Thursday, April 09, 2026

BINGE & TONIC TROPHY -fresh mixed media art by (me!) sandra mickanen * inspired by deidre gourlay


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i had the absolute most creative fun  -pure fun and all joy! creating this mixed media trophy

some background:


my daughter had the great pleasure of meeting, in person, some of her favorite youtube stars
   -from josh & momma southern cooking show

how cool is that?!

-that, of course, got me to thinkin'...     which youtube star would i love to meet in person...

and there are many, but at the top of that long and growing list:



deidre gourlay!   of  'our upcycled life' on YOUTUBE

- i mean,  -endless inspiration..  great ideas, hacks, recycle, upcycle, dyi 

and, as i've only recently been introduced, via..    algorithms, apparently..

i have the benefit of getting to watch, like 5 years worth of her videos..

and realized..   well, i made a few interior design changes based on her influence and love the results..   raised a plant here, added one over there..   more attention to charm factor of home decor staples, like, tissue boxes, planters, lights..

and!  -having just recently cleaned out some drawers, cupboards, i came across a beautiful, rather, singular, vase..      i set it out, all by its lonely self, on a wooden lazy susan i use as a coffee table centerpiece..

i did know..    

perhaps directly under the influence of deidre's plethora of videos

probably not going to use it as a vase...    -how boring that would be...

****

evening ponderings included realizing they [they, as in YouTube] must already have the equivalent of award shows, oscars,   -something celebrating the best & brightest, the most fun, entertaining, creative, etc.

and then..    

i wonder what their trophies would look like?

and..

that's what i'll do with that beautiful vase!!   -i'll make a trophy, as if,   as if i am the one responsible for creating a trophy for our upcycled life!

*****
that next morning,  despite a list of 5 or 7 other *projects in waiting..

skipping a shower, skipping breakfast, in my pajamas i skipped over to my studio 213..

vase as the base..    i mean, obviously! the trophy itself needs to be 'upcycled'

    remember i told you,  mixed media artist have the most fun out of all artists..
it's because, the more materials and tools you get to use, the more fun it is!    the more imaginative..
the more fun!

and for the mixed media artist..   there is no write or wrong..  only, like or don't like;

love or kinda like; keep or toss or adjust and tweak

i did operate with this one self-imposed rule:  only use what i already have; no purchasing anything new to use.     *details as footnote

so, i had the beautiful vase.   -it needed a platform, a foundation..

i already had a wood shape  (6 sides...  called... ) hexagon from the dollar store; perfect size, width, depth, length to house the vase.  it did already cover it with a sticker, but..  too..

too...  

so, i also, already had some more interesting paper, with beautiful earthy colors, and share here:  i think, the paper i used..   sold as paper for train model landscapes;  i think it was left-over from when my son had a school project in middle school, and he like, graduated from college several years ago..

anyway..  covered the sticker, with the earthy paper; love.

from the beginning, there was only one way the vase was going to be used at that was...  upside down.

love.

i glanced over, and had a    -i mean, the perfect! flat, circular, silver candle holder with blingy, scalloped, decorated  -tiara-like edging     -and guess what..

PERFECT FIT on top of the..   bottom, now top, of the vase base of my trophy.   and, already had the perfect size circular botanical sticker to place inside for nice touch..

voila!

already had an empty small orange juice container to recycle..   upcycle..
sparing stories here about removing the labels & worse..  the stubborn sticky adhesive that remains after labels are removed from the plastic..   all hacks employed; none seem to work..   last resort:     *blow dryer 

hey..   i can sculpt this into a whole new shape!!

anyway..

i already had some artificial tulips, some artificial flowers leftover from previous projects..

placed..   and then, stuffed and manuevered the tulips inside the orange juice container, turned it upside down also..   

voila!

she needs a crown..   of course!  i mean, it's a mixed media trophy, for the queen of upcycling herself!

k, 

here, again..   no write or wrong, only..    love or kinda like..

i kinda liked using the 

    -gold paper cupcake baking cups i already had..    gold seemed crown-ish, and it had scallops..

and i already had some cute tiny gems to glue on..  so i did that...  experimented with that, but..

seemed,  little too..     too predictable and ordinary..

glanced over, and saw, i had a couple vellum shapes left on a piece of sticker paper, that i had not used..

so very glad i did not toss that!   i grabbed a new gold cupcake baking cup, and placed the fancier stickers on it..

way better! than the tiny gem stones..

and!   glanced over, and saw..   like, a straight pin with a pearl end on it.   -on the floor, as a matter of fact, behind my potters bench..   had to drop something, look for it..  and..

Christians believe these things are not 'accidents'     -more, like, when i went to grab the thing that fell, and saw the straight pin with the pearl..

struck with creative lightning..    and a thank you prayer to unknown source of help and guidance..

because, i took the straight pen, poked it through the gold cupcake crown with vellum shapes stickered on..  and

voila! again..     -then, searched and found about 6 or 7 more straight pins i had with different colors balls on the top..

in my creative estimation..   the crown with tiny sparkly gems glued on..  vs., the 2nd choice, crown with vellum shapes and straight pens..

difference between,  paint-by-number vs. original abstract

looked and felt so superior, i completely abandon my original concept and idea..

same with,  i had experimented with dripping heart garland from the sides..   vetoed that idea along the way too..

the pink ribbon..   i opted for instead; already had that, in a drawer..   just waiting.    love how it looks hanging off the side, little touch of vintage charm

the little bamboo hearts,  already had; left over from last year's mother's day picnics i designed; they were bamboo skewers..   

already had the flowers, the little sparkly gems to hot glue on..

  -now!  i'll tell you the hardest part for me..  i mean HARD..  the temptation was GREAT!  because, i placed some little white rocks i already had..    set them on top of the silver candle holder, around the base of the bottom of the orange juice container, to fill in the space with something interesting..

and the reason it was soooo hard, is because, i had just recently watched deidre on one of her videos create beautiful upcycles using..    PINK HIMALAYAN SALT chunks/rocks..

and, my goodness..  if this trophy is for her...  "i have to use pink himalayan salt rocks..!!   it's only write and proper..   it would be perfect!"

but..   i did not   -already have-   pink himalayan salt chunks...        the internal battle began..

i went to amazon..     if i decided so, it would have arrived on my front patio that afternoon even!!

but, 

spent an embarrasing amount of time, looking, thinking, imagining..    

had zero to do with cost..     had zero to do with accessibility, availability, or zero to do with what anyone else would ever know or think..

but,   -i had self-imposed that little, stupid rule:   only what i already have..

i have a lot.    i have so many little this's and that's..     so many 

i should be embarrassed to need or shop or purchase..  my God..

so, 

i successfully resisted, and used the cute white rocks i already had.

i embellished here and there, with sparkly gems..   

and, 

finishing touch..    in addition to my self-imposed rule of only using what i already have;

i have made a prayerful   -what to call it?  promise?

another one of the ways i can say "Thank You Jesus!" for taking from the pit to the palace..

from bondage to freedom,   from torment to peace..   on and on, long list..

is to share my appreciation for the fruits of the spirit, so,  -here on out, and a little before now even, 

i include, 

in some way, form or fashion,  -as the saying goes..

the fruits of the spirit on my mixed media art.    -i already had a sheet of sticker paper with the fruits of the spirit on it..   designed it some time ago to wrap around my wine bottle art..    so, 

it already fit perfect around the front of the hexagon base of my mixed media 'binge & tonic' trophy inspired by and created with deidre gourlay in mind,   so, 

"Thank You!"     love to binge on your 'our upcycled life'  youtube channel; it is my creative tonic. 
*****

hallelujah & amen!

   -really cool if i could get a nonagon shape base for future mixed media trophies.  i had so, so, much fun creating this,   -hope to make some more; no two ever alike.

posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 9:44 AM 0 comments

God and a sense of humor..


 joy & laughter

"Thank You!" prayers and magic of macys tithing

posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 9:41 AM 0 comments

#vellumdays spring 2026


all of it.. "Thank You!" prayers & community tithing

may or may not return to fill in notes...  details

posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 9:38 AM 0 comments

Sunday, April 05, 2026

 


#easter
#magtimeframes.com 

"Thank You Jesus!"   hallelujah & amen

posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 9:48 AM 0 comments

Sunday, March 22, 2026

FEAST of SAINT PATRICK 2026 @ THE MICKS








 




We couldn't feel more blessed or lucky

"Thank You!"  for making the evening so much fun!!

we love you!!   "Silante!" 

posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 11:59 AM 0 comments

Thursday, March 19, 2026

DNA in the courtroom, brought 'truth' What does AI bring to the courtroom? -ASKS, Sandra Mickanen

 


havent read it, don't currently have any michael connelly in my home library, but saw him interviewed..

and write away started wondering..  like, yes..

i do remember when DNA became 'a thing' so to speak, in the courtroom.  and everyone, for the most part, regarded DNA as a tool for truth

being used to PROVE someone did or did not commit a given crime.    -concrete, scientific, evidence; nearly undisputable. 

What does AI bring? to a courtroom... 

currently i can speak on behalf of myself and many others...  the word 'truth' certainly doesn't come to mind

i know it can be used to speedily execute tedious processes   -and there are a lot of tedious processes behind the scenes for lawyers, judges, expert witnesses..   etc.   tons of paper and digital paper work.

organizing, charts, graphs...      writing/composing opening/closing statements....   editing..

guiding jurors, influencing jurors this way or that, based on feedback from AI generated arguments..

but employed equally by both sides..

remains a chess game of sorts..

what tools can we bring to a courtroom which actually, exclusively bring us closest to the truth; and true justice..

those two things, truth & justice..   seem to keep getting lost in the win-at-any-cost, scientific, political and technological shuffle.

*****

ever curious,    selah! & amen



posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 9:04 AM 0 comments

#vellumdays -fresh sticker collage art by sandra mickanen






 

posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 8:43 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

DJI Mini 3 Nail Sticker Accessories -by (necessity and for), sandra mickanen #vellumdays


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i've been typing for hundreds of years, so i can do that blindfolded.  but my experience holding, using, navigating a 'controller'   -zero.  my kids, and grandkids, any 'gamers'   -the controller is as comfortable and familiar in their hands as a typing keyboard is in mine.  second nature.    for me, it will take a bit to acclimate.  and there are the two main navigation gimbals, where the thumb nail stickers genuinely help! because there are also, additional buttons, on either side for photo; for video;  additional turn knobs, one for zoom, one for moving the camera lens around, and toggle switches underneath, one for camera lens, and the other for...   -something..

love getting to know my dj; which i affectionately refer to as my baby.   and re-watching the youtube tutorials... 





our family is our pot of gold!    




*****
upcoming, will need to learn about    -space.  converting meters..     play with the settings for limits on how high, how far..

the best analogies for me would be  [variable] # of buildings high...    approx 15 story building high..
or maybe if someone pointed to the tallest tree...    that is # meters

and for distance,  -city blocks long, or miles..   or football fields.. 

****
trouble shooting:   my baby, doesnt seem to offer up, the automatic 'home' button;  just a land circle
with text reading    will land where it currently is..   or something to that effect

and i am currently manually bringing it back to the initial landing pad  [my 16x22" cutting board]

anyway, grandma's like a kid with a new toy..

*****
all "Thank You" prayers..      amen & amen. 

# saint patricks day
#dji pix
#vellumdays

posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 11:15 AM 0 comments

Saturday, March 14, 2026

small paws. a poem, by sandra mickanen especially for smallpawscremations.com

 


2nd poem for small paws, 

1st one:  in love i trust

all thank you prayers and love   ~amen. 

posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 9:43 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

i spy my lucky # -sandra mickanen adding to collection.


 #213

posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 12:38 PM 0 comments

60 seconds each: San Jose City Council Mtg, March 10 2026 Public Comment re: Automatic License Plate Readers & Public Safety







LOTS of people, in addition to us, spoke out in favor of ALPR & in support of law enforcement.

sharing our 60 second speeches here:

ROBERT MICKANEN:

My name is Robert Mickanen and I am a member of the HTLC community, ( Hard Working, Tax Paying, Law Abiding, Contributor).

 The HTLC community demands that City Council puts public safety first. Protect us from the same criminals violating the community over and over again. Repeat offenders take up the majority of our  wonderful Law Enforcements time. Do not cut any funds from our Law Enforcement. 

The city can save a lot of money by cutting most of the Homeless budget. While the city places criminals in Luxury Tiny Homes free of charge, we have members of the HTLC community leaving the city. These members of the HTLC community get no financial help, but the criminals do. 

The State, the county, and the city jump through hoops, bend over backwards, and do cartwheels for criminals. This is just crazy. 

We don’t see any public officials at any level speak out and put forth any kind of agenda to place the HTLC community above criminals. 

All issues start at the city level. How awesome it would be if we had a council member advocating for public safety alongside us. All we hear from the city is Homeless criminals come first before the HTLC community. We dream of one day having someone represent our values of being safe from repeat criminals. Someone who will be tough on crime. 

We have heard from a gentleman running for governor, who shares our values in keeping the public safe from criminals. His name is Chad Bianco. The HTLC community is supporting Chad Bianco, because we feel he supports us.

SANDRA MICKANEN:

You need automatic license plate readers to fight crime.

I am Sandra Mickanen and

I want to prevent a recent headline from being lost and forgotten in the abyss of news & headlines:

Mario Porter, a FIFTY ONE year old male, was arrested for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 15 year old girl on her way to school in San Jose, just two months ago.

“THANK YOU!” SJPD for your heroic and vital work in capturing and arresting this repeat predator;

Already a convicted felon, with a track record of sexual assault on minors,

And, assessed as above average risk of re-offending.

Did you keep him in jail?  NO  

This kidnapper and rapist was provided a safe home, a pet park, serenity room and garden

With funding from Governor Newsome’s homekey program.

He was provided shelter at LifeMoves largest interim housing community on Branham.

Our tax dollars went to helping this repeat kidnapper & rapist restart and rebuild HIS life.

But instead, to no ones surprise, he kidnapped and raped again,

And now his victim will need to restart and rebuild her life.

To this beautiful 15 year old girl..  We are so sorry negligence, stupidity & greed cost you this way.

I too am a survivor and I am here for you.

This entirely preventable trauma, is only one of several reasons we are voting for Chad Bianco for Governor.

We need, desperately, to stop protecting criminals, and start supporting our law enforcement.

 ELVA WILSON:

My name is Elva Wilson, a 70 yr resident of D5, in San Jose.  As VP of Beautify Berryessa Neighborhood Association, I’m here to show  support of LPR technology.  


As a Latina, today I learned that while my people represent 30% of SJ’s population, my odds of being the victim of violent crime is closer to 60%.   


We have an understaffed police force.  Less police means more crime.  I have been the victim of crime, more than once, and was grateful that police had the tools necessary to bring those responsible to justice.  


Misuse of LPR technology is a possibility as seen in a handful of cases around the country.  Let’s use these few incidents as learning experiences to improve the technology. We can also improve the process by implementing the guardrails detailed in the Police Chief’s report to the Mayor and Council today. 


Please support LPR technology.  Please fund the SJPD  Quality of Life Team.  


TOM WILSON:


As the City’s population increases, partly due to the trending growth of high-density housing, the ratio of police officers to residents is declining at an alarming rate. And, since hiring, training and retaining officers has been problematic, I see no path forward other than using technology to help maintain law and order in the City. 


LPR’s are not a perfect solution, and privacy concerns are valid to a degree. However, anyone using a smart phone is already being tracked and security cameras are everywhere. 


LPR technology is relatively new, so issues are to be expected. But, if we don’t use it, we won’t be able to perfect it. The Police Chief’s recommendations to the Mayor address the privacy issues brought forth, and our elected leaders should vote for the continued use of LPR’s.


We’ll sleep easier knowing the police have the tools they need to protect the law-abiding citizens from the criminals. 


 

posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 11:14 AM 0 comments

Guinness~Baileys Bliss, St Patrick's March Yard Art 2026 by (sexy! & topps!) #bliss

 



#bliss.     since i'm very new with the drone camera, we still took pix our old school way too.

details in prior post 'my very own flying camera'

to Saint Patrick!  Cheers!  Silante! & Amen..  



posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 10:55 AM 0 comments