Hey Jason,

This is just a little something for you since you have internet service for the next day or two. We love and miss you, get your butt home soon! love ya!

mom, dave, moni, sam, kevin and luca


Here is your sister with her "date" for the winter formal. dan is just a friend so put the gun away ;-)



This is Luca and Kevin. They have hit it off well and like to play together. You can't really tell from this picture, but if you look close enough, you can see the chain from Kevin's "dog tags" that he wears... just like yours.



Needless to say, even Casper loves the baby. He let's him do anything he wants to him and will often get between luca and whoever is trying to play with him.



Mommy only had to give a lesson or two to be gentle, and a friend was earned for life!




Here is mom and Luca at Jerry and Suzie's for the pre, pre christmas brunch. Much to moni's dismay, she has learned how big the family might be...LOL



Partying with the clan can be exhausting for all




mmmmmm apple streudel!



there's nothing like big wet sloppy kisses between cousins......?



Luca's first christmas gift



As you have taught Kevin....




Kevin Teaches Luca




This is MY dog!



Chloe stays away from luca, but here you can see that even Max gives him a little patience



BTW: directly after this shot was taken, luca siezed max (much like a warner bros cartoon) max screamed an we had to pry luca's fingers out of his feathers. Max is fine, but for some unknown reason, he seems a little skiddish around the baby.



Everybody needs a nap after turkey dinner



As a matter of fact, a turkey dinner can make you sleep anywhere



No, I REALLY mean ANYWHERE



I'll send all the pictures on CD to you after Moni heads home.

Love to all the guys over there. oxoxoxoxoxox to you all

A new sign on which I am currently working

Before you can start, cut your board to a length that you like and run all the edges through a small bit on your router. (Or use sand paper to knock off the edges all the way around.) Sand entire board until smooth. Prime several times (3 is good) and let dry completely. Base the background in a dark grey.



This first picture is of the left side. Base the light house in black. Paint the roofs in white. Tap in the pines with a large filbert and white. Use a dry wash first then straight paint randomly to add addtional snow on branches. Pull the tree in white and prussian blue with a liner. Shade roof lines with prussian blue. Add windows and lamp with a wash of light yellow. Use a shader to slice in snow banks with a wash of white. Add fence posts with tan and white and chisel edge of a shader. Go back and add window reflections with the lightest wash of yellow possible. Apply several coats to get proper feel. Use a tooth brush and wash white to apply snow flakes all over.



Now for the time consuming part. I used Corel Draw to manipulate the text into the design seen here. Illustrator will do the same thing and works just as well - the buttons are just located in differnt places ;-) Once you have the text to the size and layout that you like, print it out and transfer the letters with graphite paper. Use a ruler or straight edge for the straight sections of the letters. Use a dark color to base the letters. I used prussian blue here and several brushes : flat 4, angle shader 6, 2 round, 0 liner and probaly more to fit all the nooks and crannies to get the letters right. I then dry brushed each letter in med blue to make them stand out more. Then lined each letter in ochre to make them pop, this being the end result.




My total hours on this are about 8 (most of which was working on the lettering) alone) not including adding the copper wire and brad from which it hangs. I am in the process of varnishing with several coats of matte finish. This should be posted on Etsy by Decemeber 9th and available at the Art and Music Emporium by then as well.

I gotta admit, was thinking that using rub-ons for the lettering would be faster and therefore cheaper for my clients while I was working on this piece. But now that it is completely done, like birth, the pains are forgotten and I realize that rub-ons will not come in the shapes and sizes that I want or the colors I choose.

I know there has been some controversy over at Etsy regarding the Gift Guide. I have been included in that "guide" under "Significant Other Male". I am very honored to have been chosen as I am very new to Etsy and do not have a long feedback file.

Please feel free to check out the GG. I do not know how long my item will be there, but even if it expires and is replaced, if you've never been to Etsy it's still a nice place to start shopping.

http://www.etsy.com/gift-guides/significant-other-male/18

Where to start?

This is my first post to a blog. It's odd and I am not sure how to start so I'll just jump in.

First, I don't consider myself an "artist". Being an "artist" would take too much time, dedication, education, devotion, etc.

I have 3 kids, a dog and a cat. There is not room left in my day to be or become an "artist" (personally, I thank god the bird hates me and loves my husband - that's one less plate to fill in the morning!)

The time constraints and the fact that I enjoy multiple mediums (crocheting and knitting to traditional quill work) in my mind make me a "craftsman"; and I like that title just fine. But enough about me, lets get to the good stuff. The things I make!

Below is my take on Klassen. I muted the turquoise tones and omitted the "plaidy" grass stokes and grungy everything more than her. The turquoise is done in a base coat and then a wet wash and then dry brush of a deeper hue.

I enjoy painting both highly detailed pieces like Trompe L'Oeil, but I enjoy these as well. I like the simplicity of the piece, it also avoids looking "modern crafty" which is important to me. I don't think that "americana" should look "crafty".

I primed this brass plate first with several coats of good metal primer, which gave me a base that had plenty of tooth.

I am lucky enough to live by several auction houses and that is where I was able to nab a few of these plates. Itry my best to find a variety of surface on which to work. I enjoy shopping at the auctions as it forces me to look at pieces to see potential and hidden uses.