It's a piece that proves you really CAN put just about anything in a mosaic, including an old spooky print block, an old-fashioned razor . . . .
And an antique lock.
And more fun was had last night at Stuff as Jane and Terry whipped up their fabulous frames. Additional dates for mosaic classes are available! Just call Stuff to register at 816-361-8222 and start creating!!!!
I taught some mosaic classes this week and was lucky enough to have Mary Kay Porter, artist extraordinaire, join me. I just love the frame she did with the chunky grout showcasing bits of silver and black dishes, buttons, and beads with just a splash of icy blue. It was so fun chatting with Mary Kay about art and life.
Here are some wonderful examples of Mary Kay's work that can be found at Stuff, 316 W. 63rd Street in Brookside. If you are remote, call Casey or Sloane at 816-361-8222 and order you up some Mary Kay Porter creations!
I love her tongue-in-cheek style. A girl after my own heart.
And if you ever read this blog, you understand my love of baby doll heads and dress forms.
I am just naturally attracted to her fabulous work.
Gotta get some of these legs for my buddy Jessie Hopeless.
And as I was walking around Stuff last night, I took a pic of this teapot I covered in brightly covered bits of whatever I could get my hands on. New stuff is coming to Stuff. I was up early cranking out the mosaic goodness. Thanks for your support!
Stuff, a fabulous store in Brookside, Missouri, is crammed full of wondrous original works of art by local, national and international artists. They're clearing out the old to make room for the new and I'm excited about doing a complete refresh on my inventory. I'll start out with some Valentine hearts.
I got the great figurine yesterday at Westport on Broadway Antiques for less than a buck.
And another twist on the same phrase. My Etsy friend, Becky, from Wisconsin sent me the pink plastic dancers awhile ago. Look closely, there are two in the plaque below. These will go to Stuff tomorrow and I've glued another heart I'll grout tomorrow. Although exciting, it will be a challenge to build my inventory - so many projects, so little time.
And a big thanks to my fabulous husband, Jason Aaron, comic book creator extraordinaire, and keeper of many things, including my ipod. Although there's nothing wrong with my old favorites like The Smiths and the Cocteau Twins, if I was ever going to move past Billy Bragg and out of 1986, I needed some help. My new favorite bands are The Do (pronounced doe), and The XX. Jason checked out some "best of" lists and took cues from Robert Moore of Sonic Spectrum to purchase new music that is left of the dial, just like me. Thanks, babe.
First, an update! My friends and family know that I'm not much of a cook, but I can whip up a mean pie. I make it a point on each of my pies to tell a story or make a comment through the vent holes. Strange, but true. Anyway, here is my latest cherry pie and the vent holes tell the story of a house, my new house that I am absolutely loving! I'm still adjusting and changing some things to make it our own, but we are getting there and I FINALLY began setting up my mosaic studio last weekend.
I like to get into the swing of Halloween early so I can enjoy it for as long as possible. I'm not into dressing up, but I love the interior decor, the whimsical possibilites, the bright colors, the scent of Fall in the air. Ahhhhhh . . .
Much of my work is tongue-in-cheek like the fly switch plate above. I will never be accused of taking myself too seriously. The cockroaches are an old favorite and give a fun twist to the Halloween theme.
No room would be complete without a switch plate with a large rat on it, don't you think? And giant ants are a good complement to any design style.
I had a great time making this Halloween treat box lined with fun scrapbooking paper.
I again incorporated some creep crawlies.
I included lots of fun elements in the Halloween corkboard below. I just love old bottles or bottles that are made to look old like this one. I got it in a cool little shop in Greenwood, Missouri, a really fun place to spend a Saturday looking for treasures.
The shoepolish bottle reminded me of a tombstone.
These pins were fun to make. The witch's hat, pumpkin, and ghost are polymer clay.
I got the clown figurine at Urban Mining some time ago. If you haven't been, check it out!
And another switchplate. Pink and black are good together.
And while I was dropping off my new creations at Stuff, I marveled at the wonderful sites in this store. I love art that has been cut out of sheet metal or old tin like this fabulous, giant flower.
Sloane and Casey are always creating new and interesting displays like this one with the ducks floating in a cicular stream of water - vintage chic. And the wonderful dog portraits are by Hoop Dog Studio
More Hoop Dog fabulousness!
Here is a very eclectic and cool interpretation of a flower cut out of old tin. Love these, and how cool would they be in a bunch in a loft space or small cottage?
It's not too early to start searching for the perfect holiday gift for those on your list. Go talk to the girls at Stuff, they will have just what you're looking for. 
When I was demonstrating mosaics on the sidewalk outside of Stuff for the Brookside Art Fair, we had a lot of customers ask about mosaic classes. It didn't take long for Casey and Sloane to get some rolling and we've had a great response. Marge (above) and her daughter, Kate (below), were my first pupils.
I enjoyed these girls so much!! Marge and I had a great time talking about home decor because she also loves all things French Country. Katie was just a doll and look how talented they both are!! Their pieces are so different from one another and so unique and fun in their own ways. It's awesome to see someone make something and say, "I did that!!!"
The classes are structured so you can come to glue or grout at a couple of them so while Marge and Kate were grouting, some gals from work came to glue. Here are Alison and Jill digging through treasures deciding how to construct their pieces.
Here's Marge hard at work grouting. She chose a lot of intricate jewelry to include so this was a challenge to grout on your first time out, but she made something fantastic!
Here's Erin digging for treasure. She found some great stuff and has such an eye for putting it altogether. I can't wait to see her piece once it's grouted!
And another shot of everyone hard at work. There are two more classes, one at 6:00 this Tuesday, June 9 and another next Sunday, June 13 at 10:30. It's not too late to sign up! Just call the girls from Stuff at 816-361-8222 and they can take your order over the phone. Hope to see you there!!
Here's me sitting at my table. This is actually the only time all day that I actually sat down. I needed to be standing so I could talk it up. This store has been in existence for 12 years and it's a one-of-a-kind for Kansas City. They feature the work of about 65 local artists, aroud the same number of national artists, and a handful of international artists. If you're looking to give art as a gift, or to spoil yourself, this is the place to do it.
You could be in this store for days and not see everything in it. It is jam packed with wonderful Stuff. Here's my Valentine chalkboard.
Here's a grouping of my things.
Some chalk boards. 
A corkboard.
More corkboards.
This flying pig made of recycled metal is great. The fabulous little people hanging in the background made of old tins are by local KC artist Ninette Maumus.
The great shirts are by Amuck.
More great work by Ninette Maumus. We obviously share a love for wonderful, tiny, old objects.
Great ceramic sculptures.
More great ceramics.
Still more ceramics that incorporate fused glass. These are just great.