Dem Bones!

Starting the work on one of my cow skulls today! I'm thinking of incorporating a Dia di los Muertos theme to this guy~can't wait to see how this turns out! 

Now, for a little back story on HOW I came to have this and a few other bare-bones cow skulls...

Years ago whilst on a road trip through New Mexico, I happened on a roadside campground/rock shop so decided to, of course, stop in.  (Wouldn't you?).  Now, the old guy that ran this whole operation was toothless and wearing the most exquisite squash blossom necklace I ever saw out here in the middle of nowhere.  What I was really on the hunt for wasn't rocks and minerals, but cow skulls.  This was the last leg if my 2 week trip through the Southwest and I had been on the look out for cow skulls, which there was no shortage of, but they were extremely expensive! Even plain ones with No Artwork! So, I learned to never pass-up these little roadside stands, you never know what you'll find. As I was weaving my way through the rocks and dusty "Indian" trinkets (that have made in China stamped on the bottom) I spied some boney goodness along the fence line!  Making a beeline to what turned out to be not one but Eight awesome cow skulls I excitedly asked the toothless caretaker if they were for sale!  Of course they were For Sale and I took all of them! When I asked the guy why he had all of these skulls and how he got them he said that his property is next door to a cattle ranch-when they process the cattle, he gets the heads and leaves them out for the coyotes to "clean". So know this, all of these skulls were clean except for the noses! I drove 13 hours to go straight home with the windows down the whole way to dispel the Stink! The lengths I go to for my Art!  When I got my treasured skulls home, they were cleaned up in a powder coating machine because boiling on the stove doesn't work, just so you know.  They came out perfect and I did create on a few and kept the rest packed away. I decorated my garden with a couple that I had left, which I've decided to give a second life to!  Stay tuned for the finished product which will be revealed at Glitterfest this October 12th! 

This skull has been out in my garden for years, so I needed to clean him up a bit but didn't want to lose the awesome "patina" and natural "boneyness" that had developed over the years. After sanding the surface lightly (certain spots are thin and brittle) with a fine 150 grit sandpaper, my skull is nice and smooth and Awesome!

This shot is mid-process. The right is sanded and smooth, the left side, untouched. Big difference, so glad I decided to go this route and skip painting  it! Lovin' the look, now just have to decorate him for the season!

Wish I had more of these guys now that I have this cool idea! Maybe I need another Southwest Road trip!  

Surfin' USA!

Great Day in Huntington Beach at the US Open Surf Competition Gang!  My Sister in Adventure, Kathy and I embarked on a fun-filled day in the sun checking out all of the Awesomeness around us! This all started with a late night call from Kat asking me what I was doing on Friday...the rest is history. Take a lookie!

Next, we were off on foot to see what we could get into...we crossed PCH and literally walked onto the Surfer Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Rockin Fig, Shane Dorian and Skip Frye! What a serendipitous adventure for the two of us! ( this kinda stuff always happens to us which is why we rarely turn down any chance at an adventure!)  After the ceremony, we walked in behind the press and snapped a few pics (actually, Kat did, I was close behind her trying not to knock over anything with my backpack!)  What a gift of an experience to see these three surfing legends up close! Couldn't have planned it better!

Then...we decided to take a walk down the pier to Ruby's and get a root beer float~but on the way we got distracted...

What the What? JK, here's the REAL Eye-Candy folks:

What a Fantastic Day for us, plus we got to spend time with Kat's nieces, Alexa and Vanessa and their Mom, Suzie!  Thanks again Kat for the cool adventure, we need to get another one on the calendar because we're on a roll my friend!

Wango~Zentangle, 1-2-3-4...!

Happy Monday Gang! Just Swinging By to make a post this week! If you've been on my FB page recently, then you've seen these two drawings that I completed playing around with the art of Zentangle aka doodling.  Now, I'll admit, this is unlike any doodling I ever did in the past, I actually planned my compositions somewhat, whereas with doodling, they just happened.  Some of Zentangle I believe just happens, depending on your skill and confidence.  I had to plan somewhat, but love the results!  The above drawing, which I call "Beautiful Mess" was inspired by a drawing done by Tiffany Lovering.  I fell in love with Lovering's piece and tried making my own, which I'm very happy with.  After completing my girl, I felt the Need to continue, and that's how "Horse With the Mane" was created.

I had horses on the brain evidently, being I had just returned from Horse Camping with friends and had endured an extensive trail ride.  Having gone on this adventure, I really wanted to make a magnificent horse head and Zentangle was the answer! Most drawings I've seen done in the Zentangle style are abstract in nature, which made me want to create something totally different.  After completing "Beautiful Mess" which is a person, I went with my favorite animal, the horse; logical transition if you know me.  I had a blast doing these two pieces and found that I became obsessed in wanting to finish them and see the completed product! I'm now thinking of other combinations to tie together form and pattern to create my own Zentangle drawing style! 

One of the first things I realized is that you need a good set of pens~I couldn't go out and go crazy, but using 3 different sizes: XS, S, M worked for these two projects. I only have my sketch pads to work with as far as paper goes, which can be challenging because is soaks up the ink and causes it to bleed if you're not careful. It's all in the touch and the technique and just takes practice, practice, practice. Now I'm going through paper like crazy, time to start recycling paper I do have...I used to own a scrapbook store you know? Ha, Ha! Now I'm off to my studio to create more Art, so I'll sign-off until next week Gang!

Happy Trails!

Had a blast over the Fourth of July horse camping with my good friends Sharon and Mike up in Idyllwild at Camp McCall! What an awesome campground all outfitted for the equestrian camper! I've camped for many years but not with horses, so this was a new and wonderful experience for me. We all enjoyed the back country while taking a 7 hour, 15  mile trail ride which took us into the city of Idyllwild. The trails were rugged and challenging for this rider, but my trusty steed, Doc, handled it all like a trooper.  Actually, he's more experienced than me and I soon learned to trust him and his steps over rocks on the steep trails and drop-offs.  My friends Sharon and Mike were on their trusty steeds, Kota and Dudley who took good care if them as well! You really need a sound reliable horse on these trails to keep you safe and make the ride enjoyable! Believe it or not, I can still walk and have minimal soreness! The next morning we all enjoyed a short ride to the local cafe for breakfast and an arts and crafts fair! Love it up here, and it's so close to home! Thanks Sharon and Mike for the invitation to join you guys, I loved it and love you guys! Can't wait to hit the trail again~until then, Happy Trails to You~

These Boots are Made for Walkin'

Hey Gang, just finished "repurposing" my old cowboy boots from the 80's!  I purchased these Dan Post boots "back in the day" for $2-$300 bones, very expensive, especially back then-they are/were snakeskin.  Well, the snakeskin on the front was all dried and peeling, so I decided to give them new life! Here's the result, my "Day of the Dead" aka "Dia de Los Muertos" boots! I decoupaged them and added a border if micro peach colored rhinestone chain~Love Them! Now, where did I put those old black boots I scored a few years back? I'm on a roll now!  I'm Lovin' my New Kicks!

New Custom Orders Complete!

This lovely piece is a result of my client's trips to China throughout the years and her collecting bits and pieces of jade, lacquered beads and bone along the way!  I was literally given a Ziplock bag full of these treasures and told to "have at it!" (my favorite thing to hear!) I just finished this piece yesterday and absolutely LOVE how it turned out! Each piece on this necklace is a little work of art in itself; collectively, it's stunning!  I will be delivering these two pieces to my client this weekend~This was a joy to work on!

I'm The Queen of Procrastination~always have been. I do my best work when I'm under pressure to meet a deadline.  I may start-off with loads of time, but I will actually get the work going towards the end of that timeline! I always produce good work and meet the deadline, but you'd think I'd get going sooner. Now don't get me wrong, I'm actually processing my ideas, knowing that my time is fleeting by, but also knowing that I can do it and what my abilities and limitations are.  It all works out in the end!  I realized years ago, that I passed this trait onto my daughter.  While in middle school, she had a huge project due that she waited to the last minute to start. (as kids do) She actually was in the 11th hour working on this thing.  I had told her she was on her own, that she was old enough to manage her time and smart enough to know how to do this. Well, my Brilliant Baby Girl pulled an all-nighter and produced an awesome project that got her an A! So I then learned that she inherited my procrastination gene along with the strong work-ethic and quality-work gene! From then on I never nagged or bugged her about "Getting a jump on her projects" and not "leaving everything to the last minute".  she proved to me that she does perform well under pressure and can be counted on to turn out a quality product, no matter when she starts to work on it! We're both wired this way!

This piece is constructed from a clients worldly travels, mostly in China, as seen by all of the porcelain pieces.  I loved playing with all of these bits~the center pendant was especially challenging, being I totally created it from random pieces I was supplied.  The two silver/red pieces in the earrings and at the sides of the pendant were actually a bracelet that I took apart and reconfigured. It took me a bit of time to design, but I love the results!  My client loves statement pieces and can wear them well~she is a world traveler and collected these and many other pieces along the way.  All of these bits and pieces were just sitting in drawers for years, unworn, until I shared my design and take on Treasure Necklaces.  I originally made myself one with random bits of "crap" and loved it! I've been telling my clients to supply me with meaningful items from their lives to make them their own "Treasures". The result is a one-of-a-kind wearable work of art!

To see more Goodies, check out our website at: http://paradisekittenart.wix.com/debbra-j-designs

Bling-Tastic Fun!

 Happy Monday Gang! Here's what I've been up to this past week! Been rediscovering my soldering iron and Loving It!  I played around with a new technique to me, texturing the solder whilst it's still liquid! It's a tricky process, but the results are well worth it!  I've always loved these Blinged-Up charm style necklaces, and have made a few in the past, so it was cool to revisit this style of jewelry making and have Fun with it! Check-out my results!  (I made two different necklaces, but my pictures got a little mixed-up, so you'll be going back and forth between the two pieces. Don't get dizzy!)

 Second necklace I attempted made ambitious by converting a watch casing into an enclosed frame for a little Sacred Heart graphic. Man, that was a challenge, but I did it!

 This particular "Mary" graphic reminded me of the Renaissance style paintings and the art I saw last year on my visits to the many cathedrals in Germany.  I especially love the feel of old world art and how it transcends time, beautiful.

 Close-Up of the detail on my pendant.  I was able to play with streaming solder across the glass, which is tricky, being the glass is highly sensitive to heat and will crack...I got lucky, and Love the result!

 Close-Up of the converted watch casing I used to encapsulate my image. I just made this up as I went along and it actually turned out Great!  Some of my best results come from happenstance, so I've learned to try to not over think my creative process and just let it happen.

 I had just obtained this patina'd puffy metal heart and got the idea to embellish it.  I always have metal sheets on hand, because you never know, right?  Whipped-out my metal stamps and tin snips and Voila' a cool attachment for my heart! And of course, a little Bling doesn't hurt either! Also, all of the pearl chain in these pieces is hand wire-wrapped by moi~ this is truly a labor of love~somehow it relaxes me to do this process over and over and over again...

 The first piece I completed, my "Blue Mary". I had fun adorning Her with suitable charms that would compliment the whole piece without making it look "junkie"~it's a fine line.  The wings I had also just purchased recently, and I finally had a use for a couple of religious metals I had acquired some time ago.  It all came together perfectly I think!

I also added a bit of gold leaf to further accent Mary in her little glass home adding to the Glitz of the whole piece.  I hope you have enjoyed this brief tour of my latest work, and hope you have found some inspiration to take with you for your own art! Thanks for stopping by!

Lavender Farm and Vintage Stuff!

 The Girlie's~Emily, Debb (me), Kathy, Lisa and Emily! I KNOW, we have Two Awesome Emily's with us, how cool is That?!

 A few pics from our fun visit to The Vintage Market Place in Rainbow! So much lovely goodness and eye candy all around! We had a wonderful time, this was my first visit to the VMP~I bought some metal madness pieces from Dyanna at Broke Jewels, always want more than I can afford! 

 Next Stop, Keys Creek Lavender Farm in Valley Center, or as I like to say: "not far from the Vintage Market Place, past a yellow roadside deli, down a dirt road on the right and you're there!"  Easy-Peasy! What a lovely treasure~thanks Lisa Loria for sharing this great place with us yesterday, so cool!

 Just a few pictures I took whilst at the Farm! It smelled so good in their little gift shop, and they have CLEAN BATHROOMS; this is so important when you're Day Tripping! I never realized there were so many varieties of lavender, so of course, I just had to purchase a little plant to add to my yard! For more info. on the Farm.
 Go to: kclfarm.com

Wishing you All Peace & Love this weekend and Always!

Memorial Day "Thank You"

My Uncle Gene served in the United States Army during WWII, 1943-1946 in the 309th Infantry, 78th Division in enemy territory all through Germany.  During this time, Gene received his Combat Infantry Badge, among other accommodations. My Uncle Gene also became fluent in German and Russian and never lost his gift for languages.  (he used to try and teach my Rena German when she was a little kid!)  While in the service, Gene was promoted to Sargent, but being head-strong, he was demoted back down to PFC for fighting just 3 days before his discharge!  My uncle wasn't too happy, but knew it didn't always work to "Get your Irish up!"

Gene's brothers, Buck, Dale and Joe also fought in WWII and came back home after the war~what a Miracle, 4 boys in the War, and all 4 come back alive! I also have another uncle, Bill Bennett that fought in WWII and was a paratrooper over enemy lines; I have his dog tags, which he had given to my Dad.  Fortunately, Bill did make it back and went on to a career in the LAPD.  

I just want to say "Thank You" to all the Servicemen and Women who have served or are currently serving our country, without you we wouldn't know FREEDOM!

I'm On the Etching Crazy Train! Woot, Woot!

I'm not kidding, I just learned how to etch on metal and I LOVE it! I basically taught myself ...with the help of a few tutorials on YouTube, which is also an awesome Time Suck. I was up into the wee hours one night plugged-in to the vast selection of tutorials on the topic, trying hard not to veer off into another creative avenue. (it's hard, let me tell ya!) Needless to say, I barely slept and was up early in the A.M. ready to descend on Radio Shack to get a bottle of Ferric Chloride~everything else I managed to have, which is another reason I love this process so much...It's EASY!  After getting home and setting-up my mini "lab" on the kitchen counter (don't worry Gang, I covered everything and disinfected afterwards.) I rechecked the vid and was on my way~check it out below, this is ALL you NEED!

 Ta Da! My very first sample of metal etching! I decided, if I was going to put the time in, I might as well do something useful as a sample, like a pair of earrings, right?  Once the etching chemical process is complete and the pieces(s) are clean, you just brighten them up with fine steel wool. (I had a whole package in the studio left over from my dad's tool box, been here forever and I never had a use for it until now! I KNEW I'd need that stuff someday!)  Love how they turned out~this is so cool!

 And here's the finished result made into earrings!  I've been wearing them everywhere for the past couple of days giving them a "Test Drive".  I always do this with a new piece of jewelry I make, just to make sure things hang right, etc., these are so lightweight, I can't feel them at all! Love, Love, Love them Gang!

I'll be adding them to my website soon at: 

http://paradisekittenart.wix.com/debbra-j-designs

Thanks Gang~now back to the studio to work on my Mixed Media piece that's drying.  (I have to do other things while the paint dries you know?)

What a Great Mother's Day I Had!

 I love Pic Collage! Various pictures taken this year of my awesome daughter, Rena. (or as I like to call her, Rena-Bean)  She's now 21 and I can't believe how quick the years have gone by! As you can see, she looks exactly like ME! Ha, ha!  I remember when she was a baby and a toddler, strangers would think I was the babysitter~and one time, her Grandma! (I quickly changed THAT hairstyle!)  When Ms Rena was born, she looked like a little papoose, of course, being part Apache makes that no mystery.  Even though we don't look alike, except for little subtleties here and there, she has my sense of humor, which is a bit twisted. She's very smart and logical and thinks on her feet well.  (like me...) She can fix a jammed Crop-A-Dile like no one I've ever seen, and count change back at the register like NO ONE in her generation! (yes, Grandpa used to always "let" Rena pay the bill at the coffee shop on Sunday mornings when we'd meet him and Grandma for breakfast and make her count the change back to him!)  Ms Rena was an awesome kid to raise and made my job easy, except when it came to doing algebra in 3rd grade (I so suck at math) and is an amazing young woman! She will always be "My Beauty"

My Mom. June aka June Phyllis as her mom used to call her when she needed her NOW!  Mom is a Hoot and a Half to be around and I've noticed that her sense of humor is more transparent now that she's in her 80's and thinks everyone should "lighten up!"  Ha, Mom, you slay me!  She's the very definition of a lady and very sharp and shrewd as a businesswoman.  She has tried for YEARS to teach me how to save and be smart with my dollars, which has been a hard lesson for me because I love to shop.  Or at least, I used to.  Since getting wammied by this latest recession, it's been a hard lesson but one I now appreciate.  Thanks Mom.  June is the very first Fashionista I knew and I think started the whole stylish thing for me.  She loves accessories, a beautiful high heel (although she has changed her foot ware to a wedge these days.) and well made, stylish handbags.  Wearing fabulous clothing was a sport to her when I was growing up, and a team sport when the holidays would hit or a dinner party would be brewing.  June would not only deck herself in the most stylish attire, but all of us! I have the pictures to prove it; Mom, Dad, my sister Rena, and myself, all matching on Easter, Christmas, various Luau parties, etc.~ and not the crappy weird matching outfits that people write coffee table books about, but the cool vintage dress that is like looking at a time capsule of style. Yep, that's my Mom! All of my Style and Pan ash I owe to you, along with my love of  fab clothing, accessories, shoes and all things textile and awesome! Also, a big part of my wit and "charm" is straight from You!  Another thing that Mom and I have in common is that "Miller Look" that we give without even realizing it. According to my daughter, it's a knowing glance that we share at the dinner table when someone says something we mutually think is lame, or a dork walks into the room, or when we discover we're out of bourbon.  It's like our own secret language that we think no one is aware of....ahhh, but they are. They shake in their boots when they catch it because it's almost certainly about them or something they're about to do.  It's harmless and funny and we always get caught.  That's us, Me & Mom aka The Girls! 

New Designs!

 I've been in the studio recently working up some new designs for my cases! Being that Day of the Dead aka Dia de los Muertos is so popular year round for me, I decided to come up with a new design that's fun and festive!  All elements are paper and my own decoupage' technique that make this all mine!  They came out quite nice and I'll be creating more of them for my up coming show at the Garden of Beaden in Upland on April 26-27 !

 Here's a little peek at the process~as you can see, it's eyeglass cases and paper...

...it's all quite simple really...NOT!

Fun at the Renaissance Faire! Huzzah!

 Need I say more?

 Ladies Debb & Lynne of the Shire all smiles on this Day of Merriment and Frivolity!

We took part in the Queen's Tea, which was a wonderful way to take a break from the visual and sensory overload of the day! We met some lovely people and a Duke or two! I was even given a talking to by the Queen herself for flipping my hat feathers and keeping audience with a Sir Richard Dudley from her Court! Lynne and I thought this most amusing and Sir Dudley Most Charming!

1.  

 The Beautiful, Lady Lynne of the Shire!

 Our Favorite Rogues, The Dread Pirates of Odd Wood! OMGosh, these guys are a RIOT! With their Bawdy Sea Shanty's and physical comedy to match, there is nothing left to the imagination...plus, the keyboard player is HOT and the drummer has the most amazing blue eyes ever...I digress...anyway, the show is a complete laugh~they're heavy metal Unplugged! Head Banging before electricity! Rockin' the Shire Daily!

 Lady Lynne of the Shire, Strike A Pose!

 Queen Elizabeth Giving us a Talking to! (I can't believe I had the balls to snap this whilst being scolded!)

 Some of the "Taller" folk we met!

 This guy...not so friendly to look at, but loved his whole costume!  The costumes here are AMAZING!  We just love taking it all in and getting new ideas and inspiration everywhere we look! 

 Myself, Lady Debb of the Shire at the entrance~what a Perfect Day in the Shire!

 I ask you: "how else would you sail YOUR ship?" 

 One must laugh ALWAYS!

 Okay, there's an amusing story that goes with this sign...we ventured into the Ren Faire Museum, which was loaded with photos and memorabilia encompassing 50 years of Faire Fun and memories. One of the docents saw me snapping a picture of this sign and told us the tale... Back in the 70's when the Faire was in Augora, there were two paths to take to get across the park; the lower more used and defined trail and the upper, more private, secluded less traveled trail loaded with poison oak.  Well, the youth are always looking for private places to "relax" as it were and were always getting busted by security, which kept the first aid station BUSY being they always had an outbreak of poison oak on tons of peoples "unmentionable" parts!  So, these signs were put up all around the upper trail to warn-off those randy folks in a language even THEY would understand! This is one of the Original signs from that era~now on display with a Fun Story Attached!

 Wood Nymph~beautiful costume and make-up!

Lady Debb of the Shire at a metal works booth! This artist does a lot of Dia de los Muertos art and is based in Montclair Gang! Whoo Hoo, lets hear it for Local Artists! His enameled pieces are Awesome!

A Wonderful Day was had by All! It all went by so fast~so now I have to launder my costume and put my Hat of Many Plumes away and save all of my goodies for another Faire~Huzzah!