May Day

As the sweet tradition goes...

the small baskets are often homemade and filled with flowers or treats.

They are usually left anonymously on neighbours' doorsteps

or hooked over the handle or knob.

or in this case the door knocker

The basket giver rings the bell and runs away

May Day Basket created with heavy card board and paint sample cards

by cutting them in thin strips and weaving them in and out

in a basket weave design

then wrapping the handle with additional strips.

Easter Greetings

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Published in Altered Couture

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read more about the top here

and a second article on page 135

fun embellishing of a little wool hat with vintage lace edging

with a removable magnetic flower pin

GRATEFUL TO BE INCLUDED !

Spring Flowers

"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose

I would always greet it in a garden."

- Ruth Stout

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is.

And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want,

but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!

~Mark Twain

Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul. ~The Koran

I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers. ~Claude Monet

Yellow Roses

an old cotton sheet ripped into 2" strips

then dipped in slip and creatively twisted into stylized roses

are attached to a wet clay vase form with leaves and stems artfully arranged

and after untold hours of glazing & reglazing

then firing...

TA-DAH !

and it all started with the gift of gratitude here

Artfully arranged treasures

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a short post asked about displaying and creating

beautiful focal points with our treasured collections

if you have been collecting treasures that speak to your heart

consider grouping like items together to create a focal point

having been collecting

and gifted with seashells for many years

( the treasure trove shown above was a gift last week

from my neighbor Jessica, inspiring this creativity )

I selected a few favorites

choosing all neutral tones for my color scheme

and gathered them together

and placed them on a pedestal of the same genre

to show them off at their very best !

Published...

Yay ! I received my complimentary contribution copy

of Jewelry Affaire today, another beautiful issue

thanks to Beth Livesay

the Stampington crew and all the artists

I am honored to have my work published

along with so much other talent !

these are the hand crafted jewels you will view on page 112.

to read more about the process click here

Inspiration continues...

with the gift of yellow roses

OH MY GOODNESS ! WELCOME TO MY WORLD !!!

I was laughing out loud at this photo !

What a messy girl I am...but oh so creative

So somehow in my mind that makes it okay !

LoVe my girlfriend Gail for sharing this snap shot

she took of me while creating this new piece,

created with clay and ripped cotton sheets for the roses

( I am adding another stem to the side of the vase in this photo )

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it comes thru firing okay

and I can share a photo of the piece when it is finished.

here is a snap after the 1st firing

now I will be color glazing the stems and leaves

and adding values...

you may view the finished piece here

Vivid imagination

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I've been playing with the idea of getting back into retail...

it's not like I don't already have enough on my plate

this is just how my mind spins and how my brain works

combine my imagination with my creative spirit

and this is what I visualize

notice all the customers are walking out with purchases

no one is empty handed

and such a diversity of merchandise

I could keep going with these fun little water color

images being created in my lap

but it seems the page is full

( a brief history... when I was in my 20's I created & operated a very successful lifestyle store,

it was one of a kind and a dream come true. I met a an amazing amount of great people, some as clients and customers and some that worked with me, many still stay in touch and it's success was how I was able to

purchase my sweet cottage overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Laguna Beach, California.

That store was 5000 square feet.

I'm dreaming of something smaller & taking on a partner this time.

I am so NOT fond of paper work ! )

...imagination overload continues...

from here

om.

still having an insanely good time

capturing images from my imagination

and transferring them on to paper

A Bed of Roses

and a bounty of new beauties

all inspired by this bouquet of yellow roses

that have been captured forever as new dish designs