Artisan today

14 November 2011

A new artisan is following me on my small blog, so it is time for everybody to meet her…My way to say thank you.

Vicky is from Glitterfrogdesigns.


Vicky became interested in beading about a million years ago when her mom bought her a bag of pony beads and a length of rubber cord. She couldn't get the knots to stay tied so she gave up. Vicky grew up, got married, had a child and (ta-da!) discovered the internet. With all the how-to websites out there, she learned how to keep her knots tied! And now she makes beautiful jewellery.

Vicki, is a 40-something year old wife and mother, originally from GA and living in Topeka, KS for the past few years. Vicky specializes in hand-beaded bracelets and necklaces, with the occasional pair of earrings thrown in to keep it interesting.

When she is not blogging, she works on her new designs, or promotes her online shops.



Bronze and Teal Memory Wire Coil Bracelet

 

Angel Wing Necklace and Earrings Matching Set With Green Accent Charm

 

 

Unisex Fossil Stone Necklace

 

 You can see Vicky work here….Take a look..

 




 

 

 

Holiday for the pets

11 November 2011

 Is your dogs name is on your Christmas list.

There's a growing trend for people to spoil their pets. It's increasing every year.
 Despite a sagging economy, pet owner  are spending on  products and services remains strong. Consumers may be cutting back in other areas, but when it comes to buying toys, services and supplies for Fluffy and Fido, the numbers are rising. People will often cut back on purchasing items for themselves before they'll let their beloved dogs and cats go without.
Pet owners increasingly treat their four-legged friends like family, and businesses are responding in kind with high quality pet food, gourmet treats, elaborate toys, clothes - even jewelry.

From Biscuits to Bling, here is just a few shops of artisans who cater to them.

 http://www.furpetsandforpeople.net/

Cheryl is the owner  and a friend on Facebook of this shop.You can find all kinds of goodies for your cat or dog on her site.

Also her dog Loui is the face on her product and what a cute face.





http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/TinselWhiskers

I found this shop on artfire. Too cute 



I have to put this photo too....WOW











 http://www.etsy.com/shop/doggonetags

This is another friend on Facebook .....Love her tags .



http://www.etsy.com/shop/KamansaKorner

Another friend on facebook....her animals are sooooo gorgeous ...what a talented lady .



 http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/essensu

Another artisan on facebook with nice product.





http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/IDforPet

 Found this on artfire , could not resist showing the one from Quebec LOL....
Very unique


Herbal Snowman

09 November 2011


Long time ago,I did this one and it's still on my wall in the kitchen during the holidays. My kids told me to get rid of it be cause it is old (but in good shape) BUT the kids don,t  live here anymore so I can do what I want.. LOL.
A really fun project to do .

This Herbal Snowman is 12 inches tall and fun to do .



Materials
Four tea bags
15x12-inch piece of muslin
Tracing paper
Water-erasable fabric marker
6x12-inch piece of dark red print
Sewing thread: ecru and dark red
Polyester fiberfill
13-inch-long cinnamon stick
Thick white crafts glue
Hot-glue gun; hot glue
Black permanent artist's pen,
size 03
Nine  2-inch-diameter
brown buttons
Orange bakable modeling clay
Crafts knife
Kite string
Springerii (air fern) for carrot tops
72 inches of 18-gauge dark
annealed stovepipe wire
3/8' inch-diameter dowel, 5 inches
long (or pencil)
1 1/8x20-inch strip of wool (scarf)
Small package of red potpourri
Six small bay leaves
Black buttonhole thread
Three ¾”inch pinecones
One star-shaped anise seed
3 inch-diameter grapevine wreath
Small sprigs of blue lavender,
red pepper berries, black
spruce, blue delphinium,
wheat, and eucalyptus
Two miniature pinecones
7 inch  tall miniature broom


Instructions
To tea-dye muslin, prepare a strong tea solution by steeping tea bags in 3 cups of hot water.
Soak fabric in tea until it is slightly darker than desired color.
Squeeze out excess liquid and place on a flat surface to dry.
When dry, press on medium heat. Enlarge patterns and trace onto tracing paper; cut out.
Use fabric marker to draw around body pattern onto a double thickness of muslin (transfer facial
features, also). Trace mitten pattern two times on a double thickness of dark red print; do
not cut out. Cut hat pieces from remaining dark red print. Sew around body outline using
2-inch seam allowance, leaving open as marked on pattern. Trim body 14 inch beyond stitching;
clip curves. Cut 1 14-inch-long slit in neck back and turn body right side out. Stuff head with fiberfill.
Insert cinnamon stick through arm holes and stuff remainder of body. Whipstitch neck opening
closed. Use a small amount of crafts glue to secure cinnamon stick near bottom of each arm
hole. Draw face in place using permanent pen.
Sew three buttons down the lower front section of snowman.
Hot-glue anise seed pod to right side of waist. For carrot nose, roll orange
clay into a 14 inch-diameter ball. Shape into a ¾ inch long carrot, rotating carrot, score carrot ridges
with a crafts knife. Cut the carrot top flat for ease in attaching to body
Make five more carrots -
3/8 inch-diameter balls of clay (leave carrot tops rounded); make a hole with needle in each carrot
top to receive greenery stem. Pierce another hole through center of each carrot so they can
be strung together after baking.
Bake carrots in 225° oven for 10 minutes; cool. Glue carrot nose to face. String remaining carrots onto 6 inches of kite string, knotting between carrots .Glue a bit of Springerii into top of each carrot. Set strung carrots aside.
Wrap wire around dowel, beginning 31/2 inches from end of wire; referring to the photo, create a coil about 3 inches
long.
Thread a button on wire. Continue wrapping the wire and threading buttons; end with a 3-inch coil. Remove the wire from the dowel. Twist the straight ends around the cinnamon stick arms.
Fringe ends of wool scarf. Wrap around snowman’s neck, drape over cinnamon stick and glue to secure.

Sew long sides of hat pieces
together using 1/4-inch seamsturn right side out. Glue to head,lack point to right side of head.
For mittens, stitch along curved outlines drawn on fabric,leaving the cuff opening unstitched. Cut out 1/8 inch behond sewing lines. Clip curves and right turn right side out. Knot one end of a 5-inch length of string through dots on each mitten pair,set aside.
String 6 inches of black buttonhole thread with red
potpourri pieces, pine cones, two buttons, and bay leaves. Tie each of thread onto cinnamon-stick  2~inches from body so stranddrapes in front.
Hot-glue pepper berries and
small pinecones to front of miniature broom. Glue string to top of handle for hanging. Knot a length of buttonhole thread to the 

wreath,blue lavender,black spruce,blue delphinium,wheat,and eucalyptus for hanging.Hang on the cinnamon sticks arms.
Refer to the photo for placement.

For the pattern  1 square =1 inches