stop pinning and start doing

I'm a Pinterest junkie. With over 5000 pins I would say I have a problem. I'm like a book geek in a book store, or library, or book sale.....you get the idea.
The problem is I do an awful lot of pinning, but I don't DO much with what I've pinned. It's like hoarding DIY projects for later and later never comes. 
ENOUGH! 
I pinned this several months ago. 

Pretty cool isn't it and I like maps and globes and I was kicking myself for donating the globe my mom had for years in the house when I moved in- WHAT was I THINKING!.  Then I stumbled across a globe in a second hand store. 

And it rolled around the studio for a few months. It didn't have a stand but it did have that metal ring on it. Which took an enormous amount of effort to remove until I discovered that a new saw blade is  magic. Pure magic.

Breaking apart the globe is like cracking an egg. You keep bouncing it on the seam- gently - until it separates. Did you know that most globes are made out of cardboard? Me either.

 I painted the inside white because it was t shirt gray and that's not a very attractive color for this project. I also stared at it for a few weeks and thought - that's pretty boring. More people will see the inside than the outside.

So I decided it needed more. Because well, it's me and I can't just let something be boring. So I got out my printed tissue papers- printed with vintage maps of course- and my gel medium and transformed the inside from boring to better. And, as if THAT wasn't enough after I wired the fixture in it I got a reproduction "vintage"  light bulb. 

Can we say "light bulb" moment?  
It's available for purchase- just contact me. 

Some day I'm going to be a real artist

I tell my kids all the time I'm not really an artist. I just pretend.  

Iowa Learning Farms has asked me to create some art work for all four sides their new trailer that will be traveling all over the Midwest to teach people of all ages about the importance of taking care of our water.

 I sent my daughter a text about this project.

Me: :wow I guess I'm a real artist huh?

Biz: Congrats! I though you were already an artist

Me: Nope. Been pretending all this time

  Biz: Well you're a pretty good actor

                                                            

I have always been interested in ecology and I conserve and re-cycle.

A lot of what I make for the studio comes from up-cycled materials. Like my hats and mittens- made from felted wool sweaters.

I am pretty excited about this project. They asked me to do this because of a collage I created for them for a CD that was released this fall. Called "Dogs, Frogs and Nature Songs" 

Pretty darn cool huh? I could be driving down the highway and see my art work drive right by me. This makes me smile.