Welcome Spring 2010!

On Saturday, we welcomed the first day of spring 2010. It's been a long Wisconsin winter and apparently Mother Nature wasn't done with us yet.... that morning we woke up to 3 fresh inches of snow after being teased with 64 degree weather the week before. 


But even after four long months of shoveling, trudging, sliding and shivering, I'd be sad not to have the beautiful Wisconsin winters. Doing so would mean no spring flowers and robins to admire. No fall campfires and beautiful leaves to collect. Seasons are a beautiful gift. 

My love Affair.... with House Plans!

I love house plans. I love to draw them. I love books about them. I even love going to open houses so I can experience them! Maybe I should have been an architect... (nah, too much math) or builder (nah, too much hard labor)... or maybe a realtor (who knows)...

This has been an obsession most of my life. Even as a kid, I loved seeing my friends bedrooms and how they arranged their stuff. I can even tell you the wall colors and layout in some of my best friends bedrooms when I was 10. Yep, useless information still being stored.

Then, my dream came true in 1999. My husband and I worked with a wonderful (female) builder to design and build the home we live in currently. Everything from picking out door knobs and doors to coordinating flooring and cabinets, was fun for me. Many of my friends have built their homes also, and swear they would never do it again. Not me, I'm counting down the months till I get to do it again! Yep, today we meet with an architect to begin the fun again! It will be a bit more challenging this go-round. It's a small lot on a lake and as we approach becoming empty-nesters, we'll be trying to "downsize". As the process unfolds....I'll keep you posted on all the details!

Grown-ups need Pen Pals, too!

Remember when we were kids and everyone seemed to have a far-away pen-pal? Well, "far-away" is a relative term.... when you're under 10 that can mean anything from a neighboring city to across the world.

My pen pal happened to live in Pennsylvania. Me, Ohio. I know, Pennsylvania was not the distant land I had hoped for... but it was through a "sister" girl scout troop, so there you have it. I can't tell you that I learned about new cultures, languages or life styles.... but we did chat about boys and parents and school (ho-hum).

So flash forward to present day life.....
Recently I opened a shop on an artist's website called "ETSY". pronounced like Betsy without the "B". While I do enjoy a steady steam of sales there, I have to admit what really makes me grin ear-to-ear, is that my jewelry is popular in places I would have never dreamed of. I have a few ladies in Australia and Scotland who are quickly becoming Katcando collectors! But that's not all.... they have also become my new grown-up pen pals. From hearing my new-pal in Scotland's quirky sayings to receiving beautiful photographs from my new-pal in Australia.... I have to admit, pen pals are a great thing no matter what your age!

Outlet Art

We recently tiled our kitchen backsplash with a beautiful tumbled tourmaline stone. Having exhausted all the options I found for outlet covers, I was left underwhelmed.

white?

beige? 

copper?

stainless steel?

Nothing looked right. The outlets simple stood out too much. They commanded center stage. They were stealing all the tourmaline's thunder! 

So I made them disappear with a quick trip to my local craft store. With a half dozen different craft acrylic paint tubes, some small and medium sized artist brushes and a sponge, I transformed my outlets into faux tourmaline. And you can too! Just take a few samples of your granite or stone with you to the craft department and select several small acrylic paint bottles that are in the correct shades. Once home, lay the plastic outlet covers on top of any extra pieces of stone/granite/tile and paint your base coat color first. After that, try to mimic the shades and tones surrounding it. Using a dry brush will give you the best results. Now just pounce, streak and smudge your way to a disappearing outlet cover. Set aside to dry. Next, carefully paint the interior electrical part with a very dry brush as well as the cover's screws. (If this makes you nervous, you can always shut off the power to that room.) Assemble. Adding painted grout lines will complete the transformation.

Did you know there are artists/interior designers who offer this service and command $50* an outlet for this effect!

*source: my parents, who live in Florida, saw this advertised in several luxury home models.

The Beauty of Magnolia Pearl

One of my most prized possessions is my ever growing collection of Magnolia Pearl frocks. Magnolia Pearl is the brain child of Robin Pearl Brown of Bandera, TX. A child of the sixties who remembers seeing neighbor Jerry Garcia gardening naked in their California town.

Robin's clothing line is loose, feminine, western and sexy all rolled together. And sized as one size fits all- we all can partake in her layered style. I was so fortunate to meet this free spirited gal and her husband last summer at the Marburger Farm Antique show in Roundtop, Texas. I spent hours in their booth trying on everything I could find. Robin even purchased one of my Katcando necklaces (right off my neck) and presented it to her girlfriend who was having a birthday that day.

Experience her clothing yourself on-line at magnoliapearl.com. Just call and talk to her hubby John for prices. Robin also recently penned a new book outlining her creative style in "A bit of Velvet & a Dash of Lace." A visually explosive read I highly recommend!

Bibliophilias beware!

Cute idea for a centerpiece or atop the mantel.... Recycle all those paperback romances hiding in the back of your closet into pretty little paperback petals. Cute. Simple. Free.

Anthropologie Does it Again!

Can you believe this NYC Anthropologie window display is made with empty milk jugs? The display artists at these stores are amazing to me!  So my goal for 2010 is (drum roll, please) ...... to somehow become involved in the window displays at my local Anthro store! (without leaving my current dream job, though). I'll keep you posted!

ETSY Staff Showcasing my Earrings!

I recently opened a shop on ETSY.com and I'm so excited that the ETSY staff has chosen this pair of earrings to showcase in their under $50 Gift Guide section! Yippee! (Update... earrings have sold!)

If you aren't yet familiar with ETSY- it's a great way to shop with talented artists from across the globe. You'll find everything from upcoming designer clothing to collage and mixed media sculpture. I've purchased several items myself.... here's a sampling of some of my favorite purchases:

http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.70298863.jpg
http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.41617033.jpg
http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.27722861.jpg

If you shop on ETSY, I'd love to see what you've bought!
Just post a link in the comment section....

Nature's Beauty! (Wisconsin Blizzard Dec. '09)

MMOCA Booth

I am forever tweeking the design of my jewelry booth. But I am lucky in that I find display to be as rewarding as creating the jewelry itself. When you think about it, show artists have a mere matter of seconds to capture the attention of walkers-by. Your set up needs to compliment and enhance your style- whatever that may be. It can be a fine line between showcasing your work and overwhelming it. When people begin commenting on the display instead of my work... it's time to go back to the drawing board!

The set up shown here was recently used for the indoor Madison Museum of Contemporary Art's Holiday Show.