Queen of Arts is Coming

 The Queen of Arts is almost here! I have no idea if I am really ready or not. Lots and lots of projects in the works. I hope to get as much done as possible. Work work work!

 Here is a peak into what goes into some of my work. This was the biggest batch of square wire rings I have ever made all at one time. I think I made over 20. I am still working on setting the stones. I am sure I will run out of stones. Here is a brief step by step:

 First the wires get cut to length.

 I then hand bend them around my ring mandrel.

 I use a rawhide mallet to get the ends close enough to solder.

 They all get soldered.

 I then pull out my hand made metal punches I made in college.

 I actually stamp the designs right on the ring mandrel (not easy but I like the effect)

 All ready for a bezel and then the tumbler. So that was my rings.

 

Another one of my favorite things are the red enamel heart earrings. They start off as copper sheet then I cut them out with metal shears.

 Here are my regular earrings with my ones ready for enamel.

 They all get finished, shaped, drilled and stamped.

 Then I lay on the glass powder enamel and get it ready to fire.

 I do not own a kiln so this is all done with my torch. They turn black then red as they cool. Just love this color red, it never gets old.

 Here is my newest color. I hope you like it. My daughter liked it so much, I made her a necklace with one.

So I am just buzzing along, quite lost, with all my pieces I am trying to finish. I will have my big red enamel heart necklaces back again this year to go with the earrings. I hope to get some ornaments and paperclay tags finished along with my paper mache birds, old paintings, and some fun journals if I find the time. Time to redo all my lists to see what can and won't get done for the show. Don't worry though if you miss the Queen of Arts or if I do not finish because it will all end up at the Art Hus and maybe my Etsy page.

Halloween was a bunch of fun.

 My daughter did all our face paint. She is getting pretty good.

 Halloween bought us the rain we so desperately needed and it came full force right at 8PM, right when we were finished and ready to pack it in. I have so missed the rain and the beauty it can bring.

Happy Fall everyone!!

August and September Spent and Gone

 I have been busy, very busy, but not with as much art as I would like. We moved! I am loving the new place! We have only been here 3 or so weeks and I am not quite all unpacked. So much of August and September was spent organizing, throwing out and packing up all our stuff.

I have a back deck now, which is wonderful! I have been without a scrap of outside space for 6+ years. I have lots of plans for doing artwork out there. The weather has been outrageously hot for weeks and weeks with no relief in site. That has really slowed me down. 

 I now have Ballard Canyon Farms delivering fresh flowers and veggie goodies to me every Friday, which has been very inspirational.

My daughter has been out and about getting fresh face paint, starting 1st Grade and we just got back from Faeriefest. I had very high hopes of making her and me fairy costumes from scratch. I got hers done, but was sewing mine up to the last minute and mine was barely half done. We had so much fun, aside from the record heat. Sewing felt very good. I really hope to start producing again soon.

 I have started refreshing my lists of stuff to make. Queen of Arts is coming up and I hope to stock up my spot at the Art Hus. There is silver to order, stones to find, birds to paint and rubber stamps to carve. I am finding out that I am switching to an early morning worker instead of a night owl. Not sure how to make it all work yet, but I better figure this out ASAP. I hope not to let my blog go this long without an update as well. Time to get going.

July Stuff

 At the very end of June, my awesome sister came to visit! We had to have a family journal session at Corner House Coffee. Always the best time! I love to see my sister's journal and my mom's. My daughter has her's as well, and we all love to watch her work and we all want her to work in our journals. It is just pure bliss.

The 4th of July parade in Solvang is always fun to me. There are always a bunch of these dancing horse beauties. I hope to do some paintings someday. I think I have like 30 photo from each parade. the horses are amazingly strong and beautiful.

I saw the movie Maleficent with my sister and really enjoyed it (I do not get out much). I was really inspired so I decided to make her likeness in the last round robin journal I had left to do. It was fun to make. I hope she likes it. 

Wonderful day at the zoo with my daughter. She gave me the tour. We photographed every animal we saw. I could spend all day at the zoo sketching.

I did manage to clean off my desk a bit at home and make a few new earrings for the Art Hus. The summer work schedule keeps me in bed and rarely do I feel the energy to stay up late for some me time, but I miss it so very much. I am not giving up, I still have my big to do list with all my art projects I should be doing. I stay inspired by all things around me.

Struggling Still to Get Going

 

 

Always a good vacation when I actually find time to sketch. For the end of May we went on our annual trip to Disneyland, but it was our first time staying at the Disney resort. This really felt like a real vacation. I cannot remember the last time I felt I was really on vacation. This was a real nice time. Trader Sam's at the resort was so awesome. I could have hung out there all night with all the fun and relaxing island music. The sketches that I did on this trip make me very happy.

The park was perfect. So many inspiring colors and views. Cannot wait to go again! 

I made a special journal for my daughter to take and have the princesses sign. The girls from Frozen were impressed and my daughter was very proud. I hope she works in it until it is complete. This tree inside innovations was so cool! I am not sure I had ever made it to the Tiki Tiki Room before, that was a real treat and my daughter loved it too.  

 This is the inside of Trader Sam's. It is so small and cozy. I felt like I was at the old McNutt beach cabin.

My daughter and me did some face painting when we got home. I often wonder if me and her will be a mother daughter face painting team. It would only be fun if we did it together.

 

 

 Worked on some round robin journals. I think I have one more to do and then I am done YAY!!!!!Not real happy with these last ones, but I think they are okay.

 These need to get done! I am so close! Too tired to do it tonight so I am hoping to do them by the end of next week. Work at my "day job" is going to be off the scale all week, so I am not sure what I will have left in me to give...but I must get going already!!! Geese!!

 So very proud of my little girl!!! First graduation of many. This is her Kindergarten graduation. Today I went sketching with my dad. Always a good time! We sketched the Solvang trolley horses. It was something we have both always wanted to do. You should see his sketch, it was great! I did 4 or 5 rough and quick ones. I am not sure what happened to the "Sketch Group", but we will not stop going out once a month.