Z'annes Bazaar

My New Bead

2012-01-28T22:23:00.000-08:00

This is the new lampworked glass goddess bead I just bought from Jo Turner at Etsy. She lives in England, so I'm going to have to wait a bit for the bead to get here. This will go with the rest of my collection of Goddess Beads from a number of bead artists from around the world.

I think that while I wait for her arrival, I will have to do some bead shopping for an appropriate necklace. OR...I could just go looking in my immense stash for the right beads. Either way, I will be a happy beader!

Flying Cartography

2012-01-27T23:45:00.000-08:00

Claire Brewster lives in London and uses old and out of date maps and atlases as her fabric with which to create her intricate, delicate and detailed cut outs. The cut-outs are pinned either directly on to the wall as a large scale installation or captured in box frames. The shadows created when light is shined on them gives them a 3 dimensional quality and creates a feeling of movement.

Now you know what to do with your old maps. Or you could send them off to Claire to use. :)

REculture

2012-01-26T23:02:00.000-08:00

This popped up at REculture the other night from a Pinterest board and I am amazed.

"A worker checks the finishing on a motorcycle made from recycled materials of spare parts from cars and bicycles at a workshop owned by Roongrojna Sangwongprisarn in Bangkok July 27, 2011. Roongrojna, 54, creates his artworks from recycled spare parts from used cars, motorcycles as well as bicycles. With four shops in Bangkok named “Ko Art Shop”, Roongrojna also exports his artworks to clients all over the world."

If I ever decided to ride, this is the first place I will go for a motorcycle. This thing is just plain scary sitting still, can you imagine what it would look like coming down the road at you?

Leopard Keeps His Spots

2012-01-25T23:31:00.000-08:00

I thought it was time to show off a little of my own art and get this necklace posted after I finally got some nice pictures of it.

This piece was created for a theme show, It's A Jungle Out There, for the City of Gresham Art Committee last year. It is made of various shapes of leopard print acrylic beads and combined with amber faceted glass beads and gold plated chain.

A very fun piece to wear and will fit right in with the animal print fashions coming this spring. You can find it for sale at my store.

Meyoko

2012-01-24T23:54:00.000-08:00

Found on Colossal today.

"Ecuadorian illustrator Melissa Murillo (aka Meyoko) lives and works in Berlin where she draws some of the most fantastically intricate images I’ve encountered in some time. These two skulls utilizing the abstracted anatomy of insects are by far my favorite, but my guess is many of you will thoroughly enjoy the rest of her portfolio. These two particular pieces are available as limited edition giclee prints in her shop, and you can see her work later this year at Illustrative in Berlin."

Look for her other work on her site. They are amazing to look at and there is so much to see in each piece.

Exploding Ivory Soap

2012-01-24T01:28:00.000-08:00

Ok....I usually don't hang out at "moms with kids" kind of blogs, my "kid" is 30, but this was too cool to miss. I found the link to Toys In The Dryer on Pinterest and just had to try it myself.

Grab a bar of Ivory soap, cut it in half and then half the halves. Place a 1/4 piece on a paper towel or paper plate and put it in the microwave for 60 - 90 seconds. I only had mine in for about a minute. Zap it on high and watch the magic! Let it sit a bit and then use as you would any other soap.

Useful tip: Don't get this idea in your head before you start dinner. My kitchen was overpowered by Ivory scent and that just doesn't go well with taco salad.

Sunday Quote

2012-01-22T23:02:00.000-08:00

Tapestry Taxidermy

2012-01-21T23:41:00.000-08:00

Well....not exactly taxidermy. From Honestly ....WTF - "Frederique Morrel and her husband Aaron Levin are best known for their needlepoint covered fiberglass sculptures. The design duo scours garage sales and flea markets in search of vintage tapestries and discarded embroidery to create these one of a kind beauties."

Life in the woods

2012-01-19T23:07:00.000-08:00

At Last! We now have power for a period longer than two hours! Yay!!! It's been a very strange, scary and very wet week.

It started late on Saturday night with a small, forecasted snow storm. Sunday was another snow day, but only a few more inches were add for a total of three. Monday was cold and more snow showers, but nothing nasty. Woke to seven inches in the morning, thinking that this was as much as we were going to get. WRONG!

The snow started coming down at two p.m. and didn't stop until sometime very early morning Wednesday. Along with that snow came high winds which knocked out power at 12:03 a.m. Tuesday morning. When HB got up Wednesday morning, he always gets up very early, the count was about 20 inches. Yep. Almost two feet worth of cold, wet, white stuff. Just like the weathermen predicted, the weather changed and the south winds brought warmer temps and rain. Lots and lots and lots of rain. I spent the day inside stoking the fire and catching up on my reading. Luckily, the weather was warm so the house didn't get too cold. We started the generator around 4:30 to make sure the house would be heated up before we turned it off at 9 p.m.

I did a little winter prep this summer by buying a couple of battery operated camp lamps and I read Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly from the light of those lamps. (So far it's a very good read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the history of this country and the Civil War.) I read until midnight and trundled off to bed, hoping the power would come on sometime in the night. No such luck. We finally got the power back on around 10:15 a.m., right after I started the fire in the stove. The lights went out, came on, went out again and then came back on for good. Until 1:45 p.m. Glad I kept the fire going. I cooked my lunch on the Franklin stove, (if you don't have a cast iron skillet, why not?), kept the dog busy with his rawhide bone and did a bit more catch up on my magazines.

We lost a lot of branches from the trees around the place, but what broke my heart was the beautiful maple that split. It broke a third of itself and now I'm afraid we'll have to take the whole thing out. I love that tree. When it came down, it also took the tops out the the two small cedars that I call The Twins. I'll be going down the driveway tomorrow and I've been told it is really bad. I will have to check the rest of property, when the wind dies down, to see what other damage we have. It looks like it will be a very big clean up this spring.

Birds on Paper

2012-01-16T23:58:00.000-08:00

Checked into Colossal tonight and saw the beautiful painted birds on pages of scientific books. These works are created by Paula Swisher. She has a number of different art works at her website and tons of pictures of her birds on her Flickr site.

I love how she juxtaposes nature against the scientific. Very lovely.

Sunday Quotes

2012-01-15T23:25:00.000-08:00

Week 2 of Class

2012-01-14T22:55:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy week, but I've had fun working on my watercolor backgrounds in my spare time. Week two is all about doodling with media that is water- soluble. I'm used to acrylic paints, colored pencils, oil pastels, markers and the like, but watercolor, though not new to me, is something different that I have to learn more about. I guess that means more play time at the art desk. *big smile*

Here are the water-soluble doodle backgrounds I've been working on.

This is what they look like after I've taken the smaller pages apart.

Since these are backgrounds, I will be creating more doodles or Zentangles on them before I make them into journal covers.

More Fun Time Wasters

2012-01-13T15:42:00.000-08:00

I love this site. I can play for hours and not just the same game. zefrank is a great place to go to play, read, see and otherwise spend more time online than you should. Look under Interactive Toys and play with some of the cool toys for your computer. No need to download anything, just click and play. Have fun!

Goldfishing

2012-01-11T23:33:00.000-08:00

I was just surfing at Colossal, haven't been there for a few days, and saw this remarkable artist. Not saying that the other artists on the site are ho-hum, they are not! Click on over and be amazed by them all.

These are painted fish!

Ryusuke Fukahori's video shows how he layers paint and resin to create 3-D goldfish in beautiful wooden containers.

Bead Sculptor

2012-01-10T23:29:00.000-08:00

Gail Gorlitzz does the most fascinating things with beads. I love her beaded sculptures and wish I could get an up close and personal look at each one. Check out her gallery and see what she can do.

3D Japanese Artist

2012-01-09T23:36:00.000-08:00

Yuki Matsueda has come up with a very unique way of creating and showing his art. The pieces look like they are coming apart and trying to escape their original "containers". Have a look.

Sunday Night Quote

2012-01-08T23:00:00.000-08:00

Ok...first Sunday after the New Year and a new start to the year with a new quote. Enjoy your upcoming week.

Art On An Envelope

2012-01-07T22:45:00.000-08:00

Mark Powell has an interesting base for his drawings. He uses old envelopes to draw, in the most intimate and intricate way, the faces of people. Take a look here at his wonderfully beautiful art.

Friday Night Spotlight

2012-01-06T23:52:00.001-08:00

Tonight we are going to be looking at some different things with your health in mind. Don't go away...just take a look, you never know what you might find.

First off is my very good friend, Heather Michet, pronounced me-che, who owns a local small business here in Sandy. "Heather is an impassioned healer, artist and educator employing Reiki, Aromatherapy, and profound listening to enhance her clients’ health and well-being." Through Iris Healing Arts, she offers several healing tools: Reiki, Aromatherapy, lifestyle modification guidance and education for natural healing. Sometimes you just need someone to talk to and Heather listens very well.

In a completely different vein, but one that would still echo natural healing, the bedroom is a very important room for our well-being. If you can't sleep your health will suffer. Perhaps a new look, a few new touches or even a new bed might do the trick. See what ideas elle decor has for a bedroom of/or in your dreams. Scroll sideways to see many different bedrooms.

Do you like to sit and rock the time away? Here is a rocking bed that will send you to dreamland in the way you used to be rocked when you were young. The Mood Rocking Bed also uses small rubber stoppers if you don't want any movement for sleeping.

After getting that good night sleep, you want to start off the day right. Here is a great tasting way to add your minerals and vitamins in a quick and easy morning smoothie.

Now that you've been very good to and for yourself all day, it's time to treat yourself with a Vietnamese Avocado Shake. Yes, it's green and yes, it's heavenly. Scroll down the page on the website, find the recipe and indulge.

Second Attempt for Class

2012-01-05T15:37:00.000-08:00

Making the first doodle art piece for my class at Strathmore Online Workshop was fun, so I had to make another. Using the same stencils, but starting with different colors, I followed along with the class materials and here is "3 O'Clock".

Click on picture to see things better.

The final version...

How different it looks when I take the pages apart for the journal covers.

I'm already starting another one. This can be addicting. I'm glad I took this class, my creativity meter is rising steadily. Just thing for after the holidays and the beginning of a new year of art.

My New Calendar

2012-01-04T12:40:00.000-08:00

Do you have your new calendar for 2012? I just got mine!

First Step on the Path of 2012

2012-01-03T22:55:00.000-08:00

I decided to take an online class first thing this year. I wanted to play with some of the paints and color things that I have. I'm taking the Strathmore Online Workshops with Traci Bautista. She is teaching her Visual Journal workshop this time. It's free, which is a BIG plus after the holiday season, and can start you out on one of those get creative resolutions to this year.

Here is my first doodle piece from Lesson One.

I didn't have the right paper and used what I had, which is 140# Strathmore watercolor paper 5.5" x 8.5". I taped them together and proceeded to paint as if they were one. I like the way it came out and now I have covers for two journals. I think I'll be making some more of these as the classes progress. This was fun, even though I was not in love with my piece at first. Just working through the layers helped bring it to life.

Obliteration

2012-01-02T15:55:00.000-08:00

I saw this at Colossal today and thought you might like it too. Sometimes I wish I were a kid again just to enjoy all the new fangled things out there. When you get to Colossal, click on down the page to see all the pictures and read about this exhibit. Hurry, more great stuff is being put up daily and Obliteration is steadily pushed to page two.

See what can happen when you have a white room, sticker dots and kids all in one.

January 1, 2012

2012-01-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

I've been posting almost every day now since July 1st. Sometimes had something to say, sometimes not, but found things to put up just for fun. Discovered a lot of cool stuff by cruisin' around and will be using some of those ideas when working on my arty endeavors and the house this year.

Today starts the other half of my yearly challenge to post daily and I decided to start off with "something completely different."

George Washington Writes a Letter to President Obama

Dear Mr. President:

Although it is two hundred years, and more, since I laid down the cares of an eventful temporal existence and took up residence in my long home, Our Gracious Lord has seen fit to bestow upon my spirit the gift of perpetual cognition, and He has granted the further boon of permitting me, for a few moments, to assume sufficient corporeality to pen this letter, which I place before Your Excellency as the cri de coeur of a patriot whose efforts on behalf of his country have been deemed by its citizens to possess no little significance. Read More Here

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you for coming by and visiting my little space on the blogosphere.

Found Object Art

2011-12-31T00:52:00.000-08:00

What to do with all those little bits of trash we come across everyday? Make art with them of course! Zac Freeman creates intricate portraits with the flotsam and jetsam of our lives. Click on the portraits and then click again to see the details of the portraits. A lot of painstaking work has gone into these pictures.

Great Idea for a Bookcase

2011-12-30T01:03:00.000-08:00

I love the idea of this bookcase. I didn't see it when I went to the Raw Edges website, but it looks easy enough to build on your own. Although I didn't see it, I did check out the rest of their handiwork. On the most part, very cool!

What Can You Do With A Toilet Paper Roll?

2011-12-29T23:41:00.000-08:00

With a lot of practice and much trial and error...maybe, just maybe...I could do something like THIS...maybe.

Funeral Cars of Argentina

2011-12-28T23:37:00.000-08:00

Amazing is all I can say. These are the most beautiful cars I have ever seen! Starting out as 1942 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 60 Special four-door sedans, they are then transformed into works of funerary art. Here is the link to the article and more pictures of the cars. So far they have only these two cars. I hope there are more to be found in Argentina in the future.

Book Fort

2011-12-27T22:51:00.000-08:00

Quoted from MAMbo, Museo d'Arte Moderna di Bologna

Throughout his career, Matej Krén, among the most important Slovakian contemporary artists, has focused mainly on the means of elaboration and transmission of knowledge, establishing suggestive links between their historical and ideological relativity and the experimentation with many forms of optical and perceptual illusion.

Chosen because of their nature as seat of knowledge, as symbols of intrinsically human free thought, books are here “used” as raw materials for an artistic process existing and communicating on many distinct levels.

Click on the link and see how big this thing is. Perhaps we will see something like this in iPads in the next 10 years. Hopefully we'll still have books by then.

A Different Kind of Artist

2011-12-27T11:16:00.000-08:00

I tend towards the dark side of art at times and I recently found Greg Brotherton through Colossal. His sculptures are thought provoking, to say the least. They remind me a lot of Tim Burton and the various characters that he created for his films, with a little H R Giger thrown in.

One More Book Sculptor

2011-12-26T22:49:00.000-08:00

What can I say? I love my books and if someone out there can make art from a book that would otherwise go to the landfill, I'm all for it. Guy Laramee's "The Great Wall" series is fascinating. You could almost walk around in these mountains.

Merry Christmas !

2011-12-25T10:41:00.000-08:00

How Much Fun Is Math?

2011-12-24T23:53:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know. I don't think so either. Math was not, nor is it, one of my favorite subjects. Funny, because in my other life, I was a bookkeeper. I still need math to figure bead projects and designs, so it will always be with me. But...it can be made fun, interesting and artful when in the hands of Zachary Abel. How amazing are his sculptures? Look at what you can do with lollipop sticks and rubber bands and playing cards.

Friday Night Spotlight

2011-12-23T23:41:00.000-08:00

I have three of the most fun sites you will ever get sucked into. I can waste so much time at any one of these places, so take it easy and set the timer. Don't ever say I didn't warn you.....

Pinterest. If you've seen my links to this place and haven't been there yet, what are you waiting for? Great ideas, funny stuff, eye poppin' pictures are what you will find here. Taken in moderation, is the only thing I can say.

Craftgawker will supply you with all the arty/crafty ideas for the rest of your life. I have ideas I want to work up based on some of these cool crafts.

Colossal is more on the artful scene and here is where you really want to be careful. You will be lost in the links for hours and hours. Beautiful, thoughtful, wonderful art from all over the world.

Enjoy your trip!

A Great Doggie Idea

2011-12-22T21:43:00.000-08:00

I know it's too close to Christmas to get presents now, but think about this one later for your pup(s).

The Dog Peek would be great for the dog who can't see what's on the other side of the fence or maybe even the front door.

This made me laugh the first time I saw it, but then realized how cool would that be for your dog? Don't know whether it would slow down the barking or heat it up 'cause they can see. Either way, I think it'd make your pooch feel more in touch with the other side of the fence.

Happy Solstice!

2011-12-21T23:53:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture I took this morning, at 10:15, of the sun through the alders that border our pasture. This time of year it is very low on the horizon and barely reaches the top of the trees. Today the light comes back and the cycle starts again.

Recycled Art

2011-12-20T22:27:00.000-08:00

What can you do with a little wood, some beer cans and bits of wire? How about butterflies, birds, planes or words. Paul Vallinski has scoured the streets of New York for his materials to change, like a butterfly, into the beautiful.

Go on over to his website and take the time to browse through his galleries. The glove artwork is fascinating.

Have fun!

I Found Another Book Sculptor

2011-12-19T21:17:00.000-08:00

"Nicholas Jones is a Melbourne based sculptor who uses books and printed paper to make works which question the manner in which books are ‘read’." I'd say so. His art is fabulous and worth the trip through the "pages". What better use than this for old books that would have been thrown away. I think I may have to go to my library book sale and see what I can find to fold, clip and tangle.

Sunday Quote

2011-12-19T01:14:00.000-08:00

Friday Night Spotlight

2011-12-17T00:18:00.000-08:00

The end is near. The end of the year that is and it's time to start thinking about how you're going to start 2012. Enough with the resolutions, they only last, at most, a couple months. Try something creative and productive. Take a class. Whatever it is that you've been wanting to do or try to do, learning is a life long practice. Since I'm interested in arty things, here is a selection of online classes that might interest you. I like the online classes because I don't have to travel all over the place and they are much less expensive than retreats and workshops. Another nice thing about these classes is you can relax and take your time. You can go back over each technique and feel like you're not missing anything.

Art Trader Magazine has two new Art of Collage classes coming up in January. Each class has three modules, Level I includes Module 1: An Introduction to Collage Art, Module 2: All About Backgrounds, Module 3: Telling a Story. Level II has Module 1: Material Manipulation, Module 2: Layers & Stamping, Module 3: Creating Your Own Style. Each class is $50. While at Art Trader Magazine, check out the free issues of their magazines. There is a lot of fun stuff to read about and see.

I just signed up for a visual journaling class taught by Traci Bautista at Strathmore Artist Studio. This class starts on January 1st. There are two more classes available in watercolor sketching with Cathy Johnson and Force drawing technique with Mike Mattesi. All classes are free and Traci's class runs for four weeks. Time to add colors and pictures to those drab journals.

If you would like to learn to knit or crochet, sew a dress, make jewelry or how to quilt, Craftsy has these and a number of other interesting classes to try. These can keep you busy for the rest of the year!

This is just the beginning for a new year of creativity. You never know where it might take you and the adventures you might have. But above all, have fun!

What Do You Do With Your Crayons?

2011-12-16T10:53:00.000-08:00

I bet it's nothing like what artist Herb Williams does with his.

"Lubbock, TEXAS (September 2011) - The National Heritage Center (NRHC) is proud to announce its newest exhibit "Unwanted Visitor: Portrait of Wildfire" opening October 7. The outdoor art installation is the work of internationally-known sculptor Herb Williams of Nashville, TN. Williams will use Crayola crayons to create multiple freestanding, three-dimensional sculptures representing wildfires that are then meant to melt in the Texas weather conditions. "

Before you leave his site make very sure you look at his gallery. You will be amazed by the beautiful art he creates with Crayolas.

What to do with kitchen knobs

2011-12-15T02:02:00.000-08:00

One usually does not think of cabinet hardware as jewelry. Well, it could be kitchen jewelry, but human jewelry? Here are a couple of necklaces I made from an idea I saw on Pinterest.

Holiday Eating Tips

2011-12-14T00:39:00.000-08:00

This came from one of my friends at OnlineAuction. These are the perfect tips for eating for this time of year. If you haven't started by now, get ready, this is the weekend before Christmas!

Holiday Eating Tips
1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Have A Happy Holiday Season! Don't Drink and Drive, I want to see you here next year.

The Mystery at the Library

2011-12-12T23:43:00.000-08:00

No, it's not a Nancy Drew mystery or Agatha Christie brain twister. This is a true life mystery about an artist that was leaving beautiful works of art made from books at the libraries in Edinburgh this year. Read the story and check out the pictures of the pieces. You'll be amazed. It's still a mystery about who the artist is and there may be more "gifts" in the future.

I love a good mystery!

Sunday Quote

2011-12-11T22:58:00.000-08:00

Friday Night Spotlight

2011-12-10T22:00:00.001-08:00

Ok...I'm a little late with the Spotlight. It seems I'm taking longer to get back into the norm after the PAC show as the years go by. Having the show only on Friday and Saturday messes me up and puts me off by a day. So, I'm catching up and here are five blogs you might like to visit from some of the members of Portland Art Collective. Some blogs might not be up to date as we are all pretty slammed from the show.

I'll start with Jan Harris. She has recently come back from a wonderful trip to Australia. We are all jealous because it was a working vacation for her. She got to teach classes, have her birthday party and drive all over to see the beautiful scenery. Go see all her fabulous photographs.

Secondly is Cynthia, who has been to Hawaii and Australia this year, too. She likes flowers, fabric, color and journaling. Check out her beautiful photographs of her trips and favorites.

Thirdly is Lenall. Her art is so colorful and textural, I love it all. She is so creative and so full of ideas, it's hard to know what she will come up with next. My favorites of hers are the cats and crows. Look at all her things and you may find a favorite for yourself.

Next is Robin with her love of fabric, painting and "what ever catches my fancy." She was busy taking pictures of Portland's lovely fall colors this year. Between those outings, she came up with the clever idea of making the cutest little fabric ball jewelry. Also, she took a lot of her stash and made fabulous prayer flags. These sold very well at our show.

Lastly, I'd like to introduce you to Stephanie. We call her our Urban Folk Artist. Steph likes wood and she makes the most wonderful characters out of the strangest pieces of it. Right now she has a show up at SAID in Portland, check out her blog for more info on that.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting me and my friends. Have a great weekend and stay safe this time of year!

Steampunk for your feet

2011-12-10T00:40:00.001-08:00

Wanna really blow their minds with the coolest shoes in the world? These heels will not only make 'em drool, but they can also light your way to and from the party.

A Little Calming Effect

2011-12-07T23:32:00.001-08:00

It's been a busy/crazy week so far and it ain't lettin' up any time soon. I need a little breather and time to have the quiet little time of the soul. So here is my little bit of calm.

I hope you have enjoyed your walk through my woods. Life seems just a bit brighter now.

It was the best of times....

2011-12-06T00:06:00.001-08:00

...not so much the worst of times. The show went well and everyone had a great time. We all worked very hard, talked a LOT and enjoyed the comments from friends and customers alike.

The best part of set up in the morning is you can see what people have brought, check it all out before the crowd comes in and grab it before anyone else. Here are a few of the pieces I picked up.

Dayna and Judi's Eclectic Pieces

Fran's Cool Spiderweb Glass Bowl

Jennifer's Golden Birdie

Sue's Lovely Encaustic Picture

So....are you coming next year? First Friday and Saturday of December, starting at 10 a.m. Get it on your calendar now, make the plans, save your money. Unique, strange, colorful and fun art will be waiting for you. To see our booths, click on over to PAC's Blog to see what we looked like. I'm the one with the bun in my hair, black jacket and purple scarf.

Sunday Quote

2011-12-04T22:58:00.001-08:00

An Important Message To Artists

You may have experienced invalidations, evaluation, criticism and skepticism from teachers, peers or others regarding your art and your creative ideas.

You may have also been instructed to curb your creative instincts by being given instructions on what to do or what not to do.

If others are curbing your creative instinct, telling you what to do, how to do it and so on, how are new and original ideas going to come about?

It is our firm belief that an artist, in whatever field, can create unlimited. That there is an infinity of possibilities.

Perhaps a bit unconventional, but valid all the same, we believe that the Arts are not separate - that the opportunity to be with other artists creating is extremely exciting because one inspires the other and a huge create begins that snowballs into bigger and bigger creations.

A musician plays his ballad while a painter paints it and the poet gets inspired to write about it while the dancer undulates...

And so...creation continues.
The possibilities are endless.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

After this weekend of the Portland Art Collective Open Doors Show, I gladly post this quote to honor all the "Art Sisters" of PAC.

Thank you for inspiring me!!!

Open Doors Holiday Art Show and Sale

2011-12-01T11:30:00.001-08:00

Tonight starts the craziness that will be the Portland Art Collective Open Doors Holiday Art Show and Sale. Click on the link and see what goodies will be selling starting tomorrow and Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Multnomah Art Center in Portland, Oregon.

It Wouldn't Be Christmas Without Socks

2011-11-30T23:47:00.000-08:00

and these socks RULE!

Faeries Dance has about 18 different styles of these mismatched socks. Who would want to go through life looking like everyone else when there are socks like these? I think I need at least 3 pair, if not all of them!!!

My very good friend, Heather sent me this link and now you have it.

Ball of Light

2011-11-29T23:18:00.000-08:00

Denis Smith creates wonderful pictures using "light painting" and the beautiful Australian landscapes.

A New Kind of Refrigerator

2011-11-28T22:38:00.000-08:00

THIS new invention will change kitchens forever.

Sunday Quote

2011-11-27T23:57:00.000-08:00

Pencil Carver

2011-11-26T21:52:00.001-08:00

I can't remember if I posted about this artist before. If I have, this is too good not to do it again. Dalton Ghetti has had pictures of many of his carved pencil creations running around the internet for a while. They are wonderful to see and I'm just amazed how Mr. Ghetti works magic with his pencils.

(Copyright Dalton Ghetti)

Friday Night Spotlight

2011-11-25T11:44:00.001-08:00

Tonight I am going to spotlight some blogs I like to read. I hope you will like to visit them too.

First off is the OLA Blog. Lots of interesting tips, a little humor, great things to buy and check out the piggy banks one page back.

Supergranny has some eye-opening and put-on-you-thinking-cap posts on her blog that will make you say, "I didn't know that!"

I'm not a big fan of abstract art, but for some odd reason I really like Elis Cooke's use of color, movement and texture. Her art is intriguing to me and I guess that's what an artist is always working towards.

Createology is one of the busiest, creatingist, talented artisst I read. She has way too much fun in her studio! And it shows in all the arty things she creates. Go over and look at the fun things.

Maryanne Villalba of Maryniky Designs does some of the most beautiful bead work I have seen. I love the way she has incorporated lace into her designs. Very lovely!

Enjoy your adventures and have a great weekend!

Because Everyone Needs A 5 Foot Chicken

2011-11-25T00:33:00.001-08:00

Read about the adventures in chicken shopping with Bloggess. I think if I found this,

I'd want it too!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T16:50:00.000-08:00

Street Art

2011-11-23T23:59:00.000-08:00

Street Art Utopia is a wonderful site for everything street art. Things like this make me smile.

Things like this are incredible. This is a drawing.

This will give you something to do for the weekend. Get lost in the links and enjoy your virtual art trip.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Really???

2011-11-22T23:49:00.000-08:00

I am SO glad I'm retired and don't have to "dress" up anymore!!!

Christian Louboutin has created a crazy eight-inch heel shoe in the name of charity. As part of the English National Ballet’s The Summer Party auction, the designer created these insane Swan Lake style heels. Even though anyone who isn’t a trained Ballerina would snap their ankle in a second of putting them on, the sparkle and craftsmanship still makes me want to try.

Turkey vs The Fat Man

2011-11-22T16:40:00.000-08:00

'nuf said!

Bubble Tent

2011-11-21T23:44:00.000-08:00

Would you like to sleep in this bubble tent? I think this would be so cool set up in the back pasture for sleeping under the stars on those lovely summer nights. Especially in the Northwest where is rains all the time, this would be perfect for camping in the Spring or Fall.

Go check out the different configurations they have of these bubble tents. Too Cool!!!

I Want To Live Here

2011-11-21T13:45:00.001-08:00

This secret Fairytale Gatelodge is for the Ardverikie Estate, Kinloch Laggan, Inverness-shire, Scotland, UK. Ardverikie House (renamed Glenbogle House) was used in the BBC drama, Monarch of the Glen.

Sunday Quote

2011-11-20T23:21:00.000-08:00

Lion in Chains

2011-11-19T23:40:00.001-08:00

I got this great pendant on sale at Fire Mountain Gems. Didn't know what I wanted to do with him and just started looking through all the drawers in the bead desk. I came across the chains and thought how fun the lion would look all "chained" up. Here he is in his finery.

I used gold, silver and black plated brass chains. The necklace is 18" and the length of the pendant is 6".

Friday Night Spotlight

2011-11-18T23:55:00.000-08:00

I had a little time to kill between projects and needed a break from the beads, so I searched for paper artists and here is what I found:

Wataru Itou is one heck of a master of paper. His creation is magnificent! Wish I could live in this Castle on the Ocean.

Yulia Brodskaya was born in Russia (Moscow); prior to moving to the UK in 2004 she was interested in diverse creative practices ranging from Textile Painting, Origami and Collage to more traditional Fine Art practices. Her paper art is amazing.

At webdesignledger they have a compilation of some very talented paper artists.

Paper can be more than a book page, report or letter. I hope you enjoy the art of paper.

First Snow

2011-11-18T10:14:00.001-08:00

Well....it's here. The first snow of the season. We're in another La Nina year and if it's anything like last year, we'll be snowbound again later in December. Today there was only 1.75", but it's still snowing. The weather people say the flow is going to change and it will be warming up to the low 50's in the next couple of days. Until then, hot chocolate, a nice hot fire and my beads will get me through! :)

Stormy

2011-11-17T10:52:00.001-08:00

We had the first of many wild and windy nights last night. I went out about 12:30 a.m. to see if there were any limbs down and almost got beaned by a couple of pine cones. Decided to go back in the house after that. To say it was stormy is an understatement. Got most of the leaves off the trees with all the wind, except the alders. They seem to want to hold on to most of them. It's supposed to snow tonight/tomorrow and there will probably be lots of broken limbs. Had to shut things down before I was ready because of flickering lights. We didn't lose electricity, but I've learned in the past not to ignore those clues.

So...in checking email today and going through some fun links I came across THIS. Cardboard Safari is a GREAT idea for recycling cardboard and adding something different to your decor!

The fabulous thing having a Cardboard Safari piece(s) is you can art it up any way you want. Like this from their blog:

Prices range from $12.00 to $58.00. I think I just found my Christmas present supplier this year!

Do You Like Legos?

2011-11-15T23:49:00.000-08:00

Growing up a girl in the 50's meant you got dolls and little girly things to play with. Not what I really wanted. I was a tomboy and liked the cool toys the guys had. We did get Tinkertoys one year, but only one set and that got boring after awhile with only so many parts you could play with. Many years later, when I had a son, I went crazy with the Legos. For Christmas one year, he got the Castle set. I put that thing together most of Christmas day. It was cool, but of course, he wanted to take it apart immediately. I told him he had to wait a week before he could destroy it. We played with the whole set up during that week and then he tore it down. I don't think it's been back together since. But, he still has all the parts and perhaps he will want to do something like this with some of those parts. I still love Legos!

Green Train Tunnel

2011-11-14T23:43:00.000-08:00

Isn't this THE best railroad tunnel you've ever seen? I would love to take a train trip through these woods. Oleg Gordienko is the Ukrainian photographer who took these lovely pictures. What I love is, he went back and shot it in the fall. He doesn't have very many photos on this site, but they are lovely.

Sunday Quotes

2011-11-14T00:20:00.001-08:00

This lovely, and very true, statement was heard from one of our great PAC members at the last meeting.

Vicar in a Tutu

2011-11-13T10:58:00.001-08:00

What??? I know it's a funny name for a blog, but it got your attention didn't it?

Matt Walford is an English artist who makes fabulous art using his skills as a photographer and his computer. This piece was all constructed of the tiny watch parts pictured on the left hand side of the picture. Cool, eh?

It's amazing the things you will find when you open up an email and then follow the links to where they take you. Enjoy!

Friday Night Spotlight

2011-11-12T00:53:00.001-08:00

I've chosen five artists for the Spotlight tonight, which was very hard because I like all my arty links.

Can you make art with fire? Russell Maier has and it's beautiful. After going through his fire paintings, check out the rest of his art and maybe make a mandala to send to him for his World Oneness Mandala Project.

For some fun Christmas arty ideas, yes I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, run on over to Susie Jefferson's blog 1st Floor Flat. Continue on down the page and note that not all artists have perfectly clean and organized studios, even after/when we clean them out.

My other life, before retiring, was as a bookkeeper. I have always loved office supplies and papers, I just didn't think of them as artists supplies at the time. Now I do. After seeing the art of Alison Foshee you will too.

Do you like vintage cars? We happen to own and lovely little '51 Ford Custom and I used to drive a '66 Imperial Crown Coupe. So...Bernard Corman caught my attention with his car art. It's not your usual art car kind of stuff. My favorites are his "Carp" series. I just smile when I see his art. :)

Lastly is Just Coffee Art. Andrew Saur and Angel Sarkela-Saur have been painting with coffee for several years now. Yes, just plain coffee. The lovely shades of tans, browns, and dark browns flow from the brushes and the creations are amazing.

I hope you enjoy my little collection of artists sites. Thank you for dropping by. Leave a word if you like what you see.

Yellow and Copper Necklace

2011-11-10T23:48:00.000-08:00

I got these beads with a jewelry lot that I bought from Stell's store at OnlineAuction.com. They were part of a broken necklace at the bottom of the bag. Now...yellow is not one of my favorite colors for beads. But these have just the slightest shimmer and glimmer from small copper flakes mixed inside the bead with the yellow glass. They are very pretty. So...I made this necklace with them, incorporating some of my copper ripple beads, red transparent and small copper beads. It has an antiqued copper toggle as a closure.

Stop Action

2011-11-09T23:57:00.000-08:00

I have always loved stop action movies. When I was in high school I took a photography class and we learned a bit about stop action. It takes a LOT of time and work, but the end result is magic. So...here is my little bit of magic for you today. Lost Things will entertain you.

Angela & Ithyle are the pair that created those cool Amazon Kindle commercials and have more photography for you to see at their site.

Inspirations From Paper Cutting

2011-11-08T23:32:00.000-08:00

Beatrice Coron gives a talk on TED about how she came to the art of papercutting and where it has taken her. Sit back and enjoy!

Blue Spiders

2011-11-07T23:56:00.000-08:00

Been having more fun with the beads. This time I chose a black and blue theme. Some parts are from old earrings that I disassembled. I love being able to recycle old designs into new ones.

Sunday Quotes

2011-11-06T23:31:00.000-08:00

Holton Rower

2011-11-05T23:57:00.000-07:00

Holton Rower in an interesting artist that uses many different media for his art. There is a YouTube video on how he does his Pour art. Very cool and makes me want to go play with my paints! Check out some of his sculptures, too. I really love the locks!

Friday Night Spotlight

2011-11-04T23:44:00.000-07:00

Friday Night Spotlight brings you some interesting and lovely things tonight.

callmemomo starts us off with her beautiful handmade quilt and pillow set for the little baby girl in your life. This quilt is made up of 630 tiny individual squares. All squares have one shade or another of pink in them. A wonderful present, to last a life time, in a little girls life.

yogibear66 has THE best Christmas present you can buy for the gamer in the family!! The Xbox 360 4GB Console with Kinect Kinect brings games and entertainment to life in extraordinary new ways - no controller required. Easy to use and instantly fun, Kinect gets everyone off the couch moving, laughing and cheering.

Windows

2011-11-03T23:37:00.000-07:00

Found this artist from one of the numerous arty newsletters I get. Jim Darling has an interesting style and some great ideas for subjects. Windows is a grouping I like. Not just regular windows, but what goes by outside an airplane window.

Falling Water

2011-11-02T23:02:00.000-07:00

One of THE most innovative designs for a home. I love Frank Lloyd Wright and I LOVE Falling Water. So...when I find people who come up with their version of it, I like to show them off. Boing Boing has a couple of links to the variations of this famous house.

Just a little necklace

2011-11-02T01:16:00.000-07:00

Been busy getting inventory made for the PAC show coming up on Dec. 2 & 3. Here is a little necklace I quickly put together out of copper and brass dangles and small copper beads.

UPDATE: This little necklace has been listed for sale at my store at Z'annes Bazaar.

UPDATE #2: This little necklace has been sold. I hope to find these dangles again to make one or more necklaces. I really like this design.

Redneck Mansion

2011-10-31T23:30:00.000-07:00

Saw this through a link, through a link and through another link at Honestly...WTF. There are some fun stuff here and you can get lost in the links if you're not careful! :)

Too funny! But....it could work if you know a good welder!!! LOL

Happy Halloween!!!

2011-10-31T00:30:00.000-07:00

Sunday Quotes and 1 More

2011-10-30T23:06:00.000-07:00

Calvin Nicholls is a paper sculptor, one who does an amazing job with the media he has chosen. Look at the wonderful animals he creates with a few sharp implements and a flat sheet of paper.

New Architecture?

2011-10-29T23:05:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this building? Do you want to live here? Pizza delivery would be near impossible!

Filip Dujardin is the photographer that "built" this place. Read how he does it and then start dreaming of your new home. ;)

Friday Night Spotlight

2011-10-29T00:52:00.000-07:00

Once again, my friends at OnlineAuction.com are offering some of their cool items for you to peruse.

From findings there is this wonderful electronic book, Record A Story - T'was The Night Before Christmas. Record a story or a message with your own voice or with those of the children, family members and/or friends. Their voices and loving messages will be kept and treasured year after year, and many years later! Can be played over and over again. A wonderful Christmas gift for those special people in your life. Click Here to see the book.

Next up is davendeb1178. Deb is a new Avon representative and wants to make you look pretty for the holidays. To add to your Avon collection or see what new products they have, go here to talk to Deb about those lovely Avon gifts for friends and family.

Kornkountrytreasures is offering a great deal on a Columbia Hunting Game Vest, XL. This hunting vest is just in time for hunting season, or if you have a hunter in the family and they need an early Christmas present, now is the time to get it!

Yogibear66 has come up with one of the best presents for any little one on your list. Sesame Street's Cookie Monster will make any kidlet the happiest one on the block for Christmas or a birthday coming up soon.

I would like to offer up a lovely little necklace for those times when you just want a little bling.

Thank you for dropping by and doing a little shopping!

Niobium

2011-10-27T23:48:00.000-07:00

What is that you say? It's a hypo-allergenic metal for those who have metal sensitivity. Here is a great article about niobium and learn the method it takes to color the material.

I use plated surgical steel in all my earrings. If you find a pair(s) you like at my store, I can, and will gladly, change them out to clip-ons or niobium. There will have to be an added cost for the niobium. It sure ain't cheap.

Here is a pair of earrings, by jewelry artist Michael Mara of Shimmering Dreams Jewelry, using niobium metal.

"Blue Targe" Hammered and formed Niobium earrings.

2011-10-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

Oooooo.....I WANT one of these!!!

NESTREST.

Click on the link. I can't seem to get a picture uploaded. You'll want one, too!!!

Crocheted Rocks?

2011-10-26T23:46:00.000-07:00

It sounds strange, doesn't it? But...check out this LINK and see what happens when you put together vintage cotton thread and ocean washed rocks. Bet ya want one now, right?

Hopscotch

2011-10-25T23:30:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought it was safe to go out on the sidewalk....

Red Spiders

2011-10-25T00:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a few red and silver Christmas Spiders I finished tonight. These little things work up fast and if you're not too creeped out by them, I think they will do well for the PAC show.

Next is blue, but I have to go buy some blue beads and crystals. I can't believe I'm short on blue. I started out buying mostly blue beads when I first started classes and now I hardly have any.

Oh My! I HAVE to go buy beads...this is a terrible thing and I'm sure I'm going to die if I don't. *did you hear the sarcasm there?* teeheehee

Sunday Quotes

2011-10-24T00:53:00.000-07:00

Green Spiders

2011-10-22T23:07:00.000-07:00

Worked on more Christmas spiders this evening. I had these great glittery green beads and thought they would make some wonderful spiders. Added in some different green beads and crystals for legs and bodies and put them all together. What do you think?

These are a bit smaller than the others I made earlier. As a Christmas "ornament", they aren't too heavy and the green ones will blend into the trees, like most spiders. I will be making some other colors to match different colored trees. These are so much fun to make!

GIF Fishing

2011-10-22T00:13:00.000-07:00

I've been having fun looking for GIFs today. Funny kittens and puppies, strange Halloween "things" and getting a start on the Christmas stuff. I still need to find some Thanksgiving backgrounds that I can use on my store. Gotta keep up with the holidays! ;)
I got these from Mike's Free GIFs.

Here is a little stick guy that doesn't seem to be having a good day fishing.

Fungi

2011-10-21T01:36:00.000-07:00

During a lovely afternoon walk today with hubs and dog, we came across this beautiful orange fungus. Also known as Chicken of the Woods, it is a bright spot in the forest. You can learn more here about this fungus and some of the other things that grow in my woods.

Some cool arty links I found today

2011-10-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

I am still catching up with my emails from being gone this weekend and came across a few that were kinda interesting.

Matthew Cox uses X-rays and embroidery thread in a very creative and innovative way. A little strange, a little cool, a thought that comes into your mind that asks, "Why didn't I think of that?"

I get a newsletter from AllFreeBeadedJewelry, a site that has TONS of ideas and DIYs for making your own jewelry. Lots of fun ideas!