Abstract Portrait

I tried to balance the color with the highly textured, bold brushstrokes and lines of tension. It also sold at the fair. The woman who bought it said the face gave her strength; it was spiritual for her. I am always grateful when someone shares their reasons for purchasing a piece of art.

Abstract "Patinas"

This one was one of my favorites. A copper bronze with a rusty, verdigris patina. I blew through a straw to get the paint to move in different directions. I was very happy that the person who bought it really loved it. Made me feel so good.

Collage - Emancipation

A collage I did with old dictionary pages, gels, glazes and acrylic paints. At Saturday's art fair, a teenager came to look at it three different times. I told him it was calling his name, but he said he couldn't buy it, but was intrigued by it. He said, "It really speaks to restraint of any type, not necessarily slavery, but to all minorities being held back." Whoa, I kind of took a step back. Deep thinker that one.

Polymer Clay Note Holder

I made this necklace a while ago. When I rolled the logs and cut the ends, I saved them by building a little pyramid. Maybe it would become a paperweight, or part of a sculpture; I didn't know. I needed something to hold the small signs for last Saturday's art fair and this popped in my head. Perfect. Drilled some holes in a few of the little plugs and curled some wire. I didn't glue the wires in because they fit snugly and it is easier to store without the wires. That little scrap pyramid really came in handy.

Polymer Clay Demo and Sale

"Pipe Dreams", acrylic paints, gel mediums, pastes, lava gel, air dry polymer clay pipes, tiny canvas full of watch parts and plastic parts and dried paint circles from the inside of my paint tubes. No pipe dreams for the art fair though; I enjoyed a great day full of polymer clay. Saturday was our one-day local art fair. I demonstrated polymer clay techniques from 9:00 A.M. until 2:30 P.M. My husband was put in charge of selling so I could do the demo. He also loaded the trailer, set up, got me lunch, tore down and unpacked when we got home. I couldn't have done it without him. I had fun, learned a lot, met some wonderful new customers and was thrilled to have returning customers who bought again. My table covers I made for the demo table and display table turned out great. I put eyelets in the demo table cover so my name banner could hang from eye hooks. I put a closure in the back so it would look neat and tidy. All in all everything worked out and it was a great day.

Altered Art Jewelry Display #4

This was fun to put together. A while ago, I made a necklace of the Cracker Jacks' toys I collected as a kid. I decided to make a "toy" display to showcase it. There are new buttons, old cars, trains, vintage piggies and bears, etc. My favorite is the Fischer Price guy that belonged to our kids when they were small. Kind of a full circle thing. I will be using the display at our local art fair this Saturday to display another necklace. I am almost done with everything.

Polymer Clay Pipe Mold

Yesterday an Industrial Flower brooch; today, Pipes! I'm finishing some abstract art for our local art fair on Saturday. One of the paintings needed some pipe fittings. It is heavily textured with clear gels, pastes and thick lava gel, so the pipes could not be too heavy on the canvas. The air dry polymer clay was a perfect solution. The only problem is I only had enough for one pipe so I'm off to the store AGAIN!

New Bottle Bottom Mold

Industrial Flower brooch. I found a new mold from the bottom of my large coffee creamer bottle! So excited. This pin was a quick experiment initially, but then I decided to finish it with a magnet on the back and an old rhinestone button on the front for detail. I love the industrial "futuristic" look to the flower.

Polymer Clay Stretch Bracelet

I bought a used, well worn stretch bracelet from Goodwill and covered it with some of my polymer clay tiger cane that had been rolled through the pasta machine into a sheet. After I applied it, I sliced between each of the components so it would still stretch. I then stretched it over a glass jar that was slightly larger than the bracelet so the components were not touching and then I cured it.

Native Stripes Bead Crochet

The above handful of luscious beads is what I will be sorting through for awhile.

The worst part is sorting the light blue from the turquoise (below) because they are so close in color. Unless I am using an Ott light, I can't tell the difference.

Since January 1, I've been in an online string along with over 30 women with master teacher, Judith Bertoglio-Giffin leading us on this wonderful bead crocheting journey. I am one of the second shift stragglers as I ran out of beads. I would have had enough according to directions, but did I follow directions? Nooooo, I had to go my own way with a section. So midway I had to order more beads and life happened in the meantime and I am just now trying to catch up. Sorting, sorting and more sorting.

Bead Crochet Textured Color Bands

A celebration of color and texture. I used sterling silver wire, cones and an "S" clasp for the closure.

Red Bead Crochet

I experimented with crocheting cylinder beads down one side and cubes up the other. Still using the branch fringe with large cubes at the ends. I made several of these around 2000 and then a few more about 2004. I saved one for me. Just something about red, sparkles and fringe; you can't help but feel good wearing it.

More Bead Crochet Oldies

In the early 2000's, I went through the "fringing everything" stage. It was nice to branch out a little (get it? branch stitch?). Did I hear a groan?

Bead Crochet and Pearls

Photos of old photos, sorry. Sterling silver components with the pearls. I can see how bad the "start" and "finish" of the rope is. Ugh! But I loved it. I JUST learned how to make the beginning and end row of beads "stand" up vertically instead of horizontally. How many years later? A lot!

Bead Crochet and Gemstones

Another piece from the 90's; I loved this combination. The Rose Quartz, vintage beads and crystals were a perfect match with the rope.

Bead Crochet Oldies

After working with the polymer beads as embellishment for the bead crochet ropes, I started using gemstones and lampworked glass beads as fringe. Back in the 1990's, I used sterling silver components as the finishing touch on just about everything I made.

Old Bead Crochet

My very first bead crochet rope made in the 90's. Tons of mistakes, but I was so proud of it, I couldn't wait to wear it. I added 4 of my polymer clay beads and some sterling silver disks and I was off and running. I made 18 of these bead crochet ropes with sterling silver and polymer clay beads one right after the other. The photos are fuzzy because they are a photo of a photo taken in the 90's. I think these were the only 4 of the polymer beaded ones that I photographed. I wish I had been more prudent, but I'm glad I have these.