Sunday Showcase - Hearts Galore

1.funkydivadesigns	1.TheMayFlower
2.McKenneysKeepsakes	2.mykonos
3.SweetSallysSoaps	3.darlaanduni
4.Che4uDesigns	4.summerscreations
5.paleodeux	5.edyodeco
6.ninarowan	6.Bowwowpet

Normally, each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

This time around, I had such an array or traditional and non-traditional items that I literally could not choose between the two showcases I made. So you get BOTH! I'll let YOU decide which one you think I thought was traditional and which was not...;)

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ ONLY SHOPS WHO COMMENT IN BOTH LOCATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED!
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

I cannot stress enough the importance of leaving your shop URL and posting in both locations! I see BEAUTIFUL things that end up left by the wayside because those criteria are not followed!

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page, the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page as well as on my DeviantArt page.
Twitter
Facebook
DeviantArt

Please feel free to follow me/fan me/watch me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section) so don't be shy!
♥

Mini marvels - WireYourWorld

It's Mini-Marvel time!

Here's a lady who lives with precision every day. WireYourWorld's beautiful & intricate, yet simple & elegant pieces have long been a source of admiration for me. I keep wondering HOW she does it and keep wanting to learn. She's sweet and so hardworking and has so much talent. I can only strive to achieve what she has with her designs.

I asked her to share a little about herself so we could have a look into HER world.

My interest in rocks started when I was a child. For some reason, I was always fascinated with dinosaurs and the time before man, the creatures that walked the earth, and the death and fossilization of those creatures. This translated over time to the study of how the earth formed, and all the types of pretty rocks created as time passes and the world changes. These interests were helped along by memorable (for me), field trips to the Peabody Museum in CT, and the Museum of Natural History in NYC.

Alongside of my interest in rocks and dinosaurs, around the age of 13, I was developing an interest in the ancient world of humans, King Tut was going on tour so it was all in the media, and talked about in history classes. We lived in CT, my father owned a Dairy Queen, and my mother was a nurse. With four children, money was tight. My mother found that the local Community College was going to have a course about Ancient Egypt, with the field trip at the end of the course, a trip to NYC and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to see the King Tut Exhibit. This field trip was a much lower cost way to get the both of us to the exhibit. So, there was my mom, convincing College Administrators that a 13 year old should be allowed to enroll in the course. They let me in, I took the course, and passed the test. I suppose I still have a college credit on record somewhere for that! Needless to say, I enjoyed the trip, and the glass cube that enclosed the Mask of King Tut, is still vivid in my head.

How does this relate to the here and now? Lapis, ahhhh lapis. I had never seen such a gorgeous stone and there it was, in the mask, finely wrought in solid gold. I mean, c'mon!

Another thing my mother did for me, though I didn't know it at the time, was instill a love of finely crafted items, to be able to see the work, the craftsmanship in something well done, over something mass produced. This came about by helping my mother sell her "stuff" at flea markets. Lugging boxes and sitting for days on end at her table, and wandering around looking at others' "stuff", I learned to discern antiques from nic nacs, and quality craftsmanship from shoddy or mass produced. Somewhere along the way, there was a wire worker, and I was astounded at the work, but yet, time passed.

Enter late 1990's, and a wire worker at a renaissance fair, a tiny bead ring that I purchased and wore, for two years straight. I wanted to know how to make that ring. At some point it occurred to me there might be something online and in books, an lo and behold there was, and I learned to make that ring, then sold my first one at the local flea market, where I was attempting to sell mass produced jewelry. (Long story short, after being unsuccessful in a myriad of jobs ranging from postal worker to insurance agent and stock broker, I gave up on employers, and started my own little business).

After that ring sold, I search for more information on the basics of wire working and taught myself the basic wire sculpt and border wraps. I became a bit of a cabochon junkie as I decimated my savings to buy supplies. I quit looking at the work of other wrappers, and searched for a style that was uniquely me. As I worked I strove for elegant, because that was what I was taught by my mother, that you wear jewelry for elegance. My customers asked for simple, smaller, items that they could wear to the office, so I strove for sleek yet artistic. And at every bend I worked, and cursed at my fingers (but never at the wire!) to make the perfect coils, the perfect finishing touches, to make sure the ends were tucked neatly, to make sure its sturdy and will last. A common thing I say at shows to people browsing, "go ahead and fondle the merchandise! Don't worry if you drop it, if its harmed it means I didn't make it right, and I made it right!"

But, back to my cabochon obsession. I wanted more and more to work on my own stones. My inner child was coming back! Plus, I was aware I needed something to keep my business going when it wasn't craft show season. They say things show up when you need them the most. In December of 2008 I was searching Craigslist for anything lapidary, and found a mention of a yard sale that had already passed. :-( But, the phone number was posted, so, nothing ventured nothing gained, I called. I found the lapidary equipment was owned by the elderly father of the yard sale host, and had never made it to the sale! It was ALL still available. I met the couple and apparently they liked me and for a VERY good price, I was now the owner of equipment that new, would have run me at least $3000, and a small metal drawer unit of slabs. Wow. So, with no education beyond what I read online and in some old old cabochon cutting books, I began cabbing. I'm still very new at it, and I'm humbled that my creative jewelry peers see fit to purchase my cabochons. I cut and polish stones often while visualizing what I would make with that stone, and I try to bring out the pattern and polish so its something I myself would be unashamed to offer my customers as a finished piece of jewelry. Quality and craftsmanship, the way mom taught me. I get to do what I love, without embarrassing my mother!

I hope you enjoy her beautiful work as much as I do!
♥

Sunday Showcase - Anticipation

1.ThePinkDillo2.myhandmadecrafts3.AcuteDesigns4.miascloset5.buddingcreations6.flauntdesignsjewelry

Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

I so can't wait for spring that I wanted something vibrant and happy and spring-like...:) Not only did I get what I wanted, but you guys made it REALLY tough to choose!

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ ONLY SHOPS WHO COMMENT IN BOTH LOCATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED!
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

I cannot stress enough the importance of leaving your shop URL and posting in both locations! I see BEAUTIFUL things that end up left by the wayside because those criteria are not followed!

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page, the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page as well as on my DeviantArt page.
Twitter
Facebook
DeviantArt

Please feel free to follow me/fan me/watch me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section) so don't be shy!
♥

Sunday Showcase - Winter White

1.ElunaJewelry2.lovestitched3.PixieDustFineries4.theemptynest5.soapdeli6.kittyd
Hi gang! Sorry I'm a day late on this one! I was at home working for my day job and I got all caught up in that!

Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

This theme was inspired by a lady I saw walking by me on the street. She had a beautiful white trench coat on and some gorgeous white shades. She was SUPER elegant...:)

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ ONLY SHOPS WHO COMMENT IN BOTH LOCATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED!
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

I cannot stress enough the importance of leaving your shop URL and posting in both locations! I see BEAUTIFUL things that end up left by the wayside because those criteria are not followed!

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

Please feel free to follow me/fan me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section) so don't be shy!
♥

Mini Marvels - Bushkraft

It's Mini-Marvel time!

Australia is a huge, beautiful place filled with treasures that many a man has yet to see. Pete from Bushkraft has had the pleasure of being able to find some of them for himself and we've been given the pleasure and honor of being able to share in his finds through his shop.

His pieces are stunning and his wife shows off her own talents right alone side him with some gorgeous wire-wrapped pieces. Not only is he one talented lapidary, he's also SUPER sweet and I am glad I had the opportunity to meet him...:) It would be so great for the gang from The Lapidarium to hop across the pond and see the world through his eyes!

I asked him to show us into his world and here's what he had to say!

Well what can I say ..... perhaps I should start with a big hug and a thank you to Sha for inviting me to say a little about myself and my life.

I love my life, I love my planet, I love living in the Western Australian bush and am honoured that other life forms choose to share the experience with me, including of course my wonderful wife, and four gorgeous daughters, I also love kids and old ladies, and just about any thing with skin, fur, feathers or scales, and I also love philosophy (which is a bit like saying that "I love the love of knowledge" which doesn't make sense)

I dislike, bullies, greed, cruelty in any form, the finance industry, corruption in government, pettiness, and people who do not understand why duty, honesty, loyalty, and Integrity are so important, Oh and politicians that think it's OK to tell whopping great lies to the very people that put them in power, and men who use their size or physical strength to intimidate or to give them an unfair advantage.

During my life so far, I have been a soldier, an adventurer, and an explorer, and like most Australians I have traveled extensively overseas, I have no idea if there is a God (sometimes I wish that I did ) but I do believe that life is about learning and passing on that information to others so that they in turn can pass on the knowledge, in this way the accumulated wisdom of experience is passed on down the generations, this is how it has always been and this is how it should be.

I have a tremendous respect for the natural world and greatly admire those indigenous people of this planet who remain connected to the spirit of the land, to me the belief that every creature has equal value makes sense, none should be considered vermin because every species plays its part in ensuring that the planet works, the biggest danger to the planet is man, in many areas we have become an introduced feral species that has reached plague proportions, we have become so obsessed with progress that we missed the chance to learn from the ancient peoples who really knew the ways of nature, and could have taught us things that now we will never know.

I am happiest when I am in my outdoor workshop with a piece of wood or a lump of rock, a dog or two close by, sometimes a cat or a chicken will join us and quite often Tommy our pet goat also will stand watching from his compound, this to me is what makes life worth living, I know that it sounds strange but that piece of wood or rock is somehow able to tell me what it wants to become, sometimes I put the material next to the saw blade or the grinder and it says "no not there" anyway between us we are eventually able to produce stunning pieces that were designed and formed by mother nature sometimes over millions of years, but crafted by man, and I am able to proudly say (to myself of course) "that man was me" !

I am a sentimental but stubborn bugger and I always try to be true to myself, I cry when I see kids in pain or when someone achieves an impossible goal (like the girl staggering towards the finishing line in an Olympic marathon ) I built the house that we live with my own sweat (and the odd drop of blood) helped on occasions by my long suffering wife, I put little value on how folk look I am far more interested in how they think and what they can do.

Take care and thanks for taking the time to read this stuff.

See? What did I tell you...SUPER sweet! I doubt his wife is at all long-suffering with such a wonderful man in her life...;) I'm right about his cabs too so you should run over and check them out before they are all gone!
♥

Shop Featured in Blogs!

I was lucky enough to be featured twice this month in two great blogs.

Both are super fun to read!

TheEclecticElement had a really fun questionnaire and put my answers together in a really cohesive way. She made me have fun reading about me...*lol*

Check out her interview here!

Secondly, we have the lovely Soul Reader who's fun blog is filled with spiritual insite. What I loved about her feature is that it was unlike any other I have ever done. It wasn't just about who I am and what I do. But about WHY I am who I am and I do what I do. It was very thought-provoking and I am honored to be one of her chosen artisans!

Check out why I tick the way I do here!

Thank you so much to both Ladies for being kind enough to feature me in such fun ways. I truly enjoyed working with you both and I hope I have the opportunity to act in kind...:)
♥

Sunday Showcase - Two for Tea

1.lightkeeping2.pearlatplay3.nutraj4.gutsche5.KatalinaJewelry6.ptitebaloue
Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

Yesterday was my birthday and I'm a twin and today is a double-digit duo day! As a result, I wanted to celebrate things in pairs and the selection I received from amazing artisans had me stumped on a combination for HOURS! Thank you SO much to everyone who participated!

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ ONLY SHOPS WHO COMMENT IN BOTH LOCATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED!
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

Please feel free to follow me/fan me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section) so don't be shy!

Artists Exposed Treaury and New Items!

I'm so excited! I've been trying to take a shot of myself FOREVER for VickiDianeDesigns' fabulous Artists Exposes Treasury Series. This is actually the third time I try! The last two I shot got sold before they even made it to Etsy...*lol*

Because of that, I kept the two beautiful pieces below on the down-low...;)

Here is Vicki's wonderful treasury. Comments and clicks would be awesome while the treasury is still running. I'm hoping for sales and hearts and the chance to meet some wonderful new people...:D

Artists Exposed Treasury
I chose to put up this particular piece because it's so classic. That's how the name Film Noir came about...:) It's a study in contrast and opposites.

Film Noir Necklace for Sale
The contrast is in the colors and textures of the piece...:) Oxidized silver versus shiny silver, silver versus gold, black versus pale pink, large versus small and sharp faceting versus organic, smooth shapes.

Isn't it great that you get all this visual impact in such a simple, elegant necklace? What's also nice about the huge diamond-shaped, faceted Smokey Quartz is that when the light hits them, they have a lovely golden hue...almost like looking into a rich pint of Guinness...:) The Rose Quartz connector provides a much softer light play. To play up those golden tones, I included some lovely faceted rondelles of Pyrite.

Film Noir Earrings for Sale
I chose to continue the idea of contrast by making the earrings a little more elaborate and using more of those lovely, sparkly pyrite rondelles. Again, both shiny and oxidized silver were used and I even used contrasting headpins, some are flat-ended and some are rounded. They catch the light really nicely when you twirl them...:) The last picture should give you a great idea of their scale. They are hanging on a to-scale image I took of myself just for this purpose!

Enjoy! I have a lot of new items coming!
♥

Mini Marvels - AnvilArtshop

It's Mini-Marvel time!

AnvilArtshop is just one of those shops that delights all the senses and it's run by a super cool lady who also happens to be a fellow Canadian...:) She's so talented and all her pieces have a unique, high quality appeal. Definitely someone who inspires me!

If you love fabrics, she also runs a beautiful shop full of vintage and unusual textiles: TextileJunkies

I asked her to tell us a little about herself:

I wear a lot of hats these days: clothing designer, leatherworker, metalsmith... I love creating something classic, but with an unexpected twist!

My favorite professor taught us that one of the hardest design principles is to keep things simple -- words I try to live by. When you have limited tools to express your design -- whether it's only two seams on a garment, only two pieces of metal, or only two textures of leather and suede -- then each element must be perfect. Precisely what you need, to create precisely what you want.

Sounds a little -- uptight, to put it nicely! -- but it's what I do best, and thankfully my clientele seems to agree. :) Creating custom designs for diplomats, CEOs, and politicians for the past 18 years has definitely been a challenge, as no two pieces could be alike... ever.

I'm always seeking new skills to add to my design work: textile dyeing, leather carving, welding, even blacksmithing fascinates me -- although I doubt I'll be allowed to practice that one in the house! As I believe that the day you stop learning is the day you should just keel over and quit, I hope to be exploring this path for years and years to come... hmmm, pass me that blowtorch, would you?

The texture to be found in her shops is just so fun I wish I could run my fingers over everything to experience it all in person!
♥

Sunday Showcase - 2010

1.GalleriaDiGiani2.SimpleTastes3.thesaltypeanut4.DesignedByLucinda5.ChrissyAnnCeramics6.DonnaTellerJewelry
Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

January represents many things to me. It represents a time for renewal and organization, a celebration and, as a Capricorn, a birthstone. This feature is a combination of all those things. Happy New Year everyone!

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Etc. on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ Only shops who comment in both locations will be considered
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

Please feel free to follow me/fan me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section) so don't be shy!