(Vesta)

Hi all…sorry I have been quiet for a while. I have been busy getting the ArtSeeds Classroom set up (more about that soon).

But for now I wanted to share these awesome clay horses by my great friend Mary Lorca.

I love the real horse hair tail and sticks for legs!  They are so fun and whimsical. She also makes these Stick Spirit women…very organic pieces. The bodies are made of clay and bits of fabric and yarns etc.

My next post will be about my new home studio, the best one I’ve ever had, can’t wait to share…..

(Vesta)

I just had to share my friend Ann Harrington’s incredible polymer clay faces. She also adds stained glass to them.

Her website is www.justchillincreations.com these are so cool. I’ve never seen anyone combine these two mediums before!

(Vesta)

I thought this beaded necklace was kind of boring so I thought I would give it a new look with acrylic paints.

BEFORE

AFTER

I used Turquoise and Copper paints and applied it with a piece of textured PenScore.

So if you have any old jewelry hanging around and plenty of acrylic paints, maybe they should meet up and start a whole new life together.

(Vesta)

Well, we all had fun in Emily Start’s wire wrap class yesterday. Here are a few pieces I created. A ring. earrings, bracelet and pendant.

The first class produced these earrings……..

I wasn’t really trying to match the earrings but the pendant sorta just went in that direction….

My first ring……

A wavy bracelet!

Here’s Emily demonstrating on our terrace. The Tubac Festival of The Arts started this morning! Brrrrrrr……

Emily will be teaching a wire wrap class tonight at our Gallery after we close.

Here is Artist Monna Barrick creating one of her masterpieces!

(Vesta)

Here’s a little peek at some of the gemstone stuff I got at the Annual Gem & Mineral Show in Tucson. Boy, what a mob scene the first day at The Holidome was. Emily Start who will be teaching her amazing silver wire wrap here in Tubac tomorrow, and I headed to the show on Thursday in my big ol’  Motorhome “Freedom” (yes, I named it!). We had to wait over 30 minutes just to turn off one road and onto another to the parking lot!!! I could hear it gobbling up gas, thirsty little critter that it is…

I bought this pewter bracelet that had seven of these links in it, took it apart and added it to this necklace. It is much more suited to it as it was awkward as a bracelet!!! BTW, this hand tooled leather looking fabric that it is displayed on was purchased at Wal~Mart for less than $8.00 per yard! It is so real looking it might even fool a cow!

We met up with two other Gals, it is quite a challenge to see the show yourself and keep track of each other! I’m glad this wasn’t a sanity test! Anyway, Emily found the best place for us to purchase silver wire in various gauges for the classes. The wire ranged from $27.00 ~ $18.00 for the same thing! Always good to have a “pro” with you.

We are returning on Tuesday, will update then. Also will share pictures of our very own Wisdom Woman Jessica and her adorable Mom, Gloria who will be creating gorgeous jewelry in Emily’s class tomorrow……

(Vesta)

I thought everyone might enjoy seeing these adorable Wire Cowgirls created by  local Artist Carol Randall.

The bodies are made of clay, then she embellishes them with wire, beads, fabric etc. They have such personality!

You can almost hear them saying yee haw!

I love their little purses, the detail is so cute!

I’m off to the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show tomorrow. I’ll post pictures on my next blog…….

(Vesta)

Miniature houses that is….. Sally McQueen is no ordinary woman. She built these awesome desert miniature houses all up and down her looooong driveway up to her home on a hill in Tucson. The first time I saw them my jaw dropped as I was driving up to see her. First I saw one, then another and another WOW. Sally built these houses over a 21 year period. Collecting and placing miniature objects to create a feeling of authenticity.

Over the years the desert cactus and bushes grew in around her creations, little critters even live in some of the dwellings.

I love the little pot beside the doorway, the attention to detail is inspiring!

Tiles were used for the front and roof of this three piece dwelling.

Love the little yellow car!!! Check out the little garage to the left.

I love my talks with this “Wisdom Woman” she really inspires me and hope she does you as well!

(Vesta)

I love this polymer clay face mold….it has a dozen different sizes and looks. Here are a few ways it has been used to create art with all kinds of materials.

Veggie Leather Spirit Woman Wall Hanging….

Pottery Doll…..

Cell Phone Bag….

Polymer Clay Spirit Worm Pin….

Ursela’s Mirror

This mold is so handy to use, the faces are very serene looking. Make a bunch up to have on hand for projects. It usually takes about an hour to bake them, depending on the thickness.

(Vesta)

Any stamper worth their salt has a heat tool for embossing, shrinking plastic and heating foam etc., but one of my favorite ways to use it is to remove those stubborn bar-codes and price stickers from purchased items.

Make sure the item can withstand heat and simply heat the sticker with a rotating motion to soften the adhesive-then quickly and easily peel it off! If the area left behind is a little sticky, rub a bit of baby powder over it and it will disappear!

(Vesta)

As promised here are a few pictures of Ecuador and Luz creating her beautiful jewelry….

She had to load all the beads on the thread in the order of the design before

beginning to crochet!!!

PATIENCE!!!!

Luz and her daughter Sobeyda………

View from the terrace where we had our meals each day!

The flowers were AWESOME!

I may be nuts but I see a face and shoulders in this rock’…..

Please say you see it too!