Whimsy Wednesday & Fini Friday! A Charming Dragon!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to a double-feature of Whimsy Wednesday and Fini Friday!

I've a charming Dragon and whimsical charms to show today along with how each either have grown into completion!

Let's get started! First, the charms!

These charms are cast of lead-free pewter by a company here in the U.S.A! I love working with their materials as everything is so well-formed and of excellent quality.  The dark little recesses that you see are little holes in which to glue crystals or other cabochons. I used Swarovski crystal (Colours from left to right are: Sun, Fern Green and Volcano) rhinestones because I love the precision of the faceting and the beautiful flash of colour that produces. I'm not certain where I'll use these, whether in earring creations or as a dangling detail in a necklace or bracelet. They are so very fun, I'm excited to see where they venture to next!

And now!

For the Dragon!  We're on a journey from material to finished creation!

First, some of the materials!

The two gold-coloured beads are hand-made brass from the Ivory Coast. Their holes were a little uneven due to the hand-casting, so I widened them on my drill press! The top bead is our Dragon and his is hand-carved boxwood! It takes the Master Carvers up to four hours to carve one of him and each one is signed on the bottom! I absolutely love the three-dimensionality of him!

 You'll see what I mean in the following photos! Title: As Yet Unknown Ingredients: Hand-carved boxwood Dragon, brass (Ivory Coast), glass, Copper and Brass Pen (USA), brass.

A closer look at the front of our Dragon!

  

A close-up of the back of the Dragon... 

Gold and Red are colours of good health, long life and prosperity in the Orient (and in other cultures!). I wanted this creation to be quite interesting, yet with a simple design so as to keep all the attention on our Dragon friend! The finished creation is reminiscent of absolutely elegant, yet fire-y and timeless and perhaps sacred! Very fitting for a Dragon! 

So!  There you have it, the end of our journey and the finished creation, as promised!

I'm taking a mini-vacation for the rest of the week, so I won't see you until Monday! 

Until then, I'll just mention my BlogTalk Radio Interview in February!

Tuesday, Feb. 19th 3-3:30pm (CST, USA)

A Special February Message From the Faeries! 

I'm not giving any hints, so hop on over for a listen that day to hear their message!

See you on Monday!

Ciao!

Magical Monday! Creation, Destruction and Carnival!

Hello Hello!

Welcome to Magical Monday!

I hope your weekend was excellent and your week looks to be fun!

The themes of this post are fairly wide-ranging and all-encompasssing, yet should be quite interesting!

Let's start with the Destruction first!

I've always been fascinated by the demolition of man-made structures and this particular demolition was filmed in slow-motion! Click here for the video titled Five Massive Cooling Towers Collapsing in Slow Motion.

I find it quite intriguing!

Onward to the Creation!

This is an interactive installation of LED lights suspended in a matrix that changes colour configuration as a person walks through it!

Click here for details and credits! 

 

And what could be a more spectacular finish to ...well, anything... than a Carnival! 

Some of these photos are of the competition to determine who participates the 2013 Carnivals in different countries and some are of Carnival sights in 2012. This is one of my favorite photos in the article! The article, which includes credits and details, is here.  Isn't that glorious and grand!

So that's it for this Magical Monday!

I'm taking a brief hiatus at the end of this week, so join me for a double-feature of Whimsy Wednesday and Fini Friday this Wednesday!  I'll skip posting on Friday and return on Monday next!

See you then!

Ciao!

Fini Friday! Studio Life, Loot and Gearing Up!

Hello Hello!

Welcome to Fini Friday!

I hope your week has been full of warmth and joy!

I've had a pretty varied week, myself. Now is the time to herd paperwork into order as I close out 2012 and work/play with creating or tweaking better systems for me here in the studio. It is a time to pause and reflect on what worked, what didn't and what worked well. The goal, of course, is to move in the direction of everything working well!

So! I have a little bit of studio stuff, a bit of newly acquired loot and a finished creation to show you today!

First, a photo of something I'm very proud of!

A clean desk!

This is the desk from which I usually edit photos, post everything from Blog entries to creations in my Etsy shoppe to Internet marketing and etc. As you can see, I have lots of lovely bits of art all around me. Some of it is spiritual and beautiful and some of it is whimsical and cheerful! One of my current favorites absolutely is the little "Pop-up" notepad you see in the far corner! It has an image of a mischievous kitten eyeing some cheeky goldfish with a "no cats" sign in their bowl! It helps me to smile! The goldfish also have an oyster with a peal inside in their little aquarium world and this reminds me of the wisdom that can be gleaned even from irritating circumstances! 

Onward to the loot! 

This was a modest haul, yet full of interesting materials! I don't know if you can see it, but the larger glass "pony beads" were labeled "magic beads" and I love the way their colours change in the light! The open-work metal bead at the top right has so many possibilities! I fell in love with it because it reminds me of intricate filigree work! I'm am also really looking forward to working with that leather ship's wheel as well! Of course, the charms are all quite charming (HA!) 

YAY for loot! 

Let's wrap up this post with a finished creation!

You may remember that I showed you some of the components of this creation last Fini Friday and now it is fini! 

Title: As Yet Unknown Ingredients: Plastic automobile hose, Popcap pendant (gear sticker, non-toxic resin, metal), bearing, aluminum, metal. 

The two photos are included for a few reasons.  I wanted to show how the necklace opens and closes.  One end of the hose is slightly flared and so the other end tucks into it quite nicely!  I also wanted to show you how the Popcap pendant gear reflects the light in different circumstances!  Oh yes! And did I mention that there is an actual, diminutive fear suspended from the necklace as well?  There is!  Isn't that awesome?!

Before we take our leave of each other, I'll mention that I've another BlogTalk Radio Interview!

Tuesday, Feb. 19th 3-3:30pm (CST, USA)

A Special February Message From the Faeries! 

I'm not giving any hints, so hop on over for a listen that day to hear their message!

See you on Monday!

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Layering on the Colour!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!

I hope this week has been full of warmth and laughter for you-all!

I've been playing with bits of colour!

I'll show you!

Let's start with the more subtle creation first!

Title: Natural Industry

Ingredients: Czech glass, Artistic wire, metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

This is a subtle study of contrasts!  The backdrop is a metal leaf of antiqued-silver hue, graced above and below with a flash of vibrant green!  The Czech Glass leaf is comprised of striations of verdant greens, topped with a shiny, textured, round bead and suspended from hand-wrapped Forest Green wire. 

This gives Classically Understated a kick of colour!

The second earring creation I have for you is quite a kick of colour and I love it!

Title: Hot House Fruits

Ingredients: Czech glass, Artistic wire, aluminum,  silver-plated surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

 A delightful punch of colour and texture! These brilliant, cheerful and sassy earrings are sure to draw attention and compliments! I hand-wrapped the tangerine-shaped (and coloured) bead with a deep green wire and made sure to coil in a lively little leaf on the side!

All of this is suspended from a segment of infinity chain-maille weave. 

Luscious and unusual!

FYI:  These are both in my Etsy shoppe now!

So that wraps up this Whimsy Wednesday!  Hmmmm....layers, punches of colour.... I wonder if anyone can tell that we're in the middle of Winter at the studio?! *Grin*

Oh yes!  I've another BlogTalk Radio Interview!

It's in February!

Tuesday, Feb. 19th 3-3:30pm (CST, USA)

A Special February Message From the Faeries! 

I'm not giving any hints, so hop on over for a listen that day to hear their message!

See you on Friday!
Ciao!

Magical Monday! Winter Wonder!

Hello Everyone!
Welcome to Magical Monday!
I hope your weekend was wonderful!
It is winter here for me and so I've collected some treasures to remind us about the wonders and magic of winter and the warm-hearted traditions that sustain us through it!
Let's start with those warm-hearted traditions!
Credits and details are here. Aren't these just incredible? I love all the little details, the talent and charm infused into something so temporary (and hopefully yummy!)! These were entries in some sort of contest and I'd be happy to offer "quality control testing services" if I had the chance!

Next up is a beautiful snow sculpture!
Details and credits are here!
I am amazed at the details of the musculature and the form and flow of this tableau!
 Excellent!

Let's wrap this up with a video of a Snowball Fight! Not just any snowball fight, but one that took place in Seattle, in the city center! Click here to view!
Doesn't that look like awesome fun!

And there you have it, the end of this Magical Monday!
I'll see you on Wednesday!
Ciao!

Fini Friday! Mechanics and Fairy Berries!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Fini Friday!

I hope your week was full of wonder and your weekend looks to be grand!

I've more earring creations in the Fairy Berry Collection and a creation that is still growing to show you today!

Let's start with more Fairy Berries!

You might remember that the first few Fairy Berry earring pairs were introduced Wednesday.

Title: Fairy Berries: WinterBerries

Ingredients: Czech glass, acrylic, metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

These, to me, capture all the beauty of Winter in Faerie Land! 

I love the subtle rainbow colours! 

Title: Fairy Berries: Fantasia 

Ingredients: Swarovski crystal(ruby), hand-finished brass(USA), acrylic, metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

I absolutely love mixing colours and textures and these definitely grew out of that love! They also are quite a study in contrast to the Winter Berries that preceded them! These are a little bit Art Noveau, a bit timeless elegance and lots of Faerie Sparkle! 

Let's switch gears now (HA!) to a creation that is still growing into completion! The pendant in the middle is a PopCap Pendant that I created from a hand-tinted, non-toxic resin poured into a recycled pop cap. The resin cures for 3 days and I drill the pendant out with my drill press! The neck cord is actually automobile hose (unused)! Not only is this fun because of the unusual materials, but the ends of the hose nestle into each other, so the "neck cord is actually self-clasping!!! Woohooo!!! This necklace is going to be so much fun to create! So there you have it! 

The resolution of this Fini Friday! 

Have a fabu weekend! 

See you on Monday! 

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Fairy Berries and Happy Kittens!

Hello Everyone! 

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday! 

I hope your week has been fabulous so far! 

I'm excited to show you new creations I have on tap, so let's get started! 

Working Title: Fairy Berries and Butterflies 

Ingredients: vintage butterflies, glass, acrylic, metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

  I've had these acrylic berries in my inventory for some time and am happy to finally play with them! These berries look so luscious, don't they? 

Yum! 

The next pair of earrings also use those acrylic berries in a little different way and would be fabulous with both casual and formal wear... possibly even wedding attire! 

Working Title: Old World Fairy Berries 

Ingredients: hand-finished brass(USA), Czech glass, acrylic, metal, gold-plated surgical steel earwires(hypo-allergenic).

Aren't these wonderfully elegant? 

These last earring creations are a bit different and definitely whimsical! 

Working Title: Happy Kittens! 

Ingredients: Czech glass, Artistic Wire, brass, silver-plated surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic). These stamped-brass kittens are cute all by themselves, and when paired with their lunch-fish, are absolutely adorable! This creation gave me a chance to play with wire a bit, which I love!  I'm so pleased with how these turned out! 

So that's it! Thanks for visiting with me today! 

See you on Friday! 

Ciao!

Magical Monday! Street Art!

Hello Everyone! 

Welcome to Magical Monday! 

I hope your weekend was full of rest and magic! 

I'm thrilled to say that mine was! 

This post is about the unlikely topic of Street Art! I've always loved the concept of an Art-full life and that's what this post is all about! 

Let's dive in! 

First, the illusion of warmth, cleverly made out of cardboard! 

Isn't that amazing detail?! 

Credits and details are here!

  

Next up is a cute little bit of art! Credit and details about it are here! Isn't that charming?! 

I'll leave you with a comparison of neurons versus cities... 

The first photograph is from NASA, (taken from the International Space Station!) with the rest of the details and credits here!

Isn't that absolutely stunning?! 

So that's it for Magical Monday! 

Just a gentle reminder that my BlogTalk Radio interview with a Message From the Faeries specific to January is tomorrow!

Tuesday, Feb. 15th from 3-3:30pm (CST, USA)!

Come on over, rest and listen for a bit!

See you Wednesday!

Ciao!

Fini Friday! Winging Away!

Hello Hello! 

Welcome to Fini Friday! 

I don't know about you but today has been a full day for me! 

I am very much looking forward to the weekend! 

How about we get started winging our way there?! 

This is the first of the two new creations I have to show you! They are a bit of a riff on the same idea.... 

Title: On Raven's Wing 

Ingredients: metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

This is finished inspiration that started the 'riff', as it were. 

The initial vision was of a longer segment of the black feathers with the silver pair dangling at the bottom. This shorter pair grew into completion first, and I like the mystery the single ebony raven feather evokes! 

Raven is viewed differently in many cultures, yet is commonly depicted as a Divine messenger and associated with wisdom (even if that wisdom is based in deception, illusion or war). 

I wanted to continue to play with those fascinating inky wings, whilst adding some whimsy and light! And the second pair of earring creations was born! 

Title: The Butterfly and the Raven

Ingredients: Glass, metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

 

The butterflies are beads upcycled from a ring found at an antique shop on Walkabout that I chronicled here! Butterflies are often seen as a symbol of rebirth and possibility. 

So, while these two initially seem a very unlikely pair, a Raven's ability to see through illusion and deception and the Butterfly's ability to rebirth and reinvent sounds like a powerful combination! 

These will be up in my Etsy shoppe by Monday!

(By the way, my Etsy shoppe has a few new Creations in it, so click on over and take a look!)

That's it for this Fini Friday!

Thank-you for stopping by for a visit!

One announcement before I bid you adieu!

I'll be on BlogTalk Radio with a Message From the Faeries specific to January!

Tuesday, Feb. 15th from 3-3:30pm (CST, USA)!

Come on over, rest and listen for a bit!

See you Monday!

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Pen and Ink!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!

I hope this second week of January finds you well!

I have Pen Creations to show you today! Let's start with the prototype first! I was playing around with different combinations of materials, this grew into completion!

Title: Faerie Pen

Ingredients: Steel and Brass Pen (Pearl White)(USA), Furnace glass (David Christensen, USA), metal.

  It was hard to capture in photo, but that big, beautiful chunk of hand-made furnace glass is actually transparent with all sorts of colourful sparklies in it! I actually purchased it from David Christensen himself, at a bead show many moons ago! He is a cheerful, intriguing person and fun to interact with! I am pondering keeping this pen for myself!

Title: A Wise Companion

Ingredients: Steel and Copper Pen (Pearl White, USA), lead-free pewter, acrylic, brass.

This second pen also uses that Pearl White blank as it's base and I wish the photographs did the pen's finish justice! The description Pearl White is very apt! The white is luminous with little sparklies of colour! Gorgeous!

I've been wanting to play with more pen creations and when I saw this white finish, thoughts of Athena and her wise Owl Bubo popped to mind!

If you don't know the legend, here is the link to a Wikipedia article explaining the myth! Happily, there was a Bubo Owl Bead (from Green Girl Studios) in my inventory! The Greek Key beads were a perfect accent and I'm really pleased with this creation!

The last photo is a close-up of that intriguing owl!

So! That's it for this Whimsy Wednesday!

One announcement before I bid you adieu!

I'll be on BlogTalk Radio with a Message From the Faeries specific to January!

Tuesday, Feb. 15th from 3-3:30pm (CST, USA)!

Come on over and listen for a spell!

See you Friday!

Ciao!

Magical Monday! Snapshots of Life!

Hello Everyone!
Welcome to Magical Monday!
It isHello Everyone!
Welcome to Magical Monday!
It is a gorgeous Winter day here and I hope it is the same wherever you are!
I've some fun vignettes of different worlds to show you today so let's get started!

First up is a photo of clouds!  I haven't seen any details that this is anything other than real, so I'm going with that for now!  Details and credits for this photo are here.  I wonder how clouds could form that double-helix?  Hmmmm....

This next photo makes me giggle!  It is one of the National Geographic Photo Contest Winners of 2012!  Details and Credits are here!  Isn't that an excellent photo and a seldom seen perspective of a big cat? Hee!

This last photo is really a series of photos of an Acoustic Guitar Dollhouse!  
Details, Credits and more detailed photos are here! 
Isn't that just exquisite work? So many little details, so well done!!! 
I love the maps and messiness of the books and papers, the computer, the working lamp, the wall paper boarder, the upholstered chair with musical notes...just about everything!! 
BRAVO!

Thank-you for joining me on this Magical Monday!  I hope this has brightened your week and I'll look to see you on Wednesday!
Ciao!

Fini Friday! Recreating the Wild West!

Hello Everyone! 

Welcome to the first Fini Friday of 2013!!! 

It still feels strange to type that! I imagine it will for a month or so! 

In keeping with the Fini Friday purpose of showing what has grown into completion; I've a new, completed design/creation and one re-design to show you today! 

Let's start with the newly-complete creation! 

You may remember a few Fini Fridays ago, when I showed you a few charms that I picked up while on Walkabout. 

I immediately knew that the stagecoach and cowboy boot charms were to be used in chunky, funky earrings and that the design was to be completely assymetrical! I added a few little details and voila! An earring creation! 

Title: Wild West 

Ingredients: lead-free pewter(USA), acrylic, silver-plated surgical steel earwires. 

The stagecoach and cowboy boot charms are a warm, old leather hue with burnished brass faux antiquing. This is a fabulous juxtaposition with the shiny silver-tone of the sheriff's badge (of course!) and horseshoe as well as the plated silver surgical steel earwires! All charms are suspended from the earwires by warm, antiqued copper coloured rings. I am really so pleased with how these turned out! 

FYI: They are in my Etsy shoppe now! 

This next creation is still growing into completion and is a re-design of an older Sprite Creation. 

The first photo is of the original design.

The second photo is the beginning of the ReCreation, starting with the pendant! I decided to keep the "Y" necklace design as well as the variety of small yet colourful beads. It is a simple concept, yet charming and cheerful! 

Again, I am so grateful to be able to work with better materials and techniques in the midst of this creation! I had no idea that the original beads I used for this necklace were not colour-fast! Yet, it appears that even sitting in a drawer all these years is enough to wear the colour off of most of the beads! Yikes! 

These are the things learned as one continues in their craft! 

Stay tuned to see what the original necklace grows into! 

That's it for this Fini Friday! 

I'll see you on Monday! 

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Pirate Treasure and the Fae!

Hello Everyone! 

Welcome to the first Whimsy Wednesday of the new year! 

I hope it has been grand so far! I've decided to continue the current format of Whimsy Wednesday and Fini Friday(for now) as it still is useful and fun! 

In keeping with turning of the old into the new year, I've a little bit of old and new whimsy for you today! 

Let's start with the old! 

This is a fabulous golden-hued earcuff that is perfect for this Winter season! Title: Fire Fae 

Ingredients: Swarovski crystal (Fire Opal), Czech glass, brass, gold-plated earcuff.

  Why is it perfect for the Winter season? Because of the warmth and fire that leaps from it! The Faerie influence is felt in the fiery leaf and sparkling Fire Opal Swarovski crystal! I also like that it is an earcuff, rather than earrings (though there is a matching pair available!),which seem to be more unusual and therefore more exotic! This is ready for adoption in my Etsy shoppe here! 

And now for the new! 

Title: Treasure Trove 

Ingredients: silverplated surgical steel earwires, lead-free pewter(USA and other), metal.

A treasure trove these earrings certainly are! On the left we have a jaunty, seriously piratical flag flying from the hypo-allergenic earwire! Dangling beneath it on a intricately patterned link are two coins of a far away and mysterious land! Coins bring good luck and pirate coins doubly so! On the right we have the pirate's chest, bursting open with treasure, jewels and good fortune! Suspended just below sea-farer's trunk is the key! I love all the little details and whimsy woven through these, especially the asymmetrical design! 

These, too, are available for adoption in my Etsy shoppe right here! 

That's a wrap! 

I hope you have an awesome week and I'll see you on Friday! 

Ciao!