Necklaces Featured In The Showcase 500 Art Necklaces Book by Lark!

Two Little Book Pendant Necklaces Published!

I guess I will say that today was one of those ~ pinch me days ~ definitely.

After spending two days away, I came home to find a package on the front porch from Sterling Publishers.  Inside was the Lark Book I had been waiting for....The Showcase 500 Art Necklaces one.  Yep.  That was the one! It had ARRIVED!

Several months ago I took a chance and submitted a favorite piece, just finished in the workshop.  I also thought a lot about a necklace that 

Jean Van Brederode and I had worked on together.  So......with much encouragement from dear friends and family, I thought, "Why not?"  And I submitted them both!

I have my own special copy and they are for sale on Amazon.com  It is quite an honor and I will just smile for awhile.  I am grateful for the hard decisions made by Juror Chunghi Choo and the team at Lark for putting together such an awesome book.  The necklaces inside are stunning and I am humbled.

Here are the pictures.  I urge all my friends to submit their work.  Other friends have done so and were published before me.  Isolina Perez, my friend, artist and instructor at The Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC, did just that.  I also thank Isolina for all her support and encouragement.

 

Simply Pretty Stuff Features Art Is You Retreat Artist, Nellie Wortman

Meet Nellie Wortman

Meet Ms. Nellie Wortman, creative mixed media artist from Michigan!  She will be teaching this October in Stamford, CT, at the Art Is You Retreat.  These are her fabulous workshops!

http://www.art-is-you.com/mysitecaddy/site3/nelliewortman-loveisintheair.htm  

http://www.art-is-you.com/mysitecaddy/site3/nelliewortman-whattheheartknows.htm

As a youngster, Nellie yearned to be creative.  She was always wanting to make things with her hands.  As an adult, the opportunity came to help others with her art when she created cards for a local hospital.  One thing then led to another.....

Nowadays Nellie can be found, when she is not working in the family business, creating in her studio, where she can gaze upon the flowers and listen to the sounds of nature.  Nellie will tell you that her studio is her "happy place" where she creates lovely handmade journals.

She believes her creating is her way of recording the footprints of her life's journey, where she is wife and mother to three wonderful children.

Nellie is inspired by her family, her friends, and her faith.  Her wish is to also help others to find their footprints through art, and share their experiences, hopes, and dreams through an introspective process.

Take a look at these pictures of Nellie's work and be sure to visit the Art Is You Retreat at Stamford website at 

http://www.art-is-you.com/mysitecaddy/site3/artis...stamfordgeneralinformation.htm

 

 

Simply Pretty Stuff Banner

First Time Banner Display!

Oh, a few weeks back, I decided that I really did need something more behind be at those tables and booths when vending.  But oh my anyhow, it was a little intimidating thinking that all my photo edits would somehow come to life on a 4' banner for everyone to see EVERYWHERE.

Well, what am I if not brave?  Its just that every flaw, every fluz, each and every link in the chain, every solder dot, would be blown up behind me, larger than life, about a zillion times the actual size of any of the real pieces.  Hmm.  What is there to worry about, right?

When it was time to click the purchase button, I held my breath and did it.  Afterall, if it was unrecognizable as jewelry photos in real life, I could always start the process again, learning from my mistakes.

Three weeks later, Vista Print delivered!!  Oh my gosh anyway...... look how it turned out.  I love it ... and suddenly have the urge to create way too many more.  : )

I encourage you to be brave too and make a few of your own pretty pictures to show off  the designs you love! 

Foxy Epoxy by Kristal Wick, Featuring Andrew Thornton

Foxy Epoxy ~ A Perfect Bit Of Prize

Before all the hectic moments of the weekend, I had a chance to drop in to see my friend Andrew Thornton, at his wonderful store, Allegory Gallery, and pick up my copy of Foxy Epoxy!  Lucky was I to win this just released book by Kristal Wick, featuring several fabulous artists inside.  Andrew's pieces were stunning and demonstrates a fun and creative way to use epoxy clays.

With all that he has going on nowadays, I was loving that we had a chance to catch up over coffees.  This weekend Allegory Gallery saw a show by Diane Hawkey,

and hosted an inaugural workshop in the art Annex, by Alisa Barnhart.    Alisa is a resident teacher from the Ligonier area and may be found at the Saturday Country Market there.

 

Featured Artist Dawn Gold: Instructor at Art Is You, Stamford, CT 2013

Dawn Gold At

Art Is You Stamford, 2013

All the way from Kent, England, Dawn Gold began her art trek in 2007, with the influence of a friend who invited Dawn to see her mixed media collages. 

One thing led to another, and Dawn was, herself, participating in ATC swaps and taking online classes, focusing on faces in particularly.  After learning the basics, Dawn developed her own style over the years and has enjoyed sharing that style and expertise with others. Check out her blog.

http://goldbettyboop.blogspot.com

Dawn loves creating with Pan Pastels.  She will arrive from literally "the Garden of England" to teach a class at our beloved Art Is You called, "Let's Face It" using this wonderful medium.  Students can collage, stencil and add text, using Pan Pastels to make faces come alive through various techniques via shading and dimensioning.  

New to portraiture?  No worries!  Dawn will give hand held guidelines so that you indeed, will succeed with your pieces.

As a wife, mom and artist, Dawn also raises a few beloved ducks, a majestic gold macaw and Staffordshire Bull Terrier.  When she is not doing art in her garden studio, "Garden Betty Boop a Doop,"  she enjoys reading and has a passion for geneology.

Meet Dawn Gold this fall at Stamford Connecticut's  Art Is You.  She would truly love to share her art and skill with you!

check out her workshop at 

http://www.art-is-you.com/mysitecaddy/site3/dawngold-letsfaceit.htm

Objects and Elements Stash Stuff!

Won Some Of The Stash Pile From Linda Larsen!  Yippee!!

I love getting stuff in the mail.  Love it better when it is stuff from Objects and Elements.  Check out these bits and bobs to play with....

Thank you Linda!
 

Enamel Books In The Studio

Little Books, Little Books, Little Books

Was suppose to be cleaning and seriously destashing and organizing before getting ready for the trip to Somerset NJ for the CREATE retreat and teaching some awesome classes!  Instead, my brain went to those little books again.  I finished up a few stragglers and have a few more things on the fire yet.  In the next couple of days, I will buckle down and get those kits in order.

 

Art From The Artists....

 Fellow Artists' Wares Are Must Haves

I am a bit behind in posting some of what I have been doing and what I have been buying lately!  At the last Art & Soul in Virginia Beach, VA, I did my share of visiting and my share of buying by fellow artists and friends.  There is a bond and understanding between each other about what type of toil goes into any piece of work.  Some of the designs are labor intensive... all are from the heart, which relentlessly beats to power those creative minds.

Stepanie Rubiano made her artwork into soft cloth covers for computers!

Clarissa Callesen's fabulous clay pieces

 

Liz Kettle's magic felting needles

 

Spellbinders Giveaways

  

More of Clarissa Callesen's stuff!

a Kim St. Jean original pewter poured mold

what I just had to do with this Kim St. Jean piece!

Hope For Oklahoma Auction #1 and #2

And The Winner Is..............

First, I would absolutely like to say congratulations to Gail Vanderster-Zwang on having the winning bid on the tiara for Hope For Oklahoma auction #1.  The generosity of all the artists and the bidders was overwhelming according to Heather Ales!  So much so that auction #2 will soon be underway.  Take a look at the Hope For Oklahoma FB link to see the current items up for bid.  
https://www.facebook.com/hopeforok?fref=ts

Special thanks to Heather for organizing such an auction!Round #1 raised over $8600.00!  WOOT!

Here is what I have donated thusfar to auction #2.  Let the bidding begin!