My NEW Passion...

As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, my first loves are Sculpting and Painting.

While my officially undiagnosed artistic A.D.D. has allowed my attention to flutter from one medium to another, my yearning is to return to my original two.

Two years ago, I was introduced to Art Clay Silver.

Taking two classes, I loved the medium and made the 

fan pendant in my first class and the ring in the second class.

Even though I LOVED the medium, it is pricey to get into and getting proficient means

many hours and more $$$, so I shelved the dream and moved forward with the 

Mixed Media Jewelry I have been making from vintage components.

At the Pasadena Bead and Design Convention the other day, I took two classes from 

Pat Evans and Ann Rosier, both Senior Instructors.

I feel very at home with this medium and get to play with Fire too!!!

(Honestly, fire intimidates me...visions of burning flesh, scars...oh never mind. 

One most overcome ones fears, right?)

Selling off virtually every scrap of my stock of supplies that I am not going to use again.

Also taking certification classes the end of August to become 

more proficient in the medium and one day Teach it.

Be inspired every day to step outside of your comfort zone and learn something NEW!!!

P.E. Lockers

Remember P.E. Lockers?

I always though lockers were so cool, your own little place to store stuff.

While the kids today still have P.E. Lockers, the old days of Lockers to store

books in is gone.  Too much Vandalism.  My kids have these heavy backpacks they lug around all day.

You parents can empathize I am sure.

At any rate, while shopping at one of my favorite Antique stores,

Country Roads, http://whimzyswhimzies.blogspot.com/, a few months back I spied some cool old basket lockers.  When I finally got around to deciding I wanted them, the dealer had removed them from the store because they didn't sell.

Katie told me they had another set.  

She text messaged me pictures and I put them on layaway, 

sight unseen. Crazy.  

My Honey had to go and pick them up with a trailer as they were too large for his SUV.

Crusty, rusty and dirty...once they were scrubbed we moved them into my entry way.

They weigh a TON!

I lined the drawers with scrapbook paper...

As my main studio is my family room, in actuality my entire house is a working studio.

You know, we spread out art crap to every vertical surface when in the heat of creating...

voila...here they are. 

I have filled every drawer with supplies and decorated the top with my favorite items...

Future Bling Babies and friends!!!

Thank you Country Roads for having an amazing store full of amazing dealers and artists!!!

xo, 

Lisa

Feathered Friends

Friends are the best gifts!

This weekend yielded me some sweat, some laughs and some new treasures from some of my most treasured friends...my Feathered Friends

 The great baubles are from my friend Tricia http://vintagebliss.typepad.com/

She gave me a great deal on them and brought me a fabulous vintage doll she picked up for me in Arizona.  Doll is already earmarked for a Bling Baby and Sold!

The tiny Charlotte was a gift from Lori...http://twowildrosesantiques.blogspot.com/

Rita, I still have your spoon...Thank you for letting me use it and

for your hospitality!

My beautiful Friend Claire, brought my daughter Emily and I these wonderful soaps from her recent trip to Ireland...the soaps are from England and are so delightful in sight and scent.

Claire is an amazing photographer...

http://www.clairebrocatophotography.com/

At my last Chateau de Fleurs sale a woman was in my booth who loved my work and told me of her Mother in law passing and leaving behind loads of jewelry.

After the family went through it all and chose what they wanted, she GAVE the rest to me.

The family wanted it to go to someone they know would really use it.

Thank you Ellen!

It is already sorted!

Some is going on ebay in Lots & some will be kept for future projects.

Rita and I had a brilliant idea to start carrying our bagging supplies at shows in a cute suitcase and propping it on a luggage rack.  Bending over to dig for bags from a plastic storage box under the table was just not working for either of us anymore.

My friend Sara of http://sweetmagnoliasfarm.blogspot.com/

sold this little stand to me for her cost...Thank you sweet Sara!

The fabulous and YUMMY green luggage came from Jamie...

we bartered a bag of vintage slips for the luggage...GOOD trade!

The silver server Lori Gifted me...

Wonderful HOT weekend with the best of friends, 

which made the heat that much more tolerable!

Love you ladies and looking forward to out next adventure together!

xo,

Lisa

Butterflies

This is a fabulous quote...fun to daydream about.

“I dreamed I was a butterfly, flitting around in the sky; then I awoke. Now I wonder: Am I a man who dreamt of being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a man?”

 

- Chuan Tzu

389-286 BC

 

 

Beautiful Sentiments...

                To realize
                The value of a sister/brother
                Ask someone
                Who does not have one.

                To realize
                The value of ten years:
                Ask a newly
                Divorced couple.

                To realize
                The value of four years:
                Ask a graduate.

                To realize
                The value of one year:
                Ask a student who
                Has failed a final exam.

                To realize
                The value of nine months:
                Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

                To realize
                The value of one month:
                Ask a mother
                Who has given birth to
                A premature baby.

                To realize
                The value of one week:
             Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.
                The value of one minute:
                Ask a person
                Who has missed a train, bus or plane.

                To realize
                The value of one-second:
                Ask a person
                Who has survived an accident.

                Time waits for no one.
                Treasure every moment you have.

                You will treasure it even more when
                You can share it with someone special.

                To realize the value of a friend or family member:  LOSE ONE.

                Remember.....
                Hold on tight to the ones you love!

My Aunt Nancy sent me this via email this morning.  

While I have received it before, it is just a poignant and should be revisited.

Enjoy...Happy Wednesday everyone!!!

 

Great Quote!

My Mom sent me this quote today.

Love it so much, thought I'd post it!!!

"Success is no accident.  It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do."   - Edison Arantes do Nascimento, nick named "Pele." Retired Brazilian futbol player.  The only player in the world to have three World Cup medals -      Don't be afraid to be who you are. It will shine through in all that you do!   XO, Lisa

Sneak Peaks

As I posted recently about my little figures recently re-discovered, 

which were sculpted years ago,

I have been playing with new concepts and ideas...

Always have loved the art of Kokeshi...

These are going to be refined and incoprorated somewhere into wearable art.

We all desire a beautiful, calorie free cupcake!!!

"Bling Cakes" will be coming to you at my next shows...

As always, have an Inspiring  day!!

Do something outside your box!!

XO,

Lisa

Once upon a time...

I sculped a line of jewelry and tiny figures that I sold to Country stores.

While recently digging in the attic, I came upon three little storybook characters I made in 1997...

Little Red Riding Hood.

Little Bo Peep who found a sheep.

And Goldilocks.

Each little lass stands 2 3/4 inches tall, their bases are 1 3/4 inches wide.

That makes each tiny scuplted face the size of my pinky nail.

They are 100% sculpted by hand without the use of any mold of any kind.

In all the crude flaws my eye sees, I think they are still rather cute.

It was while on this mission in the attic looking for family pictures that these were discovered.

I also found a school picture of myself in 7th grade wearing a sailboat pin that I sculpted out of clay.

I use to make jewelry and sell it to the kids at school in 5th & 6th grade.

Having been yearning to sculpt again, these tiny gals have re-inspired me.

Be Inspired every day!!!

 

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”-Plato

Last Saturday, on my B-day.  I received a call from a friend I hadn't spoken with in about 3 years. 

He lives right around the corner from me.   

He sounded distraught and asked if he could call on me to talk some time this week.  

I replied, "of course."

I pass his house every day on one of my several daily Mommy Taxi runs 

to & fro the schools my children attend.

We probably lost touch as I introduced him to a gal pal of mine, they dated, 

it went south and that was the end.

Today the call came and he & I sat on my back patio and talked.

He lost his Fiancee a month ago. She was 42, died in her sleep.

He found her and tried to revive her.

I never met her but saw her often outside his house and around town.

She was a petite pretty woman and always had a smile on her face.

He wanted to ask my advice as I lost my husband 6 years ago.

What do you do?

How do you go on?

Do you still miss him?

Where do you start?

I gave him as much advice as I could.  

We cried together.

In our rushed, hurried and very self centered society, we sometimes forget...that the person

speeding recklessly and whizzing by us, might just have something bigger going on in their life that we cannot see. (that is another true story)

As I have reflected about this all afternoon, the quotes of Plato and James Barrie came to mind.

Basically this:

…Be kinder than necessary, For everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle…. 

-James Barrie

We all face the winter some time in our lives...

May you have warm souls to help you weather Life's Storms...

As I awake.

I sleep on the side of the bed which is right at the window to my back yard.

I have blinds, but never draw them.

I love the color of the sky to beam in on me in the morning.

As that part of the house faces North, it is lined with Hydrangeas.

These are old hydrangeas and grow really large.

Right now they are just beginning to bloom and make me so happy to see the first thing when I wake up.

I Love my Garden!

Angels and Roses

It seems that life brings people to your life who are Angels and Roses.

I am a Lover of both.  I might even love roses almost as much as my friend Christie Repasy.

My honey is one of those Angels...truly one of the nicest Men you would ever meet.

Things have been a little stressful for both of us work wise.  

The Garden we love so much all though is what we like to call "controlled wild", well was just really in need of some serious TLC.  

As I have been busy in my studio today, I turn to see him patiently pruning one of my 28 rose bushes.

I find roses on my desk, on the counter 

and to my surprise...in the fountain.  Isn't that LOVE?

Could it be any prettier?

I fell in love with this angel when I found him at none other than one of the most dangerous stores

in the world...Home Goods.

How cute is he?  Both the fake angel and My Man Angel.

He'd die if he knew I were typing this about him.

He did see me shooting photos and said, please don't take a picture of me.

I laughed and said, "I am blogging this" 

but I respectfully took no pictures of him.

Don't forget to take time to smell the roses and be thankful for the Angels in your Life!

My Little Muses...

I have lots of little muses, don't we all?

But, the 4 that are the forefront of all I do are my children.

I painted this quasi self family portrait in 2004.

It was inspired by a Vogue magazine cover from the 20's.  The cover depicted a woman holding a carousel that had tiny fashion models on it.  The picture intrigued me.  Since my life almost always feels like a three ring circus full of kids and 4 dogs, I thought it apropos.

I snapped a pic of my kids holding hands and used it as the model for them.  My eldest at the time had long hair and dressed like a punker.

The bracelet is full of items I feel represent the myriad of roles I portray as well as some hobbies and my favorite things.

The heart locket is one I wear often.  It is one of those cool lockets that opens to reveal 4 pictures, one for each of my children of course.

The painting hangs above the main drafting table in my studio...opposing the wall which has my family tree on it.

By the time I am an old woman, I hope to add lots of little grandchildren to the photo...first one is on the way and will make his debut in October!!!

Be inspired every day!!!

Painting revisted

Being a painter by trade, thought I'd share some paintings with you again...

Ode to Mother

I adore and moderately collect Antique books.  While I don't quite have the collection or room for as many as I would like, there are a few dozen that are treasured.  This being one of them.

Purchased several years ago,

one might think the title a little morose..."A Tribute of Flowers to the Memory of Mother"

I found it sentimental and beautiful.

As Mother's Day is quickly approaching, we must remember, not everyone is lucky enough to have their Mother with them.

I opened the book and read this passage in the very beginning of the Preface...

 "We find that every man and woman whom the world has called great, and whose words have been saved for their wisdom and goodness, all cherished with the utmost tenderness their memories of Mother, of happy innocent childhood, and home. Their testimony is always interesting, often very beautiful: and they speak their common sentiment of the human race.  The Love of home is universal.  There is no place like home.  The ties of home should be, and usually are, the strongest and most sacred of any on earth."

 This book was published in 1882 by John McCoy, M.D.

It is full of poetry, of Love and Lament for a lost Mother.

For the love of literature lost.

And for the Love of Mother.

Enjoy!

Spring is SpRiNgInGiNg...

"The Earth Laughs in Flowers"

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson is probably my favorite poet, all though I really don't have a favorite poet any more than I have a single favorite flower, color, food, artistic style or music.

  I can find beauty in just about everything and everyone.

So, my Yard is Laughing in Flowers at the Moment and even my dogs love it!

Most of my property gets full sun, so naturally sun loving plants do very well here.

I really love camellias, but this poor bush really struggles in my yard.

To my delight, it had some lovely blossoms this year, probably thanks to all of the rain.