Thanks For Visiting...

Due to a change in marital status, I'm now going by the name Michelle Renée Bernard. You can follow me on my blog at michellereneebernard.blogspot.com Thanks for visiting!

Full Moon Tonight...

Full moon tonight. I love a full moon. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the "half," the "quarter," or the "crescent". . . but there's just something about a full moon... Howwwwwwwwl!

Feelin' Groovy...

Not only do I like to use decades-old stuff in my art, but I also love to wear it too! Currently, this is one of my favorite combinations... a 70's polyester print shirt, complete with a groovy scarf... a steal for $12 at a local flea market. And a peach short sleeve shirt I got at J.C. Penney for only $1.98!

Pick-A-Photo Tuesday: Dead Roses

One of my favorite techniques is the Polaroid transfer. You take a slide photograph and expose it onto the old polaroid peel away film (the gunky kind)... pull off the paper tab when it's done... and place it onto watercolor paper. The result is absolutely unpredictable. The roses above were left in a vase while on vacation and upon returning, they looked good enough to photograph. The transfer technique really lent itself to the overall feeling of the photo.

Listen To The Universe...

Did you ever wonder what the Universe is trying to tell you? Do you think twice about those serendipitous coincidences? Or perhaps those life lessons are more like a slap in the face (the Universe definitely has a sense of humor!). Well, wonder no more...

I totally recommend that you sign up for "Notes from the Universe" where you will receive a special message—Mondays through Fridays—via e-mail. And I'm not kidding when I say... the Universe is watching you! And that's a good thing...

Your Love Is Like Bad Medicine...

Mom was going into town, so I said, "I need cupcakes." Not, "could you get me some"... no... I need them. Ahhhhh... and what good medicine!

Patterns

Today was a day of looking at patterns. No matter how much you think you see as you're standing right on top of them... all you have to do is take a couple steps back and your perspective totally changes. Take a giant leap back... and then you have quite another view! The image above is actually a vintage countertop from an Asbury Park boardwalk concession stand.

Pick-A-Photo Tuesday: 7 O'Clock Shadow

This eerie looking infra-red photograph was taken in a Charlotte, NC graveyard in the early evening when the sun was low. It wasn't planned... I was just walking around with my camera when I noticed the long shadows that were cast. I asked my "model" to pose by this larger gravestone to capture the stark contrast.

I Once Was Lost... But Now I'm Bound...

My heart is bound and cannot see. It's taking time to heal my heart and mind. Lots of time.

Too Much Rain...

April showers are coming a little bit early this year. The weather has been very strange here on the NJ coast this weekend. It's been raining extremely heavily overnight... and then not really at all during the day... even though it looked like rain all day. Sunday it was foggy most of the day, and then we had a thunderstorm around 8:30 in the evening. Weird...

Clear The Mind...

Took a walk on the beach the other day to clear my mind. But I always find good stuff when I go there... so I make sure to bring a ziplock bag now. I discovered lots of glass from an historic building being torn down, tons of my favorite shells, some sea glass, and even a skull of some sort. All-in-all a very good haul... and I did manage to clear my head too.

Laundry Is Exciting?

That's right. I've never been so excited to get my laundry done! My bags are full and it's been way too long. You see... my washer is busted and I've been using my mom's next door. But with all that's been going on these past couple weeks, I have not gotten to the laundry. So I am so glad to have jeans and my favorite shirts to wear again. Yay! Next Monday I get my new washer and dryer set... then I will be even more excited to do laundry. Can you imagine?

Cotton Candy For Coraline...

Oooooh... I almost forgot! I meant to make my "Little Me" some yummy cotton candy. It's her favorite. I made an aluminum foil base, glued an unwrapped cotton ball around it, and sprayed with a paint/water mixture. Nice and fluffy! The cone is out of cardstock and I painted red stripes on it.

Time For Nesting...

A group of crafty chicks—we call ourselves the "Tiara Chronicles"—get together every couple months and make something creative. This weekend, Debbie Tlach taught us how to do this nifty nest pin (adapted from instructions by Deryn Mentock's Belle Armoire Jewelry article). We had lots of laughs, took way too long, and everyone's piece turned out great!

We used annealed wire and made the eggs out of translucent polymer clay, with Distress Embossing powder mixed in to create the speckled color. It was easier than we all thought it would be. Gotta love when that happens!

A Little Spotty...

I usually try not to air my dirty laundry on my blog. But sometimes, things in life happen and they affect your heart, your spirit and unfortunately... your creativity. Lately, my blog entries have become rather “spotty” and not my usual weekly tradition. This is due in part to a very unsettling circumstance brought to my attention a few weeks ago.

This particular development has been so difficult for me on so many levels. I’m trying to be strong. But it’s going to take some time. I feel like I just got hit by a freight train, and those wounds run deep. But, no matter how long it takes... I will get stronger... I will get past this... and I’ll get to live the life I’ve always imagined...

Green For St. Patty's Day...

Happy St. Patty's Day everybody! I myself am: German, French, Polish, English and American Indian. But everybody's Irish on St. Pat's, right? To celebrate, I'm going out with my Italian friend and her Scottish husband and I'm going to have myself some domestic champagne! What are you up to?

I've Been Trying To Get To My Taxes...

But sometimes... things just get in the way! Can't wait to be done with them. Except then it's on to the next thing I've been avoiding on my "hard stuff to do" list! Yuck. Nice distraction though!

Just Chillin...

Taking it easy this evening. It's been kind of a long week, even though it's only Wednesday. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about...

Pick-A-Photo Tuesday: Magic Midway

So, obviously you get the boardwalk thing from the entry below, but that love extends to carnivals and fairs as well! This photo I took and colorized the old-fashioned way... by painting the non-colored areas with a photo masking fluid, letting it dry, and then dipping it into a bath of orange dye! When the desired intensity of color was had, you let it dry and peeled off the mask! You gotta love Photoshop!

A Juggling Act...

Over the weekend, I stopped into one of my favorite little antique shops and found this gem. Living in a beach town and having grown up at the boardwalk, I really love these game-themed pieces. I think I'm going to hang it on the wall.