Tuesday, December 17, 2013

A time to mourn


7 weeks  ago today  I lost my beloved peanut .  Yesterday I got up at 5:00 am  and Q tip my 16 year old  kitty was sleeping in her litter box. She had been drinking lots of water the last several days and trying to pee a lot .  The last 2 evenings she had wanted to be sleeping right by me not her normal routine .I knew something was really  wrong. We got to the vet  and her blood work  showed her kidneys  had shut down and the toxin levels where very high in the blood and body . She had 2 -3 more weeks  to live the vets said weeks of misery.  I would not do that to  her she is my family I love her.  As she lay sedated I  told her of how happy she was when Mark and I found her and gave her, her forever home .  I then  kissed her eyes shut as she went to the rainbow bridge Now  she is  with my other beloved family in forever peace. I miss you all my  beloved loved ones .Someday I hope to cross that rainbow bridge too  and hold you all so tight. I love you forever and ever


There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven :
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend, 

Friday, November 29, 2013

half off on mixed media items in my etsy shop

Happy black  friday. The news is that 20 miles away this fall a Joann's Fabric and Hobby Lobby Opened. Up until then the we had very little sources for mixed media craft supplies  in our area and that is why I opened my shop in Bisbee. But now with the big box store my mixed  media sales have dropped so I am liquidated  them . Starting  today in the shop itself the  sale will be 50% and  on the etsy site %50 too on mixed media supplies only . For example if you need a 100 watt weller soldering iron( the best ) a  stand and solid  sal ammoniac  stone ( for cleaning the soldering iron tip ) This is your chance  to get a super deal.... all 3 for $48.00  https://www.etsy.com/listing/170757722/weller-100-watt-soldering-iron-iron


Monday, November 25, 2013

shrink plastic jewelry

I have been having fun with childs play . Using Inkssetentail Shrink Plastic by Ranger  for jewelry.

Step 1= Sand one side of the plastic with very fine sand paper so you  can use colored pencils  on that side ,such as prisma and water colored pencils. I like to outline first with a black sharpie and then add  the color . Using bright colors makes them very fun. Remember to double the size you want the final bead to be as it will shrink almost in half . Note- to make a domed  bead they work best in a round shape .But it its fun to make other shapes to add  to the round shapes in you final jewelry  design.




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Step 2= I cut them out and heat them up with a heat gun while hot and shrunk put them in the  metal doming block depression that fit the size of our flat bead the push them down with doming punch and you have a shrink plastic domed bead .AS I said if it has rolled and added you may have to reheat it in the doming depression so it will form the cupped shape

This is the doming  block. Use jewelry pliers to put the hot shrunk plastic in the center of the dome.  You may need to reheat it in the dome as it cools fast ,then smash it with the round  punch.
doming blocks can be bought at Rings and Thing \s ---link below
 (  https://shop.rings-things.com/cart/search/search.asp?keywords=doming+blocks  ) and cheaper wood ones at Micheal's. I recommend investing in nice steal ones such as the one in the photo. 


step 3= Drill the center  with a 1/16 drill bit then design away!!!


step 4= Final pieces






You can order the Inssential  shrink plastic on my etsy shop
https://www.etsy.com/listing/170631695/shrink-plastic-by-inssentials-a-ranger

Monday, November 18, 2013

You are only given one little spark of madness , you mustn"t loss it. -Robin Williams 




Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Peanut 2004 -2013

I lost my darling little Peanut on our morning trail walk to a coyote .It was horrifying, devastating  and I  painful beyond belief , I loveed / love  that little girl like she was human .
The rainbow bridge 
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... 



Thursday, July 11, 2013

In my spare time

The store keeps me so busy, but the summer months are the slow season .I took advantage of this and did some creating. Things I am into lately Resin  architectural shadow boxes  and shrink plastic.


Tag Flights 

                                                                      Life's Shadows
Bee My Queen 

Happy summer creating!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Museum of the Bazaar

Today I am sharing a bit about why I love living in Bisbee.  One of my dear friends Renee Harper runs the Old Bisbee Ghost  Tours and Yes our town  is haunted. Renne  also has a cute little shop called
Sweet Midnight in which she sells her hand made "dark side of cute"   goodies  . In the back of her cute shop she has created a fun old time  dime museum she calls the Museum of the Bazzar . Last month the History Channel did a feature on the musuem and her . Enjoy....


Saturday, February 9, 2013

my first DVD class!!!

I did it ,my first full length class on DVD ! I have said I will be doing this for over 4 years . I finally did it!!!   I created  DVD class of one of my creations .
The little pewter heart on wheels featured  in my last post is now a class on DVD . It comes with all the materials in a kit from  and the 2 part Full feature DVD . I have it on my etsy shop ! Hope you will take a look. Thanks Julie

2 Part DVD

Project image ( what you will make)

                                                             supplies you get  in your  kit
                                                      more  supplies you get  in your  kit

                              tools you will need to provide plus a dremel or drill adn 1/16 drill bit

                                Kit with all materials  and 2 part  DVD $70.00
                                       on my etsy  Bisbeebliss

Friday, February 1, 2013

Defending my Love

New on my esty shop a ready to decorate hand carved heart on wheels. One of the  unique items  I make for others to decorate. The finished  version is what I  did with  the piece. It was lots  of fun and the sky is the  limit as to how many ways you could   design this fun little piece.

$10.50 on etsy 

Defending my Love  -front

                                                             Defending my Love  -back

Monday, January 28, 2013

ART and SOUL classes april

 ART and  SOUL in KC . April   3-7  this  spring !
 Here are the classes I will be teaching .




Heart Of the Ocean=Distress Shadow Box  and collage peice.
Queen for a Day = Working with  Paper Clay 
Textured Whimsy = Painting with texture using whimscal imagery.   

Click heart for more details Art and Soul KC

Friday, January 25, 2013

copper water color heart book

I have wanted to teach a water color class where we do wee on the spot watercolors in a handmade  created   journal to go with the water colors . Bisbee  is the perfect place to do a walking water color class. The town  is so filled with inspirational  vignettes everywhere you go.
   Today I made the prototype for the journal.  Bisbee was a copper mining  town so  I made the book cover by covering 2 wooden hand carved hearts with  hammered copper. I then made  wee  heart shaped  page signatures  for the inside. It was fun . Now to do the water colors for  the inside and it will be ready to put on the Blisbee class schedule.





Sunday, January 20, 2013

re visiting shrink plastic

When you just want to have fun and feel like a kid doing a science  experment
 ( without  hurting  any living creatures of course)  get out the shrink plastic  !!!. This bracelet  is so fun
1-Piant one side of the plastic with white gesso scrapping some off .let dry  then add yellow ochre pencil shadings .
2-Cut large heart shapes.
3-Stamp images with stazon ,some on both sides ,some just one side.
4-Add Black stabilo pencil  to the edges and smear!!!
5-Seal with spray fix.
6-Shrink with a heat gun and watch  the hearts squrim  and wiggle.
7-Drill holes, add  jump rings, attach  to bracelet chain.
8- Then add wire wrapped  drops for bling !!!
Or.... Just come in and take the class at blissbee

"wearing my hearts on my sleeve"


Friday, January 4, 2013

Samples

I am working on  making  inspirational  samples for the shop using products I carry.  It really helps shoppers when they can see what can be done with the products. This wall pocket was created by using  a Canvas Corp. banner and a Melissa Frances hanger . Canvas Crop makes all sorts of fun shapes to alter .They are really fun to spray with Adirondack   inks by Ranger  and also stamp with the Adirondack fabric inks also by Ranger . I also printed an image on organza printing fabric and used it as the central image.

    
I used  several vintage lace pieces but most of this was done with  new matreials The key to making something look old is to avoid  most  shiny  polyester laces  and ribbon . I  try to use cotton or rayon .  Thye  also dye best in coffee or tea.
Vintage MOP buttons over  new plastic  ones really makes  a difference  too.  

Canvas Corp banner and Melissa Frances hanger .
The cone shape  wall pocket was created by clipping the banner so that it bowed out . Once that bow shape  was created I glued a  piece of heavy card board on to  the back  creating the back piece  for the wall pocket . 


  

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Gratitude - my 2013 word for the year

I like to  pick a word for the year. Last years was intuition. I tired to follow mine through the year but sure screwed up on it several times when   I really mis read others intentions and my own . HMMM This year my word is gratitude. Instead of focusing on what I do not have I want to focus on what I do have and that means focusing  on  my strengths while ALSO  accepting my  flaws and limitations . I hope to continue to  grow spiritually   and help  others as well. Which for  me is helping  those  on their creative journey. I have learned this past year that my " helping" others seems to be best limited to  the realm of creatiivy so this will be my focus  this year.  So here are 2 more classes added to the  blissbee line up . These  where created by  using 7 Gypsies products and Tim Hotlz products  . I saw the idea at last years CHA for the Tim Holtz  configurations box with the   Tim Holtz pulley wheels.  The different  company vendors   have   design teams create ideas using the new product. These are  then displayed at their CHA  trade show  booths  for the buyers like myself  to  be inspired.  It took me  a year to get around  to creating my own prototype for classes.



7 gypsies gothic window chip board cut outs altered into  a wall hanging

 Tim Holtz bottle  soldered with wire  and turned into a  bling relic style  necklace 

                              Tim Holtz configuration box with Tim holtz pulley wheels
                                                                  "  box of curiosities "