EtsyBloggers Are HOT

Here's some awesome HOT summer items by my AWESOME Etsy Bloggers!

Designer Showcase

Doesn't that sound all vintage "Wheel of Fortune"? Actually I wanted to show off a little more of Maire Dodd's beautiful work but you could buy a vowel and head over to Etsy to pick it up! I love the oxidized copper with these glazes (and you'll be happy to know that you can throw my ceramic pieces into liver of sulpher without damage-just don't make it a hot solution)I spent much longer than anticipated today looking (more like dazed, wandering in circles) for things at Home Depot. Although I must say that I was greeted enthusiastically by no fewer than a dozen employees which is a first, usually I can't find a free employee for the life of me! I did come up with a few ideas in my many aisle travels today, it will be interesting to see if I actually do any of them!

Now I have cheesecake brownies to bake and enough glazing to fill tomorrow's kiln load!

Glaze Name Winners

Wow, I can not believe how many wonderful suggestions you all came up with for my unnamed glazes! I am clearly going to have to do this more often! There were several names that I thought were just a perfect description of the shade but were a little on the long side for when I'm posting things on the website. I had to pass them by for the glaze name but I think they will definitely be showing up later as the name of a jewelry project using that glaze.So, without further ado... I introduce Whiskey and Twilight! Congratulations Sharon and Abbellisca. Courtesy of Random.org, Silver Parrot is the winner of the Wheat Window pendant for blogging about my contest. Please send me a note with your mailing addresses so I can get your rewards out to you!

I had the pleasure of opening my mailbox to discover the August issue of Bead Trends with my Peridot Jellyfish earrings featured! These earrings mix sterling silver chain, peridot, little tiny Bali beads, and my porcelain bead caps. There are so many beautiful projects in the issue, look for another great piece by Erin of Tresori Trovati as well.

Stay tuned, I have several new jewelry pieces using my ceramic pendants that will be debuting in the next week!

It's Moving Day!

That's right - I'm moving today! Finally! After a summer of apartment hunting, and then several weeks of packing when my health was good enough, the big day has finally arrived! Our apartment is covered in boxes, my hubby is catching one last nap on the futon (which is on the floor since the frame is disassembled), and I'm enjoying my last few minutes on-line before the insanity begins! Woohoo!

Only sad part about all this? My beads are packed up! *cries* Ok, so I can't complain too much, I have my lovely craft bag packed with a bead weaving project, my cross-stitch, and my crochet :D I'm going to have to be careful to pace myself, so I wanted to make sure I had something to do with my hands when I'm forced to rest.

Seriously though, I will have to be really careful. We're having record breaking heat here right now. I live in the northwest right? We're usually in the 80's this time of year. It's supposed to hit 107 today. So I have to be extra careful to stay hydrated because dehydration triggers my asthma really quickly! I also have high blood pressure issues - and heat is really bad for that!

We did the last of the packing with my Mom last night. We were all working pretty steady - and after the third box I packed I kinda collapsed and fell asleep on the futon. I was apparently all red and blotchy. Moses covered my forehead with a cool cloth and that helped.

So my plan for today is to suck as much water as I can, and sit as often as I can convince myself! I'm not going to be moving any boxes (not allowed to because of my back issues anyway). I'm going to stay at the new apartment with my MIL or Kat (or both) and slowly start unpacking while everyone else does the heavy work.

The internet is going to be connected some time tomorrow. All we know is that it'll be up by 5pm. And by then I may be falling asleep again :P We'll see. So I don't know when you'll see me on-line again. I miss you all already!

Tuesday's Tips #10

Set Me Free

Last week on Tuesday's Tips #9 I talked about some different places to find inspiration from other artists in your field. I got some great responses from you guys - so that's what I'm featuring this week! You!

Glorybe1024 said: Searching around Etsy is great inspiration. Often I will see a color combination or item that "speaks" to me. Usually, I will think that if I added this or changed that it would be really cool. I never want to imitate, I just try and make it my own in some way. (Glory is an artist in many mediums and in her shop, Lucky Lady Bug Designs, you'll find crocheted items, key fobs, jewelry, and more!)

Merily said: I tend to avoid looking too hard at things in my field because I don't like my style to be influenced, even if it was subconsciously by me having seen something in passing (same thing when I used to write- I refused to read LotR parodies when I was writing one years ago). I mean, I'll still sometimes look around just out of curiosity at other art to see all the pretties, but I try not to pay too close attention to it if it's something I do.

I do love all my Etsy teams and Artfire guilds, though! I definitely get inspiration from them (especially the ones that run challenges), and it's so helpful to be around people who share your interests. :) (Merily is crochet, clay, and jewelry artist with a passion for fantasy. You can find her work on artfire at MeriGreenLeaf.)

Splendid Little Stars said:

Bead and Button

Lapidary Journal bead and jewelry catalogs Somerset Studio books from the library for my dyed and painted clothing, inspiration comes from the world of nature around me

(Splendid Little Stars also works in a variety of different mediums. On her blog you'll see her stunning photography, at Sparkly Park you can find her jewelry, and at Splendid Little Stars you will find her fabric work!)

Silver Parrot said: Lately I've been taking pictures of "nature" (the beach, butterflies, insects, flowers, etc.) and using them for inspiration. Nature is not shy about mixing color and yet they always seem to "work." (Silver Parrot is a jewelry artist who's work definitely reflects that love of color!)

Julie Antinucci said: You asked, so my favorite magazines are The Quilter and American Patchwork And Quilting (a Better Homes and Garden Mag). Both of these have things each month that have modern fabric and modern patterns, none of that dark and depressing fabric that I don't like. (You can find a variety of fun fabric items in her shop Creative Mines).

MemoriesforLifeScrabooks said: You're so right. You can admire work of other in your field and take from them...but create something totally your own :) (You can find awesome scrapbooks in her shop - which is now on Artfire!

StoryBeader said: I love looking at the etsy bead weavers. Some of my favorite jewelry artists are in that team! {:-D (At Story Beader you'll find a variety of beautiful jewelry - each with it's own haiku!)

Patchfirstshop said: Always get inspirations from Wedding Magazines.. I love to see the wedding gowns and think about what design of jewelry to match those dresses. (And it certainly shows in the lovely jewelry you'll find at Patch First Shop!)

Stay tuned for next weeks tips - I have an interview lined up for you guys that I think you'll love!

Sale Item of the Week - Patriotic Woven Bracelet!

This fun bracelet was hand woven, bead by bead! Have fun wowing your friends with it's beautiful sparkle, and showing your pride in your country at the same time :)

This bracelet is approximately 7 inches long. I can make it to fit any size wrist, but please account for approximately one to two weeks time for custom orders, thank you!

On sale this week only for $40 plus $2 shipping and handling - and I'll ship to anywhere in the world!

Crafty ADD Update #1

I had so much fun with my post last week "Queen of the Crafty ADD" that I decided I want to make it a regular feature!

To start off...I want to show a knitting project that I've been working on all summer! Ok, so I haven't worked on it in at least a month... See I didn't know how to cast off and that's how long it took for Mom and I to manage to get together for her to show me! I could have just looked it up on-line but I figured since this has been a "Mommy and Me" thing that I'd wait until she could show me. The scarf isn't done - but it's done for now. I want to add fringe and I'm trying to decide if I want to bead the fringe I'm putting it aside. I did look at some beads while at the store the other day, but I didn't find any that were right for this scarf. So until I do...or until I decide to go for straight fringe...it's put away in the bin!

Oh yes, and this is my second knitting project ever :D I'll do another knitting project after I'm done with my current crochet project. I only want to have one yarn project at a time. I do try to limit ADD-ness a just a wee bit!

Speaking of crochet projects - I've come a long ways since last week! I've been taking to this like a duck to water :D The current plan is to do 15 squares in each color and then I'll lay them all out and decide how I want the pattern to look and figure out if I need any more of any of the colors. I have the first color done and I started on the second one - a lighter green :)

I finished up the second penquin on my bookmark this week and started in on the third! I've worked on it just about every day this week...which is a big difference from before. I had been going through a big down period when it came to cross-stitch, and now I'm back and kicking!

There is NO WAY I could update you on all my jewelry projects during the week. Besides, you get to see my stuff in other posts through out the week! But it wouldn't be a true ADD update if I didn't show you what's currently in the works! I usually have at least one bead weaving project going at all times and today is no exception. I'm working a bracelet in brick-stitch. The pattern is actually stolen from a cross-stitch book that had a bunch of edging patterns. I thought it looked cool so now it's going to be a bracelet!

We'll see how much I get done this next week with moving. It could go either way. I might get a ton done as I'm forcing my self to relax inbetween spurts of packing and then unpacking...or I may get very little crafting done. You'll find out next week!

The Big Meeting

I met Danny's family yesterday. It was a little awkward, but it went pretty well.

Some background. Danny has been in two previous relationships with girls who treated him like shit. So of course his mother and sisters are a little protective of him. It SUCKS being the new girl..being grilled and knowing that they are judging you and waiting for you to make one wrong move.

We went to the pool with his sisters. I did a little bonding with his seventeen year old sister. She straight up told me she was expecting not to like me. We had a cookout with his parents, I was grilled pretty hard about school and all the other usual first meeting stuff. I think I did pretty good though, his sisters hugged me when I left. Which made me feel really good. And his mother told Danny that I was "very, very pretty." Hopefully that wasnt followed with "..but she is kinda weird." Or something like that!

Next step, meeting my parents on Labor Day weekend! Our big (and way too short) trip to Boston!

Name that glaze contest!

Time for another glaze naming contest! I have a couple of new glazes that I'm stumped for great names. First the new glazes that I've already named... I think I was inspired by the earthy shades in the Art Bead Scene challenge so here are Wheat and Coffee. They both have some interesting variations that occur depending on the thickness that I apply the glaze. I like the ivory and camel shades in the Wheat glaze. The Coffee glaze has a lot of depth that reminds me of black coffee that's just had some creamer swirled in.
So here's what's left to be named...
Glaze #1 has a smoky base with bright, almost cobalt accents where it's thicker.Glaze #2 is a lighter brown shade with golden undertones. I already have a glaze named Toffee otherwise I might have chosen that. It's a fair bit lighter than the Coffee glaze. So, here's how to play- Leave a comment with your suggestion for what I should name one or both of the glazes above. If I choose your suggestion, I'll send you the pendant above in the glaze that you named. Just for fun, I'll also do a random drawing for the Wheat pendant shown above for anyone who also blogs about my giveaway. Just leave a comment with a link to your blog post to be entered!

oops-edited to add a deadline (I always forget that part!) Let's say deadline is midnight PST Tuesday July 28th

Look at these Pretties!

Not much to say today. I've been packing and crafting and packing and crafting... My mono-pod has been missing all week so I haven't been able to take new pictures. So I've got a LOT of new things for you guys to see soon! I did have a few things to re-list and a few things I had pictures already of that got listed though! Which is your favorite?

Friday's Featured Artist - Spirit Essence Art

This weeks artist is a gal with not only incredibly talent - but a huge heart! Arlene of Spirit Essence Art has been a huge encouragement to me, and I hope that you love her art work as much as I do!

1. What type of art work do you do?

Right now, I am a painter using watercolors and oils. I also enjoy creating pages in my art journal, which sometimes in which I use paints, collage techniques, and the use of markers, pens, and a bit of stamping.

2. How did you get started doing art work?

I started doing crafts many years ago, from macramé to pottery, and stained glass. I even had my own brick and mortar stained glass supply and gift shop for several years. It was during this period that I decided to take a drawing class, so I would feel more secure about drawing up my own custom designed stained glass patterns for clients. The class I took was divided into two sections. The first section, that I was in, consisted of people taking the drawing course. The second one had the students that were taking painting.

I learned a lot about drawing, though I was intrigued with what the painting students were doing and I kept walking over to the easels to see what those people were doing. The following semester, I signed up for the class again, but this time signed up for the painting segment! That’s how I learned to paint with oil paints, and I have loved painting ever since. This past year I have been teaching myself the use of watercolors, and am fascinated with how different they are from oils.

3. Do you do any other crafts?

Well, I still have all my stained glass gear and am actually teaching beginning stained glass at the local community college. I also have spent years creating glass treasures by fusing it in glass kilns, including jewelry and other, larger art pieces. I am not doing any new glass creating these days, though I still have a lot of pieces that I created last year, and that are in my Artfire shop.

4. What's your favorite piece in your shop right now?

Of the glass pieces, I would say it is my Rainbow Border Square Glass Bowl because I just love the spectrum of clear colors or the Red Starfish Dichroic Glass Pendant because of the sparkly glass in it and the starfish is a special symbol to me.

Of the paintings in my shop, my favorite one is my Underworld Fantasy Watercolor because it was so free and spontaneous, and I love the colors in it.

5. Where do you sell your work?

Right now I only have a shop on Artfire.com though I am looking for more venues for my paintings, especially ones that will offer the possibility of prints. http://www.artfire.com/users/SpiritEssenceArt

6. Do you blog?

Yes I do! I love to blog now, though it was difficult at first for me to post regularly, since I couldn’t conceive in the past that anyone would be interested in what I was doing. Now, I especially like to post in my blog since I am creating so often, to share what I have created as well as any of my “process” – both my internal process and some of how and what I use to create the paintings. I realized that I just love reading others’ blogs with this kind of information, so I want to share my own so others might also enjoy what I am learning and experiencing. For me it is a way to reach out to others and share myself, something that I am making more of an effort to do lately. For anyone who is interested, my blog is http://www.SpiritEssenceArt.com and I love to have new viewers as well as comments.

7. Are you on any social networks you'd like to share?

Yes I am: I am on Twitter (www.twitter.com/arlenemh), Facebook (www.facebook.com/arlenemh), Plurk (www.plurk.com/spiritessenceart) and a few other smaller networks.

8. Do you watch or listen to anything while you work? If so, what?

Sometimes I listen to music while I work, often some New Age kind of music or motivational music, but more often than not, I love the silence of my studio and enjoy just hearing the birds singing or my own thoughts in my head.

9. Tell us one random fact about your self *wink*

Though I am a US citizen, I lived for 10 years in New Zealand and am a permanent resident there. I went there because I had met and fell in love with my husband at an international spiritual / personal growth retreat in Australia, and he was from there. I went to join him in the South Island of New Zealand where he lived, and we were married there eventually. They were wonderful years and I grew a lot as an individual and loved the natural surroundings and lovely people there.

Something Cute

It's always hard being away from Danny during the week but short and sweet phone calls and texts get me through the day. This is one of my favorites:



I'm getting used to our weekend routine, we are both learning to love the Greyhound system. Last weekend was great, I feel like all we do is eat and drink when we are together..atleast I won't be getting fat alone! I didn't end up meeting his Mom last week, so I got all nervous for nothing. It's on for this weekend though. They are having breakfast at their house on Sunday, and for me..it's never awkward when food is involved. AND it's a chance for me to show off my culinary skills! Homemade from scratch sticky buns...MY FAVORITE!
I'm getting spoiled with all texting and calling we are doing. It sucks because in the back of my mind I know when he is deployed it won't be happening. But on a positive note, I'll probably be able to get rid of my unlimited texting though..and have a much cheaper cell phone bill!

The Radio-a-thon Starts Tomorrow!

I know I've talked a bunch about 48 for Larry - and I'm not going to stop! The Radio-a-thon starts tomorrow at 6pm EST. This is truly a worthy cause guys - and the silent auction portion is coming together wonderfully! There are currently 16 pages of items to bid on! You can even start bidding now if you want - but nothing will be updated until the radio-a-thon starts. I thought I'd share with you just a few of the wonderful items being auctioned off. And believe me, it was hard to choose!

Of course I have to show off the Necklace I donated :)

Purple Royalty Necklace

Retail Value: $40

Minimum starting bid: $4

I don't know how she does these...

Gift Certificate to Wee Knits Shop

Retail Value: $10

Minimum Starting Bid: $1

I love Butterfly's!

Faith and Wings Series Translucent Resin Necklace

Retail Value: $24.00

Minimum Starting bid: $2.40

Look at all these goodies!

Artisan Sampler Basket

Retail Price: $393.49

Minimum Starting Bid: $39.34

Ok - ya'll know I can't resist purple...

Flourite Tube Pendant

Retail Price: $8.50

Minimum Starting Bid: $0.85

Isn't this just too precious for words?

Norweigen Christmas Nisse (Gnome)

Retail Price: $65

Minimum Starting Bid: $6.50

I tried not to feature too much jewelry -

but these are from my friend Meri :D

Spring is in the Air Beaded Earrings

Retail Price: $14.00

Minimum Starting Bid: $1.40

I HAVE this bracelet :D

Live, Love, Laugh - Leather Mystery Braid Wristband

Retail: $15.00

Minimum Starting Bid: $1.50

So what are you waiting for? Go check out the rest of the auction!

Loving the Bead Mats :)

I've seen bead mats around for awhile, but for some reason I never had a desire to use them. After all, I already had my own system, why should I mess with it? I finally picked one up about a month ago (it's cheap after all) just to experiment with...and I'm in love!

Why? Well, because my beads don't go everywhere any more! Ok, they still do to a degree, but no where near as bad as they did before. Plus, I was able to use it to augment my normal system!

What is my normal system? I have these little round plastic trays that I get at Craft Warehouse periodically when going through their bargain bins of beads. My seed beads go in there. Sometimes larger beads too depending on the project. Once I have my beads pulled out for the project I put them in front of my laptop, turn on a something from hulu.com, and bead away!

Now here's where the bead mat comes in. I slip it so it's half under my laptop (don't feel like cutting it up) and then I put my trays on top of it. Pointless you say? Not at all. I'm GOOD at jostling my trays and having the beads fly out! Now the mat catches them and clean up proceeds much quicker. :D I've also found less beads in my keyboard of late...

There's been an unexpected bonus too. With all my health problems I have to take a bunch of pills and vitamins. So in the mornings when I take my pills I spread them out on my bead mat, and they don't roll around everywhere! Nice 'eh?

I'm thinking I want to pick up some cheap trays at the Dollar Store or a thrift store and line them with bead mats. Then I can lay out projects and stack them if I want. One of the problems I encountered when I did my "Set Me Free" free form Peyote bracelet was that the only tray I had to lay them out on was way too huge! I have some other ideas that will also involve using a wide variety of beads and having a tray like that would be really helpful.

This, of course, is a project for AFTER my move :P Or should I say series of projects?

Reconnecting

It's been a whirlwind the last few days, most of it involving cleaning and baking this: http://dozenflours.com/2009/04/triple-decker-chocolate-coffee-and.html (all I'll say is Holy Cow Yum!) Although one would expect a triple layer cheesecake with a chocolate crust (and fresh whipped cream) to be the highlight of a week, it was far surpassed by having the chance to reconnect with a couple that we had lost contact with for several years.

We met them about 10 years ago while I was doing my Master's degree, they lived in the same apartment complex. After college they moved back to Orange County, only about an hour from where we live. Over the years we kept in touch and got together a few times. However, we moved a couple times, as did they, and at some point we couldn't track each other down. A few weeks ago my husband received a message on his Facebook page and lo and behold, we're all back in touch again! We had the most wonderful long lunch to catch up on the past 6 years since we last had a chance to hang out.

There are many people that I have been friends with at some point and have outgrown the friendship or we've just gone our separate ways but I have not regretted drifting apart. I'm so happy to have reconnected with this couple, they are people that I have truly missed seeing over the years. I always find it amazing that there are some people that you can not see for years but when you do, it's like no time has passed. I think that the loss of my father in law this year has made us become more appreciative of the need to stay close to good people in our lives. Needless to say, now that we're back in touch with this couple we're going to make sure that we put in the effort to see each other regularly! Something I'm also so grateful for is that I've been able to make connections with fabulous artists like Mary Jane of Maire Dodd. I feel like I have made some wonderful new friends through the blogging community. Just like my "in person" relationships, I need to make sure to set aside the time to keep conversations going with those artists. On that note, here's a little eye candy courtesy of Mary Jane using one of my Aurora Borealis Art Nouveau buff stoneware charms. I think the buff stoneware really warms up with the Vintaj brass.

Tuesday's Tips #9

Wind Dancer

We've been talking the last few weeks about inspiration. Today I want to look at one place you can find inspiration - other artists in your field.

Note of Caution: They say there is nothing new under the sun and the imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Both statements have truth to them, however, you need to be aware of copy write laws and how they affect your field of art. While being inspired and learning from other artists is fine, you don't want to steal their hard work!

Ok, on to cheerier thoughts!

I LOVE to look at the work of other jewelry artists. Often I just look and drool. After all, there are many forms of jewelry that I can never attempt. For instance, anything that involves a lot of fumes (like resin) is off limits because of my severe asthma. That doesn't mean I can't admire and be inspired by their work! Here's some places I go to look at other jewelry artists work - I think you'll find you can translate this to your particular field of art :)

Teams:

I'm on several teams and they all contain fellow jewelry artists. The one I gain the most inspiration from though is my Etsy Bead Weavers team because the team is very focused on that medium! The other teams are great - but their focus is different and so it doesn't provide as many challenges or as much inspiration for the art side of things. If your not on a team specific to your medium I'd highly encourage it!

Books:

I just got done going through the book "500 Beaded Objects: New Dimensions in Contemporary Beadwork" and I was utterly floored by the possibilities out there! Sometimes looking through the work of the masters can be humbling, but I found it both challenging and encouraging as I see how much I have left to learn! I also got some new ideas :)

Magazines:

I regularly read Bead and Button and even sometimes Jewelry Artist. Now this is an area you need to be careful. You can learn a LOT, but you don't want to recreate their patterns for sale without first getting the permission of the artist who created it. Sometimes they will be willing to let you, other times they won't. You can make the patterns for yourself (and you'll often learn a lot!) but don't ever sell them without permission.

There are many other places you can view artists work in your field, browsing the various selling venues for instance, but these are some of my favorites!

I'd love to hear from you guys. What are your favorite magazines, books, or teams in YOUR field? I'll compile a list from what you tell me and post it for next weeks Tips :D Let's help each other!

Infuriating

I spend my weekend on buses and trains in order to see the Marine I love. Generally speaking, the people riding with me are headed to/from Camp Lejeune as well.

I'm sitting on the bus this morning minding my own business when this kid jumps over my seat and asks me to play Scrabble. I politely decline..I just like listening to my music and staring out the window. When we finally got to Raleigh I forgot all about this kid. Until he starts yelling at me for having a "non-Japanese phone." I just looked at him weird and kept walking.

In the station I noticed two Marines, one in street clothes and the other in his service uniform. A few minute later I hear this woman yelling at someone. I'm not gonna lie, I like fights..so it caught my attention. I look over and Scrabble boy is in the Marines faces giving them shit about being Marines and about the war and going on and on and on. The Marines just sat there, didn't even say a word. However, this other woman is yelling at Scrabble boy to shut his mouth and to show some respect. I honestly wanted her to hit this kid. The boy is so lucky I was not sitting closer, because I would not have been able to mind my buisness.

It baffles my mind that people can feel this way. Don't they understand that Marines and our other Armed Forces are the reason he has the right to say those things? They are the reason he can have his own opinions, even if they are HORRIBLE opinions. I can't imagine saying such harsh things to anyone, especially Marines!

The good news of this story is that both before and after this little incident I saw ATLEAST ten people shake these Marines hands. It might sound sappy, but I totally thought it was a beautiful thing.

48 for Larry, CIJS, and New stuff :)

48 for Larry

It seems like my Monday posts are getting to be quite the smorgasboard! I want to start off by reminding you about 48 for Larry - the radioathon and silent auction coming up July 24th -26th. Check out the all the info on the Block Head Radio Page, and you can start viewing the auction items now!

CIJS

I'm not going to change up my weekly special this week - so check it out on the right hand side - you have another week to get the sale price! I do want to remind you about my Christmas in July Sales though :) Everything is 20% at Kindred Spirit Treasures and Rose Works on Artfire. And I have a sale section at Rose Works on Etsy!

Promoting...Me!

I've continued to be a busy little beaver. I think my new planner that I created for myself is really helping me to stay focused on getting a certain number of things done each day. Which means I'm getting lots of listing done! Check out these 9 new or relisted items, tell me which is your favorite, and get an extra entry into my Top Commentators Contest!

Queen of the Crafty ADD

I've told you before that I'm very Crafty ADD. I jump from project to project to project... Anyway - I thought I'd prove it to you guys :P This is what I've been working on the last two days!

What you see above is a hemp bracelet and a beadwoven St. Petersburg Bracelet. I started the bracelet a couple days ago, but I wove about half of it in the last two days. Not that it's a project that takes me very long, I just picked it up for 15 minutes here, and 15 minutes there!

I've also been working on a lot of hemp lately. I have a bunch in my box to take photos of! Things have just been to busy for me to get the photos taken yet though. That and I haven't been feeling that good today. Ok, really not feeling good today. I've spent most of the day watching Star Gate and crafting :D

Mom started teaching me to crochet yesterday! The picture above is of granny squares. I did the first one and started the second one with Mom yesterday, finished the second one last night, and did the third this morning! I'm going to make a baby blanket :D There are going to be 4 more colors in it. Not sure how I'm going to arrange them, just making a bunch of squares and then I'll play with laying them out and see how the inspiration strikes me.

And for anyone getting excited, no, I'm not pregnant :P I'll donate this when it's done. Probably to the Pregnancy Resource Center. It's a local organization that provides free pregnancy tests and provides counseling on the many options out there other than abortion.

Over the last 6 months or so I've started always having a cross-stitch project going. This is the current one! It's going to be a bookmark of dancing penquins. It'll be awhile before it shows up in the shop though. I tend to work on it like crazy for awhile, and then not pick it up at all for awhile :P Plus I'll probably fit 4 bookmarks on the fabric before I cut it up... Anyway, I sewed half of the penquin outline today!

So what's next? Well...I need to make some more strand bracelets to take into my consignment shop...but since that requires moving the bead boxes and stuff around so I can decide on patterns that will probably wait for tomorrow. My asthma's acting up today and I'm doing fine as long a I sit still, but that would probably be too much movement. So I think I'll crochet another granny square and try to decide what my next beadweaving project should be.....

Just a reminder - it's Christmas in July! Follow the links below to check it the sales :)

Kindred Spirit Treasures

Rose Works on Etsy

Rose Works on Artfire

Why I Love Weekends

I love waking up to text messages from Danny saying he's on his way to pick me up. Three hours completely out of his way just so we can spend a day or two together. It's perfect!

I'm meeting his Mom today. I'm WAY nervous! I always worry about things like this. Will she like me? Is this shirt ok to wear? Hair up or down? Oh, crap..she's going to hate my tattoos. What if I have nothing to talk about! Atleast it's only for a few minutes. He is going to be a trooper and spend an entire weekend with my family is September!

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great and safe weekend. And I hope everyone gets to talk to their Marines soon!

Beautiful Day...

and I'm trapped at the computer! It really did take me hours yesterday to get pictures of all of my latest kiln-loads ready to post. So far only the loopy connectors are on the website but everything else is on the docket for today to get added. In addition to the loopy connectors I made a few holeless circle window pendants, I think they work well as connectors or toggle loops or for lariats to slip through. Also some window cut-out pendants. These have always been among my favorites (the fact that one was used for a project in the Spring 2008 issue of Stringing, my first item used in a publication, helps!). Lots of keys on the way- I haven't replenished my starfish stock in a long time. Maybe because it's been so warm and beachy weathered lately they came back into my thoughts! Lots of work today but I'm so excited, tomorrow will be my chance to go see Harry Potter!

Friday's Featured Artist - Miesmama

I'd like to introduce you all to Becky of Miesmama! Becky is one of my Etsy Blogger team mates (and the featured blogger this month!) and she is not only a talented artist, she also has a sweet spirit that radiates through her every interaction! I have one of her felt flowers (like the purple one shown below) on one of my purses and I simply love it!

1. What type of art work do you do?

I do fiber art, mostly with felt, it's a medium that makes me extremely happy - I love looking at fiber arts, maybe it's because it's so tactile, I don't know!

2. How did you get started doing art work?

I guess I've done it all my life, you start out so creative when you're a child, when I watch my children drawing, or paiting, I wish I could get a little of that freedom back! I also went to college for a while, doing textile arts.

3. Do you do any other crafts?

A couple of years ago, I joined a knitting group run by a dear friend, and she taught us how to knit, it had been something I was yearning to do, and now i love it, it's so relaxing, and yet productive at the same time!

4. What's your favorite piece in your shop right now?

Oooh that's hard, you become so invested in all of them! I think it's my "tree fern clutch bag" though, it embodies what my style is well I think, felted and full of nature! Though, I'm loving the fun and versatility of my felt flowers.

5. Where do you sell your work?

At the moment, it's only at Etsy. I would love to do art and craft fairs, but finding the time is hard at the moment, with two children and their many summer plans.

6. Do you blog?

Yes, and what a lovely world that is to be in, full of warm, friendly, supportive and like-minded people. http://www.miesmama.blogspot.com

7. Are you on any social networks you'd like to share?

I'm on Twitter, and probably soon Facebook. But I really love Flickr, does that count as a social network?, it can so inspirational, and a great place for feedback.

8. Do you watch or listen to anything while you work? If so, what?

Both, all my work lends itself well to multi-tasking, it can be anything - lately, I love listening to Wilco, Feist, Innocence Mission and Sigur Ros. TV mostly is Doctor Who, Primeval, and Torchwood on BBC America, and I can't wait for the new season of Lost, I'm totally addicted!

9. Tell us one random fact about your self *wink*

I'm addicted to all things Japanese and Kawaii, and I swap a lot on Swap-Bot, if you're ready for a new addiction go and check it out, there are swaps for everyone!

Our Adventures

Our first date was probably one of the best dates I have ever been on. It was much better than the average "dinner and a movie." We went to the lake. We soaked up some rays and hungout in the water. We talked and talked and never ran out of things to say. I think it was easier because we spent the first 2 weeks of our "relationship" texting, so we already knew a lot about each other. After the lake, we went out to eat and a got a few drinks. We probably drank a little too much for a first date. He ended up staying the night..which probably isn't great first date etiquette!

Two weeks later we got to spend his 96 together for the July 4th weekend. The weekend couldn't have started off more perfect. He surprised me by showing up in his uniform with a bouquet of beautiful roses! I brought him to Sonic, I love being the person to bring people for their first Sonic experiece! We saw Transformers (apparently his first movie in the theaters in six years..I'm starting to thing Ohio is actually under a giant rock!) The next day I took him to a baseball game, he hasn't been to a baseball game in forever! I think being from Boston gives me an unfair baseball advantage! On the Fourth we went to the lake, ate yummy sushi and hungout with some of my friends from back home. And of course we saw fireworks! It was a perfect weekend!

Last weekend was probably the biggest of our adventures. The original idea was for him and a few friends to drive out here to go to a free concert in Raleigh. However, it turned out to be "lets go to the show and then drive back to Jacksonville." I was all for it! That means I would be getting out of my house and able to spend time with Danny! We went to Topsail Beach with a bunch of his friends and a few of their girlfriends. I've gotten really close with one of the girls, Deven (who leaves to go back to Texas this weekend, which makes me sad!) I love that he brings me around his friends and that his friends actually seem to like me! My last night there the guys had formation and I was able to have girl talk with Deven. It was so easy talking to her about everything I was feeling. Her and her Marine are married, and not living together, so she totally understands how I feel about everything. I'm going to miss her when she goes back to Texas!

This weekend is going to be an adventure as well! Danny is picking me up tomorrow and we're going to spend a day in Wilmington. In a few weeks we'll be in Myrtle Beach. And for Labor Day...I'm bringing him back to Boston with me!

I just realized as I'm writing this that I should not get used to planning so far in advance. Which is going to be SO hard for me, I am a planner..it's what I do. It's now making sense to me why Danny is a "go with the flow" kind of guy. Maybe we should slow down with the plans..and go with the flow!

I feel like this post was one big ramble! Sorry! I just wanted to catch everyone up! Posts will be more normal from now on!!!

Come Join the Party!

I found out about this awesome blog party while I was working my way through my blog list. (Side note: I'm waaaay behind on visiting blogs, if I haven't visited your recently it's not your fault, it's mine!) Anyway, I've been thinking and writing about inspiration a lot lately, so this blog party really excites me! I'm copying all the info for you so you can join in on the fun :D I may have to look into joining this team...

♥Theme: "5 Degrees of Inspiration"

♥Date: August 1st, 2009

♥What to Do:
*Sign up for the blog party by leaving a comment on the original post - your blog and link will be added to our growing list on the sidebar of our blog. (be sure to include a link and the name of your blog in your comment)
*Grab our party images and details, then write about it on your own blog. Be sure to post the smaller badge on your sidebar linking back to this posting. (sidebar badge and link are posted below...)
*Join us on the date of the party by writing your own blog posting about the 5 things that inspire you the most. Feel free to post photos too - we love eye candy!
*Visit the other participating blogs from the list on our sidebar and enjoy! It'll be such fun discovering what inspires each of us!

♥Prizes:
We're hosting 2 wonderful prizes!
*The first is a fabulous collection of work from our team members and will be awarded to one of the participating blogs so be sure to sign up before August 1st! (A photo of the prize package is coming soon so keep checking back!)
*The second prize will be awarded to one of the visitors who leaves a comment on our blog posting the day of the party. This will be a $20 gift certificate to our team shop.

We look forward to seeing you then and reading about the wonderful things that inspire you!

Sidebar Blog Badge:

Badge link: http://inspiration-avenue-team.blogspot.com/2009/07/5-degrees-in-inspiration-blog-party.html

It's Christmas in July!

That's right - it's a Christmas in July sale! A bunch of the Etsy bloggers are particpating - and I'm one of them! In Kindred Spirit Treasures you'll find ALL item marked down 20%!!! Over at Rose Works Jewelry you'll find a sale section with items marked down 20%!!! Want to see what the Bloggers are doing? Head on over to our SALE thread and see what other great offers you can find!!!

What's that? You want more great deals??? You got it! I'm also doing a sale over in Rose Works Jewelry on Artfire - the entire shop is marked down 20%!!! Why didn't I do that on Etsy you ask? Because Artfire makes it easy :P

I've also been a listing/promoting FREAK this last week - so I have more new items to show you! Which is your favorite? Tell me and earn extra entries in the Top Commentators contest!

Ceramic Landslide

I feel like I'm buried under a pile of pendants! It's amazing how many of these little suckers I managed to fire in the last two days. So expect lots of new items up on the website in the next day (it's going to take hours to clean up the pictures and post them up on my site though). I had a special request for some of my little sparrow pattern to be made into charms so here's a sneak peek of one in the smaller form. I think they're adorable! I haven't done any of my key pendants in a little while so I replenished my supply of those and also made a bunch of my window cut-out pendants. I aim to please so I made some loopy connectors in leaf, foam, patina and aurora borealis as requested in the comments from an earlier post. Finally, my experiment from the other day... It's a total departure from my other pendants but I love the bright colors, the pop and the geometric feel to them. They're super smooth and glossy which I also love. I'm happy to finally bring back my "Modern Art" collection of pendants, it's something I had a few years ago but I think I like these much better. However I know this style will probably appeal to a smaller group of people so I hope that they still get a positive response. I plan to play around with this style a little more so I have a good variety of color combinations.

I may do a bunch more glazing tonight and try to fit in one more glaze firing before the weekend. Of course that all depends on how long it takes me to edit and post all the photos! Any colors that I've been neglecting that you'd like to see more items in stock with?