A New Year's Treat!

Would you like to ring in the New Year with a very strange, one of a kind fashion accessory?

Well, just click here and check out the ever so fashionable "skin bags"!
http://www.skinbag.net/

Go ahead!

Click the link and check out the goods!

I dare ya!

PS--No human beings were harmed, or otherwise mutilated to create any of the products featured at skinbag.net! You can purchase your very own skin bag, vest, skirt, belt and face condom with a clear concience, knowing that this company's products are cruelty free!

Angelic Revelations

I've spent the evening playing with my four year old daughter's watercolors.

There is something so inviting about swirling colorful hues of blue and green onto a piece of 110 pound paper....

As usual however, my random water play didn't last too long. Before I knew it, I was engaged in the process of coaxing this winged beauty to reveal herself. Without my meaning to, I've somehow managed to capture her basic form; and, now I am using acrylic paints and India inks to pull forth the colorful details that lie hidden within the fibers of the paper.

There's something magical about Crayola watercolors. Just ask any four year old and they will tell you! Most grown ups have become inured to the mystery of color as it oozes, and swirls, and transforms itself!

Even I forget....

Thank goodness for my children!

They remind me that there are still colorful worlds hidden in the ordinary that are begging to be discovered! All I need to do, is pick up a piece of paper, wet down a pat of blue watercolor paint and start swirling my brush!

Rejected Patriotism

I made these Swarovski crystal embellished dog tags to sell this past summer at various craft shows. I truly believed that these sparkly flag tags would sell like hot cakes given that this was an election year and so many of our kith and kin are serving this country over seas.

Guess what?

I only sold two!

The price was right, believe me. I only asked $8.00 more than the cost of materials. When you consider that each tag takes an hour and a half to make, I'd say I was under selling.

Just last week I sold five more online. I guess I just needed to broaden my market.

Sometimes it sucks to be an artist and especially so when no one seems to appreciate my own particular flavor of art. But then, it's sometimes even harder to be an American in a country where the majority of our citizenry voted for four more years of increased poverty, war, environmental devastation, and discrimination (sanctioned by the Constitution no less).

Ahhh, but it is too early to rant about politics.

I need more coffee if I am going to discuss politics and make it a nice sweet mocha (for my disposition of course) purchased from Starbucks!

I am happy to say that I can still buy coffee from Starbucks with a worry free heart! Starbucks treats their employees well and they don't donate a corporate dime to the Republican war machine.

Want to know more about buying blue? Then click the link below!
http://www.buyblue.org/current_campaign.html

Oh, and did any of you happen to notice that Adam Levine, the cutie patootie from Maroon 5, was wearing a dog tag that looked remarkably similar to my own on SNL last night?

Adam if you are reading, drop me an e-mail! I'll custom design a dog tag for ya!

Lego Mania

Ugh!

My morning began at 6:00 a.m. with my two young sons arguing over legos.

What is so compelling about these brightly colored pieces of interlocking plastic anyway?

The darn things cost an arm and a leg. I know that much for sure!

I also know that legos are addictive. My 12 year old salivates over the lego sales catalogue like a good drunk in a liqueur store.

Maybe the lego company should be federally mandated to put some sort of warning stamp on all lego boxes/sets.

Warning: The Surgeon General has deemed all lego products highly addictive and financially draining. Lego products are known to inspire an increased incidence of territorial behaviors in male children that may result in verbal combat and physical violence. Purchase with caution.

Watch out you dastardly Lego Company!

This fatigued, battle weary mother has a mission and Lego, you're going down!

Never understimate the power of the penis!

This fine silver bead measures a mere 1 inch by 1 inch. It was a part of my fine silver series entitled, "The Faces of Humanity". I had a blast making this study in miniature, although it was not particularly well received by the fine arts community! Go figure!


Here's a snippet from a conversation with my husband this weekend.

"Guess what?" I asked.

"What?"

"Well," I replied, "Last week I put a picture of one of my penis bead magnets on my web blog and I had more hits in three days than I've had since I first started blogging."

"Really? And you are surprised by that?" he asked.

"Uhhhh yeah! I'm surprised."

With a directness and a simplicity known only to the male sex, he replies, "Jerri, never underestimate the power of the penis!"

OMG!

I laughed so hard that I snorted coffee through my nose.

That comment deserved a "coffee alert".

Damn it all man! Don't make me laugh when I'm nursing a mug of joe!

Ballerina Bliss!

Some nights are made for us to shine!

Last night, it was my daughter's turn as she danced her way into the hearts of hundreds of onlookers in her dual roles as Fritz and the Nutcracker in the Nutcracker Ballet.

How is it that my wonderfully sweet and slightly shy nine year old daughter can transform herself into such a self-possessed performer the moment her feet hit the stage?

She has always told me that she was born to dance. Even when she was very young, she was convinced that ballet was her "thing".

I have seen her dance in other recitals; but last night it became clear to me that dance truly delights this child's soul. While she was on stage, I saw no fear, not even a hint of stage fright. All I saw was pure joy in motion!

For an instant, seeing her made me wish I were young again. If only I were limber enough and thin enough to wear a leotard and tights! After seeing my daughter dance, it is all too easy to imagine the soaring freedom of a ballerina's gravity defying leaps!

She made me want to fly!

Brava my dear child!

Brava!

Mystery Gift

Does anyone out there desire a mystery gift?

Perhaps you know a teenager or young woman who needs a little something extra under the Christmas tree?

If so, please e-mail me.

This mystery gift features a pair of sterling silver french wire earrings with German glass accents in a lovely purply blue color. That's all I'm going to say, but I will add that this particular pair of earrings sold well at the summer art fairs I did.

This pair is the only one left and I have decided to "gift" it to the first person who asks.

Why?

Blame Jesus if you must.

Christ has given me so much over the past few years that I often find myself spontaneously desiring to give to others. Love is that way. Once a little love gets inside our thick hides it can't help but squirt out in other directions.

No, you don't have to be Christian to "qualify" for this gift. I'm an equal opportunity giver! Christ was too if you think about it.

So e-mail (delicadame@yahoo.com) and I'll have this to you before Christmas. I'll even throw in a little Merry Christmas gift card.

How's that for a deal? Hmmmmm?

Hope Flies!

Last March I began an art doll round robin. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the round robin concept, let me explain it to you.

This particular art doll round robin was comprised of 8 individuals including myself. Each person in our group created a doll torso out of any medium they desired. The only requirement was that the torso had to be three dimensional.

Once we had completed our torso's we mailed the doll, with a journal and a disposable camera to the next person on the round robin list. That person would then make additions to the both the doll and the journal, shoot a couple of pictures and then send the doll on to the next person. This process would continue until each doll cycled through all of the artists in the round robin and returned to the original artist in its completed form.

My doll began her journey as a sewn, stuffed fabric torso. Over these intervening months, she has acquired a face, wings, feathers, copper hands, lovely bead embellishment and a name. Her name is Hope.

She really is a fascinating little art doll and I just thought that it might be fun to share her with all of you.

If you have never tried a round robin but would like to, I highly encourage you to give one a try. I gained enormous insight into myself as an artist by my own participation.

A round robin is just a great way to learn about yourself and about the creative process of other artists! So the next time you hear of one that interests you, give it a whirl! It's a whole lotta fun!

X-rated?

Were you horrified when you looked at this image?

Did you giggle nervously and avert your eyes?

Maybe you laughed a good belly laugh?

Ahhh C'mon people! It's only an x-rated refrigerator magnet for Pete's sake! Shoot I'm not so sure it's even x-rated.

My 12 year old is reading the "Odyssey". I never would have thought that my 12 year old son would enjoy reading Homer's epic poem; but he does. I think he enjoys the battle scenes more than anything.

He did make one comment that I found mildly amusing. "You know Mom," he said this past weekend, "I really enjoy reading the Odyssey; but I sure could do without all of the porn."

Porn?

In the "Odyssey"?

I suppose I should investigate. It's been a long while since our community had a good, old fashioned book burning.

Burn, baby burn!

So what's my point? Well, I suppose that my point is this.

One person's classical literature is another person's porn; while one person's x-rated refrigerator magnet might just be another person's risque expression of magnetic whimsy.

Ok, so don't fill up my mailbox with hateful e-mails. I agree that child porn and bestiality are bad things. There are other things that I find equally odious and intolerable; but for today, the "Odyssey" and a penis bead magnet are not two of those things.

So relax! Scroll back up. Look at the magnet and have a good giggle! Then go find a copy of the "Odyssey" and settle in for a good read! I promise that neither activity will strike you blind!