That copper embossing looks like it will work, but you might have trouble finding 12" stamps for appliques. I suggest transferring a leaf pattern from an actual large leaf from an overgrown Rhubarb plant or something similar. Your area should have lots of tropical-like plants with large leaves. Otherwise you could take a smaller leaf shape you like and blow it up on a copier or scan it into your computer and manipulate it there.

Jan, The splattered paint technique was made famous by Jackson Pollock. Believe it or not he became a very famous artist doing just that. Laying out a canvas and splattering different colors of paint on it. It amazes me what can be considered art. I think what we do on this forum takes more talent...but hey, that is just the opinion of someone who used to be an art major in college. Maybe I should go back and finish...lol I love the Chihuly piece. I have seen some of his work before and have liked all it. I saw a chandelier that another artist (I have no idea of the artists name) had done in his style. It was gorgeous. I would love to have one in my home. I don't think I would want the Windex bottle though. It would just rimind me that I always have windows that need to be cleaned. Those things need to be hidden in a cabinet...LOL And the ladder is one that I would have to clean up the look of it and put it somewhere in the garden. It looks like it has had a rough life with some painter.

Ok, I might as well tell what's going on. At least it's buried down in a thread that most people have no interest in. You might remember that my daughter got out of the Army in April, joined the National Guard and was lucky enough to get a temp full-time job with the NG to help her transition. So then she got a job at the prison. Naturally I wasn't happy about it and it worries me a great deal. She started in May, a week after the female officer in another nearby prison was killed by an inmate. That officer grew up in our neighborhood. It hit really close to home. And now this. The real worry has come from an incident that happened last month. My daughter was working in the minimum custody building where the inmates are kept that are getting ready to be released or on the work release program. I thought that sounded better than working on the high security side, but it's not. She had taken cigarettes away from several different inmates. The inmates have a gripe box where they can leave anonymous complaints. It's sometimes used as a form of harassment against the officers. Every complaint has to be investigated. Apparently they complained that she had stolen their personal property and they weren't happy about it. So, for her safety she was moved to the high security building. For the past month she has been working in the master control room. She's all safe and sound, behind walls and locks, pushing buttons and watching monitors, but she's not happy there. From what she says the other officers spend 12 hours a day arguing politics and complaining about any and every thing that they can. She says it's exhausting. The investigation has been completed and several inmates have been temporarily removed from work release but they remain in the same building. I don't think they're very pleased about losing work privileges. And my daughter is pushing to get back over to the minimum custody building. She claims that the gripe box and getting revenge back on the officers is a game that the inmates play, knowing that it might get them transferred someplace else and that particular officer may not come back. It just worries me a great deal. The female officer that was killed earlier in the year was targeted by an inmate that had a gripe with her. So, I don't know if some kind of advanced self defense would help her or not. She's all of 4'11 and 115 lbs, but definitely no shrinking violet. Yes, she does talk about having to deescalate situations. I'm not sure if some self defense is usually a requirement for new employees or not but since she had just gotten out of the Army a lot of the application process was skipped. She didn't have to do any of the health screening (other than TB test) or physical fitness tests. I asked her yesterday if it doesn't worry her and she shrugged and said things can happen anywhere. It was sort of the same conversations we've had concerning my worries when she was in the Army. I have to say that this is much more worrisome. On a brighter note, she still plans on going back to school but not this year. There's a lot of things she needs to get done to her house and needs to make some money before she can commit to schooling. I really do hope it'll happen sooner rather than later.

Angela! Oh my gosh it’s been forever since we have heard from you. Can you put up some photos so we can see what you’ve done...or not. Please share your christmas ideas for this year. Oh my! Pinch me....I still can’t quite wrap my arms around the notion you are back. I’m in the hopes you are feeling less stressed this next year. Biggest hugs and kisses to you and your family.