From Beginning To End...

Here in my part of the world... we are pretty much snowed in... A long weekend and then a couple of snow days away from school has given me the perfect opportunity to get some much needed work done on my inventory for this next summer!!! And because I love everything that has to do with birds... I thought I would start with some new bird baths!
When I told a friend what I was working on... She asked if I would show my work... "From Beginning To End"... so here goes!

Actually... if you saw where I worked... you would have a big laugh!!!! ;-D 
Until the Studio is built... I am working in my office/den/library/sewing room combo.. ;-).

 Will you look at all this happy chaos!  Sometimes I sit here and I wonder what the inside of my head must look like!!!! What is really funny is that the bulk of my materials are out side under at least a foot or more of snow (long story)... So I had to go scrounging through what I had on hand to start working...

Not... that I do not have enough stuff... to get started... ;-) 


For me... one of the first things that I do is sit... Sit and look at the piles of plates...their colors... textures... The vessels... the size... shapes... the curve of the glass... How best to capture... that look... How to put it all together...

A lot of times... as I start to put the different plates and vessels together... I will remember a particular focal... (which I know is somewhere in this room)  And because of lack of space... I will have to unwrap focal after focal... to find just what I am looking for.  And what fun... It's like Christmas... unwrapping presents... and finding the most delightful little birds and frogs and delicate little clumps of flowers... 
                                                                                                                                                                                 Once I have decided on the materials... it is time to sit again...and think about how I want this to look...  These plates are especially pretty... At this point I am not sure if I will use them all or  in what combination...

But I do know that this little bird is going to be sitting somewhere on the bird bath!  Isn't she thee sweetest???  I wish
I had bought more... 
 

Now it is a matter of putting it all together... I start with the outside rim... and I see that I will need more than one plate to fill in the rim...

I have chosen the sweet bird pattern and the spring plaid for the rim.  From there I work my way around the entire rim... leaving a spot for the little bird!  I do not glue the bird on yet... I will do that at the very end... but I do want to have an idea of where she will sit!  I draw around her with a marker... And as of yet...I do not know if I will use the green or the yellow bird!

Now that I have decided that the bird will sit on the rim instead of in the center... I have decided to use the beautiful focal  on the plaid plate!  As I cut the plaid plate for the rim... I save the pieces of the focal... Once the focal is cut out... I will trim it and center it in the middle of the dish.

                                                          

I'll tell you... You really have to pay attention to what you      are doing when you try to put this back together again! Also do you notice the opening I left for the little bird?  I am now getting a better idea of what this is going to look like when it is finished.  

Next... there is the curve in the plate to think about... I have decided to use the little yellow... green and dark blue flower plates...  I will trim them down and tape them while they dry... 

         

This is really coming together now... What do you think???   Now...to finish the bottom!!!

  Again... I had to do some sitting and thinking... I found another sweet plate with leaves... and decided to add it to the mix... In between the leaves... I have laid just plain white pieces of left over plate... and I cut out several of the little blue flowers to sprinkle through out to tie together the rim and the bottom!  

OK... now time to grout!   I will use white grout to finish this piece and then seal it... so it can be used out doors... Grouting is not my favorite thing to do... I always put it off... But as a good friend always says to me... "When in doubt...GROUT"!!!! ;-) 

 I mix the grout with water... let it sit for about 10 minutes... and then I spread it all over the piece with my hand.  I do use gloves as grout is really hard on your skin!  I also use a sponge... wash cloth... toothbrush... paint brush and anything else that will help me put it on... and then take it off! 

I'm all done... and I have to say... I am really please with how it turned out!  What do you think??? While I was at it... I grouted some other pieces... that I have been working on... they are at the end of this tutorial...   I would love to hear your comments...

So there you have it... From Beginning To End... Ready for some one to put in their Garden! 

Check out a couple of other pieces I made this week!
As Always... Grateful to the End...
Candace
x0x

I am forever grateful for my life and all it's blessings...

This IS my Mantra...

To tell you the truth... I don't know where I found this prayer... but I really do love it!  I try and say it several times a day.  Each morning when I am driving to work... and as the sky begins to lighten up... I thank the Universe for "Another Perfect Day"... I also say that I am "open to more love... more understanding and more prosperity" to name a few...


So... I want to talk about The List I posted on January 1st..."12 Things Happy People Do Differently"...  And how it can work for all of us! ;-)  I would also love to hear some of your ideas! 

Let us not forget that we are all in this together... "There Are No Accidents"...  If you are reading my words... then you must accept the fact that we share a Sacred Contract with each other!  

 

 Express Gratitude... – When you appreciate what you have, what you have appreciates in value.  Kinda cool right?  So basically, being grateful for the goodness that is already evident in your life will bring you a deeper sense of happiness.  And that’s without having to go out and buy anything.  It makes sense.  We’re gonna have a hard time ever being happy if we aren’t thankful for what we already have.

I  have told you a little about TUT... "Notes From The Universe"... Well here is one of the messages that I received the other day...

                       "Give thanks, Candace, whenever you want more...
                                    Of anything"...
                                             The Universe

I think that this statement is saying the same thing... Just as my personal mantra does... The more we are grateful... The more positive energy that we put out to the Universe... The more we will receive in turn.  

This last summer I had my second complete knee replacement surgery... And let me again thank everyone for all the positive energy they sent my way... Not to mention all the visits... calls... and moral support!  ;-)

The Surgeon told me that I would probably heal much quicker... as I had already gone through this before... I believed him... and everyday I told myself that it was getting easier and easier!  And it did... I sailed through the hospital stay... The rehab facility... The in-home care... And the out-patient Physical Therapy!  
It is all in what we believe about ourselves... ;-) 

And... it is being grateful for what we already have... I am especially grateful that today... seven months after the surgery... I am feeling so much better and my knees are not hurting me as much. I am told by friends at school... that they can see a big difference in my ability to "move" and my "attitude" in the classroom! ;-) 

I would like to challenge everyone... to become their own "cheerleaders"!  Louise Hay... Writer and well known Speaker... is known as one of the founders of the self-help movement. Her first book, "Heal Your Body"... was published in 1976, long before it was fashionable to discuss the connection between the mind and body.
She went on to write "You Can Heal Your Life"... (This is one of the books that stays on my bedside table)! She does a lot of "mirror" work... An exercise where you look into a mirror... into your own eyes... and say to yourself... "I love you Candace"... "I am a good person"... "I am loveable"... This is really a lot harder than it might seem... but it is also very important!  One can not love others... until they love themselves...

I also like to say... "Candace... You are one lucky duck"!

Blessings to everyone...
C