An Innovative Experience

Today's Innovative Bead Show in Allentown was worth the trip. The vendors offered an array of different beads, jewelry findings, and kits.

The variety of beads was overwhelming at times, but there's nothing like sifting through all of those strands.

Look at all of those spools of silk cords. Love those shades of green.

When at an Innovative Bead Show, be sure to visit the Bead My Love booth. Meg Fillmore is a talented bead embroidery artist that creates some of the most magnificent designs. I love this award-winning necklace. Her work is amazing to see in person.

Meg's mom looks lovely in this dashing necklace.

Peep

Here's a quick look at what I was working on this afternoon. I finally added a face to the snowman that I created last week, and I sculpted this little peep. They're both sitting on the window sill in my studio. With this hot weather, they should dry in no time.

Have a great weekend!

Good Business

I'm glad the ice cream stand near Stookey's turned away paying customers tonight. Stookey's bar-b-que trumps an ice cream cone any old day.

When we arrived, it was 9:15 p.m., and the "open" sign was still on even though they close at 9 p.m. John said the girl was more than willing to serve him. Now that's good business.

Here's to good business! Thanks, Stookey's. You made my night.

After The Rain

I got caught in the rainstorm this afternoon, and when I got home, Julius and Chiseler were on the porch watching the rain. I don't know what it is about the rain, but Chiseler loves it, and I think Julius seems to like it now too. This is a picture of Julius and Chiseler sleeping on the porch after the rainstorm. Chiseler looks so cute when he curls up.

Here's to the life of a cat. Up all night; sleep all day.

~Best buds~

Sunday's Projects

I spent the afternoon creating some holiday sculptures. I have a few snowmen and pumpkins in the works. I have yet to place a face on the large snowman. For now, they're all drying on the window sill in my studio.

Restoration Work Done

I just completed restoring this African clay pot this morning. The person who asked me to restore it asked that I paint the pot black, and she left the rest up to me.

This is what the clay pot looked like when she brought it into my studio. I tried everything to remove the flower decals, and nothing worked. The only alternative was to sand each decal down to a rough finish so that the black spray paint would cover the pot. The sanding process was messy, and I had to be careful not to breathe in the dust. You never know what these clay pots are made of.

Rather than paint the entire clay pot by hand, John suggested that I use spray paint. That's where my dad enters the picture. He's the master of spray paint. As you can tell by this picture, Dad did a fantastic job. Thanks for your help, Dad!

I created a zigzag pattern. It took three coats of white paint to cover the black paint.

This shows the second color that I used before applying the final color in the middle of the pattern. This was a lengthy project. Now we're on to other things. Enjoy your weekend!

Junk, Junk, and More Junk

Junk, junk, and more junk and maybe a treasure or two. That's exactly what you'll find at the Berlin Market in Berlin, New Jersey.  There's nothing like digging through boxes, bags, and piles of junk to find a little something to call your own. Check out these fantastic beads and baubles. 

Hubcap, anyone?

The glass paperweight was pretty in person, but I'm not in need of one right now. If you saw my desk, you'd understand why.

What a fantastic sight it is! Countless vendors and row after row of little treasures lie waiting for new owners.

When all is said and done, relaxing at Auntie Carol's is the best. She has the prettiest yard in the neighborhood and the best cats.

Here's Nicky. He's adorable.

In this picture, Nicky reminds me so much of Chiseler. They could pass for twins from this vantage point; however, Chiseler has a unique stingray pattern on his back that is undeniably his.

Simon loves hanging around. He's a cutie too.

When in Bethlehem

I couldn't leave Bethlehem today without a quick visit to Tallarico's Chocolates. They have the best chocolates, and I absolutely love, love, love these wasabi nut crunch dark chocolates. They are to die for, and they're worth every penny.

I also recommend the raisins covered in dark chocolate and the pistachios covered in dark chocolate.If you enjoy good quality chocolates, give Tallarico's Chocolates a try.

Earrings Bootcamp

Here's a look at some of the earrings my students made in today's earrings workshop at The Banana Factory. Felicia did a wonderful job with her earrings. I like the way she displayed her earrings from her desk lamp.

Liz made the earrings above. I think she did a great job.

Here's some more of Liz's work above.  I like all of the wonderful colors she used.

I love the color choices that Missy used for her earrings, and I also love the way she displayed them on one of her jewelry totes. That purple makes a great backdrop.

Caitlin made my Egyptian earrings, which are featured on pages 48 and 49 of Barb Switzer's book titled earrings, earrings, earrings. I think she did a great job forging those head pins and putting everything together.

Deb did a wonderful job on her interchangeable earrings. I love all of the different beads she used. I especially like her use of the turquoise-colored seed beads. Nice job!

I'm confident all of my students today will go on to create some more fabulous jewelry.  Here's a picture I took from the jewelry studio. It was such a beautiful day today. I'm glad I had good traveling weather. I always enjoy visiting Bethlehem.

Earrings, Earrings, Earrings!

If you're in the Bethlehem area on Saturday, join me for my all-day earrings workshop at The Banana Factory, which is located at 25 West Third Street in Bethlehem. We'll be there from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. making a lot of earrings. We always have a great time at The Banana Factory, and the shopping on West Third Street is always exciting. I can't wait to visit Tallarico's Chocolates after my workshop.

For more information, call the Banana Factory at (610) 332-1300. Here's a direct link to my workshops.  See you all there!

Painting Faces

Here's a peek at one of the paper mache goodies we'll be showing at the Fine Arts Fiesta in Wilkes-Barre. I just painted the face this afternoon, and I still have to put some finishing touches on him. Then I'll be in search of some nice ribbon or decorative fabric to use as the hanger. What a cute, little ornament or wall hanging this little fellow would make.  Meow!

Totally Wacky

The other day John brought home a stack of old stickers from Wacky Packages. If you grew up in the 70s, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The witty spoofs on everyday products coupled with the exaggerated and insane artwork on each of these stickers brings back many childhood memories.

Now I understand why John and I get along so well. We have the same warped sense of humor, and we're not afraid to show it. We always love a good laugh.

The Clammy sticker reminded John of an old neighbor we refer to as Clammy. It's a long story.

Regarding this "Hippy" tea, John loves the line "Gives you the energy to loaf, hitch hike, and avoid work."  Heee! Heee!

~Dim Lights for Dimwits~ What a great tag line.

Gotta love the look on that dog's face. It's so twisted.

When I was in school, everyone used to skip classes. I think I was the only nerd who didn't. I was always afraid of getting caught, and I didn't want to miss any of my schoolwork. Kids used to skip school every year when the circus came to town. I never understood that.

This card actually sends a good message to kids about the dangers of skipping school. How about that? I love the warning on the side of the cigarette pack that reads "Warning: Playing hookey can be dangerous to your health." Lesson learned. Stay in school, kids. Check out that dumb look on this kid's face. Priceless.

I don't think I'd like to play with moldy clay, but then again, I'm not a dope, jerk, or dummy. 

Gross!

I love all kinds of artwork, so I'm certainly not an art snob. My favorites range from Rembrandt and Rubens to Mucha. I also like primitive folk art, textile designs, repeat patterns, and insane illustrations like the ones above.

When John and I were flipping through this stack of stickers, we realized that the artwork reminded us of one of our favorite artists by the name of 14. You can see her artwork on Gallery of the Absurd. This artist has a keen sense of observation and has a fabulous way of conveying what we see in the tabloids, on television, and in everyday life. If you love a good laugh, be sure to check out her artwork.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

As we celebrate Mother's Day, I give thanks to the wonderful mom that I have been blessed to call Mom. I love you, and I'm grateful to have you as my mother.

More Students' Works

With just two more weeks left in this art class, my students are moving right along. Mark finished his painting, and it looks great. He did a great job with all of the intricate details in this painting. Good job, Mark!

I love this painting. These lilies remind me of an Alphonse Mucha painting.As always, Eleanore paints with such beautiful, vibrant colors. Nice job, Eleanore!

Lisa just started a new painting, so it will be exciting to see what she accomplishes in the next two weeks.

Mark started to work on another painting. I can't to see how this painting turns out. As always, I'll be sure to post some updates.

Keep on Sculpting, Painting, etc.

I'm still working on a number of Halloween sculptures. The painted pieces aren't quite finished yet, but this picture gives you an idea of what their little faces will eventually look like. I spent several hours in my studio yesterday afternoon working on the two big "blanks" up front. They're drying on the porch as I write this post. 

I have to be careful that Julius doesn't sink his teeth into the two blanks. One time I caught him sniffing and clawing at one of the blanks that I left on the counter. He couldn't get enough of the fresh clay.

I'll keep you posted on my progress.