I Can't Believe It...

My husband just got fired from his job, and for no reason! The boss didn't even do it himself...he had another employee over Mike do his dirty work for him.

Yeah...Merry Christmas...

A Gift From My Friend

"A true friend is the best possession."

-Anon.

Today, my friend Kim came over for one of our usual 'playdates' in my studio. We spent the entire afternoon working on projects and catching up with each other. Because my birthday was last week, she came over bearing gifts. Here is what she brought for me:

It was all tucked inside this wooden cigar box, topped with a bow (recycled from a gift I gave to her for her birthday).

When I opened the box up, I found a collection of found objects to add to my stash! Here are some close-ups of the gifts that were inside...

The first thing I saw were some old window markers. Kim made sure I knew these babies were hard for her to part with!...

She knows how much I love old religious items. There were two wonderful rosary boxes, and inside each one she tucked in some vintage medals...

This is a medal from the other rosary box...

And this is a tattered piece of old leather. You never know when you'll need that little added touch on an assemblage piece...

She even packed some 8mm film. Too bad we couldn't figure out what was the subject matter was...

And here is a strand of the cutest little pearls!!...

She even dismantled her husband's old binoculars, piece by piece...

And here's a tiny little bottle...

...And an old tintype....

And some brass doo-dads...

...And a box of cool little screws with numbers on them...

And last, but not least, some small stencils. What a fun gift!!!

My Last Workshop For The Season

Last night, I returned home from Valley Ridge Art Studio in Muscoda, Wisconsin, where I took my last workshop of the year. I usually only take metalsmithing/jewelry workshops, but this time I went 'out of the norm' and chose to take a bookmaking class by Shanna Leino. We each assembled a book, but the focus of the class was really on making different types of clasps, hinges, and other decorative metal embellishments to add to the outer covers. The books that Shanna makes are absolutely beautiful, and that is what prompted me to sign up for her class. I saw some examples of the books which were made in a workshop that she taught last year, and I couldn't believe they were completed in only 2 days! They were outstanding! Many of the people in the class had experience in bookmaking, but for me, this was a whole new world...and I really loved it.

So here are some pictures of my book, in various stages of completion...

Here is its humble beginning...the pages are in little bundles between two wooden covers, waiting to be sewn together...

I sewed the pages together, adding the heavy cord to the spine. The cord will add a wonderful look to the book when the leather is adhered over it...

The cording is in place, and the book is now ready for the leather...

This is just another view...that's the leather that's going to cover the spine....

The leather is now on, and the wood still needs to be stained, but now it's time to move onto making the clasp and other decorative touches for it. My jewelry-making experience came in handy for this part, because I cut pieces from brass sheet to embellish my cover...

And here is the finished book. I made my clasp quite small, and was very unhappy with its size, so I designed a plate to go around it. Anyone who knows me, knows that I like big and bold, not small and dainty, so I 'Jill-afied' it.

On Saturday evening. I left the studio earlier than I usually do. I was not happy with my dinky clasp, and I was tired and my shoulder hurt. I went back to the farmhouse and put on my pajamas. I decided I'd deal with book in the morning. My friend Kim Nugent, who I brought along with me for the workshop (she's never been to Valley Ridge before), came in shortly after I did and put her jammies on too. We decided to sit at the kitchen table together and work on our journals that we each brought along.

But an hour and a half later, there was still light on down in the studio, and it was bugging me what the other gals were still doing in there. I thought they were getting farther ahead of me with their books, and I guess 'curiousity killed the cat.' Kim and I headed back down to the studio in our pajamas to see what they were up to. But they were just sitting around talking. So Kim and I wandered back to the house...but not before we each grabbed a cookie to munch on. And no, we didn't plan on coordinating our sleepwear. It just happened that way!~

And finally, here's the group shot which was taken yesterday afternoon, just before we all started packing up our things to make our long drives back home.

Yesterday Was A Busy Day!!!

Yesterday, I had the privilege of assisting Thomas Mann again in teaching his "Found Object Sandwich" workshop. He was the keynote speaker at the National Art Education Association Conference, which was held at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. He held a special workshop on the last day of the conference for 20 art teachers who came from all different areas of the state. It was a busy day. The workshop started at 8:00 a.m., and we worked straight through until 5:00 p.m. Usually this is a 2-day workshop, but everyone really worked hard, and many even completed their projects. Myself, along with Sarah Mann (no relation) were there to answer questions, assist anyone who needed help, and give help with design and layout problems anyone had. I also gave a step-by-step demonstration on how to etch metal. I'm really honored that Tom asks me to assist him whenever he is in the area. He's going to be having a booth at the "Bead and Button Show" in Milwaukee, Wisconsin again next year on June 6-13, 2010, and he is also going to be teaching several workshops there during the event. He has already asked me to assist him with his workshops, so I'm looking forward to going there again.

'Tis The Season For Workshops!!!

"I wish to be of service

to the artists of our own day,

by showing them

how a small beginning

leads to the highest elevation..."

- Giorgio Vasari

I am finally beginning to get back in the groove again with my art. I'm still going to physical therapy several times a week for my shoulder, but I am now beginning to work with wire and sawing metal again - in moderation.

I had registered for quite a few workshops this Fall. These are some that I recently took...

(Myself with Susan...she's a great instructor and a lot of fun to be with!)

I went to Valley Ridge Art Studio in Muscoda, Wisconsin on October 14th for two workshops with Susan Lenart Kasmer. I had never taken any workshops with her before, so it was a real treat to finally get to work with her in person!


The first workshop was all about working with resin, and discovering all the different ways you can use it. I made a lot of resin paper using pages from an antique German Bible, and also filled a lot of bezels for future jewelry projects.

(A bezel I filled using flowers from my father's funeral)

(My workspace - this is a typical sight at workshops)

See what utter chaos my workspace is??? Well...this is how everyone's area looks when you go to art workshops. You pack anything and everything you think you might use for your project. Even if the odds are slim that you'll need it, you pack it anyhow - just in case.

(This is a sampling of some of my stash that I brought along)

The second workshop focused on metalsmithing. Susan showed us a lot of different techniques for making charms, rings, and pendants. She even showed us how to do enameling on copper, using a torch. I really enjoyed that...I've always wanted to try enameling.

(These are some charms I made)

Just a few days later, I attended RaeVn's Nest Art Retreat in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, to take three workshops from Richard Salley. He's another artist that I have never taken any workshops from, and I love his jewelry. I think I'm particularly drawn to his work because he works with iron wire like I do.

(Myself with Richard Salley)

These are the pieces that I made in his workshops. It was so kewl to start working with wire again, but after each workshop, my shoulder was absolutely killing me! I went home each night and put an icepack on it.

(Pendant I made in the Friday Workshop)

(The interior of the pendant - Yep, the roman numerals are upside-down, but that way I can find my way around when I'm wearing it, 'cause there's a compass in the middle!)

(The faux bone bracelet I was working on Friday nite -I still need to finish it.)


(The pendant I made in Saturday's Workshop. I plan on adding some found-
object dangles to the bottom curved wire.)



(The Interior of the Pendant - the round plate began as a large washer, and
I cut the center hole into a heart shape.)

"Who's Your Dada?" Is Published!!!

"Who's Your Dada? - Redefining the Doll through Mixed Media" by Opie and Linda O'Brien is now available at Amazon.com or at your local Barnes and Noble Bookstore. And I am proud to be one of the guest artists featured in it.

Each artist that they invited to contribute to the book had to make an 'odd doll' - something created with objects that took on the form of a doll. And this is the piece that I made. It is called "Treasure"....


The piece began with a ring I made from precious metal clay, fired in a kiln, and topped with antique Bible text set in the bezel. For the body, I made another bezel from an old brass rosette and sterling silver bezel wire, and placed a photo of my great-grandmother inside, and set an old lens over it. The ring is secured behind that bezel, and is constructed so the ring can be taken off the piece and worn separately, if desired. The body is comprised of an antique victorian wall clip, part of an antique iron thumb latch and an old silver serving fork. I assembled the piece by doing extensive wire-wrapping techniques, using various gauges of iron wire. The chain is also hand-forged from iron wire, using an antique key for the clasp.

And this is how the piece looks without the ring attached.....

I am soooooo honored that Opie and Linda asked me to be a part of this wonderful book. It is jam-packed with techniques and examples, and all of the artwork is truly amazing!

Ebay Auction to Benefit "A Place to Bark" Begins This Week!!!

The auction will go live on eBay at 12:00 am on Oct. 15th, and will end on Oct. 19th. Each piece of artwork is listed as a separate auction. Each piece in the auction has the title "Party Animals Auction" so when you enter that search keyword, everything should come up. Check out my July 28th post for more info!!!

A Long and Slow Recovery

It has been a long and painful recovery since I had my shoulder surgery. And what made matters worse was that I also had another unrelated health problem that cropped up after my surgery which caused me to be bedridden for about a month. So the first four weeks, I was camped out in the bedroom. My two little 'boyz' were always eager to visit me, but when I wasn't up to having them playing on top of the bed, they were resigned to watching me from the doorway, where I had a baby gate placed to keep them out.
Kim Nugent came over to visit me many times during the course of my recovery. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful friend.

She even brought me some cool gifts while I was recuperating. I got a nice assortment of found objects, including odd dental items she scored during one of her rummaging excursions.

Over Labor Day weekend, I felt well enough to go to Valley Ridge Art Studio, where I had signed up for a soldering workshop with Thomas Mann. I knew I was going to be unable to do any sawing or pounding, but I was keeping my fingers crossed that I would at least be able to attempt a little soldering. At that time, I was still wearing that huge sling that I came home from the hospital with, but I took it off when I tried to solder.

Tom was great, and had metal pieces sawed out for me ahead of time, since he was aware that I would be unable to do it myself. I tried very hard to solder the little pieces together like everyone else in the class, but my shoulder just couldn't handle it. So Tom cut out and formed a much simpler "handicapped" version for me to do.

I managed to get half of it soldered, but that was it. My shoulder was too weak and terribly painful, so I reluctantly had to give up. And that was sooo difficult for me, because I wanted so badly to be able to fully participate in the class. The tears were in my eyes many times when I couldn't do what everyone else was doing, and I became quite frustrated at my inability to do something that I was looking forward to for months.

Fortunately, I have signed up for several other workshops in October and November that I am looking forward to. I am still somewhat limited in what I will be able to do, but I am in much better shape than I was a month ago.

A few weeks ago, I stopped at a rummage sale on the way to a doctor's appointment. It was an assemblage artist's dream-come-true! Junk, junk, and more junk!!! Three big hay wagons heaped with knobs, antique tools, old castors, and gadgets galore! Karl, an old antique collector/dealer that I knew from years ago along with a friend of his, had set up this array of goodies behind Karl's barn. I hadn't seen Karl in years, so he was tickled to see me. There was sooo much to see, but I was pressed for time. I quickly scanned over each wagon, and picked out a few things I wanted. Karl told me not to worry, he would set my stuff aside, and I could come back later when I had more time to look.

When I got home from my appointment, I immediately called up Kim, the rummage 'queen,' to see if she wanted to go back to the sale with me. She didn't have to think twice, and before I knew it, she was already at my house, ready to go. We had sooo much fun there. Karl is quite a character!

Kim was thrilled to find a box filled with old castors. She's been using them in some projects recently.

Karl took us on a special tour of his 'war room,' where he has a collection of old memorabilia from world war II and the Korean war.

Finally, it was time to pay for our purchased and say goodbye to Karl. I came home with a bunch of treasures, but Kim found even more stuff than I did! We both almost peed our pants laughing when we realized that we were there for 2 hours!!!

Yes... This Is Me...(ugh!!!)

yes, this is me at my worst. i had my surgery this past wednesday and now starts the healing process. i am left-handed, so i feel really helpless. i can't even wear a normal shirt. i was having a lot of pain in my left shoulder for about the last 3 or 4 months, and cortisone shots weren't working. i had an mri done on it, and it showed my collarbone was irritating my ac joint, so the doctor trimmed away a little of my collarbone. when he was working on my shoulder, he found something he wasn't expecting. there was an unusual tear in my rotator cuff. it was torn lengthwise, right down the middle, so he stitched that up too. that's why it didn't show up on the mri. anyhow...i must now wear this huge contraption of a sling for he thought about a month. i will probably find out more specifics from him when i see him on monday, so he can change the thick dressing covering my shoulder. this sling is really bulky, and my arm is so restricted in it, that all i can do is wiggle my fingers. i can't even wear a shirt without pulling it over that arm, because it is also strapped around my waist.

here are several of the unflattering photos my husband took of the sling, i told him to only email them to my sister, but i think he emailed them to everyone in his address book. because when i would talk on the phone to people, they would say, yeah...he sent them to me. so i figured i might as well post them here too.
see how there's all that cushioning between my arm and my body? it sticks way out in front of me like a big cast. so, needless to say, i can't work on any art projects for a while, and that really sucks. it's even hard for me to type this, because i have to hunt-and-peck every letter. i'm signed up for some art workshops beginning labor day weekend, and i'm really hoping i'll be able to do them.

I Know I Should've Posted Something Sooner....

Artwork Zine and Auction to Benefit

"A Place to Bark"

Earlier this year, I was contacted by Jill Beninato, an Artist/Pet Photographer, who was putting together a project to support Bernie Berlin's "A Place To Bark" animal rescue. Jill invited myself, along with 20 other artists to create an original piece of artwork based on the "Party Animals" theme, using any medium we wanted. I was thrilled to be able to be a part of this project, because 2 of my little pugs came from there. Jill photographed each piece and created a zine featuring everyone’s work, along with other fun articles and info about A Place To Bark. The finished zine is full color, 43 pages, and printed professionally by Lulu Printing. You can get your very own copy by clicking here. You will also be able to view a loop of all the artwork by clicking on that link. ALL of the proceeds go directly to helping the animals at A Place To Bark! All the original artwork from this zine will be auctioned off on Ebay on October 15th, 2009. I will post info about the auction as the date gets closer.

This is the cover of the zine...

and this is the artwork I contributed. It is done on a 12" x 12" stretched canvas.

This is (from left to right) Sophie, Junior, Mugsy, Popeye, and Otis.

Mugsy and Popeye were both rescued by Bernie, and when she found each of them, they were very ill, starved, and near death. I wrote a short article about them in the zine, on the page opposite of the picture. Sophie and Otis both have passed away a while back, and tragically my sweet Mugsy died very unexpectedly since I finished this piece.

Kim came over several weeks ago for a 'play day' in my studio, and this time she came bearing gifts! She is such a sweet person. She gave me a giftbox, which was an old cigar box tied up with vintage lace ribbon. Inside, she had about a dozen items, each carefully wrapped up in brown tissue paper. It was all little 'junque'... cool little stuff to use in jewelry/assemblage art...surplus items from one of her finds at an auction. I was thrilled with the gift, and she was tickled to be able to give the doo-dads to someone who loved junque as much as she did!

After receiving my gift, she unveiled her huge 'find' from the auction...

Over 130 valve knobs!!!!! They were all sizes, shapes, and colors!!!!

And if you knew how good of a deal she got on these babies, you'd pee in your pants!

She let me pick out any 3 of the handles that I wanted, so these are the ones I finally chose. It was soooo hard to pick just 3. I asked her if I could buy a few more, but she said no. She then added that she'll give me some more, after I make something with the ones I have.

She then added, "and you can't just string some wire through them and call it a pendant, either!!!!"

So I made her put these 4 away 'on reserve' for me, until I get something made with the other ones.

I did made a few pins recently. I am planning on selling them. I guess I'll have to get a store open on Etsy soon, so I can list them.

This one is my favorite. I will even make one like this on special order if you have an old family photo you would like in it. I love how the etched metal looks!~

Oh yeah...I'm not going to be able to do much posting in the next few weeks (so what else is new, right??) I'm having arthroscopic surgery done tomorrow morning on my left shoulder (and I'm left-handed), and I will be unable to move it for at least a month. I have to wear some big, oversized shirts, because I was told I cannot even move my arm to get a sleeve on it...everything I wear has to be worn over the arm. I'm going to look like a freak, because I can't do anything with my right hand. My makeup will look like bozo the clown, and we won't even discuss the hair! I had my husband try to use a curling iron on it the other morning for a 'dry run', and...well...it was a disaster! Hopefully I won't be laid up for too long!!!!!

My Latest Disaster...

"So always look for the silver lining

And try to find the sunny side of life."

~ P. G. Wodehouse

This morning I woke up bright and early and let my little boyz, Popeye and Junior, out for their morning "pee". I then fed them, and went outside to sit on our deck, enjoying the peacefulness and beauty of the river. I have a number of bird feeders hanging out there, and love to watch the pretty birds come and go throughout the day. It's especially nice to see the orioles come to get their fill of the grape jelly I put out for them. Of course there's always the larger, pesky birds which like to swoop in and scare the pretty little finches away, but usually a rap on the patio door will be enough to send them flying away from the feeders for a while. When I came back inside, I baked 5 small loaves of homemade blueberry bread. It's a favorite of my daughter's, and when she knows I made a batch, she makes sure to stop by and take several loaves back home with her to enjoy later. I then started cooking up some chicken, to make some chicken noodle soup for later.

I've been working on a pair of matching pendants. My sister found yet a different army portrait of our dad, and we both decided it was our favorite pose of all. She was hoping that I would make her a simple pendant using the photograph, so I began working on it last week. While I was etching the metal, I decided to make two identical pendants ~ one for her, and the other for myself. I thought it would be something truly special for each of us...something only us sisters would have...which would be a wonderful remembrance of our very special dad. I finished the body of both pendants, but now have to fashion them both into neckpieces. So, to you MB, this is what I was working on for us...I know you check my blog regularly...I hope you like it!

My friend Kim was planning on spending the day with me in my studio, but she called to let me know she had a bunch of paperwork that she needed to work on for her upcoming art retreat this Fall. So we decided that we'll get together tomorrow instead.

While I was on my computer this morning, I heard a loud noise like something fell, so I went upstairs to see what it was. I didn't find anything out of the ordinary in the livingroom or the kitchen, so I decided to go upstairs just to see if there was anything that fell up there. What could possibly have fell up there??? Nobody was even up there.

This is what I found! Our bedroom has a walk-in closet. The long wall of the room has a pole which runs the length of it, with a shelf that was on top of the brackets. The opposite wall has a much smaller pole and shelf. Of course, I took possession of the larger area when we moved here, leaving the little token-side for Mike's clothes. My side was absolutely packed with jackets and other items...


Winter clothes... summer clothes...clothes that fit... clothes that used to fit...clothes that I don't wear, but don't want to part with...clothes that I spent a lot of money on but don't want to give to Goodwill...you get the picture. And there it all was laying...in one big, pathetic heap on the floor. The weight of all my stuff took its toll on the poor brackets, and they ripped right out of the wall! I knew it wasn't a good situation in there for quite a while, but I didn't think this would happen! And these photos are taken after I had already taken out the shelf and some of the clothes!



Here's the board that I had mounds of 'stuff' on top of...it's longer than what the picture shows. And that storage bag on top of it...that has about 15 pair of jeans that are too tight for me to even get over my thighs! So you know what I'll be up to now.............

A Very Dreary Day Outside

What a dreary day outside! It's raining, and very gloomy ~ the sort of day you just want to get comfy with a warm cup of chai tea or coffee, and watch a movie or curl up with a good book.

I don't really have anything of interest to post today, but I did receive an email yesterday that was very touching...it was one of those forwarded types that just get sent from one person to the next, but it really expressed how much love and compassion woman have. So here it is....

One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men..

They bear hardships and they carry burdens,

but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in.

They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe

there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel

and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They grieve at the loss of a family member,

yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colours.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you

to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.

They have compassion and ideas.

They give moral support to their family and friends.

Women have vital things to say and everything to give...

However, If there is one flaw in women,

It is that they forget their worth.

~ Anonymous

You'll Never Guess What I've Been Up To......

I had the honor of working with Thomas Mann in his 'Studio Flux' booth at the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee this past week!! Tom contacted me about a month ago to see if I could help him, and I was thrilled that he asked me!!! I couldn't believe it!

The show was open Thursday through Sunday, so by Sunday evening I was really worn out. I have never been to the Bead and Button Show, so when I entered the exhibit hall on Thursday, I was totally overwhelmed with how large it was. I got to roam around a little when it was quiet at the booth, but I always carried my phone with me in case it started to get busy again. Geez...I'd get lost trying to get back to the booth!!!! It was sooo big, and there were so many isles, that I could've used a GPS to get back to it!!!!!

(Tom and Me Working In His 'Studio Flux' Booth)

Tom had a corner booth displaying his wonderful jewelry, metalsmithing supplies, and his new 'Learn to Saw' kits and DVD's. He even had an area in front where we gave sawing demos and people could learn how to saw and try it for themselves, using Tom's techniques. There were five bench pins mounted onto a workbench, so multiple people could practice at the same time. There were always three of us working in the booth...Tom, myself, and either Sarah Mann (no relation), or a gal named Holly. They are both great gals, and we all worked really well together.

(The Booth Before the Show Began)

(Another Shot of His Booth Showing the Sawing Station, Complete With Five Bench Pins)

Tom had a nice counter in the back of the booth, which was filled with all his fabulous jewelry and earrings, with a special enclosed case on the end that showcased his 'one-of-a-kind' pieces. He wanted to display some of my pieces along with his in that case, so he chose 3 pieces of mine, and showed them along with his! I could not believe the response I received to my pieces!!!!! Everyone absolutely loved my work! Each day of the show, I was also decked out in jewelry that I made for myself, and I can't begin to tell you how many people wanted to buy it right off of me!
I was just in shock...one woman even wanted to buy the earrings right out of my ears! I didn't sell them, though, because the pieces that I was wearing were usually the ones that had personal family photographs in them. Hmm.....maybe I should of sold them...I could've used the money.

(Some of Tom's Handiwork While He Was Giving Sawing Demos)


I met a lot of really nice people at the show. The woman pictured below had a great story to tell Tom....she was waiting to get into a show at the Riverside Theatre, and happened to look down at the ground. There was an earring laying there, so she picked it up. She immediately recognized it to be a 'Thomas Mann' earring, so she looked around to see if anyone was looking for it, and then slipped it into her pocket. She told us that when she got home, she decided to turn it into a necklace. She came back to the booth the next day, wearing her earring necklace to show us. I just had to take a picture of her!

(This Gal Found An Earring and Turned It Into A Necklace)

Another person I wanted a picture of was Tony Blackwell. Tony is a wonderful guy from South Carolina who had a booth at B&B. He does glasswork and casting, and his wife Lisa works with PMC and creates charms and completed jewelry pieces. He and his wife are sooooo nice, and are big fans of my work. I could never remember his name, so I always referred to him as 'Tattoo Guy!' Check out their website at www.zoaart.com. I've also got them linked on my "Kewl Places to Visit" on the side of my blog.

(That's me with Tony Blackwell, an Artist Who Does Glasswork and Casting)

(Tom Always Attracted A Crowd When He Gave His Sawing Demos!)
When we weren't busy helping customers, we would sit at the workbench and start sawing. It seemed like that would always attract folks to the booth. They would wonder what we were doing, and would watch. That's when we would show them how, and let them try it for themselves.

(Check out This Woman's Face - She's Thinking To Herself, "Wow, I Really CAN Do This!")



I had to take of picture of this boy. His name was Conlan. He came to Tom's booth with his mom, who is a metalsmith. I referred to him as "Jewelry Kid." He was really interested in Tom's work, and was really looking at some of the pieces he was interested in, seeing how they were constructed. You could just see the gears turning in his head! He even was wearing a necklace that he had made himself...it was a sterling backing that he stamped patterns on, with a vintage keyhole piece that he had found riveted onto the sterling. He really did a fantastic job on it. The part that I found sooooo amazing about 'jewelry kid'.............he was only 11 years old!!!!! Watch out Tom...you're gonna have competition in the future!!!

(Conlan, aka 'Jewelry Kid' - A Little Thomas Mann in the Making!!)

I had such an amazing time representing Tom and his work at B&B. It was sooo much fun, and I made a lot of new friendships while I was there. I also had a few funny 'open mouth, insert foot' moments, too....but I guess if you know me, you know that just about anything will come out of my mouth. Oh well.....

(And Last but not Least...Tom, Holly, and Myself after a Long Four Days of Working!)

When the show was finally over, Tom, Holly, and myself spent the next 2 hours breaking down the booth, and packing everything up for him, as he hits the road for his next stop in Pennsylvania. He took Holly and me to a wonderful little restraunt in Milwaukee, where he treated us to an absolutely wonderful meal. Gosh...he knows his way around Milwaukee better than I do, and he's from New Orleans!

I will be seeing Tom again this year...I'm taking his Soldering Workshop over Labor Day at Valley Ridge Art Studio, in Muscoda, WI.

How I Spent My Memorial Day...

"But the freedom that they fought for,

and the country grand they wrought for,

Is their monument to-day,

and for aye."

~Thomas Dunn English

I was alone on Memorial Day and didn't know what to do, so I went to the Memorial Day celebration in the small village where I live. Everyone in the community turns out for it. One woman there referred to the day as an annual homecoming because even people who have moved away always come back 'home' for the celebration. They have a nice little parade, a program at the cemetery just outside of town, and then have a big brat fry in the community hall. What I found so amazing was that as the end of the parade passed by, everyone got up and walked behind it, following it to the cemetery where the program would take place. So by the time the end of the parade got to where I was sitting, the road behind it was absolutely full of people following it. I think you had to be there to see it for yourself!

Anyhow...here is my day - in pictures..... The local veterans lead the parade....

There were cute childen all decked out in little army uniforms...


Since this is a small farming community, there were many vintage tractors in the parade...

Here they come!.....


Here is the end of the parade as it is approaching me. See all the people behind the horses?...

Everyone is coming to the cemetery now to watch the program and pay tribute to the local veterans who are buried there.

A little boy who was sitting in front of me was sporting a red, white, and blue mohawk!

And finally, here is where the program will be taking place. Take note of all the vintage tractors that are parked along the lane behind the cemetery. The grass looks empty here, but it was full of people when the program began!

A Beautiful Day

The weather here has been beautiful - great weather for the Memorial Day weekend. This morning, I decided to go to "Maxwell Days" in Cedarburg. It's held 4 times a year, and has been an annual event there for many, many years. It opens at 6:00 a.m., but I didn't arrive there until around 10:30 a.m. In years' past, I would get there when the gates opened to look for the 'best pickings.' It never changes -- the same old man's voice announcing stuff over the PA system...kicking up dust and dirt walking around the track...the unmistakable smell of brat grease and smoke billowing from the grills in the early morning hours...just about stumbling into people's wagons and carts when they stop dead right in front of you... the list goes on and on...

I didn't get much there this time. I only found a few little medals and some small, junky tools.

My friend Kim has been coming over to my studio on Fridays. She wanted me to teach her how to make jewelry, ala Thomas Mann style. So I've been showing her how.

(Kim busy sawing out her piece)

I've got a benchpin all set up for her on her side of my workbench. It's fun to have her over, because we are usually chatting away while we're working. Kim is a big "rummager," and she brought over one of her 'finds' from last weekend. It was an old leather jumprope that boxers used to use. She took off the wooden handles to use in an assemblage piece that she's working on at home, and generously gave me half of the leather cord...(probably because she could see that I was eagerly eyeing it up to use in my jewelry)!

This is the neckpiece that I was working on, complete with the jumprope cord.

(My latest Neckpiece)

I'd like to get some more earrings made. But now that the weather is getting nicer, the lawn has really been growing. I've been having to cut it twice a week already, and the yard takes me 2 hours to cut with the riding mower.

An Unexpected Tragedy

When A Pet Dies

When a pet dies,

that special place in our heart feels so empty...

But we realize, as time passes,

that animals have a way of teaching us about loving,

about loyalty, joy, and friendship...

And whatever we’ve shared in their presence

can never really be lost.

Anonymous

This morning Mugsy passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. I'm still in shock and disbelief. I feel so numb and empty. The tears are still flowing at the loss of my sweet little Mugsy. I don't know what happened. He was perfectly fine yesterday. After he ate his breakfast this morning, he got sick. He went to lay down and he started breathing hard and was limp. Mike immediately took him to the Vet. When he got there, the vet gave Mugsy oxygen and took an x-ray. Mike called me and said things didn't look good and that I should come right away. When I got to the clinic, I went right to Mugsy and saw him take his last breath. I couldn't believe what was happening. The x-ray showed his spleen was huge. The vet feels that Mugsy either had an aneurysm in his spleen, or his spleen had somehow twisted on itself. He was such a good dog. He had the most beautiful eyes, and when he looked at me, it felt as if he was looking right into my soul. I'm having a very hard time dealing with this. I am going to miss my faithful little friend so much!

I'm in the Jewelry-Making Mode

"Creativity can be

described

as letting go

of certainties."

- Gail Sheehy

For the past month, I've been in the 'jewelry-making mode.' I spent a lot of time working on a neckpiece for "Iron Wire Jewelry." I am pleased with how it turned out, and had it professionally photographed several weeks ago.

I have also been making earrings and charms. This pair of earrings features my husband and myself when we were each only a few years old. See...I had the curly 'birds nest' hair way back when I was little, too!

I had accumulated a bunch of tobacco tags over the past several years, because I thought they were cool-looking. I unearthed them in a box in my studio, and decided to make some of them into charms.

I think they're going to end up being a necklace and earrings. My friend, Kim Nugent, has been coming over each Friday for 'artist play dates.' I showed her how to make jewelry like the sandwich earrings I have posted. She is now 'hooked,' so I ordered her some metal and I also have a bench pin set up for her on the other side of my workbench. We've got dueling saws going while we're busy chatting away. It's really nice to have someone to create art with. She's coming over again next Friday.

Yesterday, the weather finally was warm!!! It was so nice to be able to be outside without a jacket on. Unfortunately, today is supposed to be raining and in the 40's again. Ugh!!!

A Pendant to Honor My Dad

I wanted to make a piece of jewelry that would be a tribute to my dad's fighting in the Pacific Theater for four years during World War II. I thought a 'booklace' would be wonderful way to capture some of the things he told me. The cover of the piece was done 'ala Thomas Mann style.' I used bronze metal for it, and etched a portion of a letter that he had written to my mom while he was in the service.

There are quite a few pages to the piece. The front side of each page shows a picture of him - one with his machine gun, one with a native from New Guinea who helped him, one when he was home with his parents, one of his purple heart, etc. On the reverse side of each page, I wrote little things that he told me about the war (which wasn't much, because he seldom spoke about it). The pages are sandwiched between mica sheets.

At his funeral, members of a local VFW post gave him full military rights. They gave him a 21 gun salute, and presented the flag to my sister. The bullet shell used in the piece was one of the bullets shot off at his funeral. I found the text, "the thunder of artillery" in an antique book. I thought it would be fitting on the bullet.


After seven times of putting it together and then taking it all apart again because I wasn't satified with the piece, I was pleased with the end result. The book has 9 pages in it, and I have it on a long leather cord. I think my dad would've liked it.