Zip it Up!

Let's Zip up a Posie!

 Begin with zipper strips which are really just one half of a normal zipper.  You can purchase just these strips at various craft supply or you can separate a normal zipper.  Metal teeth work the best.

Next, gather up the strips.  Shape into petals.  Take a longer zip piece and gather it into what will be the center of the zip flower.

When the gathered zip pieces are laid out you can see the flower taking shape.  Petals are stitched or glued to hold together. 

(I heart macro!)

 

Finally add a special center to the rounded center zip by hand.  Glue the round center in place on the flower.

And Wah-Lah!  

A bouquet of zip posies.

BTW, these are glued (using jewelers glue) to hair clips.

May you gather posies today!

I'm really glad you stopped by!

Can you smell it?

I used to make bread every week.  Seven loaves of it.

I was taught how to make bread by my grandmother.  She made bread for many years and sold it to help supplement the family income.  And to feed her five children through the Depression.

She taught me how.  It's simple.  You take a couple scoops of flour and put in a huge pan.  She even bought me the pan which really looked like a small washtub.  On top of the flour, you add a hand full of salt.  Next take the largest spoon utensil you have and get a big scoop of shortening.  Dissolve an entire cake of yeast in some water and milk, heat it until it's quite warm, but not too hot, when you put some on your wrist.  Then.... well, you get the idea.

Not especially accurate, but that was the recipe I used for years to feed my children.  It made, yes, seven loaves.

Now, though, seven loaves is about five loaves more than we need.

So, I dug out my trusty Good Housekeeping cookbook, vintage 1973 - and it looks it.

Yes, that's right.  It's held together by duct tape.

My favorite two loaf recipe, very much spattered, yellowed, used.

Yeast, an envelope of it (not an entire cake), is active.

Knead it, knead it, into a lovely ball.

Rise to the thumb print test.

Finally into loaves, and rise again.

Ohhhhhhh, can you smell it?

(Posted on "I heart macro" site, see button on the right)

May all your loaves rise to goodness!

I'm really glad you stopped by! 

A Closer Look at my Favorite Drips

I love a good Drip!

I do !

I'm a drip lover!

How about a closer look...

I've been a drip.

I've hung around with drips.

I like drips with different viewpoints.

Some drips, I know, think they're perfect.

Some drips just hang around.

But really...

Aren't they beautiful?

I truly hope you can hang around with some drips today!

I'm really glad you stopped by!

Soul Stirring... and Unlocked

A sunny, very cold, windy winter day.  A drive into rural upstate New York.

We reached out destination:  a dirt road, a church, built in the 1800s.

It's the church where Grandma worshiped for most of her 97 years.  It's where Grandma's funeral was held on a similarly very cold, windy winter day.  It's a church where her father-in-law preached in the early 1900s.  This congregation has seen countless baptisms, weddings.  Heard life changing sermons.

Voices have raised to sing Praises to God.  Soul Stirring, songs and hymns.

(i heart macro)

The messages given?  Simple.  BIBLE based.

Sunday School classes?  Of course.  And don't think you can doze off.

How many have sat in these chairs over the years?

So why am I not telling you where this church is?

Because the doors - are unlocked.  

The way churches USED to be.

Enter, and worship

This place... Soul Stirring, and Unlocked.

May you find simple, soul stirring, open doors.

I'm really glad you stopped by!

Get Your Doodle On!

Get Your Doodle On!

January Sketchbook Challenge

So I'm not really a doodler....   I've always thought doodles are what we did in school on those brown paper bag textbook covers.   But, a challenge is a challenge, and The 2012 Sketchbook Challenge has begun.  The theme is:  Doodling.  Combine this theme with Strathmore Artist Online Workshop One  which just happens to be doodling with mixed media, and we've got --- well,  a challenge!

Started, believe it or not, with a piece of lace, some buttons, beads, etc. on the page.

Sprayed the page with watercolor in a little spritz bottle. 
Removed the buttons and stuff.  (This is a VERY technical explanation...)

Started adding more paint, more paint, more....
Just like the instructor said...
And at this point I was doubtful...

OK.  I guess we salvaged it into a doodle of sorts. 
This is NOT remarkable.  But my first shot at the challenge.

I think I'll give this technique another try before I make a lifelong commitment to sketches only.

I wish for you a salvaged doodle...

I'm really glad you stopped by!

The Making of a Necklace

Creating Again....  this time more jewelry.  

Thought I'd show you the process as I know it.

And as usual, the jewelry I make can be found in my favorite bead shop:

Soulshine Studio, Corning, New York

Using size 15 (tiny!) seed beads and the bead weaving technique to create a single unit.

Add a pearl and bi-cones to join the unit at the top.

One unit completed.

Join five units together as one.

More bead weaving for the "chain".

The finished necklace.

Just a couple more to show I have NOT been sitting it out:

This pretty is a bracelet.

A rivoli center, woven leaves, teardrops around the flower.

The band is soft, made of those teeny size 15s.

And a totally different look:

I had a lot of fun doing this necklace.  The "book" pages are of resin papers.  I took various papers and gave both sides a light coat of resin with a sponge.  After drying overnight, I simply tore out pieces to include.  Used metal stamping on the bronze cover.  The pen nibs are ready for more writing, and still bear a bit of ink from previous use!   The stones are carnelian.

And one more:

My efforts using a real domino.  The oval was made with resin in a bezel and of course a LOT of small watch parts.  And you can never have too many gears!

Yes, I go from elegant to steampunk!

NOTE:  The blue necklace and the bracelet were ADAPTED from designs found in the book Beaded Allure, beadweaving patterns for 25 romantic projects, by Kelly Wiese.   The last two steampunk necklaces are my own creations.

May your world include elegant and steampunk,too!

I'm really glad you stopped by.

A Closer Look

It's officially winter now - the time when things here in upstate New York can be a bit, well, dreary.  Cloudy much of the time.  The trees are bare.  Not a flower in sight.  Just waiting for the "S" word (snow).

It was warm enough yesterday to take a stroll through the very dreary garden.  There's not a thing going on out there.  But wait................. 

or IS THERE?

Time to SLOW DOWN.  Time to take a CLOSER LOOK.......

Ever really looked at a dried maple leaf?

Amazing! I met a green leaf up close and personal..............

 And Sedum turned pink with its winter dress.

Glorious Seed pods!  Waiting for their opportunity!

Evergreen... another lovely winter color.

 

Buds. Waiting patiently, too.

Tree bark.  More shades of winter.

 Hens and Chicks closed up for the season.

AND.......

 Tah-dah !!!

The beauty of God's world shines through all seasons --- if we'll just...

Take a closer look!

May you enjoy a closer look next time you step outside!

I'm really glad you stopped by!

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