Remnants Of Olde

Hello I know I’ve been so very bad for not posting. Is anyone still here?!?!?

If you’ve wondered about me I’ve been off trying to recover from being completely blindsided when we weren’t paid for our last art retreat.  So harsh!  We taught two classes and were owed quite a chunk of change.  Well we were partially paid but not quite enough yet to cover even our expenses (and are still waiting for payments to come and hoping they do) so that’s definitely enough to take the wind out of your sails if you know what I mean.  It was a total shock to us and so many other instructors that did classes there.

I don’t want to delve too much into that because it is Thanksgiving time.  So it’s about gratitude right?  And that doesn’t fit with all the bad feelings as a result of this situation.  I’m really wanting to focus on not just recovering from that horrible and shocking experience but really thriving  as I get back to my art.

So to recap I went from still doing a lot of last minute work that the publisher needed on my new Inspired Remnants, Curious Dreams book to then working really hard to prepare for the retreat.  The retreat prep alone took me five solid weeks of work to get all the student kits done.  Then there was a baby shower for my daughter down in California. OMG that was so awesome!!! Then Thanksgiving– Yay!!!   Which now catches you up on the major stuff and brings you to the period at the end of this sentence.

Anyhoos, if you are still here after my long absence I shall reward you with some knowledge about the first group sale of the Mixed Media Art etsy team and a cool new etsy feature.

Right now it’s just me doing this sale because etsy just Just JUST announced the newest feature– coupons!!! So if you go to my etsy shop and enter the coupon code of “MMA20″ when you check out it will reduce the price by (you guessed it!) 20 percent.

As other MMA etsy team members awaken from turkey-induced comas and decide they want to do this holiday sale with me, I will add links to other team member’s blogs or FB pages, etc. along with the etsy shop links participating in this team sale. And I will do that right here on this same post by just updating it.  Then you’ll be able to check out their shops also and use the same coupon code to get 20% off EVERYTHING in ALL our etsy shops.  : )

It would have been great to have a little more lead time and have the whole list here for you but this is the best I can do with short notice.  But isn’t being able to make coupons such a great idea though?  Etsy really is doing a lot of cool thingies recently.

If you don’t see any links later on then I will be wondering why the heck do we even have an etsy team. : )

Here are two new treasuries using a cool new etsy tool to display them!

What is really SO COOL about this tool is each individual listing is clickable and will whisk you off to that listing on etsy. Perhaps you may have noticed that I was also able to specify that this be only 3 rows across so it could fit into the smaller column in the middle of my blog page. Actually it still wasn’t small enough so I was able to specify that it be a little smaller. As you can see it fits most perfectly there!

If you want to know how I did it the full instructions are in the forum of Mixed Media Art right here.

If you haven’t joined Mixed Media Art perhaps you should consider it! Besides the full instructions on where to find this tool and how to use it, there are many more happy etsy topics to peruse. And many other discussions to explore as well. There are over 1200 mixed media artists joining in this big ol’ online art party. And it’s free! And we have creative challenges with great prizes just for participating! We have our own etsy team which will be officially launching when etsy Groups feature is ready blah blah blah. Can you tell I so don’t want you to miss out on the cool thingies that are coming up on Mixed Media Art?!?!?

So onto the treasuries!

I haven’t had this happy dragon in a treasury ever that I’m aware of so YAY!

Charred Dragon Tooth Side Detail

And here it is in this fabulous treasury by ziemabirstudio

‘Dreams……’ by ziemabirstudio

Wire Wrapped Pendant aMerriHeart $18.00	Vintage Turquoise Aqua … earlykooka $14.95	Sweet Rose and butterfl… AmbersAccent $10.50
Boutique Baby/Toddler B… kdbuggie $25.00	Felt Sushi Bracelet Sypria $29.00	Halloween treats tote nisperodesigns $5.00
Charred Dragon Tooth Pe… remnants $68.00	AQUAMARINE AGATE AND ZI… beadycats $62.90	Space Deal – Original P… hihorse $375.00
READY TO SHIP…BIGGEST… hblackberry $42.99	Earrings with Citrine Naca $44.00	Lily – Eve’s tears… katinytis $105.00
Ruffled Buttercream Fl… JuJuBeesAndCo $10.00	Mad for Fall Plaid – No… 83wolfpack $2.50	Large Hobo Slouch Bag i… fromnancy $39.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

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It’s so great to be included in a treasury by one of etsy’s reigning queens, Sparrow Salvage. It’s really an honor to be noticed by her so double rainbow happiness on this one! Since I used the happy etsy treasury tool, I don’t even need to link to her shop. It’s done automagically below right above the treasury. So fun and easy!!!

Featured is “hold on” with beachy stuff from right down the road

‘moth dreams in the moonlight’ by sparrowsalvage

fragile, ghostly and faded, some wonderful Etsy offeringswith a breath of ethereal romance.

Something blue – a wint… Raceytay $10.00	Real Butterfly Wing Nec… HouseThatCrowB… $40.00	Creamy White Floral Emb… NippedAndCut $18.00
Glass Glitter Stars S I… MemrieMare $5.90	Sand beige spikes ring … Jealousydesign $105.00	TREASURY ITEM..Vintage … MyraMelinda $4.50
Kimono Style Robe. Ank… plumprettysuga… $70.00	Wishing Bottle Print swanbones $19.00	Vintage French Boy Bust thecozycorner $12.50
Pink and Mocha Moths- O… amberalexander $65.00	hold on remnants $63.00	tiny crepe paper ruffle… juliecollings $6.00
Shabby Shell Earrings KarenGilbertDe… $118.99	Porcelain Vase in Ivory… dbabcock $75.00	ANTIQUE CABINET PHOTO -… vintagewarehou… $4.50

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

I’ve just sent out an announcement to the approximately 1300 oh so talented members of my ning site.  The good news is you don’t even have to be a member of this fabulous site to advertise on the main page.

I’ve just started offering sponsor ads on the main page for only $5 per month. And it gets better!  If I receive payment anytime this weekend (ala before Monday October 4th) you can pre-pay for 6 months and get one month free which will be a mere $25.  If you’d like one year you will save 3 months and it will be just $45.  Yeppers, that’s $45 for the entire year.   I don’t know how long the $5 per month AKA really Really great ad prices will go but for now they are!!!

You can certainly sign up anytime (not just this weekend) but there’s no guarantee of any sale pricing like this in the future.   And of course the prices could go up at any time although the plan is to keep them affordable for all. Oh and if you are wondering– there’s no commitment beyond the term you pay for.

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If you’d like to take advantage of this special, just send the payment for either $25 for 6 months or $45 for 1 year via paypal to remnants.art@gmail.com

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Email your banner ad to the same address (minimum 150 pixels square to maximum of 450 pixels square). If you don’t have the banner ready or need some help with that part it is OK to send it later and I’ll start the clock when I post it to the site.

But the special pricing is only for this weekend OK!  So the payment needs to be received before Monday.   I won’t be leaving until the 5th so if you have any questions I’m here for you.  ; )

–> We will get the ads up starting on October 9 upon returning from teaching at the Art & Soul retreat.   Our workshops are pretty much sold out and it should be a blast!!!

What’s with the crazy font action in this post?  I pasted this in and now it looks so goofy!  Oh well.

I hope you have the most wondrous creative, fun and restful weekend.  Happy October also!!!

Kerin

Wow it seems like just yesterday I was writing about some Steampunk news in this here post and here I am in this over the top fantastic treasury done by the Most Amazing Erin Keck!  Oh it was yesterday that would be why!  OK day before but in my brain it’s the same thing.  ; )

Erin makes these amazing gear~laden clockverks and is doing so fantastic at galleries and such on the East coast as you could well imagine!  They are also available in her shop along with other really cool jewelry and such.  I just put in an order to EK Supplies  (seems like yesterday!) and was so thrilled when my happy package arrived!!!  Those will be the basis for a fun new workshop I’m doing but more on that later!

And here is her treasury.  Is this fantastic or what?!?!?!  It is one of my favs definitely!

I don’t know if I’d actually call my piece that was included “Steampunk” but I’m so glad Erin thought so and included me in this!

Here is a better view of my piece, “hold on”.  What do you think?  Does this look Steampunk to you?

In a completely unrelated note, here is my new goat friend!  I am drinking goat milk from this exact goat (and some friends of hers).  She lives right across the valley.

My friend Rachel Whetzel just discovered goat milk the other day and now she will be raising goats in addition to chickens.  Raw cold goat milk really is good.  Not at all like the canned tremendously ucky canned stuff and so much healthier (for most people) than cow milk.  Especially with all the questionable things that is in the typical jug at market.  Anyway, if you haven’t tried the raw really fresh stuff do yourself a fav and try it OK!

Oh and check out Rachel’s blog too.  It is so fun to see what she is up to on her mini farm and also her awesome art work!!!

I’m really getting spoiled since I also enjoy fresh free range eggs delivered to my door for only $3 per dozen!!!  Loving it!!!

OMG It’s been so so SO long since I’ve written.  My poor sorry sad little blog.   I feel so bad for neglecting you.

Had the best time down in California reconnecting with the family. It was way too long since my last visit and it was like a huge recharge to be with everyone. And in just a week I’ll be back down to hang out with Kyle AKA Monkey Boy.  Here he is at a recent camping trip

Yeppers I’ll be visiting him this weekend on the occasion of his 6th birthday. I’ve missed out on so so SO much and it feels amazing to be able to see my sweet grandson and keep up on the news of the yet-to-be-born grandson who will be joining us in January. And that provides yet another opportunity to go back in November for the shower and January for the birth (squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!)

OK so a while back I mentioned a group show at the SAGE Gallery in Bandon.

Charley, Jenny and I went to the opening reception and actually met a couple of really cool artists that I didn’t know.  One of them is in my own little town.  Charley and I couldn’t believe it!  How could we have missed meeting her all the time?!?!?   Anyway, I received an Honorable Mention and 50 smackers so better than a kick in the teeth.   It actually surprised the heck outta me because most of the show was fine art.   I haven’t called the gallery to see if any of my 3 pieces have sold but I’ll know when we get back from Art & Soul.

Speaking of Art & Soul we are doing two workshops there and the Mechanical Bird is sold out.  This is the last time I plan to do a one day live workshop teaching mechanisms so hopefully everyone that wants to go will have already signed up for the either the Mechanical Bird or 3 Bird House or will be signing up for the 3 Bird House sometime between now and October 6.  It is so much work to make those kits I can’t believe we’re only charging $25 per.  That is one of the main reasons I won’t do it again.  It’s such a crazy amount of work.

Let’s see . . . oh yeah I just found out this weekend that I have a piece that will be in this book.  Yay!

You can click the cover pic for more details.

The piece that is going there is in the possession of one Ms.  Alicia Caudle AKA “Altered Alicia” of Altered Bits fame.  This is the thingie.  The pic is WAY too big when you click on it so you can see more detail than you’d really care to.  I suggest moving away from the monitor when it starts enlarging.

It’s called “Time Travel Instrumentation Device” in case ya wanted to know-ski.  The lever is moved back and forth to go into the future or into the past as you prefer.  The only thing is the calibration is very sensitive so it can be a little tricky to get it down to the exact dates.  Anyway, so Alicia already had it when I wanted to submit it to the book.  Like a dummy I asked her to mail it down to me so I could get some better pics than what I had.  She asked if it wouldn’t be easier if she just took the pic.  Well of course it would!  So now she is also in the book with photography credit.  Yay X 2!!!

Speaking of Alicia, we have some big plans cooking for a new venture between us.  I will be working on it as soon as I get back from A&S.  For now hush hush but you’ll be the first to know, Dear Reader.

Other than all that I just recently went to a couple of Zumba classes and I’m hopelessly hooked (Zumba==Crack).

I’m sure you know that’s not me and Charley in this pic.  hehehe  It’s off the Zumba site.  And Yes YES Zumba is that addictive!  I don’t care how sore from the last class I am if there is a class anywhere near me I will go there.  Fun fun fun!!!  I even got some coolie Zumba shoes which I’ll share about later.

BUT SERIOUSLY I NEED TO GO FINISH THOSE KITS FOR ART & SOUL.

Bye for now.

I just received word yesterday from my editor, Ms. Tonia Davenport, that the original cover that I most covet will be the ONE on my book when it is released this December!!!

There has been so many versions of covers (four to be exact) and only one that I feel truly reflects the vision I had for this the book.  I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster with this book (and many of the details why I should not share).  However just the cover changes alone ave been maddening.

See it all started with this awesome cover that truly I think shows such amazing talent by my book’s designer, Corrie Schaffeld.   It was made even better with Alicia’s help to tweak it based on some color preferences we both had.   I didn’t want to show this cover before because I was so intensely bummed when I learned that a group within North Light Books had voted it down.  So today for the first time I will unveil it publicly as well as show you the other versions.  I’m very interested to know what you think of this cover by itself as compared to other art books you’ve seen as well as compared to the other versions for my own book.

Without further ado, my book cover as it will be released (or very close to it) . . .

Apparently my beloved cover was SHOT DOWN in a meeting because it was too “creepy and intimidating”.  OMG I was so disheartened.   I worked ever so hard on the book and when I saw that cover it made my heart sing.  And quite the opposite when I learned it wasn’t going to be used.  THIS cover really captures the vision I originally had for the book.

Here is what is currently on Amazon.  It is a temporary cover while they were deciding which cover would actually be on the book.  You can see the listing for the book here (and that will be updated eventually as well– not the best description I’d say!).

This was the second cover to replace the original which as I said some people at North Light Books thought was too creepy and would surely turn potential buyers away in droves.  Sorry for the small size but these two were sent as pdf files and when I converted them in Photoshop they shrunk like wool sweaters in hot water.  If you can’t make it out here is a large size mish mash cover.  Anyway this one has a lot of projects all together but doesn’t really do anything to show any of them in their best light– am I right?

When I saw the one above especially compared to the first one I pretty much lost it.  So that’s when I saw this one which was the last cover being considered.  Here is a larger size of this one aquarium cover

Neither one does much to show off Corrie’s amazing talent and don’t do much for the projects either.  Hooray for Corrie for sticking to his guns and resubmitting the original cover!!!  Which makes for a very happy Kerin today!

Tell me honestly– am I trippin or is that first cover as good as I think it is?

Other book news is there are some really awesome guest artist pieces in there and I think when y’all see WHO is using the epoxy clay and HOW they are using you will want to have it even more!!!  I’m telling ya truly there are some things in this book that will absolutely blow you away!  I’m also going to have bonus materials with even more artist’s pieces and additional projects so if you want those hold off and order the book directly from me– it’s the only way you can get the extra goodies.  Oh and Aves Studio will be offering bundles of their clay along with as a happy option.  : )

I know it’s been a while since I’ve written anything.  I’ve been having a huge struggle with awful side effects from blood pressure meds.  But I am actually finding many alternative natural things that are helping immensely which I will share soon.  I had no idea how bad those medications were and what they do to people.  I’m appalled what we as Americans are being given by those that are supposedly helping us. It’s is freakin scary as hell.  More about that later.

I also have been really busy stocking my second etsy shop, Curious Remnants, with vintage goodies.  I’m glad I opened that shop especially this month.  It has actually done much better than I would have thought.  And that was especially helpful since due to a decision by the college about switching to only one paycheck per month, Chlarley’s income was cut in half in July.    Yikes! Anyway, rather than leave my shop on vacation mode (as I’m going on holiday this very Friday) I put up a note that I will be able to ship after August 17.    I guess that’s acceptable to do right?

Oh and in my spare time, I’ve still been making some jewelry for my Remnants etsy shop which I haven’t listed yet AND getting ready to open a second brick & mortar space today.  Unfortunately the timing is a bit off since the grand opening is while I’ll be away.  But I”ll do my best to get the stuff down there before I leave.  It’s a lot more work than you’d think to price everything and get it entered in inventory and all that stuff.

Catch ya when I get back!!!

Look what Alicia whipped up for my birthday!

This lady’s talent is amazing.  She can do most anything art-wise and even if it’s something she just started it looks like she’s been doing it for years.   If you haven’t checked out the web design work she does, the digital collage sheets or all the free images on her site (and there are a LOT)  you are really missing something!  And that is just the beginning cuz there are lots of found object goodies and free zines and such on altered bits.   It’s funny because a lot of people think the Alicia from digit 13 and the Alicia from altered bits are not the same person and are so surprised to find one person is doing ALL  THAT.

Hopefully this doesn’t sound like a commercial!!!  It’s just that I am a huge fan and luckily happen to be her friend too.  Hooray!

We went out to the beach yesterday.   Who knew I’d receive a complimentary spa treatment courtesy of a big freak-in sand storm.  Thanks Mother Nature for the dermabrasion session it was amazingly powerful and my legs are really looking different now!

Even though it stung to stand out there I wanted to capture these stone formations.

See how the wind blows the sand away except for the trails behind each one!!!

Much of the beach was covered in clusters of these stones.  It usually doesn’t have very many larger rocks but you never really know what you’ll see out there.  Great areas of sand will shift around so it can be really steep or very flat.  The sand can be the really fluffy sucker bait for unsuspecting tourists to get stuck in or it could be covered in a thin layer of crusty mineral deposits that’s easily drivable in 2WD.  Sometimes there is a lot of driftwood.  Or a crazy amount of crabs or jellies.

We’ve been known to drive out there and just turn around and leave cuz it’s too scary to even contemplate going down on the beach with or without the truck.

I thought it looked really cool to get the shot of the front of these stones suspended up in the air riding on the helms of sand trails.

Just one little problem!  See that hazy layer just above the stones in the shot above?  That’s a LOT of sand blowing by.  I have a Canon SD 1100 IS with the retractable lens.

All of a sudden it wouldn’t retract.  I felt especially silly to have done such a thing.  It’s only a sensitive electronic device and I exposed it to a dermabrasion treatment of its own.

So when we got home I looked up what could be done and was stunned to read comments like this

” . . . As it’s starting up after pressing the power button, a moderately hard whack on the table top (the bottom of the camera, the end where the battery goes) fixed the problem immediately. “

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I felt exactly like this guy

” . . . My biggest complaint about the whole thing is that after searching the “Lens error, restart camera” message that my PowerShot SD1000 keeps spitting out, the troubleshooting suggestions offered by some seemingly reputable camera sites amounts to

* taking the battery out for a couple of minutes and trying to open the lens again, or
* banging the living hell out of the thing on a hard surface to see if that will knock some sense into it.

Seriously, the experts at the various camera sites that shall remain unlinked are unanimous in their advice that the best thing to do is to smack the side of the camera repeatedly on a hard surface and hope the lens error goes away and the camera lens opens back up.

Notice none of the experts suggest sending the camera back to Canon for repair. Apparently the issue costs about $200.00 for Canon to fix because Canon will look at the camera and declare that the camera has been “abused” and thus not covered by any manufacturer’s warranty.

Imagine that – “Abuse”. After following the expert advice on so many camera websites that tell me to pound the tiny SD1000 on a hard surface repeatedly, Canon might think I’ve abused my camera.”

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It’s almost like a really bad practical joke to put up a help site and then get people to void the warranty on their camera by whacking it hard on a table.  And of course all these people leaving comments with advice on how to fix it are anonymous so it seemed really fishy to me.

But after trying every other suggestion I tried the two things that I had immediately dismissed as crazy when I first started investigating this.  I hit it on my desk many times and I forced the lens back down into place (basically alternating between these two several times and once in a while removing the battery for at least 60 seconds).  Well that fixed my camera!!!!  It’s working perfectly now.

My name is Kerin Gale and you can quote me on that.  ; )