Primitive and Red

15 years ago

Trying to work through the dry spell/mosaic block here's another in the Cross Series. Working outside of the box - no, scratch that - the drawer. It's on the back of a drawer from Habitat for Humanity I picked up for a dollar on the Tyler trip. The crown was another piece from the trip - I sawed a hook off the bottom of it. The yellow cross is a gift from CRACKPOT when she came to the workshop (I might have snitched it from Shea's bag), and the little mirrors inside the heart-shaped Christmas ornament are from the care pkg from CALAM/KLINGER. Used another belt buckle in the cross section of the cross. "Love" is another Christmas ornament, as well as the cross top left. Notice under the oblong glass shapes from HobLob is the name of this piece - "And Lord of Lords". Y'all KNOW how I like hangy down things, so when I hang it, there'll be a black beaded tassel - another HobLob ornament hanging from "Love". Lord of Lords - Another Cross

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Comments (23)

rchovey
15 years ago
Every piece you do speaks to me! This one is no different. I love it.

Blessings.
Ramona
stjohnsgypsy
15 years ago
I love it Betty.........you can whip out more stuff faster than a speeding bullet! Fantastic job...great imagination.......awesome awesome awesome! Love the colors...it is another Slow original for sure!!!
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Donna, You could make muslin gingers and scent them. First you make small muslin gingerbread men (stuffed). Then you scent and stain them with the following. Brew up some coffee, and add vanilla and cinnamon to it and mix well. Then I use a sponge brush to brush this all over the ornie, both sides. Put this on a towel lined cookie sheet in a low oven 225 with the door open and bake until dry... aprox 20 minutes remembering to turn.Perhaps in the middle of the oven for placement. If you like a really grungy look you can rub ground cinnamon into it after it comes out of the oven. If you have a favorite dough recipe you can make the same gingers and then dip them in scented wax, but remember to make a hole at the top for your string and to dip with. You might want to replace the string with some homespun after drying them on wax paper. You can look up my post for cinnamon clay here and make up a pot pourri with some of those adding small pinecones , cinnamon stix and any type red berry (real or artificial) and tie it up with homespun. There are a couple for you. Irene
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I've always struggled to figure out what "style" I liked. I tried shabby chic as well but it just wasn't right. Even though I liked the rustic and shabby portion, all that white and pink made me want to scream. I tried French country, which was much better, at least I could have my beloved blacks and reds, but it wasn't quite right either. I took all those "what style are you" quizzes and they''d always say either traditional or cottage, which I guess makes sense now. This didn't really all click until I went to a moving/estate sale that had a farmhouse table advertised. I was still trying to do the country french thing but when I got there and she took me inside to see the table (she had half the stuff out, half inside). I walked in and it was YES, I'm at home!! Maybe a little too heavy on the Americana for me but still, it all felt so cozy and comfortable. I love antiques (and boy did she have some!) but never knew how I wanted it all to feel. I bought the table and a grocery bag of stuff - knick knacky stuff and left a happy camper. I would have loved to grab a couple of cabinets and dry sinks but alas, way out of my budget. The table is so cool. It's not a table made to look farmhouse / barn style, it's actually a table from a really old farmhouse. No faux distressing, this baby has seen some hard days. I love it. Since then I've made 3 trips to the thrift store, each time spending $20 or so, and have a huge stash of cool stuff. I haven't put anything together though because I've been stripping paper and getting ready to paint. It's all piled in my garage just waiting to come inside.
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Mermaid
15 years ago
Slow, I just can't wait to see your mosaics if you are feeling dry and uninspired now. I have been lost in your photobucket album waiting for my mermaid grout to dry and every SINGLE thing you have done just screams out TALENT!1 Inspirational. And this is no exception. The colors that you choose, the placement, the range of tess are just so wonderful. I LOVe this one too and you are one unbelievable gal.

You should be writing a book for us all, even if you just put all of your mosaics and no text. I mean it, you would inspire and even greater number of people!!
cindiloo
15 years ago
Bravo! I really like it! The van gogh in the upper left looks very nice there! Is the red cross a seperate piece or did you add something to extend it beyond the drawer?
The sides are very cool, too!
ladyronnie
15 years ago
It's beautiful, Betty! You inspire me to do more crosses when I finally finish the one I'm on.
texaswild
Original Author
15 years ago
Get outta town, y'all. I tell y'all - no matter how outta sorts I am w/my work, y'all just blow me away. The cross piece was a little piece of wood that slides out of one of those little wine boxes - it was handy. Just nailed it to the runners of the drawer. THEN, of course, since I HADN'T measured, the middle piece wasn't long enough to correspond w/the width of that little board, so I extended the red tess down to the bottom - therefore stepping down the two levels of the drawer. If I'd EVER plan something out b/f starting, I might not have to improvise so much. Y'all just make me smile all over the place. Thank y'all so very much. I LOVE making crosses. I keep saying "this one is for ME". Sold the first one, the turquoise/red one is now w/the seller, and THIS ONE IS FOR ME.
daisyme
15 years ago
Oh, Betty! Beautiful, beautiful! I am so glad you're keeping this one for yourself, as it's really special and speak volumes about you and your work too. Anytime you're feeling low, just walk up to that and feel it's loving power. You rock, girl!
curbdiver1954
15 years ago
Definitely needs to stay at your house....so firey and inspiring, just like it's creator! Each and every piece of it speaks volumes of your ability and love of the craft.

Pat
bamasusanna
15 years ago
It's beautiful. I like the piece in the center of the cross too. I think the tassel will be the perfect finishing touch!
seaglassic
15 years ago
those are all amazing and spiritual..
and I have a question...
how close to the Mexico border do you live and how often are you around Mexican art, cuz you certainly do have a flair for their culture and feeling in your work!!

the Lady of Guadalupe is fabulous and something that I have been planning on painting on a large tile, for my sweetheart, for Christmas.
and the way you incorporated the picture with the whole mosaiced box for the frame is beyond what I had in mind....

where did you get the base for that one? did you post a step by step of it and if so, where did I miss it?

he's from Oaxaca and has a little laminated picture of her in his dashboard, so I know he'd love anything in her image, for Christmas.
his name is Vicente and he has a very special place in his heart for the Lady.
nanatricia
15 years ago
Every one said it all ! It is so kool!
texaswild
Original Author
15 years ago
Well I'll be dawg!!! Y'all won't let me have a down day. Thank y'all so much for making me feel better about this one. SEA: I live far, far away from Mexico - wish I lived closer. Takes me longer to get to Dallas DFW airport (3 hrs.) than it does to get to Puerta Vallarta from DFW 2 1/2 hrs.) This February w/be my third annual trip to PV. I am attending Nancy Shelby's mosaic workshop Feb. 1-8 this year. Sam, the Hacienda's owner, tells me Nancy has built a home about an hr. from her. I was posted on temporary duty in Mexico City during the 198??? earthquake, and had to buy an extra bag to bring home the art I bought there - LOVE MEXICO and their art. LOVE the Mexican people too, and w/LOVE to live there part of the year, but too old to do this moving around kind of stuff now. I also love religious art. Most of my Southern Baptist friends think a Southern Baptist lady shouldn't have these images in her house, but they're nuts - don't know the meaning of art - so there! Having traveled the world, my styles are sorta mixed w/Middle Eastern and So American, I suppose. I bought the Lady tile in Bucerias - a town about a 45 min. bus trip from PV. When I made the shadow box for her, I used the bottom part of a box, and cut a plywood facing for it - shown in the album. As a gift for Riana, I ordered a Lady tile on-line also, so Google to find several places that sell the tiles - not expensive at all. Also Google Mexican Folk Art and Shrines. I found some wonderful shrines, another of my favorite subjects to replicate, that are very inexpensive. I hope you'll post pictures of the gift you make for Vicente. Thank all of you for your kind words. Y'all start my mornings w/smiles.
shrty411
15 years ago
You can see when you do a religious piece that your heart and soul goes into it.Wonderful inspiring piece!!
gcpommom
15 years ago
This is really beautiful, I love the colors and the unique pieces you added. When you add these unusual pieces, such as the metal heart and cross at the top left, do you put those into the grout, or glue down first and grout as usual? It seems like it would be hard to clean the grout off pieces like those. What is that piece above and to the left of the heart, it looks like it is metal, brownish colored?
squirrellycanadian
15 years ago
I agree with everyone else about the beauty of this and all your work. I am in awe of how you put all these neat little "found" objects in your art, you place them so perfectly and they all have such meaning! I collect little bits and pieces too, but there they sit, I don't have a clue how to put them into a mosaic and have it turn out as beautiful as the stuff you do!
nicethyme
15 years ago
stunning, beautiful, powerful...

wow
theeggshelllady
15 years ago
Another wonderful piece! I just love your work, the way you use color and those great 'found objects' gives each piece excitement and personality!!
crackpotannie
15 years ago
Perfection again and you HAVE to keep this one with the crown for your house.Awesome as usual miss slow...
lovemosaics
15 years ago
This has to be my favorite piece from you!
texaswild
Original Author
15 years ago
Hey, y'all. Back from two trips - one to see Mo/Bro, and the other one to the Big D w/FLAG. Boy, that girlie can S.H.O.P. Thanks for your comments. GC - every time I start to grout one of these 3-D numbers, I say bad words to myself for gluing everything down and then the work involved in grouting/cleaning. Yep - glue everything in the beginning. When grouting, as soon as I get it spread on, I use a dry sponge to start smooshing it in and cleaning it off, then use a tootbrush to clean as much away from the tess as possible, sometimes using a screwdriver cuz it gets hard b/f I finish. Then when almost dry, I sometimes use a damp sponge, or if I get busy and forget, I use vinegar after it's dry. That brown piece is one of about 12 pieces of vintage door hardware I picked up at Habitat/Humanity on the Tyler trip. SQUIRRELLY - just plunk them down and work around them w/a complimentary color or a pattern or wandering about w/a pretty - whatever. No planning here. Try it - whatcha got to lose? WOW - LOVE - thanks, and thank all of you.
lovemosaics
15 years ago
I keep looking at this!
I think my first project will have to be something like this. I even saw it in my sleep! I asked my son for drawer
in his garage!LOL! he told me to wait to see what else we could find! I want to unpack my work room stuff and play with this design so bad! your stuff is always so fun, and makes you want to jump right in and try it! Love to watch you work!
texaswild
Original Author
15 years ago
Well, doncha just make me proud, LOVE. I love the use of drawers. I have several above and around my computer. One holds the telephone/printer, Another holds files at an easy reach, and the others hold decorative items. My favorite is the one in which I made a shrine for my DD. They are very versitile. Now I wish I'd bought more at the Habitat/Humanity. Hope you get to play w/your toys real soon. Do you know when you'll be getting home yet?
Calamity_J
15 years ago
We'll have to try and sneak in a trip to Bucerius when we are down there again!!!! I can't believe I haven't commented on this yet!!! The red is sooo ZOWIE!!! LOVE it!!!

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