Saturday, September 26, 2009

HARMON ART - Artfire Crazy Train Rider 9/26


The new BIG thing out here in Tucson is GOURD ART...this outstanding example of extremely GOURD-geous artwork is from Kentucky...
This "kettle" gourd is 8 inches tall and 7 inches wide. Permanent inks were hand painted on it's surface then sealed. It sells for $18






With just 90 days until the BIG Christmas Celebration, I start to plan my gift giving.


This is an earthenware hand sculpted ceramic spoon rest using an actual black oak leaf from the artist's own backyard...Sure wish we had leaves like this in the southwest desert.
This sells for $22
Be sure to stop by and consider ALL the marvelous handmade items at this ARTFIRE studio for your gift giving this Holiday Season!!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Sweet Whimsy Rides The Crazy Train Today!

Sweet Whimsy is our Crazy Train Rider

for Today 9/24 - 9/25






sweetwhimsy.artfire.com



She makes these really beautiful pendants. This paisley one is from a scrabble tile wood and is only $8.50

This wire wrapped pendant is fascinating to me....
She describes the process and I still cannot believe it is not composed of metal. To see what it is made of go to:
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=375802

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Aquariann on Artfire

This was our ARTFIRE Crazy Train Studio a couple days ago...
http://aquariann.artfire.com




I am a HUGE FAN of Faeries,Gnomes,Dragons and other Fantasy characters.
I just thought her artwork was really special and deserved notice on my BLOG!
The first is Halloween oriented...then Christmas cards and finally...



A Unicorn and fairy.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

WHAT A WONDERFUL LITTLE SNAKE!!

AWHILE back, I was cruising the Etsy site just shopping for lampwork beads. I came across the superior Glass Artist and SRA Karen Klomparens! I think I also became one of her best customers...at least my purchases from her are greater than from anyone else...
This cute little green fella is one of my favorites! He was actually meant for braided hair or dreadlocks, but he just spoke to me and I knew he REALLY wanted to climb my bead crocheted ropes...so I got him and some of his friends too.
The problem with ALL of Karen's ART GLASS is I deem it just too beautiful for my unworthy bead crochet ropes, so it sits in anticipation of when I can create a worthy compliment to it. Well this little guy just BELONGED on my woodsy hand spun mix of brown beads.
Then I stumbled upon some kitten hook clasps and the piece was formed.
This is listed on my ETSY and ARTFIRE sites so far. The hits on it have been super...as for Karen, you can find her right here at:
http://fire-n-sand.blogspot.com or go to her Etsy shop:
I went there again when I finished this necklace to sent her a convo and ended up with 3 more of her treasures in my cart...so stay tuned, you will be seeing alot more of her ART showcased on my pieces!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

SORRY IT HAS BEEN SO LONG......

I have been TRYING to GROW MY NETWORK and has it ever...but the greatest news was that my hard work on photographing my creations paid off and I was FINALLY accepted by the 1000 MARKETS site. My avatar is above. It is another shop that I plan to include my daughter's artistry in stringing beads on eventually...when she gets organized.. The new website address for this shop is: http://beadacious1221aces520.1000markets.com

I also finally completed one of my notable original designs that I have a difficult time generating for some unknown reason...this being my bead crochet bangle of Sleeping Beauty Turquoise A grade rounded chunks and firepolish crystals.
I will eventually have these listed on all of my retail sites and should they be the success I hope they will, I will offer them in choices of a variety of firepolish colors to accent the genuine turquoise.
I am ready to roll now on some innovative designs and creations for the upcoming Season of Cheer and Celebration!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Aquatic Leaf Lampwork Glass

http://derondadesigns.etsy.com
http://derondadesigns.artfire.com
http://derondadesigns.com
These are all the places to find stupendous lampwork beads like the ones in my latest necklace that will be posted to my etsy shop and our artfire studio within the next few days. Not only is her lampwork outstanding, it is affordable....two combinations I find irresistable!
This self-taught glass artist certainly deserves accolades for her artistic accomplishments as these photos surely prove.

Deronda O'Neill is one of My Favorite Glass Artists, she lives in beautiful North Dakota.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

My Watch Cat

I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't experienced it for myself......it goes like this: We had rain yesterday and again last night. Well, that IS UNUSUAL, yes...BUT the real strange part happened real early this morning.......
My sweet little kitty, Squeakers, was really off on her rousting timing. She is never off on the time she has chosen to wake me, 3 am. I still am not 100% sure why that is the chosen time but it's like she has a built in alarm that sets her off and she starts to torture me.
This morning it wasn't even 1:30 am yet and there she was...meowing, scratching me through the sheet, biting me... so I did what I usually do when unnecessarily disturbed by the rambunctious night rambler. I groggily reached for the trusty spray bottle on my headboard and gave her a squirt while barking "NO". That is usually all it takes, one squirt and she relocates to the hallway and pouts herself back to slumber until 3 am (wake-up time).
Not this morning, oh no she just kept coming back and repeating the scene over and over and over. I finally decided after a good half an hour, by then I was awake enough to think, maybe I should just get up and walk around. I rose from the bed and watched her as she headed toward the door out of my room. She was acting really "spooked" peering out into the hallway. HMMMM? (I have always thought cats can see ghosts but I was really hopeful that's all that this might be)
I staggered half awake out into the hallway and now she has her hackles up outside my mother's bedroom doorway. Mom has an oxygenator pumping away in her room while she sleeps and the dog is out cold on the bed beside her as always. I poked my head in the room, nothing odd, though I did hear a slightly different sound emanating from somewhere. So I started the trek through the rest of the rooms to see if I could find the sound.
Nothing unusual, just a slight pitter- patter of raindrops on the flat roof as a gentle rain was falling. But Squeakers is not content that I am doing all this. She is still aggitated and meowing at me like I am some ignorant schmuck. She is back to standing in mother's doorway and looking spooky again. " Okay Okay I will go inside", I tell her as I tip toe into the room so as not to arouse any of the heavy sleepers. I get to the master bath area and I hear the sound again only louder now. I look up at the skylight directly overhead and lo and behold...droplets of water are drip drip dripping onto the sink countertop and the floor. AHA,
now I know what she was telling me..."a leak! we have a leak!!" she's been saying in her own purr-fect way. ( I swore she sneered at me when I made the discovery.)
I got an empty wastebasket and lined it with a plastic bag and then placed a towel over it to catch the water. Squeakers surveyed the operation with approval and she was content....and I was ......WIDE AWAKE!
Her adventure and duty was finished, she fell sound asleep.
I worked on stringing beads for a choker I promised a trader. Had a cup of hot cocoa. Then got on the computer and networked my head off until 7:30 am when I finally crashed and burned until 10 am when it was rise and shine because Mom was awake and I needed to start chores.
I thank GOD for my little Alarm Cat who is so conscious of what could be potentially hazardous to us mere humans. By the way, did I say that the DOG SLEPT SOUNDLY THROUGH THE WHOLE EVENT?