Variety is the Spice of Life....

Variety is life's spice and speaking of spices...I was playing around with this old salt shaker and the next thing I knew, well....it turned into a charming little angel.....complete with glass wings, a rusty wire halo and a belly full of sparkles. I took an old metal bottle cap and found a sweet face for the inside. I sealed it and added some brick brack (that's what i have always called it, I'm sure there's a more technical name ~ like trim or something simple like that)...the cap stays atop the salt shaker lid with a small round magnet. I filled the inside of the shaker with some chunky white glitter, a vintage key and the word "giggles" printed on some vellum paper. Yes, i was in a silly mood....how could you tell. The glass wings came from my uncle who used to do stained glass and i attached them with the same rusty wire i used for her halo.....She sits in my art room window and when the sun catches her, the glitter just sparkles.

Just wanted to share some of my whimsy with you....you may never look at a salt shaker the same way again....so go ahead and spice it up, or in this case, shake it up.

Easter greetings...and loot...

Wow, Easter came and went...rather quickly...hope you had a wonderful holiday. Jake made out with buckets and baskets of Easter loot...from the bunny man and family, of course....how much chocolate can one boy eat, i ask?! Dyeing and picking eggs has become a tradition that Jake adores...he couldn't wait to take his dozen and a half of colorful eggs to my parents to pick with Uncle Tony, who in years past has passed off a marble egg, ceramic egg and most recently a giant dinosaur egg...go figure...each Easter we look forward to what the "fake" egg will be this year....fun times...My favorite part of the holiday was enjoying the company of family, wine and good food....my mom makes three staples each Easter: Ravioli, Baked Ham and Asparagus Fritters.....yummmy......well, even though Easter has come and gone...the chocolate and the memories will last forever...lol!

Bird king....atc

More bird love coming your way...I used another blue bird from my decorative paper and turned him into a charming little ATC (Artist Trading Card)....actually i turned him into the bird king by stamping a crown above his head...i cut an old ticket into a wing and attached it with a grommet....along with some text from an old book... little glitter and voila...another charming little piece of bird art....tweet, tweet.

More birds...on a box...

Yes, my infatuation with birds, bird nests...all things winged; it continues....Along with my need to give new life and repurpose something headed for the trash. I made this little treasure box out of a recycled ALTOID mint tin.....I sanded the tin a bit to roughen it up so my silver paint would adhere. Then I added wooden knobs for feet(glue) and painted them black with a thin stripe along the top. I collaged the inside and out with whimsical images, stickers, glitter and a coat of glass sealer to finish it all up. Inside i tucked a vintage key with a collage art funky tag. Who would of thought a little mint tin could be transformed into a miniature piece of art?! Reuse and recycle....and think of me when you take that last mint from your ALTOID tin.....happy recycling!

Fly...

Birds are flying back into my artwork....there is something about these charming little creatures that can spread their wings and fly....well, they've flown right into my heart....I was inspired by some beautiful paper i purchased and this little canvas was a byproduct. I painted and collaged on it and tried something new....I found a pack of those fuzzy iron on letters in my closet the other day, soooo i decided i would try ironing them right onto my canvas....and I am happy to say IT WORKED! The words FLY are fuzzy to the touch....how funky! I also added some twisted wire and beads, along with an old key...i think it turned out smashingly.....

Really, really want a......

Well, ok....i really, really want a nice, hot cup of tea...yes tea....and the reason I want a cup soooo bad is that i gave it up as my Lenten sacrifice......and wouldn't you know that as soon as I did, I started with my cravings. Yes, I could have a cup a joe, but it just isn't the same...not for me anyway. Now, no worries, I've been a good girl....haven't cheated....but I have to say that I am soo looking forward to the arrival of Easter so I can sip a piping hot cup of English breakfast....mmmmmmmm......

In honor of my love of tea (and Paris...that rhymes)...this picture is a sign I cut from wood and painted a la francais....Cafe de Paris...it lives in my imagination, of course....but I'm sure there is some quaint and cozy little cafe on the left bank where this sign would fit right in.

I have to give a shout out to the Emperor, you know who you are.....mad props for the collage....merci!

Charmed...by the little things....

Well, today was a school holiday...something about teacher meetings...soooo, Jake was soooo happy to get out of school. He spent the day with his Nana and her usual spoilings...which he of course just adores! For me, on the other hand, today was just a regular ol' Monday...with it's usual business and distractions....so who would of thought when i got home this afternoon my nine year old would have a special surprise waiting for me...much to my own surprise and delight, I was greeted with the usual "hi mom", but it was followed by a "Stop!" and a "Cover your eyes!" and then a "hold out your hands" command. Ok, sure......and there in my hands, when I opened up my eyes were.............wait for it........a pair of beautiful silver dangly earrings! Jake had surprised me with a pair of earrings he bought with his own money while shopping with his Nana! Now, I know they aren't diamonds or anything fancy but the joy that I had...and still have...knowing my little guy thought of me and wanted to surprise his mom far outweighs any material item i could ever want....sooo, i just wanted to share my little, joyous moment with you... the small things really do mean sooo much!