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!