Ohio Designer Craftsman

Chris & I decided to enter the Best of Show 2010 for the Ohio Designer Craftsman. The hardest part was trying to decide what three entries we each should pick. Then to do photograph, burn onto a CD & get it in the mail before the Feb 8th Deadline. Oh, did I say that I had to get the packages into the mail this morning with the foot of snow on the ground. LOL! I only say that thank goodness I have my ugly little boxie Element with 4WD! Without it, I'd be stuck in the neighborhood. But everything is in the mail & we'll be keeping our fingers crossed that one or both of us get a piece into this show. I think Chris has a good chance with his newest bot called Mr. Transistor.

I decided to enter Rachel's Dream for my first entry. I looked at the dates & Rachel will be finished with the gallery show on March 15th & Warren from Land of Odds promised it will be sent back a couple days after the show's end in Nashville. So plenty of time...but I have no idea what the ODC judge is looking for. He might think...WHAT? or Hum? or just skip all together. So I send in my Great Stork Factory: Pink Division also. That is the fairy stirring a big boiling pot of Sugar,Spice, and Nice. Even that might be too funky for a judge...so...I decided to send my purse in. WELL...I know that when I made this purse the beanie head was a big joke. I just did it on a whim because I like twisted weird stuff & wanted to see what people thought about this lovely purse all beaded up with a recycled beanie head sticking out. That might work on my webpage, blog or Yahoo Groups, but not for a juried show. SO...I cut the beanie head off. YES! I DID! Imagine my horror at a big hole in the middle of all that beading and I only had two days to figure out how to replace the damage. I took out every gemstone cabachon I had that matched the colors of the beading on the purse. Either they didn't work, or the piece was too big, or Chris would shake his head & say "no". I almost gave up, when I looked up & saw these pair of earrings I had made using a lovely Czech glass button I got from European doll designer a couple years at a show in Detroit. I took the earring down, put it over the big hole, and it worked. It truly worked. So I took the earring apart, and working with what was left over on the purse, I created a patch. I like it so much better. Now the purse actually looks like a real piece of art instead of some joke I'm trying to make. What do you think??? After? Before?

Really weird stuff!

BAD which was the Yahoo Group for Beaded Art Dolls closed last month right before the stuffed animal challenge was to end. I never got a chance to post my monkey that I made for that. Oh & yes, it IS a beaded flying monkey. I guess I was watching Wizard of Oz while working on him. I think the rivoli in the center distracts from the whole piece. I should have used more crystals to give it more sparkle, but I can always do that later. That is the best part of doing beaded dolls...THERE is NEVER TOO MUCH SPARKLE!!!!!

I haven't even started my 2010 BJP. I have no idea why I'm procrastinating so much. I have the "treasures", I have the jars, I have the fabric for the lids, but just can't seem to make myself start. I keep finding more things that are catching my eye. Guess I'm just a big ole Raven! "Oooo, isn't that pretty? Aaaahhh, can I Modge Podge that it make it look nice? Ooooo, can I cut that up & make it into something else?" I think I need to just MAKE myself start on my hidden treasure project & if it doesn't work out, there is always the "rippit" stitch.



Chris is busy making more robots. Here is is latest called "VaVaVaVoom". She's a busty type of robot, don't you think???Here his blog if you'd like to see more: MacRadioBot

New blog & Swaps

I started a blog for Chris earlier this Summer, but haven't posted too much on it. Well, today he finished "Dance of the Electrons". He stands a foot tall & is made with vintage radio tube. Please click here to see MacRadioBot blog. He has me wanting to try my hand at doing more mixed media pieces like this.

I'm waiting to here if my piece called Rachel's Dream is going to be a semi-finalist for Land of Odds "All Dolled Up-Earthen Mother" challenge. The deadline for letting people know is next week, but I get really antsy. Also, I've been sitting on this doll without showing it off since back in February when I first started it. I'm not going to hold my breath as I'm getting use to rejection, but still I do hate this period of unknown. Meanwhile, dolls have been put aside & I'm concentrating on making jewelry. YES! I do make jewelry too. I want to have some pieces to wear at the Bead Unique Tahoe Retreat the first weekend in October. AND YES! there are a few remaining places. I can't wait. I'm flying in early to spend time with my bestest buddy Cynthia & two friends who I met at the Whimbeads Vegas Retreat over 2 years ago, Kate & Colleen. Also, I'm finally going to get to met Grace and Arline & a few other gals who I've "chatted" with over the years. Did I say, I can't wait? So, I do need something to wear, and I'm organizing a couple swaps for the group in the evenings. We are going to do an earring swap on Friday night & a brooch swap on Saturday night. I've got a few things made up already for swapping & if I have time I want to do more. Most of the beads used in these were from the garage sale I went to earlier last month at 1 Stop. Oh, FYI, the WishWish brooch is really a button I found while shopping for pajama patterns at WalMart. Oh yes, I'm going to try to make a pair of jammie bottoms for the Retreat. Chris asked me if I was mad...yes, yes I am?? but there are so many lovely fleece fabrics out there with outrageous patterns that I decided to take a deep breath, get the machine out, and sew. We'll see how that works out. LOL!
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Easter surprise & more "bots"

Happy Easter to all. I'm working at the hospital, so won't get a chance this year to do anything with my family. We are all pretty spread out, so it is very difficult for all of us to get together in one place at one time. We usually try to have a picnic at my brother Vic's house once a Summer, but the other holidays are usually a hit/miss. But I thought I'd let you all see my Bead Journal project for April.

His name is Leonard. He was a bunny that I bought three years ago at a shop in downtown Worthington. I just liked how he looked in all his painted muslin. I remember telling the clerk that I was going to bead him...she laughed. I told her, no I'm serious. I decided to use fibers with this project to give him a different textural feel & look. I picked beads that matched the original paints. He's going to work with me tomorrow to make my other co-workers smile.

Also, here is Chris' latest "bot". He is Wizard 99. He started out as a bear beanie baby. We removed the head & Chris inserted the radio tube. I needle sculpted the body to a sitting position, then Chris painted it with gesso. I think he had to give it 3-4 layers to get it stiff enough. He really wanted hair for the "bot" & we were looking everywhere. Then my eyes say a hair wig from the thrift store doll that I'd made Ruby out of. I stitch it all into a scrunchie, Chris plopped it on Wizard's head & WahhLaaa...hair! His teeth are bugle beads, and the staff is actually a piece of wood that I use for gluing. All in all, he's pretty darn cute. BTW, I think I've created a monster...Chris is really getting into making his "bots".

Another Robot boy

This is Chris' new robot. He is hilarious! Yes, he definitely is a BOY robot. I'm happy that Chris is getting into making these robots. I think he has a fine eye for detail & since he has all those components left over from his hobby, he's got it made. His hobby is repairing old vintage radios. Right now I think we have over 40 table tops in our basement in various stages of repair. He goes up to Northern Ohio to buy them at an auction with his friend. If they aren't cheap, he doesn't buy them. Plus he likes the challenge of taking something that is on the dump pile & getting them to work. Usually he gets them for a dollar a piece or even less. I love watching him taking a junker and after hours of work not only does it sound wonderful, but he'll then clean it up & it looks almost new. If he can't get the radio to work, then he strips it for the parts, but he really hates to do that. It has to be a real basket case before he calls it quits. Now, sometimes I hear him say "fire test" warning me that they might blow, but that is rare. He has such patience for repair. I told him that if we were in the past, I think he would have owned a Fix It shop. Remember those? I do! We'd never throw away appliances. You always took it down the street to the Fix It Right Shop. I use to go into the store admit the piles of toasters, radios, and you name it while waiting for my Dad to either pick up a repaired appliance or drop one off. I especially remember back in 1971, when my Dad gave me their old record player because they couldn't afford to buy me a new one. The arm on it had wires hanging out because my Dad tried to fix it. I took it to the shop, and had to wait three weeks to get it back. I think I paid a whole 5 dollars to get it repaired. That doesn't seem like alot now days in our throw away economy, but it was when I was only making $1.50 an hour at the YMCA. Also, new record player were almost a hundred dollars & when you are looking at 1971 wages, that was tons of money. Now days you buy an electrical appliance, use it for oh about two to three years until it breaks, then throw it away to buy another one. NO WONDER, our landfills are getting out of control. Wouldn't it be nice if there were more people like Chris who would "rescue" appliances & get them working again. But even he says it isn't worth while to repair modern appliances as they are all made so cheap & not worth fixing. He said they are made to wear out or break down just so we are forced to buy more. I believe it! Oh well, it is nice to think that things can be repaired like in the past. I guess I'm lucky to have my Mr. FixIt. He does actually fix somethings. I was all upset that my food steamer was broke & didn't want to buy another one for $40. Chris found the problem which was just a tiny wire & component. Jumped online & found the "fix" for less than three dollars. Ditto problem with my toaster that I love. Guess I'll keep him!

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Another robot doll

Here is more of Chris' work. He's too shy to do a blog of his own. I'm actually thinking of setting up one for him as I do think he has a flare for art & needs to showcase his work away from mine. This is a neon tube he found in a box of junk he bought at an auction. He knew it needed to "become" something when he plugged it in & saw the orangish glow from the bulb. Then he got into his pile of extra stuffed he'd bought several years ago when a Radio Shack went out of business. He worked on a wire armature & used clay for the bug's body. I helped him out with the legs & feet. Then he painted it all over. I added the extra twinkle of the glitter paint. He's pretty cute, but in the dark with those glowing orange eyes & antenna....ADORABLE!

Chris' robot guy

I just woke up. Okay, I work the midnight shift & my going to bed time is 7am. So there! But, when I got up, Chris showed me that he finished his Robot. I LOVE IT! He is going to have to name this creation something. I think both of us have problems naming stuff, probably why our dogs have names from books we like. But he is made from old radio tubes, and metallic pieces from a clock he took apart. The main body is polyclay with the wire armature exposed for the legs & arms. One hand has a wrench and the other has a flower. Not sure about the soul search image he got from that duo, but I'll have to let him start his own blog (wont happen) to explain that. Now, I'm all excited to get back to mixed media myself. Hope you enjoy Chris work.

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