latest work

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here's my booth at a store where i am selling, in Pt. Pleasant, NJ. The store is called, Sea and Green.
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new work:

this one will be added to my website
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this one will be going on my website. the doll is made of PMC (precious metal clay) and it is a piece i made last summer at Valley Ridge in Wisconsin while taking a Nina Bagley class. the piece above her head is a sterling Victorian perfume funnel.
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this one is at the shoppe in pt. pleasant. it features a tiny vintage metal calendar.
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this one is going on my website
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this one is at the shoppe in pt. pleasant

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this one i made for me!
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Monday i made 2 other steam punk metalicious necklaces and took them to the shoppe on tues. they sold while i was working that day. i didn't even have a chance to take a picture of them! i was wearing the one above and i think it really helped show them how cool they look!

my piece from Nina's workshop

here is my completed piece from Nina's class. the first day started off with some basic PMC work. it was my first time working with PMC and i haven't really done any polymer clay or anything, so i wasn't really impressed with my work! i think i pressed too hard into the clay with my stamp. it will just take some fine tuning. i prefer working with found objects anyway. day two we learned wire wrapping, the "Nina knot", a grapevine knot, the cacoon wrap, connecting 2 pieces together, making a hook and a clasp. it was a lot to learn in one day. so i spent a lot of time practicing, but again, good wire wrapping takes practice. the 3rd we spent assembling our pieces, going over techniques we were having trouble with and before we knew it, the weekend was over. it was sad to say goodbye to old friends and sad to say goodbye to new friends. Valley Ridge Art Studio located in Muscoda, Wisconsin is a real treat. check out their website and look into taking a class there sometime. (go with a friend and share expenses). you can fly into Madison or Milwaukee and then drive from there. they have a few rooms on the property called The Farmhouse or you can look into rooms elsewhere (we stayed at the Riley Farm about 10 minutes away). The studio is very spacious and accomodates 20 students. you get your own worktable and again, have plenty of room to put out your stuff without having another student on top of you. i appreciate that! they give great attention to detail (my favorite, every station had a trash baggie at it), a refrigerator stocked with sodas, tea and water. Kathy, the owner, makes fresh coffee throughout the day and then lunch, wow. pasta, salad, soups, deli meats, pie, cheese (try a 4 year old cheddar cheese bought locally - yummy!). her husband, bill, is behind the scenes serving soup, cleaning up, taking photos, sweeping the studio, etc. it is very well run, extremely organized, friendly, relaxing. they have a store in the studio where you will find the best things - things you just have to have. things you've seen online but didn't want to pay for the shipping. buy them there, i did! it was a nice group of talented women and fun to be there with 4 Charmsters (me, Z, Pam K. and Jean). of course my good friend, Kim and Julie were there and i recognized (from artnsoul) the beautiful, Lynda, the minute she walked in the door. met a really sweet, talented artists, Jill, who made a gorgeous PMC ring and has been published many times in all our favorite art magazines. Sue, was the my seatmate behind me and she was really sweetie, trading me things, fun to talk with. i did get to go home with a pair of earrings made by Nina, so that was cool.
On the ride home, we broke up the ride by stopping at an antique store. what a great place! we were sad we didn't have more time to spend there. the woman running the desk loved my little handpainted bag i was carried (done by me), so i gave her my etsy card in case she'd like to order one. (yes, Carol, you are still first in line for a bag!)
right now i am sitting at Chicago O'hare waiting for my very delayed flight (bad weather in Newark). i am tired and my back is sore from sitting for 3 days, driving 4 hours to the airport and now sitting 4 hours in these uncomfortable airport seats. i left my purse in the bathroom and when i returned for it, it was gone. i tried not to panic and waited for the police to come so that i could give a description, etc when i saw a couple of women walking by and one of them was carrying my bag. she looked into the bag and had found my gate # and was coming to return it to me. i almost started crying and gave her a huge hug.

Valley Ridge with Nina Bagley continued

barn swallow babies nesting right above the studio

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working with PMC

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my buddy, Z
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entrance to Kathy's garden (at Valley Ridge)

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me and Pam, she's a Charmster too

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chicken coop on the farm we stayed at

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beautiful cone flowers everywhere

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piggies on the farm

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julie, me and kim clowing around before bed one night after class

Valley Ridge Studio with Nina Bagley, 2008

early in the morning, on the way to class,N we saw this horse and pony crossing a field covered with lovely purple flowers. it was really something out of a movie. they were making their way too this stream to graze and laze.

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Nina and i, last day of class - boo hoo

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i picked this on a walk. i'm sure it has a great name, but i was just calling it my oversized dandelion

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the quarry

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class photo, Valley Ridge 2008

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playing on the hay bales

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Nina gives a demo

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kim and i behind the studio catching some rays

"Gatherings" book w/ Nina Bagley

Back in April (gee, it seems so long ago!) at Artfest, I took a class with Nina Bagley called, "Gatherings". in that class we started creating a book of gatherings. It is a book of books. it is layers of old books that have been embellished, journaled, glued, wired, collaged, shadowboxed, ribboned, etc. While in class i finished my cover and one other page (one page being a book). So yesterday and today after finding the rest of the books i had prepared for class, I decided to do some work on my gathering book. this is really a fun and unique project. if you ever have the chance to take Nina's "Gatherings" class, definitely do it. although, the Artnsoul class in Portland is full (but look for cancellations in sept. - it always happens: you have to check out the artnsoul yahoo group, that is where you'll find cancellations....) anyway, she is teaching it again in August (2 &3) at Valley Ridge Art Studio in Wisconsin . here are some pictures of the progress of my book.

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this is a "page"

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this is another "page"

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this is my back cover

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this is how the book looks after all the ribbons have been tied to hold it together.

The Lost Purse

**this piece was inspired by a show and tell during Nina Bagley's class, Gatherings, at Artfest 2008. Nina's friend, Judy Wilkenfield, was taking the class and Nina asked Judy to show the class this necklace she was wearing that Nina had made for her. I can't remember the exact details of the necklace, but the focal point was a little leather (?) or maybe metal purse that Nina had built a necklace around. and inside the little purse, Nina had tucked some secret things for Judy to enjoy. it was a wonderful piece, so when i found this metal mesh doll purse in Pennsylvania i wanted to do something similiar. while i was working on my necklace a little story started going on in my head. some of the story is true, just embellished a bit to play along. so here's some pictures of the necklace and then you can read the story.

update: Judy read my story and gave me some more information about her purse from Nina. she said " my necklace purse was leather, hand crafted by Nina - the necklace is for when i interview Holocaust Victims - inside I have a miniature book that i handmade showing photos of my family that we lost". thanks, Judy.

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When I was 7 years old, my beloved grandma, whom I called, Nanny, gave me a special present. It belonged to her when she was little and now she was giving it to me. She called it a "doll purse" and it was made of metal. Oh how I loved playing with that purse!I use to put the ends of it in my mouth because I liked how the metal felt against my teeth. Inside the purse I placed my most prized possessions: an old metal shoe charm, a beautiful pearl and rhinestone broken button from my Nanny and a locket. Inside the locket, I put a picture of myself on one side and a picture of my Nanny and Pa-pa on the other.

That summer my parents rented a cabin at a lake near where my Nanny lived. I was so excited for our vacation until I found out that my cousin would be there too. I didn't care for my cousin too much. He was always teasing me and taking my things. I was afraid that he would take my doll purse so I decided to hide it in the room where I was staying. I felt better knowing that my special treasure was safe and sound. The week quickly came to an end and we were headed home again. On the way home, I sadly realized that I had left my doll purse behind. I was devastated, but too afraid to tell my mom that i forgot it. We never went back to that lake as my father's job made us move.

Over the years I have often thought of that special purse and how much joy it brought me. I would wistfully wish that I could have it back. Then a few summers ago I was visiting my mother at that same lake when she pointed out the old house we had rented. We could still see the huge boulder where so many family photos had been taken. A few days later while mom was at work, I set out for a drive around the lake. I drove by the old rented lake house when I noticed a sign that said "Open House Today". I decided to stop and see the old place. The realtor was busy with another family, so she told me to come on in and look around. As I went room to room, memories from long ago came flooding back. What fun we had there! From the living room I could see the dock we used to jump into the lake from. I was always so afraid to jump off that dock! Finally I came to my old room. It had barely changed in all those years. I was sitting on the bed enjoying the nostaglia when I started thinking about my old purse and how well I had hidden it. Maybe it was still there! Nah, I told myself, there's no way. Someone probably found it years ago. Still..... I went to the closet and knelt by the floor looking for that old loose board. I found the board and after a little tugging managed to get it out. I peered into the dark hole but could see nothing. Disappointed, I started to put the board back. But something told me to look a little further. I squeezed my hand into the hole and reached around until suddenly I felt something. I tried not to get too excited as I lifted the item out. My purse, I sighed. I've found you after all these years.

artfest, day two, Nina Bagley's class, "Gatherings"

group photo L to R, Lisa Call, Candance, me, Nina and Julie

my front cover page of my "Gatherings" book. most of my little goodies on the cover are things i have found through out the years.

the second page i got done for my book. the angel in the box was the idea of my friend, Kim, who also took the class. i found it so lovely that i borrowed her idea so that it would remind me of being with her again and about our friendship. i miss her.

julie me and Candance (aka "the artnest girls"). they are so fun and lively. i was so happy they were in the same house as i. they made us they yummiest brownies of which i must get the receipe.

1st class @ Artfest - "a wee book" with Nina Bagley

my finished book and some of the pages inside



Janet Wilson working on her book and Nina showing us how to use liver of sulphur.

my friend, Kim, was also in the class. me and her, kim working and then Kim peeking out the window before class. I wore my favorite vintage fedora hat around Artfest as a way for people to identify me or find me if they were looking for! it was great because people knew right away who i was since i had informed everyone i was to meet that i'd have my hat on!

shadow pic of the awesome doors outside on building 204