Exceptional Extravagance

Puttin on The Ritz - Fred Astair

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GLORIOUS EXPECTATIONS

Puttin' on my Ritz

Nothing makes me quite so inspired as the publications that Somerset puts out (Somerset Studio magazine, Belle Amoire, Gallery, and more)... visit STAMPINGTON & CO too be inspired!

I have watched friends and fellow eBay & ETSY artists be featured (which always makes my heart go pitter pat)...

Somerset (and more specifically certain artist-friends) often makes me long to do more, be more, create more... but often I am paralyzed by not feeling my things are pretty, inventive, or wonderfully different "enough" (whatever THAT is!).

CAPTIVE HEART

YET the pull to TRY ANYWAY triumphs :) - !
I have been collecting old jewelry, new jewelry, this and that, whatnots, and junque for many years for the purpose of assemblage...collage... sculpture.

She has wings when she wears her

LITTLE BLACK DRESS

I have sold such items at Live Art Festivals - but more recently offering them online now is a first... because I have finally stepped out of the shadow (I have been hiding in) to feature my own assemblage creations - little art dolls, brooches (pins), pendants, and ornaments...on ETSY!
I am absolutely in love with them all and I have so many more inside me longing to be created.

I hope you enjoy each and every one of these.

HER LOVE HAS WINGS

may they bless your eyes,
~katey

See all my EXCEPTIONAL EXTRAVAGANCE wearable art in my shop!

Look at my WEARABLE ART as well!

I also have DOMINO JEWELRY!

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Domino giveaway ...

DOMINO ART PENDANT / NECKLACE

GIVE-A-WAY

Measurements: 1" x 2" pendant on an 24" chain (gold plated)
Type: Exceptional DOMINO ART PENDANT NECKLACE ...
mixed media (painting, collage, glaze effects)
Color Theme: gold, tan, chocolate, caramel, and beige

Title: City on Our Knees

Ingredients: domino, acrylic paints (many many many layers), antique crackle medium, glazes, collage image, ric rac ribbon, findings, metallic paint, and love

I have taken an actual game piece domino (not a bead or craft store domino) and created a very lush finish with multiple paint layers, crackle medium and various glazes. There is a rich and glorious textural depth to my handpainting. The collaged image is from a collection created by Debrina Pratt (an amazing artist!). I have added details along the edges and all the dots are painted with metallic leaf. The back side is as pretty as the front - so the pendant is reversible!

City on Our Knees - Toby Mac

If you gotta start somewhere why not here? If you gotta start sometime why not now? If we gotta start somewhere I say here. If we gotta start sometime I say now. Through the fog there is hope in the distance. From cathedrals to third world missions - Love will fall to the earth like a crashing wave...

~~~~~ GIVE - A - WAY ~~~~~

Just post a comment here. In two weeks (September 15th-ish) I will randomly pick a 'post~er' from a 'hat' and announce the winner here (at which time I will need said winner's mailing address). I hope you'll listen to Toby Mac's song while you're here. I have met him on three occasions - he is genuine.

Please take a lookie loo at all the new domino

pendants in my ETSY STORE - :)

MORE MORE MORE coming THIS week!

~joy! Katey

COLORS

To listen press the "play" arrow

Phil Collins - True Colors

There is nothing like the fresh limey green of spring ... except of course the rich deep green of summer... or maybe the reddening of that green in autumn... or is it the rich green gone red gone rust gone brown before the snow of winter hides it all away?




We have a darling cottage shed in our yard
(I'll have to share pics one day).

A first cousin to this cottage shed is a tiny cottage closet sized shed. I have painted (opaque stained actually) both of them a rich forest green with crisp white trim and deep red doors.


The little closet shed I have shown here has reclaimed shutters as doors. We have hauled them all over the state in our many moves and finally gave them a home on this little structure.


In this season of transition I am trying out some new adventures of my own: one being a camera I am learning to use (no instructions please, I never read them!) and the other an editing program...again... trial and error as I won't be reading any of the user's guides ~ ha.


I have formal training in Visual Communications / Graphic Arts -- but that happened back when phones were connected to walls with curly cords and music videos existed only in my dreams (for real ... they did).



This photo editing thing is all very new to me. When I (normally) want an image a specific color or shape I naturally want to reach for gouache or ink ... not a mouse.

So here they are in all their newbie glory ~ a set of four photographs mounted on heavy 200 lb watercolor stock.

I will be adding them to my ETSY shop soon :)

Happy Little Ellies

Baby Elephant Walk by Henry Mancini

Once upon a time I painted some mini art (in watercolor ... and maybe some gouache though I expect I did, but don't remember for certain)...anyway... I made a series of 2" squares with a lil purple elephant.

I have resurrected the images and placed them on greeting cards. It is kind of a virtual recycle or upcycle of art I have already created. I have elongated them ('puters are so much fun that way) and added a funky waterycolory background....

I have them on ETSY for fun and promotion (you know, maybe someone will see them and come visit my shop and stick around awhile to see what else I have in there....)

http://www.blueyeduckstudios.etsy.com

Silent Reverie

Mixed Media Painting & Collage over Antique Pages

http://www.blueyeduckstudios.etsy.com/

"It's always something" Rosanne Rosanna Dana

Have you ever heard a cell phone ring in church? Of course you have…
I think the recipients of those calls are most often mortified that they forgot to turn off the ringer…and I do think people are getting better at cell phone etiquette in church (at least where I’m at). Inappropriate cell phone use in other places...well, that’s a whole other banana. People can be amazing.
Imagine my surprise when I heard a cell phone ring in church last Sunday…human nature captivated many of us as we turned to see a woman racing out the back doors as she reached to hush the ring by answering. The number on her screen surely indicated is was worth an answer and a quick scurry out of the sanctuary indicated this to those of us who were now completely ignoring the pastor. Actually, by that point he was watching her flight out the back as well.
It was at that moment I had that cold chill of realization that my phone might well be turned on. I searched my brain for the file that told me where the phone was in the first place and then I could look to see if it was indeed on. My brain quickly let me know I left it at home (whew!).
After church, the “phone” lady came over to a few of us who were still lazing about (we laze about after church - no one is any hurry to leave… we make lunch plans…laugh…talk serious, and talk fun). She did in fact have an important call. We were each rather happy for her to have had the ring and the chance to answer.
When I got home I found my phone had a message - an URGENT message. It would have rung during church! - I, too, would have had to scurry out the back doors upon seeing the number! Did I miss some great and lofty opportunity to be reached on an important matter?
The message: “We have an emergency! The cat went down the ball return - I’m sorry! Can you get over here?”
*sigh* I was so glad I had left it at home! Ha Ha! Long story short - a friend has a residential bowling alley - and a house cat - and well, that is obviously not a good combination. Fast forward: the cat is fine - and banned from the bowling alley. And, well… maybe I will continue to leave my phone at home.

joy in the journey,
katey

Feature art: completely irrelevant to today’s story…

"FLYiNG PoRK"

A 2.5” x 3.5” watercolor art card with applied wings.

visit my eBay link to see this and MORE of my art for sale...

Cats...Cellphones...Flying pigs..."It's always something" ~Rosanne Rosanna Dana