New BABY

Born April 25 a bit early than planned but my babies usually come early.

Funny thing about this photo is that when I took it it was too bright, but when I changed it in my photoshop deal 

and just went black and white it turned out great.

I have been extremely busy with the new baby, her name is Aislinn.  I am nursing her so it's taking a lot out of me sleepwise but this will keep her from getting the allergies I got.

I was given food when I was a WEEK old for crying out loud!!

I was born in 76 so back then I guess feeding newborns food was ok?

I don't know what I was given, I was not nursing so the doc said to give me food instead.

These days MY baby doctor is reminding me to NOT give the baby any food.

Don't worry I know what happens when you do.

This is my third child but she was one I did not have any pain meds for during the birth, It just 

came on so fast and they couldn't give me anything.

We are moving into a three bedroom apartment and are busy with other things I just haven't 

been able to blog on anything.

But I wanted to share this.

Painted Frame

Mermaid, framed artwork

I wanted to frame some of the paintings I have that really need frames.  Those that are stapled to the sides need to be framed.  I am picky about some frames.  I happened to find and unfinished frame that fit my mermaid painting.  I painted and sanded the paint job to distressed it and it really makes the painting pop I think.  I was also able to varnish the painting itself since enough time has passed to allow that to be done.

I have another painting that needs framing and that will take a bit, I want to give my greenman painting a frame with oak leaves around it.  I have had trouble finding what I am looking for.  I am just going to wood burn the leaves into the frame then stain the frame.  I have to figure out what stain would go good with wood buring.

By the way, I haven't done wood burning since eighth grade arts and crafts class.

YIKES!

Do I know what I am doing?

Well, I work at a library and have loads of information at my fingertips so I got some ideas of

how to work my project to my satisfaction.

I'll have to get a simple wood burning tool first and then I should practice with a bit of wood.

I can work all things in my head before beginning.  I have to wait for my next paycheck to get the tool. 

I am happy to say I got to sell a bracelet off my Etsy site.  Haven't had any sales and I haven't worked on new items or promotion for awhile.

I'm getting bored so I need to get back to working on my creativeness.  

 This lovely piece was sold, and I was so ecstatic about it.

I have to get my other bracelets up on Etsy soon.  Just been busy with other things.

I have a baby due May 22, though I tend to give birth early.

First kid was three weeks early, second was a week early.

Time to get back to work, reading or arting.

Bottle Art and Glass Art

About ten years ago I took a stained glass class.  I still have all the materials to work with but not the time.

Besides working with lead with young children around and a new one on the way makes me cautious.

The dolphin above I did from a pattern available at my class.

The teacher was soo cool.  He once told us a story of one class he gave a creative challenge to, he had a large bucket filled with scrap glass and said for them to figure out how to use them.

It actually did not go well that time, I guess no one know how to think out of the box.

I said if I had been there I would have gone to town, I had a knack of seeing shapes with the broken glass.

Which leads me to a new idea to explore, mosaics.  I have all I need, I just need to get the mortar to use to cement the works. I have tons of bottles and lots of leftover panes of glass from stained glass that is begging to be used.

Blueberry Bottle

I like this bottle with the simple painted design of blueberries.  I think it would look great as a display on a country table or in a window.  It would do well in a pale or white decor.

When I do get ready to do Mosaics I want to concentrate on Celtic Knotwork design.

I did a bottle with a painted design...

Hand painted brown whiskey bottle

This makes me think Renasiance Faire or the SCA gatherings I had been invited to.

A great knick knack for the shelf or medieval/ fantasy gatherings.

I like the knotwork and would love to see it made up of small pieces of glass.

Would love to go for a dragon, but that will take some study.  I can only find books to help me on designing these things, I don't have a person to help me.  No class on it yet in my area.  

I did get started on this when our Children's Librarian did a mosaic class for Homeschoolers.  I took my daughter to that.  I made a sample square and so did she.  She preferred the  foam practice versions we did to the actual work, minute detail is taxing on her short term attention span

but she said I should do more since my simple piece came out so well.

The weather feels so nice today it's like spring, but this is Kansas so we may have another cold spell.

I have the windows up to get some air in while I can.

But all the new clean feeling is making me want to air out my stagnant art abilities and get to trying some new ideas.  Wish me luck fellow art lovers.