Day 3 - Crazy Running & Friends

Thursday was going to be interesting from the start…
It was going to be a weight watchers meeting then off to see some friends for brunch that I haven't seen for about 5 years…

With the discovery of the deer tick on my belly yesterday (leaning over plants to collect seeds must've been how it got there) - well, it just got crazy. I won't go into details - it was just one little thing after another, and another that just makes you exhausted by day's end (I crashed before Chloe last night at 9:30).

Can I just say: you know you are in the presence of amazing and interesting people artists, when your jaw just drops upon entering their home because they have put so much of themselves into their home and you immediately feel all the energy there and want to just soak it all into yourself and work from it…

That was Anne's house and garden!

I had a great time hanging out with the girls - we caught up, toured Anne's house, laughed together, and ate some wonderful food. The perfect way to spend a late morning…

I could have taken tons of pictures of all the amazing areas in Anne's house. I loved: "this is my arts and crap room". I'm going to use that one… Dave will get a kick out of it.

I snapped a few pictures here and there…
I was too occupied and overwhelmed visually to take it all in and get the camera out.
Yes, even the little rug in her bathroom was inspirational (see the background pattern too? Wow!)

I just tried to soak it all in and pull some of her artistic sense out of it all…

We had a little running joke about me blogging for 8 blogs and the technology I had (iPhone) with me. Dolores asked: What kind of Begonia is that? I said: I'll take a picture and post it on my blog to see if we can get an answer… So - Do you know what kind it is?

Hope you are having a wonderful day…
Let's see what I can get out of Day 4 today…

I think later, Chloe and I will be going to Longwood Gardens for their "Honey Harvest" this evening to learn about honey, bees and flowers. A little one on one time with mom… Can't wait!

To Do List - Getting Done...

I have been super busy taking pictures, cropping them, naming them, all the while juggling Riley being home and only napping here and there… 

So it's been a busy few days for me.

I'm seriously considering listing things up on Etsy only once, maybe twice a month…

I'm missing out on my garden photography time! And that makes me a bit grumpy...

Porcelain Halloween Ghost Pendant in the My Mom Pattie Etsy Shop.

I am however working on getting the new halloween pendants into my Marsha Neal Studio Etsy shop.

Just in time to help you get chances to win Marsha Neal Studio gift certificates during:

2010 "Honoring September"

Click on the Magnolia picture on the blog sidebar for details.

There are plans on re-photographing all the silk strands for my website overhaul. 

I spent the day today pulling one of each kind in every color. 

Pshew - glad that is done…

This is what I have in mind for the actual photographs (in better lighting) for each of the colors.

What do you think?

Hand Painted Silks #0 Almost White in Silky, Fairy and 2mm.

So on my mom's birthday (9/1), I was on a mission to get some pieces up into the My Mom Pattie Etsy shop. 

Finished pieces… 

I had wire wrapped a few of the halloween pendants the other day…

Halloween Porcelain Pendants pre-oxidation.

The sterling needed to be darkened though… 

Too bright for what I had in mind.

Now if I could only find the Liver of Sulphur… 

It hides somewhere in the midst of my jewelry/beading/metalsmithing area.

I know it's in a place that "makes sense" to store it.

That place where you can never find it again…. 

I just saw it the other day - dang!

Ah-ha - Found it (on a shelf, in a basket, behind a bin…)

See… Much better - more in the feel of "old and decrepit"

Porcelain Halloween Pendants with oxidized sterling silver for My Mom Pattie Etsy Shop

I also picked up some glass etching cream from AC Moore the other night…

Which was an adventure in itself…

Not just because the store is being remodeled and things are rearranged…

But because I decided to have dinner with Chloe & Riley out…

By myself…

Then go to the store…

All was ok until the potty training accident…

 Then add a screaming baby not wanting to be put in stroller while I helped clean up #1's #2 to the mix...

But we dealt just fine…

I'm a prepared mother (usually…)

Marsha Neal Studio Etched side of pendants.

Etching and Patina all in one morning - WOAH Nelly!

I was on a roll...

Light a candle over here…

Spray the NeutraAir over there…

All in preparation for the Liver of Sulphur…

No Dave, that stink wasn't from me. 

And no, I'm not cooking with rotten eggs… ;)

Marsha Neal Studio pre-etched side of pendants. 

It was great… 

I can't wait to etch more of my pieces.

And to make more jewelry!

NOTES: I used the cream glass etch. 

Wish I could find my bottle of liquid Etch-All (in that hidden place…). 

Different glazes take different amount of time to etch. 

Some of my glazes won't etch easily (not even after 10 minutes) - they are that hard. 

Others etch quickly (like 4-5 minutes).

Oh, and a quick picture from Beading night...

My work area for Bead Night. Little rabbit pendant is from Jenny Davies-Reazor.

Now I've got the jewelry making bug - darn you beading night!

Which is such a good thing for me, but bad for my plans of getting organized.

Maybe I should make another "Bead Night" my prize for getting organizational goals reached…

Thanks for stopping by!

An Evening With Jenny Davies-Reazor at the NAA

Chloe went to her first art opening last night...

My good friend Jenny Davies-Reazor had a solo show at the Newark Arts Alliance here in Newark, DE.

Here we are with Jenny in front of some of her amazing mixed media collages (wall hangings).

As we walked around the room (Chloe in arms) we looked at all the different imagery Jenny uses in her work... And Chloe pointed out and spoke the words of things she noticed "look mommy, the sun. A bird... two birds! Wow - Blue! And look mommy, over 'dere, and 'dere... I want to see that".

The work was amazing! You should stop by and see it sometime this month (up until May 29th).

Here are some mosaics on buildings near the NAA.

And Chloe noticed some of these glass cabochons...

Who wouldn't be inspired...

We were... We quick stopped by the dollar store on our way home and bought some class cabochons of our own to glue out in our garden... Why not right?

Check out my Garden Blog Post for a peek at some other fun things we did yesterday...

Probably one of the best memorable days for doing fun simple things I've had in a long time!

Jangles Blog Open Studio Tonight!

Tonight from 6-10pm EST visit my friend Jen's blog for her business:

Jangles for her holiday open house.

Here is a picture from her blog of some of her holiday pendants and beads...

If you are in the holiday spirit or would like to be...

Make sure to swing on by for lots of fun and beads for sale.

She even has some ornaments you can have made with custom names on it!

Here is a link to her Etsy Shop Listing (if this one "sells" convo her for a custom listing or request for the pieces).

These are ONLY available today/tonight!!!

I'm totally going to be ordering some for my little ones!

See you over there tonight!

Cool Clay Friend - Jenny Davies-Reazor

Ok, so I am really enjoying having SO many cool friends in my life...

And I wanted to give a shout out to my friend Jenny...

Often referred to as my "Clay Sister" (between the two of us - it's an understanding)...

You can find out more about her through her blog:

Jenny Davies-Reazor Blog

We had lunch today - very yummy Indian Food buffet

And I must admit...

Every time we hang out together, it's like we feed off of each other's energy...

It's so cool!

I think it is one of those relationships where we both bring a lot of different stuff to the table and also have a lot of common interests...

And yet, quite different...

Anyway - today at lunch we talked about some of the new pendant pieces that she is working on and I CAN'T WAIT to see them all glazed and fired up!

I'm sure they will be magnificent...

She has some craft shows coming up this weekend and a few after that too...

So if you are looking for some interesting stuff to see, try to get to one of her shows and check out her tiles, shrines and new pendants!

My Friend Kelly

I think I must have some of the coolest beady friends around...

Check out my friend Kelly's Blog:

Kelly Russell of Beadfuddled

This is one of her new pieces that she is working on for a challenge with some other artists.

Her blog has lots of details and pictures - so enjoy...

I must admit that she is one of the funniest, most entertaining and tell you as she thinks it is kind of friends to have... (that's the best kind of friend - oh, and she loves Chocolate like I do!)

She and I hit it off right away when we were taking our PMC Certification class years ago in Massachusetts.

We just happened to be sitting at the same table and it was magic...

Quite loud and funny stories kind of magic...

I just attached right onto her!

When I was doing a lot more shows and we would split our booth,

We would always joke that you could find our booth because it would be the loudest one in the show...

And it usually was...

AND she is teaching some classes this fall!

So sign up and don't miss out!!!

She is such a generous teacher and her classes are NEVER DULL...

With a woman like Kelly holding the reigns, how could they ever be?

I absolutely love her work!

And love Kelly as a dear friend...

Just thought I'd give her a little shout out since I enjoy reading her blog and being inspired by it almost daily...

Hope you are enjoying your time too...

PA Guild of Craftsmen show in Wilmington

One of my favorite Craft Shows:

The PA Guild of Craftsmen

will be here in Wilmington, DE in just a couple of weekends!

July 25 & 26, 2009

I can't tell you how much stuff I've bought from artists at this show...

Not to mention how much stuff has sneaked it's way into this house from this show over the years...

I have a group of friends that usually try to get together for lunch and some crafty shopping during this weekend, and I'm hoping that it comes together again this year.

This year there is a contest for giving away some free admission tickets & a $65 gift certificate! And I'm hoping that I can get my hands on either!

If you are going to go or would want to go, check out the blog for details on winning!

Wish me luck!!!