Ten Things About August for Mary

 My friend Mary sends out Mary Mail with all kinds of fun things she's done and photos and fun videos!  I so love getting it!  Today Mary asked us to send her our top ten things about August.  Normally I'd be wishing we could just skip August, because I'm not a fan of heat.  However, this month has been extraordinary!  Thanks to Mary, I'm documenting it so I'll never hope to skip August again.  Thanks Mary!

Top Ten Things About August

1. It was like Christmas!  I won 2 blog giveaways and received 10 charms from a swap, AND just read I came in second in a contest to design a menu for a local coffee shop and won a $20 gift certificate!

2. I got invited to enter a national gift wrapping contest by a PR person for 3M who saw a wrapping paper sculpture project I did last year. (I'm sure hundreds of folks were invited)

3. Kneaders opened a restaurant near us!  Oh my heck, the chocolate dome dessert is to die for!

4. I made a see-through mosaic that hangs in a window and I love it!  I love mosaics!

5. I got invited to join three dark themed Etsy shop owner groups.

6. I entered a challenge piece in a Smeared and Smudged challenge. (Pictured above) It's a Warholesque Edgar Alan Poe.

7. I was asked to be on a design team called Poison Peas Please.

8. Several of my Cool2Craft web duties were eliminated when my fearless leader streamlined that site, but she wants to pay me the same, so now I'm being paid for my craft projects, which is what she'd planned to do as soon as it was possible!  Yea!  Tiffany rocks!

9. I found colored metallic pastes that dry completely!  They work like Rub-N-Buff, which only comes in gold and patina, but is permanent when it dries.  Eee!  I ordered them yesterday!

10. My kidlets and I had a pirate party!  Any chance to wear a pirate hat and make cardboard treasure chests is gold!  Arrrrgh!

Sketch Challange

I am so loving the Challenger Group at Smeared and Smudged!  This was my entry for a Poe themed sketchy challenge.  Here is the sketch design.  The sketches are proposed as springboards and don't have to be interpreted literally, but I loved this composition so I went with it. 

I used some of my favorite papers and a digital stamp of Poe from Smeared Ink.
I love using tissue boxes in art!  They don't always read well in photos, but the green horizontal strips are from a metallic finish box.  The green dot is actually holographic.   Below are two pendants made with metallic finish tissue boxes.  Click here for a better look and my tutorial for making a cardboard tissue box pendant.,  I'm looking forward to making something with the holographic card board!

Blessings,
Candace

Wordless Wednesday - The Parade Crown

Wordless Wednesday with Aquariann
Wordless Wednesday with Create with Joy

Crown Zero - The Beginning

This was my very first crown.  I made it 4 years ago.  I'm currently working on my fourth - the Pink Crown.  This post was written for a challenge blog that I used to have.  I'm reposting here because I'm closing the old one down and this seems to be the only post that still gets comments.  Enjoy!

This is my Crown.  I am High Priestess of Dark Whimsy, Mistress of Delicious Mischief!  It's a wire frame with ceramic, polymer clay and glass bead accents.

Check out the purple coffee cup with a blue jewel and meandering wire steam.  The cookies and skulls are also polymer clay.

 

Hey that cookie has a bite out of it!  I used pearl and crystal beads from my grandmother's broken jewelry collection.  She was an artist, too.

Chocolate frosted doughnut with sprinkles!  Bonus!

The base is wrapped in strips of valour.

This was a labor of love...crazy, warped, art love!

What are you queen of?  What would your crown look like?  Use you imagination and make it fabulous!

Roni's Halloween Charm Swap

Here is part two of Roni's charm swap - The Halloween Charm Swap!  Above are the handmade earthenware coffin bead charms that I made for the swap, and look what I received!  Yea!  I love them all!

From right to left:

Roni of Ink Stains (our gracious host) - Shrink plastic Ouija board!  How cute is that!

Olga Brock - Adorable skull bead charm!

Robin of Once Upon A Pink Moon - This one blew me away!  It's a tiny spell book with actual pages!  I opened it to show you, but it ties closed to wear as a charm.

Julie Case - A fabulous glittery bottle cap spider charm!

Caroline of Stampings and Inklings Blog - It's a shrink plastic skeleton with a key!  I just love it!

It was so much fun!  It was like Christmas here - getting all the lovely charms in the mail!  I would so do this again!

Blessings,

Candace

Charm Swap by Roni at Ink Stains

I recently participated in a charm swap for the first time and it was so exciting!  Roni of Ink Stains hosted it.  We got to choose a general charm theme and a Halloween theme so I did both!

I made 5 of the above charms with handmade polymer clay cane (one of my first) and these are the charms I received.  I'm so excited about these!  They are all wonderful!
From left to right, they were made by: Esther of Siesta Scraps Blog - Pink glitter!  I love it!
Brenda aka Stringbean 95 - Crocheted square of fabulosity!
Roni of InkStains - A vintage photo charm with yellow bead flower and bead leaves!  So lovely!
Julie Case - darling glittery bottlecap charm!
Sandie - Sweet hope charm!  Love it!
Thank you, Roni for hosting these swaps!  I'll post the Halloween charms tomorrow!
Blessings,
Candace

Tiny Cake and Tea Set

I did a little feature on Lindsay Pastore of PleydeyDollhouse Miniatures a while back.  Her miniature furniture is so lovely!  After the feature, Lindsay sent me a fabulous mini table!

I was so inspired by Lindsay's gorgeous gift that I made her a tiny cake and tea set from polymer clay!  Thank you, Lindsay for your gift and inspirations!
You can find Lindsay's work here.
I'm sharing this project on Craft-O-Maniac's Monday Blog Party

Poe-etic Smeared and Smudged Member Blog Hop

This month the Smeared and Smudged Forum is celebrating everything Edgar Allen Poe, and our August blog hop is ex-Poe-nentially fabulous!. The challenge was to create a piece inspired by one of Poe's poems.

My entry is called The Moaning and the Groaning of the Bells based on The Bells by Poe.  The poem is below.  Check out all the lovely art works here:

Terra
Tori
Susan S.
Lady Brayton
Black Dragon
Julia
Jane
Windy
Kristy
Lisa
Shell
Candace < that's me
Wendy
Joyce
Monique
Madelein Bouquet
Ike
Vee Cassidy
Sandy
Little Black Kitten
Fiona

 I

Hear the sledges with the bells -
Silver bells!
What a world of merriment their melody foretells!
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
In the icy air of night!
While the stars that oversprinkle
All the heavens, seem to twinkle
With a crystalline delight;
Keeping time, time, time,
In a sort of Runic rhyme,
To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells
From the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells -
From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.


II

Hear the mellow wedding bells -
Golden bells!
What a world of happiness their harmony foretells!
Through the balmy air of night
How they ring out their delight! -
From the molten - golden notes,
And all in tune,
What a liquid ditty floats
To the turtle - dove that listens, while she gloats
On the moon!
Oh, from out the sounding cells,
What a gush of euphony voluminously wells!
How it swells!
How it dwells
On the Future! - how it tells
Of the rapture that impels
To the swinging and the ringing
Of the bells, bells, bells -
Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells -
To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells!

Craft Deva on a Wordless Wednesday

Sharing with the Art & Tree Chatter of Aquariann
And
Touristic

55 Things

My friend Mary has the most awesome website - Lust for Life - that's chocked full of brilliant deeds and ideas!  I fell in love with her post 100 Ways To Be Creative.  Mary was inspired by Keri Smith's 100 Ideas, to write her own 100 things.  I asked Mary if I could use some of the fabulous items from her list to make a list for a special occasion -
I turned 55 this year.  I am officially a senior citizen at some of my favorite restaurants!  I have the best job in the world.  I get to create art everyday.  I have connected to some of the most creative folks in the world on the internet.  Life is good.  In celebration of my newly acquired senior breakfast options, I'll be having way too much fun fulfilling my Magical Mary List!
I've kept the "source" links that show where Mary got some of her ideas, as well as linking to Mary's posts about some of the things she's completed.

1.  Complete an online tutorial you've bookmarked for later
2.  Collect something very specific
3.  Wear a mask, crown (or other headwear) that you made all day
4.  Carry a notebook and pen with you everywhere you go
5.  Fill an entire photo album with anything but photographs
6.  Utilize free and found materials
7.  Knit something your [grand dog] can wear - Mary's
8.  Choreograph a dance - Mary's
9.  Make a list of things you're tolerating and then fix them
10.Use paint chips for anything except what they're intended for
11. Wear only black clothing (down to the underwear!) and allow yourself one colored accessory
12. Melt crayons (source)
13. Change the lyrics to a song that you are singing to your pet (about your pet)
14. Don't stay seated for too long
15. Design your own flag
16. Mail an object not in an envelope or package (as is)
17  Recreate a photo that you think is beautiful - Mary's
18. Make up a story about people you see walking on the street - Mary's
19. Journal or write something somewhere every day
20. Decorate a pair of cheap/plain shoes with something wonderful and tacky
21 .Decide what you would want to be in a textbook for and then go make sure it happens
22 .Make a mass handmade gift to give everyone for Christmas or some other holiday (personalize each one)
23. Create a theme for you to follow for a day or a whole week (clothing, speech, activities, etc.)
24. Teach someone something (or make your own tutorial)
25. Celebrate weird and unusual holidays - Mary's
26. Install some guerilla art for everyone to enjoy - Mary's
27. Decorate the inside of your car
28. Take a picture of the same spot every day at the same time
29. Use unique lighting (twinkle lights, color filters, etc.)
30. Decide what should be on a stamp – then make your own artistamps
31. Make your own Halloween costume
32. Bedazzle something
33. Decorate mirrors with dry erase markers [source]
34. Create the boundaries of where your ideal state would be on a map, name it, and write down what the state would offer and be called
35. Create an outdoor natural artwork (using flowers, a rock garden, collection, etc.)
36. Make your own sketch design (crayons, black paint, scratching) - Mary's
37. Frequently change your surroundings
38. Go to a party supply store when you have no intention of throwing a party
39. Wear fancy hair accessories on ordinary days
40. Leave nice/anonymous notes for strangers
41. Decorate cupcakes in an awesome way
42. Try to change your handwriting for the length of an entire letter
43. Go somewhere outside specifically to play the cloud game
44. Create your own mandala
45. Take an illusion type picture
46. Decorate for every holiday
47. Stay up past your bed time (to keep or start working)
48. Do something anyway (even when you don't have all the supplies)
49. Measure something really large with something that's not a ruler or other traditional form of measurement
50. Document your week in paper scraps [source]

And 5 of my own:
51. Make outrageous cookies 
52. Finish a project every day
53. Stay on schedule with show projects
54. Finish the Chocolate Project
55. Make 2 new drawings every week

Thank you, Mary, for being you!

Sharing this post on Inspire Me Monday

Zombie Heart-Shaped Doughnut Needle Crafty Mom

I'm so unobservant.  My daughter is a wonderful artist!  For special occasions she always does that extra thoughtful thing and this time I missed it.  She gave me a bobble head zombie, a pet ghost and zombie key covers for my birthday, and I was so thrilled that I didn't even notice her artwork on the envelop of my birthday card!  Bless her heart, she knows me so well.

Thank you, Sweetheart!  You are awesome!

Delicious Doodles Cupcake

The folks at Delicious Doodles are having a design team call and this is my entry.  The cupcake below is the stamp used in all the entries.  For mine, I printed the stamp, traced it on black paper and doodled!  That's my favorite part!

 

Thank you for the awesome opportunity to play , Delicious Doodles!

Smeared and Smudged

I have found a home amidst like minded lovelies!  The folks at Smeared and Smudged (Alternative, Vintage, and Gothic Art Rubber Stamping) are making and sharing wildly fabulous art - all of it dark!  Oh, do I have a soft spot for fun dark stuff!

The piece above was part of a sketchy challenge.

Artists are invited to use the sketch as a baseline for an art piece.  My piece is a pretty literal translation of the shapes - I'm new to this kind of thing.  I layered papers and darkened the edges.  The green accents are from a holiday tissue box with a foiled finish.  The dot has a hologram effect.  I'm so happy I got to use that tissue box!  Of course I'll be making jewelry from the rest of the box.

Check out all the wonderful submissions and challenges on the Smudgy Antics Blog.

Ahh.  It's good to home.

Capt. Ana's Pirate Party

 This is my grandniece Ana.  She's an artist.  She's been so sad that I haven't had time to do crafts with her, and her sister's and cousins.  Soooo... I said okay let's have a party.  And she decided we should have a pirate party!

We talked about what she wanted to do and treasure chest was first on the list.  We decided to make them before the party and I explained how we might make them.  When we next got together, she had created a cardboard template so we went right to work.
Next on the list was pirate's gold.  I had made clay stamps to make pirate coins for a clay camp some ears ago.  We decided on gold polymer clay.  We soaked the clay stamps in water so the polymer clay wouldn't stick.  It worked perfectly!

So much fun!  We decided that we want to do this once a months and the kids would each design their own party.  Ahh, good times.

Sharing at Raising Oranges Handmade 52

Wordless Wednesday

Chocolate Chip Cookie Buttons

These buttons are just like the one's I made for this week's button episode on Cool2Craft TV.  There are lots of cool button projects, so drop in on us over there for tutorials galore (including these)!

Visit my Etsy shop to read more about them!

Because I Can

I called this digital collage Because I Can with Skulls.  It seemed like a good idea at the time.  I put it in my Etsy shop as a limited edition, signed and numbered print. 

I love skulls on things!  I want them everywhere!  Because I can.

The Blessed Mother Box

 

This clay box was one of the first Gypsy boxes where the handle on the lid was the main focus.  The figure of Mary is gestural - It has more flow than detail.  It suggests the folds in the material of her gown, Her outstretched arms and compassionate countenance.  

 The details in the carvings represent unending love in the white line that continuously connects and encircles the hearts.  The roses are a symbol of Mary and represent unconditional love.

I loved making everyone of the Gypsy Boxes.  This one is in a private collection.

Heart of Perfect Wisdom

 Ages ago, when earthenware was my only media, I reveled in following inspirations.  I made box after box of organic, carved and glazed creations.  I called them Gypsy Boxes because they were a raw expression of my love for carving shapes and symbols in clay.
This box is call the Heart of Perfect Wisdom. 

All of the boxes had lids with more carving inside.  Most lids had a pocket on the underside filled with bits of clay that rattle.  On this box, all the exposed white earthenware clay was stained with watered down acrylic paint.
The Heart of Perfect Wisdom was inspired by Sufi chant that I just love!  It's on a CD by Robert Gass. 

Coffee Time Pinball Machine

Coffeecoffeecoffee!  It's an obsession, I know, but I love it so!  The original Coffee Time Pinball is an opaque gel pen drawing on black paper - my favorite 2D media!  Prints are available in my Etsy shop.This is my dream pinball machine.
My other dream pinball machine actually exists, but I didn't design it.  It's the the Addams Family Pinball!  Too too fabulous!

" It's the Mamushka!"

What did you make this week?
Inspire Me Monday