Paper & Stone

Yesterday I took off work in honor of my Birthday.  After having lunch with my parents at Veggie Wokery,  I was told that my parents wanted to surprise me by taking me "somewhere special" in Norwalk.  Norwalk, eh?  I couldn't imagine anything "special" that would surprise me in Norwalk.  Are we going to get an oil change?  Perhaps walk around Costco?   I sat quiet in the back seat of my Dad's car, feeling 20 years younger, watching the drabness zoom past my window while listening to his easy listening radio station.

Hmmm....Norwalk...the city of my youth... I've spent countless hours, in every square inch of this city, with friends and loved ones...and have experienced every emotion and sensation possible in this semi-gritty suburb of Los Angeles...and still after accumulating so many vital life experiences that have aided in the formation of who I am (!), I still have the nerve to think of this city as nothing "special"...ordinary...drab...

We stopped at the Norwalk Sports Complex off of Norwalk Blvd. and parked.  My parents proceeded to explain that the night before, they attended a special Artist's Reception at this park in honor of an artist who travelled to Italy to bring back a slab of marble, which would eventually become a public art piece in front of the Norwalk Social Services building.

The artist John Fisher, set up the marble piece in the court yard of the sports complex, in order to bring art to the public, and display the process of his craft in public view.  Wow!!  What an awe inspiring idea...!  We spent the next hour chatting with John and his artist wife, Sandy Oppenheimer, about the importance of the public's interaction with art and how witnessing the process can effect lives.  After only an hour in the presence of these beautiful people and their works of art, I felt transformed...grateful and hopeful.  Thank you Norwalk for surprising me with such beauty and inspiration...

Adjacent to John's work space is an art gallery displaying more sculpture and Sandy's beautiful paper creations.  John and Sandy will be there creating/chiseling until late March.

Traipsing through the Arboretum...

It had been almost 3 years since my last visit to the Los Angeles Arboretum.  It was like catching up with an old friend...

"The (number) 11 is the most intuitive of all numbers...

 It represents illumination; a channel to the subconscious; insight without rational thought; and sensitivity, nervous energy, shyness, and impracticality. 

It is a dreamer.

The no. 11 walks the edge between greatness and self-destruction. 

 Its potential for growth, stability, and personal power lies in its acceptance of intuitive understanding, and of spiritual truths. 

For the 11, such peace is not found so much in logic, but in faith. 

 It is the psychic's number...."

 http://www.decoz.com/Masternumbers.htm

                                                   Happy, Happy New Year Everyone!!

The Little Dress Shop

I went to a post Day of the Dead event in Claremont California this weekend, and met the owner of a little boutique situated in Claremont's Old Town area.  The Little Dress Shop is owned by a dear friend of my Aunt's...a woman named Marsha Valencia.  In conversation, I learned that she has an object I created a few years back on the altar inside of her store.  As a Christmas gift for my Aunt one year, I had dipped a Corona beer bottle into latex paint and, once dry, I carved out an image of La Virgen De Guadalupe with a sharp needle.  My Aunt eventually passed this bottle on to her friend Marsha (fabulous!), and now it lives on top of her altar...surrounded by objects of beauty and spiritual significance.  If you're in the area, you should stop in this cute little boutique and treat yourself to something unique...!

chez sucre chez: looking back, looking forward

I'm such a fan of cross stitching and other needle work. Check out this blog...I wish I had the energy to turn out a whole phrase in cross stitch...Bravo!

chez sucre chez: looking back, looking forward: "remember these? i've been thinking of them often lately. i think it may be time to start stitching up letters again to make up some mor..."

Honoring the Dead in Atwater

These are images of a beautiful altar assembled by Pablo Alvarez and Michelle Castro.  It was constructed to honor and remember past loved ones (including pets) during Dia De Los Muertos.

Dia De Los Muertos at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Dia De Los Muertos Quilted Table Setting

My talented mother hand made these fabulous quilted place mats for Dia De Los Muertos.

This is a wall hanging that she made to coordinate with the table setting, but I'm using it on my sofa instead :)

Halloween in West Hollywood...

Happy B-lated Halloween!!  I made it my mission this Halloween to re create Lady Gaga's meat dress that she wore to the MTV Video Music Awards...vegetarian style, of course!  It turned out to be more difficult than I imagined it would be...but I managed to turn it out 4 nights before the Halloween party at my work...Woohoo!  I didn't win a prize, but I had a great time showing it off Sunday at the West Hollywood Halloween Parade...

   

Handmade Dia De Los Muertos Banner

Here's an example of a simple handmade papel picado banner I made to decorate my kitchen in honor of Dia De Los Muertos.

The first panel was folded in half and cut with scissors (like a paper snowflake)

Cutting out the black panel...First with the exacto for the skull and then scissors to create the flowers, diamonds and hearts.

DIY Papel Picado Framed Gift

Since I was a young girl, I've had a fascination with the art of paper cutting.  I've spent countless hours folding up different types of papers and snipping away with the sharpest scissors I could get my hands on (and ruining many expensive scissors in the process...Sorry Mom!!!).  When I discovered Papel Picado (The Mexican Folk Art of punching/perforating paper) I knew my world would never be the same!  I was mesmorized by the sight of the most intricate designs cut from delicate and colorful tissue paper...hanging in rows and flapping in the wind...  The sight still takes my breath away!  This powerful curiosity and reverence of papel picado has inspired my experimentation, over the past few years to create my own.  Armed with scissors, an exacto knife, store bought gift tissue paper, and a cutting mat, I've created banners for Dia De Los Muertos altars and single panels as wedding gifts for friends of friends.  Most recently I created a single panel as a birthday gift for my friend Nicholle.  I've photo-documented a few steps of the process...in case anyone feels inspired to do the same!

First I started with a rectangular panel of tissue paper.  I cut a simple scalloped edge around the outside w/scissors.

I started cutting out Nicholle's name (with and a super sharp exacto-knife) and then a design developed above and below her name.

I held my breath with every cut....If I had made a mistake I would have had to start all over...Yikes!

The finished piece, framed with colored paper behind to add contrast.   

Needle Felted Mushroom Ornaments...

Today I spent my Sunday turning out red capped mushroom ornaments.  I have them available on Etsy as a set of four.  I have more sets coming...!!