Material Girl

Are you a Material Girl ???
I am !!!
Not in the literal sense of the word.
I love to create , I love the materials of creativity.
I seem to accumulate art mediums of every sort...conventional and unconventional.
People who love to "make things" seem compelled to collect "art stuff"
We ARE Material Girls!!!

Most of us have probably found a preferred medium. The means by which we can best express our inner artist. For me it is ,of course , polymer clay .
For others it maybe paint , glass , even jewelry components !
I do LOVE my clay. But,I'm not married to it ! I will date now and then .
From time to time ,I may just have a cup of coffee with some other art medium !
My closet is stuffed FULL of supplies !
Things I've tried and things I think I will get around to trying .
I have boxes of completed ,half completed and never will be completed projects !
But, I rarely "destash " 'cause you never know when "I just might need that" !
yep...I'm a Material Girl!!!

This month PCAGOE gave me a chance to try one of my wish list of crafts.
Best of all, I didn't need locate my stash of fabrics for the quilt I'm going to make someday !
The challenge theme is Inspired by Fabric .
My entry is this "quilted " flower pendant .

ck out this flickr link to see the entries as they come in http://www.flickr.com/groups/1089891@N25/

then be sure to go here to see the prizes you could win just for voting !!!!
Voting starts April 1 ...no foolin' !!!!
http://pcagoe.com/

I'm off to ck out ESTY and the inner-net for more art ideas and mediums I might want to try
'cause ....
You know that we are living in a material world
And I am a material girl

Bead Happy , m.e . :)

Spring Blub ..light bulb !!!

My bulbs are starting to bloom! The Sun is warm.
The birds are singing all day .
The spring peepers are singing all night.
My muse is filling my head with flowers !!!

But....I need to make a covered tin for the June PCAGOE challenge
Why so early ? Because the group is planing a Wonderful charity auction .
Stay tuned for details .You won't want to miss it!
Entries have to be mailed in soon so the organizers can organize !

But ,I have never covered a tin . I had no idea what I was going to do .
No help from da muse. She just kept filling my head with flower beads and pendants !
So I went out to take some inspiration photos.
I LOVE the early crocus !!! But, look closely at photo ...
one little blossom didn't wait for me to push back the leaves !!!
It grew right through them!
It just bloomed where it was planted !
wait a minute.....
"bloom where you are planted "
That would be a Perfect theme for my tin !!!
hummmmm...
now to plan the design ....................

You really never know when or where you'll find inspiration!!!
Bead Happy ,
m.e. :)

Something Old into Something New

I completed my entry for Art Bead Scene's monthly challenge !
My "Spring Morning "necklace incorporates my own polymer clay interpretation of VanGogh's "Almond Blossom " branch ,with recycled Sari ribbon to capture the wonderful shades of blues in the painting .
See all the beautiful entries at http://www.flickr.com/groups/artbeadscene/

If I had unlimited funds I would probably buy every new jewelery component I see !!!
I'm sure many of those "new "items would be old.
Oh how I wish I still had my Grandmother's huge stash of costume jewelry !
My mother gave it all way many , many years ago..."not worth anything" sigh.... :(

I love the look of re-purposed and recycled additions . They seem to give the design a certain soul that new and shiny doesn't have .
Don't misunderstand ,I do like new and shiny !
But, lately I'm fixated on old . Maybe because I'm old!!! LOL!

Right now I can Not get enough of recycled sari ribbon .
Wonderful textures ! Glorious colors !
I love the frayed "shabby chic " look of it . It may not be to everyone's taste .
The ribbons are a bit worn, wrinkled and they do have stray threads etc.
But , for me they have a certain charm and mystery .
I think they are perfect for Spring
They're reminiscent of laundry blowing in the breeze (remember that?) or the bits of thread birds love to use for nest building .
I have been collecting a draw FULL of irresistible sari ribbon shades !

It's been a long winter . Spring is coming at last !
I've seen my first robin and the flower bulbs are sprouting.
I think it's the perfect time of year to use
something old to create something fresh and new !

Bead Happy , m.e. :)

They're Here !

Finally the snow is melting!!! As it recedes it reveals a mushy muddy mess...
and ..... the first Spring sprouts ! WOO HOO !!!!
I planted a host of new flower bulbs in the fall . They have been hunkered under the mulch all winter . Frozen under a thick blanket of ice and snow .

Bulbs aren't really very promising looking when you plant them .
The brown unattractive little orbs never look very hopeful .
You'd think a winter in the dirt would do them in.
But ,then one day when you least expect it ,
they surprise you ! First the little green sprouts emerge .
They stretched toward the sun, then burst into bloom !!!
Truly a WONDER !!!

During the week I've been pondering this month's ABS challenge
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2010/03/march-monthly-challenge.html
Van Gogh's "Almond Blossoms"
My ideas are now in the Bulb stage.
Not very promising little things that need some time to rest and develop .
I am hoping when I least expect it little spouts of inspiration will appear,then blossom into a new clay creation !!!
I trusted in mother Nature when I planted those bulbs in the fall .
Finally flowers appearing from under the mud !
Now I must trust in my Muse to bring forth something from my muddled brain!

In an effort to be completely honest ..the photo at the top was taken by my daughter last Spring
The first sprouts of this year appeared around the cap to my septic tank !!!
Comparisons of my Spring bubs to my artistic inspirations will end here .
I do not wish to carry the analogy future...
I would rather not compare my brain to my septic tank !!!
Bead Happy,
m.e . :)