Momma Told Me: Tasty Tuesday: MoonLight Cookies Custom Cookie Art...

Here is my first cookie review by Jenna Wood of Momma Told Me blog.

She is raffling a MoonLight Cookie and has written a super review on my cookies! I am so excited that this will bring traffic to my sites. Check out the review here:

Momma Told Me: Tasty Tuesday: MoonLight Cookies Custom Cookie Art...: Momma Told Me: It's just a cookie, eat it! I still recall the first time I discovered food that was as conceptually valid as art, as it ...

Turquoise Jack

Thoughts of blue ponies and Turquoise Jack rabbits are part of my little fantasy world where nothing is ever as it seems. As a devoted sci-fi and fantasy reader my mind loves to curl itself around alternate realities, places and beings that challenge our four cornered perceptions of reality.

Some of my reads: The Night Circus, Charles De Lint's The Onion Girl (actually all of his books!), The Greywalker Series by Kat Richardson, the juicy exciting Black Daggerhood series by J.R. Ward, Stephanie Myer's The Host.
Charles de Lint stories are wonderful where realities exist side by side, like layers of an onion. His stories are the inspiration for my turquoise Jack which will be a Jackalope when finished.
Right now it's serving as a key holder!

Studio Dog

 Moving right along with this cool mosaic. Each sheet of glass is unique - that is the beauty of working with stained glass and one of the many reasons I love working with glass. No two sheets of glass are ever the same and shopping for glass is such a pleasure for me.
I like to match the "grain" or flow of the glass with the subject; in this case the fur of Wilber the bobcat.  My reference is the graphic logo of TWC and a photograph of a real bobcat. The photo is for value reference - where are the lights & dark contrasts and middle values; where my hardest and softest edges are.
Also, for the cat I custom cut and fit each piece rather than cutting many pieces at once. More labor, but feels right and that is how my style has evolved for all animals I do in mosaic. The background will be a repeat pattern and will go much faster.  Risa - first class studio pup!

First Class Studio Dog - on the job

Classic Risa

Another day of mosaic and Risa.  She is my constant companion and this are classic, everyday things we do.  Go do any errands early in the morning if it will be warm. Then studio time or Admin time online. Risa snoozes while patiently waiting. Work on the TWC mosaic going smoothly so far. The interesting part will be attaching the mosaic to the board.  Tricky but best method for this due to complexity of color shading.

Classic Risa Listening

Ready to go anywhere - do anything!

Mosaic Day

Still working away at a mosaic that if  I had the time to devote exclusively  to would take a couple of weeks to finish. But time is what has been very short since last year when mom got cancer, had to go through a lot  of chemo/radiation plus other commitments.  So now I am devoting as much time as I can to finish this very cool mosaic. There are hundreds of stained glass pieces to go. I will be using a Double Reverse method of application; hence the layout on contact paper over the cement board hand painted with the logo to get it as accurate as possible.
Cement mortar is the adhesive that will be used to attach the finished mosaic to the board. No room for error - a one time deal.  Then colored cement Grout to fill in between the lines and add stability to the piece. This is for an outdoor sign to be mounted onto a gate. The outdoor grout will allow for expansion and contraction of weather heat and cold. Using the correct quality materials is what extends the life of outdoor installations. Always research the specs of materials to be used in any permanent artwork for outdoors. I have learned so much since starting mosaics.

Below are two pieces being offered in my Studio Cyber Savings. (yep, click on the words to view the sale site!). Nebula mosaic, had tinted grout, hand made box frame, signed. And an acrylic chickadee painting for springtime.
Excellent savings for original artwork  that is handcrafted by ME! Plus most of the smaller pieces offer FREE Shipping in the lower 48 USA only. If not in the states, just contact me for shipping fees.

Darn Lucky!

S.T.A.R. Academic Center Peace Garden student
public art project 02/12

Happy St. Patty's Day! Yes I am Darn Lucky and truly count my many blessings!
Here is one of the 'Blessings', another student mosaic project with STAR.
Actually, my third mosaic art youth project working with STAR Academic Center. Thanks to art educator Roberta Lewis who writes grants for the school the student have the opportunity to experience a new medium that has existed for over 5000 years. Mosaics are extremely versatile and durable when fabricated for outdoors. The students enjoy the challenge of learning the techniques and here are photos of some wonderful pieces that came from this latest project. The pieces were created for a Peace Garden to be attached to cement planters. My friend Walter Gunn volunteered his time and labor to help install the finished student mosaics. The installation is as labor intensive as the actual mosaic work! There will follow another collage of the installation.
The first mosaic project was for the school sign. Designed by the students it was a fun learning project.
The second mosaic project was an installation of stars inside the school courtyard. Hand picked students designed and mosaic ed their individual stars with a word that that empowered them. Pictures on that coming soon too! They turned out great.

Easter Bunnies!

Quick post of bunny cookies for Easter or anytime! Sugar cookies for your inner smile!

Valentine Postcards

Some mini Love notes for Valentines. My fun cookies, mosaics and my aussie muse, sweet Risa.

Meeting Risa:

My sister had purchased two aussie puppies, one for her family and one for me. A little boy and a little girl. When she let them in from playing in the yard the little male barreled thru the door past me and into the kitchen. The little girl ran thru the door and and straight into my arms. She "had me at hello". I knew she was coming home with me and she is the BEST gift I have ever received. Now, at 11 her body has slowed down even though she is still such a puppy at heart. She is the world to me and I have changed my lifestyle and work to be with her.

Aussies do not do well alone - they are a breed that needs to be with their human most of the time. the herding breeds are incredibly intelligent, active dogs.

AZ is having it's 100th birthday and I have the honor of exhibiting my mosaic Gila Dream at Tohono Chul Park.

And in this auspicious Year Of The Dragon I have taken a part time job making Moonlight Cookies!

Really fun to make and eat "~)

Love Conquers All

Love really does conquer all. Love and respect for yourself first - who you are, what you do. Then you have love to give to others from a good, kind generous place. Piglet is so cute and I am going to write names and other sentiments like Siempre, Amore, U R ..., etc. Or the word love in different languages. Red little Kitty speaks for herself! I am enjoying baking these almost too much - they are addicting right now!

Purrrr! Happy Friday

Happy Friday - sending gratitude and love to all who have supported me!

Still baking and I realized this morning that the cookies are a way to de-stress. Another canvas that is a comfort.

Good News!

The good news is that there will be a sample of the mosaic tape sent by Maryland Mosaics to test the word area of the this project before going further. The concern is that the Tile tape must be sticky enough to lift the glass pieces from the contact paper.

The application method is called Double Reverse and the glass pieces are applied to a clear sticky surface face up. When ready to adhere to the board, a very sticky tape is applied to the surface of the mosaic to lift it From the contact paper, then the contact paper is peeled from the back.

Since this is a project that will be for an exterior site I will be using Laticrete concrete adhesive to attache the glass mosaic to the hardi board. A one shot deal, so I want to test what has been done so far. Nervous - a little. Excited? Very! This application method was just featured on the mosaic group CMA on a mural installation tutorial and I know it's time for me to learn this new method. When finished, this glass mosaic sign will have thousands of pieces. I have observed that it is convenient to have all of the pieces stay put instead of shifting and this method allows for easier changes. Thanks again to Maryland Mosaics for the sample. This project is a pro bono and the Rescue and Rehab Wildlife center runs on donations. I am donating the labor and did not have the finances to order a product that I was not sure would work.

a pre-photo of new designs. All cookies are individually sealed right after baking and decorating for freshness. The sugar cookies have a shelf life of about a week or more, depending on how they are stored. The bunnies are so cute and the Piglet with a Heart will be decorated today. These are a blast to make!