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Batman Mirror Clock

Geo and my former roommate (Mike) have been friends for 15+ years. Both of them are originally from Denver and Geo now lives and works in Las Vegas as a costume/prop designer/fabricator, stilt-walker, performing/visual arts, makeup arts, etc.   I met Geo a couple of times in passing and then really got to know him when he met Mike and I out in Pismo Beach in Oct of 2017. He has become one of my best friends and has helped me out a lot in this business adventure of mine. Amongst many other things, he made the stencil for my Patriotic Superman Clock.

My birthday is in January. Mike and Geo made their way back out to Pismo Beach to celebrate with me! (side note, I have the best friends in the world!! I’m a very lucky girl!) While we were there, we decided to combine business with play. I asked Geo and Mike to help me come up with a business logo (stay tuned!!) and Geo asked me to make a clock for him. At first this was an obvious yes. Of course I would love to make a clock for my friend. But then it quickly became intimidating. While I am talented and creative, Geo does it all!! Literally!! Check out his Instagram Pages (imstitches and mirrormanlv). How do you make a clock for someone like that?!? And what design do you do? I tried asking Geo what his favorite things were; no luck there. I asked Mike for ideas and Mike mentioned Mirror Man. Geo created the Mirror Man costume and performs in Las Vegas and around the country. It is a very intricate costume with several pieces of cut mirrors fitting together like a puzzle. Geo is extremely proud of this creation, as he should be. Mike’s suggestion was for me to include a mirror in the middle of a clock. I should have done that…

…But when you make a clock for someone as awesome and as talented as Geo, a plain one just. won’t. do. Geo also shares my love for Batman. And one night, in the middle of the night (of course), it hit me–make a Batman Logo out of Mirrors.

I have never cut glass before. My neighbor told me there was a tool for it and I went to the store. I carefully read the directions and googled instructions, too. Normally I would ask Geo for tips and advice, but I couldn’t ruin the surprise. I ordered different size mirrors and traced the logo on them from a stencil. I then very carefully applied a thin layer of gasoline to the mirrors and my tool. The design, of course, quickly rubbed off!!

Batman #1 turned out pretty good for my first time ever cutting glass. I put the clock together and texted Geo to surprise him and ensure he liked it. He said he loved it. Then we talked briefly about cutting glass.

Over the next few days I decided I could do better. While it was good for my first one, now I had some tips. I also knew what pressure it took to cut the glass and had an idea for how to get better curves. I ordered more mirrors and tore the original clock apart.

Batman #2 is awesome, minus the fact that Batman doesn’t have ears!! I seriously challenge any of you to get mirror ears!!! Glass cutting is NOT easy!! Geo loves the clock! He loved the first one, too, but I couldn’t put my name on it. Only the best for my best friends….and customers!!

I’m in Vegas right now visiting. The clock is hanging in his bedroom next to a giant circus poster and matches his Batman curtains perfectly!

Disclaimer: I am willing to do custom work for anyone IF it is something I am capable of doing. Batman Mirror Clock is for Geo only. I will not make this design again or sell it to anyone.

If you are interested in seeing Mirror Man live or if you want to see any of Geo’s other work, please visit his Instagram pages. He is very talented and also does custom work.

      

 

 

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Wine Cork Clocks

I fell in love with the beach and sand dollars in Southern California. However, I live in Northern California. Wine country. I’m not a heavy drinker, but I don’t know anyone, myself included, that doesn’t enjoy touring wineries. I prefer sweet white and dessert wines and don’t like reds. The menu selection is a little bit smaller and usually I volunteer to be the DD for my friends. I also enjoy going to different gift shops and seeing all the wine bottle toppers and charms. During Christmas I enjoyed seeing all the decorations. My roommate even made some Christmas tree ornaments out of wine corks. And then it hit me! Why not make wine clocks?

Using a cigar cutter, I cut the tops off of wine corks. I can use red or white ones pending the design/colors of the clock. Sometimes I like to use red for 12, 3, 6 & 9 and white for the rest. I love how the red wine stains the corks and think it gives the clock a little bit extra.

I started with a couple of basic designs and encouraged friends and family to come up with their own slogans. I had several Christmas orders for friends all over the country. You don’t have to live in Ca to enjoy a glass of wine!

Browse my website and choose a design. Or email me with a custom quote/saying and let me make you a one of a kind design!

  

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Just Breathe

I have been in therapy for a little over a year now. It is the best/worst thing I have ever done. And for every 2 steps forward I take, I feel like I take at least 10 backwards. Just when I gain insight on how to handle a certain situation, another, bigger one comes my way. Life is going smoothly…hmmmm…well let’s throw monkey wrenches all over that!!

My therapist has encouraged meditation. But you can’t exactly start meditating every time you may need to. In traffic? At work? In a crowd? In the middle of a fight? It doesn’t work.

Amongst all the chaos in our lives, it is incredibly important to Just Breathe. Worked up? Slow down your heart rate. Just Breathe. Anxious? Just Breathe. Mad? Just Breathe. You can breathe anywhere. It doesn’t require closing your eyes. It doesn’t require a lot of concentration. Just Breathe.

I wanted to create a chaotic clock with a calm center. The clock represents our lives and the center is our center. It is our inner peace. To create inner peace, Just Breathe.

This was my Christmas gift for my therapist, as well.

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Broken But Beautiful

I was ready to turn 30. I was ready to leave my insecurities behind. I was ready to stop trying to impress everyone. I was ready to be a “real adult.” My body, however, had something else in mind!

I will spare everyone (ok, mainly the men!) all the details, but after a year and a half of blood tests, MRIs, Cat scans, etc, I was finally diagnosed with hypothyroid, P.C.O.S., and borderline anxiety disorder. I was/am a hot mess!

I thought having a diagnoses would solve all of my problems. I was actually really excited when I found out I had cysts. Finally! I had an answer! I was sick. I wasn’t crazy…

But that excitement was quickly taken over by insecurities and a lot of  fear. What do I have to offer the world? Am I a good person? My friends are surely tired of hearing me cry/complain all the time. Will they care that there is a medical reason behind it? Will I over-come that? Will I find a man after gaining so much weight? Will he want to stay after hearing all my medical issues? I’m ugly. I’m fat. I’m worthless…..etc

Thankfully I started seeing a therapist. And, as you can imagine, the main focus was self love.

As I continued through therapy, my therapist and I started thinking of clever sayings to help me remember “rules” to live by. For example “moods don’t lead to food” I created a board to hang in my room with my rules. I looked at it when I got dressed in the morning to help me have a good day.

Slowly and slowly I started to feel better. I wanted to create a clock for myself. I wanted the clock to represent my journey. I wanted it to be inspirational.

I started looking at the sand dollars I had left over from Pismo Beach. I had collected a lot of broken sand dollars. Some were cracked. Some had holes in them. Some had barnacles I had to remove from them, but the circles were still there. That never stopped me from picking them up because they were still a sand dollar. And I still found them beautiful….

They were Broken but Beautiful!!! And that became my new “rule” I was (still am) very broken. But I was (still am) beautiful. I was determined to remember that every day. And what better way to remember, than to see it every time I look at the time?

I learned how to make paint crack. I brought stencils with a specific font that looked “broken” Unlike the original clock, I wanted this clock to be flawed. It wasn’t enough for just the shells to be broke. I needed something that really represented me and the way I felt. This clock needed to be powerful. It needed to be inspirational. It needed to be perfectly imperfect.

The clock is on my dresser next to my “rules” board. I smile every time I look at it. I see the sand dollars and remember my vacation. I remember how much fun I had on the beach. I remember the gifts I made. I’m an artist. I’m talented. I have something to offer this world. Despite my medical issues and being completely broken, I am beautiful!

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The Original Clock

In March 2017 my roommate (Mike) and I went to Pismo Beach for vacation. On the way down we were talking in the car and I said that while I had never been much into collecting seashells on the beach, I had always wanted to find a sand dollar. Mike, a certified diver, said “fun fact, did you know sand dollars are purple when they are alive?” We spent much of the drive down to Pismo discussing sand dollars and other sea creatures– having no idea that Pismo Beach is actually known for sand dollars!!

We were only in Pismo for a few days, but in that short amount of time I fell in love with combing the beach for sand dollars!! I left the live ones that were partially buried alone. If I saw a live one that was high on the beach, I would take it back down by the water, hoping to save it. I bent down to look at all circular objects–I even accidentally tried to pick up bird poop!! I collected broken sand dollars and perfect ones. Big ones and small ones. I was so excited every time I came back up to the room!

The last day of the trip I said I was going to put all the sand dollars back on the beach. Mike was stunned! He asked me why and my very practical answer was “We have enough things sitting on shelves collecting dust” And then he said “Well you really like to make things for your friends. Jessica is watching your dog. Sam is retiring. Why don’t you use the sand dollars and make them gifts?”

I kept the sand dollars. I researched how to take care of / preserve them. I searched for ideas of gifts to make. I bounced a lot of ideas off Mike. And then I came up with a shadow box. One sand dollar in a very simple frame. Not too big and very eloquent. A perfect gift for my friends.

But that wasn’t enough. I still had sand dollars left over and a new passion in my heart. And Mike also loved combing the beach with me and had a fun time on vacation. It was he who encouraged me to keep the sand dollars in the first place. It was he who inspired me to create art. I had to make him something.

I was back online searching for the perfect idea. It took me awhile, but it finally hit me! I wanted to make him a clock. I asked him what colors he liked and asked him to pick out his favorite sand dollars. I searched and searched Etsy for the perfect clock face. I researched what adhesive to use on sand dollars. I wanted every. single. detail to be perfect. I wanted a perfect memento for our vacation. Once I finally had everything I needed, I very nervously got to work.

The blue striped clock was born. I presented it to Mike and he loved it!! And the first seed for my business was planted…

Since our vacation, Mike has moved back home. The original clock is hanging in his kitchen in Denver, CO.