Atomic Bazaar Craft Show!

I've been looking forward to this craft show since last year when I went to Sarasota to check it out!  It's got a good bit of funk & "oddities" and the show is very lively.  Please stop and say hello.  We'll be in the Bayfront Room, which is conveniently located near a huge parking lot! 

The show will be held at the Sarasota Municipal Building, 801 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236.  This is the building you're looking for …  

Hope to see you at the show! 

New work!

While Jim has been in Maryland for the week, I decided to stay at the apartment over the store.  I wrote about setting up a workspace in the apartment in a previous post.  If you're coming late to the party, you can read about it here.  

I'm really bearing down on the book projects.  When I awake, the studio is in the next room. So, I bound out of bed, anxious to get started! The convenience encourages me to work later.  I was joking with the kids yesterday that little does their father know that he'll be staying here with me when he returns to St. Pete on Sunday! Ha, ha! 

But, it's nice and cozy.  David is across the hall from me.  When we keep both apartment doors open, we can talk, I can watch the Washington Capitals hockey game while I work on projects.

Here's a photo of my perch this morning.  The weather is beautiful!  I don't feel guilty gloating about it because most of the country should be having good weather by now, after finally putting Old Man Winter to bed!    

At the end of the block, we have an incredibly cute store called "The Iron Pelican."  They specialize in, well,  I don't think they specialize in anything which is what makes the place so friggin' awesome!  Let's just say, they're "purveyors of the unique and incredibly irresistible." But, they always carry a great selection of antique furniture that they've painted in gorgeous colors.  

 I walk in there and I see an old Mediterranean-style dresser that I swear they stole from my teenage bedroom, and now I want the thing!  Color, color, color ...  They have an eye for it! 

So, I have easy access to The Iron Pelican.  It's only a few doors down.  At Christmas, when my family gave me a gift certificate to The Iron Pelican, I nearly cried!  Look at what I spent it on! I know this doesn't look like much ...

But, does this help?  Yes, these are vintage watch crystals.  I have over 1000 of them!  They came in 3.5 rusty cabinets with lots of drawers.  These G-S watch crystals are cast plastic crystals and made for many watches that are no longer in production.  

When I saw the crystals, I thought, "These have to be good for something.  Hmmm..."  Boing!  Remember all of those stamps you got from your husband's aunt?  Aunt Monie worked for diplomat, Charles Ball, who had a career that included serving as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Under Secretary of State in the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations.  He was the one dissenter in the Kennedy Administration who was against the Viet Nam War.  

This comes from Wikipedia, Ball is quoted as saying to Kennedy, "Within five years we'll have 300,000 men in the paddies and jungles and will never find them again."  In response to this prediction, "JFK laughed and replied, 'Well, George, you're supposed to be one of the smartest guys in town, but you're crazier than hell.  That will never happen."

Interesting stuff, huh?  Anyway, back to the stamps.  Here are some of the results.  There was quite a learning curve, but I found a system.  I used Lisa Pavelka's UV resin, which I absolutely love.  I bought the UV lamp, using my Michael's coupon, which cured the resin in 5 to 10 minutes.

Here's a pair of earrings I made with some of the smaller crystals.  I also made a project for the book, but you'll have to wait for that one.  

So now that I've showed you my "booty" from The Iron Pelican, I'd like to introduce you to Hillary and Daniel. Aren't they cute?

They're not only very nice, but generous, too.  Hillary gave Laura and me a big bag of vintage jewelry to pick through for Laura's wedding bouquet.

Here are some of the temptations I face everyday when I walk down the street! 

Couldn't you think of a million ways to use these suitcases?  They were called "suitcases" back then, not luggage! LOL

I swear we had once of these ice chests (not a "cooler") back when I was a kid!  

 They have some cool ... and reasonably-priced ... jewelry!  Hillary and Daniel make it look so inviting!

Don't look at the lady in the mirror ... I dare you not to look ... it's a ghost! 

Too bad this keg isn't full, but it is cool!

Thanks for spending so much time with me today.  Do you have any "special or serendipitous" finds?  I'd love to hear about them! 

The eCourse returns!

By popular request, the eCourse is being offered again. You'll get 3.5 hrs of enameling videos, 30 minutes of video content on some of my favorite tools, access to the site for four months from the date of purchase, scheduled chats, and personal guidance. We're doing things a little differently this time. All of the videos have been loaded at the site so that when you enter the site for the first time, it's all there. In the past I've introduced new videos over a three week period. I think this will be a welcomed change. 

This video on Compound Shapes is one of the eCourse videos and will give you a taste of what you'll learn. 

An eKit that accompanies the eCourse is available. The kit contains everything you need for the projects and is offered to you as a convenience. During the first 30 days of your registration, you'll receive 10% off on enamel purchases. You can read more about it here. 

It would also be useful for you to own the bead pulling station, which is the workhorse of this system.  Check out the torch-firing kit here. We also sell the kit without a torch. 

We're over the holidays and while we catch our breath, why not learn something new!