OK, OK- how about the end of May? Just cuz the art and soul I'm thinking of applying for is the end of April and I don't wanna stress myself with all kinds of travel plans piled up on each other.
And yes, it would be the one in Virginia Beach!!!
Also, guys- go do the paper swap in the forum- what a fantastic idea!!! Exclamation point!

previews, sea lions

Still making away...

Some previews of what I'll be taking pictures of and listing tomorrow. I'm sick again guys! Feel poopy. But imagine how much worse it would be if I had to actually go in to work? Man I'm really living my wildest dreams doing this full-time. I mean, a dream I had long abandoned and never even let myself think about... sigh...

 Life is lovely for me right now.

This wooden thing is a tiny vial where a saint used to live. The top unscrews, it's totes adorbs.

This was half a mini portrait frame leather holder thing. I put in a stamp from Uruguay cuz the place still looks exactly like that, and finished the cuff off with tin. And tons of wire and a Haskinflameker diamond.





OK, so maybe some of you prefer to staying hotels like real people. So I looked up hotel room and got pictures of real beds with awesome 80s bead spreds on them and also this:


A face even a mother might take issue with.  Which of course led me on a google images trip all through Uruguay sea lion land. We have the biggest population of sea lions in a tiny island off the coast somewhere and they like to visit to do all the touristy things.

Like ordering lunch at an outdoor cafe.

 Pirate fashion news: Pups are the new parrot-->>

Offering abstract modern art to a snooty critic.-->
 Where was I?
Oh for you who need specific dates before deciding. I was thinking next year so I'm arbitrarily going to say the last week of May. It's good weather- just after the worst of summer... I guess you'd call it fall. Yeah, that's it.
Now. Would you all wanna bring your own snips and hammers and pliers in checked luggage or would you rather I bought a pile of tools there and had them available for us there? Then I could either leave them for future Touruguays or we could bring them back... depending on your preferences I could decide how much toolage to get...(I've had one more confirm thru convo.)

Art & Soul Las Vegas 2012

  I've also been invited to apply to teach at Art & Soul for 2013. I'm thinking of doing a class on tin cuffs and rings with decoupage, distressing and foiling. Something way easy for my 1st time teaching.... I dunno if anyone would be interested in that or... I dunno... A new friend lana guerra who was the one who told the organizers about me says I should do the bangles. But then I have to send in a physical sample of whatever I'd be teaching and since I just sold off the bunch I made for the tute... ugh... I've had enough bangle making for the next thousand years.
As for the Uruguay workshops- that would be all about incorporating the goodies you all find. So it would depend on what you get! And I guess coming up with lots of possibilities and variations for how to use and connect them. Like maybe stuff you wouldn't have thought of? Or not? Whaddu I kno? Maybe I'll just set you guys out with tools and wire and just criticize everything you do: "Umm... that looks fugly? So stop it." YEAH! I'm such a good teacher.
Lookit these grandbabies:
Are they not gorgeous?From Gallery13. All ancient and beachy. *swells with pride*

Are you guys really really serious?

Cuz I looked into the Uruguay thing and it's actually kinda doable. Though IF we do this it would have to be, like, next year or something.

We'd be staying somewhere off to the left of this picture. Hostel there with beds for $11/night. But hostel means dorm-type shared rooms. But it's crazy cheap and a sneeze away from everywhere.We'd be making our way through this infinite street fair held on Sundays. My thought was a 9 day stay to catch 2 street fairs.

In between we'd have workshops, visit the artisan market, go to old town for gems and more little old things, and go to the museum of modern art that is so inspiring you'll loose control over your bowels.You gotta work tho- there's everything under the sun at these places and you gotta focus on finding the tables of little things, snap them up and keep pace with the group. Lots of people speak English, or will attempt to.

Anyhow, my dad insists plane tickets are $1300 round trip (tho I had to pay $2000 so go figure.) You'd need to bring enough moola for room and food and treasures...

Everything there is tiny. Streets and cars and chairs. You'd have to be able to fit into these beds-->>

And bring ear plugs if we do it hostel style. In case someone snores.

And you can't be a vegetarian there I don't think. Or not a strict one.

What else?

You'd have to accept that doors are 2 stories tall for no apparent reason:(from)

And random building facades from the 70s:

Sparsely attended street riots:

Endless meat:

Bizarre modes of transportation:

Primary colors:

Suddenly finding yourself shrunk down to the size of a mouse:
Ah, flickr. You're so entertaining...
But seriously, how many of you would really go? Cuz I'd need a decent sized group -say 6 people- and most of you are starving artists. If this were to happen, show of hands, who could go?

(p.s.- Jackie, you cracked me up big time. )
(p.p.s.- I lowered prices about $5-$10 on almost everything in the shop, just in case there was something you were eyeing.)

Important Announcement

Dudes. My b-day's August 16th.
(I'm telling you this to quash the rumor that it's today! Not just to randomly announce it, you goofballs!)

Finally some new eye candy.

(Note: If anyone had issues with the links, they're all fixed now.)
Thank you guys so much for all your wonderful feedback. 

(Ingredients: This guy has a tag from Germany, a fat rough garnet, a chunky pendant from vladthebat a buncha blue ceramic beads from potterygirl1 and 1 from happyfallout and 1 from jewelryidentity with real bronze clay coating. AND Roman glass on the dangly bit. And that center bit is an old lamp cord covered in woven fibers and waxed.)

Jean A. Wells said: I was wondering what that smell was.

I've showered since then. In fact I showered...--wait for it-- TWICE!

 rubyd. said: Make sure you are saving all of these motherfreakin tute photos in high resolution files too(in fact, you could submit a book proposal right now based on these tutes as chapters!)
No, processing high-resolution photo files is a pain in the ass. It's 10x easier to take and edit and use small pictures, which are good enough for the web but for whatever reason when printed in book form become crap. Though I guess I could submit a book proposal based on these and let the publisher's people worry about pictures... hmmm.... that's quite an idea...

You guys don't know how awesome it's been to be back in the studio! There are so many glorious things there. I can't even believe the treasures so many of you have sent and even that I was able to find on line and in Uruguay. Sigh...
neshumasaid:They are the best combined investment that I’ve made in a long time. 
You don't know how awesome it is for me to hear that. That is so so so wonderful.

Sandra said: Too bad neither novacan nor jax are available here

OK, for all you Germans or generally foreign and exotic types-- while I can't be sure, I know that tons of products are available for people who work with model trains. That includes antiquing and oxidizing products. So maybe if you go to your local model train website you might find some chemicals. I'd look it up but I'm not so good with the Shprekenzee, so you'll have to tell me how it goes.

Carrie, Like I said in the tute, amazon doesn't charge a hazardous materials fee!! Just the company's site does. Don't go driving anywhere, don't break the shut-in code!

(Ingredients: This necklace has the eye from Germany and a tiny container as it's bezel. The long bit under it is actually a little case. Maybe a needle case? And both ends are mother of pearl. Even linked as it is it still can be opened and closed. Also a druzy shield shaped agate pendant.)

alteredarcheology said...   Well, I can't actually quote what she said because it was all so gushing it would just be embarrassing. But it made me think. You know it would be so much harder for me to try and be all professional and NOT talk openly about what I do and how... I wonder sometimes because I see people being so horrified and embarrassed at the idea of being open... but whenever I've been open I only get positive responses. I mean, I guess I'm smart enough to word it in a way that wont hurt people's feelings if, say, what I'm being open about is some kind of criticism... cuz I can put myself in the place of others... yeah... so... what was the question?

(Ingredients: This ceramic pendant I got ages ago from potterygirl1 then foiled and finally was able to use. Another  German glass eve and antique African beads from BeesOnPie, as well as the aquamarines she sent and the teeny clay ones she made herself. Oh and the chain is from an old lamp pull.)


Anonymous said: Any chance you will make the oxidizing tute a separate buy in the future?
Well, I don't see why not.A Practical Guide to Oxidizing- PDF Tutorial

 I feel like there's gonna be a yin to all this yang and next thing I know something bad is gonna happen... YEAH! I have this sinking feeling like I'm in trouble with someone for something...

Oh my god!! What am I in trouble for!!!??? Who out there is pissed at me??? Weird paranoia attack outta left field AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!! Wait. It's over.

(Ingredients: Crystal tube w/druzy bottom from Uruguay, wheel pulley thing from Germany... I forgot her name! Elstred? I'm too tired to find the link... Ear connector from Jewel Identity and faceted iridescents from Grubbi. No links, sorry... doggy wants a walk and I'm rushed.)


So I spent the last 2 days with half a haircut. I got tired after the left half. Basically half my hair was layered. No one noticed. My hair is so thick a family of mice could move in and you wouldn't know. But it's fixed now and that's why the second shower, see? And I re-discovered the reason people tend to cut their hair (if they cut their own hair at all) in front of mirrors instead of holding their head upside-down over the toilet. Yes, it did give me a good head rush.



Also, my mom came home from taking care of my nephew and niece. She told me that at one point

Carlos (6) picked up his recorder/flute thing and started playing it all randomly... and Marcela (3) started dancing to it. 

Carlos stopped and said, "You have to sing, too." 

And Marcela goes "But I'm soooo tired! I've been dancing all day!"

!!!

(Ingredients:  I was able to rivet a flower-esque finding that SacredCake sent me on this ring and then curl the petals to hold Mr Suave Dude in place securely. He's also from Germany! Finally able to use some of the awesome things she sent.  Oh I have so much making built up in me I wanna explodify.)


I'm happy you all are having fun with the tutes. Hey, if any links don't work, I fixed them up and they should work now. From which you can deduce that  you can bookmark and re-access the tutes at that site. you don't have to download it...


Anyone with cats, can you just go look at the contraption Happyfallout's boyfriend made to keep the cat off the labtop?

HERE IT IS

THE MONSTER TUTE...

**pant-pant**
33 pages and... -wait for it- ... one hundred forty one motherfreaking photos. That I took. All by myself.  My mommy or daddy didn't help me with my homework, no sir. And 2 diagrams, one a whole-pager.
PHEW.

AND- the oxidizing tutorial called "A Practical Guide to Oxidizing" logically enough. 8 pages, 25 pictures, no diagrams. I could diagram how to dip a brush into liquid but I thought I'd let you guys wing it. You get it all for $25. And previews reviews say it provides more tips and ideas than most artcraft books... But that may have just been Kim flattering me.

Go forth leetle art minions, make mama proud. AND WITH THAT- type proudmama into the coupon code area and get a 25% discount. And if you can't figure out how to do it correctly, I can't give you the discount!!!  That's because by the time you buy it, Paypal and etsy have both charged their fees so to give you that 25% back will cost me. And I need that money to buy some soap cuz I stink.