Daddy Daughter Dance

Ron and Maddie attended their first Daddy daughter dance on Friday.

Maddie looked like a little Cinderella and her father quite dashing in his suit. Although Ron doesn't wear his suits often, infact this particular one he hadn't put on in months & he was horrifed that he couldn't button it. He actually had to lay down on the bed to get it buttoned. Hee hee.....welcome to my world! But my heart did hurt for him as I can't even imagine having fun and dancing in pants with a waistband that is 3 inches too small. But he sucked it up, literally, and had fun. He managed not to embarrass our tender 9 year old and kept his hands down at a respectable level while dancing. No flaying about feet kicking 80's dancing that night. After, a few of her friends and their father's all went out to the Keg for a nice dinner. My Ron gave his darling daughter a wonderful memory and she too gave him a night her will never forget.

The Crow King

I know, it's a bit warped....a headless doll chasing a crowned crow. But it's based on a Marshalese folk tale. This is the last piece I did yesterday in Trish's class.

Encaustic classes with Patricia Seggebruch

Yesterday Gretchen and I took a all day class with Patricia Seggebruch, http://www.pbsartist.com/contact.shtml, of encaustics. She incorporated beginning with advanced class. I had some experience with encaustics so she did the advanced for me. I picked up some wonderful tips and new treatments. We were so fortunate to have only 3 of us in this session and she allowed us to stay and work on our art for as long as we wanted. What a treat.

Her studio is located in Snohomish and she has a beautiful 5 acre parcel and the detached looks like 2 RV garage is her studio. We had a great time learning and creating. The art below is created by Trish. She is also in current issue of "Cloth Paper Scissors" http://www.clothpaperscissors.com/cpsmag/cpshome.html. She is also going to be an instructor for the 2nd time (lucky her) at Teesha Moore's "Artfest". See http://www.teeshaslandofodd.com/1/temp.html.

Encaustics class

Art by Patricia.

Here is Gretchen loading up at the end of a inspiring class. We then and went to have a beautiful bowl of Pho and when I got home to top the evening off I soaked in a warm bath with bath bombs made by Gretchen. Geranium. Ahhhhhh.

Window of Forgotten Souls

This is a window I did for our store Folie a Deux. I previously posted about my fascination with old pictures and sadness that they would end up in some pile at a garage sale, antique store or Ebay. I intentionally blurred the images used here to show that they were a faded memory.

Smooches!

And one more time....

Maddie lifting her dress so it wouldn't get wet. She wasn't happy with me. I didn't want her to where her shoes for some shots. Other side is called "It's All Relative". In the picture is my great maternal grandparents and sitting is my great great grandmother. I don't think they would appreciate me making them look like a nice family of elves.

I wish I had more time to create and a studio in an old barn. Now that is my heaven.

More altered book pages

I did this as, I said below, a few years ago & now I see that I spelled "can not" wrong! $*(*#&$). Oh, que sera sera. I just noticed it now.

Pages from an altered book

Here are some
pages out of
an altered book that I did a few years ago.
Maddie is the queen of the fairies and I cut her ears a tad bit pointed. I look back at my work and it's not pink and frilly. I would like to be pink and frilly but it just never seems to go there. I see other sites that have lovely light bright pink fun stuff and mine veers off to somewhere a bit darker and a bit quirky/odd. This spring I am going to try and just be a bit different. Challenge myself. I am throwing the gauntlet down. I love pink, soft grays and taupes so why aren't they more in my art?

Guidance

Sometimes when I am faced with a project I will have a total mind shut down. Then there are other times that I work at my best when I am under pressure. It's slowly coming around to the later. Last night Gretchen and I worked on pieces for our upcoming show. This is one that I did. I think our show is going to be called "Bezerk and other Myths". Will post more pictures another time.

The Princess with far away eyes

That is what Madeleine calls this pose.

The Darling Diva.....Madeleine

Maddie looking dramatic. My girl loves to pose for the camera. Whenever she sees me take out a camera, she strikes a pose. She says when she grows up she wants to be a model, chef and a doctor. All three. Isn't it wonderful to have dreams. When I was her age I saw the Singing Nun and from that point on I wanted to be one. There were many a days that I walked around with a pillow case on my head as my habit. Needless to say, I never fulfilled that dream but I still have a fascination with nuns, cathecism and Catholicism.

Inspiration

Many months ago I had bought these fabrics and a wonderful apron pattern. I was so antsy to begin. Well, I got home, opened up the pattern only to have just 2 actual patterns (of the pockets) and the rest instructions. That dampened my enthusiasm. I just wanted to lay all the pieces and start cutting away. No major thinking just lay and cut. Needless to say I put it away for another day.

A few days ago I visited Cindy's Queen of Tarte blog and she had made these incredible aprons. That was it, I was going to pull out that pattern and my fabric and begin again. Seeing her aprons was just the push and inspiration I needed. So I blew off the dust of my sewing machine, got the fabric out then the pattern. Oh, yeah....the pattern. I put it away again. I have to find me a no thinking pattern. The pattern I got is called "Absolutely Apron" and it's adorable. But not for right now. So off to the store tomorrow to look for another pattern because I must have cute aprons. Thanks Cindy!

Pink cupcakes

Buttercake cupcakes. Yum. My favorite. I was in the mood to bake today. Since Valentine's is around the corner I tinted the frosting a pale petal pink.

My oldest daughter Elisabeth has an upcoming Valentine's day cupcake contest at her work. She's asked me to bake some. I think I will make these. This month's issue of Country Living has one's that are beautifully decorated using some tinseled wire and a vintage Valentine picture. I may use that as an inspiration.

Under construction....

Working on my header & new picture. Arrrghhhhh.....want the picture to stretch the length of the header. I'll keep trying.

565 Broadway Tacoma

Spanish stairs of the Elks lodge
The Elks Lodge

This is my favorite building in Tacoma. It is the old Elks building. As a teenager my husband Ron use to work there as a bus boy/dishwasher. In it's day it was a grand facility with a pool, ballroom and a theatre. Cotillons, weddings and every other major social event was held here.

It has been vacant now for many years and the person who bought it in the 70's or ?? hated the Tacoma city counsel so much that he was going to just demolish it out of spite. Fotunately the city took him to court and stopped him. We had all hoped that the Mcmenamin brothers (http://www.mcmenamins.com/) were going to purchase & refurbish it as they had done with many other properties but a Portland group bought it. There is still some hope that they will be collaborating on the revival of the grand old Elks lodge.

Jennifer Lanne

Here are some Jennifer Lanne paintings on my dining room wall. The urn painting is about 3 1/2 feet square. See earthangelstoys.com to purchase her paintings and so much more.

Newly painted dining room

I decided to take my branch ceiling down. I do miss it but wanted a change. Painted the walls same color as in the living room, Cocoa and Whip for the trim in Devine paints. I also decided to paint the china hutch, dining room table & chairs. I replaced the knobs on the hutch with some vintage crystal door knobs I picked up in an antique store. Hung an old chandelier that I got from a friend and am very happy with the results. For a year at least. I LOVE to paint. That first swoosh of the paint brush on the wall gives me such a thrill. I am already thinking about what the next color is going to be. Something grayish....maybe.

I don't understand why people are so hesitant to paint or they take forever deciding on the right color. It's just paint. If you don't like it, paint it again. I have friends that take WEEKS before they decide on a color. I just can't imagine. I think I have about 5 of my layers of paint on our walls on top of the previous owners various experiments. Our home is built in 40s and we may be the 3rd owners of this home. I will have to research that.

Good night Madeleine..Your mother has gone YouTube crazy!!!

Here is a picture of my little darling Madeleine. This was taken in 2002. She is going to be 10 this year. Time truly flies.

Couldn't sleep so decided to look up some of my favorite artists on Utube. And needless to say was very happy....so happy that I decided to share some of them with you! Ha. They are wonderful artists and hope you do take a listen. The french artist Charles Trenet doing "Boum" below, did a song a song called La Mer in 1946. Most of us know this version by Bobby Darrin "Somewhere, Under the Sea" he did in the 60's.

The video clip of the 1928 movie "The Passion of Joan of Arc" is my favorite silent movie. The music on the DVD is Richard Einhorn's "Voices of Light", unbelievably beautiful music. I remember one night seeing this amazing movie on TV by accident. I was mesmerized, moved and in awe of a movie that was made over 77 years ago (it's now 80 years old). It truly is a feast for the eyes and soul.

Lisa Gerrard.....OMG. If you have never heard of her please listen. You probably have but didn't know who it was. She did a song in the "Gladiator". I can't remember the name of it now...it's the song that is playing as he's dying and seeing his wife and child again. I was a blithering blob during that scene and what made it so powerful was her song. "Now We Are Free", that's it. She got her start in the band "Dead Can Dance". If you have not listened to them, it really really is worth the time.

Sam Phillips. She is married to Tbone Burnett and I think produces her albums. I love listening to her when I am working on some art project. It's a tie between "Martini's and Bikini's" and her 2004 album "Boot and a Shoe" as my favorites.

And last but not least, Madeleine Peyroux. I would love to see her perform live. She is American despite her french name and singing quite a bit in french. She has a Billie Holiday kind of voice.

So that is it. I really hope that you take the time to take a listen. I don't think you will be sorry. I will try to refrain from finding anymore clips for awhile. What fun that was!

Charles Trenet....wow! Can't believe I found this video of him. Love this music!

Madeleine Peyroux

Lisa Gerrard beautiful haunting lovely

Lisa Gerrard...another favorite

Love Sam Phillips

Speaking of old movies...Joan of Arc 1928

Hello Sailor!

Doesn't she look a little like Shelley Winters in her prime? Maybe from the movie "The Night of the Hunter" with Robert Mitchum and one of the Gish sisters. Get them mixed up. There is nothing like a good old movie.

Yummmmy...Red Velvet Cupcakes

For Gretchen's art gallery opening last month I made some Red Velvet cupcakes. I love making cupcakes. Actually, I just love cooking. Especially for people that love to eat and love food.

I took a buttercream decorating class yesterday in Seattle. Tobey Rodriquez, owner of Sugarcakes gave the class in Sugarcake's kitchen. It was me and one other girl so we got Tobey all to ourselves. Well, I am a spaz rose maker. I really need to practice! Tobey is a wonderful instructor. I learned a few tricks of the trade and I can pipe a decent border.

I have a coworker who fell in love with my cupcakes and asked me to do them for her wedding. That is in May so I am getting in all the professional decorating training I can. I will probably just do it as in the picture and rely on the staging to boost the simple decortation of the cupcakes. I don't know. We'll see how good I can get with those roses.

New Project

My friend Gretchen owns the new art gallery in downtown Tacoma, "The Lark Gallery". Next month we are collaborating on a show. One of the subjects of our project is the head above. I made his features a bit bird like as he is going to be our Icarus. I took a photo of one a dolls head she had and tweeked his eyes, ears and mouth in PS. I am not sure if he looks wicked or naive.

He's going to be on a canvas that is about 4x4 and we managed to make a bit of progress today. We gave him his wings and used beeswax to adhere them to the canvas. We hand dyed each feather and attached it. It's not quite there yet, but it will be. I am now looking through all my vintage pictures to pick the right feet. I think we settled on one. It's the feet of a little boy in stockings & balloon pants. I will keep looking just in case I find something better.

I love working with Gretchen as her imagination is so dramatic and lively whereas mine can be a bit tame. She dares to be drastic and I lean towards the safe side so together we make a great pair. I at times pull her in and most times she makes me stretch. I need that.

I would also say that G is fearless. She isn't afraid to put her expressions, imagination and creations out there. I am always worried that it's not good enough or I see all the faults in my work and the first one to point them all out.

This is our second time working together. The first time we did three canvases and lo and behold they sold. And for a very pretty penny too. I was shocked. A realtor came in my shop "Folie a Deux" and bought all three and a few assemblages that I made. That was an exciting day to have sold that many pieces of art at one time.

So next month when we are done with all of them I will be sure to post some of them.

Hail Mary, full of grapes

December 11, 2007

I did this collage above for a winewalk we were having at our store "Folie a Deux". There was much drinking, eating and making merry. Just a whole lot of fun.

I truly cannot believe that Christmas is 2 weeks away. I have gotten only one gift so far for my son Dylan. It's getting harder and harder to get special gifts for my children. My youngest is still easy. Hannah Montana is the it thing to have for a girl 10 years old and she can never have enough clothes. To tell the truth, I think I can't get enough clothes for her because she just looks so darn cute in anything she wears. It's my fun.

On Friday, while my husband was away helping to take care of the clean up of hazardous waste down in Chehalis Washington due to the flooding, I decided to paint our bedroom. I painted it with Devine paints (it really is divine, I used it in my living room a few months ago Cocoa) in "Reflection". It's a watery frenchy blue. I painted the dresser and the mantle in our room with "Whip". I hung a chandelier up and it is on the road to being fabulous. Need a few more accessories. Hmm....Cindy Queen of Tarte sale coming up and I am sure she will have just the right piece to pull it together.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas...

This weekend I continued my Christmas decorating. We had the perfect weather for it. Sunday it snowed...ok, it teased us with a sprinkle but it sure looked good for about 10 minutes. Then Monday came the downpour. Over 10 inches of rain fell & did some major havoc. But alas not to the building where I work.

On Saturday I sent my fabulous husband on a flocking spray run. He went to 7 stores & couldn't find any. Of course this is the first year I decided we needed a flocked tree and every other year before we would see that flocking spray but none this year. I finally told him to forget it and I will just go with a silver & glass glitter tree. It turned out just wonderful but I know that it would have been outrageous had it been heavily flocked. Oh well. I am thinking Paris pink for next year.

I also purchased 10 rolls of wrapping paper. Ron, my husband, thinks I may have gone just a bit too far with my control issues. I plan on giving the wrapping paper to anyone that is wrapping a present for under our tree. I want everything to just blend together nicely. No Spongebob (is that 2 words?) or dog & kitty wrapping paper under the tree that I painstakingly picked out each ornament to work together with each other . No way was Spongebob Square Pants going take all the focus away from the first view of the tree. Do you think that's overboard? I don't...but then again? Ehh.

Christmas decorating continues

Separation Anxiety

December 3, 2007

A close-up of a beeswax assemblage I did last year.

Imogen Heap

A day at home

Decided to stay home today and get some much needed sleep and work on some projects.

This is one of my pieces called "Meet". The line is from a Sylvia Plath poem which for the life of me the title escapes me.

Checked my email today and was very excited to get an email flyer from Cindy who owns "Queen of Tarte".

I was introduced to her wares at the June flea market at Willow Nest in Washougal. Her work is fabulous. I have included her in my list of favs.

Christmas is coming!

So I began just a bit early this year. I took down the Halloween ceiling and up with the Winter white ceiling. This ceiling is over my dining room table. It changes with the season, holiday, event, etc.

I can't wait for Christmas this year. I am usually just ragged by the time the 25th hits. I pledge not to let myself do that to myself. I will plan things better so that I may enjoy the season more.

I try so hard to stay away from the malls and find quaint shops to spend my money. I plan to make a few gifts. Massage oils and cupcakes. Gorge then lube up! I can't wait to design the label for the oil. And a few art pieces for my oldest daughter Elisabeth.

Got my husband one of those turntables that have a USB thingy to plug into the computer so he can begin to take all his albums and make CDs or direct to his IPOD and there is a program with an equalizer dodad. Can you tell I don't know much about of this stuff??!! So here comes the King Crimson, Marillion, etc. etc. CDs. We don't listen to much of the same music....he is still trying to get me to appreciate his. He's a musician so he so analyzes everthing he listens to. I just like to have fun and not think about it too much.

Good night Elisabeth, your mother is 50!

It's the big 5-0 today. I don't feel any different. I am just now able to join AARP. Ugh.

I have been away for so long. So much to do. I also got a new computer so that I wouldn't have to share the family computer but it's not the same. That is why I haven't been here or Flickr in so long. All my pics are on my computer which is in the middle of my out grown craft room. I can't concentrate in there. I wanted to make sure and make some sort of post on my 50th birthday.

Decided that this was it. I have to try (I mean really try) and be more healthy. My sister and her kids and me and my youngest, Madeleine, went jog/ran around the track for 1 1/4 of a mile. Good start. I also got that new thing, the Kettle something. It's fun......for now. When I'm done with it it can become my doorstop. But I am determined not to let that happen for at least 6-8 months. I have to make this 50 thing the new 30 thing. Ha.

I will get back to posting art and pics soon. Just been in one of those slumps.

I am drinking a beautiful Malbec right now that is making my toes curl with delight. I am also trying to get use to drinking more red wine for my health along with what Dr. Oz said almonds, pomegranite juice, tomato sauce, olive oil and ???? can't think of that 5th thing. I feel bad that I am not posting a picture. Ha, found one of my second daughter Elisabeth. My most trying daughter with such a mouth on that one but love her to death.

Good night Aunties Priscilla, Edna, Grandma, Aunty Lurline and Mom

You gotta have friends....

I can't help myself. I love old tattered scary dolls. The crackly, ragged, worn the better. I like having dolls that have pieces missing. I wonder if in decades to come that all my daughter's Brat dolls with all their feet missing will attract someone like me. She can never keep their darn feet on. They are interchangeable and like their clothes, they somehow mysteriously disappear. And of course she was practicing to be a beautician by all the frizzy hair or butched hair jobs that they now sport. I remember when my Barbie's took a lickin'. Although their hair was not made to be combed back in my day. They had tight doos with little pearl earrings or was that what I put on them. You know, the ball headed needles in a variety of colors? I guess we all tried to "improve" our dolls.

Annie

Made this beeswax collage a couple years ago. Have to take pictures of more recent artwork. I was (and still am) so into wings. At Michael's they use to have feather wings for sale but I haven't been able to find any since the bird flu scare. I'm sure that it's a coincidence but that seems to be the last time I saw them for sale. I have a few left but my supply is dwindling. Used some rusty things I found at a junk yard for her "glasses".

I have found so many wonderful rusty things at "Mr. Jones" junk yard. Old windows (I think I have about 50 of them in hopes that one day soon my husband will build me a big greenhouse studio on top of the flat part of our roof) old doors, fencing materials, buckets of rusty gears and thingys. It's always an adventure rummaging through items tossed by others as junk and found by me as treasures waiting to be incorporated into some piece of art and to have a new life, new meaning.

Jack and Lulu

My little guys. I got so tired of finding little fur bunnies everyday, even though I vacuum each day, that I just took the scissors and gave them a cropping. Not too bad. A bit choppy but ok.

Tonight I am organizing my studio so that I can finish some projects and start some new ones. Looking at all the great blogs out there gives me inspiration. But before I can start to create, I have to make pretty. I can't focus on art if there is a mess in front of me. And after each project, there is a BIG mess.

I bought some semi-vintage metal cabinets. It's rusting just a bit on the top and that makes it even more beautiful to me. Ron hung them up in my studio and they look great. It's almost a Robin's egg blue. Seems to be THE color now. Or am I behind in the color times?

Isn't she lovely, isn't she fa-bu-lous....

Goodnight Mary and your little lamb

Barn sale at Willow's Nest

Last month my business partner, Lee, and I went to a barn sale at Willow's Nest. Oh did my heart skip many beats! It was fabulous. Linda & Ludmil own this property which has a barn, an old 1500 sq ft. gym & they live in the school house. Here is the website http://www.willownest.net

They hold barn sales and flea markets a few times a year. It was just simply breathtaking. The surroundings and the shopping. The sale was in the gymnasium instead of the barn. A handful of vendors were participating along with Willow's Nest owners Linda and Ludmil fabulous finds. When they opened the doors at 8, I walked in and could barely catch my breathe. So much to look at. I wish I would have taken more pictures of the inside but I was too busy shopping. We loved it so much that we are going to be a vendor in the flea market on June 23rd. I can't wait and yet I am a bit frightened. I need to produce alot of new things to take down there to sell and you should see some of the other artists work! It's a bit intimidating but I just want to be a part of it from the other side of the event. Oh and by being part of the event I do believe I may have the priviledge of being an early shopper!! I have my eye on a project that Ludmil is working on. It is a metal frame, looks like a small house, that was from France and used in a cemetery. He had a name for it but it escapes me now. A part is damaged so he is going to weld it & make it into an Aviary. Be still my heart!! He said it would be done by the June event. Now, I am not sure I would be able to afford it but we will see. I have a feeling that all that I may sell will just end up being spent there.

Goodnight Madeleine

May Day!

I cannot believe it's May already! Does time fly faster as you get older? Or is it we are just more aware of how little there is? Am I sounding like Carrie in "Sex in the City"? Ha.

Time just does seem to slip by so quickly UNLESS of course when you are at work thinking about all the things you could be doing at home that is soooo much more fun or for that matter, just getting the laundry done.

To be so lucky to love the job you have. To look forward to going to work each day. My job isn't a bad one, just isn't as challenging anymore and at my age and trying to find one that pays as well as this one does isn't that easy. Not that I am too old, but no spring chicken anymore. And where I work is pretty relaxed so that is a huge benefit. If any of my children or other family member needs my attention, there is never a hesitation in letting me go. It's understood family comes first. Oh and there is almost no dress code. As long as nothing is hanging out then it's pretty safe to say you can wear it. We very rarely have to actually see the public. All of it is done on computer and contact by phone. But I am luckier than most and that I try not to forget.

Different subject....my sister, Maddie and I were in the car. We are at a stop light and Maddie is reading a sign and pipes up from the back seat asking who in the heck would want to "Rent to Own" that pole? We had a good laugh about that one.