Happy Holidays!

November and December have been difficult for this gypsy - which is why my blog has been so quiet. I look forward to better days!

Have a warm and wonderful holiday!

Happy Halloween!

 

Watch out for ghosts! And squirmy fudge...

 

Have a happy and safe holiday!

Step right up, folks! We have a winner!

Yesiree - the carnival has vanished into the mist but a souvenir was left behind. The silver ticket goes to Jennifer of Broomsticks and Lace. Congratulations and keep your eye open for magic!

Le Mysterieux Carnival

It's time! So follow me ..
For a walk by the creek where summer still lingers in the canyons. Splash, splash, over rocks and up the path to a forgotten meadow...

Where an old building slowly crumbles into the hills, what an adventure! Inside, the evening light catches a gleam of purple on the floor - what is it? A piece of fabric covering a small box, which opens easily and out fly tiny butterflies, an odd fragrance fills the air, like the smell of pepper and poppies and a tiny, exotically dressed lady dances and twirls to an unseen flute. "Pick up the ticket, it's for you!" she says.



As my hand touches the silver ticket, the room fades and is replaced by a strange sight...

"Come along - I've been waiting for you. Hurry up! The show is starting!"
"Who are you? What show?"
"Hurry! And don't forget your ticket."
He took off down the path and as there was no place else to go, I followed. He stopped when we reached this - in the middle of the path.

"Go on in."
"How?" The man in the green hat turned around and went back the way we came.
"Follow me" said the man in the overcoat. He took my hand and we walked right through. There were side shows...

That looks kinda creepy. Wait - I know her..

 

This looks like fun!

Truly amazing!

This I had to see, take a closer look...

The elephant flew out and ate peanuts from my hand! Prof. Snodgrass said the elephant and cat are friends and they always perform together.

There was cotton candy and calliope music and the smell of popcorn, and well, I don't remember it all. As gray dawn filled the sky and birds twittered, I found myself in the old building - a small box and purple fabric beside me. This time the box didn't open. But I was right - what an adventure.

If this sounds spooky and unnatural and not your cup of tea, well, turn on the lights and close the book. But if you peek in old buildings looking for purple magic gleaming in the corner - leave a comment and you may be asked to "Pick up the ticket, it's for you". May your box of magic always open when you need it!
Many thanks to our hosts - Frosted Petunias and Incipient Wings.
For more party fun click here

A little magic in the air...

Can you see it? That little bit of fall light? It's twinkling right at the tip of the leaf: autumn magic! I was out observing the light when a shiny bit in the weeds caught my eye...

A silver ticket! To a mysterious carnival! I wonder ...

What sort of mysterious mysteries await? Why don't you pick up your very own silver ticket and join the fun?

Click here to join the fun!

Metalicious - Painted Patinas on Brass

A brass butterfly from Vintaj with Ranger Ink's patinas - it was quick, easy and I love the results. You paint the patina on the metal, it dries quickly, sand off some of the paint and voila - old, grungy and beautiful!

A bead cap (posing for its picture on a toothpick) ...

A filigree...

The butterfly on the left, before sanding, right, after sanding...

The colours verdigris and rust...

A Buddha bead from TierraCast - the patina didn't grip the slick surface as well as the brass pieces but I like the effect.

 A pretty bezel frame from Accessories Susan with "reverse antiquing" - wouldn't it look nice with vintage text and a pink rose?

The working set up - toothpicks in styrofoam.

Some of the patinas and a clear extender / topcoat. The paint is very thin and detail painting didn't work, the effects were best when the colours were allowed to flow into each other. So now I need to get busy and make some jewelry!

WBC Studio Tour!

Welcome to my studio - a bit late, but I'm going to blame it on Mother Nature. My studio is an un-heated, un-cooled, un-insulated garden shed in Arizona. I can handle it when it's 100 degrees but not 108 in the shade, which is what it's been lately and I've had a lot of work to do to get ready! The summer rains arrived this week which cooled things down but now the outdoors is wet and I do a lot of my stuff outside.

Brownie poked his nose out...

and says "Hi" through raindrops on the camera lens.

The maple trees and tomatoes were happy - what could be nicer than rain and sunshine.

The sunflowers weren't too happy with the gray skies...

So between flashes of lightning, rumbles of thunder and lots of rain...

Enter the Enchanted Forest, the sun is shining, the birds are singing...

the gnomes are tending mushroom gardens and the studio is open.

The jewelry making end of the workbench with tiny plastic drawers full of neat stuff, like...

a hand painted spool wrapped in ribbon.

The other end of the workbench...

complete with inspiration and a curious dragon.

Built in shelves opposite the workbench hide the clutter.

This is my find of the year -  a metal card case with just the right amount of wear and rust. Set out for trash! All I had to do was haul it off!

Look at all those drawers - I've put all my seed beads, findings and a few projects away and still have some empty drawers. It's taken a lot of time to reorganize my studio, and there's still a lot to do but I'm always thinking about the next project and I like to put my ideas down on something decorative, like journaling cards. So here are some for you - print them on card stock, about the size of a postcard and use them to keep track of all your crafty ideas!

Henry David Thoreau

Thank you for visiting my studio and many thanks to Karen Valentine of My Desert Cottage for hosting this wonderful party!

Steak & Cake

Now that the fireworks are over, the grill needs cleaning and the watermelon's been gobbled, it's time to say Happy Birthday to Brownie. He's impressed that people have fireworks on his birthday but he really likes the grilling. Meat bites and cake bites make a happy dog.

He didn't want his picture taken, so I had to sneak up while he was sniffing the zucchini. Maybe he's camera-shy because we had his fur shaved - he's certainly cooler!

Happy 5th Birthday dear friend!