Written With You In Mind

Today I would like to feature my next Artfire artisan: Written With You In Mind!

April is a 40 something crafter who moved from England to Southern Ireland in 2008 for a less stressful lifestyle. She loves trying creative things. She says she's tried just about everything crafty.

I asked April some questions about herself and her craft. Below are her answers!

How did you first get into your craft?

For as long as I can remember I have always been fascinated by the written word. At the age of 6 I was reading book for 10+ children and would spend most of my spare time reading or copying words form books, newspapers and magazines. I used to have exercise books full of copying and it used to drive my Mum insane! I've always written limericks and rhymes but didn't start saving any till I was in my twenties, married with a baby and I began to ponder the meaning of life.

Is there any particular artist or person in your life who influences or inspires you?

I've always loved rhyme that tells a story and makes you smile or is just plain silly. As a child I adored Dr. Suess, Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll. In late life I became a fan of Pam Ayres from England who read her poems professionally and also Spike Milligan.

What are your favorite materials to work with and why?

I love words that rhyme and poems that keep you guessing with a surprise twist at the end.

Is there anything that you do that you think sets your creations apart from similar ones/ your competitors?

As with most poets I write from the heart and take inspiration from my surroundings and experiences. Every experience is unique and personal to me but I try to convey humor in most of my poetry in the hope that it will make people smile.

You can see April's poetry, rhymes and limericks at http://www.artfire.com/users/writtenwithyouinmind

Bead Trends May issue

I have a necklace featured in the May issue of Bead Trends magazine! I am super excited about this. I've had a ring featured previously. Its always a thrill to have someone else out there validate your work as an artist. I just listed the piece in my Artfire Studio this morning. I've also submitted about 14 more items for publication in the October issue. They are featuring "Wire Artistry" in that issue and I feel my items more than fit that category. Maybe if I keep submitting pieces, they'll ask me to be their featured artist in an issue.... Dream big right?

CritterCrafts

Time once again for another Artfire featured Artist! This time we are featuring MJ of CrittersCrafts!

MJ loves to sew, cook, knit, crochet and also does paper crafts. She has one dog and spoils him with handmade toys and treats.

I asked MJ a couple of questions about herself and her business and below are her answers!

How did you first get into your craft?

I started making toys for my cockapoo, Buster, after he kept ripping up his toys he had for only one day. I tried different combinations of fabrics to make the toys last longer. He loves trying to shred his handmade toys but has not succeeded.

Is there any particular artist or person in your life who inspires you?

I guess I would have to say my parents. They taught me how to sew. My Dad taught me how to sew on a machine and my Mom taught me how to sew things by hand. All of my other crafting skills are self taught.

What are your favorite materials to work with and why?

My favorite materials to work with are fleece and felt because they add softness to the toys and canvas because it makes the durable.

Is there anything that you do that you think sets your creations apart from similar ones/ your competitors?

Unlike the durable toys you buy at the store these toys are soft. All my toys have two layers of fabric. The inner layer is made of canvas and the outer layer is made of a decorative fabric. I make some toys that are two toys in one. They are plush chew toys and also have a "rope" for tugging.

Anything else you would like my readers to know about (sales, coupons, etc.)?

I offer pet toys, pet mats and pet head bands.

You can see Mj's creations at http://www.artfire.com/users/CritterCrafts

Featured Studio piece 4-26-10

Today I am featuring another of my lampwork creations. This is a lovely abstract heart shaped pendant that I made myself. I was practicing trying to create heart shaped lampwork beads and this was as close as I got. The colors remind me of fire with the slight hint of orange combined with the bright red. I them added a few faceted glass beads for fun and voila! A lovely pendant on a brass chain! $22.50 (sale price)

HUGE SALE!!!!

I am having a HUGE SALE starting right now. I need to rasie extra funds since I'm a little short on my bills this month. EVERYTHING in my shop is now 25% OFF!!!! The pictures are some samples of what is in my studio for your shopping consideration. Leave a comment here in this blog post and I'll throw in FREE shipping!

Stop in and browse my studio for more great deals on wearable art!

http://www.artfire.com/users/divapixie

Featured item 4-22-10

Today I would like to feature a newly listed item again. I just listed this lovely pair of copper and quartz crystal point earrings yesterday! I dug these quartz crystals out of the Rocky mountains in Montana myself and have done nothing to them except wrap them in copper wire. A very earthy adornment! $25

Vasquez of Bay's Jewels

Today I would like to feature another Artfire artist: Vasquez of Bay's Jewels!

Bailie Vasquez currently resides in Woods Cross, Utah. She does volunteer work for her city council, participates in 5k runs for charity and of course loves making jewelry in her spare time!

I asked Bailie a few questions about herself and her craft. Below are her answers.

How did you first get into your craft?

I used to go to craft shows to help my mom and was always intrigued by all the jewelry sellers that were there. I started a few years ago making my own jewelry and then started selling at craft shows.

Is there any one particular artist or person in your life that inspires you?

I am totally inspired by my family. They are hard workers and when things get tough, they don't give up.

What are your favorite materials to work with and why?

I love working with beads. There are so many different kinds. I could spend an entire day in a bead shop.

Is there anything that you think you do that makes your creations stand apart from similar ones/ your competitors?

Simple designs are always traditional and I always look for simplicity.

Anything else you would like my readers to know about (sales, coupons, etc.)?

I would like them to know I will give out a free gift with every order. Great customer service equals return customers. If my customers are happy then I'm happy. Special thanks to Divapixie for this blog feature.

You can see Bailie's jewelry at http://www.artfire.com/users/Vasquez

Featured Studio piece 4-21-10

I am going to feature a new set that I just listed in the past couple of days. This is a necklace and earring set using gold colored coin beads and deep blue iridescent czech glass beads and gold toned chain. I think it's very gypsy like... and has a sort of Aztec feel as well. Perfect accessory for a gypsy or pirate! $35

More new pieces!

I have been trying to keep my hands busy so my mind won't focus on the miserable head cold that has struck me down. And thus, I have many more new pieces to show you all!This lovely pair of chandalier earrings have been waiting to happen it seems. I bought the lovely green cubic zirconia drops in Santa Fe this past Thanksgiving and haven't had the opportunity to use them yet. I paired them with earthy brown swarovski crystal bicones as well as antiqued brass earring components and brass wire. This pair of earrings once again showcase swarovski crystal bicones but also uses swarovski crystalized pearls. I used silver toned components and wire to add to teh sparkle of these chandelier earrings.

I absolutely LOVE this necklace. I saw this metal flower component with rhinestones and knew I just HAD to use it. I also happened to have these lovely faceted glass beads and silver toned spacers sitting in my stock and it was a perfect combination. I also am in love with the asymetrical design that is popular nowadays. Its classy and elegant and really stands out in a crowd, just like this lovely necklace!

Paper Creations

Today I would like to feature Laura O'Shea of Paper Creations!

Laura is married and has two children, ages 8 and 6. She stays at home with her kids and volunteers st her children's school a lot. She says her business is a perfect outlet for her creativity and is flexible enough to fit her schedule.

I asked Laura some questions to discover more about her and her craft. Below are her answers:

How did you first get into your craft?

I started stamping back in graduate school over 15 years ago- yikes! Over the years I have kept up with my stamping although my style is constantly evolving. About 5 years ago I made the committment to selling my items. For several of those years, I sold predominantly at craft fairs although now I'm devoting my time to the online aspect.

Is there any particular artist or person in your life that influences or inspires you?

There is no particular artist that has inspired me although I have embrace the clean and simple style that has entered the crafting world.

What are your favorite materials to work with and why?

Most definitely I love working with rubber stamps. They are so versatile and the number of ways you can use them and the techniques that can be applied to them are endless. On any given day, I can experiment with paint, pencil, pen or marker using my stamps. Along with that basic, I enjoy using patterned papers and fun embellishments like ribbon, crystals or buttons.

Is there anything that you do that you think sets your creations apart from similar items/ your competitors?

I think my style makes me different. I think my cards appeal to those many who enjoy clean and simple lines. No matter what technique I use, I try to stay true to my style so you will know that its me, like many artists.

My cards are always high quality, much more "dense" than anything you will see at the local card store at the mall. There is a sense of substance to my cards as they are never just a thin layer. I never use card fronts only. I am not afraid to use strong base colors and layer in writing sections- this just adds to the quality as it is stronger.

All my cards, including the funny shaped ones, come with a perfectly fit envelope and every item is sent in a clear envelope for safekeeping during shipping.

Anything else you would like my readers to know about (sale, coupon, etc.)?

I always try to give back and send cards to soldiers overseas so they too can write to their loved ones. Many times my promotions revolve around the idea of giving back... for example, this past February, for every card bought I donated a card to Operation Write Home, an organization that sends cards to soldiers.

Many times a customer likes a design but would like to see it in a different color. I am always open to trying to fit a customer's needs and we can work together to create a card design in a certain color palette.

While my cards are blank inside, I do offer the service of adding a sentiment/ sayings to the inside of them. This again is on a case by case basis, working directly with the customer.

You can see Laura's creations at http://www.artfire.com/users/Laurascrafts

New pictures of old pieces....

These are some pieces that have been in my collection for a while but haven't had decent pictures taken of them. So yesterday I took some time and photographed them and am listing the ones that are not already listed. Just a sample.... I'll show you more later.

Featured Studio Piece 4-14-10

Today I would like to feature one of my more colorful and complicated wire pieces. It was inspired by the look and shape of peacock feathers. I used a light purple mothe rof pearls coin for the focal point or "eye" of this feather inspired necklace. I then surrounded it with brass beads, deep green freshwater pearls, and smokey quartz beads for a grounding neutral. The frame and wrapping wire is brass. The chain I used is a gold toned chain. This is a large necklace, a real statement piece, very bold and bright. $65

Mothers Love

I would like to feature my next Artfire artist today: Mothers Love!

Mothers Love is from Spain originally but moved to the USA in 1991. She blames her love of jewelry on her Spanish roots. She also loves to travel and spend time outdoors. The zoo and the ocean are her favorite places to be.

I asked Mothers Love a few questions to further inquire about her and her work. The following are her answers.

How did you first get into your craft?

I've always had a love for jewelry. I guess you can blame my Spanish side! I started out making my own stuff and strangers seemed to like it. So I decided to open up shop and sell.

Is there any particular artist or person in your life who inspires you?

I love all forms of art and am inspired by everything that surrounds me. It just depends on my mood. I can see a pretty flower and decide I want to make something that color. Or see a particular animal that inspires an emotion and I want to capture that emotion in a piece.

What are your favorite materials to work with and why?

My favorite materials are the shiny stuff! It's just so pretty and feminine. But I also love copper. The earthy girl in me loves the copper.

Is there anything you do that you think makes your creations stand apart from similar ones/your competitors?

There are so many very talented artists out there that I don't want to compare myself to any. Everyone does what they love to do, as do I.

Anything else you would like my readers to know about (sales, coupone, etc.)?

My goal is to create fun and flirty, bold and beautiful and chic jewelry at affordable prices!

You can see the beautiful pieces of art she creates at http://www.artfire.com/users/MothersLove

New pieces!

I have been a very busy bee creating lots of new pieces! Here are some sample pictures or two new pairs of earrings and a large statement pendant based on a "challenge" someone suggested to me in the Artfire forums.

The earrings are simple sterling silver chain and wire with faceted gemstone briolettes. Briolettes are one of my favorite things and I love the cascading effect the chain allows me to create with them.

The pendant is based on an idea given to me by a couple of artists on Artfire in the forums. I was looking for some inspiration and they provided it. With the idea of using briolettes in a new fashion (though on that count I'm not sure I succeeded) and giving it a Brazilian Carnival flair I came up with this wild looking square pendant that reminds me a little of confetti being thrown in the air.

Featured Studio piece 4-10-10

Today's featured studio piece is a newly listed pendant that is based around a lampwork bead I made myself. I was trying my hand at making lampworked heart shaped beads and ended up with this slightly abstrat heart figure. I then added some faceted czech glass and gold toned wire and voila! A heart pendant with style and interest in a bright vibrant color. $25

Featured Studio Piece 4-8-10

Today's featured studio piece is a new listing. I made these lovely dangly earrings just this past week and LOVE the sparkle they produce. They are quartz, amethyst and green cubic zirconia faceted briolettes wrapped in silver toned wire. I then suspended them from different lengths of siler toned chain and attached them to ear wires. Lovely shine and color... sure to please any ear! $25

Littlecrow Glass

I would like to present the next featured Artfire artist: Littlecrow Glass!

Deb is the owner and artist behind Littlecrow Glass. She is a mother of 5 and has been married for 21 years. Her husband is such a huge supporter of her lampworking and glass work that he built her a studio in their home!

I asked this artist a few questions about her work and here are the answers she shared with me!

How did you first get into your craft?

I started doing hot glass work many years ago after seeing lampwork beads in a gallery. I fell in love! I just had to know how to do this. My husband surprised me with a lampworking started kit from a local stained glass shop and I just dove in. The flame was mesmerizing! I started with a simple Hot Head torch setup in my basement but soon upgraded to a, oxygen set up on a Minor Torch and my own glass studio. I have never taken a class though there are many I would love to learn from.

Is there any particular artist or person in your life that inspires you?

I am inspired by many things. My family, nature, fashion, color, all that glitters and shines.

What are your favorite materials to work with and why?

Glass of course! I haven't met a glass I haven't wanted to melt yet. I have even used recylced glass from church windows and glass bottles from weddings. Oh and I can't forget the silver, lots and lots of fine silver for sparkle!

Is there anything that you do that you think makes your creations stand apart from similar ones/ your competitiors?

There are so many wonderful lampworkers out there! I think everyone develops a style of their own. The glass community is full of wonderful people who are willing to share and learn from each other. I have learned so much from my fellow glass artists at places like wetcanvas and lampworketc online.

You can find Littlecrow Glass online at http://www.artfire.com/users/LittlecrowGlass

Featured studio piece 4-7-10

I haven't been able to keep up with my studio featured pieces lately... life and my day job tend to get in that way sometimes.

Today I would like to feature a necklace I made with blood quartz, cherry quartz and some copper wire. I made some little floral designs and attached them to a larger copper wire frame, then added some copper colored chain and some fresh water pearls for extra sheen. A lovely piece that is large enough to make a statement but with just the right amount of feminine touch! $40

End of the torch

Here's what's been at the end of my torch thus far this week.

This is my new favorite color combination... and these beads are some of my new favorites. I tried to make a few more this evening but over torched the teal glass so it changed color. But these.... these are GREAT! Well, in my opinion they are great.

I'm still working on finding the perfect balance in my flame to not over torch the colored glass but its difficult only using a hot head torch. I think I can do it but need more practice.

I will have more lampwork pendants and other jewelry listed in my shop withint the next few days so be sure to drop by and check it out! You aren't going to want to miss these.

Cindy's Creative Crochet

Today's featured Artfire artist is called Cindy's Creative Crochet!
Cindy started crocheting about 5 years ago. she's a self taught crocheter and still can not read a written crochet pattern. She also has begun making creative things out of pop tabs! Cindy is the mother of 5 children between the ages of 6 and 12 and is happily married. she also enjoys belly dancing, baking and making ice cream.
I asked Cindy a few questions about herself and her crafting. Here are her answers.
How did you first get into your craft?
The crocheting I saw a friend crocheting and figured out how to do basic chain stitches and the rest followed. I began with the wire after seeing a very simple chained copper necklace, and decided to try. I have very large hands and can\'t get a bracelet off the rack that fits me, so this was a great thing.
Is there any other particular artist or person in your life that influences or inspires you?
I love to make jewelry with beads made by my friend Elaine of Tooaquarius (mailto:www.Tooaquarius@artfire.com ) and my kids and husband are a huge support.
What are your favorite materials to work with and why? Well Elaine's beads as mentioned, they are so cool as soon as I see a new batch of them i have ideas on what other beads to use, colour wire ect and copper wire, it just has a nice warm natural feel to it.
Is there anything that you do that you think makes your creations stand apart from similar ones/ your competitors?
Not too many people use the pop tabs or crochet wire! I make up my own designs so they can\'t look too much like other peoples designs. I also do a lot of custom orders so people can really have what they want.
Anything else you would like my readers to know about (sales, coupons, other services you offer)?
As I just mentioned i love to do custom orders so if you see something in the shop that appeals but you want a different colour scheme, like the design but want it as a necklace rather than bracelet or a larger or smaller size, please feel free and welcome to ask! Currently I am working on making pop tab belts, not sure when I\'ll have them up, but hope for it to be within the next couple weeks.
You can find Cindy's lovely crocheted creations on Artfire at
Cindy's Creative Crochet

The entire purpose of this blog post is to give you a sample of the beads I've been working on. Mind you these haven't been kiln annealed yet so some may not make it through to being finished beads but... its a sneak peek at what has come off my torch lately.

A couple close-ups here... I did these to represent a few of the 4 elements.

More new pieces!

I have been very busy the past week or making new items with a bunch of lampwork beads I had created a few years ago. They have been sitting in my stock for what seems like ages with no inspiration to utilize them anyway. Then I saw some ideas at the art auction walking around on other women and I discovered what to do. Simple chain pices with mismatched lampwork beads.... how bohemian! And fabulous!

I also did a a few pendants from some of the larger and more abstract beads. I think they turned out pretty cool. I am hoping to get them listed today as well... sometime after lunch but before I get upstaris to torch some more beads.

This one looks like a glowing heart. I wrapped it with brass wire and added an AB faceted glass drop for added color.

This one is a littl more fiery looking.

Again I added some faceted glass beads at the top and bottom for color and wrapped it with brass wire.

This is one of favorite beads becauseit uses a stacked dot technique that imitates fish scales or the petals of a flower. I use silver toned artist wire on this one to enhance the color of the blues and also added more faceted glass beads, this time for sparkle.

Featured Studio Piece 4-1-10

Today I would like to feature a few of my wire wrapped crystal pendants. Not all are listed in my studio yet, but they will be soon. I go to visit my grandparents in MT every year or so. There are wonderful parks and forest up in the Rocky Mountains that we visit each time we are there for the fishing and camping... but also for the quartz crystal digging. So, I end up with LOTS of quartz crystal points to play with.

Lately I have begun wrapping and weaving wire around them and adding on little beads to brighten things up. These crystals range in price dependent on their size and wire wrapped complexity.