Bodhisartva ..... Art/Spirit/Life

I slipped away...

....for a short flea market visit.  

It was a jam-packed weekend, with important family events and too much to do, but, by gum (what the heck does that mean?), I was getting to Long Beach, if only for an hour.

Actually, it was more like 2 hours, which is still totally below my limit, I gotta tell you.  But, I had a great time and found such fun stuff that I didn't feel cheated.

This nice pile of leather will come with me to my book necklace class.  Students can pick out their favorites to go with the copper, brass and nickel book covers.  Yummy.  Might make a sketchbook or two as well.  

I may even store them in this new egg basket.  I have three now and they hold rolls of paper very nicely.  Love the color.

A little handful of metal.  Look at those designs!  The tiny keyholes will end up on a book cover, I imagine.  Or maybe a necklace?

More metal.  It's big enough to set on my table and hang a bunch of tools inside.  Rust, rust, rust..oh, how I love thee.

I was told that this cunning little carrier used to hold Belgian beer.  At the moment, it's holding some apothocary jars. But tomorrow...?

There is one more extremely cool item, but it's hard to photograph, so maybe next time.  

Speaking of next time, I just found out that there are 5 Sundays in this month, which means the Long Beach Flea Market will have a bonus market on March 30th.  Think I'll stay at that one all day.

Where's Your Enthusiasm?

As I observe that my level of enthusiasm for things/people/activities waxes and wanes, I notice several things.  I'm guessing some of you have the same or similar experience.

CONFESSION TIME

I tend to get easily enthused about new things and then just sort of fade away before I finish something.  Does this happen to you?

 

I think this experience tells me that:

1.    I was faking it, or

2.    It turned out to be more trouble than it was worth, or

3.    I just have too the heck much going on to take on one more thing.

I have so much stuff in my studio.

Stuff to:   Make books, Work in journals, Paint canvases, Transfer images, Apply stencils, Distress metal, Do ANYTHING to metal, to be fair - burn, pound, drill, fuse, solder, stamp, texture, Tape (just a few couple dozen 100 rolls of decorative tape), Zentangle, Encaustic, Sew, Knit, Glue, resin, seal, cold connect, Draw, pastel, crayon, ink, color pencil, Print, Photograph/Photoshop

Hmmm....how do I direct my enthusiasm in the face of all this stuff? How do I maintain my enthusiasm?  I often don't.  Or, I direct my enthusiasm towards organizing or acquiring yet more stuff (my go-to, knee-jerk reaction to any kind of stress).

 OK - Enough of THAT!

THE GOOD STUFF

Where does YOUR enthusiasm come from?

This post is part of The Declaration of You BlogLovin' Tour, which I'm thrilled to participate in alongside over 100 other creative bloggers. Learn more -- and join us! -- by clicking here.

It's celebrating the publication of "The Declaration of You" by North Light Craft Books this summer, with readers getting all the permission they've craved to step passionately into their lives, discover how they and their gifts are unique and uncover what they are meant to do!

Amazon

North Light Books

Time to start a conversation (and on June 7th, we'll be having one over on Facebook).  More on that later.

In the meantime, think about it:

• How does your enthusiasm fuel you?
• What's held you back from discovering your enthusiasm?
• What things are you enthusiastic about, but feel are "silly" or "wrong" for an adult to be excited by?
• What's your personal declaration around enthusiasm?

 One thing I am sure of.....I am very enthused about seeing this book by the incomparable Michelle Ward and the oh, so delightful Jessica Swift.  Thank goodness.  Something I can KNOW I am enthusiastic about and which will not fade.  

'Bout time, I say.

 

 

 

 

Fun with Metal and Torches

Week two of a fabulous online class with Deryn Mentock.  It's so much more than I expected - not just learning new things, but learning new ways of old things.  Jump rings, clasps, head pins, wire wrap...fun to practice.  Finding tools to do all sorts of cool things is maybe one of the best parts! Learning more about wire and torches.  Yep.  It's all good.

She is an excellent teacher and the class is so well organized and paced.  

I wish my photographs were half as good as her videos!  Not to mention wishing my work was anywhere near as professional.

This spiral is my favorite so far.  I have a thing for spirals of all kinds. This one sort of looks like a fiddlehead fern.  Not that it's a bad thing.

Maybe next week, I'll have to nerve to move on to sterling silver.  Maybe.

A Little Bitty Flea

Every couple of months, we have a "sidewalk sale" in our neighborhood.  It's a mini-flea market is what it is.  10-12 vendors set up on both sides of the sidewalk next to Clare Graham's studio.  It usually falls right between the PCC and the Long Beach Flea Market, so I can get a teeny tiny flea market fix.

I only got four things but each one is fabulous!

The necklace has 5 strands of glass beads. Think of the repurposed jewelry I can make with that!

I love these little bottles of watch parts from Elgin. I put them into shrines and necklaces. The last one I sold was bought by a woman for her daughter-in-law - whose maiden name was Elgin.  She was so thrilled.  For myself, I always think of my brother, who lives in Elgin, Illinois. In any case, I love them - and the color of the label.

Here's a closer look.  The watch face will look great embedded in a book cover.  The hinged watch crystal is big to put in a book, but I may find a way to use it there anyway.

In the meantime, I'm just overflowing with ideas for those little tubes.  There was another whole tray of them available. I hope I won't regret not getting them..

Back to School

Looking forward to taking this online class with Deryn Mentock.  The quality of her metalwork is so solid.  I really need to learn some new techniques and practice, practice, practice.  I'm hoping this will give me the push I need. If you're interested, there's a link on the right.

Seems like everyone is either giving or taking online classes.  How about you?  Are you teaching online?  Taking classes online?  Any you can recommend? 

 

A New Toy

It's fun to try out new things, new tools, new colors.  Especially when it comes in the form of a 40% off coupon from Dick Blick!  Why not?

I'm still learning what these can do. They are watercolor WAX sticks.  Seems incompatible.  But the colors are yummy.  I played with them as watercolor and did some washes.  But, the most fun is putting them on top of things in their waxy form.  If you warm them, the colors are more intense and you can spread it around.  

Like I said, still learning...but fun.

Have you tried these? What's the last new thing you tried?

Long Beach Flea Market

Sorry for the delayed post here...I couldn't find my camera cable and there is no point in posting without some pictures, after all!  (Of course, now it's Friday and it's raining HERE...).

It's been a loooooonnng time since I got down to Long Beach.  Of course, it's been raining on them the last few months, so I guess I didn't miss much.  No rain today...78 degrees!  It was hot.  And the market was hot...here is what I scored.

An old medicine cabinet - so cute! The inside is painted golden yellow and has more than the usual cubbies.  I'm not sure what I'll do with it, but who cares?  It's such a find.

I love little stools, especially ones with a bit of green on them.  Alas, stools seem to be another "collection" for me, but I like the way they look lined up on my porch.

And here's the little stuff.  I can't wait to put that battered round keyhole (?) onto one of my book covers.  I am trying to make the faucet handles into necklaces, though they may be too heavy; we'll see.  I have no idea what the three round disks are, but they were just too neat to pass up.  They are almost like pulleys, but they are covered with what seems to be a leathery material.  Interesting.

This odd thingy will go onto a book cover also.  The wheel actually moves, which presents some interesting possibilities.  And here is another item destined for the cover of a metal book...

I'm excited about this last piece.  It's wood.  The numbered holes go all the way through. The metal circles along the right side are angled.  I'm going to flatten them out or bend them even more. Either way, I think I will be doing some kind of lacing number for the front of the book. We shall see, but I'm looking forward to it.

And the last thing of the day, because after all, I am sewing books..

Next...a new toy....

 

52 PickUp

Remember that game?  We used to love it as kids...especially if you were forcing a sibling to clean up a mess when you weren't actually playing the game.  Ahem.

But, this is a different game.  Lesley Riley, of Artist Success has some programs that really help you get off the dime and keep moving forward.  For 2013, the new one is "52 PickUp" - weekly prompts sent to you by email.  

I love the focus on small steps and not getting overwhelmed by thinking you have to do everything at one time.  Really?  I can't? What a surprise :-) !

You can still participate, if you are interested.  I highly recommend it.  Lesley Riley, Artist Success.

 

A Tale of Woe - With a Happy Ending

This is kind of a long story, but at least it has a happy ending.

I always wait to buy expensive art supplies until I get a new coupon from Dick Blick (40% off!).  I did this awhile ago because I needed/wanted more Golden Fluid Acrylic in Cobalt Teal; it's a Series 7 pigment.  Ouch.  Almost the most expensive.  I thought I was so smart to wait.

But, I visited the Blick on the Westside and they didn't have any.  Oh, well.  I visited the Blick in West Hollywood.  Hmmm....they are out.  No problem.  I went to the Blick in Pasadena.  Now wait a minute.  They are out too!  What's up with that?

THEN, I got my Golden newsletter to find out that they were discontinuing the Cobalt Teal because their pigment supplier no longer had it and they couldn't find a source and they were still searching and....OMG, they might never be able to make it again!

I had already tried online without success and was bemoaning my failure when the ever amazing Kelly Kilmer told me where to get the 4 oz. bottles on line.  My hero.

Maybe by the time I run through these, Golden will have figured out the pigment and make more.  One can hope.

 

P.S.  For some reason, typepad is not embedding my links. Here is Kelly's website: http://www.kellykilmer.blogspot.com 

Making Marks

So many ways to make marks.

I love stencils, don't you?

Even just a piece looks interesting.

Sometimes, even in black and white it's cool.

Organic?

Quirky and handmade?

...and always, personal.

What are your favorite marks?