Just a quickie here. I painted my husband for our anniversary present. I didn't want to buy something so he got a portrait of him in his tuxedo. He belongs to a fraternity and they wear a tux to the meetings.

This isn't the finished picture, I forgot to take one before I had it framed. But you can get the idea from this. It took me two nights to paint it. Water color and water soluble crayon. Half sheet of paper.

My daughter was in the hospital for an operation right after the new year so I felt the need to keep busy. I thought I'd get trapped in a metal detector at the hospital with my bag of gear but fortunately security was on low that day.


When I am out of inspiration on a project I walk away so I don't ruin it, BUT, being a little hyper, I can't just sit and watch t.v. I have a Mary Poppins bag that I carry everywhere with me, full of lovely trims, ribbons, wools, beads, metal do dads, old lace, scraps of fabric, knitting needles, crochet hooks, that's only one side of the bag. The other side has my paints, a nice small portable pack, pencils, art journals, sketch book, pens, markers scissors and on and on.......I'm not happy unless this bag travels with me, even if it's a trip in the car with my husband for a short ride.

This doll has been traveling with me for the past few weeks and I think it's time to say she is done, I have to stop myself, I just want to sew on one more ribbon, two more beads or add more hair, NEVER!! too much hair! I made her face from terra cotta polymer clay, it's not painted or sealed. I liked the more natural look with all the rich brown, gold and reds in the rest of the doll. The fabrics are all gorgeous decorator fabric with a mix of textures and patterns. The face needed to be restful with so much going on everywhere else. An old silver ring circles her wrist, while on the other side she is wrapped and sewn with a silky thread cord. Glass and metal beads, a rusted sewing bobbin, coiled wire, extravagant tassel trim, metallic cording and embroidered ribbon. Old lace and fine hand stitching. Fabrics sliced and applied to head for textural hair, lift it up and there is a cord twisted and embroidered for her under hair. At her forehead deep grey/blue glass beads line up in front of felted wool head piece. I felted the wool, cut into strips and stitched down in flowing curves like an opening flower. No shortcuts anywhere on this doll. I could never charge for the hours that went into stitching her, probably over 14, maybe more, maybe less. I'm sorry I'm not a better photographer, her details are just so much fun.

My daughter was in the hospital for an operation right after the new year so I felt the need to keep busy. I thought I'd get trapped in a metal detector at the hospital with my bag of gear but fortunately security was on low that day.


When I am out of inspiration on a project I walk away so I don't ruin it, BUT, being a little hyper, I can't just sit and watch t.v. I have a Mary Poppins bag that I carry everywhere with me, full of lovely trims, ribbons, wools, beads, metal do dads, old lace, scraps of fabric, knitting needles, crochet hooks, that's only one side of the bag. The other side has my paints, a nice small portable pack, pencils, art journals, sketch book, pens, markers scissors and on and on.......I'm not happy unless this bag travels with me, even if it's a trip in the car with my husband for a short ride.

This doll has been traveling with me for the past few weeks and I think it's time to say she is done, I have to stop myself, I just want to sew on one more ribbon, two more beads or add more hair, NEVER!! too much hair! I made her face from terra cotta polymer clay, it's not painted or sealed. I liked the more natural look with all the rich brown, gold and reds in the rest of the doll. The fabrics are all gorgeous decorator fabric with a mix of textures and patterns. The face needed to be restful with so much going on everywhere else. An old silver ring circles her wrist, while on the other side she is wrapped and sewn with a silky thread cord. Glass and metal beads, a rusted sewing bobbin, coiled wire, extravagant tassel trim, metallic cording and embroidered ribbon. Old lace and fine hand stitching. Fabrics sliced and applied to head for textural hair, lift it up and there is a cord twisted and embroidered for her under hair. At her forehead deep grey/blue glass beads line up in front of felted wool head piece. I felted the wool, cut into strips and stitched down in flowing curves like an opening flower. No shortcuts anywhere on this doll. I could never charge for the hours that went into stitching her, probably over 14, maybe more, maybe less. I'm sorry I'm not a better photographer, her details are just so much fun.

I made an art doll for my friend Sandy. She goes crazy for dolls so I made her one for her Christmas present. I haven't made on this small for a while and it was actually a lot more work than a large one. I needed to find the glasses for all the small stitching. The face is made of polymer clay then painted and the clothes are just ends of fabric and a stash of beads. The little jacket was a challenge, I don't know how to work a pattern so I just improvised the crochet by holding it up to her every row to see where to go next so it would fit. I hope she likes it, I had fun making it. I lost it about three times, it's small so it kept ending up in handbags and coat pockets while I worked on her.

Here's a great find and I'm going to share it with you. I have found some really great jewelry supplies at reasonable prices on ETSY. Here is her blog spot: http://mermaidsdowry.blogspot.com/

and here is how to get to her shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5515747
just copy and past it to find her.

I made this piece of jewelry with parts from her store.

Hi again,
I've been working for three days-really 3 days- to clean my jewelry table. I can't believe it's taken that long. Above are the before pics. I'll post the after if I ever get there!! I'm posting the befores to embarrass myself into finish cleaning. After this I have to do my sewing room-OMG!, my art room and then my storage room-full of art and craft supplies to the ceiling I think!!

I went to Target and bought all of these plastic boxes with little, medium and big drawers that stack to put everything in. I never realized how many parts I have collected over the years. As it gets more organized and clean I'm afraid I won't be able to work for fear of making a mess after all this work. I don't understand how people can open a drawer, take out a pencil, paintbrush, fill in any art supply, use it and put it right back where it belongs. When I'm making jewelry I need lots of junk around me to inspire me. If I have to pull each piece out individually it's never going to happen. I think I'm just a slob at heart. Now back to work...sigh....it will get done....it will stay neat....and it won't interrupt my creativity!....sigh

LADIES WHO LUNCH is a print of a collage I made this year. On Thursday mornings I meet with a group of woman artists at a local coffee shop and we talk about our art, our families, what is going on in our lives. It's like therapy for all of us. We have very different backgrounds, and lives but we all have a need for this connection on Thursday mornings. Some weeks there are 4 people, some weeks 14 people. We vary in age from our 30's to 80's. Some of us live in small houses and others live in giant homes with vacation homes besides. We work or don't work at different things, do different kinds of art, but what binds us together and brings us back, for several years now, is the need to connect with other woman with a similar interest. We are each other's support group, cheer leaders and we have all become dear friends. Each of us pencils in Thursdays in our appointment books as an important time that is ours, away from the other pulls in our lives. We all enjoy and look forward to this cup of coffee with friends. I consider myself very lucky to be able to have a group of friends like this. We had a tea party at the home of one of our members this past summer. She is a wonderful artist, a successful interior designer and has the most amazing gardens. I made this collage and had it made into 5x7 prints for each of us and used it as the invitation to our party.

Print
Heavy Cardstock
Measures: 5x7 inches
May be framed or even used as a large post card.


This print is available on my etsy site: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8575477

ANTIQUE TIN TYPE WOMAN PHOTO
Is a pin or brooch made of new and vintage materials. I use old jewelry and found junk, things other people discard to make up my assemblage jewelry. Hunting for the parts and coming up with new and unique jewelry is what fascinates me. I'm obsessive about finding just the right pieces. Some I save for years and others are made up that day. I'm surrounded by treasures, if only my family could agree!

The photo in this pin is printed on tin, it's an antique tin-type photo. I love these things. This pin really has a lot of vintage character that doesn't show in the photos.

measures: 3x2.5 inches

I love these old tin type photos. This girl has such a serious look in her eyes. I just got several of these old pics, they're from the 1800's. Right now I'm working on some jewelry with them, I just finished a necklace with one I turned into a dangle pendant.

SHOW GIRL is a pin or brooch, part of my QUEEN SERIES, made up of new and vintage, deconstructed jewelry.
This QUEEN is just so full of bling that she could blind you. Does she work as a show girl? Is she royalty? Cross dresser? Beautiful woman on her way to a black tie affair? I don't know, you decide. She is just so striking you will definitely get noticed. She's just screaming, "LOOK AT ME!" and believe me, people will be looking.
Vintage rhinestones, tokens and deconstructed jewelry.

measures: 2x2 inches square
Sold on Nov 28, 2007

Hi,
I'm new to this. I work as an artist. I get paid to teach other people art. I get paid to make art. I have a husband that encourages me to do art. Life is perfect!

I have a website on ETSY: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5049387

I make and sell original art pins. They are mostly assemblages of new and old things. Finding old junk, broken jewelry and vintage anything is fun. Old papers, scraps, fabrics are a thrill. I have a connection for free designer fabric, it's like candy. When I get boxes of it I spend hours sorting it into clear containers by color and type. Then when I get an urge to sew I just pull out some fabric and embellishments and just start playing. I was in Today's Vintage magazine this month, they did an article about GREEN Christmas ornaments. They put some shots of my Christmas stockings I had made from recycled fabrics and pictures, vintage laces and trims. That was a thrill to be invited to have my pictures in there.

I'm going to go work on some jewelry now. I just got a dozen old tin type photos that I want to solder an edge onto and make into charms for some necklaces.

Come back and visit. I'll spend more time getting this page going. I've uploaded several pics of my work.

Thanks for visiting,
Mary Vogel Lozinak
Pennsylvania