what else to do...

what else to do with butterfly & dragonfly wings...and pressed flowers. i thought i might try working on some necklaces! i'm not quite finished yet...but here are my first two pieces! i still have to coat and seal...

...more later...stay cool....laura

another vintage bottle

for the past few days i had been working on decorating another small (6" tall) vintage bottle...with a butterfly wing...and small moth (i think!)...pressed flowers...and 3 rhinestone thingies glued in centers of flowers!

decorated vintage bottles

We used to have WOODS across the street...until they came in with bulldozers and knocked all the trees down!! what a shame!! pine trees...big old oak trees...GONE! so my husband Sam and i started riding the 4 wheeler over there and uncovered old...bottles...cans...a horseshoe...old marbles...so many treasures!!  it became (another) addiction of mine...to scour this field...in search of anything unusual. we started finding many vintage bottles...old medicine bottles...soda bottles. i cleaned them all up and started decorating some with pressed flowers and butterfly or dragonfly wings. (the butterfly bodies are painted)  i put a cork with crystal bead in top. i like to think we're doing our part by cleaning up the field of old debris...one man's garbage is another's treasure! UPcycled!! REcycled!!  

framed 'flower quote' !!

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day! let's be kind to the earth everyday! i posted this on my (personal) FB page, and thought it might be a good idea to post it here as well! just some ideas of the many things we can do to help keep the earth clean and green...everyday! :)
http://www.seql.org/100ways.cfm

me? compulsive? and my Bone Gardens!

...sometimes i can be a little...compulsive...a perfectionist...when i do something...i have set out expectations for myself...and i won't quit til i'm satisfied. when i 'make' something...create...if it's not JUST how i saw it in my mind ...then it's not good enough. others may say "what's wrong with it? it looks great!" ((not to me it doesn't))...then, back to the ole drawing board.>>i have given away so many of my 'creations' over the years...first, because i just wasn't happy with it...and second, because someone said they liked it!! i've NEVER been good at putting a monetary value on my art. i enjoy making these things...it makes me feel good when i know that someone appreciates what i have created...so why not just give it away!! and so...for ME...this is why Etsy is a learning experience in many ways! i don't have to see the 'customer' face-to-face...so therefore the tempting option to just GIVE AWAY my 'art'...isn't there! ((well, i have had friends and family tell me i don't charge enough...so maybe in a way......ok, nevermind)) in my own defense, i have gone in to edit my 'prices' from time to time...adding 50 cents here...a dollar there. so i AM getting better! ha!

today i wanted to post a couple of my things...these are '3D, mixed media'...done on 4"x4" beveled wood grain plaques...which i paint...and proceed to create a 'Bone Garden". yep! the flowers are made of bone & teeth, the moons are wire i twisted into small spirals. i LOVE making these!! (i've sold one!) you might notice that "Planet Beenderen" is in the title name of these pieces (on etsy). while trying to come up with a creative name for these bone 'pictures'...i decided to look up the word BONE in different languages! i went with Dutch (since i have that in my blood)...Beenderen = Bones!!

recycled champagne glasses

these are my (thrift shop) champagne glasses which i decorated with pressed flowers...and added words of inspiration to some. they look really cool at night...with a tea-light candle.

bone art- in the works

here's a pic of a deer skull and 2 deer jawbones i was working on...decorating with pressed flowers, paint & shells...i have since finished these and they're for sale on my etsy site http://www.etsy.com/shop/ForestWalkArt

i use 'modpodge' for just about all my gluing...coating...and then use a clear acrylic spray sealer when finished!

a few pic's...work in progress

just a quick note before i head out...for my first massage app't...
here's a pic of my 'work table'...with a (vintage) bottle i'm working on, decorated with pressed flowers and butterfly wings.

what do i do now...

this is my first day here. my first blog.
i wanted to set this up so that i could share with others...
my art...my thoughts, ideas...and occasional ramblings...
AND get feedback...
i don't know how much time i'll be able to devote...
but at least i've taken the first step.
i don't really know where to start...what to say...

i'm a massage therapist...by day....for about 13 yrs.
when i'm not in massage mode...i'm reading, writing...creating...
gardening, hiking.

sometimes that's my problem...i've got too many things going on at the same time!
it's hard for me to SIT. to do nothing.

so what do i plan to do here?? on this new blog?
i'd like to share my art. maybe show how i go about creating something...
i'll post the links to my 2 etsy shops...
and then HERE...i can get a little more intimate...informative...
WHY do i decorate bones? where do i find the bones? how do i clean them?
where do i get my butterfly wings? pressed flowers?
how do i do the sandblasting? WHAT IS sandblasting?

i also decorate old vintage bottles...found...dug up...cleaned
and champagne glasses which i find in thrift shops.

anyway...this is a good start...i think. i hope.
eventually i see this as a good place to share my creations...ideas...
process...my art, writings...and so on...

it's almost 9am...got to get ready for my day job...massage...
and cleaning up the house...dishes...etc...you know the routine.

before i go, i'll post the links to my etsy shops...and i think i'll put THIS
link on my FB page.
til next time...laura
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ForestWalkArt
http://www.etsy.com/shop/samura