My collection

This is my collection, though odd it brings me fond memories. I like collecting things that other people usually don't collect and these odd little guys always make me smile when I see their funny faces.

Samuel Johnson said, "The pride or the pleasure of making collections, if it be restrained by prudence or morality, produces a pleasing remission after more laborious studies; furnishes an amusement not wholly unprofitable for that part of life, the greater part of many lives, which would otherwise be lost in idleness or vice; it produces an useful traffick between the industry of indigence and the curiosity of wealth; it brings many things to notice that would be neglected; and, by fixing the thoughts upon intellectual pleasures, resists the natural encroachments of sensuality, and maintains the mind in her lawful superiority."

Paul and I were playing this weekend, and made something that looks like this... keep your eyes open for a new class soon!!
I also have another addition to Paul's collection ideas....I found these in a box and decided to clean them up and put them out to enjoy-

BIG HALLOWEEN SALE!   25% off

Carved pumpkins, spooky felt bats & cats, changing portraits from Haunted Memories, wax candle pumpkins, masks, collectibles from ESC, flocked silhouettes, gargoyle candle holders....and so much more!

Well, it's that time of year to ring out the old, and ring in the new. This coming friday is Halloween, and we are having our annual Halloween Sale, between now and then. Everything Halloween is on sale for 25% off, (except artist handmade pieces). Thursday and Friday, (30th & 31st) everything will be 50% off....but don't wait too long,  GREAT Halloween  items are already flying out the door!

VERY SOON, we will have Christmas all set up and ready to go. We  have just finished our "Woodland Holiday" display, which will be our next blog entry. Keep your eyes out.

Day of the Dead Altar class

    Hey! I had a great class this last Monday,And I was fortunate enough to have some very creative and imaginative students.Here are some photos of their final products ,enjoy. Thanks again to my monday group and I look forward to teaching this class again on the Oct 23rd and Oct 29th .

     

My collection!!

Hey there!! I just had to show off one of my collections...I got to add to it last weekend, and always keep my eye out for that odd hand mirror that someone is done with. I also have a bit of thing for clocks, but I have not put them all together yet. I just have at least one sometimes more in every room.

SHOW YOUR COLLECTION!.......

It seems like all of us artist types collect different stuff. Maybe Barbie heads, cardboard game pieces, wooden bingo numbers. Here's an idea....throw it all in a glass container, and show it off. Here are some picture I took, where I put "some" of our collections together. Makes a great statement.

Giant marbles, Dice, Vintage game pieces, a bowl made from bottle caps, old children's wooden blocks, plastic animals, and another container of marbles. 

Food for thought!

What a wonderful weekend with
Keith Lo Bue!
Keith's classes were absolutely amazing! Each class was full of new ideas and techniques. Paul and I took the "Tools of the Trade" class on Friday... and for those of you who are always using your dremel tool to make holes in wood and plastic.... did you know your dremel is not a drill!!! who knew? And grinding through glass is so much easier than I ever thought it would be... wow, it was such a excellent class.

The most full class was Saturdays, "Toner Etching".... lets just say this, Paul told me (he and Joe took the class) he kept looking at the pieces he made and says to himself "wow, I made that" .... I must say what a awesome process etching is.

Sunday's class "Paper over It" was the first time Keith had ever taught this class. It was unusual types of transfer techniques then taken to the next level and different ways of using resin with some special tricks-of-the-trade.

This is Joe's piece from the "Paper Over It" class.
Keith is full of extraordinary information that he has learned from real, as he calls it, "caveman" experience. I appreciated that the instruction and the volume of information that is given to you is in layman's term, sometimes giving you the Aaaa Haaa moment - like "wow, that is so so Gosh Darn COOL!"

So, for those of you who ever get a chance to take a class with Keith Lo Bue..... don't miss it. Not only is he a amazing teacher he is charming and funny too.