Half baked? Not even warm. Making a Victorian marble cake.

I was up for a challenge. So, when asked to contribute a sculptural work of art for a late-summer auction, I said yes. The cause is a good one: Cincinnati's YWCA, and the benefit at which the piece will be auctioned Aug. 24 is being cooked up by some of the area's top female chefs. On top of that: all the art is created by women.

Besides, ever since making a trio of cake collages for an exhibit last year, I've toyed with the idea of creating a 3-D paper cake. Here was my chance. It turned out to be, um, a learning experience. It also turned out to take more time, much more time, than I thought it would.

I punched paper, cut it, glued it, braided it, tore it, die cut it, twisted it, made it double sided, wired it for flexibility, sewed it, curled it around pencils and paint brushes, played with color combinations and shapes, and even colored it. A bin of rejects attests to my experiments.

Book making, and sewing techniques were employed to cover the boxes, and to make some of the icing" trim (such as the pleated fancy on the middle layer). A look through newly purchased Victorian cake books, gave me almost too much to think about, After all, excess is a hallmark of the Victorian era.

Here's how it came together. And even though it's on exhibit in Brazee Street Studios' gallery one one through Saturday, it wouldn't be difficult to sneak in and tweak it. After all, the gallery is right across the hall from my studio.

Confession time: forget shopping for shoes, I buy art supplies

Like most artists, I'm a supply junkie. Two things touched off a recent shopping spree: 1). I was tearing up art/craft magazines to file ideas, and kept stopping to read about supplies; 2). I was visiting The Kid during her spring break from grad school in Chapel Hill, N.C., which is a short ride from Raleigh, home of Jerry's Artarama. I've ordered online from Jerry's, and couldn't resist visiting the mother store.

Here's a bit about each - along with links to the company web sites. In the interest of full disclosure, I admit that I bought them all. That is, nothing was comped or a company freebie (I only wish).

1. Martha Stewart decoupage medium. I know, you are thinking, Martha? WTW? But I came across this on sale, and decided to give it a try. I'm always looking for the perfect sealer for collages. This is fantastic. Really matte, and does not show brush strokes. Is my new go-to sealer.

2. Read a rave review of Liquitex spray paints in one of the magazines, so thought I'd buy a few cans - which are under lock-and-key at every art store I've been too - to try on backgrounds. The colors match Liquitex's regular acrylics, they are low-odor, and are permanent. Using them with stencils.

3. Transparent watercolors are great for glazing over acrylics. I recently bought more, by Holbein, on the recommendation of my friend, landscape painter Lisa Molyneaux.

4. Ah, PanPastels. I've been lusting for them since attending a Jacqueline Sullivan workshop four years ago. They can be pricey, but I liked using them, and with all the backgrounds I've been making lately, thought it was time to spring for some. Also bought some of the spreading/blending tools (though I think there are less expensive options - foam brushes? - in my future).

5. Huge fan of Faber Castell's Pitt Pens. Use them all the time. One great thing is that they do not bleed through most paper, so I've used them to hand-color greeting cards. They also are waterproof, which is great on collages. Jerry's had an incredible array of colors. Since that trip, I found out that the Plaza Art store near the University of Cincinnati, also has a large selection. I'll be heading there soon.

6. I use Ampersand's cradled Claybord panels for the Out on A Limb series of bird collages. They are sturdy, and easy to glue onto. So, I thought I'd try larger ones, for a new series of collages. These pieces will have thickly layered and glazed backgrounds that need more support than the usual mat board.

7. Some new acrylics. The prices were low, so thought I'd try different brands. I've used Golden for quite some time. Love their fluid acrylics for their color intensity and ease of use.

8. Another too-good-to-resist, impulse purchase. We'll see how these Strathmore "mixed-media" papers hold up.

Feel free to add comments on supplies you like, or on any that I've mentioned.

Flat file: Pt. 2

Bet you didn't think there would be a sequel to something as mundane as the flat file post. But, of course, there is. After purchasing giant furniture sliders, I've been moving - pushing might be a better word - the flat file around the studio. In the earlier post, it was in my "gallery" area. Not a good thing.

I knew it was big but, well, not this BIG! I like it between the bookcases, because it creates a kind of library space. That said, I'm not sure whether it's the perfect spot, because it has cut seriously into my "lounge" area.

The best thing about this is that it's making me sort through my stash again. And, yes, ditching some of it. In order to get papers in the file, they have to be flattened first. The pile - above, and below - is getting bigger by the moment. Will the file hold it all? Stay tuned.

Flat out cool

Be still my heart. A flat file. Finally. In my studio. It's a used one, actually, but you'd never know it. Previous owners include a downtown gallery and a mixed-media artist. It's a whopping 54" wide x 43" deep.

All you paper geeks out there will appreciate my excitement over this. Now, paper that is rolled and has to be flattened, paper that is stored in hard-to-reach spots beneath work tables, paper that is getting dusty sitting on shelves out in the open, all can be stored in one spot. Any guesses on how long it'll take to fill this beauty?!