p.quinn

Art Every Day Month: Final

I drove across the state on Monday.

Been sick with a migraine ever since.

But I wanted to check in on the final day of Art Every Day Month 2011...

OK.

Which one won out for my next project?

The Silver-lined Amethyst?

Nope.

After digging through my little beading suitcase and seeing exactly what I had left for supplies, the Turquoise/Pearly Olive Luster was the hands down choice.

Perfect for a bracelet set, don't you think?

First step was to sort through the teeny tiny 11/0 Green Iris seed beads to pick out the exact shades of blue and green I wanted.

Yes, I really do this.

Really.

Next I made me some dangles for the bracelet ends.

And then came the order for twenty bracelets and two necklaces!

Toss the Turquoise/Pearly Olive Luster aside!

Instead of bead stringing, I had some bead shopping to do!

What a bummer.

{ha! ha!}

Since I was out of two of the colors needed for my order, I had to pick up a mess of 6/0 seed beads....

I got the colors I needed for my order....

And perhaps  just a few  extra shades.

Also got some other stuff.

I tried to buy only what I needed.

And actually, I did pretty good.

But I ask you...

How could I resist these?

About impossible to photograph, but oh-so-cool!

I also shopped a tad bit on-line....

Some white fresh water pearls were necessary.

They have arrived and indeed are gorgeous.

However, absolutely no sun since I've been in Deadwood, so no photos.

You'll just have to trust me as to how very good they are......

I guess all that remains is for me to get busy, huh?

Yup.

Thanks for following along on my much abbreviated AEDM participation!

Keep in touch!

{XOX}

I am linking this post to:

Now go see what Leah and everyone else is up to!

Can You Imagine???

Whenever I walk by, I always admire this old stone bench in upper Sherman Park.

But it looks so strange sitting there facing a tangle of trees and brush.

And a rather steep drop off.

Why ever was it built there ?

Could it be that it was the waiting area.....

For this.....

{please click to enlarge}

{once again, sorry for the bird p**p}

Can you imagine?

Waxed paper??

Burlap sacks???

Were they nuts????

Then I got to wondering...

Did my grandparents take the plunge?

I guess if they did, they lived to tell about it.

Me?

No way would I have gotten on that thing.

Call me chicken if you like, but no carpet remnant and unbearably hot tin under my butt!

My feet would have remained firmly planted on the quartzite pavers, thank you very much!

How about you???

Would you ride The Big Slide???

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have

A

Wonderful

Thanksgiving!!!

 

I'll be having turkey and all the trimmings with Mom at her facility. 

I intend to fill my hollow leg.

  {especially at the dessert table...}

Happy Birthday!

Today is my blog's third birthday!

Wow.

When I started, I had words only.

No photos.

Oh, I had a camera.

But I was too scared to take it out of the box and attempt to use it.

Then one day, I finally got brave enough to fish it out.

And ever-so-gingerly push THE button.

This was the third photo that I took that day.

Apparently numbers one and two were so bad that I deleted them.

But I like to keep this one around.

For sentimental value.

A lot has changed in three years.

Now, I click away like a wild woman.

Anyway.

To celebrate my blog birthday, I decided I would post some of my favorite photos from the past three years.

Most you have seen before, but a few not.

Some you will have seen very recently.

Some come from way back.

 I had almost forgotten some of them.

{not all my photos are on my laptop, so you will be spared the entire library...}

So, in no particular order, here we go!

Thanks for hanging with me!

And thanks for reading my blog.

For three years.

Yay!

{XOX}

 

I am linking this post to:

Now go visit Leah and see what everyone is up to!

 

Art Every Day Month #3

Last weekend, I spent some time at the first arts and crafts show that I've been to in ages.

I ate ice cream.

And pizza.

I drank Dr. Pepper.

I gawked and poked in {almost} every booth, sampled just about everything there was to try, and visited with many of the artists and crafters.

I even won a prize drawing!

Oh, yes.

I also shopped.

Among other things, here is what I bought....

Irish Twins Soaps in three lovely scents.

This stuff is sensational!

And a couple Simply Natural lip balms.

I haven't tried them yet, but they smelled so good, that I couldn't not buy them...

Some "Secret Peanuts" and an assortment of dark chocolate/caramel handmade candies with cashews, pecans or peanuts.

I am positive I purchased way more than appear in the photo.

Somehow, the rest turned up "missing"......

hhmmmmm.......

And these sweet, sweet magnet sets.

Which came on a metal jar lid in a handmade paper box.

All for only $4 per set!

Made by Heather Cool, Crafter.

How cool is that?

Even though I was busy eating and shopping, I had another mission going on as well....

I was busy checking out the attendance.

{seemed rather large...}

Were people {besides me...} shopping?

{would appear that way...}

Would I like to think about doing the show next year?

{yes!}

Wow.

I haven't done a "real" show in many, many years.

Just the small, couple hour events at my Mom's facility.

I was accepted for a juried show last year, but had to cancel out because life got in the way.

As it sometimes does.

I kind of figured that would be the end of my show thoughts.

But here I am....

Thinking hard....

Come 2012, will I be able to put on Big Girl Panties {as my friend Lynn likes to say and is getting very good at...} and submit my entry?

Then pray that life behaves itself for once.

Just how brave am I?

{not very}

Please help keep me motivated.

{have I mentioned that I need to be held accountable?}

Ooooo!

I'm excited!

p.s.  I just got an jewelry order for 20 {count 'em...20!} bracelets and two necklaces!

Whee!!!

p.s.s.  And I just re-opened my Etsy jewelry shop!

{am I on a roll, or what?!?}

 

I am linking this post to:

Now go visit Leah and see what everyone is up to!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Art Every Day Month #2

Well, a week has passed.

I'm here to give my AEDM report.

I sure miss just being able to sit down to my computer any old time I want to!

Anyway.

While I can't truthfully say I did something art-y every day, more days than not had at least a tiny bit.

Or, at the minimum, some contemplation.

Some thoughts of my art/craft.

Which is way more than had been going on lately, so I consider that an improvement.

Thanks!

I even stopped for a short while to browse in one of the local bead shops...

Browsing not for beads, but for inspiration.

{well, OK, I might have seen a few I'll go back for later on....}

So.

Here's my week.....

Remember these?

The Silver-lined Crystal beads for a necklace?

**Disclaimer**

This is NOT meant as a tutorial in any way, shape or form.

I just snapped a few photos along the way so you could see what I did...

First, I have to make the pendant.

Which, of course, involves more little rings.

And a large Crystal facet....

That gets attached to part of a toggle clasp that kinda looks like a grape leaf.

After the stack of rings are added, it makes a simple, yet eye-catching focal piece.

Next I string up a bunch of beads.

Then comes the crimping.

These tiny little things {on my very wrinkly palm} are the crimp beads that hold the whole necklace together.

And this is the crimping tool that squishes them.

I have a love/hate relationship with this device.

I love it because of the funky teeth.

And the blazing blue handles.

I hate it because it makes me nervous....

I am rather picky.

If I don't like the way a crimp turns out, I end up taking the entire thing apart and restringing it.

I just hate it when that happens.

{do you think I might need to lighten up??}

{just a tad??}

This time it worked just fine!

And we have us a necklace.....

That looks just swell with last week's earrings!

Since I was on a roll with the Crystal, I decided that even if I didn't have enough beads or wire left to make the matching 7-loop cuff, I could still do up the dangles for the bracelet ends so I'd be ready to go as soon as I get more supplies....

Guess what?

More rings.

Fast forward and there we go.

Yep.

Next?

Well, Gunmetal and Light Amethyst sure has been a good seller for me lately....

And I had just enough Gunmetal beads for three loops and six big Amethyst rounds....

How convenient.

There is my week.

In a pile.

What's on the burner for my next project?

I'm not entirely sure.

But here are a couple possibilities....

Perhaps something with Silver-lined Amethyst?

Or how about Turquoise and Pearly Olive Luster?

I'll just have to dig around in my little beading suitcase and see what I can come up with....

What I've got left....

Won't that be fun?

I think so.

 

I am linking this post to:

Now go visit Leah and see what everyone is up to!

 

The Bread Man Cometh

For once, I arrived somewhere at the right time.

Or....

I was in the right place at the right time.

However you want to look at it.

Either way, it was the highlight of my walk that day....

HE arrived at the parking lot in lower Sherman Park at the same time I did.

HE was recognized immediately.

One second all was quiet.

The next, pure chaos.

A flapping and quacking filled the air.......

Oh, yes!

We have achieved lift-off!

Wheee!!!

They just kept coming.....

And coming.....

And coming!

Ducks seemingly without end.

So I kept clicking.....

And clicking.....

And clicking.

All the while, grinning from ear to ear.

Look at the gleam in his eye!

It says "Gonna get me some bread!"

And get some bread, they did.

The pavement was swarming with mallards....

Alive with color and beauty....

For the approximately three seconds it took them to snarf it all down.

Then they headed back to the river as fast as they had come.

And all was quiet {except for a few errant quacks} until the next time THE BREAD MAN cometh............

 

The Color Of Fall

Went for a walk the other day....

The color of fall was breathtaking.

And it was everywhere I looked.

I walked through the old-money section in a small hidden area of homes called Riverview Heights.

{this is near my Mom's, but trust me, we have none of that old-money...}

Riverview Heights is one of my favorite places to walk and gawk.

Most of these homes aren't really that high and there is no view of the river.

Supposedly, when the oldest homes were built, the plan was to divert a channel of the Big Sioux River to provide that view, but along came the Great Depression and that was the end of that....

{click to enlarge and see how cool this is!}

I love the imagination of the old-time brick masons.

And the skill!

The day was absolutely gorgeous....

This little road curves up to the top of Sherman Park.

And from there, I'm sure I can see forever.....

The light was going golden as the sun began to sink....

Oh, the color of fall!

But the highlight of my walk?

Check back next post.

See you then!

 

I am linking this post to:

Now go visit Sarah!

 

 

Art Every Day Month #1

It is November.

You know what that means....

Art Every Day Month!

Yay!

I participated in AEDM in 2009 and met some wonderful blog friends that I've stayed in touch with ever since.

I even met Bobbi in person this summer.

I wanted to join in last year, but couldn't because I was without a computer at the time.

And here I am this year....

At my Mom's with limited computer access, but hoping to play along the best I can.

Just because it is so much fun!

I'll link up whenever I can.

When I go out to find WiFi {and coffee...}.

Probably once or twice a week.

Which is way better than no times a week, right?

Right.

Art Every Day will be presenting an extra challenge for me this year.

When I left for Mom's this spring, I brought along beading supplies for what I thought would be a 3-4 week visit.

It has now been almost six months.

Let's just say my little beading suitcase is running a bit on the empty side.

Yes, I could  go visit the bead shops.

But I'm trying not to because:

A)  I hate the idea of buying more of the same stuff that I already have sitting in boxes and drawers back home....

B)  After this length of time, my beading supplies ain't the only thing running low...I'm about broke.

So....

It will be a month of making make-do art.

{and probably some photography...}

That said, my first AEDM project was a pair of earrings since I still had the pieces and parts I needed....

 

Like little rings.

Lots and lots of them.

First I have to rough the rings up a tad with my round nose pliers.

Can you believe this is still the same pair that I bought when I started playing with beads back in 2002?

The jaws are gouged and the plastic grip on one of the handles has fallen apart, but it functions perfectly.

It was a rather cheap inexpensive pliers, but it has really held up well....

Unlike the chain nose pliers which I use next.

I have snapped the jaws on several pairs of these.....

OK.

After the rings are roughed up, they need to be straightened and put back into shape.

For this process, first I use a pliers in each hand.

Then just one plier and some fingers....

This is when I sometimes pinch a finger with the above mentioned chain nose pliers.

{let me tell you, that hurts}

At which point {perhaps} a few nasty words slip out.

I try not to let that happen, but on occasion, it just does.

Anyway.

All this roughing up, straightening, wrapping wire, assembling {and cussing...} goes on for awhile....

And voila!

I'm done.

They would nice for a wedding or a prom, don't you think?

Yup.

What's next for AEDM?

Sadly, I don't have enough beads or wire left to make a matching cuff.

So...

How about a Silver-lined Crystal necklace?

It will look mighty fine with those earrings.....

 

I am linking this post to:

Now go visit Leah and see what everyone is up to!

 

Parting Shot

What's your hurry?

You need to slow down and enjoy the weekend!