Red Red Red

My friend, Deb DiSalvo from Artistic Flair, loved the Christmas Baubles, but she said that she REALLY loves RED. Could I do something similar in RED, she wanted to know!!! Deb has done so many custom orders (brilliant fused glass, from fighter jets to electric guitars) that it was not possible to turn her down. So, the challenge was ON! After many, many shots, this is what I came up with, and these are the cards that Deb bought (along with Christmas Baubles!). They are posted in my Etsy shop. Set of 6 for $15. As Deb ALWAYS says, 'CHEERS'!

Elegant Christmas
Christmas Cheer

Wordless Wednesday

Are you looking at me...are you looking at me????

Portrait of my Grandfather

This is a portrait of my maternal Grandfather. My brother and I called him 'Poppy'. This was drawn from a photo of him when he was well into his 80's. He was the kindest, sweetest, most thoughtful man. He would cry when we went away to camp for summers and then he would cry when we came home. If we did well on a test, if we achieved anything, however big or small, he would say, "I read about it on the front page of the New York Times!' We all adored him. He's been gone for a long time now, but I know I can speak for my family when I say that we still miss him like crazy.

Christmas Baubles, Cards, Cards, Cards!!!

A new, contemporary group of Christmas or Holiday cards. Ornaments, baubles all photographed like jewelry. Carefully packaged in rice paper and tied with hemp string. A lovely present as well! 6 cards for $15. For details, check out my Etsy shop.

Christmas Baubles Overflowing
Starry Night
Christmas Baubles

Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Edition, Veteran's Day

My Dad
2nd Lieutenant, Pilot
Air Force
World War II

Just Getting Started...Christmas Cards

What wonderful Christmas or holiday cards! The top photo was taken of the historic Armington House (circa 1868) in December of 2007, the night of the storm here in Rhode Island. In the photo that you will receive on the cards, (4x6) there is a warm sepia/golden tone to enhance the depth and bring out the details of the house. The bottom photograph was the view from the second floor of my home while looking at the top of my neighbors' house last winter The light was so striking, I'm glad that I didn't miss the moment!. Carefully packaged in rice paper tied with hemp string. A lovely present as well! Set of 6 for $15. Check out my Etsy shop for details.

Wordless Wednesday

Say Yes To Yellow

My friend, Tim Adam, the mastermind of the Esty Handbook to Handmade, is now leading the charge on Twitter with weekly postings of his top 10 picks from a variety of Etsy shops. This is his new 'Lunch-time Shoppers' series and Tim has them posted on his blog. These are his top 10 picks for this week. I am #6, 'Say Yes to Yellow'. Beautiful yellow citrine glass beads gathered together on a gold tone connector, hung delicately from a 14k gold filled chain. These are light and fun! Just shy of 2" with the 14K gold filled hook. There is a definite left and a right so that these beauties face forward! Check them out in my Etsy shop!

10. Amsterdam Bicycle-Signed Fine Art Photograph

9. Jessica Bangle
8. Spiral Colorful Dots Monogram Note Cards-Set of 10
7. 4 Cotton Candy Dye Free Soy Blend Melts
6. Say Yes to Yellow
5. Original Art-Cityscape 6-Watercolor Sale
4. Wire Wrapped Lock Washers
3. Everyday Bib-Spring Petal
2. Working the System-Original-Mutant Lizards Do Your Filing
1. Sterling Silver Lentil Shaped Reversible Necklace

Thank you Tim and continued success to you and all the Etsy artists on this list!

Two Gals From Italy, Ixela & Silvia

We are in the thick of the Fall season and the weather is turning a bit nippy here in Providence. The first thing I want to do is cover my neck to block out that chill in the air. These two talented gals from Italy, Ixela and Silvia have my full attention with their very appealing and pragmatic neck warmers. Style is important and their artistry along with their great sense of 'looking good' even when it's cold, has totally grabbed my attention. Aren't these pieces just delicious? Check out their shops on Etsy. Just click on the photos, or Ixela or Silvia to see the rest of their artistry! Lovely!

Completely Off Topic...GO PHILLY!!!!

This one is for my husband. He is a staunch Philadelphia fan. Basketball, hockey, football, and yes, people baseball. We live in New England, so he has been surround by, well, you know, for the past 7 years that we have lived in Providence. He has been generous and a good sport, and has managed to hold his own, no problem. But, last night when Philadelphia WON THE WORLD SERIES, he was speechless, he was stunned. I jumped up and down like a kid in sheer delight of the moment, for HIM. So, again, this one is for my husband!

Wordless Wednesday

There she goes again.....

Walk for a Cure, Juvenile Diabetes

I know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I am a huge supporter, as my Mother is a breast cancer survivor of over 40 years. However, any of you who may have read my bio or have been following this blog for any stretch of time know that my 19 year old son Edward, has Juvenile or Type 1 Diabetes. Yesterday, in the beautiful Roger Williams Park in Providence, RI, we had our annual 'Walk for a Cure'. There were close to 6000 people ( many of our 4 legged friends as well) at the event! Walk for a Cure is an annual event which takes place throughout our nation. The goal is to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. JDRF is the leading charitable funder and advocate of type 1 (juvenile) diabetes research worldwide. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Type 1 diabetes is a disease that strikes children suddenly and requires multiple injections of insulin daily or a continuous infusion of insulin through a pump. Insulin, however, is not a cure for diabetes, nor does it prevent its eventual and devastating complications that may include kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke, and amputation. Since its founding in 1970 by parents of children with type 1 diabetes, JDRF has awarded more than $1.16 billion to diabetes research, including more than $137 million in FY2007. In FY2007, the Foundation funded 700 centers, grants and fellowships in 20 countries.

I want to give huge thank you thank you thank you to Jenny Mello and Mary Ellen Rivet from the Rhode Island Branch for their tireless efforts to raise a ton of money for research to find a cure. Thank you is not, and will never be enough.

Catching Up...

My public 'thank you' for these awards is long over due, so I seize this quiet moment on a Saturday morning to give a very hearty and humble 'thank you' to two gals who are brilliant artists, kind and loving human beings and in both cases, I feel most honored to call friend.

Thank you Kim, from Laketrees, for the Arte y Pico award and to Triz, from Beading Mania for the Brilliante Weblog, 2008 award.

I might add that Kim also from Top Artists' Directory has posted a piece of my artwork for this week. Have a look/see when you get a chance!!! More thanks to Kim!

Words for Wednesday: Comfort and Ceramics

I am back home in Providence, after being back home in New York City since last Tuesday, when Mom was released from the hospital. She really needed someone there, ie, moi, to help get her back up on her feet, literally. Mom is a small person, so her weight loss of 10 pounds is ALOT. This weight gain calls for drastic measures and that falls under the category of COMFORT FOOD!!! In our family (extended as well), that means 'Grandma's Spaghetti'. 'Grandma's Spaghetti', is a baked casserole dish with lots of cheese and other ingredients that will most assuredly raise your cholesterol with just a few bites. But, every now and then it is a must. THIS was certainly such a time. Mom lives in a great building in Battery Park City, called the Hallmark. It is an independent living building for Seniors. I refer to it as a dormitory for 'Seniors'. So, when I needed a casserole dish in which to bake our famous family recipe, her good friend Phyllis Morse (and my friend too...hi Phyllis!), offered up a beautiful hand thrown ceramic casserole dish, that her companion of many years, Arthur Pogran, (who is 95 and a well known ceramist) crafted. For Phyllis, in return, a hearty portion of 'Grandma's Spaghetti', of course! The casserole always looks beautiful after I take it out of the oven, but this time, it looked especially beautiful in Arthur's dish, so much so, that I had to take photo of it....so, ta daaaa.

Here is the recipe:
1 lb pasta (the 9-10 minutes cooking time kind)

2 bricks orange extra sharp cheddar cheese

2 cans Campbell's tomato soup

milk

Crisco solid
Pre-heat oven to 350 and put down a piece of foil in case of spill over...it happens..

Take the cheese out ahead of time to be room temp. (it's just easier to cut) and cube into about 1/2" pieces...set aside

Open up cans of soup

Get milk and Crisco ready

Boil pasta according to directions...no need to salt the water as the cheese is salty...drain pasta and put back in pot.

Throw in the cubed cheese and 2 cans of soup

Add 1/2-3/4 can of milk. ...use the tomato soup can for measuring...swish is around to get out all of the soup

Add 2 'almost' tablespoons of the Crisco solid...there's a certain feel to how much...

Get some good mixing spoons and mix everything thoroughly... the Crisco will melt...make sure of that..the cheese won't melt but make sure that you really stir it up from the bottom.

That's it...put in to casserole baking dish...round is good

Bake for 1 1/2 hours...the top should be nice and dark and bubbly and crispy...

ENJOY!!!

Swans...oooops, Gourds!

I had a field day at Schartner Farms last Sunday. It was a perfect, and I mean perfect fall afternoon on the farm. There were hay rides, kids everywhere, pumpkins, mums, and gourds galore. I could not help but revert back to thoughts of my warm summer days, remembering the great show that the swans offered up. These gourds MUST BE swans in disguise, certainly!