an unexpected hit

cut off lug nut head. gotta love that right?

 the bevy

cut bolt and nut/washers

lug nut, bolt head and odd 'cap' thing

i have to thank my sister for this one....she has been 'bugging me' for a month or more to make little lids so she could then store things in there without everything getting all dusty.  i balked.  then i made these 'boxy candle holders' and she once again mewed for lids.  i gave in.  why not.  my first attempt she didnt care for, she liked the handle idea but didnt like how i had the lid overlap over the sides.  she wanted it flush with the top.  so flush it was and i have to admit they are really cool!  i put wood on the inside so the lid stays on, and am using found nuts/bolts/washers for the lids.  i've gotten really good feedback on facebook about these, probably more so than i have anything in a long time!

i have long loved old hardware.  in fact i can recall when i was a child my dad worked in the basement and had all these baby jars filled with nuts and bolts and i used to be mesmerized by them.  to me they seemed valuable and jewel-like.  and now, here i am finally storing my own cache of 'gems' and they are truly valuable now because i have a new use for them!  i love cutting off the bolt heads and using them for things (jewelry hint hint if you didnt sign up and receive my last newsletter).  so now i have another fun use for them.  most nuts and bolts i find are deemed useless because they are broken or so old and rusty that no one can use them, so its invigorating to find a beautiful way to use them.

of the six i made above and the one 'adobe' vanity tray, i've got two left which i just listed on etsy this morning which you can see here:  1 and 2.  of course i'm off to make more lids for more things, check in on my facebook fan page thats where i always stay up to date!

thankful

i didnt even realize today was thanksgiving!  gotta love that.  glad i wont miss the dinner i've been invited to tonight.  i really was going to work on art all day/exercise tonight and do my usual usual.  i'm sure i would have figured it out eventually but thanks to the internet i know sooner than later that today is indeed thanksgiving.

so i'm thankful i have a place to go and eat some real thanksgiving food (you do know i dont have a clue how to make all that stuff right?)  i am thankful that another artist whom i've never even met had also invited me to dine with her and her family in austin, that kind of blew me away. i am thankful for my sister and the generosity and support that she gives to me as an artist. i am thankful for tod continuing to be in my life and make me laugh (and his mom who sends me little treats and always has kind words to say).  i am thankful for my new friend/neighbors cassy and justin. i am thankful that i've been allowed to keep living here and make art. i am thankful for the people who drop off junk on my doorstep and dumpster packing materials.  i am thankful to all of you who keep in touch, cheer me on, buy art, share, bitch, laugh, moan and learn with me and allow ME to get to know you.  i'm thankful for my online friends and i'm TOTALLY blown away by these people in particular due to a package i received yesterday:

nellie durand, kim hambric , karen christensen, cynthia wenslow,  lisa call, lynn croswell, colleen kole, and gail baar

you see dear blog readers, the above artists/friends/acquaintances made a quilt for me which they had unbeknownst to me, worked on over the summer.  this was instigated by nellie.  what an incredible gift, you can probably imagine how surprising it was to receive a package in the mail, open it up and find this!

it is INCREDIBLE!  it is alive and warm and my favorite of all a functional piece of art!  i am a big fan of reversible, so i love that both sides are BEAUTIFUL.

i know most of these women fairly well thru a handful of years of online blogging/emails and selling art to them.   i dont know if you can see it but are a few sections that even have my own art on it, photos from online that have been printed onto the fabric.  nellie sent me the info last night explaining her process of getting this quilt into being.  i have to admit i have a sort of revulsed feeling when it comes to my 'bedroom' and i feel embarrassed to show you photos of where i lay my head, but now at least i feel love and not revulsion.

most of you know but some may not know, that i left everything (my life) behind in 2004 to find myself and become an artist.  that means i got rid of all my possessions and have indeed become an artist but i havent really accrued many personal belongings.  up until this summer i didnt even have a real bed (air mattress), and incredibly someone got me a brand new twin mattress a few months ago which makes a HUGE difference in my ability to get a good nights sleep.  alas, my loft bedroom is so ugly to me...it looks like the inside of mobile home from the 50's and i dont have the time/money desire to do much with it.  the quilt, which i believe nellie really intended not so much as bed decor as much as wrap paula up and keep her feeling warm and loved, makes that ugly bedroom feel homey now.  it is a reminder that i am not alone.  it is a reminder of how AMAZING artists are.  that they took time to do this from their busy lives means so much to me you can't know!  this quilt is something i can keep studying and enjoying over and over again :)

having this 'art' from people who's work i have come to love and admire, means so much to me.  i have to say it isnt often i am truly surprised but this is one of those times i just can't believe it!  its a reminder that people connect quite well thank you very much even if they have never talked or met.  i'm not so sure i would be where i'm at right now if it werent for my online connections.  that a group of people who found each other one by one online can get together virtually and make something like this is powerful.  i thank you from the bottom of my ever growing heart.....ya'll have a WONDERFUL day. ♥