Jewelry Sale

Bet you all wish I would get my camera working hey? Someday soon, I hope. Time just slips away, as I'm sure you all experience too, especially this time of year.

I was able to make some necklaces and earrings for the employee craft sale that was last Friday (Again, a picture would be nice) and I would like to thank everyone that purchased a piece from me. My La Paix d'Art . . . Peace of Art . . . I love each and every piece that you purchased, and my customers helped to show me that I am down the right creative path with the wire. There are lots of avenues for me to explore with the jewelry making, so next year I will have something perhaps a little the same, and hopefully new and unique for your holiday shopping!

Now I must concentrate on finishing up some collage projects that are long over due. I think I have the perfect visions for them floating in my head now that I have been able to get the last minute thought of selling this jewelry done! It was such a pleasure to create and sell, but it did rather push aside some things!

Just take a look at my house . . . smiles . . . ah well I would rather be remembered for making art than having a clean house anyway!

Love ya, Love your art!

ja-who-dee

Mother of the year award?

I think not. At least it won't be this year!

My daughter has turned 11. It rather snuck up on me. The girl got lots of presents, but none were wrapped in pretty paper with a fluffy bow. I made her a necklace and braclet which I handed off as soon as they were finished. I had gotten her a little CD player, which she found before I had a chance to wrap it. Then I took her shopping and thus she picked out her presents at the store. Heck, even the book that was for her from a RR of talented artist, Mermania, got presented to her unwrapped . . . ah, such the mom I am.

Do I dare tell you that the cake was a chocolate "Little Debbies"?

Ah, come on, Little Debbies are yummy!

Love ya, love your art . . .

ja-who-dee

My Fairy name . . .

Your fairy is called Tangle Saturnwand

She is a trouble maker.

She lives at the bottom of tangled gardens and in hedgerows.

She is only seen when the seer holds a four-leafed clover.

She wears tangled dresses of multicoloured petals. She has delicate pale pink wings like a cicada.

I Do Believe . . .

in Divine Intervention. I have to. I've seen it's results!

As I have mentioned before, my mother has Alzheimer's. She is still in the middle stages. She's lucid. She doesn't really live in the past, although if you asked her the month and year she'd get it wrong. And as for the day . . . well that's questionable too. Usually the answer has been June 2006. But I'm sure as the weather changes she will pick a fall month.

My mother will carry on a conversation with you. As long as you keep the flow going. She won't initiate the conversation. She is very quiet in a large group, as I don't think she can keep up with the conversation. She is a very bright woman and has been able to keep her condition somewhat hidden from those not too close to her. Never for long though. Any conversation over 10 minutes and you'd have picked up that something wasn't just right.

She was at a risk to herself to have her live in her home alone. We had hired aides to come in the morning and then later in the afternoon for a while. It was "okay" for a while, but something that never made me quite comfortable as she was also so alone for most of the day.

Then we had to start locking up medications as she was sometimes double dipping into the next weeks pills.

There was much debate amongst my siblings and I about should we unplug the stove or pull the fuse . . . should we build a door so the upstairs could be locked up . . . should we put a lock on the basement door. My feeling was that if we were unplugging some one's stove it was time to either have 24 hour care at the house or have mom move into the new nursing home.

My sister was always a big advocate for staying at home. I was rather iffy on that. It just didn't feel right. Mom is a social person, and we have effectively made her a recluse. She got out some with friends and us periodically, but she spent a lot of time alone. She had told me she was lonely. I could just picture mom in one room, the aide in the other. I couldn't see the aide doing any of the occupational therapy that the facility would have to offer. The outings, the daily activities, and most of all, lots of people around. Needless to say, we weren't all on the same page as to how to move forward, but knew we needed to make a big change. My prayers to God were always for wisdom to help us make the right decision as to how to take care of mom.

So we had an intervention with my mother. Oh boy. That was a rough meeting. Did we think she was stupid? How did the doctor say she had Alzheimer's? She takes her pills (yes, but not unless someone is there to remind her to take her pills), why would she pay someone to watch her sleep? Oh I'm sure you can imagine. She wasn't ready to go to any nursing home. Then she would repeat the same things she told us over and over. She can't remember that she already made the statements she made.

Now I understand my mother's reluctance to go to a nursing home. When she graduated from nursing school in the later 40's, the day of graduation, right after the ceremony she was taken to be a patient at a TB Sanatorium. Could you imagine . . . the big ward room, the iron beds . . . they had to stay in bed 24/7 . . . and then her only other big experience with a "facility" was when she did nurses training in the later 40's at a mental institution . . . you've all seen "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" I presume?

But the new facility in town is like a 5 star resort. It's beautiful. It's a different world than the older nursing homes around the area. Lots of activities for the residence, and also lots of occupational treatment for those specifically with dementia and Alzheimer's.

But she wasn't having any of it.

Then the Divine Intervention came along. Her hip went out of place, and she had no choice but to go to rehab in that very facility she wanted nothing to do with. She loves it! She said she didn't think she needed to go home. She might just as well stay where she is. She glows again. I am seeing a spark in mother that has long been missing. She is rarely in her room as she is out and about either just visiting others or partaking in whatever daily activity is scheduled.

My Aunt Ethel had said that it was like the place was made for mom. I believe she was right!

And thank you God for always being there to help us.

More and more supplies . . .

I should learn how to use my camera. You know, the picture is worth a thousand words . . . it's a trueism.

I went on a day long supply trip with my friends Karen and Sarah. Oh my the first bead sto re went to . . . oooohhh tables and tables and wall displays and turnstyle displays and display cases of beads . . . tons and tons of glorious beads! They had a 20% off the entire store sale, which evidently they have twice a year. Then that 20% was off of anything they already had on sale. So one table was actually 70% off! yowsers! It was an adrenaline rush that's for sure! After I rang up and realize I didn't really spend as much as I thought I wanted to go back for more . . . oh my gosh, it is truely an addiction I have going here!

Then we went to the regular Joanne Fabrics, Michaels, Hobby Lobby stores. oh I found something in all of them. I found a Pasta Machine on sale at one of them for 10 BUCKS. I'm not even ready to start that hobby yet, but I bought one because it was such a good deal . . . just means more supplies to buy to go with it . . . yikes! Maybe I'll get Haze the supplies for Christmas . . . and then just use those . . . lol . . . she hasn't even ever expressed a desire for the clay . . but she would love it . . . oh yes, now here is an idea to feed my addiction . . . oh dear, this is bad . . . . yikes.

Then we did a couple Salvation Army stores. I also did make a purchas in each of those too. I got a winter coat for 15 bucks . . . a couple shirts for $5.00. It was werid how they sorted the clothes by color and not size . . . but it was fun to dig through it all . . . .

Now I can't wait for the next trip :*) :*)

See ya next sale!

Ja-who-dee

Don't forget, blog give away comment . . .just a few posts down!

Belle Amore . . .

I was looking around and googling here and there to find out more about my new passion . . . which I refer to as Twisted Sister . . . Wire Wrapping. As you know, I'm completely self taught, and google is my friend.

But I also draw tons of inspiration for the Queen of Twisted Steel . . . Deryn Mentock http://somethingsublime.typepad.com (wish I knew how to code HML so I could do the fancy click on the name take you there thing)

gosh, rambling again sorry . . .

my point is . . . I actually have some jewelry published in the above magazine . . . and guess who I JUST discovered is right by me in there . . . Oh the Queen of Twisted Steel . . . Deryn! WoooHOoooo . . .

Ah, the little things in life just tickle me the most hey?

love ya, love your art

ja-who-dee

Don't forget to leave a comment on the post in here for my Blog give away . . . a stash of mixed media art supplies from my big destash . . .

BLOG GIVE AWAY!!!

hi. my name is judy and i'm a supplyaholic. do i think that if i have more supplies i'll be a better artist? what's up with this compulsion to have it all? perhaps i am under the illusion that i have more time than i really do? perhaps i think that in the middle of the night some little elves are going to go to my work table and create the millions of projects i have supplies for? is it a sign if you have 3 pages of "feedbacks" to leave at etsy from 2 days of"browsing" does it mean you've bought to much? can one buy to much? am i alone in this addiction? is there a 12 step program?leave me a post and let me know if your a compulsive hoarder and buy it all and then save it because your still waiting for that "special" project to pop into your brain . . . or like me, just visit the pretty objects and stroke them saying "precious, my precious" . . . . . or do you have a nice and spartan like approach. . . using your supplies and not buying more until the last of the glue stick is gone . . . or is there actually middle ground to this supply business? . . i'll draw a lucky winner for a nice generous surprise package of collage paper and some elements and this and that . . .cause one can never have enough!love ya, love your art . . .ja-who-dee

more twisted sister . . .

The charm is my Dad's graduation picture. Isn't he handsome :*) I originally had this on a ball chain necklace. I gave it to my sis, she took it off the chain and had it on a string. Kind of drove me nuts, but hey, not everyone likes the ball chain . . . so I got it back from her and made this necklace. It has a fabric bead on it, made from my hubby's jammies . . . all the techniques used in the two necklaces (minus the charm) can be found in A Charming Exchange book by Kelly Snelling and Ruth Rae. I rave about this book all the time . . . I also googled wire wrapping and found tons of inspiration and basic techniques out there. Google is my friend. I am a self taught artist and there never seems to be any classes in my neck of the woods. One of these days I would LLLLOOOOVVVVEEEEE to attend an retreat . . . oh economy, get your act together so I can feel better about spending the $$$

course, if I quit buying every new supplie gizmo and gadget and image sheet and . . . .well, you get my drift . . . I would probably have at least the plane ticket saved in no time. . . .

welp, rambling again, so that's my cue to sign off!

Love ya, love your art

ja-who-dee

Alzheimer Ramble

Don't tell Trudi and Sandy . . . I should have been collaging . . . but I was stuck on their themes . . . and plus, I have a little tray and such that fits right in my lap and I can sit in my big red chair with my feet up and twist, twist, twist . . . I'd have to get up to do any pounding or such, so I just use the same two techniques in this necklace too . . . but it's a nice thing to keep my hands busy and my mind off of the problems with my mother and her dratted Alzheimer's.

Speaking of Alzheimer's, my brother will be in a walk in Nashville Tennessee and is nearing is goal . . . http://tinyurl.com/6h4oet if you have a couple dollars to spare, it sure is a worthy cause. I know many of you have or are experiencing the same with a loved one too. Nasty monster that Alzheimer's. I also am a wee bit concerned about the genetic links . . . there is Alzheimer's on my mother's side (evidently Grams had it) and on my father's side of the family. A brother. So my chances are pretty high that I too could one day be affected.

Yikes . . .

well here I was, only going to show my necklace and started rambling. So I will leave of now, as there is much work for me to attend to today!

Take care,

love ya, love your art

ja-who-dee

My First Wired Necklace

I haven't wire wrapped in ages. As a matter of fact, when I first did any of this I was in high school and didn't even know it had a name. I got wire from the hardware down town and some pliers and made earrings and braclets. Some rings. I'd tell ya how long ago that was, but that'd date me. I'll give you a hint though, Mullet's were in style . . . smiles.

I was inspired by the book by Kelly Snelling and Ruth Rae "A Charming Exchange". They did an excellent job! The techniques they use are all cold processes, so you don't have to worry about using a soldering iron!

Gothic Arch Mingle

Queen P . . .

LiTTle QUeeN P . . . I LOve tHE lOOk ON thIS liTTle ONes FAce.

some art

Hazel Goes To Work With Dad . . .

Dad's new work vehicle to "spread the poop" . . .

Honey I'm Home!

wE'Re bACk from our anual faMILy VAcaTIon up at HiGGins LAke. GOD deFINetLY HAD a gOOd day wHEn he CReaTEd HiGGins LAke! IT hAs GOT to BE my mOSt fAVorITe plACe in THe WOrld.

Look at Haze waving howdy to you from underwater . . . oooohhhhh how clear that water is. But COLD. Very, very cold!

Every year we try to spend a week with my immediate family. This year it was my mother, my husband and daughter, my brother and children, my sisters and their children, and even my sisters grandchildren . . . a large group, that's for sure! Sometimes that can be a little hairy! But now that I look at the pictures my brother sent, every stressful moment seems worth it!

And I was so darn proud of myself . . .

that I got one arch done for the many arch projects I've been behind. The work project with the software install is wearing me out, so thus I'm a tired puppy when I get home and get Hazel around in such that art has taken a back burnere . . . but anyway, I got this Shirley Temple arch done and was tickled and made a big dramatic check mark on my list, danced around . . . I got one done . . . I got one done . . . I sang and sang . . . then Hazel and I left the house to go for a walk . . . a Sunday walk mind you, but we hadn't checked Saturday's mail . . . so we checked the box and there was a note from the mail man, package to big left on side porch . . . so we go to the side porch and what was waiting for me . . . a box with two more books to work in . . . so one step forward and two back hey?

But don't worry my arty friends that I owe book pages and arches too . . .

I will get them done . . . Pat, Peggy, Frieda, Michelle, and Heather (I think it's her, someone I know I have I and J for the alphabet) . . . I'm missing someone, I know I am . . . but please, I'll get them to you I promise! OH and don't forget the two RR books I got in the mail also . . . .

I will work them slow and steady and win the race in the long run!

Speaking of running . . .

love ya, love your art

ja-who-dee

My Crazy World

I've found a moment to blog. It's been far too long. Not that I haven't wanted to, it was just trying to find a spare minute in my crazy buzy days! Wow!

My time first got ate up by the software install the hospital I work at was and still is in the midst of doing. We've started with replacing with the new software company the current packages that we had. That's in and we're still doing some tweeking and adjustments with that. Today is day 13 of the conversion. I work in the IT department, so needless to say, I've been thick in the middle of the conversion. It's very stressful at times, but at the same time very exciting and rewarding to be at work. I've been wanting a change in software for some time now! But needless to say, I'm exhausted when the day is done . . . oh girls just want to have fun . . . sorry, that just popped right into my head.

Then on top of that pressure, I came down with some respiratory crap that just knocked my socks off for a while. Wow. That was something. My chest would burn when I coughed up a woogie . . . oh gross I know, but it was the strangest feeling. This whatever it was sickness ran through our family. I still haven't bounced back 100%, but I am feeling much better. Spent Mother's day weekend sleeping for the most part.







I made these journal pages weeks and weeks ago. They are for Lenna Andrews who's theme is "NEST". It's a mingle of a tingle type of RR, meaning we are just sending pages to each other, but don't know who too from month to month. thus why I was able to make them early but not post nor send them on until now. These pages are by far my favorite art I've created. I sure wish you could see them up close and personal. Tucked behind the stencil letters spelling "nest" are little faces. I love stencils with little pictures peeking out from behind them!

Well enough tooting my own horn, duty calls and I must get back to work.

Love ya, love your art,

ja-who-dee

Happy Birthday

crownBirthday
Originally uploaded by lapaixdart.

Happy Birthday Mom, Mary, and Fred! Hope you all have wonderful birthdays this week!

More Snow . . .

Greetings1a
Originally uploaded by lapaixdart.

More snow. I suppose this will be really great for all the water levels in the summer, but right now, I'm tired of the stuff. I am finding the older I get, the less I like the snow. I actually think it isn't I don't like the snow, it's more I don't like driving in the snow. Or more to the fact, I don't like driving in the snow and having to share the road with other people! Yep, that's more like it. But if I had my druthers, if it's gonna snow, I'd just as soon stay home covered in a nice warm comforter and watching it build up from my window. yep, that would be perfect.

Longing desperately for spring,

ja-who-dee


about the post art:

making time, less than ten minutes

This is a generic greeting card I made. Love that dragonfly beauty. It is from www.artchixstudio.com The stamps of the splater and rings in from Tim Holtz, but right of hand I can't remember the shopping site. Just google Tim Holtz and you'll get many choices of spots to buy from.

It's a blank "craft" colored paper card to which I stamped, then added the striped paper, then distressed with Tim Holtz distressing ink and used a piece of sequin waste as a stencil. Then I adhered the imgage, and then of course, as most happens when I'm creating, out came the red pencil and the circle templated.

This is a view of the inside of the card. Same steps of paper, image, and distressing done. The image is a smaller version of the one on the front of the card.

Belated Valentine Wishes

Valentine
Originally uploaded by lapaixdart.

I made this arch for a mingle I am doing in one of my yahoo-sisterhood groups. A Favorite Holiday was the theme.

I picked Valentines in honor of my father's birthday. It is also my nephew's birthday, lets not forget that!

I love the hand holding the heart with wings. Symbolic in many ways as my father will always hold my heart even though he has left on the Ultimate Journey to be with our Lord. He still is so very close to me in my heart.

Love ya Dad!

And as always, love you all too!

ja-who-dee

Psalm 19:14

Prayer
Originally uploaded by lapaixdart.

which goes like this:

May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, oh Lord, my Rock, my Redeemer.

This has always been my favorite passage of the Bible. And when Gina wanted to us to use our favorite Bible story or passage, I knew exactly what I wanted to art around.

Now the thing is, this was actually put to the test. on me last night.

I was in town running errands and on my way to my very last spot. I was going to pick up a pizza for dinner as we were all running late. Dale and Hazel were at the dentist, and it was working out that time wise, well heck, with the pizza I should have a couple hours to work in my studio.

Well, not to be. I'm headed east on main street near the corner by my mothers house when all the sudden out of no where is this white car. There was nothing I could do but hit the back end of the car. The driver hadn't even looked to see if traffic was coming from the west before she crossed the street. Oh my. Okay, I'm thinking, my air bags may go off here . . . they didn't . . . I watch as it seems in slow motion that my front driver side bumper is cramming into the back window of this car. I swear I can see every piece of glass crack and break into thousands of pieces. Finally, we come to a stop. I'm all right, no air bags smashing me, I can open my door. I get out and check to make sure the driver of the other vehicle is okay. There was a young gentleman that stopped to make sure we were okay and who called the police for us. We move the cars away out of traffic to my mom's driveway.

All I could think of as this was happening, and I wanted to scream out, WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING . . . and . . . . THIS IS MY NEW CAR THAT GOT SMASHED. But my heart and mind told me, now be calm Judy. Dad would say that cars can be fixed, people sometimes can't. Which I did tell the young gal as she looked so upset. I stayed calm. I didn't lose my cool. As many times as I wanted to cry when I looked at my car, I didn't. Although Dale and Hazel made it there before the police, and I could tell my the grin on his face he knew I wanted too. It's true that it is more important no one was hurt.

But man, did I tell you . . .

THIS WAS MY NEW TO ME CAR, MY NEW BABY . . .

sigh. Time to re-read the passage and calm my heart.

love ya, love your art . . .

ja-who-dee

Optical Lense Book Laces

Optical Lense Book Laces
Originally uploaded by lapaixdart.

These are my newest Book Laces.

For these I used vintage optical lenses and diamond glaze to hold the small collages in place. the Laces are waxed linen thread and beads ranging from wood to glass.

they are awesome . . .

if'n I say so myself . . . smiles

love ya, ja-who-dee



these are the 'backs' of the laces

Back from Vacation . . .

RED/BROWN color theme
Originally uploaded by lapaixdart.

welp, it's back to the ole grindstone. It was hard to get myself around and come into work. Of course, the fog didn't help increase my thrill of driving in this morning . . . Michigan weather . . . or should I blame it on global warming . . . is this how the wooly mamoths felt when all the ice started melting to end the ice age? What was the trigger for that global warming? See, going back to work, it just stirs up all those voices in my head and they ponder such questions . . . . so I have to sing REALLY loud to drown them out . . .

you do realize I'm kidding don't you?

Phew . . .

Anyway, over my little break, I did make some art. This is one of the porjects I did. It's an arch for a RR/mingle I am doing this year. This lovely little arch will go to my friend Cindy Mc in Canada. She is a wonderful gal that I met through the ARTchix ya-ho-sister-hood group

I know I did more projects. Tomorrow I will show some things i made too, but where the heck are all the fruits of my labor . .. I only have a couple scans . . .

perhaps I "vacationed" more than I thought hey?

ah well, them's the breaks . . .

see ya when i see ya!

love

ja-who-dee