Altered Art/Altered Space

Syndee Holt told me that you always get great photos by using a car in the sun! (I think...) So we clipped off some foliage from the tree that needed trimming, and set up the "studio" on Mary's car! This photo will be the base for our upcoming Ad in Altered Arts magazine. I kind of wanted to epoxy them on and drive away!

Stephanie's Vintage Sticker cards!

Just rec'd an amazing package of cards and books Stephanie made using Rubber Stamp Plantation stamps, and Aloha from Hawaii Vintage Stickers!
David will be at Ben Franklin, Market City, in Kaimuki tomorrow (Sat. 5/17 10a-noon) leading a "make & take" for their annual "Paper Party"! I hope you can join him.
These dimensional cards are the models for Stampclub this Monday eve. Join us 5:30-8pm.

Mary and Deb playing "tourist"

In the 20 plus years I've lived in Hawaii, I never walked through the Halemano Plantation Photo Op garden! So here we are! Right next to Dole Plantation, Fabulously tacky, a definite "must" on everyone's list!

David and Max joined us at the Vetiver Farm

David and Max, my brother and sister in law, trekked up to the Vetiver Farm with us on Tuesday. Max and I rode the planter while Mary and Dave filled in the spots we missed. We were able to plant 7 rows! Lo and behold, Woody found 1st gear on the tractor! Prior to this, it was truly the "Lucy and Ethel" show...trying desparately to keep up with the planter, barely able to breathe from laughing so hard!

Gas pump in Caracas, Venezuela...approx $0.11/gal

Mary and I were in Caracas a year ago November...just prior to the elections. Gas prices then were about $0.11 per gallon (about $1.00 to fill up a tank for a small car!). Prices now have inflated to $0.14 per gallon!
I had to take this photo when we filled the tank and it was all of 80 cents!

Sat. Farmer's Market-Kapiolani Community College

luscious pineapples at KCC Farmer's Market every Sat. am. Quite the jammin' place to see and be seen. Unfortunately, they no longer allow dogs!

Tropical Etch...my favorite vase broke!

I'm soooo glad David had photo'd my favorite vase made with our Tropical Etch glass etching stencils! This one was relatively easy to make, tho have yet to find a similar vase to replace it.

To create this I used:
2 packs of Tropical Etch 4 in Lau'ae stencils
2 packs of Tropical Etch 2 in Lau'ae stencils
(I had extras from both size packages leftover to use on other projects)
Glass etching wood handle pick with burnishing end (to remove unwanted part of the stencil and burnish any air bubbles, or "tents").
Etchall Creme (reusable!)

Foreground is "reverse" etched using the 2 in Lau'ae (fern) design. I masked off the spiral stripe first with blue masking tape. I then placed the stencils in a random patern leaving the white leaf stencil on the glass, removing the background. The leaf stencil served as a mask, and the background of the stripe was etched.

The etched leaved in the background resulted from removing the leaf design (4 in fern/lau'ae), and leaving the background portion of the stencil. I used masking tape to cover any exposed glass areas within the stripe area I had portioned off for the larger stencils. This resulted in the leaves being etched by the creme while the background of the area was protected by the remaining part of the stencil.

This was a stunning piece 8 in at the base, 12 in at the top and 18 in tall. It was in several gallery shows and led to quite a few orders for similar pieces that sold for $75-$225! I also gave a few away as wedding gifts! Check out the YouTube videos and our site for instructions and to order stencils for your showcase project! http://www.rubberstampplantation.com

Vetiver keiki (slips) in rooting hormone bath

Farmer John washing Vetiver

Woody washing the dirt off freshly harvested Vetiver plants.

Where we ready Vetiver for planting

Emily and Halia at the Vetiver Farm

We had a great day of Vetiver harvesting on Saturday. Woody harvested a row of adolescent plants from a very weedy row. The stock was amazing. Great yield. Keiki were abundant. We seem to really have the processing down. Woody hauls the harvest to the washing station. He cleared a great spot under a tree where we trim and soak the keiki in rooting hormone. We'll go up on thursday to plant.