ABS Challenge - My Window in Montmartre

This has been a ROUGH week (or 2).  I have a very sick kitty with a dire prognosis and I've had gobs of work keeping me very busy (no complaints about the work part - it's a nice problem to have for a new business).  Needless to say, my ABS Challenge piece sat on my desk with a whopping 2 things to finish before I could photograph it!  Well, I'm not going to make the cut for the challenge, but I can at least show you my final piece and dream about Paris for a bit.

Here is the inspiration piece by the wonderful Vincent Van Gogh.

Ahhhhh, Paris and my favorite place in Paris - Montmartre. I've gone there in my mind MANY times this week and it has been good for my soul.

We've traveled to Paris twice.  The first trip we stayed in Montmartre, just off the little square where the Guimard-designed Abbessess Metro station entrance is.

Our room in our hotel - the charming Hotel Regyn Montmartre - look out over the city towards the Eifel Tower.  Buskers were always playing in the square, so the sounds of French music being played on the accordion always wafted into our room.  There was always a cat or two sitting in the window sills of the apartments and, just around the corner, one of the last of the 2 remaining windmills sat halfway up the hillside.

I would do anything to transport myself to Montmartre right this very second, but photos, memories and this necklace will have to do for now.

My Window in Montmartre:

The artist beads used in this piece are:
Red Enamel Pinwheel - Jade Scott
Ceramic Dot and Lentil Beads - Elaine Ray via Ornamentea
Glass Flower - Mermaid Glass

BTW, I have watched 2 wonderful films lately that take places in Paris.
Midnight in Paris - the charming Woody Allen film that has an amazing love letter to Paris set to music.
Hugo - Martin Scorsese's 2011 Oscar Nom that I LOVED.

Of course, if I really want a Montmartre fix, I watch Amelie.

What's your favorite Paris film?

Giveaway Alert!

One of my favorite Clay Artists is giving away a bundle of beads TOMORROW!  Rebekah at Tree Wing Studio has these goodies up for grabs for some lucky winners.

Here's a couple of piece I've made using her lovely beads.

So, go, comment, follow and good luck to you! 

Glass Headpin Challenge - Part 2

I can't believe I'm writing anything at the moment.  I've been writing and editing copy for my PreFurred Pet Care website.  ALL.  DAY.  LONG.  We are INCHES away from launching and we were pushing our way to the finish line...and then the server went down.  We finished the copy but, by the time the server was back up, it was late...much too late to completely finish.  But, I can see the end and it is near!!!

Meanwhile, I received my package from Lorelei yesterday for the Gardanne Beads Glass Headpin challenge.

See those blue beauties on the far left?  Those are mine!  I'm thrilled and I have a concept I want to play with.  My idea involves getting out the torch - which always scares me a little.  I'm slightly afraid of fire (which I'm not sure is something allowed for a fire sign).  I jokingly blame Disney for my uncomfortable feelings around fire.  Growing up in Huntington Beach, Disneyland was close by and we visited often.  I remember riding Pirates of the Caribbean at a very young age (I was 4 when the attraction first opened).  The last scene before you go "up the waterfall" is the burning prison.  It both fascinated me and scared me enough to produce some fire nightmares.  Around the same time, Bambi was re-released in theaters and that story has a monumental fire scene as well.  I am not one to be afraid of much.  I really have no major phobias to speak of, but, there's just something about fire......

Anyways, I have a torch.  I've used it for enameling on and off and I also use it for annealing wire and drawing a bead on a strand of wire, but, I'm certainly no torch master.  So, wish me luck and pray I don't burn the house down.

Meanwhile, the Art Bead Scene challenge this month uses this Van Gogh piece for inspiration.

Well, Montmartre is one of very FAVORITE places in the world.  It doesn't take much for me to transport myself back to that lovely place.  Inspiration is something I have in spades.  My problem is going to be more one of editing and focus.  If I used every thought that this scene brings to mind, I would have one royal mess on my hands.  I drew out a concept last night to try to start the editing process.  We'll see where it takes me.

I hope you all have a lovely week.  I hope to get some quality studio time into my week.  The messy closet can wait, right?

Lisa

What do you think?

New Blog Look!!!  I'm so happy I could cry.  The wonderful Sunny Bae who I found on Etsy made this for me.  I loved the floral design the minute I saw it.  It is a bit vintage, has those Bakelite colors I love so much but is a bit modern too.  Just the mix I love!!!  (Well, one of them anyways.)

I could go into a VERY long discussion on the topic of style here - but I'll save that for later.  It is a fascinating subject to me since I tend to march to my own inner beat in that realm.

Meanwhile, I will just sit back and love my new blog look.  And I'll pretend I'm here - because, any day now, the wildflowers will appear and I WILL be in a place like this.

Lisa

Makeover!

Just like the MUCH needed haircut I got on Saturday, my blog is getting a MUCH needed makeover.  Don't be surprised of the next time you visit, you see lots of prettiness.  All I can say to myself is "it's abut time!!!"

Glass Headpin Challenge.

I am so excited!  I was randomly picked to participate in the Headpin Challenge Blog Hop that Lorelei is hosting.  I will get a set of one of these beauties from Gardanne Beads to play with.

The ends are balled, so that presents an interesting technical challenge, but I already have some ideas brewing.  I don't know which set I will get yet and I really don't have a preference.  They are all so very beautiful!

By the way, Gardanne Beads is one of my very favorite Etsy shops.  Anne does beautiful components in both enamel and blown glass.  I've done some significant damage in her shop in the past and I just can't stay away.  Take a look at some of the lovlies that are in her shop right now:

Scrumptious!!!!  I had better stop looking or I'll end up buying more.  The teal and coral glass bead is calling out to me........

Lisa

Great Giveaway!

Lorelei was asked to make a necklace for an amazing polymer clay bead artist - Hilla Bushari of Hillovely from Israel.  I have never seen her designs before nor discovered her Etsy shop (DANGER WILL ROBINSON!)  Well, I will be haunting her shop in the future!  Who CARES if I haven't had much time to make anything lately. The stash trumps all, right?


And her colors......SWOON.....  I seem to have a lack of color in my work lately.  All of this desert influence has been an odd direction for me (not that I'm complaining).  But, I think it might be time to get some intense color in my work again.  


Well, Lorelei is having a giveaway of some Hilla beads.  So, click on over there and leave a comment by Tuesday.  These beauties are terrific! Here's a few pics - but there's more over at Lorelei's blog.

I want every one of these flowers and leaves!!!!  So beautiful!!!

I'm in LOVE with all of these beads!  

And here's the giveaway stash.

Go, run, post a comment on Lorelei's blog!  You may win these lovelies.