Street Art

I've just been enjoying the weather, creating drawings, and getting the leaves raked up. What I miss right now is being in Detroit. I am the city girl at heart. Alley's intrigue me - although since I'm not one of Charlie's Angels I don't wander down to many. Ah, memory lane.....

Part of what I miss are the great sporting events. Wow, the Detroit Tigers against the Texas Rangers. Baseball at it's finest right now - equally matched teams makes for a great sporting event. My Dad took me to games - a lot.

Another thing I miss - street art. People do crazy things with their environment. I even like gang signs and graffiti. Although it would be nice if it weren't done as an act of destruction. But then, if it was less destructive they'd be more like the Rotary or Moose.

I added some great street art photos here....fun stuff. You have to love how creative people can be.




Aren't these inflatable sculptures just the greatest? Created with garbage bags and left on subway grates or where there is wind. Love it!

Trolling Along

Last year while at Faerie Con and talking to Brian Froud he mentioned he was on his way to Abram's (his publisher) after the festival. A new book it seems will hopefully be about Trolls. How exciting a character to be writing about and illustrating. Since Faerie Con is virtually here I've been pondering that conversation and thinking about the Trolls.

This conjures up some great reverence and laughter. Since I live in Michigan - the "Mitten State", as it's referred to, sometimes people forget we have a whole Upper Peninsula that isn't shaped like a mitten at all. Here - below the Mighty Mackinac Bridge we call the people who live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan "Yoopers". Well, actually - they also refer to themselves that way. My DD attended Northern Michigan University and delightfully called herself that too. She even picked up the lingo. For example, "We're having nice weather, eh?" Lot's of people up there of Finnish and Swedish decent.

Okay, so I am on my own merry memory lane here...let's get to the Trolls. If you live below the bridge we are called "Trolls". LOL.

Anyhoo - I decided I ought to attempt a few Trolls in honor of that conversation and my honorary position as "troll in residence." These are fun!

Sweet Fall

Laurie Geller shared Brad Mossman's photo on Facebook. It is, of course, pictured above. Aside from the fact that a "need" is without a doubt the mother of invention it reminded me of blog posts I've seen many times by Mallory Hoffman and Angelina Greer Garren about feeling blessed. Though I'm not prone to talking out loud about my feelings - trust me please - I am.....in so very many ways thankful. And (leave a pause for breath here)... this particular photo just slapped me in the face with the millions of ways that I am.

I am shocked by the beauty of today. It is in the 70's - warm, sweet, still. There isn't a breeze but it isn't hot....perfect? Absolutely beyond perfect - sublime.

I began post this a few days ago...this weather has held tight. It won't hold for long. Our area is known for changes. It could be 80 degrees and then frost at night. But, for now I'm thankful for the calm before winter comes.

Yesterday DH and I took a trip downstate. We visited the Dow Gardens - I've talked about it before. I love gardens. My Mother was a gardener - she had a large rock garden. When she passed and we sold her house I was concerned...not about who had bought the house. We waited a long time to sell - many years. More it was that it had sat vacant for a long time, unloved maybe. I couldn't understand it and wondered to my bones what would become of it when we did.

Partly it didn't sell because of the economy - and partly it was that I wasn't really ready to let it go and I don't think she was either.

Then someone came along - they happened to be driving in the neighborhood because they were dropping their children off at their school (my school as a child). They saw the sign and decided to give us a call. Serendipity. There are children to play in the yard and a nice young couple.

One of my blessings - my eldest child is an attorney (I refer to him as my frustrated machinist). His hands work as hard as his brain. He wrote up a contact between the couple and I. An iron clad little tome in which the poor owners couldn't' even cut down a shrub without pre-authorization. He loves his mother and loved his grandmother. After it was all signed I explained to them in private that they should do to their yard what they wanted to do to make it their own. As thankful as I am for this child, and his brother and sister, I want for the couple to have many happy years in that home. To do that, they need to leave their mark.

The deal is fair - my mother would have had it no other way. We keep an escrow for them and make sure there is plenty of insurance and the taxes are paid. The payments are low - like rent. It helps us and they are happy.

The surprise for me - they kept the huge Oak - it takes three people to circle it. They cleaned and thinned her overgrown rock garden. She collected those rocks all over the state and had my father drag them back from every trip, it was full of perennials (I brought many here to this house and so did her Grandchildren). They've redone the inside of the house - thank goodness - it sorely needed updating. And they invite us over, it's nice of them.

I'm blessed, I'm thankful - for the patience to hold on for the "right people" to buy the house. They've been wonderful on so many levels. For three wonderful children, an incredible husband, good friends, good weather, and for a million things I can not mention here.

In my head daily I am thankful. This is my post of blessings....there probably won't be another one. I hope everyone continues to count theirs out loud. When I read those posts by my friends I smile and think of mine too.

ReDONE and a new ReDO Earring Project

Finished this pair and now I'm on to the next ones!

This is the original earring. I found this set with the other one. Tarnish heaven here...but easy enough to clean off with a quick tumble. On the left is a quick drawing of what I'd like to change about the earring. I'd like to make it more swing and have more dangles.

I have experimented with some of what is shown attached to the earring. It had to be modified because the larger ring shown dangling on the go between ring was glass - and although smallish it interfered with everything else that was hanging.

What's cool about this is it's a great update. There is now a crystal, a very old Czech pressed square off of an antique necklace, new discs I made, and silver spiral twist I created. Since everything is attached singly it sways and moves....and it has some great mojo.

I shortened the way to long wire and gave everything an antiqued brushed surface. I like the Redo, how about you? This set will be for sale in the Etsy shop. My friend Susan owns quite a few of my earrings. She was one of my first customers and now a dear friend. She refers to my earrings as little pieces of art since I'm so picky with what goes on them. Most often they are OOAK. That part is kind of nice since you won't see them floating by on every ones ears.

I'm knee deep - well, maybe knuckle deep in finding where I stashed some of my old earrings from when I did art shows. Here is the final design for the old hearts. Eliminating the larger glass disc was a good idea - now they swing and hang better. Off to find more earrings.....

Silly Sunday - Pass it ON!

Sweet Way to End September - Day Trip!

Friday I took a day trip with my friend to the GLW Bead show in Southfield (about 3 hours away). Since it’s drive we make a day of it with lunch out and a few other stops. I even got to spend some of another friend’s money on some stone beads she needed and I’ll ship those to her tomorrow. Maybe I can start renting myself out as a “bead wench” – kind of like a personal shopper, but a lot more fun.

I found some good things – but certainly not the selection you can find at Beadfest or Bead and Button – and definitely not Tucson. One of the photos is of the new items that will go into my stashes.

One of the places we stopped was CR Hill. They are the Michigan version of Rio Grande Jewelry Supply but without all of the bells and whistles. Locally owned for a gazillion years by good people who know jewelry supplies and equipment, what’s good, what’s not, and how to service anything. We stopped to see about casting equipment for my friends shop. I bought some 22 gauge silver wire and some polishing wheels for my Foredom while she talked “shop”.


The other photos I added for today are of a necklace I saw in one of the shops…maybe it’s not new to everyone but I thought it was terribly cool. Thick leather flowers stacked and strung on a nylon braided cord (like a nice cord for Kumihimo). I’m wondering if the style could be translated into something for lampwork…..ah, the possibilities and the greatness of a busman’s holiday.

The back of that necklace incase you want to see how it was created!

From This to That - An Earring Makeover

I had some orders to fill and found these very old earrings sitting in a tray of unsold earrings. I wasn’t sure how long they had been around until I started to fool around with them today. Since I am pretty good at signing original things I was able to figure out when they were originally make – 1997. It had my name and date on the back. The fact is they held up pretty good for just sitting around ”carded” up for a show.

Everything then was a little slicker and not so mixed media and, obviously, they didn’t sell since they are definitely a mix of metals and incredibly plain. It just was kind of a plainer time for those things here in a rural area. In the cities – not so much. And look at the length of those ear wires! The first thing I did was took them off the earring body. They are definitely getting redone to a shorter length.

I decided to update the look a bit and see what would happen if I put them up for sale. Added a huge solid copper rivet - some curvature – holes for handmade beads. I shorted those earrings wires by about a quarter inch and added some hammering.

So far, so good. I've still a new finish to add with a lot more antiquing. Those beads (yet to be made), and back on go the earring wires after a good polishing.


I’ve two more pair to play with and I’ll update you after the last step to these.

I guess it goes to say - Anything can be recycled and maybe I better dig around some more.

Have a great day.

Playing with Silk

I'm not totally sure where I'm going to keep using the recycled sari silk but I have to tell you I just love the feel of it and am going to keep incorporating it in my work. I purchased a bundle of colors a couple of years ago at B&B and have been hoarding it. There was a pink strand that just seemed to suit these super feminine pair of earrings. And, if you don't like it - well, they're just tied on. But these are soooo cute on your ears with them.

I made the earrings out of some lampwork discs I hadn't listed on Etsy yet and I think I'll make more of those earring wires. There's some cathartic that happens when pounding with a hammer.

There are a lot more designs to get out of the sketchbook and onto the work table....ah, sweet metal therapy.

Fall Inspiration - Customer Appreciation Sale

I needed a few pieces of paper for background or maybe a collage and decided to take a short fall trip up to Gaylord to visit the Hobby Lobby. They've a brand new one and I just love it. Some of what is fun to see are all the displays. and most certainly there is fodder for a bead or two in that mix of decorations. Besides, it's like cider or apples in the Fall it feels so gooooood to get into the Season!
I also found this cute display of Peace Signs and great colors I thought I'd share here. And, look at the design possibilities with those flowers.....

Frankly, I am NOT ready to even think about this..........but, if the Lobby has those displays up it must be time for me to make snowmen.

Have a great day and don't forget - Customer Appreciation Sale on Earring Beads is still going - Use the coupon "Earrings" at the Etsy check out to get 10% off on any Earring Bead Set!

Customer Appreciation Sale - Silly Sunday

This is Che Che. LOL - a friend from Brazil tells me those are female body parts. Officially she is Che Che Rodriguez Hogan. She was my Mother's fur baby and we inherited her when Mom passed away. Looks like a pleasant enough dog, huh? Think again! She's a terror - the boss of the roost and the retrievers will make a large path around her when she's having a "mood". Even the feral cat from the garage won't mess with her. You gotta love a dog with moxie.

This is our youngest retriever - Technically, Gertrude Jean. We call her Trudy. The little Bug (part Boston Terrie and part Pug) is my DD's dog - Penny. She was "hanging out" with Trudy for the Wedding.


This is both retrievers. They love a good trip to the Dairy Queen. The white faced fur baby behind Trudy is Nellie Belle. She is the eldest at 12 years. She is like the princess of the clan. Always sits erect, crosses her front paws, prissy (except with water - she thinks every water is a bath tub to be jumped into), she is also like a bull in a china shop. Absolutely no sense of her size. There may be plenty of room to walk and she steps on your feet - hits you with her butt - and gallops like a horse.

I love animals - it's constant humor.

Let's not even begin to talk about the feral cats born in the garage last winter. They now hang around the front porch and love to line up for hot dogs with what my DH calls "the girls". My son calls it the Zoo and call the dogs the "Sisters of Chaos." Never a dull moment.

AND............

Don't forget, I have a sale going on! Good prices on earring beads - topped off with the sale - it's a real deal and just in time for those winter gifts or art shows......check the previous blog post for the Etsy coupon.