It's beginning to look a lot like....

an office!!!

My Santa Jack is finally hung up over my desk. We bought this a few years back at the Disneyland art store above Pirates of the Carribean. They have the best pieces up there.

I bought my piece un-framed so I could easily and safely transport it home. My old office was pretty modern-ish and so the simple black metal frame and with a black-core white mat was fitting...

But....

now, I'm thinking something a bit dimensional would be fun...but, I don't really want it to detract from the art...hmmmm...

For now, my dear Santa Jack is content staring longingly over Halloweenland...

In the opposite corner, I have temporarily placed my vertical, galvanized metal magazine rack under my favorite chandelier...

and

in the place where my future window will go...

(still trying to figure out what to "write" on my saw blade...)

the new $5.00 baby crib bedspring found at Habitat for Humanity that I made to look old by...

1. misting the new metal with ivory spray paint
2. dragging it up and down on the concrete driveway at work with much ooomph...the more scratches and dents, the merrier
3. spritzing daily with a bleach/water mixture
4. sprinkling with salt the last few days

Who needs to find vintage when you can make rusty patina yourself?

Embellished with a few rusty, galvanized stars on sale at Craft Warehouse...

and...this very cute galavanized bucket stuffed with a sprig of holiday greenery and a clip-on cardinal.

This is a stand-in chair...I have a really quirky high-back chair that I want to re-cover in purple velvet (cause purple is fun in a NBC office AND it's the favorite color of my friend, Ginger...and she visits frequently...)

The blank area on the wall above, is slated for a big, 'ol chalkboard and a shelf to house my little NBC critters...

Guests to my office, will be greeted year-round with my lovely wreath...a gift from my dear friends, Jeff and Kris, a few season's ago...Jeff is a Disney set decorator and they ALWAYS gift me the best NBC presents!

What I am realizing, is I'm such a fan of NBC because it allows me to combine two of my favorite holidays...and can leave it all up YEAR-ROUND!

****

Even my crew is on-board with this...

I've come into my new office a couple of times to find some fun little "goodies"...

...metal turnings/scraps from the machine shop...little trees...Sharp little buggers! But very sweet!!

...plastic scraps from the CNC router...little snowy-white garlands....VERY FUN!

Thanks, guys!

Cheers.

It's Always Better Together....

For so many things...

Peas and Carrots

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Left and Right

and even two of my favorite colors...

Aqua Blue and Silver, especially at Christmas!



As a Creative Team Member for ICE Resin, I had the opportunity to play and experiment a bit with some of their wonderful bezels, transparent ribbon and, of course, ICE Resin.

For my first featured project, I chose a Silver Triangle Open Back bezel. They are wonderful for filling with resin as a transparent casting either with or without loose embeddments.

I've embedded a cut-to-size, miniature flash card from my vast collection.

I love the word TOGETHER and what it stands for ... for so many applications!



The addition of a PatinaMarie Original transparent leaf, cast from ICE Resin, with loose loops of silver wire and a length of Steel Transparent Ribbon add just the right amount of translucent sparkle and elegance.

Together.

Always.

***

Always collecting and re-purposing...combining old and new.

This began as a simple, second-hand vase from the Goodwill. Add a dismantled clip-on earring and it all comes together nicely.

The silver platter is a yard sale find.

As are the blue and silver Shiny Brite ornaments, the styrofoam "beads" and even the little white square hankie it's all perched upon.

Just goes to show that elegant doesn't have to cost a fortune.

linking today to:

Blue Cricket Design

Jewelry? Who Me???

I know. I know.

I. Don't. Make. Jewelry. 

I don't wear jewelry - except for the diamonds my honey has bestowed upon me... I can't NOT wear those, now can I?

Plus, I'm an April-baby and so diamonds are my birthstone and I LOVE them...

***

Moving on...

Back in October, when I went to Art Camp, I admit, I was out of my element and a bit intimidated. Surrounded by expert jewelry creators, they were creating like crazy. Wielding their soldering irons and mini torches, their solder flowed like wine (oh wait, maybe that WAS the wine!) O.K., like butter!

But I did play around with a soldering iron and solder.

I experimented with some little pieces of glass, paper images and copper tape. Bent some chain and introduced myself to my newly purchased 5 pc. jewelers tool set.

Learned a bit about how to etch and patina metal. Even came up with a new technique, quite by accident, of stamping Staz-On ink onto metal and putting it in the patina solution, instead of the etching solution! Oooops! But, even though it didn't etch, it did create a unique look that I will definitely use again. (see metal roof of glass house-1st photo above-upper right in the mess)

The properly, pre-etched piece of brass supplied in our creative kit was supposed to be bent into a bracelet cuff, but I made it into a mixed-metal necklace instead! You know me....I'm such a rebel!

I just knew I wouldn't wear a cuff, but a necklace? Well, maybe. On occasion. But more likely, to hang in my home or my office as a pretty little reminder to....

Make. ART!

...and make ART I have been....

AND Phillip surprised me with my very... own...soldering station...

Now I can practice soldering to my little hearts content...once I get settled in at the Rusty Monkey, of course...

***

Come back tomorrow and see what other new medium I've been "experimenting" with...

I think all you non-jewelry wearers will be inspired...

Cheers!

Baby, It's Gettin' Cold Outside..!

Just the other day it began getting chilly in the morning and chilly in the evening, but 70 in the afternoon.
But, it's getting cold out now. The sign flashing across the street says it's 29!!! Yeah. That's cold!!!

The freeway was dusted with snow and frost. The car thermometer said it was 28.

Maybe not as cold as my blogger friends that are up in Michigan or Montana, but for little 'ol So. Oregon...my chilly hands and red nose aren't making comparisons between 28 and -12.

(the water fountain last year in front of my favorite Mexican Restaurant)

When the snow starts falling, I'm all up for a snow day.

Some time up in the mountains making snow angels, drinking some hot cocoa from my vintage, red plaid Thermos, and throwing some snowballs at those I love...Watch it, boys!


Maybe even build a snowman! I bought this old pipe just for that reason.... Come on, SNOW!!!

Maybe we can even try some ice skating this year. Never been, except in my dreams. That re-occuring dream where I skate like an Olympian doing twists and turns, jumps and spins.

Yeah, that is a fun dream, but reality would be stand, wobble, twist an ankle, fall and break an arm, leg or hip.

Not being negative, just...well, let's just say, I don't have the best balance and coordination on skates...inline or all eight. I can't imagine blades. Skinny. Little. Blades. I've tried snow skiing and water skiing, and it wasn't a pretty sight!!

At any rate. STAY WARM, where ever you are. And to those enjoying the warm tropical islands right now....have fun decorating your palm trees, make a sand angel, and enjoy sipping your blue coconut beverage with the cute little umbrella... xoxoxo

Cheers!