Ok, so I have some room to spread out in my classroom. I brought some big, parent sheets of handmade, Indian watercolor paper called Nujabi to cut down for pages in a book I'm planning to make. I fold the pages, wet the fold to make tearing them easier...It's heavy duty stuff. My bone folder is practically eaten up!
The paper is folded, the fold is moistened. I tear on the fold and start stacking the sheets. Looked a tad chunky. What a bird brain. I needed 5 sheets of paper to make five signatures of four pages each....... So why did I buy and cut down 10 sheets??????? I now enough enough to make 2 books. Oh, hello!!!!!! It's a good thing I teach art!!!!!!
I'm still recuperating from the weekend.
We started out by going to the Staff vs. Staff Volley ball game for The Chicklet's school against their rivals. It's been a long time since I've sat in a school gym cheering on our home team.
I was delegated to sitting on my own while The Chicklet hung out with her pals. The Chicklet would not let me take her picture with the school mascot but was cool with letting me take a pic with her favorite teacher, Mrs. H. We did have fun. Go Rams!
The Chicklet went off with her father on Friday evening. If he was willing to brave the crowds to go to the movies, so be it. I took the opportunity to get some Hanukkah shopping done. Found some fun stuff for her.
Saturday morning had me in the studio first thing. After making coffee, I plunked myself in the studio to finish a little book I started on Friday.
RV Guy has a little munchkin of his own who likes purple. I gathered a bunch of goodies together to make a little book he could give to her. I was pretty happy with the result. Actually, I was pretty thrilled to have gotten it started and finished for him to take it to her.
It was time to head over to
Frenzy Stamper for my very first class with Cindy Novack, "Royal Nametag." We started out with 2 crown forms but I pulled out another two that I bought when I signed up for the class. It was a bit crazy working on four at a time but fun too. What worked with one, fed ideas for another. What didn't fit one was perfect on another piece....
Came home with these. Ooh exciting, these were so much fun! I forgot the part about taking small pics to put inside the chipboard frames but it was a bit more liberating. I didn't go in with a mindset of what I wanted to make other than a purple one for my niece and a pink one for the Chicklet.
Little by little each piece came to fruition. Between Cindy's baubles and the goodies I packed, all four were close to being finished.
Back to purple. I made a phone call to my sister just to confirm that my niece still likes purple. The verdict was, "Yes." We've got baubles, silk flowers, metallic confetti, Mardi Gras beads, rhinestones, charms and some industrial, silver thingamajigger that fit perfectly in the chipboard frame. Her pic, a few more charms and one more bit of embellishment and it's done.
We each were given a gold, plastic crown that Cindy found at a yard sale. The craziest things end up in our hands.... the Chicklet's crown is tarnished and decorated with rhinestones. My button box came out in addition to using more silk flowers, beaded garland and charms. Cindy suggested adding chipboard wings. I found some but they weren't the ones I had in mind. Luckily, I found what I was looking for later. I'll add them to my niece's and the Chicklet's piece.
The next two pieces just evolved. This one is in honor of my Tia Mary. Between the pearls and the hanging crystals, it was all about her. Cindy gave us a belt buckle which I sanded and painted. I used more crystal beaded garland, added some hooks and eyes and a portion of a zipper. Above the pearls, in the center is a bulb or fuse. My aunt always encouraged my interest in art and design. She was a mentor, role model, confidante... She had a hanging light fixture with crystals that always reminded me of the feathered hats Phyllis Diller used to wear. I have the crystals and will add two to the bottom and then my aunt's picture.
Lastly, and the piece that requires the most digging. It worked out randomly that three pieces had 3 holes for charms at the bottom but this one has five. The lady who loved blue, collected clocks and had me attach her stockings with the garter clasps when I was little, was my Mom. The empty cameo frame inspired this piece. Mom had a cameo that she was either given or she saved up for and she quite valued it. It might seem like a trinket now but at the time, it was very special.
My sister and I divided up all the jewelery and I made sure to scoop up all the broken stuff. I'll have to dig thru it to find the last parts to this piece.
The first two crowns were meant to give as gifts. I'm not sure what my intentions are with these. I'm not sure I want to part with them. If I do, I know the recipient will value them. We'll see...
That was Saturday day. Next stop was an evening in the company of RV Guy. He'd had a bad day at work. 'Didn't know how the evening was going to go but in my experience, sitting around dwelling can be pretty bad. So off I went. We're pretty glad I did. We had some quality time together. The chicken I cooked was good too!
Last but not least-a garden update. Yes, Ms. Debbie, more flowers! Our excusion to the plant sale at the botanical garden added these fine specimens to our patio. A couple of exotic Barrel Cacti and a Mountain Aloe, (like the one I drool over at the garden). Now I can drool closer to home. AND... the Popcorn plant in the background is making a full recovery after the invasion of the caterpillars.
Look!!!!!! More flowers on the way. It's always nice to know I haven't killed anything during the transplanting stage. Didn't get nicked and cut either. Whew! I'm still more dangerous flinging paint than flinging dirt. Good to know!
Happy Tuesday!
Marissa
The end of this month marks 21 years since I moved to Arizona. That's a good chunk of my life. Arizona is in the news quite a bit lately. Not favorably. I tend to agree...
This is home now. Little did I know know about monsoons, micro bursts, chollas, agaves, mesquites... and so much more when I first moved here. I did know "Prickley Pears." These are beauties. I had a free afternoon a few Saturdays ago. We've had the mugginess of the monsoon but not the relief of rain. Then the rain finally arrived in Central Phoenix.
I've wanted to visit the Desert Botanical Garden just after a rain and this was my perfect opportunity. By the time I made my way from Scottsdale to the east part of Phoenix, 10 minutes at the most, the sun was already out. I made my way to my favorite plant. The Mountain Aloe in the succulent garden. Hello, friend!
Never be afraid to get in close. I never cease to enjoy the sculptural qualities of these plants.
Just a touch of red on the toothy edge...
Buds! Pods! Eye candy...
"X" marks the spot.
The saguaro blossoms have given way to the fruit. Every cactus had it's share of snacking birds.
