The Butterflies and the Bees

 Hi guys! I was making what I call "twice topped pizza" tonight (a four cheese Freshetta frozen pizza topped with fried sausage crumbles, sauted onion and green pepper and some additional cheese). I needed a pepper so I took a jaunt out to the garden. I took a camera to take pix if I found any. My weedy flowerbed was overrun with not only poison ivy and blackberry brambles, but also with bug life! The echinacea was abuzz with bees. It has literally rained every day this month. I think they were taking the momentary lack of downpour to eat!

 This guy was also fluttering around... a battered Swallowtail butterfly. He is missing a big chunk of wing but it didn't seem to slow him down any!

 Echinacea  (or purple cone flower) was also his food of choice.

He was quite unconcerned with my presence. This photo got the Picasa "vintage" treatment. That big rusty thing in the background is the "lovely" propane tank that stands behind my flowerbed. We don't even use propane..it just came with the house! The propane company tried to charge us for it and I told them to come and get the dang thing. They quit sending us tank rental bills and I haven't heard another peep from them! I just capped the top with  a huge upturned copper planter that has turned a gorgeous verdigris green. It is the "elephant in the room" of my landscape..there it lurks.

My garden was pretty disastrous..my cucumbers are almost a complete washout! All the rain has them yellowed and the vines rotted.The tomatoes look not too bad..I need to pick some tomorrow. I did get a nice pepper for our pizza and of course..the zucchini is gargantuan! I also need to pick that tomorrow and start on zucchini bread..and bars..and fried zucchini..and zucchini casserole.. and... *sigh* I only planted 2 plants of zucchini and 2 of summer squash! I do have seeds to do a garden replant. I think I have time for another round of "crops". These will probably die of heat and not enough water! Ah well. Part of my photos of the Atlanta flea market are still trapped on my cell phone, but I should get them off and uploaded this week yet. Stop back! Til then..Julia

Anniversary weekend and a Mochaware Firefly Twilight

Hi guys! We just got back home this evening from a couple days away in Atlanta. We had our 31st anniversary this week (wow!) I can't believe it has been that long! I guess that is a good thing..if it was bad, it would have felt longer! We decided to do a mini get away and being us, decided to spend it partially working. This weekend was the Americasmart weekend in Atlanta. Americasmart is 3 large 10 to 19 story buildings of wholesale merchandise. Think of it as a ginormous mall for storekeepers. Some of the showrooms are open monthly, but the 2 major weeks are in January and July. We no longer have our brick and mortar antique/vintage /gift store, but we still buy for some of our online shops, our booths and for some shows that we do. We also went to Scott's Antiques Flea Market and picked up some things for our Etsy shops. My feet are killing me! More about that later. I took some pics with my phone and if they turn out, I will do a post on what we saw. Of course, they are trapped on my phone because we don't get service at our house! I'll have to remember to email them to myself after church tomorrow. We had fun, but it was good to get home. I took a glass of wine out on the deck to watch the fireflies and relax. Of course the grand-dog Sarge had to keep me company! I love the images of trees at twilight..the black silhouettes remind me of mochaware pottery. (That white light at the bottom is a firefly..they are trixie to photo.)

Wiki says it best...

 Mocha decorated pottery is a type of dipped ware (slip-decorated, lathe-turned, utilitarian earthenware), mocha or mochaware, in addition to colored slip bands on white and buff-colored bodies, is adorned with dendritic (tree-like or branching) markings resembling the natural geological markings on moss agate, known as "mocha stone" in Great Britain in the late 18th century. The stone was imported from Arabia through the port of Mocha (al Mukha in Yemen) from whence came large supplies of coffee. An unknown potter or turner discovered that by dripping a colored acidic solution into wet alkaline slip on a pot body, the color would instantly ramify into the dendritic random markings that fit into the tradition of imitating geological surfaces prevalent in the potteries of that period. The earliest known dated example (1799) is a mug in the collection of the Christchurch Mansion Museum in Ipswich, England. Archival references are known that suggest production began as early as 1792.

So basically..mid 1800's pottery with tree (or sometimes referred to as seaweed) markings!

 Caught another firefly here! They are a favorite of mine. They basically hatch..seek out a mate with lots of blinking, mate, lay eggs and croak. That's not WHY they are my favorites..they are just magical. We are lucky enough to have them here. At high season the yard looks like a Studio 54 for fireflies...twinkling in the trees and shrubs and across the lawn like Christmas twinkle lights. As the season goes on..the stragglers are left for a pitiful "last call"..I believe a lot of us have seen the same frenzied desperation as the bar is closing for the night and not everyone has found "a special someone" yet. Lots prettier when they are fireflies!

 It was so peaceful out there...

 East TN is fairly hilly to mountainous. Here in Sweetwater, we are in the valley. Sunsets get sort of lost most nights as the actual horizon is blocked.Sometimes we have a good one, but they are not as spectacular as they South Dakota sunsets of my youth. It is pretty flat there and you can see for miles to the horizon. Below is a photo taken by my niece Kori of a SD sunset last month.

       Wowsa!

And here is my glass of wine posing for a glamour shot. I got the string lights at Target. We've already managed to break 2 bulbs..oh well! That's our magnolia tree in the background. It has been blooming. They have dinner plate sized heavy white blooms that have a very heavy scent..a bit green and a bit jasmine. Alas, they do not make good cut flowers as they brown quickly. Sarge and I had to vacate the deck shortly after this as the scent of skunk wafted in from the trees down the hill from us...oh well..so much for my Zen moment! Stop back and see my Americasmart and Fleamarket pix! Until then! Julia

Tart tin folk art ornaments

 Hi guys! This is what I made this weekend.. folk art tart tin ornaments to list in my Etsy shop (link at top..it is the studios shop)

 I had made button pin brooches to list in my shop a year or so ago.

 I loved them and did sell a few..but then I got disenchanted about relisting them.

 So they languished until this weekend. I was cleaning and came across a bag of antique (1910-20's) German foil Christmas tree light reflectors. I bought them 2 years ago to "make something with".

 I saw the button brooches sitting there and... lightbulb moment!

 I tried to decide how to back them as they were a bit flimsy on their own. I decided they reminded me of old folk art primitive painted pieces..like the old "hex" signs Pennsylvania Deutsch farmers used to paint on their barns...or maybe old quilt squares..

 I decided to use vintage metal as a backing as that is something that someone could have made at that time..lots of tin from the tinman..and nothing was wasted when no longer of use!

 So I hammered, snipped and folded....

 And put them together...

 I still need to add some hanging loops before taking their "real" photos. I think these would look good on primitive or modern trees..or top a package..or hang from a window, mantle, chandelier, wreath...

 I loooooove old buttons and I love working with vintage supplies..it gives such a one of a kind unique look!

 The only bad thing is this is all of this sort of reflectors I had..so until I find more..these are "it"!

 Ahh well..I'm sure I'll find something else to use! Ideas already brewing...

 I also wanted to show you my "country" deck table. I made it from some old pallets (these are unusually sturdy as they are made of 2x4's) My husband's workplace was getting rid of these so he brought some home.He cut one in half for me (I HATE circular saws!!) and I jammed the 2 halves under a whole one. I'm not sure I even screwed this together!

Since I had it laying around, I topped it with an old metal hoosier cabinet counter top..it fit perfectly and will help ward off some of the buckets of rain we have had lately..already over 5" for July! Not bad for a $5 investment! I may eventually snag this top back for an antique cast iron treadle sewing machine base I have to make a table...until then, here it is! I want to buy an actual "adult people" deck set..but then what would I do with all my vintage metal chairs? Maybe I'll paint this and just admit that vintage is the way to go for me! Until next time! Julia

I have survived my vacation!

I have survived another vacation. Our vacations are always a 22 hour straight drive "back home" through  Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri (misery..we go from St. Louis to Kansas City, from KC to Iowa) Then Iowa to South Dakota and my parents farm. It has become bittersweet the last couple years for us as my husband's mom has passed and his family group gets a bit smaller. It is easier to ignore that she is gone when we are away, but when we go "home" now she is no longer there. I am blessed to still have both of my parents. My dad had some health scares earlier this year but they seem to be straightening out a bit. They promised me when I left that they were not planning on dying this year.

  This year the first grandchild was getting married..our nephew Levi married his sweetheart Brooke. I didn't get any pics of the wedding and all of the dance looked pretty much like the one above. I fought with all my settings trying to find one that worked in low light, fast motion..blahhh. Oh well. I pretty much kept my camera in my purse most of vacation!

 My grandson Hunter and son Jack thought the dance was pretty cool. The DJs passed out glow necklaces and sticks and flashing glasses to all the little kids...some who immediately turned the necklaces into glo "whips"and smacked the heck out of each other.

 My mom and dad.

This is the youngest grandchild my sister's son Xzander with my daughter Hope. He is such a squeezy happy little man. He came back later in his jammies to check out the partiers. A great time was had by all. The older nephews performed an impromptu interpretive ribbon dance using the chair sashes as ribbons to Jewel's "Hands". (there may have been a bit of alcohol involved there) My mom hit the dance floor after dad went to bed and joined us in  Usher's "Yeah" and Sir Mixalot's "Baby Got Back"..(I think she had her hearing aids turned off! ) Too much fun. The rest of vacation was a blur of seeing friends and more family and a BBQ at our son and girlfriend's house. Not enough time!

 Our younger daughter had to stay home and work..she got an internship at UT in the Chemistry department as a research assistant for the summer. I felt bad for her because she reeeeeeally wanted to come with but I was glad to have someone holding down the  fort at home. She made sure my garden stayed alive as well as the pets. I came back to a jungle! This hydrangea is in bloom and huge! My husband threatens to chop it down all the time because it is growing into the satellite dish for the tv and it sometimes messes up the reception. Hence the chickenwire cage to the upper left..I am trying to keep it trimmed and away! This is ONE plant and it is 8 foot across now!

 My squash doubled in size and I have even eaten a couple.

 The tomatoes got huge..the lettuce is insane...

 The cucumbers are just starting and will be over running me soon!

Potatoes...

 Hydrangea close up..I think this one is Nikko Blue.

 The one on the other side of the path must have different PH of soil..it is blue and lavender.

 A wild Queen Anne's Lace. This is a weed here but I leave it if it isn't a problem.I have also heard it called "wild carrot" and one of my romance novels told of women picking those black seeds out of the center to eat as primitive birth control! I have no idea if that actually works or if those are even edible, so please do not try that!

 This is butterfly weed which I planted. I hate to think how many I weeded out though thinking..oh that's a weed!

 These echinacea I literally pulled up out of the path where they sprouted this spring and plunked back into the flower bed..they didn't seem to mind!

 These are the wild blackberries I fight constantly in this flower bed. The prickles are mean! I just gave up and left this one for now..it already has berries!

 This is a butterfly bush that has come back from being chopped down 2 times..it gets huge!

And lastly a hollyhock from seed I got from my mom..of course nowhere near where it was planted! Oh well. This year I seem to being doing the best with things I never even planted! I guess that would be "Bloom even if you were never planted"? This week I am busy listing some things I did get a chance to buy in my Etsy shops and getting back in the groove of home and work...this morning that included my morning bath being barged in on by both the grand dog and after I shoo-ed him the 4 year old had to come tattle on the 10 year old. I know someday I will be missing days like this! Hope you have a great week! 'Til next time.. forget about being planted, just BLOOM!

My Adventures in Mixed Media Collage Assemblage

 Hi guys! Here is what I have been working on lately. I have admired mixed media assemblage for awhile now and have finally taken the plunge. I have made things previously for myself but never for hopes of sale. It really is something that I feel inspired about while I am doing it though..and even when I am not doing it and trying to sleep! (What if I tried...) This is paper collage on a wooden substrate.

 If you look closely, the background is a assembled paper quilt block made from antique paper. The pink lines on the ledger paper inspired the direction of this piece.

 These vintage belt buckles looked like topiary trees to me! Nothing against Tim Holtz, but I like to use all original vintage pieces. I feel it makes my things unique to me, not a recipe. I even made my own stamps for this!The luna moth is a photo my daughter snapped between college classes last year.

 I used vintage images from my personal stash, vintage hardware and vintage wallpaper cut outs. I'm not sure this piece is finished yet..I may add more color and possibly attach items to the top and bottom edges..it is hard for me to be "Done"!

 I was inspired to do a bit of an icon..this image had such a serene, madonna like face...so she became The Madonna of the Rising Sun.

 Then when I was editing these pics, I played around a bit in Picasa and loved the results! My loving husband bought me the simpler Photo Shop program months ago and I really do need to get it out of the box and play with it..technology is just so damn daunting to me!

 This one looks waxed..

 I love color..I like to take 4 different colorful ones of these and make a project out of those!

Too much fun. It is amazing what happens when you dip your toe in the pool! This will eventually be in my etsy store and I have more 3D assemblage pieces in the works. Stop back and see me again! Happy creative swimming! Julia