FOLKbarn at the Springfield Antique Show & Flea Market

Are you in the Ohio area this weekend? If so, stop by the FOLKbarn at the Springfield Antique Show & Flea Market today through Sunday!

I am excited to be participating in FOLK Magazine's pop-up booth within the barn. The booth features handmade artisan creations and antique & vintage goods from artisans all over the country. I have sent some bracelets as well as some of my hand-made jotter journals, including:

Moukaite Jasper Triple Wrap Bracelet. Made exclusively for the FOLKbarn!

Pietersite Double Wrap Bracelet. Made exclusively for the FOLKbarn!

Safari Jasper Double Wrap Bracelet. Made exclusively for the FOLKbarn!

 

Orange Star Jotter Journal Set. All jotter journal sets feature prints of my original artwork and include 3 mini-notebooks made with recycled paper. Great for sketches, notes, lists, and more!

Lady Slipper Orchid Jotter Journal Set.

 

Red Tulip Jotter Journal Set.

 

American Red Raspberry Jotter Journal Set.

Use this 10% off coupon towards a purchase this weekend, or next weekend at the FOLKstore in Beaver Dam, KY.

And, of course, you can find more bracelets, jotter journal sets, and hand-bound journals in my Etsy shop.  Happy shopping!

House Portrait - Finished!

I have been working on a house portrait commission this spring and just completed it this morning. This is a wonderful little 1950s brick ranch house. It has a lot of great details on it that made it very fun to draw, including the garage windows, the front door glass inset, the wrought iron porch railing and house number sign, as well as the scalloped awnings over the windows. 

The final portrait is only 10 x 8 inches, so it was a bit of a challenge to get the details in there accurately, but I think it turned out well. It mats up to 11 x 14, so a nice addition to the wall space of the homeowner.

I have a pet portrait next in my queue, so stay tuned!

indiExhibit Member of the Week: Sara Kamla of The Sticky Wrapper!

Got a sweet tooth? Check out this week's indiExhibit member of the week:

Sara Kamla of The Sticky Wrapper Gourmet Candy Shop!

Sara's gourmet candy is made-to-order, in small batches in her home state of Washington. Great for weddings, showers, or any party!

You can find Sara on Facebook and her blog as well as Etsy. 

Check out some of her delicious treats below...my mouth is watering as I type...

Pinata Caramels. With Mexican chocolate, cinnamon and cayenne.

Cake and Coffee Marshmallows.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Caramels.

Studio Update: What Have I Been Up To Lately?

It's been awhile since I have given an update on what's been going on in my studio this spring...so here it is!

I have been keeping steadily busy adding items to my Etsy shop, including a number of new bracelets and some hand-bound mini journals - here's a sampling of my recent offerings:

Safari Jasper Leather Wrap Bracelet. This quad-wrap bracelet features 4mm safari jasper gemstone beads in warm earth tones of khaki, olive green, and rusty red with beautiful camouflage patterning. The stones are wrapped in a rich 1.8 mm red-brown leather with a wood grain button closure.

Moss Agate Leather Wrap Bracelet. This was a custom bracelet done for a birthday present. It features 4mm moss agate stones with 1.5mm brown leather and a unique matching green and silver dragonfly button closure.

 

Carnelian Leather Wrap Bracelet. Some brighter colors for spring and summer include this double leather wrap bracelet featuring gorgeous 6mm carnelian stone beads ranging from fiery reddish-orange to translucent white. The stones are wrapped in 1.8mm pearly white leather with a simple, round, pearly button closure.

Lapis Lazuli Wrap Bracelet. For something a little more delicate, this double-wrap bracelet features stunning, deep blue 4mm lapis lazuli gemstone beads that contain beautiful flecks of gold pyrite. The stones are wrapped in dark blue S-Lon thread and finished with a matching, translucent blue button. It’s like wearing tiny gemstone globes!  

Sea Shell Mini Journal. A compact 4” x 2 ½”, but full of character this mini journal has a sea shell paper cover with rusty red Italian book cloth, 36 sheets (72 pages) of 70lb acid-free, blank Canson drawing paper, and is hand-sewn with natural-colored waxed linen thread. The simple binding contains a little flair of macramé down the front cover, reminiscent of mariner knot work.

  

Blue Mini Journal With Nautical Button Closure. Another compact journal at 4” x 2 ½”, this one is hand-sewn with natural-colored waxed linen thread in a chain stitch or Coptic style, it is filled with 48 sheets (96 pages) of 70lb acid-free, blank Canson drawing paper and covered in deep blue Italian book cloth. An antiqued gold button and knotted, waxed linen thread rope allow for easy closure. The inside is decorated with beautiful sea shell end papers.

In addition, I have been working on a pen and ink house portrait commission for a friend of mine. It's almost done and will be delivered within the next two weeks. I'll post an update when it is finished.

As always, I have more ideas than I have time, but I have some new things planned for the shop so stay tuned!

What has occupied your creative time this spring? I'd love to hear from you!

Focus on Nature XII: Natural History Illustration Exhibition

The bi-annual Focus on Nature XII Exhibition is now on display! 

This Natural History Illustration exhibit, at the New York State Museum in Albany, NY, is "a juried exhibition of natural and cultural history illustration that features artwork from around the world. Artists depict biological, geological, and archeological subjects using a wide range of media, from traditional watercolor to recently developed digital techniques. The basis for selection of these works is scientific accuracy, technical skill, aesthetic qualities, and originality. 

The twelfth biennial exhibition highlights illustration as a means of communicating scientific and artistic observation. Focus on Nature XII includes the work of 72 artists from 14 countries."

What is fantastic is that you can view all of the artwork in the exhibit online. Visit the link above to view a PDF version of the catalog that includes the artwork and a description from the individual artist "regarding the significance, science and artistry behind their work."

I love seeing the amazing work that appears in this exhibit. A true inspiration and such a great visual experience of the natural world. One of my goals is to have a piece accepted into this exhibit someday. Much drawing to be done yet! :)

The in-person exhibit runs Saturday, April 28, 2012 - Monday, December 31, 2012.

The indiExhibit Member of the Week! Wired Hanger: Refreshingly Original Jewelry

This week's The indiExhibit member of the week is Wired Hanger! This mother/daughter team of Erica Molina and Gloria Piracci create unique, original bead and wire jewelry, including earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and more.

 

Check out some of their beautiful pieces below!

  

 You can find them on Facebook...

...and at their website.

Stop by and visit today!

The indiExhibit Member of the Week! Babcia's Heart: Inspired Custom Crochet

I have mentioned before that I am a part of a wonderful, global group of independent artists and craftspeople called The indiExhibit (or IE). IE members come together to provide gift or 'swag' bags for a variety of events including everything from celebrity red-carpet events to local and national charity events. 

As a group, we would like to help get the word out on it's members and the terrific, varied talents each of us bring. This week, the featured member is Joanna Lesinski of Babcia's Heart. Joanna crochets beautiful items including traditional blankets and throws to wonderfully whimsical hats and purses. Check out her Etsy shop for more details on these and other items!

Joanna created a custom coupon code - use IE4ME20 to receive 20% off of items in her shop. Great ideas for Mother's Day, upcoming birthdays and more!

 

 Cozy Circle Afghan

 

I Speak For The Trees Earflap Hat (adult and youth sizes.)

 

Cupcake Purse

Wrap Bracelet, Necklace...or Both?

When is a bracelet not just a bracelet?

They say necessity is the mother of invention. My cousin emailed me today with a wonderful idea illustrating this idea. She received one of my bracelets over the holidays as a gift and here is what she said:

"Last night I was looking for a necklace to wear with a gray/black/white outfit.  I was going to wear your bracelet, which was laying on my dresser." Here was her solution - ingenious!

Basically, if you have any jewelry lying around with different charms, necklace focal pieces, etc., that can be removed from it's chain, then you can do this, too! Perhaps many of you have already thought of this, but I thought it was very clever. :) 

By the way, this was a double wrap bracelet with 4mm cat's eye quartz stones (very beautiful chatoyant quality...), black leather and a simple, black button closure. Here's what it looked like when I sent it off at Christmas:

Have you ever had an "ah-ha!" moment with your jewelry or art? Something you just never thought of that came to light like this? Let me know! I would love to hear from you.

 

My Feature on Artists in Blogland!

Are you curious to know a little more about me? Check out Artists in Blogland to see the post about me in today's Creatively Featured article:

 

Be sure to bookmark or follow the site to see other artist features and enjoy the wide variety of talented folks who are a part of this site. Thanks very much to Heather for coordinating and posting the article!

Happy Easter!

Wishing all a very Happy Easter! 

Some tulips in our front bed...enjoy the day!