Well Wishes and Whatnot - #4

Bee and Echinacea, commonly known as Coneflower.

Photo taken in Jacksonville, Oregon. July 2014.

 

This bee has it right... stop and smell the flowers.

 

Even a stroll down a city sidewalk can be a thing of beauty.

 

You just have to slow down.



Post Mailer Box and Finnabair Fun

Sometimes, I find things that cost next to nothing, but I can't leave behind because I know they have a story to tell.

Yes, it may ultimately be MY make-believe, fantasy story, but that's actually part of the fun.

This may look like a simple cardboard box to many. However, I see a canvas just waiting to be transformed into a mixed-media wall art creation.

I love that it has woven straps with metal buckles.

 And that there's this riveted metal frame just perfect for a quote, photo or story.

That it still has 6-cent stamps attached and the riveted metal corners.

That there are water stains adding LOTS of patina and visual texture.

Just look at the scrawled-out label. 

So many possibilities. 

And an entire INSIDE to hide secret stuff...messages, photos, treasures!

The possibilities are ENDLESS!!!

*****

I just returned from my second Art Is YOU event in Santa Rosa. One of the workshops I took was Finnabair - Anna Dabrowska. 

Now, I have a HUGE confession to make. I had never heard of Anna. I know, I know!!! What? Was I under a rock??? 

Well, Janice (you all know Janice, right?), she DID know of Anna and had been following her mixed-media techniques and products for some time. So, we signed up for her Saturday workshop.

The all white presentation reminds me of a wedding cake.

Not your average alphabet stencil either. 

I almost think this is my favorite one in her lineup.

As you can see, I even used one of my "Found" art elements - Marie - in my project. 

What a great combo to use her products with mine.

Can I just tell you? I had a GREAT time playing. Not only with her stencils, paints, texture mediums, and micas, but the overall experience kept me intrigued. I was enjoying the whole process...and for the first time EVER! I actually ordered workshop products. 

Many times, I don't see the need to duplicate product "types". Sure, every crafty-artist has their own product line, but many seem to cross-over and become redundant in my studio....but..... I really, really enjoyed playing with her line up and recognized that they were different enough to be added to my arsenal. Ok, maybe that makes me sound like a product snob, but oh well. 

Yes, it was a her Ultimate Artifact workshop, and that meant the class was using her black Gesso...and yes, I was a bit of a deviant and went with a very feminine design (not normally my style either, but my muse was feeling it, I guess?)... And guess what? I LOVE IT!!! 

I can't wait to combine some of her products with the post mailer box. I'll keep you "posted". *wink

Have a GREAT MONDAY! Find time to be creative... or just go out treasure hunting! 

...and if you are just hanging out in your jammies with a cup of your favorite beverage, great! 

Either way, just BE HAPPY!

Studio Wall

Once upon a time.... well, still actually, I follow Layla and Kevin Palmer over at The Lettered Cottage.  If you haven't seen or read their blog, I highly suggest you run on over and say "Hello".

...but to continue my story, Layla and Kevin built an AWESOME focal wall full of shelves in their previous house. This wall, to be exact!

I believe they simply removed their dining room drywall to expose the planks and added some 2x4's...and if I recall, they didn't have an insulation issue because this room was adjacent to another room??? I'm NOT positive though.

My studio is adjacent to another warehouse space. So we built a nice, sturdy 2x6 wall, installed insulation, and then hung sheets of beaded board plywood, the thick stuff! 

On top of that, built another framed wall of 2x6 cubbies. 

I LOVE IT!

Lots of primer and paint later.... raw plywood and lumber just absorbs primer like a sponge, but the results are beautiful and allow for tons of display space.

A few months later... 2014 to be exact, I happened to be driving by a local theater - Ginger Rogers Theater. A sign company was removing the sign for replacement since they were renaming it.

In my Tina-Treasure-Hunting-Style, I made a quick scan for a parking spot, and asked the foreman if I could get my hands on a set of the letters. He had to check and get back to me, so I left him my number.

A few days later, I got the call. ONE set was MINE!

They fit perfectly in my highest wall cubbies. It's amazing how things like this work out.

It's like those cubbies were just made for them.

This photo was taken before the wall was completely painted, but I just HAD to test fit them.

I still have a long ways to go until the studio is 100% where I want it to be, but Rome wasn't built in a day.

And the cubbies are perfect no matter what!

Rusty Tour

If you've been reading my re-vamped blog the last couple of weeks, you know I have a lust for rust. Ok. That's a bit of a cliché statement, but... well, I think rust is AWESOME!

It just adds so much character to old steel that would otherwise just be considered past-its-prime.

I tend to pan and scan the ground and my surroundings for anything rusty. I've used bits and bobs in my artwork, and taken hoards of photos. Walk with me and I'm known to stop, say "hold on! I need a photo of this..." or even just stop whatever I'm doing... "squirrel!" and pick up metal pieces, smooshed pieces, pieces covered in dirt, etc. You do that too, right??? Please tell me I'm not just at the precipice of becoming a crazy bag lady.

You MUST know by now...my favorite poem is Hector the Collector by Shel Silverstein. I've posted it before, on my archived PatinaMarie blog. Someday, I WILL create a wall hanging of this poem. It's just SO me.

 

HECTOR THE COLLECTOR

by Shel Silverstein

Hector the Collector
Collected bits of string,
Collected dolls with broken heads
And rusty bells that would not ring.
Pieces out of picture puzzles,
Bent-up nails and ice-cream sticks,
Twists of wires, worn-out tires,
Paper bags and broken bricks.
Old chipped vases, half shoelaces,
Gatlin' guns that wouldn't shoot,
Leaky boats that wouldn't float
And stopped-up horns that wouldn't toot.
Butter knives that had no handles,
Copper keys that fit no locks,
Rings that were too small for fingers,
Dried-up leaves and patched-up socks.
Worn-out belts that had no buckles,
'Lectric trains that had no tracks,
Airplane models, broken bottles,
Three-legged chairs and cups with cracks.
Hector the Collector
Loved these things with all his soul‹
Loved them more than shining diamonds,
Loved them more than glistenin' gold.
Hector called to all the people,
"Come and share my treasure trunk!"
And all the silly sightless people
Came and looked...and called it junk.

 



It's all good. I'm happy with all my collections. I'd rather be gifted some random piece of JUNK, than two dozen roses or a trip to the mall.

...but I'll keep on rolling along...filling up the totes, bags, boxes. Life's too short to live in a WHITE BOX!

My poor kids! "I love you, boys." 

Well Wishes and Whatnot - #3

 Playing with light and shadows. Barn Wood and Chain.

Taken in Central Point, Oregon. March, 2013.

 

 

Aged.

 

Aged beauty.

 

Aged to perfection.

 





There Seemed To Be A Theme

Much like when you buy a new car and THEN you notice ALL those same cars on the road.

Well, our 5-day road trip to Art Is You - Santa Rosa and back, I found a theme was kind of, sort of forming.

Here I am about to cross to the "other side of the tracks".

Janice and I shopped until the car was bursting with treasures. We mapped out a bunch of thrift stores down the 101 and our little 6 hour drive turned into 12-1/2 hours. Oh what fun we had.

We stopped at thrifts, small boutique shops, scrapbook stores, antique stores and of course satisfied our culinary desires - sugar-free breve mochas, cupcakes, trifles, beignets, Thai food, Mexican food, pastrami sandwiches, lettuce wraps... we ate lots of small meals, but with lots of flavors!

 Yeah. SO me... ya think? Yes, this shirt came home with me.

And... well, this was just too cool NOT to snap a photo of.

See, I'm not only a little "trashy", I'm also eclectic.

Cheers and Happy Tuesday!

Well Wishes and Whatnot - #2

This photo was taken in September 2013.

It was one of those "pull over, Honey! I need a photo!" moments.

Stop and appreciate the "little" things.

Happy daisies and a sprite of a mushroom.

Happy Wednesday.

Loading Up The Wagon

This girl, and her good-best friend, Janice, are heading to Art Is You Santa Rosa in just a couple of days.

Let the BIRTHDAY fun begin.

We'll be road-tripping our way down the 101 with a list of thrifts along the way.

Packing lightly and putting the back seats down, making room for treasures!

We are taking two classes this year. A Finnabair class and a Jen Crossley class.

Looking forward to catching up with old friends and meeting new ones too.

This is one of the projects I made last year in a class taught by Lesley Venable. I shopped locally in Petaluma for a little box to fit in an old wooden drawer I brought along with me. Lesley provided the burnt-out Altoid box. It always helps to bring along a mix of doo-dads even when the workshop has a kit fee. It just makes it your own. No one in this workshop went home with two of the same finished projects. Those are the workshops I like best!

This piece is titled Frozen Dead.

I love how it turned out. I even LOVE the CREEPY poetry.

She wore a pair of mittens,
She wore a little blouse,
She wove all night.
In the still, cold house,

She sang as she worked,
And the harp-strings spoke;
Her voice never faltered,
And the thread never broke,
And when I awoke, --

There sat my mother
With the harp against her shoulder,
Looking nineteen,
And not a day older.

A smile about her lips,
And a light about her head,
And her hands in the harp-strings,
Frozen dead.

Cast Iron

 

I've had this panel of cast iron loveliness for years.

 

I've hauled it through THREE states - Washington, California and Oregon.

 

I've toyed with the idea of making it into a table leg.

 

I've pondered hanging it on a wall.

 

It's JUST HEAVY!

 

So, here it sits on my back deck looking pretty.

 

Speaking of pretty....today in Southern Oregon, it's absolutely gorgeous!

 

Off to enjoy the weekend.

 

Cheers.

Sweet Gifts

A lovely rusted aqua painted wagon...with a little spigot for looks.

 

I tend to go through color phases.

 

I don't have a favorite color per se, but I've been in an aqua and rust and galvanized and cream phase for a while.

 

This little rusty aqua wagon was a gift from my oldest son, Ty and his lovely wife, Jania. It's the perfect patina'd vintage object d'art and I just LOVE it! It makes me all happy and smiley.

 

Here's a sampling of the wagon around the studio... enjoy.

 

As a backdrop for Rusty Monkey with a cute little glass crown.

 

Part of my blog header vignette.

That darling baby shoe was a gift from a sweet friend, Barb.

 

Making an appearance in a studio collage.

Abu's Journey Home... the beginning.

 Abu's journey home. August 15, 2015. Yes, this photo was necessary. *wink

Isn't he lovely. He spent the first night outdoors. He is now stored all warm and cozy indoors.

He is in GREAT shape! (and that was just the beginning to the can of worms).

You see, there was a bit of visible, OLD, DRY water damage. Abu lived his life in Eastern Oregon. I DID NOT water test him on purpose. His OLD, DRY water damage may have been from leaks of travels past, but I did not want to tempt fate and cause more.

I've seen other posts online of the ROT and DECAY of a 50-year old trailer. He would go indoors, get torn down and get a new lease on life.

So, I began the disassembly process.

Then....about a week later...


Case in point.

Even though we towed him a little over 3 hours home, on surface streets, two-lane highway, and the freeway, and he towed nicely, he quickly showed me my gut feelings were right.

This is the curb-side leaf spring. ^^^^ All nice and curved and solid.

 

 

This is the street-side leaf spring. ^^^^  Uh oh! A little droopy and out of whack.

 

Poor Abu. Listing just a bit. Anyone else see a resemblance to the old Flintstone's cartoon? The heavy rack of ribs delivery on the one side of Fred's car??? lol

Stay tuned.

Well Wishes and Whatnot - #1

A lovely Mr. Rooster photo taken by me in June of 2012

on the beautiful island of Maui, Hawaii.

The first of many simple Wednesday posts.

Well Wishes and Whatnot will be a mix of photography, quotes, and other items of interest.

A Short and Sweet break to get us all through the week.

Abu.

Say hello to my little friend.

This is Abu. HE is a 1965 Aladdin Sultan's Castle. All 16' of him is currently being dismantled in preparation for a complete overhaul.

I bought him in August of 2015. He was in really great shape for his age, but I'm a bit retentive and could not just paint him all shiny new and glamp him in to La La Land.

There was a bit of water damage, not a ton, but enough that I KNEW water is the enemy to wood framing. As I began to remove 100's of 1/4" screws, the J-rail, and the skin... my instinct proved correct. It will make for a longer process, but Abu will be happier for it, and I'll feel safer out on the road.

I LOVE that there is a little Aladdin lamp cut-out in under the sink. Many of the vintage trailers had varnished birch paneling. Abu has oak paneling, and although I love the bright and airy look of white painted interiors, I also love the warm feeling of the stained wood. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there.



This was a HUGE selling point for me... a potty room! Well, more like a teeny-tiny closet, but at least it's not a 5 gallon bucket. Although, that would work too. (blurry photo, but it's a potty, so you get the gist.)

This is the Model 16 SD-6 layout. Just perfectly perfect for a little getaway.

I SO wish I could save this aged decal logo. It says Aladdin Trailer Company, Hillsboro, Oregon.

SWEET!

I'll likely just frame THIS photo and hang it inside.

This is ONE of TWO original labels on the outside. I was able to save one. The other was just too far gone. But, the one I did save, is currently pressed inside one of my HUGE dictionaries between waxed paper and will (hopefully) be able to be re-affixed to the outside after painting.

I have a LONG ways to go bringing this guy back to a lovely glamper state, but it will be worth all the blood, sweat, tears.... and cash.

I've named HIM Abu, after Aladdin's little monkey pal. Guess I have a thing with monkey's, huh?

But, as I was taking him apart, I notice the gimp (the round rubber interior edge molding that fills the gaps between panel seams) is pink. Now if you know me real well, you know I'm NOT really a PINK kind of gal... But.... I'm actually leaning towards a VERY PALE PINK theme for Abu. Ok, boys don't wear pink??? Well, I've seen the phrase, "It's NOT PINK, it's lightish RED!" ha ha....

Ok. Seriously, when I see cotton candy pink and vanilla cream and milk chocolate together... yeah you know. I think it is very soothing and relaxing and light. So.... I've been toying with the name.... Pink Abu. Just a play on the words Peek A Boo.

Pink Abu....Itty, Bitty, Living Space

Stay tuned.