Mask molds for sale

at the Metal Clay World Conference! Colleen has designed this fabulous mask and Crafty Lady molds has turned it into 2 molds. There is a simple mold to do just the mask, and then another mold that has all the tiny little flowers and leaves so that you can then design your final product any way that you want!




I'm bringing about 20 of these molds to the conference with me and you can meet me in my room to purchase one if you want!

Colleen first used polymer clay to design the mold, then used that to create her mask in metal clay. Once she had the mask perfected (you should see her mirror finish!) she sent the mask off to Crafty Lady and they produced the mold.

I will also have this piece of jewelry with me so you can see how stunning it is!!!

The mask is about 2 1/2" across and the mold retails for $21.95. The mold with the flowers and leaves retails for $13.95

And if you're not going to the conference and want to buy one of these, just email me!!!

To see more of Colleen's work, check out Silver Art Studio.

Memory Loss

I used to market US Savings Bonds for the Department of Treasury. I would create animated powerpoint presentations on my then Dell laptop, hook it up to an LCD projector, add speakers, music....oh my gosh, it would take me a whole week to create a one hour presentation. But then I could use that same presentation for the next 3 months as I traveled around and gave speeches about the benefits of investing in bonds.

The LCD that I bought yesterday came with no cables. Zip. Zero. Nada. Nothing! But I wasn't too worried as I am married to a geek guy! I think I spent the greater half of the morning going through boxes and bins loaded with cables. I'd bring 5 upstairs at a time, plug them in, try them out.....then take them backdownstairs and try the next 10 or so. Then I'd run upstairs and look in drawers, closets, boxes in the closets and run back downstairs with another batch. You just can't imagine how many things I did find that I've been looking for forever! LOL!!!

I finally found it all......and here's a video of the equipment I'm going to use at the Metal Clay World Conference.....so no matter where you sit, you can see what I'm working on!!! I have also borrowed an LCD in the hopes that at least one of them will work - plus I've requested that the conference provide one for me! I think I'm covered all the way around!!!



Jewelry by Colleen Lee - Silver Art Studio

Colleen's blog is here

Music by Ran Danari

Now, I know, if you are a tech person, I'm sure this seems quite easy. But I've been retired for 7 years now - I definitely have memory loss!!!

One single piece of paper

Well....I should say...it's one single design...I've used about 100 pieces of the same design and I am finally done with my studio. For now. LOLOL!!!!

Yesterday, I showed my wall of art, most of the designs done with Heidi Swapp paper. All of this wall was made with leftover bits and pieces from lining my storage bins.  I decided to move my tables around to open up my work area and give me access to the french doors to the back deck.


On the other wall....my "wall of heidi swapp"!  How fun to line the bins with paper...make them all match, label them.....and KNOW what's inside each drawer.  I think I am finally organized.  Well, at least for this week.  You know how that goes!!!

And don't forget the rounders on my desk!

Here are links to closeups of the other projects in my studio using Heidi Swapp paper:

starting with the bins

desktop rounders

26 letters

Ooh La La!

the baskets

altered frames

Believe

Letter "A"

Letter "R"

Letter "T"

My first Bible

Marker box and house frame

Wall of Art

The library bookcase

The bottom slice of brown lined the drawers under the wall of art

And finally, I used scraps inside this curio cabinet....and created photo collages for the front of it.  

There are still a couple more things I want to do....but for now....I'm all done!!! If you look at this and think I spent too much time....no...it's been nothing short of fun. If you think I should spend my time creating art - well, I happen to think this IS art! And if you think I need to design things like scrapbook pages....well, since I have around 145 pieces that have been published to date, I think I can afford to play my way for a few days!!! My hat is off to Heidi Swapp for designing such an amazing piece of paper. I doubt she knows the possibilities!!! And thanks to all of you for your positive comments as I've blogged this journey to decorate my studio. It's really been fun!!!

Unpacking.....

I think I have everything from San Diego unpacked. Whew! I'm sort of in a mess here as I'm moving parts of my studio from the basement upstairs....sorting through stuff (oh! what a chore!) and finishing up some unfinished projects as I get ready for the retreat coming up.

NINETEEN women at my house for a whole weekend! Am I insane or what? LOLOL!!!

Remember how I did all my drawers with Heidi Swapp paper? Then ran out. Got some more and started in on my storage "accessories". I love these rounders from Making Memories - this one stores all of my markers, pens, and part of my colored pencils:



I have a second one for the tools that I use on a regular basis. There are little drawers in the bottom of these, so handy for things like push pens and ribbon threaders. They were all white and now that I have the paper on them.....I love them even more!



I'm not sure what these are called, but they are from Making Memories as well. Got 2 of them to hold all my printer paper, printer ribbons, business papers, etc. Again, little drawers across the bottom where I'm storing all those things that tend to get lost somewhere in the mess on my table.



And what a chore to more all my shelves upstairs. But we're done! When I get it completely finished, I'll take better pictures. There are 4 sections and they take up a whole wall. So soothing to look at and something I can live with because our first floor is all open, no doors....so anyone who comes to visit gets to see it all!



It's amazing how much stuff I have that I don't need, so I'm clearing out, bagging it up because at the retreat, we're going to have swap, sell and give-away tables set up in the basement! The retreat is in just 2 weeks, so expect to hear lots more as the preparations get underway!!!

The agenda is set.....4 teachers, and everything is totally free. WOW! Have you ever heard of such a thing? TWO whole days of techniques and classes and it's all free!!! Well - that may not ever happen again....but this year, we've managed to pull it off! Guess that's what happens when you live in Colorado where things like Art Unraveled, Creative Escape, Scrapfest and CKC don't happen - we just make our own!!!

Hmmmm......I have to just wonder....if we can do this for free....how come all those other events cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars to attend? Something to think about!

Anna's Broken Heart

My sister, Colleen, and I both do metal clay. Her website is finally up and running so I wanted to share it with all of you.

Silver Art Studio

Be sure to read about Anna's broken heart That's Colleen's granddaughter, my great niece, who was born with only 2 chambers in her heart. I think the poem that Colleen wrote says it all. This little 3 year old child struggles to live each day and as soon as she weighs 30 pounds, they can do a heart transplant.

This is one of the teardrops that Colleen has designed....tears for Anna's heart.



And yes...that's metal clay! Amazing what you can make with clay!

Ran Danari is a young Jewish man that Colleen met and he wrote the song that plays on her website. I think the group he plays in will do well.

All her pieces were photographed by our brother, Nelson. And my husband designed both her website and mine. I am so blessed to have such a talented family!

Her mask is my absolute favorite piece....inspired by a Judikins stamp. So if you think I have fun playing with clay, just imagine what it's like when the 2 of us get together!!!

And this month, Art Clay Society's quarterly newsletter featured Anna's Broken Heart on the page facing an article I wrote titled "Making Money while Playing!" How fun to have sisters published together once again!

Anna's broken heart....turning sorrow into sunshine, making life better for others. It's part of what makes us all so creative!