NEW Carpeting in my house

The new carpet is here!  Well, actually only part of the job is installed right now but next weekend the rest of it will be put in place!!!


The basement is the textured gray and the upstairs is a plush gray called Pewter which looks slightly purple at times.  I love them both!


Thanks to seeking out an installer from Craig's List I was able to save a considerable amount of money. Also, thanks to the Andover High School Wresteling Coach Jerry for organizing some of his players to move the very thick and heavy dinning room glass table top for us, it weights around 800 pounds and we couldn't have moved it without their help. Thanksgiving will be wonderful this year...all my family together and new carpet!

Finding an Exercise Partner

I would love to find an exercise partner, someone who likes to work out and could push me along till it got more enjoyable. I'm not only a hater of exercising but also very impatient and when I work out for two days and haven't seen 10 LBS drop I say "See this isn't even working" and quit.  I work at a facility that has a full gym for crying out loud, why don't I get on board?  I know I need the cardio stuff the most but that is the most boring part of working out...it's so BORING!  So what I need is someone who will inspire me. 


Do you know anyone?

Thanksgiving Gathering

I just recently firmed up the travel arrangements for both of my sons to come to Michigan and see me for Thanksgiving/My Birthday.  It has been years since all of us were together and I am very excited to see both of them and to have my sister and her husband here too.  I of course want everything to be perfect but that means making some purchases which I'm good with but I wanted all the new carpet to be installed before everyone got here which isn't going to happen.  So that is a bit upsetting...the installer just is too busy to do the job before Thanksgiving.  We can't afford to pay a higher price which puts our job on the back burner till he can free up some time, it will get done eventually.  Of course I need to be thankful that I have a house to put carpet in, and that we can buy carpet for our house at all, so it's all in the way you look at things.

I'm very fortunate, but I work really hard each day and that says something about it all too.  We help ourselves, we work hard, we make sacrifices when needed so that we can have some nice things in life but mostly I think it is all about doing your best when the opportunity is there to take action. I don't really believe in luck as much as I believe in hard work!

Thankfully this November Sagittarius ... is grateful for so many things in life!

Family Gathering for a Simchah

Recently we went to North Carolina for a double Bar Mitzvah for  Al's cousin Steven (and wife Lori) Katzenstein. Their sons Benjamin and Jacob, were so well prepared and such nice young men, it was a preasure to be there to share this fun Simcha.

 

I have more pictures to upload but these were the first two I did... imagine that?

Painting Realistic

So once again I've taken on a project that for me is quite a big bite. I am not a trained painter by any means, in fact up until recently I never tried to paint anything besides abstract designs or simple things like cup cakes. But now I've tried to do a commissioin of two sweet little girls and let me tell you faces are the hardest thing to paint. To be able to show depth and skin tones and hair colors as realistic is so hard. Maybe if I had gone to art school and spent many hours of formal training doing nothing but this I wouldn't feel so intimidated by this but anyway I am getting off the track... I am going to post the original picture that I ended up painting from, it's different from the one I thought I would use to begin with. Then I will post the follow up paintings and hopefull the final painting when I am completely done.

Tell me what you think?

Online Painting Class with Suzi Blu

progression of the painting...

I have been taking an online painting class with an amazing

instructor/artist Suzi Blu! She is one of these people that on camera appears to be not on camera, she is so comfortable that you think she is in your living room with you, speaking to just you. I sometimes feel like I've made a friend with Suzi because we chat online and email each other often and since I've been on a quest to meet a few new friends this online relationship seems to be more real than some of my face to face friends here lately. Anyway, she is such a wonderful person and her ability to inspire and actually teach is incredible. After just 5 weeks I've been able to draw and paint so much better. Here is the most recent work I've done with her class.

Finished painting!

My Circle of Friends is Getting Smaller.

It has occured to me that I just don't have that many friends that like to or are able to go out during the week day evenings. Some of my friends have small kids at home, most of my friends are married and have a husband or family obligations waiting for them, very few are free during Monday - Thursday evenings. I need to meet some new friends!
I tried to do this by answering an ad in a local paper (Craig's List) but when we actually met there was little the two of us had in common. So how does one meet friends when you are a mature age??? I like to make art, dance, have dinner out, and would exercise more with a partner. It's hard no matter what age you are to meet new friends but especially when you are older. My husband works out of town all week long and that leaves me with an open schedule most evenings and trust me there is only so much art you can make to keep yourself busy. So I am on a quest to expand my circle of friends.
If you like dancing the Somba, going places on a train, want to dance on a Wednesday, and you don't use a cane...
Contact me here and we can see if there is a connection!

Tie Dye By: Laura Willwerth

This past Monday and Tuesday I had the pleasure of watching a real artist ( Laura Willwerth) create or rather produce about 40 beautiful tie dyed tee shirts as gifts for another one of our friends (Brenda Zach) whose daughter (Marly Zach) is going to be in the Stage Door Performance of HAIR! Laura offered her talents to Brenda who is generously giving each cast member one of these great tees as a gift. I wish I had thought to take pictures of all the different patterns that Laura made as we were unveiling them from the plastic bags, but of course I didn't have my camera with me.

I was lucky enough to get one for myself and I took this picture of me wearing mine, and as you can see it really is a thumbs up kind of thing!

Thanks Laura

Precious Metal Clay Lessons

Contact me if you want to take PMC lessons!

CAll 248-967-4030 ext. 2028

Location is at the Oak Park Jewish Community Center, 15110 W. 10 mile road.

Just Catching Up:)

Today I went to Plymouth, MI. for an altered art meeting with MISABA, and it was my first time at one of the meetings. Pam Yee made sure I knew about the meeting because it was so close to where I live. Most of the group meetings are held in Grand Rapids and I can never make those meetings. One of the members of this group Ingrid lead us all in making a lovely Butterfly Book, of her own design. I love the way mine turned out! I'll post a picture later.

Well it's time the the Detroit Dirty Show again! Yes in the middle of the recession the show producers have decided that the Detroit area could support a second show this year. Usually this show runs during Valentine's Day week, the last one was the 10th show. Now we are going to have a 10.5 show in September and I have entered another piece of art for jury. I am such a beginner when it comes to painting people that I'll be really surprised if my piece makes it into the show. In my opinion it's just ok and it is a first try at realistic painting ... I'm not holding my breath.

Summer camp has one week down and 7 more to go. The camps at JPM ran really well last week and everything worked out fine. I did have to teach the first day of pottery camp because our teacher got the dates mixed up but guess what? That time I spent teaching art at Hillel Day School really came in handy because I had to teach a pottery/clay building class then and it all came back to me. I'm did a bang up job of pitch hitting for that class if I do say so myself. I did hurt my back lifting a heavy box of clay and ended up taking one day off work to recover but you can't have everything, can you?

One of my good friends Lauren Ferguson just got published in a book (not a magazine) a book! I'm very happy for her. I am also waiting for Suzi Blu to open registrations for her online portrait painting class. She is the reason I even began painting faces. Everything I know about painting faces and bodies I learned from her online Petite Dolls class. It's a wonderful way to learn to paint, and her techniques are easy to follow... so do a search for her and check out all of her classes.

Love you all lots,
Edie

My Al-grande!

I really am lucky... my Al is so sweet to me! I just want to give him a shout out! This man does all the grocery shopping, laundry, cooking, he even irons his own clothes... not to mention being the best (you fill in the blank) :)~

Stolen Cell Phone

If you are following this please send me your cell phone number because I have to re-create all of my lost contacts.
Thanks

Post Operation

Most people didn't think I was fat or fat enough to undergo such a dramatic surgery but I wasn't happy with my weight and just couldn't loose the belly fat. So I took matters into my own hands and
Well... after making the decision to have my body transformed by way of a Tummy Tuck and Liposuction procedures I am happy to say that I am very satisfied with the results! Although I am still not fully recovered and my doctor says that swelling will continue to go down for a few more months the difference is extremely noticeable and I am happy that I did it.

Surprisingly it was not as painful as I had prepared myself for, or maybe my imagination is just really good at conjuring up the worst? It's been 3 weeks now and I am still very tender and my skin feels very tingly and tight but not painful. I would post before and after pictures but I'd hate to scare anyone, let's just say I still have to make myself workout but after all this I do think twice about each and every bite I take and there is no more late night eating!

Unique Gifts I Can Make For U

Contact me if you would like me to make a book for you.

It's been too long

I know that I haven't been posting here lately but I have been posting blogs on my page at Suzi Blu ning site... I know that's no excuse but I have 3 different blogs now and it's really hard to keep up with them.

So what's new with me... hummm well my husband is in the auto industry and still has a job! I'm so grateful for that, I have a new lady living in my home with me because she didn't have a place to live and I said she could stay with me till she got up on her feet again. Diane is really a wonderful lady and I enjoy her being around the house, she is good company. Madison has been sick but seems to be on the mend now and she is presently with out a boyfriend and that's a good thing. She has the most curious way of always choosing bad boyfriends.

I've just made the cutest bunch of cupcakes that I saw in Cloth Paper Scissors about 8 months ago, I've been looking for the plastic cup bottoms for that long too. I was so surprised to find them at my local Dollar Tree this weekend so I rushed home to make my version of this project. They were so much fun Madison even made one.

What do you think?

Taking care of Fearl Cats

This is Domino and Coco

Domino, Coco, & Ltl Black

Trying to trap Smoky

Not taking the bait!

I am fostering some Fearl Cats and if anyone has any hints for me please pass them along. I've tried to catch them so I could get them spayed or neutered but they are really smart and avoid the trap even with a can of Tuna inside it. I don't want them to keep breeding, so what can I do if they won't go into the trap?

They come on my backyard screened in porch and eat, sleep there at times but not always. I bought a special heated pad that keeps them warm because it is really cold here in Detroit. I change the water twice a day because it freezes, and I keep the dry cat food under a box so the snow doesn't fall on it. Other than that I don't know if I can do anything more. If you have tips please send them my way.

Original Art and it's Worth?

If you know of an artist that has somewhat of a name and you really like their work it probably wouldn't be a stretch to say that you would pay more for one of their original paintings. That being said, if someone sees your work and likes it enough to hire you to paint them an original commission how much do you charge? Is it simply the materials that it costs you plus some "by the hour" amount that you are willing to paint for, or is it a more complex calculation? I'd really like to hear from other artists out there that do commission work... how do you put a price on your work?




Here is the original picture that was seen at a show and the client said she wanted me to make one for her with her daughter's images in the work that she wanted.





1 original


16 x 24 mixed media (still for sale) $225.00











2. Here is the one I did for the client.





30 x 40 mixed media (Sold)

December 25th was a Good Day

I am Jewish, that being said I worked today at my job because I work for The Jewish Community Center here in the Detroit area. We held a Family Fun Day and everyone from the community came with their little children and enjoyed the Day at the "J"! It was very nice to be a part of this event and to watch all the families having such a good time. I was part of the Jerry Walberg Climbing Wall Team, and helped little kids climb across the wall, some little ones really got good.

Haven't been doing much art lately, I guess I needed a break? When the mood hits me I will start up again I'm sure. I did sketch a drawing last night but that was the first time I have been in my studio in a month or more. Well that's it for now, it's late and I have to work tomorrow.

Later to you all,

Edie

I always say I'm never going to do another one?

Every few years I get hooked into or at least agree to participate in an Arts and Crafts show, and at the end of each show I tell myself I'll never do another one. So here I am today lamenting over the last two days of yet another show where sales were lack luster! In all fairness the first day of the two it snowed a lot and many people didn't leave home if they were smart. The second day (today) we had traffic but that was the extent of it... no sales. It wasn't just me, it was every one. I would begin to think I had lost my creative mojo if I was the only one who had no sales, but it really was everyone. Well I take that back, not everyone but more than 3/4's of the vendors didn't make any sales. So I am stating it here publicly...
NO MORE CRAFT SHOWS!

I'm getting better!

Here is the latest painting... I love painting women and I really like this one! I don't care what anyone else says, I think it's good.

I see contours, and it doesn't look flat to me... do you think it looks flat?

Painting Realistic Faces?

Today I tried my hand at realistic painting, man it's hard. Getting the skin tones right seems to be where I fall short. I've only been attempting to paint people for a few months now, and that is totally due to taking this wonderful online drawing/painting class with Suzi Blu on ning, she did video and PDF's to show everyone all the steps to doing a nice face. So now I must practice, practice, practice. Today's efforts were a waste of time as I ended up tearing the water color paper after trying to re shade the face too many times, in the end I scanned the whole thing and turned it all blue.

The 57th. Annual Jewish Book Fair is coming to Detroit!

I have been decorating!!! I just love it when I can get up from my desk at work and go do a PROJECT. Yes, I am the JCC Queen of the Project. My everyday job is being the Administrative Assistant in the Sports and Recreation Wing of the JCC, not very exciting and sitting at a computer and well... just a job. But... I am lucky enough to have project status and when there is a large event going on at the center I usually get to help out with decorations. This year our building services team of experts assigned me to work with Jim our Carpenter, and he built me a wooden arch that I made into a Book Arch. I used old hard cover books and paint to create a display to show off - What else... BOOKS! You can go to

http://www.jccdet.org/ and click on the links for Book Fair to see the full schedule of events and here are some of the pictures of the Book Arch. Enjoy!

XXX Hugs,

Edie

My Day Today Sunday, Oct. 26th 2008

Marly Zack singing at her school choir concert!

Because today was a Sunday that means Al, my husband does his usual weekend stuff and I do my own thing so today here's what I did.

Slept till noon.

Did an exercise workout with Fit TV show. Took a shower. Put rollers in my hair.

Called into the live radio chat that artist Suzi Blu had going on, and I got through to speak with her. That was really cool, I never seem to get picked for these type of things. I admire her art so much and she is just a really really nice woman. Although we have never met I feel like we are becoming friends via technology. I have this huge house and she needs a place to move so I am trying to get her to come and move in here with me. She doesn't know me though and I don't blame her for being Leary ... but with some time I hope this works out.

Brenda Zack my very good friend (adopted family) invited me to join her and her family go see her daughter Marly sing in her school choir concert. Now let me tell you a little something about Marly Zack... this girl can SING! One day I will be saying "Oh, I was a family friend of her's before she was famous" you just watch and see...

It was a country themed concert which is why there is hay in the background of the picture, and the Western Hats abound. Anyway, she did a great job!

So now I am here checking email and getting ready to settle in for my Sunday TV watching till bedtime. I think this is a great day... hope you do too.

Suzi Blu Did it Again!

The most wonderful person I've come to know, who else... Suzi Blu!

First Commissioned Altered Books!

Weee, I'm giddy with excitement about having someone actually hire me to create a special book for them! I've been making altered books for 2 years and they have all been for myself but all of a sudden I'm getting customers. I was hired to make a special book for the person who worked so hard to pull the Macabbi Games event together here in Detroit. Karen worked for a year organizing this event that brought in youth athletes from all around the world to compete in what I will call for lack of a better explanation "Junior Jewish Olympics Games" we had over 2,500 teens descend upon the greater Detroit area for a week! It was such an amazing event and it took so much planning and team work to get it done, she really did a bang up job, so I got to make a book for her. Then this past 2 days I've been working on a special birthday book for another person. This book is being given to Mollene from her future daughter-in-law and her son. Since I don't know Mollene at all it was especially challenging for me to create her book because it's theme is all about her life. Luckily Hillary has worked with me and given me help with photos and such. So here are some of the pictures of these two books that I've been making for others and feeling like I am really beginning to reach some sort of artist status!

I'm Back From Israel, Drattts!!!

I honestly didn't want to leave and come home, although I did miss my family I would have rather moved them to me in the warmth of Israel. It was warm...not only the weather but the people too. Everyone was so friendly and caring, I was eating at a very nice restaurant at a table by myself and another couple at the table next to me invited me to join them, I smiled at some boys on the street and they offered me some of the chips they were eating, I looked a bit lost and another person walked with me and took me to the business I was trying to find. These kinds of things just kept happening so I knew it wasn't just a fluke. People in Israel will ask how you are doing and they really want you to tell them. WARM in every way!

I can't wait to go again!

My Trip to Israel!

I leave this Sunday and I am heading to Israel and Paris! I'm so excited... it's been 10 years since I was there and this trip is going to be so much fun. I am going with 17 other co-workers, I just can't wait. I've been buying new clothes and packing for what seems like weeks now, somehow having the suitcases laid out and setting up outfits in neat rows has helped me to keep the excitement to a manageable level. I am not stressed at all, just can't wait to land. I plan to take lots of pictures and especially of doors... that's right doors on buildings on houses, then when I get back I am planning to create an altered book and use the door pictures in the book. I'm also going to make an assemblage entitled "BLOOM in Israel" and this is a gift for a special Mr. and Mrs. Bloom! More on that later. We only have one night in Paris but since I have never been there at all I am very grateful for any amount of time. I'll be happy to just walk around for 8 hours, but that is not all we are doing, no we are getting a tour and a boat ride as well. What an amazing opportunity the JCC and my special Bloom's are providing for JCC Staff!
Thanks

Information I didn't need!

Today I was sitting in my office at work minding my own business and I get this phone call from another co-worker. She proceeds to tell me that she needs someone to give a new employee a building tour and asks if I am available. I tell her yes, and ask why I am being asked to give this tour since it is not really my job or my department. She then comes right out and tells me that she is letting - - - - - go, and this will be the replacement person. I ask why - - - - - is being fired? She says the person has been absent too many times and doesn't get along well with her direct supervisor.
Well, it is Friday and now I have this terrible information sitting on my heart, no one likes to get let go from a job. And for all this person knew I could have been the best friend of the one she is letting go. I've been asked not to tell anyone about all of this but I can't believe that she gave me this burden to carry. Hell, I didn't even speak to this woman for 2 years because she did something else that pissed me off a long time ago, and now she thinks she can confide this kind of information with me. I should go to her supervisor and tell her what I know. What I want to do is tell the woman who is being fired what is coming her way next Wednesday.. but I don't want to get in trouble either. I hate this! Why me of all people? This isn't my job, this isn't even my department, and I'm really not supposed to know this kind of information. I'd want to know if I was getting fired, I'm a good person, shouldn't I tell - - - - - what is happening?

www.ediesthisandthat.blogspot.com

Visit Mixed Media With Suzi Blu

Don't tell me I'm not FAT!

I know I'm heavier than I used to be, I know I'm older too but I also know that I eat too much. At work all the women are always telling me I'm not fat, that I look fine, that I don't need to cut back on my food intake... stop it! If you are my friend tell me to get moving, to hit the gym, encourage me to loose weight. I pick myself apart a lot and I know I am hard on myself, but you can't miss the fat arms, the huge boobs, and the gut...

I'm almost 50 and I can't continue to look like this. Send me helpful advise if you have any.

Hope to be smaller in a few months

This is now... let's see where I go by November 26th when I actually turn 50.

My article published in the E Magazine for Altered Arts

A while ago I submitted work for a particular group of themed art calls, the theme was either fabric or altered clothes. Well I did use the fabric from old clothes to make these collages but I guess it didn't make the cut. The editor sent me back my work and that was that... then today I opened up my mail to find that although it wasn't printed in the actual magazine, my project did make it into the pages of the online magazine. What a nice surprise!

So here it is for all of you to enjoy. Remember Altered Arts Magazine is a subscription magazine not found in book stores YET.

Twilight Saga

I just read the best 3 books since I read Harry Potter! I actually bought the 3rd. book in the series and read it first, then a friend of mine (Brenda Zack) went out of town for a few days and I volunteered to take her teenage daughter (Marly) out to dinner. We had some time before dinner and went into a bookstore, I pointed to the book (Eclipse) and said to Marly "I just finished this book" ... well we really had a lot to talk about at dinner after that. I found out that there were 2 previous books which I hadn't read and of course Marly had them. I read both within a week, and re-read the first couple of chapters of the 3rd. book again just so it all made sense to me. WOW! I can't wait for the 4th book to come out next month.

If you are looking for a really good read, buy these and start with Twilight 1st.

Went to The Ann Arbor Art Fair Today

Can't believe I didn't enjoy the Ann Arbor Art Fair! It's not that the art was off, it was the RAIN! I thought it would stop rainning but it didn't, I got poked in the eye twice with people's unbrellas. We didn't stay very long, it was not going well.

Next year, I'm looking forward to next year!

To See STEP 1 please go down and work back up.

These are all the little cupcakes I painted. I will try to sell some of them but mostly they will be gifts for friends. I hope you try to paint one for your friend too. Please let me know if you liked this instructional. Thanks, Edie
This is another version. Painted on canvas board and trimmed with upholstery fringe.
This is the finished piece. It was coated with Beeswax and embellished with metal scrap booking corners, stamped with the word Wish and I glued on some aqua buttons at the top corners after I cut off the shank on the back.

Steps 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20

Close up of some of the details in this piece, notice the permanent black marker used to make lines, and dots on the cupcake, also the candle lines.

Step 20 - Paint in the candle and the flame.
-
Step 19 - Paint over the black letters with iridescent purple. Add glitter to the background.

Step 18 - Tear off a scrap of decorative paper which is not to thick and using gel medium paste it in at the left hand side of your picture. I also stamped Happy Birthday onto tissue.
Step 16 - I painted in some metalic bronze and irredicent purple atound the bottom and left side of the cupcake here. I also added some pink glitter paint to the icing over the dots.

Steps 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 of the Cakes.

Step 15 - Paint in detail of the lines with thin aqua paint.

Step 14 - Tone down paints with light gesso.

Step 13 - Layer in light green over the tan on bottom.

Step 12 - Add dots to top and paint the bottom tan.

Step 11 - Use a heat gun and heat the puffy paint.

Steps 6,7,8,9,and 10 of the Cupcakes.

Step 10 - Paint the icing with white puffy paint.

Step 9 - Highlight the ocher with light yellow.

Step 8 - Use ocher to paint center of the cake.

Step 7 - Added purple over sections.

Step 6 - Painted in some pink paint.

Step by Step Painting from Me to You!

Step 5 -( sloppy) add walnut ink to the left side

Step 4 - Add lime green and extend the yellow.

Step 3 - Use med. yellow and paint a blob.

Step 2 - paint the edge in aqua paint.

Step 1- paint with gesso and sketch.

The 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!

Do you Zumba

I have to say that I am hooked on Zumba! It is an exercise form that is part dance and very aerobic, all to a Latin beat. It's so much fun if you like to dance. Of course each class can vary and a lot of the chemistry depends on your instructor. I have found the best instructor around, her name is Debbie Lim. My sister Jane takes Zumba in the Pittsburgh area and she too has a really good instructor named Alex. I have checked in on the Zumba class that takes place right where I work and I could take that class for free if I wanted to but... the teacher just doesn't compare... the long and the short of it is if your instructor knows the steps and and lead the class great, but the best instructors know how to be entertaining, friendly, and a bit goofy all at once.

Each song that is played has a specific set of steps and moves, so in actuality you could go to any Zumba class anywhere and know the dances. It's much like Israeli Folk Dancing in that regard. But this is much more fun and believe it or not a great workout. I'm adding Debbie's web site to my blog roll of great places to visit online. So if you happen to be in the Farmington Hills, Michigan area take a class with Debbie, she is wonderful!

A Great Day

Today was a great day even though I missed the Suzi Blu live chat... but I was out on an art materials quest. I heard about a warehouse sale and it sounded pretty good although it was far away from my house. My friend Terri and set out early this rainy Sat. and headed off to Grass Lake, Michigan. We found some really cool stuff at Art quest America, like a whole roll of Stabilized Fabric from Jacquard. It boasts that you can run it through your printer and then paint over it, sort of an advanced paint by color thing. Boxes to decorate, steel rod picture hangers, pearl paints, parchment paper, mica, and Great Tape. Then we drove into a little town called Chelsey and had the best lunch at The Common Ground! The day ended up being beautiful after all the rain from the morning. I found some framed canvas that had flowers painted on it, and I brought it home and painted over the framed canvas because a lady named Miranda hired me to paint her an abstract. The end piece is the Red, White, and Silver painting shown here.

Edie

New position on the ISABA board, Edie is the new VP of Education

I am proud to say that I will be working towards promoting the Altered Books Movement by posting online classes and tips which you can see on the web site for The International Society of Altered Book Artists. If you are not a member yet, then you should be! It's a non profit organization that does a great job.

Altering books has been such a wonderful experience for me. I have been able to work through emotional battles by making a book to express all the pent up feelings I was having and not able to share with anyone. When I've been happy I have made a special book just for those feelings and painted pictures in the pages of those books. When I thought my marriage was just about over a few years ago, I made a book that portrayed all my doubts and fears... believe it or not that book really helped me to sort things out. What I realized was this " What you hear yourself say inside your head becomes truth for you" So if you let yourself think that your husband is not a good guy, or that he doesn't really listen to you, then that is what actually becomes your truth.

So, creating these kind of books has really helped me to be a better person, a happy person, and a much better artist too.

If you are a book artist please send me a picture of your work, maybe I can feature you in our online pages.

Hugs to you,

Edie

Reading with Suzi Blu

Well I've never been one to join a book club before, or to really read along with any kind of group other than when my daughter and I took turns reading Harry Potter out loud to each other, but now I'm reading "Wicked" along with Suzi Blu and a lot of others. Tonight I am only on page 130 and just starting the chapter called "The Charmed Circle". The book is moving along at a medium pace and so far has not grabbed me fully, but I'm still plugging along.

I'm going on a field trip tomorrow morning to a blow out sale in Green Lake, MI. I hope to find all kinds of cool craft supplies at good prices, I will probably have to stop in Ann Arbor too. Can't miss a chance to go to The Scrap Box!

I spent 45 minutes waiting in line today at my bank just so I could get a Money Order made out to my new favorite artist Suzi. I'm getting a personal commissioned painting for myself! I'm really excited about this, I usually don't purchase art because I make most everything I'd ever want, but her work is so special that I could never recreate what she does.

Hugs for now,
Edie

I have a large canvas

Recently I was given a very large (tall) canvas to do something with. Originally there was a very dark and dreary painting on it and no one liked it so the whole thing was given to me. It's scary to paint on something this large for me. I've taken gesso and covered over the old painting and have been looking at the large, blank white space for about 2 weeks. It's intimidating to me, every time I walk past it I think what could I sketch here? What is so large and tall? I keep thinking maybe an abstract of just color and texture, but that seems like a cop out...

Does anyone have ideas to send me? I just can't seem to get started on this one.

Getting a Suzi Blu Painting For Myself!!!

I am so excited, I am getting a Suzi Blu Commissioned Painting! Yes, I'm buying it for myself. I love her work and just have to have one. When I get it I will take a picture and let you all see just how pretty my little, sweet girl is!!!

Glass Bottle Project 2

These are posted somewhere in a past post but I thought I'd add them again since I just wrote up the instructions in the last post. Just a few more examples of these bottles I've made.

Glass Bottle Projects

OK, everyone this is such a cool project and it's really easy too. I've seen a lot of Fairy Jars in magazines, and online but this is my spin on those. You first have to be willing to work with a two part epoxy resin. Envirotech Lite is what I used. You mix it in equal parts, exactly! There is one bottle of hardener and one bottle of resin in the box when you buy it. In the picture above you see the black lid from the hardener which I use as a measure. I put in two caps of hardener and two caps of the resin into the small yellow rubber mixing bowl, then stirred them together slowly for about a minute. The rubber bowl is not in the kit. I found mine at a dollar store. It's nice because after everything hardens up you can squeeze the sides and all the left over resin just peels off.

What I did was print out a picture of my daughter on velum, and trim it up to fit inside this glass globe. Originally this glass was housed in some sort of metal stand but that got lost in a move so all I had left was the globe. It wouldn't stand up because the bottom is round so it was just sitting around. I also had a cute little glass ash tray from long ago hanging around. Not that I ever smoked but I just had it. So you roll up the picture into a tube and shove it up into the globe. When the paper gets in there it unrolls and opens up. Then you pour some of the mixed resin into the ash tray and set the lip of the globe into it to dry. I also added some embellishments into the wet resin and let them dry embedded as permanent decorations.

You could do this with pets pictures too. I'm going to try that next. Please leave me comments if you like this project, or if you don't I love getting them. No one seems to do it though?
Edie

Painting a Birthday Cupcake

I have painted some really cute little pictures that would make a sweet Birthday gift for you or a friend and I've opened an Etsy shop with them listed. So go take a look at all of them in my Etsy shop.

Art Alternatives Art Club

Here is Audrey's................................. This is Jacqueline's

Well we had our last meeting and had a bit of a larger crowd than usual. It was really nice to see Becky again as she had been out of town for many months, and also Linda is now back for the summer too. We made small little books, using a maze cutting technique that only required one 12 x 12 sheet of paper to create all the pages and it didn't end up looking like an accordion book either. We decided that our next meeting would be a gather all your extra goodies and bring them with you to class. Then we would pass them out and make up a challenge to create something using all the same materials but with no guidelines. JUST Create! It will be interesting to see what everyone makes.

I've added some pictures of the small books we made in class.

This is Teri's ...................... This is Becky's

Kippot For Sale - Enjoy the show!

I now have the hang of this slide show thing, so I put another one up on this blog just to make sure I knew what I was doing. Only thing is you can only have a few of them on your blog or it looks over done. So now that I know how to do it, what am I going to do with the skills??? Well, at least it's a learning curve, maybe now I can figure out how to add music next.

Happy Memorial Day!

Check out my Slide Show!

Wow I got the Slide Show to Work!

After spending about 4 hours I finally got the Slide Show that I created in Slide.com to populate into my blogger page correctly. I don't know why it was so hard because I was doing everything correctly but it just wouldn't work, and then it did... just like that. Didn't do anything differently than before, just tried it again and again and waited awhile and did it again. What do you think of it?

Check out my Slide Show!

The Date was Pushed Back - DRATT

So I hired an attorney to go to battle for me and the date of the hearing was pushed back till June 15th. What a let down, the police officer didn't even show up. I thought that was immediate grounds for dismissal but no, not any more. Now the rules have changed and the city prosecutor has the final say, and he said he didn't want to do anything until the officer was present. So now it's time to wait again. Thankfully my attorney isn't charging me any more for the delay.

I have a court date set!

I AM TRYING TO BE POSITIVE!

Well, I hired an attorney (Larry Lieb) and my court date is set for May 20th. I don't know how this will all pan out but I really hope that the system has steps in place to believe the average citizen when they are telling the truth. What I really hope doesn't happen is that the judge dismisses what I have to say and only believes the officer. That would turn out dreadfully for me because I'm afraid I will loose my temper and end up in more trouble!!!! I admit it I have anger issues when I know I am right. I expect things to be fair. Yes, I really do. My husband and many of my friends tell me that is an immature way to think but I can't help myself. I want to believe that things will work out for those that are innocent, and that there is justice left in this world. Who knows why this officer decided to point me over to the curb? It wasn't just, or right because I wasn't speeding in the least!!! Wish me luck, I might need it.

Speeding Ticket

This is a picture of a street in my subdivision. Well the other day I was pulled over to the right side of this street while a motorcycle cop was just finishing up giving another person a ticket on the left side of the street, right where all the rocks are. I WAS NOT SPEEDING AT ALL! Can I say that again... I WAS NOT SPEEDING AT ALL! I don't know how he could even begin to guess my speed because he did not have a radar gun or anything. My reaction at once was to look down at my speedometer, I was going 28MPH. What really bugs me is why would he pull me over? Now I know that I have had a few speeding tickets in my life and I was speeding when I got them. I've pulled over and knew I was at fault, politely took the tickets and just paid them. This time I was not speeding and I'll be dammed if I will pay it. I'm going to fight it. But will a judge believe me?

I've contacted a few attorneys to see what they would suggest, one said fight it but realize that you are going to have to pay something. The judge will not take your word over the cop. You'll be lucky to get a reduced ticket. That answer is not good enough for me. I want this thing DROPPED! Mind you I was not polite to this officer. I bitched him out... He was being a Jerk.

How can you pull someone over without radar? And he wrote me up for going 41 MPH in a 25 zone. This is my subdivision, I drive through it everyday, I saw him before he saw me. Do you think I'm going to speed past a cop? I'm so pissed I could kick him in the leg.

Anyone have any advise for me? I may end up in jail... I will not pay this ticket. I hope the judge believes me.

Altered Books, Which Type is Your Favorite?

I have put some examples of Altered Books that I have made on this blog entry.

When I first started making "Altered Books" they were books that told a story. Then after I made a few of those I started playing around with metal books. I taught myself how to make the hinges, and metal framework for the covers. Lately I've been making book sculptures. Taking a book and making it into a piece of art, where the book doesn't actually open because the pages are glued shut.

Do you have a favorite style of Altered Book?

The type that tells a story, the kind that just have beautiful artwork in them, Fabric Books, Metal, or Sculptures? Leave me a message and let me know what type you like best!

These were

created for

Altered Arts Magazine!

Art Club Challenge

The last time my art club met I passed out these odd little plastic suction tips that I found in Ann Arbor the last time I went to the Scrap Box. I challenged everyone to make a doll using the triangle shaped piece of plastic as their doll base.

The Scrap Box is a fantastic find for artists. It is a recyclers dream, full of cast offs from automotive plants, manufacturing waste, and other items that are really cool to use as art materials. A lot of automotive manufacturing goes on around Michigan so there seems to be a lot of materials from that venue, and I think for that reason the plastic suction tips that I found were very heat resistant. I tried to solder some legs onto the bottom of one of the dolls that I made and the plastic was right up against the metal but it didn't melt. I was happy but surprised. I believe it didn't melt because it was made to withstand heat, like many auto parts are. So that is just one more benefit to picking up items from The Scrap Box.

My dolls are each very different, the first one was playful and fun. It has felted hair and arms, a skirt made of sheer organza and a fringe accent, along with a bead placed inside the neck area that reads Heart on the front and Want on the back. The head is stuffed fabric, with wiggle eyes.

My second doll was much more serious. At the last art club meeting we made polymer clay transferred images and I wasn't sure what to do with one that I made of a beautiful Japanese woman. So I decided to use this image as my head for the second doll I made. I rolled both sides of the image into the middle and glued it into the neck portion which looks like a tube. Then I wrapped a long strip of organza around the whole body several times to create a dress form. I glued metal leaves in place where arms and legs would naturally be, added ribbons to the back and an embroidered Dragon Fly to the front. I placed a crown on her head and a wooded stick up into the body. The whole doll was attached to a base and secured with wire to stabilize the up righted position. So this doll looks like it is standing up. Some embellishments were added to the bottom and another image of older ancestors was placed below a feather and an Elephant. Take a closer look at the pictures by clicking on them.

My last doll (I got carried away with this challenge) was the one that I soldered the legs onto an old key lock. So the lock is the base and because the base is nice and heavy it also stands up nicely. The solder wasn't so smooth, so in the end I covered it with handmade paper and gel medium. The head was made as a 3-D shaker box, and the eyes were just drawn on. The plastic suction tip is really visible with this doll as I only used stamped tissue paper and drawings to mask it. The inside portion of the plastic was stuffed with translucent polymer clay and baked in my oven with the keys in place. The brass filigree at the bottom was soldered to the base. The feather wings are glued to the back.

Kippot (head coverings)

You all know that I am Jewish, right? Well if not you do now. Anyway, I have a website where I sell these beautiful ladies beaded, wire Kippot (the plural for the singular form of Kippah in Hebrew)

I've been thinking about putting the directions and step by step pictures onto a CD and selling the patterns for making them. I've never shared how I make these with anyone before, but maybe I could increase sales if I sold the patterns. Has anyone ever done that with an item that you have made? Was it a good experience? Tell me what you think...

Heidi's Gift! It's One of a Kind.

Tonight a co-worker came over to my house to pick up a piece of jewelry that I made to give as a gift. The necklace is really beautiful! It was created with PMC. I began with a fresh orchid blossom, coated with many layers of PMC slip. I added parts of the branch and some PMC extruded out of a clay pump. This piece was fired about 4 different times, each time adding in more extruded clay, which added stability and captured different stones into the design. The back was filed down to a smooth surface using a wheel grinder, varied sand papers and polishing papers. I think it probably took me a total of 30 hours to complete this piece. It was certainly made with a lot of love. The back part of the necklace was beaded with some pearls, faceted quarts, and silver beads. Just lovely!

What to do with all this fabric?

You know how people are always giving you things because they know you are an artist, and you will think of something to do with their cast off materials? Well... just as you might suspect this has happened to me. I have come into a fabric stash that is so big I could never use it all up. So if there is anyone out there with good ideas please send them along. I have promised to share some of it with my friends but there is still a lot more left, as you can see..

Teaching Altered Books

I have taught several different groups on how to make an Altered Book. Last summer I held a week long workshop at my house for four students. We worked on our books in the morning and then took a break and swam in the pool, had lunch, and then went back to the books in the afternoon. This worked out really well. I forgot to take pictures of the process when it was happening. I really have to remember to take more photos while I am teaching. Then I had one private student who I worked with for several months on the weekends. His name was Eli Zucker. His book I did get pictures of while he was making it,I am going to share some of his pictures with you here and hopefully it will inspire you to make your own personal creation from an old discarded book. The results are really wonderful, and the books become a keepsake.

What is My Purpose?

I don't know about anyone else but much of the time I feel like I am wasting my talents as an artist because I am not doing it full time. I'd just love to be able to dedicate my time to making new art and teaching. I love to teach and I'm very good at it too. At least all my students in the past have told me I am "The Best"! I'm very, very patient and that along with being able to explain things well is naturally a big help, but mostly I love to see other people get that look... you know the one you get when you have made something with your own hands. You step back and get that look of "I made this" It's the best feeling.

In my art club awhile ago I taught a PMC workshop. Everyone that came loved the material, the immediate gratification and the process. Some people have continued to come back for more club meetings, while others only came for that one PMC lesson. One of my students who has continued with us is Sue Screws... and yes she says "I really had to love my husband to take on this name"! Sue is a Polymer Clay Artist, and she does beautiful work. We as a group decided to try some Polymer Clay projects and Sue offered to teach. So last week we did some transfer techniques. We wanted to be able to use the clay transfers in the pages of our Altered Books. In the end they did work out but it was a bit tricky at first. Anyway, it was so nice of Sue to step up and lead this month's meeting. Here are some pictures of our group and one piece of finished PMC that actually belongs to Sue. Also, another picture of Audrey's Booklace from a previous club get together.

As I said I'd love to teach but I am not sure how to get one of those jobs that fly's you to another city for a big art retreat, or workshop. When I wanted to find other artists to meet with (on this side of my town) I had to start my own group, maybe I should start my own retreat? I could set up my own workshop and advertise it, who knows maybe some big name people might even come to it.... I'll have to give this some more thought. I'm patient, and organized, and I know people that would help me, I have a venue available to me, hummm... I just have to get off from work!

Cloth Paper Scissor's Paper Quilt Challenge

CONGRATULATIONS!

Dear Artist,
Your “True Colors” quilt has been chosen for the exhibit in Chicago! I entered the Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine challenge -Mixed Media Paper Quilts search and mine was chosen. It was supposed to be something that represented your personality as well as being made from mixed materials and paper. So I took a digital photograph of the cat painting that I did awhile ago, which is my symbol design on this blog. The painting was called "Social Butterfly" . The inside body of the cat is made up of different butterflies, which represent how I like to flit around, yet I am also quite a loner at times like many cats. Then I cut the color print out apart, separating the legs, and head from the body of the cat. I created a fabric backing and a painted and stamped background. Then I began to sew the pieces together like you would do in a crazy quilt. I added the Tea Cup and the metal #4, along with a picture of two women to show that I do like company in my life, even if it is only something as simple as having tea. The buttons added a nice finishing touch, don't you think?

Maybe I'll have to take a road trip during the Make it University Event and head off to Chicago!

Check out www.clothpaperscissors.com for more information about "Make it University"

I'm Sick of being Sick.

You know when you first get sick and you think "Wow, I don't have to get up early and go to work today"... that seems like a treat, even if you are sick. You get to stay in bed and watch Ellen, and The View. Then after a few more days and you are still sick it's not so much fun. Your back is sore from laying around, you can't stay awake to watch TV anymore because you are always dozing off. I'm finally able to sleep at night without coughing my self into a spasm. I can't wait to go back to work on Monday! I know there is going to be a lot of catch up work to do, and I will be tempted to stay and work late. I can't let myself do that, I need to pace myself and build up my stamina again, I'm still feeling pretty weak. BUT... I will be out of the house, and that's something.

Lube & Screw

I usually buy Gel Medium and Gesso in large size bottles because it is less expensive that way. These larger bottles tend to last a long time and build up product around the lid that becomes sticky. Well, when you are using a sticky product like Gel Medium the last thing you want is for that stick effect to take place around your lid. So when I buy new bottles I rub some Petroluem Jelly around the edges of all the jars or bottles I buy. It really helps to keep things unstuck and screwing nicely :)

Do this to all your craft paints, gesso bottles, and glue tops from now on, you'll thank me later...

It's Always Good To Be Positive!

I was so positive that my group members were going to show up even though only two people RSVP'd to me that I bought Greek Salad for 10. I planned for more than I should have... I guess I will be having Greek Salad for lunch tomorrow too! I need to look on the bright side, I don't have to wake up and pack lunch in the morning, so I can sleep in 15 more minutes.

We usually don't finish our projects all in one night but some of us got pretty far. I am going to post the Booklaces that I did as samples for the class now, and after our next meeting on March 12th. I will take pictures of everyone's finished work.

Altered Books

Here in my town there is an Altered Books Art Show on display in several different areas. This project was a combined effort through the Bloomfield Township Public Libairy, The BBAC and Cranbrook School of Art. I went to see the display at the Birmingham, Bloomfield Art Center this evening on my way home from work and I was really impressed with what I saw! The whole Altered Book thing is really working it's way into main stream America. The type of Altered Books I saw tonight were really more like sculptures. Here are some examples of what I am talking about; one artist took pages from a book and balled them up into little puffs (to look like cereal) There was a placemat woven from book pages, on top was a large bowl inside the bowl were all the puffs, and then there was a spoon and a cup.

The Altered Books that I have done are really my own story created on the pages of another book, so these sculptures really intruiged me. I thought I would try my hand at it... I'll have to post the picture after mine is done. In the meantime try doing an online search and see what you can find. Here is a picture of an altered book I already have finished.

Create one of your own soon!

It's been awhile...

I am not a daily blogger, and I rarely search other blogs just for the fun of it, I do go to other blogs just to see what my friends are up to and to keep in touch so it is not uncommon for me to skip a few weeks in between posts. This post is also just a little blip about how important it is to live each day as best you can. Recently a good friend of mine had someone close to them die, it was the second such death in a relativily short period, even though they were a few years apart. My take on this is that people and their connections are so important. I have been shown that I need to be more forgiving and ease up on petty matters, life is just too short sometimes and you never know when it will be up. To all of my friends and to many others who I may not think of as friends anymore, I will try to be better, to say hello and at least be polite when I see you. I know I am not perfect, I don't claim to be... but I do try to live by The Golden Rule, you know that one about treating others as you would want to be treated? Well, just because someone doesn't do that with me doesn't give me the right to be mean back. Two wrongs do not make a right, and I know that. So I will try, I will do better!


This is a kids project I did, it was so much fun! Kids make you smile and that's always a healing comfort.


Edie

Feb. 2008 in Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Today is Feb. 1st. and I took the day off from work to help a good friend of mine decorate for her son Dylan's Bar Mitzvah, well we got hit with a snow storm last night and I'm glad I didn't have to drive into work today, but will I be able to drive to the location of the party to percisly place fabric here and there, or blow up 200 balloons? I have a huge driving fear during winter months, and although the city does a very good job of clearing the roads, mine are not done YET!

The plows haven't come to my streets, the driveway is full of snow and I'm scared. It's not quite 10:00 am and I still have time so I'm hoping. Here are some pictures of what real live snow looks like when I look outside my windows. Notice how the flag got ripped and tattered from the weather...

I'm Going to The Dirty Show!

That's right... my entry was accepted. I got the official letter yesterday. Of course I was excited about this and wanted to share my news with friends and co-workers but you have to be careful who you tell when you are talking about an erotic art show. It would be different if the show was just an art show of baseball themed art, but this is art of a different sort. In fact some may think it is sorted... ha ha ha

Since I work at a Jewish Community Center and there are many very, very orthodox people that I work with, I wouldn't want to offend anyone, so it is a topic that I have to be appropriate with. My good friends of course know me and still love me... they are going to attend the show just to support my efforts. I get an official artist's pass!!! I'll have to take pictures of the pass before the show because there is a strict rule NO PICTURES TAKEN OR CAMERAS ALLOWED!

Will I see you there?

It's in the back, but it's in there!

I've been waiting to see my picture in the pages of Altered Arts Magazine ever since I was selected to be part of the new Design Team, and lo and behold I got my Jan/Feb issue yesterday and there I was! Humbling, it's a small picture and way in the back, but it's in there. Such a proud moment to be selected along with so many other talented artists. I'm taking this to work today to show to all my friends who have heard about this for months now.

If you haven't seen this magazine before you should get a subscription to it, I have been getting it for about a year and just love it. It's a little know jewel!

Today was just another day...

Today, I went to work by 9:00 am. and ended up working till 10:30 pm because one of my employees didn't make it in to work. I don't usually work the evening shifts at the fitness club/JCC, so it was a little bit of a change for me. What I did really like tonight was getting to greet the members and give my best customer service. I miss that contact that I don't usually get working in my office. The evening desk position is much more out there with the people, actually I have a day time desk person too but I just don't work the desk all that often. It was refreshing for me, I got to talk to people, remind them of the big fundraiser we are having this Sat. evening (the decorations are to die for) I will have to take pictures of what I am planning for the decorations. We are turning the gym into an open air market and making it look like we are in Israel.

It snowed on my way home and I skidded a bit which woke me up really quickly, not that I was sleeping but after such a long day I am tired. So that 's it for now..

Noodle Dance :) Can't wait for Spring!

Airing Your Dirty Laundry?

Well, here is my gripe at the moment. I am never going to talk to a particular person and her husband again, they used me, took advantage of my generosity, and the last straw was when they sued another friend of mine when their dog bite the finger of their child (it was a very small bite, and she was told not to reach into the cage and did anyway). I think when people show you who they really are you should take notice and believe them. The first time I let this woman take advantage of me I said "oh she is my friend, she just didn't realize" and the next time I let the husband take advantage of my good nature I "just checked it off as never do business with friends again" The problem is we belong to the same synagogue and we run in the same circle of friends, which makes it very hard to be around our other friends when I don't want to be in the same room much less be polite.

My husband doesn't agree with me and says I should learn to say NO (which is right) because I get mad later when people don't act like I think they should. I personally would never ask a friend to help me do a project and then leave after the first hour to go do shopping that wasn't done. I would appreciate her helping me and stay till the job was done, I would then send her a thank you card in the mail, or buy her a small gift to say Thank you. I also would not hire my friend to paint a room for me and then wait till she had to call me about payment. I would not make her present me with a printed invoice when you already know the price that was agreed to before the painting took place. I would not ask her if she accepts credit cards (remember this is your friend not a person who has a painting business) and when she says no I don't, continue to whine about how you want the credit card points. So I guess I shouldn't expect other people to act as nice as I do, is that the lesson here?

All of this aside I expected my husband to back me up on this, to be at my side and ignore the offenders... but no he continues to be "CORDIAL" Well, I say sleep with cordial ...then!

Am I wrong? Am I being unrealistic?

The saying in this picture is what I should try to do, but what I want to do is Scream, your supposed to be on my side!

Just something new to look at!

I didn't have time to write much tonight but I did want to add some pictures of a few new pieces I've made recently. They were all so much fun to make!

Noodle Dance :)

I'm Not A Very Good Writer!

For the past few days I've been sick with a cold and have spent some time reading other peoples blogs. Some I went to directly like artist Kelly Rae Roberts, because I love her work and others I stumbled into from a link here and there. I guess it never occurred to me before now that leaving a post or message on some one's blog could lead them to mine. So far no one has left me any messages, which I look for each day but I don't know that many people either. I'm not famous, my blog isn't even that interesting "yet". I hope that I will grow into my blogging voice and be able to transmit more feeling into my posts as I work with this form of expression.

At times I think I am very boring and have nothing of interest to say, and other times I think I'm just scared to share my thoughts. That feeling of being scared is more likely the sticking point for me. So for now I just write about easy subject matter and fun light events, but as I am a very open person I'm sure I will grow and so will this blog spot.

I'm going to start ending all of my posts with the phrase "Noodle Dance" it's something that my daughter and I created to mean many things such as - Think Before You Speak, I'm OK- Are You?, and even code for I Love You! I bought my daughter a pink I-Pod and had Noodle Dance inscribed on it when she was in the 7th grade but someone at her school stole it from her~ I digress, anyway
To all of you,
Noodle Dance

Technology Just When You Think You've Got it?

It really bothers me when a program is working just fine and then you go to use it and THEY change something. It's supposed to be better, but it never is. I used to use Musicmatch Jukebox as my music storage library, and today when I logged in it has changed to Yahoo MusicJuke Box. So I have to do all this new log in stuff and migration of music files, which is just a lot of extra work, which doesn't work as well as it should. So now I have all the music that I stored plus all the music my daughter had stored and she has an empty music library. I can't figure out what went wrong, or how to fix it, so for now she can't access her music at all. I am so frustrated and there is no one to call up and talk to about this because it's all online. It used to be so nice to be able to pick up the phone and call up a number and get a real live person on the other end. Now if you are lucky enough to get a person, they are usually from some other country and speak with such a heavy accent I have to ask them to repeat every other word just to understand what they are saying. Sigh....

I guess I'm just a bit old fashioned but if it ain't broke- don't fit it!

The Dirty Show is Coming 2 Town!

My friend Terri told me about an art show that comes to the Detroit area every year around Valentines Day, it's called "The Dirty Show". The art content is all erotic in theme. She mentioned that there was a call out for artists to submit for this show, and I should submit my "special" pendant. So, OK lets talk about the pendant a little bit. Way back when at the time I was learning how to work with Precious Metal Clay (PMC) I made a piece for this way out guy and his girlfriend. They saw some segment of Real Sex and the guy wanted to commission an artist to make a silver CLIT of his girl. I used to work for a dentist and was very familiar with taking impressions of teeth, and pouring them up in plaster, so it wasn't a huge stretch for me to know how to make an impression of _ _ _ _ something, was it? So after many questions and a lot of back and forth we decided on a price and a plan to make them happy and me a bit $$ richer.

The whole process was actually pretty funny, but I handled it with the utmost professionalism, even while loading the alginate molding compound into a banana peel and then smashing it up against her lady town area. They were laughing and giggling and having a merry old time which did ease my tensions. After that, I left with the mold and finished the rest of the process at my house. I'm sure they had much more fun with me gone, if you know what I mean!

So I am entering Pussy Willow in the show, it's a copy from the mold but, maybe there is someone else out there that would like an original?

I am waiting to hear if it is being excepted in the show or not!

December 24th Game Night

Being Jewish the old joke is that we eat Chineese Food and go to the movies on Christmas, which is pretty true for the most part. I actually have to work on the 25th during the day but afterwards I'm sure we will eat Chineese Food and see a movie.

Tonight however, (the 24th of Dec.)my good friend Brenda (who has adopted my little family of 3 into her big family of fun) invited my family to join her and a few other friends for dinner and game night, what fun! Even though we didn't play games and ended up watching a movie it was still all good. Sharing time with people you like, laughing, and cutting up is what makes life good, and rich, and full of joy! If you ever want to feel better do something nice for someone else, it really will bring a smile to your lips. Share your family with someone who might be alone, extend yourself just a little bit more this coming year, and help make the world a more loving place to be. DREAM BIG.

Many Blessings to Each and Everyone of you!

A Dream So Real?

I just woke up from a strange dream! It was so real, and although it was all mixed up it made sense. This is what I dreamt, I came home to find the front door of my house ajar, as soon as you touched the door it fell swinging lopsided from the top hinge. I rushed inside to find my room a mess and a lot of things missing. I was just about to call the police but they called me to say that a gang of kids was at the marina trying to hire a boat to take them out to sea and to pay for the service with my stuff, but they got caught. Although this is not some scary dream, it did wake me up from sleeping. I did check all the doors. Just to be on the safe side.

I could see the door from my childhood home, but the house wasn't any I recognized, the inside of the house was from another town I used to live in, and I don't even live near an ocean, but there was an ocean in the dream. Wow, this is weird! Anyway it just goes to show you that you shouldn't eat greasy food just before you go to sleep... especially if you want to loose weight.

My daughter Madison said that Punishment just happened to me for eating those Perogies that I am taking in to work for our party tomorrow. I had already eaten enough for my day but ate two anyway. Maybe she is right? I hate it when she is right! This is her by the way.

12-16-07 Entry

Between all the snow, shopping, and projects I've been doing there hardly seems time to visit with family and friends lately. This weekend I did go to the movies with my friend Delisa, and then I helped her dye her hair. She looked so much better with the new shade! I wish I had taken a picture of her while we were doing it but she wouldn't let me, this week I'll have to take a picture of her at work when she is all fixed up and post it later. I spent almost all Saturday with her but that meant that I didn't spend it with my husband, and I did feel guilty ~ What a great guy, he makes me breakfast in bed, does the grocery shopping, laundry, and lots of other things each weekend while he is home. Couldn't ask for better! Al also bought me this great camera for my birthday. If anyone is looking for a really good digital camera I would suggest you check out the Panasonic DMC-TZ3 Lumix, 10X optical zoom- I love it!

Now here is a photo of a recent project I created for Altered Arts Magazine! The call was for Altered Bottles. It's really fun and makes a great keepsake.

Beginnings and Endings

This evening my art club met and we made beaded bracelets. Everyone got the hang of it due to the patience of my friend Terri who was our teacher for the evening. This art club was a wonderful idea and I'm very glad that I got it started but now I'd like to add more members, so if you live in the area and love to create art let me know. You could be in our next meeting which is always the 2nd Wednesday of the month.

On a different note, I got a message from a local store owner & friend Dot Barccari, that she is closing The Stamping Grounds. What sad news for me, I have enjoyed classes there on many occasions. I have learned about different supplies, trends, tools, techniques, and magazines from this store and I will miss the friends I've met over the years. The doors will close soon so stop by and pick up some great items all 50% off through November 15th, 2007 The Stamping Grounds is located in Royal Oak, Michigan (Dottie you will be missed!)

I made the deadline

I just got home from synagogue services, one of my best friends (Jacqueline) had a Bar Mitzvah for her son Ben this morning, and he did a great job by the way! Anyway, I had two project that needed to be worked on at the exact same time, my altered birthstones/jewelry project for Altered Arts Magazine, and making a blue kippah for Jacqueline to wear at services. I managed to get both done in time but got myself so run down and sick in the process. I'll never procrastinate again!!! LOL I've attached pictures of both projects here so you can see what I'm talking about.

Tonight is the Bar Mitzvah Party! That's always the fun part, it should be really nice if the ice storm that is perdicted to hit here doesn't. One good thing my earache is better!

So Super Tired...

Normally I am not the kind of person that puts things off till the last minute but this time that's just what I did. As you all might know I am a member of The Altered Arts Magazine Design Team, and each month we have to come up with some new design. I just wasn't inspired this time around and I kept thinking something would come to me, and so I waited. Meanwhile I committed to making several beaded, wire Kippot for upcoming Bat Mitzvah's, and tonight I haven't gone to sleep at all because I had to finish all of these project. I am going to be dead tomorrow at my full time job. Oh I'm going to pay for this lack of sleep, I know it! Maybe, I can manage with 2 hours of sleep if I go to bed right now, whattaya think?????

First Night of Chanukah

So we put the phone on speaker and sang to the out of town family while we lit the candles! It was fun, especially telling the people on the other end what their virtual presents would have been if there really were presents for them here. The whole holiday is so different from Christmas, but most people don't know that. It's not supposed to be like Christmas, and it's is really a minor holiday for us Jewish folks. The gifts are small and not usually expensive, although some families go all out. This year we decided that our dog should have a nice bright smile so we are getting his teeth cleaned for Chanukah, how's that for a gift?

My Felted Purse, & other musings?

My Birthday Present To Me!

I found this beautiful felted purse online from Trish Bloom, and fell in love with it. So I ordered one for myself back in October so I would have it for my B-Day. Trish does such lovely work and she was so easy to work with, she even customized this one for me by making the straps longer and putting tubing inside the straps so they don't stretch. I just love it.

Tomorrow morning I am going to be in a craft show. This is the 3rd show I've ever done and mostly I hate doing them. I get scared talking to the people that walk up to my display, and if you know me I'm not shy, but I am in this situation. I don't understand why I get so nervous? I think somewhere deep inside me I think it's bragging to do these shows, like saying "Hey look at my stuff isn't it great!" Although it is great, wouldn't stand outside and shout about it to strangers, so maybe that's why I get this way... Either way, wish me good luck!

The Crowning Glory

Remember, I said I would post a picture of the crowns I made for our Spirit Committee meeting at my job, well here they are. Each one has a band of Hardware Cloth inserted to form the circle shape, and then each band was wrapped in batting so the metal wouldn't poke anyone, and last the batting was covered in either ribbons or fabric. Each one was decorated to symbolize the position of the employee. If you look carefully you will notice that there is a calculator on one of the crowns, that one was made for a member of our accounting department. Each one was a labor of love and everyone really loved getting them. After a little while they will leave the case and be returned to the owners.

After Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is now over and I honestly feel like I have so much to be thankful for this year! My son Branden came for a visit and it has been way too long since we have seen him. It was wonderful to have him here with us and to take him out shopping, & experience his amazing personality first hand again. All of my children are so different, but Branden is the most like me and we have a very strong bond. I miss him so much but he lives in Tulsa and I live here in Michigan, what can you do? Tomorrow is my BIRTHDAY! The last of the 40 years, wow that sounds so old. I don't feel that old except for my knees. Youth is wasted on the young, that's what I always say. Anyway, I am happy and life even at 49 is still good!

Wanted to see if this is working?

Hi, I just wanted to see if I understood how this worked. I logged out and back in without any trouble, that much was easy. I posted a first post and added some pictures, ok got that. I wanted to add a banner at the top but couldn't figure out how to place it at the top. I will have to work on that. I was going to use the Altered Arts Magazine logo since I am a new member of their design team, but it wouldn't go across the top the way a banner should. So for now I am stopping, and I will try another evening.

I have soldered necklaces to make in the studio, and I have to see who got booted from Dancing with the Stars.
Leheet Riot (that's sort of "Later" in Hebrew)

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

11-20-07 First Post

Hello, my name is Edie Simons but sometimes I go by renelli. You know how on some sites you want to open an account but you have to choose a username, I used to use my email address so I wouldn't forget the username. Then one time it wouldn't allow me to use the email address for the user name and it said not to use your real name. I used to work at a hair salon called "Renelli" when I lived in South Carolina. I liked the name, it was cool and it had a nice RING to it, so I started using that as my username. Now you will see me post sometimes with renelli as the name, it's confusing but I just think of it as a pen name.

This is my new blog. I have never done this before so I'm sure it will have some sort of learning curve. I enjoy reading my firends blogs so much because it is a great way to keep up with what they are doing from day to month, so I decided I would start one of my own. Not that I have so many friends here in Michigan but I have lots of friends from around the US. We have moved so many times that it is hard to keep up with all my friends from Pittsburgh, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Houston, South Bend, Evansville, Seneca, Saline, and Bloomfield Hills. So if you haven't kept up with me here's what I am doing with life now.

I'm back in Bloomfield Hills for the second time, and although it is cold in the winter it is mild in the summer so it all washes out. I do have a car with heated seats and wouldn't want to live here with out them. Someone from Seneca, SC. said I was spoiled because I had heated seats, and a fur coat but that's just one opinion. I like being warm! It is starting to get cold here now, last weekend I did wear my fur coat for the first time this season and it is so wonderfully warm, no cold air gets into this coat! I do feel sorry about the little mink though... ?

I have agreed to be in a holiday crafting bazar, it's only the second one I've ever agreed to do. These things just don't interest me but for the sake of the organization wanting to make some money and needing vendors I said yes. Last year I participated in my syngogues bazar and this year I am doing the one at work. Yes, I have a full time day job... get's in the way of my art time but it pays the bills. I work at the Jewish Community Center in Oak Park, MI. I am the Sports and Recreation Administrative Assistant and you might not think that this is a very creative job but I have made it into one. Everyone at work knows I like to make stuff so everytime there is an event to organize I get to do the artsy stuff. Recently I made crowns for a presentation and they were customized for each person's role at work. They turned out great, maybe I'll post a picture of them here tomorrow. I also get to work on the kids art programs during the year, since it is a community center we host a number of programs for the community and I always do the art segments. You never know where art can kreep into your life if you just look for a way. A co-worker is taking a new job and leaving us so I created an altered tin just for him. It has all kinds of things that are related to him on it. Here is a picture.Later.