Fine or Funny Furniture?

A table design being laid out before setting the tiles.
This was Jimmy's bedside table,
I did ask him before painting it....

The table is finished!

Fine furniture, no, but funny for sure!

End of Years Ears

2 days more will finish the second Elephant Ear.
The New Year will bring on the Elephant Face!

An Inspiration

Bill Cunningham is a fashion photographer for the New York Times.
See if you can find the documentary on him, it is wonderful.

Holiday Cheer

Signs of the season deck the walkway
this warm December day.

Domestic Scene

Our 2 cats in the yard have moved into the house
and enjoy spending the morning on the couch.

Sunny Late Fall Day

I had fun making this window for my office.The prism in the center makes rainbows on the walls 
when the morning sun shines through.

To Anne

I designed this mosaic piece for my friend Anne (fff).
When she asks me over to tea,
in the summer, we sit at her table in her garden.
In the winter I get to look at all her dried flower arrangements
she sells and decorates her home with.

Saturday at the Art Barn

Looking out the Art Barn Door.

It may look like Jim is asleep,
no, he is finishing up the tile design on the Elephant's belly.
He likes how this position stretches out his spine.

Rainy Day Woman

Mosaic Stained and Clear Textured Glass,
woman with umbrella on a walkabout.
A framed version of this piece was accepted in the
Northville Art House Holiday Exhibit going on now.

Leland Michigan Vacation Art

I created this piece on a week's vacation
by Lake Michigan in Leland.
The shells and stones I collected every day at the beach.
Wrapped up in this piece is the smell of pines,
the sound of the big lake,
and a warm late summer breeze.
 The day at Good Harbor Beach
with Steve and Mary Ann is
the spirit of the piece.

The Upside-Down of Yoga....

Full Arm Balance on a Sunny October afternoon
with Julie and Mike.

Elephant Socks?

Jim is giving the elephant his feet and legs,
but it looks like he is wearing argyle socks!

Travel Day for Elephant

The "Cranwich" bids a safe journey
to her long time companion, Mr Elephant.
He is on his way to the "elephant tile factory"
to get some tiles put onto his back!

Where's Pip?

There she is, with Oz, Beach Cruising at the Lake!

Twin Birches

Jim's Watercolor of the twin birches
 outside the door of our vacation house.
The painting will look good in a birch frame.

My Guys on Vacation

Jim and Oz on vacation in Leland, MI.
Lake Michigan is one block away, wonderful week!

Rainy Birthday Surprise

Jimmy has been working in the hot weather after work
this week to finish our dock.
He finished it last night, and set up the chair as a surprise
so I could sit there this morning for my birthday.
Do you see the rain drops in the water???
It hasn't rained all summer, isn't life ... FUN!

New Window in Old Window

My first stained glass window project turned out pretty well.

Alligitor Slide

Glass and ceramic tiles,
stones, smalti, and an
alligator, can you find him?

Totem Pole Planter

In November, 2011 the Totem Pole project began in the Chicago workshop
with Sherri Hunter Smith. 

The Four Piece Concrete Totem Pole Planter is finished and in place,
let's see, 8 months since I began her!

Keeping Time

Mosaic Clock with Gold Hands.
Making clocks, a good way to feel
 in control on how I spend my time....

Garlic Harvest

This years garlic crop is good.
It will be a challenge to save some to
 re-plant in a few months.

Flower Eating Tiger!

I usually have too many bunnies, or ground hogs,
or deer eating my plants.
This summer there is a Tiger
in my garden!
Grrrreat.

Happy Holiday!

4th of July Morning, before it gets hot out.
Quiet, cloudy, cool morning with 2 cats in the yard, well,
there was a moment ago...

Art Barn gets a new Bathroom Floor.

A visit to Venture Kitchen and Bath in Plymouth
to select tiles for our weekend project.
Jay and Michael let us go into the back room
and choose as much as we want for a great price.

Cleaning the bathroom floor
before laying tile.
Note the 3 pencils behind the ear...
important to have that for this kind of job!

Calculating how many tiles are needed and
what size to cut the 18" porcelain tiles
 (imported from Italy) into.
Decided to cut the tiles into 6" X 6" tiles.
Note the clip on magic marker in the front of the shirt...
important to have that for this kind of job!

First batch of thinset mixed up
 and the tiles begin to go down.
Ok now, try to get some of that thinset
onto the tiles, Lynlee.

Well now, this ones says it all, eh?

Groutin'!
Selected a color to match the larger tiles color
so the little colorful little tiles stand out.

Big Leaf

Concrete Castor Bean Leaf on Barn,
nice country scene here on the
Joy Road Farm.

Waiting for Robins

Blue Bird Bath is filled and waiting for a dusty Red Robin to take a bath.
Bottom is beveled glass,
top piece is ceramic tiles with
a ceramic red koi and green lily pad.

Holiday Flowers

Beach Planter on Fish Scale Table.

Peonies and Iris
make a nice Holiday Table setting.
Happy Holiday!

Getting ready to put our garden in this weekend.

Hell Yeah! I WAS THERE!

At the beach, kind of....

Cement Planter with a place to sit at the lake.

Blue Garden Planter is made from a plastic salad container.

Mother of Pearl Bath

Porcelain Bath and Sink, Mother of Pearl tiles.
Bath Time!

Glass Dragonfly

A project for me to learn how to use a glass cutter.
I had to watch out for those sharp edges.
Some Band-Aids were required.

Easter Day

Pur-fect Easter Morning here on the Joy Road Farm.

Daffodils and Mosaic Vase

I bought an unfinished clay vase in 

Upstate New York from 

The Wizrd of Clay Shop 

(http://www.wizardofclay.com)

I put a sealer on it before I applied the mosaic tiles.

The texture and colors are pleasing, fun project!

March in Michigan

The result of an unseasonably warm day in March
 is a fun stepping stone.

Elephant Wash

Elephant Sculpture gets a concrete wash.
First coat of concrete takes a few days to apply, a second coat follows.

Bubble Bath

I am playing with bathroom designs 

for a bathroom renovation...someday.