Handmade Christmas Recap 1

Every year each of us in the household make a gift for each other. It doesn't need to be fancy or complicated, just a thoughtful gesture. As an example, Emma make her dad chocolate chip cookies. Ethan made a sign for his dad to put in the garage. I'll post later what I made but for now here is what my family made for me.

Ethan made me a Bat House with a cool wood burned bat design to hang outside in the spring


Emma made me a walnut Squirrel shaped Oven Rack Puller
(which is currently running across the kitchen chalkboard avoiding the monster! Run Squirrel!)


Mike made me a floor lamp to put next to my favorite chair.

Years ago I bought the cool wood surveyors tripod really cheap. It sat in the basement, waiting to be used. He turned it into an awesome floor lamp! I love all of my gifts!

I Love Pinterest!

Now that is a post title I've seen a ton of. What is the big deal? I didn't get it until I tried it! Pinterest makes it so easy to keep track of any image that strikes my fancy. When used correctly, it will keep the link back to the original website for reference. It is perfect for visual people like me. Next Halloween the kids and I want to host a haunted woods walk. I am using Pinterest and my Firefox bookmarks to keep track of tutorials, DIY projects, and products we are interested in. Easy Peasy!

A few screenshots of my Pinterest boards:

Decorating board
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Garden Board
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Crafts Board
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I just wish you could choose whether your pins were public or not. Do I really want everyone who stumbles by my boards to see what odd stuff I may pin? No, so I am censoring myself because it is the internet and I am not always in a sharing mood. I guess that is what bugs me about social networking and how people are using it. Not everything needs to be shared. I've made missteps and blunders just like anyone else, but whatever you put online is permanent. Gotta keep that in mind folks ;-)

Just Jump In

I haven't blogged in so long that it became harder and harder as time passed. Honestly I didn't miss it! Now though, how to get back online and blogging again? Go into a long apology and explanation...naw Just Jump In! :-) Happy New Years Eve!

Mount Horeb and Fishes!

This past weekend was hot and stuffy! The whims of the weather is the biggest drawback to doing outside art fairs. Nice thing about Mount Horeb is that people still came out :-)

It is such a nice town. Mount Horeb still has a functioning downtown. It is great! You can tell the residents take keeping it alive and kicking seriously.

My Booth

Oh...my new collages now include FISH!!!

Forget the backgrounds! I cut game boards cut into bird and fish shapes, collaged, and painted

Independance Day

Beginning of our small town parade.
Happy 4th everyone!

New work and first art sale of the year

This past weekend in Janesville, WI, I had my first art sale of the year. I don't usually do any in January, but Emma talked me into it. The sale was called Arftic Art for Animals. It was a fundraiser for the animal rescue group Friends of Noah. I am really glad I went. The show organized well and even though it wasn't really busy, I have high hopes for future years.
I know it is hard to get the word out the first year.
There were enough people to keep me busy during
the morning, but then it got really really slow.
I think everyone went grocery shopping to get ready
for the big game the next day. I sold enough to go back
next year and besides...I like to support a good cause.
I really didn't take any good photos there, but here are a few I took before I left.








One of the only sale pics...I think my spinner rack cards turned out well

6x6 inch frame with mixed media heart

American Science and Surplus store

What a fun store!!!!!
Check out their website and get the catalog.

Look what I got on Saturday when we went to the Milwaukee store...

Glass test tubes and rubber stoppers, small round light bulbs, cool brass compasses,
an amber colored lens, light covers, brass rings, and ping pong balls!!!!
All for less than 20$

1.25$ for a foot -not sure what I'll do with it though????

tiny bottles 18 cents each for bottle and cork!

Mummies of the World and MPM

On Saturday we drove to Milwaukee to the Milwaukee Public Museum to see
the Mummies of the World exhibit.

I love this museum... worth the drive!
If you are interested in mummies the exhibit is worth seeing
but as Ethan said "It is really good, but quite disturbing"
No photos allowed but if you want to see examples go to the above link.

walking down the streets of old Milwaukee



butterflies!!!!


can Emma decode it????

A Challenge to Build a Creative Life

Walk on my Friend -detail

Walk on my Friend
mixed media painting on wood 5x5 inches

Being creative is easy for me, It is almost a need. I have to work on creative projects on a daily basis. Not to say that everything is a success and everything I make is "ART" but each has a purpose. An outlet.

The challenge for me is turning this need to create into a livelihood. What a great dream! I've been working on this dream for a few years....working hard but not always working smart. So my goal now is to find a way to work smart!

No pressure, huh!

To start with, I'm trying to expand my time in the studio working on art and not just fun craft projects. My outlet for craft is helping Emma with her teen craft club.

Spending time in the studio is a pain for me in the winter because my home studio is in the cold, dark, basement. No amount of lighting hides that fact. I just surround myself with my supplies, my iPod, and a space heater!

Another goal is to yet again, try to blog more. I'll take advantage of my iPod touch.

Merry Christmas!!!

Playing with my iPod

And a Few More

Also at Tangled Up in Hue in Eau Claire, WI

A few new originals

These are available at Tangled Up in Hue Eau Claire, WI
Each is a 3 x 4 inch mini original collage.

Something Wicked This Way Comes? no just the kids!