It Could Be Worse

No this isn't a mixed media assemblage but the contents of

stomach of someone with pica disorder

(image taken from wikipedia)

So yes, at least I'm not eating all this stuff!

Now that I've grossed you out I'll bring you to a few spots in my studio.

This is just the guestroom/upper studio where I keep my computer and various stashes.

I've been in the sorting and organizing mode along with a few other bloggers that I've noticed recently

My new mini workbench that I got for Christmas is already covered.

The green glass stoppers are from antique Lea & Perrins bottles

This was a lectern that we got for free from David's brother,

It now is a linen cupboard. It's a little harder to keep things on it because of the slanted surface.

Anyone interested in pink baby clothes hangers?

I've collected so many books for images that almost all of my bookshelves are filled now.

Some are too good to cut up now so I guess they're just a collection now.

The little shelf I got at an estate sale of the local artist Rose Johnson. 

She tragically died on a trip to Bali after drinking Arak that was poorly made.

I never had the chance to meet her but one of her murals graces the garage of one of my friends.

I also have a collection of her used brushes in my studio in honor her and her artwork.

You can see what someone wrote about her and her art here as well as a gorgeous shot of the town of Bisbee

 You know that I'm really on a roll with organizing when I attack the drawers, after all it's so easy to hide messes in drawers isn't it?

So I mention to lovely Linda at Itsy Bits and Pieces that I covet a certain puzzle piece of the state of Maine and could she part with it for a small trade of say perhaps some lampwork or some-such 

and This is what I received in the mail!

All of the kinds of stuff I adore from Bingo cards to buttons and ruler bits.

She was really paying attention as she included Alaska and Arizona in the puzzle pieces.

I knew when I saw the 1872 Arizona-New Mexico map that Mister History that I'm married to would covet it greatly. The first words out of his mouth were "Will you give that to me?"

The map is so old that Bisbee doesn't exist yet. Copper wasn't discovered here until 1877.

Even a silver soup spoon with the initial "K"

Thanks, Linda! I better let someone else win the giveaway that she has posted currently.

Launching into the summer season

A bit of snow in the Northland.

A different mood  with a picture of wild blueberry picking last summer.

Well things are much better since my last post. I've been shuffling, mucking around and trying to organize my studio space, revisiting old stashes of supplies, making room for new ones.

Good news is that I made two etsy sales. Haven't made any or tried to make any since before Christmas. It seems that the vintage letters I acquired have been wildly popular. I still have a few more that I need to post.

I also won two giveaways this week! More on those later when I get the goods. 

The sun came out and I had some deck time on the second storey of the Garaj Mahal sorting and re-bagging seed beads and dipping my mandrels in bead release for my lampworking.

Packing up for the first Farmers market of the year. Now that I live 100 miles away from the market I'm having to get up at 5:00AM for the trip but it usually proves to be worthwhile.

We had a snowy Cinco de Mayo which turned out to be the most snow this area had gotten in the last two months.

Good news too, We have thawed water lines now after a week without running water!