What I've Been Up To...

I have been working at least one month to complete this project. A vintage style tulle Christmas tree in pink! Why pink? when Christmas is clearly red and green? or silver and blue? Because of my battle with breast cancer, and the idea I had of making this tree for the nurses at the chemo center that took such good care of me for the past six months. Here are the results where she is unlit





lit up


A close up of the top Christmas fairy

This tree took quite a while to accomplish considering my state of mind and get up and go (that apparently went) lol but it is finally finished. Each piece is hand done and tied on with ultra thin wire. The tinsel is made of wire ribbons, the bows were made using a fork, the pink bulbs were purchased and the white use to be a spray for floral arrangements. The tulle was glittered with german glass glitter. I did paint the base however you cannot see it because the bottom rows became heavy with ornaments and glitter. I had hoped to make each nurse a button fairy but time is running out and I am just too tired sooooooooooooo maybe next time.

Another Christmasy thing to share is my Mother's wreath. It is beautiful in it's simplicity. I just love it and wanted to share.
Isn't it pretty?

I just joined Artella Land as an affiliate and wanted to share their sale for this season! It is a huge savings for everyone from newbie to longtime fans and I want to encourage you to check them out!
This link will give you all the juicy details on the special holiday sale just click here

To help get you started here is a freebie for you just for checking.
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Even if you are not interested in the freebie, just click the picture below, to start saving now! Don't forget to use your super code when checking out.

Halloweenieing Around

I have been busy honest I have.
I made this arrangement and another smaller one just like it.

Then, I made an inchie and a twinchie accordian book for Halloween oh and the candy corn cone too. I got the cute little Halloween tree at Bealls for only $4.95 at the 70% off sale.

The twinchie unfolded this is the front.

The inchie unfolded this is the front.

The back of the inchie book, now I don't know why it looks yellow when in fact it is pumpkin orange and holligram glitter and it says "Happy Halloween" it is much nicer in person.

A closer look at the inchie.

The back of the twinchie that says "Trick or Treat"

and finally!

A closeup of the Candy Corn Cone.

Also I manage to finish my 120 pages for the fat book exchange over at the Art Tech Group and mailed them out. Too bad I was missing part of my brain that day, I forgot to take pictures! Can you say C h e m o b r a i n ??? It was like as soon as I got in the car to leave the post office, I looked at Cody, he looked at me like what ma? and there it was OMG I forgot to take a picture of the pages! oh well once I get the fat book I will post pics. I also managed to post on my other blog, small steps for some but, for me lately ....one giant step for da Moon! Ha ha well someone needs a sense of humor around here!

I need to give Honorable Mention to Great Aunt Gerda from Linkoping, Sweden (God rest her soul) for the absolutely gorgeous tatted orange doilies! Aren't they delicious? usually I am not usually an "orange" person but I just love these! Although I don't know why I am not, it is such a happy color.

Moon Whimsy

Yes I changed the name I grew tired of the Starving Artist since I am not really starving anyway. Still not sure I want to keep this name, trying to come up with something else. Any ideas out here? I have plenty but most are already taken and I like to be different.

A Different Kind of Art

Meet Molly! Isn't she the cutest little furbaby you ever wanted to see? This is my new "neice" and Cody's new little cousin. I could just love this little gal to pieces!

She told me she can't wait to meet me! I know I can't wait to meet her either. We, well some of us in our family treat our pets like our children .... litterly. I am one of them in that catagory. They have such sweet little souls and love so unconditionally how can you not love them?

So Welcome to the family little furry creature! I can't wait to see you and snuggle, huggle and play with you! Cody will be so jellous so I don't think I will tell him when the time comes.

Lori's Blogaversary!

Lori Roberts is having an anniversary blog give away! Click her name and read her blog to be entered in the give away.

Lori works for Altered Arts as a senior designer and she and her daughter Mel recently opened their own store called Paper Imagery Design where they sell alot of really cool images for collage.

I have known Lori for a long time on the Internet from the Yahoo Groups we both belong in and she is quite the accomplished artist. While you are visiting and entering please check out her art and leave comments. I know she will appreciate it. I must add that she has done a great job with her beautiful daughter Mel too, she is way cool!

One Creative Queen

Someone named the Creative Queen left me a comment on my Rainbow Shimmer Button Fairy post from last January. As is a ususal custom for me if I have the way to see the persons who leave me comments I always visit their blogs.

This is an amazing talented single mom who creates whimisical faces of clay, books, quilts and artsy crafty stuff such as candles, centerpieces and pincushions. She has some beautiful watches that she made also. You have to go to the bottom of her page and view the slideshows but it is worth it. She talks of quilts, I am anxious to see.

One thing she mentions in the last post is where to find small amounts of fabrics. One thing I have learned is that if you go to the thrift stores and junque shops you can find fabric and buttons, zippers, buckles and clasps all sorts of goodies. You gleen the stuff off of clothing that they sell for cheap. I have gotten some beautiful beads, lace, appliques with sequins and silk. I am now looking for wool but being in florida that will be a tough one to find. If you have any other ideas please take the time to post to her blog at One Creative Queen. She also has a contest going on, and it ends the 31st. So hurry on over there and show some love!

The Body Image

This is the latest journal posting from the Art Techniques Group over on Yahoo. This was done on Thursday while I was getting my warriors infused. A little sloppy but it is hard to concentrate and also I am usually as high as a kite on Thursday's lol added benefit. Not sure it helps me art very well though. The part that matters to me is where it says the following.

Our bodies are the bridge between life energy and psychical form, look at your body without the interfering judgements of the others, the body image contributes to the sense of who you think you are the size does not matter.

Some people feel a diminished sense of self worth because they perceive their body as ugly or imperfect. The mental image or concept of your body is a complete distortion of reality.

The rest of what I wrote is a rambling of thoughts past and present in no particular order but they do tell a story. The rest is up to you.

Weekly Journaling from the Art Techniques Group

The Art Tech group is having weekly journal prompts and I decided I didn't have enough to do with making 120 fat book pages, an apron or two, this and that for my dear sweet Mom etc. I decided to join in. The first week was eyes. We were suppose to write about our eyes so here is my first entry.




The second week was about our hair. Here is that page. It opened quite a discussion about hair, but redheads in particular. Who knew? I wasn't going to put these on here but as a special favor to someone special (sis) I did. For those who do not know me personally, these are all me well the female person in the pics from kindergarten up to the NOW.






Also up this week was some digital art I was messing around with. Of course I know not what the heck I am doing but here they are. The first is blocks. The second is Vortex Abyss and the third is Hands.





Last but not least is from an entirely different group. This is from a privately owned crafting group of really wonderful ladies. We are small but very close knit, I have known some of them a very long time! We are having an apron swap and this one was sent to me by a nice lady that lives in Buffalo, NY - wow my home town! Isn't that funny? I did not know her when I lived there.

ABC's of Mirror Unity

Some time ago, I think it was Nov/Dec 2007 I participated in a swap in the Art Techniques Yahoo Group, hostessed by Belinda blog author and artist of The Alteredbelly
It was a collaborative project where we each picked a letter of the alphabet and made 27, 26 for each participant and the extra for submission to Cloth, Paper, & Scissors magazine. Sorry to say we didn't make the submission but it wasn't for lack of trying. Thank you Belinda for trying! This brings me to why I call it Mirror Unity because we all untied our art to make one arty item.

Well for months I was trying to think of what to do with my alphabet. How many times have we been in a swap like this and never did anything but touch, look, ohhhh and awwww at them only to stick them in a drawer or box and forget them. Maybe we go so far as to put them in a little notebook with neat little labels, and tuck them in the corner and someday we will look at them again. Well NOT this time! I wanted to make something out of them, first it was going to be a house, then a frame for pictures, then I was going to put magnets on the backs and use them like a message board god golly miss molly the ideas were flinging back and fourth between my brain cells. So one morning I woke up with this idea!

Over two years ago, and I kid you not, I purchased a mirror from a thrift store expedition. It had an ugly frame that was made of fabric, but I though OH I can do this that or the other with it, only to stick it on a shelf, move it from time to time etc. It was only 50 Cents. So I wake up one morning and my eyes land on just the lower right edge of this ugly thing peeking between frames and booklet of stuff I just may need one day. I say to myself, self - you could always remove that ugly thing and put it with this or that, so I get up and pull it out. Just as I do, I think ABC's, oh I have and idea! and that is how this was born. There are section close ups at the end of this post, if you just want to see the pictures.

So here's the thing... I have all of the names of the artist who made the letters and they are listed below. If you are on this list and I do not have your blog address listed please contact me with your blog address if you want me to publish it on this post. Also if for some reason, you do not want your name associated with this blog, or me, or if the CIA is looking for you let me know and I will remove it promptly. I promise I have no affiliation with the IRS either. I want to put your names out here so everyone can see your contribution to this piece. Below are the artist with blog addresses and the letter they contributed.

A - Chris Tessnear of
creativeinspirations.blogspot.com

B -Barbara Roberts of

flickr.com/photos/craftirn

C - UNKNOWN AND IF YOUR OUT HERE CONTACT ME PLEASE WITH YOUR INFORMATION

D - Joanie Hoffman of - NEED BLOGRESS

E - Elizabeth K of

alteredbooklover.blogspot.com

F - Linda M of - NEED BLOGRESS

G - Peggy Gatto of http://wwwpeggysamusement.blogspot.com/

H - Jan Cregar of - No Blog

I - UNKNOWN AND IF YOUR OUT HERE CONTACT ME PLEASE WITH YOUR INFORMATION

J - Michelle Bonds of

stitchandpaint.blogspot.com

K - Karen Scudder of - NO BLOG!!!! Come on Karen get busy! LOL

L - Yours Truly and your already here!

M - Diana Welte of

Lilyweeds.blogspot.com"

N - Donalda Cox of

donaldas.blogspot.com"

O - Yours Truly and your already here!

P - Michelle Johnson of - http://www.craftedby.us/

Q - Camille C.S. Pratt of - Doll Poetry


R - Raquel Fraga of - NEED BLOGRESS

S - Pamela Martin of -

pamelamartindesigns.com"

T - Linda Hartzig of - NEED BLOGRESS

U - UNKNOWN AND IF YOUR OUT HERE CONTACT ME PLEASE WITH YOUR INFORMATION

V - Valerie Orner of - NEED BLOGRESS

W - Olivia Pratt of - Paper Boquet

X - Kacy Clark of - NEED BLOGRESS

Y - Myrna Bermant of - NEED BLOGRESS

Z - Belinda of Altered Belly

As stated before if you do not want your name here I will remove it for you no questions asked.

So the details of the piece are this -







I started with a piece of the stuff you make walls out of oh what the heck is it called? Plaster board? Wall board? I painted it black, crackled it and topped it with a mossy green. I edge it with some pretty paper that I turned into double stick tape. Then the mirror which I stripped and edged with copper tape, and then added the copper corners. Centered the mirror and started attaching the ABC's. It has a double hanger on the back for steadiness which is glued and nailed in place. It really is quite simple. I was thinking of adding some buttons and wire swirlies here and there but I kind of like it this way as to not take anything away from the actual art of the letters. Each letter is a unique piece of work and beautiful. Don't you think so too?

A WIP

Work in Progress is the name of the game today. Yesterday I was innocently reading my new Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine and fell upon an article by Patricia Gaignat. In the article called "lotsa fruit" she took an image of a pear and turned it to black and white, colored it and made a variety of the blocks using the same images and then turned it into a cute little wall hanging.

So how my mind works is that I though it would be a good idea but to use my daughters pictures and then their children. I did the daughters yesterday. These are in no way done, I am still digesting the plans but wanted to share what I have so far.

My sister commented to me on the phone last night "what no art this week?" and yes I have done alot of it but mostly meaningless little tasks like making paper beads and stringing a few new necklaces for my mom. Yesterday I decided to paint and this is the result.

This being my oldest daughter. Now I must say she really looks nothing like this in real life, so this is a slightly cartoonish looking likeness. Here is the picture I started out with. I printed it after maniuliping it in PS on canvas, then painted it using assorted paints and chalks. I seldom stick to one kind.
as you can see quite different.














The next is my youngest daughter, for which I am way off! LOL she asked me who it was. and then replied that I made them too pretty. This is the picture of her that I started with.
I disagree, naturally I believe that both my daughters are beautiful in looks and spirit, even with the "Kelley forehead" an inside joke going on here about looking like Grandpa with his big ole bald head. Then my youngest said "oh don't show it to Ama, you made me prettier!" Another never ending thing that goes on no matter how many year pass. Some day they will get over themselves and decide they are both beautiful in my eyes, no one more so than the other.

I do have a question for you artist out there. What is the dang color that you use when making teeth? I never did a picture with a full mouthful of teeth, and struggled with the color used to distinguish individual teeth. So what the heck color do you use?

After sandwiching them with felt under each layer, I blanket stitched all the way around them. I stitched first with my hand stitcher to make the holes, for ease of blanket stitching because that tends to tear the canvas when using a hand needle.

Next up is to put them on a black velvet background and embellish the heck out of them. Then I will decide if I want to continue with the babies pictures or not. Really Patricia Gaignat's Pears are truly beautiful if you like pears. I don't have fruit pictures in my house anywhere, not even on a pot holder. Don't know why, I guess I am just not a fruity person!

This is my latest painting/collage. She doesn't have a name yet but some say she looks like a Maxine. I kinda thought she looked like a Peg... well anyway I painted the background and pasted papers all over the place, then I dry brushed it a little bit. Painted the lady, added her hat using some of the faux sea glass paper I made and then proceeded to add the lace, buttons and nylon tulle for a veil. The lace was dyed with ink, I dry bushed it a little more, embossed some swirlies here and there. It has lots of layers. Not sure you can tell with my pics, I am surely no photographer.

Here is a close up of the face. You probably can't tell but I added a little crystal diamond glaze to her eyeballs and lips. To do the face I just painted it with acrylic flesh, and used some of my pastels to soften and shade then I added the features and using watercolor pencils and a bit of acrylic paint did the detail. I did the face alot like the way I do the doll faces when I make a doll. Hope you enjoy it.

By the Light....Light....Light....Light...Light of the Silvery Moon

Wow another post in the same day! This is another small 5 x 5 canvas painting/ collage that I completed last night. TV in the summer really sucks so this is what I do, unless I am on the puter or talking on the phone, depending on how I feel and what time it is. Not sure what to do with all these little paintings but I am thinking of putting them on Etsy.

Here is a closer look at the actual Moon. This painting was inspired from a beautiful sun catcher my daughter sent me when she was shopping at Cape May. Of course the sun catcher is much more beautiful but I like how this turned out too. Again my photography is not that great but you get the idea.

I have alot of project going, and I should be working on my workshop projects, but I am more or less letting my muse take control and this is what happens. I blame all my terrific fellow artist, they put out some gorgeous stuff that just continues to inspire my muse.

Live Wire!

I tried my hand at wire wrapped, jewel encrusted jewelry and here is the first one. All are free form, and none had a plan. This teardrop is gold with gold wrap and contains some crystals and glass beads. I wouldn't know and Austrian crystal from a Checz crystal to save my behind but I like glittery things!

These earrings were next. They are made of copper and sparklies. I really like how they turned out but they were very hard for me to make. Well actually all of it was but I think for the first try they came out decent. They remind me of my "hippie" days! LOL now I am dated, hey did you happen to catch Cindy Lauper on GMA yesterday? OMG we are heading to Senior Citizenship fast! It seemed funny to see her rockin out on stage looking like an office manager. I think she needed these earrings!

Next up is the spiral pendant. Made of copper and gold wire and of course more sparklies! Another favorite of mine of course because of the spirals. I have this thing about spirals they are continuous and never ending, much like how I prefer to think of life. Squares have corners, you hit the wall and boom nowhere to go but back, so it is spirals for me! Circles qualify too.

Last is the "free form" I call it that because I bent the wire wrong and didn't want to waste it. Again copper and gold wire and sparklies. Actually it looks ok to me and although similar to a spiral it looks like it took some wrong turns here and there much like life happens.

Well there you have it. I did make some other earrings but somehow I managed to mess them up, so once I fix them I will post the pics. They are not anything like this stuff. I could use some work on my photography too but hey gimme a little break!

Introducing the Queen of the Night

This is the Night blooming Cereus and her buds. Tiny little tufts of fluff on a spindly and woody looking cactus. Nothing spectacular at this point other than the wonder and amazement of nature at work. This plant has been in my tree for longer than I have lived in this house which is 24 years. Normally it goes quite unnoticed, has been called ugly, and people ask why do you have it?


Here is a closer view of the bud on the cactus that hangs in the tree. I would guess the tree to be at least 30ft tall and the cactus climbs up and wraps around and hangs down, attaching itself like a parasite to branches, mingling with the moss that grows on air. It quite resembles snakes hanging from the tree like that.


As it reaches its birth, the pods become up to about 8 to 12 inches long. When the time is ripe, so is the bloom and it begins to open. This has also been called a Deer Horn Cactus. Do you see the red pods? They bloomed last night. I have been watching this cactus for 3 weeks, trying to capture the blooms.



It has a trumpet shaped flower with and the cactus itself has a turnip like root. The roots use to be a food source for the Native American that once inhabited this land. The flower itself has medicinal properties, somewhat like digitalis. It is also a hallucinogenic and I hope that the neighborhood kids never find this out.



The flowers will open for one night only, until the first rays of the morning sun hit it when it will forever close.


Behold the Queen of the Night!
Isn't she spectacular? Truly a gift from Mother Nature that is meant to be shared and absorbed by the souls who witness the magic!

New Baby Digital Collage

Lilia Rose Franklin

Well many of you know I am a newbie to digital anything but I tried it again, this time it looks more like scrapbooking! Uggghhh! But the subject is my new Grand Moonbabie who arrived yesterday via C-Section. What a relief! I was so very worried for my daughter and her child because she had a condition that caused me worry! Anyway all is well. She weighs in at 7 lbs. 6 ozs. and was 20-1/4 inches long. I know the first measurments were alot different, chalk it up to an overly excited moment between Daddy and G'ma, not sure which of us said or heard wrong. LOL and will ya just look at that mug? she is smiling already!

It is killing me that I don't get to see her until August, that when they are comming down to visit. I can't go, still in treatment so it will be something like October before I demand a break before rads, which I will be doing! I can't wait to get my paws on her and just love her to pieces. Her big sister is comming at the end of this month though so I get to spoil that one for a little while.....before her Mama catches us. Maile her sissy loves to do artwork, she is making plans.

New Components and Lost and Found

Today I worked on making fabric paper. Remember the fabric paper I made in January? This is more subdued and low key. It is for a workshop over at The Artist Circle Yahoo Group. We are working out of Beryl Taylor's book Mixed Media Explorations. You embed tissue, papers of all kinds, elements ect. with PVA - well I used watered down Mod Podge. Paint it and let it dry. We will be doing more with it as we go on with this month.



This is another one done the same way but this time I took a piece of lavender tulle and laid it on top, smushed it down and let it dry. All the other steps were done first just as in the first picture.

Tomorrow - time permitting I will do the tyvek paper. Not sure I will have time.

Today I also made some felt beads, well 3 to be exact. I think if I really wanted the felt beads I would rather buy them. I had some wool from my doll making stash, and pulled a bit of it until it was all messed up looking and dunked it into warm water that I added a drop of dish detergent. Pulled it out and started rolling it between my hands, much like you would do to a piece of clay. Kept going until almost all the water was out and it formed a ball that stuck together. Let them dry and now they are nice little beads that can be decorated or used as is in something.

I am working on a big project too. Remember the Alphabet Swap from last December? Well I decided to do something with them. I have 26 letters from 26 different artist, so I hope it turns out the way I see it in my head! Won't they be surprised? Stay tuned!

Now the Lost and Found! Two years ago, I belonged to a group called Post Crossings. Nice group where you send and receive postcards all over the world. Well they have a forum and I got involved in a few exchanges. One was a book a diary actually where the book was sent out, and for 3 days the players would record their daily happenings, drawing, painting, postcards, pictures, what not. There was one book that was not returned to me, no one owned up to having it. Well, I am happy to say it came home to me yesterday! It had been held up in the Netherlands for 2 years. The person who had it, had some problems in her personal life and I suspect she just "gave up" fell into depression and let it go. I will not say who it was, she deserves that much privacy and I truly hope her life has improved. (Hugs) I only wish she would of told me, because too many times this has happened not only to me, but to many. I can only speak for myself here, and I would have understood. So thank you my young friend in the Netherlands for returning my book.