Featured Seller of the Day 10/22/2009

In honor of Halloween, which is fast approaching, today's featured seller works with leather to create unique and mysterious masks. His store is called:

TOM BANWELL LEATHER

Masks can transform a person in an instant. They hide our identity and release our inhibitions. For a brief period of time, we can be whoever we want to be. Tom Banwell makes masks that run the gambit from simple to complex. Here's an example of one of his cut-out masks.

Filigree Flame leather mask in shades of orange

This fiery red and orange mask is perfect if you want to wear something light and airy, but still be slightly mysterious. I love the way the flames seem to curl around the contours of the face. You can almost hear the fire crackling and see the tongues of flame dancing across the mask!

Not into masks? Then how about an elegant headband to complete your costume?

Leather head wreath with long leaves in gold

This simple, yet beautiful circlet is fit for royalty! The delicate golden leaves entwine the wearers head in pure elegance. Perfect to finish off a king or queen's costume, or even to grace the head of fairy priestess!

Perhaps though, you'd rather attend your costume ball as someone completely unrecognizable. This next piece will keep people guessing all night, as to who the wearer really is!

Leather mask Lightning Bolt in violet and gold

This masks protrays ferocity and power! There is magic here and the wearer is not someone to be trifled with! I love the color of this piece and the way it appears static and fluid at the same time; like at any second it could spring to life!

Hope you got some great costume ideas today. Make sure you check out the rest of the shop for many more wonderful pieces! :)

Tomorrow's featured seller makes ridiculuosly cute magnets and brooches. ::Hint - She works with felt!::

Later!

P.S. For more information on today's featured seller, please check out their Etsy profile here => TomBanwell's Profile

Quick Update

So I was going to post today's artist per usual (since I remembered my kids doctors appointment wasn't for another week) but I'm not feeling very good this morning, so I'm pausing for the day, and will resume tomorrow. You'll just have to wait till tomorrow to find out who the mystery mask maker is. :)

Later!

Yum sushi!

No I didn't get Japanese take-out for dinner; though I wish I had. I got distracted from my Harry Potter ornament, and made up a sushi pincushion! I'm going to be making more and probably selling them as a set.




It's just slightly bigger then a large roll and the "salmon roe" is also just slightly bigger then it would be in real life. Okay time to clean up my mess.

Later! :)

Featured Seller of the Day 10/20/2009

Today's featured seller is a jewelry artist from California. She works with a variety of mediums including ceramics, gemstones, and glass. Her shop is called:

Welcome to Rhonda Chase Design

One of my favorite things about art, which you might know if you've been following my blog for awhile, is color. They way an artist uses color can dramatically change the look and feel of a piece. This first piece is a good example of color adding depth and weight:

Blue Glass and Brass

This ceramic pendant seems to have an azure blue lake sitting in its center. The lake, which was made from molten glass, draws you in and appears to go deep into the pendant. The contrast between the rich blue and the burnt red also adds to the illusion that you are staring into a deep, mysterious lake. The rich colors of this pendant, are in direct contrast with the light, earthiness of the next piece.

Award-Winning Empress Willow Necklace

This beautiful tree of life pendant appears alive and vibrant, like it is growing directly out of the red agate ring it is perched on. It's peridot leaves seem to sway in an unseen breeze, and each of the trees lovely branches ends in a soft amethyst blossom. The organic curl of the copper wire, both in the trunk of the tree and the swirls above it, also add to the illusion that this is a living breathing piece of art.

And now because myself and the artist are both geeks at heart, our last piece moves away from the natural and organic, back into the realm of sci-fi.

Dr. Who TARDIS Pendant ... Full Power

This iconic image of the Dr. Who Tardis is lovingly sculpted from fine proclien. The rich bronze pendant is highlighted with a touch of blue to give it visual interest. The way the copper wire holding the Tardis swirls around, gives it a brillant feel of movent and energy. It almost appears to be traveling swiftly through time and space even though it is succurely attached to it's cord. :)

Tomorrow I will be taking a break from my featured seller of the day, to bring all three of my kids to get their flu shots. Pity me. :) Thursday's featured seller, in honor of Halloween fast approching, makes very unique masks. ::Hint - His masks are made of leather!::

Later!

P.S. For more information on today's featured seller, please check out their Etsy profile here => ChaseDesign's Profile

Featured Seller of the Day 10/19/2009

Today's featured seller specializes in Steampunk pieces. Their shop is called:

The Neverwas Haul

So what is Steampunk? Steampunk is a cross between Victorian era style, steam-powered inventions, and science fiction-fantasy (think H. G. Wells and Jules Verne meets modern day). So what's so cool about Steampunk? Well how about handcrafted Steampunk goggles?

Red steampunk goggles with half gears

I mean really, how cool are those! Why wear sunglasses, when you could have Steampunk goggles! They not only protect your eyes from the sun, but also from the wind. These are accented with a industrial gear design, adding heavily to their coolness factor. :)

Looking for something a bit more feminine? How about these?

Rose and Pink Rhinestone Steampunk Burlesque Goggles

These beautiful pink goggles are highlighted with pink and lavender rhinestones and a pretty peacock medallion. Very ladylike. Wearing these goggles you will be at the height of fashion, whether driving your steam-powered car, or raving at Burning Man. :)

A neat feature of these goggles is they have interchangeable lenses to give you lots of different looks. Here's an example of some of the replacement lenses:

Red 2 inch steampunk goggle lenses

These red ones would go great with the first set, and as a bonus they block 85% of UV rays!

Hot pink 2 inch goggle lenses

And what better way to finish off your pink goggles then pink lenses? And if you order goggles and lenses together, shipping for the lenses is free!

Want to learn more about Steampunk and The Neverwas Haul? Check out their Blog! They have neat pics and videos at the very bottom of real working Steampunk gadgets (including a steam-powered car)!

Tomorrow, we are back to reality with another jewelry artist. ::Hint - Many of their pieces feature ceramic!::

Later!

P.S. For more information on today's featured seller, please check out their Etsy profile here => NEVERWAS's Profile

Sculpey Night

So tonight was a sculpey night. I finished my special orders for this weekend and got everything packed up for mailing tomorrow. I also started on some special orders for November and I was going to do some more Halloween pieces, but my children were not being very cooperative this evening, so I didn't get a lot done.

I can't believe it is already the middle of October! Where did the fall go? Of course my next question is where did the winter come from! It barely got above 45 here today and we have a frost warning for tonight! I guess I need to break out my fuzzy slippers, my feet are freezing! :)

Tomorrow is errand day, so I probably won't get a lot done. I am hoping to get some pics of my brother Tony's (DigitalMushroom) newest pieces (I forgot to do that today). He made a cute Kittycorn, a Space Invaders magnet, and an original robot piece. I'll post pics of them tomorrow night when I get back from wandering. :)

I think that's all for the moment. Oh I added a flickr feed widget to my blog. Keep watching, cause in the next couple days, I'm going to be adding some really cool pics of our trip to the sculpture park, Grounds For Sculpture, that we took last weekend. I'll let you know when I post them.

Okay I officially need to go find my slippers or some fuzzy socks of some kind, MY FEET ARE FREEZING! :)

Later!

Featured Seller of the Day 10/18/2009

Today's featured sellers are a team of sisters from Los Angeles. They make jewelry and accessories using exotic hides and leathers. Their store is called:

Where Style Is Unapologeticly Luxurious...

These talented artists use the natural beauty of hides and skins to make beautiful pieces of art that you can wear and use. They get vast majority of their skins from the food industry, which would otherwise destroy them as waste. Since they use only real skins, not stamped leather, the shapes and textures of their pieces are as unique as the skins that they are made from.

White Crocodile Medallion Silver Cuff

This piece is a great example of unique shape and texture. The white, treated crocodile skin has scales that range from large and hard to small and soft. Giving the piece not only an elegant look, but unique feel as well. The white of the skin is also highlighted nicely by the silver back of the bracelet. And because of it's design, it is adjustable for a wide range of wrist sizes. :)

This bangle while not adjustable, is stunning in its own right!

Tangerine Orange Snakeskin Bangle Bracelet - Large

The color of this piece is incredible! The tangerine color would put the real fruit to shame. The asymmetrical shape of the bracelet, when paired with the range in size of the scales, makes the piece very organic and beautiful! It would definitely add pop to any outfit!

And if you are looking for something durable and unique, then you'll want to check out this stingray card case.

Black Stingray Card Case

Stunning and sleek, this piece is not only beautiful, but very durable! Stingray hide is one of the most durable and resilient leathers around; perfect for keeping your business cards safe, even in an extremely full purse or briefcase. And the elegant pattern adds a touch of class to the otherwise simple stainless steal card case.

If you are interested in different colors or materials then the ones shown here or in their store, let them know, they love specail orders! :)

Tomorrow we will be featuring a Steampunk artist. ::Hint - They make goggles!::

Later!

P.S. For more information on today's featured seller, please check out their Etsy profile here => UNEARTHED's Profile

My first award! :)

I just received my sites first award from Justine of Just Nibbles! Take a look!


Here are the rules for the "One Lovely Blog Award." Accept the award; post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you have newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Now it is my turn to pass it along so here are my 15 choices:

1. britishcreamtea
2. BugBites Play Food
3. Craft + Show Designs
4. Cut*Copy*Create
5. esta sketch
6. Fluffy Bricks
7. jewels and jules
8. joojoo
9. Kristi's blog
10. Prim and Plush
11. San Diegan Collectibles
12. Sunny Rising Leather
13. The Clay Collection
14. Totally Tutorials
15. Yummy Pancake

That was fun! :) I hope you enjoy looking at these sites as much as I do! :)

Later!

Featured Seller of the Day 10/17/2009

Today's featured seller of the day is knitter that makes beautiful felted pieces! Her shop is called:

Knit and Felted Goods From the Foot of Pikes Peak

Gretchen is a Colorado artist who draws her inspiration from the beauty of the mountains that surround her. Here is a perfect example:

Bird's Nest Felted Bowl

This beautifully simple knit bowl was felted into the simple form of a birds nest. The added detail of the felted eggs adds the perfect pop of color, but the best part is the felted yarn strands. They make the piece more organic and add touch of realism to the bowl.

This next piece seems to draw it's colors straight from the mountains themselves.

Purple Felted Drawstring Pouch - Small

This pouch is both useful and beautiful. It seems to steal it's heathered purple color directly from the rocky mountains. Think "purple mountain's majesty" is just a line from a song? Then you have never seen them in person!

And one last piece, to get you in the mood for fall.

Pumpkin Seeds Bowl No. 2

This lovely orange bowl is filled with felted pumpkin seeds, mimicking the inside of a hollowed out pumpkin. The pumpkin seeds are so realistic, that they look like you could reach in and pick them up! A perfect catch-all to give your home a touch of fall!

Tomorrow I will be featuring a two person Etsy team. ::Hint - They make very unique jewelry!::
Later!

P.S. For more information on today's featured seller, please check out their Etsy profile here => GretchensCreations's Profile

Halloween Gift Bags!

Yay! I finished! That took a lot longer then I thought it would! In case you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'll recap. I effectively live on a dead-end street, in kind of the middle of nowhere. So while there are quite a few kids on the street, we don't get many trick-or-treaters except for the neighborhood kids. We have actually found that buying a box of full sized candy bars from BJ's or Walmart is waaaay cheaper then buying a bunch of bags of candy, and then there is less leftover for us to munch on afterwards.

Since I opened my Etsy store, I've been trying to think of ways to promote myself. One of the ways I came up with was to make up gift bags with tags that referenced my Etsy store! Here's a better pic of the tags that matdi123 made me:



So last night I decorated and stuffed all the bags and put the tags on. I did it early so that I wouldn't have to rush, and there would be less temptation to eat the candy! :) I used clear cello bags and decorated them with foam Halloween stickers. Inside, I included 1 full sized bar, some chocolate eyeballs, 2 boxes of "monster candy stix" (candy cigarettes if you've never had them), 2 Halloween toys, a spider ring, and three pixie stix! :) I'm sure the neighbor kids will love them! Here's a pic of the finished project!



Okay on to posting the pic of the day, then finishing up special orders, and start on some more Halloween pieces and some Thanksgiving pieces!

Later! :)

Featured Seller of the Day 10/16/2009

Today's featured seller is actually a family of artists who make extremely cute felt gadget covers and jewelry! Their store is called:

Cute ipod Cases

Their designs are cute, their colors are bright, and they have something for everybody! Don't believe me? Well then, do you like really cute animals? Then how about an ipod case featuring featuring this total cute elephant?

Elephant Case

This adorable little guy is having a lovely time eating apples from the trees near by. Besides just the felt, this piece is also highlighted with seed bead flowers, for that extra sparkle! Not into cute elephants? How about Star Wars?

R2D2 CASE

R2-D2 was always my favorite! And now you can use him to hold your ipod or your phone. This piece (like all the others) is complete hand cut, sewn, and embroidered. A pretty good likeness considering it was all done by hand! Don't need a gadget case? How about a hand embroidered bracelet?

Asian branch felt bracelet

This beautiful bracelet was inspired by Japanese cherry trees in full blossom. The contrast between the white faux pearls and the black felt is truely striking! A very beautiful piece!

Tomorrow we'll feature a different kind of felt artist. ::Hint - She makes bowls out of felted yarn!::

Later!

P.S. For more information on today's featured seller, please check out their Etsy profile here => FamilyCraft45's Profile

Progress Update

So I'm almost done with the Hufflepuff ornament. I have a couple details on the badger to finish. Then all that's left is the lettering and putting a back on it. So if I didn't have a special order to work on tomorrow, it would probably be done by Monday. As it stands now, it will probably be done Tuesday or Wednesday.

I'm going to do some sculpey work this weekend (another reason I probably won't finish till Tuesday). I'll be making a couple more Halloween pieces and also some Thanksgiving pieces. I also need to get my butt in gear and post some Christmas pieces! I actually have a felt gingerbread set that is almost done that I need to finish too. Anyway, in case you are curious, here's another pic of the Hufflepuff ornament.



Okay back to work!

Later! :)

Featured Seller of the Day 10/15/2009

Today's featured seller is a fabric artist that specailizes in felt. Her shop is called:

hondamom works here!

One of my favorite things about this artist, is how colorful her pieces are. They are bright and beautiful and most of all lots of fun to look at. For example:

Tropical Lime, Turquoise, and Orange Felt Flower Brooch or Pin with Vintage Button Center

The turquiose blue in this flower brooch seems to jump out at you. It is highlighted beautifully by the contrasting orange and yellow leaves on one side. And to balance it out, the artists has put pretty sage green leaves on the other side. The softness of the flower is also contrasted nicely by the smooth button at its center, pulling the whole piece together.

This is a more monocrome piece. But by adding a touch of contrasting color, she is able to set it off perfectly!

Citrus Phone or Camera Cozy One in Stock

The lovely citrus yellows and oranges go perfectly together and stand out beautifully against the charcoal grey background. But by adding a few jade green buttons, she made the piece seem to spring to life! I little bit of contrasting color can go a long way. :)

Now on to my favorite piece. :)

Wool Felt Green or Hazel Eyed Case with Zipper Made to Order

I love this piece! It's so realistic and the colors are amazing! Everytime I see it, I just keep waiting for it to blink! :) If you enjoyed these pieces, then eye am sure you'll love the rest of her work. ;)

Tomorrow I'll be featuring another felt artist! ::Hint - They make cute cases for you gadgets!::

Later!

P.S. For more information on today's featured seller, please check out their Etsy profile here => hondamom's Profile

Featured Seller of the Day 10/14/2009

Today's seller hails from Wisconsin and makes uniquely beaded art pieces and jewelry. Her store is called:

Savoy Studio

Her favorite medium is seed beads, which are tiny and hard to see by themselves, but when you put them together right, they can create different patterns and textures. Look at this piece for example:

Pond Frog Bracelet

Notice how the frog's skin looks bumpy, but the lily pad he is sitting on looks smooth? And look at the "water" part of the bracelet. Because of the way she layered the strands, the water looks like it's flowing back and forth under the lily pad. :)

Another way to create texture with beads is to use two different shaped beads or contrasting colors. This is a great example:

Brown and White

This piece has a very natural look, like a seedpod opening up. The tightly woven brown and copper beads seam to unfurl, revealing the softer looking white bead "fluff" in the center.

This next piece is my favorite! :) It's a small felt bag with just a hint of beadwork for embellishment.

Lily of the Valley

See how the bead stem seems to grow out of the felted leaves? And I love the way the tiny bellflowers hang down from the top, and are only connected at the stem. Just like a real lily of the valley. :) I'm probably slightly biased with this piece, as lily of the valley is one of my favorite flowers, but regardless of that, it is a beautiful piece!

Tomorrow I'll be featuring a felt artist! ::Hint - Eye am sure you've seen her work before!::

Later!

P.S. For more information on today's featured seller, please check out their Etsy profile here => savoystudio's Profile

General Update

So I have been having fun with the featured seller of the day, but on the crafting front, I haven't gotten much done lately. My cousins from out of state visited over the weekend so last week was spent cleaning house and organizing my craft area, and the weekend was spent running around and hanging out with them. :) So now I have to get my butt in gear and finish off the couple pieces I have going and start making up some Christmas/Winter pieces!

Ooo! I almost forgot! Our street is a dead end (kind of), and while there are lots of kids on the street, there aren't really a lot of houses in the area to trick-or-treat at. So most of the neighbor kids stop by and we get a couple of other people, but generally we have a low number of trick-or-treaters on Halloween. In past years I've just bought a box of normal sized candy bars to give out (which is actually cheaper when you don't have to buy a lot), but this year, I'm gonna make gift bags! I ordered some really cute tags from matdi123 to attach to the bags. :) (She does great work if you are ever in the market for custom tags!) Here's what they look like:



Aren't they cute? :) I'll post pics of the gift bags when I'm done making them. :) I think that's it for now. Time to get to work on today's featured seller!

Later! :)

Featured Seller of the Day 10/13/2009

Today's featured seller is an artist from California who works with leather to create beautiful jewelry and accessories! Her shop is called:

Hand-tooled Leather Art, Made with Love in California!

When you normally think of leather, I'm sure (like me) you think of rich earth tones of tans, browns, and blacks. But when Sunny (Allison Sattinger) sees leather she sees a world of colorful possibilities. See for yourself!

Big Peacock Feather Eye Necklace with Luxe Sterling Chain

Beautiful isn't it? :) It is also surprisingly simple and amazing interact at the same time! And while this piece uses mostly paint as it's color, some of her other pieces also incorporate the natural leather's own colorations as well.

The Marriage of True Minds Rose and Turquoise Clutch

This beautiful toffee colored clutch purse is accented by three (2 on the front, 1 on the back) peach colored roses. This piece is also set with a gorgeous turquoise stone right at it's center, giving the hand-tooled leather an even more three dimensional look. But while this pieces is soft and subtle, my favorite pieces is big and bold!

Sun Goddess Heirloom Peacock Feather Half Belt

This piece is amazing! The contrast of the deep black leather, with the fiery reds of the sun in the center, and the deep blue of the peacock feather "eyes" is breath taking! I love the deep groves of the feathers and even the asymmetrical rivets near the sun. It is a simply spectacular piece!

If you are interested in seeing how she creates her pieces, you can watch her Etsy Handmade Portrait here.

Tomorrow, we look at another jewelry artist. ::Hint - She works with glass beads!::

Later!

P.S. For more information on todays featured seller, please check out their Etsy profile here => sunnyrising's Profile

Featured Seller of the Day 10/12/2009

Today's featured seller is from Rhode Island, and makes beautiful mosaic pieces to wear and display! Her shops name is:

One of a Kind Mosaic Belt Buckles, Pendants and Art

I like her work as it is both geometric and fluid at the same time. Like this piece for example:

Chasing Waterfalls - Mosaic Belt Buckle

Even though this belt buckle's design is made up mostly of straight sharp edged pieces, the few rounded pieces plus the way they are laid out in columns that don't match up, make it appear to flow; just like water from a waterfall. :)

I also like the organic designs that the artist is able to create using things like glass and mortar, that you normally wouldn't think of as organic.

Mosaic Art Pendant - Wood Fern

I love the way this pieces looks soft and natural even though it's really hard and sharp. I also like how the artist used the mortar as the negative space on the piece, instead of filling it in with more glass. It gives it a unique earthy feel. :)

Okay one more. This one (in my mind anyway) is a more traditional design: a simple oval.

Orbiting Earth - Mosaic Belt Buckle

I love the main stone in this piece, it's beautiful! And the surrounding pieces only add to it's unique "earthy-ness". I could say, "It's out of this world!", but I won't. ;)

Tomorrow I will be featuring seller who makes beautiful accessories using leather! ::Hint - She uses lots of color!::

Later!

P.S. For more information on todays featured seller, please check out their Etsy profile here => CrookedMoonMosaics's Profile

Featured Seller of the Day 10/11/2009

Today's featured seller creates pieces that are both beautiful, sustainable, and simple. Her shop is called:

Handcrafted Green Design

Julia combines natural themes with environmentally friendly materials. The products that result are natural looking and elegant in their simplicity. Here is one of my favorites.

Maple Seed Pod Linen Napkins

I love maple seeds (or helicopters as we called them as kids) and here that theme is presented simply by a single block print stamp on a natural linen napkin. Proving the beautiful does not have to be hard or complicated.

Here's an example of some of her embroidered work. A simple cosmetic bag.

Poppy Cosmetic Bag

Notice how the single poppy stands out beautifully on the untreated natural linen bag. I love the contrast between the red flower and green stem, and how instead of doing an exact copy of poppy, she used a circle to represent the petals and give it a clean uncluttered look.

Simple elegance can even be a part of your cooking! Look at this lovely linen apron, accented with green leaf sprigs.

Linen Apron

The green leaves seem to be quietly growing out of the pocket of this piece. Practical, sustainable, beautiful, and elegant! Julia's pieces are the perfect way to add a touch of green to your house! :)

Tomorrow, I will be featuring an artist that creates beautiful mosaics. ::Hint - They make belt buckles and jewelry!::

Later!

P.S. For more information on todays featured seller, please check out their Etsy profile here => Jewelweeds's Profile