Studio Cabinet

A friend suggested I put some new knobs on the cabinet.  Got a great deal for 20 knobs and I needed 15 so worked out great.  EACH one was different....  It is as if the cabinet now stands proud and make s a statement.

Stencil Cleaner

Stencils are so fragile....and with many techniques they "take a beating".  I am pretty religious in cleaning them but sometimes.....I forget, too tired, etc.  I use a lot of modeling paste for dimension and when it hardens it is like a rock....  

I LOVE Awesome from Dollar Tree, a nail surgical brush which is sooooo soft and I let the Awesome set on it for a bit then I scrub gently; both sides.  Sometimes I need to do it more than just one time but it has never let me down.  

I SELL THE BRUSHES IN MY ETSY SHOPPE.

Tooth Pick Holder

I have a good friend who loves Glam, and so I am always Glam challenged when I am playing and I see something is going "her way."  I use items I might not ever use normally.

Tonight I cleaned a little and I created....and it was fun.

For the toothpick holder I am using:
1.  Small hexagon mirror
2.  Glass baby food jar
3.  Small polymer clay handmade focal
4.  Dragonfly mold
5.  Glamour Dust Paint (Ice Crystal)
6.  E6000 Glue
7.  Oil Slick Foil
8.  Ice crystal sequin
9.  Seed Beads
10.  Gallery Glass Frosted....and Crackle Medium
11.  Jewelry finding...silver corner


Still not "done" so we will see what tomorrow brings.    I have NO idea what will be next but I am striving to have it done by Wednesday.  Will post a photo when I am done.

I am content with where it is....maybe she will take it and embellish further.  It was fun and working with different mediums let me see what might work and what "just won't".  

Studio Cabinet HOUSECLEANING

I purchased this delightful 15 drawer cupboard at our local RESTORE Habitat for Humanity.  I was DELIGHTED....BUT, along with it comes some major work in cleaning, re-arranging, etc.  HOUSECLEANING... (this is the 2nd time I have used this word and did a housecleaning procedure "of sorts" in the past couple of days).   The drawers are deep and long which is wonderful.  Most definitely a "find" and a "steal" getting an additional 20% off.

So...I have found myself finding things I had forgotten I had, pulled some pure to do some paintings on using the pour as a background, found some items to mail to friends, etc.  I even stop and play for awhile but I am having to step over piles and that is not good so more work tomorrow so I can at least pass through....

Housecleaning.  Getting rid of the old which no longer serves its' purpose and getting back to the basics.  Decluttering.

Silicone Flower Mold Necklace Focal

I think that it is VERY hard to showcase jewelry items on the computer and do them the justice that they deserve.  I just finished up the necklace portion and have yet to hook everything together.  Looking at this I am not much impressed but I remember a teacher saying to me that some creations go through stages of UGLY.  I am making this to go with a Dark Green T shirt dress for summer so I want the necklace to be as simple as the dress with a flair of uniqueness...a one of a kind piece.   I also was able to create a simple handmade lamp work bead bracelet to match.  Now, I really think that it is striking.    The painting technique for this is done in several layers of color, wipeout and varnish that just builds and builds upon the white based clay that I used.   I have to check but I am pretty sure that the silicon mold itself is listed in my Etsy shoppe for sale and is a Lisa Pavelka product.  Later on in the week I will show photos of the finished piece.


POPPY MOLD  $6.00

Clay Stamp and its Progression Stages #2

I just ordered and received this rubber stamp from a clay teacher overseas and I am anxious to work with it.  I actually ordered 3 other stamps and have an order in for a couple more as well as some cutters.   I don't think that I am going to offer any of them for sale on my Etsy site and reserve them more for my own personal use. 

I have a couple of different ideas for this one so it will be fun to see what happens.....  Stay tuned.

My favorite clay is the Sculpty Ultra light.  It only comes in white which suits me just fine and because I have had a surgery on my right hand most clays are just too hard for me and creates unwanted pain.  I have loved it from my very first brick. 

Also on order is on book that looked interesting and if it proves to be what I think it will be I am going to enjoy the knowledge and a lot of the items that are shown.  

We just had an air conditioner put into my little art shop so I think I am going to be spending a LOT more time down here Playing......I guess at 73 (almost) I am going to have a second childhood.  Life needs to be fun.

Welcome to my blog and I hope to meet some new friends.

DAY #2

I have 2 pieces stamped, baked and waiting for creation.  I really like the blue and white of this stamp so I am thinking that may be where I start...colors just like the stamp....achieving them?  Well, that is going to be horse of a different color....but challenge is good...and who knows...the WHOLE thing could change once I start.

One is going to be a focal piece for a necklace and I also smoothed clay over a small canvas square board.....  I have been working on a few changes in the master bath so this is where this piece may go and if so we are talking an ink blue and  ..... probably a fleshy beige.   I am hoping I can get to them this week.  Right now I am working on a couple of other necklaces which I will post when finished.  

Mega Silicone Mold Material

I had never used molding compound until I decided to purchase some, try it out and decide if it was an item others might be looking for, wanting to try, or just an artistic adventure...   Since I sell it in my Etsy store ... it passed my personal approval.   It is quite the artists' tool.  Especially if you are interested in collage with dimension, texture and art that is a totally different art form that what we have been used to seeing or even trying to understand the concept behind the finished piece,,,,the story that goes with it.  Sometimes just as interesting as the art piece itself.

The molding compound comes as 2 parts.  Blue in one jar and White in the other.  You use equal amounts of both to activate the chemical components to "set" and harden and yet still be flexible and pliable without distorting.

There are probably many different molding brands out there and I am not saying that the one I sell is the best because I haven't tried any of the others.  I was fortunate to get the results I was after with this product....at least at this stage in my artistic journey....  It is easy to use, the results are good, and I get a sense of personal satisfaction from creating a mold of something and I DO NOT strive to achieve perfection...if there are flaws here and there....so be it.  This is handmade....

I decided to post a photo of the Mold medium as I am using it in the project I am working on right now.  Please believe me when I say I doubt VERY much if what I am showing will be anything like what the finished piece will look like...sometimes art "grows" in color, texture, size, components, etc. and I just never know...and that is part of the mysterious journey of intuitive art.  You know you are going somewhere.....but you have NO idea where you will end up....and that is fun.

Photo #1 shows my model.....
Photo #2 is the 2 part molding compound.
Photo #3 shows the mold I made
Photo #4 is my face using the mold and Sculpty light modeling clay  I didn't want the total face area I just wanted a portion of my models....
Photo #5 working into the intuitive piece.  My background colors are acrylic on heavy watercolor paper upon which I did a pour.  It is going to be my background for this piece.

I love the look of the colored foils so I have already used some on the face and on the background piece itself where there was an area what wasn't very attractive at all...an eyesore of sorts that now is acceptable to me and not sticking out like a sore thumb and screaming at me.   A creation using techniques,  color, tools, products, materials, texture, embellishments, balance, form, composition,  etc.   and allowing myself to go where I am led and not question why...and then using my intuition to enhance or remove.

Regarding the Silicone Mold Material:

I would wipe down your mold piece.
You mix equal parts of Blue and White molding compound together until it all becomes one color
Apply mold material to your "model" or piece you are wanting to make a mold of
Let it set ... about 15 minutes or so....depends on weather conditions.  You will know when it has cured enough to remove.
My only advice is to apply the molding compound thick enough enough so that it doesn't tear ...and holds up for more than just a single use.   I have a thin area in my mold that may create a problem down the road if I use it too many times and am not careful.

When your clay piece is cooled and you are ready to use check to see if there are any rough areas that need a bit of sanding down...blemishes from the mold, etc.

Fill your set mold with clay and move around, then press for detail.  Peel back your mold.  material.  The clay item is now ready to be baked.  For this mold I wanted it to be curved so I used cotton inside to form the face the way I wanted it.
I am using acrylic paint on the baked and cured polymer clay piece and have also added some foil.  Have NO idea what the piece will look like finished......

ETSY Free Shipping an Open Letter to Etsy buyers and Vendors

Etsy has sent an UPDATE to their vendors recommending that we offer free shipping to those buyers in the United States who purchase $35 or more in product from a shop.  In doing so they recommend that we increase our item prices to absorb this "free shipping" option.  So .... in reality, in my reality anyway this means that the "little guys" who don't purchase $35 worth of product will be paying more for an item and receiving nothing extra....but Etsy will receive more money per item.  Somehow this just doesn't seem fair.  Does it to you?

I keep my items prices as low as possible while still being able to make a profit which is why we have Etsy vendors.  Their goal is to make money.

I don't gouge my buyers with excess shipping on their items.  Just what the PO requires and I refund excess shipping over $1.00 or upgrade the shipping method to Priority if the product is over
1 pound and then refund shipping overages.  This provides them loss protection with free insurance which I am sure is something a buyer appreciates.  I know I do.

For right now it is not mandatory so I WILL NOT be offering free shipping on my items because I don't think it is the right seller option for me.  I am not a vendor who overcharges for shipping and many times the buyer pays less that the actual cost of shipping and it comes out of my pocket....shipping overages over $1 are refunded back to my buyers which doesn't happen much with US orders but does with my overseas customers because I sell worldwide and have a nice volume of overseas buyers.   95% of them are happy with my policy....those that complain are those buyers who live in countries where shipping is really high....something I don't have any control of.    I ship through Etsy but if they make free shipping an option and REQUIRE a vendor to provide free shipping forcing us to increase our item prices to compensate I am not sure what option will be available so that I won't be forced to do something I feel is detrimental to my business and my own personal business ethics.

I purchase nearly as much on Etsy as I sell.  I support the Etsy vendors and to be honest; I have not run into many vendors who I feel are overcharging on their postage.  AND, as a vendor I realize that there are other costs in "shipping" such as our envelopes, gas to the PO if one is rural, etc. etc. that is reflected into our shipping costs.....vs our product costs.

Personally I don't think Etsy has the "right" to tell us how we must run our business.  Bottom line they are just a listing site....WE as Etsy vendors should have the option of running our business the same as we would if we had an actual storefront.  If we are not in compliance let Etsy report us to the correct business monitoring system (other than them) and let them handle the situation because Etsy sure doesn't have us as vendors "at heart".  Maybe we should all boycott Etsy for a couple of weeks and see how they like that.

One cannot even talk to someone at Etsy as they have NO PHONE NUMBER....  So who is "running the show"?  An automated system that is programmed and it just does things based on A B and C without the human contact that is how it appears.  You can't TALK to a human....everything is via email...  Maybe we all should do some thinking here and maybe even see questioning.    Maybe along the way via this blog post there will be an attorney that is willing to step up to the plate with compassion and decide maybe things need to be looked into.  As an individual when unfairness occurs we don't have the money to investigate a big corporation....so as a result they win, we are forced to do things that go against our principals...and big corporate wins ... and we get more frustrated in life world.

Their methodology of thinking just doesn't seem in the best interest of anyone except them.

There are times I don't order because of shipping costs and a no refund policy in place to refund buyers postage overages but they are normally the overseas vendors.  At this point in time I get to make my OWN decision.  Do I want the product(s) enough to pay the postage?  Is there another vendor maybe here in the US who offers a similar product where shipping would not be an issue?
Let the buyers make the decisions....not ETSY.

When a vendor reaches a certain "SOLD" amount we receive 1099's which are reportable to the IRS at tax time.  With being forced to raise our prices to cover shipping costs ( in a round about deceitful way as they are suggesting ) we will reach this fee threshold quicker.....  We can use our shipping as a deduction on our taxes but the way Etsy wants us to do things we will have increased sales with reduced deductions.  So as a vendor we are potentially LOOSING money.  Has a political sting to it.

I am sure a lot of vendors are vendors such as I am......I have an Etsy shop to supplement my retirement income and help ends meet....and this Etsy "thinking" or not thinking in my books of their vendors is not anything that is going to help us or keep us where we are....it will hurt us immensely in the long run.

\

Think about it.  Who benefits here?  Me as a vendor?  You as a customer?  Or Etsy?  I really don't think it takes much thought or reasoning to come to the realization that customers and vendors are not on the winning end....no matter how you look at it.

I have said that Etsy is my storefront.  I pay them rent per item that I list and again when I sell an item.  Does that give them the right to walk into my store and tell me I need to increase the cost of my items and not charge postage?  Or provide an addendum to our listing contract to that effect that if we don't sign it we will no longer have a storefront with them?

Maybe we need a 3rd eye into reality ....

If you agree PLEASE COMMENT so that I can send my letter along with comments on to Etsy.  VOICE your opinion.... or copy my letter, sign it, add your comment and send it on to Etsy so they get the voice of the buyers and not the voice of those who sit on the Etsy board of directors.  I really don't think that they are getting ANY complaints from Etsy buyers that the Etsy sellers shipping costs are too high.....I buy a lot from Etsy and that has NEVER been an issue....NEVER.


Thank you.

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Intuitive Painting

Earlier this week I had an urge to paint a horizontal piece so I began looking through my stash for something that would "work" and I found a piece of hardboard that had been base coated black and a canvas that was painted a medium blue.  I chose the black base coated hardboard.

I began going through my stencils and pulling those that I felt might be a connection to the painting somehow choosing from intuitive feeling.

Crackle.  I wanted a portion of the painting to have a crackled aged effect so I knew I would be working with one of the brands that I had on hand.  Also chosen and laid aside was a photo I had printed off the computer of a buddha to be used as inspiration.  Other than that I had NO idea where I was going...how it would end up..... so I just began, adding  elements as I progressed as well as using different collaging techniques.  PLAYING.

Last night when I went to bed at about 3:30 AM this is where I was with the painting.  I couldn't quit, I just stayed with the feeling knowing I could sleep in being retired.

Today when I was writing this post and  looking at the painting I noticed that the right eye was not done........ I have AMD in my right eye.  Co-incidence?  I have heard and read that there are NO co-incidences in life....and with intuitive painting this is something to keep in mind.  Will I paint the eye, will I leave it as it is or will I somehow enhance the area in a different manner?  I have no plans....however, Just from the picture I have posted here I see that there is an area above the eye that is WAY too light so that I will fix.....and slight modifications elsewhere......here and there.

I am currently taking an online class titled Soul Blossoming and the canvas has been started but is at a standstill......I have to ask myself if this is going to be a Soul Blossoming piece when it is finished and truly an intuitive painting?

I am anxious to finish but I am also enjoying the journey and I DON'T want it to be finished.

I have been painting intuitively for about 2 years as I process through an emotional victimization.  Art provides answers, allows for seeing things differently, surfaces feelings, and assists in recovery.

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