Seven Dog Blog

lightening storm

2011-08-03T23:16:00.000-07:00

the view from my front porch tonight

tiny little loveknot

2011-07-31T23:37:00.000-07:00

I've been slowly using up materials that I have on hand to make our budget stretch just a little farther. That makes my ideas for projects jump around a bit, so my theme for the month is "practice." Soldering is still getting the best of me on most days, and I spend a fair amount of time doing fault isolation procedures, cleaning my work area, checking my equipment, reading resource literature, and then I usually melt something. This little ring is attempt # 4. The wire is 20 gauge, which is pretty thin. I like how it looks in this photo, but I think it would be more practical to wear if it were made of heavier wire. I'll try some more tomorrow. I'd like to make interlocking knots, too.

sterling silver loveknot ring

still here

2011-07-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

I'm still here, chugging along and trying to make ends meet, just like everybody else I know is doing. Here is a peek at what I made this week. I love being able to go out to my little cluttered space and make things.

Homage to Frida Kahlo's painting
Hummingbird and Thorn Necklace

Forged copper hoop earrings

with Chrysoprase and Aquamarine drops

the latest from my workbench

2011-02-16T07:59:00.000-08:00

This necklace is basic, but I think it turned out to be pretty. It was fun to make, and now I have had more practice at making jump rings.

Forged-links necklace, fabricated.
Copper and sterling silver.
Closed loop with no clasp.

metalsmithing class notes

2011-02-01T13:24:00.000-08:00

Today in my metalsmithing class, I worked on making what will hopefully become links in a chain. We are learning basic forging techniques, and I am attempting to master making a "transition." My classmates all seemed to make this sample fast, and move on to the next. I did not. I produced all varieties of mistakes. Today, time seemed like it flew by. I was so engrossed in what I was doing, I had to look at the clock twice to grasp that class time was over. I packed up my clumsy samples, home I went, got out my little bench block and a heavier hammer, and kept on trying. All at once it seemed that I "got it." My hammer strokes were smoothing out the shape as they went, almost erasing my previous blows, leaving a lovely satin sort of finish, even before sanding. The hammer wasn't hitting the block, and with each blow the block gave back to me a little pinging sound. I never imagined I would like the feel of the metal so much, or that I would care about hammers. Fun times.

torch-fired enamel

2011-01-20T20:03:00.000-08:00

Jewelry components in progress:
Upside-down hearts for earwires, enamel blossoms. Assembly by riveting comes next.

Tiger!

2010-11-18T13:27:00.000-08:00

my optimized photo of a life-sized paper mache tiger

I think he will look great on a t-shirt.

Halloween

2010-10-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

I had some fun dressing as a sugar skull, then turning my picture into a poster.
. . . . .

. . .
Happy Halloween!

soldering practice

2010-08-18T00:57:00.000-07:00

Etruscan link hand-forged copper chain

sacred heart earrings

this is my first attempt at sweat-soldering

I have been practicing soldering, and these are my results so far. It is fun and engrossing.

when it rains it pours in a good way

2010-07-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

. . . . . . . . . . .

Paula in July

This month I've had

some daily adult "me" time free from parenting obligations...

some unexpected extra time to spend with my husband...

time to take a class about chain-making...

two back-to-back unplanned opportunities that were too good to pass up involving positive changes to my art studio space.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

so this month I

like the parks and recreation department...

am thankful for good doctors, modern medicine, and good benefits...

am still a bit scared of my torch...

hope I can work hard enough to bring this plan from concept into existence.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Do you like my hat?

love from the garden

2010-07-14T01:38:00.001-07:00

. . . . . . . . . . .

rose petal heart beads in progress

idea journal

2010-07-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

. . . . . . .

Birth of a Daisy

small study for a larger painting

I keep an idea journal.

It is a kind of a tear file and visual reminder of things I see in the paper or anywhere that give me any kind of a creative idea or good thought about life in general. I like being kind of messy about what goes in there, just glueing it with the glue stick, not all that carefully.

The purpose of keeping it is for jump-starting myself when I don't know what to work on next. It is still that, but it has also become just for looking at and feeling good.

I began making entries in 2006. My book is small and black, and smudged on the cover. It is warped. I keep cutting off the year from the calendar in my desk drawer and adding that to the front. I usually get around to that in May or so. No rush.

My pages are filled with a collection of pictures of various green items, next to the face of Jesus with black skin, next to the obituary of my favorite high school Spanish teacher. I have quite a few dog pictures in there, and some lakes and kayaks because I might go kayaking someday. It has recipes, paint textures, pictures of rust, and many, many trees and flowers and pathways in the woods. It has sterling silver jewelry, pictures of Santa Fe, and the words of a cancer survivor who said to get up and fix yourself up and proceed as best as you could.

Sometimes when I look at a page I cannot find one single reason why I chose it, and then I wonder what I was thinking about on that day. Usually there is something in there that makes me cry.

This week I have been computer-generating some small working studies as the starting point for large acrylic paintings, so tonight "Birth of a Daisy" goes into my journal too.

bye, Buddy

2010-07-12T00:54:00.000-07:00

R.I.P. Buddy

July 11, 2010

This was truly one of the nicest dogs God ever made. He was one of the seven that lent this blog its name, and he left us peacefully and suddenly without warning. You will be remembered and missed, Buddy.

working study

2010-07-12T00:10:00.000-07:00

small study for larger painting

Tonight I created this small computer-generated sketch as a preliminary study for a much larger acrylic painting. My original photo was a macro shot of a bougainvillea blossom, manipulated and filtered with Photoshop beyond recognition. It retains the organic feel and vibrant color I love, and I think it would translate really well into brush strokes. I like the speed and multiple variations I can generate using software as a "sketching" tool. It clarifies my thoughts and frees up time for working on the final project.

my starting point

bead stash

2010-07-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

beads in my "new" thrift store jars and bottles

Yesterday I organized my art studio again to make the available work space be larger than the supply storage space. This seems to be an ongoing trend.

2010-06-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

self portraits, June 2010

"what She said"

"Outward vs. Inward"

summer is coming

2010-05-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

What is it about nature that inspires me so?

Many of my fondest childhood memories are of camping trips on the Mogollon Rim in northern Arizona, of the favorite spots we know about, of the anticipation before those trips that felt better than waiting for Christmas to arrive. We counted down the days, my brothers and sister and I, calculated what to pack, fit and refit our clothing, boots and flashlights into our duffel bags. I savored the pleasure of putting my sweatshirt on the very top of the suitcase while it was 108 degrees or hotter at home, knowing that I would need it instantly upon getting out of our car in the higher elevation.

I love the blue spruce, the chipmunks, the blue jays, the booming afternoon thunderstorms, all so different from what seems like the ordinary environment of home down below. I still vividly recall our glorious trip one magic time on a houseboat on Lake Powell.

We camped with our pets, a line of cats and dogs on various trips throughout the years. The cats did surprisingly well, catching rodents with ease, and for the most part staying close by. We did suffer one loss, an ornery siamese named Sesame that couldn't be found on the last day as we packed . We hoped that her markings and size distinguished her as a house cat, and that she encountered people who gave her shelter at the bait and tackle shop and general store nearby our camp . I still laugh in the retelling of the time one cat got sprayed by a skunk and then slept in my tent, rendering our sleeping bags, clothing and campsite so stinky that we moved across the road. We watched as new campers came to that spot, and in vain moved the cumbersome garbage can to a spot further away. Afterwards, one man yelled back to his friend, "Is it any better now?," while we watched in smelly and private hilarity from a safe distance across the road.

I live in a modest house, in the center of a large city. I travel mostly by car. I live cooled by air-conditioning, safe from any storm, my meals provided by the luxury of going to the grocery store and picking out pretty much whatever I want within reason and cooking it. My walks are on the flat sidewalks of my neighborhood. The stars I see are greatly dimmed by the lights of the city. Summer storms don't easily penetrate the wall of heat rising up from the pavement all around my neighborhood. Even the climate where I live, it seems, is bent by the effects of modern city life.

Now I'm grown, and it is my turn to do the work of getting ready to camp and of settling back into our routine when we come home. I still like the thrill of seeing the beauty of the plants and critters when we go. What magic it is to see a quiet deer if I can catch a glimpse. I like the pleasure of grubbing around without the conveniences of my daily life, and the pride of being able to rough it. I like the musty smell of unpacking my duffel bag of clothes that reek of campfire smoke when I come home, tired and sunburned in spite of my old straw hat and my sunblock.

I like the beauty of the forest.

I like the private joy I feel inside myself when I think that the same God who created all these beautiful things created me too.

Can you read my blog?

2010-05-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

I wished for a little change, and wanted to be more vibrant here. Life doesn't have to always be moderate and conservative in Paula-world. Usually, my middle-aged eyes struggle a little to read other blogs with black backgrounds and colored text, but that's exactly what I ended up with.

So, what do you think?
Can you read it?

It's all in fun, and I probably will change it again, but here it is for now, anyhow. Just wondering what you think?

I have noticed as well that I am receiving comments from readers who post in an Asian language. Thank you, and Oh, how I wish I knew what you were saying! If you are able to please include an English translation as well, I would really like to post your comments.

thank you D.H.

2010-05-16T00:36:00.000-07:00

Thank you D.H. for the opportunity to paint this.

You are fabulous!

"Tucker"

happy mother's day

2010-05-09T22:40:00.000-07:00

hugs & kisses

remember these days?

2010-04-22T20:34:00.001-07:00

I love these two!

thanks, mom

2010-04-21T23:16:00.000-07:00

I called my mother on the phone today to ask her to describe how to do an invisible ladder stitch to close up a pillow I was sewing. A few minutes later I called her again because my seam had gaps. Ultimately, she came to my house and showed me the stitch. She is an excellent dollmaker, and I was filled with love for her as I watched her knuckles, swollen from arthritis, expertly and swiftly make the tiniest of stitches with ease.
Thank you Mom for countless lessons, for so many phone calls when I needed to visit, for teaching me how to live. I love you.

my studio

2010-04-20T23:39:00.001-07:00

I cleaned out my indoor workspace recently

Yes, this is "after," not "before"

creativity with the girl scouts

2010-04-20T23:17:00.000-07:00

18" x 18" fabric couch pillows

This week the fourth-grade Junior Girl Scouts and I made these pillows. They will be auctioned off at the annual school spring fundraising event.

t-shirt art from home

2010-04-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

Recently I expeirmented with printing out iron-on fabric transfers on my home inkjet printer, using my own photographs and original art. They turned out fine. Fast and easy!

what is new around here

2010-04-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

hollow form ring made from sterling silver, copper and brass

front view

I am taking a metalsmithing class at the community college called Jewelry I, and it has been very engrossing, challenging and fun. The instructor has a lot of knowledge to impart, and has an outstanding reputation around town as a great instructor. My classmates are becoming my good friends. I live within walking distance of the classroom as well, which is in the brand new art building. It is a modern and well-equipped workspace, and comes complete with an art gallery and upstairs open-air deck for exhibits and gatherings. Lucky me!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T16:16:00.000-07:00

Myself as Frida

tonight

2009-10-25T23:53:00.001-07:00

This is the second in a new series of images I'm working on for some Christmas ideas.

keep on shining

2009-10-12T00:05:00.000-07:00

this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine

Aaaarrrgh

2009-10-05T01:21:00.000-07:00

Swine flu...do we have it?...I'm not sure...

Where's the Lysol?

things are happ'nin'...ready or not

2009-09-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

Bye-bye Santa

Today was filled with a little flurry of activity from several directions at once regarding consignment sales, both local and out-of-state.

Holidays are coming, and one of my sales today was even a Santa pendant. Fun!

Thank you to a new customer P.C., and to M.L. !!

You're the best!

aren't I the motivated one today?

2009-09-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

I tried something new today, and exercized at 8:00 a.m., instead of at 8:00 p.m. It actually felt cooler, or at least cool enough, and a breeze even blew a little. I've always preferred the heat over the cold anyhow.

So - that's out of the way, and now I'm off to Bead World for sterling silver chain and a large bale, to alter the length of a necklace for a customer. She's my "mystery customer" so far. We had a very pleasant conversation by phone, but I haven't met her in person yet. That's for tomorrow!

I'm on the hunt for a large, chunky silver cross, or blossom, or bird, or whatever else catches my eye to be the focal point for these beads:

turquoise and garnet knotted on silk

it's been a while

2009-09-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

Oak Creek in Sedona, Arizona

Well, it has been quite a while. I have been on the computer a lot for work and for my own amusement, and beading only some, and painting not at all...and evaluating what parts of technology I want to keep or let go...

My thoughts are:

blogs -wouldn't mind keeping on with this blog as an online journal for myself.

camera -keep practicing, need to take a class.

email -tool, speedy, not as nice as old-school correspondence, I'm sick of seeing the abbreviation "LOL".

Etsy - keep trying, it's always going to be at my own pace, nice community in general.

Facebook - sort of like feeling unpopular in high school all over again.

Flickr -Yes! How I travel since I can't afford to. Nice.

Twitter - I'm too old, don't need it, don't text anyone about anything, nothing about my life is THAT urgent.

You Tube -how? Probably will figure it out. Crashed my CPU trying to burn a movie to DVD.

website -fun to create for someone else, maybe someday I might need one.

creating with my hands and talking face-to-face...Make the time, take classes...DO IT!

late night television

2009-07-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

This is a self-portrait. My big dog is usually quite stand-offish. I was glad to capture this moment.

photo illustration self-portrait with my dog pack

Happy Fourth of July

2009-07-05T01:46:00.000-07:00

Yum !

slow summer days

2009-06-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

I have been enjoying my pleasantly slower summertime schedule.

muffin and latte painted clogs

Wall-E and robot birthday cake

grackle at the pool

spending time with my camera

2009-06-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

I have been looking at these sunflowers blooming in my neighbor's front lawn for weeks. Yesterday I finally wandered down and took some photographs for fun.

my sad car

2009-06-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is in all its humiliating glory at the body shop.

little expensive getaway

2009-06-07T13:11:00.000-07:00

I went camping to get away from my routine, and had a car accident on the way.
Thankfully, no one was hurt.
Here are some photos from the weekend.

horny toad

pine trees on the mogollon rim in arizona

"finn" the irish wolfhound

me

east clear creek near knoll lake

i've been acting knotty

2009-05-27T01:13:00.000-07:00

Here is a glimpse of recent projects I've done for practice, and to build a little inventory up. The aquamarine necklace was a gift for my daughter's teacher as the school year ends.
turquoise and garnet

velvet for jewelry display in an antique store

_________________________________________________________
aquamarine knotted on silk

small steps every day

2009-05-18T23:12:00.000-07:00

Slow and steady, that's me lately.
Here are some of my latest online listings in my shop.

Agate and jade necklace

Swarovsky and Czech glass bracelet

what i'm working on today

2009-05-16T00:48:00.000-07:00

________________________turquoise

I have been extra busy with blah blah blah (who isn't?). Here's a tiny project I started to get my creative ideas flowing again. I knew I was out of practice when I had to untie the very first silk knot I made at the start of this necklace. These are turquoise...my favorite! I'm happy with how this photo turned out.

run for your life ! ! !

2009-05-03T16:22:00.001-07:00

______________________Godzilla finger puppet

up and running again

2009-05-02T23:57:00.000-07:00

Well, it took this many days since my last entry...and I'm happy to say that I have my computer back, and that ALL of my data was recovered thanks to the extremely generous help of a friend, and that my desktop and software look normal and are installed thanks to the help of my husband.

...Whew!

I didn't realize how much I would miss using it until it was unavailable.

...my dead hard drive

uh oh

2009-04-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

My computer hard drive suffered catastrophic failure over the weekend, and I was not able to re-start it.

Now it needs diagnosis and data recovery help.

I probably need to buy a new CPU.

I knew better, but did not have all the latest/greatest info. on there backed up, so I will lose some unless it can be recovered.

Most of what wasn't backed up I don't care that much about, except for some photos.

It seems that this will be an expensive and somewhat time-consuming lesson for me to learn.

...posting this from someone else's computer...

(sigh...)

here comes another pet portrait poster

2009-04-05T22:49:00.001-07:00

Bighead

That's his name, and this is his poster!

that was bonnie; this is clyde

2009-03-29T22:58:00.000-07:00

Here is the mate to the other poster below. It was harder to get his eyes to show up because of less contrast.

________Clyde

messing around with photoshop

2009-03-25T00:29:00.000-07:00

I spent some time experimenting with artistic filters in Photoshop, and came up with this result. It is a portrait of a family member's dog. I had to create her left eye color where none showed due to lack of contrast. It's not perfect, but not bad for a first attempt, I think. It may make a nice poster if I ever decide to print it out in large size.

Bonnie

little camping getaway

2009-03-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

My family had a mini-reunion of sorts at Bartlett Lake near Phoenix, Arizona.

Here is our weekend story as told by pictures...

hello little blossom

2009-03-07T12:09:00.000-08:00

__________hello

I spied this tiny flower way down low to the ground while I strolled down the sidewalk yesterday. All the desert wildflowers are starting to bloom.

i've been tying knots lately

2009-03-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

vintage german glass beads

I have created four necklaces in a row that have beads knotted on silk. It has been kind of relaxing. I don't really like the little sterling clamshell knot cover that lets me join the strand to the toggle or clasp or whatever other findings I want to use. I need to research what other options are available...or engineer my own solution.

60,000 mile tune-up

2009-02-25T13:25:00.000-08:00

Welcome to middle-age, and thank goodness for health insurance!

Well, I'm feeling fine, and everything seems the same as ever, but within the past 48 days following my routine annual physical I have...

been to that certain doctor because I'm a girl for a checkup,
seen the dentist for a cleaning,
cracked a tooth and saw the dentist again for so he could make my first crown (temporary right now),
taken my dog to the vet twice,
had ultrasound scans of 3 separate body parts,
been to another doctor so she could look at everything (where the sun don't shine...),
seen the urologist 4 times for a humiliating scope and tests that I hope I never have to repeat,
taken my son to the pediatrician and two ear specialists prior to ear tube surgery,
taken my son to the hospital for outpatient surgery to have ear tubes put in,
been to the gastroenterologist for a consult,
swallowed a radioactive pill,
had 3 separate appointments for a scan of some other body part,
had blood drawn twice.

I am still looking forward to...

getting my permanent crown,
having a preventative scope of another of my body parts,
having two more of my body parts squished and scanned,
taking my son for a follow-up check on his ear tubes,
taking my dog for a follow-up procedure at the vet.

I am thankful to live in the age of modern medicine, and I am REALLY thankful that I can say "so far, so good!"

today i made a treasury

2009-02-07T21:16:00.000-08:00

Whoo-hoo!

Today I was lucky and for the first time secured a spot in the treasury pages of Etsy.com . The curator of the treasury may select twelve items from various sellers and showcase them on a treasury page. The treasury shows a photo of each item, and links the viewer to each vendor's shop. Viewers may post comments.

My treasury has a forest theme, and features mostly paintings and prints filled with beautiful trees, birds, flowers, and various animals.

Here is the link so that you can go and take a look. Enjoy!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=42562

This treasury will expire at 10:57am on Tuesday, 2/10/2009. If you don't get a chance to see it before it expires, here are the links to the featured artists:
http://www.Sascalia.etsy.com/
http://www.SavageArtworks.etsy.com/
http://www.libertylove.etsy.com/
http://www.artiryna.etsy.com/
http://www.shelleyroze.etsy.com/
http://www.vedaarts.etsy.com/
http://www.gallerialufrano.etsy.com/
http://www.artofandrewdaniel.etsy.com/
http://www.chickory.etsy.com/
http://www.karenfieldsgallery.etsy.com/
http://www.rozart.etsy.com/
http://www.lesliemacon.etsy.com/

can you see me now?

2009-02-04T12:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I changed the template of this blog from "minima stretch" to what you see now after feedback in the forums that informed me that my blog was s-o-o-o wide it couldn't be read all at once, and the reader had to keep turning her head to the left to read it all, and that my little green border outlines weren't lined up. Hmmm...strange. It all looked great on my screen (PC operating MS Windows XP software). I had gone to the stretch format because that allowed me more room to post photos within my blog entries, and made the sidebar...well...to the side.

I'm glad to live and learn. It's all trial and error by the self-taught method over here, so I REALLY appreciate the feedback. Hopefully this looks cool.

Now...if only I could figure out how to get my little captions under my pictures to go where I want to place them. The best solution I have come up with so far is to underscore a line in front of my caption long enough to push my words out far enough so they are lined up under the image, then change the color of the underscore to match the background color of my blog so it becomes invisible and leaves only the caption showing. Sometimes it works fine, but heaven forbid if I try to move things around later. Even at that, when I view my blog from someone else's computer it doesn't always look the same as what I see from my monitor at home.

Hopefully, I'll look back on this an laugh at my own inexperince. In the meantime, if things look out of whack....well, it's me...not you!

spring cleaning for the soul

2009-02-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

I have been doing housecleaning of sorts, trying to evaluate how I am spending my time creatively, and looking ahead to what I want to be achieve in the next 5, 10, and 50 (if I'm lucky) years.

Maybe it's my age or my hormones or who knows what, but I feel so much like I'm spinning my wheels, not doing what I SHOULD be doing, in terms of living a life worthy of all I have been given...my health, family, artistic talent, an absolutely idyllic childhood, supportive family and friends. I told my mom the other day that I don't feel like I am doing my "best" at anything anymore.

Balance those thoughts with the little voice inside my head that tells me that, of course, I am doing largely what I envisioned and hoped for long ago every time I do chores and cook dinner, help the kids with homework and field trips, take the pets to the vet, pay bills, do laundry, grocery shop, and all the other occupations that fill my time. Mom bolstered my spirits by saying that I was doing my best at raising two nice kids!

So...

Can I paint and draw more?
Make more interesting and beautiful jewelry?
Go to bed earlier?
Improve my metalworking skills?
Market myself to sell better?
Be more patient and kind?
Exercize more (way more)?
Maintain genuine friendships?
Pray more?
Spend less time on the computer, and more time in the studio?

...I am trying, and I am trying to "do my BEST."

hanging in there

2009-01-29T09:57:00.000-08:00

big hug

wood-man

_ Woody still seems like he's still feeling OK, and he's getting alot of love.

a goodish, baddish day

2009-01-21T21:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday i was excited to watch the inaguartion of Barack Obama, and I was photographing images off of my flat screen TV like a nerd, but I don't care.

Meanwhile, my big dog had gone to the vet for routine bloodwork prior to dental cleaning.

______________________________woody

I was shocked to get a call from the vet telling me one of his tests came back showing an elevated "something"cell count that was an indicator of bone marrow cancer (rarely) or kidney tumors. I generally don't believe in extreme measures to prolong the life of a dying animal, and after several phone calls back and forth from the vet, to me, to my husband, blah blah...we decided to just let him be and keep him as happy as we can.

He's sort of a big dog, and he is 8 years old, but I felt like someone slammed a door in my face and punched me in the chest. We sucked it up enough to take a bunch of pictures, in the hopes that some turn out to be good, and even had some laughs doing that, but it's all bittersweet.

i love him and i'm going to miss him

i figured out how to make this...

2009-01-15T20:39:00.000-08:00

I decided to give my online identity fresh look for the new year. I am proud of this result, as I am not much of a techie whiz at all, so it is all the trial and error method for me. Ususally months later I come across the easy way to do what I was trying to do. I seem to spend alot of time trying to re-invent the wheel.

out with the old, in with the new

2009-01-14T07:19:00.000-08:00

Hello! Are you staying warm?
I've been rearranging my online listings. Boy, alot of time flies when I'm online...I'm working on becoming more efficient.

romantic rose quartz, tourmaline and sterling silver necklace

what i worked on today

2009-01-08T22:59:00.000-08:00

here's a little peek at what I did today

happy birthday

2009-01-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

_______a self-directed child

chocolate with cherry frosting

_______is little "nay-nay" still in there?

Thank you, little one, superstar that you are. Being your mom has forever changed my life for the better!
Happy birthday!

happy new year

2009-01-05T20:29:00.000-08:00

endings and beginnings

My wish for each of you in the coming year is for good health, happiness, and the love of friends and family. I pray for peace; for God's consolation to those who have suffered loss; and for all: the energy and ability to stay positive when facing difficult times.
Happy and Creative New Year!

my little flock of birds

2008-12-13T00:08:00.000-08:00

cut them out of chipboard cardboard and paint them

add papers, glaze and glitter

add ornaments and tie it onto raffia

This week I made a bird garland to decorate for the holidays.

it's that time, and i'm getting ready

2008-11-30T22:51:00.000-08:00

It hasn't really turned cold yet this year. For us "turned cold" means the car windshield gets frost on it overnight and you have to run the hose over it in the morning, which makes you late for taking the kids to school. They're still wearing short pants and a sweatshirt in the morning. So December is here, and we are sticking to our budget, just like a lot of families are doing. It doesn't seem like the Christmas season yet. I don't relate to all the print ads and TV programs that show snow and fireplaces, and people wearing warm clothing. We are not shopping or traveling or eating out. We're still wearing sandals.

my front door advent wreath

So...

to celebrate the season I made an Advent wreath for the front door of the house. Instead of candles to light each Sunday, my daughter and I chose three distinct purple ornaments and one rose colored one. We picked out bendable ribbon with wire in it, silver pointsettias to add each week, and one white ornament to hang in the middle on Christmas day along with red ribbon to make a bow for the top. True to how I do most things, we went and picked all of this out at Wal-mart in twenty minutes because we had to be somewhere else after that. We kept it down to $28 because that was all I had to spend. We can make up the difference by eating some more mac and cheese. My neighbor refers to Wal-Mart as "the Beast." I hope young children in a sweatshop somewhere didn't make my ornaments, but lately my politics play second fiddle to my budget. So far so good. The "command" hook on the front door is still holding it all up. Fingers crossed.

I really do like nativity scenes and advent wreaths.

happy thanksgiving

2008-11-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

______________________________thanksgiving dessert

Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful to God for all the blessings He has given me. This was one of the desserts I made for our feast. It is strawberry cheesecake pie, and it gets devoured fast every time I make it.

a wonderful way to spend the afternoon

2008-11-25T08:48:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday I had the wonderful opportunity to go to the Udinotti Museum of Figurative Art in Paradise Valley, Arizona to see this exhibit:

Gestures of Beauty and Elegant Pose
Japanese Prints of Actors and Beautiful Women
Prints dating from 1690 - 1830
From the Barry and Elizabeth Rosensteel Collection

The space and display of the prints was fabulous; the museum owner Agnese Udinotti was gracious and spoke eloquently; the freedom to completely wander all areas of the museum and studio space was generous; our friends the owners of the collection were humble; and the food was great.
Just seeing this space was inspiring. I had the feeling after I came home that I needed to throw out seventy-five percent of everything I own just to clear out the clutter, to cut down to the very essence of only what is important. I felt like I was absorbing a lesson that could be applied to my spiritual life, my relationships, the objects I choose to own, and my work and living spaces.

Simplify.

thank you to nice customers!...and...my 365's are coming along

2008-11-22T21:25:00.000-08:00

Thank you to my wonderful customers here in Phoenix, and online as well. It is a pleasure doing business with all of you, and I thank you all for the experience you have given me.

Well, it's day 19, and my 365's are starting to grow in size. You can check my progress on Flickr.com . I have organized my photos a little more at that site, so it is easier to find and look at specific items.

my update on "the cost of doing business"

2008-11-20T13:18:00.000-08:00

I have done some follow up at the shop that sells my items on consignment. I took in more inventory to hopefully sell over the holidays, and am pleased to say that the item at the highest value which I previously could not account for has actually been sold. Yeah! That's a relief. (Two other bracelets I had missed were in stock and I just hadn't seen them, and I was paid for one "mystery item" that doesn't jive with my records, so I am applying that payment to a necklace I can't account for).

So...that leaves one necklace and one stretch bracelet unaccounted for, and it is possible they sold within the past month...

I still think there must be a better way for me to keep track of my items, but this would put my "losses" at under $20, which is much less that what I previously blogged about. I still am very glad to do business with the owners of this cute shop, and I am thankful for the experience!

cats and birds who love each other

2008-11-18T22:42:00.000-08:00

I still love folk art.

tuxedo cats and canary bird earrings

ideas in the works

2008-11-17T23:03:00.000-08:00

Happy customers
I have been "yard sale-ing" my old inventory of jewelry and other small items to generate a little cash flow, and that went pretty well, especially considering that I didn't advertise and money is tight these days.

Today I worked on a potential commission for someone who wants a specific image painted on some boots. I sent her a preliminary sketch, and if she approves then it's a go. She wants upward-pointing angel wings in a tribal tattoo theme. This is what I came up with so far. I envisioned that when she stands together the design will form a heart with a flame above it, for it is when we come together that we find love. The flame is so she will keep her passion burning. The swallow is for giving flight to her dreams, and the vines are for growth.
I hope she likes it....

my idea for painted tattoo wings on boots. this is 14:365

hey, this is kind of fun

2008-11-08T20:48:00.000-08:00

________3:365________________________________4:365

I'm on day 5 of my 365 journals, and it is fun to wake up and think about what I'm going to work on. I didn't actually create any art on days 3 and 4, but I did photo document how I spent my time anyhow to keep it honest. (chores on day 3, and playing card games with the kids on day 4). I may end up with 365 days of looking back to see all the days I didn't actually create art, but that's not my intent. At the least I hope I get better at taking photos, and using the computer.

________________________________________________5:365. This is a pendant bead for a sunflower themed necklace.

I remember as a teenager, Mom telling us kids that everyone has 24 hours each day to use, and everyone has chores like laundry to do, but somehow it's up to each to manage her time so that things get done appropriately. Now let's see if I can become more productive.

yesterday i started a 365 journal

2008-11-05T08:51:00.000-08:00

________________________ _____

.

___________________friends___1:365

1:365studio . do you see bondo?

I have been motivated and inspired by others' daily photo journals that go on for 365 days that I have seen on flickr.com . I want to do the same, to try to be creative in some way each day and document my efforts. I think for me it is realistic to think that my time and energy may be scattered, so I decided to create a 365 plan in 3 parts, in the hope that I can focus in at least one of the three areas at some point each day. I'm calling the parts "365art," "365studio," and "365me." My goals are to create more actual art, to improve my workspace, and to have fun with a self portrait now and then while I try to improve my skills as a photographer. I plan to take a photo daily, and upload images weekly to my Flickr account. I'll see how that goes, and make adjustments as I go along.

The election day of our new president, Barack Obama seemed like a good enough starting point. So....here goes....

Today is 2:365 .

2:365studio/me , learning "blog" basics by trial & error

______________________________________________

__2_______________________________________

____________________________________2:3652222

the down side of consignment sales

2008-10-30T00:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm feeling a little discouraged today by my sales on consignment.

I just went in today to take in more inventory to sell, and for a look-see at how my items are displayed, etc. I haven't been keeping as close an eye on things over the past several months, because the monthly checks have been coming in, and in the past the owners of the shop have told me more than once, "you're the ONLY ONE of our sellers that comes in like this to check on your inventory." Yes, they do have a few other vendors who sell similar jewelry-type items to mine, although their main sales come from home and garden items - a real cute shop. I can't figure out how the other vendors can afford NOT to check their inventory. My sales had picked up after I took in a nice willow-branch tree for display, along with a nice-sized earring hanger that gave good visability; and I also took in nicer quality items that were what I would buy if I were shopping for myself - and I priced everything a little higher to reflect the upgrade in quality of materials and my time spent on workmanship. The owners seemed pleasantly surprised when things sold at the higher prices, even though their target market is not art & jewelry sales. But...they still told me no one else tracks what specific items get sold like what I have been doing.

All in all the relationship has been great. I just have to price items high enough to cover the consignment fee. My best sales have been when people can see and touch the actual item they're buying in person, compared to online sales with only a photo to go by.

So....today I finally went in to refresh everything before the Christmas rush....and other vendors were front and center on my willow tree display, with my items getting pushed to the back. No problem. I just rearranged things to suit myelf. Then the owner returned an earring that had gone missing last April. It happened to be one from one of my most favorite pairs. Unfortunately for me, I gave up hope and just TODAY altered the mate to re-work it into something else. So...I just messed up one of my faves!

So, I made note of what was there in inventory, came home and compared to my "inventory in /sold items list," and calculated that over the past 10 months I have not been paid for $73.50 (that's my portion only, not the total sale price) in inventory that hasn't been accounted for and I no longer see in stock. The owners say that they'll reimburse me for items that go missing, but in the past when I've wondered aloud if perhaps small items like jewelry get stolen, our conversation has never gotten past the point of them telling me they'll check for the item "in the back," and me letting it ride in case the items actually are in the store somewhere and I just haven't seen them at that hurried moment of my spot-check. They do have the jewelry right up on the counter by the register in plain sight where it would be hard to steal. They also gave me a break one time on my portion of a consignment fee on a painting that saved me $25 last year. I didn't want to drop my price on the paintng, and they felt that the normal consignment fee would make it too pricey to sell. (It did sell, so I felt vindicated, and now they're more open to taking more pieces of a similar nature).

Meanwhile, $73.50 means a lot to me. So, do I just write it off as a business expense, and raise my prices even more to cover just such things? Do I push the point and try to recover the cost with the shop owners at the risk of losing my "in" there where I generate my most steady monthly income, and the nice "hands-on" exposure with word-of-mouth compliments trickling back to me?

Maybe that's just the cost of doing business, but at the worst, I hate stealing; and at best I hate having to chalk all these dealings up to experience. I've been getting more and more "experience" lately. I hope this is just the "experience" of me needing to get out my bifocals and look again. I'll probably find everything somewhere in the store, then I can forget everything I just wrote.

I hope I'm growing in age, grace and wisdom a little each day.

they're finally finished...

2008-10-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

do you think this soul is going to heaven or hell?

My Day of the Dead clogs are painted. What do you think?

the potato story

2008-10-19T00:14:00.000-07:00

A friend sent this to my friend, and then she shared it with me:

Girl potato and boy potato got married and soon they had a little sweet potato and named her Yam. She grew up and they told her the facts of life. They warned her about going out and getting half-baked so she wouldn't get mashed and get a bad name like "Hot Potato" for herself and end up with a bunch of tater tots.

Yam told them not to worry as no spud would get into her sack and make a rotten potato out of her. She also told them she would not always stay home either and become a couch potato. She would exercize so not to become skinny like her shoestring potato cousins.

When Yam decided to go to Europe, Mr. and Mrs. Potato told her to watch out for hard-boiled guys from Ireland, or the greasy guys from France. They told her to watch out for Native Americans too so she wouldn't get scalloped. Yam told them she wouldn't associate with those high class Yukon Golds or the ones that have advertisements on their trucks that say Frito Lay.

When Yam returned, Mr. and Mrs. Potato sent Yam to Idaho P.U. (that's Potato University) so that when she graduated she would be in the chips.
When Yam returned from P.U., she told Mr. and Mrs. Potato that she was going to marry Tom Brokaw. Mr. and Mrs. Potato were upset and told her not to marry Tom Brokaw because he was just a common tater.

Now how's that for a potato story?

columbus day costumes

2008-10-07T13:09:00.000-07:00

i'll grant you three ships if you bring me back gold

Yesterday I made nineteen Spanish sailor hats out of black construction paper for my daughter's third grade Columbus Day play. I asked my sister if I could lend a most excellent queen costume she made a few years ago to the class for the part of Queen Isabella. She said fine, but when the costume box came out, the fur trim had been chewed off of her highness' royal cape by Peg's Jack Russell terrier.
"Oh, that's what Dottie chewed," she said. "I knew she got into something, but I didn't realize it was the exact costume we needed."
Let me tell you, Peg's costume box is the thing legends are made of; it is so wonderous and extensive. Peg is a sport, and so good at costume-making, that last night she went to Wal-Mart, purchased more fur, along with a glue gun and some big fake jewels and some styrofoam to make a scepter. This is all based on my casual off-hand comment to my daughter's classmate that I might have a very good queen costume she could borrow. No problem. Just a little errand at dinnertime with four kids in-tow. She makes it seem that that is exactly the way she was going to be spending her time anyhow, because it is "fun"...and "easy."...those being her words, not always mine.
Last year when my son told me he wanted to be an exploding volcano for Halloween, I gave it a try. "That's a great idea," said Peg when I mentioned it to her beforehand. "You know," she said, "Just make a mountain/cone-shaped kind of thingy from some paper and wire; wear it like a sandwich board sign; make a cone for a hat, make some flowing lava from some felt; glue it on; put some fiber-optic lights coming out the top. I like that idea so much I may do that one next year for one of my kids", she said. Okay. Away I went to give it my best shot. Now, remember, my name starts with "P" for "procrastinate," so it was October 30th by then. Well, about five hours later my son and I had made a mountain with an erupting top hat that was so heavy we had to attach it to his bike helmet for support underneath, and he couldn't wear it without leaning his head way to one side. Besides that, it wasn't looking so good overall, he couldn't move well or sit down in it, and I was getting "annoyitated," as my son says. It was a lesson for me to learn on how to cut my losses and move on and have fun anyway. I think the kids went trick-or-treating dressed as hobos with burnt-cork beards on their faces and some last-minute raggedy clothes. (This being a costume I remember from my own childhood, and now I understand a little better where mom and dad were coming from on that one).
... So this morning we attached the new fur to Queen Isabella's cape. Peg whipped out a crown made from a cardboard egg carton she spray painted silver, and I attached metalic lace trim and the jewels. We visited and had fun. At the same time we did a couple of loads of laundry, she took care of her 4 month old baby, and I got glue from the glue gun in places it didn't need to be while she razzed me on my technique and showed me how to whip that gun away real fast so I didn't trail little glue strings everywhere. Tonight I'll make twenty-one more sailor hats for the other third grade class in between dinner, helping with homework, and watching the presidential debate.
...."Hey honey, how was your day? What'd'ya do today?"....
I can't say enough times how cool my sister is, and how thankful I am for the time we spend together.

more thank yous

2008-10-04T20:46:00.000-07:00

Thank you also to "abovegroundgourds" at Etsy. Check out this seller's shop at Etsy.com. She has been a great customer, and helpful to me.

thank you

2008-09-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

Thank you to "dualie" at Etsy for your purchase!

just when i thought nothing was happening

2008-09-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

___Yippee! I traveled to Notre Dame and got adopted!

Well, I had just about decided to put robot and monster making aside for a while because it was seeming like a chore instead of fun, when someone who saw my very first monster came up to me out of the blue and said she would like to order a monster toy from me, to to be a baptism gift for a boy who is being baptised at Notre Dame. ...so yippee! Hopefully I'll make one more that will be red with lime green polka dots, then my friend can pick one of three that are done. I love it when my creations get to travel!
It sure is nice to get a little feedback in person, and it keeps the creative energy going. Thank you.

my freaky robot disaster

2008-09-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

I have been trying my hand at something new for me, which is trying to make some dolls, and I think I'm going to bag it, and go back to what I like better. In an attempt to get ready for some fall and Christmas time street/craft fairs, and in response to some positive feedback about my tiny felt microbots I made recently, my sister and I deciced to make some monster and robot toys. Her former employer was a preschool, and she thinks we could display some prototypes for sale there to get some feedback from kids and parents. She and my mom are successful dollmakers. I, on the other hand, have never been motivated to give dollmaking a try before now.

Thanks to a patient mom and a creative childhood, I do know how to sew pretty well, and I've done some pretty complicated projects in the past ( ...a wedding dress for a family friend when I was fairly young...and a bogus, silly family crest flag complete with two beavers and a great big heart made to fly over our old hippy bus camper...to name a few), but I have never made a real kid-friendly, washable, loveable toy. I rarely sew at all any more. It seems cheaper and faster to just hit the thrift store for what we need.

Well, I have two monsters and one robot done, and I've got to say, I'm just not feelin' the love for this project. The first monster was the best, the second one was a little overworked which is true to how I operate, and the third is a robot which turned out to be so freaky looking in a bad way that she would probably frighten any young kid who saw her. So now it's about ten days later, and I'm putting all that on the back burner for a time, while I decide what to work on next. I know this is my first attempt. Somehow I always expect perfection on the first try, and then reality is something else altogether.

I could fill a room with supplies for projects that go just about like this....

the strongest storm ever

2008-09-03T23:39:00.000-07:00

Wow, central Phoenix got hit by the strongest storm I've ever been in a few days after my last post. We had winds up to 100mph at times, combined with thousands of lightening strikes, rain and hail. Thankfully, our home and immediate neighborhood came through OK, with only minor damage to the roof being our issue. We lost some clay tiles and one of those whirly vent things, and my husband spent the next day getting loads of pine needles and debris off the roof. Others nearby lost power for about 48 hours, and so many big old trees snapped. I'm sorry for that, and for the damages some have suffered. I've lived here for more than 45 years and I've never been through one like that. It was actually scary to go through, and it was weird trying to tell the kids "It's OK, we are lucky to be inside a safe, strong house," while in my own head I felt like, "whoa, this is a bad one, and I'm not going to stand next to this big glass window in case it blows out." A mile away, my folk's neighbors pulled together, sharing a generator for power, pot-lucking it for a front yard BBQ to cook up all that defrosted food, the ones with gas stoves cooked for those with electric only, and they helped each other with repairs to damaged property. Police and city workers were great. It made me feel proud of my community, my family, and my city to see how everyone responded. We were safe. We had a warm, dry house with power. We had food and services. We are so-o-o-o lucky. More than ever, I'll do what I can to help victims of adverse circumstances elsewhere, even if the way I am able to help seems small.

twilight time

2008-08-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

after dinner we went for a walk...

we looked at

puddles...

...and saw these around the corner

...and then we came home.

It rained in Phoenix this afternoon and after dinner we went out for a walk. Twilight time is my favorite time of day.

monsters, robots, and painted shoes

2008-08-24T21:26:00.000-07:00

monsters and robots during the daytime

painted shoes at nightime

Today I doodled out some patterns for robots and monsters, trying out ideas to see what might work well for some small soft toys. The Day of the Dead painted clogs are what I really wanted to work on the most, but they got pushed to the back burner during the day. Getting out the wet paint on the middle of the dining table during mid-day doesn't always seem like the best idea. Those mealtimes somehow just keep coming around, and we need the dining table for eating, for doing homework, and for folding the laundry; as well as for a good-sized creative workspace. Sometimes I do my best work after everyone else is in bed, so I'll shoot for that tonight.

less virtual, more actual

2008-08-20T22:54:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all who have responded to my posts, helping me to get underway and navigate the internet.
I have more painted clogs partway done. So far they're looking good, with a Day of the Dead theme.
Stay tuned after this brief message.....

i did it, so now you can see my photos

2008-08-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

hello,
I've added even more photos to the slideshow, so that's enough for now.
Now we can get on to the fun part of visiting.

success

2008-08-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

ok, the good night's sleep and a fresh outlook did the trick.
Now my slideshow of photos is on this blog.
I put a link near the top of the blog, if you want to see all my photos.

i am getting frustrated

2008-08-18T23:13:00.000-07:00

The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know. I've just spent a day opening another online account to catalog some photos, then tried to intall a slideshow on this blog, without success. I'm really burned out, to the point that I can't figure out how to navigate around within blogspot to read if anyone responded to my question in the help forum.

I need a good night's sleep. I keep telling myself it can't be that hard, or nobody would blog!

my very first post

2008-08-17T23:20:00.000-07:00

Well, here goes... my very first blog entry. I hope this format will be a good way to meet people, to share ideas, to support each other.

I wonder what I will say, for thankfully my life is ordinary. I'l l try not to ramble.

Seven.Dog.Studio is the name my sister and I call ourselves in our joint efforts as artists. I currently live with two of the seven dogs. You can meet them, just look to the right. I hope to show you some of my creative endeavors, to get your feedback, and to meet many of you.

My recent time and energy has been spent getting my creations photographed, described, and out onto the internet so that more people can see my work.
You can see more about my shop at etsy.com at http://www.7dogstudio.etsy.com .
You can view more of my photos at http://flickr.com/photos/sevendogstudio/ .

Please bear with my mistakes and questions, for I am not computer savvy, and I have much to learn.

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you later....