My Little Visions

Wintertime is over!!

2010-04-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

Introducing "Winter Tree" - A new necklace (just in time for spring!) I took the photograph in Forest Park a couple of winters ago. I love the leafless, seemingly lifeless tree, but I like flowers and springtime even more.

Visions of New Mexico

2010-03-07T15:01:00.001-08:00

I loved the clouds and the mountains and the rivers and the beauty of all of New Mexico. I hope this bottlecap photo necklace does it a little bit of justice!

Remembering My Grandma Becker

2010-03-06T08:20:00.001-08:00

My maternal grandmother was a strong, spirited woman. She came to the United States from Germany in 1923 when she was 20 years old, worked as a housekeeper and nanny, and sent most of her earnings back to the her family in Europe. It was post WWI, and Germany was devastated economically. Inflation there was so high that it took a wagonful of Deutschmarks to buy a loaf of bread.

This domino necklace, which bears her image, is a tribute to the woman who loved to laugh, dance, sing, and drink beer. As long as I can remember, she drank two Budweisers every evening, along with a few pieces of chocolate, and we believe that is one of the reasons she lived in good health until she was 96 years old. She was a totally loving and devoted grandmother and I look forward to someday being with her again... "Prosit, Grandma Becker!"

Wintertime Work

2010-03-04T16:52:00.000-08:00

Happy Almost-Spring!! This is one of the many Little Visions I created during the past few dreary, gray months... making photo jewelry has definitely brightened my winter! Here's to warm summer days and long hikes in fields of Queen Anne's Lace!

Moose & Monet in the Garden at Giverny

2010-01-03T12:09:00.000-08:00

Now Presenting...
Moose & Monet in the Garden at Giverny in Winter!

I took most of the flower photos at Shaw's Garden here in St. Louis. Monet, well, I downloaded him from the internet; and Moose is my very special (and I really mean special!) orange tabby cat. I painted the canvas a pretty green that I mixed myself, and I adhered all the photos and snowflake embellishments onto the canvas board with archival scrapbooking sticky tabs. It's the first collage I've ever made with my own photos; actually it's the first collage I've created since high school. I started it five or six months ago, and it's completion is a part of one of my 2010 goals: to finish things I start!

Lisa Pavelka's Magic-Glos

2009-08-18T18:04:00.001-07:00

Right now, at this very moment, I'm experimenting with Lisa Pavelka's Magic-Glos. It's a one-part, non-toxic resin that cures with UV light in less than 15 minutes. I printed out one of my New Mexico flower photos (see above), and sealed it with packing tape; then I put it into a bezel and placed the bezel under a UV lamp, and now I'm waiting for the magic to work. I'll let you know how it goes!

The Heavens are Telling the Glory of God!

2009-08-09T04:40:00.000-07:00

Some photographs from my trip to New Mexico (taken from the car.) The mountains and sky were amazing! I'm ready to go back!

"Cheer Up" is a Favorite!

2009-08-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

My "Cheer Up" pendant has just been featured on the local website StLHandmade.com! What a great way to end a really tough week! It's a blessing for sure! (P.S. Unfortunately, as of March 2010, the StLHandmade.com website no longer exists, so I added a photo of the pendant above for you to check out.)

My Beagle Likes Starbucks

2009-07-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

... But only Strawberry Creme Frappuccinos with whip on top! (No coffee for dogs - caffeine is extremely dangerous for them to ingest.) Daisey enjoys licking out the cup after I'm done. And she loves that the baristas give out biscuits at the drive-thru!!

More Saturday Art Adventures

2009-07-10T19:08:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow I'm going with Heather to Yucandu, a drop-in arts & crafts studio with hundreds of projects that “you can do”. Yucandu has projects for people of all ages to mosaic, collage, glitter and paint. After much discussion with my good friend, Sarah, at work, I've decided I'm going to create a photo mosaic with my often-used and much-loved photograph, "Queen Anne's Lace". I think it'll look really cool with the pretty blues and whites showing through the clear glass tiles and round glass gems. I'll post soon and let the world know how my new masterpiece turns out. And remember, if I can do it, Yucandu it, too!!

This is my cat... This is my cat on a collage!

2009-07-06T16:33:00.000-07:00

I'm happy. I'm going to make my first collage! I've been reading Somerset Studio for several months, and I think I've caught the collage bug. I have a blank canvas waiting for me, I've purchased a jar of gesso, and after much (too much) thought, I've decided that "Moose in His Flower Garden" will be my theme. I'm gathering lots of my flower photos, and I have my Moose picture (see above) ready for the scissors. Mooser, old boy, you're going to be blooming soon!

My First Ever Workshop!

2009-06-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, my friend Heather and I took an "Altered Charms" workshop at Red Lead. We used brass blanks, mica, and our own images to make pendants. (See photos above and below.) I really like the results! ... And, of course, I enjoyed the process too. This was the first jewelry/art workshop I've ever taken, and it was well worth it! Sign me up for more!

A Post from the Past -- Indie Quarter Feature

2009-06-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

Last June, the British blog Indie Quarter featured my Little Visions... As I'm slowly making the transition from my "old" Typepad blog to my new blogger blog, I'm trying to copy over some of my previous posts. I thought this was a good one to repost; it really was a boost to my self-confidence! Here's the link:

http://www.indiequarter.com/blog/2008/06/17/little-visions/

New Earrings, etc.

2009-06-21T05:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I finally have a real blog... And I'm already on my third post!! I've been inspired by several friends who are very faithful to their blogs, so I'm committed to keeping it up. And as I've discovered, it's fun, too!

I made new earrings last month, and I've listed several in my etsy shop. Look for more earrings, plus new pendants, coming soon. I also updated my website. (It looks a LOT better, thanks to great feedback from my brother, Larry!)

Also, I'm bringing more of my work to Mississippi Mud Gallery & Gifts in Kimmswick, MO. Betteanne has a variety of my jewelry for sale in her shop, which has a wonderful, eclectic collection of art from local and national artists and crafters.

I'm so happy that I'm moving forward with my Little Visions. And I thank God for my inspiring, motivating, and encouraging family and friends!

A Run in the Park

2009-06-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

A while back, my husband and brother ran a 5K in Forest Park, and thank goodness I always carry my little digital in my purse. It was 6 am and a thick fog covered the lowlands. I snapped pictures as I hurried toward the start line. I wanted to see Greg and Pete begin the race, but I also wanted to soak in the beauty of the landscape as the sun slowly burned off the fog.

Visions of My Grandma on a Domino

2009-06-18T04:43:00.000-07:00

I haven't had the chance to go on any photo excursions lately, so I thought I'd play with images of my Grandma as a teenager in Germany. I scanned an 85 year-old photograph and cropped her face really close. This domino pendant perfectly captures my Grandma's somewhat playful personality. I know she's laughing from Heaven, rolling her eyes, and telling all the relatives and angels up there, "Ach, Anna Marie! That girl always was such a funny child."