symbols of love / signs of love

L - Nikon . T - iphone

A very special gift from my brother - all hand-carved from one piece of wood - a true treasure.  /  little dog bonding

mint / brand new

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

Mint ice cream is my favorite - so refreshing on a hot summer's night. / Taylor's getting her table setting together for her new apartment living. The vintage napkins (in "mint" condition) and the bird plates she picked out at an antique mall, the cute yellow plates are from World Market. I wish I was the one getting new dinnerware. I've been using the same plates since 1984. Hmm... something's wrong with this picture.

creative / expressive

L - Nikon / T - Nikon film camera

I was so excited to come home and find a box from Amazon. I was on Amazon the other day looking for a particular book a blogger mentioned. One book lead me to these type of books which really caught my interest. Feeling like my creativity needed a push I bought some of them. Look at these books - don't they look exciting? I can't wait to dive in - absorb the knowledge within. I'm hoping they will inspire me - to update my etsy site, to get a more active with creating and selling, and to create a blog that has a purpose and stands out. I have so many ideas - paintings, forged silver jewelry, direction for the blog, scannography visions, weavings, sewing projects, - all in my head. They're doing me no good in there. The problem is I seem to get motivated and excited to work on my own stuff when I'm at work doing other peoples projects and by the time I get home my energy for creating has died. Well Spring is a time to grow - to spring forth with new life, new color, and energy. Maybe after reading the books I will feel a new motivation, and not afraid to try some new things. / Taylor sent me this photo tonight. Those are some crazy, colorful men's shirts aren't they? This particular shop makes olds things look fresh and exciting - desirable. I'd say a guy would have to be pretty creative and bold to wear one of these - not afraid to try new things - to stand out and be expressive. The photo was taken as a segment of her photo assignment - "the role color plays in our culture".

"Hail in the Spring, a start of new beginnings.

Creativity awe-inspiring gives a reason to be living.

Plant life showing life anew, a wonder to be found.

New born lambs playing in the fields, birds nesting all around

People enjoying the sun and the warmth, feeling good to be alive.

Spring gives a purpose to our lives, a touch of Paradise."

- Kay M. Sutton, Bring in the Spring

copper links, pine path

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

I started another metalsmithing class for the winter months. I haven't worked with metal since being at the John Campbell school and it's nice to get back into it. Our instructor gave us an interesting assignment – to create whatever we wanted out of a bag of 16 copper washers. I decided to hammer on mine to create texture and even change the shape of some of the circles. This is what I have so far - a linked chain, unpolished and unfinished - a work in progress. / a new semester has begun and i'm starting to see the path i have ahead of me and appreciate the scenery as i pass through.

refreshing / dusty

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

Bear with us while we renovate a little here on our blog. There can be comfort in the old but sometimes the old gets dusty and worn out – new is usually refreshing and clean. So we're starting with a new white template, fresh new banner, and profile pic. I did a little sprucing up last night. I would love for our photos to show a little bigger but I'm having trouble with that. Can anyone offer suggestions? My original images are plenty big but when I upload, Blogger sizes it down. Is there an simple way to fix this?
UPDATE: I figured out how to keep my images large. Are they too big now?

Curious - these photos were taken on the same day – one in her bedroom at home and one in an abandoned house that she claims as her own. I was making sure her room was in order before she got home and at the same time she was shooting film in Athens at an old abandoned home that she is using for her final photo assignment. She got some really cool digital images and I imagine her film is just as good.

neat / organized

post - L / photos - T

T designed this computer desk and my dad made it for her. He built it according to her specifications and then she sanded, painted it white, stained and varnished the top the color of her floors and added the little glass pulls. Doesn't it look nice and neat? It will be something she can use for years to come. Just as my mom used this drawing table that my dad built for her when they were first married. She used it many years as an illustrator for the Baptist Sunday School Board, and later as a painter. I used it in my paint studio when I went off to college and now T has it to use. When something is made well, and and taken care of, it can last a lifetime and more. Maybe T's children will one day use this desk that she and her Opa built.
These are the markers here... those were mine back when I did markers comps - you know before computers. I was shocked that they still worked - they have to be at least 15 - 20 yrs old.
I thought it was kinda funny... I took these supplies to T last weekend when we met half way for lunch and before I even got home she had sent this photo of it all set up - the colors in perfect order. I know she couldn't stand it until they were in the proper order - she's kinda OCD like that ; ). It brought back memories to see this all set up in working order - the t-square and triangles, ellipses and french curves, and all the colors of the rainbow. Now let's see the work, T.

new / used

solo post - L

This morning I felt a hint of fall in the air. The sky was brilliant blue and the air felt fresh. I realize we have many more days of summer heat left until the cool days of autumn, but a day like today, with just that tiny taste of fall in the air... it does something to me. I LOVE it.
Wanting to be outside as much as possible today I started out by giving Evee a haircut. Or at least I tried - the blade just was not cutting properly so I had to go to Petco to see if they had a replacement blade. They didn't. But while I was there I decided what Evee needed even more than a haircut was a shampoo, so I bought some sweet smelling shampoo and came home and bathed her. Yeah I couldn't resist a new toy to give her as a treat.
T has a long list of supplies she needs for her Graphic Design class. And when I read over it I was sort of shocked to see that they were teaching old school. She needs triangles, t-square, markers, colored pencils and rapidiographs, etc. So I went on a search for my old tools – have been gathering them up and cleaning them. I couldn't find my rapidiograph (doubt it would have worked anyway), but one thing I was pleasantly surprised about was the markers. I expected them to be completely dried out after all these years but most of them were as juicy as new - after 15 or more years. That's incredible to me. Plus I have about 100 - so that saves at least $200. Sorry T, I know you were looking forward to new supplies - like getting those new pencils in 1st grade, but these will serve you just as well. I'll buy you a new rapidiograph - that's nicer than a new pencil.
Interesting... it seems the green markers hold up the best. I didn't find one green marker that was dried up.