Painting Resin Faces

Combination of products I am experimenting with

Yeah!  Rain today outside which means I definitely have permission to stay indoors and experiment with some of my art projects.  This morning, I decided to get out those blanket plastic resin Tiki faces I made from the ice cube trays yesterday.  So far, I've done all kinds of experimenting to see how to get any medium to stick to the plastic resin.  I think I need to make up more faces to experiment with as these have mixed finishes.  I had the best luck using a mixture of Golden's Molding Paste and some acrylic paints. Back to the drawing board with more ideas.

Plain acrylic paints and Guilders Paste sponged and brushed on

Molding Paste with Acrylic paints and Perfect Medium

Gloss Gel with Perfect Medium, Pearl-X powders and Lumiere paints

Combinations of experiments in process.  I need to let everything dry.

Day Two-Vacation!

Had a wonderful sleep and woke up to three hungry dogs.  Chris let me have an extra hour of sleep, so I woke up well rested and ready for the day.  He decided to go back to bed, so that gave me the time to spend three hours cleaning my work desk down in the basement studio.  I hadn't been down there in over three weeks and stuff was piled so high that I couldn't find anything.  Under the table was an old sewing machine that Chris was working on for me and then piles and piles of fabric, beads, and everything under the sun including the moon!

I found these piled under so much stuff

What a big big mess

And there was more under the desk

After cleaning all that and actually finding some things that needs my attention, I went over to my sister's house to celebrate her youngest daughter's graduation from high school.  It was a very hot day, but my sister's home has lovely old trees that give lots of shelter.  But the best was under the car port where a buffet had been set up and swings were ready for everyone to sit.  I took my Mother as my "date".  My sister had set up an old wooden rocker that originally came out of my parent's home down in Portsmouth for my Mother.  That old thing has been through so much but it still brings joy to my Mom to sit and just rock.  Other members of my family came, and my sister brought her boyfriend to met everyone.  He was brave! 

My niece Jessie

My sister Jeannette and her two girls, Jessie and Casey

My niece Jessie is so adorable.  Not only is she a lovely girl but she has many talents.  She is going to be attending the All Ohio Marching Band at the Ohio State Fair this coming Summer.  She had her medallions for all her music, choir, and sports displayed for us and even made a video slide show of her Senior year at West High School.  Everyone is so proud of her.  She is going to be attending Ohio State University in the Fall majoring in Journalism.  She said she was also going to be in the Athletic Band next year at OSU.  She and her friends decided to play a corn hole game where everyone really got into the action.  And then we all got CAKE!  We all love our cake.

Jessie playing a corn hole game

My sister Cheryl and her boyfriend, Tom

My brother Victor with part of his family

When I got home, I decided that I needed to finish up the big studio clean up, but I got side tracked with working on some resin project that has been on the back burner for months.  I'd bought an ice cube tray with Tiki heads long ago at the Dollar Tree.  At the time, I thought they would make great molds for resin.  Guess what?  They did.  Though messy working with, I really like the plastic resin pieces.  Oh, I need lots more practice with it.  I wanted to work on some epoxy clear resin that I've had.  I tried buying some plain square or round jewelry molds from Michaels, but couldn't find them any where.  Sometimes I wonder why I even go into that store.  Everything is so expensive, and I never seem to find what I want.  So I went to Dick Blicks and though I didn't find the molds I was looking for, I enjoyed walking around looking at all the art supplies.  I only bought one thing, but I have many things put on my list when next week my Dick Blick's coupon is valid.

Plastic resin Tiki faces

Prepared ice cube tray

Lastly the night ended with the premiere of the new season of True Blood.  I know, silly, but my friend Kate talked so much about it, that I caught up on all the episodes using HBO on demand.  Now, I'm hooked and enjoyed the one hour getting caught up on all the blood, gory, and humor of  True Blood.

I have no idea what day three of my vacation is going to hold.  I want to finish painting the Tiki heads, and I am sure laundry will have to be done sometime.  Tomorrow I'm heading up to Michigan to work on an art project with another artist.  Here I thought my stay-vacation would be boring, but it definitely is not trending that way

First Day of Vacation

My long awaited vacation arrived yesterday at 1:31AM.  When I left the hospital the sky was dotted with many twinkling stars and the drive home was cool.  As I walked into the house, I didn't hear a sound from Chris or the three dogs.  All were fast asleep, so like them I crawled into bed & feel into a deep sleep.  This vacation is going to be so different from any other vacation for the past 10 years.  I'm not going any where in a plane, or a long car trip, or really outside of the Great Lakes area.  I guess you can call it a "stay-cation".  Last time I did this, I was unhappy as all I did was sleep and go see a few movies, but this time I actually have done some planning & intend on doing at least one thing every day that is different for me.

Me and Chris at the ribbon cutting ceremony

Opening of Ohio Health's new Emergency Room

Yesterday we decided to head to the ribbon cutting ceremonies at the new Ohio Health stand alone Emergency Room here in Westerville.  I work for Mount Carmel, but it is always interesting to check out some of the competition.  And what a lovely building it is.  Each patient room is separate so there is no laying there miserable listening to others in misery too.  Chris & I both were impressed with this as in the past, we've always felt terribly uncomfortable while in the ER hearing everything going on with others.  At St. Anns it is not so bad as there are individual glass in cubicles for each patient, but still you can hear things.  I don't mind, but there are times when people not involved in the medical profession get frightened by the goings on in a busy Emergency Room.  The new facility at Ohio Health looks like it will be better for people's privacy and care.  We went upstairs, and I naturally want to see the laboratory.  When I told the guide standing in front of the lab that I was a Med Tech, she invited me in and gave me a grand tour of the whole place.  WOW!  Brand new lab with all new instruments, counters with lots of room, and everything so brand spanking clean.  It was VERY nice.  We then had our picture taken and stayed for the actual ribbon cutting. As I was walking away, three of my former colleagues who worked for Mount Carmel and had left to work for Ohio Health saw me & we had a great chat catching up on gossip and sharing stories.

I had time to finish Jessie's bracelet for the party tomorrow

What then makes a great vacation?  Oh could it be nice napping?  Yes indeed!  It was wonderful to sleep while the warm air blew through the windows.  I slept so hard with nice dreams enveloping me in slumber land.  The rest of the evening was spent just relaxing with Chris and the dogs.  I spent a nice leisurely time chatting with Cynthia catching up and then took a trip out into the field with Chris to watch the International Space Station fly over head.  After a few episodes of Downtown Abbey and three separate walks with the dogs, it was time to say good night to vacation day number one.

Yes!  our first tomato is growing

I see teeny tiny cucumbers on their way too.

Another thing that happened was that Dr. Randall (Arwen's vet) called to tell me that she's researched drug protocol on a medication that Anne on Facebook had told me about that was helping her Scottie's bladder cancer.  If you've followed me for a while or are new to my blog, then I have to tell you that Arwen is a cancer survivor.  She was diagnosed in October with Transistional Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder.  The survivor rate is grim and unfortunately Scottish Terriers have a 20% higher rate of acquiring this cancer than any other breed.  Last October, we were devastated upon hearing that her tumor was occupying 50% of the bladder and was inoperable.  Then my Scottie friends from years and years all came to my rescue giving me support and information.  Also, one of the Vet Techs at Worthington Woods also has a dog just diagnosed with bladder cancer.  Scotties don't do well with radiation therapy or chemotherapy, so we decided to go with drug therapy to keep her quality of life at a maximum.  She's now into her eight month of survival.  One person especially has been such a support for me.  Her Scottie is a three YEAR survivor.  Arwen keeps having bladder infections which are making her miserable.  I actually was thinking of taking her in for the last visit as we are so upset, but once again Anne came to the rescue with another medication that works for her dog Sydney.  My vet was intrigued as the drug up until now had only been prescribed at their practice for cats.  But she did research and is not going to try giving Arwen Phenoxybenzamine.  It is suppose to relax the urethra so she'll not strain so much.  I know this is going to help our sweet girl.  It is times like this when I praise the Internet and what a community of caring people there are there.

Life On a Fence Post

When we were building our house 23 years ago, I always imagined a backyard filled with flowers and wildlife.  I wanted plenty of trees and bushes to attract birds and flowers to entice the bees to come visit.  We've worked hard making our backyard into a personal oasis for us, our Scotties, and all the wildlife that can be found in a busy suburban neighborhood.  We've seen so many birds and rabbits born here and on another note, we've seen so many die as well.  Our trees have been nursery for countless generations of robins, cardinals, wrens, song birds, starlings, and a few doves.  Each bird has a favorite spot to raise their families.  The cardinals love the sticky busy outside my studio window.  The starlings love the pine trees in the back.  The robins have taken over the lilac bushes and the apple trees.  I've seen the wrens in our snowball bush, and catch the doves flying too and fro from the bushes out back.  I've taken a few pictures of some of the birds, but they've been all out of reach or else the parent birds make sure no one could even get near. But this year was a first for us.  One robin couple build their nest on the fence post near our back gate.  I was able to take pictures every single day using my iPhone.  It was a wonderful event for me as I got to see them from egg to baby bird to juvenile taking their first flight.  From the very first day of their hatching May 19th until the day they flew away we had a heat wave here in Ohio.  It was so hot that I thought for many days that the baby birds would die.  But the parent bird would sit on the next flapping wings to keep them cool.  Last Saturday, we watched from our front windows as both parents coaxed each baby bird out of the nest onto the grass.  They all hopped around flapping their wings and taking awkward first flights.  Finally we watched as all four flew away.  I still see them in the backyard since then.  We were almost in tears watching our baby robins.  I was so worried about them and was relieved to see all four survive and leave the nest.

Below are the pictures I took each day.  Please follow me in the Life On a Fence Post. 

First day:only three eggs hatched this day

even on the first day they were ready to be fed

Second day all four babies had hatched

I was afraid that the last baby was too weak to eat

The started to develop ears.  It was so hot I worried about them

I thought for sure the heat would kill them.  I crushed strawberries for the parent birds for more nutrition for them

I was thrilled to see their eyes opened and feathers developing

One of the hottest days.  I put out more crushed berries on the fence post for the parents

Cooler, but I was still worried.  All four had more energy and more feathers developing

What a growth spurt in one day. 

Empty Nest

Design blunder

Have you ever had this great idea swimming around in your head wanting to get out so bad, that you just sit for hours on end making your fingers ache until it is done?  I did.  I had these components that told me what they wanted to be, and I sat at my work table and went to town with a copper D ring, crystals, fire polish, shells, and seed beads.  When I was done, I thought it looked so great that I just put in on & walked out the door to work.  I noticed people looking at my new necklace and thought they were admiring the thing.  I was so proud.   Then I went to the bathroom & one glance in the mirror made me realize what they were looking at.  The necklace was hideous!  The shells were over sized for the rest of the embellishments AND they were off center to boot! 

Lesson...look at the piece on yourself in the mirror before you walk out in public.  So the necklace is going to be reworked.  I'm going to keep the pendent portion, but those shells on the RAW necklace have just got to go.  I like the peridot green crystals, but they need to be more evenly spaced...and did I say get rid of those shells! 

Mirror mirror on the wall...I really need to look in you to see what is wrong.

Summer Give Away

Officially it is still Spring here in Central Ohio.  Last week the temperatures were in the 90s with ten dry days.  Finally, the weather broke with a huge downpour and temperatures dropped down into the normal for this time of year.  Still, that little bout of Summer weather and sitting in the air conditioning made me realize that there must be something a person can do when trapped inside because of the heat or allergies.  Oh yes, I had that problem on top of everything else.  Thank goodness the rain go rid of the pollen so I feel so much better.  The "inside" time gave me the chance to work on some projects instead of working on the yard.  I got to thinking that this would be the perfect time to pull out a book or a pattern and make something fun while waiting for Mother Nature to cooperate.  Or maybe just a chance to relax and make something fast and wonderful.

My generous friends as Sterling Publishing Co and Lark Crafts sent me a box of books to review and to give away to those who read and follow my blog.  I was so delighted that I could share these with you.  I have two books for this first Summer Give Away.  To win one of these books please comment on this post.  For two chances to win one of these become a follower and let me know if you have just joined my journey or have been with me all along.  I'll pick two winners on June 15th.  Please make sure you leave me a way to contact you so I can send your book to you.

The first book is a signed copy of  Nathalie Mornu's "A Bounty of Bead +Wire Earrings: 50 fast, fun Jewelry Projects.  Nathalie writes "You face is the first thing people notice. It only makes sense to call a little attention to it by wearing some pretty earrings".  I agree totally.  Inside are 50 projects with step by step instructions along with lots of pictures to guide you in completing these earrings and having the satisfaction of stating that you did it yourself.

 The second book is from the "30-minute" series by Marthe Le Van.  30-Minute Rings is filled with page after page of delicious projects from some of the top designers.  There is a project for every taste in this book from metal, to fabric, to wire, and even plastic pipe from the hardware store.  Marthe states in the opening that " Your hands and fingers are the among the most expressive parts of your body"...And what is the most effective way of drawing attention to these clever communicator?"...well of course RINGS!  So get ready to explore 60 new ways to dress your hands with amazing designer rings.

Aren't these exciting books that make you want to wish for hot Summery days so you can have the excuse to spend it in your studio creating beautiful hand made earrings and rings?  To have a chance to win one of these tow amazing books, leave me a comment below.  If you are a follower or become a new follower let me know and you'll have two chances to win one of these books.

Good luck and keep checking out my blog as I have more give aways this Summer.

Disclosure...As a reviewer of  products from Lark Books, I receive the book above free of charge. I have been asked to review these products and give my honest opinion of the products...positive or negative. I am not being compensated by Lark Books for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.

Review of Dimensional Bead Embroidery

I am sure you have heard the phrase, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks".  Well, here I am to dispute that.  I have been doing bead embroidery for a very long time and thought there couldn't be anything new I haven't already seen or figured out myself.  As with everything in our large surprising world, this is totally untrue.  There is always something to mystify and enlighten if we look long enough with open eyes.  And this bead crazy woman learned more than just one new trick concerning bead embroidery...oh yes, her eyes were opened very very wide while reviewing Jamie Cloud Eakin's new book Dimensional Bead Embroidery:A Reference Guide to Techniques.  I have other titles of Jamie's book in my permanent library that I will refer to to reinforce some idea I have or to just enjoy following the patterns and designs.  But this book actually did knock my socks off.  The very front and back of the book's cover invited me in with lovely colors and fascinating designs. 

In Jamie's introduction she states that she's going to "show how to use old stitches in new ways and add some new techniques to push the boundaries and create a new dimension in bead embroidery".  She also states that "my favorite thing about bead embroidery is not only the capacity for variety but also the simplicity".  I have to agree with her on the later and as she again states "even if you can barely sew on a button, you can do this".  I have had students in my classes that don't even know how to thread a needle, but they are able with a few simple stitches to make something beautiful and lasting.  Jamie's book goes over the basic techniques for the very beginner, but then she dives in deep with many illustrations, pictures, and word explanations that make the intermediate to advance bead embroiderer take note and smile with pleasure. 

Caging cabochons

In her book she has so many examples of alternative ways to not only cage a cabochon, but experiment with fascinating ways to edge the completed piece of art.  She also shares techniques on taking different complete components and pieces them together into an intricate project such as "Celebrate Spring" Necklace.  For each project, she has a detailed list of materials you need along with the stitches used for completion.  She also give information on how to design personal projects.

Inventive edging

And the final gallery pages are enough to make any admirer of bead embroidery to just gasp.  I was so delighted to see pieces and names of people I have met on the Internet during my years exploring and learning to master this great technique.  I am even proud to say that I own several pieces by one the the invited guest in Jamie's gallery.  I've know Arline Lewis for a long time, and we actually got to met years ago in Tahoe while attending a class with Sherry Serafini.

Beautiful project

I got to met Jamie last year while in Milwaukee. She had the printer's proof of this book.  Instantly I could tell that it was going to be a absolutely lovely book filled with so many ideas and techniques for the very beginner to the master.  Get this book to add to your library no matter where you are in your journey to master bead embroidery.  I guarantee it will be used over and over again for instruction and ideas.

 I was so thrilled with this book that I made up a new necklace with some of the ideas I got.  This is called "Desert Find".  I used an Ammonite I had purchased from Land of Odds and Utah Jasper from Byzantium.  Though the necklace looks as if two pieces are at different angles from the others, it fits perfect around my neck without any discomfort and because of the construction it does not twist and could be worn for hours with the wearer forgetting it is on.  This happened to me when I was out to eat and the waitress admired it.  I had to reach up to feel it as I had forgotten I left it on.  It is one of those pieces that I just won't be able to part with.

Disclosure...As a reviewer of  products from Lark Books, I receive the book above free of charge. I have been asked to review these products and give my honest opinion of the products...positive or negative. I am not being compensated by Lark Books for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.