Gumball Rally

Sunday was to me, like a Monday in disguise, so the business of the day will come just a tad bit later, in this post...

We all go about our everyday lives, rushing in and out, going and coming, caught up knee deep in our own little worlds,
in our own corner of life. Lets take a detour, shall we?

Psssst! Hey, Can you come out and play today?

I like old and I like new, I like sweet and sour! Gumballs that is! Silly, I know, but, Oh, so true!

What does this nonsense mean you ask? Well, I'll tell you!

It means nothing, absolutely nothing, no thing, at all!

But then thats the beauty of it, no?! Yeeesss!

Sometimes, art is created for nothing but the fun of it, I've said it before and I'll say it again, we all could use a little more

tomfoolery in our lives! Today and tomorrow, forget any sorrow, just go out and play, REALLY play.

Step out of your front door carrying in a teeny little bag, all of the happy-go-lucky emotions and freedom you once skipped out with at age 7!

Do you remember! Can you remember?

Yeeesss! There it is! Tap into that!

And believe it or not, or not, or what! What?!

But this frame of mind will put you in a place where your creative spirit can fly...

Nonsense is no sense, but sense all the same! At least to me it is!

I was the kid staring out the window in class, drifting away on cotton candy clouds,

daydreaming of pixie stix forests! Huh? What?

Oh, the capitol of Alaska? Ummm, let me see... shoots, she might as well have been asking me for the formula for PX10 jet fuel!

Consequently I had a tough time focusing and paying attention when the sun was gleaming bright yellow and the sky was

sparkling blue, I swear I could hear the wind calling my name! Yoohoo, Sssannnddddrra...

And just tell me how was I, a defenseless kid supposed to ignore that?!

The sure promise of adventure with a capital "A" and escapade with a capital "ESC"!

And as soon as that 3:00 o'clock bell rang, I was out the door and down the stairs in a flash!

Freedom, sweet freedom at last!

"The practical man can run a locomotive, but he cannot invent one!

The men who are doing the best part of the worlds work are the theorists, in their laboratories watching test-tubes, in their studies excogitating philosophies,

or under the summer trees dreaming of coming days of gold

and singing their reverie". Dr. Frank Crane from Four Minute Essays circa 1919

The color lives within you...

seek it out!

And now, down to the business at hand...

my one year anniversary winners are...

Contessa Kris * Porcelain and glass doll
Linda Crispell * dress form in studded bra
Karen Young * mannequin in lace skirt

Crayon on paper artwork courtesy, Lily Kopp.

Lisa Oceandreamer * lg doll head
Jeanie Marmalade Gypsy * med doll head
Carola from Boxwood Cottage * sm doll head
(please email me with your mailing addresses ladies)!
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And just for good measure, I have created for EACH and EVERY ONE of you, a very special clock face to download and use as a little reminder when it is time to put business away and go out and play!

Down load and use in your personal artwork, until next time my friends!

One Year Blog Anniversary!

All of my life, I have never quite fit in, always felt out of place, odd man out, you know? Some times over exuberance, adventurous curiosity and creativity can cause others to misunderstand and even shun you, but here, with you I can be me. I can express my self freely with words and visuals

and not only do you accept me but you encourage me too! And I tell you, it is ever so appreciated! Today, among all of you sister artistic types, well, I can finally say, I fit in, the puzzle is complete!

Having the opportunity to share the artistic life with all of you brings me more joy and happiness than I can ever express! When I began this fantastic voyage up and out into the wide expanse of the great blogisphere , I really wasn't sure just what to expect.

You see, for a year or so I had been quietly stopping in on all of you, Oooing and Ahhing, smiling and laughing, admiring fabulous works of art, fawning over charming children and sweet little pets. It was one amazing adventure after another!

I am still and always will be, absolutely astonished that I am so lucky as to exist in a time where this kind of communication and sharing exchange is possible! I often daydream of times long ago, when wardrobe was elegant and fanciful,

manners were delicate and always a'minded, and romance was, well, it was romantic! Nevertheless, the reality is, I am continuously excited and exhilarated at my good fortune to be here at this very moment in time and as we are all well aware, every moment exists just once! Now, I know, I do ramble and can go on and on

about the simplest of things, but to be able to visit each and every one of you (even if it does take me some time to get around) I truly cherish and relish the time we "virtually" spend together, no matter how short! When I visit you,

I travel down the page to catch up on all that I have missed! And you stay with me as I go about my days, there are
always lovely little reminders that pop up and make me think of you... the pretty flowers at the market... Oh, how absolutely

intoxicating the photos of her ever so lovingly tended garden were! Or while strolling my little dog though the park, I catch a glimpse of children at play and remember... that adorable baby curled up and fast asleep in mom's shopping cart! Then

there's the kindness and sensitivity and honesty and friendship from a far away friend, a friend yet unseen, but a friend still indeed, a friend in need, in need of seeds! ;) ...and I hope they grow too! Let us not to forget, the traveling I do, Oh yes, a virtual jet setter I am!

***a break in the story here, This is the first of my "GIVEAWAY" items. She is a tall witty lady made from porcelain and glass!***

Continuing right along... Why, just yesterday I had a tangy parfait with the most fascinating of ladies, in Paris, no less!

Then a last minute, late night cap and a biscuit or two, over some stamps and ink, in the hippiest, dippiest pub in all of London!

AND... the Food! Yes! The Food! Delicious, delectable recipes for finger lickin, lip smackin, cookies and candy, pastas and soups and

cupcakes, yummy, cupcakes, both real and faux! Then lets us mosey on down to the O K Corral to join in on the

artistic adventures of a creative cowgirl!

And just before cruising on back home,

and hopping the last train to Sleepyville,

***a short break again. This is the second of my "GIVEAWAY" items. A sassy dress form in a studded bra!***

and we continue... headed straight for Dreamland, don't you know!

I popped in to see a colorful character, a weaver of magic and mischief in a patch of the world so very far away, turned upside over,

or I should say, way down under!

A visit to get a lesson from the master herself, on applying my new shade of lipstick! Oh, Yes!

***guess what, break again! The third "GIVEAWAY" item. A risque mannequin wearing only a skirt and a necklace, for shame!**

And we're back... And when my head hits the pillow and I finally close my eyes at night to drift off to sleep, my mind is torrentially flooded with marvelous images and colors and words from the wonderland of on line journals and artwork I have absorbed into every fiber of my being!

So this is our collective legacy... Cheers to you, here's to me, and all that will be, we go up, we come down and then circle around, to meet in the middle, on a soft quiet day, to live and to laugh and to share and to play with God speed! Here's to us, to us, yes indeed!

***one last break! The fourth, fifth and sixth of my "GIVEAWAY" items, 3 porcelain head blanks, to do what you wish with!***

Thank you one and all, for sharing your talents...

Thank you for sharing your time...

Thank you for always being so supportive, it truly allows me to create with abandon and joy!

The world spins, time flies, life goes by... One year behind me and full steam ahead!

My appreciation runs deep... Thank you for being one of the beautiful intricate pieces in our creative puzzle!

I like to give away things that are special to me, because I feel, if it carries meaning for me, it will carry that meaning with it, to pass it along so that it may be re-enjoyed and re-loved by others! These 6 items are to celebrate with you!
Please make sure I have a way to contact the 6 winners, on Sunday August 10th I will draw 6 names at random and then match one of the 6 giveaway items to a name. (*porcelain half doll with marbles dress, *dress form in studded bra, *risque mannequin, *small porcelain doll head blank, *medium porcelain doll head blank, *large porcelain doll head blank)
See you in two weeks to announce the winners!
P.S. Thank you Dear Donna, I have finally found the perfect little bodies for the china heads you gave me!

CREATIVITYCOMESFROMTHEHEART

Where Women Create

Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women...

From the time we are small children,

a dream lies hidden deep in our heart.

Sometimes it is shared with our best,

most trusted friends;

but often it is kept hidden,

because the possibility of it ever happening

is too unbelievable to consider. (excerpt from the book Where Women Create by Jo Packham Sterling/Chapelle)

If you don't already have this little gem, run right out and get it!

Then enjoy and savor each page from cover to cover!

I have to say it is one of my FAVORITE books on the shelf! And never fails to inspire me!

And best of all, coming this fall, November 2008 to be exact,

is an exciting quarterly magazine, based on this AMAZING book!

Did I already say AMAZING? Well, I meant to say, AMAZINGLY EXCITING, INSPIRING, and absolutely EXTRAORDINARY!

I for one, am on the edge of my seat and have been for months now! I think it is just the most fantastic thing since

sliced bread! When I found out about the new publication, I took out my copy of WHERE WOMEN CREATE and reread it,

I mean really devoured every delicious morsel! I love having a peek into other peoples studios and work spaces!

And as for my "news" I've been jabbering on and on about for the past few weeks,

Well, I am happy to announce, I am so fortunate as to be writing a column for the visual feast that is on its way to newsstands everywhere!

I am so excited and just really thrilled to set out on this WHERE WOMEN CREATE adventure with all of you!

There now, Whew! The cats out of the bag, and we can all look forward to what's in store!

Mark your calendar's! You won't want to miss out! Now then,

have you ever wondered if that illusive little thing called "inspiration" can be captured and stored,

to be kept at the ready just when you need it?! I have just fairly recently discovered a wondrous, mechanical instrument that

will allow me to do just that! My camera! Silly, I know, but I have been having big fun with it, experimenting with amusing

and interesting ways in which to present the things I see and the way I see them...

To capture a host of magical, marvelous images,

and fleeting moments in space and time,

and share them with you!

I can hardly wait for the first issue to hit the stands, the BUZZZ is OUT!

And I know that Stampington & Company and Chapelle have some "Fabuloscity" in store! Just check out the list of featured All Star Artists:

Sally Jean Alexander , Marcia Ceppos of Tinsel Trading Company,

Jenny Doh Editor-in-Chief at Stampington & Company , Kaari Meng of The French General

Jen O'Conner of Earth Angels, just to name a few! I don't know about you, but I am just itching to get my hands on

a copy of this new Magazine and I'm crossing off the days! X X X X X

And so the Count Down begins!
*Edited July.25.08*
Pop on over to Jenny Doh's new blog "Crescendo" to read more about Where Women Create!
See you in two weeks my friends! Oh, and by the way, my One Year Blogging anniversary is coming up real soon and I'm planning on some fun giveaways, more about that next time! Adieu!

Le Petit Theatre & A Little Love Affair

Hello Boys and Girls!

See how you beam of seeming white,

Is braided out of seven hued light,

Yet in those lucid globes no ray,

By any chance shall break astray,

Hark, how the rolling surge of sound,

Arches and spirals circling round,

Wakes the hush'd spirit through thine ear,

With music it is heaven to hear!

With that go fast into the night,

A moments haste, the slightest fright,

A curtain rises on the two,

She's dressed in pink,

He's dressed in blue.

With love at every corners turn,

Delight!

Good night!

True love doth burn!

Mademoiselle Angelique Du Parc is the object upon which the affections of Monsieur Armande Fleurant are fixed at

the present moment.

He met her, I believe, while she was attending school in the city last winter,

and what with accompanying her to matinees,

taking her to church

and lingering by her side in the parlor,

oftentimes in the evening,

with the gas turned low,

the heart of Monsieur Fleurant gradually was induced to throb

only for the pretty lass from Luxembourg.

She has been very gracious to him

during all the time that he has devoted himself to her,

and has seemed to like him so well that there is really no reason

for doubting that when the climax of the little drama is reached,

and the question asked, she will droop her eyelids,

crimson her cheeks with blushes and whisper "Yes!"

It seems I am busy working on projects that are destined to fly away, by that I mean, a piece be either for a special customer or a variety of publications, and while I am honored and beyond thrilled to be able to create these works for others, when I can create a little piece for my very own collection I am just tickled pink! This is such a piece, I have been trying to finish my Petit Theatre and it's tiny patrons for nearly 2 years now! I would work on it a bit, constructing a wooden shadow box, wallpapering it with 150 year old blue and grey striped silk, wiring it for electricity, weaving a miniscule chandelier, then it was back to "real" work! I smooshed together the teeny Mademoiselle's and Monsieur's, cooked them up and dressed them in my finest bits and scraps and was finally able to finish it up last month!
Note: My next post will be on July 13th, at which time I will share more exciting news!
Adieu, my Lovely Friends, until next we meet!

....and Bullwinkle said to Rocky:

"Watch me pull a rabbit out'a my hat!"

My world is spinning faster and faster all the time!

But I'm loving every minute of it!

Shouting out to the conductor, "Don't stop the merry-go-round, I don't want'a ever get off!"

Back in the fall of 2006 a magical little book was being put together, Crowns & Tiaras, and I was so delighted to have the

opportunity to contribute several of my fanciful headdresses to it.

The theme for this particular paper folly seems a perfect fit for so many of us nowadays, Multitasking!

To quote directly from the book "This tiara is a tribute to all of you who make magic happen every day!"

This piece was constructed entirely out of recycled paper, lots of love and caring, some heavy cardstock,

then embellished with the tiniest bits and pieces of old passementerie, freshwater pearls, lace, millinery flowers and antique rhinestones, there is even the tiniest heart shaped amethyst stone nestled on her stomacher!

This busy lady has three miniature niches built right into her skirt, specifically to house the little ones, to keep them under foot, all the while allowing the children to go about their day and keep up

with the very important business of childhood, reading books, playing music and scattering flowers about!

A sturdy paper head band keeps her tiara securely fastened in place and as you can see, she did very well pull that

proverbial bunny rabbit out of her hat, "Oh, it was nothing, just a little simple everyday magic that's all!"

So when things start to get hectic, and it's looking like you need a tiny break to unwind from it all,

don't be afraid to kick back, put your feet up, break out the champagne and gumballs,

spread a blanket on the lawn and count blades of grass, ( when I lollygag, I really do it up right! )

Just do whatever makes you happy! Take a little "ME" time!

For complete and detailed instructions on how to create this and many more wonderful designs by a host of fabulous mixed media artists, pick up a copy of Crowns & Tiaras. It is one of my most favorite books on the shelf and believe me, you will be ever so glad you did! And on that note: my schedule of late has gotten so full, in order catch up, my next post will be on June 29th, 2 weeks from today. There are some very exciting things in the works, a whole new chapter in my creative career is unfolding and soon I will be able to share them all with you! Adieu my friends, until next time!

A Small Tall Tail

Sometimes my mind starts talking and I miss everything I'm trying to look at, or listen to because I always inevitably, eventually join in on the conversation. I am my own worst distraction!

That being said, let me tell you a small story, a happy story, one with no sorrow or sadness or despair, only loveliness and lovely things. Written upon pink paper with the pinkest of inks.

There once was a Duchess long ago who in the third year of her reign, resolved that she simply must acquire some of those miraculous,

marvelous, large and healthy South Sea ones... pearls you know,

ever since she had passed by and heard the faint murmurs and laughter coming from the other room,

the news travels fast, it always does... you know, thanks to the girls whose job it was to spread it!

It was carried on the trade winds, across the wide world, straight from her favorite cousins tongue, Dowager Pomegranate... you remember, the one that collected the most beautiful garnets from only the richest and deepest mines, just because those precious gems

looked just like her name sounded. Red, red...you know. But how did she know of the splendiferous morsels?
Yes, shall I tell you, then tell you I will, it just happened that they were riding upon the back of a two humped camel that came lumbering over the stretch of sands most commonly known as Time.

Her favorite Auntie on her fathers side, Empress O'Luster did pass it along swiftly, only moments after she over heard.

Secretly the Empress O'Luster wished for them too, and would gladly toss aside the miniscule, but very rare Pink Bay pearls she wore.

Knowing this she sought to make a bargain with her two favorite nieces on her mothers side... called Rose and Dahlia... you know, the ones with the sweet little puppy... Juliette II !

But as luck would have it, that pup had a mind of it's own and those girls wouldn't dare take a step with out first passing it by her, the tiniest and wisest of all the good royals, not to mention 4 pounds of cuteness!

"I will not trade my priceless black pearls for those! These for those?! Oh no, not I !"

You see they are special, special indeed, and were passed down to me through the ages by my favorite Lady, the beautiful temptress, the Lady McRedress,

and were passed down to her by her very own mother... you know, the one that ran away with the King! I suspect it was because you just know, she must have felt so beautiful in that dress and who could resist?! He could not! He was weak!

But way before her they belonged to the one that she trusted, the one that was true, the Countess VonBluedress! And it is to say, to say that they may have even been worn by the Grandest and fairest of all, the one we remember the most and the best, Great Grand Duchess, yes, Great Grand Duchess Juliette III !

So you see they will stay, safe here with me and never shall I regret, of a trade on the wind or a slip of the lip, I'll be happiest to THE END!

Moral of the story: sometimes the best things in life are right under your nose! For me it's my tiny crown jewel, a blue eyed chihuahua named Juliette!
Visuals details: A pair of antique pearl and rhinestone grape cluster shoe clips, fancy collars I created using garnets, pearls and various other gems I purchased from a traveling salesman.
A circa 1902 robins egg blue cotton baby doll dress, in just the right size for her tiny highness! The portrait board in the Victorian gold leaf frame was created from an 18th century engraving, applied to a board canvas with a hole cut out where the face would be, then lightly embellished with a few scattered millinery flowers.
Note: Art comes to me in free flowing streams of rushes and gushes. In abundant, tingling electrical currents, in darting flashes of energy, like lighting in a bottle. Meaningful, bountiful, always a plenty. Perfectly formed fantastical tiny droplets of dreams waiting to be transformed into tangible objects!
Disclaimer: I am writing this at 4 in the morning, be gentle, I plead!

Best Friends Forever and then some...

A photo or two has captured a moment, long, long ago. I wonder.

Weightless iridescence of blown glass pearls, ever so tenderly stitched to the finest of silk, just barely hanging on. I treasure.

A tiny tangled, tarnished bit of woven gold netting.

Quiet handmade lace spun from sweet smiles and low whispers. I touch.

A perfectly formed bud. I sigh.

Six inch wide satin ribbon, soft as a petal who's heyday was 1901. I continue.

More lace, but this one spun from giggles, yes, giggles. I grin.

A blonde was her friend, a friend to the end.

A breath of a rose for each decade they spent. I commemorate.

Frayed blossoms in pink upon pink. I delight.

Her brunette B F F was always beside her, through thick and through thin. I celebrate.

The miles they would travel, the years did pass by, in summers and winters, with family and friends, they came and they went, such bonds tie together best friends, yes best friends forever!

To find out more about Amanda & Clarice, their life long friendship and to get all the detailed instructions on how to create the two delicate reticules above, plus a free artwork download I created especially for this project, pick up a copy of the Spring 2008 issue of Haute Handbags. You will be ever so glad you did! You will!