So my husband called when he was on his way home. “Hi honey. What are ya doin’ ?” He asked. I just laughed. He laughed too. “What?” He asked again. “What is it?” I couldn’t help it, I giggled some more. I felt silly saying what I was really doing. But I said it anyway.  “I’m making a robot out of a matchbox”.  He laughed harder. “Oh my little artist. You are too cute”! He is so sweet and understanding. How nice is it that he did not care one bit that my latest project (once again) took priority over making dinner ?!!  I just love that my family gets the fact that a tiny wire bird cage, an experimental painting, a paper flower or, in this case, a robox is very urgent and needs my immediate attention!

I have to admit that I feel a bit crazy sometimes. I have had a little sketch of a robot on my desk for over two weeks and today I just couldn’t stand it any more. I had to make one. I wasn’t sure, when I started, how I was going to make it. At first, I  kinda thought I would do it out of shrink plastic. Then I nixed that and started making one out of paper covered with foil. But then it just sort of evolved and ended up being made from an old ladies watch , a matchbox , some magnets and a few other bits I had laying around on my desk! I have to say, I am very pleased. Most likely I will do this as a tutorial one day but first I have to find another old watch….maybe I will even do some bigger ones, but then I will need an old clock. Meet my  Robox…

a robox is a very handy thing to have...

he opens up and has an emergency match and a heart!

the robox comes off of his bottle cap stand (his legs are magnetic)!

now you can move his arms to his legs and wear him as a necklace on a ball chain!

told ya he is handy!

So that’s my clever idea for tonight. I do believe you will see more of these soon (just need those old watches)!

peace, love and

kristen

p.s. clue # 8 it’s not always crystal clear.

The other day I was at the mall and I saw the cutest birdie necklace. So I can’t take full credit for this idea. Actually, I can’t take any credit for the idea! It was completely inspired by the necklace I was too cheap, cheap to buy! Of course, mine is 100% hand made and ended up looking completely different than the one in the store…. Even though it was very challenging to make, I am happy with the way it came out.  If anyone is interested, I may do this as a tutorial. Although it was sort of difficult and gave me fits, now that I have done one, I think I could do it again using a lot less expletives!

Here it is:

so tweet!

Anyway after I got this all finished and I was taking pictures it really  reminded me of a poem I wrote many years ago. Even though I am not a poet (and I know it!) I’m going to share, just because I think it totally goes with this sweet necklace…

…i saw today a bird in a cage

and i saw myself

reflected

in its fluttering wings and sad song

its colors

we both knew

would be more vibrant

in the branches of a tree

closer to the blue of the sky

its beady eyes looked at me

through iron bars

there was no fair trial they seemed to say

then looked away

as my hand reached up in peace

my hand with a mind of its own

my hand that held the key

simple it was

and my heart with the bird

was set free.    -kp 1988

So, if you like the necklace, and would like to see it as a tutorial, send me a comment and I will do a step by step project and post it here within the next few weeks!

TTFN

p.s. clue #8 Like in a wedding, it will be something old, something new, someone borrowed and I was blue.

valentine angel pendant by me, kristen!

Here is another angel that I recently made as a paper pendant. I think she has such a sweet and angelic face! Sorry I don’t have much time to write tonight, weekdays are super busy for me now that school is back in full swing. I will post more this weekend….look for a new tutorial on Sunday night!

January 5th already? Is that even possible? Aargh! I start back to school in just 6 short days and my biggest consolation is that it will be summer in the blink of an eye…Well,  I know I have been remiss in my blogging but I have made a promise to myself that I would post something at least 4 times a week. Now I can’t say for sure what I will blog or how long the posts will be, but I am going to put something up to at least keep the visuals fresh. Of course my ultimate goal is to have a blog with tons of art and craft ideas and instructions along with interviews and pictures of great artists and craft-apreneurs. I hope to strive more towards those goals once I am finished with school. But in the meantime, I hope to continue to post my new art and chat about my oh-so-exciting- life!!!

TTFN,

kristen

"The Fun in Fungi"

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Here is one of my finished pieces! I keep trying to do larger paintings but keep getting the desire to make these little one’s and turning them into charms!Please visit my Etsy shop to see more. And as soon as I finish my first painting that is larger than a breadbox, I will post it!

My Etsy shop is now up and running. Hooray! It’s I feel as though I have found where I need to be. I tried cafepress, which is really totally different, and that has not been all that great for me. I have now made the decision to close my cafe press shop. But I just have a good feeling about Etsy and think it is definitely more ‘my style’. I will be adding to my shop daily and am working on, not only, different designs but different items. For now, I have some  of my new “paper” jewelry pendant/pins up for sale. I need to get some bracelets and hair-clips up soon too , but I have been so busy working on putting together a catalog of the designs that I want to continue to offer. I am still in the design phase of this new line because I have only been making it for about six weeks! It is a very new ‘venture’ for me. It’s crazy how much I love what I am doing ! Please visit http://www.wearforartthou.etsy.com when you can and give me your thoughts, comments and suggestions!

Mushroom necklace on 16" leather cord

A little bird told me. Pendant/Pin

Here are a couple of my new designs. I am calling this “Wear for art thou”. It is a line of painted jewelry- pins, pendants, bracelets and hair clips- I have been making and selling this line for about a month or so. It has been going really well and I even sold about 30 pieces to a great little shop, in Charleston S.C., called Estella Vitae while I was there on vacation! Check back soon to see lots more of my jewelry designs. I am working on getting my shop up and going and will have an Etsy shop by summer’s end too!