Got my grout on (finally!)

Nice weekend to hang out back and do the duty!

Last Winter's Bright Inspiration

Five Fiesta vases awaiting grout. I hate to grout. Have I mentioned that?

Looks like it might be warm enough this weekend for me to get to it out on the back porch which is far preferable to doing it in the laundry room!

These were all made from the leftovers of the Z's Potting Bench Project which was completed and delivered in May of 2012. Lord. I really need to get my mosaic muse shit together and update my portfolio!

Furry Love ~ New Vintage Jewelry Mosaic Photo Frames

Now appearing in my etsy store. (Update: the first two sold last weekend. Yay! But there are still two very cute feline frames in there!)

The mosaic muse is kicking and screaming lately for NEW PROJECTS! Some days I just walk around down in my studio in a fugue state trying to discern what wants to be made, petitioning the gods of Creativity for inspiration. Until it arrives, I suppose I'll go with what I already know.

Jim & Pat's Lazy Susan (or Why I Love Custom Projects!)

A week after shipping the completed 20" lazy susan off to California, I woke up to this email:

Oh wow!!  It's beautiful!  I really can't say enough.  And you really connected to what I envisioned. Your choice of colors is perfect. I'm glad you didn't listen to me and paint the edge white. The dark blue is the right choice.  I haven't shown Pat yet...I'm going to surprise her by just putting it on the table and wait til she notices.  My only complaint is...you really didn't charge enough!!...holy cow...the packaging alone looks expensive...and all your time and artistry...I feel guilty.  Look for a little surprise from me.  It's been a pleasure!

Regards...Jim

Seriously. What on earth could be more fulfilling and gratifying for an artist who asked someone she had never met, never even spoken with but via emails, to trust her to bring his vision to life? (Not quite as gratifying, but close, was the picking of my first two squash from the Earth Box project out on the back deck!)

Thank you for the honor, Jim. You are a very gracious and generous Being!

Update: The "little surprise" from Jim was more money! Seriously! I have been so blessed throughout my entire mosaic-making career with the absolute best clients imaginable. Who sends someone more than what they asked for? How generous a heart.

She Lives!

Good Lord. 15 months tomorrow since I posted on this thing? My worries about not remembering how to post here were for naught since everything has changed inside the control panels anyway! Here goes something:

After spending the first five months of this year finally creating the Z's Garden Room Potting Bench (photos on that to follow, "soon"), a new burst of creative energy rose up at long last. And while I continue to wonder "what's next?" in terms of some new venues and vehicles of creative expression, e-Serendipity graced me again with a new custom project for a wonderful California couple.

I shall do a 20" lazy susan using only blue and white shards, not too busy, and as simple and elegant as I can manage. Gulp! I'm not known for my subdued minimalism, but I'm gonna make this work!

As always, Annie the Mosaic Muse inserts herself into the process. (I believe the studio insertion space she requires might have "expanded" a bit over the last 15 months.)

The susan is bound for this 1887 beach house in Pacific Grove, CA! My favorite location on the planet, thus far. Synchromysticism rules!

 

It shall live on this beautiful table.

Very excited! 

I love custom projects.

Alexa & Demet, Almost Newlyweds!

Here is my latest commissioned piece, my most favorite of all types of work! A lovely woman who shall go by "Cat Lady" found me online and requested that we create a frame for the impending marriage of her daughter, Alexa, and Demet. Cat Lady sent me a baggie full of special items to include and was very helpful with ideas for other touches, like birthstones of pearl and peridot for the couple.

This battered and rusty lady-in-sunhat brooch was found by Alexa and Demet on the side of a road on a trip to Mexico.

The brass swan is jokingly referred to as "the most beautiful thing in the world" since that is how Alexa viewed it as a very tiny girl.



The Siamese kitty was the first of many animal figurines that Alexa collected in childhood. Both are teachers of young children, so I found some great items to represent their shared vocation.

Demet teaches art so the palette charms were a score!

More of Alexa's darling kitties.

Canines represent!

The Canadian dime is significant because a close relative was the owner and skipper of the boat.

Demet is a musician so lots of fun things were found for him.



The wedding will take place in early April and I eagerly await a photo of the radiant couple. Many, many thanks for trusting me with such a special project, Cat Lady!

Ms. Tally's Wild Cats Pride!

Favorite client, Ms. Tally, of Lima & Prissy Christmas frame fame, upon seeing my Big Cats frame that had just sold, immediately requested her own Big Cats frame in which to showcase a photo of herself and all her best gal pals, thus Wild Cats! Say no more?

(Be sure to click on photos to supersize them!)
This amazing brooch on the upper right came from Ms. Tally's personal collection and it is truly my favorite of the whole lot.

This tiger bracelet was a trip and a half! What a score.







Another joyful project thanks to Tally, who has just welcomed a new member into their family: 10-month old Papillon, Zander the Great! I think Santa might be hunting for Pappilon charms and brooches this very moment.