A New Look A New Me ??

No no no not me as in the physical me but my little Bloglandian home does have a new look. You noticed didn't you?? So what do you think?? You can be honest, just be kind, well you don't have to really be KIND but none of that brutally honest or "may I be frank" shi....poop !!

I'm not completely happy with the banner. I like the paradise written in the sand. And I like the idea of a collage of pictures under the "paradise" I'm just not excited about collage effect. My biggest hurdle is I am more then photo shop challenged!! :( That leaves me with what my Kodak easy share can do. I would like to maybe fade out the edges or give it a bit of an antique, soft patina sorta look, but alas Kodak doesn't want to have that kind of fun :( That combined with physically printing each picture to create the collage then scanning it back in to print it out. Well... it does tend to curtail a whole lot of manipulations. I have to say though I have really gotten better in the last year I have lived in Bloglandia. SO given the speed I have mastered this tiny amount of knowledge I should be playing in photo shop oohhh in 25-30 years!! :)

Aaaaah well it wasn't all that many years ago that I couldn't find the power button to a computer and programing my answer machine was impossible. Ha I solved that problem we don't have one !! :)

Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where you are in the world ;)

A Dulce Update and Giveaways!!!!!! :)

Just so you know this picture has nothing really to do with my posting but sometimes you need an ME smile! :)

Dulce is the young woman (18) how comes to clean for me 3 hours on Wednesdays and 5 hours on Saturday. If you read my posting back last spring you might remember my postings about Dulce successfully challenging her secondary school classes. Here is the posting if you would like to read it. http://thejoyofnesting.blogspot.com/2009/04/woo-hoo-she-passed.html The readers digest version is that Secondary school is Jr. High in the States. Callegio is high school. Dulce had missed so many days of school during primary school that she did not graduate until 2007. Remember that school is not considered important to many young women especially in the labor neighborhoods. Women get married have babies and don't need an education for that. The fall of 2007 Dulce decided that an education was a way for her to gain Independence and not follow the status quo. Last year she became determined that she would challenge all of her secondary school classes and graduate in the spring, so she could start high school this year. We all sweated bullets because she had to cram 2-3 years worth of classes, homework, studying for the challenge tests, and taking the tests into 10 months. She did it and with honors!! This was her first week of High School, and not in just any high school. She applied and was accepted into one of the best academic schools in the city. Now her plans are to work an accelerated program so she can graduate in a year and a half to apply at the Naval Academy The navy will pay for her uni. which is the ONLY way she could go. When she was here on Weds. I asked her how she liked high school. She got a huge smile on her face and said it was good and then she peeked up through her eyelashes and very quietly said "Muchas Gracias Senora" (thank you) Dang if my eyes didn't start to leak and then she got to leaking and we both got huge smiles and I very quietly said De Nada (your welcome)

Okay time to move on. Giveaways. First Jeanette Blix who owns Fundamentals.net an on line jewelry tools and supplies store is having her first giveaway. And holy mackerel it's way way generous to say the least. Her first gift is a choice of a Jumbo butane torch, Tranex flush cutters or Swanstrom round nose pliers. But she also has a beautiful pair of earrings she made, just incase you would rather wear your gift :)

Cindy of Sweet Bead Studio donated this cool metal stamped necklace and it's also one of the gifts :) Well that's still not all the give aways you just slip on over there and check it out!!

At Art Bead Scene there is a giveaway of Green Girl Studios beads

Cynthia Thorton's (who is the girl in Green Girl Studios) new book Enchanted Adornments & Creating Mixed Media Jewelry is due out on November 1st this is just a bit of a "spread the word" giveaway

Aren't these mermaid beads way to cute??? I'm sure I'll win this one because I could add these to my teeny tiny mermaid collection. And when I win them my collection won't be so teeny tiny any longer!! :)

Okay on to Lauralei's blog Inside The Studio She also has a giveaway of Green Girl Studios Beads in celebration of Cynthia's book. This is one book everyone is waiting for. If you haven't ordered your copy yet head over to Amazon. In fact I've made it very easy for you. Hit the picture of the book (look above the mermaids) and it will magically take you to Amazon !! :)

I'm thinking that you guys could all go sign up for these adorable butterfly beads and I could sign up for the mermaids "K"??? :)

Woo I don't know about you but I'm exhausted after all this running around Bloglandia!!

Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)

The Beaches Are Very Quiet & IBOL

Today was the first day of school can you tell?? LW and I decided we would spend the day on Stone Island. Which isn't an island but a peninsula :) Monday is always a good day to go because families are at work and school. There are no cruise ships in port on Mondays so that the beaches aren't hip to hip with very pale skinned visitors. One of the reasons we tend to go on Mondays and especially in late August and September is to provide a bit of business to the little palapa restaurants. The next 6-8 weeks can easily be the demise of any business but most especially the little family run ones. Besides the lack of tourists & customers this is the months of really high tides. The tides will come clear up to the kitchens in the back of the palapas. These high tides can really cause a loss of business. The tide was really HIGH today with the full moon.

This little ceviche cart is sitting even with the beach chairs we are sitting in, under Rudi's palapa. :) It was about 1:00pm and the tide was going out. It had been clear back behind LW so that it was lapping against the back of the restaurants. Which if you look at the bottom of the V, the two awnings form there is the top of a pinkish building. See it??? That is the back of the palapas!!

As you can see Charli and Rubi are always up for a day at the beach. It's the only place to really take a siesta :)

There is a little fishing village on Stone Island and that's about it. The peninsula sits right across from the Mazatlan Port. This is LW Charli and me headed back to the little ferry pangas. I must confess that this is not a picture from today. This was a trip before little Rubi came to live with us. But there are not to many pictures that both of us are in :)

Okay time to get just a wee bit serious. But we can still have fun!! What you may ask is IBOL in the title??? "Iraqi Bundles of Love". There is a group of military service people who have organized an awesome collection project. They have put the request out for fabric and sewing notions to be sent to Iraq. They will distribute them to the Muslim women in their area to make quilts etc. with. :) Now I know that you ALL have stashes of fabric , you know I'm right!! :) This doesn't have to be huge yardage pieces. Heck I bet somewhere in your stash piles is an unfinished project or two Send it, surly it will make pieces. How about those spools of thread that will never be used again because you'll never get them matched. Or I bet if you look there are white, black and navy color spools multiplying in your thread box :)

How about packaging up a nice little Just Because I Care parcel and sending it off to a Kindred Sister!!?? You can use their button to get to their blog. All the detail you need are there. If you look over on the right side bar at the top there is a list of items. The FAQ has how to, where to, and even what to mail. Take a minute and read through it. There is a deadline and it's coming right up. They need to have the parcels postmarked by the 7th of September. This will give them enough time to distribute them before the end of the Holy season of Ramadan.

Wouldn't be sooooooooooooooo awesome to have a warehouse full of love for these guys to distribute?? Well we could do it. :) On August 16 the first parcels started to arrive.

Today's arrivals placed the count up to 100!!!!!!! :) Oh and look there are no huge bundles they are all small, no one will miss that out of their stashes. So how about 1) Take a trip over to the IBOL blog and decide to get involved. 2) Grab their button (you can grab it off of mine or grab the one on their blog), post it on your side bar 3) Blog about it spread the word the 7th of September is only days away!!! 4) Put together your Just Because I Care parcel, leave a comment on the IBOL blog and they will give you the current address to mail your parcel to.

There now it's as easy as 1-2-3-4 and think how darn good you will feel. A cleaned out stash pile and a small gift to a kindred sister. Sometimes just one little artist CAN make a difference :)

Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)

Is Summer Over Yet?? :)

YAAAAAA HOOOOOO school starts on Monday for most of all the schools in Mexico!!! That means that our beaches will belong to the locals. All of the National tourists are back home getting back into the swing of things. It is still far to hot for the Snowbirds to start their mass migration south. School up in the Northlands is starting so there are few to no family vacations. All this means to us is quiet, open beaches. Late August through September are very slow months. On one hand we love it because our city is ours. But on the other hand it can be devastating to many vendors and businesses. Many many aren't able to stay afloat in Sept. :(

These are the days that the community tries to support each other through. SO while we might be doing the happy dance as we head to the beach, the clean quiet, beautiful beach, we will be sure to have lunch at one of the palapas. Most days we pack a bit of lunch to take with us. But for the next few weeks we will have a bite of lunch at a beach palapa.

But in my own secret little world, this is my most favorite time of the year. I spent all of my life dreaming of living here. It is here where I find my place in the universe. And it is ever so sweet to even if for a short time not have to share this with anyone else. These are the times LW & I look at each other giggle and whisper "Life is good"

I did get a couple of things made this week while waiting for the last of the vacationers to head home. :) The first pair of earrings I'm really liking. The clear quartz beads look great with the copper wires. I didn't age them because untreated the wires will be on their way to a lovely patina in a week or two. The second pair I can wear with the Mermaid necklace if (and that's a rare if) I feel kinda matchy matchy :)

The third set is just fun!! In fact I've had 2 different friend ask for pairs like them. When I bought this set of vintage typewriter keys from eBay I didn't realize (I'm sure the seller didn't either) that it was from England. See the one key is a British pound sterling sign??? To cool wouldn't you say!!?? I glued a bit of vintage tatting on the back and tied a tiny bit of lace ribbon on the wires.

I also put together this book mark to add to Jackie D's Birthday beach combing bag. She isn't going to be able to come home until the end of Sept. ;( So no birthday lunch till then. But I get an idea every once in awhile like oh I'll make Jackie a .... piece of jewelry. Only to remember that she doesn't wear jewelry :( So what is a girlfriend to do???? Make a book mark cuz I bet her books would love to have a new piece of jewelry now and them :)

If you squint just right you can see I stuck a tiny little sea shell and mermaid's tear in the empty watch case. This way when she has to sit up in land locked Austin reading she has a bit of our beloved beach with her. :) Because it always comes back to the beach. The beach is where I find my happy center it's the place to feel one with all of creation. It's pure magic!! :)

Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)

The Truth About Mermaids

One of the many mermaid statues in Mazatlan.

I've been asked by a few of my friends to help clear up a couple of misconceptions. These would be my errrr ehhhhmmm my Mermaid friends. Yep mermaids. It seems they are tired of all the silly stories going around about them always wishing they had legs. Or worse yet that all they ever do is pine away under the sea crying buckets because they have fallen in love with a human, and will forever be separated.

To set the record straight first they have plenty of hunky "merguys" (look I didn't make up these names, I'm just the messenger here), to be bothering with "landguys" Besides they have been walking on dry land far longer then 2 legged humans have. See they got here first. You know the seas were made on day 2-3 something like that. After God made land he asked the Merlandians if they would like to live in this garden where there were all these great apple trees (but they couldn't eat any of the apples) The Merlandians said naw so God had to create humans. Okay so you know this part we'll just be skipping ahead. :) When A&E decided to sneak an apple cuz no one would ever know, it was the Merlandians that ratted... okay okay informed God of the human's transgression. :) Skipping ahead again God said "how can I ever reward you ??? and the Merlandians said, how about giving us legs and lungs so we can dry out every so often??" Sure no problem said God. Come by tomorrow and I'll give you a magical talisman that will let you walk and breath on land. Next day just like he promised God had a magic talisman for them.

So from then on the Merlandians could walk on land to "deprunify" It's mostly the mermaids though cuz the merguys are to manly to worry about a bit of pruning. Well that and it could be that the magic talisman is a necklace with a semi nude mermaid hanging on it. :)

Every so often my mergirl-friends come by and ask me to make them outfits so they can be cute girls on land. They tend to like a longer skirt, you know it covers up the pruny skin as it dries out :) This little number is a new one for fall. We are trying something a bit different this season. We have this blue jumper made with some of that permanently wrinkled material. Not to sure if it's going to go over yet but we'll have to see. I made a stretch cotton skirt in brown to go under the jumper.

Stretch is always good. Sometimes it takes awhile to slim down when your losing a lot of "water weight" ;)

Added a little flower print false slip and tea dyed lace at the bottom. Draws the eye away from the hips as they are slimming down ;)

I'm sure you also noticed the lovely necklace Annalise has on while she is modeling, yes?? Well if you didn't go back up there and look, hurry up we'll wait. That dear Bloglandians is the magical talisman God made for the Merlandians so they could walk and breath out of water.

All those millenniums ago he (God) scooped up a hand full of pine resin and make some nice little beads. When he was done he had a couple of larger blobs that had a few bugs stuck in it so he strung them on with the little ones. By now those beads are nice and hard are called amber. They carry the wisdom and positive chi of the earth. He made the blue beads from the blue sand on the island of Atlantis, by rolling the sand in his hands till it became blue glass. Into the blue glass he blew the gifts of trust and acceptance. He added 4 small green sea glass beads as a reminder of the power simple water has to change the course of the mountain.

He created the mermaid out of molten pewter to remind the wearer "to thine own self be true

It was the Merlandians who added the silk sari ties, as a reminder that a simple silk thread is strong enough to bind a people together.

At the very end of the strips of sari they tied 2 beautiful shells. If you place them up to your ear you can hear the ocean calling her children home. That's why no Merlandian has ever stayed on land. They are as much a part of the ocean as the ocean is a part of them. Although the mermaid has become pitted and worn away, and the resins are now petrified with the passage of time there is still enough magic to allow Merlandians to walk among humans. :)

Okay are we straight on the historical facts now??? No more sappy stories about mermaids sitting on rocks crying buckets cuz they wish they had 2 pegs to walk on!!!

Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)

PS. If you too would like to have your very own ancient Mermaid head over to Lynn's blog and follow her ETSY signs. She is the real creator of my fauxtique mermaid!!

In My Little Corner of Bloglandia

For many of us who see and live life through art discovering this little corner of Bloglandia is an amazing gift. For me I found a place for the first time in my 53 years where everyone "gets it"!! In stead of being alone in a group I am now just one of the group. Notice I didn't say I'm just like everyone else or they are just like me?? Because that is part of what makes these friendships so very special and unique. We are not only excepted but encouraged to be ourselves. No matter that we tend to be a bit different, odd, unusual, eccentric, and even a little strange. I mean "it's not normal" to be able to hear colors, see music, or to find beauty in dirty junk, is it??? Ha well here in this little corner of Bloglandia it is normal :)

I, just like you all are constantly searching for ways to express my feelings and gratitude for the friends we have made and continue to make here in this little corner. When I found this little song my first thought was this is exactly what I have been trying in vain to express!!! This is soooo cool and I have to share it with you guys, my bloglandian family my kindred souls! :) So quick go fix a nice cup of something wonderful to sip on settle back and press play. Oh yeah you might want to keep the tissues close it like me you are able to smile at the same time your eyes are leaking :)

Nothing more to say except maybe to have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)

A Junker's Guardian Angel

I have mentioned before that Mexico has not reach the point where "vintage" has gained the reputation as anything other then old trash. Vintage, old, antique, patina, tarnish, rust, and any other words that send a certifiable junker's heart into palpitations only brings the advice to "throw it away" Not unlike the US and other northern hemisphere countries a number of generations ago, as a Mexican family becomes more monetarily affluent these "old things" are quickly replaced by new, modern and hi-tech. It's the way you show the world you are wealthy enough to be able to buy new. That you are a success. Because of this attitude locating vintage, much less junque is a real study in patience.

Soooooo I have had to get creative here if I want to make art with vintage junk. :) Thus the recipes for tarnish, rust, crackle paint. I can find all kinds of mediums to remove these scourges but why in heaven's name would I want a medium to make them age?? That's "muy tonto"

In my mission to create with vintage, rust and the most amazing patinas I have resorted to roaming ebay, the internet and ETSY. Hey an addiction is an addiction...but I can quit any time you know, I just don't want ta :) Well in my quest I have met some of the most amazing and gifted artists. One of these incredible artist is Lynn Davis of LLYYNN Because of the frustration of not finding the artifacts and age old junk she taught herself to make them. She creates what she calls "fauxtiques" Oh my gosh you guys I'm completely smitten with her work!!! There is no way I can be trusted to visit her blog or ETSY stores with the visa card in the same room!! :) Take a trip over to her blog ...but not just right this minute K??

Lynn has been creating these hand cast pewter pieces and collages that are sooooooo coool. Every time I see one it inspires all these great ideas for stories to interpreter in jewelry!! Well just look for yourself. I found these amazing pieces that look for all the word as if they were pulled up with an ancient Spanish galleon!! :)

My artifacts are sitting on the wonderful heavy art paper she wrapped them in for there trip. :) A SMALL RANT!! Sometimes blogger can really get me cranky!! Why do you suppose they turned the next two pictures on their sides??? Was it to see if I can still remember how a cus like any self respecting nurse can??? Cuz Dam..Darnit I can!!!! :) Done with the RANT :) There is an old skeleton key and escutcheon I think they came off the door to the captain's quarters. There is an old medallion of Buddha the cabin boy found laying in the ally when they were in a port in India. The metal has been rubbed smooth by it's previous owner's constant rubbing as he prays. The cabin boy nows carries it in his pocket and catches himself rubbing the smooth metal when ever his hands are idle.

There is a wonderful mermaid who was lovingly made by a sailor during the long lonely months of this ocean voyage. It was to be an engagement gift for the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He spent hundreds of hours carving her likeness on the face of the mermaid. Sadly after all these hundreds of years laying in the salty sea, with the constant moving sand her face is only a memory now.

The last piece is the most amazing. It was a gift the captain had commissioned in Africa. It was a 25th anniversary gift for his wife. This was his last voyage so that they might spend the rest of their lives together. She was always the one who held the key to his heart Her constant love and support had become his shield through the many lonely years at sea. And like the sheaves of wheat she nourished, encouraged and protected his children and home. But it also lays at the bottom of the sea marking the place where this galleon on her final voyage was caught in the center of one of Poseidon's famous temper tantrums....

Jeez do you see what I mean about Lynn's Fauxtiques????? How can you not find the most amazing inspirations she has placed in creations???? Okay now you need to go over and see for yourself. I'm positive there is at least one piece that has a story you are meant to bring to life!!

Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)

You Start With Eggs & Christmas in August???

Well since I did promise you a recipe to tarnish metal without using a gas mask or dealing with any hazardous waste, I suppose I better share my findings. First I should warn you that this will not work if you must have instant gratification and will surely try your patience.

In a plastic zip top bag add enough hard boil eggs to completely cover the metal pieces you want to age. Zip the bag close and mash up the eggs. Then throw in the pieces, zip bag shut again and kneed the metal into the eggs. Be sure all the metal is covered. Set the bag in a room temp area and let it peculate :) The longer you leave the metal in the more tarnish you get.

In my bag I placed 4 warm peeled hard boiled eggs, and a few "metal" charms, a couple of sterling pieces, actually not sterling but .925 pure silver, (sterling is a US measurement). A couple of different types of "silver" colored chain, a new wooden rosary. I'm sorry but no matter how I tried to take pictures I never could get a decent a shot. :( I left the bag to cook for 24hrs. with varying degrees of tarnish. The thin linked chain was a very bright silver it's now a dull gray with black along the edges. The smaller chain was some very strange kind of metal. It is very soft and a gray color (like lead) painted bright silver, very light and you can not solder to it. Sooooooo who knows what this mystery metal is, but it also doesn't aged well. I did get the shiny dulled down and some reasonable dark color started. The same goes for the new religious metals. What is this new cheap faux metal stuff made of?????? Anyone have an idea????? The piece next to the star that has all the holes in it is the .925 silver. It is the one piece with some really great patina.

The rosary was some what successful. The silver rose beads are nicely colored and the central Virgin medal isn't to bad. The cross though except for being a bit dull will need more aging. I really like what happen to the wooden beads. They were a light tan now they are a wonderful mellow dark tan as though they had been handled for many years. :)

Suggestions for next time. First use a couple of more eggs to be sure everything has a really good covering, and leave it in the bag longer. Oh yeah a word of advice even if you are temped to put the bag in the frig so that the eggs don't spoil and do that lovely egg thing DON'T !!The cold in the frig stops the gas created by the eggs. It's the sulfur the eggs release that does the tarnishing. Get it "Liver of Sulfur" ??? :) I think I will also try sanding the mystery metal finishes a bit to see if that might make a differences. Where the metals did have a bit of wear there was some patina going on.

There you have it how to tarnish metal the earth friendly way!!! It take a bit longer it's not as drastic as the chemicals, it doesn't come with any warning labels Although if you leave the eggs on the counter for a couple of days or more you might want to open the bag outside after placing a clothes pin on your nose and use "A nurse's best kept secret" breath through your mouth. :) And lastly old Dame Earth will thank you!! :)

You guys have all heard me lament about the one real draw back to living in Paradise. That is the lack of mail service we have. :( Therefore swaps, round robins, givaways and just plain because I care parcels can become logistic nightmares. :( So when ever I do receive a "just because I care" parcel you would think I'd just been given the key to the kingdom and a Karman Ghia to drive there :)

Lately My truly gracious and loving, kindred sis Jackie D has been taking stuff north and mailing it for me. She also lets me use her address in Tx. to have stuff mailed to. She and her husband still have a house there and they go up every couple of months to check on an aging family member. With the return to Mazatlan the other day there was a parcel from Australia for me!!!! :) My Bloglandian Sister Christina of Rustic Tarts sent me a wonderful box full of wonderful things...

A package of the infamous Tim Tam cookies. We haven't tried the Tim Tam Slam yet ( will report back with results) but to this transplanted Yank they taste a whole lot like the chocolate cookies here in Mexico. There's a bag stuffed full of silk sari scraps, some beautiful local rocks. Amazing Aboriginal paper art, and a decorated gum leaf book mark, a book with the introduction to the Aboriginal Dreamtime. Even LW had a treasure to unwrap. Christina says they are called "Stubby Holders" She wasn't sure what we called them. I'm not sure I know what the official name is either. We always call the cup cosies?? :) But even that has beautiful Aboriginal art work on it!!

Thank you ever so much my dear Bloglandian Sister, your love and friendship mean the world to me! :)

It has been a little less then a year since I stumbled into this amazing world of Bloglandia. It has been such an incredible experience both exhilarating and humbling. After 53 years to find an amazing group of creative people that not only truly believe, but are Artist who Get It!!!!! Humbling for the amount of love, caring and unconditional friendship that has been shared with me, by friends I have only met via this strange new world of Bloglandia. As we all know the chances of physically meeting most of each other is slim, but yet despite that fact we are truly a family and a Sisterhood. Oye Tristan you may never be a sister but a brother "aint" bad either!! :) A most magnificent band of creative, gifted artists each in our own right, who without hesitation have opened our hearts up to experience all that it means to be Human. What a most incredible life I have been given to live, made all the more amazing because of this family called Bloglandia, that has unconditionally excepted little ol dysfunctional me!! Thank you will never be enough but it is all I have right now :)

Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)

A Summer Celebration Giveaway!!

Disney artist James Coleman

I'm going to try to two finger type just as fast as my two little index fingers will let me ? Why noooo I never did learn how to type, I always had someone I bartered with in college, then I had secretaries, I even managed to get through a PhD program without being able to type :) Heck I'm probably the only one in my program that actually wrote her dissertation out in pencil on legal tablets. :)

Yikes how did I managed to get so far out in left field here??? Oh the rapid 2 finger typing is because I want to pass on this cool giveaway news. Hopefully before the next set of rolling thunder hits and I have to unplug my "pooter" or God forbid we loss our power!!! :( No power means no air, no fans, and one really cranky WOMAN!

Cindy at Cindy's Art & Soul is having her last Summer Celebration giveaway!!! And she has let out all the stops!! She is giving away a 50$ gift certificate to any of her stores or website :) I think you guys all need to head right on over and leave her a post and while you are there visit her blog and check out her website and stores!!

If the Rain Gods are not to angry tomorrow I have another little recipe to share with you :) Another great way to tarnish metal without toxic fumes :)

Got to run there are 6 dogs (yep Pancho is still camping out here) all under our legs with their tails hanging down. It can only mean one thing Thunder&Lightening :(

Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)