Memories in art...

5 years ago today, our family lost an amazing woman.

She loved unconditionally and she was my biggest fan and supporter.

She was my best friend and luckily for me, my stepmom.

She made this world a better place to be.

I miss her and think about her every single day.

I created this little piece of art in her memory...

Our Dancing Queen

Debra List Payne

January 29, 1954 - December 13, 2008

 

Glass on glass...

I love vintage glass Christmas balls and I have gathered quite a collection. This idea came to me as I was putting together my glassware garden art...

A couple of plates, a few glasses, a platter and small bowl, a little adhesive and now I have a pretty display for some of my glass balls. It's especially lovely when the light shines on them through the window. Enjoy!

Decorating on a budget...

If you follow my blog, you have probably figured out that I like doing things simple and inexpensively.

Here is a good example...

Found these glass trees at a thrift store, large one was $2 and the smaller ones were $1 each.
The most expensive part of this project is the spray paint. It's Krylon Looking Glass mirror paint. You can purchase online from Walmart for about $10 per can. Michael's sells it for $11.99 and AC Moore it's $13.99 however both these stores normally have at least a 40% off coupon. One can will last a long time and do many projects, I've used it on over a dozen glass pieces and still have plenty left to do more.
It's very easy...make a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar and put it in a spray bottle. Spritz the inside of the glass pieces with mixture and then apply a light amount of spray paint. Allow to dry and repeat steps until you are happy with the amount of paint. I kept mine light for this project. I set the finished trees on a mirror I bought at Goodwill for $1.95.
Pretty, yet simple and inexpensive.
Enjoy!

Collecting glass...

I love Pinterest and am constantly inspired by the art and craft ideas I find there. Several months ago I found many pins for Glassware Garden Art and was intrigued. I began collecting assorted glass pieces at thrift shops and Goodwill stores. I wanted to make four pieces to give as gifts.

Here is the assortment of glass, it took me about 2 months to gather. I was looking for color and unique and interesting pieces...

Red and blue are the hardest to find and the greens come in a couple of different shades, I chose the "avocado" shade.

Here are three of the finished pieces... 

This was fun although very time consuming, I only glued one level at a time and allowed 24 hours of drying. If I had chosen different pieces for the top, these could also be used as a candleholder.
Enjoy!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

The decorating is done...

Now to get the shopping and wrapping finished.

Enjoy!



Staying busy...

 I am so very fortunate that I get to stay home and play everyday. I've been painting furniture, working on crafts for the holidays and creating art on a daily basis for several weeks now. It has kept me from posting to my blog however trying to catch up a bit.

Here are a few of the things I've been busy with...

A little Fall décor on top of my newly painted cubbies.

A close up of several pieces of faux mercury glass I created. 

An update to my last post. Found the sphere on the right at Goodwill, a whole fifty cents. It has beautiful raised scroll work and it was black. I painted it blue and then used a baby wipe and removed the excess. I the process of doing so found that the scroll work was a silver color. 

Fitting in a few Christmas projects, just finished these paper trees.

Looking forward to Thanksgiving and a wonderful

dinner with family and friends.

Hope yours is safe and happy.

Enjoy!

Colorful...

Have several candle holders I love and wanted to use but didn't want a collection of candles. Added a lot of color to the arrangement with this mosaic ball I just finished. I made each tile from polymer clay. I did try to stick with colors that are in the room. This project was a lot of fun. Enjoy!



Farm Table...

Bought his table at Blue Sky Cottage. 

It was used in their workshop area.

Needed a bit of work, legs tightened, a few boards glued and then a coat

of beautiful green paint...

The paint is Maison Blanche, the color, Chloe.

I used dark wax and wasn't happy so applied another light brushing of paint followed

by clear wax. After drying, a good buffing. Some of the dark wax bleed through and I

love it. A happy accident! 

A close up of the top.

I am so happy with how it turned out.

Enjoy!

Metal cart redo...

Bought this cart, many years ago, at Staples. I use it next to my work table for my containers of stamps and stencils. Wire drawers hold journals I'm working in. When painting, my paint tray sets on the top. Very functional piece however not very attractive.

It looks a little better now... 

Bought the cheapest board I could find and had it cut to size. My sweet husband attached 2 brackets on the bottom of the board to keep it from sliding. Added a coat of Maison Blanche paint, the color is Magnolia. I made the "skirt" by tying strips of fabric to the cart. Looks much better now. Enjoy!

Once upon a time...

In 2011, I began sketching out an idea for a storybook. For many months, I carried a notebook in my purse and anytime an idea came, I wrote it down. For over a year, it was just a collection of sketches, words and thoughts about the story I wanted to tell. In 2012, while recovering from my stroke, I started working on the art. It was a slow process and after several weeks, I set it aside. My eyesight was hindering the process and it became a chore rather than a pleasure to work on. It has nagged at me for months. I really wanted to tell the story. So...a few weeks ago I started again and since my eyesight has improved, it's been a better process this time around and I am enjoying every minute of it. I wanted to share however since it's a gift for my daughter's, don't want to give too much away, so here are a few small bits...

Enjoy!

Life in Layers, part 3...

More pages from my first Life in Layers Journal.

Lots of collage with touches of paint.

Enjoy!

Layers of Life Journal continued...

I've decided to call this project, Layers of Life Journal.

A few more pages...

More to come...

Enjoy!