Maine Trip

Back in Alaska again, returning to the turning leaves and threats of frost already.

Harvesting what's left of my pathetic garden and trying to get my mind back in gear for business.

I brought a few components along on my trip back east.

I'd won some of Kristi Bowman's wonderfully texture copper dangles. I knew they would look great paired with my copper enamel drops and lampwork. She had already shown me how she had paired some of my criffles with her snakeskin bails.

I had the hardest time selling these yellow crystal shaped bead earrings when they were hanging alone. I had actually dismantled three different pairs in this color scheme and tried selling them as a bead set.

Then I took apart the bead set and gave them a matte finish...still couldn't sell them.

and now I've put them together with the enameled copper and the sea urchin rectangles and sold them immediately to my sister who never ever wears yellow.

Unfortunately I didn't bring along enough of the metal elements and spacer beads that tie a design together. It's so hard to pack everything you think you may need  for designing.

I used up what I could and saved a few ideas for when I got back to my stash.

But I did come up with these.

Once again these are Kristi's textured feathers paired with my criffles.

My limpet bead caps and some shiny leaf shaped headpins.

I have no idea where I picked up the brass stampings.

That's so unlike me too. I usually remember where I pick up stuff.

Criffles and lampwork and an experiment with trying to do the baking soda effect on enamel drops.

I found that it tends to eat the enamel and make it rather sticky so I put a layer of sealant on the drops.

Another limpet bead cap combo with Kristi Bowman's leaf shaped textured headpins.

Now to show off some of my loot...

Vintage paper beads already made from the Super's Junkin store

A very malleable plaque that I think I can cut up for earring pieces

A most wonderful tin ( I have the bottom too) 

but it's almost too nice to cut up for earrings isn't it?

Some organic matter. The barnacle had a snail stuck inside it.

I had to free it so it wouldn't stink

I found a great antique bottle seaglass piece too with a snail stuck in the neck but I had to give it to my husband when I realized I didn't have any presents for him.

He always brings me presents.

Cool snips

I had planned on journaling but only managed a few collage pages

I had a cousin that I hadn't seen in 40 years or so that knows how to translate Greek and Sanskrit

and was able to discern some of the text that alek had sent me

It's been such a long time since I made any ATC's

I love the  used carbon paper that I found in a drawer at the camp

This one is begging for some more layers I think

This one's my fave

And this one

More loot. I just love the local ephemera from an old Maine store from the 20's

One had the entire order of fireworks for  4th of July

Theengs!

I'm still scratching my head about the "Clerk Of Course" pin

Everyone need theese

Now for some Maine scenery.

This bridge goes to Campobello where the Roosevelt's spent their summers which is in Canada now.

My folks' passports expired so I didn't get to go over.

A new (old) boat showed up on the bay in front of our place this year.

It's a lobster boat and I was told by our lobsterman that it's a "Novy" boat

which means Nova Scotia style

Went to Lubec to visit an old friend that I hadn't seen in 20 years.

Nice fog lifting.

They had some really good dulse for sale in this town.

I'm having it shipped back with the some of the best potato chips I've ever had.

They are crack chips called UTZ Dark Russet Gourmet.

I'm telling you these were good enough to ship back to Alaska.

Speaking of good, I had my share of these babies. There's a lobster glut going on so they were super cheap this summer.

Ah, fresh bloobs!

I'm partial to Maine blueberries but have grown to like Alaskan blueberries now.

The Alaska ones are much more tart and reportedly have higher antioxidants plus I know where to find them here for free.

So this is my Uncle Manley.

He said he didn't want to drive to visit us but if he could get his friend to drop him off across the bay they would kayak over for lunch.

He's 85!

I got to see another uncle turn 89 too.

Nice to know there's a bit of longevity in the fam.

This is his older brother, my Dad that can't quite get around as well but he's always up for a game of cribbage or crab picking or stripping fir balsam boughs for his daughter because the needles smell so good.

Poor guy has been through so many procedures and over 60 doctors in the last few years.

He was doing quite well though this visit. And Mom she's always cooking up something good for us.

He told me a funny story that I think he finally agreed to let me share. ( I think... don't tell him I told you)

He went to yet another clinic and the nurse wanted him to list all of his procedures and previous ailments. He got a bit confused at one point when he was trying to remember that he had gangrene and told her he had been treated for gonorrhea! He got a pretty strange look from the nurse

although mom got a good laugh out of that one.

This way I can bring a little of Maine home with me.

I returned home to this bounty.

I'll be smoking some up tomorrow with my special sake and soy sauce brine.

Returning to Our Desert Home

Newly acquired old distressed Mexican hutch

Perfect for our liquor cabinet

Score at a yard sale ~ entire contents $4

Ink-credible!

And the case ~ $5!

Much too heavy to carry but good for storage.

Picked up some more of these piloncillo molds

used to form Mexican brown sugar into cone shapes.

(not to be confused with pine cones)

The price was right on these vintage baby clothes patterns

(not that I plan on doing any sewing but they were so cute)

The images in these baby crochet and knitting pattern books are choice.

I love vintage catalogs. I recognize quite a few items from our grade school supplies.

Not sure what the year is on this  CRE-ART catalog is.

 Making the big shift moving from our Alaskan home to our Arizona home this last week.

We made it out in the nick of time. There was a rain storm in the forecast hours after our flight out of Fairbanks. I had an Artisan Expo at the Museum of the North in Fairbanks the day before our flight out which meant that I had to pack for a two day show and a 6 month  winter away from our Alaskan home. Both the plane and the Expo were 100 miles from our home so there was not turning back and no room for forgetfulness.

I'm happy to report that the Expo was a success even though sparsely attended and some of my new encaustics and altered pieces sold which was a nice confidence boost. The museum bought some of my higher end jewelry outright at the end of the show which was quite the bonus for me.

 Our late night flight left  the ground just  hours before the rain that turned to ice crippled the city of Fairbanks for days. An inch of ice ( 2.5 cm) coated everything. Schools were closed, people were advised to stay home from work. Impossible to walk on let alone drive on. I saw videos of folks skating on a flat road and careening in their cars on hills with numbers of them in ditches. We were lucky to get out. Then arriving in Seattle before dawn I was thinking it was a foggy day as it got light outside. Then I realized that I was looking at a snowstorm! It snowed like crazy during our 6 hour layover but we were able to take off  for Tucson even though they were down to one open runway. I heard that that close an hour after we took off after a cargo jet slid off of the runway. We were lucky indeed.

 Although temperatures had cooled in the desert when we arrived in Tucson were were happy to see the sunshine and enjoy the dry roads on our 2 hour trip to Bisbee.

I'm still settling in as we had to immediately drive north to Scottsdale for a family Thanksgiving. I'm glad to finally be home now to get back in the groove of exercise and making art. I left my entire inventory of finished pieces  back in Alaska so anything I may want to sell here has to be freshly made. Now I just need to find the key to my workroom!

 I'm pretty sure the gal that looks after our place while we're gone must have it and I need to wait for her return from a Mexican vacation.

We hit our favorite antique store and thrift store right off the bat and a nice yard sale on top of that  because I just can't seem to resist some of the deals here.

My life has changed here as well because I'm overjoyed to have high speed internet after 7 months of dismal dial-up. I feel as though I have some catching up to do now.

It's so much fun to revisit all of my stashes of supplies and ephemera that I've collected down here because as you must imagine I can't pack it with me back and forth each time. 

We have to save that space for coolers full of moose, salmon, blueberries and cranberries for  our southern freezer!

Could I Call It A Business Trip?

Whenever I go back east I indulge in some serious junking and antiquing as it is oh-so-very satisfying and such good deals abound. I have my folks keeping a good eye out for the types of things I use in my art and resale. Because it was the end of the season I think there were even better deals and what could be nicer than going on an autumn drive with the folks to do a bit of junkin'. We had to pick up another suitcase to bring it all home!

One place we went to in had more than half off on most everything in the shop

I considered these old maps to be quite a score

1901 map of Rome in Italian

( I have an idea of who may covet this one!)

When you work with vintage paper, what's better than a vintage paper cutter?

Thanks to my Mom who gave this as an early birthday present. Thanks Mom!

A packet full of good stuff

A holiday packet too

I'm into light metal

The most expensive item-~ A spice tin box $20

The most amazing gift from my Dad. He found tintypes and cabinet photos for 25 cents a piece at a church sale. Thanks Dad!

More of the fatherlode!

Bits of lace

A somewhat distressed scrapbook

A roadside flea market yielded these instruments of torture

Last but not least a vintage brass speculum!

Very duck-like I think

(we'd best not think of the stories it could tell...)

and yes I'm weird for buying it... but for a buck wouldn't you?