Whimsy Wednesday! Moonlight and Air Travel!

Hello Hello!

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!

I hope your week has been filled with fun so far!

This post is a bit of a celebration of the full Moon currently gracing us with her brilliance as well as Steampunk and whimsy!

Let's start with a little Moon magic!

Title: A Sliver of Moon, A Twinkle of Stars.

Ingredients: Swarovski Crystal (Opal Rose), Czech glass, metal, surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

This design centered around the moon light-coloured half-moon shaped Czech glass beads.  The cobalt stars seemed a natural addition and Swarovski crystals in shades reminiscent of Rose Quartz to soften the contrast makes the perfect earring creation!  The colour Rose is also thought to be a gently healing colour, which was a nice contrast with the celestial, sometimes a bit cold, remaining colours.  Beauty, fascination and gentle grace would aptly describe these!

Moving on to the Steampunk and whimsy!

Working Title: Vintage Ride

Ingredients:  Vintage acrylic, Czech & German glass,  Artisan-made Furnace glass (USA), lead-free pewter, repurposed chain, antiqued copper wire (USA), Czech glass.

The biggest piece of whimsy, for me, comes in the form of the repurposed, vintage acrylic beads that adorn the chain.  They are in primary colours of red, blue and yellow.  They remind me of hot-air balloons!  I love the mix of textures and colours that abound in this creation! We have brilliant primary colours, darker, more mysterious and antique colours, shimmering silver and intriguing copper and brass-tones!  This necklace creation will truly match just about any outfit, especially once the proper person is found!  The pendant is created by me and you can read all about that here!

And that will wrap it up for this Whimsy Wednesday!
See you on Friday!
Ciao!

Magical Monday! Unlikely Places...

Hello!
Welcome to Magical Monday!
I hope your weekend was most excellent!
Mine was full of games and good food!
This post holds the theme of finding rainbows and art creation in unlikely places and an extraordinary swimming partner!
Let me show you!

This is the Castello di Sammezzano in Tuscany, Italy!
Credits and details are here. I adore the amazing mix of colours, textures and architecture!

This is a unique application of a car and it's wheels in connection with pottery! Credits and details are here! What an interesting idea! I wonder how well it works?!



We'll wrap this up with a photo (not mine) of that extraordinary swimming partner!
Credits and details are here!
 Isn't that fantastic?!
What a wonderous thing!
Thus ends this Magical Monday post.
See you on Wednesday!
Ciao!

Fini Friday! Beginnings!

Hello Hello! 

Welcome to Fini Friday! 

As the title implies, today is a blog post full of beginnings! 

Let me show you! 

This is the beginning of some sort of jewelry art. I'm not certain what these will grow into. Yet I couldn't pass up a wonderful opportunity to 1. dismantle something and 2. create with such wonderfully vibrant-coloured keys...from a computer keyboard!!! 

Wheeee!!! 

In celebration of the beautiful, soft, big flakes of snow graced our home today, I've another winter photograph to show you! 

Title: Steampunk Story Beginning There is just so much here that begs to be written into a Steampunk story! What is that metal thing? What was it's purpose? Why is it out there in the snow? Was it abandoned? Will someone, or something return for it? All sorts of questions that want answers! I love art that inspires more art, don't you? And so we come to the end of our brief list of beginnings (and this post)! 

Have a fabulous weekend! 

I'll see you on Monday! 

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Fairy Berries and Flowers!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!

I hope your week is full of laughter and warmth so far! I've been involved with a good bit of learning new things this week! I've also come off of a small streak of BlogTalk Radio interviews, both of which I really enjoy!

I'm beginning to look ahead to March, the start of Shows and the first peeps of Spring! I've new ideas that will grow into completion between now and the first show, so stay tuned!

The creations I have for you today are in perfect keeping with what was just described above and life at this moment!

Title: Fairy Berries: Blooming in Winter

Ingredients: Swarovski crystals (Purple Velvet), Czech glass, acrylic, metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

I love the luscious bits of dusky colour that surround the snowy bead-cap on each of these earrings. These are reminiscent of winterberries, fairy-style! (Hmmm... perhaps that would be a better title!....I'll think on it!)  I'm getting hungry from all of this thinking about berries!  Yum!

Working Title: A Fairy Flower, for Luck 

Ingredients: Vintage brass, Czech glass, metal(vintage and new). 

The golden-toned metal flowers are vintage, as is the silver chain from which they are suspended! These are cast brass and so the edges in the back were a bit sharp. I filed them down to a more comfortable texture. This design began with the vintage flower castings, especially when I noticed the center holes might be large enough to thread a chain through. I knew it was to be a silvery-toned chain because I love to mix metals! Not only is the contrast of colour and texture intriguing, but it means that this jewelry can be worn with a large variety of other accessories and clothing ensembles! Rarely can I create something monochromatic and so the burst of colour with a fairy flower was in order! Other little details include a four-leaf clover and leaf charm, all in that shiny, shiny silver! 

It just occurred to me that these could be wedding earrings! Something old (the vintage brass flowers), something new (the Czech glass), something borrowed (the repurposed vintage chain) and something blue (the fairy flower!)! How exciting! 

Look for these in my Etsy shoppe tomorrow! 

And that concludes this Whimsy Wednesday post! 

Come on back for a visit on Friday and see what I've been up to! 

Ciao!

Magical Monday! Mushrooms and Monsters!

Hello Hello! 

Welcome to Magical Monday! 

I hope your weekend was fabulous! Mine was! 

I've some beautiful and fun things to show you today, so let's get started! This is a Mushroom lamp. I don't have a lot of details about it (though you can look them up here) and yet I think it is very Fairy-like! It is an excellent way to add a little Fairy Magic and mystery to any space! Whee!!! 

 

Here is the first of the Monsters mentioned in the title! A snow monster! Details and credits are here! I love seeing people play and enjoy the season, regardless of which season we're in. 

 The last of the Monsters I mentioned are Zombies. I've never been a fan of zombies and have let the zombie craze pass me by, however; this video of the Canadian Parliment discusses security measures regarding the Zombie Apocolypse gives me hope for governments everywhere! Click here to view! 

So that's it for this Magical Monday! 

Thanks for the visit! 

Just a little reminder that I'll be back on the BlogTalk Radio air in a few days with Cheryl Patton of 1Woman's Wisdom! 

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!

Both of these will be in the archives for later listening if your schedule does not allow you to listen to me live! 

I'll see you on Wednesday! 

Ciao!

Fini Friday! Creation and Resolution!

Hello Everyone! 

Welcome to Fini Friday! 

I hope your week has progressed swimmingly, so far! This has been an interesting week both creatively and using my time constructively! I'm stretching and preparing for new-ish things to me as well as dealing with a lot of paperwork. 

This Fini Friday is really a good reflection of my week and so let's get started! The first project is finished, though not in a way I normally care for. 

You might remember this Fini Friday where a simple necklace creation featuring a lampwork glass Geisha and pearls was starting to grow into completion. Today seemed like the perfect day to complete the creation and so I started wire-wrapping. Take a look at what happened next! 

Unfortunately, I wound the wire a little too tight (the heavier-gauge wire is also a bit more cumbersome to deal with) and that lovely focal bead sheared right in two! The bead could be glued back together, but I am reluctant to do that as the spot where the bead sheared off is one of the major stress points of the focal pendant. I wouldn't be able to trust that it would hold up. The hunt for another Geisha bead may (or may not) prove successful, yet it feels as if this idea is resolved. It feels as if it could be laid to rest as complete and the other materials moved along to other projects. This may be the first time I've done this with one of my designs! 

The second creation I have to show you fared much better! I introduced you to this design during this Fini Friday. I'm happy to say this pendant is now complete! 

Working Title: Vintage Ride 

Ingredients: artisan-crafted Furnace glass (USA), vintage German glass, Czech glass(some Vintage), lead-free pewter, antiqued copper wire.

I had a lot of fun wrapping these lovely beads into the vintage bike charm! The pendant looks part Faerie and part Vintage/Art Nouveau with a nod to Steampunk and tip-toeing through Goth! I'm not certain yet if it will remain only as a pendant or be incorporated into a necklace! I am in love with what it grew into, though! 

So, that's it for this Fini Friday! 

Here is what I have going on this weekend and into Tuesday of next week! 

I've a newly-scheduled BlogTalk Radio Interview this Sunday!

I'll be chatting with Marie and Beth of Divine Goddess Radio at 6pm(CST,USA) about Faeries and Freedom! I'll answer some of the most common questions I receive about Faeries and impart a specific message for this listening audience. Perhaps that will include you? 

And I'll be back on the BlogTalk Radio air in a few days with Cheryl Patton of 1Woman's Wisdom! 

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!

Both of these will be in the archives for later listening if your schedule does not allow you to listen to me live! 

I'll see you on Monday! 

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Snow, Exploration & Chocolate!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!

I hope your week has been delightful so far!

I've had a week full of long days thus far and was feeling uninspired and rather un-whimsical (that's a word now!!  I've declared it!) today.  The sun was shining and the temperature warm, so I decided to tromp around in the snow today!  As I meandered, I saw all sorts of images I wanted to capture, so I retrieved my camera and gave it my best shot (Ha!)!

Title: Submerged, Discovered

I loved how the melting snow was uncovering and allowing a discovering (or re-discovering) of what lies underneath! Isn't that just a fabulous mix of textures! Don't you just want to know what that whole bit of stuff is? I'm intrigued by the bit of machinery in the background, too! Whee!

Next up!

Title: Skeletons

I loved the contrast of the dark, aged metal against the pure white snow! It was also fun to see the connection between the bare-bones feel of the old hay rake and the de-nuded trees sleeping whilst awaiting Spring!
Let's wrap this up with a newly-grown bracelet creation! Title: CoExist, With Chocolate!
Ingredients: lead-free pewter, Czech glass, Jeweler's bronze, Artistic wire, aluminum, copper.

I had so much fun creating this bracelet! The charms, from left to right are: something that reminds me of a temple bell in some exotic land, the yin-yang (a symbol of balance), a lotus flower with a star above it (lotus flowers are sacred to Buddhists), the Tree of Life (sacred to many forms of Pagan and Old World belief systems), spirals and stars (sacred symbols in all aboriginal legends across the globe), Celtic-style cross (an ancient mix of Christian and Pagan/Nature-based Worship), and a chocolate Kiss! Yup! There is the chocolate! 

 Need I explain the whimsy in this piece? 

A few other tidbits(HA!)...Copper has been a sacred metal in cultures that span the globe. The lock and key clasp includes a heart-shaped key. This symbolizes the key to living harmoniously with all belief systems is through an open heart. And finally, the colours used to suspend the charms match those associated with the seven Chakras of the body. 

Intriguing, eh?! 

So! That's my suggestion for world peace - an open heart and chocolate! YAY!!! 

I think I'll go scout out some chocolate and start with that part now! *grin*

Before we take our leave of each other, I have some late breaking news to share! I've a newly-scheduled BlogTalk Radio Interview this Sunday! 

I'll be chatting with Marie and Beth of Divine Goddess Radio at 6pm(CST,USA) about Faeries and Freedom! I'll answer some of the most common questions I receive about Faeries and impart a specific message for this listening audience. Perhaps that will include you? 

And I'll be back on the BlogTalk Radio air in a few days with Cheryl Patton of 1Woman's Wisdom! 

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!

Both of these will be in the archives for later listening if your schedule does not allow you to listen to me live! 

I'll see you on Friday! 

Ciao!

Magical Monday! Floating Carriages and a Story!

Hello Hello! 

Welcome to Magical Monday and the beginning of the work week for many! 

I hope your weekend was full of warmth and joy! 

I've one photo and a few videos for you today! 

I love finding art in the mundane world and this, while unrefined, looks like so much fun! 

I'd smile every time I came home to it!

Details and credits are here!

This first video is about a disabled fish and a floating carriage that someone created for it! Click here to view! Isn't that heart-warming?!  The fish looks fairly happy! 

 And the final video is an unlikely story told with graffiti! Click here to see! Isn't that so interesting?! I don't normally care for graffiti, but I find this batch intriguing! 

So there you have it! 

A quick breath of fresh air on a Monday! 

I'll see you on Wednesday! 

Ciao!

Fini Friday! Popcap Pendants-Still Growing!

Hello Hello!

Welcome to Fini Friday and then end of many folks' work week!

I hope your week has been excellent to you so far!

This post is all about creations in the mid-stage of growing into completion!

I've finished creating a batch of Popcap Pendants and they are ready to be hung! The next step is the composing/designing of the (probable) necklace creations they will grow into.

Let me show you what I have so far!

  The Popcap Pendant at the top has a Swarovski crystal fire-y jewel embedded and surrounded with golden-hued non-toxic resin. Behind the Fire Jewel is ancient-looking paper with mysterious writing on it. It seems natural to pair this with antiqued-copper chain and so that is coiled around the pendant. The other pendant contains sparkly orange gears amidst lightly-coloured gold non-toxic resin. I like the contrast of the bright orange and modern texture of the gears with the antique look and feel to the chain curled around it! 

Three of the four pendants in the photo on the right have sparkly blue gears encapsulated in blue-green non-toxic resin.  I'm not certain which of these pendants will grow into that fabulous aqua-coloured chain, but at least one of them will be suspended from it!  The designs will probably stay fairly minimal so that the chain can shine! 

I also like the Art Noveau feel to the chain on the far right and am thinking it is a fine match to the pendant nearest to it.  I like the mix of textures, colours and ambiance they lend to each other.  This creation will likely have other goodies dangling from the chain besides the pendant.  

The pendant at the top reminds me of the glitter, glamour and glitz of the casino and Las Vegas life!  While the chain itself is a fairly plain design, this creation will likely have the most dangly-goodness and the most interesting charms and drops hanging from it! 
Stay tuned to see what they grow into!

So that's it for this Fini Friday!

Just before we close this blog entry out, I'll draw your attention to the next event on my horizon!

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 Monday!

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Charity, Creations and Adoptions!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!

I hope your week has been fabu so far!

I've a peek into a bit of what I created over the weekend to share with you today! There is an Art Auction of art created at the Gathering that I attended this weekend, with proceeds going to a non-profit. I love supporting excellent causes and have a tradition of creating shinies for this auction! And so it was this year as well!

Photographic evidence is below!

Creations, from top left to bottom right are as follows:
Title: Opposites Attract

Ingredients: Czech glass, Swarovski crystals, metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

Title: Pompeii Teardrops

Ingredients: Glass, lead-free pewter, Artistic wire, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

(Many, many Thanks to a good friend who helped with that title when none had yet come my way!)

Title: Elvan Generator

Ingredients: Quartz, Czech glass, metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

Title: Dusty Planets

Ingredients: Swarovski crystals, acrylic, metal, gold-plated surgical steel earwires.

It is always so much fun to see the excitement my creations stir up and I'm pleased at the abundance that was raised by their adoption fees for charity! YAY!

 

Speaking of fun, excitement, adoptions and abundance....This second photo is of a dear friend who happily adopted the necklace that so graciously adorns her! Title: Good Witch, Bad Witch 

Ingredients: recycled laptop keyboard keys, sterling silver, hand-finished brass(USA), aluminum, lead-free pewter.

You can find more details about it's creation here! I am so blessed that she found a few other shinies to adopt as gifts this past weekend, too! 

YAYAYAYAYAYYYY!!! 

  

That's a wrap for this Whimsy Wednesday! 

In case you're just tuning in, I'll mention my BlogTalk Radio Interview in a few weeks!

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 Friday!

Ciao!

Magical Monday! Tulips, a Toy and a Sweet Story!

Hello Everyone! 
Welcome to Magical Monday! 
I hope your weekend was fabulous! My mini-vacation was much fun! I was surrounded by amazing people, excellent food, and many warm, good times were had in the midst of this season of cold and snow! YAY!!! 
I've a pretty diverse batch of nifty things to show you today! 
Let's start with the tulips! We'll travel to northern Holland via the photos of bruxelles5 just in time to admire the tulips and other gorgeous flowers! Details and credits are here! 

The toy mentioned in the title is the Etch-A-Sketch! If you're not familiar with it, here is a photo of it, with a portrait of it's inventor within. It seems the creator, Andre Cassagnes, passed away earlier this year. You can read about the invention of this beloved toy (which I find fascinating!) and find more details and credits for the photo (and portrait!) here! 

We'll wrap this up with a sweet story that some of you may have seen this weekend during the Superbowl! 
I'm not really a fan of football and don't really watch the sport, but I found the story illustrated in this commercial very heart-warming! 
Click here. 
Awwwww! 
That's a wrap for this Magical Monday! 
In case you're just tuning in, I'll mention my BlogTalk Radio Interview in a few weeks!

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 Wednesday!

Ciao!