The Creative Musings of JBaskArts

The Wiz

Anyone out there remember the movie "The Wiz" with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross?  This song from the movie has been streaming through my head all day!  Maybe it has to do with the fact that I am working on a series of bottle cap necklaces of The Wizard of Oz...not sure but I thought it would fun to share the lyrics from Home - by Stephanie Mills from The Wiz...

When I think of home, I think of a place

where there's love overflowing

I wish I was home, I wish I was back there

with the things I've been knowing

Wind that makes the tall grass bend into leaning

suddenly the raindrops that fall have a meaning

sprinkling the scene

makes it all clean

Maybe there's a chance for me to go back

now that I have some direction

it sure would be nice to be back at home

where there's love and affection

and just maybe I can convince time to slow up

giving me enough time, in my life to grow up

Time be my friend

and let me start again

Suddenly my worlds gone and changed its fate

and I still know where I'm going

I have had my mind spun round in space

and watched it growing

And oh, if your listening, God, please don't make it hard

to know if we should believe the things that we see

tell us should we try and stay of should we run away

or will it be better just to let things be

Living here in this brand new world

might be a fantasy

but its taught me to love

and its real, so real to me

And I've learned that we must look

inside our hearts to find

a world full of love

like yours, like mine

Like home.

So there you have it!!  Now you can have this song streaming through head!  And be sure to check back to see the new line of "themed" jewelry.

Toddles

Forks and Spoons

Just wanted to show you a few new pieces I designed using spoons and forks. They will be available in my etsy shop and also in a new local gallery...more on that another time.
Doll Face Assemblage Necklace
Live Out Loud Spoon Assemblage Necklace - Sold
Time Will Tell Fork Assemblage Necklace
Love Fork Assemblage Necklace  with fun charms
xo

I Know

Last night I was going through some drawers looking for software that my hubby needed for this my new computer.  Yes, I graduated from  "old rickety" to this super fast one!  Yeah me...:)  Anyway, while I was ripping apart drawer after drawer, I came upon this poem I wrote a few years ago, that now is a part of a collage that hangs in my living room.

I am one of those people whose dreams are so vivid and some times scary. There is no need for me to "write"  them down because they stay with me for hours--sometimes days.  I get frequent visits from those who are no longer here and some who are.  All that aside, this poem was written for my mother, whose birthday recently passed and whom visits me, in the most loving way, in my dreams...

I know you are there
when the afternoon sun
dances around my living room

I know you are there
when the setting sun
takes my breath away
as it leaves foot prints
across the sky

I know you are there
when the light of the
moon shines through
my kitchen window,
illuminating the room
with unspeakable
brilliance

I know you are there
when an obscure
memory comes to light
and makes me
laugh out loud
and when just the thought
of you brings me to tears

I know you are there
when a warm spring breeze
gently caresses
my cheek like a sweet kiss
a playful tickle

I know you are there
because you gave me life
your strength continues
to propel me forward
when I feel like I can no longer
go on
you never gave up
you always believed
and so will I

I know you are there...
xoxo

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my twin daughters Maia and Alison.  They were born on July 4th, one minute apart!  Hard to believe my babies are going into high school!  July 3rd is my husband Mark's birthday and this was a big one for him (I promised not to tell) hehe.  Happy Birthday also to Keith, our bro-in-law and bff's husband Phil. 

In my family we each get to celebrate for the whole week after, which tends to be a lot of fun and a bit exhausting!  So here's to  partying like it's 1999...don't you just love Prince!?!

Look what I can do!

I think it is pretty cool that two people can work on the same project and come out with totally different results.  Bff and I worked on these collages together and here are the results... This is "House of Whimsy", by Bff and here is mine which I call "Domestically Disabled". This was fun.  xoxo

Meet Heidi

I made Heidi for my bff's birthday last year.  When I made the necklace I forgot to take a picture of her and recently my bff asked me if I would lengthen it for her.  So, while Heidi was staying with me for  a few days, we had this photo op!  Enjoy...

A few little known facts

I thought it would be fun to post a few little facts about myself here in the safety of my little blog world, LOL.

1.  I can wiggle my ears.  I freak my kids out every time I do this :)

2.  I have a pretty good singing voice and I break out into song regularly. But I think it's more fun to sing very loud and badly so  that my family begs me to stop! LOL 

3.  I could eat french fries with every meal, but I don't, (Really)

4.  My favorite ice cream is Hagen Das Dulce La Lache with Hershey's chocolate shell on top I eat waaaaay to much of it :)

5.  I love everything about speed... I drive fast, love to take off in air planes  and I still think it would be cool to fly jets.

6.  I am a really good cook, but I hate cooking!  If  it were not for my family, I would probably exist on take out.  (shameful, I know)

7.  I like sleeping over at my bff's house when her hubby goes on business trips.  We get to play in her studio, eat junk and she wakes me up with coffee in hand in the morning.  I even have my own room :)

8.  My bff and I love to sing the opening songs from old tv shows, especially "The Beverly Hillbillies".  We have waaaay to much fun!!!  I'm surprised her dogs don't howl at us. LOL

I think that's enough fun for now.  It would be great if you could leave a comment and share a few little know facts about yourselves.  I promise not to tell...haha

Hello

Hello all,
It's  been 6 months since I last posted, (oh my, sounds like a confession)  Eeek!
I've been super busy creating and playing with all kinds of cool things, which I will post soon.

I'm dropping in today to tell ya that my bff (best friend forever) has joined the blogosphere.
Although she vowed never to have a blog because she'd rather spend her time creating than blogging, she has joined the fold.  All these religious references are creeping me out!!!!
Any way here is her blog Art by Canace. Go and check her out and while you are there, take a peek at her website, her art is not only food for thought, but also for the soul.

A new year unfolds

“A new year is unfolding – like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within.”

Happy New Year.

The History Of Fashion... A guest article

I am pleased to present a guest article to my blog, written by Kelly Kilpatrick who is a writer for art school programs.

We’ve all heard and seen how history repeats itself; there seem to be cycles that happen over and over again, some of them good and others not so good. But if there’s one thing that can be said about fashions, it’s that we don’t have to worry about setting a negative precedent in the fear that history will repeat itself, because after all, it’s just a matter of clothing.  

Down the ages, ever since man decided he needed to clothe himself not just to provide protection from the elements and for the sake of modesty, people have been exploring the ins and outs of designing clothing and accessories. With the inventions and discoveries of new materials that were more durable and malleable came the onslaught of a variety of designs in a multitude of material. Perhaps the best known instance of history repeating itself is the return of the flared trousers – bell bottoms went out of fashion with the flower children and the hippies, but they were brought back, albeit in a better avatar, a few years ago.  

That’s the thing with fashion – you never know when you’re going to go retro and when you’re going to take a leap into the future. And it’s often a pain (in the wallet) trying to keep up with the rapid change, and if you try to do so, you’re going to end up with closets of hardly used clothes, cupboards full of jewelry that’s out of date, and a bank balance that’s going the negative way.  

When we talk of fashion, we’re not just talking about clothes; there’s a whole new world out there that includes accessories like jewelry, makeup, watches, purses, etc. They’re designed either to match certain clothing lines or as stand-alone collections to be worn as the owner pleases. Gold, silver, platinum and other precious metals have always been favored to make jewelry, and while diamonds are rumored to be a girl’s best friend, other natural stones have been sought after for their Feng Shui effect on the people who wear them.  

From time immemorial, celebrities have set the trends for the rest of us to follow, and designers seek extra marketing mileage by loaning them their creations for award functions and film premieres. Fashionable jewelry has been adopted from all parts of the world, with the East aping the West and vice versa. Madonna started a new trend with her penchant for the temporary Indian tattoos called Mehendi and the Bindi, an adornment that Indians use to ward off the evil eye, worn in the center of the forehead. And now it’s the turn of the Maang Tika, the ornament that falls from the center of the head to the forehead, to take centre stage with singer Alicia Keys showing up with one at the latest American Music Awards. I guess with people looking for something new all the time, it’s just a matter of time before the fashions of fifty years ago start making a comeback in the present.  

No matter what fashion dictates, it’s more sensible to pick and choose your clothes and jewelry so that they look good on you and flatter your figure and features rather than blindly try and keep up with the latest trends. It’s also easy to stay out of the worst-dressed list by sticking to fashions that remain in vogue throughout time – they’re the ones that do not stand out or draw attention by virtue of their extravagance or eccentricity alone.  

Who decides what’s fashionable, who decides when fashions have to change, who decides IF they have to change in the first place – these are questions that are not answerable because even though it’s a well-known fact that Paris, London and New York are the designated fashion capitals of the world, each and every one of us sets our own standards of fashion. And the best part of fashion is this – if you are popular enough where you live, you might just be able to pull off a fashion coup by dictating what people wear and how they accessorize!

By-line:

This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of art school programs She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick@gmail.com

 

 

 

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