New Work!

I have been a busy little elf, working away on Christmas creations - I have so many ideas but can never find enough time to get them all done. It seems that each holiday is pushed on us earlier and earlier each year. I feel I need to hurry up and finish making things for Christmas so I can start on Valentine pieces. Grrrrrrrrrr I just want to enjoy Christmas!

I love the Christmas creations I have made - hope you do too! Here is a sneak-peek. You can find these and more soon in my Etsy shop! I have a studio workbench full of Christmas critters in the works, so stay tuned there are more on the way!

Love meeting new artists!

One of the great-great things about being an artist is the networking community of other artists you get to meet along the way. Many years ago, I met one of my dearest friends who is now part of my family, Sharon Bloom simply because we both admired each others work. Not sure who emailed who first but so glad that we did because still to this day she is a very important person in my life!

Just last week, Debra Schoch, of HopHopJingleBoo fame, an artist that I have admired for years, contacted me through my Etsy shop and wanted to buy a piece from me and asked if I would make her a second one - I was very excited! Today she added a link to my Etsy shop in her latest blog post and a mention about my work with photos. It means a great deal to me - love networking and sharing the love! Thanks Debra. Keep the circle alive! Below are a few pictures of her work - if you haven't checked her out - do so - she is an amazing talent! Here is a link to her Etsy shop.

Up for the Challenge!

Yesterday I went treasure hunting with my mother - we always seem to find something and yesterday was no exception!

I love finding things that people have cast-off, declaring as junk. When I see creative potential there I get excited and HAVE to have it, simply Have to!  I am a typical pack-rat artist. I see the potential in MANY things and I have a studio full of "goodies" to prove it.  Well this time I thought I would do something different - instead of taking what I found and sticking it on a shelf or tucking it in a box or drawer.....I am going to get to work on them right away!!! I love when creativity strikes - such a good feeling so I am going to hold tight and run with it!!!!!

I found nine of these wooden circles (broke one), that my guess were abandoned by someone who had a REALLY good idea on what they were going to make with them.......and never did.  Well you little wooden circles of joy, I am up for the challenge and I'm gonna make you all proud by turning you into yummy little pieces of pure artful love! I am very excited!

So to start this challenge off, here are pics of my find - I will keep you updated on my progress - I'm thinking I will even do a blog giveaway for one of them! This is going to be fun!

The vintage muffin tin - I have an idea for that too.

Here is a shot of today's progress - I currently have one finished!!

Special Day

Yesterday I got to spend the afternoon with someone very special to me, My Grandmother.

She goes by many names: Gram, Tacchi (short for her last name Malentacchi) or Baboosh. No matter what we call her we all love her so! Yesterday I took her out to lunch to celebrate her 85th birthday!!!!!!! (today is her actual birthday 10/6)

Over my lifetime I have shared so many great laughs with her - she loves to laugh and has a great sense of humor. She is one of the most generous people I have ever met (always quick to slide some money in your hand or to help you pay for your gas grill that just burst into flames at the family picnic) and loves a great game of BINGO! She has never had her drivers license but insists that she could drive if she had to.

She is Grandmother to about 11 of us and Great-grandmother to 3. I am her oldest grandchild and for-surely her favorite!!! ha-ha just kidding - she has so much love for us all.  My hope is to have as much spunk and energy when I am 85!

I know I am not alone in expressing how much she means to us all - she is a very special lady!!!!

Happy Birthday Gram!!!!!!

I love you!!!

I wanted to share with you the amazing picture I took of her yesterday.

I've been busy!!!

I just finished adding some Halloween items to my Etsy store!!  It takes just as long to create the work as it does to photograph, edit and upload it on to Etsy. But I did it.....finally. Here are a few of my favorite pieces.  Now its time to switch things up and start working on Christmas!!!!  I'll be doing paintings too!

Letter to Cancer

Found this great website today where you can write a letter to cancer and Varian Medical Systems will make a $50 donation to the American Cancer Society!  I didn't realize how great it would feel to write that bitch Cancer and let it know how I felt until I did it - should have done it a long time ago!

What I've been doing!

Once again I have been absent from my blog - but not from life! Here is what I've been doing.

Making Art - Feeling Happy!

Sharon and I have been creating all day and having so much fun - I have not had this much fun in such a long time with my artwork! "We are getting ourselves in trouble - "oh lets make this! and this ohhhh lets try this!" Spending time with Sharon has been amazing and just what I needed!  Here are a few photos of what we have been up to.

Downstairs painting - 

Then we stopped and had an amazing salad out on my deck - 

Then we worked on some spun cotton pieces - 

Tonight we are going out for pizza and then off to spend the day in North Hampton, MA (Art town USA!)

Ta-ta for now but please stay tuned!!!!!

Today is Sharon Bloom Day!

I am excited beyond belief!!!! I pick Sharon up from the airport at 7pm tonight! Can't wait for tomorrow it's MAKE ART DAY! I will keep you updated on our fun!

Excitement! - Sharon Bloom is coming to town!

I am so excited it feels like I'm waiting for Christmas morning! In 5 days my dear dear friend Sharon Bloom is coming from California to visit!!

 I think our story is a very neat/special story - Sharon and I met about 10+ years ago because we both admired each others artwork and struck up a friendship through emails and then eventually would chat on the phone every once in a while which then led to every week sometimes more than that. We have supported each other and created an amazing long distance friendship but have yet to meet in person. When I got sick last year with Leukemia Sharon's initial response was I'm coming to see you - but I said no, lets wait till I'm better so that we can create art together and enjoy your time here. Well that time has come and Sharon will be arriving from Cali Thursday (7/5) night! Ralph and I are so excited to pick her up from the airport! She is staying until Monday and then is off to visit another friend out here on the east coast. Sharon visiting is just what I need because I have once again fallen into a creative rut where no art is being created. We plan to have much fun and creating is tops on our list - well its tops on my list at least - I think tops on Sharon's list is having good pizza LOL. I will keep this blog updated with our adventures!

 T minus 4.5 days and counting!

New Addition & Big News!

We have added onto our family! On April 14th we adopted a puppy!! Now that I no longer work outside of the house we decided it was a good time to get a dog - we already have three cats but there is just something about the companionship of a dog. I started a search on PetFinder.com and fell in love with this sweet puppy - so I though what the heck I'll fill out the adoption questionnaire and see what happens. Never in a million years did I expect to get a call the very next day - talk to the foster father of the puppy that night and then be heading to the airport to pick him up two days later - he was flown in from Texas! It was a whirlwind! Jack is just like me, a survivor - he battled back from parvo, a disease that kills 80-90% of dogs that contract it - but not my Jack! He had a very loving foster family that took great care of him and his sister, sadly his brother died from it. Here is the website of the Carney's who fostered Jack - they specialize in sick dogs at high risk and amputees - very special people. Check out their site - www.mypuppyfarm.com. I'm now new mom to a 16 week old black lab/catahoula leopard dog mix named Jack Houla! He is the best dog I have ever owned - smart as a whip and so laid back - he is my napping buddy and just what I needed! Here is a picture of Mr. Houla. He is curled up in the cat bed - that didn't go over very well so we have since bought him his very own plush doggie bed!

My other exciting news is that last Wednesday night I GOT ENGAGED! So much excitement! Ralph and I have been together for almost 6 years, own a house together, three cats and now a dog so naturally the next step is to get married right? Yippie I am so excited! No date has been set just yet I'm giving myself more time to heal - I would like to pass the one year mark in my remission from leukemia and then we can start talking some serious plans! Here is a picture of my beautiful ring!

So yeah not much going on around here! - LOL Now to get back to my artwork!

Repurposed Paper Mache Trays

A few weeks ago at a thrift store I found a great set of four vintage paper mache trays (they measure 4.5 x 7.75) - wasn't sure what I was going to do with them but I knew I couldn't leave them behind. I grabbed them off my studio bench today and transformed them into very fun hand painted art trays. I took a few pictures of my process.

1. The tray as it was bought - I am sure you have seen these before they always have a Japanese design on them - I have also seen coasters like this to.

2. I decoupaged fabric to the surface - makes for a great surface to apply paint and it also adds great texture

3. Once the fabric is dry I covered it with black gesso and it is all prepped and ready to be painted.

Here are photos of the first two that are finished - I'm headed to my studio to paint the other two - I will try to post pictures tomorrow.

A little bit of art for the soul

I'm back again after a little break. About two weeks ago I started my maintenance chemo so I have been resting a bit and giving myself a chance to get used to all the new meds that I will be taking for the next two years. I have slowly been feeling better so I have been in my studio doing some work. I realize how much I miss creating when I take these mini breaks from my work - after I spend a chunk of time in my studio I come away feeling great - I truly believe creating art has amazing healing powers! Here's what I've been up to.

New work in my Etsy Shop!

I have finally updated my Etsy shop with about seven new pieces - more to come!
Here is a peek!

What Time is it?

Having fun in my studio - working on some paintings - making art!

My Dearest Blog....

Sorry I have been ignoring you! I have been resting but also creating art so if you hold tight a bit longer I WILL be back!

I'm a Pole Dancer This Week!

Back at Smilow Cancer Center for another round of chemo. Excited because after this round I only have one more left! As I write this I am hooked up to my chemo hanging from my IV pole - it becomes my best friend while I'm in here - I pull it along where ever I travel be it the bathroom or for a walk in the hall - it's not much of a conversationalist but it stands tall next to my bed and watches over me while I sleep.

I am using this down time to sketch out some new work. I look forward to having my treatments all behind me and gaining my strength back so I can get back to my studio - I have hopes and ideas for some Valentine critters and creations!

So I will sign off for today and get back to my sketchbook in hopes that my IV pole does not get jealous!