It's time for 2014 and I am ready! Let's go!

First and foremost. . . I stopped blogging while going through my cancer treatment.  So far, so good.  I am finally getting the energy back and ready to get my blog going.  I have lots of wonderful friends who have been amazingly supportive.  My painting and crafting have been started up again and I am going to get this blog ready for the world to see!  So, here we go.  

Classes for silk painting have been scheduled in the adorable Mount Dora, a quaint town in Florida. Mt. Dora has great antique stores and my scarves have been selling in the fine art gallery Painting Outside the Lines.  

In the meantime. . . It Came From Maux's Workbench! Okay, I was trying to make a play on "It Came From Beneath the Sea!"

           

I made some pendants with polymer clay.  The one on the far right I made with glow in the dark clay for extra fun. Another item on the bench to be completed (end product pic to come): 

And, some of the latest silk scarves available at the art gallery:

Okay, 2014.  I am ready.  Let's go. 

It's been a while. . . oops. :) But here are some recent creative and finished silk scarves.

Uh-oh, just diagnosed with cancer. Time to fight the fight! In the meantime, over the last few months, I have painted a lot of scarves. Here are a few

One of My Altered Rolodex Cards

While I have been doing ATCs for nearly ten years, I never ventured into the ARCs until recently. Usually I draw or paint, but for the first time I incorporated a 3-D element.  I'm usually an painter, or drawer.  It was kind of exciting stepping out of my comfort zone.  

I used words clipped out of magazines, brass stars, a Russian postage stamp, some mesh fabric, random sizes of rhinestones, and a couple of other things.   

Look out old Rolodex filled with lots of white, undressed cards!  More fun stuff is coming your way.  

Chandelier Medallion

Thought I would try the ole "little bit of black" design with my colorful chandelier.  I had it hanging  waiting for a ceiling medallion idea I had. 

I took a plain white ceiling medallion, well, they are all white originally, aren't they?  I simply spray-painted it black and then used white to highlight the grooves and the raised round bits. Here it is halfway done. 

Yes, the photo is a bit yellow-y, but you get the idea of the end product. 

Here is the chandelier, although you can't see  the detail of the medallion, as these were simply iPhone photos. 

I kept adjusting the lights, hoping for a better glimpse of the end product.  No luck, really.  

My End to Christmas was a Trip to Bok Tower Gardens

It's always nice to visit the places in your own backyard.  By this, I mean, I live in Florida and tend to venture far on my trips, forgetting that there are many things to see in the state beside the top tourist attractions.

Last Saturday, I went to Bok Tower Gardens.  I have heard of this place my entire life, but never went. I took a tour of the house on the estate, as well as stroll down the paths, walk to the tower, and simply look at the beauty all around.

The tour of the house was my way of wrapping up Christmas.  The house was decorated for Christmas and it was just beautiful.  It was my last look at the beauty of the Christmas season.

Here are some photos.  This was on the side of one of the paths leading into the trails.

 If all the orange groves' trees were shaped like this, they would be so beautiful.  Sadly, I've watched the orange groves in Florida make way for condominiums.  As you walk through them, it sure smells wonderful.

Here are some pictures of inside of the house.  

 Lovely seashell wreath on the bathroom door. 

One Week Into Creative Every Day

Here is what I've been working on since the beginning of the year.  First, I joined some ATC swaps.  Here are my contributions for them. My other projects for Creative Every Day? Painting a ceiling medallion for my extremely colorful chandelier in my kitchenette area, as well as altering some matchboxes, which are also for an upcoming swap. Pictures coming soon. 

:O Wow! Best Find of the Month! (For me. . .)

I found this site today by pure happenstance.  It is a goody, too, especially if you do outdoor shows.  The Craft and Show Design has beautiful displays shown.  When I saw it, I felt like it was my page that I made that I never really made, but could have - it was so "me", Looooove it.  Yep, that awesome. 

Click to Visit the Craft & Show Designs Blog