Fini Friday! Molds, Keys and Treasure Bottles!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Fini Friday!

I've been having fun with creating with resin and I'll show you what I've been up to!

Last Friday I blogged about making molds from old keys.  Today I'll show you the first prototype from those molds!

The coloured resin keys on the top right.  I think these are good first attempts.  As you can see, however, the larger of the keys will need some cleaning up and may need to be mounted in some way so as to be more durable.  The smaller key and mold required little clean-up and will make good pendants. 

I also spent some time with a good friend and fabulous costumer this weekend who was gracious enough to share his mold-making skills and expertise with me.  I have a few new techniques to try in both creating new and better molds and creating molds that will allow my resin creations to become three-dimensional!  YAAY!! Stay tuned for that!

This next series of photos are Treasure Bottles that I've been creating over the space of a few weeks.  The final bottles have three layers of hand-coloured resin in them!  The photograph on the left is at the finish of the second pouring or layer of resin! That's how I am able to give the look of the various materials being suspended in glittery water or air or etc.! 

What is in there?  As of the second pouring; a goldstone star, a wrench charm, and Fire Opals!  The bottle on the left also includes a bead shaped like an orange!

The photograph on the right includes the third and final resin layer, which includes a pearl for each bottle.  The bottle on the left includes a shell, while the bottle on the right contains a tiiiny, little pinecone (yup! a real shell and pinecone!)!

I also painted on a bit of the (non-toxic) resin on and around the cork for each bottle and they are secured with star-shaped silver spacer beads above and below the cork!  These really should be quite durable!  The metal is sterling silver.

So, there you have it!  A little of what I've been up to in the studio this week!

Just FYI, I'll be combining Whimsy Wednesday and Fini Friday next week as I'll be at CONvergence most of the week!

Maybe I'll see some of you there!

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! In a Creative Mood!

Hello and Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!

Today has been a beautiful summer day here and I hope the same can be said for you-all!

I've a Mood Bead Creation and a Custom Creation to show you today, so let's get started!

This necklace creation was borne of both the fabulous knotwork in this neck cord and the Mermaid Mood Bead!

Take a look!

Title: Celtic Beauty

Ingredients: Mermaid's Tale Mood bead, lead-free pewter, rayon fiber, quartz. 

I thought the Mermaid a fitting combination with the fine Celtic tradition of sea-faring adventure. Other nifty details are the fluid spirals in the accent beads that are reminiscent of the Celtic triple-spirals (meaning the never-ending cycle of life)!
You'll see this in my Etsy shoppe tomorrow!

Let's end this blog post with a peek at a Custom Creation! 

A lady who adopted a Pen Creation from me at a show in May commissioned a Pen with a Turtle on it somehow and this is it! 

 Title: Just Keep Swimming! 

Ingredients: Turtle Island and Blue Mystique Mood Beads, lead-free pewter, steel pen (USA), ink.

That's about it for me here!! 

I've lots going on in the studio, so stay tuned! 

I'll see you here for Fini Friday! 

Ciao!

Magical Monday! Adventures in Other Worlds!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Magical Monday!

I hope your weekend was most excellent!  If you missed us at the Arts & Crafts show in Saint Paul this weekend, it was a wonderful show!  We were surrounded by a beautiful space, lovely atmosphere and very talented fellow artists! 

That said, let's switch gears just a tad and look at some nifty images of different lives and different adventures in other worlds!  I'm always looking for new or different perspectives and I hope you'll join in this curiosity with me as I share a few glimpses into alternate worlds with you!

A Camel Haircut!

 

I had no idea that camels received haircuts! 

Also? This is absolutely art! I am amazed at the talent and effort of this haircut! 

I love that the style harkens back to the Ancient Greek style seen on much of the ancient pottery! 

Getting Some Games In...

This amuses me and I giggle at all sorts of insights this photo gives us! 

I'm always relieved and encouraged and admire monks who take the time to play and balance out the scholarly (and sometimes quite stuffy) tasks with play-full-ness and games! 

As a fellow motorcyclist, I *love* the fact that these Buddhist monks ride motorcycles, too! I imagine them zooming up and down the mountainsides where they might live! Fun! 

And the fact that there are permanent basket-ball courts where-ever in the world these monks reside is just charming! YAY! 

And speaking of charming.... This last video I'm linking to is absolutely magical to me... and I hope, to you, too....  

Whale Creates a Rainbow! 

So! 

There we are! A good bit of magic for your Monday! 

I've all sorts of nifty new creations in the works, so check back in with me on Wednesday to see what I've been up to!!! 

Ciao!

Fini Friday! Keys, Levels and a Gadget!

Hello Everyone! Welcome to Fini Friday!

 I've had a steadily busy week this week in the studio and it has been a lot of fun! I've been playing with resin quite a bit! 

 I even cracked open my batch of Silicone Mold Putty and played a bit making molds from old keys! 

Let me show you a bit of what's been going on! Here are the molds and the keys that created them on the top or right.  These seem good for first attempts, but I think the larger key mold is likely too shallow.  I'll probably need to do some carving and cleaning up on the casting.  We'll see! 

These are the levels I showed you a little while ago.  This little photo is showing you what they look like with beadcaps and wires glued in.  This was taken while waiting for the glue to cure.  I think they look pretty spiffy!  The next step is to paint them with resin, both to secure the beadcaps (why yes!  I *do* overengineer things, Thanks!) and also to add a bit of Faerie-ness and sparkle!

 This last creation is another in my Pen collection! 

 Title: A Peculiar Gadget

Ingredients:  Steel pen (USA), glass, acrylic, spring steel, lead-free pewter.

I chose the glass bead between the clear-and-gold-flecked bead and the spring because I thought it had the appropriate finish to look like those blued connectors on machines that had absorbed a *little too much* heat!  This is very much inspired by Steampunk and along the lines of a generator or energy-generating gadget!  Also?  The spring in the middle does work and therefore this pen doubles as a fidget-toy!  WHEE!!! 

If you'd like to see this and more creations not showcased in this blog, in person, I'll be in Saint Paul this Sunday! 

See below for details!

This weekend you can find me basking in air-conditioned splendor!

Arts and Crafts Show Sunday, June 24th Only!

10am to 5pm

Temple of Aaron

616 So. Mississippi Blvd Saint Paul, MN 55116

That about wraps this up!!
See you either this Sunday or for Magical Monday!

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! The Sun, the Moon and...the Beach!

Hello Everyone! 

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday! 

This is a summery post, as is quite appropriate for June! 

I've been pretty busy in the studio this week and it feels good to play with materials and techniques that have been languishing on the sidelines for too long as well as to finish (or atleast move forward) designs old and new! 

Whee! 

So? What do I have to show you today?? 

Let's take a look! 

Let's start with the Sun! 

Title: Sun Satellite 

Ingredients: Vintage lucite, Amy Fill lampwork glass, faceted acrylic, glass, metal, surgical steel earwires. 

These were born out of those luscious orange vintage lucite beads!! I knew the Amy Fill firey-spiral glass beads were the perfect compliment to them and the rest fell together as many awesome creations do! 

Next up is the Beach! (I want to save the Moon until last!) 

Title: A Day At the Beach 

Ingredients: Vintage lucite, sterling silver. 

I fell in love with the wonderfully colourful and fun vintage lucite pink and white beads that reminded me so strongly of beach balls and knew I had to play them into a whimsical creation! Still, while they so reminded me of play, there is a certain timeless elegance about them and so I matched them with sterling silver shell (complete with pearl on the back/inside!) and three-dimensional seahorse charms! These were to be both beautiful and yet a bit non-traditional, hence the two different sea denizens merrily playing at the ends of each earring! 

And now, let's finish this post with a little Moonlight Magic! 

Title: Cat and the Moon Temple 

Ingredients: Swarovski crystals, sterling silver, metal, rayon, quartz.

 

This is a lovely necklace that is an excellent choice for those with metal allergies as the neck cord is rayon and the clasp is a sturdy quartz bead that slips through stretchy cloth links! 

This is all that is, at once, serene and mischievous, elegant and playful, and subtly colourful...just like The Moon and all that is Cat! 

All of these are available in my Etsy shoppe now! 

Also!! If you'd like to see these and many, many other creations in person, I'll be in Saint Paul this weekend! See below for details!

This weekend you can find me in Saint Paul in air-conditioned splendor!

Arts and Crafts Show Sunday, June 24th Only!

10am to 5pm

Temple of Aaron

616 So. Mississippi Blvd Saint Paul, MN 55116

See you soon!
Ciao!

Magical Monday! Dads, Art and Treasures!

Hello Everyone and Welcome to Magical Monday! 

I hope your weekend was fabulous! Mine was! 

I'm going to start this post off right away with a tribute to some of the best Dads in the world, in honor of Father's Day yesterday!

Did you know that Seahorse dads not only help raise the babies, they carry the eggs during the pregnancy! The female seahorse deposits her eggs, during the mating, in the male’s specialized pouch, and the male carries up to 2,000 babies during its 10- to 25-day pregnancy!

Pretty awesome, huh? 

Let's take off on a tangent here, straight into very insightful "street art"...

Very Cool and very amusing! 

Continuing to meander down this path, let's look at more art and return, again to the water....

  

This is actually ink or dye, applied underwater and photographed! 

Stunning!

And to round out our Monday journey, let's take a peek at a "moment in the sun" with a denizen of both land and water as well as one of air!  

Isn't that just wonderfully happy? YAY! 

Guess what?! I have a BlogTalk Radio Interview with Cheryl Patton of 1Woman's Wisdom! TOMORROW! from 3-4pm (CST, USA)!!!  We'll be chatting and answering questions about Faeries and, in particular, Faerie Message #8!  Come join us!

This weekend you can find me in Saint Paul in air-conditioned splendor!

Arts and Crafts Show Sunday, June 24th Only!

10am to 5pm

Temple of Aaron

616 So. Mississippi Blvd Saint Paul, MN 55116

It would be lovely to see you there!!!

See you soon!
Ciao!

Fini Friday! In the Garden...

Hello Hello! 

Welcome to Fini Friday! 

It is absolutely a lovely summer day in my neck of the woods here and I hope you-all can say the same! 

Days like this call to mind gardens and greenery and all things growing and this is what I have to share with you today! 

We'll start with what is growing and end with a finished creation! 

This first photo is a peek into my studio! I've a piece of furniture that really wasn't working as well for me as I'd like and a few changes were in order! I found this file cabinet on a Walkabout and this enabled me to switch around a few items and solve my problem! Viola! (I consider this growing as that is what continually changing-to-improve is something all healthy creatures do!)

Onward! We mosey on over to our next photo, which is of a creation still growing!
This is a lampworked glass bead in the form of an Oriental Geisha or Noblewoman!  I thought it would be fun to play with and continued the amusement by choosing materials and beads that have a connection with the Orient!  The cord you glimpse is silk and the beads are faceted pearls and cloisonne enamel and metal.


And now! For our finished creation!  This is one of the more rare adjustable rings (though I look to make that more common in my inventory...) that I've created and I really had fun playing with it!
Title: My Lady's Garden
Ingredients:  Glass Cameo, Lead-free Pewter, Glue
Isn't this magnificent?  The lady in the cameo is so elegant and this whole creation gives the feel of approachable opulence and timeless elegance.  This would pair equally well with jeans as with graceful formal wear!
Expect this to be up in my Etsy shoppe by Monday!

Well that's it for Fini Friday!

I hope you have a fabulous weekend!
Here is what is coming up next week!

BlogTalk Radio Interview with Cheryl Patton of 1Woman's Wisdom! Faerie Message #8 Tuesday, June 19th 3-4pm (CST, USA)

Arts and Crafts Show Sunday, June 24th Only!

10am to 5pm

Temple of Aaron

616 So. Mississippi Blvd Saint Paul, MN 55116

See you on Monday!
Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! A Few Tweaks...

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday... on Thursday!  There were a few storms rolling through yesterday and a bit of rain today and so my Interwebs access was down.  All is well and Internets are, again, free-flowing so here goes the Whimsy Wednesday post! YAY!

So today is all about tweaks... those little adjustments we make as we surf through Life.  Obviously, the first tweak is this later blog post, but I have more exciting and interesting tweaks ahead to share with you!

This next batch of tweaks were alterations requested by an Etsy client. She asked that the earwires of two pairs of earrings be replaced with lobster claw clasps! I find this intriguing and am pleased with how the refashioning turned out, so I thought I'd share them with you! Earring creations are Blue Light and Faerie Lanterns, respectively:

The lobster clasps on Faerie Lanterns is copper-plating, which I feel accentuates the antique brass finish of the beadcaps and adds to the overall vintage, yet timeless feel of the creation!

The final revision I have to share is a tweak-in-progress!

This is a hand-mirror that I picked up second-hand on a Walkabout!  I met a delightful woman who offered this for sale and who shared with me as I procured it that it was her Mother's!  She regaled me with memories of it sitting on the vanity and her Mother using it during her daily beauty routines.  What a treasure!  I was mulling over ways to abbreviate my show set-up for those shows that offer less space or other circumstances.  The decision was made that a hand-mirror could be quite useful as a second mirror (rather than the mirror-on-a-stand, which takes up a relatively large amount of table space) in more dimensionally-sparse booths.  That being the case, with respect to the wonderful shared stories about the mirror, I wanted to embellish the mirror and "make it mine".  And this is the result!

You can spy old watch parts, stickers, faux leaves, ink and a brass mechanical wing all sealed in with a layer of subtle colour and glittery pigment!  I am quite pleased with the back of the mirror (which is the first pouring of non-toxic resin) and am looking forward to finishing the front of it in the same manner!  The idea was to create a mirror that both embodied the whimsical spirit of Sprite Creations and is art itself, but not be so outstanding as to outshine the creations that are available for adoption!  And so it is!

Well then!  That's it for Whimsy Wednesday!

 

Here is what I'm up to in June!

BlogTalk Radio Interview with Cheryl Patton of 1Woman's Wisdom! Faerie Message #8 Tuesday, June 19th 3-4pm (CST, USA)

Arts and Crafts Show Sunday, June 24th Only!

10am to 5pm

Temple of Aaron

616 So. Mississippi Blvd Saint Paul, MN 55116

See you on Friday!
Ciao!

Magical Monday! Surprises and Wormholes!

Hello Everyone! 

Welcome to Magical Monday! 

I hope your weekend was awesome! Mine was! I celebrated my birthday over the weekend and it was a grand time! I was able to spend time with my sweetie and those who are close to me and open presents (I love the surprises unveiled as each one is opened!) and eat (really good!) cake and it was excellent! 

Speaking of birthdays (and surprises), which naturally leads into talks of time and perhaps even the time-space continuum (!)....I've some fun things lined up for you today! 

First, in honor of dramatic summer storms and magnificent lightning (which can certainly be a surprise!), I give you this:

Isn't that amazing?!

This next photo really amuses me and I hope it does the same for you!

And finally, a video of a beautiful and surprising audition on America's Got Talent! Definitely worth watching for the entire thing!

Clicky!

Wasn't that magnificent!?!

Speaking of voice talents (I hope!)...check out my BlogTalk Radio Interview with Cheryl Patton of 1Woman's Wisdom!  Tuesday, June 19th 3-4pm (CST, USA) 

We'll be chatting about Faerie Message #8!

See you on Wednesday!

Ciao!

Fini Friday! Raw Materials!

Hello Hello! Welcome to Fini Friday! I've some new acquisitions and raw materials to show you as well as a fun little bit of bartering that was completed at the Johnstock last weekend! But first! New goodies!

What a neat little collection of bits, huh? I think so!

Let's move from left to right in identifying what you see here! At the top left is a little box I found in my Walkabout yesterday! It has a little latch and a faux leather interior and I think it might be destined to be a table display! In the lower left, we see an Art card from Pamela Watson! It is a little note that she sent my way as we communicated back and forth regarding her Custom Creation! It is so lovely to be able to create art for an artist! YAY!

As we gaze at the top right of the photograph, we see a collection of bottles (also procured on yesterday's Walkabout) that I intend to fill with interesting things and to become pendants! Or.....?

And finally, we spy a locket-watch in the center! Yup! That watch is open, so you can see the face of the watch in the photo. It closes up just like a pocket watch into a little ball! And it opens by depressing the top, just like a pocket watch! Fabulous!

This last photo is of a pixie skirt which is the result of bartering with Ava of LivingTreeDesigns, who was a booth neighbor at Johnstock! She creates fabulous clothing (and more) out of upcycled fibers and in this raw style of serged edges as hems! I fell in love with this pixie skirt as soon as I saw it! It is really as soft as it looks and the colours are wonderful and vibrant! YAY! More Faerie gear!

Speaking of Faeries...check out my BlogTalk Radio Interview with Cheryl Patton of 1Woman's Wisdom!  Tuesday, June 19th 3-4pm (CST, USA) 

We'll be chatting about Faerie Message #8!

That about wraps this post up!

I hope you have a fabulous weekend and I'll see you on Monday!

Ciao!

 

Whimsy Wednesday! Ocean and Stars!

Hello Everyone!
Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!
This week has been filled with lots of interesting activities so far and I'm really enjoying it!  I hope the same can be said for you!
I have some watery-goodness to share with you today, so let's get started!
The first creation I have to show you has been languishing for a while... waiting for the proper time to finish it, I suppose!  Most of it was assembled, but I think it was waiting for the final ingredient of whimsy!  Here it is!
Title:  A Mermaid at Play
Ingredients:  Czech glass, Popcap pendant (non-toxic, hand-coloured resin, popcap, Czech glass, aluminum), metal, lead-free pewter. 
I love the mermaid clasp and the Popcap pendant (created by yours truly, of course) and these are really what this creation was built around...but the final touch of whimsy was to hang the side-drilled fish bead so that it looks as if it's about to swim through the "hoop" that the pendant is suspended from!  Isn't that adorable?! 

The second bit of whimsy for today is this bit of ribbon or trim that you see to the left!  I found this while I was out and about at Johnstock this past weekend and just love the cheerful and unusual style of it!  I've never seen anything that combines stars, hearts and snails with the ocean and I love that the stars are smiling!  I'm not yet certain what I'll use this for, but I that is often how these things go!  I'll collect materials for a bit and then they all come together in a beautiful creation!

So I'll leave you now with a little reminder of what I'm up to next week and I'll see you on Friday!

BlogTalk Radio Interview with Cheryl Patton of 1Woman's Wisdom! Faerie Message #8 Tuesday, June 19th 3-4pm (CST, USA)
Ciao!
 

Magical Monday! Looking Out for Inspiration!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Magical Monday!

Thank-you to everyone who stopped by our booth at Johnstock on Saturday!

It was good to meet or be re-acquainted with you-all!  We had beautiful weather, a lovely neighborhood and a fabulous array of finery and art!

You'll find a list of where else to find me during the month of June at the end of this post!

Today is all about inspiration, as Magical Mondays usually are!  I've been delving into the works of Linda Ravenscroft, another Faerie Artist that I adore!

I was first introduced to Linda's work when a friend gave me the gift of the Mystic Faerie Tarot Deck, which features Linda's artwork! This is the primary deck that I use for many of my readings and the artwork is positive, intriguing and insightful!

Let me post a few links to two of Linda's works that inspire me with a few more unusual jewelry ideas!

Verdure and Lapis Lazuli Fairy I think it is obvious how the Lapis Lazuli Fairy might inspire jewelry, so I'll just point out that I'm intrigued by the "arm jewelry" of the Verdure Fairy (and much of the other arm jewelry that Linda's Fairies wear)!

And one final bit of inspiration.. A video recording of a MonoRail Driver who slowed down for a very lucky (and exhausted!) squirrel! My favorite part of this recording are the people cheering the squirrel on!

Just a little reminder of where to find me (besides here! ...and Facebook... and (sc_amysprite)Twitter..) for the rest of June!

BlogTalk Radio Interview with Cheryl Patton of 1Woman's Wisdom! Faerie Message #8 Tuesday, June 19th 3-4pm (CST, USA)

Arts and Crafts Show Sunday, June 24th Only!

10am to 5pm

Temple of Aaron

616 So. Mississippi Blvd Saint Paul, MN 55116

Have an excellent beginning of the week and I'll see you on Wednesday!

Ciao!

Fini Friday! Faerie Inspiration!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Fini Friday!  I hope the weather in your neck of the woods is as gorgeous as it is in mine today!

I have new creations to show you that will be available for adoption either in my Etsy shoppe or this weekend!

First up!

More Faerie Dust Bottles! YAYAYAYYAY!!

These will be available tomorrow at Johnstock (details below)!

My next bit of news brings more detail on Wing Repair! The elastic that held my Faerie Winds at the shoulders finally died and I decided to replace them with more elastic, but a bit thicker! Here are those new straps!

They'll get a test flight this weekend!

 

Last, but not least is a new creation!

Title: Faerie Glow Charm

Ingredients: Vintage lucite, Czech glass, acrylic, hand-finished brass(USA), metal.

This creation is all about that lovely, luminous vintage lucite ring! I fell in love with their soft glow from across the room at a trade show and knew I had to create something with them! Here is the first of those creations! The clasp is the hand-finished brass spiral and large ring of the same colour from which suspends that soft, sunshine yellow ring! The brass ring slips around the whorls of the spiral for a secure hold! The charms are soft and sparkly, with flashes of colour and playful mischief here and there...and all in shapes and of things that a Faerie would treasure... There is a deeply green & blue bead, gently nestled in a Fairy-ornate beadcap...suspiciously reminiscent of the Planet Earth! We also spy an iridescent Fairy leaf, a star the colour of Spring and growing things and a Faerie ladybug for good luck! All of that which would help a Faerie to keep their glow alive!

This necklace creation is in my Etsy Shoppe now!!!

Below are details as to where to find me this weekend and I do hope you're able to come and visit!

Johnstock Saturday, June 2nd Only!

10am to 6pm

Along Johnston Street, near Crafty Planet

2833 Johnston Street NorthEast Minneapolis, MN 55418

I'll see you, if not this weekend, then on Monday!

Ciao!