Gathering to Create

       Going to NYC and Maine in the summer is not only a break, but a time to gather ideas. In son's NYC home, I took a photo of my painting relevant to the political season. At the museums I looked for jewelry in ancient Egypt and Rome. (Once I was in a museum when Paloma Picasso wanted to research some jewelry.) I went to the bead stores along 6th Avenue between the NYC Public Library at 5th Ave./42nd all the way to Macy's at 34th to replenish supplies. Before leaving town, we visited the Museum of the American Indian on the tip of Manhattan for more. Of course the paintings always inspire, and this time I focused on beads and Gaugin's still life paintings that nearly always have a person in them. Focus can be good. Click photos to enlarge.

Abandon Sin and Do Good 
oil on shaped canvas
72 3/4” x 32”

•          At home it is easy to drop in on my bead area to make a necklace or earrings in less than an hour or two. This month I made some more necklaces and wondered how to show my supplies in a post. I some times have trouble parting with a necklace which I did for some birthdays, so I should always make two. Joan in Maine gave me some fish earrings I wore swimming. Jean gave me a leaf necklace from Stray Cat; and I look forward to getting back to polymer clay to make my own leaves (see YouTube for how-to's). That is probably a better activity than baking pies and cookies that I lean toward and have no self-control near.
  
  
       Happily, we gathered up 3-year-old clever Harry at the Rhode Island Animal Rescue League! He fills our hearts with happiness.

Tools and findings for simple necklaces and earrings...Click to enlarge.

leaf necklace from StrayCat

Harry and Joe

Drive to Boston MSPCA

        

Graduation in the 'hood": security blankets and more

click to enlarge

      Days are wildly full now, but I wanted to make something festive to take to a graduation dinner on the harbor. Good friend and neighbor,Jean and her daughter Anna, were both graduating...Jean with a Masters in Public Health and Anna with an undergraduate interest in international health.
      First I made graduation cards using Comic Life and then added quotations on commencement to the backs of the envelopes. I learned this afternoon how to used the embroidery attachment on my sewing machine so I could put their names on "security blankets." I had many missteps in my education but succeeded after using a stabilizer ironed on the back of the fabric. I wrote the names and class and then made "pillow cases" with batting. turned and stitched on gold wings and around the edges. Of course the Kaffe Fassett fabric "made" them; and I listened to the graduation speeches as I sewed.The back was a complimentary exciting fabric by the same designer. I picked up some light-up rings for the graduates to be easily identified and had little gifts to pull out of my bag.