Back from Bead and Button

Recently returned from my first trek to the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee, WI.

I felt like a kid in a candy store! There were so many goodies there to see. Along with the added excitment of catching up and hanging out with old friends and making new friends, I also had the opportunity to meet some online friends at this popular event for jewelry makers.

I was there helping out the very talented artist/teacher, Gail Crosman Moore, at her booth for a couple of days. At least I think I helped her. I did sell a lot of $5 eyeballs after all! That may sound a bit creepy but, glass eyeballs are very popular. I only wish I could've stayed longer...ya know, sold more eyeballs and all that. Gail is also a 2009 Saul Bell Design Award winner! She has a terrific website where she also sells her components and kits, and lists upcoming workshops and you can find a link to her blog here. The photo above shows a piece of jewelry I made with one of Gail's lampwork beads from the Tempest series; the metal work is mine.

I also spent time with another favorite artist/teacher/Saul Bell winner, Kate McKinnon. I mean...if you don't know who Kate McKinnon is, then you obviously aren't working with metal clay. Kate also does fantastic bead work, has several books out, she just released a new DVD, and has a new book coming out in the fall.

Oh so many beautiful and fun people...I had lunch with the beautiful and talented Tonya Davidson of Whole Lotta Whimsy, along with Sharon Dickerson and the multi-talented metalsmith & tool-maker Cindy Moore, the Cool Tool Chick, whom I just love! Cindy's strong southern accent just makes her feel like family. LOL.

I had a chance to chat a couple times with one of my favorite men, Robert Dancik, Thing-Maker Extraordinaire & inventor of Faux Bone. Robert has recently moved to England. So, if you get a chance to take one of his classes in the U.S. - I recommend you experience it.

Others work I know and admire, and finally met in person, included Tracy Stanley of Wired Arts, Michele Goldstein, Holly Gage and Dana Peters. Gail's booth was right next to Lisa and Tony Blackwell, of Zoa Art. They have fantastic work in metal. I'm sure they thought I was stalking them, I couldn't keep my eyes off their metal objects! ...oh, and their display was to die for. I hope they visit us at the Great Lakes Beadworkers Guild Bead Bonanza in October.

Those that I had hoped to bump into, but kept missing, included the sensationaly popular Susan Lenart Kasmer, Gordon Uyehara, Celie Fago and Jen Kahn. Turns out I also missed Thomas Mann. So many of my favorite metal artists gathered in one place.

Those are just a sprinkling of the talented, sensational, artistic people that can be found at the Bead and Button Show (and so, so, many other names that escape me right now). So you may want to start planning now, for 2010.

Next Stop: Metal Clay World Conference in Chicago, July 15-18th. Hope to see you there!

Birds and Graffiti - and they have something in common

...at least in this post they do.

As I write this installment of the Altered Book round robin switcharinkydoodoo for the merry merry month of May I realized, "EeGads! I forgot to write a post for the April altered book switch". So I'll write about them both here just to catch up anyone out there who may be remotely interested in my altered book round robin project to begin with...as I'm laughing out loud in amusement just saying it. The original post about my book "Dancers" can be found here.

In April I returned Jane Meixner's book; her theme is Graffiti. While I'm aware some see Graffiti as an art form, only on rare occasion do I accept this as appropriate - since it is usually added to structures without permission of the owner; it is defacing property. In this instance, however, I have explicit permission of the owner to deface her property. Terrific! Now whatever shall I deface it with? This would require some thinking. This was different for me (not the thinking part), so I had to ponder it awhile. It went kind of like this, "Hmmm...IF I were going to place some graffiti on a building what would I want it to convey?" I think I would like it to be colorful and bright, I would add something pretty to the dull gray architecture you usually find where graffiti has been placed, to invoke a happy thought by the viewer. Here is my addition to Jane's Graffiti Book....Wall Flowers.

This brings me up to the May switcharinkydoodoo.... I'm not losing you yet I hope. LOL. In May I returned Ingrid Dijkers' book; her theme is Birds. This fit in perfectly with something I've been working on personally. I know, your thinking, "What you say? You are working on birds these days???" Well not exactly. But I have been working on growing wings. I started growing them a few years back. I think they are growing quite nicely now, getting full and large with soft feathers on them. I am getting quite attached to my wings. I've been considering "jumping off that bridge" for several years now, but I really needed these wings to grow a bit first to avoid a big....SPPLATT! ....so to get back to the book. For that reason, I LOVED working in this book. The colors, the journaling, finding just the right wings for my bird. I love these wings. Heck, you can barely see the scars now. They feel like they've been there all along.

How does that famous quote go, "Sometimes, if you aren't sure about something, you just have to jump off the bridge and grow your wings on the way down.”

Oh Waiter...I think I'll have the Fresh Eyes today!

"The real voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new lands but in seeing with fresh eyes." ~ Marcel Proust


I’d like to start by saying I’m not an eloquent or sophisticated writer; I’m barely capable of transferring my thoughts into words. However, my feelings are strong about certain things; one is art, another is children. Through art I try to express what I’m unable to express with words. To summarize that, my love of art brought me a lot of joy and contentment as a child and I have always tried to spread that love of art around to the children I come in contact with in my life. See what I mean?

Now about those fresh eyes… a couple months back I was hired for a 10-yr-old’s birthday party. Great! I love children, I love making things; I love teaching children to make things. It’s perfect for me.

Pondering this while working on an art journal, I was thinking about how much fun I was having…and the “light bulb” clicked on in my head - this is what I should teach at the party! I mean, who doesn’t like to play with colorful, messy, interesting art supplies? Well all I can say is…. I DO, I DO!.

Now party day is here. Woo-Hoo! While donning smocks, I explained what an Art Journal is and familiarized the children with the materials they would be using. So they would not become overwhelmed with materials and the various stages, stations were set up at different tables. We began by gluing our pages. I demonstrated how to glue the journal pages to provide a sturdy substrate to accept the paint and embellishments. Then we cut images from magazines for collage. Next we painted the pages, followed by various embellishment of beads, feathers, stickers, text, numbers, ephemera or quotes in their journals. We decorated the covers and added ribbon for closures. Lastly, the pages were dried with a hair dryer.


Intervening as little as possible, I explained the stages and demonstrated materials and techniques as they progressed. Encouraging and respecting each child’s way of working or expressing their own design ideas. Unless I’m asked for assistance, I refrain from imposing my own ideas. It’s simply “staying out of the way” and allowing them the freedom to express visually! Most of the journals were completed or at a good stopping stage after the 2 hour time frame. An important component I wanted to create was a comfortable, confident and non-competitive environment. For this reason, I consciously chose not to bring examples of art journals that were made by adults, nor books about art journals made by adults. I wanted the children’s experience to be experimental, open and fun; not worrying nor thinking, “is this how it is supposed to look?”.
I also hoped to encourage new and future art journals. Throughout our time together, I reiterated they would be able to add to, or continue building upon, their journals later. I believe the children left the party with a feeling of competence, accomplishment and art-filled fun.


I have been told some of the children have already plunged right into making their “next” art journal….and that’s exactly what I wished for them.

Thank you to the Birthday Girl, Melanie Stewart, along with her guests Fin Seely, Keelin Greene, Lauren Ridley, Erica Maser, Zoe Jackson and Will Brighton for allowing me the use of your eyes on this day.

If you are in need of Fresh Eyes, do something with a child….and let them lead the way…it feels great!

How to Sharpen your Double-Edged Sword

I was just thinking...we have all this wonderful technology that is supposed to enable us to keep up with everyone and everything; but, really, how are we supposed to be able to keep up with everyone and everything? I know I'm not doing such a great job at it.

I have Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, a blog, a website, Yelp, Twitter, Etsy, the various jewelry and art networks on Ning, two or three email accounts, and about 20 Yahoo groups that all want you to "show your work on your page to make it pretty"! These are just to name a few...that I have "gotten myself into". There is so many more and new ones starting up every day. It's a lot of work just to try to remember where you left off and what you forgot to load and remove and change out and ...well, frankly...I can't keep up!

One thing I can tell you, it keeps your computer/techno skills nicely warmed up...you have to learn new applications and ways to design layouts, uploading, downloading, photo editing, HTML, templates, widgets, the do's and don'ts of each network, yes, there's various social networking etiquette rules that are practiced on each playground!

...and what happens if we don't or can't keep up (or, the dreaded, even worse, you don't know or follow the rules)? Well, you will get your virtual wrist smacked, or are perceived as antiquated, computer illiterate, people who can't accept that "the cheese has been moved", and you've fallen "out of the loop"! It's quite a burden to keep up with modern technology these days.

We are a very fast-paced world now and so few are stopping to smell the roses; although I do know some who are...stopping and smelling. I'm now trying to balance my life and do both as well. It's all part of my Altered Outlook and I love it. I love all of it! LOL

What are your thoughts?

1st Annual Peep Show - Fri. April 17th!

Just a little reminder about the 1st Annual Peeps Show Friday, April 17th.

My "Peep Show Limited" series will be offered for a very short time. I'll be there with rings, pendants, earrings and maybe a few bracelets - in honor of those cute little marshmallow Peeps Chicks and Bunnies, in varying colors of course.

Once the 1st Annual Peep Show at Biddle Gallery is over, these Peeps will be all gone...just the way I like my Peeps! YUMMY!Hope to see you there.

Artists Reception Friday April 17, 2009, 6:00-9:00PM. America' s favorite Easter marshmallow treat is the inspiration for this mixed media show featuring what else - Peeps!

Participating artists include John Benson, Rick McQuaid, Ryan Weiss, Andrea Irwin, Juanita Bitonti, Davin Brainard, Sarah Lapinski, Dan Stewart, Joey Merchant, Tim Porter, Carl Oxley III, Betzi Pipis, Sharlet DiGiorgio, Karl Laub, Carol Reid, Tina Doepker, Carl Kumulski, Martine MacDonald, Michele Kramp, and more.

Show runs through April 30th... or until theyare all gone!For more information check out http://tiny.cc/SRBfU

The Dilemna

Time again for the Ann Arbor Art Fair submission deadline. I wasn't sure if I was going to participate. I only recently found out what the fair dates would be. In order to participate with the other juried-in artists in our guild, I would have to work a minimum of one full day booth duty.

I'm also attending the Metal Clay World Conference in Chicago this year and, turns out, the art fair schedule is the same as the conference. I registered for the conference last year, as I didn't want to miss out on the presentations.

The dilemna: I want to participate in the art fair (to make money)....and I want to go to the conference in Chicago. So after some thought, I've decided that instead of arriving early for the pre-conference festivities, I would work the first day of the art fair, drive all night to Chicago and arrive at the conference in time for the presentations - with possibly a few hours of sleep in there some where. Yes, I think I could do both!

This is IF I get juried in to participate again this year. The selections are being made this week and the acceptance letters will go out next week. If I don't make it in then, HEY, I guess there is no dilemna after all......

We are required to submit selections "representing" the work we would sell at the fair. I submitted a mix of Fine Silver and Sterling Silver work. Here are photos of the pieces I submitted:


I'll report back on my acceptance/rejection to the art fair this year.

Have a great day!

PS. I get a bit miffed that this program won't let me set pictures any other way besides stacked on top of each other. Such a space waster!!! Aghhh. I apologize for that.

"Dance" - Altered Book Round Robin

My desire to learn more "modern" techniques while working again on my collage and mixed-media art (and learning about ATC's and Altered Art), prompted me to join yet another Yahoo group. I'm really just not in enough of them!

I couldn't believe it when I found a group that was local and they have meetings once a month. These ladies get together and participate in trades/swaps, demos and round robin projects. I had not yet been part of or experienced a "Round Robin".

In case you are unfamiliar, a round robin is where participants, a project and deadline are determined. Each participant starts their creative version of the project. Once a month they are exchanged with the next person on the list. This goes on until each person has participated in each artist's original once. At that point, you will receive your original book back with artwork from each participant.

I'm participating with (8) others in an Altered Book round robin. I designed my Intro and Contact page and my first spread to "set the theme" for my book. My theme is "Dance" - using women from the 1920-30's and/or Flappers. I created my design using fluid, metallic, and heavy body acrylic paints, photos, transparencies, collage techniques, matte medium (for glue), fancy art papers, oil sticks, alcohol inks, ephemera, ribbons and art stamps - below are photos of my starter pages. Once I receive this back, in December, I will add a niche in the back, more ephemera, finish any un-altered pages and design a book cover to complete the process. What do you think so far; sounds like fun, right?

The first exchange has now been made. The altered book I received has the theme "Graffiti". I can't wait to work on it. I will post photos once a month when I complete my contribution for each book received.

C ya later.