spring cleaning

i did some spring cleaning around the house the other day. moved some things around, dusted, swept, redress a manikin - you know fun stuff like that! but it's always good to freshen and change things up a bit.




here's a little vignette in my living room showcasing my Louis Sherry candy tins. Louis Sherry was a confectioner and hotelier during the Gilded Age. His name is typically associated with an upscale brand of candy and ice cream. my sister and i have been collecting them ever since i moved here and we found some at a flea market. i see them quite often at the flea markets still and they usually run a few bucks. i still have one more smaller size that sits on top, but it's in use right now. (they are great for holding crafty choctchkey stuff.) i also have one Louis Sherry tea tin. it is the only one i have ever seen; so his foray into tea must have been limited. (don't mind the blanket on the floor, it's my tacky draft dodger.)

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my "wallpaper people" art piece from Artfest 2 years ago. It was made in Anahata Katkin's class. it's been in a back room, kind of hidden away, since i couldn't find anywhere to display it. well as i started cleaning, i rearranged the stuff hanging on this wall to make room for it. i added a vintage spring hat to the top for fun. i also pimped it up a bit by sewing some sari silk into it and tying a bell at the end.

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don't you just love this boat? it reminds of Max's boat from "Where the wild things are". Stephanie Lee created it and i bought it at vendor night at Artnsoul in Las Vegas. it is so sweet and really adds even more charm to my house! i filled it with marbles to add more texture and color. i'm very glad it came home with me.

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here's the manikin that got a mini makeover. she was upstairs in my room and had been wearing the same outfit for a few years (how gauche!) so i changed her up a bit adding this awesome crinoline skirt (i use to wear it as it is funky and fun, but it is very fragile). i also topped her off with this vintage equestrian riding helmet that i got at the Country Living Fair in September. her necklace, by me, was made in a Sally Jean Alexander class.

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i have four spots left in Pamela Huntington's fabric journal class being held here at Lemoncholy's Studio on Saturday May 1st. email me for more details at keeshagirl4@aol.com or read the post here. this class promises to be a lot of fun, so hope you can join us! when i return from Artfest, i'll be posting my summer schedule of upcoming classes. i'm thinking of also doing some shorter classes, more in a make-in-take fashion, for those of you with busy schedules.

CHA memories

what can i say about CHA? it was the most amazing time. i don't think i have ever talked to so many people in my entire life! i met facebook friends, women from TV, editors from magazines, women who run the behind the scenes of businesses, friends or acquaintances from the past, people who recognized me from retreats or classes we took together. it went on and on. and i loved every minute. the connection to all these women was just amazing to me. and that is what is so cool- how we can connect with one another via the internet and then one day meet in person. there were people to cheer me on, encourage me, support me, compliment me all the while with me doing the same. stories to be told, stories to be shared. quick flashes of running into busy people who spare a minute to listen to you. running into old instructors, now friends and receiving such warm and embracing hugs from them as they listen to me prattle on! hanging out with silly girls who are so like me, it is scary! the walking, the talking, the energy spent, the looking, the make and takes, being recognized by people who read my blog. the compliments on my jewelry, my style, handing out business cards left and right and so much more. honestly, i felt like i was at home in this crafty little universe under one roof in my home state of California!

i mentioned how meeting Jenny Doh was a highlight of the event, but i have to also tell you that i got to meet Aleene, of Aleene's tacky glue! i believe she is turning 85 this year and she pioneered for us all with her crafty little invention of this amazing glue! she was so cute as she autographed many bottles of this very popular glue!



to top it off, off the cuff, i extended my trip over the next weekend by heading back to Ventura with my sister and niece who drove down to spend the day with me. i think we all needed to spend some time together and i am glad we did.

i am home again and getting unpacked, following up on contacts and going through all the info given to me along the way. in a few weeks, i'll be flying back to California again to teach at Gilding the Lily (Fullerton, CA), so maybe i shouldn't bother unpacking my suitcase! check out the classes here and here if you are curious!

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Just in case you missed it: i've got 2 workshops coming up next weekend and there are a few spots left. read about it here! email me at keeshagirl4@aol.com with any questions!

more artnsoul pics

the start of my necklace for Stephanie Lee's Junk Drawer Metalsmithing

Leighanna doing some soldering

my finished necklace, "Junk drawer metalsmithing"

Stephanie doing some demo's on soldering with a butane torch - very cool!

me and sally jean after "Girls got gothic" i need to work more on my piece when i get home.

finished soldering, now starting to assemble

my main focal point on "Girls got goth" necklace

Zhulia does show and tell from vendor night

here's Michael deMeng discussing my piece (he does all the students pieces)

listening to Michael deMeng

Christine shows off her piece from Michael's class "transparency and collage"

my piece from Michael de Meng's class

oh poor yo-yo had too much to drink

***So today was the last day of classes for Artnsoul. you could tell that everyone was kind of tired- we were all feeling it! my last class today was Stephanie Lee's "Junk Drawer Metalsmithing". we learned various techniques from her new book, "Semiprecious Salvage: Creating Found Art Jewelry. great class. we made bezels out of metal and did soldering with a butane torch. i was really tired, so i decided to concentrate on making one piece. yesterday's class was with Sally Jean and we worked on a necklace. a few people finished theirs, but a lot of us didn't. i know one girl said she stayed up til 2:00am finishing hers. Not me! i'll work on it at home. i need my rest! the day before that i took "Tranparency and collage" with Michael deMeng. Basially that was a class where we learned his special painting techniques to create layers of paint. It was definitely out of my element, but i enjoyed it alot. he's very interesting and the techniques and colors we used were pretty cool.

I'm taking Zhulia to the airport early and then coming back to load up. Jean and i will head to Pennsylvania, where i will stay the night before heading back to Jersey on wed. while i was gone, Jeff found a nest of 4 baby bunnies. he found them because one of them was screaming and when he went to investigate, a mole was attacking one of the babies. so he removed them since the mom was AWOL. The humane society came and got them today.

icon

here is the icon i worked on yesterday. i love the contrast between the atlas background and the skeleton. i think it is pretty cool.

so the second attempt at registering for Artnsoul, Portland, went much better - no glitches at all. i feel so bad for Glenny and Cindy. even if this is their business and all that goes with it - i don't think i could deal with all the whiney (like me for instance!) about the issues with registering. let's just hope it is smooth sailing like that from now on. here's what i am taking:

wed - A Little Art of Remodeling Book with Misty Mawn

wed night -Transfers & Transparencies w/ Diane Downs Lou

thurs & fri - Step Into the Story--Jewelry Technique Workshop w/ Nina Bagley

sat - off to play

sun & mon - House of Style w/ Sally Jean Alexander. we are making a soldered doll house with furniture - looks challenging!