goth chains

I have been playing with rebar wire and made 2 chains that I actually completed (well, sort of). The first one I put my "tooth and nails" on, the 2nd one will eventually get a brass etched heart lock, with a key hanging off of it. Neither one has the patinas evened out - both have dremel polishing marks still on them that need to be darkened.

Goth Tooth and Nails necklace

Goth Victorian Heart necklace (the lock will go in the center of the heart and the key will dangle beneath)

I am working on a different necklace now. It has fire opal swarovski crystals, copper bees and brass spoons with amber colored glass tear drops (they're supposed to be honey drops). It is turning out very odd. I am going to string it on a brass chain, or else I'm thinking of cutting out brass sheet in honeycomb like hexagons to be chain links. That sounds a bit too complicated, but we'll see if I can pull it off!

Mow day

Lance on his super mower and egrets
Yesterday was mow day. It only takes about 2 hrs now that lance has his new super mower, but the clean up of the yard - which is my job! - takes me about 3 hrs. Since I have been gone, it was especially in bad shape. Lance did what he could, but combined with the mowing, it is an impossible task for just one person. The palm trees shed their fronds continually and they are heavy and dirty. So I picked up as best I could. During the week I will have to set aside a few days to pick up pine needles, trim hedges, thin the heliconias, etc.
...and pick up all of the fronds he let stack up between the groves.......
i mow too. I have the old craftman rider mower. it gwets into all the tight spaces. it's my job to mow all theedges of the property. the mower works as a blower to clean the edges too. I love mowing. it is very meditative and i can sing out loud badly because it is so loud i think no one can hear me. (my husband says i am wrong). i also plan art projects because mowing requires very little concentration.
Here are some pics from yesterday.

A cleaned grove

Bananas


More Egrets

Snail they get to be 6" long and have voracious appetites!

what a sky!

ACT BOLD AND MIGHTY FORCES WILL COME TO YOUR AID.

That is Lance and I's favorite quote. It is what motivated us to first move to Kauai and for me to start doing art again......

On Wednesday my DH took me for a motorcycle ride. We only went up the road a few miles and then back home. I hadn't been on a motorcycle in over 30 years. It was scary! I had to pay attention and hold on tight. My hands went numb and I was sure I was going to splat all over the pavement. My back ached from trying to keep myself upright. ....So today my DH wanted to go on another ride - this time all the way to Lihue (about 40 minutes) and back. I didn't want to go...I pleaded, made up lots of excuses - it was just too nerve racking the time before. But he conned an d cajoled me into it anyway, and I reluctantly went. I tried not to think about my fears and apprehensions - and after a while I found myself daydreaming, getting lost in my thoughts, watching the clouds whip by as a domed reflection in his black helmet. It was a GLORIOUS day. It rained a bit, a cool refreshing rain, and over the course of the ride, there were 3 (yes THREE!) beautiful rainbows, cobalt blue ocean and white ginger fragrancing our path. We stopped for lattes at Starbucks and headed back home. It was an incredible ride, totally exhilarating! We hope to make it an early morning Sunday tradition!

It was a lesson for me - I don 't like risk and and I especially don't like stepping out of my comfort zone -

But the rewards of acting bold can be so worth it!

Tomorrow is mow day. Back to the grindstone!

Digital Photos - don't look if you don't like naked

I have been playing with Paint Shop Pro. I have paint shop pro 7 and decided to upgrade to 10. But 10 is not similar enough to 7 for me to be able to figure it out. it came with a book - but i prefer to navigate on my own, crash get lost and eventually, out of desperation, i will ask for help. For now, i have just gone back to Paint Shop Pro 7, because it will do what i want it to do. So much for upgrades. Here are 2 digitally altered photos - my style of course!

This one is called "moonlit butte"


...and this one is "3 moons at dawn"
I am going to print this one out and try to paint it!

I'm home ...and some exciting news......

I'm home - finally! I spent the last 10 days at my dear dad's house. Together with two of my sisters, my nephew and his girlfriend, we moved the packed boxes of my mom's memorabilia and collectibles into storage. We also cleared the clutter and cleaned my dad's house so he can now put the house on the market. He has found a wonderful "air force" retirement village in Fairview near Travis Air Force base. It is a gorgeous place with an incredible restaurant and lots of things for him to do.

....on another note, remember that PMC Extruder contest I entered? Well PMC Supply emailed me that they were not announcing the winners until Oct 3rd, when the winning pieces would be pictured in Art Jewelry magazine. Well the 3rd came and went and I heard nothing. So I figured since they hadn't emailed me anything, I didn't win. Also, my DH said nothing came for me from PMC Supply. (I was expecting at least my piece to be returned to me) I went to several places in LA to try and find the magazine, but i wasn't successful. When I came home today, I found a small package from PMC Supply. It was my returned spider (thanks for the info, dear husband!) ...with I note -

I WON FIRST PRIZE! $300 in supplies from PMC SUPPLY) and...

I'm NOW PUBLISHED!

I am so excited! I still haven't found the magazine, but I will go to Borders tomorrow....

Here's the pic they sent me on a disc: