This is my last blog for 2009 and I know I am way overdue however I do have a good excuse this time as my brother; Perry was taken ill and almost died just before Thanksgiving. We, my husband Miltos and I made several trips to Ohio to care for his well being. I moved him to a wonderful facility in southern Ohio in a quiet little community just below Canton about one and half hours. He is about 6 hours from our home but he has a great doctor where he is and I didn’t want to relocate him at the current time.  He was stricken and unable to walk for about month but he is almost fully recovered and walking just fine. Due to his mental health he lives in a full care facility year round and has done so for almost 25 years now.  I thank the Lord for his recovery,as well as providing such a blessed Christmas time for us as we were able to spending it with him for the first time in over two decades.

These trips although much needed, kept us behind in our usual holiday and Christmas activities.

 Which brings me to the “Tin Can Lids”...?

 After working utilizing hubcaps as a metal canvas while creating a piece for the “Landfill Art Project” I had become more intrigued as well as determined, in taking scraps of metal such as can lids and turning them into art.

 I had attempted to make ornaments several years back, more than 10, however filing all the edges of the can lids was a tedious process and never worked really well to provide a polished or finished edge. In the process I had one trip to the emergency ward for stitches as the lids can be very sharp and they can be like a razor, so without my knowledge as I held a few in my hands between my fingers, the lids managed to cut right through. It wasn’t until there was blood dripping onto my work table that I even realized I had cut myself. Off to the E.R. for 4 stitches. I knew that this was too dangerous a project to involve children and although my granddaughter who was 8 at the time did make a few ornaments that I had filed smooth I decided to table the idea for a while.

 When I was painting on the hubcap I was so enthused by the metal canvas as Ken calls them that I decided to involved myself once again with my recycled metal lid project. A few years back I picked up a self sealing can opener which makes a small sealed edge to each can as it opens it. Since that I have created an infinite amount of works using these can lids. Last year I created a rubber stamp image printed them, cut them and applied them to the tin lids. Decorated them with embellishments and handed them out as last year ornament gift. If any one out there would like to send me their sealed edged can lids I promise you, they will go to good use.

Through the making of these simple ornaments I stretched my imagination along with my teaching skills, both myself and my students made miniature books, mobiles, boxes utilizing both the lid and the tuna-fish can bottoms, dioramas in sardine cans,  large hanging and free form plate like sculptures with over sized can lid covers. I really to think that with imagination, the recycling of these junked objects into something fine is infinite. See some pictures posted of projects.     

  This year having limited time, in lieu of sending my usual cards and token gifts I worked with some of the youth of my church to create great ornaments for orphans in Flourtown where I live and shut-ins at my brother’s new nursing home. It was a wonderfully fun experience and touching at the same time. I found out for some of these people this would be the only outside gifts they would receive. What do I mean by that? This particular nursing home the staff cares for the residents like family. Instead of having a Pollyanna and buying each other gifts they buy one thing for each of the residents after collecting a wish list from them. Many of their residents have outlived all their family or if mentally incapacitated their families are unable to cope any longer and just can’t face their loved one so they are left alone during their residency.

 Upon visiting this nursing home I found out that a few years back the new corporation running the facility decided it would be nice to supply each of the units in the home with beautiful designer trees to help spruce the place up for the holidays, which it does. Although in theory the designer tree is a nice idea, it removed the joint activities of the residents creating the trimmings for and taking ownership of the trees as they had done in the past. They use to string popcorn together, make joining paper circle garlands, and ornaments to adorn their tree. After all isn’t the point of the holidays and Christmas spirit, not the appearance as much as the coming together as a family and unifying all efforts, creating one unit or is that just my thinking? Anyway this year because the children created the ornaments they had the residents add each of the ornaments they were given to the tree and they appreciated and had fun doing so thus getting them actively involved once again. Who knew a recycled tin can lid could help to spread such joy. We made 48 in all for all the nursing home and several more for the orphanage; Carson Valley Children’s Aid and Home.

We use the fronts of old Christmas cards which I have saved for over the past 8 years. We cut out sections and use old holiday cards for the fronts of the ornaments personalizing the back with the person’s name in glitter.    

 I have been eating a lot of beans and hummus utilizing the tops and bottoms of the cans to replenish my stock of can lids. But how much can two people eat? As soon as our stock of lids is replenished we will start to work on new ornaments for next year as to spread the cheer further along. We would like to supply each child at Carson Valley Children’s Aid with one of their own. If you have any smoothed edged can lids that you would like to see recycled into these beautiful ornaments I will personally see to it that your wishes come true.

They can be sent to Ornament Project, 208 Haws Lane, Flourtown, Pa. 19031 or if you are local they can be dropped off in a bag at my studio any day.

Please send only smooth edged can lids as we are unable to use the others.

 As for Valentine’s Day which is just around the corner we are starting now to work on cards for that holidays to send to shut-ins at our church and various nursing homes.

So on that note, I say Happy New Year and many happy returns of the season to you and yours from me and mine.