“ornament as art”

this could be the best gift i’ve ever received. chris (my husband) gave it to me for christmas. if you are a metalsmith, jewelry collector, art book collector or just a lover of the unusual, beautiful and truly artistic, you will want to own this book. the title is “ornament as art, avante garde jewelry from the helen williams drutt collection, the museum of fine arts, houston”. i was very excited to see the work of wendy ramshaw featured. i took a two week workshop with her when i went to haystack school of arts in crafts in maine in the summer of 2000. also, eleanor moty whom i took a workshop with at SIUE while in school. i have just had time to briefly look thru it but can’t wait to get a hot cup of tea, my couch “wobbie” and settle into it for an evening.

Posted in inspired by |

kombucha

out of studio interest: no i have not captured squid to keep in my kitchen. this is my kombucha. kombucha is a fermented tea that dates back to 400-500B.C. in china. it takes about 7-14 days for the first fermentation and the second fermentation occurs after it is bottled. the white/tan floating disc shapes you see in the jars is called the scoby (aka: mother, baby, zooglea), short for “symbiosis culture of bacteria & yeast”. i have “grown/fermented” 2 batches already and am learning more about it as i go. to learn more or if your interested in making it yourself do your homework first by going to www.getkombucha.com and sign up for the 7 day free course. also the www.happyherbalist.com and go to “how to make kombucha” is a good informative site too. for the curious: kombucha tastes like a tart acidic barely sweet bubbly drink…..it’s said to be an acquired taste. i love it like crazy!!

Posted in misc |

sewing circles

i have been wanting to incorporate fabric in my work for some time now. i am using my upcoming show at the xen gallery in st. louis, mo (beginning january 18, 2008) as a deadline to make at least a few pieces with my new “fabric” vision. if all goes well, i will have a few of my newest fabric pieces in the show. the photo is of my sewing station and the many circles i have sewn…..now to stuff them, finish the sewing and play. most of the fabric i’m using is either from older clothes of mine or some fabric from a couple girlfriends’ studios.

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funky bunny hat

my funky new hat made by my friend chia. i love these hats. believe it or not, some people think it’s my real hair. check out the fun! www.chiahats.com

Posted in just for fun |

not your average peanut butter oatmeal cookies

ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 cups rolled oats

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup canola oil

3 T ground flax seed…….if you don’t have flax seed you can add an additional 1/4 cup of canola oil (i always put flax seed in baked goods, on salads, and in dips…..it’s a super good source of fiber and promotes a healthy heart and gut…..so “they” say)

3/4 cup of peanut butter

1 cup raw cane sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup rice or soy milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup dark chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350 F. lightly grease cookie sheets.

toss together the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. in separate bowl mix together the oil, flax seed, peanut butter, sugars, milk, and vanilla.

add dry ingredients to the wet, and mix. the dough will be firm and moist. spoon onto cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes until slightly golden.

bowl by meredith brickell

she is one of my favorite potters.  :O)

Posted in good for the tum |

button collection

a small sample of inspiration……part of my vintage button collection.

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stone pickin

here i am searching for treasures to use in my work. chris(my husband) and i went to sausalito, ca for an art fair and before the show we took a day to scavenge the beach. of course, i found some goodies, glass, plastic bits, little pebbles.

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succulents

i love the yummy colors and textures of succulents….something i like to do when not in the studio making jewelry……..a bit of green thumb activity.

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monster bunny

i wish i had a backyard big enough for this guy………..this pink bunny is gigantic, measuring at 100 ft across the arms and 200 ft from ears to bunny feet. this wonderful piece of land art was knitted by 40 grannies, stuffed with hay and is laying over a mountain top in italy. the bunny skin took 5 years to knit and pink was the color of choice because it was the cheapest color. lucky for me…….since i love pink. monster bunny was made by austrian art group gelatin.

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sculpture by margaret meehan

jillian is part of our family…..she’s made of ceramic by one or our pal’s margaret meehan.

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