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2022
November 25 BLACK FRIDAY Epic deals in my Zazzle Boutique
BLACK FRIDAY EPIC DEALS are here!!!! Up to 50% off the most popular items in my Zazzle Boutique! Use code BLACKFRI2022 at checkout CLICK TO ENTER MY ZAZZLE STORE 50% OFF Ornaments Fleece Blankets Calendars Greeting Cards Stickers Puzzles Gift Tags Phone cases (contact me for what you want) 40% OFF Tote Bags Kitchen Towels […]
November 21 PRE BLACK FRIDAY SALE in my Zazzle Boutique!
Up to 50% OFF this week in my Zazzle Boutique!!! Join Santa with his Lappy little helpers and skip the Holiday rush by shopping my PRE BLACK FRIDAY sale Through November 23rd!!! Use code ZBLACKFRIYAY at checkout!! CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY ZAZZLE BOUTIQUE Here are just a few of the amazing deals to […]
October 25 DREAMWEAVER Chow Dreamcatcher auction starts WEDNESDAY
With autumn in full swing my art shifts to indoor projects and indoor decor. These 30″ statement dreamcatchers have been my obsession the past month! This one pictured will start at auction Wednesday October 26th !. I have titled this beauty “DREAMWEAVER” for its multi layered textures and elements. Creating these artworks is like […]
October 6 MY 2023 CHOW ART CALENDAR IS NOW AVAILABLE -plus new garden and house flags
INTRODUCING my new CHOW ART CALENDAR ….now live in my Zazzle Boutique and ready to purchase!!!! I have been working on these calendar pages for months and am so proud of this 2023 Edition !!! Only 250 Calendars will be produced (3 sizes available) so this is the time to get yours ordered while supplies […]
August 25 GONE BANANAS IN THE STUDIO THIS SUMMER
Hello my friends! Its been a busy summer here at my Oregon home and studio as usual. The garden is always calling , especially when the bananas are taking over! I have 3 large clumps of these in the yard and we really excited when the huge blooms appear and teeny bananas form. They never […]
June 16 New Summer designs on flags and in my Zazzle Boutique
Hello my friends and HAPPY SUMMER!!!!! I have been crazy busy in the studio working on some new designs for both my Zazzle Boutique and to put on summer flags! Check out the links below to find much much more!!!!!! If you are looking for any design on a certain item that is not […]
November 24 A LITTLE GNOME TOLD ME……Its time for new art and amazing gift deals!
Can you believe that it is that time of year already? I have been a busy elf in my workshop adding to my holiday designs, and this GNOME 4 THE CHOWLIDAYS design is charming the britches off fans far and wide! I’ve even included a GNOME 4 THE HOLIDAYS Finnish Lapphund design, complete with reindeer […]
November 11 NEW Chow art print in honor of Veterans Day – Now available!
NOW AVAILABLE–note that these art prints sell out very fast . CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR PRINT NOW In honor of Veterans and Veterans Day 2021, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this artprint will go to K9’s for Warriors charity to help provide service dogs to disabled veterans. (see link in […]
October 3 Happy October- The CHOW 2022 Art Calendar and holiday designs here!
NOW AVAILABLE!!!!! My 2022 Chow Art Calendar 12 months of beautiful, framable artwork!! LIMITED PRODUCTION!!! Get yours while they last!!! CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR CALENDAR!! *The calendar is available in 3 sizes for all your gift giving and personal calendar needs! Available in 3 sizes: Small: 5.5”l x 7”w Medium: 8.5”l x 11”w […]
May 20 Fun new additions to my Zazzle store-Penny 4 UR Thoughts!
CLICK HERE TO FIND THE GARDEN AND HOUSE FLAGS Hello friends!! I want to introduce to you my latest artwork entitled “Penny 4 UR Thoughts”. Inspired by my new friend “Penny” who is a clever and beautiful chow girl who I had the honor to photograph earlier this spring. She is owned by my friend […]
January 11 2021 The Chinese Lunar Year of the Ox (and Chow)
Happy New Year everyone!! It has been a long long time since I posted on my studio blog. Social media has been my main way of communication for a number of years now but I decided I missed blogging because it is also my personal journal of sorts. I also miss many of my […]
May 28 Fly your favorite Sandra Miller Studio , garden and house Art Flags!!!
CLICK HERE TO FIND ALL OF MY AVAILABLE FLAGS! Hello friends!! I wanted to let you know that I have 15 gorgeous yard and garden flags now available in my store. Because these beautiful works of art are printed on both sides of the flag, the possibilities are endless. In the garden they look beautiful […]
November 11 GREAT SALES happening in my Zazzle Boutique through Tuesday – Up to 60% OFF New designs!
THIS EXTRA SPECIAL SALE ENDS TUESDAY NOVEMBER 13 AT MIDNIGHT CLICK HERE TO FIND MY ZAZZLE STORE! I can hardly believe it is well into November already. Where did this year go? This year I actually was able to get most of my artwork done for the upcoming season by the end of […]
October 18 BEAR-ING GIFTS new holiday design flags
I CAN BEAR-LY CONTAIN MYSELF!!! My new 2018 Chow Holiday artwork is now complete and ready to start adding to my gift line!! I am so in love with this design featuring an antique style teddybear, A baby smooth chow and an older rough chow puppy…all favorite subjects of mine!!. While I get busy working […]
July 4 ONE OF A KIND CHOW WINDCHIME SALE SUNDAY
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE SALE ON SUNDAY, JULY 8 FROM 5:30 PM (Pacific time) until about 7:30 PM IMPORTANT!! PLEASE READ ALL 6 STEPS BELOW TO PARTICIPATE. ITEMS WILL BE FIXED PRICES (No bids) ———————————————- HOW IT WORKS……Be the first to comment “MINE” to purchase an item See all 6 rules below before the […]
June 16 NUBZ NATION – A new logo for a very special cause..a dog with no hind feet
This unique logo I designed for one incredible Chow mix who was missing his hind paws due to a terrible puppy mill situation. Through the kindness and generosity of the Chow Chow Rescue of Central NY, his foster home, and “Nubz” awesome adopted dad, James Havlinek,( not to forget the huge following of […]
May 20 LAST CALL- Garden and House flags available for only 2 more days!!
THE “BINDI MI TANG” Year of the Dog House flag hangs in the beautiful Zen garden of Shirley Skelton First I want to thank you all for the huge reception to these garden and house flags and I have been loving seeing photos of where everyone is displaying them. Please keep those pics coming as […]
May 20 SILK & SWAG limited production print of 30, is almost sold out…a few available
Note: Watermark signature across the dog is to protect the image and not on the final print. The final print is also very crisp and vibrant. This collage is a low-resolution image. RESERVE YOURS NOW, as the SILK & SWAG edition of 30 is going fast!! If you would like one just CLICK HERE TO […]
March 13 Leave Space in your Garden for the Chows to Dance – A new introduction
What fun I’ve been having in the studio getting back to my silk painting roots….MINUS the toxic dyes and mess . I have been creating silk painting/batik inspired artworks on my computer using some of my own digital painting techniques I’ve developed. Each design requires the same amount of studio hours as using […]
March 6 NEW—-Garden and House Flags are now in my ETSY store!!! 2 sizes 15 styles
MY NEWEST DESIGN ABOVE, WAS INSPIRED BY THE BEAUTIFUL OREGON COAST WHICH MY DOGS AND I ADORE. The Art flags are finally here!! Because these beautiful works of art are printed on both sides of the flag, the possibilities are endless. In the garden they look beautiful hung from the house , garage, a post, […]
February 7 OTTERLY HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH THIS NEW BINDI DESIGN!!!
An OTTERLY adorable new artwork featuring Olivia Otter and her baby Otto Otter , floating on their backs in a sea of blue water and kelp! While Mom and baby slumber, the Dungeness Crab family scamper around , searching for lunch before the otters wake up looking for their own crab feast! This whimsical design […]
December 2 Chows relocate to Hawaii – a new portrait is finished
This was such a fun commission to do and Ann gave me lots of space to let my creative juices flow!! We decided on a beach scene together in her favorite place, Hawaii. I used some photos of our own trip to Kauai to “fill in the blanks”. With a few adjustments, the original photo […]
December 1 December Textures
The month of November in all it’s colorful fanfare, makes way for December where textural elements in the landscape are more apparent and dramatic. These photos I took today on our walk with the dogs at our favorite Nature center in town. The reflections of the moss covered trees in a puddle on the path […]
November 30 Getting some new jewelry designs ready for auction!
I’ve been tossing around a lot of ideas in my head regarding my polymer clay jewelry, with no real time to actually sit down and experiment. Having some down time from my art is actually a good thing……it just gives inspiration a place to sneak in and take control! This druzy agate above I have […]
November 22 SANDRA MILLER STUDIO – INTERVIEW on the Zazzle Blog today!
A couple of weeks ago, I was checking my email and there was a note from Elizabeth Povarova-Simpson,…the associate’s Program Mentor on Zazzle’s Marketing team. She asked if I would be interested in being interviewed for this month’s Zazzle Featured Designer and Associate! I was over the moon, to say the least, and am so […]
November 19 A long needed facelift for the Sandra Miller Studio website
Over the past few years, the template I was using for my website had been degrading to the point that I finally had to stop everything in the studio to show some love to the website and blog. Since 2006 I thoroughly have enjoyed writing on my blog, and the past year I have really […]
October 10 NEW DESIGNS in my Zazzle Boutique for Fall and the Holiday season
THANK YOU ZAZZLE for offering such a sweet deal on cards, just as I am ready to introduce my new Holiday design for 2017!!!! This 40% OFF sale includes all greeting and note cards in my Zazzle boutique . The sale is good from 10/12/2016 – midnight PT 10/15/2017 – Use code: ZAZZALLCARDS during checkout. […]
February 3 New additions to the BINDI line, and photos from Astoria Oregon
Lovely Mz. Daeja owned by Valerie Gilb, modeling her new BINDI MINGSIE pillow cases!! If you haven’t been by my Zazzle Boutique lately you are in for a treat!! I have added a couple of new breeds to my BINDI line, including a PUG, SPRINGER SPANIEL, and on it’s way next week…(its about time) […]
January 12 A rare snowfall in Portland and a new WHINE glass auction coming soon!
This has been quite the winter so far in Portland Oregon with temperatures below normal which this week brought an incredible snowfall to our neighborhood! In my wildest dreams I could not have imagined my shed and the wrought iron tree beside it looking so amazing!!! As I look out into the back yard I […]
January 7 INSPIRATION FOR 2017 FROM THE OREGON COAST
.Hello my friends! Well the holidays are now in the rear view mirror and a New Year is laid out on a fresh new path ahead. I am getting very excited to get started on some of my new art endeavors that I have been daydreaming about while at the coast over our Xmas vacation . Below are […]
November 23 Giving the inside of the house a facelift for the holidays and art updates
ONNI IS PRETTY JAZZED ABOUT HIS NEW HALL RUNNERS AND FRESH PAINT It has been a busy busy year in the studio and I apologize for not being in touch more on the blog. I have been doing most of my updates and offering new items on my FACEBOOK PAGE since my blog started having technical issues. […]
April 7 SWAMP THING-Auction tomorrow on Facebook!! 4-08-15
PLEASE DO NOT BID HERE. BELOW FIND THE AUCTION PREVIEW VIDEO WITH MORE DETAILED PHOTOGRAPHS BELOW This very special one of a kind cut paper creation is unique in that it is completely self contained to display on a shelf or give as gift that will amaze the recipient as they open this surprise diorama […]
February 4 Laos…shopping shopping shopping
We do love going to markets on our vacations whether it be food, handcrafted goods or supplies. We love them all. The past few days we have been scoping out the markets and shops here, price comparing and bartering just a bit to get a feel for where we can get the best quality […]
February 1 KUANG SI FALLS, MOONBEARS AND BUTTERFLIES
What a fun day this was!!! Steve rented a Honda scooter for 20ish for the full day and we headed out of the city to one of the spectacular waterfalls which also was adjacent to the Moonbear Rescue and a new butterfly park. I was able to catch a few photos enroute on this 15 […]
January 31 Laos – Our bungalow in Luang Prabang
We sure love our digs here in Laos this week. Wow!!! This place is so serene and takes you away from the center of town (only about a mile away) to enjoy the river view and family gardens across the water. Roosters crowing everywhere, people chopping wood, monks chanting in the distance most of the […]
January 29 Tiny plastic stools….mean outstanding food in Hanoi
We do work up an appetite when we travel, averaging 8 miles a day on foot, dodging traffic, motorbikes etc and tend to eat well. Usually breakfast and a late lunch is all we eat but we FEAST during those two meals. We ended up doing a nighttime street food private tour with our […]
January 28 Hanoi- Cho Gom Bát Tràng Artisan pottery village
This village about 30 minutes outside of Hanoi city was a perfect choice to get a good look into local life and the craftsmanship of the villagers with not a tourist in sight…other than steve and myself. Many photos are below in a slideshow with a few highlighted on the blog with descriptions My mom […]
January 27 Hanoi- Worlds longest ceramic mural
Yesterday as the taxi drove us in from the airport to out hotel we were reminded of all the reasons we had return to this wonderful city and greeted with many new sights since our trip 10 years ago. One being this jaw dropping mural that lined a very long span of the highway. I […]
January 27 WE HAVE ARRIVED IN VIETNAM!!!!
What a whirlwind marathon this day has been…actually dayS if you count the timezone change as it is now Tuesday mid morning as I write to you flying over Shanghai China enroute to Hanoi Vietnam….almost a day ahead of the U.S. The 24 hours of flying with a couple of short layovers began in […]
January 21 A photographer’s delight….photographing my own family
Hello my friends, the trip back to Minnesota was a real whirlwind but the timing couldn’t be better to be there for my new grandson Milo’s birthday. I arrived on the 10th, Liz went into labor on her due date the 13th and Milo was born the next day January 14th, 2015. 7 lbs 5 […]
January 6 Mix and match travel garments…my favorite way to pack
Ok…so my clothes planning got a bit out of hand with these illustrations I created but when you only have room for a few key pieces of clothing in a carry on, you PLAN! I thought it would be fun to share a few of the mix and match pieces I have in my […]
January 1 Travel Basics..great finds for our upcoming journey
One of the most fun and challenging things about preparing for an overseas trip are making sure the ‘basics’ are still in good shape, or need tweeking. Each journey presents itself with a variety of unique requirements which usually means…SHOPPING!! Because I don’t drive, I spend countless hours surfing the net for travel board advice […]
December 15 THREE JOURNEYS ..ONE BIG ITINERARY
As we get ready to leave for our annual trip to the Oregon Coast with the fuzzheads (Lil and Onni) my head is spinning with all the preparations I need to make for the next 2 months ….and do most of it THIS WEEK!! I’m packing for our Xmas coast getaway , getting my clothes […]
December 8 Armchair Tourists Join Us – 2015 journey to Vietnam and Laos
With the flurry of holiday festivities in full swing, my husband Steve and I were challenged with making plans for our LONG AWAITED vacation together. It’s been 4 years since we have had the chance to get away as hubby and wife on one of our overseas adventures Planning needed to start ASAP to coordinate […]
November 13 CALIFORNIA PUPPY- A brand new design for the season
Hello friends, I can’t believe how fast this autumn has turned cold and wintry here in the Pacific NW and in many parts of Canada and the USA. As I stare out my studio window at shredded banana leaves in my garden from 65 mile an hour winds, I am already daydreaming of spring. I […]
November 6 LOCAL FALL COLOR JEWELRY INSPIRATION
This autumn has been a rainy one in Oregon but I don’t let that stop me for a moment. Outside I go with rain gear and camera in hand to capture the glory of our world-class gardens we are so fortunate to have within minutes of our home. Last weekend I visited the Lan Su […]
October 29 2015 CHOW ART CALENDAR …12 MONTHS OF CHOW
Of all the projects I work on each year, my CHOW ART CALENDAR is the one I look most forward to designing. All but one month was created in 2014 This calendar does not include my heARTdog series, which will be in their own book coming out Valentines Day 2015. In the calendar month previews […]
October 26 A SNOW DAY- 2014 CHOW HOLIDAY ARTWORK IS HERE!
Hello friends! I’ve been so busy in the studio working on heARTdog portraits and I wanted to make certain I set enough time aside to get my 2014 Chow Holiday Card out in time for early ordering. The models for the adorable painting are 2 puppies from my wonderful friend Diana Hillygus’ recent litter. I […]
August 21 MY DOLLS Limited Production Chow print now available
Many of my readers remember me from WAY back in my doll making days. My mom, dad and I created miniature versions of antique reproduction dolls …they made the porcelain, Mom created the hand stitched bodies ….and I did the dressing and wigging , one handsewn stitch at a time. This very special watercolor I […]
June 26 RUN WITH ME – new to the gift line
“RUN WITH ME” ©Sandra Miller 2014 One of my favorite things to do at the coast is to find a long sandy beach and just take off running. Not a “marathon” run….but a blissful sprint run. With my very limited eyesight It’s one of the few places I don’t have to watch my feet every […]
May 27 GARDEN TIME AND STUDIO NEWS
Hello my friends!! I hope by now spring has finally sprung in your part of the country as I know what an endurance test this winter was for so many. It’s been a long time since I’ve updated the blog and plan to get back on track starting TODAY. So many wonderful new projects are […]
December 19 Seasons Greetings from the Studio!
December 2 CYBER MONDAY EXCLUSIVE! New Watercolor print available this week only.
CYBER MONDAY EXCLUSIVE!! Watercolor reprint Limited Production PRICE $48.00 Free Shipping in Continental USA LIMITED PRODUCTION PRINT of an Original Watercolor by Sandra Miller 12” x 16” standard size on heavy satin finish archival paper Ready for framing and gift giving as a frameable artprint. This is a rare opportunity to own a reprint of […]
November 3 THIS OLD DOG IS UP TO SOME NEW TRICKS
This one of a kind image above is from the private collection of Sandra and Steve Miller©2013 Hello friends! It’s been a long time since I have updated here at the blog as I have been immersed in 2 huge new adventures that have been keeping me pretty busy….one of these projects led directly into […]
August 9 CHOW TIME WRISTWATCH AVAILABLE …LIMITED!!
A delicious new timepiece I just created is available through the month of August only!!! Click HERE to read more details and to reserve yours today!! You will also find some fun new jewelry items I also just completed in the studio on my ARTFIRE site!! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!! BELOW FIND A […]
June 11 YAPPY HOUR IS ALMOST HERE! ZIN-FUL jewelry UNCORKED on Wednesday
WELL MY FRIENDS… IT 'SHIRAZ' BEEN A FUN TIME IN THE STUDIO THIS PAST MONTH, AND THE YAPPY LAPPY HOUR IS ALMOST UPON US!!! WHERE: My Artfire Store http://graffitijewelry.com WHEN: Wines-day (Wednesday) June 12 1:00 PM PST (adjust for your time zone) CLICK THIS LINK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHOW AT MY ARTFIRE […]
June 8 JEWELRY INSPIRED BY WINE…UNCORKED WINES-DAY
ITS A PENDANT…IT’S A BROOCH…ITS TOTALLY UNCORKED WEARABLE ART!!! Just when you think you have seen it all! After our Paris trip, I was putting aside some of the wine corks I usually save from our special bottles and the inspiration hit me like a truckload of grapes heading to the winery…REPURPOSE these artistic little […]
May 27 SLIDESHOW FROM PARIS AND A NEW AUCTION
WOW DID I NEED THE BOWL OF COFFEE THAT MORNING IN PARIS Take a seat and relax…grab an espresso or a glass of your favorite French vintage, and enjoy all 350 images in one place, from our recent trip to France and a day in Amsterdam. Thanks so much to all of you who followed […]
May 8 MEET ME IN PARIS…for my birthday vacation!
Its that time again my friends, for a new adventure and roadtrip…this time to a romantic spring fling in Paris! It began as a short business trip for hubby Steve and ended up being extended to a bit of a vacation for both of us. We have been to Paris a number of times and […]
December 12 UNDER THE TEMPLE BELLS SALE- THAILAND JEWELRY!!!
WHERE: MY FACEBOOK PAGE WHEN: MONDAY 12/17/12 ITEMS WILL BE LISTED 10 AM PST – 4 PM PST This personally curated collection of exotic 'travel find' necklaces were hand chosen by myself with the help of my travel friends on my recent holiday in Northern Thailand, and are surprisingly lightweight, rich in ethnic colors […]
November 26 ARMCHAIR TOURISTS…ARE YOU READY FOR A NEW ADVENTURE?
Sawatdee my friends!! Before I get too excited and off track talking about this new adventure, I wanted to remind everyone that the EBAY AUCTIONS will be closing tonight starting at 6:00 PM PST (adjust for your time zone) . These 15 items will be the last I am offering for the holiday season and […]
November 22 BLACK FRIDAY SANDRA MILLER STUDIO EBAY AUCTIONS
Since I know so many of you will be hitting the malls early on Black Friday, I decided to start these THREE DAY LISITINGS later in the day at 6:00 PM PACIFIC TIMEZONE (9 EASTERN -8 CENTRAL). The auctions will be spaced 5 minutes apart so you will need to refresh your screen at THIS […]
October 26 REVONTULET… PAINTING WITH LIGHT ON LEATHER!
ABOVE IS A FINNISH LAPPHUND LEATHER WALLET I NAMED “REVONTULET” TO CELEBRATE THE NEW LINE REVONTULET…the Finnish word describing the AURORA BOREALIS. In Finnish Lapland, where the Northern Lights are seen in the sky up to 200 nights per year, they are called “revontulet”, which means “fox fires” An ancient Finnish folk fable tells of […]
October 16 YOUR DOG HERE….WEARABLE ARF….Custom purses
Hello my friends!! As I enjoy these crisp autumn days I have been beyond productive in the studio, preparing for the holiday season to come. One thing I have had in the back of my mind for months now has been custom accessories with your own dogs featured in the designs. Thank you Maiya […]
September 24 WINGIN’ IT…Introducing my NEW FALL LINE!
Shop Announcement DOORS OPEN AT 4:00 PM (PST), TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2012 with a new selection of scrumptious pendants and necklaces, created from polymer clay and resin. SHOPPING WILL BE AT THIS LINK http://graffitijewelry.com/ Mouth watering colors for fall and winter and priced for gift giving as well. All are completely […]
August 15 INQUISITIVE YU- A Limited Edition Panda Necklace
“INQUISITIVE YU.”…Limited Edition of 6 Panda necklaces with 10% being donated towards the BAMBOO PROJECT at This summer is rolling by so fast I can’t believe how fun it’s been. The new puppy is keeping us busy between obedience classes and daily walks. Lillian is really loving this boy more and more each day as […]
July 15 BABIES MAKE YOUR HEART BIGGER!
MY SON BRYAN WITH HIS SON, JACK EVERETT PYNN As my Facebook followers know already, Steve and I have 2 very specials blessings that have come into our lives in June. It was an incredibly busy month as I stayed in Minnesota with mom mom/family , awaiting the birth of my first grandbaby!!! JACK […]
May 30 DO YOU KNOW YOUR SUOMENLAPINKOIRA? GOT YOUR ATTENTION?
THE “ABBA” LITTER. FINNISH LAPPHUND PUPPIES BRED BY BEARSPAW KENNEL (puppy pix ©2012 Bearspaw Kennel) My dear friends, I have some wonderful news I am FINALLY ready to share with you all, even though Steve and I have been keeping this under our hats for a couple of months. As you all know, this year […]
May 26 The Redtailed Hawk babies..Class of 2012
For those of you who don’t follow my Facebook page and have been missing this year’s Redtailed Hawk babies in my neighborhood, here are some fun photos to get you up to speed!! Above is a shot of one of the chicks hanging onto the nest as he exercises his wings. We had 3 […]
May 23 W(h)ine and Chocolate inspired! Two new designs
What a random act of "Chowness" our adventure to the coast was 2 weeks ago when Steve surprised Lil and I with a birthday trip to Lincoln City Oregon. We stayed at an awesome "dog friendly" hotel called THE LOOKING GLASS INN at the junction of the bay and the ocean and had we the […]
April 24 WOODCHIP WEEK AND A WEEKEND GETAWAY
As the Trunk Show dust settles I immediately jump into my next project which is to get the garden ready for the year. One of the most relaxing "jobs" for me is hauling the 8 yards of cedar chips into the pathways and inside front garden. They are relatively lightweight in the wheelbarrow and it's […]
April 15 Back to the garden and a huge THANK YOU!
ASSEMBLING PRIORITY MAIL BOXES AND LINING WITH GREEN TISSUE..JUST A HINT OF THINGS TO COME I want to first thank you all for making this 2012 Graffiti Jewelry Trunk Show the most exciting event yet. All of last week's jewelry purchases have been lovingly wrapped, given a goodbye kiss and sent off into the world […]
April 10 TRUNK SHOW TOMORROW..SHOPPING STRATEGY AND COUPON
HOW TO SHOP THE TRUNK SHOW – WEDNESDAY APRIL 11TH FIRST THINGS FIRST..GET YOUR COFFEE OR TEA! Note the show times above and that they are at two separate locations TRUNK SHOW PREVIEW is at my FACEBOOK PAGE ALSO VIEWABLE AFTER 10AM PST AT GRAFFITI JEWELRY ON BLOG TAB TRUNK SHOW SALE is […]
April 7 HAPPY EASTER…2 EBAY AUCTIONS FOR SPRINGTIME
Ahhhhh…. all the Trunk Show items are in place and ready to go on April 11. I just finished the preview and descriptions today and am I feeling great!! I can't wait for you all to see the amazing variety of jewelry I've done this year!!! Now it's time to relax for this Easter weekend […]
April 1 JEWELRY SHOW PRIMER: ABOUT MY TECHNIQUES
My muse and quality control consultant, Mz. Lillian, has witnessed the creation of every single piece of jewelry I have made for this upcoming show. The sleepless nights because my mind was racing with ideas….the long days of wanting to play when I was in the middle of sculpting a muzzle….she sees it all and […]
March 30 CHOW JEWELRY SHOW-SCHEDULE AND DETAILS
Hello my friends…Spring has sprung here in Portland Oregon, but along with it the rains are back. I was just listening to the local news and we are expecting up to 5 inches of rain on the coast and 3 in the city. As hard as it is to have things soggy all the time, […]
March 13 PLEASE NOTE: Date change for the upcoming Trunk Show
Hello everyone!! Just a quick note to give you all a heads up that the Trunk Show date has moved up from Tuesday, April 3, to WEDNESDAY APRIL 11th. There will still be plenty of time for shipments to go out for arrival before the Chow National and it gives me an extra week to […]
March 1 Trunkshow Teaser and a coastal getaway with Liz
I know I've been quiet for a while but for very fun reasons!! First, I have been completely immersed in creating some incredible items for the Trunkshow on April 3rd. It will be one of the best ones yet. I still haven't gotten the exact times worked out but will get those details wrapped up […]
February 11 MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE 2012 VIRTUAL TRUNK SHOW!
OOOOOH I can feel it…a taste of spring is in the air, as she keeps luring us outdoors with this extra mild winter we are having. Our camera shy Lillian below is loving every moment of the sunny bliss as I caught her in a rare moment as we were sitting on mats out […]
January 31 Goodbye dear Gracie
December 14 My Bathroom Facelift with a Balinese twist
Happy December my friends!! It took me half a month to get around to saying that but I've been up to my elbows in projects. First I want to thank everyone who took advantage of my Pet portrait special. I will show you all the results after Christmas as most of the portraits are […]
November 14 Pet Portrait Special through November..a rare opportunity
This is the sweetest deal of the year and just in time for holiday gift giving!! I want to work with you to capture your pet in their "everyday" moments, as seen through YOUR camera lens infused with MY digital painter's palette and muses. I am only able to take a limited number of orders […]
November 12 Speechless! Portland Japanese Garden on Veterans Day
I soooooo wish you all could have been at the PORTLAND JAPANESE GARDEN with me yesterday !!! This spectacular display put on by Mom Nature, brought me to tears a number of times during my 3 1/2 hour photoshoot on a very crisp autumn day. Thank goodness for silk long johns!! The only part of […]
November 12 HOT OFF THE PRESSES!! Brand new Chow items
CHOW ART CALENDAR 2012 by Sandra Miller I have been very busy at work getting some new items created for my Zazzle store for your holiday shopping fun!! This first wave of items are Chow relate but I have much more on the way as far as other animal, garden and travel themed pieces. This […]
November 4 THE BROW STUDIO-PHOTOSHOOT IMAGES
Wow does time fly by!!! It seems like yesterday I was in Minneapolis visiting family and taking these fun photos. My daughter Liz is good friends with Brook Schlosser (center) who was the owner of THE BROW STUDIO in Minneapolis. Tiffany (left-co founder) and Kayla (right) along with Brook are licensed estheticians and master brow […]
October 16 MORE FUN THAN SHOULD BE ALLOWED…THE MAKING OF OF A WINERY PROMO
Today started like any other Sunday but quickly morphed into a wine adventure of a very unique kind!! With a Facebook nudge from Tom and Kate of DIVISION WINE MAKING COMPANY we didn't skip a beat and answered their call for helpers. Little did we know they had a film and sound crew on site […]
October 12 THE VULTURES ARE CIRCLING…LITERALLY!
Can you imaging my surprise yesterday when Steve calls me on the cell phone as I'm sitting at my computer and says "GET OUT HERE!" ….I sez "GET OUT WHERE?"…..he sez "THE DRIVEWAY" I run outside and ask whats up and he points to the sky and says "BIRDS"… OMG there were at least 50 […]
October 9 THE WEDGE AND THE HOPS….2 FESTIVALS IN ONE DAY!
SOME OUTFITS SIMPLY SHOULDN'T BE WORN TO BEER FESTIVALS…THIS IS ONE OF THEM!! FRIENDS LESLIE AND BOB We had such a wonderful time yesterday at two Portland festivals. The first just Steve and I went to in the morning and it was called THE WEDGE Unbelievable artisan cheeses from all over the western U.S. […]
September 29 VINTAGE WHINE….new limited production earrings
I absolutley adore creating these kind of limited production jewelry pieces!!!. I could never dream of doing "only one", as they take a long time to work out the design, perfect the technique and have the materials on hand. These light as a feather earrings are limited to 12 pair, based on the number of […]
September 23 A GIRLS DAY IN THE PARK..PHOTOSHOOT OF MY DAUGHTER
Hello my friends!! I am now back in Oregon and trying to catch up on all sorts of projects including pulling together the best images from my photoshoots to deliver them adjusted and cropped to my clients. One of the really fun things I love to do with the best of the best images from […]
September 14 TIME FLIES WHEN YOU ARE HAVING FUN!
Hello friends!! I have been so busy this past week at my moms house there has been little time to post on the blog, but I wanted to show you a few pix from the Reniassance Festival and the above image from a photoshoot I did this week at a beautiful brow studio ….lots more […]
September 8 ARCHIVING THE MESSER LEGACY….and discovering a piece of myself
ABOVE…ONE OF DADS MOST STUNNING WHEELTHROWN POTS FROM HAND DUG N.D. CLAY Hello everyone..I hope you all had the best Labor Day weekend ever!!! I arrived at my moms in Minnesota on Tuesday and we have been catching up bigtime as well as with my kids! Its always so nice to come home for a […]
September 2 HOMEWARD BOUND…AND A VERY SPECIAL PENDANT EDITION
Hello friends!!! As we head into the Labor Day holiday weekend I wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy time!!! Its hard to believe this summer is over so fast….with our "Juneuary" here in Oregon it seems it has only gotten started!! Before I forget I want to update my blog viewers […]
August 29 BAMBOO PLAYGROUND…a panda jewelry fundraiser
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE EARRINGS AND MANY BRAND NEW ITEMS AVAILABLE TODAY!! WOW …..these are some of the most boo-tiful earrings I've ever done for more than one reason. FIRST, this is a fundraiser. You know how I love to do panda fundraisers!!! US $5.00 of the profit from each of these pair of […]
August 22 EBAY AUCTION, NEW NECKLACE……AND “SOMEBODY’S DOG” FEATURE PIX
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE AUCTION…BIDDING CLOSES Aug 23, 2011 14:55:55 PDT This has got to be one of my all time favorite jewelry designs EVER. I had such a huge response on these photos on Facebook that a number of friends asked to order a similar one. Unfortunately this bracelet has decided that […]
August 18 GOODNESS GRACIE-OUS SALE! Less than half off on many jewelry items
This is just a quick update from Gracie to get the word to you that I have listed a small number of Chow and other jewelry items which were misplaced in a box when I went to the National Specialty. I finally discovered them tucked away safely in their cases and decided to run a […]
August 11 LETS GO FLY A KITE….MORE NYE BEACH PLAYTIME
Hello Friends!! Well this trip went by far too fast but we fit in an amazing amount of fun , food and family time while we were at the coast. One of the most fun days for all of us was Kite Flying Day on Nye beach. We got up early, went for our […]
August 10 A FEW COASTAL VIDEOS TO TIDE YOU OVER…pardon the bad pun
I have so many incredible photos of the coast to show you and got very behind on my blogging because we have been just too busy to for me even load my pix on the computer. I will be working on images tomorrow and posting all sorts of fun things later in the day. In […]
August 7 CHARTING NEW TERRITORY…OCEAN FISHING
ABOVE: THIS IS STEVES NEPHEW “ANDERS” LOOKING QUITE THE SPORTSMAN We certainly had a full day today, getting up at 4:30 AM to meet with our fishing boat captain for a 5 hour bottom fishing excursion. We had initially set out to do salmon fishing but the salmon were not cooperating so we went for […]
August 6 OREGON COAST DAY TWO…PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES GALORE
Today is a beautiful August day on the Oregon coast, with so much to do its hard to know where to turn first. We started the day with a visit to the Newport Farmers Market where all produce is local…and all craft items are local and handmade as well. We met the most wonderful people […]
August 5 DRIVING OREGON COAST HIGHWAY 101 TO NYE BEACH
CLICK ANY OF THE PHOTOS BELOW TO ENLARGE AND START SLIDE SHOW! The weather on our drive to Nye Beach today couldn’t have been any more perfect!!! We left Portland about 9:30 AM and headed to Hwy 101 through Tillamook. The sun was bright at the beach and foggy inland. A reverse from what it […]
August 4 GOIN’ COASTAL AGAIN..visiting with Steves sister and family!
Ahoy everyone!!! We are off again on another adventure….this time practically in our own back yard, showing Steves sister’s family our beautiful state of Oregon. Christine and her husband and family are visiting from Minnesota for a week and we decided to share a beautiful condo rental on the coast. We have never done […]
July 31 TEMPLE BELLS FROM THAILAND….and more garden decor
ABOVE PHOTO TAKEN IN MY GARDEN TODAY OF ONE OF 7 NEW ARTISAN MADE TEMPLE BELLS FROM EK From the first time we traveled to Thailand years ago, there is something that has always mesmerized me about those hundreds of bronze or brass bells that line the elegant rooflines of the temples, from Grande to […]
July 24 ITS NOT EASY BEING CLEAN….Gracie gets a bath today
We had a wonderfu weekend visiting friends at the Mt. Hood Chow Chow Club Specialty show , which I will post about later, but Gracie had a special request to show off her clean bod on the blog! Inspired by all the lovely clean chowlings at the show!!!! Take it away GRACIE!!! […]
July 20 ADD A TOUCH OF SAFFRON…Our bathroom transformation
This little 8×8′ bath is attached to our master bedroom while the larger bath is down the hallway. I think this originally was part of a breezeway that was converted at a later time on our 1955 ranch. The skylight has always been a nice feature but the bathroom itself has needed a facelift […]
July 13 OUR HOUSE…in the middle of our street. A NEW VIDEO of the house transformation
You all knew it was coming!!!! I’ve been diligently taking photos of every phase of the house facelift to ultimately do a timeline video, and I just got it completed today!! You will see a number of brand new shots taken yesterday towards the end of the video that show the BEFORE and AFTER […]
July 11 HOUSE AND GARDEN UPDATE…Asian Influence with a French Accent
Below are some of the updates we did to the garden and house over the weekend. We were surprised after visiting the local French Festival (Bastille Day Celebration) how over the years we have managed to fuse two of our favorite cultures together quite unintentionally in our decorating. Somehow the Provence France tablecloths and the […]
July 9 SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS…Baby Hawk finds a perch with a view
Happy Saturday everyone!!! Yesterday was a wonderful day in many ways. First, it was Steves and my 17th Anniversary….WOW time flies when you are having fun!! It seems like yesterday when I met Steve for the first time at a Chow fun match! As we were getting ready to go out for a wonderful dinner […]
July 5 MIRROR MIRROR ON THE HOUSE…some fun finishing touches for our outdoor space
If I had the chance to do nothing but fixing up outdoor spaces it would fulfill a lifelong dream!! There is nothing better than being outdoors AND being creative at the same time. Incorporating the house, garden and “exterior decorating” to bring the indoors “out” probably grew from my living in smaller homes (by choice) […]
July 3 HAPPY JULY 4TH!!!….Some garden sizzle and Independence Day nostalgia
I PURCHASED THESE 3 CHICKADEES AT THE DOLLAR TREE STORE TODAY…THEY RESIN AND ARE SO REALISTIC!! I hope you all had the BEST weekend ever!! Steve and I got so much done around the yard and house this weekend it was awesome….all the while being entertained by the hawks and squinting our eyes at the […]
July 2 TAKING WING…Baby hawk Cayenne makes another appearance
ABOVE IS OUR BEAUTIFUL CAYENNE FLYING TOWARDS HER PARENTS CONSTANT CALLS (CLICK HERE TO SEE PREVIOUS POST ABOUT THIS FLEDGLING IN MY GARDEN) After a couple of weeks of my looking to the trees and listening intently to hear any evidence of baby hawks on the ground (the robins and jays are happy to oblige […]
June 28 TO EVERYTHING TERN TERN TERN….vintage garden art redo and deja vu too
MY 1950’S GARAGE SALE FIND TAKES A “TERN” FOR THE BETTER WITH A FRESH FACELIFT THE PREVIOUS COLOR OF THE TERNS This piece is about 5 feet long and is hand cut and welded brass. For the past 12 years I had painted it coral and pink and it was called “ONE GOOD TERN DESERVES […]
June 26 EVERYTHING’S COMING UP ROSES…My new lens and I go on a field trip
The Portland International Test Rose Garden is one of the most beautiful places I can imagine and it is just a few miles from our house in Portland. This has been a slow , cold and rainy spring and the roses are coming on late….and as always…. never disappoint!!!! I was there at about 9:00 […]
June 21 LOOKING INTO THE EYE OF A HAWK…Happy Summer Solstice
The first day of Summer started out pretty much like any other orange house painting day with the exception of one incredible surprise!! The guys got here early to finish the painting and I opened the gates for them as usual. About a minute later they are at my front door to let me know […]
June 20 ORANGE WITH BLACK ACCENTS!…Mom Nature knows best!!
ABOVE: MY POPPIES STARTED TO BLOOM YESTERDAY There are those times when as an artist you just have to let Mother Nature choose your palette, and in choosing our house colors this was one of them! You all have seen my zillions of photos of orange and red poppies and know I use these colors […]
June 18 A VISITOR TO THE ORANGE HOUSE…Barklay makes himself at home
Now I can’t tell you if it’s the new Halloween orange paint or some other kind of welcome sign that maybe Gracie painted that lured our neighbors black cat Barklay into the house, but he sure made himself at home in our bathroom today.!! Gotta love that cat!!! ABOVE: CUTIE BARKLAY MUDDIE […]
June 16 SORRY BOYS!!…Gracie beat ya to it. Orange you thrilled with her skills!
GRACIE LOVES HER ORANGE PAINT AND COULDN’T RESIST PAINTING HER OWN GRAFFITI ON THE WALL Today was a busy day for the painting crew and Gracie too! The guys came here early and finished sanding and patching then masked off all the windows so they could start with our trim paint. The masking was so […]
June 15 PREPPING THE HOUSE FOR PAINTING…plus an addition to the palette
THE HOUSE IS JUST A REPRESENTATION OF A SIMILAR RANCH TO OURS USING THE SHERWIN WILLIAMS VISUALIZER ABOVE IS THE NEW ADDITION TO THE COLOR PALETTE….JET BLACK GUTTERS/TRIM AND DOORS Yay…onto the second phase of the transformation!! Yesterday the crew came by and gave the house a washing then today they removed the storm […]
June 12 PHASE ONE OF THE HOUSE PAINTING HAS BEGUN!!!
Gracie has certainly got something to say about what her choice of color is when PACIFIC COAT PAINTING comes to paint our house. Of course you all know I have said many times in the past that “Orange is my Neutral”, and Mz. Gracie agrees………this colors goes with EVERYTHING ….. especially our garden. After such […]
June 9 A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH THE BUDWEISER CLYDESDALES!!!
Wow…talk about a random act of kindness!! How did this horse handler from the Budweiser team, know how dearly I have wanted to see the Clydesdales up close and personal…seriously, since I can remember I have been fascinated with these cookie cutter giant creatures!!! Well of all things, we were going out for a brewski […]
June 7 FOUND A PEANUT FOUND A PEANUT JUST NOW!
THE SCRUB JAY WAS ABOUT 3 FEET FROM ME WHEN I TOOK THIS SHOT. THEY ARE VERY BOLD! Yesterday I was waiting for the guy to get here for an exterior house painting estimate and enjoying my redecorating job in the front yard when I spotted the jays and squirrels peering out from the […]
June 1 HELLO DALI….A VERY SPECIAL PORTRAIT OF A VERY SENIOR KITTY
One of the fun perks of “LIKE”ing my studio FACEBOOK PAGE is that you get in on some impromptu specials and events that I only announce on that page. Recently I put out this call in the screenshot below which was filled in about 10 minutes! To make a long story short, I finished the […]
May 29 MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND..BREAKING IN THE NEW FURNITURE
My friends, I hope you are having a fun and safe Memorial Day Weekend!! We are still sitting in 50 degree temps and rain most of the time here in Portland but we just can’t let that stop us. Today the “ladies” Gracie and Lillian were “chillin” in the new furniture for an impromptu photoshoot, […]
May 25 MY NEW GARDEN FURNITURE HAS ARRIVED! YIPPEE!!
I am so excited today!!! My resin wicker furniture I ordered has arrived and talk about a gorgeous and well made set!!! I ordered this set which included the cushions (I had the pillows already) from MY DREAM COME TRUE MART via Amazon.com. Every single part of the transaction was perfection, from a request for […]
May 21 Crimson Clover …over and over. A perfect day in the Willamette Valley
We had a wonderful afternoon today just taking our time visiting 2 of our favorite wineries….Belle Pente and Brickhouse. The CRIMSON CLOVER you see is grown often as a cover crop to be plowed in to enrich the soil for later crops of vegetables etc. It’s a sight to behold every May in Oregon […]
May 8 HAPPY MOTHERS DAY ….TIME TO GET MY HANDS DIRTY IN THE GARDEN
ABOVE IS A MOSAIC I DID OF WANDA YEARS AGO AND IT STILL IS HOLDING UP GREAT As far as I am concerned, May is the best month of the year!! Not only are all my plant friends coming back to visit me but my birthday is mid month (May 12) too!! I adore the […]
April 26 A SIDE TRIP TO VENICE….SHOPPING TEMPTATIONS EVERYWHERE!
A SHOP FULL OF VENETIAN MASKS At the last minute, Ek and I decided to stay 2 nights in Venice instead of Milan and we sure are glad we did. Tourism was slow this time of year which makes it the ONLY time I would want to visit this insanely beautiful and delicious city on […]
April 24 2011 ITALY CHOW NATIONAL…A SLIDESHOW
Wow what a week we had in Italy and I am just now getting my photos organized well enough to start blogging. I returned home on Friday and have so much to fill you in on. As happens more often than not, the wifi does not work as well in other countries as it does […]
April 22 VINEYARDS AND CASTLES/LAKE GARDA ITALY
OUR BOAT CAPTAIN TOOK THIS SHOT. WE HAVE BECOME EXPERTS AT THE “TOURIST” PHOTO POSE Ciao my friends. Wow what a wonderful day we had. First a really relaxing morning shopping in the cobblestone alleyways, for designer goodies, they a stroll around the Piazza to take in all the sites, sounds and smells of the […]
April 22 VERONA ITALY DAY ONE
Finally I get a chance to post yesterday’s photos We arrived in Milan at 8:00 AM at the airport and then our driver picked us up for a 2 hour drive to Verona. Ooooo the drive through some of the vineyards made me wish Steve could be here for wine tastings. The house wine at […]
April 20 CHOW NATIONAL PHOTOS …ENROUTE TO ITALY!
ABOVE IS “PAUL” BREEDER OWNER HANDLED BY BILL BUELL No sooner do I get my clothes unpacked and washed and I am off and running again…..on my way to Italy and the Italian National Chow Specialty. The entry is phenomenal and the weather promises to be sunny and in the 70’s . Ideal Chow weather […]
April 17 SONOMA DAY 2
Apologies for not keeping up on the blog on our National Specialty trip. These dog shows are always so filled from morning to nighttime with events it is hard to find time to do anything else but try to catch a good night’s sleep. The show was a wonderful time seeing all the lovely dogs […]
April 11 FIRST DAY IN SONOMA
Well I managed to run out of time to do much text right now because the photos took 2 hours to work on and load, but I will add more about the winery’s later. We met up with our friends Diana from Iowa and Valerie from southern CA yesterday and spent the day winery hopping. […]
April 9 CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME…..ON THE ROAD TO SONOMA
Well we are on the road and heading to Sonoma California to meet up with our friends Diana (Gracies mom from Iowa) and Valerie (another awesome chow friend from southern Calif.) to spend the weekend wine tasting in Sonoma before heading the the Chow National in Sacramento next week. The drive was absolutely breathtaking […]
April 6 CIAO FOR NOW-HITTING THE ROAD AGAIN
SPRING IS FINALLY SHOWING IT’S COLORS!! Hello my friends!! It’s been a little while since I’ve had a chance to blog and in a few days you will be seeing much more from Graffiti Gossip. I am heading off on a whirlwind Chow National tour!! First to our CCCI National Specialty show in Sacramento, California […]
March 28 NOW THIS is A-DOOR-ABLE…
BE SURE TO FIND MY LATEST ADDITIONS TO THE ARTFIRE STORE TODAY IN RIGHT SIDEBAR! This fundraising project I happily agreed to do for our friends who’s talented daughter Natasha is in a local pre-professional dance company. The fundraiser is based aroiund Turning Old Doors into New Art. Each door will be unique and represent […]
March 13 CHOW TRUNK SHOW ….SCHEDULE-STRATEGIES-SHIPPING COUPON
The most challenging part of planning an online event featuring of ONE OF A KIND artwork, is the usual fast purchasing pace we have experienced at my past Trunk Shows. LinksIn every cart system I’ve used, the same rules apply….the first person who goes through checkout with a given item ……gets the goods. Kind of […]
March 9 TRUNK SHOW IS AROUND THE CORNER!
IMPORTANT NOTE: THE ACTUAL SALE DOES NOT START UNTIL 7:00 PM EST (4:00 PM PST) AT THIS LINK The Chow Jewelry Trunk Show is less than a week away and I have been insanely busy photographing and listing all the items in the store (still set on “invisible) . If you missed my newsletter last […]
February 8 Guestroom is getting close to done! Lots of pix
THE NEW DRESSING ROOM IN IT’S FINAL STAGES OF “DRESSING UP” I can’t believe I am finally winding down with this room remodel. I wish I had taken BEFORE pix as it was the worst shade of mauve/pink you could possibly imagine. As my daughter said…like dirty Pepto Bismol. It never got a coat of […]
January 30 Farewell Dear Meg….our hearts are broken
It took me over a week to get this blog post written. I wanted to let you all know we had to say our goodbyes to Meg a week ago Friday due to complications from a mystery stomach issue. I tried with everything in my being to make things right..make her better, but Meg suddenly […]
January 6 January 4-5…A taste of Hong Kong
THE BEAUTIFUL JUNK BOATS ON HONG KONG HARBOR Nothing screams out Hong Kong like the vintage Junk boats that grace the harbor here in Hong Kong. Combined with container ships, wooden fishing boats, cruise liners and various other water craft it makes for an ever changing spectacle on water, 24/7 The past two days we […]
January 4 Janauary 3..our last day in Bali and dinner with Annie
ON A BEAUTIFUL CORAL SAND BEACH WEARING ONE OF ANNIES DESIGNS Wow what a difference a day makes! Yesterday we were walking the coral sands of the Bali coastline with 90 plus temps and 90 plus humidity…today we are in Hong Kong and the temps are in the mid 50s….ooooooooh this is going to take […]
January 2 January 2..Monkeying around in an artisans paradise
What a great time we had today with our guide/driver/friend Komang as we meandered through the very cute Ubud area of Bali, returning to the bone carver we saw 2 days ago to purchase a wonderful selection of bear, sea turtle, owl etc carvings to make into jewelry. The carver brought us into his studio.which […]
January 1 January 1…Beach stroll,mango daquiri and a chow…life is good!
We were warned that New Years day the traffic would be too crazy as well as too many shops and sights closed to warrant hiring our driver for the day, so we chose to “taxi it” around and head for the beaches. A warm rain began to fall and we popped into a beach side […]
December 31 December 31…New Years Eve relaxing at the villa
There is not much more I can add that the photos don’t already say. A hot and steamy day made for a perfect excuse to do NOTHING….absolutely NOTHING but relax for the first day this entire holiday so far. The little puppy you see in the photos is named Sawa (sp?) and was rescued by […]
December 30 DECEMBER 30…A Tour of Bali and the handcrafts
STEVE AND I WITH SOME OF THE BALI RICE TERRACES BEHIND US Today is New Years Eve in Bali and we are taking advantage of a heavy traffic day to kick back, stay at “home” in our paradise villa, listen to the frogs, play with puppies and catch up on blogging and emails. 2 weeks […]
December 29 We arrived in Bali yesterday…Bangkok Floating market pix
WE WOKE UP TO A FRESH EARLY MORNING WARM THUNDER SHOWER AND ROOSTERS Hello from beautiful tropical Bali. I can tell you right now my kids would love this place. Soooooo laid back , scenic and colorful. An artists and photograpers paradise!! I got a day behind in posting photos of the floating market in […]
December 28 December 27…Chow puppy day!
Oooooh there is nothing better than being up to your ears in chow babies and yesterday was that day!! Our friend Ek brought his 7 puppies from 3 litters, all around 3 months old to the Rose Garden and we had a mini dog show! Steve and I went over each freshly fluffed and buffed […]
December 26 December 26-Orchid Farm and Sunday Walking Market
AT THE ORCHID FARMS IN CHIANG MAI THAILAND I’m writing this from the Rose Garden Resort in Bangkok Thailand, overlooking the river and listening to exotic birds in the banana trees! We spent yesterday the 26th doing things relatively close by the Baan Orapin as we needed to get to the airport by 5:00 PM […]
December 25 December 25..Christmas Dinner Thai Cooking School style
STEVE IS REALLY GETTING INTO HIS MORTAR AND PESTLE CURRY PASTE Greetings from Chiang Mai …the day after Christmas, Thai time. Yesterday we decided to spend Christmas day preparing our own feast at the THAI FARM COOKING SCHOOL which is so highly rated on Trip Advisor…for good reason! We were picked up by the school […]
December 25 December 24, A day with remote hilltribes
I am slightly behind in my updates because of the hours we are keeping. We leave Baan Orapin each day at 8:00 AM and don’t return until 6:00 pM. After a shower and quick dinner we return to find the internet not working after 10:00 PM so I have been posting in the early morning […]
December 24 December 23,2010 Elephant Nature Park
Hello virtual Holiday Travelers!!! Are you all having a wonderful Christmas week? Steve and I are still in Chiang Mai Thailand, tuning ourselves to the rhythm of the city. For a large SE Asia city, Chiang Mai has an interesting “small town” neighborhood style vibe. The pace is upbeat and vibrant yet never rushed feeling. […]
December 23 December 23, Visiting Bhubing Palace and Wat Doi Suthep
Yesterday was another picture perfect day filled with Chiang Mai adventures with Ekarat and our guide Pat. We got up early and headed to Bhubing Palace which is the mountain residence of the King and Royal Family. It is a fabulous garden setting at the top of the mountain overlooking Chiang Mai You will see […]
December 21 December 22…A DAY SHOPPING FOR HANDCRAFTS
What an incredible day it was today (December 21). After retrieving Ek from the airport, Pat drove us to have an outstanding lunch overlooking a little pond. We were the only people in the place and we ate a number of traditional dishes….all local favorites and not toned down for tourists and spicy to the […]
December 20 DECEMBER 21, We are in Chiang Mai!
Greetings from Baan Orapin Guesthouse in Chiang Mai Thailand. It was quite the marathon to get here and I slept all of 1/2 hour in 72 hours…but last night in my teak bed I was one happy camper. Slept from 8:00 PM until 7 AM today!! I’m ready to rumble!! THESE ARE ALL IPHONE PHOTOS..THE […]
December 19 DECEMBER 20 15 HOURS FLIGHT TIME AND COUNTING
Hello everyone, We are on our way to Chiang Mai Thailand via the “scenic route.” Portland to Los Angeles, then to Narita Japan, and Hong Kong. We spent the night in Hong Kong, then whisked off to Bangkok Thailand to our final destination Chiang Mai Thailand today. Internet access has been sketchy, so the best […]
December 15 SEE YOU IN CHIANG MAI!!…added more travel features on blog
I am doing final tweeks to the blog in preparation for our departure which includes adding a map to the right hand sidebar. As we visit places around Asia I put Steve in charge of geotagging our locations via the Iphone and FOURSQUARE. Our most recent site we have visited will be the one you […]
December 9 ITINERARY-Checking all blogging systems for the trip!!
Hello everyone….I’m getting so excited about our trip next week and I hope you are getting geared up to travel with us too! All the beads and paints are being put away in the studio this weekend so I can start with a tidy workspace in the New Year. As you know, when we return […]
November 29 ARMCHAIR TOURISTS…are you ready for a winter getaway?
My friends….what a Thanksgiving week it was ….from the moment my hubby Steve told me we were going to Indonesia as part of our 3 week upcoming trip I have been going crazy researching Bali (where we will be setting up home base) Our trip will include a full week in Chiang Mai Thailand, a […]
November 25 NEW BLACK FRIDAY DEAL EVERY 2 HOURS at the Bamboo Teahouse!
GRACIE THINKING “OUTISIDE THE BOX FOR HER HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING IDEAS I’m going straight to the Nitty Gritty of this Black Friday Email post…..see the OUTRAGEOUSLY CRAZY deals at my BAMBOO TEAHOUSE below…CLICK HERE to enter the store!!! HAVE A BLAST SHOPPING FOR GIFTS AND FUN GOODIES FOR YOURSELF, DOG SHOW TROPHIES, JUDGES GIFTS AND […]
November 14 21 new porcelain ornament/pendants in the Teahouse!!
ABOVE IS A PHOTOSHOP GENERATED EXAMPLE OF HOW THE ORNAMENTS WILL CONVERT TO A STUNNING PENDANT Oh how I love it when Zazzle comes out with a new product, and this one is right up my alley!! They are custom porcelain ornaments featuring some of my most popular artworks, and the design is on BOTH […]
October 28 Gokouun o inorimasa..Good Luck Shibas!!
One of the hardest kind of secrets for me to keep are when I do commissions for gifts or for awards. They almost always involve zipping my lips for months into well over a year in the case of dog show trophies!! Well this is one secret that can now be let out!! Today begins […]
October 18 ARMCHAIR WINERY TOUR…and have you seen whats in your BLINDSPOT?
HEADING INTO THE FAMOUS DUNDEE HILLS REGION Autumn is in the air and we are thoroughly enjoying the crisp nights and warm sunny days, with the promise of awesome future wine vintages in the air as we go on our wine country drives to watch the harvest. Are you ready for a pictorial roadtrip from […]
September 13 THE MAKING OF A VERY SPECIAL PORTRAIT…step by step
This post is going to be in two parts because I have a follow up that relates to this litter as well and am waiting for more photos to arrive This artwork is one of my VERY favorite pieces to date because of it’s subject matter and the recipient of the painting. This of course […]
August 30 THROUGH MY EYES….a new camera
MY FIRST FIELD TRIP WITH THE NEW CAMERA..CLICK PHOTO ABOVE. THERE IS AUDIO Cameras are one of my passions and something that never became an integral part of my artwork until “digital” came along. The instant gratification that comes along with seeing your images within moments of capturing them , is right up my alley. […]
August 26 SHOWCASING WHAT KEEPS ME BUSY and a Stoned Bindi Bird
CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COMMISSIONED PORTRAIT PENDANT RIGHT FROM THE NEW WEBSITE AT THE GRAFFITI GOSSIP BLOG! “TUKEE” owned and commissioned by Jan Lockhart ,Arizona USA. Beadwork is porcelain raku beads, handmade lampwork and vintage Czech Republic beads I am having such an awesome time getting to you know you all through the portrait […]
August 22 GOING BANANAS in the garden and new site features
There is nothing like going a little bananas over the weekend is there?? Check this out you guys. The ABOVE image is of my banana tree taken today and below is around September LAST year. Wow did this tree grow a ton this season! Considering the banana trees are cut to the ground every November […]
August 11 FROM BEACHES TO BUTTERFLIES..Days 2 and 3 on the coast
This is quite possibly the most frightening photo I have ever had taken on my travels. THANKS STEVE!!! LOL! The past 3 days have been a blast with lots of beach time to pass the hours and visits to nearby Newport where there is a butterfly garden and of course the wonderful California sealions who […]
August 10 Our first day at Agate Beach
Hopefully just looking at a few of my pix from yesterday tells the story of what a beautiful paradise we are in at Agate Beach Oregon! You will find much more on my facebook profile page and I will be posting in the right column my Sandra Miller Studio page starting today too! The tidepools […]
August 5 HEADING TO THE COAST…Looking for Tide Jools!
If you had a chance to read the SANDRA MILLER STUDIO AUGUST NEWSLETTER this week you know we are on the road again next week for a trip to our stunning Oregon Coast!! I am so excited and we are bringing you all along with us as well! I am going to be making blog […]
July 20 ADVENTURES IN THE GARDEN…and new designs in the store
IN MY MOM’S MINNESOTA GARDEN, JUNE 2010 Wow, where does the time go?? I have been so busy making jewelry and gardening, not to mention playing with Gracie and the girls, that the blog posts got a bit neglected. One thing that is nice about the Facebook widget in the right hand column though…..you can […]
June 15 Metal fine art reproductions available soon…and new jewelry
I am so excited to have found this new media to reproduce my original art on and make them available to you. I have been seeing these aluminum art prints showing up in some of the fine art galleries and town and got curious….enough to seek out a professional service and invest in some sample […]
June 9 NEW FOR FATHERS DAY ….FREE SHIPPING..and new pendants!
I have been busy as a bee in the studio working on a number of new jewelry pieces to show you and when I finished this new design for a pendant for my “Ivory Envy” line, I went AH HAH!!!! What a super Tshirt design this would make and no flowers or fluff…..perfect for Fathers […]
June 4 NEW….CUSTOM PORTRAIT JEWELRY….and a chow dog tag necklace
CLICKING ANY TEXT IN THE BLACK FIELDS WILL BRING YOU TO MY CUSTOM PORTRAIT JEWELRY PAGE. A LINK IS ALSO UNDER THE “SHOP GRAFFITI” TAB These custom jewelry designs would make an incredible keepsake or gift or just a special memento for yourself. As many of you know I have not accepted more than a […]
May 27 EVOLUTION OF A CUSTOM PORTRAIT …. and pendants
“MY GIRL” a recent custom portrait of “Sassy” created for Rhonda Prince Hello friends! I hope you are all doing well heading into this Memorial Day Weekend! This portrait commission you see above I finished recently and wanted to share a little bit about my unique painting process through a short video I did created […]
May 22 NEW VIDEOS AND PORTRAITS ….and of course…..Grrrrrrracie!
ABOVE IS A NEW PORTRAIT I DID OF MY MOM AND HER PAPILLON “REDDY I certainly got behind in posting photos of Gracie here at the blog since I started using my FACEBOOK PROFILE WALL to post pix daily. To catch you all up on the cuteness that is GRACIE during the first 8 weeks […]
May 14 NEW…ARTCARD and MUG Designs in my Zazzle store
“PUPPY LOVE ” art card by electra_cute Inspired by some of my best photographic images , these new FINE ARTCARDS are beautiful enough to frame and could practically be a gift in themselves. Pictured are only a few of the new designs I have added to my Zazzle store in the past few weeks. Check […]
May 13 CUSTOM PORTRAITS….and a website to showcase your new art
Its been a while since my last blog post…..you know how it is this time of year with so much going on in the garden, the new puppy entertaining me at every turn, company visiting and new ideas bursting forth into bloom in the studio!!! I have so much to catch up with you all […]
April 28 BFF…Bears Free Forever…new video and designs
BFF..BEAR FREE FOREVER See video description BELOW SEE THE VIDEO I JUST CREATED SHOWCASING MY VISIT TO AAF CHENGDU As my regular blog readers know, my return trip to Animals Asia Foundation in Chengdu China was filled with a roller coaster of emotions, ranging from deep sadness to sheer joy for the rescued bears. CLICK […]
April 11 STROLLIN…fun weekend with Gracie- Panda logo-Bindis R back
I thought you would get a kick out of my new purchase for Gracie. Now before you fall off your seat hysterically laughing, there is actually a method to my madness and I’ll explain in a moment…now stop laughing!!! CLICK ON THE VIDEO BELOW TO SEE MORE OF THE PUPPY STROLLER This model I chose […]
April 8 NEW PENDANTS ON THE WAY….and a squeeky clean puppy
I’ve been bouncing back and forth between my artwork and playing with Gracie….then a little housework (very little) and gardening. I’d like to say I’m accomplishing a lot but it seems the busier I am the less I’m getting done. Spring is always the busiest time around here and I wouldn’t change that for the […]
April 2 HAPPY EASTER WEEKEND…the garden gnomes are starting to appear
NEW IPADIO PHONECAST TODAY…SEE SIDEBAR OR BELOW IN POST What fun we are having here with our new girl Gracie and enjoying every nanosecond of her puppyhood. It’s amazing the life she has added to our household and to see old Meg and Lillian interested in Gracie makes it even sweeter. Be sure to see […]
March 28 GOODNESS GRACIE-OUS….more puppy pix and artwork
Talk about the light of our lives, Mz Gracie has certainly made herself at home and is using her cute edge to the max to get all the oooooh and ahhhhhhhs from everyone she meets! She is even finding Meg and Lillians soft spot and play bows to them when they walk by her ex […]
March 24 MEET OUR NEW PUPPY “GRACIE”….the result of my disappearing act last week
Hello my friends. 1000 apologies for the disappearing act last week but I was called away at the last minute to the midwest for family matters and while I was visiting Minnesota, made a side trip to my BFF in Iowa to see her 8 week old litter of beautiful chow puppies. I have a […]
March 14 THE DOGS OF ENP and we reached our goal to adopt Bai Xue!
Happy Sunday everyone. I’m out of town at the moment and not able to do much emailing so I decided to do a quick blog post here thanking all of you who responded so quickly to my update about the Bai Xue adoption outreach!! Thanks to all our ‘den’ members we have reached the $500.00 […]
March 9 BURASARI BOUTIQUE HOTEL AND SPA….Our Phuket home base & Giant Buddha
A SINGLE FLOWER FALLEN ON THE WALKWAY TO MY ROOM This incredible hotel and spa called the BURASARI in Phuket Thailand, is considered a world class boutique hotel and was a hit when Ek brought Liz and I here as well as this recent trip. The first year we had rooms that walked out into […]
March 8 PHUKET THAILAND…just a few of the many photos to come of PARADISE!
ABOVE: EK AND I SITTING AT SUNSET ON ONE OF HIGHEST PEAKS ON PHUKET….WOW WHAT A VIEW!!! Wow…looking back at these photos is like going on my adventure all over again!!! I am fast forwarding to the last week in Phuket Thailand just because I happened to be working on these food photos and wanted […]
March 7 CHENGDU PANDA BASE…some amazing photos for my book!!
I’m going to let most of these photos speak for themselves with short captions inbetween. This was on February 9, 2010 at Chengdu Panda Base. The day was stunning with more pandas than we had time to see ……but we made the very best of our full day there with Lichunlin and one of nutritionists […]
March 4 CHIANG MAI THAILAND…Lek sings to her baby elephant- video
IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN I WAS NOTIFIED IN THIS MORNING’S EMAIL THAT THIS IMAGE I TOOK AT ELEPHANT NATURE PARK A FEW WEEKS AGO IS #332 IN FLICKR’S EXPLORE WHICH IS AMONG THE 500 PHOTOS CHOSEN BY FLICKR STAFF AS THE MOST INTERESTING PHOTOS OUT OF THE GABILLION LOADED BY MEMBERS THAT DAY!!! The photo […]
March 2 CHENGDU CHINA…Sichuan Opera and around town
ABOVE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PHOTOS I TOOK AT THE SICHUAN OPERA IN CHENGDU What a treat this was when Mickal took us out on the town for an evening of tea and local entertainment at the Sichuan Opera!!! The sights and sounds are dazzling we sat in some of the best seats in […]
March 1 CHENGDU LANTERN FESTIVAL ….videos and images
You all might remember my 2008 photos from the Chengdu lantern festival when Diana and I were in Chengdu, well this year was no less spectacular. Below is some great info explaining the event and DON’T MISS THE YOUTUBE VIDEO BELOW which I did this weekend to showcase the gorgeous display of lights and color!!! […]
February 28 A FEW PANDA CENTER HIGHLIGHTS…VIDEOS AND PHOTOGRAPHY
ABOVE IS THE IRRESISTABLE BAO SHI AT THE CHENGDU PANDA BASE Hey guys…it doesn’t get any better than this!!!! I hope it was worth the wait for you to get to see some of the panda center pix. Below is a video I did this weekend dedicated entirely to my adopted panda Bao Shi at […]
February 26 HOME SWEET HOME…and loading photos in my sleep
ABOVE: THE FISH THAT GOT AWAY….I AM STILL THINKING OF HAVING THIS STUNNING TEAK BETTA SHIPPED TO ME!! THIS WAS DONE BY A CARVER IN CHIANG MAI AND WAS ALMOST AS TALL AS ME Hello my friends!!!! After many many hours of flying and no sleep I am home safely and so excited to look […]
February 20 2/21/10 SOME R&R TIME WITH FRIENDS ….on the island of Phuket
Woo Hooo!!!! I never thought in a million years I would get back to this paradise so soon but here we go again!! Thank you so much Ek for arranging to come here during my last few days of the journey for some serious R and R and reflecting time following a whirlwind adventure! ABOVE: […]
February 18 2/19/10 OUR FINAL DAY IN CHIANG MAI…what to do…the zoo??
One of Chiang Mais greatest treasures is the new panda cub called Lin Ping at the Chiang Mai Zoo. Thailand has falled SO in love with this little baby bundle of joy they dedicated an entire PANDA TV CHANNEL to her life…24 hours/7 days a week no less! Note the difference in zoo entry fees […]
February 16 2/17/10 HEADING FOR THE HILLS TODAY AND TOMORROW!!!
ABOVE: SERGEANT KAI “MAKING MERIT” ACCORDING TO BUDDHIST TRADITION AND RELEASING LIFE BACK INTO THE WILD. Today we head for the hills with our private guide Sergeant Kai to visit the Karen Hilltribes as well as the Hmong Tribes for some incredible photo opportunities. On our last trip Kai understood how important it was for […]
February 15 2/16/10 HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!!!
Hello my friends and Happy Birthday to my mom from Chiang Mai…we are celebrating a bit early because of the time difference!! Mom I hope you have the best day ever an I think of you ever day..I love you so much!!! MAKING FLOWER GARLANDS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS AND BUDDHIST OFFERINGS IN 08 Mom keep […]
February 14 2/15/10 A TRUNKFULL OF LUVIN!! Elephant Nature Park day
CLICKING ANY UNDERLINED TEXT WILL BRING YOU TO MUCH MORE INFO Enough R and R…..we are up and running with the herd today at ELEPHANT NATURE PARK!!! For those of you who remember as well as newcomers to the blog….. on my last visit in 2008, my best buddy Diana and I spent a full […]
February 13 2/14/10 HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR & VALENTINES DAY from Chiang Mai Thailand!!
CLICKING ON ANY UNDERLINED TEXT WILL BRING YOU TO MUCH MORE INFO AND FACTOIDS! Sawadee from CHIANG MAI THAILAND!!!! This is the first day of the Lunar New Year as well as Valentines Day!!! Talk about auspicious!!! Even though we are in Thailand, Chinese New Year is still celebrated with great enthusiasm here. Red is […]
February 12 Finally. Newiphone videos uploaded
See the bottom of this post today for a number of YouTube videos I just uploaded from the airport. Heading out to Bangkok then chiang Mai. Woo hoo RANDOM PIX BELOW TOO
February 11 2/12/10 Shopping the Jinli District of Chengdu
Above is an example of the famous Shu Embroidery of Sichuan Province. This intricate embroidery was hand done with split silk threads and hanging in a frame. It measured about 4 feet wide!!! I had my eyes on this one when shopping on Jinli steet in 2008 to purchase but then when I found out […]
February 10 AAF Moonbear visit yesterday
My dear friends and new visitors to the blog……please listen to my long ipadio phone cast below to hear all about our visit with Jill Robinson at AAF Chengdu. I took 1327 photos yesterday in greeat anticipation of starting to write my book. Jill is a saint in every sense of the word. The bears […]
February 9 2/10/10 HEADING OUT EARLY …the moonbears await
ABOVE IS FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF AAF, JILL ROBINSON (AAF PHOTO) These next two days are dedicated to the moonbears and the heros who work tirelessly on their behalf to save these beautiful animals from the torture of bile farming. Jill Robinson, the founder and director of AAF graciously agreed to set aside 2 days […]
February 9 News from the panda centers
Listen to the ipadio phone update for the panda news. Still wifi problems so pix will come later Tai and lani are doing well today. Lani proving. Talked to her nutritionist
February 8 2/09/10 CHENGDU PANDA BASE….Reunion with Bao Shi
ABOVE: My first visit to the Chengdu Panda Base in 2006 photgraphed with “White Foot” 2 YEARS LATER I WENT BACK TO ADOPT A CUB WHO I NAMED “BAO SHI” (Jewel in Mandarin) CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE ADOPTION STORY ABOVE: Recently Bao Shi (or Xiang Bing ..her Chinese given name) has been seen cavorting […]
February 8 REALLY we are still alive and doing great but WIFI stinks in Chengdu
Hello everyone and thank you so very much for all your comments!! As soon as we visit an internet cafe we will do a very thorough update with pix . In the mean time keep checking the video and audio updates . Last night we had a blast at the Sichuan Opera with Mickal , […]
February 7 2/08/10 DAY TRIP TO BIFENGXIA PANDA BASE….hoping to see Tai Shan
PHOTOS ARE ALL FROM BIFENGXIA AND COURTESY PANDAS INTERNATIONAL We have had barely a moment to catch our breath and a few zzzzzzzzzzz’s and have hit the ground running with a very early morning start for the 2 hour drive to Bifengxia Panda Base. Here is where one of my favorite champions for the Giant […]
February 6 2/07/10 NI HAO FROM CHENGDU CHINA !!!
REFER TO OUR ITINERARY HERE TO SEE WHERE WE ARE VISITING EACH DAY THIS WEEK ABOVE IS A PHOTO I TOOK OF SHU EMBROIDERY DEPICTING THE SICHUAN OPERA/FACE CHANGING in 08. Below you will find all sorts of interesting facts and destinations in Sichuan Province and the city of Chengdu which we will be checking […]
February 5 2/05/10 THE PANDARAZZIS ARE OFF TO PANDA LAND
PACK YOUR BEAR (I MEAN GEAR) PORTLAND TO TOKYO TO BEIJING….THEN ON TO CHENGDU Providing we have good WIFI at the airports we will update enroute via the ipadio phone updates at the bottom of this post and look for new videos from the iphone too!!! Don’t forget to comment!! We love to hear from […]
February 4 GETTING YOUR BEARINGS!!! Travelblogue navigation system
Are you ready for a road trip??? I’ll tell ya I’ve been ready for months and can’t wait to get this show on the road!!! Above I created a bit of a “map” of our travel blog to help you navigate around during our travels. If you stray too far from the main page and […]
February 4 BON VOYAGE Tai Shan and Mei Lan….see you in a couple of days
As I am preparing to leave shortly myself for our China adventure, I couldn’t help but take a couple hours out of my packing and cleaning to watch the live feed on CNN bidding our American born Tai Shan from the DC National Zoo, and Mei Lan from Zoo Atlanta a safe journey. Using my […]
January 31 IMPORTANT Current Graffiti Gossip subscribers PLEASE READ
PLEASE READ BELOW SUBSCRIBERS TO MY BLOG, https://graffitigossip.com WILL NEED TO RE-SUBSCRIBE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO CONTINUE TO RECEIVE MY TRAVEL , PANDA, AND ARTWORK UPDATES ———————————————————————————————————– CLICK HERE TO RE-SUBSCRIBE TO THE GRAFFITI GOSSIP BLOG Be sure to look for your confirmation email to click on which may end up in your spam […]
January 28 PAVLOV’S DOG…..never drooled for treats this good..China flashback
CLICK IMAGE TO GO TO SALVADORS COFFEE HOUSE IN KUNMING CHINA (This post did not go out to the emailing list yesterday so am resending to make sure my blog is working correctly for the trip. Let me know in the comments below if you already got this midday on Wednesday …yesterday …..thanks my friends!!) […]
January 23 SPRING IS TRYING TO SPRUNG…and my girls are kicking their heels up
Can you believe this???? We have lived in Portland for 12 years now as transplants from Minnesota and I am still having a hard time getting used to flowers blooming in late January!!! The first of the Hellebores have started to produce blooms with dozens more varieties in my garden on the way soon. Here […]
January 14 CAT ON A COLD MOSSY ROOF…Barklay returns!!
HEEEEEEES BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!! MY NEIGHBORS CAT BARKLAY IN ALL HIS GLORY Listen to todays phone cast below to hear all about how I ended up with these photos!! BARKLAY ON MY BIRD FEEDING STATION (My neighbor reads this blog…I bet she’s either laughing or crying..lol!) I LOVE THIS CAT…EVEN WHEN HE’S NAUGHTY!! THE DOGS WERE SLEEPING […]
January 10 NEW..PANDA VALENTINE and Peek-A-Boo panda shoes!!
CLICK HERE TO ENTER MY ZAZZLE STORE!! This fun design has a very contemporary Asian vibe to it and includes my two favorite black and white critters…..the panda and the chickadee!! This would be fun to give with the matching tshirt in my store for a completely coordinated gift ensemble. Finish it off with a […]
January 6 TWO BOOKS IN THE MAKING….cover art is done
“Things which we cannot easily see, are often the spot where our focus should be” ~Sandra Miller The above book scheduled for publication later in 2010 will chronicle my panda journeys as a legally blind traveler through my camera lens and paintings . Proceeds will go to Pandas International though my Project Panda efforts Shoot […]
December 31 HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010…Once in a Blue Moon
AND AND A LITTLE BLUE MOON SWOONING SONG FROM A 12 YEAR OLD SINGER!
December 30 FIRST SNOWFALL OF THE YEAR…. new itinerary and pandbag
We finally got some snow!!! Yeah, this is pretty pathetic (see video in media center below too) but the dogs think its heaven. Old Meggie was falling asleep sitting up as the snowflakes kisses her muzzle. I love this photo above. She is such a dear dear dog!! Of course then she woke up and […]
December 26 SWEET XMAS SURPRISE FROM CHENGDU…new travel media center on blog
Some gifts are just TOOOOO precious and need to be shared!! Right belore Xmas I recieved a little phone recording from my guide in Chengdu China of his daughter “Minnie” playing a classical Chinese instrument. You gotta see this video below and his reply to me asking permission to post on the blog. Mickal, you […]
December 24 TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE XMAS…..and a nice relaxing day for the Millers
How this kid pulls of this seriously “cool” look in a panda hat I’ll never know….but Steve actually turned the car aroung 360 to let me hang out the window and take his photo! Ohhhh the crusty look we got as we drove away…but dang it’s a great shot if I do say so myself…The […]
December 16 A new video from our France trip and awesome Zazzle goodies too
CREAM OF THE CROP 2010 chow poster/calendar by electra_cute NEW CALENDARS FOR 2010 DONE IN A CHINESE “SCROLL” STYLE TO FIT NARROW PLACES Wowie Zowie….the fun never stops around here.. Just when I think I have a breather I take on something new to add to the party I call LIFE…my muses are persistent thats […]
December 12 TODAYS PUP-OURRI…Chow blouse-panda pendant-$10 OFF ZAZZLE TIES!
ABOVE: “HAVIN A BALL” ONE OF A KIND BATIK BLOUSE This has been a crazy busy week in the studio and before I take off to run my weekend errands I wanted to make sure to get this blog post written so you all get an opportunity at the new goodies before they are gone. […]
December 8 A GERKIN IN THE GARDEN and more goodies in the store
Do you all remember my “Snow Bird” from last year? Well my Anna’s Hummingbird is still hanging around but this time with his wife and brood of 2 chicks from this year. As the temps have been falling I need to really keep on top of making sure his feeder is not freezing solid and […]
December 6 IM ON A PANDA ROLL….Check out the latest cubbie batik
TWICE AS NICE by GRAFFITIMAGERY Sandra Are you looking for a special panda gift to give this year but just waiting for the right thing to come along. Well this Fine Art Giclee print I call TWICE AS NICE of two cubbies playing in the Sichuan sunshine might be just the ticket!!! AVAILABLE IN 3 […]
December 4 PANDA JEWELRY on Ebay now…Tai Shan is leaving US
CLICK PHOTO TO FIND “SNOW DROP” ON EBAY…3 DAY AUCTION Its been a while since you have seen any new fused glass designs come out of the studio and there is a reason for that. My kiln needed an overhaul but now HOTTIE is hotter than ever and ready to melt some serious glass!!! THESE […]
December 3 SCOTT PAUL WINES…A shoutout to good panda peeps!!
IN THE IMMORTAL WORDS OF DR SEUSS Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not. ————————————– I am so blessed to be surrounded by the most incredible people in my life…all of you who frequent this blog have seen the beauty and generosity here, time and […]
December 2 PANDA HOLIDAY ORNAMENT plus Zazzle FREE SHIPPING no minimum…TODAY ONLY
Before I show you some new goodies from the studio, I had to show you the photo Steve took in the wee hours of the morning of Lillian in her couch potato pose. Below is a photo of her as a puppy in the same spot ….same blankie. Some things never change do they. And […]
December 1 RASTA PANDA …a new batik art scarf/wall hanging/table runner…multitasking panda
ONE OF A KIND HAND APPLIQUED BATIK SCARF AVAILABLE NOW …. CLICK HERE TO FIND HER AVVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION AT MY WEBSITE This long luxurious “art scarf” is a wardrobe essential as it multitasks as neckscarf, an elegant shawl to cover your shoulders, a flowing waist sash and when you are not wearing it….table runner, […]
November 28 A CHOW SPECIALTY WEEKEND at my Ebay store!!
U WEAR IT WELL..BACK VIEW….ONE OF A KIND CHOW BATIK JACKET Are you all having a wonderful holiday weekend? I sure am and am taking advantage of the time avoiding the shopping crowds to hold up in the studio and get a few of my latest treasured listed in my Ebay Boutique!!! It just happens […]
November 27 BLACK FRIDAY CRAZY DEALS ON ZAZZLE and new prints/cards
“PRIDE OF BOTSWANA” GICLEE ART PRINT AND GREETING CARDS NOW AVAILABLE AS A PRINT IN MY EBAY STORE..CLICK HERE FOR EBAY OR AS FRAMABLE ART CARDS IN MY ZAZZLE STORE..CLICK HERE FOR ZAZZLE Thanksgiving 2009 has come and gone and I’m sure we all still feel as stuffed as that turkey we ate. As you […]
November 26 HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE MILLERS!!!
November 24 UNDER THE LOLLIPOP TREES…a new panda batik jacket on Ebay!
ABOVE: BACK VIEW OF “UNDER THE LOLLIPOP TREE” JACKET YIPPIE!! Just in time for GRAFFITI Holiday Shopping BLACK AND WHITE FRIDAY is coming….well it’s called Black Friday but dont’ tell the pandas CLICK PHOTOS TO ACCESS THE AUCTIONS! ABOVE: FRONT VIEW OF “UNDER THE LOLLIPOP TREE” JACKET ABOVE: BACK DETAIL VIEW OF “UNDER THE LOLLIPOP […]
November 23 RAINING CATS AND DOGS….in Portland and in my studio
This gorgeous sling style handbag is on Ebay right now.Both the front and back are decorated with chows and embellishments. Lots of pockets and zippers and all Scotchgarded so you don’t need to worry about getting it dirty CLICK PHOTOS OR LINKS TO ACCESS THESE ITEMS IN MY STORES OR EBAY DID YOU ALL HAVE […]
November 19 CONGRATS FOSTER ELLIE PARENTS…its a GIRL!!!
WE ARE ABLE TO FOSTER MEDO FOR THREE YEARS THANKS TO YOU…WOOOOOO HOOOOOO!! Today I decided to contact Elephant Nature Foundation to see what elephants were in the Foster program currently and immediately my heart and soul was captured again by MEDO, who was one of the ellies I had taken numerous photos of in […]
November 18 TRUNK SHOW GRAND FINALE! New items are on the site!
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE LAST SET OF PENDANTS AND BEADS OF THE TRUNK SHOW Wooo Hooooooo we have had quite a week my wonderful Trunk Show peeps!! Last nights auctions closing was such a fun time and I saw many new faces bidding too!! It’s always great to meet new friends via the beads […]
November 17 NEW CHOW PUPPY PRINT limited production…auctions close today!
CLICK HERE FOR THENEW CHOW PUPPY GICLEE PRINT AT IMAGEKIND OR ON CANVAS TOO!! Today I had to shift gears a bit because my camera program is giving me fits when I was trying to get more beads listed. Rather than fight with it, I decided it was best to just think about something else […]
November 16 AN ELEPHANT NEVER FORGETS…..your sweetness and generosity!!
STEVE TOOK THIS …NOTE THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE (AND THE BOTTLE OF WINE….POST SHOW WIND DOWN) Well my dear friends……what a great time we had last night at our first LIVE TRAVEL BEAD TRUNK Show……and the fun still continues through Wednesday night at the website and Ebay….The deals at Ebay are phenomanal!!! CLICK HERE […]
November 15 TRUNK SHOW EARLY BIRDS….stop by the newly listed bead/pendant auctions
CLICK THE THUMBNAILS ABOVE or HERE… TO ACCESS THESE SPECIAL AUCTIONS ALL STARTING UNDER 20.00. MANY SETS VALUED AT OVER 100.00!!!! THESE ITEMS ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE PORTION OF THE TRUNK SALE AND INCLUDE MY ONE OF A KIND FUSED GLASS PENDANTS………..OMG….THERE ARE EVEN BINDI BIRDS IN THE MIX!! All the bead/pendant auctions […]
November 14 YOUR TRUNK SHOW TOUR GUIDE…are you ready for a bead jungle trek?
I can hardly believe I got all the beads coordinated and organized since our return from our last trip. What a good feeling to have all the little orbs and pendants in their cozy packages and I’m ready to get this trek through the forest of bead-iful treasures on the road YOUR TREK STARTS AT […]
November 10 ANOTHER $1.00 AUCTION …this time a mouthwatering Chow necklace!!
Ohhhhh this is a hard one to part with, incorporating the colors of Sedona featuring a tiny detailed Chow….all on hand dyed fabrics! This another very special auction starting at $1.00 with NO RESERVE to introduce my latest Balinese Batik designs…why would I start the bidding at only $1.00 you ask…because I love to bid […]
November 10 EBAY PANDANT AUCTION……no reserve starting at $1.00 !!!!
THIS IS A 5 DAY AUCTION CLOSING (Nov 14, 200913:28:07 PST) CLICK PHOTOS TO ACCESS THE AUCTION Here is the perfect present for yourself or a panda pal who you think has everything! This a very special auction starting at $1.00 with NO RESERVE to introduce my latest Balinese Batik designs as wearable art for […]
November 9 BEAD SHOW THIS COMING SUNDAY…and weekend photos
ABOVE: THE ALLISON RESORT AND SPA IN NEWBERG OREGON BELOW: SCOTT WRIGHT , MARTHA AND THEIR ADORABLE DAUGHTER Click photos to see the websites OHHHHHHHHH what a blustry but wonderful weekend we had at the Le Paulie wine tasting this weekend. Above is the view of the vineyards from our room we stayed at called […]
November 6 NEW GRAFFI-TEASE GARMENTS…..Bead Show update & Provence pix
Meg is psyched!!!!!!!!! Its Friday…Its another chance to eat her dinner and nap…..and she is super excited about this new blouses I just listed on the site!! Lillian was excited too but would’t stay still long enough for a photo. She’s like a canine hummingbird!! CLICK ANY OF THE PHOTOS TO BRING YOU TO THE […]
November 3 NOVEMBER NEWS…some goodies to look forward to!!
If the photos do not load in your email, CLICK HERE to view this newsletter on my blog where you can also catch up on any daily news and available goodies you might have missed Hello everyone!! Can you believe November is here already???? OMG my Thailand/China trip is just around the corner …..panda, moonbears […]
October 30 A WONDERFUL HONOR 2010 Pandas International art feature
Well there is no doubt how much I adore pandas..Live and breathe pandas…. and am just plain ole tickled black and white over pandas. I would be creating panda art even if not a single other soul in the world gave a rip about pandas because that’s just the way I roll!! Fortunately this little […]
October 29 STUDIO PENDANT SALE…from now till they are gone
I can’t believe I’m parting with all of these spectacular pendants, but I need to make room for other travel goodies and felt they were better off getting into the hands of designers and collectors who can put these to good use NOW On each photo there is a faint horizontal line going across the […]
October 29 TURKISH EYE DRAWING and more Istanbul moments
WOOOO HOOO KATHE (ARTMIZ) …YOU WON A GORGOUS GLASS TURKISH EYE PENDANT!!! Note: I am shipping all the winner’s items so far, this coming Monday Kathe we found yours at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul and it is stunning!! I put a sterling bail on it so it’s ready to design with. It measures about […]
October 26 FREE TWO DAY SHIPPING AT ZAZZLE….offer ends 10/27..and a new Tshirt!
BELOW IS MY LATEST DESIGN, “BOO BABY” ,AVAILABLE ON TSHIRTS AND CAMIS JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN ………“BOO” Click on any link or photo to access my Zazzle store USE CODE FASTSHIPBOO WOW I HAD TO DO A DOUBLE TAKE TODAY WHEN I RECEIVED THIS COUPON IN THE MAIL!!! FREE TWO DAY SHIPPING????WHO DOES THAT?????? […]
October 24 DRAWING WINNER and new TRINKETS and BEADS video
HOT FLASH FUSION!!!! Of all the people who could have won this lavender oil , you are one of the blog readers who might appreciate it’s “source” the most from your own experiences in Provence years ago!! This is a totally random drawing so it’s always so exciting to see people get things that “fit” […]
October 23 GRAFFI-TV LIVE studio cam and chat room…an upgrade to the new chat
Hi everyone….thanks for helping me test that little chat widget on the blog!! I decided after dealing with lost logins and a not so great interface to do some more looking around , and I’m glad I did!! As you can see above I now have my own multi media , cutting edge TV station […]
October 20 CAIRO MOMENTS video,drawing winner, new handbags and LIVE chat
BEFORE I FORGET ….CHECK OUT THE LIVE CHAT ROOM TO YOUR RIGHT!! Please help me test it. I will be here LIVE from 9:00 AM till 9:30 AM PST today to say hello. This chat is accessible from the Jewelry website as well where we will use it during the bead show coming up. Thanks […]
October 18 MY BAZAAR AND BEAD-IFUL WORLD travel bead trunk show coming soon!
Photo above taken in Cairo Egypt on our trip we just returned from last week….I am up to my elbows in beads at home too and need to start releasing some of these beadies back into the world and into YOUR talented hands, to design with for yourself or get an early start on holiday […]
October 17 CANDID WEDDING SHOTS from my son and Kate’s wedding
Ok guys…I’m first going to start you off with the sweetest shot I took from my sons wedding this past Sept 19th. It was a quick hello and goodbye as we left the day after the festivities to head for Egypt, but we made the very best of our time there. This photo really reflects […]
October 13 NEW NEW NEW..GRAFFITIMAGERY designer handbags
Hello my friends!!! Are you recovered from your virtual jet lag yet???? I am surprisingly wired today and ready for some art action !!! I think all the inspiration from this journey is like putting a fire under me. Below is a project I have been working on for some time now and had planned […]
October 10 10-10-09 Medieval Hilltowns and the coastline of France
Steve in the outdoor lobby of our B and B in Cassis Typical French Breakfast above…Tea or Espresso and a Croissant What a whirlwind tour of the south of France this has been …..we just arrived back at our first B and B in Beune and are resting up for a great dinner at a […]
October 9 No WIFI in medeival hilltowns. But who cares. Lol
Omg we r staying in a hilltown and have the entire castle to ourselves. No wifi. No tv. Steve and I have to actually “talk” to one another ????? So for dinner the choice for restaurant in town at the bottom of the hill was a prerequisite of wifi access. I’m typing fast because my […]
October 8 10/08/09 We are now in Cassis..having a blast on the coast
Man…what a challenge this blog post has been to get up !! Bad WiFi is the theme of travel blogging and we’ve had some real issues here getting a connection. On to the good stuff!! We are in Cassis and having such a great time! I could stay here for weeks. Too bad we need […]
October 7 10-08-09 Shopping the Market and the Pont du Gard
Wow our internet connection is terrible today and we really need to get on the road to Cassis which is on the coast. We only have today and tomorrow morning to spend there so I think I’ll just post a few pix with little annotation for now. I tried 5 times /2 hours of frustration […]
October 6 10-07-09 Heading south again to Saint Remy
The first few photos are from a day ago . I wanted to show everyone who was curious how the wine is stored. Steve is doing his wine post tonite with lots of photos so I’m only posting a few. This is at Pegau which is one of the most famous Chateuneuf du Pape producers […]
October 6 10-06-09 Join us for dinner in Avignon
Last night after a quick change from our day clothes we went out into the city of Avignon to hunt up some grub!! Little did we know what was in store for us. After walking a mile or so past dozens of cafes and restaurants, we found Hiell Lucullus. The most unassuming cafe front but […]
October 5 10-05-09 Midday update from Chateauneuf du Pape
The Caravan has arrived….Camel and bears are happy campers..they get to taste some wine What a morning it has been so far and there are still 2 scheduled vintner visits that Steve prearranged to go today. I hate to be a winery pooper but if I am going to last the rest of this week […]
October 4 9-05-09 Heading to Steves Mothership…Chateauneuf du Pape
We are not fooling around today……the kids, Bling, Mini B, Humphrey, Beune and Beau (just adopted these two pandas in Beune) have packed their supplies for the day and getting the caravan moving south to Steves favorite wine region…the main reason for our visit to France!! I don’t have time to post much text at […]
October 3 A few photos from yesterday,.,off to wine country!!
Our Bed and Breakfast in Beunne The car park with a lovely faux scene painted on the wall..OMG a Scottish familiy is sitting behind me as I write and are an absolute HOOT!! I have my back to them and Im trying to hold back the laughter from all their jokes Mainstreet Beunne One of […]
October 3 10-4-09 in Beunne France heading south
Hey my friends Our Internet is bad here in Beunne ( pronounced boon) so I hope I can post all the pix like I have been but at the very least I can post iPhone pix from yesterday. Being a travel dY there is less to show. The one photo attached is of the French […]
October 3 BONJOUR from Provence France
Hello my friends!! We are here!!! I will update again very soon when we get the rental car squared away and on the road. We are so excited we can hardly contain ourselves!!! CLICK ON THE VIDEO ABOVE TO SEE HOW WE SUM UP OUR COLLECTIVE FRENCH SKILLS We are now in one of the […]
October 2 10-02-09 The Blue Mosque, The Cistern and The Palace
Its our final full day in Istanbul and we packed it so full of historical sites , we are absolutely exhausted!! The Blue Mosque pictured above is one of the most distinctive sites in Istanbul. It is the blue tiles on the inside of the mosque that lend to the name , but the outside […]
October 1 1-01-2009 Photo essay of our trip to the Grand Bizarre
Another beautiful day in Istanbul starts out with an equally inspiring sunrise at 5:30 AM Immediately after breakfast we set out by subway to the Grand Bazaar which is one of the oldest continuous markets on the planet . Over 4000 stalls!!! LISTEN TO THE AUDIO BOO IN THE UPPER RIGHT OF THE BLOG FOR […]
September 30 9-30-09 Shopathon for Turkish Treasures!! What we all have been waiting for!
This is what we woke up to at 5:00 this morning…we dont’ shut the curtains as to not miss the spectacular sunrises that Turkey has to offer!! Who needs to sleep in when you have Turkish coffee and tea to keep you fueled for the day!! And we are off and running ….back to the […]
September 29 9-29-09 Welcome to Cat-asy Island…Take your pick Diana
Buyuakada Island off the coast of Istanbul is the place I mentioned about a month ago to my regular blog readers where only horses and carriages are allowed as well as bicycles. The small island is a getaway for residents of the large city of Istanbul. Everyone including ourselves gets there by Ferry Boat which […]
September 28 9-29-2009 More street shots from our walk in Istanbul yesterday
Hi my friends!! What fun reading all your comments!!! I decided to post some more pix from yesterday’s stroll. They are not my best photos but really help give you a better feel of the overall street scene and “vibe” in Istanbul. We are getting ready to go on a cruise on the Bosphorous so […]
September 28 9-28-09 Turkish pampering and some shopping too!
Stunning Stunning Istanbul Turkey!! What can I say….this place is all I had hoped for PLUS some things I never expected. It’s like stepping into a fantasy country that combines the best of so many cultures. A lot of Turkish, a good dollop of Greece, …there is even a strangely familiar Spanish/Portuguese edge here as […]
September 27 LETS TALK TURKEY…We are in Istanbul!!
CLICK ON VIDEO BELOW TO SEE BLING BLING’S WHIRLING DERVISH SKILLS! Wow… whirling dervishes here we come!!! Turkish baths and Turkish Delight!!!…wheres my Turkish coffee!!! Woooooo Hoooo..Jet lag wont’ have a chance!! CLICK PHOTOS AND LINKS TO LEARN MUCH MORE ABOUT THIS STUNNING COUNTRY WE ARE ABOUT TO EXPLORE! As soon as we get our […]
September 26 9-26-09 Giza Zoo, museums and the art of “chillin”
Let me tell ya…I had serious reservations about going to the Giza zoo because of mixed reviews. This zoo was built during the heyday of Victorian zooilogical parks and has the typical ornate cages and small enclosures of the time. The good news…………………the only animals left in the zoo are under the watchful eye of […]
September 25 9-25-2009 SALAAM FROM THE CITADEL AND THE COPTIC MUSEUM
Are we having fun yet??? Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh if any moment in this trip could be defined as an AH HAH moment for me it would be the instant Steve took this photo. We were at the CITADEL today..one of the largest and most impressive Mosques in the world when we decided to go look over the […]
September 24 9/24/09 CAIRO MUSEUM and jools of the Nile
We had such a great time at the Cairo Museum this morning . Of course Bling and Mini B especially liked the “shake down” and “belly squeeze” at all 3 security checks and Bling swears the security scanner is a tanning booth. She has a pretty nice glow by now!! There is nothing cuter than […]
September 23 9-24-09 More images from the past 2 days
I decided since I got up a few hours early I would spend the time before we go out today sorting through a few more photos from our past 2 days in Cairo and Giza. Hope you enjoy!! More to come today after our trip to the Egypt Museum. This is one of the largest […]
September 23 9-23-09 GIZA DAY AND BEADZAS TOO
The heart and soul of humanity…..this place they call Egypt is the epitome of mystery fused with history. To drive down the narrow roads of Giza towards the great pyramid brought out some of the most primal goosebumps I have ever had As our private guide Rasha who is an egyptologist, described the 3 major […]
September 22 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY HUBBY …from Cairo!!
Hi everyone!!! Well you probably know by now we are here in Cairo and have so much planned this week !!! Our first couple of days were just catch up on jet lag time and getting to know the city a bit. Now comes the fun of visiting the pyramids and sphinx!! Today is Steves […]
September 21 9-22-09 Travel AH HAH moments
Greetings fellow travelers!! Below IN ITALICS is something I wrote on the plane from Amsterdam to Cairo last night and decided to put images of Cairo I took today within the text. You will see that our entire day was one awakening moment on top of the next as we got our feet wet in […]
September 20 9-21-09 SITTING ON THE PLANE luvin the biz class perks
So what to do on a 10 hour flight???? This leg to amsterdam is Long but somehow time flies. Pardon the terrible pun!!! Now before u form a mob and holler “those spoiled brats. …..keep in mind we have steves Hard earned IBM road trip frequent flyer miles to thank for the business class upgrades […]
September 20 9-20-09 FROM ONE ADVENTURE TO ANOTHER..enroute to Amsterdam!
Hello my friends!! Well my boy is hitched and the wedding went off without one as a matter of fact!!! Absolutely gorgeous 80 degree day with not a cloud in the sky. Bryan and Kate looked so awesome and it was quite the thrill seeing so many people I hadn’t in many many moon….as well […]
September 17 GOIN TO A WEDDING!!!
Hello my friends!! Well we are officially outta here!!! On the road to our adventure, with my son’s wedding enroute!! ABOVE: Kate and her dad made this sign for the wedding which is going to be very down home and organic. Lots of recycled components are part of the festivities and old fashioned charm. I […]
September 16 WILL I BE ATTENDING A FORMAL BALL IN CASSIS?
I will admit, I have been guilty of some of the most serious of travel faux paus over the years and numerous journeys and am proud to say I do actually LEARN from most of my mistakes. Each successive journey becomes the true test of my previous lessons learned. I hope this trip will prove […]
September 15 TURKISH COFFEE BREAK TIME!!!
CLICK PHOTOS AND LINKS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TURKISH COFFEE ABOVE: TURKISH COFFEE….THAT THICK, SILT LADEN CONCOCTION THAT IS LIKE ROCKET FUEL! You all are pretty much familiar with my passion for good coffee!! I don’t drink a lot of it but I do have AWESOME coffee every single day. When in Turkey I will […]
September 13 MORE ITINERARY DETAILS!!
Below are a few more of the sights and sites we hope to take in on our upcoming journey beginning this weekend!!! I can hardly believe it’s almost time to go!!! Click the underlined links to read more about each of these places BELOW…La Fête en Provence Above and below are scenes from one of […]
September 11 WHAT DO CAMERA GEAR AND TYPHOID HAVE IN COMMON?
…..well I guess not a lot but today when we went in for our 5 year Typhoid immunization at the travel clinic, we also found all sorts of fun merchandise on the WALL O TRAVEL TEMPTATIONS at the clinic. One was a slash proof camera bag strap which is now MINE…..ALL MINE!!!! CLICK PHOTOS OR […]
September 9 ANATOMY OF A TRAVELBLOGUE and photo contest winners
This same info can be found on the link at the top of the page called TRAVEL INFO under the JOURNEYS tab on the GRAFFITI GOSSIP BLOG I wanted to make it easy for everyone to figure out the recent updates to the layout of the blog since I did it so close to our […]
September 8 NEW SHIBA INU DESIGNS!! and travel blog design tweeks
As long as there is still one day left of FREE SHIPPING on Zazzle, I decided to use a rainy Labor Day weekend to finish these Shiba designs before the special offer is over. FREE SHIPPING is over after today. Click on any of the photos to access the products “GINGKO SUNSET” Shiba Inu cami […]
September 5 BEIJING BLUES and BOREALIS BATIK…2 new ties and FREE SHIPPING thru Labor Day
Yippie!! This coupon came to me in my email from Zazzle, just as I was putting the finishing touches on these 2 new LIMITED PRODUCTION CHOW TIES, so I wanted to make sure you all got in the deal too!! The FREE SHIPPING code is good through This coming Tuesday CLICK THE TIES TO READ […]
September 4 CHOW ZOOMIES, panda pendant and new Africa video
The early evening was settling in with the sun low in the sky last night. A rich warm glow casts over the inner fenced yard where my dogs love to bask like lions …..moving from shade to sun and back again. It was so peaceful as I drank my tea and watched the birds coming […]
September 2 FINAL DAYS TO PURCHASE FIRST SERIES OF CHOW TIES
I got a LITTLE BEHIND the past month, and just realized that my cut off date for this months LIMITED PRODUCTION CHOW TIES has just passed…. however I am extending the date to this Friday, MIDNIGHT…. since I didn’t give a “heads up” earlier. Each of these ties and future releases are available in my […]
September 2 ALL OVER THE MAP DAY….some vacation shopping and a super video
AKA…Attention Defecit in the studio Day…..here is a hodge podge of things that I hope are of interest to you all. They sure caught my attention and it’s fun to pass on useful tidbits and interesting stuff I’ve found to my friends!! ABOVE is my latest find in the search for the perfect travel shoe […]
September 1 GRAFFITI TRAVELERS…grab your daypack and join us on holiday!!
CLICK THE PHOTOS AND LINKS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EACH LOCATION Of all the things I post on this blog, our travel plans and reports are the most fun to write. You , my friends….the armchair tourists on our journeys….have no idea how much impact your comments to our “on the road” travel posts mean […]
August 31 LOW TIDE NECKLACE SET….a fusion of mediums inspired by the coast
As I hummed to the theme from Sponge Bob Square Pants, I created this awesome new necklace inspired by the sand and the sea! A favorite Spongebob quote comes to mind as well….. “I’m so cold, I can use my nose drippings as chopsticks”. – Spongebob Squarepants Well I guess that wasn’t the best quote […]
August 30 THE HURRIER I GO…THE BEHINDER I GET..check out the Squash Blossom bums
SQUASH BLOSSOM the chow is multiplying and it’s getting hard to tell whether she is coming or going in this awesome Tshirt design which can be found on mugs and other merchandise at my zazzle store!!!!The abstract chows with impressionistic trees behind them look outstanding on black, dark brown, white, and cream garments. The pastel […]
August 28 ITT VAN A GUMMIMACI FRIDAY
ABOVE IS ME AT THE IBM PICNIC ON WEDNESDAY (ATYPICAL CORPORATE WIFE..LOL). THE PLAYGROUND HAD A ROCKING COW THAT WENT “MOOOOO” WHEN YOU SIT ON IT. WHAT A HOOT Just when you thought I had probably lost all my marbles by now…..along comes the THE GUMMY BEAR VIDEO in Hungarian!! If this doesn’t get you […]
August 27 INTRODUCING “SQUASH BLOSSOM” a new chow series
CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO FIND THESE ITEMS IN MY ZAZZLE STORE…MORE ON THE WAY SOON Squash Blossom is irresistable…. and part of the fun will be that YOU are going to help me design her family and her little environments she will be sketched into!!! More about this soon but for now I offer […]
August 26 CANNON BEACH OREGON playtime!!
Sorry for the lack of jools and art posts but Bryan and I have been out and about the city of Portland and beyond during his visit!! Monday found us at the coast for the entire day…..just lazing and relaxing at Cannon Beach just an hour from our house. Inspiration for pendants was literally EVERYWHERE […]
August 22 LEAH GLASS and visit to the Rhodie Garden video
Leah…I have been intending to blog about you and your glass work for the longest time but never had the camera at the right moment or you were not at the Portland Saturday Market when we were passing through on our weekend walks. FINALLY I had the chance today to visit Leah Pellegrini of LEAH […]
August 20 MORE BINDI BIRDS and China handcraft blog photo feature
You all may remember this photo from February of last year when Diana and I visited Chengdu China and the Shu Embroidery factory. Well today I woke up to a pleasant surprise when a wonderful person left a note on my Flickr photostream that this image above had been posted on their own store blog […]
August 17 SAFFRON SARIS AND SILKEN SPREADS…..a mini redo for my bedroom
I’ve been in the middle of a flurry of late summer cleaning getting ready for my son to visit (and get the place ready for us to leave to the house sitter when we go on holiday) and in one of my drawers, tucked safely away was this INCREDIBLE 100% silk coverlet set that I […]
August 14 Fig Harvest time!! Just in time for my son’s arrival
The figs are figging and just in time for my son Bryan to come visit!! Woo Hoo I hope you like figs Bry because they are ripe and don’t keep well!!! LOL! ABOVE: MY SONS FIANCE KATE ON LEFT, MY DAUGHTER LIZ AND SON BRYAN I stole this off of my kids Facebook page but […]
August 9 LIMITED EDITION CHOW NECKLACE….available on the website now
CLICK ANY OF THE PHOTOS TO FIND THIS BEAUTY AT MY WEBSITE As I was creating this yummy Chow design for the men’s tie in my ZAZZLE STORE ,I couldn’t help but imagine what a knockout finished necklace this would make as well. After a lot of experimenting and working the concept over and over […]
August 7 THE SAND DANCE….and Meet the Beetles
ABOVE: Theda Bara In my search for all things EGYPT recently I ran head on into this hillarious video on YouTube (Thanks Stan for the inspiration). My oh my entertainment has come a long way since the days of Wilson, Keppel and Betty………but truthfully sometimes I prefer the innocence and honesty of this vaudeville style […]
August 5 CHOW FETISH…..A new design for the passionate Chow lover!
CHOW FETISH (shaded red) tshirt by electra_cute Today has a very very busy day in the studio!!! Months ago I had started this awesome , stylized Chow design to create as a “FETISH” as in the little amulets worn by Native American and other tribes. Usually you see them as simplified versions of bears (Zuni […]
August 4 WHICH CAME FIRST….The Bindi Bird or the Egg??? DEMO
BINDI WEAR logo shirt by electra_cute View other Bindi T-Shirts It’s been quite some time since I’ve done a glass demo. As I was working on this beautiful flock of Bindi birds getting them ready for the site I figured I should photograph a few of the stages they go through over about a 3 […]
August 4 BAG A DEAL…20% off 12 new Chow totebag/ringside bags!!!
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE NEW CHOW TOTES AT MY ZAZZLE STORE Yippie!! I love when Zazzle has their coupon code sales!! Right now along with mugs and skateboards (you need one of those skateboards!!) the AWESOME ZAZZLE TOTEBAGS are at a 20% discount this week Use Code: BTS40OFFSALE 40% off skateboards, 20% off BAGS, […]
August 2 AUGUST 2009 NEWSLETTER…Hello from the jungle
CLICK THE PHOTO ABOVE TO WATCH THE PROGRESSION OF MY GARDEN FROM 1/09 till TODAY Its hard to believe how fast this year is whizzing by and how much the garden has evolved since the beginning of the year. The photo above Steve took of me today from across the street. To the left is […]
July 31 TIE ONE ON THIS WEEKEND…new line limited production neckties!
Ha ORIENTAL POPPIES Chow tie by electra_cute I’m sure a number of you reading this are familiar with my Chow neck tie painting days about 15 years ago. I adored hand dying those stunning silk ties with imported French dyes , steaming them for 24 hours in my home made steaming tower to set the […]
July 28 NONSTOP TO NOWHERE…a fun video and new kitty design for today
I’ll have to admit, I’m not the biggest “Faster Pussycat” fan(late 80’s rock group) but this song has always been one of my very favorites. The best ROAD TRIPPIN tune ever!!! My kids are probably shaking their heads in disbelief!!! Yes Bry and Liz…mom still rocks !!! I hadn’t heard this in years and we […]
July 27 HOT OFF THE DRAFTING TABLE…and the dance studio cat
Ohhhhh….I am really stoked about this latest Chow design I just released this morning in my ZAZZLE gallery. The postage stamp is the only item not listed yet as USPS takes 24 hours to approve the design so it will be up by tomorrow morning for sure Fine art Greeting cards as well as postcards […]
July 25 RANDOM FUN..Pan-mail, Chow bus and new stuff
Is this too funny??? Earlier this week my son sent me this photo and I fell over laughing. What a random thing to find on a bus in “somewhere” Asia. It’s acutally a pretty nice looking Chow. A friend on Facebook suggested I buy my own bus and airbrush it while Steve is out of […]
July 24 CHOW TIME…double duty blog post..your help appreciated
There is nothing that makes me happier than the earliest harvest from my garden from which I can create an impromptu dinner from. Steve hit the beer festival today and I was on my own, so VEGGIES it will be for dinner. I had a perfectly ripened avocado sitting here so I wandered out into […]
July 19 PANDA BATIK…mom and cubbies Tshirts and more!
CLICK IMAGE TO FIND THIS PRINT FROM PETITE TO COLASSAL SIZE IN MY IMAGEKIND GALLERY I highly recommend this one on canvas with the GALLERY WRAP to bring out the fabric batik look This is one of the most fun designs I’ve done to date, featuring an adorable panda family! I am a HUGE batik […]
July 17 FRIENDS AND FAMILY DISCOUNT AT ZAZZLE..here’s your code
JUST IN FROM ZAZZLE. THEY SENT ME THIS CODE TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL FOR A SUPER DEAL THIS WEEK ONLY ————————————————————————————————– Offer is valid from July 10, 2009 at 12:01am PT through July 26, 2009 at 11:59pm PT Share code FRIFAMZAZZLE with your friends and family and they’ll get 15% off their entire order […]
July 16 BEE-UTIFUL CARDS AND PRINTS plus new B’d Combos
CLICK PHOTOS TO ACCESS THE ITEMS AT MY WEBSITES I’m so excited!! IMAGEKIND just did a huge facelift to their site and now each vendor has their own customizable storefront for selling Museum quality prints and cards from!! I am getting mine set up now but you can stop in any time to take a […]
July 14 OUR BEAD-IFUL WORLD…Exciting new bead collections!!!
CLICK IMAGE TO FIND THE BEAD COLLECTIONS AT MY WEBSITE Back by popular demand!! The bead collections have returned!!! These are the same exquisite groupings of my travel beads and private stash as the previous BEAD BENTO BOWLS but without the bowl. This new method of photographing the beads allows for a much better view […]
July 9 MIDI BINDI BIRDS and the mother of all BINDIS!!
Now THIS is a BINDI BIRD with attitude!!! I just got her done yesterday and listed her on the website along with a few other Bindi Birds available for purchase!! These little charmers are litereally flying off the shelves so if you see a birdied you can’t live without, you may want to catch her […]
July 6 BINDI BIRDS, BINDI-KEET, and BINDI BABIES!!!! Newly hatched!
Woo Hoo!! I do believe I have found my OFFICIAL BINDI-BIRD spokesmodel at the BLUES FESTIVAL in Portland this weekend..LOL! She QUACKED ME UP!!! SEE THE SLIDESHOW FROM THE FESTIVAL HERE With all this inspiration and colorful characters to draw ideas from….I decided to get a few more of my birdies finished this weekend and […]
June 30 RIVERFRONT FUN YESTERDAY….and some awesome garden shots
ABOVE IS ME IN MY INSANELY TALL GARDEN LAST NIGHT..CLICK TO SEE LARGER I was so tickled..Steve called me about 2:30PM yesterday and said…we are going for a walk downtown. Woo Hoo!! Playing hookie in this city in the summertime is one of lifes little pleasures!! I had a sore foot from the weekend incident […]
June 29 BREWS,BLUES,and ZAZZLE NEWS
Hello my friends!! Did you all have a super weekend? Steve and I and Bling took some time out and hit a Brews and Blues Festival in Washington State which was sooooooo much fun. Small locally owned micro breweries were featured which are VERY abundant in the Pacific NW. Notice how Bling and I enjoy […]
June 19 PENDANTS,TSHIRTS and 2 recent interviews
Well this has been quite the busy and productive week in the studio to say the least!!! The photos you see are a few of the latest Bindi Birds and Flower bouquets which are available at the website. CLICK IMAGES OR.. CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE STOREFRONT NOTE…for a limited time there is FREE […]
June 17 CHUBBY CHICKADEE and BINDI BIRD pendants
My kiln is all aflutter with new hatchlings and I could hardly wait to show you all!!! Check out this adorable stylized chickadee, inspired by my new family of chickdees fledglings below. Mama and daddy have been working tirelessly feeding these adorable babies in my tin can birdhouse This little cutie had me giggling the […]
June 5 FEATURE OF THE DAY at ZAZZLE….and a floral pendant special!
YIPPIE!! I’m so excited!!! I was up all night working on finishing this design to make available on Tshirts etc at Zazzle, and lo and behold, no more than 2 hours after I submitted my design I got this letter from Zazzle below!! Considering how many kazillions of submissions they get daily, I thought this […]
May 31 GRAFFITI GOSSIP NEWSLETTER June 2009
Oh my goodness it’s been a busy one around here these days!! The garden has me hopping 24/7 and believe it or not, I even got some glass work into the mix. Some adorable floral “vase” pendants will be showing up this week on the blog!!! Above you see a screenshot of the homepage to […]
May 25 A MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND STEVE WANTS TO FORGET
ABOVE: A BEAUTIFUL KING CHARLES CAVALIER SPANIEL I MET AT THE ROSE GARDEN This weekend was going to be our Oregon Pinot wine tasting extravaganza, but instead poor Steve got a NASTY tummy bug and the entire weekend he spent in bed. In an almost conscious moment on Saturday, I had him drop me off […]
May 22 A GARDEN STROLL…and Memorial Day wishes
GARDEN SCULPTURE I PAINTED CALLED “ONE GOOD TERN, DESERVES ANOTHER” Hello my friends!! I’ve been so busy these past couple of weeks and am just now getting caught up on my blogs and journals. When spring hits in Portland…..the garden doesn’t wait!!! CLICK THE ARROW ON THE VIDEO BELOW TO SEE MY GARDEN YESTERDAY!! ABOVE: […]
May 14 A visit to Al’s garden center and my garden video today
ABOVE…A FLEDGLING “VARIED THRUSH” IN THE GARDEN YESTERDAY Yesterday my friend Jan picked me up and we took the short trek out to AL’S GARDEN CENTER to see how much botanical trouble we could get into. The ultimate goal was to pick up fertilizer for our gardens but we of course found tons of fun […]
May 12 REMEMBERING….my birthday..and the Sichuan Earthquake
Who will ever forget May 12, 2008………..certainly not me. I woke up last year to my 50th birthday and the horrendous news that the place I had just visited 2 months prior…….Sichuan, China was devistated by an earthquake. People and pandas displaced, killed and injured. This day was a pivotal moment in my life […]
May 9 SHOPPING FOR MOTHERS DAY…Farmers Market opener
Talk about an appropriate photo to celebrate Mothers Day with. As I stood outside taking pix this afternoon, I felt something hit my head…literrally a “Chicken Little….the sky is falling” episode! This is what hit my head and landed next to my feet. A new life had come into the world and Mama Robin was […]
May 4 PORTLAND CHINESE GARDEN…taking the video camera on a field trip
CLICK THE ARROW ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO START THE VIDEO AND TURN ON YOUR AUDIO PORTLAND OREGON CLASSICAL CHINESE GARDEN 4/03/09 from Sandra Miller on Vimeo. This video has audio as well. Yesterday, Steve and I went for a long walk downtown….well Steves walk was longer than mine for sure. As we passed Chinatown […]
May 1 GRAFFITI GOSSIP NEWSLETTER: May 1, 2009
ABOVE IS MY MOST RECENT WATERCOLOR CALLED “BUMBLE BEATRICE THE CHOW” AVAILABLE SOON HAPPY MAY DAY MY FRIENDS!! I hope all of you are having beautiful spring weather and receive tons of May baskets full of goodies today!!! OMG…am I SO OLD????? Oh how I long to do a May pole dance and eat those […]
April 25 STEVE’S BAILOUT PLAN…His surprise to me on Friday’s roadtrip
We had such a super time at the coast today. I can’t believe how much we fit in in a day’s time. Steve shocked me at lunch….find out what it was about mid video. More photos from the day below! Turn your volume on.!!! CLICK THE ARROW ON IMAGE ABOVE TO VIEW THE VIDEO! Above […]
April 22 FEELIN’ BLUE TODAY…and that’s a good thing!
As I was lying on my back in my garden today…daydreaming about 10,000,00 things all at once, I suddenly heard a shrill cackling about 2 feet from my head. Well I am never without my camera when I am outside and as luck would have it, this STELLERS JAY had landed on my suet feeder […]
April 21 “STEP OVER ME” Ltd. production Chow print just released!
Introducing my latest artwork available as a high quality giclee print!!!! This is an extremely limited run of prints as only 20 will be produced total. Each one will be printed on demand as they are ordered and come to you professionally packaged by my printer. PRINT SIZE IS A GENEROUS 16″x16″ WHICH WILL FRAME […]
April 19 “THE MOUNTAIN IS OUT”..A SATURDAY DRIVE
When we first moved to Oregon 11 years ago (has it been that long!) one of the first phrases that struck us as “oh so local” was “THE MOUNTAIN IS OUT”. When Mt. Hood decides to reveal herself it is never subtle. This dormant volcano with her “hood” of white is a sight to behold. […]
April 17 TGIF…some garden images from this morning
We have a forecast here in Portland for a glorious weekend ahead in the 70’s and SUNNY . I have big plans to fire a load or two of glass to finish up my Chow pendants as well as get my hands dirty doing some gardening. You can see a few of my blooms from […]
April 10 INTRODUCING “FROG DOG” a new Chow print released today!!
Hi everyone!! I’m so excited about this new painting I finished this morning!! What a varied combination of techniques it took to come up with this finished artwork. This one echos my Best of Breed trophy I created for the Chow Club National coming up very soon. I’ll show you the glass version in a […]
April 7 “SPRING BOUQUET” Pendant…. Blog Special!!!
What a little treasure this pendant is…absolutely FILLED to the brim with a brocade of springtime flowers. I lost count of the days it took me to complete this multi layered design. Each pass through the kiln for a 24 hour firing at 1500 degrees…I hold my breath that the colors dont’ shift or burn […]
April 7 CHOW PENDANT..BLOG SPECIAL…TODAY ONLY
HOT OUT OF THE KILN TODAY!!! Woo Hoo what fun!! Teeny little raised raindroplets and a 3-D ladybug highlight this fused glass chow hiding behind a very fancy tropical leaf!! Am I crazy??? This piece took me FOREVER to do with multiple firings in the kiln and tedious hand detaling. The bail is sterling and […]
April 6 Some bonding time with the girls, the garden and good grubbin!!
As promised by the Weather Channel (see previous blog post) the weekend was GLORIOUS!!! Actually Sunday was far nicer than Saturday….a picture perfect spring experience! Above: Meg (right) and her daughter Lillian (left) and I were chillin out on the mats in the front yard as I was combing Meg out getting her ready for […]
April 5 LAST DAY..We could lose the $1000.00 prize for Karen..please act now
Hello all..this is a very quick update to let you all know that the second place contestant in the Amazee/Facebook Rally has almost caught up to us and could win this money if we dont’ act fast!!! THE RACE ENDS TODAY!!!! The top 3 projects in the Rally Amazee – Facebook CHOW KENNEL DEVASTATED IN […]
April 1 April Showers bring May Flowers
This morning I grabbed my pot of French press coffee, sat down to watch the news for a minute or two and then flipped on the Weather Channel. Now I love the rain….don’t get me wrong……but it has been 2 weeks solid of rainy days and this is what we have to look forward to […]
March 30 IKEA FUN AND AMAZEE INTERVIEW AND RALLY
DONT FORGET TO START YOUR BLISS PAGE AT … First before I forget…I am asking for those who haven’t added the Amazee/Facebook application to their Facebook page for Karen Tracy…pleeeeeeeeease take a moment to do so. We we in first place to win the $1000.00 a few days ago and are so close we can […]
March 24 A FANTASY WEDDING VIA IPHONE CAMERA
Can you say “KICKING MYSLEF?” OMG..we were invited to a small wedding of our good friend’s daughter this past weekend. It was in the late afternoon and not a clue it would be any different than an average wedding celebration. I grabbed my Canon 40D two different times and both times said “nah”….it will just […]
March 22 Everything is amazing…Nobody is happy
Oh you guys I have been rolling on the floor over this YouTube clip sent to me via Rishi at FLYING CART where my online jewelry store is located. This is an interview on Conan O’Brien with Louis C.K. about how incredibly spoiled we have become in this generation. He is right on the money […]
March 18 Where’s the glass???…and random chow ramblings
Oh you guys I apologize for not updating you on my jewelry making status for what it seems is FOREVER!!! To get you up to speed, over a year ago I was asked to create the trophies for the 2009 Chow Chow Club Inc. trophies and I have been working non stop on these glass […]
March 17 Our new wheels and winning the AMAZEE race!!!
I’ll tell ya…Steve and I had such a great time last weekend buying a car!! We drove everything from sporty little coupe’s to boxy utility vehicles. From our favorite color (and Blings) Orange to red to everything inbetween. When it came down to it the car we loved the most only came in neutral colors […]
March 16 “The Healing Journey” new chow print available at Imagekind
THE HEALING JOURNEY IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT IMAGEKIND FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY THROUGH APRIL 15, 2009. AFTER THAT TIME I WILL ONLY OFFER THIS PRINT OCCASIONALLY THROUGH PRIVATE SALES. Dedicated to my friend Karen Tracy and all the chows she lost in the recent fire as well as to the heros..human and […]
March 15 Another face of the fire tragedy…Tribute to Duncan
Through the tragedy at Karen Tracy’s kennel, I recently met a wonderful man and his wife via a comment they left here at Graffiti Gossip in the first days after the fire. Pictured is “Duncan”…the sweet Cairn terrier who “owned” the McGeehans…heart and soul and was one of the boarded dogs that did not survive. […]
March 14 THE ORANGE CAR WITH A-PEEL
While we were out test driving cars today, Bling took it upon herself to wander off and surprise us with her lovely new purchase. Now she’s on mission to get an orange scented air freshner thingie to hang from the rear view mirror and I’ve heard giggles and whispers between her and Fling Fling about […]
March 13 Bling and Fling stage a “SIT IN” as mom and dad “GO GREEN”
Wow I didn’t realize how hard it would be to let our Escalade go. Our 4 year lease is up today and we are returning her. Before I hear screams of GAS GUZZLER and HOW COULD YOU DRIVE THAT THING (common phrases we hear driving down the road in Oregon..lol)….keep in mind we were hauling […]
March 12 WE MET ONE OF OUR GOALS…$10,000.00 IN THE AMAZEE PROJECT!!
PLEASE CLICK ON THE ARTWORK BELOW TO READ MORE AT OUR AMAZEE PAGE THANK YOU ALL SO VERY VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT !!! SANDRA
March 11 RISING TO THE TOP..AMAZEE RALLY AND $8300.00 SO FAR
Wow what a day yesterday. Thanks to all the generous donations from Karen’s friends and supporters, our total in Karen Tracys Kennel Fire fund is $8300 currently..our new goal set at $10,000.00 is close to being met!!! CLICK HERE TO READ OUR PROJECT DISCUSSION BOARD AND TO DONATE Below is another exciting bit of news […]
March 10 ARE YOU ON FACEBOOK..PLEASE HELP US WIN $1000.00 FOR KARENS FIRE FUND
Since FACEBOOK is about the faces , acquaintances and friends in our lives, I thought this post an appropriate time to post this photo of 3 beautiful faces that we have all come to care so much about. To the left is the ONLY photo I have of Karen Tracy…our dear friend who lost so […]
March 8 Amazee featured our fundraiser for Karen…and raising the bar!
Can you believe this?? I”m so excited we were selected at PROJECT OF THE DAY at Amazee!! This is the best possible advertising we can get and has already brought in some folks who are donating who are out of the familiar chow loop. What a wonderful caring world we live in!! Thank you all […]
March 7 A plan to help Karen….please help me help my dear friend!!
My dear friends…it looks like we have a plan to help Karen a bit. I have started an AMAZEE project page which is a fundraising website ( I did a moonbear project there recently) and have this wonderful, magical little “CHIPIN” widget which you see below , also on the Amazee page IGNORE THE TALLY […]
March 7 Keep Karen Tracy in your prayers..a kennel fire takes most of her chows
I am absolutely sick you guys. Some of you may have heard already but my good friend Karen Tracy in PA (Pazzazz Kennels) had a terrible fire at her kennel caused by a propane truck explosion and lost most of her own chows as well as some boarded dogs.. Here is the news report. A […]
March 5 Garden Arbor is done!
The arbor is done and I’m one happy camper!!! Scroll down to see the video I took today of the completed project. Like I said before….ignore all the “stuff” laying around on the ground. I have been dragging things out of the shed and Felix shoved them to the side to work. The cleanup starts […]
March 4 Another arbor going in this week!! See video
I am so in love with the arbor I had Felix build to hang my bird feeders from on my LIVE STUDIO CAM that I decided to have Felix build me a full arbor out by the road to redirect my NEW DAWN climbing rose onto. ABOVE IS THE DAWN REDWOOD WITH THE CLIMBING PALE […]
March 2 Steve and his Fling in Beijing!!!
Here are a few of the highlights from Steve and Flings Beijing adventure. They were at an IBM meeting most of the time but took a few hours out each day to see the city!! More pix on the way of some of the fun sights they saw. Thank you Steve for bringing me back […]
March 1 IN THE RIBBONS…A sweet new Chow design for spring!
The past week Steve has been in China and Japan (can you say green with envy) and I got a bug to finish this new Chow piece called “IN THE RIBBONS”. I get started on something and just can’t seem to quit till it’s done so I’m running on about as much sleep as Steve […]
February 28 Bling and her entourage at the Garden Show
Yippie….We had a ball yesterday at the Garden show!! Bling was in rare form that’s for sure and my friends Susan, Frankie and Paula were pretty darned good sports when I was posing the panda at every booth!! Can you believe we were there from 9:00 till 5:30? ABOVE IS BLING AND AN ANTIQUE AFRICA […]
February 27 Garden Show today!! Bling is heading on a Fieldtrip!
.BLING BLING now has her own FACEBOOK PAGE. CLICK THE LOGO BELOW to join her Travel Pandalogue!! We are going to have so much fun here!!!! BLING WOULD LOVE IF YOU ADD YOURSELF AS A “FAN”!!…WELL SHE ACTUALLY CALLS YOU HER “PAN CLUB” SEE OUR VIDEO BLING AND I MADE BELOW AS WE HEAD OUT […]
February 24 2 INSANELY CUTE NEW PandAware shoes and Tshirts!!
Hello everyone!! I’m extremely excited about these 2 new panda designs I’ve created for spring. Both are available on Tshirts and Keds shoes at my Zazzle store!! Just click the images to go directly to the item at Zazzle!! 10% of all sales on Zazzle goes into the PROJECT PANDA FUND towards a panda charity […]
February 21 Wonderfully Weird Al….and a panda pendant coming on Ebay!
Every time I hear this EBAY SONG by Weird Al Yankovic I can’t stop laughing..the longer the song goes the funnier it gets!!!. Since I’ll be posting a new panda pendant on Ebay tomorrow I thought this just seemed appropriately warped and perfectly WEIRD!!! ENJOY my friends!!!!! LYRICS ARE BELOW THE PENDANT PIX! An absolutely […]
February 20 Happy Dance..new spring pendants are blooming!!
I have been busy in the studio working on the new spring line and wanted to share with you examples of some of the goodies I will be offering on the website in the coming days and weeks!! These 3 got scooped when I made them available but I am planning to have enough to […]
February 17 A panda pendant studio peek-a-boo
Check this fun pendant out!! The finished necklace will be pretty spectacular once I finish beading it. It will have a Cleopatra collar sort of feel to it and an easy one to wear with everything from denim and earthtones to basic black. This glass is so stunning and vitreous. A very complicated design to […]
February 15 Jello pendants are almost ready to consume!!! Get a sneek preview!
TAAAA DAAAAAAAAAAAAA…….After a solid week of work on these little impostors, the “Broken Glass Jello” look alikes are almost ready to jiggle their way onto the website for purchase!!!! Keep scrolling down to see more examples of one of the pendants!!! As you can see above, I designed a wonderful contemporary setting to bring out […]
February 12 Jello explosion!! 6 pendants start to take shape. Join me at Facebook
I am so excited about these little jello squares!!! The white is beautifully opaque and the color chips and completely transparent. Seen in the windowsill before firing they are truly like candy. Absolutely mouth watering. If you have not seen the previoius posts about the progression of this series of pendants…scroll down for more posts. […]
February 12 Wiggly Giggly “Broken Glass” Jello Adventure continues!!
As promised…below is the progression so far of this fun experiment in fused glass bliss!! The first layers before the firing are pictured in the graphic below. Keep scrolling to see the panel as I got it out of the kiln this morining at 5;00 AM!! I couldnt sleep thinking about what it was going […]
February 11 Broken Glass Jello!…….I see a pendant in the making
You know how sometimes the strangest of circumstances bring together a” light bulb moment” of inspiration…well today I had one of those as I was searching for a recipe. We go out for Dimsum a couple of times a month and one of my favorite sweet treats is so NOT Chinese but a wonderful balance […]
February 10 NEW PODCAST, Peek at a prototype , & wildlife in Africa
Finally I got the podcast service to update properly. You can hear todays podcast below or at anytime at the top left of the screen at Graffiti Gossip…The blog Subscribe Free Add to my Page I’ve been having fun working on my spring line of jewelry and of course as I’m feeling so full of […]
February 9 Goldfish bowl pendant/Additions to live cam area
Check this beauty out!! What a fun and detailed pendant that is sure to bring compliments wherever you wear it. Through Wednesday this week I am offering the PENDANT ONLY to my designer friends with a nice selection of matching beads to play with. If someone is interested in the pendant on the cord instead […]
February 6 I Like Ike and I Like Flowers!!!
What a fun day Rebecca and I had yesterday bopping through the CORNELL FARMS Garden center and then out for a great sushi lunch!!! More pix below but first I had to show you our beautiful Ike who is Megs brother. They are littermates and this is Ikes owner Bonnie showing him recently as a […]
February 5 Chow print on Ebay…and garden remodel in progress
Wooo Hoooo !!! Thank you all so much who contacted me regarding the new CHOW PRINT I released 2 days ago. I grabbed one “off the shelves” right away and ..I’m glad I did as there are only 2 left!!. NOW AVAILABLE ON EBAY A nice 24″ x 24″ square canvas on a stretcher frame… […]
February 3 NEW Chow print release in time for Valentines Day..LIMITED TO 15!!
I’m so excited about this painting I just completed!! This is a piece I have been working off and on again for months and today I just got a fire under me to complete it!!! I’m not sure why the fire because I woke up at 12:30 AM and haven’t been to sleep since. I […]
February 2 Building a new bird feeding station for the live cam!!
I love a good garden project in mid winter and this year I came up with something that confused the heck out of my garden helper Felix at first but we got it worked out and the framework will be finished tomorrow! What I asked for was a framework made out of fence posts that […]
January 31 How about a little weather whiplash???
My friends from around the world are always sending me wonderful photos of their gardens and fun places they have been as well as their weather reports!!! Yesterday two of my dear friends, Jan who lives in Arizona and Cathy who lives not far from Diana in Iowa both sent me some fun images I […]
January 29 Why are Chickadees like Pandas?????
I’m sure you all have been asking yourself this pressing question for years. Well I think I figured it out today when I spent a good 3 hours in my yard with the huge 400mm lens, taking chickadee pix and giggling to myself the entire time . How many of you were watching me on […]
January 28 NEW CHOW AND PANDA TSHIRT DESIGNS AT ZAZZLE!
I’m so thrilled at how these newest designs turned out on the black tshirts at my Zazzle store!! Both the panda and the chow can be ordered on all the DARKS, WHITE, OR CREAM……however on the pastels the tshirt color will show through on the white parts of the design. I locked the pastel options […]
January 26 HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR….The Year of the Ox, 2009!!
CLICK HERE for a wonderful article about the Chinese hoping for a brighter New Year following the 2008 quakes Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year celebration also known as “CHINESE NEW YEAR”!!! The animal representing this year is the Ox . Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration […]
January 24 Don’t get caught with your plants down
My friends Frankie and Susan and I are known as the Three Marketeers around these parts…we haunt all the garden centers and farmers markets and pile the car to the brim with treasures wherever we go. Today it was friggin cold and a few snowflakes fell but we braved the elements to shop for plants. […]
January 24 A visit to the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
In the entire 11 years we have lived here in Portland, I have not once had the chance to visit the World reknowned Rhodie Garden here in town. I’ve heard so many wonderful things from all my garden friends but there are just so many places to go on our outings……the rhodies always took a […]
January 22 BLINGZ THINGZ NOW ON MUGZ!!!!! MUG YOUR VALENTINE!!
CLICK ANY DESIGN TO BRING YOU TO MY ZAZZLE STORE!! Today I decided to go ahead and release my next Blingz Thingz design a bit early since shipping for Valentines day at Zazzle will need to be done fairly soon. This recent designs called “PAN-IC ATTACK” and “BUTTERFLY SAFARI” are absolutely adorable and Blings adventure […]
January 17 BLINGZ THINGZ….break out the bamboo!!!
Bling Bling has been BEARY busy modeling for my new series of greeting cards which will ultimately end up being published as a book to be released later this summer. Each card comes with a special story inside, describing Blings most inner thoughts , hope and dreams as she travels around the planet spreading joy […]
January 11 Shu embrodery images from my 2008 China trip
It seems impossible to believe it has been almost a year since Diana and I traveled to Thailand and China for the panda adoption!! Today I was contacted by Korean Air Lines to feature one of my Chengdu images on the cover of their February inflight magazine (WOOO HOO) so I had to go digging […]
December 31 HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! Live broadcast tomorrow!!
“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day. ” Edith Lovejoy Pierce With wishes to all my friends for Peace, Love, and Happiness in the coming year. I am so incredibly grateful […]
December 29 An angry sky and BEST OF the squirrel cam today
What a beautiful day it started out to be, then it poured, then it hailed , then the sun came out, then it snowed a few flakes..then back to sun again!! It got to nearly 50 degrees today!! We must be living in the Pacific NW!! I took this photo above as we were coming […]
December 25 Merry Christmas Steve and a video Chat Xmas
I hope you all have had an incredible Christmas with family and friends!!! Steve and I just chilled out here ..basically snowed in with no presents to exchange. My main present to him is at the PO Box downtown and it’s too risky to drive over the hills yet to pick it up. Since I […]
December 24 Neither rain nor snow nor sleet…the petition must go through!
I am so very very very excited!!! A few blog posts ago you will remember the petition my CHOW forum had organized to rally Chow fanciers to voice their opinion against a breed standard change in the UK. READ MORE Well as of today we have 1591 signatures representing 51 countries and gathered those signatures […]
December 24 Your Christmas Card awaits….and don’t forget to SMILE!!
CLICK ON THE PUPPY OR KITTY TO SEE THIS BEAUTIFUL ANIMATED GREETING CARD BY JACQUIE LAWSON Thank you all for making this year and Holiday season so filled with love, caring and friendships!! AND REMEMBER..THE BEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE ONE ANOTHER IS A SMILE! ABOVE…CHENGDU CHINA, FEB, 2008….CUTEST KID EVER! ABOVE…BOTSWANA AFRICA, OUR CAMP […]
December 22 I am still blessed with my Snow Angels
I was going to give him a mug of Eggnog but that smacked too much of cannabalism!!! We are certainly snowed in here this week. I ‘m so glad we braved the crowds last friday and went grocery shopping. In Portland when we get any snow at all the city literally closes down. The snow […]
December 21 Ushering in the Winter Solstice at 3:00 AM
The mid December solstice marks the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice occurs on December 21, 2008 at 7:04 AM EST and 12:04 UT (Universal Time). So here I sit in the wee hours of the morning….and can’t sleep a wink. […]
December 20 A Crime against Canine History….Preserve our ancient Chow
Hello my dear friends. As many of you who are on my Worldchow Forum already are aware of, we as Chowists have an immense challenge thrust upon us just as our Holiday week begins. For those not in the loop on the situation…in the UK, the Chow, along with a number of very old breeds […]
December 14 A Snow Day in Portland Or……My snow bunnies love it!!
Oh what a treat!! Just a few minutes ago I was sitting at my new computer station in front of the picture window in the studio and all of a sudden the snow started coming down softly like in a Xmas globe My first hint of the white stuff coming down wasn’t the snow itself, […]
December 10 NEW….”Fishing for Compliments” necklace”
I’ve been having some fun in the studio this week with my vintage 1950’s lucite beads and a glass fish focal I purchased from an artisan 2 years ago. I was waiting for inspiration as to what to do with this piece…..then of course over time the pendant got packed away and I forgot about […]
December 7 Chow Art Auction closing tonight and a peek at “Angel”
Hello everyone, Just a quick reminder that the Fund Raising Auction for the 2009 Trophy Fund is coming to a close tonight at Dec-07 2008 at 7:00 PST which will be 10:00 EST for those of you on the east coast. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE AUCTION!! Thank you all so very much for your […]
December 1 Pandarazzi The Blog…another paw forward for PROJECT PANDA
Hello everyone!! I hope you all had a fantastic holiday and survived the shopping madness!! I spent the past 4 days in front of the computer from before dawn till midnight each day playing on my new computer and updating a lot things my old computer couldn’t handle. CLICK THE PHOTO BELOW TO GET BEAMED […]
November 26 This Thanksgiving….don’t forget to Feed the Cat!
While we all sit in front of that big browned gobbler… or tofu turkey… or whatever our protein poison is for the day tomorrow…the one thing you will not want to forget to do is FEED THE CAT!! ABOVE IS HONG KONG NIGHT MARKET 2006…THE BIZARRE THING ON THE LEFT IS CUTTLEFISH Thank you my […]
November 25 Tell me your favorite childhood Xmas/holiday gift
Inspired by a recent “getting to know you” thread on the Pandas Unlimited forum. As a result of a massive flood of childhood memories from answering some questions on that forum …I would love to share with you my favorite childhood Xmas gift and hope you share yours in the comments section too!! This is […]
November 24 More beads on the site and pendants on the way!
Last week I was digging deeper in my studio stash and discovered I had packed away lots and lots and lots of smaller seed beads and vintage/estate sale finds that I had ample supply of in the regular bead drawers. I decided that these little beady wonders also could use some weeding out and I […]
November 21 A new home for my computer and office!!
I am sooooooooooo excited you guys!! Our Mac computer is on it’s last legs and this week I went out and got a new Mac Mini for my business. I already have a fairly new huge flat screen monitor and new keyboard so I am good to go!! I have been itching to upgrade my […]
November 18 How to string an assymetrical bead..and storage sources
Wow..yesterday I got such a wonderful response to my post and so many interesting questions that I decided to dedicate this blog entry to answering a couple of your comments. Below is my answer to Nancys frog bead question “I have a couple of those frog beads and other than earrings I am totally blocked […]
November 17 Memoirs from a bead addicts’ lair
I seriously know I have a problem…..I am usually noT this obsessive with things (welllllll maybe a little) but what is it that drives bead collectors to such lengths that they need to fill their house with these little orbs of color!! It’s pure bliss to collect them and even more fun to just run […]
November 12 Some panda yumminess on the website!
Yippie Skippie!!! Some delicious eye candy has been emerging from “hottie” the kiln the past couple of weeks and I am now getting the new pendants photographed and posted on the site. Here is the first one of the week! A very festive and adorable panda necklace/earring set I call “Panda Crazy” CLICK THE PHOTO […]
November 11 CHEERS to our Veterans
I just wanted to take this opportunity to say a HUGE thank you to all our military families and veterans who over the decades have sacrificed so much to make our country safe and secure!!!! You brave and selfless men and women totally ROCK in my book! Check out this photo my mom recently restored […]
November 8 Steve had a “LIGHTBULB” moment!!!! Woo Hoo!!!
So back to where I left off with my studio reorg………I have most of my beads now in the new bins again which are literally covering EVERY surface on 3 walls of my studio. I still have another shipment of the 70 drawer units coming!! (and more beads on the way..shhhhhhhhhhhhh) CAN YOU SEE THE […]
November 5 A knockout Chow canvas will be listed soon!! Stop in a see
And now for something completely fun and different!!! The elections were wearing on me bigtime so I needed to switch gears a bit and play with my painting muses a while!! This image you see below is sooooooo striking in person. This will be the ONLY available canvas of this particular artwork…. EVER!! The canvas […]
November 4 All is not well at Election Headquarters!!!
The running mates have hit a crisis…there is chaos in the ranks here at election headquarters!! I told her that she could be queen someday but king was out of the question. A girl can grow up to be anything she sets her mind to I guess!!
November 3 So much for “Get out the Vote”…..
So much for “Get out the Vote”!!! I’m all for the “Stay in and Vote” method!! WOOO HOOOO. Oregon residents and many others now get to do like I just did…Chill out in my zebra blankie…surrounded by my dogs , while I tick off my choices on my ballot….or in some cases “get ticked […]
October 29 VOTE!!!!
Barkleigh the stray cat who has adopted us, and Bling have been campaiging around our neighborhood and decided after going to only 5 houses that they are better qualified than either of the candidates on the ticket this election year! Barkleigh promises a mouse in every garage while his running mate Bling Bling the panda […]
October 27 Happy Monday my friends…a smile to start your week
Autumn in Chowland can be a frustrating time of year…my old girl Meg was sleeping in the chilly sun yesterday and I quick GRABBED the camera just in time to catch her getting up to shake all the maple leaves off her coat. She was NOT amused at my being in her face with the […]
October 25 New Pendants and necklace sets on the way!!
I”m so excited!!!! Today I opened the kiln to 6 of the prettiest little pendants EVER in a smaller size than you usually see from the studio. The fused glass portion of this pendant below for example is a meer 3/4″ wide by 1 1/2″ long!!! Working this small is very labor intensive and required […]
October 23 HOT Autumn images from the studio
What a classic Autumn day we are having here in Portland!! The sun is out, the air is crisp and at the edge of warm. My Chows are in dog paradise and my studio is almost put back together after the massive bead reorganization. SIGH…….bliss in Sandyland!!! ABOVE: I put a load of VERY cool […]
October 21 CHOWTIME…new bead bowl and finished panda necklace
Whew..I spent the better part of last week and through today and beyond Im sure , reorganizing my thousands of varieties of beads I’ve collected over the years. I purchased 12, all new 60 drawer cabinet units (the kind you buy for nuts and bolts for the garage) and am in the process of organizing […]
October 16 Our Mz. Angel does it again!!!!
Can you believe it!!! Ek wrote to me this week from Thailand with some more great puppy news!!! Angel had a fantastic weekend (the Vincent x Money puppy) again and I want to share Eks news verbatum with you via his email. This grandma (and grandma Diana) are so very proud of our grandchowdren!! The […]
October 15 Moonbear and Asian Elephant..CONGRATS on Asia’s Big 5 winners
Wow did I wake up to the BEST NEWS EVER!!!! Normally I post my endangered species updates on my forum http://pandarazzi.com but this news is too good to not spread EVERYWHERE ABOVE…Photo taken at the Moonbear rescue in Chengdu, China 2/08 Quoting from ANIMALS ASIA‘s founder Jill Robinson in her call for votes back in […]
October 14 More Bead Bento Bowls on the website
Thank you all for your great response on my newest bead bowls!! As I told one of my bead buddies Lois, I have over 10,000 beads in my studio and need to dig deep to find some of these buried treasures as well as unpack the newest finds from Thailand to add to the mix! […]
October 12 NEW…Bead Bento Bowls are back Baby!! Woo Hoo
I have had a lot of requests for my bowls brimming full of travel beads again so back by popular demand.. TRAVEL BEAD BENTO BOWLS!! Click any of the photos below to see them at the website where they are available for purchase!! I have been busy the past week working on unpacking beads and […]
October 8 The Grand Palace Bangkok….and THE TRAVELING BEAD POUCH
Last night in the wee hours of the morning I sat down and worked on these photos from the Grand Palace We hired a private guide from Tour with Tong , whose name was Jerry and had a VERY full and glorious day of touring Bangkok and learning about the architecture and Buddhism as well. […]
October 7 The Burasari Resort in Phuket and around town
Ek took this photo by going out into the pool with my camera. This is the entrance to our room at Burasari Hotel in Phuket!! I wasn’t kidding when I said the room opened up into the pool!! There were only 5 rooms like this in the whole place and Ek got 2 of them […]
October 6 Happy Happy Happy Happy Puppies!!!
Chow puppies on our visit to see Ekarat in Thailand
This first photo pretty much says it all when it comes to describing how fun and insane it was trying to photograph wiggly Chow puppies at dusk with only my onboard flash. OMG Liz was laughing so hard at Eks Kennel helper, driver and myself trying to get these puppies to stay still for a split second. We even got her to go to work bribing the babies with food. Only my hand was in focus here!
Chow puppies on our visit to see Ekarat in Thailand
October 5 The Homecoming and More Phuket images
To catch up on the puppies…Diana met Liz in Minneapolis at the airport after a very long flight from Bangkok to Narita Japan, a plane change, then on to the U.S.A….. and all went extremely well!! Both babies recognized Liz’s voice and they came out of the crate for Diana like there was no big […]
October 3 Rose Garden Resort Video slideshow
I put together another YouTube slideshow featuring the Rose Garden Resort that Ek put Liz and I up at for our first couple of days in Thailand. OMG I am SO glad we cancelled our guide the first day so we could enjoy this place the one day we had available to wander the 70 […]
October 1 It’s a Kind of Magic!
Hi everyone!! I am posting a quick UTube video I put together to show you a preview of some of the beautiful islands we visited in Phuket area. It was TRULY some kind of special magic. More about the puppies to be posted later today as well!!! This photo just cracks me up ….It looks […]
September 29 Thank you Ek’!!! And the new tattoos!!
Here liz and I sit all packed and ready to leave for the airport at 3:30am and we miss our friend Ek and Thailand already!!! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the overwhelmingly gracious hospitality Ek and the opportunity to get to know you as well as your beautiful chows better. Liz […]
September 28 Jatuchak market in bangkok
A few pix from our shopping spree yesterday …IPHONE CAM IMAGES
September 26 Island hopping…omg!
It just doesn’t get any better than this my friends. Today we toured the tsunami zones around Phuket and Phi Phi island…that was the island which was obliterated from both sides by two monster waves We were out for 8 hours on a private boat…just liz,myself, Ek,and his cousin Pai I’ll let our photos of […]
September 24 Our first day in Phuket
I’ll be adding commentary to these pix in a few hours when I get to a real computer
September 23 Temples and puppies
We had an incredible full day yesterday with our guide jerry touring Bangkok and temple hopping. A few of the highlights included the grand palace the wholesale flower market,giving alms to the monks,curry and pad Thai meals,shopping for local crafts,the giant reclining Buddha ,the jade Buddha ,ann hour and a half Thai massage and the […]
September 22 Lets all wish my hubby a Happy Birthday!!!
September 22 Pix from the rose garden resort
Cool beans!! These following photos are of the resort we are staying at outside of Bangkok called the Rose Garden Riverside. OMG what fantastic place Ek found for us!!! Orchids are sprouting out of every tree on the 70 acres of property and there is a huge lake in the middle of the complex with […]
September 22 We are in Bangkok!! Photos coming soon!
Hi all, Sorry for the delay in writing. We got here after 18 hours of travel time and today just chilled out. Having trouble getting an internet connection on the iPhone but it looks like we may have it fixed. Will update with pix hopefully in a few minutes!!! Thanks everyone for coming by and […]
September 20 We are on our way!!!!! Thailand bound! AUCTION BEGINS NOW!
Well vacation day has finally arrived and I am SO ready to quit packing and unpacking stuff. Above Bling , Fling and their friend “Babo Buddy” that Liz gave me are saying goodbye to Meg!! About 2 minutes after this shot was taken Meg stole Bling off my suitcase and proceeded to chew off […]
September 16 And they call it “Puppy Love”…and a new Chow design
This weekend Steve and I got the chance to see a couple of our grandchowdren up in Vancouver WA and as you can tell, Steve and “Romeo” owned and bred by Rebecca Epstein hit it off especially well. I call this photo “Puppy Love” Torri Tjensvold who has one of Dianas boys ( Wyatt below) […]
September 14 “YOU Fetch It !” Chow print and Martha Stewart on Monday
FREE SHIPPING TO MY U.S. CUSTOMERS THIS MONTH …THANK YOU IMAGEKIND ©Sandra Miller 2008 GRAFFITIMAGERY (GRAFFITI watermark is not on the final print) CLICK IMAGE ABOVE TO FIND THIS PRINT AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE This is a fun piece of artwork that is sure to liven up any room of the house!! Especially nice on stretched […]
September 12 Bling and Flings amazing scavenger hunt auction!
I AM TAKING SCAVENGER HUNT REQUESTS NOW.. USE COMMENTS BOX ON THIS POST TO ADD YOUR SUGGESTIONS…WOO HOO!! BIDDING WILL START ON SEPTEMBER 20TH AND BE OVER OCTOBER 1, 2008 AT 9:00 AM WHERE ARE WE GOING?..MAPS AND ITINERARY WHAT AM I BIDDING ON?…PHOTOS AND DESCRIPTION —————————————————————————– WHERE DO I BID AND WHAT ARE THE […]
September 10 The Sistahood of the Traveling Pands….a travelogue in a pendant!
I’m sure you all have heard of the movie called the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”..they even have a part II out now. Well I have to admit I have never seen it but the pun worked here so I ran with it..lol! Scroll down to read lots more!! Bling and Fling getting their pandports […]
September 10 Puppy breath, sticky noodles,deep fried bugs and smiles
What do all these things have in common……….yep they are in Thailand and I am going back for more in just over a week!!!!! Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine going to Thailand twice in one year . The “land of smiles” is truly like a magnet. Once you have been there it […]
September 6 More new Chowdren across the pond!! Vinnie X Abbi
Can you believe it???? Vincent has been gone for years now and in 2008 has sired 2 beautiful litters of puppies from his frozen “swimmers”. In the dog world we call these special babies “Pupsicles”. They were conceived via artificial insemination. Pauline (Mayjo Chows) in the U.K. bred her beautiful girl “Abbi” and got an […]
September 6 A slideshow from our fun day at the beach yesterday!!
HOPE YOU ENJOY THE PICK OF MY 200 PLUS PHOTOS I TOOK YESTERDAY CLICK THE PHOTO BELOW TO ACCESS THE FULL SIZED VERSION OF THE SLIDESHOW BELOW IS A SMALLER VERSION OF THE SLIDESHOW WHICH IS EMBEDDED IN THE BLOG
September 5 Road trippin. Guess where we are!
I will update this post when we get home but bling couldn’t wait to show u her iPhone pix So Steve says Thursday nite….what are you doing tomorrow!! I says…nothing…so early in the AM we head to the Oregon Coast for a day of playing hookie!!! The grey whales were basking in the warm sunlight […]
September 3 My photo featured..GOURMET magazine…and a panda tidbit
I’ve been itching to see this story go up today so I could post it here!! Yesterday the editor of Gourmet magazine (yep..this one is the biggie) asked permission to use the image below of a wonderful fella I photographed at the Portland Farmers Market earlier this spring. This guy makes French cheeses in a […]
September 2 Chow puppy news!!!! And chow puppy shoes!!
OMG I am so excited you guys!!! Remember the litter I have been showing you all sired by our Vincent in Thailand out of Ekarat’s gorgeous girl he calls “Money”…………well check out these photos from this very weekend at a series of shows in Thailand. Below is what Ek writes….its best you hear the details […]
August 31 Bamboo Toes….a new set of designer tennies!
CHECK THESE BABIES OUT!! Click the image below to see more of my panda shoozies at my Zazzle store!!! I created this pair initially to wear on my upcoming trip to Thailand (yep…heading out again!!..more on that later) I am loving the popularity of tennis shoes with all sorts of graphics on them this fall […]
August 29 Batik Bounty…a new glass pendant series now available!!
As I was taking photographs of my new pendant series inspired by the photo below, I heard some serious giggling and snorking and turned around to see what was going on. Bling Bling and one of the GRAFFITI 57 were inspired as well and were playing in their mothers batiks just as the boys in […]
August 28 Gone but not forgotten….images of the tree removal
Thank goodness yesterday is over with!! All I could do to keep from thinking about my tree was to actually photograph her removal …….I”m not quite sure why that made me feel better but I guess it’s kind of a “closure” thing. Above is Carlos up in the tree starting to cut the first branch […]
August 27 Memorial for my grande old “firry” friend
This is a very hard day for me and I know I am getting overly emotional but just can’t seem to fight the tears off. When we returned from our trip to New York I noticed my oldest) Douglas Fir which is from old growth forest was shedding needles EVERYWHERE. Her “fir” was literally falling […]
August 26 A Pand-ily Reunion when the “Mother Lode” arrives in Portland!
I had to ship my 57 Dollar Store pandas from Minneapolis to Portland and they just arrived today. When I went in the house to change my camera battery, I came back to find Meg stealing one of the pandas for herself!! Bling Bling was very happy to see her friends again and they had […]
August 23 Motivational image….”ADAPT”
CLICK IMAGE TO FIND THIS AVAILABLE AS A POSTER,CANVAS, CARD OR FRAMED I took this photo at Georgetown University in DC while visiting with friends on our recent trip there. I caught this shot on the fly as we were heading down the cobblestone sidewalk to find some lunch.The mental image of this persistent “mini […]
August 20 New album posted from Hailong Bay Vietnam 2005
This is by far one of the most mysterious and awe inspiring places I have been to on this great planet earth. Just a few hours outside of Ha Noi Vietnam is this eerie archepellago of limestone islands in a bay that goes on forever it seemed. We only did a day tour with our […]
August 19 Time Warp back to 2005…Vietnam images!!
What a magical place Vietnam was and still on the top of my list of places I want to return to asap!!! This day was during the Vietnamese holiday of TET or New Years which fall close to the same time as Chinese New Year early in the year. We had no idea where our […]
August 17 Feather panda and more festival pix
The panda was painted on a real feather and framed. A real find at the ren festival
August 16 A few Ren Fest photos from today
Apologies for my blog posts not working today. I’m not sure what happened to the images in that last post but I deleted it and am starting over with pix from the big camera Every little girls dream is to be this Fairy!!! OMG this actress was beautiful and literally floated as she walked. Bling […]
August 16 Heading out to the Renaissance festival today! HUZZAH~~~
My daughter , bling bling, my camera and myself are on our way to the opening day of the Minnesota Ren Fest!!!! It’s Belly dancer weekend!!!! Woo Hoo!!! Huzzah!!!!!!!! Will be blogging live from the festival with lots of pix today so look for some email updates if you are signed up for them or […]
August 13 Only in Minnesota..Fer Sure
Where else but in Minnesota can Mosquito Bites, Bear Paws and Timber Shrimp be a good thing to eat ! Yesterday Liz took the day off of work to hang out with mom and we had a blast!! One of the places we went to eat was a very Northern Minnesota steak house with a […]
August 11 I hit the motherlode
Way too much fun for a Monday…..57 perfect pandas from the mall OMG what a riot!!! Mom and I were bopping through the mall today and what catches my panda radar but a bin of awesome stuffed pandas for a $1.00 each!!!!!! I was literally nuts flailing pandas into the cart like a crazed maniac. […]
August 8 Ahhhh…I wish to be in Beijing
Oh my goodness…mom and I are sitting here watching the Olympic opening ceremonies on tv in absolute awe!!!!!! What a spectacular display in every aspect of art,Chinese culture and symbolism and global unity! It makes one stop to ponder why we can’t,as a world, pull together like this more often eh? If it weren’t for […]
August 4 Some “corny” pix from the homestead
What fun my family and I have been having so far!!! Today my son Bryan stopped by my moms house with a bag of fresh picked sweetcorn and we had a corn snack feast right there on the spot Bling couldn’t resist a corny pose alongside of one of moms beautiful daylilies…….diana….tell jim his Iowa […]
August 2 Bling bling meets lulu
Bling enjoying her First Class upgrade at the last minute yesterday!!! Thanks Steve!!! Ahhhhh….its always great to come home! Today mom and I got caught up on lots of family archives that she has been working on all year. One of the more priceless shots below is of me and my brother when we lived […]
July 31 The iphone arrived…yippie!!
I am testing the new toy for my trip!! The images were taken with the phone and all the text is from the iPhone as well Thanks for letting me test this out on you all A FEW PHONECAM IMAGES FROM MY GARDEN JUST NOW! Of course nothing can compare with photographs from the Canon […]
July 30 CAN YOU STAND IT….Panda shoes now available at my store!
Does this beat everything??? I just got an update from Zazzle that they are now letting me custom design REAL KEDS tennis shoes so I jumped on it fast!! Each design must go through an acceptance process because of the Keds branding and they are NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE…CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO FIND THEM!! […]
July 30 Pupdate from Thailand!! Another proud grandma alert!!
I am just going to let these photos speak for themselves!! Thank you Ekarat for giving me my puppy “fix” today!!! I am just so excited about these girls I can hardly contain myself!!! After talking to Ek in town here a couple of weekends ago I can visualize him and his helper taking these […]
July 28 The launch of my sandramiller.com launching pad ..Yippie
CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO ACCESS THE NEWLY DESIGNED SANDRAMILLER.COM SITE!!! Nothing makes me happier than being organized!! I get so flustered when things are not immediately at hand and within reach and that includes all my interests that involve the internet. My world of jewelry, photography, gardens, chows, pandas and travel has expanded so […]
July 27 Bling learns the fine art of wine tasting
Here’s a phone cam photo from the IPNC Wine tasting we went to today in McMinnville Oregon. Vintners and growers of Pinot Noir from the NW, and world wide attended this 5 day event. We were signed up for the entire thing but my eye boo boo kept me out of the fun until today. […]
July 24 An eye for an eye
It’s amazing how each event and moment in our lives is so interconnected even though at first glance they seem unrelated. My eye injury was an unfortunate boo boo but then today I got an email from the Elephant Nature Foundation in Chiang Mai Thailand that put my problem into perspective instantly! They initially wrote […]
July 24 Need someone to keep an EYE on me!
Owie!!!!! I really did the ultimate dork move yesterday!!! I was putting away some things in my studio and on my left side (my totally blind eye) out of no where appeared a metal rod which holds up my flex shaft glass grinder and it attacked me…in the eyeball!!! My eye was wide open and […]
July 21 Elephant photos posted and new Travel section on blog
CLICK ON ANY OF THE IMAGES BELOW TO BRING YOU TO THE ELEPHANT SANCTUARY ALBUMS The Elephant Nature Park is located outside of Chiang Mai Thailand. I added another 40 plus images today for you all to see!! What a day this was. I am sooooooooo ready to go back as is Diana!! Also I […]
July 20 Pendant drawing winner announced!!! The Panda roll !!
. . Hey wonderful friends!!! Today at the PANDARAZZI FORUM I did the drawing for a panda pendant valued at over 150.00!!!! All the members had to do were to add their comments HERE ON THE FORUM and tell the Pandarazzi membership which Chinese Horoscope sign they were. Check out the UTube video below I […]
July 19 Video taped live version of my panda presention! Thank you Craig!
Thank you so much Craig for videotaping my presentation (commentary and all!) at the DC zoo last week. It’s fun to go back and watch this and see what I said. I never prepare notes for things like this because I can’t read them with my funky eyes so I just “wing it”. Diana, I […]
July 17 New photo album posted of Tai Shan’s birthday!!
CLICK PHOTO TO ACCESS THE TAI SHAN BIRTHDAY PARTY JOURNAL I have been working nonstop on our Tai photos and got them mostly done , loaded into my website, descriptions written, published it…only to find out that I can’t get them to show up in Firefox!!!! If you use Firefox as a browser and can’t […]
July 15 My National Zoo slideshow presentation and new Chow pendant
THIS PENDANT WILL BE AVAILABLE LATER ON THIS WEEK!!! Below is my slideshow without narration. I wish I had Steve videotape it for me but at least you get the idea of how it looked. Basically I covered the gist of what brought me to Chengdu in 2006 in the first place then described the […]
July 14 A few favorite Tai Shan pix and my Geomap of the trip
Hello everyone!! We are back home now and reasonably rested. What a fun time we had on this trip. Kind of did a little bit of everything it seems!! I couldn’t wait to get my panda pix loaded here are a few of the over 1000 I took at the zoo!! I will put them […]
July 12 Graffiti phonecam mpls airport live shot
Graffiti phonecam mpls airport live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute. Travel weary roadwarriors
July 12 Graffiti phonecam baltimore live shot
Graffiti phonecam baltimore live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute. Airport munchies in baltimore
July 12 Graffiti phonecam georgetown live shot
Graffiti phonecam georgetown live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute. Our carryon luggage at the amtrak station,..all aboard
July 12 Graffiti phonecam georgetown live shots
What a PANTASTIC day we spent with Lois and Richard kicking around Georgetown University. Bling Bling especially loved the bright pink sweatshirt in the campus bookstore!! Woo Hoo she is HOT! A stroll over one of the canal bridges by the university brought us to a gorgeous mall we could duck out […]
July 11 Dinner at Rasika…….incredible Indian food!
Chinatown in DC…just before the Indian restaurant Whew…a whirlwind day and it’s still going!!! We just returned from an incredible Indian resturant just outside of Chinatown in DC. It is still crazy hot out but bearable and the food was sooooooooooo yummy. We had a number of dishes including flash fried spinach (melted in […]
July 11 More HOT HOT HOT Fun at the Smithsonian today
Across the street from the Whitehouse…man I can’t wait to get a better phone cam!!! The new IPhone is out today!!!!! Woo Hoo Oh my it’s a scorcher today!! Steve and I set foot out to the Smithsonian galleries and I wanted to take a lot of pix on the way but the sun […]
July 10 Real Men wear Pandbags!!!!
Steve puts up with a lot from me but this one takes the cake. Liz and Diana you will appreciate the humor in this one. We were standing at a bus stop waiting to go to the air and space museum and I realized Steve had the lens bag with 3 of my panda […]
July 10 Bling Bling visits the Air and Space Museum!!!
Me and Kung Fu Panda at the Air and Space museum!!1 Bling Bling meets a new friend at the Air and Space museum…she has a soft spot for pilot uniforms!! Bling Bling posing in front of her fave plane!! The Enterprise shuttle…this is the real deal my friends!!! I love this […]
July 10 Whooping crane migration gear
Whooping crane migration gear, originally uploaded by electra-cute. Handraised babies wont imprint on the humans who teach them to fly wearing this outfit. An ultralight plane is used to simulate mama crane. This is at the smithsonian air museum
July 10 National Art Gallery..wow!!!
We can never get enough of this treasure trove of priceless art collections. OMG..so many famous paintings and scuptures here that you just don’t know which way to turn next!! A very humbling experience being here. If you love art this is a must go place at least once in your lifetime My dear […]
July 9 Pandamonium at the National Zoo today
Woo Hoooooooo we made it here!! We are at the zoo and I got to spend all the time in the world photographing the birthday boy Tai Shan as he celebrates his 3rd B’day with some of the most fun folks you can imagine!!…the members of Pandas Unlimited!!! We got the BEST shots of […]
July 9 Birthday boy taishan
Here is Tai Shan sitting on his rock wall working on his birthday fruitsicle. See next post for more update from the zoo today
July 9 Tai Shan sneeks up to his birthday treat
Tai was so worried about his big number “3” shaped fruitsicle, the crowd was wondering if he was ever going to go taste test it. Here you see Tai on the left sneeking up to the fruitie as the crowd snaps photos of him. I was interviewed by someone the moment we got to […]
July 8 Multimedia message
Multimedia message, originally uploaded by electra-cute. Lunch at sushi joint woo hoo
July 8 Heading to DC today by train
HERE i AM WRITING TO YOU GUYS!!! Hi everyone. Finally had a moment to get to an internet cafe to update the blog. So much fun here I forgot how much I love NY!! I updated the entries on the blog with text now if you want to backtrack…just go to https://graffitigossip.com to find all […]
July 7 After dinner on subway
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; } .flickr-yourcomment { } .flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; } .flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Does Steve look a little bit tired here? lOL..sorry Steve (NOT) We had dinner at Blue Hill…another incredible meal at one of NY’s most noted eating establishments. Overall I enjoyed the […]
July 7 Natural history museum
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; } .flickr-yourcomment { } .flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; } .flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Natural history museum, originally uploaded by electra-cute. We both LOVE Museums and the Natural History museum in NYC has one of of the finest collections of dinosaur fossils we have ever […]
July 7 Lunch at jean georges in trump tower
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; } .flickr-yourcomment { } .flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; } .flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Lunch at jean georges in trump tower, originally uploaded by electra-cute. Oh yummy …what an incredible lunch we had at the Trump Tower on Monday. It was by far one of […]
July 7 Lunch at jean georges in trump tower
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; } .flickr-yourcomment { } .flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; } .flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Lunch at jean georges in trump tower, originally uploaded by electra-cute. The bathroom was very art deco. Hey any chance I have to take a photo of a cool bathroom I’ll […]
July 6 On the subway with Chow friends
Heading down in to the subways of Manhattan Far too silly for words. We met up with Chow friends for Dim Sum and Alex took this photo as we were done running all over Manhattan for the day
July 5 Me and my grandson paul at the dog show
Me and my grandson paul at the dog show, originally uploaded by electra-cute. Oh my…forgive how bad this photo is. The dog show today was a blast. Not only did Steve and I find some lovely chows to award ribbons to, we got a chance to see our sweet friends Tony and Sharon again …..it’s […]
July 4 Maxs oyster bar in hartford ct
A bad cell phone cam photo but you get the idea anyway; This meal rocked!!! Maxs oyster bar in hartford ct, originally uploaded by electra-cute. Raw seafood plate we had as an appetizer to a lobster /shellfish dinner. OMG was this good. The seafood literally tasted like the ocean. …so fresh and […]
July 2 Graffiti July Newsletter and catch up time!!
Hello my friends!! I have so much to share that I decided to break it down into a couple of updates to keep it easy to follow. First I would like to thank you all for your wonderful emails and cards since my return from Chengdu in February. It really does warm the heart and […]
June 27 Where the H-ll is Matt?
Before you all think I’ve just returned from truck driver school with my potty mouth blog title…be sure to read on!!! This morning my husband Steve left the most DELIGHTFUL video on my screen for me to watch. OMG it actually had me in tears (good tears) and I’m not sure why. Actually I can’t […]
June 9 “Reflections of Chengdu” necklace and earring set
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS RELATING TO THIS DESIGN I couldn’t contain myself any longer. I had to show you all my most recent panda jewelry set I have been working on for at least a month!! If you click on the image it will bring you to the rest of […]
June 8 Featured “AMONG WOMEN SOUTH AFRICA” website
Wow...this was a thrill to wake up to this morning!!! I had been contacted through my Flickr photo sharing account months ago by the director of AMONG WOMEN SOUTH AFRICA, to use some of my images on a website they were developing for their charity.
June 1 Protect Our Pandas…panda pride wristbands coming soon!!
ACTUAL BRACELET WILL NOT BE PRINTED BUT IS DEEPLY EMBOSSED WITH THE MESSAGE You don’t have to be a PROJECT PANDA adoption tribe member to strut one of these fun bracelets on your wrist. Declare your pandaness for all to see!!! This week I put in my order of what I hope isn’t FAR too […]
May 31 Handing out Milkbone cigars!!!
Well we are just about busting at the seams with this news about a litter born in Thailand, pictured now at 19 days old, sired by our home bred boy Vincent (BISS CH. Chinarose the Impressionist). Vinnie has been gone for some years now but is FAR from forgotten. We froze semen on him years […]
May 30 The most perfect flower in my garden!
Yes…I would have to say the prettiest flower in my garden is MEG!! She looked so beautiful, sitting behind the hanging fuschia basket that I couldn’t resist taking this shot. Not a great photo technically but it really captures her personality But seriously folks…here is my rose called “The Impressionist” which is a climber from […]
May 28 THREE ADORABLE NEW PANDA DESIGNS ON ZAZZLE
XIE XIE.means thank you ZEN dark T shirt XIE XIE.means thank you XIE XIE.means thank you ..dark T shirt I spent the week working out a few new graphic designs to feature on all the panda wear and mugs etc at Zazzle. I am proud to introduce to you our new “mascot” who I have […]
May 27 China Daily…a good resource NEWS FLASH FROM PI
CLICK FOR NEWS FLASH FROM PANDAS INTERNATIONAL. Photo taken in Chengdu. Woman doing the famous Chengdu Shu Embroidery with split silk threads. Here paper pattern to the side is all she uses to create her design So many of you have been following all the news out of China and reporting to me via email […]
May 25 Olympic pandas arrive and some winery fun!
CLICK PHOTO TO READ ASSOCIATED PRESS ARTICLE I thought you all might like to read the article about the 8 pandas who arrived safely at the Beijing Zoo from Wolong. Amid all of this crisis caused by the earthquake in China they managed to get the Olympic pandas to their final destination safely. One of […]
May 22 Feng Shui and our Panda adoption tribes
Hello my friends!!! Oh my gosh… as it stands I now have commitments for 4 shared panda cub adoptions at $500.00 USD each. I added in the final one yesterday as I couldn’t bear to turn anyone away (and still I have a waiting list)!!! There is so much enthusiasm over this project and I […]
May 21 All 4 panda adoption tribes are filled!!!!..Thank you all!
CLICK PHOTO BELOW TO ACCESS THE ARTICLE Cell phone photo courtesy National Geographic article Wow…what a whirlwind yesterday was. When all was said and done and I got my 3 panda tribes all worked out….I recieved even more requests to join in the adoptions so I opened up one more Panda Adoption Tribe of 10 […]
May 20 A fourth cub adoption added. All adoptees are signed up
CLICK THE PHOTOS TO READ THE MOST CURRENT INFO COMING FROM WOLONG TODAY I cannot express my thanks enough for the outpouring of generous donations and emails that have come in here between my adoption post last nite and 10:00 am this morning. I am still getting all my ducks in a row and waiting […]
May 19 Who would like to share a panda cub with me?
FLASH!!! WE NOW HAVE TWO CUBS WITH 20 PARENTS ALL HANDING OUT BAMBOO CIGARS!! WITH A FINAL THIRD CUB HALF SPOKEN FOR WOOO HOOO! Due to the overwhelming response and generosity of my awesome friends and customers I am going to continue to take names until we reach 30 adoptees!!! The second and third group […]
May 16 Greetings from San Francisco!!!!!
Hi all..we are in San Francisco for the weekend what a ball we are having… OMG I’m in heaven. We are in the heart of Chinatown on the 23rd floor of our hotel.. and as we sat here admiring the view we heard loud clanging and drumming. From around a corner comes a white liondancer […]
May 14 New garden bench..Panda update too
WOLONG PANDA UPDATE…PLEASE CHECK THIS WEBSITE FOR PANDA’S INTERNATIONAL All the most current news about the people and pandas of China’s earthquake will be here. Please if you can donate generously to the funds they have started. This is a completely legit and top notch group! I wanted to show you my new monarch butterfly […]
May 13 Update on the pandas in Chengdu and Wolong following quake
FLASH..ADDED 9:13 AM PST….MORE GOOD NEWS FROM CHENGDU PANDA BASE CLICK HERE TO READ ARTICLE FROM CHINESE NEWS WEBSITE Hello my friends!! I cannot thank you enough for all your emails and heartfelt concern regarding the people and pandas affected by the China earthquake yesterday. I have been frantically trying to contact a number of […]
May 12 A belated Happy Mother’s Day and Chengdu Earthquake
FIRST THINGS FIRST….PLEASE JOIN ME IN SENDING ALL YOUR POSITIVE ENERGY AND PRAYERS TO THOSE IN CHENGDU CHINA AND SURROUNDING AREAS FOLLOWING THE DEVISTATING EARTHQUAKE TODAY. WHAT A THING TO WAKE UP TO ON MY BIRTHDAY. I HAVE WRITTEN THE PANDA BASE AND AM WAITING TO SEE HOW THE PANDAS FARED AS WELL. WILL KEEP […]
May 11 Shu Brocade Studio in China
Hello all!!! I just finished a web page that highlights the Shu Brocade Factory that Diana and I went to in China. I brought home 3 stunning embroideries and recently decided to donate one of them to the Panda’s Unlimited silent auction for Tai Shan’s 3rd birthday bash in Washington DC!! I’m so excited!!! I […]
May 6 A new look for Graffiti Gossip
Graffiti Gossip has had a serious facelift and I am still working on it..but I couldn’t wait to show you what I have so far!! The technology of blogging has BLOSSOMED since I created GRAFFITI GOSSIP 3 years ago…I mean it’s a whole different animal!!! Steve was creating his own blog this week and was […]
May 1 Happy May Day!
I love May!! It’s my birth month and this year will be my 50th gardening season so I’m trying to see it as how much I have grown both in spirt , plants and of course years…rather than seeing 50 as a terrible thing. The photo you see of the little girl is me…45 years […]
April 30 Orange ya glad it’s Wednesday?
I had a few exceptional images from a photo shoot today in the garden I just had to share!!! All of these are available as fine art prints as well as framable greeting cards to keep or give as gifts REMEMBER MOTHERS DAY IS APPROACHING FAST AND A GIFT FROM THE GARDEN IS ALWAYS MUCH […]
April 27 A fun weekend in the garden and a new panda necklace!
What a fun weekend!! FINALLY some beautiful gardening weather!!! Steve and I moved 10 yards of cedar woodchips yesterday into the front yard to lay the foundation for a garden remodel that I will be posting BEFORE and AFTER pix of this week. You can see a very tiny bit of the style of the […]
April 22 More from my “Gardens on Ice” Series
MORE “GARDENS ON ICE” PENDANTS ON MY WEBSITE TODAY Click the button above to find them!!!!!
April 18 A FEW GARDEN PHOTOS TO START THE WEEKEND
Today was a super busy one but I managed to get out into the garden and get a few shots of the vignettes I”m setting up in the new beds. Hopefully I’ll get a lot more done this weekend. Have a great one ! HOVER MOUSE OVER PIX TO SEE DESCRIPTIONS
April 17 NEW GARDEN INSPIRATION!! CHECK IT OUT..MY CHOWS DID!
CLICK THE PENDANT BELOW TO FIND MY EXCITING NEW FLORAL DESIGNSAT THE WEBSITE…BEING POSTED DAILY!! I am so excited!! My garden helper Felix came today and we put in a sweeping garden bed along the interior of my front yard (the real front garden is outside this fence) This is […]
April 15 NEW NEW NEW!! BODY SHRINES!!!
THIS NECKLACE IS NOW AVAILABLE ON EBAY..CLICK HERE! BELOW ARE ALL SIX ” OFFERING CHARMS” AND SHRINE ON A SILVER NECKWIRE
April 12 JUST A NOTE TO SAY HI AND A FEW PIX FROM PORTLAND!
I spent the morning today at the Portland Japanese Garden which is the largest and most authentic Japanese Garden outside of Japan!! I love this place!! The Plum trees are coming into bloom and the Japanese maples beginning to leaf out. Thought you might like to see this magical place during it’s peak in springtime! […]
April 8 JEWELRY DESIGNS SHOWCASED IN SLIDESHOWS
As a way to be able to showcase more of my travel photos which inspire my signature necklace designs…I decided to list each of my larger pieces on the website accompanied by it’s own mini slideshow. Each group of images (including my photos of the necklace) portray a moment in time or an event […]
April 1 APRIL NEWSLETTER 2008
HAPPY SPRING MY FRIENDS!! I must apologize first for the long absence following my vacation. As usual it has been a hectic spring so far with these past 2 weeks setting me behind considerably My daughter Liz came out for a wonderful surprise visit from Minnesota and we spent a few days at the coast […]
March 21 FUN NEW WINDCHARMS..THINKING SPRING!!
I have been working in 10 different directions at once with my glass these past few weeks. The process of getting jewelry done from start to finish is quite lengthy and I am just too antsy during these firing stages to wait any longer!! So to pass the time inbetween firings I do design work […]
March 17 COLORFUL FLOATING MARKET AND CAT PALACE PIX
CLICK THE PHOTO TO SEE THE NEWEST FLOATING MARKET PIX Happy St. Patricks Day all!!! I had quite the productive weekend and am excited to share some news! Well first I’ll let you see some of my favorite pix from the trip which were at the Floating Market just outside of Bangkok. Diana’s pix will […]
March 10 TIGER TEMPLE ALBUM IS DONE!!!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TIGER TEMPLE ALBUM Hi everyone…hope you all had a super weekend!! I spent the better part of Sunday working on albums and to fill the most popular request…….the TIGER TEMPLE album is ready for viewing! I still need to insert some of Dianas’ pix off of her CD (mainly […]
March 8 THAILAND HILLTRIBE VIDEO..BRINGING THE COWS HOME
One of the most memorable moments on our trip to Thailand was when Sgt Kai took us into the mountains where the Hmong and Karen Hilltribes resided to get a REAL taste of tribal life. We were brought to a number of very out of the way villages where few visitors are lucky enough to […]
March 7 CHIANG MAI ALBUM AND PANDA HANDBAG!
CLICK THE PHOTO BELOW TO SEE THE NEW CHIANG MAI TEMPLES ALBUM Good day everyone!, I am setting a goal to complete one album/web page every 2 days until they are all done but they will not be announced in any particular order. Every 100 photos I post involves about 10 hours […]
March 6 DRUMROLL PLEASE!!! PROJECT PANDA WEBSITE IS DONE!!
Oh my I’ll tell ya…a lot of sleepless nites went into getting all the photos adjusted, commentary written and website done but it is READY for you all to see.!!! The photos are arranged in the order that the events happened at the panda base so you can follow along with us as our day […]
March 4 PREVIEW OF THE PROJECT PANDA BOOK..AVAILABLE SOON
Hello everyone!! I have been fighting the jet lag by using all my “awake” time to get PART II of my PROJECT PANDA book together. Wow is it looking awesome. Thank you to so many who have inquired about purchasing this book that had initially been only intended as a gift for the Panda […]
March 3 A FEW PHOTOS FROM THE PANDA ADOPTION PLUS SLIDESHOW
ONE OF THE FUNNY SHOTS OF JEWEL THAT JUST SCREAMED OUT FOR A CAPTION. SHE WANTED TO FLIP BACKWARDS OUT OF BOTH OF OUR ARMS TO SEE US BETTER . Here are a few highlights from our day at the panda base. You can see all the pix so far (lots more to come) at […]
March 1 MADLY WORKING ON PHOTOS AND PANDA ARTICLE!
HAPPY WEEKEND ALL…HI DIANA…I SURE MISS YOU!!! After a very good night’s sleep today (I slept in until 10:00 am! Wooo Hoo), I sat down and started working on photographs to get them ready for the new website I’m working on AND an article for the Panda Base’s full color quarterly magazine!!! I’m […]
February 28 MORE PANDA PIX FROM THE PANDA BASE!!
Between naps I’ve been playing in my pix and finding all sorts of treasures. With my bad eyes I really don’t know what they look like until I get them up on my big flat screen. Here’s a few from today and a link to my Adoption album which will be updated every day. […]
February 27 IT JUST DOESN’T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS!!
Me and my “Jewel”…she was a wiggly one! I arrived home after my long flight and had to say goodbye to Diana at the Portland airport. She still has 5 hours more flying time ahead of her to Des Moines then an hour’s drive home from there. Whew our butts are so tired of sitting!!! […]
February 25 PANDAS PANDAS PANDAS!!! A DAY OF PURE BLISS!!!
Hey everyone!!! Diana and I are both here writing this and we are still pretty well speechless so BEAR with us!!! You won’t beleive the amazing day we had at the Panda Base—2 personal guides, 1 personal camera man (We made the news in all of China and Hong Kong!), and a personal videographer at […]
February 23 WE ARE HAVING FUN IN CHENGDU!!!!
Sorry for the lack of phone cam pix you guys!!! We haven’t been able to get our pix to post since the layover at the Bangkok airport. Between the smog and the high buildings we only get pockets of reception now. Hopefully we can get some we have saved on the phone to go through […]
February 21 Sandra playing her cane flute with Thai muses
Hi All…Diana here:-we sent the pictures while we were having dinner-then when we got back to the Baan Orapin, we are now able to post to the pictures that we just sent. It is a Buddhist Holiday here, so no alcohol is served in any restaurant–not that we care–you would think that people wouldn’t go […]
February 21 Diana kicking back with her buddies
Took this shot right after having our nails done!!! Come by https://graffitigossip.com to see all of today’s posts!!
February 21 This is one view the B&B the Baan Orapin
This is just one view of the place we have been staying at in Chiang Mai. No phone, big pool …lots of pets…aint got no cigarettes!!!! LOL! (remember “Trailer for Sale or Rent”) We seriously have no phone, a wonderful balcony, no clock, a praying mantis and tons of cats for pets, a singing family […]
February 21 Bad shot of 2 really great panda manicures
jDo they call this a “Pandacure”? We had our nails filled and painted by a very talented nail technician today. She did an acrylic fill entirely by hand with only files and buffing pads. No grinders!! Come by the blog to see all the great pix from today https://graffitigossip.com
February 20 A day to kick back in Chiang Mai
This is Diana before her Thai iced coffee…..lol! Sorry about the photo being sideways and I can’t get it to rotate. We actually got to sleep in late today (7:00) and have been just putzing around town. Got some CD’s burned of Diana’s pix to give her camera more memory. Im going to do the […]
February 20 From elephant nature center in thailand
Here I am with Diana taking the phone cam pix at the Elephant Nature center. UNREAL you guys. See the other posts from today to read much more about our experience. This ellie was standing at the platform deck waiting for a hand out along with 30 plus other beauties today. All rescued from terrible […]
February 20 From elephant nature center in Thailand
Ok…here is another surreal day that would take hours to accuratly describe but we will try to set the scene the best we can. At 8:30 am we were picked up by a driver from the Elephant Nature Park to head to the local market to help load watermelons (25 kilograms per bag) and tons […]
February 19 The Hilltribes of Thailand..Hmong tribe children
Oh my gosh you guys!!! We just got back from our long day in the mountains surrounding Chaing Mai and I honestly dont’ know where to begin. Our guide Sergeant Kai was FANTASTIC and showed us so many things that only the locals would know about in the city as well as the out […]
February 19 DIANA AND i BY A WATERFALL IN THE HILLS TODAY
A graffiti phonecam chiangmai live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute.
February 19 A graffiti phonecam chiangmai live shot
A graffiti phonecam chiangmai live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute.
February 19 A graffiti phonecam chiangmai live shot
A graffiti phonecam chiangmai live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute.
February 19 A graffiti phonecam chiangmai live shot
A graffiti phonecam chiangmai live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute.
February 18 A great bead store in Chiang Mai!
A graffiti phonecam chiangmai live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute. Oh no!!! BEADS!!!! Our guide Jeff who absolutely rocked brought us to his own neighborhood and local market where he introduced us to a friend with a bead shop. We walked down a narrow road and alley ways to get there. What fun to see […]
February 18 Panda brand jewelry findings
A graffiti phonecam chiangmai live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute. Most of the findings in the bead store we found in Chiang Mai were in pre packaged PANDA brand wrappers..Wooo Hooo!
February 18 Baan Celadon studio in Chiang Mai
A graffiti phonecam chiangmai live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute. One of the places that was a MUST SEE for me was Baan Celadon in Chiang Mai which was a large artisan studio which creates a variety of stoneware developed in this region called “celadon”. It is characterised by it’s pale green or blue crackled […]
February 18 Here I am at Baan Celadon studio on Chiang Mai
SEE PREVIOUS POST AT https://graffitigossip.com TO READ ABOUT OUR FUN TIME AT THE CERAMICS STUDIO TODAY
February 17 BLING AT THE SUNDAY MARKET!!!
bLING PHOTOGRAPHED AFTER A NIGHT OF HEAVY DUTY SHOPPING AT THE SUNDAY MARKET IN CHIANG MAI
February 17 A graffiti phonecam chiangmai live shot
A graffiti phonecam chiangmai live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute.
February 16 Praying mantis in chiangmai
This afternoon after a fun day of strolling around the old city of Chaing Mai..shopping, eating..dodging motorbikes…we came back to the bed and breakfast to soak our tired feet in the wonderful pool here. As we walked outside our room this big fella greeted us on the balcony post. He was cocking his head just […]
February 16 a graffiti phonecam bangkok live shot
a graffiti phonecam bangkok live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute. Here we are backtracking a bit and sending a couple of pix that wouldn’t go through in Bangkok. Here is our travel mascot panda “Bling Bling” in her black and white bikini hanging out with the mermaid!
February 16 a graffiti phonecam bangkok live shot
a graffiti phonecam bangkok live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute.
February 16 A graffiti phonecam chiangmai live shot
A graffiti phonecam chiangmai live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute. DIANA’S JOURNAL ENTRY TODAY! In Chiang Mai now and just picked up my email. We are enjoying the Thai food It is wonderful and I think everyone would like it…just ask for “no chili” if you are a mild child. Sandy says you would be having the […]
February 16 IN CHIANG MAI NOW!!!!
pHOTO TAKEN AT POOLSIDE AFTER BREAKFAST. wE ARE OFF EXPLORING FOR THE DAY AND WILL UPDATE TONITE. SEE DIANA’S POST FOR MORE…lUV SANDRA
February 14 a graffiti phonecam bangkok live shot..
These next 2 photos are of Diana and I today (February 14) sitting in a little park outside of the sky train stop. It was a gorgeous day but very hot and humid. For breakfast we had some rockin noodle soup… green tea and chocolate ice cream from a vendor passing by on a bicycle […]
February 14 a graffiti phonecam bangkok live shot
a graffiti phonecam bangkok live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute. Here B me with my tan (burnt) shoulders and white legs!!! See the rest of the posts by going to https://graffitigossip.com
February 14 a graffiti phonecam bangkok live shot
I still have no idea what the Panda Bus is but we saw this sticker last nite on a concrete wall by the hotel . Bad shot with the phone cam but had to post it anyway! a graffiti phonecam bangkok live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute.
February 14 Multimedia message
life doesn’t get any better than this!!!! Here is our little tiger cub who stole one of the worker’s shoes to play with. We were petting him and got a ton of pix of him and his little brothers and sisters. Diana and I got to hold and cuddle them they off they went to […]
February 14 WE ATE UNDER THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI!
wHAT A TERRIBLE PHOTO BUT IT’S ALL WE GOT..LOL! Had a great fish meal here and relaxed after the tiger temple. I got the phone to work and apologize for the teeny pix. They will be larger in the future Multimedia message, originally uploaded by electra-cute.
February 14 PHOTOS COMING SOON…TRYING TO FIX ISSUE WITH CELL PHONE
Hi everyone!!! I’m sure you are chomping at the bit to see the tigers and we have a cellphone full of pix for you that simply aren’t going through. This happened early in the trip so I think it will fix itself eventually. In the meantime we will tell you what we have done the […]
February 12 a graffiti phonecam bangkok live shot
a graffiti phonecam bangkok live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute. Hi everyone!!! Wow what a day we had in the fabulous city of Bangkok…we started the morning with a traditional breakfast of Egg Mc Muffin and Starbucks!! Wooo Hoo!!! oK..WE ADMIT THAT IT WAS A CHEESY THING TO DO BUT WE WERE HUNGRY AND WANTED […]
February 12 On our way to see ek on boat
On our way to see ek on boat, originally uploaded by electra-cute.
February 12 On our way to see ek on boat
On our way to see ek on boat, originally uploaded by electra-cute.
February 11 a graffiti phonecam bangkok live shot
a graffiti phonecam bangkok live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute. Hi friends!!!! We are so thrilled you guys have had a chance to stop by and take a peek at the blog. We are darned miserable here. The staff at the 5 star hotel are waiting on us hand and foot, we are getting tan […]
February 11 a graffiti phonecam bangkok live shot
a graffiti phonecam bangkok live shot, originally uploaded by electra-cute. The view from our hotel window in Bangkok. The Zen department store ROCKS
February 8 TESTING HTML EMAILS FROM THE PHONE CAM
Sweet Meg knows something is up. She ‘s been clinging to me non stop today. This is a GRAFFITI PHONE CAM photo that I am testing my update list with. I am sending a blog update via html hoping the photo shows up in your email in box as well as at GRAFFITI GOSSIP. I […]
February 7 Stuffie panda on her suitcase
Here is the suitcase all packed I can hardly believe all these clothes, 4 pair of shoes, my book for the panda base, a long rain coat, gloves and hat…a heavy hoodie, an extra white cane (in case I lose or damage mine) my toiletries, and other misc stuff fit into this 24″ […]
February 6 HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR 2008!!!!!!!!!!
Happy New Year everyone!!!! Here is a link to the Genting Lion Dance competiton 10 years ago that I can spend hours at. Each link is a different part of the performances. I am mesmerized by Lion Dancers. To coordinate two people under that heavy costume to do acrobatics on posts and wires..then top it […]
February 5 SAWATDEE MY FRIENDS!
GREETINGS FRIENDS….A FEW FUN FACTS ABOUT THAILAND AND BANGKOK BEFORE WE DEPART THIS WEEKEND FOR OUR JOURNEY!! Always greet people by saying SAWATDEE…… sawat-dii khrap if you are a male say sawat-dii kha in case you are a female (Thai people always greet before starting any conversation…)and this is an all purpose greeting(and farewell) […]
January 27 A flight of oysters
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW TO GET MY TRAVEL UPDATES!! å An incredible variety of oysters at the Carafe French Cafe in Portland OR. We got to do a tasting of oysters paired with Muscadet wines this evening!. I took this photo to see if my new upload format to the blog will […]
January 25 THE GIFT TO THE PANDA BASE!
January 12 THE ITINERARY FOR MY UPCOMING THAI/CHINA TRIP!!
HAPPY WEEKEND MY FRIENDS If after a few moments the graphics below are not showing up, please CLICK HERE to access the maps and itinerary for my upcoming trip to Thailand and China!!!. My friend Diana who will be traveling with me and I added another eco tourism facet to our SE Asia journey next […]
December 11 NEW CHOW PRINT NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE HOLIDAYS!
Oh have I got a beauty here to offer to give as a gift this holiday season or a super present to yourself!! It has been many moons since I have issued a new Chow print!! This beauty called “THE ROSE” is at the top of my list of favorite watercolors I’ve done. The […]
December 5 THE EVOLUTION OF A GRAFFITI NECKLACE
BE SURE TO DROP BY MY AUCTIONS THIS WEEK NEW DESIGNS WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW!!
November 26 FREE SHIPPING THRU TUESDAY ON MY PHOTOGRAPHY!
Hi All!!! I just got a notice from IMAGEKIND that they are running a FREE SHIPPING offer through tomorrow on all framed and unframed/stretched canvas photography and art!! I’m ordering my own right now! The shipping discount can be significant if you order larger prints. I will add a couple more new Africa images to […]
November 11 NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER…BEAD SAFARI WEEK!!
BEAD SAFARI WEEK AT GRAFFITI JEWELRY!! STARTING MONDAY…THATS TOMORROW!! You are invited to trek by the website to hunt down some super bead bargains …many offerings are from my Asia, Africa, and European travel treasures!!! SOME AWESOME PENDANTS WILL BE LISTED AS WELL SO NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO THINK ABOUT THAT SPECIAL HOLIDAY […]
November 10 AUTUMN IN THE PACIFIC NW…AND A BETTA PENDANT !
This fall has been a picture perfect one here in Portland. We were a little scared at first when 2 weeks of rain hit far too early but then Mom Nature blessed us with one of the most beautiful Indian Summers we have seen in our 10 years in the Northwest! On of […]
November 5 COORDINATE YOUR WARDROBE AND JEWELRY!
Well for a while now I have had a few links up on my website of places where I love to shop for my own things as well as gifts for family and friends. One of my favorite haunts for unique clothing is LOTUS IN THE MOONLIGHT From now until after the holidays […]
October 26 AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!
OK..first the serious stuff! I have listed 5 new Bead Bento Bowls ( well that doesn’t sound all too serious does it?) on the website . Click the “SHOP” tab at the top of this page and go to the PENDANT link…the beads are under the pendant category. New pendants also coming on Monday!!! […]
October 16 MEET MAXIMUS…THE INSPIRATION FOR MY NEXT “TRUNK” SHOW
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT MAX’S VERY HARD LIFE ———————————————————— FIELD NOTES FROM MAX’S PERSONAL MAHOUT ———————————————————— Karl Cullen moved to Thailand from Australia 3 years ago. During that time he has worked at Elephant Nature Park as a mahout to your fostered elephant, Max. This is Karl and Max’s personal story of their […]
September 28 FUN NEW GICLEE PRINT/POSTER RELEASE!!
September 23 MY PHOTOGRAPHY NOW AVAILABLE AT IMAGEKIND!
CLICK HERE INSTEAD OF THE BUTTON BELOW TO GO TO IMAGEKIND
September 22 MEET THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE STUDIO
CLICK HERE TO SEE A CUTE BETTA WEBSITE! This is my recently “adopted” Betta (or Siamese Fighting Fish) from Thailand! He is a Triple Ray Crowntail betta, is show/breeding quality (he is just my companion tho), and is only 3 months old!! He’s on his way this week in a special shipping container that keeps […]
September 19 SHIVVER ME TIMBERS….IT’S TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY!!!
CLICK PHOTO TO LET WIKIPEDIA EXPLAIN IT TO YA!! HAVE A GOOD ONE MATEYS!
September 18 DESIGNERS…BEAD BENTO BOWLS NOW AVAILABLE AT THE WEBSITE!
THE BEAD COLLECTIONS ARE AVAILABLE UNDER THE PENDANT CATEGORY ON MY WEBSITE. NEW BEADS ADDED WEEKLY AND NO TWO MIXES WILL EVER BE THE SAME DUE TO VERY LIMITED SUPPLY OF EACH TREASURED BEAD Be sure to check out the necklace and earring set as well as the new pendant available […]
September 14 OSTRICH EGGSHELL BEADS from AFRICA!
A FUN NEW AFRICA ALBUM IS UP ON THE SITE..CLICK HERE!! This was a fun little demo to photograph to show you just one example of the process some of my vacation “finds” go through before I even get to play with the beads in design work. I thoroughly enjoy every step taken in preparing […]
August 31 SEPT. 07 NEWSLETTER – new items…and panda adoption news!
NEWSLETTER NEWS….Somehow even after testing my newsletter 2 times and sending it to myself….the code ended up underlining all the text and cut out all of my links when I sent it to you all. . You can find every link here via the tabs above on the blog and the sign up list […]
August 25 CAPETOWN FLOWERS INSPIRE GLASS…HOT FROM THE KILN
Here’s a preview of some fun glass to come!!!! I still have 2 or 3 more firings to do on this glass but am really excited to get a few pendants up on the website for you designers and collectors to play with!! Also here are a few pix from our trip to the […]
August 14 FINALLY..THE FIRST OF THE SAFARI PHOTO ALBUMS IS UP!
Oh what a job getting this particular album done was!!! I started with over 400 pix and got it down to 103 and this is only the first day at Nxabega Safari Camp!! I now have all the albums organized on this page. There are some wonderful wildlife and air shots in this set CLICK […]
August 11 PANDA AND CHOW GICLEE PRINTS NOW AVAILABLE AT IMAGEKIND!!
Hello everyone!! I just finished this project last week and I couldn’t wait to show you!!! On the plane ride from Paris to Africa I worked for about 6 hours on this adorable watercolor of a Chow and her best friend Panda! When I got home I got the original finished up and designed […]
August 8 CLASSIC BLACK AND WHITE…MOTHER NATURE KNOWS BEST!
PLEASE STOP BY THE AFRICA WEBSITE LOCATED ON THE “AFRICA” TAB AT THE TOP OF THE BLOG TO SEE THE TWO NEW ALBUMS I’VE POSTED OUR PARIS WEEK AND A SAFARI PRIMER TO GET YOU READY FOR THE WILD ANIMALS AND SCENERY PIX TO COME!!
August 6 BEADS REALLY GET ME EXCITED!!!…JUST ASK STEVE!
Check these scrumptious finds from Africa out!!!! This first set of beads was made locally in Capetown out of batik fabric and handmade “sand cast” glass beads. As much as I hate to part with them, they will be incorporated with a fused glass pendant created to match perfectly. I have this necklace in my […]
August 5 A FEW FUN PHOTOS FROM THE TRIP AND CHOWS!
Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!! I figured since I am still pretty much housebound with this virus (doctor said it is asthmatic bronchitis and concerned about pneumonia…geesh..this is all new to me!!), I would keep working on photos and putting the beginnings of some glass designs in the kiln. Thank you all […]
August 3 BEAUTIFUL BEADED BEADS BY THE ZULU WOMEN
UPDATE…JUST ADDED THIS BOTSWANA SUNSET SHOT! It matches the beads perfectly! A case of REVERSE INSPIRATION Aren’t these luscious????? I had seen these beads in many places in South Africa but was waiting for the best possible price on them (I intended to buy a lot!!!) Well low and behold, while shopping with Bernice […]
July 29 HOME SWEET HOME….GETTING MY PIX ORGANIZED
Hello everyone!!!, We are home safe and sound and I’m still trying to kick that darned bug I caught in SA. It takes time I guess but as Bernice and Franck can attest to…..I make a lousy patient. I would rather be up and sick than “down” and sick…..just too much to […]
July 26 ON HOME SOIL AGAIN! SITTING IN DETROIT
Boy are we tired!!!! 22 hours of airports and flying and we still have to get to Minneapolis, then on to Portland with a 4 hour layover in Mpls. Just wanted to type a quick HI and post this great Rhino shot. Bernice and Franck….we can’t thank you enough for the incredible time. I’ll […]
July 25 ALL IS WELL…TODAY WAS PUUUUUUUURFECT!
Well my friends….this has been the most incredible vacation yet despite my nasty flu. Today I got a second wind and we all loaded up the vehicle and headed out to the lion preserve to view some of the most awesome animals…..many we hadn’t seen up close on this trip I’ll keep this short […]
July 22 IM BACK ON LINE…OH WHAT FUN WE HAVE BEEN HAVING!
Hello friends~~~~ It’s been a few days since I’ve had a chance to write…..Bernice, Franck, Steve and myself have been roadtrippin’ through South Africa and having a blast~ Early in the morning we left for Durban(a gorgeous major city in SA) to stay with some of Bernices good friends who own puppies of hers. […]
July 18 THE SOUTHERN MOST TIP OF AFRICA IN THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE..STUNNING VIEWS
THE SOUTHERN MOST TIP OF AFRICA IN THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE..STUNNING VIEWS, originally uploaded by electra-cute..Africa bound!. A QUICK NOTE TO LET BERNICE AND FRANCK KNOW WE ARE AT THE AIRPORT AND ON OUR WAY TO SEE YOU~~~ WOO OOOOOO HOOOOOO~ hERE ARE A COUPLE OF ROCKIN SHOTS FROM THE CAPE OF GOOD […]
July 17 HEADING OUT AGAIN…..A FEW PHOTOS FROM NXABEGA CAMP
GOOD MORNING MY FRIENDS~~ I couldn’t sleep from a darned cough tonite so I decided it was best to just stay up and take a look through some of my pix. I have so much inspiration here I don’t know where to start, but I am sketching designs every day with my tea in […]
July 17 A FEW DOG SHOW PIX WHILE I DOWN LOAD TODAY’S BOUNTY OF PHOTOS
We just now returned from one of the most beautiful scenic drives we have ever experienced…..down to the Cape of New Hope and the most southern tip of the Africa continent. To top it off we ended the afternoon with wild penguin viewing and a visit to the Kirstenboch Botanical Gardens…a world class garden with […]
July 16 GOT A NEW CABLE… NEW PIX FROM FLEA MARKET~
We found a new cable to download pix with,,,.never did find the old one! We found the most awesome low key flea market outside of Cape Town in a rural area where I got some super pieces of jewelry and fun little art pieces to bring home. The prices were dirt cheap…..we didn’t even feel […]
July 15 AN ECLECTIC MIX OF PHOTOS…DOG SHOW AND FLEA MARKET TODAY!
Today we had such a great time going to a “non championship” dog show on the spur of the moment. Friends of Bernice and Franck were so kind to take us out to dinner last nite and in vite us to the show. The dogs were wonderful to see and they made us miss […]
July 14 ENJOYING CAPETOWN..TABLE MOUNTAIN
THIS IS ONE OF THE VIEWS FROM THE OLDEST MOUNTAIN RANGE IN THE WORLD! TOO MUCH WIND AND JET LAG FOR ME…WE ACTUALLY ORDERED PIZZA DELIVERY WE WERE SO TIRED LAST NITE WHEN I SAW THESE I HAD TO HAVE THEM. THEY ARE CAPE BUFFALO HORN BEADS…A BY PRODUCT OF CAPTIVE […]
July 13 ZEBRA RUNNING FROM ELEPHANT IN BOTSWANA
ZEBRA RUNNING FROM ELEPHANT IN BOTSWANA, originally uploaded by electra-cute..Africa bound!. Hey you guys!!! I am so excited to hear from you all and wanted to post to each comment but we are paying for our computer time now. You can be sure I have read each and every post and am LOVIN the […]
July 13 WE ARE IN CAPETOWN…more FUN pix from Botswana
Hi my friends. I want to thank you one and all for leaving me notes and comments in my blog~~~ It really is something I SOOOOOOOOO look forward to and now that I have the computer available for a few days in Capetown, I can post more often. HERE ARE A FEW PIX FROM […]
July 12 OH WOW….ALL I CAN SAY IS “OH WOW”!!!!
We finally got an internet connection back after being in Botswana for a week….this trip is the most surreal and mind blowing experience I have ever had!!!! I only have a moment to get a few pix up but wanted to say hello and let you know we are back South Africa and on the […]
July 5 BAGGED MY FIRST LION
BAGGED MY FIRST LION, originally uploaded by electra-cute..Africa bound!. This is the reason they try to keep “GRAFFITI” ( graffitijewelry.com )out of Africa~~~ Here I am our first day in South Africa becoming tribal with custom face paint done by one of the locals……AND I captured a lion along the way~~~ […]
July 5 Playful pandas on the planeride to Paris
Playful pandas on the planeride to Paris, originally uploaded by electra-cute..Africa bound!. having fun on the plane,…click photo to read more
July 3 STILL IN PARIS..HEADING TO SOUTH AFRICA TOMORROW
mAN I am so tired to day I can hardly write but wanted to drop in to say hi and show you a few pix. Tomorrow we leave for South Africa and I really should be in bed. It’s well after 2:00 am here and I just can’t sleep…..too excited and too much rich wonderful […]
July 2 GREETINGS FROM BEAUTIFUL PARIS
Ohhhhh La La…I finally got time to sit down and email before we head out and hit the streets of Paris…(yes..Paris FRANCE)..After Air France Lost our luggage TWICE between Seattle and here and missing our connection because of an airport boo boo on our security clearance…..it has been a whirlwind of a few days…and we […]
June 13 NEWSLETTER JUNE, 13, 2007
HERE IS THE LINK TO THE SAFARI WE ARE GOING ON CALLED “EYES ON AFRICA” (or in my case “eye” on Africa….lol..bad pun) CLICK HERE AND HOW ABOUT A PEEK AT MY GARDEN THIS MONTH..I’VE HAD A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR PIX!CLICK HEREAND WHILE I’M AT IT…WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE LOTS OF CHOWS FROM […]
May 24 The ALL DAY BEE!
I am between my trip to Minnesota and leaving for Colorado next week for our Chow National, so I am trying to catch up on housework and gardening. I am bringing a number of PRIMO Chow pendants to the National as well as a couple of auction donations too!! Had to share this […]
May 17 HELLO MY FRIENDS!!
Hi all!!I just wanted to drop a quick note to let you know I am up to all sorts of trouble visiting my mom in Minnesota!!! I have been working non stop on jaw dropping jools using mom’s kiln while I’m here and putting in a garden for my mom for Mothers day too!!Lots of […]
April 26 PANDANT BLOG-TION (blog auction) BIDDING NOW CLOSED
Congratulations Wendy!!!! You are the winner of this beauty!!! I will send you a private email to get more info from you. THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH EVERYONE FOR YOUR BIDS!!!!!! Hugs Sandra Hello my friends!! I wanted to share with you some fantastic news!!! As of today the Project Panda adoption fund passed […]
April 13 SOMETHING FUN AND NEW COMING SOON!!!
Just a little teaser here!! Woo Hoo!!!!!! I love this very elegant clutch handbag. The shape and size are wonderful and the awesome Chow and patterned glass gives this piece of “wearable art” a real touch of class! COMING SOON TO THE WEBSITE AND EBAY! Have a great weekend everyone!!! Sandra CLICK PHOTO TO VIEW […]
April 11 PANDA PENDANT ON EBAY
FINALLY…I RELINQUISHED THIS FAVORITE PANDA PENDANT TO EBAY..SIGH!!!!!! CLICK PHOTO ABOVE TO GO TO MY CURRENT EBAY AUCTIONS Hello my friends. I did it…I have been dragging my feet on posting this one for an entire month and decided the panda adoption fund needs the extra “bamboo bucks”, more than I need to stare at […]
April 10 BEAUTIFUL PANDA ARTWORKS BY VERY TALENTED ARTISANS!
YOU CAN CLICK THE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE IF YOU WISH I just had to share a couple of awesome panda related items that I received recently that I’m so excited about!!! First…this panda walking stick!! Can you imagine my surprise when my vet’s wife called and said she had something to show me??? Keep […]
April 2 APRIL NEWSLETTER!
HAPPY APRIL EVERYONE!! CLICK PHOTO ABOVE TO GO TO VISIT MY WEBSITE LATER THIS WEEK!
March 21 HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!
CLICK PHOTO ABOVE TO SEE IN HUGE DETAIL!! Sorry to be such a stranger lately! I am just completing my garden renovation as well as getting some more goodies finished up from the kiln and wanted to share the “almost done” front garden pix with you. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE GARDEN RENOVATION PIX and […]
March 9 TAKING A SHORT BREAK..THE GARDEN IS CALLING!
Happy Friday all!!! This is one of those times of the year where I’m torn between doing my art full time and needing to tend my spring garden chores. This week I had intended to list a number of pendants on the website but the weather surprised me with THREE 60 degree days in a […]
February 25 PORTLAND HOME AND GARDEN SHOW/AUCTION CLOSING SOON
Friday I spent the entire day with my friends Frankie and Susan at the Portland Home Garden and Patio show….we had a blast and went home exhausted! The Pandant auction closes in a little over an hour as well so if you had your eye on her come by and take another peek by clicking […]
February 13 HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!
CLICK IMAGE TO READ HTTP://GRAFFITIJEWELRY.COM MY CURRENT AUCTIONS
February 10 A LITTLE FACELIFT FOR THE WEBSITE AND NEW FEATURES!
CLICK ON THE GRAPHIC BELOW TO BRING YOU TO MY WEBPAGE Hi everyone!! I have been really busy this week working on the website getting ready for spring. I changed a number of the graphics on the site as well as new slideshows. The show towards the bottom is still being changed to load faster […]
February 1 FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER
PLEASE ALLOW A FEW MOMENTS FOR GRAPHICS TO LOADCan’t see any graphics?..not to worry..you can access the newsletter in it’s entirety at my blog CLICK HERE TO GO TO GRAFFITI GOSSIP…THE BLOG Hello everyone..have you all been keeping warm? Today is one of the nicest days we have had in ages….it must be at least […]
January 29 SUNDAY VISIT TO THE GARDEN CENTER!
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ALBUM This was such a fun day. A group of 3 of us crazy women known as the 3 Marketeers, Frankie, Susan and myself have made it a habit to get together on Saturday mornings in the summer to hit the Farmers Market. Well we usually try to buy some […]
January 13 PANDA PENDANT ON EBAY and news from Chengdu!!
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE I just realized that I totally forgot to post this beauty here. It closes tomorrow so just CLICK HERE if you would like to hear the audio and see the whole auction Also I got a wonderful letter from Helen at the Chengdu panda base this morning with photos of one […]
January 8 MY FRIEND HELEN AT THE PANDA BASE IN CHENGDU
I just had to share these photos that Helen gave me permission to post on the blog. If you remember she started out as my guide at the Chengdu Panda Base but I consider her to be more than a guide…she has become a long distance friend thanks to email. She and I have been […]
January 6 KOI PENDANT FEATURED AT GLASSARTISTS.ORG!!
I’m so excited! My “Back is Beautiful” Koi pendant in the previous post is being displayed as a FEATURED GALLERY this week on Glass Artists .org Its a real honor to be nominated by your peers on this website and to actually receive a position in the Featured Galleries is icing on the cake! CLICK […]
January 5 THE YEAR OF THE DOG REMEMBERED AND MORE!
I have posted 2 new pieces on Ebay this week..one is a Chow necklace and earring set with 100% of the winning bid going to the Panda adoption!! Check this and the FABO Koi set also on Ebay this week..!! CLICK PHOTO TO VIEW LARGER
January 3 PRETTY POPPY IS NOW UP ON EBAY!!
CLICK PHOTO TO VIEW LARGER or CLICK HERE TO SEE HER ON EBAY THIS WEEK! Don’t forget to check out the audio description on little “Poppy” too ASIAN ARTISTRY AND BEAUTY AND THE BEAST will be closing tomorrow as well with new ones waiting to fill in the gaps Be sure to come by Ebay […]
January 1 PANDA ALBUMS ARE FINALLY DONE!! EBAY PANDA CLOSES SOON!!
Happy New Year everyone!! I’m sure you can tell by now what I did on my time off the past week. Yep..the panda albums are finally done, with only the last day in Chengdu and all of Kunming left to go. What a job but I so enjoy going through all my pix…one by one. […]
December 24 MERRY XMAS EVE…SOME AFTER XMAS SURPRISES COMING!
THIS WOWZA PENDANT WILL BE POSTED ON EBAY AS AN AUCTION THIS COMING FRIDAY as well as the 2 pendants pictured in the previous blog post/newsletter CLICK PHOTO TO SEE LARGER Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend and are sharing time with loved ones over the holidays. The storms from last week really […]
December 20 HAPPY CHOWLIDAYS from GRAFFITI JEWELRY!!
I plan to make good use of the rest of my year (of the dog) until I help usher it out in February!!! More chow designs coming after Xmas!! Woo Hoo!
December 20 CHINESE SNOW CHOW PENDANT …on Ebay today!
I know I’ve mentioned it before but when I fire a kiln load at night and I know it’s the last firing on certain pieces I usually wake up in the wee hours of the morning and can’t sleep another wink until I open that kiln! The suspense is just too much and I just […]
December 17 CHECK OUT THE NEW LANDSCAPE PENDANT..AND WEBSITE INFO
Apparently my web host is having some upgrades done this week which is affecting my graffitijewelry.com site. It should be back up and running before long but in the meantime I will just post news right here at the blog, and new items for sale on Ebay! Here is one I will be listing soon […]
December 15 4 ROBIN AUCTIONS AND MORE FROM THE PANDALICIOUS GANG!
Hi friends!!!! I have a couple of quick announcements here before I go out to get a bite to eat. Our 18 hour power outage was just enough to force us to clean out the fridge..AND breakdown and get a generator….too little too late I’m afraid. The power turned on minutes after Steve returned from […]
December 11 SOME MORE PANDA GLUTTONY! PENDANT ON EBAY
CLICK HERE TO SEE THIS BODACIOUS BABE ON EBAY! CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE Well my son returned this weekend from his immersion studies in Kunming China yesterday and boy was he a tired puppy!! Wow the stories he has to tell and the wonderful people he met! One story that sticks with me is when […]
December 5 BAMBOO OVERLOAD….you asked for it..another PANDA PENDANT!!
I had an awesome day working on this pendant and just now listed it on Ebay for you all to have some fun with!!! I actually have a gorgeous necklace here that I made for it too so if the winning bid goes over 160.00….I will either string this onto the neckpiece OR send along […]
December 3 NEW PENDANTS COMING TO THE WEBSITE AND EBAY ON MONDAY!!!
Hi everyone! I have been working all week on some new things that I just can’t wait to show you!!! I have all the collages done and ready to write descriptions in the morning and will be posting some goodies on the website …as well as Ebay as soon as I get some coffee in […]
November 29 “SHOW ME YOUR GRAFFITI” CONTEST AND DESIGN CHALLENGE!!!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO SUBMIT PIX CLICK IMAGE BELOW TO VIEW LARGER THIS IS FAR MORE THAN A PENDANT DRAWING AND PHOTO CONTEST! I WILL BE POSTING MORE SOON ABOUT THE DESIGNER’S CHALLENGE PORTION OF THIS EVENT IN UPCOMING WEEKS! FOR NOW..KEEP THOSE GRAFFITI, MURAL, BARN PAINTING, SIDEWALK ART ETC PHOTOS […]
November 26 GRAFFITI HOLIDAY UPDATE NEWSLETTER
HELLO FRIENDS! …..IN THE STUDIO….. I have so many new things going on in the studio at one time I don’t know which way to turn! I will be listing a number of new finished necklaces, bracelets and pendants on the WEBSITE starting this week and will update you all as they are posted via […]
November 21 NEW PHOTOS ADDED TO THE STUDIO SHOTS ALBUM
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE Yesterday I just finished the reorg of my studio which I do about once every 2 months to keep track of my bead/raw glass inventory as well as my sanity! I have so many beads at this point its getting embarassing… not to mention all the glass in every shape and […]
November 16 A SNEAK PEEK AT A GORGEOUS CHOW PENDANT EARRING SET!!
I’m popping at the seams over this one!!! Be sure to click on the images to view larger. I will be listing this set either on the website or Ebay tonite. Still trying to decide what to do. Hours and hours of kiln time on this baby. I love the watercolor effect!!! Hope you […]
November 9 THE DISAPPEARING WINE STOPPER AND A NEW PENDANT!
I could swear I posted my fused glass wine stopper up here…….but it has simply vanished!! LOL!! Well here it is again for your viewing pleasure!!! This is what happens when a pendant turns out too big to wear..it is destined to cork the finest of vintages…or maybe even a bottle of olive oil! This […]
November 6 A HOT VINTAGE…ARTISAN GLASS WINE STOPPER!!
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE Today this beauty came out of the kiln and I could’t wait to show you all!! This wine stopper is a big one and a gorgeous piece of home decor! I’ll be posting it on the website under the “Designer Pendant” category later on today.
November 5 PANDANT PARTY RESERVATIONS…FILLING UP FAST!
CLICK THE EMAIL LINK TAB AT THE TOP OF THE BLOG TO RECEIVE HOSTESS INFO ……VERY LIMITED PARTY DATES ARE STILL AVAILABLE….. SCROLL BELOW THE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR MORE DETAILS CLICK GRAPHIC BELOW TO READ ANNOUNCEMENT LARGER SOME OF THE PERKS FOR BOTH YOU THE HOSTESS AND YOUR FRIENDS!! FREE GIFTWRAPPING AND PERSONALIZED CARDS FOR GIFT […]
November 3 NEW EBAY AUCTION AND MINI JOURNALS
I have some awesome pendants and neck designs on the way as well as bracelets and earrings…..in the meantime I thought I would post another adorable PANDANT up for adoption on Ebay! CLICK HERE FOR THE AUCTION PAGE CLICK PHOTO OR HEAD ON OVER TO EBAY TO SEE LARGER Each of my PANDANTS and SIGNATURE […]
November 1 CHOW PENDANT AUCTION ENDS TODAY AT 1:00 PM PACIFIC TIME ZONE
Hi everyone..The SCARY PENDANTS are allllllllllllll gooooooooooooooone!!!! ALL INVOICES HAVE BEEN SENT OUT THIS MORNING THANK YOU ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR PLAYING WITH ME AND MY SCARY PENDANTS THIS WEEK!!! IF YOU LIKED THIS KIND OF VENUE LET ME KNOW…I MAY REPEAT AGAIN NEXT HALLOWEEN WEEK! WOOO HOOO BARBARA BAKERT!!! YOU […]
October 24 NEW PENDANTS AND 4 MORE CHINA ALBUMS
FIRST THINGS FIRST…Thank you so much everyone for your bids on the Panda pendant auction. I listed another charmer just now and you can find her at this link! PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A 3 DAY AUCTION….CLICK HERE TO VIEW I spent 6 hours today and got 4 more albums done!!! The Great Wall […]
October 18 NEW GLASS PATTERNS EMERGING FROM THE KILN TODAY!
I have been a busy one all day working on glass. I can’t believe how much I missed it while I was gone and I must confess I don’t know which way to turn first…my head is so jam packed with ideas I finally had to write it all down and organize my thoughts…if that […]
October 17 TWO FOR BAMBOO PENDANT…A PANDA PARADISE!
The goodies are starting to emerge from the studio slowly but surely!! Here is one that was quite the “bear” to accomplish but what it was all said and done turned out so incredible!!! CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE ALL THE WEE DETAILS Today I finished my first in a series of reverse glazed […]
October 14 VIDEO CLIP OF GREAT WALL! More albums are up too
Now this one will make you extremely grateful the that I went into jewelry design instead of videography! I took this film clip after we had arrived at the 3rd or 4th tower on the wall…I lost track of how many we actually went to but it was over 25. This is quite the hike […]
October 11 WORKING MY WON TON’S OFF LOADING PIX!
Ok…I have some goodies to show you!! The albums are being done in chronological order so you can just keep checking back and refresh your screen to see the newest album links pop up. The most recent will be at the bottom of the list of albums which are located at the top of each […]
October 10 WE ARE BACK HOME FROM CHINA!!! WHAT AN ADVENTURE!!
Hello again friends!! We arrived home safe and sound and boy do I have stories to tell and photos to load!!!! I will be posting albums on the blog as I get them done and also plugging pix into my journal posts from the past 3 weeks so there is some sort of visual to […]
October 7 BIRD MARKET, LOCAL HANDCRAFTS AND RELAXING
I have a moment to write and fill you in on our day today. Bryan stopped by our room at about 10:00 this morning and we headed out to the bird market by taxi. It has been pouring out for 2 days but we can’t bear sitting in a hotel when Kunming is out THERE!!! […]
October 5 ARRIVED IN KUNMING…CITY OF ETERNAL SPRING!
Hey there girlfriends!!! Thanks again for all the great comments and emails!!! This means so much to me so far from home!!! Mommy I am going to try calling you today ok? I have been showing my pix on the new small digital to any Chinese person who will look..LOL! I still can’t believe […]
October 3 IT WAS PANDAMONIUM!!!!! WE VISITED THE PANDAS TODAY!!
Steve and I just now returned from the Panda Breeding center in Chengdu and I am left pretty much speechless!!! Can you imagine being right next to an 18 month old panda weighting well over 250 pounds??? I got to stand right next to her and pet her as she ate her bamboo. She threw […]
October 3 THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS ROCKED!!!! PANDA DAY is TOMORROW!
we got up at the crack of dawn this morning and headed to the site of the Xi’an Terracotta Warriors. Ya know I have seen many documentaries on this archeological site but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined how immense this undertaking was to unearth the 8000 some odd life sized warriors!!! […]
October 2 AND ON TO XI AN WHILE LIZ HEADS HOME..WAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Hi everyone!!! I am so tickled to be getting notes from you all. It really makes me feel like I”m not so far away from home and friends…thank you all so much for taking the time to write to me!!!! I have to add to the last post from the Great Wall that on […]
September 30 THE GREAT WALL, THE SUMMER PALACE ETC ETC.
Oh boy was today an adventure!!!!! We had a private driver take 2 hours outside Beijing to the most beautiful portion of the Great Wall…the section least visited by the tour groups. We shared the 15 mile section of WALL with about 8 other hikers. What a grueling experience and totally worth every single painful […]
September 28 WE ARE NOW IN BEIJING!!!
HELLO MY FRIENDS!! Well the stay in Hong Kong ended far too soon as far as we were concerned, but we needed to move on to see what mainland China has to offer. The last day in Hong Kong we took a boat tour of the harbor and also took the tram to the highest […]
September 23 HELLO FROM HONG KONG!!!
Well it took us a while to get to an internet cafe to write you ya’ll but better late than never. The flight to HK was looooooong but went fine. We left portland on a Wednesday and after crossing the International date line we endeded up losing a day …our first full day being Friday […]
September 13 NEW AUCTIONS AND THE CHINA INTINERARY
GRAFFITI NEWSLETTER NI HAOW (prounounced Nee HaOW) means HELLO in Mandarin! I am getting geared up for this trip to China next week and trying to learn a little Mandarin along the way. My skills are pretty pathetic and I have a feeling I will be drawing my usual GRAFFITI stick figure petroglyphs on a […]
September 9 ANOTHER DELECTIBLE SILVER NECKLACE FOR THE CHINA JOURNEY
Well I certainly took a strange direction with the fig and begonia inspiration photos didn’t I ??? The glass ones are still on the way but my muse was speaking to me on these silver pendants I created last month and I decided I had better just go with the flow!!! This second necklace I […]
September 5 GRAFFITI NEWSLETTER/SEPTEMBER 2006
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE NECKLACE ABOVE Some of you may be keeping up on my blog and have read about my upcoming journey to China in a couple of weeks..for those of you haven’t heard yet….I am going to visit the Panda Reserve in Chengdu China and am designing a line of pendants […]
August 30 MY CHALLENGE PENDANTS ARE COMING ALONG GREAT
I thought I would give you a peek into the process of making the two pendants based on my begonia and fig pix in the last post. Here is the first..the backlit begonia. I am posting a photo of a test piece of glass I did here to see if the methods and colors will […]
August 21 A PENDANT CHALLENGE FOR SANDRA!
OK EVERYONE! I have set my self a CHALLENGE for the next two weeks. Our trip to China is coming soon and I am so busy getting things ready. I wanted to try to fit in some jewelry making before I leave so I just had to commit myself to an exciting project now… or […]
July 26 SOME GARDEN PIX FROM THIS WEEK AND NEW PENDANT
I got a chance to snap a few pix my garden this week as well as some from the Portland Japanse Garden and International Rose Test gardens yesterday! Here’s the link to the Japanese Garden. At the top of the page you will find the link to my JULY GARDEN also. ENJOY CLICK HERE TO […]
July 24 PENDANTS FOR PANDAS…MY NEWEST PET PROJECT!
CLICK THIS TEXT FOR NEW INFO JUST POSTED 7/26 ON THE PANDANT PROJECT! CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE! Good morning all!! I hope your weekend was wonderful and you were able to keep cool! We had record breaking heat here in the Pacific NW and more to come so I have been spending a lot of […]
July 19 WORKING ON THE WEBSITE AND A FINE SILVER LEAF!!!
CLICK IMAGES TO VIEW IN THEIR FULL GLORY! This summer has been just like Eden in my garden the way things are blooming this year! I had to share with you this species lily that I just took a photo of a few minutes ago. This baby is so tall it towers over my head. […]
July 11 $100.00 in GIFT CERTIFICATES…WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Good morning everyone!!! I had so many individual customers attend the show last week that I decided to split up the $100.00 gift certificate I was originally going to award, and spread around the fun I just drew the names for FOUR, $25.00 gift certificates from all those that purchased any item from the Inde-pendant […]
July 7 HK MOUSE WINS THE PENDANT CONTEST!
HK MOUSE IS THE WINNER OF THE ALPINE GARDEN PENDANT GIVEAWAY!!!!! ============== “I see the head of Nessie poking through the water in the glittering morning sunlight in the midst of algae green… Don’t you want to allow me to continually be reminded of primordial beginnings, new dawn, and sea monsters?” ==============Bryan said he couldn’t […]
July 7 THANK YOU ONE AND ALL……
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE Hello everyone! I finally am able to get back into the administration part of my website to post here. Oh what a blast it was last night despite the fact that our server was drifting in and out during the show. I SO apologize for in inconvenience. You think you guys […]
July 5 YOU CAN WIN THIS PENDANT CONTEST!!!!!
“Give me one good reason in 2 sentences why you feel you should win this pendant my mom made..Brownie points go to those who are wacky! Just make me laugh and be clean enough to be posted on mom’s blog.” Bryan…son of Sandra The winner will be chosen and posted after the close of the […]
July 4 PENDANT BIDDING IS OPEN…HAPPY 4TH OF JULY
HAPPY JULY 4TH EVERYONE!!! I hope you all are having a super relaxing day and have a cloud free night for fireworks!!! I’ll be sticking around the homefront so our dogs dont’ worry about the things that go “boom” in the night and finishing up on my own INDE-PENDANTS DAY designer pendant celebration!!! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH…AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I […]
June 22 COUNTDOWN TO TRUNKSHOW!
Good morning everyone!!! I am so excited for you all to see the “stuff” I have been up to in the studio!!! My son and I took a break away from the world yesterday and went to the coast for lunch and a photo shoot for yet more inspiration pix! As I walked into the […]
June 15 A NEW GARDEN ALBUM IS UP..SOME PENDANT SHOW BITS
BE SURE TO CLICK ON THIS BEAUTY TO SEE LARGER It has been a very busy past couple of weeks my friends. I have been firing the kiln daily and tending the garden… CLICK HERE to visit my album of the garden today we even managed to fit in a dog show last week and […]
June 7 INDE-PENDANT ONLINE TRUNK SHOW…UPDATE
CLICK IMAGE THEN ON THE ARROWS IN UPPER LEFT CORNER TO VIEW THE TEXT LARGER
June 2 THINK FAST…FREE MINI PENDANT WITH neckwire!
Hi friends!! I wanted to have some fun this morning and see if you are on your toes. You know I have a fascination with walls via my GRAFFITI name. I was watching a movie this past weekend and listening to the theme song and heard these lyrics: “If you wanted the world, I’d surround […]
May 31 MY ALL PENDANT SHOW DATE HAS BEEN SET!!
CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FULL SIZED YEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAA!!! I finally got my ducks in a row to get the ALL PENDANT EXTRAVAGANZA date locked in!!! I scheduled this show midweek following the July 4th holiday to hopefully be able to accomodate most of you between weekend outings. This online show will be NOTHING but […]
May 24 FUSED PENDANT USING AN INTERESTING TECHNIQUE!
CLICK PHOTOS TO VIEW LARGER The seafoam was what spawned this pendant idea and I had a blast using some fun combing and drizzling techniques in the kiln that I have been developing. There are 3 Swarovski crystals embedded into the glass for some glitz too. Be sure to check out the AUDIO description on […]
May 23 ONE MORE FUSED GLASS DONUT ON EBAY!
CLICK PHOTOS TO VIEW FULL SIZE!! Good day everyone…I just wanted to let you know I listed a 3 day auction yesterday on Ebay…closing tomorrow. The pendant above is the one listed. If you click on the BID button at the top of this page you will be able to view the details and listen […]
May 15 SOME GARDEN SHOTS FROM TODAY..AND GLASS THERAPY
Before I forget to add the link, here is an album of some pix I took today in the garden. It was a STEAMY one so I came in early and have been working on glass all afternoon. I will fire tonite and hopefully have something to show off in the morning!! I am adding […]
May 11 BACK HOME…BACK TO FUSING GLASS
Hi all! I had such a great time in Minneapolis watching my son graduate as well as spending a few days with my family. Wish I could have found time to touch bases with my dog and jewelry friends but time flew by SO FAST!! Here are a couple pix of the happy grad and […]
May 4 INSPIRATION PHOTOS GALORE !
Hi again…I am just getting ready to leave for my sons graduation and I wanted to post my 2 finished albums of my trips with my daughter and Diana before I boot out of here but am having trouble getting the program to cooperate..will post those later on. Also you MUST see this beauty I […]
April 25 POPPING IN TO SAY HELLO!
Hi all…well its been a while since I have had a chance to write or for that matter even work on my designs. I have had non stop visitors staying with us here in Portland for the month of April including my daughter Liz and my buddy Diana. We have been touring the beautiful Northwest, […]
March 30 CHOW JEWELRY SHOW OPENS TONITE!!
IS EVERYONE READY FOR A JEWELRY SHOW?? Today is the day!!!! My Chow Jewelry Specialty Show will be opening tonite at 8:00 PM EASTERN TIME..(or 5:00 my time here in Pacific time zone)Until that time the kennel is in lockdown with only the bare bones showing, but at the designated hour the doggie door will […]
March 28 THE CHOW JEWELRY EXTRAVAGANZA IS 2 DAYS AWAY!
Hello my friends..I know I have been quiet the past 2 weeks but it just means I have been very busy creating all sorts of goodies for the CHOW JEWELRY SPECIALTY SHOW coming up on Thursday March 30th on my website The hours are from 8:00 PM -11:00 PM EST. I will be here on […]
March 20 HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!!!!
What a gorgeous day we have in store here in Portland today. I plan to get outside and plant some pansies, get my hands dirty and ignore the housecleaning for the day!!!! The chickadees and robins are calling me to come out and play as I sit here and write and I have a full […]
March 13 A NEW AUCTION POSTED ON THE SITE
ITS ABOUT TIME YOU SAY??? Yeah..I got so involved in getting this site worked on I keep slipping behind on other things! CLICK HERE TO VIEW AUCTION I won’t be long winded here since its all described on the auction. Take time if you can to listen to the new audio on the auction for […]
March 12 PREPARING FOR A STUDIO SPRING CLEANING SALE
Hi everyone!!! I just got done cleaning and reorganizing the studio and workshop and decided it was time I clear out some of my beads, a few pendants and findings that I am not using. I have hoards of wonderful things here that need homes and I will be letting them go to designers at […]
March 10 NEW CHOW NECKLACE EMERGES FROM THE SNOW!
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE We woke up to a little bit of a surprise yesterday as you can see above. A mini march blizzard in Portland. What a beautiful snowfall with big HUGE fluffy flakes coming down. I was sitting in my studio window pondering one of my silver Chow creations over a cup of […]
March 9 MY NEW GRANDCHOWDREN!
PLEASE CLICK THE PHOTO TO ENLARGE Ok..I promise that I will post a piece of jewelry here next…but dang I couldn’t resist showing you all this photo!!!! These babies are sired by our Champion smooth chow Derek. This was the result of a frozen “swimmer” breeding with a surgical insemination believe it or not..PUPSICLES!!! Six […]
March 7 CHOW JEWELRY SPECIALTY SHOW DATE IS SET
CLICK IMAGE TO READ The date has been set..now mark your calendars!! My Fur-st (ahem..first) annual Chow Jewlery Specialty Show will be held on March 30, 2006. NOTE: MY MAILING LIST UPDATE STATED JUNE 30 AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL. THAT IS NOT CORRECT. THE CORRECT DATE IS MARCH 30 This show will be […]
March 7 THE BLOG IS TAKING SHAPE SLOWLY BUT SURELY
Thank you everyone who have come by to help test this baby out!!! I am SO much happier with the flow of this blog. I have a lot more control over the look and hope to incorporate a lot more fun stuff to entertain myself with..LOL! For those of you who are wondering if I […]
March 6 TESTING THE PHOTO UPLOADS AGAIN
OH MY GOSH I have spent all weekend and today trying to figure out how to resize thumbnails!!! Steve if you are there leave a comment below this post!! Click thumbnail to enlarge IT WORKS IT WORKS!!!! THIS IS MY PRETTY GIRL HANNA WHO I LOST A FEW YEARS AGO. Ohhhhh Hanna we did it […]
March 6 TESTING THE NEW AND IMPROVED BLOG!!
Hi everyone!! I have been having a few issues with my previous blog provider for CAFE’ FUSION so am now in the process of making a new one that is an integral part of the website instead of just a link to the blog. The coolest feature I installed here is a “CHAT ROOM” that […]
