tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87814789938641968652024-03-12T23:50:24.420-05:00The Art of the HomeIdeas, inspiration and updates from Dawn-Marie deLara, "Artist in Wonderland", at The Art of the Home.
What would it take to make the home you have the home of your dreams? What is it that makes your heart sing? Pop on down the rabbit hole, for adventures in artistic decorating and artful living.Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.comBlogger395125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-21607595732830863582015-09-03T09:17:00.000-05:002015-09-03T09:17:53.139-05:00Rather Magical Herb Jars (with instructions, if not actual spells)<b>You've seen these spice jars on the blog before, and I was sure I had
posted instructions at some point, but I can't find 'em, so apparently
that was one of those things I imagined so often, I actually thought I
did it. Anyway, since they are featured in a little spread of my
kitchen in <a href="http://www.faeriemag.com/products/faerie-magazine-issue-32-autumn-2015-print">Faerie Magazine's</a> autumn issue, which hits stores and mailboxes this week, I guess it's a good time to actually write that post.</b><br />
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<b>These are pretty simple, but time consuming. I made most of my set of 16 (so far) several years ago, inspired by the first Harry Potter book, to create some witchy whimsy in my kitchen. Every few years I get around to adding another. My friends Mary and Kit have both been after me to teach this as a class, so at our last
(literally last, but that's a happy story for next week) Second Saturday Soup
& Studio gathering, I pulled out the supplies. </b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mary getting serious about this project. Mary is a seriously fine friend. You know the type. She never forgets a birthday; she always shows up for gatherings, and always brings food or a hostess gift; she often makes time to connect old friends with new ones; and she never bats an eye at those of us who don't quite manage to be so perfectly thoughtful. She's also responsible for a weekly delivery of garden goodies appearing on my front porch all summer long. I hope you have a Mary in your gathering of goddesses.</span></b></span></td></tr>
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<b>The first step in creating these jars is to indulge yourself, and give in to the urge to buy gourmet goodies in interesting glass jars with metal lids. Either that or live your inner Bond, James Bond, and consume daily dirty martinis, thereby accumulating appropriately sized jars. You can always tell people they are maraschino cherry jars. Wash the jars, removing all labels, and once dry, wipe them down well with denatured or rubbing alcohol. I'm not sure if gin works as well, so maybe save that for the martinis...and maybe save the martinis for after you finish this project, as a steady hand is involved in places.</b><br />
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<b>To paint these jars, I use Pebeo Porcelaine paints and outliners. Pebeo makes several other paints, all packaged in the same type of bottle, so be sure to read the label. Porcelaine used to be commonly sold at craft stores, but lately I've only been finding it at (Dick) Blick Art Materials. If you cannot find them at your local art supply store, find them online by clicking here: <a href="http://www.dickblick.com/products/pebeo-porcelaine-150-paint/">Pebeo at Blick</a> Blick recommends soft natural brushes, like those used for water color. I've had good results with brushes designed for decorative painting with acrylics, as well. You will want a one half inch wide, flat one for covering large areas, and a few small flat and round tipped brushes for painting checks, dots, and small areas.</b><br />
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<b>For my jars, </b><b><b> I chose a mix of magical colors, including Olivine, Amber, Turquoise, Garnet Red (plummy magenta), Amethyst Purple, and white (for some labels), plus both black and gold outliners. </b>It does not work well to brush one color over another with these paints, so plan out your color placement in advance. I mostly follow any lines molded or embossed into the jar, often adding an oval or a fancy shape for a label. Brush strokes will show, but you can wash off and repaint until you are either satisfied, or give up. I've played around with stippling and basket weave patterns, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter. People ooh and ah over my spice jars all the time, and if you look closely at all, every one is <i>most definitely </i>"perfectly imperfect". </b><br />
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<b>After the base colors are dry, details and letters can be added with the outliners. Most of my detail work consists of scrolling combinations of S, C, Dot, and Comma strokes. Just like in decorative painting, there's a bit of press-and-pull-and-lift action to this. Practice on a tile or plate until you get the hang of it. Again, until it's baked, this paint can be washed off of glass and ceramics. On your jar, wipe off anything you don't love immediately, or you will likely wipe off your base color, as well. </b><br />
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<b>Allow your finished jar to cure for at least 24 hours, then bake the jars for 35 minutes at 300 degrees.</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Now, for the lids...</b></span></td></tr>
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<b> The lids are done by covering the metal jar lid with polymer clay, which you can get in any art or craft store. There are various brands, including Sculpey, Fimo, and Premo. I don't recommend the ones marked "Soft", but sometimes, that's all that is available. By the same token, if you squeeze a package of clay, and it's rock hard, don't buy it. You can easily reconstitute dried out clay, but if this is your first PC project, you don't need that hassle. Clay that is too soft can be rolled out flat and laid on a sheet of copy paper for a few hours to blot out some of the oil, which will firm it up. </b><br />
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<b>If you want colors like mine, you will have to mix them. My olive green, persimmon orange, dark raspberry, and peacock blue are very bright colors mixed with metallic gold. I like my colors overripe, and with depth. You can also use a little black or a complimentary color blended in to mute or soften a color. I mix little sample balls to figure out what works, then do my best to remember what I just did, to mix a big enough batch to cover a lid.</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;">There are a few basic tricks and tools for working with this clay...</span> </b><br />
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<li><b>Most important: Even if your clay is soft, knead it for a few minutes. This wakes up its molecules and will make for a stronger finished product. You can use your hands, or if you are going to get into polymer clay, buy a pasta machine and crank your clay through this, folding it in half and reinserting it </b><b><b>multiple times</b>. </b></li>
<li><b>For this project, the only important tool to buy is a tissue blade. This is a thin, flat metal blade that makes very precise, clean cuts. </b></li>
<li><b>The rest of my tools consist of a cheap little paring knife, a corsage pin, and a few nails with different sized heads, for which you can make polymer clay handles, as shown in the photo above. </b></li>
<li><b>You will need to roll out your clay, so if you don't have a pasta machine (dedicated to clay), buy an acrylic rod roller, or find a 6' length of smooth 1" dowel or other cylindrical object. </b></li>
<li><b>A little container of cornstarch and a soft brush to dust it on your work surface is going to be mecessary. </b></li>
<li><b>I use a plain 12 inch ceramic tile as a working and baking surface. You can work on your table top, and bake on an old ceramic plate.</b></li>
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<b>To cover the lid, dust your surface with cornstarch, roll out a thin sheet if clay, lay your lid on it, and cut around it, leaving enough overlap to cover the sides. Carefully lift the clay up, turn it over, and <i><u>starting in the center</u></i>, press the clay down, easing air bubbles out the edges. Prick any remaining air bubbles with a pin, press out the air, and gently feather the pin hole closed with your fingertip. Then ease the edges into place and smooth them, wrapping them just around. Use your tissue blade to cleanly cut the clay flush with the bottom edge of the lid, then use your fingers to feather the clay to the metal. You don't want a bulky lip down here.</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">All smoothed, and ready to flip over and trim flush with the lid, using the tissue blade.</span></b></span></td></tr>
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<b>To decorate the lid, you can use ropes, twisted ropes, balls, dots, teardrops, and anything else you desire, layered until it looks finished to you. If your clay is too soft, these little bits will be sticky and especially the twisted ropes may not hold shape well. If this happens to you, work on a piece of copy paper, to help blot out the excess oil, leaving things there for a bit, if it gets frustrating. I forgot to tell Mary this, and she did have a booger of a time getting a twisted rope to come out nicely, and finally gave up. Not until I was proofing this post did I remember Maureen or Renee Carlson teaching me this. Oops. Sorry Mary, darlin'.</b><br />
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<b>On my thyme jar I did use a plain rope, pressing a nailhead into it to create the scallop effect. Mary used this technique on her jar, too. If you are doing a directional design, or putting a letter on the top, gently screw the lid onto the jar, to be sure your placement will line up with the front of your jar. Once you determine and discreetly mark your center front spot, take the lid off to finish working on it. Otherwise, you risk squishing your finished work, trying to take the lid off for baking. I probably remembered to do this on at least one of the fifteen I've made. The most important thing in decorating the top is to be sure your little bits are pressed in firmly enough to stay stuck after baking, when the lid is handled.</b><br />
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<b>Bake your finished lids according to the manufacturer's directions, adding about ten minutes to the baking time. If you've mixed brands and types, you'll probably find there are different temperatures listed. Use the highest temperature, usually 285 degrees. </b><br />
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<b>Your Rather Magical Herb Jars are fully washable, by hand. I occasionally take an old toothbrush gently to the tops of mine, to get any cooking crud out of the crevices. Some of these are at least fifteen years old, and have held up just fine. I use a lot of herbs in my every day cooking, which is why I needed larger than normal jars to hold the spices I buy in bulk, so I can safely say this is one well-tested project.</b><br />
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<b>If you want to learn more about working with polymer clay, my teacher, mentor, and Gatekeeper to the World of Polymer Clay is Maureen Carlson. You can find her books, molds, and more at <a href="http://maureencarlson.com/">Maureencarlson.com</a>. Sign up for her newsletter, follow her professional page on facebook, and look for her pins on Pinterest. You can also check out Cynthia Tinapple's phenomenal blog, Polymer Clay Daily, <a href="http://polymerclaydaily.com/">polymerclaydaily.com</a>, for an ongoing feed of inspiration from around the world. Oh, and don't forget to order your subscription to <a href="http://faeriemagazine.com/">Faerie Magazine</a>, if you didn't find your way here by way of them, to begin with!</b><br />
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<b>It's a magical world, and I lead a magical life, for which I am enormously grateful. I hope you will check back next week for news on the newest chapter of my life, which I'm just beginning to write. Big exciting changes are underway! Wishing you hugs and happiness, and oodles of creatively fulfilling time spent doing whatever you love best.</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The nice photo of all the jars at the top of this post is by Toni Fogarty, <a href="http://frontporchphotos.com/">frontporchphotos.com</a>. The less than spectacular shots that follow are all mine. Yes, it's beyond time for a decent camera, but for now, perfectly imperfect will have to be perfectly fine. </span></span> </b><br />
<b> </b> Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-54829953676317669572015-03-28T20:45:00.001-05:002015-03-28T20:45:45.721-05:00You Can Take it With You<b>One of the most unique techniques I do for customers is sculpting plaster, actually Italian paper clay, onto walls. I've done variations of this over arched doorways and on column tops, above kitchen cabinets, spanning bay windows where curtains and pelmet aren't needed, and even tumbling across a master bedroom wall over a massive Tuscan bed. I also have it in my own home, bordering my dining room in a gilded swag of fruits and leaves, and surrounding my bathroom mirror, in a slightly more Art Nouveau style. I never get tired of the process of modeling these dimensional pictures.</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In addition to the chickadee and hummingbird here, the panel has two more hummers in the vinery, and a dove at the base. The dove was originally a rabbit, but it somehow wasn't quite right, and after a few hours of sleep, I awoke knowing it had to be a dove, so I scraped off the bunny and started over. Since the circle starts there and the whole story comes back around to that point, and since Sharron is deeply spiritual, anchoring the piece with a dove not only looked right, it "felt" right.</span></span></b> </td></tr>
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<b>Recently, a woman who had seen the plaster in my bathroom during a tour of my home, asked if it had to be done on a wall. Sharron really wanted something very much like what I have, but she's likely to downsize from the home in which she raised her children, to a condo, in a few years, and she wouldn't be willing to invest her heart and money in this, and then leave it behind. Since I use paper clay for all kinds of art, I could tell her for certain that it is most certainly possible to do it on anything from wooden panels to plaster urns. (Look to the sidebar on this blog for the urn.) That was all she needed to hear, and after I made a quick visit to her home to get a feel for her personal style, she gave an enthusiastic green light to my sketches, and the fun began.</b></div>
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<b>Oh, wait, no, the fun did not exactly begin. The process of creating a
stable, arched, seven and one half foot tall panel began. This is
Minnesota, and it was February. No possibility of doing woodworking
outdoors. No possibility of calling in my regular carpenter, as he was
wisely on his annual Mexico vacation, and hadn't left me the key to his
shop, which he'd have happily done, if he'd known I needed it. No
possibility of fitting this large a project in my tiny basement
workshop, which is sized for things like picture frames and footstool
repairs. Nope, this one had to be built in that art room annex formerly
known as my dining room.</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAO2cvxG3P5qaNqt0EE_YC6SdvA18EnBA38m6FluS5JtsZx2tSZXLcX-xrWlxinWOIUvvzPBLTuiGe4RNTciW-S9pPx5zi_jXyE4bMQJRfbn5FzOrcplYMiFzVlt0hRU_felDy4NK2IL8/s1600/SG+panel+in+dr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAO2cvxG3P5qaNqt0EE_YC6SdvA18EnBA38m6FluS5JtsZx2tSZXLcX-xrWlxinWOIUvvzPBLTuiGe4RNTciW-S9pPx5zi_jXyE4bMQJRfbn5FzOrcplYMiFzVlt0hRU_felDy4NK2IL8/s1600/SG+panel+in+dr.jpg" height="400" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sure, I still serve dinner in this room, just not every day. Note the gilded fruit border to either side of the doorway in which the panel leaned while I worked on it. Same technique, different finish.</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<b>I can't claim this is totally unusual. I often do quick bits of woodworking in here. I don't usually do quite this much cutting, though, and by the time I'd jig-sawed out all the curved pieces, and there are more than meets the eye, as there's a 2-by structure backing the plywood face, I was really wishing I'd closed more doors, and hauled out some dust sheets. It's not the end of my world, but let's just say my once every month or two dusting habit is not gettin' the job done these days. <sigh></sigh></b></div>
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<b>So, once I had the panel built, I was able to start slinging paint. Oh, wait, no, once I had the panel built, I got to spend a few days doing a gesso-like process of turning the grainy plywood into a smooth surface, using a mixture of primer and joint compound, and sanding it (oh, joy, more dust), repeatedly. <i>Then</i> I got to start slinging paint. The background color is made up of five shades of blue, ranging from periwinkle to teal, plus a little bit of dark purple and deep rose. The palette was taken from favorite fabrics in Sharron's quilting stash. </b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">(Oooh, you might like to see her quilts, huh? I'll see if I can get some pictures this weekend or next, and do a post on her!)</span></b></div>
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<b>Instead of painting the color on the background with a brush, I troweled it on with a six inch taping knife, of the type used for drywall finishing, and an old credit card, of the type used for everything except actually purchasing things, plus a sponge, to soften and blend a bit, as needed. It's a very imprecise wet-on-wet technique, and I work and rework it until I like it. Sometimes it's quick, sometimes it takes awhile to "feel" finished. Finally, with the background paint done, I could attach the face frame, and begin sculpting.</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_ObIA2bM9di9FeuFW_uSHExRAINFWSMggYQegf3yglL50qUsVB5o98HYwtYA6YQcAWcfq38Tl3pqNFMDTuU3QA-p87BzCjfVDdfFOETL7xGmIblPQxEqKahcy1Io-zK_Vpx7uvY7poM/s1600/sg+irises.jpg" height="400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In addition to this iris, the panel features delicate branches of wild rose blossoms and buds, and of course, a dandelion. Why a dandelion? Because.</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<b>People are often surprised to learn that this is not created on a table, allowed to dry, and then glued on,. It isn't. The modeling of the clay happens directly onto the wall or object. Hmmm, instead of rewriting that whole technique though, let me go search the archives, and see if I can locate the post that shows it (now is the moment I regret witty blog post titles that don't actually say what the post is about)... </b></div>
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<b>Aha! Here you go. If you want to see how it gets sculpted wet onto a wall, a wooden panel, or whatever, click here: <a href="http://theartofthehome.blogspot.com/2011/08/there-are-peacocks-in-this-bramble.html" target="_blank">sculpting scrolls</a>, and to see that project completed, click here: <a href="http://theartofthehome.blogspot.com/2011/11/peacocks-and-periwinkle.html" target="_blank"> Peacocks and periwinkle </a></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmSd6HJJSLb5OY_Fat-KhEW1NX6pVBP_d0J8aJzHYarpdOzU-jdOh6OdmuwmFh365zWFHzHz-TpOSpWJJPJMV9nhiz-gsFOKOI08kjUuefrS5kFab3YM-od-YTpQOz6i02kWyHEEA2TY/s1600/SG+with+panel+installed+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmSd6HJJSLb5OY_Fat-KhEW1NX6pVBP_d0J8aJzHYarpdOzU-jdOh6OdmuwmFh365zWFHzHz-TpOSpWJJPJMV9nhiz-gsFOKOI08kjUuefrS5kFab3YM-od-YTpQOz6i02kWyHEEA2TY/s1600/SG+with+panel+installed+1.jpg" height="400" width="380" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The placement of the art high on the panel was so that it can be used as a headboard. Sharron and I also planned for the option of using it behind a dresser, or a demilune table. The face frame was intentionally scaled to match the width of standard trim, so that depending on where it is placed, it can appear at first glance to be part of the original architecture of most any home. Even the logistics of the future move were planned for during the design phase, so this piece is fully mobile.</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sculpting in paper clay is truly one of my favorite techniques, and this piece is most definitely my current favorite thing. One of my other favorite things? Finding a way for a client to have their heart's desire. I so love saying "Yes!"</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>There's lots more in my portfolio of paint and plaster on my website, at <a href="http://theartofthehome.com/">theartofthehome.com</a>, and of course, as you now know, if you see something you like, but you need it done a different way, just ask. Best way to reach me is via email, here: <a href="mailto:dawnmariedelara@gmail.com" target="_blank">Just Ask</a></b></span><br />
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<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-qhJsSNdpPmU%2FVRczoX_V44I%2FAAAAAAAAHJw%2FEDF11LMMthg%2Fs1600%2Fsg%252Bchickadee%252Band%252Bhummer.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4120di-gr_FhA45NaMc58XtVEwEYRpeaF6o_XpHRgCqoHmZJgMferqioDkocP0lbPkW4BJdm0pQaYBg9PrXW2E1ywM7seg22-fTHKU-4-be0ocMcdlv9t30nB3oSMHOHYhH93l0a95I/s1600/sg+chickadee+and+hummer.jpg" -->Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-2413906629175951112015-01-21T22:01:00.000-06:002015-01-21T22:01:05.994-06:00Build it yourself, Babycakes. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." ~Thomas Edison </span></b></div>
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<b>I've been meaning to put a sign on the basement door that says "Dragon's Stash", but maybe "Edison's Heap" would make more sense. I mean, while there is a lot of jewel toned glass and several pounds of glitter neatly shelved down there, there's also one room devoted to salvaged furniture bits, old hardware, and scraps of trim, which I suppose no self-respecting dragon would be caught dead with, except as fire pit fodder. I've tried thinning it out over the years, but it seems for every piece I give away or use, some friend brings me a replacement. Sadly, I've never met an antique radio cabinet I didn't like, nor a vintage headboard that couldn't be repurposed.</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoor75aY66OYkHPlPtaw4481PkGiycA_zK7I3Zc70amODpwFZOQOKmWVpjHhL7MYcQhAG14DJelOlOX5CEOotX7S8t9xlm5fGY2shatYW2YosuYJJvo-BADES9mdf5pfSZktO2icPZ42E/s1600/faith+with+desk+at+her+house.jpg" height="640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="360" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">What do you do when you're not quite 13, and you can't just go buy the desk you want? You build it yourself, of course. ArtGirl is also ToolGirl.</span></b></span></td></tr>
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<b> Sometimes I even threaten to haul the lot up and put it on the curb with a FREE sign, but my Saturdays (the friends who come once a month to eat soup and raid my stash to make projects) cry out in not-so-mock horror, and I am rather too easily convinced that my curating this collection is a valuable service. Hey, my favorite teenager thinks so. She loves my basement, and really, why wouldn't she? No matter what she wants to build, she always finds what she needs in my magic supply cupboard. Take this desk, for example:</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KHqtS4O22Q02bfDRiZNjfYOkTD4Z7AlPceXBSx9NdfmwavpRFH1zOt1gDce8gFRHZbIvP3w4NjfINQ8Cky2zBoJ4YqnNtLmxgCMPcmK_R__XEXmBGnw4xCeWU78CfGDN22rpqD6c16w/s1600/faith+desk+in+progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KHqtS4O22Q02bfDRiZNjfYOkTD4Z7AlPceXBSx9NdfmwavpRFH1zOt1gDce8gFRHZbIvP3w4NjfINQ8Cky2zBoJ4YqnNtLmxgCMPcmK_R__XEXmBGnw4xCeWU78CfGDN22rpqD6c16w/s1600/faith+desk+in+progress.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Everything is assembled with screws, and this photo, with the desk top and shelves removed for painting, pretty much shows everything you need to know for construction. Just remember to use a square and pre-drill your screw holes.</span></b></span></td></tr>
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<b> Faithie picked out a desk from Ikea for her bedroom, but after waiting a year for her parents to purchase it, she gave up and asked if we could just build one. She drew a sketch of what she wanted, we talked about how it needed to function, revised the sketch, and raided the basement. We came up with a storm door missing the window panel (That's because she used that as a door on the fort she built the summer before, which you can see if you <a href="http://theartofthehome.blogspot.com/2013/06/every-kid-wants-clubhouse-this-kid.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>), a headboard, two pre-cut shelves, a pair of brackets, a scrap of chicken wire, and a 2x2 fence picket. </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8Vx61cn97f3cj-8t5V3QZeRiJgs_zLvB0ATczg2XYA_j58uVWJsKegho1X31gHtjohx9bWvXSNU7bmVZR9Nv7NruVi4l4jBvN_KX_fAHAJ5qhgaH9S2uuz_g9pLrhs5mVSPNnTkbwSg/s1600/desk+here.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8Vx61cn97f3cj-8t5V3QZeRiJgs_zLvB0ATczg2XYA_j58uVWJsKegho1X31gHtjohx9bWvXSNU7bmVZR9Nv7NruVi4l4jBvN_KX_fAHAJ5qhgaH9S2uuz_g9pLrhs5mVSPNnTkbwSg/s1600/desk+here.jpg" height="640" width="318" /></a></div>
<b> The top shelf is stationary, but the other small shelf can sit above the desktop to hold supplies, or slip down below to act as a book shelf. Although hard to see in these photos, the open area of the door is filled with chicken wire, which makes a great bulletin board (<a href="http://theartofthehome.blogspot.com/2012/02/i-love-to-save-pages-from-magazines-and.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> for another example of that). Faithie's creation actually functions better than the Ikea desk would have, and fits into her bedroom better, and she especially likes the chicken wire bulletin board, as it doesn't block the mural she painted on her walls.</b><br />
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<b> Working with salvaged materials is such a great celebration of abundance, and a fabulous way to create really personal and functional items. Even if you aren't 13, and can drive yourself to the mall, may I suggest you hit a few garage sales instead? ArtGirl and I absolutely promise you that building stuff is way more fun than buying it.</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How to find me:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Need wonderful walls to go with your clever creations? Check out my portfolio at <a href="http://theartofthehome.com/">theartofthehome.com</a> .</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You can read my musings on spirituality and creativity on my other blog, <a href="http://dawn-mariedelara.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Creative Soul</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you have questions or comments you don't want to leave below, you can <a href="mailto:dawnmariedelara@gmail.com" target="_blank">EMAIL</a> me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And, you can find me on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/dawnmarie.delara" target="_blank"> facebook</a>, and<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/dmdl/" target="_blank"> pinterest</a>.</span>Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-30132884466472490612014-12-23T13:58:00.001-06:002014-12-23T14:00:12.111-06:00And a dragon in a spruce tree...<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">It's two days before Christmas,</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">and my schedule is laggin',</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">But at least the Yule tree is up,</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Complete with a dragon!</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYA7pPqpczBRzMS_VVqA6nwfPtCZL4PPnc0ZsQVTdbvzQUPdNh9cNJ71TUeiskkBomtg17b06BRi58xUQy1VtQ08q6pTcMkNpc9yhtPJ0_qZEuEM7suBQ1RJwdJqR-bvkiWvSvplZQ1A/s1600/of+course+there's+a+dragon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYA7pPqpczBRzMS_VVqA6nwfPtCZL4PPnc0ZsQVTdbvzQUPdNh9cNJ71TUeiskkBomtg17b06BRi58xUQy1VtQ08q6pTcMkNpc9yhtPJ0_qZEuEM7suBQ1RJwdJqR-bvkiWvSvplZQ1A/s1600/of+course+there's%2Ba%2Bdragon.jpg" height="316" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Yes, the children are nestled</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>all snug in my head,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>My inner 3-year-old,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>(obviously) never quite fled.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-PCa-kS4e8O8GCBVz8doa2vz1j68e57HmpArfCaecyf58tp_yvIR68ceOwGjVqpaKhKWQtu7nFWMuItwmnveJYY1g1azYM_liUjK0aOcDq9kmeBkdalINUgxrQxWjDR7qa1i28kI-N8/s1600/Yule+tree+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-PCa-kS4e8O8GCBVz8doa2vz1j68e57HmpArfCaecyf58tp_yvIR68ceOwGjVqpaKhKWQtu7nFWMuItwmnveJYY1g1azYM_liUjK0aOcDq9kmeBkdalINUgxrQxWjDR7qa1i28kI-N8/s1600/Yule+tree+2014.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Thus, the garden fairy twinkled</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">her sweet little nose,</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">And fashioned this tree from</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">whatever she chose.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejmroAwPTQ5c5Pjq-bibYMncbXMrRgEMjgRGRxP-lvLNrtCU-17o7bm_rcfPjnPZ6xLwsnPzluqTqL4pD0B-5MNZAEXUZFgLVojr_B37R_oPg7Ce6GsaG8UicUsykJ6txKuYEn8pG1Zc/s1600/garden+fairy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejmroAwPTQ5c5Pjq-bibYMncbXMrRgEMjgRGRxP-lvLNrtCU-17o7bm_rcfPjnPZ6xLwsnPzluqTqL4pD0B-5MNZAEXUZFgLVojr_B37R_oPg7Ce6GsaG8UicUsykJ6txKuYEn8pG1Zc/s1600/garden+fairy.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>It's dressed all in feathers,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>from it's tip to its root.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Some think it's Pagan,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>others think it's a hoot.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrt4PO_jery0NpXky7lhnOqI2abAEttKNC7G8lLqJGg3bQutxJpoAU1fx2FIIsVdI4-EizD2EQ0cIJ5POZDgsBlORKlFsyA0JqnIE6yltuH8YrM9b2xubmVu43E2ryTPOvSvasH6fOYI/s1600/a+wild+mix+of+decorations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrt4PO_jery0NpXky7lhnOqI2abAEttKNC7G8lLqJGg3bQutxJpoAU1fx2FIIsVdI4-EizD2EQ0cIJ5POZDgsBlORKlFsyA0JqnIE6yltuH8YrM9b2xubmVu43E2ryTPOvSvasH6fOYI/s1600/a+wild+mix+of+decorations.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">It has gold-sprayed hydrangeas,</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">bittersweet and faux cherry, </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">and a Spruce-Crested Whatchamacallit,</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">made by my friend Mary.</span></b></div>
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<b>(Okay, the faux cherries are really oranges, but that doesn't rhyme, so work with me here.)</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodnhkpO1LVVBqSskPnF-9lWyGmOGO-rDZAXj_nyc0TOXcwlJEzQCHMYv8LFUx166Ims6bVvGqr9fNZ1qZxFzB_ljIqFUnCVzkKGV19JkYIV9FXDDKnQyY5kpe7loYAvh-WJQZDf__ISM/s1600/spruce+crested+whatchamacallit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodnhkpO1LVVBqSskPnF-9lWyGmOGO-rDZAXj_nyc0TOXcwlJEzQCHMYv8LFUx166Ims6bVvGqr9fNZ1qZxFzB_ljIqFUnCVzkKGV19JkYIV9FXDDKnQyY5kpe7loYAvh-WJQZDf__ISM/s1600/spruce+crested+whatchamacallit.jpg" height="400" width="297" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">And a little old bluebird,</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">I fashioned of clay,</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Though as a gift for a friend,</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">It's soon flying away.</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0adMNWOrDa7mN6h9uqrTA2LPWZOSUr8gZ-W8sA7blPS3CUttYAtLsBhELf9DEJTWHRZOjmulT8u6atVrCe_kQxQvs8LkBxwpOpRNAcHot7L2bAW-lijMrCRe8WVP5F7lA4D8Y0zuaZ8/s1600/bluebird+in+a+spruce+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0adMNWOrDa7mN6h9uqrTA2LPWZOSUr8gZ-W8sA7blPS3CUttYAtLsBhELf9DEJTWHRZOjmulT8u6atVrCe_kQxQvs8LkBxwpOpRNAcHot7L2bAW-lijMrCRe8WVP5F7lA4D8Y0zuaZ8/s1600/bluebird+in+a+spruce+tree.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>So if you're being too serious,</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>as you approach Christmas Day,</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Remember life is mysterious,</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>And we all came to play!</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5k0TxxRNXOXpEF-G1xaBu8o_XN8aN9GW2ihs5bgy85oNmHViSIEyGQNfgiJ9qIj94LmsCLIYn6R9Bk164_uoHl16S_ynx6WpkQro8xg1cSfJO81kmsNrpuCPvmfpkcv3UkLZ_WE_Cmg/s1600/Yuletide+night+watch-dragon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5k0TxxRNXOXpEF-G1xaBu8o_XN8aN9GW2ihs5bgy85oNmHViSIEyGQNfgiJ9qIj94LmsCLIYn6R9Bk164_uoHl16S_ynx6WpkQro8xg1cSfJO81kmsNrpuCPvmfpkcv3UkLZ_WE_Cmg/s1600/Yuletide+night+watch-dragon.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Happy Yuletide to all, and to all a good night!</span></b></td></tr>
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<span id="goog_189471403"></span><span id="goog_189471404"></span><br />Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-54427572868573722352014-11-22T18:46:00.000-06:002014-11-22T18:46:07.597-06:00What Mary Ann Likes, Mary Ann Gets<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mary Ann is a woman who knows what she likes. Personally, I think she's pretty easy to like, herself!</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Knowing who you are and what you like makes decision-making easy.
Just ask Mary Ann. She knew she wanted a faux finish, and when she
mentioned to friends at dinner one night that she was looking for an
artist to do it, they knew who to call. Kinda helps that she and her
husband, Jim, were having dinner with my carpenter and his wife. TC not
only does the carpentry on my jobs that need small bits of woodworking,
but he and Carol live in a very elegant, fully restored, early 1900's
four-square style house, and have had me in to do a lot of the paint
work for that. </b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's the wall I started on. At the beginning of the day, Mary Ann could be heard in the condo hallway, telling friends they had to wait until I finished to see what we were up to. However, when she saw me start putting the veins on the marbled background using a turkey feather, she was astonished, and within minutes, she'd brought in an audience of neighbors! I don't mind this a bit. I actually love showing the secrets behind the magic, in hopes it makes trying creative things less intimidating for those who just might want to pick up a brush themselves. Okay, and yes, my ego loves the strokes, and it doesn't hurt in the picking-up-new-business department, either. Mostly though, it's just fun.</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Within a day of that dinner, Mary Ann and
I were on the phone, scheduling a consultation, and about two minutes
into that meeting, she saw a sample in my portfolio that was exactly
what she wanted. No, she did not want to see the rest of the
portfolio. No, she did not need to see this technique in different
colorways. That marble, that color, and how soon could I start? </b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxb3x9tgR3Dnn9HoZICQoe-4WYQdwXq9yaMDxNeWNYoVEScKrZ6ecSkt2A3maQ8jtjBuDBQdFwB51rBANTzHfGiqqUW5cLh9SSLn-JYRxxw5iaNrOh2sPAsHbRXE_QNrOFt6iYjxJrPOE/s1600/Mary+Ann's+dining+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxb3x9tgR3Dnn9HoZICQoe-4WYQdwXq9yaMDxNeWNYoVEScKrZ6ecSkt2A3maQ8jtjBuDBQdFwB51rBANTzHfGiqqUW5cLh9SSLn-JYRxxw5iaNrOh2sPAsHbRXE_QNrOFt6iYjxJrPOE/s1600/Mary+Ann's%2Bdining%2Broom.jpg" height="295" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>I could get spoiled by clients so easy to please. Not that she isn't particular. In fact, it's because Mary Ann was <i>so</i>
particular that she was easy to please. I didn't have to do a design
consultation to figure out her style and color preferences, because she
clearly knows what she likes. This is a condo they have downsized to
for easier retirement living, and they carefully selected only their
very favorite things to furnish it. Since Mary Ann has been collecting
Victorian era antiques for years, no need for me to figure out a thing.</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mary Ann had saved these favorite candle sconces, but was at a loss for where to put them, and had decided to sell them on ebay. They were the style she wanted, but too small in scale, next to the </span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">King-sized,</span></span></b> reproduction bed...until we decided to paint faux marble panels behind them, to give them some bulk. Finding ways like this to use her favorite treasures was such a delight for both of us.</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>I
simply had to paint. And help arrange some furniture. And some of the
artwork. And then paint the rest of the rooms. And sit down and eat
lunch. And take home a fresh loaf of bread she picked up for me, from
the bakery next door. And go boating with them. And... yeah, I could
get spoiled by clients like these. As it is, I've been adopted. Lucky, lucky me to have made the list of things Mary Ann likes!</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Here's a slick trick to give artwork a bigger presence. We linked these two paintings with a tapestry bell pull, whose colors could be found in both. This is how we connected two pieces of only vaguely similar style, and used them to balance a larger painting on the opposite side of the china cabinet. Not only do I "have brush, will travel", but I also have a hammer and a cordless drill, and very strong muscles, and I will help you put your room back together, once the painting is done.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<b>You can view my online portfolio at <a href="http://theartofthehome.com/">theartofthehome.com</a>. All the info on how to hire me is there too. Adoption is entirely optional! Here's another option: if you like what I write here, you might like my other blog, Creative Soul, at <a href="http://dawn-mariedelara.blogspot.com/">dawn-mariedelara.blogspot.com</a>. </b>Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-16902969302263918762014-11-10T20:21:00.002-06:002014-11-10T20:57:46.241-06:00Raising the Barre<b>Folks who have toured my home, Belle Amie, know she's pretty much all creative space with a bedroom, a guest room, and a bath. Oh sure, Belle's a 4 "bedroom" house, but one of those is the office where I write stuff like these blog posts, and the other has been my dance studio for years. That's the room originally intended as the master bedroom, but what grown-up needs an acre for a bed and dresser? I decided to sleep in a smaller bedroom, and put this space to better use. To be honest, despite my intention to have my dancer's body back by my 50th birthday in 2015, I've used the room infrequently these past few months. I might have reached the goal anyway, but something happened recently that just about insures I'll make it, or at least work blessed hard at it.</b><br />
<br />
<b>About a month or so ago, I was giving a tour to a house guest, and
our mutual friend Jill was tagging along. Jill happens to be the mama
of Artgirl, who's been featured frequently in my blog posts over the
last four years (Scroll down or back a few posts and you'll find her).
When we got to the dance room, my guest Yvonne, an accomplished Irish
dancer, was a bit disappointed she hadn't brought dance shoes, and
wouldn't be around long enough to play, anyway. Jill, who's seen the
room a dozen times, suddenly lit up with an idea. Her younger daughter
would really <i>love</i> to play in the dance room...maybe with a<i> little dance
instruction</i>...<i>maybe I'd like to consider</i>...? Jill is one of those
people who has a hopeful "maybe???" face nobody can say no to, which
explains why my thighs are now screaming every Monday afternoon, even as
my heart leaps and sings with joy.</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Dancegirl has relocated the "ugly machine" to this corner, and the wicker chaise stacks on top of it during dance class. This is probably as much to get the chaise out of the way of her leaping as to keep me from collapsing onto it after a dizzying series of turns. I am expected not to just keep up, but to lead, after all. Nothing like a child's faith in your abilities to bring out reserves you thought were long gone! </b></span></span></td></tr>
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<b>You see,
I've always loved dance (used to be pretty serious about it, in fact)
but I haven't taken classes myself for nearly twenty years, and as I've
said, I'm not <i>exactly</i> (snort!) in dance shape. Jill didn't think this not-so-little detail
mattered one bit, since Ava is just nine, and has only taken beginner
level classes. Jill's problem was that ballet, jazz and tap classes
aren't available here in town, and Ava doesn't really like kickline,
which is a competition dance sport done in the school gym. Not that she <i>totally</i> loves recitals and (<i>most especially not</i>) itchy costumes, either. She just loves to
dance, and she loves the atmosphere of a proper dance studio. Sooooo,
since I have several years of (rusty) ballet, tap and jazz training, and
the requisite hardwood floors and a few mirrors, Jill and I stuck a
deal: </b></div>
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<b>Artgirl
on Monday mornings, Dancegirl on Monday afternoons. (When the bliss of
that sinks in, feel free to envy me every Monday as you groan your way to
the office.) I LOVE MONDAYS!</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Instrument of torture", a.k.a. "ugly machine", a.k.a. generously gifted Bowflex. (Thank you again and always, Sarah and Oscar!) Little dancers don't need to work out, but I find it helps grown ones tremendously!</span></span></b> </td></tr>
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<b>After
sifting through the pins I sent her on Pinterest, a Youtube video from
So You Think You Can Dance caught Ava's eye. It involved stairs, which
of course I don't have in that room. I do have nice wide cement steps
up to my front porch though, so for the past few weeks, we've done a
quick warm-up, using a chair as a ballet barre, then headed out front to
dance on the stairs. </b></div>
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<b>If
you've never toured my house, you may also not know that it is in the
heart of downtown, on Main Street, directly across from The Sparetime
Tavern. Yes, I have been tap dancing up and down my front steps, during
afternoon rush hour, on Main Street, in yoga pants. Secretly, I've
always wanted to dance down Main Street here, like I did with my friends
back in high school, but somehow in the fantasy, I'm a good bit
sleeker, the dance is a bit more polished, and passers-by are charmed. But hey, guess what?!? Do this with a delightfully vibrant 9-year-old,
and passers-by <i>actually are</i> totally charmed, and I'm positive (more or less) that
not one of them even notices my butt in yoga pants (this is my current
fantasy, and I like it just fine as is, thank you).</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"I got this." Dancegirl has been watching her older sister, Artgirl, get to play with power tools for a few years, now. Today, she finally got her turn. Obviously, she's been paying close attention all this time. </span></span></b></td></tr>
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<b>Today,
however, we could not dance on the steps. Nature has done her natural
thing, and the season has turned. We did not get the 12 inches of
predicted snow, but we got a dusting of it just wet and cold enough to
make things slippery, so Ava agreed that it's time to bring dance back
indoors. We were ready for that, as she's directed the rearranging of
the space over the past few weeks. Well, mostly ready. </b></div>
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<b>She's
been patiently waiting for me to install a proper ballet barre, and was
happy to see I'd at least scrounged up materials from the treasure
trove in the basement. I'd wanted to shop for prettier brackets and a
heavier pole, but function was needed <i>now</i>, so I'll upgrade in
the future, when I find just the right thing. I was about to promise
her yet again that I would install it during the coming week, when it
occurred to me she might want to help. She's watched her big sister and
me use power tools on several carpentry projects over the years, so
wondering if she wanted a turn at it, I gave her the choice of doing a
chair-barre warmup , or installing the barre... like, <i>with power tools</i>. Yup. Kid after my own heart, I tell ya. </b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>It's all about centering.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>...and keeping at it until you get it right. Carpentry and dance have a lot in common, I guess.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<b>Look out world! Like any ballerina, Dancegirl here is strong and fearless and coordinated. She can manage a tape measure and a cordless drill just fine, thank you very much, and she'll follow it with a fine grand jete' (that's a big leap) and a few pretty pirouettes. Ta-Da!!!</b></div>
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<b>So today, while my not-exactly-fit body got a break, my dance student raised the barre. Not only did she install it, but she expects me to use it, so I can teach her all those moves I used to do. I'm actually pretty excited about the challenge. My nearly fifty year old knees, and my comfortably padded derriere maybe not so much, but they'll come around. By the time Spring arrives and the snow melts, it will be recital time on Main Street. Dancegirl will steal the show, but I'll be keeping up with her, as we dance with sleek polished style down the front steps, and on down the block. We'll keep you posted on the date, in case you'd like a front row seat at the Sparetime Tavern. (Oh, look Jill! It's everything you ever wanted in a dance class, plus beer served at the spring recital!!!)</b></div>
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<b>Seriously, when's the last time you evaluated how you use the space in your home? Whether you have kids or not, you probably have a creative soul that's longing for room to sew, craft, dance, paint, or something, and most homes have rooms that really aren't used to best advantage. Look with fresh eyes, and if you need help with imagining how this could possibly work in your home, don't hesitate to <a href="mailto:dawnmariedelara@gmail.com" target="_blank">email me!</a> </b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Have you repurposed a room in your home? Tell us about it in the comments, below! </span></b></div>
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<br />Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-19891259544216141882014-10-29T21:15:00.002-05:002014-10-29T21:15:49.705-05:00Q: What's white and lacy with paint all over?<b>A: Linda Hughes' living room walls (OK, yeah...<i>and </i>certain parts of my wardrobe, but I'm not sharing photos of that mess!) </b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0xiQyf8domFmXcGYKzDwtSHgCI2xfK3fAj4rZ3plLclUBy2n8dZB_Ozw1Tmn2UotVSXeXxTb_JtYCwMpfHZnaFSUSYHkMVpL8wBoiPzzY_KwB1pQwi2LuZRPHlQl2oI8NOIeQvJ0410/s1600/Linda's+place.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0xiQyf8domFmXcGYKzDwtSHgCI2xfK3fAj4rZ3plLclUBy2n8dZB_Ozw1Tmn2UotVSXeXxTb_JtYCwMpfHZnaFSUSYHkMVpL8wBoiPzzY_KwB1pQwi2LuZRPHlQl2oI8NOIeQvJ0410/s1600/Linda's%2Bplace.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lace panels are surrounded by a glazed faux finish, using the same colors as Linda's stripes in her kitchen.</b></span> (Note: You can click on the pictures to see them somewhat enlarged.)</span></td></tr>
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<b>When Linda told her neighbors she was having me paint lace on her walls, they thought I was probably stenciling it, maybe even using lace as a mask to paint through. That's a lovely idea, and it works, but lucky for me, with my love of mixed-media projects, Linda Hughes likes to do things that are a little different. </b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCUKQu9ij59CAkLBx2uB354PEpt6NwlS2YvOTE-J3LwONZAzZaIFZBgnXaMVKcQ__-JvaKVYXh9vuuxf0l_r2esSpaFvytyUDEoqDIoieVRv6uOuTRVuY46G8k4G8km2OaRVWEFBjT2M/s1600/Linda's+neighbor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCUKQu9ij59CAkLBx2uB354PEpt6NwlS2YvOTE-J3LwONZAzZaIFZBgnXaMVKcQ__-JvaKVYXh9vuuxf0l_r2esSpaFvytyUDEoqDIoieVRv6uOuTRVuY46G8k4G8km2OaRVWEFBjT2M/s1600/Linda's%2Bneighbor.jpg" height="400" width="328" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>This neighbor came to see the lace, and was delighted to be surprised with a painting of hers displayed on the wall! She had put it in a give-away pile, and Linda just couldn't let it go to the thrift store. Linda has great taste, and great neighbors!</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<b>I wasn't so sure when Linda plucked the painted lace sample from the <i>second</i> batch of samples I brought for her to see. She had liked several things in the first batch, but would unmake her mind almost as fast as she made it up. Painted lace is actual lace, painted onto the wall. As in permanent texture, and not exactly the usual thing folks do to walls. Linda had so far been pretty particular, and I needed to be sure she loved it on a large scale, before I started this process, so I invited her to my place, where I have it on my artroom walls.</b><br />
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<b>She absolutely loved it. No doubt, no question, no need to sleep on it. It wasn't that Linda didn't like the other choices. She just knows better than to settle for anything less than real love.</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQe1VAe53I_-yYrJPaoIs1l3pywV3_HbWmVpnZij50QlEScS3UO07afGbfVCkNSHgvZXxaoLJ3p9SLKFy8V2gfxS6dOVDBt_3JgA06oZMufyRq-31cSUIBik5IQ8fCxM7X-bpUr9jvdPU/s1600/IMG_0684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQe1VAe53I_-yYrJPaoIs1l3pywV3_HbWmVpnZij50QlEScS3UO07afGbfVCkNSHgvZXxaoLJ3p9SLKFy8V2gfxS6dOVDBt_3JgA06oZMufyRq-31cSUIBik5IQ8fCxM7X-bpUr9jvdPU/s1600/IMG_0684.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Here's the version in my art room. The pattern shows up more with the darker glaze, but the subtlety of white is equally beautiful, when seen in person.</b></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><b> Yes, the trim here is made from burlap and acorns, and yes, the ceiling is quilted.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<b>In my art room, I've done the painted lace technique glazed in moss green, and it goes from ceiling to baseboard, with most of the wall area hidden behind shelving and supplies. For Linda, I suggested we do it in panels, and to balance with the rest of her place, that we do her lace in white, with a green faux finish surrounding the panels. This way she would keep a paler version of the green color she had, which had turned out to be way too dark for her north facing condo unit, while lightening up the walls, for that airy, fresh cottage look.</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOMsaT0z7drnt2Q0b3i-PnNcL0mEbuknloncGgVgWJdIaWHiQciNQwGQknBginOlVveZW0ukMDMcg16n3S-nAP5_vkUihxXprlcVjMER4fS3BVhot-Cpe-lPDtNapg6NwIoSqatN6z5Y/s1600/linda's+lace+close-up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOMsaT0z7drnt2Q0b3i-PnNcL0mEbuknloncGgVgWJdIaWHiQciNQwGQknBginOlVveZW0ukMDMcg16n3S-nAP5_vkUihxXprlcVjMER4fS3BVhot-Cpe-lPDtNapg6NwIoSqatN6z5Y/s1600/linda's%2Blace%2Bclose-up.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Here's a close-up of one panel, showing three patterns meeting, with a tiny doily masking a bare spot. To get a similar look to these walls, begin by collecting every piece of lace curtain, tablecloth, valance, doily, and mantilla you can find in a summer of garage-saling. The stained ones in the Free box are perfectly fine for this. Next, roll a coat of white paint onto your wall, and while wet, staple the lace to the wall (I cut larger pieces apart for more interest), then roll paint over the top of the lace. Think of it like decoupage with paint instead of glue. The staples will show if not strategically placed, so sometimes it's good to add interestingly shaped upholstery tacks for more detail, and to help secure edges and small bits. Once the paint dries, you can leave it as is, or glaze any color you like over the top. I used a very sheer umber on Linda's to keep it white, but enhance the details. </b></span></span></td></tr>
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<b>Linda's thrilled to bits with the end result, and with the tweaks she also hired me to make to her furniture and accessory arrangements, throughout the condo. She knew her taste, and had great pieces, so it was easy to show her a few designer tricks for creating a finished look that flows throughout her home. It was also a whole lot of fun. She's one of those clients who takes good care of those she hires, pampering, praising, promoting, and oozing generosity, and she loves to play, too! I couldn't have asked for a better way to end the summer than creating this mossy, lacy confection for such a sweet soul.</b><br />
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<b>Whatever your style, I'd love to help you take it all the way to blissed-out perfection! Click on over to my website (<a href="http://theartofthehome.com/">theartofthehome.com</a>) to see my full portfolio, and to get the details on how to go about commissioning me. <i>And yes, as a matter of fact, I do travel.</i></b><br />
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<br />Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-66744999777158792072014-09-10T20:12:00.000-05:002014-09-10T20:15:53.104-05:00Asking and Receiving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mural by Dawn-Marie deLara for the Belle Plaine Library, BP, Minnesota. <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A young swordsman reads <i>Dragon Hunting for Eejits</i>, while barely hidden behind him, the dragon reads up on Safe Cracking. And the Princess? She takes a break from reading <i>The Practical Princess Presents: Dragon Proof Your Own Palace</i>. I'd like to say she's the smartest, but truth told, all of them are so buried in their books, they fail to see the pranks being pulled by the animals behind their backs. The mural is called,</span></span></span></span> "Everything you need to know in life is in a book...well, <i>almost </i>everything"</b></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A little story about the librarian who asked for what she really wanted...and got it.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Step 1. Even though it doesn't show in the end, wash in background color, to banish the overwhelm of a big blank wall, then go home and figure out how you actually want to paint this one. Nope, did not know what style I was painting, at this point!</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<b>You might know I live across the street from the local library. No? Ah, welcome then, new reader! Not only am I over there often for printing and scanning (they have way better equipment than I want to invest in), and for the usual checking out of massive stacks of books (which I rarely return on time, despite the proximity), but I've also done a lot of painting there. Mostly wood graining trim and marbleizing columns, until recently. </b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Step 2. Having decided to layer solid light colors over dark shadows, paint in inky black in the background, then come over the top with shrubs, hanging branches and ferns. Step 3. Add in a bunch of animals that weren't in the original sketch, and work on painting the rippling creek water.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>What to use? On an interior mural of this size, craft paint and basic acrylics work just fine. I sometimes use Flasche acrylics, which are a velvety French brand, but they are quick drying and for this reason, very hard to blend. In the end, I don't think the results are much different. Other muralists would disagree with that, so use what pleases you.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<b>Last winter, when I lettered a quote on a beam, Georgine the librarian asked me if I could letter the words "Juvenile Books" over that section of the stacks. Now, since I practically live at the library, I happen to know that Georgine has long wanted a mural for "her" branch, but has been waiting for a long talked about, but still not quite funded addition to the building. She's asked me more than once over the years if I'll paint it, and with her retirement looming, she's been despairing of any of her pet projects happening on her watch. </b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Step 4. Rough in the main characters, and add more grass and ferns.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<b>Looking at the space she wanted lettered, it occurred to me that I could actually fit a carefully planned scene right there, and even with any future additions and rearrangements of books, some part of the kids' section would likely always be there. Thus, instead of a quick quote for lettering two words, I submitted a proposal for two versions of that, plus one for a full mural. Georgine was delighted, and the Friends of the Library were willing to pay half. I had offered to donate part, so we were good to go, but Georgine and the Friends, who I sometimes suspect consider me (their local artist) a pet project, thought perhaps we could get some Legacy Funds, as well. </b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Step 5. Work up faces and details. At this point, titles are added to the books, and the mischief the secondary characters are up to becomes apparent.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>I used photos from books for most of the animals, though some readers will recognize the wolf as my beloved, though long departed malamute, McKinley. The princess and the swordsman were both painted from photos of my Artgirl, Faithie, who also helped rough in some of the background color one day, and who patiently rescheduled her art classes around my wonky painting and sleeping schedule. If you have none of your own for models and slave labor, do as I do and borrow kids from friends!</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<b>Here in Minnesota, we have funding set aside by a vote of the people to pay for arts and cultural heritage projects, known as Legacy Funds, and our libraries benefit quite a lot from this money. This funding brings world class musicians to small town libraries, traditional and folk dance instruction with live music to one branch, and pays for classes like the collage and book arts workshops I taught at several libraries this summer. I'm sure it pays for lots more, but those are the programs I've personally enjoyed. This funding has also helped pay for murals in a few libraries, and for Belle Plaine, they agreed to match what the Friends would pay. With the original sketch fully funded, I went ahead and donated matching hours for extra animals and details.</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Step 5, continued... Finish main characters' details plus secondary characters on the other end. Step 6. Go back two additional mornings to tweak details, including adding lots more grass and leaves to tone down the dragon a bit, and to better show the crows that pilfer his treasures.</b></span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Also useful for mural painting: Plenty of fresh water, lots of good strong coffee (particularly if working through the night), and audio books and good music. Two of the artists I listened to while painting, Chad MacAnally and Dean McGrew, are both musicians I discovered through Legacy Funded programs at libraries.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<b>For the last two weeks of summer, running straight through Labor Day Weekend, I painted in the off hours, meaning mostly late at night and on the weekends, tidying away my scaffold and ladder each morning before the library opened, much like the shoemaker's elves. I was asked to work some while the library was open, but on a scaffold over the heads of young children in a small space? Sounded like a Berenstein Bears episode in the making, so I had to decline, though the last two mornings, I was still finishing up when the doors opened, so they got a little of what they asked for. They also asked for a presentation, which Georgine somehow turned into three, but I don't mind. I never run out of words!</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Georgine-the-Librarian. Also known as, "She-Who -Asked".</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<b>We all got what we asked for, in the end. Georgine got her mural; I got paid the full value of the original submission; and the library got some live action mural painting, a crazy silly story hour, and a couple of "meet the artist" events, the last of which will happen on Saturday, September 20th at 11:00 a.m. Life is that way. We do get what we ask for. If you aren't getting what you want, may I suggest you check to be sure you're asking (and saying "yes, thank you") with all your heart? If you don't believe me that it works, ask Georgine, who asked loudly and often, until the right people heard it at the right time. </b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's your little world! Ask for what you want, and always, always, always Paint Happy!</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<br />Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-35961410063994059182014-08-23T22:47:00.002-05:002014-08-23T22:47:23.243-05:00Orgasmic Rose...wait, I meant Organic...well...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-size: small;">Photos in this post thanks to <a href="http://www.annviveros.com/" target="_blank">Ann Viveros</a>, mandala artist, Jamberry Nail rep, and soul sister. Click her name to get to her website.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b><span style="text-align: left;">I'm back. Hopefully </span><i style="text-align: left;">this time</i><span style="text-align: left;">, back on a weekly schedule. I've certainly stacked up plenty of projects and whims and gourmet goodness to write about for months to come. I wasn't too busy, I just hadn't the heart to write much this past year. No big trauma, just burn-out from the crazy schedule of publishing the five issues of 365 Being, while still blogging at least twice a week, and working on three children's books. Even Lucie the adventure mouse has been on the back burner most of the year. Wait! Not literally. I promise, not cooking up mice! </span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: small;"><b>Yup, I'm back. Yup, cut my hair, surprised my friends: Cindy says never wear it any other way. Maureen says I look dangerous. Kit calls it sexy. Kae hates it, but Kae also hates fresh basil, so her opinion is suspect. I love it some days, and want my braid back on others.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><b>Anyway, my love of wordsmithing is back, and I've been cooking up some lovely stuff, and itching to write about it. Lately, since it's the Icky-Sticky days of summer in Minnesota, I've been making ice cream for my friends, instead of the usual soup. I'm not one to collect fancy kitchen gadgets, as those would displace all my fancy mismatched china that I collect, but the ice cream maker was only ten bucks at the thrift store, and the memory of childhood summer nights with my father at the crank washed over me as I stood gazing at it. This memory, coupled with the fact that this machine came with a cord instead of a crank (no dad muscle required), made me forget I was there to buy a few paint shirts, and instead I came home with a gadget. </b></span></div>
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<b>Which I promptly stuck in the back of a cupboard and forgot about for a couple of years.</b></div>
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<b>I'm not that much of an ice cream eater. However, every summer there always comes an evening, when I've worked a long day, and on the way home, I stop to get a pint of something wonderful. That day came, but wonderful was not to be found. Sure there are a jillion decadent indulgences in the freezer section, and many that started as little companies, then got bought up by the mega giants, thus making them available in ever wider varieties. So lots of choices, but not one without artificial ingredients. Even the premiums. </b></div>
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<b>Now, to be fair, I was at a small grocery, and I am way beyond reasonably picky. I'm sure there were lots of flavors with ingredients that even in massive doses wouldn't hurt you. But I don't eat chemicals. Period. Except when friends and clients feed me. I do not eat antifreeze. I do not eat artificial colors, and I completely fail to understand artificial flavors, especially in high priced (used to be)gourmet items. What am I paying for if not the exquisite best the world can offer? I was grumpy. I was incredulous. I was disheartened. I was <sigh> ice cream-less.</sigh></b></div>
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<b>A few days later, I pulled out the machine, dusted it off, and read the directions. After another round of grocery store label reading, I had vanilla without weirdness (WTH Watkins??? You still have the rep of being all natural, but you are most definitely NOT), cream without corn syrup and diglycerides (Don't assume that a one-ingredient staple is what it says it is), milk, eggs, and cane sugar, plus my friend Kae's childhood favorite recipe. I made her vanilla frozen custard, then tried Strawberry ice cream, Peach Sorbet, Almond Joy ice-milk-less, Chocolate shower ice milk, Rockin' the Road ice milk, Rose frozen custard, and Raspberry Rose, as well. I am suddenly more popular than ever on the potluck circuit.</b></div>
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<b>Am I saving money? No. By the time one buys clean ingredients, plus ice and rock salt for the freezing process, and a bunch of extra containers to package it for give-aways, Godiva is a bargain. Having gone chemical-free, I've resigned myself to buying expensive groceries and thrift store clothes (which actually can be a bargain, but the $120 sweater for $10 is a story for some other post).</b></div>
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<b>Am I eating ice cream three meals a day? Thankfully, no. When my heart finished its mending, a month or so back, I totally lost the craving for sugar-sweetened comfort, so luscious pints are stacked in my freezer, ready to go to friends, paint clients, and folks who do me favors, and 20 pounds has fallen from my frame. I only crave a bite or two, when a long, hot afternoon melts into soft evening, and the sound of the crickets conjures the rhythmic scrape-scrape-whirring of Papa at the crank, the buzz-buzz-slap of mosquitoes being dispatched by sleepy-eyed onlookers, and the natural goodness of summer chilled to icy perfection.</b></div>
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<b>My friend Ann requested Rose ice cream, and even brought a bottle of rose water down from the city. We took it to Friday Open Studio at Maureen's (<a href="http://maureencarlson.com/" target="_blank">Maureen Carlson's Center for Creative Arts</a>), where Kae, who usually hates anything not "Iowa food" moaned for ten straight minutes. Thus, the name...</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">Annie's Orgasmic Rose Iced Custard</span></b></div>
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<b>6 eggs well beaten</b></div>
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<b>1 Tablespoon rose water</b></div>
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<b>Add sugar to eggs in the top of a double boiler and add as much milk as will fit with room to stir. Place over simmering water and cook, whisking <u><i>constantly</i></u> until thickened, about 12 minutes. If you aren't sure, dip a clean spoon in. It should thickly coat. You want to do this slow and careful, or you'll have curdled egg in a milk bath*. Pour the cooked custard through a sieve (there will be a few rubbery lumps, so just do it) into your ice cream maker's container, and add as much milk as you like. On the 6 cup end, you have rich custard, on the 10 cup end, you have a lot more to feed your friends, and I think it's more refreshing. Stir in the rose water. Yes, 1 T is enough. Taste the mixture before churning, if you don't believe me. Freeze according to your machine's directions. Then place in cartons in freezer for at least 2 hours before eating. </b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Best to freeze in pints, as after several hours, homemade ice cream is harder than store bought (no anti-freeze, and not much butterfat in this particular recipe), and needs to soften a few minutes before scooping.</b></div>
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<div>
<b>* If you do curdle it, pour it through the sieve and freeze the sweet, rosy milk anyway. Serve it within a few hours of churning, for best scoopability. With no fats, it will freeze quite hard.</b></div>
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Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-16596774430073073802014-02-26T15:40:00.001-06:002014-02-26T15:40:44.217-06:00I'm not a mason, but I do a good job of make believe.I hesitated to write today's post, having neither the camera nor the photography skills to get shots that really show what the eye sees on this project. The homeowners were overjoyed to the point of tears though, and I know they'd like this to be posted so they can share with far away friends, so I'll ask you to use your best squinty eyes here, and trust me that it looks almost indistinguishable from the real thing in person.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_FIRzEJyuEUI74Gm7-DqwxIKcaUqFhyphenhyphen7XcCs0BhG8qm6EzymeUyA0yzLCPxFB5XrOimW2jBps2x3ITsuY8m9yPmFlSPgCVQ6D1PowmIf8n9p_6jWcXKaH_Of4mkIGnDAzbvM9fEI0Y2o/s1600/Benson+Ed%2527s+favorite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_FIRzEJyuEUI74Gm7-DqwxIKcaUqFhyphenhyphen7XcCs0BhG8qm6EzymeUyA0yzLCPxFB5XrOimW2jBps2x3ITsuY8m9yPmFlSPgCVQ6D1PowmIf8n9p_6jWcXKaH_Of4mkIGnDAzbvM9fEI0Y2o/s1600/Benson+Ed%2527s+favorite.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Cookie and Ed first called me in to do a faux finish in their bathroom. They loved this Southwestern style wall paper mural, but after a remodel it was floating awkwardly on the wall. I simply glazed the wall around it in a matching adobe finish, and extended a leaf detail from the mural out across the wall, just a bit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JxbPl0xeCMpWH0XxwqsD9yp6-ugNK3rgWVauIlP9ZCEYcU3KAib2IfAhRPhL24JFjE0MhsRGiSr0wvJFeD78SLKplfnvSYDRJT04dZ0sehWYwJpuOg5EXJjkEreOu1PaEz0NYg6d0JM/s1600/benson+mural+border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JxbPl0xeCMpWH0XxwqsD9yp6-ugNK3rgWVauIlP9ZCEYcU3KAib2IfAhRPhL24JFjE0MhsRGiSr0wvJFeD78SLKplfnvSYDRJT04dZ0sehWYwJpuOg5EXJjkEreOu1PaEz0NYg6d0JM/s1600/benson+mural+border.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: small;"><b><u><i>I didn't paint this mural, just the wall around it,</i></u> when the room was enlarged for wheelchair access. The trick here was to paint the base coat over the wallpaper, right up to the edge of the window, then match the finish to the little bit that shows at the top. The shadow hides the wallpaper edge on the side, and the bottom edge was sanded a bit to help it blend in, prior to painting.</b></span></td></tr>
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They were so pleased with this that they asked me if I had any ideas for the plain niches that held their favorite bronze statues. The rugged, western style sculptures needed something richer than a plain beige wall to set them off, and Ed thought perhaps a mountain mural would do the trick. I've done such things for taxidermy displays, but I wasn't sure, and Cookie was strongly opposed. As we talked, or rather as I babbled on, trying to keep up with the free flow of ideas that spews out of my brain at times like these, I said something about a rocky desert cliff face, and Cookie's eyes lit up. Seems the rock wall on the other side of the room was her consolation for giving up the stone fireplace in a recent remodel. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEbkydKx7M8Uh0rOvt6QthHtvflawvuKtFpp_1GsdrbnnVVbpx1_yJwacTdvrKknFPbN5iirgTasr6F-Zi94eXV2E3KyLhDopL1f5f2GuL__7i23GZaKzXKkd5wEoJehWoXktsuZohxs/s1600/niche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEbkydKx7M8Uh0rOvt6QthHtvflawvuKtFpp_1GsdrbnnVVbpx1_yJwacTdvrKknFPbN5iirgTasr6F-Zi94eXV2E3KyLhDopL1f5f2GuL__7i23GZaKzXKkd5wEoJehWoXktsuZohxs/s1600/niche.jpg" height="400" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: small;"><b>Art niche with faux stone plaster finish.</b></span></td></tr>
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There would be no way to install more of the real thing in such small niches, but I could simulate it in paint, or if they wanted, in plaster and paint. They loved the idea of some real texture, so I hauled in a bucket of mud and a couple rolls of masking tape and got busy. Just masking off the stone shapes in two niches took about five hours. This step involves cutting off the straight edges of every piece of tape, and then once they're all placed, going back and adding shaping to all the corners. For this room, it also involved lots of stopping to compare it to the real rock wall, to be sure sizes, shapes, and placement looked like the original. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKxMqVns9XLNtkzNSysIModBo9WU1HB9z2DotxelsLq55rz_VH9FNxzS7h-5Yyx9F2Y31jiQghvKyRr-EdA7luEhD-RzK1Okal985-DI9JOEeMjb58WHyK7KAQl-UqZBDI3R82Md8GLs/s1600/,+redo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKxMqVns9XLNtkzNSysIModBo9WU1HB9z2DotxelsLq55rz_VH9FNxzS7h-5Yyx9F2Y31jiQghvKyRr-EdA7luEhD-RzK1Okal985-DI9JOEeMjb58WHyK7KAQl-UqZBDI3R82Md8GLs/s1600/,+redo.jpg" height="400" width="322" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: small;"><b>The real thing, except the color is a bit washed out here, and I couldn't get it back.</b></span></td></tr>
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Prep work like this feels a bit like cooking Thanksgiving dinner. You know, that feeling you get when the meal you just spent five hours preparing gets scarfed down in about fifteen minutes? Yeah, it's kind of like that, because as soon as you trowel the mud on, you pull the tape right back off. Good thing this has the happy reward of instant (though unfinished) stones to admire, unlike that holiday dinner that leaves you nothing but a carcass and a mountain of dirty dishes. <br />
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Once the "stones" dry, I scrape over them with a taping knife, knocking off all the sharp points and shaping the edges, and then I give them a white or clear base coat, and let that dry. While it's drying, I mix several stone colors to match the real stone, and then start brushing it on, scumbling it into the divots and crevices, and blotting some back off. Every stone gets a bit of almost every color, though which is dominant varies from one to the next, and extra shading is added to some of the stones, making them appear to protrude much farther from the wall than they do. Sadly, this is where the camera knocks things flatter than they appear in person. Sigh.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHXIGTRMmpmvtbBrOyXbknArnkTqIcGUEEDFk3HYx7_Yb2iPOoTCVKbxDBvBaMtLB4A02xSJtwZ78IW3eDKC-gUKdPuJaeNDACM3AhCkNm8HaqPwTO5ADmweqvcQn7GZFFK-seNCvymQ/s1600/benson+faux+stone+replica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHXIGTRMmpmvtbBrOyXbknArnkTqIcGUEEDFk3HYx7_Yb2iPOoTCVKbxDBvBaMtLB4A02xSJtwZ78IW3eDKC-gUKdPuJaeNDACM3AhCkNm8HaqPwTO5ADmweqvcQn7GZFFK-seNCvymQ/s1600/benson+faux+stone+replica.jpg" height="400" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: small;"><b>This shot held onto some of the shading. If you squint, you might get back a bit of the shape the camera insists on flattening. :)</b></span></td></tr>
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By the time I was done tinting these, the mortar spaces had turned very nearly the color of the real mortar, so I didn't have to add anything there. We all stood back to look it over, and agreed that all that was needed was a bit of extra shadow to give the individual stones the definition of the real wall. It made the work day stretch a little late into the evening, but the results were so worth it. The statues got backdrops strong enough to support them, Ed and Cookie got something they said was better than anything they expected or imagined, and I got warm fuzzies from their tearfully enthusiastic hugs (and a lovely tip, thanks you two).<br />
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Joy for me is in the details; the details of the jobs I do, the details of the lives of the people I meet, and all the little moments in a work day that confirm that I'm in the right place, doing the right thing. Whether I'm writing a kids' novel, illustrating a picture book, or decorating homes like this one, it seems my job is always to make stuff up, and if it's all made up, well, why not have fun and fill it with all the detail possible? <br />
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<b>May your home, your work, your <i>life</i> overflow with joyful details!</b><br />
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<br />Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-66337130762646250102014-01-13T20:24:00.000-06:002014-01-13T20:31:47.303-06:00A Mother's Work<b>Over the weekend, at the monthly soup and studio gathering I host for friends, we celebrated the impending motherhood of our friend Pamela. Part of the celebration involved sharing a story about a childhood memory of our mothers, and how it impacts our life, now. I thought I'd share mine with all of you. Like most folks, I didn't get exactly the childhood I wanted, at the time, but I got just what I needed...</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBGl3xSs2FYORCemfcPZWyS1fGwSkGzCKlIhsD472uvF3WXW8orLnLWHWzgp7BF0V9IvenjD-zpbuQ2mZR6_5Qum8Q-glIQHMPqTFKyrKk6ng6CwcJuF4hktA3wZZmw5WP3UFc5DmIg8/s1600/DSC09069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBGl3xSs2FYORCemfcPZWyS1fGwSkGzCKlIhsD472uvF3WXW8orLnLWHWzgp7BF0V9IvenjD-zpbuQ2mZR6_5Qum8Q-glIQHMPqTFKyrKk6ng6CwcJuF4hktA3wZZmw5WP3UFc5DmIg8/s1600/DSC09069.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Just one corner of Baker Food Co-op. </span></b> </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>When I was little,
my mom got together with a couple of her friends to order organic food in
bulk. We had the van to haul it, and the
other two had driver’s licenses. After a
few years, many more friends wanted to join in, but the van couldn’t haul
enough, and nobody had room in their home to divide up that much,
anyway, so they came up with a plan to form a food co-op. Those three women, along with a handful of
other folks, met around our big dining table.
They hammered out articles of incorporation, filled out non-profit
paperwork, and discussed by-laws and boards.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>My mother had no degree, and at that time, no real business experience. However, she had grown up with
entrepreneurial parents, she knew food, and she was an absolute budget queen. She was starting to work part time in a local
restaurant, but she still considered feeding her family to be her primary job (though as a
70’s feminist, you’d not have heard her say it that way). She held meetings, argued ethics, read
everything available on sustainable, organic food production and consumption,
and spent hours on the phone tracking down sources. This was long before internet and unlimited
long-distance.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>And where am I in
this story? I’m the kid at the table,
with her own cup of Seattle Spice tea, listening to it all, or in the next
room, “holding meetings” with the children of those other folks.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What started as
three women and a van grew into a true co-op, with a downtown location open to
the public, and significant discounts for working members, which make health food in my home town cheaper than typical grocery store fare.
Last time I was home for a visit, I stopped in for a few things, and the clerk ran them
through on my folks' membership number. A
clerk in training raised an eyebrow, and the other clerk explained who
mom is. Still, the trainee looked
unsure.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>“Look,” I
explained, half joking, “My whole childhood is invested in this place. I painted posters for the windows
after school, I fell asleep to the sound of Mom balancing the books on an old
fashioned adding machine, and countless family weekends were spent building shelves, hauling produce, and re-packaging bulk cheese. If mom and her friends had started
it any earlier, my first words would have been “non-profit corporation”, and
I’d have teethed on the drafts of the by-laws that covered every surface in our
house for months. The co-op got my mom, so I get her discount, once every few years.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Sure I wished my mom
had come to more of my baseball games and been backstage for my ballet recitals. I wish now that I had a few more memories of Mom and
me <i>playing</i> together, but I think no
matter what our moms give us, we wish for something more, or other. I envied the kids whose moms brought cupcakes
to school, and sewed the costumes for recitals, but in hindsight, I’d say I did
alright. My mom taught me young to bake
my own cupcakes and sew my own costumes, so she could get out in the world and
show me how to be a woman with vision, passion, and tenacity. Cupcakes are overrated.</b></span><span style="font-family: Eras Demi ITC;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-6517511340340996802014-01-06T21:41:00.000-06:002014-01-06T21:41:34.945-06:00Midnight in New Orleans<br />
<b>Sky ceilngs are fun to paint. Usually I'm asked to do them in a nursery, but I've done them in pantries, dining rooms and bathrooms. Just before Christmas, I got to paint one in a master bedroom. Usually, the clients want a cheerful blue sky with just wisps of clouds. These folks didn't want the usual. These folks wanted: </b><br />
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<ul>
<li> Moody romance</li>
<li> Maybe with a stormy sky, if possible</li>
<li> A 1920's vibe...art nouveau perhaps</li>
<li> Perhaps a little New Orleans</li>
<li> Perhaps a little Celtic</li>
<li> Work with their lavender walls and traditional mahogany furniture</li>
</ul>
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Here's how all that worked into one design...<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFAmEBR_c9mEmnfHiXvZlWlLOu-PqOVtpeWqs9qKXD7OkAW4Nz2t1cdW9H1O0is7WL5nu_wEYoVc7fOy8AzkfWCOF2wjRPJRhPVyRzKO4AgbbMk7XzBMPUxBlp8dTkzgrRR9unynwN1o/s1600/SI+1483,+180+ppi,+dresser+corner,+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFAmEBR_c9mEmnfHiXvZlWlLOu-PqOVtpeWqs9qKXD7OkAW4Nz2t1cdW9H1O0is7WL5nu_wEYoVc7fOy8AzkfWCOF2wjRPJRhPVyRzKO4AgbbMk7XzBMPUxBlp8dTkzgrRR9unynwN1o/s1600/SI+1483,+180+ppi,+dresser+corner,+pic.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: small;"><b>This shot actually shows it a little brighter than it looks in person, but you can see the overall idea here, anyway. Perhaps you can understand why I spent a couple of days singing everything from "Stormy Weather" to "Bad Moon Rising", as I painted. As music is not one of my talents, this will hopefully fade from the client's memory fairly soon.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: small;">All the necessities, and then some. Most clients give me hugs, but these folks gave me kisses! </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qRI4R9QiIRB77z35eUa9uh7-YaT2OmGoSdB4xmBbvB6CR8EzuJnQPzy7crCHlIxacBLjP7IRVMtM_-iOqevjN_K9PGvU_5dIpH7bdAeFSx6g_ffN65N7jMXpOo4NisqsU_NbmrUwgOk/s1600/SI+1505+180ppi+door+corner%252C+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qRI4R9QiIRB77z35eUa9uh7-YaT2OmGoSdB4xmBbvB6CR8EzuJnQPzy7crCHlIxacBLjP7IRVMtM_-iOqevjN_K9PGvU_5dIpH7bdAeFSx6g_ffN65N7jMXpOo4NisqsU_NbmrUwgOk/s1600/SI+1505+180ppi+door+corner%252C+pic.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: small;"><b>Here you get a better sense of the ceiling color. The clouds fade down onto the walls, where they are overlapped by a free form border, based on a 1920's wrought iron design, which I crossed with some Celtic line work from an ad of the same vintage. Though the ceiling was mostly blue and gray, I used some purple toward the edges, to blend with the walls, and then a shade of raisin for the main scrolls to link the purple and lavender with the mahogany furniture. </b></span> </td></tr>
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<b style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: small;">Yes! One shot where the camera saw what people see. Here you see the plummy undertones in the lavender, the extra ribbons of white in the border, and the clouds in their full glory. This shot explains why this is my new favorite project. Of course, I'm one of those odd ducks who loves thunder storms, so I'm biased.</span></b></div>
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<b>So, what's on your ceiling? Bored with plain white? Even if something this dramatic is a bit much for you, there are lots of other possibilities. Click on over to my <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theartofthehome.com/ceilings.html" target="_blank">website</a> </span>to see some other ideas, or give me a list of everything you like, and I'll see what I can stir up.</b></div>
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<br />Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-58931968541550602172013-12-31T20:14:00.001-06:002013-12-31T20:14:34.664-06:00Auld Lang Syne (The Old Long Since)<span style="font-size: large;">May we always remember these days fondly, by the steps they build to the future we've yet to live.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2013 was, for me, a year of blessings and transformations, new adventures undertaken, new friends made, old friendships deepened, pleasures shared, treasures safely held onto, and a few dreams let go of. A pretty typical year, by that description.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In reality, although my life isn't exactly typical ever, I'd say this year was exceptionally not so, thanks to some great friends... </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-size: small;">Cat Isles, author, patron, sometime business partner, and generous friend.</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cathy (Cat) Isles commissioned me to illustrate her children's book, <i><a href="http://bridgingtheuniverse.com/" target="_blank">Fruit and Veggies Aplenty!</a></i>...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">During a writing assignment for an art class, I met a mouse named Lucie..</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMSziGbGOuID4HZFUydynAWQhXLutdI4nBqj1s-cqpKjoPyCJHUQpRWUKbjhnOd4epmzyOAuULikddZhknUqYbjCHS0i5t5sQNpShQdwtu-JsNn0DB5cSCVD7CZmK_JQVGtNqfs93b2Q/s1600/Lucie+loves+bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMSziGbGOuID4HZFUydynAWQhXLutdI4nBqj1s-cqpKjoPyCJHUQpRWUKbjhnOd4epmzyOAuULikddZhknUqYbjCHS0i5t5sQNpShQdwtu-JsNn0DB5cSCVD7CZmK_JQVGtNqfs93b2Q/s400/Lucie+loves+bread.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-size: small;"><b> Lucie loves bread and cheese, negligees, and Italy. Wait, Italy? I think that's a different adventure!</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lucie (along with a few other dear friends) helped me take a dream trip to Belgium and France....</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EBnTcFWCKYWN6a6hgT6S8Xn5eBSZFXnU3ZkYXkbtj2FegCjkwhEW4nYmvvSVvvnk8EevUIuP7COlfy4GBPmAAo0nNq8APRs4oTFDkEbu7R4onzBZ2yUZAmMj6w55ecEfcOJt3bqpQRk/s1600/IMG_7847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EBnTcFWCKYWN6a6hgT6S8Xn5eBSZFXnU3ZkYXkbtj2FegCjkwhEW4nYmvvSVvvnk8EevUIuP7COlfy4GBPmAAo0nNq8APRs4oTFDkEbu7R4onzBZ2yUZAmMj6w55ecEfcOJt3bqpQRk/s400/IMG_7847.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3; font-size: small;"><b>I seem to have taken more pictures of bookstores than of the panoramic scenery.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I met a crew of kindred spirits in France...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURbolW3C9kq6FCfz79CdT6Fx5U1qYb_sMues4lVSgdMb0ZgdlWy6LTyJ1rieQFXXH2iK8ENlJaXRB_7ZDcIBYhxTHq7zrwa0jrt1ZvDlw2gE69WdqmOfozoNQdFdxVNasLGXStCCC4jM/s1600/group+at+Ann's+silk+class.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURbolW3C9kq6FCfz79CdT6Fx5U1qYb_sMues4lVSgdMb0ZgdlWy6LTyJ1rieQFXXH2iK8ENlJaXRB_7ZDcIBYhxTHq7zrwa0jrt1ZvDlw2gE69WdqmOfozoNQdFdxVNasLGXStCCC4jM/s400/group+at+Ann's+silk+class.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: small;"><b>Most of the merry band of revelers I spent a week with at La Cascade in Durfort, France.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-size: small;"><b>Sing every Broadway tune ever written? Sure! Swear in French-a-la-southern -gal? Sure! Behave badly at the dinner table? Repeatedly!</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj401_cAOCvDRzANtNK0b6gZU-wVFf6ObFHQ8VYHrwg8RCreRbenggaa4kvSYru8I_RV-e8I30grXgfs7QONQAukybBKHTHnE_wrJaU_et8rDlYRrgUhni_99x_uCHQX4PiXPUjarrEG4Q/s1600/idea+collector+abricot+spread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj401_cAOCvDRzANtNK0b6gZU-wVFf6ObFHQ8VYHrwg8RCreRbenggaa4kvSYru8I_RV-e8I30grXgfs7QONQAukybBKHTHnE_wrJaU_et8rDlYRrgUhni_99x_uCHQX4PiXPUjarrEG4Q/s400/idea+collector+abricot+spread.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: small;"><b>Oh, and we made books. That was what the class was all about, after all. </b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And I reconnected with one of my dearest childhood friends in Belgium...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXN23J1oc6csOOz94WZPv-lx-k5aZn5o3_4ga_aaNz_TSDuewud0IVZ7MGjvw29tnpZbVX-vB3QgCvBECe59BIHarjvm-6KFMfRsGSA12JyHdl8SlYUkr4cAQta9Uv_GFr89iRyJyPUAY/s1600/teri+and+boyscropped+and+cleaned.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXN23J1oc6csOOz94WZPv-lx-k5aZn5o3_4ga_aaNz_TSDuewud0IVZ7MGjvw29tnpZbVX-vB3QgCvBECe59BIHarjvm-6KFMfRsGSA12JyHdl8SlYUkr4cAQta9Uv_GFr89iRyJyPUAY/s400/teri+and+boyscropped+and+cleaned.jpg" width="391" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;">This is my childhood Bestie, with her two younguns. If you listen to MPR, these are the faces on the other side of the microphone when you hear, "Reporting from Brussels, this is Teri Schultz." Yeah, the boys are often right there with her, 'cause news happens in the middle of real life.</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And now I'm currently writing the final chapters of Lucie's adventures, <i>Postcards From Lucie</i>, a novel for middle-grades readers, and beginning to shop for a publisher!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3FxygQ3JWz1v_WE-I0xpMtEpAxI4P2_b90CXcKIlKiDNX1rHYPF_nKw_ezDwCSKF8v9yNvD1xaUwvXWZnNWkmPLs9RdAT2Xii8fJmbVHqjEiYas91MLpHxTCiyd7GmiUrrSxkJ0Pazo/s1600/lucie+at+the+po.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3FxygQ3JWz1v_WE-I0xpMtEpAxI4P2_b90CXcKIlKiDNX1rHYPF_nKw_ezDwCSKF8v9yNvD1xaUwvXWZnNWkmPLs9RdAT2Xii8fJmbVHqjEiYas91MLpHxTCiyd7GmiUrrSxkJ0Pazo/s400/lucie+at+the+po.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-size: small;"><b>Watch for <i>Postcards From Lucie</i>, coming soonish (we hope) to a bookstore near you</b></span>.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">With my friend Cat, I published three more issues of the magazine we started in 2012...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhDSSe66jNPUEgcaHIGcQ3sL5_GHAUp0CXje0OFNZ8LIvMS3fhQp-9UNumjusT0EYJNSe0p8e87aScSw40CqI_EhPRE7gdNelSAbkqCDIxjeuWSn7pyIgO2-kOBnrIrG75kecpBQpbiU/s1600/maureen+with+first+issue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhDSSe66jNPUEgcaHIGcQ3sL5_GHAUp0CXje0OFNZ8LIvMS3fhQp-9UNumjusT0EYJNSe0p8e87aScSw40CqI_EhPRE7gdNelSAbkqCDIxjeuWSn7pyIgO2-kOBnrIrG75kecpBQpbiU/s400/maureen+with+first+issue.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-size: small;">Cat with our friend and constant mentor, Maureen Carlson, in a 2012 photo. We were too busy to pose for photos in 2013, I guess.</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And then we let it go...a beautiful dream that was a bit too fragile to sustain longer, but that lived long enough to give me deep joy, new connections, and I must admit, great pride and satisfaction. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Those were just the brightest highlights. I spent much of the year in the homes of wonderful clients, in and out of the studio with my Artgirl, Faithie, and enjoying the company of some of my dearest friends, a.k.a. "The Saturdays". Of course, I'll continue painting and decorating for clients, but as those who've followed this blog over the years have surely realized, I'm doing less of those projects lately. </span><span style="font-size: large;">As you may have noticed from this post, I've fallen rather seriously (deeper) in love with books this past year, and I suspect my focus is going to shift even further in that direction in 2014. Time will tell. One adventure leads to another, and someday, these days will be the "Old Long Since". I hope I'll still have all of you to swap tales with. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;"><b>May your new year be filled with deep love, bubbling joy, grand adventures, abundant prosperity, and the very dearest and sweetest of friends.</b></span><br />
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<br />Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-70144737266435101822013-12-24T01:32:00.000-06:002013-12-24T01:32:47.335-06:00Don't lick the tree!<b>Last year's Christmas tree was a freshly cut, <span style="background-color: black;"><a href="http://theartofthehome.blogspot.com/2012/11/its-beginning-to-look-bit-like.html" target="_blank">quirkily spindly spruce</a>,</span> decorated in a rustic, natural simplicity. It was beautiful and peaceful, and I loved it. This year however, with the outside of the house covered in <span style="background-color: black;"><a href="http://theartofthehome.blogspot.com/2013/12/sugar-shock.html" target="_blank">frosting and candy</a>, </span>I had to do something sweet inside, as well, so the tree is a sugar-saturated confection. Well, actually, it's mostly paint and glitter, though the cookies and candy canes are real. Kinda wish I'd used a real tree this year too, as the fresh balsam would have smelled heavenly with the scent that wafts from the cookies...sigh.</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHYgP5w2-Hp2Qf3qoxdvmqrMYjEY-_sI2x5LU0refzUrrQrDkZrC6lOLfi3jyUQNEPyp9QKMHYIE928-5GvYoQqWwrnQ7kDW6c_9c5tiQBakDvgYorARvPO-F1bdWPeytcS2R3-r9HQQ/s1600/sugarplum+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHYgP5w2-Hp2Qf3qoxdvmqrMYjEY-_sI2x5LU0refzUrrQrDkZrC6lOLfi3jyUQNEPyp9QKMHYIE928-5GvYoQqWwrnQ7kDW6c_9c5tiQBakDvgYorARvPO-F1bdWPeytcS2R3-r9HQQ/s640/sugarplum+tree.jpg" width="378" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #d5a6bd; font-size: small;">Sugar coated Christmas Tree</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;"><b>Cupcakes in rainbow hues mingle with...</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-size: small;"><b>Ice cream cones in five different flavors, and...</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: small;"><b>chocolates, intermingled with...</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: small;"><b>Classic gingerbread hearts.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhdrOo6DCHB8vDE71oKA3gXqc12kCiWev_9uTGfnPFPCuCAPCxS_juBtwOga5t4DUGNrEqPIiYh4Z35C4kqk5DNdZVckq6Bmw6ypIBy0nCOAX7SDGRN8bn0NebVqyfI_fsDWudm9y0Qo/s1600/fruitcake+orn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhdrOo6DCHB8vDE71oKA3gXqc12kCiWev_9uTGfnPFPCuCAPCxS_juBtwOga5t4DUGNrEqPIiYh4Z35C4kqk5DNdZVckq6Bmw6ypIBy0nCOAX7SDGRN8bn0NebVqyfI_fsDWudm9y0Qo/s640/fruitcake+orn.jpg" width="372" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;">Of course, I always have to have a few words with my visuals!</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here's a peek at what's marauding as edibles:</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: small;"><b>Cupcakes are made by removing the satin thread covering those ubiquitous unbreakable ornaments. These are always nearly free at most any thrift store, and waaaaay less expensive than buying new Styro balls. Be cheap and green and recycle! The frosting is created with cotton-type pads. Quilt batting will work, but these thin little pads (I think they came from an industrial supply place) look amazingly real when stretched and hot glued to the ball. The ball is glued into a cupcake paper, and then the "frosting" is tinted with a wash of thinned acrylic craft paint and sprinkled with iridescent fairy dust glitter, while still wet. A dark pink pom-pom "cherry" was glued on top for a finishing touch.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;"><b>Ice cream cones also start with those satin covered balls, though for these, you needn't remove the satin threads. The ice cream is created with Sculptamold, which is a coarse plaster/paper mache material, available at nearly any craft store. Just glop it on the top 2/3 of the ball, leaving a little lip to overhang the cone, like all the best ice cream parlours do. Instant paper mache will also work, as will most air dry clays. Once dry, paint with thinned acrylic paints, and sprinkle with fairy dust while wet. The waffle cone is made from a quarter circle of tag board, covered in a lace doily, or scraps of old tablecloth or curtain lace. Use a heavy coat of Mod Podge or white glue to stick the lace to the tag board, then saturate the top of the lace, too. Without waiting for it to dry, paint this in caramel and brown tones of acrylic paint, and curve gently into shape. Once dry, hot glue the quarter circles into cone shapes, trim the top edge a bit if desired, and hot glue the ice cream into the cone. </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;"><b>Close-up of how the "ice cream" looks. No need to be fussy, and in fact, they looked more real when I quit trying so hard to sculpt them.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>The chocolates are simply brown pom-poms (made from thrift store yarn), some trimmed square, with snippets of ribbon, mini-gimp, and ribbon roses icing their tops. I applied Minwax Polycrylic to both sides of candy papers to stiffen them, them coated the edge in gold paint, immediately dipped into gold micro-glitter, then hot glued the pom-pom chocolate in the center, with a hanging ribbon tucked under one edge. </b></div>
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<b>All of these are easy enough for pre-teens to create, and Artgirl helped with some. Others I worked on at Friday Open Studio, at <a href="http://maureencarlson.com/openstudio.htm" target="_blank">Maureen Carlson's Center for Creative Arts</a>, though I had to guard them closely from my so-called friends, who were like kids ogling the cookie jar before dinner. Click the link to Maureen's for Open Studio info. If you're in the metro area, come join us!</b></div>
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<b>However you decorate, however (and whatever!) you celebrate at this time of year, may your holidays be filled with sweetness and light!</b></div>
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Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-70956548778922397742013-12-18T00:07:00.002-06:002013-12-18T00:41:45.862-06:00Sugar Shock <b>Christmas brings out the kid in me. Okay, yeah, I know what you're thinking. <i>Tuesday</i> brings out the kid in me. <i>Waking up in the morning</i> brings out the kid in me. Fine, yes, we all know my inner 3-year-old runs the show. Still, I don't usually get to play <i>this</i> much. I took a break from writing these last couple of months (blogs books, and bookazine), to get life back in balance. (Thanks for the emails, cards and messages, dearest hearts.) Seems I'd forgotten what it was like to end the workday at 6, instead of whenever I finally fell asleep on my feet, or at the computer. Still, my idea of relaxing rarely involves turning on a television, and with audio books I can get my lit fix <i>and</i> do stuff, so here's what I did with my Monday afternoons, my weekdays when I had no paint jobs booked, many, many evenings, and most weekends for the past two months...</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44li2AvsLmeYVzhdYa0Q9CUivnlxsyjFZW412Ihti35KlpFUPMoVoEFOtJD6aGePdZA3pIKkJdwaGSNTYHb5AjvrQtT2i0lMUVJEZ3j9PCyVGWYQFkCPWKK_S66Ec_NKWoFyoMhU3EoM/s1600/GingerBelle+with+centered+elf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44li2AvsLmeYVzhdYa0Q9CUivnlxsyjFZW412Ihti35KlpFUPMoVoEFOtJD6aGePdZA3pIKkJdwaGSNTYHb5AjvrQtT2i0lMUVJEZ3j9PCyVGWYQFkCPWKK_S66Ec_NKWoFyoMhU3EoM/s400/GingerBelle+with+centered+elf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: large;">GingerBelle!</span></b></td></tr>
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<b> Gingerbread is a big Christmas tradition for me. Actually, it's about my only tradition, except for stockings (yeah, still). I don't have a big stash of sentimental ornaments, so I decorate my trees in different themes every year. I celebrate in different ways, depending on who I celebrate with. Growing up, I couldn't eat my family's traditional clam chowder, so I don't have a gotta-have-it Christmas meal. But I <i>always </i>bake gingerbread. </b></div>
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<b> Most years, it's just cookies, but when I have time, I love making gingerbread houses. The largest one I ever made was a scale model of my parents Victorian era farm house, back when I was in high school. It was over 2 feet tall, had candy glass windows, and a light inside that glowed through them. My mother had visions of an architect in the family. I simply had visions of sugarplums (too bad Cake Wars hadn't yet debuted on television, or I might have had visions of becoming a sugar chef). Sorry Mom.</b></div>
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<b> I've wanted to turn Belle (short for Belle Amie...yes, I gave my house a name...if you met her, you'd understand...) into a gingerbread confection for a few years now, and with the help of my Artgirl, Faithie, it finally happened. Faithie has made a couple of gingerbread houses herself, and is something of an expert on candy, or at least emptying my candy jar, so she was the perfect partner for this venture. After some initial sketching, brainstorming, and measuring, we figured out the recipe:</b></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: large;"><b>Frosting.</b></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Batches and batches of frosting.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDudAnAH65FPlWV7zUgVLOals6CUnkrltZ41aw12Rd-DuvmjhFWH5ryC9zx6QLNv3lweHaAvtBSJ6HZcVUcLffNFxnH12wLVwzttWcPeVp9xhyphenhyphenYnh4L_XTSB2BMNSpZnM1eZHZFxI114g/s1600/DSC00573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDudAnAH65FPlWV7zUgVLOals6CUnkrltZ41aw12Rd-DuvmjhFWH5ryC9zx6QLNv3lweHaAvtBSJ6HZcVUcLffNFxnH12wLVwzttWcPeVp9xhyphenhyphenYnh4L_XTSB2BMNSpZnM1eZHZFxI114g/s400/DSC00573.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: small;"><b>Mix 25 strips of muslin into 4 gallons of thinned paint, shape as desired, and let dry for three days. May need to be made in batches, if space is not unlimited.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><b>Faithie and I tried spray foam insulation to make frosting, but the foam was difficult to spray in the shape desired, and one can only made a single strip. We needed 25. Not friendly to the budget nor the environment, so we nixed that. I had a mountain of recycled muslin panels, and I knew dipping fabric in paint would make it shape-able. It took a few tries to come up with something that looked like frosting and didn't take more than 15 minutes per segment to shape. We tore the muslin into 18 inch wide by 15 foot long strips, dunked each into slightly thinned paint (which I mixed from "Oops" paint and job left-overs, then tinted), then scrunched them with our fingers on a plastic sheet laid on the dining room table. There was only room for six pieces at a time, and each batch takes several days to dry, so as usual, Thanksgiving dinner didn't happen here. </b></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">Candy. </span></b> You need lots and lots of candy</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: small;">To cook up these, cut discs from 2" thick Styrofoam about 12 times the normal size of the candies you wish to create. Shape with serated knives, and by sanding with scrap pieces. Paint as desired. Make more than you think you need.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b> My goal was to make everything for this project from stuff I already had. Unlike most folks, I used to work in the event industry creating theme party decor, so I happen to have a large stash of stuff like Styrofoam. All the mints, M &Ms, and candy canes were made of Styro. If I'd not had this, I'd have gone the stitched-stuffed-and-painted muslin route. Once shaped, and once you vacuum off all the styro bits clinging tenaciously to your clothing, the round candies are painted. However, to create the stripes on the candy canes, I dipped a few yards of muslin into red paint, spread it out flat to let it dry, cut it into strips, then pinned those onto the canes. Waaaayyyy easier than painting spiral stripes on styrofoam.</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Gumdrops. </span></b> Faithie wanted gumdrops.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMlMJTuSR5eOwwajzHX35T5q-Xl7XqkhXHntvZdQJXXHPw9mLAOtPd91GLAj8z7Ix_YKrGvgZ8aR0wHkUw3PxWM7hpUncwlmhxP7bFIFyN9PVx1ecDu-UVE2WUhQOG_LoNGdIbthtr24/s1600/lemon+gumdrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMlMJTuSR5eOwwajzHX35T5q-Xl7XqkhXHntvZdQJXXHPw9mLAOtPd91GLAj8z7Ix_YKrGvgZ8aR0wHkUw3PxWM7hpUncwlmhxP7bFIFyN9PVx1ecDu-UVE2WUhQOG_LoNGdIbthtr24/s400/lemon+gumdrop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: small;"><b>Gumdrops require circles of muslin, all the empty hanging planters to be found in two garages, large stones and strong twine for wind resistance, cotton batting, tape, paint in gumdrop colors, and iridescent flitter (large size glitter).</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2T8TxhJeEK5_995LCyrQeRCdas50usEY2fvWlfFmcJJIWfR3lxAqhlDjf9r-zwNugg8j1BZEb46FjbK694BbvJcCK5FTRG7WRNpfII7_xFPn-x7BUWlparKFz1s2JFg69OtAWWUBvY8/s1600/DSC00564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2T8TxhJeEK5_995LCyrQeRCdas50usEY2fvWlfFmcJJIWfR3lxAqhlDjf9r-zwNugg8j1BZEb46FjbK694BbvJcCK5FTRG7WRNpfII7_xFPn-x7BUWlparKFz1s2JFg69OtAWWUBvY8/s400/DSC00564.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-weight: bold;">Dunk fabric in paint, wring out a bit, and drape over pots. While still wet, sprinkle liberally with flitter for a sugar effect. When dry, trim the fabric even with the rim of the pots. Do not finger paint your sister.</span></span><br />
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<b> When making large batches of giant candy, I find it's always good to employ child labor. If you have none of your own, do what I do, and borrow them from other people. They will usually work for candy, so stock up on Starbursts and Skittles, and brace yourself for an energetic afternoon. </b><br />
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<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: large;"><b>Lollipops and Candy sticks.</b></span> <span style="font-size: large;"> At least a few.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-Tp3H4br9lGKzUaYSTCsA3Qa8Kx23t6bQIWikFs-8UqsqXxFljbRCb-c2KM9obOd-mtJle6gDIWiGbcFu_0WsZpmZuYtlofYDD7EIcyGXgJmjUMt9pm5E030QIfUyfdhM7QLWASL5f8/s1600/lollipop+sunshine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-Tp3H4br9lGKzUaYSTCsA3Qa8Kx23t6bQIWikFs-8UqsqXxFljbRCb-c2KM9obOd-mtJle6gDIWiGbcFu_0WsZpmZuYtlofYDD7EIcyGXgJmjUMt9pm5E030QIfUyfdhM7QLWASL5f8/s400/lollipop+sunshine.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: small;"><b>For lollipops you need large Styro balls (never turn down the junk your friends offer, if you have room in your basement to store swell stuff, as you never know when you will need things like giant foam balls), acrylic craft paint, cellophane, wired ribbon, and large dowels or old curtain poles. Candy sticks are made of cardboard tubes. acrylic or latex paint, and colored tape.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>The lollipops were the first thing Faithie thought of, and we made them in no time at all. We painted the balls in her choice of colors. We used a cordless drill with a paddle bit to make a deep hole in the foam ball, then put a bit of hot glue on the rod and inserted it. It's a good thing we made them early, as the ground was already starting to freeze. We had to put them up way before anything else, which must have had folks wondering what we were up to. We also dug a hole for a 2x4 that the candy stick sign post slides over. We get really high winds, and I wanted to be sure the ELVES AT WORK sign (another of Faithie's ideas), didn't end up down at the donut shop. It's made of thin plywood and attached with long screws and large washers</b>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY66TuNqwaWRaeAsblsJcUKn7ItXMGY8xAMDYK1q1CK-WpOiDxctsZKxIT97sKt3fqmxWks2yvrOeKOH4DvAcfheTDNP0SWy0EHOkTQnvIqdBVEiR4cEFFjjveRX1t8Q1_z9PnVnpWOj8/s1600/DSC00585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY66TuNqwaWRaeAsblsJcUKn7ItXMGY8xAMDYK1q1CK-WpOiDxctsZKxIT97sKt3fqmxWks2yvrOeKOH4DvAcfheTDNP0SWy0EHOkTQnvIqdBVEiR4cEFFjjveRX1t8Q1_z9PnVnpWOj8/s400/DSC00585.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;"><b>It's not child labor if her parents are paying me to teach her stuff, right? What, you never used a post hole digger in art class?</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #93c47d;">Elves. </span> </b>Faithie said we had to have elves...and a sign...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMSnnJ4WceCoDT47VodQl40y_NKtoi2L0Jl0gSZAT-NxpkrQ1ToWWevieP53nEtHa4dOpdWuflbYryeK70nmyTDqKG23myuERmSFxehl4oNapAFZnn2KwuYtQFDpbuLPgRLerstovKyQ/s1600/elves+at+work+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMSnnJ4WceCoDT47VodQl40y_NKtoi2L0Jl0gSZAT-NxpkrQ1ToWWevieP53nEtHa4dOpdWuflbYryeK70nmyTDqKG23myuERmSFxehl4oNapAFZnn2KwuYtQFDpbuLPgRLerstovKyQ/s400/elves+at+work+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: small;">Work? Play? Eh, same dif.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbPZzixzapZBzoFfoHjqARgj5oEq6ETlwOXrYyx8hsls4cLfaUf5Q5sSw097sDFeeNu-drKaIhFGeoM8Q-hqyBPzI1W-NPJVNwzZxCV49BX98y2AvEY1Wd7wdXm7PalPD2wf1EFjJmaY/s1600/elf+again.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbPZzixzapZBzoFfoHjqARgj5oEq6ETlwOXrYyx8hsls4cLfaUf5Q5sSw097sDFeeNu-drKaIhFGeoM8Q-hqyBPzI1W-NPJVNwzZxCV49BX98y2AvEY1Wd7wdXm7PalPD2wf1EFjJmaY/s640/elf+again.jpg" width="324" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #93c47d; font-size: medium;">Ingredients for making an elf: Left over 3-strand house wire, duct tape (you didn't think this whole project could have happened without using duct tape somewhere, did you?), one toddler sleeper (okay, I <i>did</i> have to buy that...thrift store for 2 bucks), quilt or snow batting, one small pair of gloves, fabric for tunic, hood and shoes (an old curtain panel did the trick here), a foam mannequin head or large foam ball, feathers for hair, hot glue and acrylic paint.</b></td></tr>
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<b>We intended to make three elves, but they take a fair bit of time to construct. Also, I had only one mannequin head, and no desire to sculpt heads from scratch for this, two months being all the time I had for the whole project. The basic idea is to create a stick figure from stiff wire, including fingers, and with a long neck. Use duct tape to hold strands in place, as needed. Insert the figure into the sleeper, and stuff with batting. Put a little padding in the fingertips of the gloves, and wrestle them onto the hands. If you were making a more permanent soft sculpture, you would wrap the wire in batting and muslin strips and stitch things in place. That's a whole different thing. This is Prop Making 101. </b><br />
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<b>To dress the elf, the tunic is a rectangle with a slit for the head cut in the middle, edges trimmed. The hood is another rectangle folded in half, trimmed a bit in back, and hot-glued along the seam line. Shoes are made of three pieces of fabric, hot glued rather than stitched. to save time. Everything was belted with ribbons, and the hood was pinned into the head to hold it in place. Oh, the head! I did shape it a bit by pressing a paint brush handle into the foam, then I painted the face, and glued some craft store feathers on for hair. I drilled a hole into the neck and pushed it onto the wire neck of the body structure. Don't glue if you want to be able to turn the head. She's wired onto the ladder for wind (and prankster) resistance.</b><br />
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<b>You should note that as far as paint for this project goes, we didn't worry about interior/exterior/house/craft. Any acrylic will hold up fine unless you're in a really rainy climate. I've painted quick "temporary" signs from interior wall paint and craft paints which got left out for years, year round. Use what you have, or what you can salvage.</b><br />
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<b>So there's our recipe for a gingerbread house. We'll add a few ingredients next year, since there were a few things we didn't have time for. Also, the attic windows didn't get any frosting, mostly because I've never opened them, and I thought it perhaps best not to test the old hinges and latches in the dead of winter. See, I think these things through. Well, most things. Like, I thought to put the second storey frosting and candy up before the roof got snowed on....just didn't really think about needing to get it down from the snowy roof in January. Hmmm... If we don't get a January thaw, I may be taking it down around St. Paddy's day! Fa-la-la-la-leprechaun!</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryg11qFjDVrQxG6-1eSnCMabzQM4jKwhhrJ2Q_7BHcDvvL-TSU509MK4Yq0xZca7t1xMqVirg8erfX0PNnF707B8gpTob2fScTI_LDNoOnMxdlbuNOZZskVNh-GggF4s-3_xd91AEYdE/s1600/faithie+elf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryg11qFjDVrQxG6-1eSnCMabzQM4jKwhhrJ2Q_7BHcDvvL-TSU509MK4Yq0xZca7t1xMqVirg8erfX0PNnF707B8gpTob2fScTI_LDNoOnMxdlbuNOZZskVNh-GggF4s-3_xd91AEYdE/s400/faithie+elf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;"><b>Artgirl, a.k.a. Faithie. Best elf.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMaUtw1uNcgQ_ebWvWXPG3GrrF5hfXvRsMLUz8WN9OaxPgiIZKeEqYTpugEVK2iRy-vBPeSi0W6-honTFpo0s9WrIZKe7pDhebEJ7wSzD7ZTPRpOHJizZo4vbXK6IWETyO3GzpSCP7_Pg/s1600/man+i+love+this+kid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMaUtw1uNcgQ_ebWvWXPG3GrrF5hfXvRsMLUz8WN9OaxPgiIZKeEqYTpugEVK2iRy-vBPeSi0W6-honTFpo0s9WrIZKe7pDhebEJ7wSzD7ZTPRpOHJizZo4vbXK6IWETyO3GzpSCP7_Pg/s400/man+i+love+this+kid.jpg" width="385" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;">I love this kid!</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>So, yes, I'm back to blogging. Check back here next Monday for a peek at my Christmas tree, if this wasn't sugar enough for you. In keeping with the sugarplum vision, I covered this year's tree in cupcakes, candies, ice cream cones and cookies. It's almost as sweet as Artgirl.</b></div>
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If you're wanting sweet paint for inside your house, check out my portfolio of possibilities at <a href="http://theartofthehome.com/">theartofthehome.com</a>. I'm still booking January paint dates.</div>
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Questions or comments can be left below, by clicking where it says comments. </div>
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I took the in-progress shots, but Steve Isles was kind enough to come down from Jordan and shoot the afters, including pics of Faithie and I together. Of course, it had something to do with it also being dollar burger day at Johanne's Bar and Grill, just around the corner. Whatever the motivation, thanks Steve!</div>
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Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-4128631870864070642013-09-03T10:53:00.001-05:002013-09-03T10:57:23.277-05:00A little decorating job...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Way back at Easter, a friend's granddaughter, Lauren, got another miniature La La Loopsy doll in her Easter basket, and I was instantly enchanted by the box it came in. Apparently, I never outgrew the toddler fascination with the box thing. Anyway, in case you aren't up on who's who in Toyland, La La Loopsie is the currently popular pocket sized doll, having taken over for Polly Pocket, or quite similar to the Kiddles of the early 70's, if that's more your era. </b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0fF8HNJT_ZlltVThJGECrxLvLXqQ_QV6VmcdHaLoYttbf6QfZjNley7djpfLs_aX0hvkjZ692115y5PSSdpBxGguyfe2Oko30pVykEugywflENFmMfm8QGyexuhZ-57BvPVP-Z02uvA/s1600/DSC00056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0fF8HNJT_ZlltVThJGECrxLvLXqQ_QV6VmcdHaLoYttbf6QfZjNley7djpfLs_aX0hvkjZ692115y5PSSdpBxGguyfe2Oko30pVykEugywflENFmMfm8QGyexuhZ-57BvPVP-Z02uvA/s400/DSC00056.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;">La La Loopsie house made by Artgirl, Faithie.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>I'm not so fond of the plastic mass production quality of Loopsies, but according to the earlier company press releases, part of the idea was to encourage imaginative recycling. Of course, they then went on to make a whole line of plastic accessories that look like they came from the (fake) scrap bag, so no child need ever create anything. Sigh.</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiKpduEbo2PbqaxNOUILqWjqgYKc6jgwOhXfbtRdP4ZvuRmTXmEVADHmLjW7VTYizcsx77tRQLz0v_CWwt8LoCNapSpYQs-zOdtf1SwitA2nSDk2bsPQuoR84ImY8txCRhTUGErwrWd4/s1600/DSC00024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiKpduEbo2PbqaxNOUILqWjqgYKc6jgwOhXfbtRdP4ZvuRmTXmEVADHmLjW7VTYizcsx77tRQLz0v_CWwt8LoCNapSpYQs-zOdtf1SwitA2nSDk2bsPQuoR84ImY8txCRhTUGErwrWd4/s400/DSC00024.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;"><b>Here, Faithie makes window boxes from the packaging that uphostery tacks came in. I have a small drawer in my studio where I toss these, and other little bits of packaging that strike me as reusable. We used a lot of Fabri-tac, but you can also use Sobo for gluing down the fabrics. Hot glue is good for structural things, like holding floors in place.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>As I said, my imagination was immediately caught by the little house shaped package that the mini-Loopsy came in, which though printed cardboard, was originally designed with bits of fabric, buttons and trim. I wanted to make one, and Lauren offered to let me borrow the box...on the condition that I give her the house I planned to make. Fair enough. I never really played with doll houses, but I've always liked creating them. <i> As if having a full sized one of my own, and hundreds of clients to decorate for isn't enough?</i> I think it's the instant gratification of rooms that take hours, not days or weeks to finish. Or maybe the fact that the inhabitants are mute, and I can inflict whatever wild ideas I want upon their walls. At any rate </b><b>(actually at a very slow rate), five months later, I finally finished. So much for the instant gratification theory.</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;"><b>La La Loopsie gets a roof-top living room, complete with bookcase, and big comfy flower chairs, plus a few silk flowers potted in beads.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>Of course, I haven't taken photos of <i>my</i> Loopsy cottage yet, so the photos here are the one made by Artgirl, Faithie, instead. She was wanting to make a wooden doll house last spring, but agreed to start with this first. She finished hers in several two hour stretches over the course of a month, creating it from a cardboard box, bits of fabric from several sources, including some custom designed by her mom, <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/shinyjill" target="_blank">Jill</a> (who didn't used to think she was an artist, but that's a whole other saga -- click her name to see what she has on Spoonflower). Along with fabric, Faithie and I both used lots of wooden spools, empty plastic packaging, tiny boxes like the ones vanilla bottles come in, and vintage trims that I collect from thrift shops and garage sales. Oh, and flowers. Lots and lots of silk flowers, of course.</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAWLo2BMzsz2ZaNW5VbsUFlpbe66js5yyP7LVLG31X7OVe1LApdOb76TDDPiL4toRoZiI9mJDE01jXVY_3O5qDu7iqKPIIa2evAxvlN_YAxPRLYmaKUWT9Q3dx0DYhwddRERJIFoGKV8/s1600/DSC00060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAWLo2BMzsz2ZaNW5VbsUFlpbe66js5yyP7LVLG31X7OVe1LApdOb76TDDPiL4toRoZiI9mJDE01jXVY_3O5qDu7iqKPIIa2evAxvlN_YAxPRLYmaKUWT9Q3dx0DYhwddRERJIFoGKV8/s400/DSC00060.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;"><b>We decided stairs would take up too much space, so Miss Loopsie has to muscle her own way from floor to floor. Faithie did buy the dresser premade at a craft store, and just added trim to the front. Otherwise, all the furnishings were made with recycled boxes and bits.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b> I had thought this would be a quick warm-up for the construction of the wooden doll house, but Faithie is a fiend for details, and took her time making this house both sweet and sturdy enough for her little sister and their friends to play with. By the time we finished, she didn't want another dollhouse, she wanted a <a href="http://theartofthehome.blogspot.com/2013/06/every-kid-wants-clubhouse-this-kid.html" target="_blank">play house</a>, so we built that from wood, instead. Yes, that's a link to a post with photos of <i>that</i> project.</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQP2dVVSbQ1K90EyXhyQ2-4zI4D5F8l-lDPe67i8kBkN-CCbIwCe5kna1R1jVPtHCCoJJLwOtl_OCQbvZRJcareIbplMrh__8gEBiWbnze04QAxLT_-Ujkp34Gh9ktLjKEutvtlIRs28/s1600/DSC00039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQP2dVVSbQ1K90EyXhyQ2-4zI4D5F8l-lDPe67i8kBkN-CCbIwCe5kna1R1jVPtHCCoJJLwOtl_OCQbvZRJcareIbplMrh__8gEBiWbnze04QAxLT_-Ujkp34Gh9ktLjKEutvtlIRs28/s400/DSC00039.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;"><b>Love the refrigerator? I don't recommend you cover yours in fabric, but you can paint it. Bonding primer under and Minwax Polycrylic over your paint job will make it last for years. Actually, now that I think about it, with bonding primer under, and LOTS of polycrylic over, I guess you could cover yours in fabric. Go for it! (send me pictures!) In this kitchen, refrigerator, table and stove are covered in Jill Lenzmeier fabrics (link above).</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>Sometimes we really can't do exactly what we want in our own homes, maybe because we have to compromise with someone else's sense of style, maybe because the budget won't accommodate, maybe because we like far more styles than we have rooms under our roofs. Miniature domains, like doll houses and fairy abodes, are a fun way to play around with these fantasies, and if like me, you find the joy is just in the making, the final result can also be a perfect gift for a child. If you're thinking of Christmas, however, I suggest you start soon. The details can be reeeeeallllly time consuming!</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Iz2SgjHKUJdRq6bu6nbdq-qWDXhbGwJTEHO75RfDNWJgAh58ykPmBuO3nV2kcO6leFq3pxpZmBMWbVhnR6p2DRPc4_hDdsobeqE0RXZch96pvODhk9BMaXdIufQTdxiQFZ_2nRQ9Ems/s1600/DSC00086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Iz2SgjHKUJdRq6bu6nbdq-qWDXhbGwJTEHO75RfDNWJgAh58ykPmBuO3nV2kcO6leFq3pxpZmBMWbVhnR6p2DRPc4_hDdsobeqE0RXZch96pvODhk9BMaXdIufQTdxiQFZ_2nRQ9Ems/s400/DSC00086.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;"><b>"Artgirl" Faithie with her beautifully designed and executed La La Loopsie house.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>Have a fun week, whatever you do. Hopefully I'll pop something new up on Friday morning, but I'm really late getting the autumn issue of <a href="http://365being.com/" target="_blank">365 Being</a> to the printer, so I may be taking a break from posting here for a week or so.</b></div>
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<br />Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-16949405935912674882013-08-30T08:35:00.002-05:002013-08-30T08:35:35.853-05:00Travelling With Lucie<b>Well, I thought I'd write a decorating post today, but there was someone else on my travels who certainly deserves her own post. You've seen bits of Lucie's adventures in some of my other posts this summer, but she stared at me this morning until I agreed to give her a post of her own. She's still staring at me, of course, but with the guilt beam deactivated.</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7JgWFzKsrVleM_8bptdpMKehd4xIR_4wuuCvsDccSvtPW2MDA63Vm-9tCz5vf24VYtALlTEpUXDPH9jFgghW30_k3UMwGyYRh-5Qp66H79B8idFg2d9B-cHGkj3pwwMHMqzOO3zYG28/s1600/lucie+moat+bridge+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7JgWFzKsrVleM_8bptdpMKehd4xIR_4wuuCvsDccSvtPW2MDA63Vm-9tCz5vf24VYtALlTEpUXDPH9jFgghW30_k3UMwGyYRh-5Qp66H79B8idFg2d9B-cHGkj3pwwMHMqzOO3zYG28/s400/lucie+moat+bridge+2.jpg" width="385" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: small;">Staying in a castle with a moat suited Lucie's sensibilities just fine, just so long as the swans kept their distance -- they're mean!</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>You can learn all about <a href="http://postcardsfromlucie.com/" target="_blank">Lucie on her website.</a> (As of August 2013, I haven't had a chance to update the site. Lucie is not sending postcards at this time, so if the postcard purchase page is up whenever it is that you happen to read this post, be sure it's a promo for a current trip.)</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-AW_GfK4iEmunURHMXzcZD6iRO4WjOM-a_kjRmbyhzhBvlCSfEXOyz9LIlGkdtUadElEX2ye067FTPMvxalQ1iqn3uV3O9ffLU66ueLDqaJi2CeuJ2Mu63FdEYy_67yCXDzFZWVXgAA/s1600/shooting+Lucie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-AW_GfK4iEmunURHMXzcZD6iRO4WjOM-a_kjRmbyhzhBvlCSfEXOyz9LIlGkdtUadElEX2ye067FTPMvxalQ1iqn3uV3O9ffLU66ueLDqaJi2CeuJ2Mu63FdEYy_67yCXDzFZWVXgAA/s400/shooting+Lucie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: small;">Star and Chronicler, in France.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>Traveling with a mouse and photographing the trip from her perspective, as her chronicler, was a fun assignment I gave myself. Part of the fun was that it took me out of my comfort zone, and gave me an excuse to do kid things, like lay on the platform of the subway station in Brussels. I didn't do it for the reason a kid would, but rather to try to get a shot from a mouse's perspective, but you shoulda heard my friend, Teri. She put on her mom voice and sternly informed me, "If you do not get up this instant, I'm going to leave you here." Of course, her two kids were with us, and I was setting a bad example, so she would have been justified, except that I warned her I was coming to visit just so I could instill properly naughty behavior, and she assured me she had done it already. Sheesh.</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhic3lhPvYE9nfcGT3YM_uHVF8BvmGVv8hdCgEvdLkP1k46t0HHlREdwLnO4b9bX_To83QiVngQVVEAzGmuNI47gL86p3ZcfAmkPshs-ULrvBqnX_TPjas89YjU9WSHHne3kq_OGz9dRb0/s1600/IMG_7478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhic3lhPvYE9nfcGT3YM_uHVF8BvmGVv8hdCgEvdLkP1k46t0HHlREdwLnO4b9bX_To83QiVngQVVEAzGmuNI47gL86p3ZcfAmkPshs-ULrvBqnX_TPjas89YjU9WSHHne3kq_OGz9dRb0/s400/IMG_7478.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: small;"><b>Would have liked to have gotten a shot at a better angle, with a train arriving, but small Kai was already freaked out by Lucie crossing the yellow line. Figured it wasn't the place to set a really bad example for small boys, and besides, I was at risk of being stepped on...or left behind.. </b></span></td></tr>
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<b>Teri's boys loved Lucie, especially Soren, the older of the two. He was so good about letting her sit on his shoulder, so I could try to get shots of her gazing at all the tourist attractions. (If only I'd figured out the camera settings for doing this effectively [sigh].) Of course, there was the day at the farmer's market, while we rested on a bench, that Soren did ask, "Could we put Lucie away now? It's getting kinda embarrassing being seen with a mouse."</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSeqIXl9dY-pT32-pe6dxL2VTwMuBONCeyl7q3gIaf2KIUMsiUlLYqyfrbxwn-878NTw4Mls-EK7l6ebjoUVYpgt2SMHU1bZz2isq1UDP-dTs0MvjnGSuHQ1pg571VMdpKpS_llyg5d0/s1600/IMG_7345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSeqIXl9dY-pT32-pe6dxL2VTwMuBONCeyl7q3gIaf2KIUMsiUlLYqyfrbxwn-878NTw4Mls-EK7l6ebjoUVYpgt2SMHU1bZz2isq1UDP-dTs0MvjnGSuHQ1pg571VMdpKpS_llyg5d0/s400/IMG_7345.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;">The violinist seemed to like Lucie as much as she liked him, and Soren was a darling about his job as Lucie's personal prop. Unfortunately, it didn't occur to me to turn them around and get their faces anywhere, like normal tourists would do. Sorry Soren, Lucie and I would have loved a few shots with your sweet smile. Ah well, <i>maybe next time...</i>?</span></b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosnZMSInv6hy7RIk0zX3TgZjZOp25lAZl2RiFC5xF6eit1e1QonwwV8n7QimDk06PCOf1_hoW-CeAKyMRNl17Upc1tHwE543YFNSxRv5-dTvdfeuJ4U1C5y5ZjDLzzpuUm-1IQQS_MYI/s1600/IMG_7347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosnZMSInv6hy7RIk0zX3TgZjZOp25lAZl2RiFC5xF6eit1e1QonwwV8n7QimDk06PCOf1_hoW-CeAKyMRNl17Upc1tHwE543YFNSxRv5-dTvdfeuJ4U1C5y5ZjDLzzpuUm-1IQQS_MYI/s320/IMG_7347.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgFMBC1v4V-1K00bxkYDYVKenmYadW2EBda-Ow2VGe7OH5yqvC2FnC7AuwQ0TyFGDo3Mxn4n5MxcoxN1btq5YkZ3ykyf2HGlKQE0LBRQ4gkP5MjyDWbFT_d5DqADeL2qptGIln1TSIkA/s1600/IMG_7348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgFMBC1v4V-1K00bxkYDYVKenmYadW2EBda-Ow2VGe7OH5yqvC2FnC7AuwQ0TyFGDo3Mxn4n5MxcoxN1btq5YkZ3ykyf2HGlKQE0LBRQ4gkP5MjyDWbFT_d5DqADeL2qptGIln1TSIkA/s400/IMG_7348.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;"><b>Lucie and Kai contemplate their odds of getting away with pretending they don't know what that sign says.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yvuRsGTb0MobiZ6tTFR5flLh1bQhPW8BpuXbS0brtl5tEoSLABl6ci04cE7qMUmPGJxodIK5TzbQm0yuzFTA4i-8jwAc0RNYEltc1ha61YXrl2WoP1ZvwfUGZGE2vDZ057xd7KKGg_U/s1600/IMG_7410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yvuRsGTb0MobiZ6tTFR5flLh1bQhPW8BpuXbS0brtl5tEoSLABl6ci04cE7qMUmPGJxodIK5TzbQm0yuzFTA4i-8jwAc0RNYEltc1ha61YXrl2WoP1ZvwfUGZGE2vDZ057xd7KKGg_U/s400/IMG_7410.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: small;"><b>I do believe Lucie impressed the Faerie folk in the woods behind the castle, with her refined ways and fancy clothes. Lucie wanted to know if I actually believe faeries are real. Like I wasn't conversing with a mouse in a negligee???</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhgW1AOPenXZ2KKjCDinjQkYbxvjYlrQM4I1trPOcyWPR_3b_5WWe-xeDYdToJ4h51Ygop_vzDriWVlnBXFl77KwJFcyXrgeLq7VIAmsBCeUwbRVDJI2P5FD-gQk3kTc5oHVQvGmtP8I/s1600/IMG_7459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhgW1AOPenXZ2KKjCDinjQkYbxvjYlrQM4I1trPOcyWPR_3b_5WWe-xeDYdToJ4h51Ygop_vzDriWVlnBXFl77KwJFcyXrgeLq7VIAmsBCeUwbRVDJI2P5FD-gQk3kTc5oHVQvGmtP8I/s400/IMG_7459.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-size: small;"><b>You see a beautifully carved antique mirror frame. The four cats see a tasty little treat, just out of reach.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b> In France, my classmates, who were all my age and older, seemed to delight just as much as the boys had in dreaming up adventures for Lucie.</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1NEwgRZYZsHrFeb4WhyrHldjwudGkYM4hwb0Y0k6-1ZspMETUSvFRpb5oBnce9zPi75Cjbp0WmZkMmNXcOOGmmzPxyl41I1mxpxWNJoNo6bXTli0V4iQcXUMP_VXHG7n_4SHgWhTS7U/s1600/IMG_7699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1NEwgRZYZsHrFeb4WhyrHldjwudGkYM4hwb0Y0k6-1ZspMETUSvFRpb5oBnce9zPi75Cjbp0WmZkMmNXcOOGmmzPxyl41I1mxpxWNJoNo6bXTli0V4iQcXUMP_VXHG7n_4SHgWhTS7U/s400/IMG_7699.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: small;">Lucie did think about rafting down the copper cooling rivulet, but it's swift and cold, and empties into a fast moving river. She's adventurous, but not extreme, thank goodness.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;"><b>One day we got locked out, and Lucie looked for ways in.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-size: small;">Waiting for the postman. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;"><b>Lucie thought the cheesemaker's son might want to befriend her, as Kai and Soren had, but I didn't think his papa would go for having a mouse about the business.</b></span></td></tr>
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I'm chronicling Lucie's story as a serial (for now) in my quarterly bookazine, <a href="http://365being.com/" target="_blank">365 Being</a>. You can get the first installment in the summer issue, in PDF, and at the time of this post, there are a few print copies left, as well. Eventually, the story will get a proper editing, and publish as a novel for young readers. Eventually. </div>
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For now, I'm hard at work trying to get the last photo albums out to the kind souls her helped fund Lucie's adventures (Thank you, my darlings!!!), while also trying to get the Autumn issue to press, between my regularly scheduled decorating work. It's all one big adventure! Have a fun weekend, and check in on Tuesday morning. Who knows, with summer ending, maybe I really will get back to posting about decorating...</div>
<br />Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-29648029508716716272013-08-27T09:19:00.000-05:002013-08-27T14:25:47.317-05:00What I Did On My Summer Vacation (France)You've met my classmates, and seen some of the architectural eye candy over the last dozen or so posts, but before I get back to posting about decorating (oh, yeah, this is a decorating blog), shall I show you what I did in art class this summer? In case you don't read every word I write, every time I write it, let me bring you up to speed. The class was <a href="http://dayledoroshow.com/" target="_blank">Dayle Doroshow's </a>Capturing Ancient France, mixed media journaling. It was held at <a href="http://gwengibson.com/" target="_blank">La Cascade</a>, in Durfort France ( in the south, about an hour from Toulouse, near Revel).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuuNSzJmW7YUM0gPje6YJdf5b9CL1MCLXmmf6njYploFh2UJaKoPLg2485htfBgHjpElXOJLx9McJMS9WZi70AvyP5txKQTtS0dBVBPH_HOQ4_XRfbkYAogDzl3ntw03xaTLg2hfv1oMA/s1600/Fleur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuuNSzJmW7YUM0gPje6YJdf5b9CL1MCLXmmf6njYploFh2UJaKoPLg2485htfBgHjpElXOJLx9McJMS9WZi70AvyP5txKQTtS0dBVBPH_HOQ4_XRfbkYAogDzl3ntw03xaTLg2hfv1oMA/s640/Fleur.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #d5a6bd; font-size: small;">This storybook doll is made of polymer clay around a matchbox.</span></b></td></tr>
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Although the intent of the class was capturing ancient France, I was on an "in the moment" jag, so my projects captured all the colors and fun that swirled around me. I love the kind of collage often featured in publications like <a href="http://somersetstudio.com/" target="_blank">Somerset Studio</a>, all sepia and oldy-moldy looking, but no matter how hard I try, my stuff just insists on being colorful. So much for ancient. [Shrug]</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5qXE3y2Z8E5SBVFLw0lYYJfUhngwge_SMZkrrlc_i9S9Z_Mes2z6FJDlfgyjsPUlZKpi_ETf2cj0uASS0IVPl6eZRsoFfaN9HkFMuWd0eVkdjbL9tjQoSqx4j8Pik8b55WIlTHwprZ8/s1600/Fleur%2527s+story.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5qXE3y2Z8E5SBVFLw0lYYJfUhngwge_SMZkrrlc_i9S9Z_Mes2z6FJDlfgyjsPUlZKpi_ETf2cj0uASS0IVPl6eZRsoFfaN9HkFMuWd0eVkdjbL9tjQoSqx4j8Pik8b55WIlTHwprZ8/s400/Fleur%2527s+story.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #d5a6bd; font-size: small;">The matchbox drawer is removed, and the cover is slit to open like a book cover. I copied one of our round poems onto an accordion folded piece of paper. It starts out poetic and profound. It ends with "59 barrels of beer on the wall". This is much funnier when one of those barrels has been consumed.</span></b></td></tr>
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One of the fun things we did after dinner one night was writing "round poems". You do this with a group of say five or more, each person starting with a piece of paper, on which is drawn a large circle. Written along the outside edge of the circle are three or four words, to which you add a few words, then pass your paper to the left. You keep doing this, reading only the last few words written before adding your own, until the string of words meets back at the beginning. Then each person scans the poem in hand, chooses where to begin (not always where the writing began), assumes an appropriately theatrical voice, and reads it aloud. There are deep moments and hilarious moments, especially if a lot of wine has been consumed. I don't drink, but since I easily soak up the moods of others, I didn't miss out on the silly at all. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;">This is an idea collector book, and was used to create a sampler of techniques. When I have a play day, I'll add photos from the trip to some of the pages.</span></b></td></tr>
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We did several projects, but they're not all shown here, mostly because I didn't finish them all. The book shown above was my first shot at creating a handmade book, and I am now addicted to this process, and planning to make many more. As for new products tried, my most useful discovery was Sobo glue. As an artist, I have heard of it frequently, but I didn't realize that though it is a white glue, it's quite different from Elmer's. It behaves beautifully! I am using a lot of Sobo now, where I used to use Elmers and Fabri-tac, though I still use both of those for certain things. If you haven't tried it, I really recommend that you do!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaj63SaOz9c7AxNILQ0yVfFnPonsRP-Jct3V5wtIylo_9_lXDUC9iAaUQVrpnTewtihNp7KfnLouCSDVhs2vXZp_rM_uzFr4IhL24WSy_B8YvOdsRcmbLkkPfYHUomLyMtRY-PVgAY1TY/s1600/idea+collector+v-w+apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaj63SaOz9c7AxNILQ0yVfFnPonsRP-Jct3V5wtIylo_9_lXDUC9iAaUQVrpnTewtihNp7KfnLouCSDVhs2vXZp_rM_uzFr4IhL24WSy_B8YvOdsRcmbLkkPfYHUomLyMtRY-PVgAY1TY/s400/idea+collector+v-w+apple.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;"><b>These honeycomb folded pages are called VW pages. I loved the peekaboo cutout concept.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEtP7OcNpuEHCvvC1zC9Pc4kc3_Zyf2zcc0vyfIAmUuQrtvwcX9iKZ90mLe8OMLWh_jkZBcQSOlC6N4KyLIIzUvqOladbT-OzISMHees2m1vc86vxofm2u5yhW-o_GTuiM7U3iS1oEqQ/s1600/idea+collector+abricot+spread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEtP7OcNpuEHCvvC1zC9Pc4kc3_Zyf2zcc0vyfIAmUuQrtvwcX9iKZ90mLe8OMLWh_jkZBcQSOlC6N4KyLIIzUvqOladbT-OzISMHees2m1vc86vxofm2u5yhW-o_GTuiM7U3iS1oEqQ/s400/idea+collector+abricot+spread.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;"><b>Since we ate a lot of apricots, I chose this fruit as the subject of my "wood cut", which was actually carved into a sheet of baked polymer clay. Instead of traditional ink and brayer, we printed by coloring the block with markers, and also with water soluble oil pastels. Hadn't done this technique before, but I'm thinking I'll try it again as a Christmas card.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3y1TtAhcAfJAienIpW6I4zAPhNO_L-_ijByH2XFiO7iXthkLzVqYRU6NEGdjQPyrnhtlNt3vt1_F6o2uSCZ6T65Cu0X8Lj-PAvKxUTD6RBM-3Qo0G3cpSy4e902WrpI40-6nI1EuWwk/s1600/idea+collector+silk+sample.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3y1TtAhcAfJAienIpW6I4zAPhNO_L-_ijByH2XFiO7iXthkLzVqYRU6NEGdjQPyrnhtlNt3vt1_F6o2uSCZ6T65Cu0X8Lj-PAvKxUTD6RBM-3Qo0G3cpSy4e902WrpI40-6nI1EuWwk/s400/idea+collector+silk+sample.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;"><b>Back at the beginning of this series of posts, I featured the silk painting class we took at a studio just up the street. I stuck a bit of my tester in my idea collector, along with the instructor's card.</b></span></td></tr>
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You may be aware that I traveled with a mouse by the name of Madam Lucie Bonnard. In fact, Lucie was born from a pre-class assignment, and in the end, she even paid for part of my trip. Her story is at <a href="http://postcardsfromlucie.com/">postcardsfromlucie.com</a>. I have not updated Lucie's travel plans as of August 2013, so know that Lucie is not sending postcards at present, but will be again in 2014 or 2015, from somewhere else.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZn36mMIA_NiJ1WsE13NpFyWIQzdsaW2xB2dp09DwFobK-Dm2anFCni9HazxyAfXbmWOyBIWsTAQ3AzD58FZSkjnVH_iMDhSVDmbvz8XK0txUMf9SaTe2B_kfm-gwXDZ_Y8qVZtxBHhIk/s1600/lucie+on+my+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZn36mMIA_NiJ1WsE13NpFyWIQzdsaW2xB2dp09DwFobK-Dm2anFCni9HazxyAfXbmWOyBIWsTAQ3AzD58FZSkjnVH_iMDhSVDmbvz8XK0txUMf9SaTe2B_kfm-gwXDZ_Y8qVZtxBHhIk/s400/lucie+on+my+table.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;"><b>Lucie spent a bit of time among the clutter on my work table, and contemplated nibbling a negligee from my silk. These little rolling computer desks were great in the classroom, as the pull-out keyboard tray was a great place to stash tools and supplies when not in use.</b></span></td></tr>
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Traveling with a mouse, and documenting the scenery from her perspective, would have been easier had she wanted to stay on my hat, but she wasn't particularly shy of humans. I had to get over some shyness myself. You know the grandest thing about mid-life? Getting completely over worrying about what people might think. I spent a lot of time laying on the ground in Brussels and France, not always to the delight of my human companions and passers-by. I also spent a lot of time trying to explain my semi-imaginary traveling companion to people who didn't speak my language, nor I theirs. Most of them were charmed. We did our best to be polite, Lucie and I, but we had a job to do, and we just couldn't be too worried about those who didn't get us.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_i150J-EhCxsV8AgvQZ9A3BZ7dA5SDvTMdzIqbUBOdW4M8jbFafPEsiRBFqiq9mD8K6224_q3b61sWFPQUr157JdwQxns586KNJsms-g9EPgk91H2EBjWEo6od9b0vd8Bw-Vhx32vsg/s1600/how+I+spent+my+vacation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_i150J-EhCxsV8AgvQZ9A3BZ7dA5SDvTMdzIqbUBOdW4M8jbFafPEsiRBFqiq9mD8K6224_q3b61sWFPQUr157JdwQxns586KNJsms-g9EPgk91H2EBjWEo6od9b0vd8Bw-Vhx32vsg/s400/how+I+spent+my+vacation.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: small;"><b>This is how I'll be remembered by many. Just another strange American. I'm good with that.</b></span></td></tr>
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One great thing about travelling for a class like this is the mini tour group aspect. We took time away from class each day to go out and explore someplace together. Obviously, you can't very well capture ancient France, if you don't get out and see it. The villages we explored were already old when our own Declaration of Independence was signed. Shoot, some of them were old when the Mayflower docked and disturbed the Natives. Sometimes, it was possible to feel the layers of history, like wisps of memories, clinging to the old stones.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: small;"><b>The young professor at the pub gave us a lesson on dinosaurs. Luckily, scientific names don't need translating!</b></span></td></tr>
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Not everything was about the old. We hung out in the local pub, shopped the markets and ateliers, and careened up and down the mountainsides in air-conditioned comfort. If not for the AC, we could have lived up to one of our Broadway (Way-Off Broadway) numbers, and brought the hills alive with the sound of music (or perhaps silenced them?). As it is, the group of musical theater lovers that my class turned out to be is planning to reconvene in a couple of years, and possibly sing in public. I guess I'll be taking voice lessons before then. Not to avoid embarrassment (no, I'm over that), but to be kind to my companions, and anyone who may hear us. And because, though I march to my own drum, I really do think it would be more fun to sing in tune with everyone else.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: small;">Just as I imagined, and more!</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: small;"><b>Now those are some steep stairs!</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">If you think this adventure sounds like fun, do check out the class schedule for <a href="http://gwengibson.com/" target="_blank">La Cascade</a>! You will be well taken care of, in a setting that's simply divine. Think you can't afford it? How I managed this is a saga for some other day, but don't tell me (don't tell yourself!) you simply cannot. You get what you truly, in the depths of your mind, say yes to. If a trip to France is your true desire, say "yes", hold it in your heart, and stand firm. My gratitude to the Divine, in all it's forms and channels, for this adventure in Yes.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: small;"><b>Dayle Doroshow taught our class, and acts as host for many others at La Cascade. She is definitely the hostess with the mostest! I hope you get to spend time with her, someday soon!</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: small;"><b>Dinner music on the terrace at La Cascade. No need for a Broadway cast.</b></span></td></tr>
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Live juicy! <br />
...and come back Friday morning. Maybe I'll actually post something about decorating. Maybe.<br />
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<br />Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-60353163098266118842013-08-23T07:19:00.000-05:002013-08-23T07:19:49.569-05:00When in France, eat like the French do, but better...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Meet Nese Pelt</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAvEHwZi5YKDDypIJyMI5-vZ4vdJCQLqROa-HDpUuM4u6apsAUhXbMobfwpHQxNDwumTxG4i0EIrV_z-uJp7260zTBZMiZ5clVJnJ4T7yyypxSyedHv0ZWeeUG4ASJrkcFMXJyHOfvv0/s1600/IMG_7949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAvEHwZi5YKDDypIJyMI5-vZ4vdJCQLqROa-HDpUuM4u6apsAUhXbMobfwpHQxNDwumTxG4i0EIrV_z-uJp7260zTBZMiZ5clVJnJ4T7yyypxSyedHv0ZWeeUG4ASJrkcFMXJyHOfvv0/s400/IMG_7949.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: small;">When the weather was warm enough, we ate on the terrace at La Cascade.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>Up to this point in my life, my travelling has always been with family, or to visit family. Going to France and Belgium this summer was really the first trip I took completely for myself, and on my own. I wasn't <i>alone</i>, though. In Belgium I visited one of my very dearest childhood friends, and in France, of course, I was attending a class with eight other people. It was a bit like a tour group, as we did have daily excursions, but even better than a tour group because, by the nature of the class (<a href="http://dayledoroshow.com/" target="_blank">Dayle Doroshow's</a> <i>Capturing Ancient France, mixed media journaling</i>, at <a href="http://gwengibson.com/" target="_blank">La Cascade</a>), the group was small, and the participants were already to some degree kindred spirits. </b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;">Chef Nese , whipping up something yummy.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>Now, most of the time, I like being alone, prefer it even. Solitude is almost as necessary as air for most artists, and I'm no exception, but I don't think I would like traveling<i> really</i> alone. I know I wouldn't like eating alone day after day. I occasionally do the woman-alone-dining-out thing, and I gotta say, good food isn't all that much fun without someone to discuss it with. </b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AHyH7L7uSz9GkMQiV1cszUgnasml3u9C1WyuaOv5quskUTQ1fBEKma4AkLpVbwuMTLa5kbfomih7p-mTrtuUytyBbk9IqyP7G8ZxVGjsART4zwdoVqYxguxTIlhOg-iIBa8cYDrQ-bo/s1600/Nese+with+cassoulet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AHyH7L7uSz9GkMQiV1cszUgnasml3u9C1WyuaOv5quskUTQ1fBEKma4AkLpVbwuMTLa5kbfomih7p-mTrtuUytyBbk9IqyP7G8ZxVGjsART4zwdoVqYxguxTIlhOg-iIBa8cYDrQ-bo/s320/Nese+with+cassoulet.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;">Nese's version of French cassoulet has the traditional beans and sausage, but I was told she adds more veggies than are the norm. We loved it! She also said that using fresh beans, rather than dried, solves the gas problem with beans. Frozen limas and edamame are about the only beans found in grocery stores this way, but perhaps your local co-op or natural foods store carries more varieties, if you don't grow them yourself.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>In France, eating alone was never a problem. Not only did I have lots of dining companions, I had lots of good food to share and talk about. We did eat at a couple of restaurants, and we bought nibbles and treats at market stalls and sidewalk cafes, but mostly we ate at La Cascade, where Nese (pronounced Nesha) Pelt, chef (and now owner), took very good care of us. </b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">She's as cute and funny as her food is beautiful and delicious.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>When I raided Nese's facebook page (link: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/buddha.dujardin)">buddha du jardin)</a> for recipes, I saw she hasn't posted since just before the summer season of classes began, so I know she's super busy. She owns a yoga and massage studio already, and with the new addition of not just cooking for but also owning La Cascade...well, I have a pretty good idea of just how busy that is, so I didn't pester her with a request for recipes to share here. "Like" her facebook page, and when she gets back to posting, her charmingly written recipes will come across your feed..</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSJ5Qm6Kbd4Mfk-83dda6bmRJc2HkzN379n9RqpYSho3s4S1L70rLNXGwMfJFt_BgmF2BgXVOeneeRfDd1dvh-awXjIpHYdEZHHoXyMDg1vi5xDlsbHRGIdGQ_rR53AUVnVLL2CjWf9Q/s1600/licking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSJ5Qm6Kbd4Mfk-83dda6bmRJc2HkzN379n9RqpYSho3s4S1L70rLNXGwMfJFt_BgmF2BgXVOeneeRfDd1dvh-awXjIpHYdEZHHoXyMDg1vi5xDlsbHRGIdGQ_rR53AUVnVLL2CjWf9Q/s400/licking.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: small;">It all started with the story of a dare to lick a bowl in a restaurant, and pretty soon, we were doing it, too. Considering how good the cake was, how freely the wine flowed, and who was involved, this is not really surprising.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>Another great thing about travelling with others is that if they are willing to share, one has many more photos to choose from, insuring a great shot of just about every minute of the trip. In this post, the only photo I took was the one at the top. I am not an accomplished photographer, and in fact have to really force myself to stop and take pictures. I love living in the moment, and stopping to record the moment for the future, or for my blogs and bookazine (<a href="http://365being.com/">365being</a>), is just contrary to my nature. </b></div>
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<b>I did try, and mostly I failed. Oh, I took nearly eight hundred pictures. About a hundred and fifty are focused, and capture the moment <i>of</i>, rather than the moments <i>after</i>. My photos of Nese? Mine all captured the whir and blur of her bustling around the kitchen. Great memories for me, not such great illustrations for you. It's a very good thing I had very kind, very generous companions on this adventure, and I'm so pleased you popped in here to meet them (if you haven't been here lately, scroll back through previous posts to meet everyone who contributed to my fun and photos, and even farther back to see some wonderful old architecture). </b></div>
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<b>If you're curious to see what I made in class, that will be Tuesday morning's post, so have a great weekend, and check back here, then. For today, I'll leave you with Nese's recipe for chocolate cake...</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevMCotwoYJCUjLM3XHqwyfIS13kS0ropJCyyqkPk363urYUSa4Vo7wtfTWmcx8SNk0zeoNTfaie4JsBlr21t-M66Yi3k87kSC0wR231ieSStElPQfA-NR3ekiHA4EjLAMhANxk9DYVmE/s1600/chocolate+cake+with+caramel+sauce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevMCotwoYJCUjLM3XHqwyfIS13kS0ropJCyyqkPk363urYUSa4Vo7wtfTWmcx8SNk0zeoNTfaie4JsBlr21t-M66Yi3k87kSC0wR231ieSStElPQfA-NR3ekiHA4EjLAMhANxk9DYVmE/s320/chocolate+cake+with+caramel+sauce.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">chocolate cake without flour and no butter</span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lifted straight from Nese's facebook page, which you can just click right over to</span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/buddha.dujardin" target="_blank"><b>buddha du jardin</b></a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">*250 gr. chocolate </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">* 6 eggs</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">* 200 gr. sugar</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">* 200 gr. ground almonds</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">* half tea spoons cinnamon </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />* 6 soups spoons cognac<br />* 1 p. of baking powder or 3 tea spoons<br /><br />** break the chocolate in little pieces and put hot water or hot coffee on it , don't mix , let it for a little time and put the liquid away ( except of some ) or drink it, and now mix .<br /><br />*** egg yolk and sugar mix for a long time and add the melt chocolate , mix add cinnamon and cognac, baking powder and almonds .<br /><br />**** beat the egg white and add , mix very careful.<br /><br />***** back it in middle heat for 30-40 min.<br /><br />the decoration is how you want with or without cream .........have fun</span>Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-56287722452990590482013-08-19T22:15:00.001-05:002013-08-19T22:24:12.445-05:00In Tandem: Cynthia Tinapple and Blair Davis<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Cynthia Tinapple and Blair Davis</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>As you may have noticed, there's been a lot written on this blog lately about polymer clay and polymer clay artists. Among the classmates I've introduced you to in the last few posts, many are polymer clay artists, and even those who aren't do dabble, when the need arises. If you are at all curious about this versatile medium, the artists who work with it, or the range of fabulous jewelry and art that these artists make from it, then you really only need to know one name: </b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Cynthia Tinapple.</span> </b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: small;"><b>Cynthia shares her idea collector book during show and tell.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>Cynthia curates <i>the </i>blog about what's new and interesting in polymer clay. <span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://polymerclaydaily.com/" target="_blank">Polymer Clay Daily</a></span> brings to the public eye the creations of the best and brightest polymer stars, as well as amazing artists tucked in far off corners of the world that most of us would never come across on our own. On her blog and in her personal life, Cynthia is deeply interested in others, and in other cultures, and has traveled many places, including Nepal and a charity she has close ties to there, <a href="http://acolourfuljourney.com/sammunat/">Sammunat</a>. This organization helps women who are facing domestic abuse find both safety and financial independence. If you click that link, you'll find many beautiful items made by these Nepalese women, including wonderful polymer beaded jewelry.</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;">Cynthia, always the enthusiast, admires Nona's floral scarf. Her own creation is in her hand, a lovely geometric in gorgeous shades of fresh mossy greens, apricot, and plum. </span></b></td></tr>
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<b>Cynthia made this trip to France with her husband, Blair Davis. He didn't take the class (<a href="http://dayledoroshow.com/" target="_blank">Dayle Doroshow's</a> <i>Capturing Ancient France, </i>mixed media journaling, at <a href="http://gwengibson.com/" target="_blank">La Cascade</a>), but joined us on our excursions, though not in our on-the-road renditions of the Best of Broadway. He may not belt out show tunes, but Blair does have both a practical manner, and creative flair, not to mention plenty of height to reach the top shelves in any store, so all that combined with a kind nature made him perfectly appreciated in the gaggle of girls. </b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: small;">Cynthia leading the way off of the mountainside, while Blair suggests alternate routes? No idea actually what we were looking at, but isn't this setting just behind La Cascade lovely? </span></b></td></tr>
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<b>Lucky for me, Blair also happens to have sharp eyes, and spotted Lucie (the mouse who was my travelling companion -- top of the column on the right, if you have no idea who I'm talking about) on the floor of the fabric shop we were visiting one afternoon, and thus rescued me from certain heartbreak. I have to admit that when I think of this, I do wonder if he was reminded of parenting youngsters</b><b> who insisted on dragging their most favorite toys everywhere, despite the enormous risk to family tranquility, should they be lost. Surely my own father can't be the only kind soul to ever have backtracked forty miles for a forgotten stuffed animal? Ummm, yeah, this wasn't the first time...not even the second. Thanks, Blair. It wouldn't have been pretty.</b><br />
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<b>The next village over from Durfort is Soreze, and that's where we found these charming wood cut-outs, and the posters explaining them...</b><br />
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<b>Cynthia took one of these as her inspiration for her dashing cadet...</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Cadet doll by Cynthia Tinapple.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>If you haven't already done so and returned, do take a moment to pop on over to <a href="http://polymerclaydaily.com/" target="_blank">Cynthia's blog</a>. Many artists I know do this almost every day, for a little refresher in the midst of the business of art. Even if you're just an admirer of the creations of others, you'll appreciate the careful curating Cynthia has done for you.</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;">Cynthia is either admiring the waterfalls, or checking Blair's progress on a gardening project he undertook while we played with clay.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>I recently came to realize that this summer's trip was, for me, the manifestation of a childhood wish to go away to summer camp. My time in France, boarding for a week with a whole group of gals (okay, plus Blair), was everything I could have wanted: new friends in a new place, far from my boring small town life (which, as an adult, I actually choose), with fun activities, and dessert twice a day. Oh, speaking of dessert, there is one more person to share with you. Come on back Friday morning and meet Nese, our chef. I'll see what recipes I can wheedle out of her, (or snag from her facebook page) before then.</b></div>
Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-46729321149762478922013-08-16T14:53:00.001-05:002013-08-16T14:53:47.473-05:00You might already know Judy Belcher and Julie Eakes...<b>There is enough to tell about these two women to give them each a post of their own, but they're good friends, and they sort of go together, like peanut butter and jelly, or music and lyrics, or Rodgers and Hammerstein, or, well, nevermind. Anyway, Judy Belcher and Julie Eakes, in certain circles, are demi-goddesses. To polymer clay artists, their names are familiar from features on other blogs, like<i><u> <a href="http://polymerclaydaily.com/" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Polymer Clay Daily</span></a>,</u></i> from the covers of their books, appearances on TV, and workshop rosters across the country. Even a fringe-folk like myself (I experiment, but I'm not addicted), knew who these two were, when I saw them on the list of participants in the class I took in France, this summer. (If you haven't been reading this blog lately, scroll back a few posts to meet some of the other characters from my summer adventure) Anyway, I confess to being a bit star-struck when I read a few of the names on that list.</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Judy Belcher</span> is from West Virginia, and she is warm and funny and <i>real</i>. These photos capture her charming southern lady side, but miss her equally charming other side, which is, well, hmmm...let me just say that I really didn't need to spend those two weeks prior to my trip cleaning up my wharf rat's language. Not that she swears like a sailor, well, oh bloody 'ell, I'm diggin' a hole here. Let's just say that Judy, along with several others in the class, can tell a story with the best of 'em, and there wasn't a thing I coulda said that would have curled ears. Real women, with real stories, in real words.</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #d5a6bd; font-size: small;"><b>Judy with Ann Mason, learning silk painting.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>Silk painting was unfamiliar territory to Judy, but not the geometric design of her sampler square. Here's a shot I blatantly stole from her<i><u> <a href="http://judybelcherdesigns.com/"><span style="color: white;">website</span></a></u></i>, featuring a project from a class she taught awhile back: </b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuT3U0YPPki5PoKupXa4BSy2pfO6F5J7WtPKbSa3gRZWgsIZ8Bc37BbiMdj1lGhW2CmMB3VBLV_WQ5Hm2ZhTi1N4W_MctFCrXKIQ7h8d5q0ETaafzGdtd_gf8AEQWt56x-dym3fFMZus8/s1600/Cane-in-one-color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuT3U0YPPki5PoKupXa4BSy2pfO6F5J7WtPKbSa3gRZWgsIZ8Bc37BbiMdj1lGhW2CmMB3VBLV_WQ5Hm2ZhTi1N4W_MctFCrXKIQ7h8d5q0ETaafzGdtd_gf8AEQWt56x-dym3fFMZus8/s400/Cane-in-one-color.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;"><b>metallic blend pendants by Judy Belcher</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><b>If you like something a bit sleeker still, how about this:</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzJ_g1Y2-sOpyrmzlNu6sa95Fu03BDHaUJn3m03mi65XLsff9b-IROeJQWy_fz6oTNkiHDUqA9mr46mt-eNEVproTtIzANw6C16LE78_MX69kyeNWmL2B5TL3BaaWC31Qr3018BujboQ/s1600/Judy+Belcher+square-pendant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzJ_g1Y2-sOpyrmzlNu6sa95Fu03BDHaUJn3m03mi65XLsff9b-IROeJQWy_fz6oTNkiHDUqA9mr46mt-eNEVproTtIzANw6C16LE78_MX69kyeNWmL2B5TL3BaaWC31Qr3018BujboQ/s320/Judy+Belcher+square-pendant.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: small;"><b>Judy Belcher takes polymer clay in some pretty sophisticated directions.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>That's enough thievery from me. You better just take a break here for a minute and go check out <span style="color: white;"><i><u><span style="background-color: black;">her <a href="http://judybelcherdesigns.com/">website</a></span>.</u></i></span> Be sure to come back, cause I haven't run out of words, yet, and you have to meet Julie, too, who shows up further on down this post.</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEBG2hjkZlQUJGvJUZGTymJKsugPqj24Caauh4I7A4ZOsbzJClW6oxFcEcCmNvCIpAg0_mFLyHfLbuIfQ4qlCSOz8gvGI0bh4cQ52b8afaODylFNh24cYKmk2kdVPBApxA-IvXu3D9IE/s1600/Judy+showing+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEBG2hjkZlQUJGvJUZGTymJKsugPqj24Caauh4I7A4ZOsbzJClW6oxFcEcCmNvCIpAg0_mFLyHfLbuIfQ4qlCSOz8gvGI0bh4cQ52b8afaODylFNh24cYKmk2kdVPBApxA-IvXu3D9IE/s400/Judy+showing+book.jpg" width="266" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;"><b>Judy shares her book during our final show and tell.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>Judy isn't just a world travelling polymer clay artist and teacher. She has a new book out, Polymer Clay Master Class, which she co-authored with Tamara Honaman, in addition to another book and a video. As if that's not impressive enough, she's also her state's representative to The American Crafts Council, and she's heavily involved in working with <a href="http://tamarackwv.com/"><span style="color: white;"><i style="background-color: black;">Tamarack</i></span></a>, a juried artisan venue (and more) implemented by the State of West Virginia. Judy is so incredibly passionate about getting artists to take the value of their work seriously, and connecting them with patrons and buyers, and I admire her enormously for her choice to take time away from her own creativity to do this.</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;"><b>Ah, here's the story telling face. </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFye_GkVYY8FdcyrtA8MVe-RoUryY5Za8581J9JAUq8HrviIOi637iidynIeUN20PYbk-y0JJi9bYmKMhGJBAkTgxf4t_4fqL79SODgATtDFAju5pFFkIFY31J5rY0L2X1U86pvePNt4/s1600/judy%2527s+doll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFye_GkVYY8FdcyrtA8MVe-RoUryY5Za8581J9JAUq8HrviIOi637iidynIeUN20PYbk-y0JJi9bYmKMhGJBAkTgxf4t_4fqL79SODgATtDFAju5pFFkIFY31J5rY0L2X1U86pvePNt4/s400/judy%2527s+doll.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: small;">On this storybook doll, by Judy Belcher, the book isn't a book at all, but ribbons of fabric on which words can be written.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhpY9bS0CXmy4W0b6fjhoDkMevfFpuDgjjG3MBfF8aFYJtb1141gol90s04GzK9oQqLo26a_4fBEdTBPob8Vt6Y8mZAdU0cHC27AVh4SJjfLOsc6xli264drVSbtE1mbKmGiyzFvxuk4/s1600/judy_copper_guy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhpY9bS0CXmy4W0b6fjhoDkMevfFpuDgjjG3MBfF8aFYJtb1141gol90s04GzK9oQqLo26a_4fBEdTBPob8Vt6Y8mZAdU0cHC27AVh4SJjfLOsc6xli264drVSbtE1mbKmGiyzFvxuk4/s400/judy_copper_guy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;"><b>I'm not sure who was more charmed by whom...the Southern Belle, or the French Artiste. He's a copper artist who lives just a few doors up the street from La Cascade.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Julie Eakes</span>, like Judy Belcher, travels and teaches, and tells tales. One of the great things about <a href="http://julieeakes.blogspot.com/"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><i>Julie's blog</i></span></span> </a>(yes, that's a link, which you better click in a minute, but read on a bit, first), is that Julie will talk openly about what didn't work. Of course, when you see what she attempts, and what she considers a failure, well...her worst attempts look better than a whole lot of my best ones. Still, she isn't afraid to let the world see the imperfections, and this, among many other endearing qualities, makes her instantly lovable.</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: small;"><b>Ann Mason with Julie Eakes</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>It was fun to see how the silk paintings we did were similar to our other work, and Julie's intricately patterned scarf was no exception. On my Internet thievery spree this morning, I also nabbed a few works from her gallery to show you.</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;">Holy cane-oli! I so love borders and bands and patterns, and Julie Eakes does them like no one else.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: small;">Okay, so you see the amazing patterned border? Now, get this, that face in the center? That face is not a photo, and it isn't painted. It's made from a polymer clay process called caning. Most polymer clay artists strive to do this technique as well as Julie does it on the borders, creating quilt-block like shapes in logs that can be sliced and placed in patterns. Creating face canes like this is beyond masterful. She does mosaic faces, too. </span></b></td></tr>
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<b>Okay, now you really <i>must</i> check out <a href="http://julieeakes.blogspot.com/"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><i>her blog</i>.</span></span> </a> While you're there, in her comments, please razz her about at least posting a teaching schedule, even if she can't come up with more time to write posts.</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Saint</i> Julie (?!) visiting her village.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>Usually in classes, I am the clown, and have to remind myself sometimes to tone it down. Partly because I was laid low and rendered dull by the first cold I've had in six and a half years (yeah, there's some "interesting" timing for you), and partly because there were several exceptionally witty people in the class, I'm not sure anyone there even suspected this was my reputation. Julie was one of the most vocal of the comediennes. Literally. Not only does she have a quick wit, and a great grasp of the ironic, but she can sing the appropriate line from any Broadway musical to cleverly deliver the joke. She was the one most responsible for turning our two carloads into a travelling musical revue, everywhere we went. </b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;"><b>Julie's storybook doll, Candy, displays a little of Julie's signature cane work, in her striped stockings, but mostly shows off a whole lot more of her great sense of silly. Perfect example of an artist on vacation.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;"><b>Julie Eakes with Candy, cracking up.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: small;"><b>Julie Eakes, cracked up. Apparently, the Julie Eakes Mohawk is a trademark hair-do, as it was begged for at the dinner table, by those in the know. She obliged, <i>and</i> she let me take photos. She also didn't openly hate me for passing that cold on to her, well, except for calling me Typhoid Mary, at one point. (Sorry darlin'. I wouldn't have wished that buggar on anyone.)</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>I am so grateful to <a href="http://dayledoroshow.com/">Dayle Doroshow </a>for putting me in this group (I wasn't picky about which week I went, so I let her choose). I got to meet women I've idolized from afar, and others I'd never have known any other way, and spending time with them really felt like being among my own tribe. If you're an artist or other creative soul, you probably have a sense of just how rare that can be, and just how wonderfully refreshing it feels. Oh, but this isn't quite the end of my introductions. Cynthia Tinapple is up on Tuesday morning. <i>You want to meet Cynthia</i>, so come on back.</b></div>
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<b><i>Does all this talk about polymer clay intrigue you? Did you know that the summer issue of 365 Being features polymer clay artist Maureen Carlson, and her tutorial for creating some simple canes? Now you do! You can purchase the single issue in PDF or print format, or a year's subscription, just by clicking here: <a href="http://365being.com/"> 365 Being Bookazine</a></i></b></div>
Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-75644733984922848582013-08-13T01:03:00.000-05:002013-08-13T01:03:39.941-05:00Introducing Ruth Krug and Nona Flores <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Okay, back again. Friday's deadline was met, but today was another full day, so it's another crazy-late night for this 8:00 pumpkin. Oh well, with no ominous deadlines looming tomorrow morning, I can sleep in 'til 6:00 a.m.! :))) Now, let me tell you about two more of my classmates from this summer's France excursion, Ruth and Nona. These were the two quietest women in the group, but not for lack of interesting stories.</b></div>
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<b>Ruth was the very quietest, and while some might mistake her quiet ways for shyness, I can tell you she isn't. People often assume introvert types are shy, but shy comes from fear, and Ruth is not afraid. She traveled alone to France, and spent time on either side of our week long class exploring Toulouse, Carcassonne, and Castres. Ruth is a keen observer, and a kind soul. She may not have been as rolicking rowdy as some of us, but she had just as much fun. Sometimes I wish I could be as quietly observant as Ruth, as I think I'd learn a lot more. Oh, well, I bound through life with eyes wide open, and mouth open wider (either gulping it all down, or exclaiming on all there is to discover), and that has its good points, too, I know.</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Ruth's quiet ways made her welcome wherever she went. </span></b></td></tr>
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<b>Ruth claimed to be just an aspiring artist, but she understates her talents. Unfortunately, the photos I took on our last day, when we all showed off our creations are really bad. I'm not sure what I had my borrowed camera set on, but most of the photos from that day are beyond tweaking. This is, sadly, the only one I got of Ruth that's clear enough to print, and it doesn't show much. Sigh.</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Ruth shows off her altered board book</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>Ruth could teach me a lot about photography, which is certainly one of her artistic talents. She shared a few pictures with us via email, so I can at least show you some of her artistry outside of class...</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Ruins at Albi</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Shop window in Toulouse. I do wonder why it's in English, though.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>It just occurred to me that if my memory of a conversation serves me correctly, ultra-quiet Ruth did say she was a university librarian for many years. Of course she's quiet!</b></div>
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<b>Nona's career has been centered around academia, too. She did retire, but was later lured back to assist a professor, and it seems she's back to nearly full-time employment. Still she makes time to create a lot of intricate art. Nona, like Beverlee (who you met last week) has taken this class more than once, and in fact took two weeks of it, this year. </b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>This is Nona's photo from her 2011 France visit. She had intended to make it a tradition of sorts, and get a shot of herself in the sunflowers again, but due to a very late spring, they were about 14 inches tall. I thought a shot of her ankles in the same sunflower field would be kind of funny, but she wasn't enthusiastic.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>One of Nona's projects was this book cover, made with baked polymer tiles mosaiced onto one of those book-shaped boxes.</b> </div>
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<b>Here's the inside...</b></div>
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<b>Nona made a doll both weeks, and this one is Crepe Suzette, from her second week. The lower body is a vintage tin, picked up for 3 euros from a very young flea market vendor who refused to budge on the price. It was worth it for the cool factor alone, but the fact that once pried open it revealed a 50 franc and a 100 franc note, both from 1936, added to the thrill of the find..</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Crepe Suzette</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>Those who read this blog regularly may recall that the mouse featured at the top of the right hand column, Madame Lucie Bonnard, came about as a result of a pre-class assignment (to write a paragraph of a biography for an imaginary character) that got out of hand, and turned into a children's book. Turns out I'm not the only one. Nona ended up starting an art quilt based on her character, and the story that got away from <i>her</i>. Turns out, Nona is a serious quilt artist...</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">I didn't get a shot of those quilt blocks, but Nona sent me this photo. It's a quilt she made earlier this year, using floral photos she took and printed to cotton, pieced and then embellished with beads and quilt stitching.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b> I once wanted to be a quilt artist, but after sewing one meticulous block, I realized there was no way I was going to have the patience to make umpteen more. Nona has the patience I often wish I had. Check out this impressive beauty:</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">This traditional quilt, pieced by Nona in 2012, was machine quilted by Sue diVarco, and has just been juried into Lark Publication's <i>Showcase 500 Traditional Quilts</i> (to be published). </span></b></td></tr>
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<b> I enjoyed seeing Nona's artistic process and her beautiful creations, but I have to confess that some of my favorite things about Nona are her impressive education and her warm way of sharing it. Nona knows the history of seemingly everything (I can so hear her telling me to edit that--I said <i>seemingly</i>), so whether we were all talking about a place we wanted to visit, or somebody's great-great-great granddaddy, Nona could put things in historical context. It was like looking at a snapshot, then being able to lean in and see what was going on outside the frame. </b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Nona on the steps leading back out of a convent garden that I would have entirely missed on my own.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>On the day we visited the very old town of Albi, I got to hang out with Nona, since she and I both wanted to see the fashion museum. It was one of my favorite days of the trip. Albi was gorgeous and old, and perfectly picturesque and interesting, but what made the day especially memorable was seeing it with someone who really knew what we were looking at. No long dissertations, but interesting commentary on the whens and whys of things. It gave some substance to all the eye candy, and I enjoyed Albi in a far more memorable way than anywhere else. Being a passing tourist is not at all my preferred way to experience travel, but if I could travel the world with Nona, I might not mind doing it at tourist speed. </b><br />
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<b>There are three more classmates to share with you, and for those readers who are into polymer clay, they are names you probably know. Julie Eakes, Judy Belcher, and the blogger who connects us all, Cynthia Tinapple, still to come. See you back here Friday morning!</b><br />
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<br />Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-29439476491319419572013-08-08T22:50:00.001-05:002013-08-08T22:50:10.963-05:00Sorry, can't post, having an art-attack.Tonight's post delayed due to deep absorption in a project due tomorrow. Next post on another couple of the gals in my France class coming soon...ish.Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-9098466600859783902013-08-05T22:40:00.000-05:002013-08-05T22:40:01.920-05:00Introducing Anne Beach and Beverlee Stafford<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Art class in France was so much fun, partly because yeah, well, it was in France, but mostly because of the truly kind, generous, wonderfully fun women I got to spend time with. Something I realized about every one of these women, including Dayle, our instructor, and Nese (pronounced Nesha), our chef, was that each one does/has done something I want(ed) to do, or has a quality I've wished for at some point. The great thing about making friends like this is that one can vicariously enjoy far more aspects of life than can possibly be crammed into one lifetime. It's also nice to get an up-close look, to see if any of these long-imagined aspects could be tried on myself, or if they maybe aren't likely to be such a good fit. This might make more sense as you meet the women...</b></div>
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<b>Two who weren't in last week's photo are Anne Beach and Beverlee Stafford. Anne is on the left, in front, and Beverlee is the woman in blue standing up (That's me hidden in between them.) </b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: small;"><b>Class at <a href="http://gwengibson.com/">La Cascade</a>, taught by <a href="http://dayledoroshow.com/">Dayle Doroshow.</a></b></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Anne Beach</span> is a mixed media artist from California. Because she has such a love of collecting fun little bits at flea markets, for use in her art projects, she accumulated an overflow, and this led to opening a shop on Etsy. Click on over to <a href="http://beachfleamarket.etsy.com/">Beach Flea Market</a>, where you can purchase game pieces, little china dolls, rusty bits...all the great stuff one needs to fill a proper mixed media artist's toy box.</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: small;"><b>Anne shares the story behind her storybook doll with the class.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: small;"><b>Anne slipped out on occasion to sketch some of the local scenery, shown here with a funny little French guy.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><b><span style="text-align: start;">Now, I've owned a once-a-month store, with make-and-take projects that used these cool vintage bits, but as much as I loved curating the collections and creating the projects, I gave it up because it was more work than I had time to invest, in order to do it as well as I wanted to do it. It takes a </span><i style="text-align: start;">lot </i><span style="text-align: start;">of work to do a brick and mortar storefront, and though I own a house that's situated and zoned for retail, there's still a lot of expense, to boot. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><b>Checking out Anne's Etsy shop though, has me very tempted to establish one of my own (cause, yeah, I need another business to run, right now). I mean, this would, in theory, keep the studio from overflowing with those odd bits that nobody but a junk artist would want, and might even make my flea marketing a hobby that pays for itself...or at least costs me a little less. I knew about selling art on Etsy, and had heard one could sell vintage stuff, too, but until spending time with Anne, I never even considered it for myself. Maybe my sweet little shopkeeper fantasy could be revived! See what I mean about checking out imaginary lives?</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: small;"><b>This picture of Anne is especially sweet, but much of the fun is what's going on that has her chuckling...</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>Oh, and speaking of lives I can only imagine, Anne sings like an angel. Many in the group could carry a tune, but Anne can <i>sing</i>. With voice lessons, I can probably carry a tune, should we ever get the group back together for another week of (Off Off) Broadway musical follies, but a voice like Anne's? ...sigh.</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: small;"><b>Beverlee made several of these completely hand crafted journals, using French fabrics and pretty ephemera. She's taken the class three times before, so she had some specific things she wanted to work on.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Beverlee Stafford</span>, who flanked me on the left, is from the Washington D.C. area. She's a retired civil servant with a love of beading and a penchant for travel. She doesn't have a website, but has classes listed on <a href="http://starsbeads.com/">starsbeads.com</a>, if you happen to be in the D.C. Metro area. Here's a button necklace she teaches...</b><br />
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<b style="text-align: justify;">Beverlee is stylish, cosmopolitan in a casual sort of way, and cool as a cucumber behind the wheel, in a country with somewhat different driving customs. I imagine myself navigating the world like Beverlee, in a life where my nails are neatly manicured, my hairstyle holds up all day, and retirement means collecting a pension while enjoying the pleasures of leisure time I worked so hard to earn. </b><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Beverlee with her doll. My apologies for the fuzzy picture, but it's the best I could do with what I had. You can see her beautiful smile, at least.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b style="text-align: justify;">Reality check: My nails as I type this are encrusted with Black DTM, a paint that could put nail polish companies out of business, if it ever caught on. My hair is in cahoots with the capricious gods of humidity and chance, and has never in my entire life held a style for more than two hours. Well, except the spiky punk do, but I'll not be resurrecting that. And driving in a foreign country with a carful of women singing Broadway show tunes? Well, let's just say, I'm never gonna be Beverlee! Lucky for me, my work and play are the same thing, so I won't miss the retirement thing so much. Lucky for everyone, nobody asked me to drive!</b></div>
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<b>So then, load up on some goodies from Anne's Etsy shop, call in well to work (really, don't even fib about being sick. Just say you are perfectly fine, and in order to stay that way, you will be staying home in your jammies for 24 hours) and take a well-deserved art therapy day. Then pop back here on Friday morning to meet a couple more of my inspiring classmates. Have a great week!</b></div>
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<br />Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781478993864196865.post-24898940674914966292013-08-02T00:18:00.000-05:002013-08-02T07:08:26.133-05:00French Flair with Silk Scarves...<b>In the last post, you got a peek at the classroom, and met <a href="http://dayledoroshow.com/">Dayle Doroshow</a>, who taught the mixed media journaling class that I took in France. I promised to start introducing you to my classmates tonight, and since the only group photo we seem to have taken was up the street from <a href="http://gwengibson.com/">La Cascade</a>, at Ann Mason's silk painting studio, I guess I'll start the introductions there. The class at Ann's was an optional extra, so a couple of the gals missed it. That's okay, you'll meet Anne Beach and Beverlee Stafford in the next post.</b> Note: I didn't take time to clean up and crop the photos, since it's late and I have to be on a job site crazy early in the morning, but I think they'll do.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffd966;">A</span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">n</span><span style="color: #ffe599;">n Mason has a studio a few doors up the street. Not only does she create beautiful hand painted silk scarves, she teaches others the techniques. I wish Ann had a website, but alas there isn't any way to show you her beautiful work. Unless of course you click the link to La Cascade above and go take Dayle's class, or the one Ann and her son, Steve, will be teaching next summer.</span></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;"><b>Ann with the class, from left to right:<br />Judy Belcher, Julie Eakes, me in back and Ruth Krug down in front, Nona Flores, Cynthia Tinapple<br />Some of us just made square samplers, and others went all-out and did scarves. I <i>want </i>to be a woman who wears scarves, but I don't seem to have the knack, or the flair, or maybe it's just that I rarely wear anything dressier than paint rags, and a colorful scarf would just get lost against the spatters on my shirt. Sigh. I made squares.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: small;"><b>Judy and Cynthia both worked on precise geometric patterns. There are little tubes of resist that you can squeeze on first, and then the colors won't bleed into each other. </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: small;"><b>Ann was such a gentle teacher. She guided us as much as we needed, and left us to experiment as much as we liked.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWg4RpOSEp-u_-ZKKs-iZOimm9KW3tOo9P4s-SaFAhUJxsYdjsMv7T7l7ltA37X9to_XBjqi4wRqTjJL_-yMx29j1N4OX4JnE1i4pgjlvx-2-35KqVTV4Z0znsfI8kHV118XNe23cd5CI/s1600/IMG_7560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWg4RpOSEp-u_-ZKKs-iZOimm9KW3tOo9P4s-SaFAhUJxsYdjsMv7T7l7ltA37X9to_XBjqi4wRqTjJL_-yMx29j1N4OX4JnE1i4pgjlvx-2-35KqVTV4Z0znsfI8kHV118XNe23cd5CI/s400/IMG_7560.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;"><b>Julie as serious student.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;"><b>Julie with an impish grin. This is the real Julie. </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #d5a6bd; font-size: small;"><b>Samplers drying in the sun. We each started with one to just sort of doodle around on, to see how the dye behaved, and then we made our second project. I'm not sure which doodle is mine, but my project square is on the far right. I used black resist, and ended up with a sort of stained glass effect. I almost didn't take this class, as I wanted to finish something from the journaling class, but I'm glad I changed my mind. I've occasionally thought about trying silk dyes, but didn't want to invest a lot of money in something I wasn't sure I would really enjoy. Especially after learning about the resist, which comes in clear, black and metallics, I definitely want to explore this medium more.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;"><b>Roger and his little dog, Lukie, peeked in on the class, and we caught up with them afterwards. If you want to know what's going on in town, apparently these two, who are always on patrol, know it all. Now, if only I spoke either French or Dog, I'd know it, too.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>So, that's the merry band I spent my summer vacation singing with. Really. We sang. In the car, in the classroom, at the table. Even me. Turns out, most of the class loves musical theater, and most know at least half of the words to all the best songs. Some of us even knew the tunes. Even me. Not that I could carry the tune, but I knew it. It's probably a good thing we went on most of our field trips with the windows rolled up. </b><br />
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<b>Next week, I'll share some more information on just who these women are. All of them are talented, creative artists, and many of them have websites you'll want to know about. Check back on Tuesday morning for an Etsy shop owner who can supply you with the coolest flea market finds for your art projects (she picked up lots in France, though I'm not sure she's sharing that loot), and a beader who has taken this mixed media class FOUR times. She said we were the funnest ever. Actually, she said something<i> like</i> that, but with proper grammar. </b><br />
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Have a great weekend! If you need something to read while you kick back and sip your sangria, don't forget the summer issue of 365Being is available at <a href="http://365being.com/">365being.com</a>. You can order a hard copy, which will get to you in time to read next weekend, or purchase it in PDF and download it immediately.Dawn-Marie deLara, Artist in Wonderlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03248380036663605991noreply@blogger.com1