a collection

I started painting because we had so many walls in the apartments after college... like Sunrise Lane and Edwards Street. We needed decoration and color! Here is some early work:


The small blue, white, and brown one was one of my first paintings. (I think Jim has the VERY first experiment.) I still get compliments on this little buddy. Acrylic on canvas, using painters tape. Same for the green one, and I used a stencil for the stars. The bottle caps are a 2008 addition... and more of those to come. I like this cool-colored grouping. The green CHARLOTTE painting in a previous post was with these, and now I am working on a navy phone book painting to go in it's place in this corner of the house.


This painting was once mistaken for a piece of wood! Nope. Canvas again. With CDs and a roll of tape as stencils for the circles. The lamp belongs to Amanda, and I am giving it a very good home until she needs it again.
Again, if anyone is interested in decorations for their walls, just let me know!

dirty laundry

here is a craft project found in ReadyMade magazine's June/July issue...



I stitched this on an old pillowcase. now it will be my reusable travel laundry bag! I am glad I finished this one... I will be heading to the UK in less than a month where I will be sure to test it out. It looks so much better than the plastic grocery bag(s) I usually use for dirty clothes. I will be able to wash it and use it again each time I travel.



I may or may not put a drawstring-like closure... I'll see how the first test goes.

a painting creation

Here is a piece that belongs to my friends in Charleston, SC :


acrylic on canvas, plus map and embroidery floss. also looks good vertically! I like using maps on my paintings... I will share more of those later. This one has a part of a map where you can see CHARLOTTE, NC. That is where my friends are from, which is why this painting was made for them specifically.

Here is another map painting... a first attempt actually. this has a map from my home sweet home of CARRBORO, NC.


ta da!

salsa!

perfect for chips, tacos, fajitas, nacho pie, or breakfast burritos!

4-5 tomatoes
1 red onion
2 jalepenos, seeded
about 5 or 6 chunks of fresh pineapple
1 clove of garlic
juice from 1/2 of a lime
tons of cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

i usually squeeze out the tomatoes so the salsa isn't too liquidy. throw all of this into the food processor and you're good to go! sooo easy. and easy to tweak for size and flavor.
best after it sits in the fridge for a while. nice and cold.
enjoy!

one creation

here is one of the first things i made...

I started collecting bottle caps I don't remember how long ago. But I amassed quite a few, and needed a place to put them. I designed this "frame" with help from dad. It is one hefty piece of plywood that I drilled holes in, then painted out the sections. We made little frames for each section and the caps are held in by glass. Each little section can be unscrewed from the back so I can replace caps and reorganize them if I feel like.
This has been on the wall of every house and apartment I have lived in since college. It is very colorful and I like it! I have a TON more bottle caps that need homes now and I am working on that. I also tell my friends to collect caps for me if they go abroad... I have stuff from Japan, Germany, Argentina, and lots of other places now.
I am currently working on some smaller versions of this, so check back later for updates on those.

In the begining...

Welcome to my blog!
This is going to be all about CREATING. Each week I will post about something I have made. Most of the time it will be painting, or other artwork. Sometimes jewelry or embroidery. And sometimes food. Yum! I would love to see and hear about the things you create also, so please comment with your creations.
Also, the artwork I make is for sale... so please inquire if you are interested! and tell your friends.
Thanks for stopping by!