Etsy in the New York Times

What a great article about Etsy: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/magazine/16Crafts-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&ref=magazine

Le Coeur Dramtique

The Dramatic Heart

Upcomming Events!
So I have two more events coming up this holiday season. One is in Tooelle (sp?) it's a craft fair with about 60+ booths. Dec. 7th. The other is at the Union Station here in Ogden. It runs Dec. 7th and the two weekends after that. I spoke with the organizer today and I'm going to try and get the second weekend of the 15th of Dec! I am so excited! I can't believe how quickly things are moving. If this season goes well then I'm going to try to get into the Wine Festival in Park City as well as the Balloon Festival in Eden.


Also, I just have to say how much I love that a mistake can turn out to a wonderful piece of jewelry! I wanted this piece to be called Indra's Net (regarding the interconnectedness of the universe) but it didn't come out how I envisioned. But then I saw it...an abstract anatomical heart. I paired it with a beautiful carnelian gemstone and it suddenly became "Le Coeur Dramatique" or "The Dramatic Heart." It reminds me of all things Concrete Blond, French, and New Orleans. Oooh la la say no more!

An idea for Indra

I love myth's of all cultures and faiths. Recently I've been drawn to the myth of Indra's Net. It's really a quite beautiful myth about the interconnectedness of the universe.

Francis Harold Cook, in the book Hua-Yen Buddhism: The Jewel Net of Indra describes the metaphor of Indra's net from the perspective of the Huayan school:

“Far away in the heavenly abode of the great god Indra, there is a wonderful net which has been hung by some cunning artificer in such a manner that it stretches out infintely in all directions. In accordance with the extravagant tastes of deities, the artificer has hung a single glittering jewel in each "eye" of the net, and since the net itself is infinite in dimension, the jewels are infinite in number. There hang the jewels, glittering like stars in the first magnitude, a wonderful sight to behold. If we now arbitrarily select one of these jewels for inspection and look closely at it, we will discover that in its polished surface there are reflected all the other jewels in the net, infinite in number. Not only that, but each of the jewels reflected in this one jewel is also reflecting all the other jewels, so that there is an infinite reflecting process occurring."

You'll have to visit back tomorrow to see the piece of jewelry this little myth inspired.

Wonderful Wonderwoman!

So growing up I loved WonderWoman. I watched WonderWoman on TV, pretended to be WonderWoman and even had a WonderWoman birthday cake! I was obsessed. So I just have to share with you an item I was tickled to see. Well first let me explain that there is this trend in fashion of wearing wrist cuffs. I personally don't wear them, but I love the trend. So I stumbled upon a lovely little etsy shop filled with handmade items and you can imagine my delight when I found this!
Here's a link to KreativeMindz etsy shop and blog:


http://kreativemindz.etsy.com/
http://kreativemindzthreadz.blogspot.com/

Happy Childhood Anonymous Meeting! Visit your local chapter.

Standing in a room, people sitting in chairs that have been be set up in a semi circle fashion, "Hi my name is Tanya, and I had a wonderful childhood," she says nervously scuffing her foot across the floor.
She blushes, looks up hesitantly, "I admit it was filled with magical thinking, imaginary play, and I enjoy reflecting on my childhood. Thank you." She sits down and the next speaker begins.

There I said it...and its such a relief to get that off my chest. Whew.



I recently stumbled across an artist that captures so much of what childhood was like for me. His paintings have a beautiful, magical, and reflective sense about them. Here let me show you what I'm talking about.




Joseph Blake's Bio
"My friends always tell me that I walk, looking down at my feet, as if I've lost something or I'm waiting for my legs to grow..."
... my parents gambled two decades ago and adopted a boy from Korea without ever seeing a picture. My mom had plenty of pretty names that she wanted to give her new son, but my father saved the boy by giving me his.
I started pushing paint around in high school, and later graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 2005. At first, painting was my way to stand out from my peers and avoid gym. But in college, where everybody was new, I made pictures to connect.
When I returned home, my childhood friends' stories were more colorful, my parent's familiar rituals were funnier, and my room never felt smaller. I saw potential characters and stories in every waking moment. This was also the first time that I really felt like I was observing and using a sketchbook. I wanted to entertain others with the little things I experienced.
And in those moments I found another purpose for making pictures... storytelling. I'm currently making my way as an illustrator in Philadelphia, while learning storyboarding and traditional animation. I don't get the chance to meet everyone who views my work now, but I love that people get to know me first through my pictures."



*Please note that all image copyrights belong to Joseph Blake. Thanks Joseph.

About how I miss the Iris and Purple Tiger Tears!

I love really dark purple iris flowers. I had some growing at my last house and I haven't planted any here at my new home yet. So as many know flowers carry a great deal of symbolism with them. When I researched the iris flower I discovered that the name Iris means rainbow, after a goddess who cloaked herself in dewdrops to reflect the stars and then communicated between heaven and earth via rainbows. I also read that the iris is also a symbol heroism. Rainbows and heroism...who could ask for more! Here's a little necklace I carved up the other night featuring three iris blooms and a dragonfly.

As far as amethyst goes...what a beautiful story:

According to Greek mythology, Bacchus was insulted by a human and swore revenge (via a tiger mauling) on the next human he saw. Diana saw this poor human woman named Amethyst heading towards Bacchus so Diana took pity on her and turned her into a quartz statue to protect her from the tiger. Bacchus was so regretful of his actions that he cried tears of wine on to the beautiful Amethyst, hence the gems beautiful color!

The Lotus Blossom

Did you know the lotus was a symbol of femininity? The lotus is also a symbol of enlightenment and mental purity.

1. First rolled out some polymer to a uniform thickness.


2. Used my sculpting knife to carve the design. This is the fun part because sometimes you can literally see your design in the clay itself.


3. Baked my design


4. Tested the design on another piece of scrap polymer


5. Cast the design in fine silver!


6. Once the patina was on I was astonished! Adding the patina is by far my favorite part because it brings out every little detail!


7. Then I added my ever so cherished and long awaited for carnelian beads! POP! There it was. The necklace I had envisioned!

Here's a pic:

Alice in Wonderland Fine Silver Necklace -ooak!

I love Alice in Wonderland Memorabilia. I have collected snow globes, ornaments, and cookie jars to mention a few. However, I just had a desire to try my hand at making the White Rabbit. So here he is! He is a one of a kind piece. I don't think I could make another one exactly like this if I tried. I was definitely "in the zone" when sculpting him. I wanted him to be quite detailed even down to the numbers on the clock and whiskers on his cheeks.

So I was thinking about how art tends to slow things down for me. It's quite different than running through life at the frantic pace of the White Rabbit. Maybe thats what draws people to art. The White Rabbit is a reminder to me. He reminds me to slow down and enjoy things. Enjoy what inspires you. Enjoy the process of creation. Enjoy learning and experiencing new things. Enjoy the moment of now. Enjoy!

Ooops I fogot to add...

Oh goodness! I added beads to some of my silver work and it just makes it pop! I mean POP! I love jade, peridot, and pearl. Greens and whites how beautiful! Did you know that jade is a symbol of serenity and purity. Pearl is symbolic of purity, spiritual transformation, honesty, wisdom and charity. Peridot is symbolic of clarity of well being, the understanding of life, and clarifying of the heart. Amazing...I had no idea that gemstones carried so much meaning! Well there you have it. I should add that I also donated these two pieces to the St. Benedict's 2nd Annual Funds of Love Event:

St. Benedict's Foundation Pin for the 2nd Annual Funds of Love Event

The Nativity Pin is complete!

Completely hand sculpted in polymer and then cast in fine silver. This piece was extremely complex to complete but well worth the final result. It is a donated piece created specifically for this event! It will available at the fundraiser. Featured from left to right in the picture: Joseph (kneeling with his hand lovingly on the head of Jesus), Jesus (swaddled securely), and Mary (who is kneeling and praying).

I am just thrilled that I was given the opportunity to donate an item for this years Holiday Boutique for the St. Benedict's Foundation fundraiser. If you would like to find out more about the wonderful work that the foundation supports please visit: http://www.mbmutah.org/StBenedictsFoundation.htm.

Here's a link regarding the Funds Of Love Event including time and location: http://www.mbmutah.org/Activities/fundsoflove.htm

"Rilo" the Fox - Fine Silver Pendant

I have to apologize I have been trying to get some video demonstrations up on my blog but my upload rate is so slow! Which just means I'll have to put the project on the backburner for a little while. Sorry :(

Lately I have just loved a song by Rilo Kiley called "Portions for Foxes" and I have caught myself loving foxes in artwork and photography lately. So I decided to try my hand at sculpting one! Below is a picture of my little red fox sculpted out of polymer clay.

After sculpting my little fox out of polymer I cast him in fine silver! Then I refined him a bit more brought out more detail and made some adjustments. Next I fired him and then gave him a little patina. He'll be available soon in my etsy shop if I can bare to part with him!

Fawn Love

This is probably one of the most difficult pieces I've had to create. I really had a fear of commitment when putting the final necklace together. I don't usually add beads to my pendant. I usually like the piece to stand on its own, but lately I'm finding that adding additional elements can enhance the piece. I am currently loving the deer motif that is showing up in modern design, it has definitely added to my inspiration.

Technique: I sculpted/carved the fawn using a sculptors knife (?) At least I think that is what the tool is called. On one side it has a pointed spade type blade and on the other it has a curved blade. I'll have to start making some video clips.

An Ode to the Lion

So I love when pieces of jewelry carry meaning with them. I know for myself I like to incorporate designs into my home and fashion that are symbolic of me or ideas important to me. Victorian imagery and motifs are rich in symbolism so I find a great deal of inspiration in them. I created a fine silver piece inspired by a Victorian motif of a child holding a lion. The lion has long been a symbol of protection, a savior, a Christ-like figure, courage, valor, and protection. So combine the imagery of a lion with a image of an innocent child and you have a piece that for me is symbolic of the protection of innocence. I had to modify the design a bit due the original image being so old and worn down. So I enhanced the image with a bit of carving so it is not an exact replica of the Victorian design. Take a look at how this little Leo turned out:

Attn Crafty Sellers!

So today I was browsing the etsy blog and came across a wonderful tip about Google Base. So I went to see what it was all about. Come to find out that it looks to be a promising way to promote your etsy listings, or any listings for that matter. So I added a couple of my listings to test it out. I found it incredibly easy to use. The only downside (or maybe not) is that you do need to have a google account. Hope this helps you get your shop noticed.

A new resist for etching silver!

Well first let me say that I have fallen in love with a new magazine. All of you crafty jewelry artists should take note: Belle Armoire Jewelry! I was so pleased with the latest issue's PMC bird article. An what an adorable piece it was.

Let me share just a tid bit of a very cool technique I learned about regarding etching onto silver. Apply a dark colored fingernail polish as a resist! You can also use wax as your resist. This was another one of those little inventive tricks that we crafty people so often come up with. I did test it on sterling and it worked beautifully. Have fun with it!

Anyway, lately I am just in love with birds on my pendants. This was inspired by an 1800's Japanese Wallpaper of a swallow perched on a willow branch. I etched it by hand, however I did experiment with acid etching the initial image, but I wanted more texture so I decided to carve the image out. Anyway it is avail in my etsy shop: http://www.alternatebliss.etsy.com/

DIY Crafty Rebels!

I love the new generation of crafters! It's a generation that is fearless in exploration, experimentation, and innovation. This is a community that is not afraid to break the rules resulting in crafts that take familiarity and twist it into amazing new creations. Let me put in a small disclaimer here, when I say "generation" I am not referring to age! I have seen many crafters out there who build upon their wealth of crafting knowledge to make new and exciting crafts that hold their own withing the DIY crafting community. So here is a documentary on this rebel crafty generation that you should take some time to explore:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zH2HWPfwpOw

Altrusa, What's That?

Well let me just say it is a wonderful community organization that focuses on literacy! I've been an Altrusa member for about one and a half years and have loved every minute of it. I have found the organization to be incredibly welcoming and an excellent way for me to give back to my community. So here are couple of the things that my local chapter does that I get really excited about:

Festival of Follies: This is a craft fair that raises quite a bit of funds which our club then contributes to buying books for elementary students located in low income neighborhoods . Our club calls this the "Book of My Own" project.

Our group also funds a teacher's yearly salary for a school in Namibia, Africa. We also send annual book and classroom supplies. One of our members personally delivers the supplies! I can't tell you how rewarding it was when we got a picture back of the entire class holding up the books that we sent them! It was amazing.

If you are interested in becoming a member of Altrusa and supporting your local community then visit the international website to see what is going on in your area:

http://www.altrusa.com/

Here are the local Altrusa Club listings:
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.altrusa.com/Clubs/Directory.asp&sa=X&oi=smap&resnum=1&ct=result&cd=1&usg=AFQjCNERtlwcYVoAcZZPCGigw6OlB0Ayaw

Let me also say that if you are short on time, as so many of us are, then this may be the perfect organization for you! My local chapter meets once a month for about 1.5 hours and then I committe as much or as little time as I can from there. I must say that I have gained far more from volunteering than I ever could have imagined. I'd love to hear about your volunteering activities or volunteer group. Share and share alike!

Jewelry Creation Just as Satisfying As....

Well if your a jeweler, then you fill in the blank! Seriously though there is a sense of satisfaction that only comes from creating a piece of art. Well after I started creating jewelry I have to say that there is the same level of satisfaction. I think it just comes from the act of making something with your hands and seeing that its possible to create something beautiful. So here a piece of jewelry that I created (available in my etsy shop: http://www.alternatebliss.etsy.com/).

I love the bird motif. Did you know the bird is a symbol for the soul. Beautiful. I hand cut this piece from silver and then filed and sanded it to a matte finish. The bird is accompanied by freshwater pearls and glass beads in rust and yellow colors. Have a look:

What Kind of Thinker Are You?

So I just took this quiz and had such a good time with it that I thought it might be of interest to others. Apparently, am the renaissance ideal: Interpersonal and Existential thinker. Hmmm, makes perfect sense to me! lol. Anyway, click on over to BBC to find out what type of thinker you are. I do find this funny though because I was in the shower this morning thinking about how much I would love to take a humanities course just for the fun of it. For me, I think it would spark creativity.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/leonardo/thinker_quiz/

Painters Block: Is there such a thing?

So some days I wake up and I feel consumed with creativity. My mind is racing with several ideas all at once saying, "ooh I could do this...and then if I do this...what if I try this! I need to do this!" But then, when I put brush to paper, it vanishes. Frustrating, so I take a break. Anyway I sat down tonight to paint and behold I was able to create! I didn't over analyze, I just did! I think that's what it takes sometimes...Just do, don't think. My challenge is that I feel creative during the first half of the day, but I don't get the time to create until the last bit of the night and so often the results can be disappointing, but not tonight! Here are a couple of ACEO's I did tonight.

My Prints Came Today!

Finally! My prints came in the mail today. These were greatly anticipated! They came securely packaged in a heavy cardboard tubing! Now all I have to do is sign and distribute them! I will have some available in my Etsy shop too! I'm so happy I'm overusing the !!!!!!! symbol !!!!!!!.

A case of consumption!

I am totally consumed with the desire to create necklaces of all kinds! I have the intention to paint, but right now I'm driven towards making pendants! lol. So I spent all of my free time today making some items and researching methods to make more pendants! I really need to make some time for painting. There is just so little time in the day :( Anyway, for now I am following my bliss and maybe tomorrow my bliss will be painting. Here's some pics of my latest distraction:

OK so here's the plan!

Alright tonight I am committing to make some time for painting some ACEO's. It's been awhile and the charms have been a diversion. So if I commit to it in writing today and have nothing to show for it tomorrow won't I look silly!

Oh and an update on the giclee prints, the package was opened and items removed during transit! Yikes, so I am getting new prints made up, luckily my provider has given me a complete refund. I can't complain about the customer service, however I am so anxious to see how they turn out!

Final Goodbye to My Cat "Baby Girl"

Well after a short 7 years I had to say my final goodbye to my cat, "Baby Girl." This all happened yesterday, but I suppose it began years ago. So maybe sharing my story might give some insight to another cat's situation.

We adopted Baby Girl from the local shelter when she was anywhere from 6 months to a year old. I believe that she was a feral cat. We brought her home and due to her mean temper, we struggled with the idea of taking her back. The idea that animals are not disposable and the hope that her disposition would change convinced me to hang on to her.

Slowly she came around, but only to me. She growled at visitors, attacked the other cats, in general we thought she was just a mean cat. Children were told that she was the "no, no, kitty." Visitors were warned that she was mean. She only attacked me a couple of times, and both times the attacks were provoked by stress. Once, was due to me smelling like the vet after bringing one of our other cats home from being neutered. She was a very high strung, stressed out, unhappy cat.

Since we adopted her she has always had a breathing problem. She would start a coughing type labored breathing when she was either being brushed or sometimes it would just happen out of the blue. Her breathing was always very deep, but I attributed it to her just being a "huffy" cat. Every time I took her to the vet I would mention her breathing issue. Nothing ever came of it until about two months ago. I took her in due to her urinating outside of her box. I knew there had to be a reason for it. All of the information online said it was either a medical problem or a behavioral problem. During this visit it was determined that she had crystals in her urine due to her food and that she probably had feline asthma.

So two months go by, she had steroids for her breathing and had finished her antibiotics for the crystals a couple weeks prior. Well she began to go outside of the box again! So I took her in on Friday and my usual vet was on vacation. Well the substitute vet listened to her lungs and said that it was most likely her breathing that was making her stressed and until we figured out what was going on in her lungs, she would continue to be stressed and urinate outside of the box as a stressed behavior. He x-rayed her lungs and discovered that her entire left lung was collapsed! I was devastated! She had a growth that had completely taken over her left lung so her breathing capacity was 1/2 of what it should be, messing up her bio system, stressing her out, causing her pain, contributing to her "mean" disposition. Looking back she was just being defensive due to being in pain all of the time and not being her physical best.

So the following morning we had to take her in to be euthanized. The vet said it was the kindest thing we could do for her at this point. I thought the stress of the x-ray visit the day before had almost depleted her. I was worried she wasn't going to make the commute to the vet's office. I won't go into the details of the visit itself, but it was the most painful experience for me, but seemed fairly peaceful for her. Afterwards, I was physically ill, nauseated, crying, trouble breathing, trouble standing.

Apart from helping with the grieving process, I guess this post is to let pet owners know that animals aren't usually "mean" for no reason, they do what they can behaviorally to get their owner's attention. If you sincerely believe there is something wrong with your animal pursue it. Ask for x-rays, blood work, follow your intuition.

Trashion! Yes...Trash and Fashion!

This is not your mama's fashion! So here are my two latest artistic endeavors in the Trashion world. These are miniature collage pieces made with found text that has been recycled or upcycled into Jewelry! I think it is so interesting how when you combine words with common shapes they develop a whole new meaning to the viewer. Love it! So take a look for yourself they are available on my ETSY site for $27 each.

Wanna see more recycled, upcycled, trashion? Just type Trashion into your Etsy search. Here is one of my favorites:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6595766

Did you know that Heaven now comes in bar form?

Well I do! At least now I can say that I've sampled heaven in bar form and it was just what you'd expect. I recently received a couple bars of Morgan Street's White Tea and Ginger Bar Soap and it was so far above my expectations that I can't even begin to explain! First, as you may have read, I have extremely sensitive skin. It requires a ton of moisture and I can hardly keep up! So I have tried various organic and naturally made soaps in the past with no success. However, after trying this soap, I can proudly say that I will be a lifetime devotee of Morgan Street soaps. She can expect many more orders from me in the future! Love, love, love it!

Here's where you can some Heaven for yourself! http://www.morganstreet.etsy.com/

Photo Tips for your Listings

So here is what I have learned in the past few days on taking quality photos. Photo 1 is my after, Photo 2 is the obvious before..Here we go:

• Take the photo near a north facing window (blinds open, get that natural light)
• Photo your object at an angle (makes it more interesting and adds dimension)
• Tape some rice paper or tissue paper over your flash (yes use the flash and have the window open)
• Use a tripod or again tape your camera to something (like a box) to hold it steady
• Use the timer feature on your camera, this way your little hand shakes don't disturb the focus

The before and after photos speak for themselves! Anyway this beautiful fine silver Japanese Cherry Blossom Charm is available in my etsy shop: http://www.alternatebliss.etsy.com/

Internationally Collected!

I am so excited this morning I woke up, got the kids going, and checked in on my Etsy shop. Well surprise of all surprises I had an international order for my artwork. I have only just recently began to offer my artwork online, so this is an entirely new audience of collectors that has opened up!

Can I also say how happy I am that my first international order was from Ireland, Dublin no less! I took several Irish Literature classes for my Bachelors Degree. I loved every one of them..such a rich history and beautiful culture. It is extremely near and dear to my heart and one of the first places I plan on visiting if I get the chance to travel to Europe.

In celebration of my international order here's my version of an Irish toast:

"Cheers to me! Cheers to you! Cheers to all the art we do!"

"Pink Jellies"

This is my latest watercolor and ink up for purchase on my Etsy shop: http://www.alternatebliss.etsy.com/ I loved creating it. I used watercolors, ink, and some salt to enhance the texture. Oh I might have used dish soap too if I remember correctly. I love the way the skin on the jelly fish turned out. Floaty aquatic things, I think the use of watercolor captures the translucent nature of jellyfish. I like the way the color suits their energy.

A Note About Shimmer Powders...

In my previous post I mentioned a mixed media piece that I just finished. Well I used these shimmer powders on it and the next day I broke out into tiny blisters all over my ears and face. I have super sensitive skin which makes using art products a challenge and sometimes an occupational hazard. Well, I guess the miniature particles got into my skin and caused an allergic reaction. I will not be using the shimmer powders again. Anyway, I sealed the final piece so no more powder is rubbing off. However, lesson learned. No more fine shimmer powder in my work.

Giclee Prints Coming Soon!

Well I just put out a new batch of my art charms. Love em, love em, love em! Right now this is my most popular charm.

Japanese Cherry Blossoms. Originally I painted this with ink and watercolor. However, the one below is my personal favorite (at least for the time being)........

This was originally a watercolor also. I'm thinking of putting a print of this in my formal living room. I have some darker green couches that would go well with it. That brings me to my final point today which is... within the very near future, prints of my artwork will be available on my etsy site: www.alternatebliss.etsy.com

Happy Day - Opened My ETSY Shop

So I opened my etsy shop earlier this week! So far I am in love with ETSY. At first I kept stumbling across it as I browsed through various artist's blogs. I decided that it looked like a great venue to promote and sale my artwork. Sales are starting to pick up. I'm so excited!


Another great thing: there are so many creative and talented artists on Etsy. I could easily get myself in trouble buying so many beautiful things! Ooh la la...say no more!








This is a pic of an ACEO I did in oil pastel with a sculpting knife. I used the knife to mush and smear the pastel onto the paper. It gave great texture to the cranes feathers. It's available in my Etsy shop now. Frame and mat board not included.