Sprite Creations

Whimsy Wednesday & Fini Friday! An Ocean of Possibilites!

2012-02-01T16:45:00.000-08:00

Hello Hello!
Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday and Fini Friday, all in one! I'll be out and about and away from the computer starting tomorrow through this weekend so this post will serve double-duty!
I'll be showing you the loot I picked up on Walkabout this last weekend for the Whimsy Wednesday portion of the post. I found lots of nifty stuff, including tie tacks, keys Swarovski crystals, cookie cutters and more!

Did you see that camera tie tack? Isn't that awesome??!!! And aren't those keys pretty? I intend to paint resin on the tie tacks and perhaps also the keys... though that remains to be seen! The owl and crescent moon cookie cutters will be used to make pendants out of polymer clay and the Swarovski crystals? Well! You'll just have to wait and see! Soooo many possibilities!!! Wheeee!!

And for Fini Friday, I've a finished creation to show you!
Last Fini Friday, I showed you two creations that were in the growing stages and I'm happy to announce that one has grown into completion!
Title: An Ocean of Glassy Calm
Ingredients: hand-crafted Popcap Pendant (hand-coloured and hand-poured non-toxic jeweler's grade resin, sea glass (hand-picked by me from Monterey Bay, CA), recycled popcap), recycled chain, recycled glass, Bali silver, permanently-coated copper wire, anodized aluminum, pewter.

I'm really pleased with how this turned out! It is all ocean inspired... toggle clasp that reminds me of the rope used to secure a ship to the star-shaped Bali spacers on the recycled glass (legend has it sailors would often set their course by the North Star) to the sea glass shards submerged in sea-coloured resin!
And!!! It is now listed in my Etsy shoppe!!
So there you have it mateys! A post to satisfy the treasure-hunter and sailor alike!
Have a fantabulous weekend and I'll see you on Monday!
Ciao!

Magical Monday! Building and Bridges!

2012-01-30T12:28:00.000-08:00

Hello!!!
Welcome to Magical Monday!! I hope your weekend was fabulous!
As I was gathering inspiration for this post, I noticed a theme. Much of what caught my attention are mechanical things, things involving building and so forth (hence the title of the post!). This is probably only natural as I continue to refine and reorganize my own studio and a bit of the environment around me! Perhaps it is also makes sense in that, for many cultures, Winter has been or is a time of restricted outdoor activity, so thoughts naturally turn to how to improve those things close to heart or home. With that said, let's take a look at the first goodie I have for you today!
This photo has been titled Making A Bridge, though I can't seem to find whom to credit for the photo nor any information about which bridge is being built and etc. The original link to it is
here. There is not much that I don't love about this photo...including the working man standing casually on two cables very very high above a big bunch of water!

The second goodie I have for you is a video! It is a bit long at just under 17 minutes, but is smartly made and clips right along. Of course, I LOVE the subject of the video and am so impressed by the lady who is featured in it!
Here it is then, for your viewing pleasure:
One Woman's Quest to Build Her Own Tardis!

So delightful! YAY! Perhaps *I'll* attempt to build my own Tardis now!!!
Hmmm.. where did I leave those tools?.....
Ciao!

Fini Friday! Deep Blue!

2012-01-27T17:37:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!!
Welcome to Fini Friday!!!
I've a lot to show you today! Let's start with updates on the Studio Reorganization! It was brought to my attention that I might do a lot of sitting as I play through my day. I didn't think this was so, and I pondered what I do and how I do it as I worked through the next day. It's true! I do a lot of sitting! This prompted brainstorming on how to change and improve my workspace. I'd scored an old school (literally!) workbench on a garage sale a while back and had been storing it. Now is the time to integrate it into my studio space, as it is the perfect height for standing work! And here it is!
The top/work surface

The front, with the cabinet open. I'm surmising that this was a work bench in an art class, given the wooden guides along the bottom and the color codes in the cubbies near the top. Isn't this just wonderful?
As an added bonus, because of the very solid construction, I now have a work surface that I am confident can stand up to stamping (leatherwork) and pounding (metalwork) that have been on my list of things to play with! Woohoo!!
I'll post photos of it in it's final destination. For now, it is in good location for cleaning!
How does this tie in with the title of this post? AND! Speaking of cleaning up... the door on the cabinet needed hardware so as to make opening and closing it easier and I just happened to have the perfect thing on-hand!
Voila!
A cobalt-blue glass knob! This is a reproduction of the vintage knobs, but I love it just the same!

And with that, I'm going to show you a few creations that are still growing into completion to finish up Fini Friday! These are both centered around the Popcap Pendants that I've shown in earlier posts and both have an ocean theme to them.
Let's take a look!

The pendant on the left was created with bits of actual sea-glass that I picked myself from Monterey Bay and along the Big Sur in California. That's also the majority of the bits of sea glass you see surrounding the pendant. The drilled glass beads you see towards the top are all recycled glass. I'm not certain where this is all going, but I love it so far! Whee!!!
The pendant on the right has 2 Czech glass shells submerged in the hand-pigmented resin and will be more whimsical and playful, with fish and other ocean denizens swimming through and around! I think we can all see how deep blue ties in with these creations!
So, there you have it! Fini Friday is fini!
Have a fabulous weekend!!

Oh!!! P.S....if you remember a few pairs of earrings I introduced on Wednesday? Well, In the Immortal Words of Socrates... is now up in my Etsy shoppe!!! Click on over if you're interested!
I'll see you on Monday!
Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Moonlight and Socrates!

2012-01-25T16:18:00.000-08:00

Hello!!!
Thanks for joining me on this Whimsy Wednesday! I've two new creations to show you and a little walk down Memory Lane! The walk down Memory Lane is part of the inspiration that named one of the new creations. So let's get to it!

Title: Moonlight Weaves Through
Ingredients: Czech glass, Swarovski crystals, metal, surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

The design of these literally fell together as I gaze on the cat and moon beads that landed side by side when they were put into the same flat file drawer after the finish of various other creations. The Purple Velvet and White Opal Swarovski crystals reflect abyssal, vibrant hues that coordinate and deepen the air of half-glimpsed mysteries.

And now, for that jaunt we spoke of earlier!
Title: In the Immortal Words of Socrates
Ingredients: Czech Glass, Swarovski crystals, metal, surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

As these earrings grew into completion, they reminded me very much of a Gothy-Neo-Victorian (perhaps almost Steampunk?) poison bottle. I don't care to dwell too much on "dark beauty", as it were... and there are quite enough homages paid to vampires and the like 'round the 'Net and popular media right now, so I focused on bringing some whimsy to these gorgeous gothic belles. And a scene from the movie Real Genius sprang to mind...
A little background: One of the main characters in the movie has been faced with a major challenge in his life and is out on a roof-top contemplating dark thoughts. Another of the major characters finds and joins him, offering commiseration and companionship. The last part of the clip is the most relevant to this creation's title as it is an ironic, sarcastic nod to the great Greek philosopher Socrates and the legend that tells of him drinking hemlock to end his life after being imprisoned for speaking out against his government.
It seems almost everything can be found on YouTube and I did, indeed, find a clip from the movie that contained the exact scene I was looking for!
Clicky!

So, there you have it!!
I'll leave you to wander your own way home from Memory Lane and see you on Friday!
Ciao!

Magical Mondays! Rainbow Trees and Jell-O Origami!

2012-01-23T10:03:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!
It is snowing, with big, beautiful, fluffy snowflakes here in my neck of the woods! This is the stuff that wonderful winter photos and Thomas Kincade-esque tableaus are made of!

I'm excited about the nifties I have to share with you today!
The article about these Rainbow Eucalyptus trees crossed my path last week and I knew I had to show them to all of you! An interesting article chock-full of fabulous photos is here. The photo below will give you a small taste of their gorgeous colours!

The photographer appears to be Vicki Santillano and you can find the photograph and more of her work here! WOW!!!

This last nifty I find quite amazing! I love to see what amazing things others create and this is really cool!
I give you...Jell-O Origami!

You can find the blog post about it here. In reviewing the post, it looks like the Jell-O is not actually folded, but glued instead. Really, though, I still find it amazing! Take a look at what else these innovative people are doing!
And there you have it! Inspiration on a Monday!
Before I sign off to see you on Wednesday, I wanted to remind you of my BlogTalk Radio Interview tomorrow at 3pm CST(USA)! I'll be returning to Cheryl Patton's 1Woman's Wisdom Radio Show and we'll be chatting about the third Message From the Faeries! Not sure what that message is, but are intrigued?!! Stop by and take a listen or ...look us up in the Archives! Details are here!
See you Wednesday!!!!

Fini Friday! Bygone Eras with a Modern Twist...

2012-01-20T15:46:00.000-08:00

Hello Hello!
I'm so glad you've joined me here for Fini Friday!
I have new things I'm so excited to show you!
Below is a photo of a window display inspired by dressmaker's dummies of old!
It made it's way from a friend's home to my studio, where it lends a sense of grace and old-style elegance!

Isn't it fabulous? I love the leafy tapestry fabric!

As fate would have it, I had just finished a necklace creation that suits it perfectly and the two together are gorgeous!
So, you know I'll show you photos of the necklace on that dummy/display below, right? RIGHT!

Title: Slipping Through Time
Ingredients: Popcap Pendant (garnet, pearl, acrylic "crystal", vintage rhinestone, hand-coloured, non-toxic resin, popcap), Swarovski crystals, garnet, vintage glass pearls, vintage rhinestone, vintage glass, Czech glass, copper-plated brass, brass, lead-free pewter, metal.

Aren't they positively handsome together?
Below are closer looks at the necklace and the pendant...

So, there you have it! Two lovelies that go great together!
By the way...you can find this necklace in my Etsy Shoppe right now!
Have a fantabulous weekend and I'll see you Monday!
Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Watery Depths!

2012-01-18T16:18:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!
Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!
The weather here is reminding us that it is Winter and I am happy to see the snow! We've had a mild winter so far and I find that I miss the snow a bit!
With that in mind, let's swim on over and see what watery creations are floating along waiting for our visit!
Title: WaterFlowers
Ingredients: Czech Glass, coloured copper wire, surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

I love the blues and greens in these earrings!! There is a bit of fancy wire-working involved in suspending those glass drops that look so much like droplets of water! Yup! That's all free-form wire-wrapping! Whee!!!

This second creation still fits with our water theme, yet the water is in a little different form....
Title: Waiting For Spring
Ingredients: Swarovski crystals, Czech glass, metal, sterling silver, silver-plated surgical steel earwires (Hypo-allergenic).

You can find these here in my Etsy shoppe!! Aren't those gorgeous? And definitely Faerie-inspired!!! The jonquil leaf that completes the earrings with an ethereal beauty shining through are an excellent match to the butterflies fluttering at the top of the earrings! And speaking of butterflies...they lend a little nuance of whimsy as they alight on the icy, silvery leaves!!
So, there you have it! Water and Ice, Flowers and leaves and butterflies! A fitting whimsical post in the middle of winter!
Stay warm and see you on Friday!
Ciao!

Magical Monday! The Lighter Side of Inspiration!

2012-01-16T08:25:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!!
I've found a few bits of inspiration to share today that seem to span two different worlds, yet to me are really all about creating and living the life you want!

This first photo needs no inspiration explanation for any Sci-Fi Geek or Star Wars Fan!

It is true that this room is made of awesome and win! and that the owner(s) have definitely created a home that celebrates their passion and interests! Yet, it is also true that The Rebellion, Luke, Leia, Han and so many others in the Star Wars movies fought and strived to create the lives they wanted.

The video link here is the second bit of information I have for you and is about a mother of 4 children who found something she loved and used it to change her life and those of her family in healthy and inspirational ways!

Let's go out and create a bit more of what we want in our lives, yes?
YES!
See you Wednesday!

Fini Friday! Growing!

2012-01-13T17:24:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!
Iiiiitttt's Friday!!! Woohooo!!!!
I've a full weekend of fun stuff ahead and I hope you do, too!
In true Fini Friday tradition, I have creations that have grown into completion and some that have journeyed farther along that path!
Let's get to it, shall we?
You might recall a few Whimsy Wednesdays back, I went on Walkabout and showed a few treasures I picked up along the way...
I'm excited to share with you the completed copper cuff bracelet!
Take a look!
Title:MerWorld Adornment
Ingredients: Upcycled copper bracelet, Czech glass, brushed copper, permanently-coated copper wire (USA).

Isn't it gorgeous? I'm so pleased with it! (If you love it too, it is up for adoption on my Etsy site here!

And now... a little glimpse into those that are still growing!
As some of you may know, I have a lot of fun playing with a non-toxic resin I have in the studio and especially mixing glittery pigments into it and pouring into recycled popcaps! Well! I have a batch to show you that are complete in that the pendant tableau has been created, resin has cured and so the popcap/bezel portion is complete... and yet there is one more step that is needed for them to become pendants. Let's look at the little vignettes before I disclose the next step!

These are hard to photograph as the resin drys to a glass-hard finish, but hopefully you can get some idea of the beauty in each cap!
The finishing touch is drilling the caps with my Dremel and threading various appropriate jumprings through the holes so the caps have something to hang by.

Hopefully you can see the little round rings at the top of each pendant! This is where the chain, ribbon, cord or whatever these pendants will be suspended by are woven through. Voila! Now they are pendants and ready to be adopted as-is or interlaced into a necklace creation!
Check in here again to see what happens with them next!
Have an excellent weekend!
Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! On Safari!

2012-01-11T16:14:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!
Welcome to Wednesday!! I don't know about the weather for you-all, but winter has arrived for me! The weather in the Midwest is so changeable!! 50 degrees (Fahrenheit) yesterday and about 16 degrees right now! I was actually missing the snow, so I'm happy to see this!

Let's start our adventure with the namesake of this blog first and then show you the more beautiful whimsy-creation last!
So! First up on our tour... More Squinkies!!! I think the safari reference will become pretty obvious in a moment!
Title: Lions and Tigers
Ingredients: Squinkies(rubber), Bali silver, metal, hypo-allergenic surgical steel.

Aren't they adorable? Doesn't it look like they are plotting something?! Heeee!!!
Incidentally... these are up for adoption in my Etsy Shoppe!

And our final destination is something very Faerie and whimsical... including a bell!
Title: A Map to the Forest Temple
Ingredients: hand-made Popcap Pendant (moonstone, green aventurine, fabric leaf, glitter, non-toxic resin, popcap), Swarovski crystal butterfly, fine and lead-free pewter (USA), Czech glass (some is vintage), acrylic, metal.

And a close-up of that nifty Popcap Pendant!

Let's spend a little more time on this creation for a moment, shall we? I love that the Swarovski butterfly adds more sparkle as it hovers above the pendant! You should really see the moonstone orb glow in the pendant in person! The photos don't do it justice! The star tucked in the top right of the pendant is green adventurine....reputed to bring luck on adventures and games of chance while also bearing the power to assist in healing the Earth! (Good for trying your luck at finding any temple!) The birds nest is cast in fine pewter and is from Green Girl Studios (in South Carolina, USA)! The glass bead reminiscent of a murky jewel just down from the lovely little blue-bell flowers is vintage Czech glass. The metal charm on the top right always reminds me of a prayer box! And the bell has the most wonderful, full and mellow tone to it! The clasp is the leaf and tendril you see on the left hand side below the metal blutterfly! And the two gunmetal links you see the Popcap pendant suspended from are created with filigree metal-work!
All in all, just the sort of creation a Faerie might use as a guide to a Hallowed Ground!
Well, that concludes our safari!! I hope you enjoyed the journey! I'll look to see you back here on Friday!
Ciao!

Magical Monday! Dream Big!

2012-01-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!
Welcome to Monday!!!
I have some beautiful photographs to share and (hopefully) inspire you today! They certainly inspire me!

This first photo is by Markus Reugels and you can read more about him and how he created this photo here.

The second photo is by Sharon Robinson and you can find her on Facebook here and is a beautiful representation of Dreaming Big!

And with that, I'll see you on Wednesday!

Fini Friday! Flights of Fancy!

2012-01-06T15:47:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!!!
We've made it to Friday!!! YAYAYAYAYY!!!
Remember when you were younger than you are now and you loved to play with marbles and dream about fantastical creatures such as dragons, unicorns and faeries? Well, that's what this post is all about! Both of the creations I have to show you today fit this criteria as well as the theme of Fini Friday, since they have been languishing for some time and have now grown into completion!

Let's take a gander at the necklace first!
Title: As Yet Unknown (Although "Losing My Marbles" seems an obvious choice...)
Ingredients: Glass marbles, coated copper wire, anodized aluminum, leather (lead-free dye), sterling silver, metal.

Each one of those marbles is wire-wrapped by hand and each has a different design of wire that encircles and secures them! The marbles are woven together with jumprings in a mobius design and in rainbow colours! Last little details include a leather cord (dyed with lead-free dyes) and clasped at both ends with sterling silver cord ends as well as a vibrant violet ring as part of the clasp!
A friend of mine gave me the marbles last year and I'm so pleased to have been able to play with them!

Okay!! So there is the reference to childhood... how about the creatures of fantasy?
Do I have a treasure for you (literally!)
First, a bit of background...I found the beautifully intriguing Czech glass beads at Let It Bead in Monterey,CA some years ago. It is an enchanting little bead shop and Kris, the owner, was bursting with knowledge and creativity! I need to go back there soon!! But I digress!
So, these lovely beads have been lying in wait for the perfect design and they always reminded me of dragon scales! But to embark upon a design worthy of their mysterious gorgeousness took a bit of time! However, I believe I've done it and they've grown into beguiling beauties!
Title:Dragonscales
Ingredients: Czech glass, lead-free pewter(USA), black copper wire, surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

Incidentally! These are also listed in my Etsy shoppe!

I hope you enjoyed this brief journey with me and I look forward to seeing you on Monday!
Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Stretching Those Wings!

2012-01-04T16:14:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!
Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday! And the first one of the New Year! Whee!!!
As I mentioned in Monday's post, one of my two words for 2012 is Stretch! And I've already been doing just that!! YAY!!!
One of my nieces received a whole slew of nifty scrap-booking and paper arts stuff and invited me to a card-making class with her!! It was so much fun to play with the inks, stamps, glitter, embossing powder and embosser, texture-thingees and so much more! She is an excellent teacher and I'm pleased to say that my first endeavor turned out quite nicely!
See below!

And where are the wings alluded to in the title of this post? Well...! That's the next creation I have to show you!
Remember my post a little while ago about Squinkies? I found some Faerie Squinkies and decided to create some earrings for me!
And here they are!

The photo on the right makes it a little easier to see their sweet faces, while the photo on the left gives you some idea of their beautiful colours!

Also! Before I flit off until Friday... the two Squinkie earring pairs (Just Horsin' Around and Stepping Out) are now listing in my Etsy shoppe! ...Just in case you were interested!

Alrighty then!
See you on Friday!!

The Year Ahead & Presenting Magical Mondays!

2012-01-02T09:57:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!!!
As you can tell from the previous Friday's post, I'm eyeing things around the studio/lab and all things Sprite Creations to see what works, what doesn't and what needs added, changed or removed. It just seems like a natural time of year for it! A few years ago, I noticed a few artist friends were choosing a word as a theme for their year ahead, and I adopted that idea! After some deliberation, I've chosen two words for 2012. The first and main word popped to mind right away and is something I've been playing with integrating into my life for some time. It is THRIVE! 2011 really proved that the more I do that feels joyful, inspiring, and fun, the more successful I am in all life aspects! So, I'm going to build on that wisdom and move on up to Thriving! The second word was given to me by the cats we have around our farm. And that is Stretch! Our cats seem to do a lot of stretching (effortlessly, I might add!) and I always physically feel better with even a mere 5 minutes of stretching. However, I'm going to take this beyond physical movement and look for ways to stretch in all life aspects!
With that in mind, I'd like to introduce a few changes to you...
The first is more of a house-keeping notification...I've always posted this blog entry here and on Live Journal. However, after watching the slow decline of participation in this service, I've decided to end Sprite Creations' connection with LiveJournal and update both here and Tumblr! This change is effective today! Click Here to seek me out on Tumblr! I'm excited to learn all that it can do for me!

The second announcement regards blog entries. I've been feeling as if it is a long time out-of-communication from Friday to Wednesday with you-all, but I also needed balance blog posting with creative time and other tasks. Whimsy Wednesday and Fini Friday work very well for me, so those will continue.
Starting today, I'll be posting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays! Mondays will be titled Magical Mondays and will consist of me posting a few visual shinies (and details about those shinies) inspire, uplift or brighten my day and that might do the same for you-all! What a fantabulous way to start out the work week, yes?

And this being the inaugural Magical Monday post, I have something pretty nifty I want to share with you!
The video is a bit long at just over 7 minutes, but the craftsmanship with these Legos and their arrangement is just awe-inspiring!
Have a look!

Heee!!
See you on Wednesday!

Fini Friday! Studio ReOrg!

2011-12-30T16:57:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!!
I hope this blog post finds you well and preparing to celebrate the ending and beginning of a year! That's what I'm doing! This post is about sharing a bit of studio life. One of the things I'm doing during these winter months and also as a clearing out and creating a-new is re-organizing the studio in little waves and baby steps. I began with just noticing what is irritating or just not working enough so that it saps my creative juices. I think there is always more of those than anyone cares to admit *grin*, especially since I tend to make a bit of a mess while I create! Next was looking around at what I have and pondering how those things are working for me... how they might work better.... how they might need to be moved out and so forth. After mulling over good ideas and suggestions from a trusted partner, I've made some changes!

I wanted a space that works for me, but also includes a new accoutrement (dolphin plasma lamp!!!!!) I picked up (click here if you're uncertain what I'm talking about...) recently.

This is one side of the space behind my desk and the reorganization is done (for now). This is where most of my tools that I use less often reside. These include my doming set, my Dremel (and bits), tools for polymer clay, paints and so on. You can see reference materials underneath including trade catalogs and that fabulous dolphin lamp just off to the side! A scanner is just on the edge there, with my Nerf gun and ammo (of course!) within easy reach!

This is the table directly behind my desk and is in mid-reorg! This will be an additional work/creation space. Most of what you see here are various beads and materials waiting to be sorted into their homes or into their next creation.
I've hardly ever had a problem with ideas for creations, so my re-organizing and much of my studio processes are focused on smoothly sorting and storing creations and materials in various stages of completion. This is to encourage me to move these bits of art along the continuum to finished, whether finished is declared when the creation is complete, when it is farther along, yet awaiting a few final embellishments or (far more rarely), when it is time to let an idea go and recapture the materials into other creations.

Which provides a fabulous segue to the final photo!

These are what I've dubbed my Creation Cabinets! All of the creations in their various stages of done-ness either are or will be in these soon. I'll have them labelled and will literally move them up from the bottom in terms of priority, which will include how-close-are-they-to-done status.
So! There you have it, a quick romp around the studio with a little bit of what-I'm-up-to thrown in for good measure!

However you celebrate the coming of a new year, Have Fun! Be Safe!
See you in the New Year!

Whimsy Wednesday! Faeries, A Plasma Lamp and Walkabout!

2011-12-28T17:52:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!
I took a little time to go on Walkabout today and collected some nifty things along the way! I trust you'll see the whimsy towards the bottom of this post, if not before! Let's start with a photo of some of my findings and I'll explain from there!

I loved the wonderfully warm colour of this bracelet and intend to weave wire (and perhaps other things!) through it to embellish it and make it truly a Sprite Creation! The green basket you see the two pairs of earrings suspended from is another object that I acquired today! I think it is a fabulously fairie accent and hope to use it much more for the purpose of that which you see here! A display!!!
Let me take a moment here to note that the pair of earrings on the left are titled "Fairy Cloak", whilst the ones on the right are "A Window Into A Fire Sprite's World" and both are conveniently available for adoption in my Etsy shoppe! Shiny!

The second photo is the plasma lamp alluded to in this blog entry's title! It is in the shape of a dolphin and I intend to place it in my studio! The timing on this find is perfect as I'm intending to use these winter months to re-envision and re-organize my studio and I'm sensing that the overall theme growing into fruition will be "Faerie Mad-Scientist Lab/Studio"!

Isn't that just awesome??? Woohooo!!!!
So!! I'll see you on Friday, yes? YES!
Ciao!

Fini Friday! Merry!

2011-12-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!!!
I've been out and about doing the last little bits of shopping for Winter Holiday celebrations this weekend and picked up a little bit of loot for the studio as well!!

I'm going to pause here before showing you those shinies to let you know that I've listed a few more creations in my Etsy shoppe! Do you remember this post? I've listed Celebration In A Twinkling from that post, as well as one other pair of earrings just now. So! If these strike your fancy, click on over and adopt them!
P.S. It is too late for these to arrive before Christmas, especially since I will be on the interwebs only infrequently this weekend (for obvious reasons), so please keep that in mind!

OK!! Onward to the loot!!!

Don't these sparkle and shine??? These are all Swarovski crystals!!! I love the vibrant, soft colours and the flower and butterfly shapes!! They remind me of Spring!! Wheeeee!!!

And now, let me take a moment to wish you all a MERRY! whatever Winter Holiday you celebrate! May your holidays be filled with beauty, joy, wonder and love!
And with that, here is a photo of my Christmas tree, complete with presents!!!
I have 2 favorite parts of Christmas/Yule... finding the perfect gift for a loved one and seeing the happy expressions on that loved one's face when they open that perfect gift! So you can imagine that a tree filled underneath with gifts is a warm, happy sight to me!

Merry!!
See you next week!

Whimsy Wednesday!! Guitar Piks and... Aliens!?!

2011-12-21T14:45:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!!
I've had fun playing with some more unusual materials today and can't wait to show you what has grown out of this!!
I noticed a fellow artist who created necklaces and bracelets from alien head guitar piks a month or so ago and wanted to try it for myself!!! So! I found some alien head guitar piks (that glow in the dark!!!!), pierced them and played!
Here! Let me show you!

Title: AlienNation
Ingredients: Glow in the Dark Alien Head Guitar Piks, anodized aluminum, silver-plated surgical steel earwires(hypo-allergenic)

I flipped one of the earrings over so you can see the writing on the back.. it says "Roswell crash site".

I was important to me to keep the practical application of the guitar pik and so let's see how I did that with the bracelet below!
Title: Sightings
Ingredients: Ingredients: Glow in the Dark Alien Head Guitar Piks, Glow in the Dark Star Mood Bead, leather (dyed with lead-free dye, USA), sterling silver, anodized aluminum, lead-free pewter, gunmetal.

The guitar pik is suspended by a lobster-claw clasp and from the big orange ring. This means that the pik can be removed from the clasp and used to play, then simply reattached to the lobster claw! The same clasp is used to secure the bracelet to the wrist. The two beads you see near the knots surrounding the mood bead with the stars are free to move from near the mood bead to the sterling silver cord ends. I love weaving motion into my creations and so I was able to do that here!

Look for these in my Etsy shoppe by the end of this week!
See you Friday!!!

Fini Friday! Wrenches, Crystals and Angels!

2011-12-16T16:20:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!!
It's Friday!!! As you can guess by the blog title, I have an unusual batch of creations to show you today! This is part of what I love about what I create here at Sprite Creations... the diversity of materials and styles and techniques I get to play with! Wheee!!!
Ok!! First up! The wrenches!
Titles: As yet unknown
Ingredients: metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

These are Custom Creations created for a friend of mine, who is a fellow motorcyclist (he would 'biker!).
I think they are just awesome!

Next up! Crystals and Snowmen!
Title: As yet unknown
Ingredients: Swarovski crystals (including vintage crystals), lead-free pewter, German wire, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

All the shiny-ness that you see here are Swarovski crystals and the brilliant center shinies are vintage Swarovksi crystals! They remind me so much of big snowflakes... with the little beads reminiscent of snowballs!

Last and certainly not least...Angels!
Title: As yet unknown
Ingredients: 'sea opal' glass, lead-free pewter, Czech glass, antiqued copper wire, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

So there we are! This will likely be all to be seen for Winter Holiday themed creations as a Sprite's World includes all seasons! Look for these in my Etsy shoppe on Monday!

P.S.There is one more BlogTalk Radio Interview on Tuesday, Dec. 20th at 3pm CST(USA). This will be chalk-full of Messages From the Faeries and we will be concentrating on Message #2. What is Message #2, you ask? You'll just have to tune in and see!

Whimsy Wednesday! Glitter and Squinkies!

2011-12-14T15:46:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!! Welcome back to my blog!!! It's Wednesday of this week already!!! I've been a bit under the weather lately so things have been progressing much more slowly than I'd care for!! I'll continue to fill my Etsy shoppe with new creations throughout December and into the New Year, so feel free to check back there often! If you follow me on Twitter or are a Fan of Sprite Creations on Facebook, I usually send out a notification when new creations are published so look for those! Ok! Now on to the newest shinies! First, the Squinkies!!! I have a small herd of Squinkies that are slowly growing into creations! Once these are done, I'm not likely to create more with them, so these are, quite literally, limited editions! Title: Stepping Out Ingredients: Moose Squinkies (Rubber), Bali silver, Czech glass, metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

Title: Just Horsin' Around Ingredients: Seahorse Squinkies (Rubber), Bali silver, Czech glass, metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires

And one last bit of whimsy before we adjourn until Friday! I have loot to show you!!! Recently, one of the kinds folks visiting with me in my booth at a show mentioned that there were mega-collections of fairy dust (also known as glitter to some) to be found out and about! I was successful in hunting and gathering this fabulous horde of wonder and now I have share the glitter-wonder with you-all!!!

Isn't that a feast for the eyes? Whee!!!! Now! On to Friday!!!!! See you then!!!
P.S.There is one more BlogTalk Radio Interview on Tuesday, Dec. 20th at 3pm CST(USA). This will be chalk-full of Messages From the Faeries and we will be concentrating on Message #2. What is Message #2, you ask? You'll just have to tune in and see!

Fini Friday! It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like ....

2011-12-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

We'll just call them Winter Holidays!!!
Hello Everyone!
I love the bustle of warmth and caring folks gathering to celebrate with friends and family during this time and so I wish a MERRY! to everyone, regardless of what your celebration is called or how it is celebrated! Thank you for joining me this Holiday Season!

I have Winter Holiday shinies to show you! I've been playing with hand-colouring and hand-painting resin on more bits and bobs and charms and it has been so much fun!!!!
Let me show you!!!

Title: Rockin' Good Time
Ingredients: Hand-coloured resin(Non-toxic) hand-painted on lead-free pewter(USA), Swarovski crystals, antiqued copper wire, silver-plated surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

See the red? Yup! That's the resin! Aren't those horses marvelous???!!!

Next up!
Title: Celebration in a Twinkling!
Ingredients: Hand-coloured resin(Non-toxic) hand-painted on lead-free pewter(USA), Swarovski crystals, colored copper wire, silver-plated surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

And!!! For all children big and small... I offer another Squinkie creation!
Title: Seal of Approval
Ingredients: Squinkie seals, coloured copper wire, silver-plated surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

All of these will be available at the The Women's Art Festival this weekend and also next week in my Etsy Shoppe!

And there is one more BlogTalk Radio Interview on Tuesday, Dec. 20th at 3pm CST(USA). This will be chalk-full of Messages From the Faeries and we will be concentrating on Message #2. What is Message #2, you ask? You'll just have to tune in and see!

Whimsy Wednesday! Mobile Studio!!

2011-12-07T18:30:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!!!
I have some fun things to share with you today! I was out and about on Walkabout today and decided to spend some time at a local coffee shop with my mobile studio! There was both computer and adornment creation "work" to be done and so I packed both, figuring I could switch from one to the other as mood and inspiration decided. I'm so pleased with a thrift store find that I used for the first time and on this adventure!! I'm not sure what it was designed for.. though my guess is perhaps a sample or printer/toner business bag, since it has oodles of pockets and pouches and zippers and combination locks and handles on 2 sides and etc. It was definitely made to be durable and I love the telescoping handle and rugged wheels! It fit all of my mobile studio accoutrements plus my computer, files, pens and etc.! YAY!
Ok... enough with geeking out about the perfect bag/tool.. I'll just show you what it looks like!

And here is my mobile office, where I set-up shop for a good portion of the day....

Please note the lovely, lovely sunshine!!! YAYAYAYAY!!!!
I accomplished much during my hours in that comfy chair in the aforementioned sunlight and it was a good day! ... Especially since Chai tea was involved!

And now, to finish off this post, let me show you my latest, newest completed creation!!

Title: Gita's Jewels
Ingredients: hand-painted with hand-coloured resin (Non-toxic) elephants (lead-free pewter ((USA)), Czech glass, German silver wire, surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic, silver-plated).

I've been playing with hand-colouring resin and painting it on various objects and I'm so pleased that these turned out so well!!! I love the subtle match of the resin colouring the elephant's adornments with the centre colour of the glass "jewel" beads!

Before I leave you until Fini Friday, remember my final show for this year is The Women's Art Festival!

And there is one more BlogTalk Radio Interview on Tuesday, Dec. 20th at 3pm CST(USA). This will be chalk-full of Messages From the Faeries and we will be concentrating on Message #2. What is Message #2, you ask? You'll just have to tune in and see!

Fini Friday! Calling All Geeks!

2011-12-02T13:47:00.000-08:00

Hello Hello!
Well, here it is! A quick post before finishing preparations for the Holiday Geek Expo!
I have some ensemble photos to show you of some of the newest shinies you'll see this weekend if you join us for the Expo!

First, the left side of our ensemble, full of our cast of creations!

And then the right...

And finally, the entire cast...

What do we have here? A USB flash drive, brooches, a mood necklace, earcuffs, and earrings, oh my!

Hope to see you this weekend at the Holiday Geek Expo or, after that, visiting my Etsy shoppe and The Women's Art Festival!

Also! I have one more BlogTalk Radio Interview on Tuesday, Dec. 20th at 3pm CST(USA). This will be chalk-full of Messages From the Faeries and we will be concentrating on Message #2. What is Message #2, you ask? You'll just have to tune in and see!

Whimsy Wednesday! Whimsical and Geeky!

2011-11-30T15:47:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!! Just a short Whimsy Wednesday post as today has been a whirlwind of activity!!!
I'm ramping up on creating with computer keys and all things Geek for the Holiday Geek Expo this Saturday and Sunday!!!

Here is a little of the new shinies you will find there!

Title: as yet unknown
Ingredients: Swarovski crystal, hand-finished brass, Czech glass, acrylic, metal, surgical steel earwires (silver-plate)

Title: Lighten Up
Ingredients: Sterling Silver earcuff, anodized aluminum, repurposed computer key

Titles: as yet known
Ingredients: Glass, anodized aluminum, metal, cord.

So, tune in on Friday for the final peek at what you'll see this weekend at the Holiday Geek Expo or, after that, in my Etsy shoppeand The Women's Art Festival!

Also! I have one more BlogTalk Radio Interview on Tuesday, Dec. 20th at 3pm CST(USA). This will be chalk-full of Messages From the Faeries and we will be concentrating on Message #2. What is Message #2, you ask? You'll just have to tune in and see!

Fini Friday! Shopping, Squinkies and More!

2011-11-25T17:38:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!
It is Friday and I have been out on Walkabout shopping on Black Friday for the first time in my adult life! I am not really a Black Friday shopping-sort of person, as there is no material thing I need to purchase for someone that badly. However, a good friend of mine convinced me to go with her and we always have fun together. That and it was understood that we absolutely did not leave the house before 8:30am. The tipping point came when an offer of chai tea was made and I was accepted the mission!! I am happy to say that I have made great strides on my Winter Holiday shopping, we had a lot of fun and I have shinies to show you!

And with that, here is a photo of some of the loot I brought home with me!

I was able to acquire lots of nifty antiqued brass chain (undoubtedly some is steel and some is bass metal) that just beg to grow into Steampunk goodness. The brightly coloured creatures are Squinkies! Yes! More Squinkies!! I had so much fun with the first small batch that I created with that I decided to revisit Squinkie-ness and create with more of them! I'm betting that this is about as far as I'm going to go in terms of investing in them, so I'm intrigued to see what they grow into!
The golden circles you see in the center-left are actually adjustable bracelets!!! I am excited about the possibilities with these! I could stamp, wire-wrap, glue old paper or various ephemera and seal with resin and so much more!! YAY!! I love having nifty materials to play with!

I also have nifty finished creations to show you! Below is a photo of completed wire-wrapped rings, some with beads and some with vintage buttons as the focal(s).

These don't yet have titles and I will remedy that soon! Look for these and more creations to be added to my Etsy shoppe over the weekend!

Speaking of weekends, before I finish this post so we can all start our weekend, let me draw your attention to my event schedule for the rest of the year! (Isn't it strange to think of it that way???!!!)
Holiday Geek Expo and The Women's Art Festival! And I have one more BlogTalk Radio Interview on Tuesday, Dec. 20th at 3pm CST(USA). This will be chalk-full of Messages From the Faeries and we will be concentrating on Message #2. What is Message #2, you ask? You'll just have to tune in and see!
And now, I give you...The Weekend!!!!
HAVE FUN!

GratitudeWhimsy Wednesday! Royal Crayon Artwork and Abundance!

2011-11-23T16:19:00.000-08:00

Hello!!
Welcome to the day before the American Holiday of Thanksgiving and a few days before Winter Holidays shopping really takes off!
I'll be filling up my Etsy shoppe over the coming days as well as attending my two remaining events of the year: Holiday Geek Expo and The Women's Art Festival!
I've lots of new designs and ideas laid out in the studio, so stay tuned for the latest creations and perhaps a deal or two in the offering!!!
I've a rather imaginary and whimsical creation to show you right out of the gate today! The idea for this design has been absolutely centered around the pendant, which I obtained from a fellow artist. It is lampwork glass, hand-made by an unknown artist, suspended by sterling silver wire. I love the simple, unrefined artistry of it and lo! the title of the creation was born!
Imagine, if you will, a small girl, in a futuristic yet Medieval/Renaissance time or place, doodling with crayons and creating her very own pendant with those crayons... perhaps she asks her favorite magician to turn her drawing to glass...perhaps she begs her Mother or Father to request the same from the court magician... however it occurs, this pendant is, most definitely, Her Majesty's Royal Crayon Artwork.
Threaded onto velvet ribbon and secured around the neck with golden accented (gold-plate) hearts within sterling silver hearts...with some adjustment so that it grows with her as she matures, this is a simply endearing creation!
Title: Her Majesty's Royal Crayon Artwork
Ingredients: Lampwork glass pendant, sterling silver, velvet ribbon, metal.

This last creation is a pendant that echoes the simple theme above, yet is stunning for all that! This elegant pendant has, at it's heart, the beautifully detailed turkey, solidly cast in sterling silver! Some North Native American legends call the Turkey "Night Eagle" and this astonishing likeness evokes that majesty! Our Turkey is surrounded by Swarovski crystal in gleaming Fall colors of Olivine, Mocca and Fire Opal and yet more sterling silver! The pendant would hang from a chain, cord or etc. as you see it suspended from the Forest Green ribbon.
Title: Abundance
Ingredients: Sterling silver, Swarovski crystals

This pendant carries with it the deeper meaning of a holiday of giving Thanks for the abundance of food and resources, particularly in staving off times of scarcity. The American holiday of Thanksgiving has always been one of offering gratitude for the abundance we have been blessed with. Whether those blessings are good food, excellent companions, abundant resources and so on, it is good to take a moment to appreciate and be grateful for all of it!
Let me take a moment here to elaborate on this. About three years ago, I left the corporate world to devote myself full-time to Sprite Creations. I had so many ideas and designs in my head that I felt could help the world be a better place through inspiring creativity and assisting people in creating the life they wanted. The years of retail and other industry experience would serve me well, and I was ready to be my own boss and create my own company and culture.
Creating everything from the mystical to Steampunk, Faerie to modern art and nearly everything in-between and with all manner of materials from resin to metal and old watch parts, upholstery trim, hand-dyed fiber, to wire, I strive to bring the truly one-of-a-kind to you. I focus on interweaving the eco-friendly throughout my processes and materials, which is why much of my office supplies and equipment are recycled or repurposed as well as my materials. I create my own components or purchase many of them directly from the artists who create them (many of whom reside in the USA).
All of the events I give my time and energy to have a secondary purpose such as celebrate diversity, support local schools, independent artists and art programs, independent businesses, and charities. Many folks can make jewelry. From the beginning, I created (and still create) the unusual, the meaningful and what most call Art. From the hand-written and hand-stamped story tags for each creation to the absolute attention to detail for each charm, or bead or pendant, it is easy to see the high standards I set for myself and my creations. Yet, it is important to send whimsy out into the world and so I attempt to intertwine playfulness into everything I create. As you move through this Holiday season and into the New Year, I Thank You for your support of me and Sprite Creations! I could not do this without you-all. Your support and travelling with me these years has made it possible for Sprite Creations to grow and even thrive in a rather turbulent time in our world.
Thank You.
And so! Here is wishing you all a Happy Day of Thanks! Whether you celebrate this holiday or not, please accept my gratitude and thanks for travelling with and supporting me on this journey that is Sprite Creations!
(Look for us on Facebook!)

Fini Friday! Bits and Miscellaneous...

2011-11-18T16:29:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!!!
This is it, a brief, but important Fini Friday post before plunging into the last of preparations for tomorrow's show!! What's that, you say? You didn't know you could see the creations I'm about to show you in person? Well, You Can!!!
I will have these with me at the ArtsFest in North Branch (MN, USA) this Saturday, Nov. 19th from 9am to 4pm!
So, now you know where to find them tomorrow, let move on to the Shinies!!!

The first is a new Mood Bead creation using a mood bead with the Shangri-La design.
Title: Prayerful Mood
Ingredients: Shangri-La mood bead, recycled chain and link, copper-plated pewter (USA), metal bells.

The idea behind this was to create a prayerful or meditative piece. Shangri-La is often associated with Tibet and high Himalayan retreats and I often think of the prayer bells and toning when reminded of the Tibetian/Buddhist faith. I hand-tested the bells to make certain that they all tinkled in cheerful tones before incorporating them into this design!

The second creation centers around the sold sterling silver turkey pendant. Accented with Fall/Thanksgiving/Harvest colors of fiery reds&oranges, a rich grown and a mature green Swarovski crystals, this focal mixes metals, tones and textures perfectly!
Title: Giving Thanks
Ingredients: Sterling Silver (Turkey, clasp, beads&findings), Swarovski crystals, plated copper metal & pewter (USA).

At the bottom of this post, you'll find the poster for the Arts Fest at North Branch that will give you a little more information about the show. I'll be at Booth 5E in the Middle School and I hope to see you there!!!

But before I go, I'd like to interrupt this regularly scheduled resolution of this Fini Friday with very important information. Normally I don't post anything remotely political on my business pages here on the 'Net for obvious reasons. However, this deserves to be a special exception. Most of my business is based on the Internet and there is a Bill before both the US House and Senate that would violate our Freedom of the Press as guaranteed by our Constitution as well as make it far more difficult to do business online.
Here is the link, should you choose to follow it. It will help you find your Representatives, assuming you are a US citizen.
Thank you.

And now!!! Ciao!!! If I don't see you tomorrow, I'll see you next week!

Whimsy Wednesday! Fairy Hair Creations-It Begins!

2011-11-16T16:55:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!!
It's Whimsy Wednesday and I have oodles of whimsical creations to show you!!
You might remember seeing the start of these creations last Fini Friday. They have now grown into completion and I'm so proud and pleased to be able to show them to you!!

First, I'd like to give you a little glimpse into my studio smack-dab in the middle of creation time! I paused mid-creation to take this photo because I was having so much fun with glitter that I was giggling to myself nearly the entire time!
Have a look-see!

YAY GLITTER!!!!

Onward to the new shinies!!!
These all begin with rainbow-coloured barrettes (as you saw in Friday's photo) as the base and grew from there. There are eleven Hair Creations in all and the inspirations and style range from floral to ocean, Egyptian to Steampunk with funky and woodland thrown into the mix!
See?

These are so new that they have not yet been named, so that must needs be remedied soon!!!
Rest assured that I will have these with me at the ArtsFest in North Branch (MN, USA) this Saturday, Nov. 19th from 9am to 4pm!
And speaking of that....Stop on by to see us and get a jump on your Winter Holiday shopping, while supporting independent artisans and craftspeople and their art!

Fini Friday! Walkabouts and Fairy Hair Creations!

2011-11-11T16:34:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!!!
Welcome to Fini Friday!!!
I've been a little quiet this week because I've spent a busy few days on Walkabout and so away from the computer and studio!
In keeping with the Fini Friday idea....I've a new batch of creations that are growing into completion to show you today! I'll also give you a peek at some of what I've collected on Walkabout at the end of the post!

So, I've been mulling over the suggestion from some of you about Fairy Hair Accessories. And I found that I liked the idea, but I waited until I could create something truly my own, truly unique and that would be truly a Sprite Creation! And now I've done just that!!

The fabric flowers you see there are part of the disassembled faux flower lei that I've had for years! The elastic holding it together has been dead for a while (you can see it and the plastic bits that were spacers between bunches of flowers at the top left of the photo), yet the flowers are still in good shape and I wanted to reuse them, if possible!

You can see, on the right, barrettes which are to be the base for the accessories. I loved the rainbow colors and glitter with which these were already adorned!
You also spy some bits and bobs of my glitter collection as well as some of the beads I'm pondering using to complete the hair creations! The vision is to include "just" "simple" barrettes as well as those with little flowers and leaves that can twine through the hair.
And finally, a glimpse of some of those flowers be-decked with glitter as well as a shot of the entire creation process so far!

I save nearly every thing I work with, in terms of materials, so I'm looking forward to using my scrap colored wire to add yet more color, texture and interest to these!
Stay tuned for the finished creations!

And now, that peep into my modest collection of things while on Walkabout!

Much of what you see here are materials I'll be using in upcoming Creations, however, the candle in the red tulle that can be seen at the top of the photograph is a goodie that I purchased while doing a little early Winter Holiday shopping! It is hand-made and scented with orange essential oil! Yum!

One more little note before you go on to your fabulous weekend...
Myself and Sprite Creations will be at the Arts Fest in North Branch (MN, USA) next Saturday, Nov. 19th from 10am to 4pm! Click on the link for more details! Stop on by to see us and get a jump on your Winter Holiday shopping, while supporting independent artists and their art!

Thanks for stopping by my little Fairy corner of the 'Web!

Whimsy Wednesday!! Out and About and More On Friday!!!

2011-11-09T20:23:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone!!!
Just a quick note here to let you know that I've been out on Walkabout today and will be tomorrow as well! I'll have all sorts of goodies to show you on Friday!!
See you then!!!

Fini Friday! New Mood Creations!

2011-11-04T17:12:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!
It's FRIDAY!!!!
I'm packing up for the show tomorrow, but wanted to give you a few glimpses at the newest creations I'll have with me tomorrow!!
I wanted to more play time with those new mood beads and needed to create more finished creations with them, as many of the previous mood creations have been adopted! So!! Here we go!!

Title: An Opulent Mood
Ingredients: "Opulent Arches" Mood bead, Swarovski crystals, hand-finished brass, Czech glass, metal, lead-free pewter.

Mmmmmmmm.... Cobalt Blue Swarovski Crystals!!!!!

Title: Travelling Turtle Island
Ingredients: "Turtle Island" and "Rosy Posy" Mood beads, lead-free pewter, sterling silver, suede, anodized aluminum.

I love the turtle design on that center mood bead!! There are two turtles swimming around that bead, each with a different pose! Also, I love the legend of Turtle Island! In Native American lore, Turtle Island is the land masses of the Earth. Legend has it that humans live on the back of a great turtle who swims in the oceans of the Earth. So, we could be travelling Turtle Island as we go about our daily lives. The clasp reminds me so much of spiral galaxies... of which our Milky Way is one. So, our Turtle Island is travelling around our galaxy, too!! Many meanings, one necklace!

Title: A Flair for the Romantic
Ingredients: "Fountain Fern" Mood bead, Swarovski crystals, Czech glass, copper-plated metal, metal.

I love the fern design on this mood bead and the vibrant hues of Ruby, Padparadscha and Light Amethyst Swarovski crystals!

I'll have these available at the Artisan Fair in Chanhassen, MN (USA) this Saturday!
It would be grand to see you there!!! Either way, have an excellent weekend!!
Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Charming New Shinies!

2011-11-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

Hellooooooooo!!!!
It was such a beautiful, clear and warm Wednesday today and I hope it was the same for you! Remember those new Mood Beads I mentioned were in some new Creations? I wanted to give you a peek into my now-current stash of Mood Beads!! I'll have these available at the Artisan Fair in Chanhassen, MN (USA) this Saturday!

Now to the goodies!!!

Don't they look good enough to eat?

I have a second bunch of shinies up my sleeve to show you!

This are old charms.. probably about 40-50 years old... that recently came my way.
I love every single one of them!! See the hot dog? The Native American? The cowboy? The pegasus? There is a Fireman's Helmet, horseshoe, elephant, tiger, and swan, oh my! There are glass pearls, a camera, a desk, a life preserver and that's just for starters!!! See where the whimsy and the title of the post come from??!
I've been pondering them and rather than using them as-is, I think I'll be making molds from them and creating my own charms from there!

So there you have it! A short little post to let you know what's going on in my studio this week!
Stop on by on Friday to see what I've cooked up!

Fini Friday! Whoooo Me?

2011-10-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone and Welcome to the Friday before Halloween/All Hallow's Eve and Samhain!!
I've a few goodies to show you before I dash off to other preparations for this weekend!
In keeping with the theme of Fini Friday, I've finished creations to show you from a bit of recent loot I captured... Do you remember these beauties? Many of them grew into earrings!
Here they are!
Title: A Civilized Flame
Ingredients: Czech-pressed glass, metal, gold-plated surgical steel earwires, focus.

I just love the mix of textures and colours in these!

Title: Star Scepter
Ingredients: Czech-pressed glass, metal, gold-plated surgical steel earwires, majesty

Here I love the etheral, yet playful feel...

Title: Intrigue
Ingredients: Czech-pressed glass, metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires, mystery

And what is not to love about that vibrant, glowing red?!

Last, but certainly not least, the earrings that are the title of this post and a celebration of the fun and frolic of Halloween to me...
Title: Whoooo Me?
Ingredients: Lampwork glass owls, Swarovski crystals, metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires, innocence.

All of these will be with me this Saturday at BellaWeen at BellaLuna Boutique in Minnetonka, MN (USA)! Whether you're looking for that last fabulous piece to tie your costume together for Saturday night parties, to pamper yourself before said parties or taking the little ones out for Trick or Treat or just want to shop at a new, interesting, independently-owned shoppe, this event is for you! We'll have massage therapists, jewelry, stones, scarves, bottle, bits and bobs, Faeries, dragons, Intuitive Readers, Live Music and more!!
See you soon and have FUN!

Whimsy Wednesday! New Mood Beads, New Creations!

2011-10-26T17:11:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!! Welcome back to Whimsy Wednesday!
I've been playing with some new mood beads as well as beadable pens and wine stoppers!! The pens and stainless steel wine stoppers have been around a while, but I just hadn't felt inspired to do much with them until now. With the recent procurement of newly-designed mood beads, I thought I'd try my hand at a few of each! You can see what grew into completion below!
First, the wine bottle stoppers! Stainless steel with rubber rings that act as gaskets, these are fun and functional! The center bead is the mood bead, framed by two carved bone beads.
Title: (edited to include title) As Yet Unknown...

The second wine stopper is graced with hand-crafted lamp-work and furnace glass (USA Artists) beads, accented with lead-free pewter beads with a Greek key design.
Title: (Edited to include title) In Vino Veritas

On to the Pens!
The first pen is also adorned with hand-crafted furnace glass (USA artist) with a dramatic white-centered orb at the top (either glass or acrylic)! Paired with the black finish on the pen, this reminds me of an old fashioned gas light... or perhaps a tool used by a wizard to illuminate or dispel illumination...
Title: Old Fashioned, With a Modern Twist
(The nib of the pen extends and retracts with a twist of the pen, about mid-way up.. see the pun in the title?) *grin*

And the last pen I have to show you uses one of my favorite new mood bead designs... a mermaid!!! Yup!! The middle orb is a swimming mermaid, enclosed on either side with complimentary, smaller mood beads, and accentuated with lead-free pewter and cobalt blue glass beads.

Title: A Mermaid's Tale

Finally, a closer look at those gorgeous mood beads!

All of these will be with me this Saturday at BellaWeen at BellaLuna Boutique in Minnetonka, MN (USA)! Whether you're looking for that last fabulous piece to tie your costume together for Saturday night parties, to pamper yourself before said parties or taking the little ones out for Trick or Treat or just want to shop at a new, interesting, independently-owned shoppe, this event is for you! We'll have massage therapists, jewelry, stones, scarves, bottle, bits and bobs, Faeries, dragons, Intuitive Readers, Live Music and more!!
See you Friday!

Fini Friday! A Story of Time...

2011-10-21T16:44:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
I hope your Friday has been as warm and enjoyable as mine has!
In keeping with the Fini Friday theme of finishing that which has been started but then languishing incomplete, I have a necklace to show you today that features one of my Popcap Pendants!
I create the Popcap Pendants from recycled popcaps and embellish them with scrapbooking paper and stickers, glitter, old watch parts, beads, gemstones, found objects and etc.

This particular pendant was created with a scrapbook sticker, glitter, and old watch parts all sealed in with a non-toxic resin. Take a look!

It was fun creating the rest of the necklace using links from different chain, upcycled necklaces, charms and beads. The clasp is actually in the front, with all sorts of fun letters stamped in it! I love that I was able to keep a warm color palette while mixing in a great many intriguing charms and beads!
Here is the the entire creation...
Title: A Story of Time
Ingredients: old watch parts, swarovski crystals, metal, glitter, lead-free pewter, non-toxic resin, glass, and brass.

Don't forget that I'll be at BellaWeen at BellaLuna Boutique in Minnetonka, MN (USA) next Saturday (the 29th of October)! Stop by for that last little thing to complete your costume or just celebrate Halloween with us!

See you next week!

Whimsy Wednesday! On Walkabout!

2011-10-19T19:47:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!!
I was on Walk About today and so the timing of this post has been pushed back a little bit a little later than usual!
Incidentally, if you are in the Sauk Center, MN (USA) area, there is a fabulous little shop there called Heaven and Earth Essentials, which is connected to Main Street Antiques and has intriguing and beautiful things in every nook and cranny. More info is on their website here. I've already drunk some of the Firefly Chai that I purchased from Barbara, the owner, and YUM! is the best word I have for it!
Here is a little photo of my bag 'o chai goodness!!!

And, of course, no Walkabout would be complete without the finding and purchasing of bead-y goodness! I did, indeed, find a small bead shop during my adventures today and wanted to share a photo of my modest bit of loot with you!

Most of this is Czech-pressed glass and I'm looking forward to creating with them... especially as I have a few ideas boiling and brewing inside my head even now!

How does this tie in to the whimsy of Whimsy Wednesday? You-all are able to share in the whims and whimsy of my Walkabout (of course!)by seeing what I bring home and hearing about my adventures!

And with that, Good Night!
See you on Friday!!!

Fini Friday! Instant Gratification!

2011-10-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!!
It's Friday!!!!
I had visions of creating much more today in my studio, and yet my time has been taken up with necessary tasks elsewhere and so I have a modest amount of new creations to show you today.
Today's theme of instant gratification speaks to the process of creating the two earring pairs I have to show today.
The first pair literally fell together as I was finishing up the creations for Whimsy Wednesday and, in true Fini Friday fashion, I decided not to let dust gather on the idea and so to finish creating them today!
Here they are...
Title: Star Nautilus
Ingredients: Czech Glass, metal, surgical steel earwires (silver-plated, hypo-allergenic)

While chatting with folks at the Saint Paul Art Crawl, I realized I am all out of earrings with wrenches in them! This, obviously, needs to be corrected immediately! So, that is what I set about to resolve with the final earring creations I have to show you below!
Working Title: Tribal Moon
Ingredients: Stone (probably jasper), lead-free pewter (USA), Czech glass, metal, sterling silver, sterling silver earwires (hypo-allergenic).

Look for Star Nautilus in my Etsy Shoppe yet this evening!
Have an awesome weekend!!
Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Peeking into Different Worlds!

2011-10-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!!
As I was looking through the creations and photos I have for you today, I realized there is a central theme of glimpses of other worlds and that seems apt for both the title of this blog and a 'snapshot' of my life right now! So! Let's dive right in!
If you didn't have a chance to join me at the Saint Paul Art Crawl over the weekend, you were both missed and missed out on a lot of fun!
Here is a photo of my booth...

We were treated to live soundscaping music from Todd Madson on Saturday, performance art at the recycled milk carton igloo built by child-artist Matilda) just to the right of my booth later that day and all sorts of nifty people adopting creations throughout the weekend! Though I love to see the creations adopted and couldn't be happier that they found perfect homes; some of the creations adopted this weekend have been travelling with me for a while...so...I felt a little odd and a little melancholy as they left with their people (some of them being worn on their people in the leaving!!).
But enough of that perspective!
Let's move on to the creations I have to show you!
I've had these luscious lampwork glass beads by Beau Hawn for a little while and was determined to make something of them today! And so I have!
Paired with Swarovski crystals and Czech-pressed glass, I think they are lovely!
Title:A Window into the Fire Sprite's World
Ingredients: Beau Hawn lampwork glass, Czech "window" glass, Swarovski crystal, sterling silver.

And the last creation is a peek into the more watery depths...
Title: A Peek Into a Mermaid's World
Ingredients: Czech-pressed glass, copper, metal, surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic)

And so there you have it!
See you on Friday!!!

Fini Friday! Flashy News!

2011-10-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
Just a quick post and photos of some of the new shinies you'll see if you visit me at the Saint Paul Art Crawl tonight!
I'll be in the 3rd floor Atrium, rather than the 5th.. just so you know!

And now.. the Flash Drives!!
Both 4 GB and both are twisties!!! The first one is actually a carabiner!

See you soon!

Whimsy Wednesday!! Spooky Loot and a Custom Creation!

2011-10-05T19:55:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!
I have fun things to show you today! I received a small batch of spooky loot from Earthenwood Studios just in time for my Halloween creating!
I have so much fun with Melanie's art and really dig her imagination and ceramic creativity so I try to play with creations of hers often!

I didn't resist her original design of the kitties in the spooky moonlight! They are so charmingly mysterious!

I also have a Custom Creation to show you!
A friend inquired if I might be able to repair his bracelet, since a stone fell out of the setting, and requested Citrine as the replacement stone.
Here is the bracelet...made whole with the new Citrine cabochon.
First, a close-up of that stone:

And last is a photo of that captivating bracelet:

Don't forget that I'll be at the Lowertown Lofts-3rd floor atrium for the Saint Paul Art Crawl! The Crawl starts this Friday at 6pm and rocks through Sunday until 5pm. Come on down to visit and immerse yourself in the fabulous world of Art!
Ciao!

Fini Friday Loot Photos!

2011-10-02T15:52:00.000-07:00

Hello!!!
Here you are-checking back in with me on this beautiful Sunday afternoon! Thanks for stopping by!
I have photos of loot to show you!!

The above is a over-view of the goodies! Much of it is fiber.. ribbons and lace and sequins, oh my! However, you can see a few nifty toggle clasps on the right-hand side there as well as some of my new photo-display backgrounds that lay underneath it all!
I love the colours and patterns of those backgrounds and feel they will add interest and beauty to my creation photos.
I'm thinking of playing with a bit of pigmented resin on the clasps as well as creating a multi-layered necklace with the flower-shaped sequin ribbon and the antiqued lace that lay twined together near the middle of the photo.
Here is a close-up of those clasps and of much of the loot.

The white and multi-coloured sequin ribbon in the middle is actually a bit stretchy and that seems to be slated for bracelets or perhaps a choker...
And the black ribbon with grommets definitely evokes some sort of punky/Halloween inspiration!

So there you are! A peek into the inspiration and beginning side of creating for me!
Check back here often to see what they grow into!
Bye for now!

Fini Friday!! Loot!....Photos on Sunday!

2011-09-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
Just a quick note as a place-holder here and with more photos and details coming up on Sunday! Thursday and today have been chock-full of unexpected but happy events and so I have acquired LOOT!!! I haven't had time to snap photos of it to show you! I have ideas and inspiration surrounding much of the loot and I'll share that with you along with matching photos on Sunday!
In the meantime, have an awesome weekend!!!
Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Playing with Paint and Doors!

2011-09-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!!
Welcome to this week's Whimsy Wednesday!!
I have something completely different for you-all today! It's a little peek into some of the aspects of my non-studio life. Today was just such a gorgeous day that I decided to play with paint on finish some maintenance projects at the same time. My colour palette was a bit monochromatic as playing with a clean, bright white was the order of the day. However, I think you'll agree with me that things look much better and the various bits of wood are now protected from the vagaries of Minnesota weather for a good while to come!
SO!! The Before photos...(actually this is after I scraped and sanded the old paint off)
The top and side of our door frame:

And the After!

A few other doors that received a newly daubed coat of paint!

And now.. the Whimsy!
This is the base coat of paint on a wood access panel on the side of our house.
I've plans to create a Faerie Door on this panel.
Whether that Door will be entirely of paint or will entail framing an actual tiny door remains to be seen! You'll have to tune in to see what happens next!! See you Friday!!!

Fini Friday! A Colourful Life!!

2011-09-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

Hello Hello!!!
It is Friday!! The description for this blog post could as easily apply to my life as to the creations I'm about to show you!
This is a bracelet and earring set and is charmingly vibrant!! The bracelet was started some time ago with a small collection of beads and sterling silver wire. In part, it was an exercise in wire-wrapping unusual shapes. It lay dormant for a while and I could really see where my skills have improved as I re-wrapped some of the beads! I am proud to say that! The multi-coloured jumprings that I have in stock finished off this creation nicely and I think you'll agree!

Title: A Colourful Life
Ingredients: Glass, plastic, wood, sterling silver

And with that, I'll leave you to your weekend!! I hope it is fabulous and full of colour and life!!
Au Revoir!
P.S. If you're in the area, stop by the Mind, Body and Spirit Expo in Saint Cloud, MN (USA) and say HELLO! I'll be there from 10am to 6pm tomorrow!

Whimsy Wednesday! Hearts and Mermaids!

2011-09-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
Welcome back to Whimsy Wednesday!
I took a little time today to play with wire and some slightly more unusual materials!
While the materials I'll be showing you shortly are not as extraordinary as a cow chain or fishing lures, they each had their own unique challenge.
The first two pairs of earrings use heart beads as their focal. The challenge with these beads is that the hole from which they dangle is actually too far away from the top edge of the bead to accommodate a jumpring, so a bit of wire-wrapping is in order!

Title: Green and Growing
Ingredients: Glass, permanently coated copper wire(USA), surgical steel earwires(silver-plated).

Title: Hearts Entwined
Ingredients: Glass, permanently coated copper wire(USA), surgical steel earwires(gold-plated).

Here is an added bit of Whimsy! I find the most interesting serendipities often happen whilst I am creating and so it was with these two pairs of earrings! I had the radio program on my computer set to random play and as I switched to creating these two earring pairs, I noticed that an Open Heart Meditation recording started playing at nearly the same time! Nifty and very appropriate!

And now, the flights of fancy (or should we say swims of fancy?) and the slam-dunk of whimsy!
You might remember when I brought these Squinkies home a little while back. I've been pondering what to do with the Mermaids and this is grew into being!

Title: Twins
Ingredients: Squinkie Mermaids, Bali silver, glass, metal, surgical steel earwires (silver-plated).

I love how the Bali silver spacers give the impression that each Mermaid is wearing a little crown!
So! Here we are, wrapping up another Whimsy Wednesday!
If you're in the mood for more Whimsy, tune into my interview with Cheryl Patton of 1Woman's Wisdom as we talk about Faeries, Life with Magic and who knows what else? Tomorrow at 3pm CST (USA) on BlogTalk Radio!

Ciao!
P.S. I'll be in the Saint Cloud (MN, USA) area for the
Mind, Body and Spirit Expo this Saturday from 10am to 6pm so stop by and say Hello if you're nearby!

Fini Friday!! Wings!!

2011-09-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!!!
I suppose it is no surprise to have a Blog Entry titled Wings from a company named Sprite Creations!
Today is all about wings!
I've two projects in the works to show you...
The first is a dragonfly that I've created entirely from beads.

If you happen to notice the thread coiled around in the photograph, I'll thread beads on that and embellish the wings!

The second is an antiqued brass butterfly that I've painted with both opaque paint and then with hand-coloured resin.

If you see the little bit of sparkly on the wings, that's the hand-coloured resin!!
You'll have to visit my blog again soon to see what these have grown into!

But wait, there are more wings to be found on the 'Web!!!
Check out my fellow artist Sharon Wagner and her post about Wings here. Sharon and I met at the Mpls. Institute of Arts-Art Perchance a little while back and I'm so pleased to stay in touch with such a talented artist!

One last little note.. If you are in the Saint Paul, MN (USA) area on Saturday, stop by and say Hi! to me at the final Bean Factory Artist Market for 2011! I'll be there from 10am to 6pm!
Have a fabulous weekend!!!

Whimsy Wednesday! Cats & Computers!

2011-09-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
Though the sun was marvelous today, I can feel the Fall chill in the air!
I think some of that is reflected in some of the whimsical creations I have to show you today, since I see some warm and fiery colors peeking out at me from the workbench!
I've been working on Custom Creations with computer keys and so continued drilling additional keys, as well as creating a few pairs of cat earrings. Perhaps it is because Halloween is coming up, but as I looked at my creations at the Fall Art Festival last weekend, I noticed a distinct lack of kitties!! That has got to be fixed!
So here we are!
Whimsy #1: recycled, computer key earrings!
Which keys have I drilled, you ask?
Why Ctrl-Alt-Delete, of course!!!!

Whimsy #2: Cats!!!

Title: The Cat and the Moonlight
Ingredients: Czech-pressed glass, labradorite, metal, surgical steel earwires

It is really hard to photograph labradorite (of which moonstone is a pale version) so that you see the flash in the stone, but it is there!!!

Title: Guardian of Hearth and Home
Ingredients: Czech-pressed glass, Swarovski crystal, metal, surgical steel earwires

These earrings remind me of Bast of Egyptian mythology. Most often depicted as a black cat with gold accents, she was a guardian of family and the home. She used her keen cat-night-vision to prowl the darkness for danger and was depicted as both a sun and moon goddess!

There you have it.. cats and computers!
See you on Friday!!!
P.S. You can find me this weekend returning for the final Bean Factory Artist Market of the year. Stop by the J&S Bean Factory on Saturday, Sept. 17th from 10am to 6pm for nummy drinks, delicious treats, excellent company and a vibrant, laid-back atmosphere! Saint Paul, MN, USA!

Fini Friday! Geometrics...

2011-09-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
Welcome to Friday!!
Much good news! The weather promises to be absolutely beautiful this weekend and I have nifty things to share with you-all!

First up! A pair of earrings that I "upcycled" by hand-painting hand-coloured resin on a while back. I hadn't had a clear vision of what to do with them, but were determined not to let them sit anymore! This is what FiniFriday is all about!
As I was sifting through my bead drawers, my eyes fell on the vintage Czech-pressed glass flowers that perfectly complimented the blue-green sparkle in the resin pigment and the earrings were born!
Here they are...
Title: Geometrics
Ingredients: Vintage Czech glass, hand-coloured hand-painted non-toxic resin, metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

Let's finish up with a little peek into my studio today! Today was a day when I truly loved my job and I'll show you why...

These are new Faerie Messages in a Bottle that I created today. This means I got to play with flames and fun, whimsical things but most of all... GLITTER!!!! ...or Fairy Dust, whichever you like! Can you see the Fairy Dust that spread hither and yon on my work surface? Oh no!! WHATEVER SHALL I DO???!! I HAVE GLITTER EVERYWHERE!!! Woe is me!! Heeeheeeheee!!! And now, with that fun start to the weekend... If you are in the Cambridge, MN, USA area, stop by and see me at the Fall Art Festival tomorrow from 10am to 3pm! The show organizers are partnering with The Refuge to bring in donations to support their work with victims of domestic abuse. More details on the flyer below...

Otherwise..HAVE FUN!!!

Whimsy Wednesday! Myths & Legends!

2011-09-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone and welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!
I hope everyone's day is as warm and sunny as mine has been!!
I've seen dragonflies and bumblebees and all sorts of outside creatures appreciating the warmer temps and excellent sunshine!

I've taken inspiration from ancient myths and legends lately and this is what I have to show you today!
The first pair of earrings was inspired by the labyrinth charm and hand-felted wool ball that you'll see shortly. As I was gathering materials for other creations, my eye fell on these two items and it recalled to mind the myth of Theseus slaying the Minotaur in the labyrinth and finding his way out of the cleverly confusing maze by following a ball of yarn that a love-struck Ariadne had given him along with the secrets of the maze. (You can learn more about the legend here). And now you see the connection with the brilliant Swarovski heart. I chose the mysterious blue for many reasons, not the least of which is that many a Greek (as well as other legends) revolve or involve the sea. And, continuing to expand this inspiration to mythology in general, I included an ancient-looking gold coin. It is told in many of the legends how the hero bought their way out of a hopeless situation with gold or put themselves in harm's way for it! However, there is much more here than meets the eye as the title popped to mind immediately. We must consider Ariadne's point of view as well as others whose stories are not included in the legends. And so these earrings are about:
Unraveling the Mysteries of the Heart
Ingredients: Swarovski crystal, hand-felted wool ball (England), copper wire, lead-free pewter, metal, sterling silver earwires.

The whimsy is in the design for this second pair of earrings as well.. I had a lot of fun playing with wire-wrapping the cobalt drops because, while they are luscious, how could you leave them unadorned?!
Title: Untitled as yet...(Edited for title: Trace Elements)
Ingredients: Glass, copper wire, lead-free pewter, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

To me, these are intense and ancient and galactic and just plain awesome!
Look for them in my Etsy shoppe within a few days...pending a title for the second pair! (Editied for time... These will be up in my Etsy shoppe on Monday (if they are still seeking their people) as they are coming to the show with me this weekend!)
See you on Friday!!!

Fini Friday! Modding Displays Fini!

2011-09-02T18:15:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!!
I hope this post finds you-all well and already enjoying your long Labor Day weekend!
I want to take a moment to Thank all of those who have made this celebration of Labor Day possible.. past and present!

So! Remember Wednesday and the modding of the displays? I promised to show you the finished bracelet display and so I shall!!!
A few details first... I wanted to play with textures a bit with this display and so I used silver spray paint on the grey suede. I also experimented with spray distances and how the paint looked when the paint is sprayed in the same area for differing lengths of time. I found that spraying the paint for a relatively long time in the same spot results in the paint pooling in what looks to me like a puddle of molten silver metal! With that said, here is the finished display!

I'm pleased with how it turned out!

One other little thing I wanted to throw in here before I return you to your regularly scheduled Labor Day weekend!
I've been travelling out and about today and come home with a little bit of loot! I'm anxious to see what a little bit of resin can do with these!

There are three pins in the middle (the circle of roses has matching earrings) and two necklaces... I might just stamp something into the pendant of the necklace on the right! Hmmmmm... yes.... I'll have to play with that a bit more...... And with that, I'm signing off! Have fun!! See you next week!!

Whimsy Wednesday! Modding Displays!

2011-08-31T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!
Welcome to Wednesday!!

Today I took a little time to play with a few displays that I inherited from a friend that were in less than perfect condition! Oddly enough, neither of these displays are of a style that typically works well for best displaying my Sprite Creations. It is strange but true that these are pretty basic workhorses of most jeweler's displays and yet they don't seem to work as well for me, but c'est la vie!
So! This circumstance encouraged me to play with paint and these pieces.
Let's take a look at our line-up and I'll show you one display already modified today and the second on Fini Friday!

First: The Bracelet Display
This is a beautiful suede display in a dove grey colour that I tend to prefer for my displays. However, the suede has discolored and been worn off in a place or two over time.

Come visit me on Friday to see what happened next!!

Second: A Bust Display
This is a beautiful white leatherette display as you can see in the photo below. What you can't see is some sort of yellow goo that resisted all my attempts to remove it stuck in small globs here and there on the display.

Also, there was quite a bit of that yellow goo around the neck/collar location of the bust, so my first modification quite some time ago was to glue ribbon over it all. This covered up those eyesores, but did nothing to disguise the small globs elsewhere.
I considered other options, such as display covers (Rio Grande has beautiful covers listed under Change Form Covers) as well as just wrapping the bust in different fabric for each show, but I wanted to play with paint!!!!

I retrieved some green paint, mixed it with both black and white to lighten and darken it respectively and set to work! It was so much fun, painting and mixing and playing with the colours! I'm considering maybe painting more in the future!
Here it is, the finished display!

And an excellent view of the detail on the top, including more of that fabulous copper!

And there we are!!
By the way... a added bit of whimsy on this day.....have you noticed our charming little fairy peeking out from behind the bust? No? Go back and look again! Isn't she beautiful!
She seems to approve of the new paint job and I hope you-all like it, too!

See you Friday!!!

Fini Friday! Egyptian Mythology 101!

2011-08-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!!

I hope your Friday has been a stunning success so far!
I'm sad to say that there were no photos allowed at the King Tut exhibit that I visited last week. The exhibit was crammed full of information and excellent displays of wonderful statues, jewelry, a chair, a bed and more!
I was surprised to see that what the Egyptians termed as earrings would probably challenge even the most callused of folks with large earplug-type earrings! Their earrings were very large cylinders (gold, of course) with gold and gold-chased lapis, carnelian and other gemstones finished with dangles of gold! Those must be quite heavy!! WOW!!!
Another detail that I did not know and chose to weave into finished creation you'll see in a moment is the counter-weight that many of those famous collars had. These were smaller pendants that hung down the back as a literal counter-weight to the heavy front of the collar and so to keep it in place. Here is a good example...

So! On to the creation!
Title: Anubis
Ingredients: Hand-made "Raku" ceramic pendant (Peru), sterling silver, black onyx scarab, lead-free pewter, lead-free dyed leather, metal.

The necklace creation needed to stay clean and relatively unadorned, both to keep the Egyptian styling and so as not to overwhelm the Anubis pendant. Three strands of 1mm leather visually evoke the multi-strand collar and gold and silver-coloured accents lent a flavour of royalty befitting a God. (Egyptians believed that gold was the skin of the Gods and so buried their mummies with gold fingers and toe "caps". The counterweight is a black onyx scarab, a sacred symbol of the sun. (Read more about that here). Anubis, of course, is the God of the Underworld and more specifically, of mummification (Read more about him here.) For whatever reason, I've always found the mythology surrounding him fascinating!
So there you have it.. a little adventure through an Ancient World!
Have a fabulous weekend!!

Whimsy Wednesday!!! All About Art PerChance-MIA!

2011-08-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!!
This post is all about my fabulous time at Art PerChance at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts!!! If you don't know what that is or missed the details about how I'm involved, click over here for an update!

I had so much fun at Art PerChance! I don't (yet!) receive many opportunities to be a VIP, so I was thrilled to be treated so well! There was scrumptious food, delicious drink and elegant surroundings populated intriguing people! But before I say more about the people, let me get started showing you the photos we took!!
Here is me, standing beside the display of my Sprite Creation.
I was so pleased by the beautiful mounting and other arranging work the MIA did with my Sprite Creation and it was enchanting to be in the company of so many other accomplished artists and their work!

Photos were taken by others, including some that are rumored to be included in Minneapolis-Saint Paul Magazine and October's edition of Minnesota Monthly, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

And now.. the people! The theme was Carnival and some wore elegant dress, some wore comfortable clothing and some of the Art PerChance folks were dressed and working as Carnival barkers to fit the Carnival theme. It was so much fun to play with them all because, as you can see above, I was in full wing-regalia!
I want to take a moment and give a quick shout out to some of my fellow artists here.

Sharon Wagner, an artist and illustrator with a fresh insight and bold colours that she weaves into her works. Sharon was also kind enough to mention and post a photo of me in her blog! THANK YOU SHARON!!!
Maren Kloppmann, who was the Mistress of Mingling and creates phenomenal ceramic works.
Yi Ellis, who exudes quiet exuberance and creates such meaningful work.
Joseph Wehrman, an all around pleasant and talented guy fresh from Seattle!
And!! Billy Curmano, a witty, "extreme peformance artist", who was gracious enough to spend bits of the evening here and there chatting with myself and my husband Paul.
These are, of course, only a few of the gifted artists that were there so feel free to hop over the Art PerChance page and peruse the links!

More photos!!! These are of me at one of the impressive entries to the building, which is flanked by guardian Temple Dogs and Greek-inspired columns.
Whimsical? I say YES!!! But seriously.. aren't they awesome Guardians?!

A mischievous pose, inspired by the famous photo with Marilyn Monroe..

My Sprite Creation was not sold at the Charity Auction, but was raffled off for charity later in the evening! In fact, I was standing less than 10 feet away from the lucky lady when she found out she won and was so excited to give her a congratulatory hug! as she zoomed away to claim her prize! WAHOO!!!

I'll end this now with a few last quite whimsical photos of me. I hope the elation and frivolity of the event and my time at it shines through and leaves you-all with a warm heart and big smiles!!

Until Friday!

Fini Friday! King Tut!

2011-08-17T16:37:00.001-07:00

Fini Friday - Egypt and King Tut!

Hello Everyone and Welcome to Friday!!! I'm excited to say that I'm out on WalkAbout this Friday and am vising the King Tut exhibit at the MN Science Museum! If photos are allowed, I'll attempt to come home with acceptable examples of what is in the exhibit! I've always been quite interested in Egypt, the culture and mythologies as well as how all of these shifted over time. And, of course, being the Egyptians, there should be lots of beautiful, ancient, Shiny! Shiny!! things to admire!

In celebration of my visit and all the nifty things I'll see and learn, I'm going to show you an Egyptian-inspired Creation that is in-progress!

As you can probably guess, this creation centers around the focal, which is a hand-made ceramic pendant (Peru) with Anubis (Egyptian God of Death & Afterlife) that is Raku-fired (which that gives that fascinating smoky finish to the dominant blue glaze color you see). I took inspiration from the visual full-ness of those fabulous Egyptian collars and distilled it down to a few strands of thinner leather cord. This is so as not to overwhelm and to keep the attention centered on the Anubis pendant. Accents of bright gold and(or silver?) deep black (which remind me of the kohl that the Egyptians used to line their eyelids!) are an absolute must! And this is where the creation's growth stalls... I haven't yet found or created the perfect clasp and am not quite ruling out a few other adornments such as lapis or carnelian or?

So, stay tuned for further developments and the completion of this creation!
I'll see you back here next week and I hope your weekend is as full of mystery and wonder as mine!

Whimsy Wednesday!! Art PerChance at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts!!!

2011-08-17T15:59:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about tomorrow!!! What is tomorrow, you say? Art PerChance at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts!!!!
You didn't hear?
One of my Sprite Creations has been chosen to be part of Art Perchance 2011! This fabulous creation along with several excellent others of all sorts of media will be auctioned off on August 18th during Art Perchance . Here is MIA's explanation of Art Perchance!
"Art Perchance, an evening of art and artfully clever carnival games, will again partner with the MIA’s Third Thursday. On August 18, Target Park will become a midway where participants may play, feast, and frolic -- and vie for a chance to win art generously donated by artists and galleries.
Art Perchance is a fundraiser benefiting the outreach programs of the Friends of the Institute. The Friends support the MIA in many ways: funding educational initiatives, busing schoolchildren to the museum for docent tours, purchasing and providing conservation for works of art, sponsoring major exhibitions such as “The Louvre and the Masterpiece” and the upcoming “Edo Pop” (opening this October), and much more."
Isn't that awesome!! I'm so excited!!

Where is the Whimsy in all of this, you ask? See below and all will be revealed!

Title: Roman the Universe
Ingredients: Hand-crafted lampwork glass pendant by A. Ray, ancient glass shard(dating back to Roman times), mood bead (with glow-in-the-dark stars), hand-dyed fiber (USA), furnace glass (USA), dichroic glass, lucite, goldstone, copper, sterling and bali silver, thread.

Isn't that gorgeous??!
I'm so pleased with how it turned out!!!
Did you get the pun in the title, too? Roman glass - Roman The Universe? Hee!!
All of the fiber you see here is hand-dyed by an artist in Idaho, USA. She actually is no longer dying fiber so these fibers are irreplaceable! I love the vibrant colors that peep out betwixt the more sedate blues and blacks. I especially love the bits of silver in some of the fiber that echoes the silver in the focal and elsewhere! The stunning lampwork glass pendant is by artist A. Ray and evokes galaxies within galaxies to me!
The shard of glass you see on the right is actually from Roman times (a nice tribute to a museum collection, don't you think?) and the lucite flower from which sparkly goldstone stars cascade nicely echoes the glow within the pendant and the universal(HA!) theme. There are furnace and dichroic beads nestled here and there as well as a mood bead with glow in the dark stars!!! How awesome is that??!!!
The necklace creation is finished with luminescent Bali silver cones (99% silver) and Sterling Silver wire and clasp. Both the cones and the clasp continue the galactic theme with spirals (Spirals are a type of galaxy!) stars and moons.
Maybe I'll see you tomorrow?
Whee!!!

Fini Friday! KEYS!!

2011-08-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

Hellooooo!!!
I'm going to switch up this week's Fini Friday and show you the beginning of a creation process for me! Then you can walk along with me as we see this through to a complete Creation! Let's start with keys, shall we?
I love keys! Much like a few other artists I know, keys are mysterious, fascinating things to me. I always wonder what they unlock, where they came from and what treasures they guarded!
So, I have a ring of several keys that were given to me by a good friend after her father's recent passing (the keys were his).

I was so excited and honored to receive all of these nifty keys!! There are so many intriguing kinds!
However, I'd like to do more with them than simply use them as pendants... so! I'm going to attempt to make molds from the keys and then make my own!

This is the part where we will walk together through the creative process... I'll post and show you how the mold-making progresses. I've not tried mold-making before so this should be interesting and we'll learn a lot!
So!! With that adventure in mind, have a fabulous weekend and I'll see you next week!!

Whimsy Wednesday! Squinkies!

2011-08-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

Hello!!
Today is a beautiful summer day and I have an absolutely endearing (perhaps I should say "enbearing"!) creation to share with you!
The bear in this creation is actually a Squinkie. I was introduced to Squinkie by an artist colleague who uses the bubbles the Squinkies arrive in for other creations and so had Squinkies left over that needed a home. Though I tried not to fall in love with them, I did, and brought home four! I think you'll see why when I show you the other three!

Did you see the mermaids? And that awesome little fox? Aren't they delightful!?
OK!! Now to the bear!!!
This is simple creation is easy to underestimate. I used fiber for the cord that feels comfortable and warm to the touch, matching sunny and light colours and completed it with little touches such as the four-leaf clover charm and simple hearts on the toggle clasp.

Title: Charming Bear
Ingredients: Bear Squinkie, fiber, metal, lead-free pewter

This creation is all about comfort, playfulness, light-heartedness and having an open heart.

Now, with such an entrancing end to the post... I'll see you on Friday!
P.S. This necklace will be in my Etsy shoppe within the hour!

Fini Friday!! A little early!

2011-08-04T14:45:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
Fini Friday is a little early this week as I'll be away from the Internets for most of tomorrow and this weekend! So!
I've some bubbly, light and faerie-like creations to show you today!
I started these earrings last week but ran out of time and so i picked them up and completed them today!
This is a bit of an unusual style for me and I really enjoyed the organic nature of the wire-wrapping the effervescent bead around the aluminum link.
Title: Bubbling Up
Ingredients: repurposed painted acrylic beads, aluminum, copper wire (permanently coated, USA), glass, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

The second creation is centered around the ceramic butterfly wing from Earthenwood Studio. This was a remainder left over from one of Melanie's bulk orders of doll parts.. I believe. I was enchanted by the wing and determined to use it in a new and different way! I was delighted to match it with a length of Faerie Ribbon and accentend with a Heart of Gold (Venetian glass) and Sterling Silver.
Title: Faerie Flight
Ingredients: Hand-crafted ceramic wing from Earthenwood Studios, Faerie Ribbon (hand-dyed silk ribbon), venetian glass, sterling silver.

This necklace, to me, is almost a recipe for how to fly as Faeries do... First, you must have wings, then a heart of gold, and finally be willing to follow and trust your intuition (silver is thought to help with tap into one's deep inner knowing and to assist with intuitive decisions).

And with that, I hope your weekend is full of that which helps your heart soar!

Whimsy Wednesday!

2011-08-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!!

I hope your weekend and week so far has been as good as mine!!! I became reacquainted with some old friends and had the pleasure of making new ones at the 10th Anniversary Celebration and Bean Factory Artist Market this past weekend! Thank you to everyone who stopped by to visit and help us celebrate!!

I have a Creation with a suitcase to show you today!! How's that for whimsy?
This started with the idea of using the mixed fiber necklace cord as I've had it in my stash for a while... and I wanted to make certain the creation was something unusual. I don't often start with pre-made cords like this as I usually like to create my own and so this was a little bit of a challenge from the start. Pairing it with the suitcase charm gave the creation a sudden infusion of both whimsy and interest. Adding the vintage-styled boot charm and a pair Swarovski crystals grew the creation in the direction of Neo-Victorian and possibly Steampunk as well as an intriguing creation! And here it is!!
Title: Traveling
Ingredients: Swarovski crystals, Czech glass, fiber, metal.

In composing this blog entry, this creation seems quite appropriate as I'll be doing a great deal of traveling for the month of August!

So there you have it!
The Whimsy Wednesday post is now leaving the station!
I'll see you on Friday!!!

Fini Friday!

2011-07-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!!
Well, today was a busy, busy day and though I have creations and even photos of them to show you (!), I'm going to call it quits with this here Friday and start heading towards zzzzzzs! I've an early start tomorrow and a full day.
So!!! Fini Friday will happen on Sunday!
Same Bat time, same Bat channel!!

See you then!

Whimsy Wednesday!!

2011-06-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

Hellooooo!!!!
In preparation for the Art Show at CONvergence , I've been ripping keys off of keyboards and drilling and so forth so as to create jewelry!!!
I think we can see the obvious correlation with whimsy right now, can't we? *grin*

So! Without further ado, here are three pairs of earring creations for your perusing enjoyment!

Title: Destruction!
Ingredients: repurposed laptop keyboard keys, blue goldstone stars, anodized aluminum, copper, sterling silver earwires.

Title: Old School
Ingredients: repurposed IBM Keyboard Keys, anodized aluminum, sterling silver earwires.

Title: Rebooting the Space Age
Ingredients: repurposed Laptop keyboard keys, anodized aluminum, surgical steel earwires.

Stay Tuned for Fini Friday as I have much more to show you!!!
Ciao!!!

Fini Friday!

2011-06-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

Hello Hello!!!
I hope this Fini Friday post finds all of you well!! I have had a day of disappointments and good stuff, so I guess I've run the gamut today!! I'm learning a few new bits of software for Sprite Creations and I'm definitely encountering the learning curve!! Not to worry, I'll get it all figured out!!!

In the meantime, I have a Fini Friday post for you!!!

This is the last necklace in the series of three using the glass focals that I mentioned last week .

Title: Faerie Art & Science in Space

2011-04-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

Aloha!!!
It feels tropical to me today because it has been sooo warm this week! YAY!!!
I hope it is a similar story in your neck of the woods!

I had 3 necklaces laid out with the Popcap Pendants that I created on this Whimsy Wednesday and anticipated finishing them this week. However, best laid plans and etc. have gone awry, but mostly in good ways and so I have one necklace to show you today!

First, a close-up of that Popcap Pendant, so you can see the beautiful sparklies that in that colored resin!

The Popcap is filled with coloured resin swirling around vintage glass pearls and faceted Czech glass beads. You can see another of the vintage glass pearls, along with a matching faceted Czech glass bead and Czech pressed glass shell dangling from a series of jumprings that also serve as part of the toggle for the dragonfly toggle clasp. And the final beautiful finishing touch is that fabulous spiral chain! I just love it!!!

So, here you have it! This Popcap Pendant creation once again, with a little bigger perspective and it's title:
Water Signs
Ingredients: Recycled natural cola pop cap, vintage glass pearls, Czech faceted and pressed-glass beads, sterling silver, metal, lead-free pewter.

I hope this weekend takes you on the wings of Adventure!