo! DD was with me and said she would love to have one done up as a present for under her tree at her apt. Sooooo, I bought a block, picked up some spray frost paint and some ribbon and a strand of LED white Christmas lights...the LED since they stay cool.
At home, I sprayed the frost, let it dry and then stuffed the lights inside and put the stopper in. Then I used the ribbon around the outer edge and made a bow. In real life, this looks awesome with the lights in a dark room.
I plan to make another one and use battery lights so I can set it on a table with out being plugged in. I will either paint a scene or print something onto velum and attach it to the sides of the glass block and hope the lights show through.

I graduated last night.

The past 12 weeks, I have been enjoying a wonderful program called the Citizens Police Academy taught by the Beavercreek Police Department. Sadly, the course is over....I will really miss it but have many fond memories and experiences and have gained a wonderful insight to the way our local department operates first hand. This is a photo of our class....we are now proud members of the CPA alumni of only 134 members in a community of 40,000 people.
The other photos were given to me by the commander last night of one of the traffic stop exercises we were roll playing during one of our classes. I was playing traffic cop, stopping a suspecious vehicle...I got to use the siren, roof lights, spot light and microphone....and pull over the suspect and tell him what I wanted him to do...of course he didn't want to follow directions...the first few times and I had to use my pretend tazer when he tried to grab me and pull me down....LOL.
The commander took lots of photos during our classes and had them on display at the graduation....he is going to have the display in the lobby of the police station so visitors can see what all we got to do.
I must say that I think our law enforcement men and women are the finest in the state of Ohio and am greatly impressed by their ethics, behavior and what they do on a day to day basis to protect our community.

how impressed am I? I want to assist ....so I have already applied for the COPP class...which is Citizens on Preventative Patrol and will be volunteering at least 4 hours each week. some of the things I will be doing will be directing traffic during power outages, parades and accidents. Waiting for tow trucks, vacation checks, patroling neighborhoods, setting up the speed trailer, using the laser gun to clock speeders and notifying the vehicle's owner, setting up traffic cones, assisting stranded motorists, helping to unlock vehicles, transporting documentation to the courts, fingerprinting, etc....all things to free up the sworn officers so they can be out doing their thing. that course will be 7 weeks long and two nights a week of 3 hours each and then we also have to pass a polygraph and fingerprint background check and have a partner.

One of my neighbors is a COPP and he even attended my graduation last night....smile...he and his partner are going to let me do ride alongs until our class gets established sometime in the spring. So, I am looking forward to that experience too.
now back to the real world and ......laundry...ugh.

!2 Days of Christmas Diva Swap

Here are some of my gifties ready to be mailed out. Each participant was to make 12handmade gifts and send the rest of the 11 to the rest of the participants. Each person was assigned a number from 1-12 and on their day, everyone in the group opens that person's gift....doesn't this sound like fun???
I am getting excited....and I will share here what I made and what gifts I receive....so stay tuned...Dec. 1 will be the first day of the reveal.

Updates...

The kitchen redo is done...time to celebrate!!! It is gorgeous and well worth the dust and mess. We have also redone the upstairs spare bedroom...I painted the green wood lamps and chair a nice garnet red....(well I had left over wall paint...shrug) and I got a pretty red, cream and chocolate brown striped bedspread and new tag drapes in cream....it looks bright and cheery in there.
The family room down stairs is looking nice too, since we sold the poker table and moved the tread mill to that location. I got garnet red slip covers and two leather ottoman/tray tables for a coffee table and it is also bright and cheery there too.

soooo, the decorating is over for a bit.

My CPA (citizens police academy) classes are still going....this week will be #9 of 12...I am really learning a lot and having fun at the same time. A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to shoot weapons at the PD range. the standard police issue handgun was fun...but the grip was too large for my hand and it was difficult to hold...the semi automatic machine gun was really fun....(it is the same type that the Navy Seals use)it could shoot single shot, a short burst and then a full burst...fun fun fun. The gun I didn't like shooting was the short barrel 12 gage shot gun...it kicked really hard and my shoulder was bruised for over a week and tender. Dallas took advantage of my new interest in guns to take me to the gun shop....and I now am the owner of a Walther, Smith&Wesson PPKS...38. It fits my hand and also Dallas is comfortable with it too.
We plan to go target shooting to get more comfortable with it. We also will take the CCW...(concealed carry weapons) course next month....and get the permit. I want to take it for the knowledge of safe firearms use and not to carry the gun as it will be staying at home most of the time.

Last week we got to see the K-9 unit in action...oh wow...that was really something!!!!

Last week I hosted book club and that was a lot of fun too. Dallas is working 3-12 shift now so I have my evenings to myself. I am really changing my schedule around so that I can spend time with him in the mornings and then doing my chores after he goes to work...so far so good.

Today, I decided to make a decoration for Halloween. I bought a foam pumpkin and painted it and cut out the top and put some flowers inside with a crow perched on top...quirky...I know but fit the mood I was in. I am also posting Hester the witch I made two years ago since this is October and it is almost Halloween.