class with Pamela Huntington tomorrow

Jeff and i spent the day tidying up the yard, doing some last minute cleaning, cutting some lilacs and then at the last minute, i decided to throw a little trunk show during class, so then i got busy preparing for that. earlier this morning I ran to DMV for some "Kylie's Law" tags for Dillon's car. then i met jeff at the flea market for a quick look. we found something really cool, but i'll blog that later.

Pam arrived around 5:00pm. we did a quick house tour, met jeff, met dillon and tucker and of course, gracie and pepper. we unloaded her car and then headed out for dinner to one of my favorite local places, Pete and Elda's. I wanted to go early, because the wait there on the weekend can take forever! so we were the early birds and had a yummy dinner. After dinner, we took a little walk on the beach, near my favorite area next to the Belmar fishing pier. i wanted to see what was going on at the Least Tern colony (still very few terns there yet), but we got a nice surprise and got to see the elusive pair of oyster catchers!

So the classrooms are ready, cupcakes are baked and my new little dolly, Sweet Baby Jane, is ready to welcome our guests tomorrow. (i even made her cute little dress out of a vintage curtain)

Pam and i and jane (jane is meeting us there) will get up early and go to the Allaire flea market. it is a little market, which they have a few times during warm weather. it'll be perfect to hit quickly before coming back and starting class at 11:30. I'm looking forward to our fun class tomorrow!

it's almost Friday!

Not much going on around here with any specific to report. I've got Pamela Huntington's class here on Saturday, so have been getting ready for that. also doing a little yard work; you know all that kind of spring sort of stuff. the yard is looking great. it always does in the spring. then summer comes around and the lawn starts to burn (we don't water the yard except for rain) - but i'll enjoy it now while i can.
i squeezed in a little project yesterday that just landed in my lap. so that was fun to grab a little unexpected art. my friend, Brenda, dropped off an old sewing cabinet that she had purchased at an estate sale, so i spent a few hours sprucing it up. i love how it turned out.

more pics for Lesley Venable's Architectural Assemblage class

here's a couple more photos from Lesley Venable's upcoming workshop here at Lemoncholy's Studio. I like these visuals as it is giving me some ideas of how i want my angel to look. go visit Lesley's blog to see the inspiration behind these angels. And in case you missed the blog post, you can read about her classes here and here.

Guest Artist - Leslie Marsh

I am so excited to introduce my friend, Leslie Marsh, who will be teaching for the very first time EVER, one of her amazing book binding techniques here at Lemoncholy's Studio! I've been to Leslie's studio and seen some of the books that she has created and we are in for an incredible day.

Binding Memories in Black and White Books.

There is a book in every direction, every nook and crany, every shelf, and every flat area in my house. Some of those books are full of images, some of recipes, some hold only lists.

And some hold paintings, photographs, secrets and dreams.

I love knowing how to create the vessels that will hold the information of my life. You’re going to love it too.

In this class, we will use items found in our yards to create bleached images that will form the pages we will bind into vintage books to be used as photo albums and journals. Vessels that will hold the information of our lives.

Oh. And the skills necessary to make your own journal/photo album/ book of dreams? You’ll leave with those too.

when: Sunday, August 1st
time: 12:00-5:00
where: Lemoncholy's Studio
1606 Oxford Lane
Wall, NJ 07719

email me at keeshagirl4@aol.com for more details or to reserve your spot.

day two with guest artist, Lesley Venable

Day Two with guest artist - Lesley Venable

TREASURE WITHIN ALTERED TIN
By Lesley Venable

We will be altering a metal band-aid tin using our Patina Kit, rubber stamps, vintage hardware (or other goodies you’ve got hidden in that embellishment bin) and ribbon. Encased inside this beautiful treasure tin will be an altered Formica sample booklet that you will create using ephemera, your favorite quotes, charms, images, lace, tape transfers (will do small demo in class on tape transfers) and ribbon. Although I will have the tin prepared and ready for you to patina and alter I will demonstrate (outside) how to easily clean the paint off of tins you wish to alter in the future.

when: Monday, July 20th
time: 12-5
where: 1606 oxford lane
wall, nj 07719

Lesley is also teaching a class on Sunday, July 19th, read more about Lesley and her other class here.

please email me at keeshagirl4@aol.com for more information or to reserve your seat.

Guest Artist -Lesley Venable

I'm excited to announce my next visiting artist, Lesley Venable!

ARCHITECTURAL ASSEMBLAGE ANGEL
By Lesley Venable

Come and set your imaginations free as we create our own, one of a kind, architectural assemblage angel. We will dress them in wings made of antique ceiling tin, vintage hardware, dimensional findings, collage and more. The addition of gesso stamping, inking and stenciling will help to add depth and dimension to our finished pieces. The base/form of our angels is based on one my Daddy created to make folk art pieces. As a way to honor him after his passing I chose to use his design for the angels.

when: Sunday, July 18th
time: 12:00-5:00
where: 1606 oxford lane
wall, nj 07719

*this is the first time that this class has been taught!

Lesley is a self taught mixed media, collage, assemblage artist who lives in Roanoke, Virginia with her husband and their furry family which includes three dogs and two cats.

She has taught at Art Is You, Art & Soul in both Virginia and Oregon and Artiscape in Ohio. She is currently scheduled to teach in 2010 at Art & Soul Hampton, KC Willis’ Art Studio in Colorado and at Art Is You in Connecticut. She also has online classes scheduled at My Creative Classroom and has begun “The Art of Altering”, a NING group, that offers free vintage images as well as online classes (upcoming).
Her artwork has been published in the Artitude Zine, Somerset Gallery 2008 and Somerset Weddings 4. She is a co-author of “Exploring the Latest Trends in Mixed Media Arts Volume I” and a contributing artist in Volume II. Two of Lesley’s fabric collages have also been chosen to appear in this Summer’s issue of Sew Somerset.

Website: flatwoodfolkart.com
Blog: www.flatwoodsfolkart.typepad.com
NING: http://theartofaltering.ning.com/

please email me at: keeshagirl4@aol.com for more information or to reserve your seat.

Funky Chandelier

Here's a little video of a chandelier that i made "re-purpose style" using various components. Sorry the room is a little dark - kind of tricky getting the correct lighting against that window. I realize my music is interfering with me talking on the video. pretty much i'm just saying that i took bottles, icicle lights and fishing wire and hung them on that wood piece!

earth day

today i went to Belmar beach to pick up trash. it is too bad it is only one day a year that we take to recognize that we all need to do our share to help out. i was a little disgusted by what i found. the area i chose was located near an inlet where a lot of fisherman go. so it seemed to me that the majority of trash i found in that area was left by them. i was very sad by the blatant waste and callous attitude. i don't get it. "pack it in, pack it out" - how hard is that to understand?

low key daying just enjoying the weather

wow, what a beautiful day we had! today i took a "personal" day - got a much needed hair cut (well, a trim) and then just played. no working, little computer (except via my phone) and did some yard work. i found these cute flip flops today in a stationary store after my hair cut. they are by Vera Bradley and they had several different choices in case you feel like hunting them down. that's the big news!

wood peg doll

I've been playing around with recreating my own wooden peg dolls (2nd picture is my inspiration piece). i've been collecting them for a few years and just love their simplicity and sweetness. i thought it'd be fun to reach a class and we make our own dolls.

some ramblings

Not much new and exciting to report around here. been working on some projects, deadlines, submissions - behind the scenes kind of stuff and also at the same time been doing some yardwork - getting ready to plant some color around the front and back porch.

the picture above is of my pretty vintage chenille bedspread that i got for Valentine's day. i realized i had never posted a picture of it. i just love the colors in it. it's a little short for my king bed, so i was thinking of cutting another vintage bedspread, also, in white/chenille, in half and then sewing each half on the sides to create a bigger coverlet. i think it would work because the other coverlet has fringe on the sides. we'll see though, as i'm not sure if i feel like going to all that work!

behind the scenes during art opera

i hosted Ruth Rae and Traci Bautista here at my house during Art Opera. i also had my friend, Jane and another couple, Scott and Taryn of Navel Jelly Studios stay here. it was a packed house, but we had a lot of fun. i enjoyed the camaraderie and it was nice to have so many art people under my roof! it was fun to show off my home and receive such warm praise for my decorating style. One day after teaching, Ruth, Traci and i had lunch, hit some antique stores before heading home. i didn't tell them, but on the way home, i did a slight detour so that i could take these guys by the beach which is quite close to my home. the beaches here in NJ are very pretty and well maintained. When we arrived at the beach, it had gotten very windy and cold and we were all under dressed. but we braved the elements to get out, take pics and put our toes in the water (well, i did not put my feet in the water - i refused!) but it was a lovely way to end the day and i'm glad we ventured out.

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after we got back home and had some dinner, traci and ruth were kind enough to autograph their books for me. can't beat your own personal book signing party!

Art Opera 2010

this post will be done in pictures, as i think they are pretty self explanatory!