Curbside Find Today

Astounding what people throw away.  I don't understand why people are too lazy to donate perfectly useful items.  Found this coffee table in the trash while walking Chloe.  It does need some TLC refinishing, but it is a very sound piece of oak and even has a drawer. It's nicer than what I was using so lucky find for me today ♥

Back to Work

I've been kind of a slacker keeping up with blog posts.  Last week I was able to watch a goodly portion of the Plaster Studio E-book by Judy Wise and Stephanie Lee.  I LOVE what they are doing with e-books and highly recommend both the Hot Wax Workshop and the Plaster Studio e-books.  Stole time between watching Chloe and Christmas doings to prep some plaster boards.  I think (for me) plastering is a fair weather activity as I do not like sanding it in my studio and would much prefer to sand outside. That said, it's a fabulous way to create texture, and I am a texture and technique junkie!  I'm very excited about the potential it offers for book-making.  Here's what I have prepped so far:

Family Pic

At long last, a family picture!  I think this is the first year in a long while that I've had a nice family picture to send out with Christmas cards.  Treasures of my heart, each one precious.  I am so blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Look who's come to stay with me this week ♥  Paul's sweet dog, Chloe.  I helped raise her from a pup and love spoiling her:

Christmas Projects

I don't think anyone in my family knows I have a blog, much less follows it.  So safe to show anyone who may stumble onto my blog what I've been up to.  Panic mostly!  I usually start making Christmas presents by August, but this year I just couldn't seem to get it together.  Finally at this late date I am making some progress.  This weekend, I got 2 done.  I'm having a blast making these:

This reindeer is bigger, but it came together pretty easily.  All my years of stamping show in this one :)

Branding Encaustic Project

Cheering that I learned a new technique and that it actually came together into a finished piece.  The technique is called "Branding".  You actually torch metal, place it on a piece of wood and burn into it.  Next step is to add wax, scrape, add more wax, scrape some more ..............  The final addition is oil paint which I've been dying to get my feet wet in.  This piece is called Bubble Chemistry:

Delightful Encaustic Class

Just could not resist taking an online encaustic class when I heard it was being offered. Encaustic is working with beeswax and pigments.  Love ♥ the instructor Judy Wise and am beyond pleased with her daily written instruction, instructional videos and personal feedback via class facebook page and yahoo pages.  I'm learning so much from her and so many generously talented people in the class - and my workshop is all set up so that I can just go in the next room and practice, post my work online and get immediate feedback.  How cool is that?  No driving alone late at night lugging art supplies, no worry about snowstorms.  Absolute heaven.  Finally technology I can cheer about!  If you are at all interested in encaustic, I highly recommended taking Judy's class.

This one is practice with laser copy transfer, inclusion, accretion, stencil and stamping.  I used some of the rust fabric I made as the background.  I wish I had placed her face better, but it came out pretty cool.