WOYWW #116 - small prints & big mess

new prints for the ArtSnark etsy shop

I haven't posted to What is on your workdesk Wednesday for ages - mainly because with my mess it should be Where is your workdesk?

soon to be jewelry station

School has (finally) started and I am at last tucking into these mountains of madness. If you don't hear from me before the first snow falls, send in the troops!

This is the matting & framing area when I can actually see it. I am tackling this corner tomorrow, as the first half my print order just arrived - yay!

Want to see some real workspaces? Pop over to the Stamping Ground for links to 100+ desks today. If you feel like sharing, link your desk up while you are there.

Before you go, have you entered the new Thursday Giveaway yet? On 9/8 one random winner takes home their choice of 3 pendants from LilyBellesJewels on Etsy.com. To enter, just leave a comment on this blog before1 a.m. (EST) Sept.8th. For details, photos and a visit with Lily & Barbara, the creative souls behind LilyBelles, click here.

Ok Monday- C'mon, C'mon, I dare ya!

Ok, maybe I need more coffee but I (almost) love this drummer as much as Neil Peart.

Definately in my Top 20 of Wake-your-tired-@$$-up Monday Music. I never post it: A) because it got overplayed with  Rescue Me (great show) & B) you can't embed a decent version, only some okay live ones. For a balanced sound & better take on this song, click this link to catch the official video.

After a late nite chattering over at the Time Travellers Team sale on etsy, 2 giant espressos & loud music are the only things waking up these insomniac's bones.

Question for you - remember how much you hated getting up for school? Am I the only Mom that somewhat resents having to do it again (not only that- but to do it earlier so that fresh pancakes are on the table when I drag an unnamed sleepy bum out of bed?) - ok,ok feeling petty. Please forgive me - it happens on a Monday.

By the way, for some freaking awesome pancakes click here

Sorry i'm so grumpy/sleepy. I want to make sure to thank Xmas Dolly for prodding me into the Spotlight Dance today (without poking I do tend to be a wallflower). And thank my wonderful partner this week, DeniseisRunDMT, for not wincing when I accidentally step on her toes.

I invite you to play along - post what you are jump starting your week with & then add a link over at Dolly's place.

On a side topic, it has been crazy busy lately - I'll share details soon. Until then, enjoy this silly cat that my son is completely enamored with

Not a feline fan? Pop back later this week & I'll have something for you.

Until then, have you enter the new random drawing for 3 (yes, three) pendants from Etsy seller LillyBellesJewels ? No, well clickty-click here for sample photos & giveaway details.

Enter to win 3 pendants from LilybellesJewels on Etsy - ends 9/8

Moonlight Kitty necklace from Lilybellesjewels

Hey there. How have you been? 

I'm hanging out today with Barbara Ileiwat & Lily Belle from Lilybellesjewels on Etsy.com. Lucky for us, they've stopped by for a chat ... and brought prizes! 

Candy for your ears from Lilybellesjewels

Why don't you get to know each other a bit while I pop into the kitchen for something sweet to share - I'm making virtual cookies in your favorite flavor.  Meanwhile, Barbara can tell you all about her passion for jewelry - and cats. And Lily, well, Lily tends to do her own thing.  (However, if you are in a rush today, keep your hat on & buzz down to the end for giveaway details). Please note that clicking on any of the photo captions will take you to item details.

Swarovski Sapphire Blue Crystal Bracelet from Lilybellesjewels

Barbara:  Designing jewelry is a passion for me. I try to pay attention to the things I see all around me on a daily basis. It is amazing how many truly beautiful things we come in contact with each day and never really pay a great deal of attention to. The form of the branches of a tree, the texture of a lawn, the fabulous formations of the clouds in the sky above us. Because we see this things everyday, and because we have such busy lives, we very rarely take the time to stop and "smell the roses" as the saying goes.

Butternut yellow earrings from Lilybellesjewels

All of these things can be experienced and translated into a work that will stimulate the senses of another. You will notice in my shop that I very rarely stay within the boundaries of any one particular area of style. I am constantly changing my designs to reflect whatever beauty I may have been lucky enough to have been exposed to that day. 

gorgeous swarovski and copper necklace from Lilybellesjewels

Lily Belle feels that she is the creative talent in the team, and therefore I should not bother her with the day to day mundane tasks. Since she has never been very good at chatting, typing or any other menial task I should be the one in charge of any tiresome labor (and interviews). In case I forgot to mention; Lily Belle is a cat, but not just any cat. She is truly a foo foo girl, and considers herself to have exquisite tastes in all things pretty. She does oversee all the pieces, and only when she has judged it to be "the cats meow" are we allowed to place it on the site. 

Starlight Black Cat Bottlecap Necklace from Lilybellesjewels

Lily Belle: Meow

Barbara: Will there be codfish cookies? I guess so. Stacey did say she was baking your favorite....

Lily Belle: purrrr

Steampunk initial bottlecap necklace from Lilybellesjewels

Barbara: Lily Belle and I would like to mention that 10% of all sales will be donated to Mt. Olive TNR Project, a tiny Flanders NJ based group that is doing amazing work on a very small budget, and a small circle of very dedicated volunteers who are making a huge difference in the lives of feral cat colonies in their area. For those of you who are not familiar with TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return), it is a humane, effective way of managing feral populations within a community. For more information, or to make a donation directly, please visit them at http://www.mtolivetnr.org.

I'll take care of you bottle cap necklace from Lilybellejewels

Lily Belles Jewels is also proud member of the ARTISTS FOR ANIMALS team on Etsy, along with many other caring artisans whose shops we hope you will seek out and patronize. 

Artists for Animals Etsy Team

Many thanks, Barbara & Lily, for stopping in today. And now it is time to announce your awesome giveaway prize......drum roll please.....

3 for Free

On 9/8 one lucky winner gets 3 bottle cap pendants of their choice from LilyBellesJewels.etsy.com.  How cool is that?! Winner also receives 1 ball chain necklace to wear with them.  Click here to see some of the fun designs available to choose from.

To Enter This Random Drawing: Simply leave a comment on my blog before 1 a.m. EST on Sept. 8th. It is that easy. This random drawing is open worldwide and prize ships free to winner. Please leave an email address if your contact info is not in your blog profile.

(If you get a chance, pop over to Barbara & Lily's shop and let us know what your favorite pieces are. This is not required to enter the drawing, but I'd love to know which items are catching your eye)

Again, many thanks Lily & Barbara for dropping by and sharing your wonderful creations! 

And thank you, Reader, for your comments. It is your interest in these artists and random drawings that keeps them coming!

Before signing off today, here is a final thought from Lily and Leonardo da Vinci, "The smallest feline is a masterpiece."

Workshop Wednesday - copper etching continued

etched copper bracelet by Holly Raynor Hancock

Posting photos for "Wordless Wednesday" when I realized there was way to much text going on. So instead I'm sharing a few pictures from the Copper Etching & Cold Connections class I took earlier this month over at the brick & mortar shop for eBeads.com.

Another student, Jennifer, decided to make her version of the copper etched bracelet from the class promo-photo (shown above). She kindly let me take some pics along the way.

punching copper sheets into rounds

Unfortunately I missed a couple of steps as I was busy playing with my metal sheets. Jennifer next gave the copper disks a dome shape.

filler photo of worktable

I also forgot to take a photo of prepping the copper for the etching bath. Sorry about that - I was half asleep that morning.

Letting the chemicals do their thing

Bracelet components after etching & cleaning. Assembly begins...

After assembly, it was time to "antique" the piece with Liver of Sulfur.

The final bracelet after a soak in the "aging" solution. You can control how dark you want your piece to be. See Holly's bracelet on the top of this post for a darker finish.

If you're near Tampa, Florida and want to try out this fun technique be sure sign up for the Sept. 10th class. For details, call the number on the ebeads website or check out the class calendar next month (right now August is still up). If you do go, I'll see you there - I can't wait to play with these materials again! 

On the aside, what do you think of making Workshop Wednesday a regular feature? I can post tutorials, techniques & lots of fun links. If you have some workshop photos or tutorials that you'd like to share here, just drop me a note. 

You Don't Learn That In School - Music Monday

Musical Monday + the school bell =  oodles of fun

Lots of  folks are sharing academic-themed tunes today. Here are a  few of my faves.

It's actually pretty amazing just how many school-esque songs there are. Check out this list on wikipedia - be warned, it may suck you into a time warp.....

Looking for some more Monday Music? Pop on over to Xmas Dolly & Stacy Uncorked for videos & linkys. Be sure to play along & add your own if you have the time.

The winner of Mary Shelley ACEO is....

Portrait of Mary Shelley ACEO

Carula from CarulaWasHere.blogspot.com

Congratulations, Carula! I'll contact you for your shipping info later today.

Thanks to everyone who played along. I'll have a new giveaway in a week or two. Lots of good stuff on the back burners that I can't wait to share with you!

Random Thoughts Tuesday - What'cha doin?

chilling on a summer night

Me? I'm kicking back after a day of catching up. Enjoyed a relaxing week at the beach - sand, sun, lots o' water, tons of fishing &(of course) mini-golf... a much appreciated break. (A few pics here if you're curious)

still fishing

A lovely last minute get away before school kicks in (plus a celebration of our 19th anniversary - where has the time gone?)

copper tree pendant step 1

Saturday I learned copper etching & cold connections from Holly at the brick & mortar shop for ebeads.com. I always have a great time over there. Holly is just so darn nice, knows so much & is happy to share. She is also very patient with newbies like me - an extra plus.

I took a bunch of work in progress photos. Here are a couple. I need to clean up the rest before posting (my point-n-shoot is acting up more than usual, perhaps too much moisture got into it last week). It may take a few days, but I'll add more photos of the class soon.

WIP - etched copper ACEO

We were making jewelry and I thought how cool would it be to etch some copper ACEOs! This piece is etched but hasn't been "aged" in liver of sulfur yet. I also want to add a border of nickel, wood or leather....still debating...

copper etching & cold connections class - photo courtesy of ebeads.com

Good news! Holly will be holding this class again on September 10th. She normally only teaches it once in a blue moon, but so many folks were interested that she's put it on the calender again. Go to the Beads website for details or giver her a buzz at the number you find there with any questions.

More fun on the horizon. Once school resumes, I'll rev the interviews back into gear. I keep running into the most interesting people & can't wait to share them here! Tonight I popped into Michael's Crafts for a minute and  met a local photographer who is about to publish a photo-illustrated dystopian graphic novel series. She's agreed to pop by for a chat soon so check back in a few weeks.

Portrait of Mary Shelley ACEO

Ooh, I almost forgot - leave a comment before 8/18 & you're entered in my random drawing for a mini-print (2.5" x 3.5")  of  Portrait of Mary Shelly. Click here for details.

Well, I'm calling it a night. If you are looking for some more random goodies, visit Stacey Uncorked. She is keeping the home fires burning for the chaotically-inclined-fans-o-Keely while sharing oodles haphazard info today. If you are feeling chatty, post your own babblings & link up! 

Until next time, hope you have a creative day!

Life is good

Good morning, sunshine!

just a few steps to the back door

coffee is brewing ...

peeking through the gate

the rest of the world still slumbers

except for the manatees

and this very sleepy fisherman

Winner of Eye-Spy art contest

the eyes have it

 Congratulations, Linda Hensley!

The challenge was to look through my Artsnark etsy shop & blog to identify the artworks that contain these eyes. Linda had the most correct answers (8) and is the winner of a free print!

Many thanks to all who played along! If you are curious, the correct answers (with links to full image) clockwise from the 2 green eyes on the top left are:

After

They're Here

The Telegram
Climbing
Blue Dryad
A Sinister Gentleman
Blue Alchemy
The Imposter
Where ever you are I am home
Wallflower
Lynn's Girl
Blue Eyes

Want another chance to win some ArtSnark goodness? Leave a comment on this blog before 8/18 and you'll be entered in the Mary Shelley ACEO random drawing. Click here for details & photo of prize.

Creative Souls Greek Myth art swap

Pandora ATC by Jeanne Draachreider

As soon I heard there was a Greek Mythology art-card swap over at Creative Souls,  I just had to play along. Good thing I did - now this lovely collage from Jeanne Draachreider is in my collection. I've been playing so much in the digital realm lately that it was with great pleasure that I opened Jeanne's puffy package! The pillar and grape vine add a fantastic 3-d element to this lovely card. They even  grow on the backside.

Pandora ATC back by Jeanne Draachreider

Now how cool is that

Perhaps it was fate that Pandora found her way into my mailbox... as the ATC I send to Jeanne was of Pyrrha, Pandora's daughter:

Pyrrha ACEO

If you've been around these parts for a while you might remember this piece from the Artarazzi mix-orange-&-Waterhouse challenge back in '09. If not, here is a bit of info about the daughter of Pandora:

Child of Pandora, Pyrrha was also the niece (& daughter in law) of Prometheus. When Zeus decided at the end of the Bronze Age to flood the world, Pyrrha & her husband Deucallion built an ark, survived & repopulated the world by tossing rocks over their shoulders. The rocks became the next generation. For more info, here is a link to her wiki page. 

The plan had been to create something new for Jeanne, but life caught up with me. Instead I embellished a print with markers and inks before sending it off. A nice bonus.... this challenge finally made me get around to printing some of my digital art, something I have been procrastinating for a loooong time. So, double thanks to you, Jeanne!

------------

A quick note: Last chance to enter the eye-spy contest. Identify the pieces which feature the eyes in last Friday's post. The person with the most correct answers by 8/12 will win a print. Click here for image & details.

Also any comment on this blog before 8/18 enters you in the random drawing for a Mary Shelley ACEO . Click here for details & photo.

Digital Whispers Art Trading Card Swap

Blue Alchemy ACEO

A couple of weeks a go I shared this shades of blue piece of mini-art created for the latest Digital Whispers min-art swap.  I also posted the wonderful ATC the talented Fiona Randall was sending me:

The Hatchling by Fiona Randall

 Lucky Me! Fiona sent some additional lovelies. And, lucky you, I'm sharing them here today:

My Dream Place by Fiona Randall

Catch of the Day by Fiona Randall

Want to see more of Fiona's whimsical creations?  Click here to visit her Digital Whisper page. 

Have you joined Digital Whisper yet? If not, you wont be able to visit this artist's wonderful work. DW membership is free, so why not go for it? You will enjoy amazing creations, chat with some wonderful artists, and participate in all sorts of challenges and projects. 

Already a DW member? Pop by my page & say hello. Be sure to leave me a link to yours, as I would love to see your stuff!

Time Travelers ATC swap

It has been like Christmas in July at my house. This summer I've renewed my love affair with Art Trading Cards and have some fun pieces to show you.

from DecadentDelusion.etsy.com

The latest swap cards in my mailbox were from these members of the fabulous Time Travelers Team on Etsy.com :

from Kuhlwhip.etsy.com

This was great fun! I love the mix of styles and materials used.  Many thanks to participants for sharing your exciting pieces of mini-art.

from AgentofChaos.etsy.com

  

Want to see a few more ATCs? Pop back tomorrow for some other beauties that hit my mail box this summer.

Are you new to Art Trading cards? ATCs (also called ACEOs or Art Card Editions & Originals) are mini pieces of art. These are original or reproductions and can be created in any medium or style. They just have to measure 2.5" x 3.5".  ATCs are great fun to make and collect!

Portrait of Mary Shelley

By the way, I am having a random drawing for one of my ACEOs, Portrait of Mary Shelley on 8/18. Leave a comment on my blog before 1 a.m. on Aug. 18th to enter. For details click here.

the eyes have it

I'm also hosting an eye-spy contest this week. The person who correctly identifies the most drawings featured in this 8/5 post before Friday will take home a free print. (if more than 1 person guesses the same #, I'll have a random drawing for the tiebreaker). Visit the 8/5 post for contest details.