Magical Monday! Colour and Cats!

Hello Everyone!
Welcome to Magical Monday!
I hope your weekend was fantastic!
This post is all about colourful art, whimsical art and interactive art!
Let's start with the colours, shall we?
This stairway is reputed to be in Valparaiso, Chile. Details and credits are here. As many of you know, I have a penchant for art in the mundane, and these certainly astound me!
I would smile as I walked up them! I hope they bring a smile to you as well!

On to the whimsy (yet still colourful)!! This is an "Pantone Pairings" art installation by David Schwen. I found details about it here. The idea is to display condiments that are often combined as if they are Pantone colours! I think this is amazing and amusing!

And we'll wrap this up with the interactive art!
The Zoological Society of London has launched an interactive Cat Map so as to raise awareness of their soon-to-open Tiger area!
 Map, Details and Credits are here! This is a global, searchable map and people can add their own cats, including names and fur colours!!!
Very intriguing!
I hope your week is full of magic!
I'll see you on Wednesday!
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! Illuminating Surroundings!

Hello Everyone!
Welcome to the final Magical Monday of 2012!
For those who are new to the blog, Magical Mondays are intended to be a quick bit of magic to help start your week off well!
Many of us start our work-week out on Mondays and so are less than thrilled with the day.
This post is here to help and spread more magic!
Thanks for joining us!
I've fun little vignettes to show you today concerning either illumination or dwelling spaces (or both)!
Let's get started with the most simple idea first....
Details and credits are here! I call these Tea Cup Lights and I can see them in a kitchen, coffee shop, funky parlor, and so much more!
 
This next photo is of an awesome bed.  It would be fun to see if rocking yourself to sleep would work well in one of these!  If it were me, I'd have some of those Tea Cup Lights in here for illumination!!! Hee! Details and credits for this design and photo are here! Next up is a fabulous cat walk...complete with a Secret Lab (which every Cat has, of course)!
 
I would have this in the next room over from the ship-bed with the Tea Cup Lights... and perhaps I'd have some of the lighting in my Secret Lab be beakers and maybe test tubes! Details and credits for it are here! 
Whee!!!

Last, but certainly not least, are illuminated boats! 
I love the rainbow hues captured by this photograph! 
(Photo credits and details are here!)

I'll wrap this up by saying... 
I and Sprite Creations wish you an awesome and most excellent year of 2013! May your life adventure be filled with Joy, Love, Freedom, Beauty and Gratitude! 
May the map of your world expand exponentially as the frontiers of what you know are thrown wide open!
Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Whimsy and the Practical!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!

I hope this mid-point in the week is treating you well!

This has been a busy week for me so far and will continue to be so as I ramp up for the Holiday Geek Expo this weekend(see details below!)!

That said, I have a few creations that are both practical and whimsical for you today!

Let's start with the most whimsical first!

Title: Cat's Paw

Ingredients: 8GB USB Flash Drive, Green Girl Studios "Kitty Comfort" bead, lead-free pewter, metal.

And a close-up of that Cat's Paw, which is also the USB Flash Drive! Hee Hee!

The "kitty Comfort" bead is on the right, below the iridescent fish. It has a serene and mysterious kitty on the side facing us and the words "Kitty Comfort" on the back. This bead was hand-cast by Green Girl Studios in their South Carolina studio!

Other nifty details include a whole fish kitty-corner (did you see that pun?) to the skeletal fish remains, an adjustable wrench charm, little black feathers (perhaps also the remains of a recent birdie repast?)fluttering here and there and a cat-and-mouse toggle clasp! Oh yes! I forgot to mention the chain!  It is made of alternating links of double-hearts and infinity symbols!  Very cool!

Here is a better view of the cat-and-mouse clasp and that fabulous chain!

There is a whole bunch of whimsy wrapped up in this very practical storage-device/necklace-creation!

Wheee!!!

 

I've one more creation to show you today! 

Title: Words of Love 

Ingredients: Brass&Copper Pen, hand-made silk bead (with French words), hand-made furnace glass, lead-free pewter, acrylic. 

This creation leans towards the romantic side of whimsy! The bead with the French words on it is hand-rolled silk fabric (USA Artisan made)!  The two golden-coloured or striped beads are hand-made furnace glass.  The bottom bead has a wonderful texture due to the bubbles made during it's creation!  The other glass bead (just above the silk bead) has a core that traverses between garnet and cranberry, wrapped with clear glass and swirled thin gold stripes.  This entire creation has a wide variety of rich colours and depth of textures with a sensual feel!  Perfect for writing words of love! 

Also!  Gold has long been associated with both wealth and spiritual ascendancy, while red is legendary as the colour of love. Of course, en francais is known as the language of romance and amour! So much wrapped up in one creation!  Whew!

 

So, where can you find these beauties?

Meet them in-person at my next show!

The Holiday Geek Expo this weekend!

Saturday 10am to 6pm

Sunday 10am to 5pm

Plaza 5&6 (1st Floor, Short Tower)

 DoubleTree Hotel

Join us for all things Geek!!! 

It would wonderful to see you there!

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Owls, Cats and Colours!

Hello Hello! 

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday! 

This has been a very interesting and productive week for me so far and I hope it is the same for you! 

I've been busy with creations that were in-statis as we waited for the finishing materials to arrive. The materials did arrive and so I have finished creations to show you today and Friday! 

Whee!!! 

Let's begin with the most whimsical first! 

(Working) Title: The Perfect Companions for a Psychedelic Trip 

Ingredients: Lampwork glass owls, Swarovski crystals, lead-free pewter(USA), metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires(hypo-allergenic).

I really love these unusual owls! I wanted to keep the design simple, both to highlight the fabulous feathered friends and to create something that would be equally at home with casual jean-based outfits as well as club wear! I wonder if these would glow under black-light?! Hmmmmmm! 

These next earring creations are all about whimsy and elegance! 

Title: Miss Kitty 

Ingredients: Lampwork glass kitties, Czech glass, lead-free pewter(USA), metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires(hypo-allergenic).

Miss Kitty's expressions are so droll that they encourage me to giggle! I love the little pink dots reminiscent of a bow just below her right ear! I gave her accenting pink cathedral-cut Czech glass beads just below her chin so that she would have a very elegant collar...as all well-mannered cats should! Hee! 

And now to take the Whimsy in a different direction! These earrings are fun in the way the colours of the furnace glass and the faceted vintage Czech glass play with the light! 

Title:  Playing with the Light

Ingredients: Furnace glass, vintage and non-vintage Czech glass, lead-free pewter(USA), metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires(hypo-allergenic). Designing asymmetrical art and creations is always intriguing and I'm quite pleased with how these turned out! 

Speaking of art and creations, you can see these and many other creations "up-close and personal" this weekend at my first show of November! I'll be with a smaller group of independent, fine artists offering an early opportunity to shop for your Winter Holidays or for those who have birthdays in November and December! 

Come browse through fabulous art and gifts in a more intimate setting in the heart of historic Uptown Minneapolis!

Shop Local 

Saturday, Nov. 10th Only! 

9am to 6pm  

Monthei Fine Arts Studio 

Upper Carriage House 

314 Clifton Avenue, Suite 300 

Minneapolis, MN 55403
It would be grand to see you there!
Ciao!

Fini Friday! A Case of Halloween Finery!

Hello Everyone! 

Welcome to Fini Friday! 

I hope your week has been fabu so far!!! 

I have an update and news to share with you today so let's zoom into action! First, the update! You may recall that I brought home a few display cases in mid-September! I've modified and "Faeried-them-up"! Take a look!

These first two photos are of Stage 1 of Faerieing-up! This includes all manner of cleaning and new display fabric!

The Dark Wood Case:

  

 

The White Wood Cases:

Stage 2 includes paint and Faerie Dust!!!! 

Dark Wood Case:

  I kept it pretty subtle on this case...so you may not be able to tell any modifications from the photo... 

The White Wood Cases: I think it's much easier to tell the liberal use of copper paint and Faerie Dust on these!!! Heee!!! 

Contrary to what I thought on this day last week, I have one more show before Halloween! So you have one more chance to see and adopt a Sprite Creation (or two) to augment your Halloween finery! 

Here is one of the Sprite Creations that might suit you or your loved one on this Holiday occasion! 

Title:Graveyard Guardians 

Ingredients: Brass charms, anodized aluminum, surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic) 

We'll be at BellaWeen at BellaLuna tomorrow (Saturday) from 10am to 6pm (CST, USA)!!! There will be Faerie Finery, Faerie Readings, gifts, crystals, and all manner of alternative services such as Reiki Healings, Animal Communications and discounts by BellaLuna!!! 

Also... organic food!!! 

Come join us!!! 

Ciao!

Fini Friday! Loot and a Show!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Fini Friday!!!

 I hope your week has been grand so far!!!

I'll be a little more succinct in this post as I'm in the midst of last minute preparations for the Saint Paul Art Crawl - which starts tonight at 6pm (CST, USA)!

So! I have photos of more Loot that was found and acquired on Walkabout at the end of September!

 One of the Faeries seen in this photo has already found a home in her own Faerie Wreath!  (You can see that here)!  What you see in this photo is what I love creating with most...all sorts of intriguing, mysterious, inspiring or whimsical charms and images!

The photo on the right is of a second assortment of nifty materials I also love to create with!! Lampwork cats, owls and cute yellow duckies snuggled right next to luminous vintage Czech glass, faceted beads of wonderful colour and texture and all sorts of fun finishes and shapes abound!!! And how could this not be a batch of Sprite Loot without stars??!!!!! YAYAYAYAYY!!!

These are some of the new shinies I will play with soon!! 
For now, please join me (if you are in the Mpls./Saint Paul, MN, USA area) in celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Saint Paul Art Crawl!!! Starting tonight (Oct. 12th) from 6-10pm, tomorrow from Noon to 8pm and Sunday from Noon to 5pm!  I'll be on the 3rd Floor Atrium of the Lowertown Lofts Artist Coop! 

It would be grand to have you celebrate it with us! 

Whee! 

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Autumn Leaves and Forest Critters!

Hello Hello! 

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday! 

I hope this mid-point to the usual work-week is treating you well! 

This post will be a bit of whimsy and a bit of a peek into an artist's life! 

The creation I anticipated finishing and showing you hit a snag and will probably require a redesign. So, I'll show you all of that! 

But first... lovely photos of autumn leaves and kitties! 

Title: The Purrfect Halloween Cat Photo 

This is indeed (atleast to me) the perfect Halloween cat photo! 

Title: An Autumn Invitation 

Can you see the impression of someone laying in the leaves? Perhaps someone who has raked the leaves and then fallen into them? What a fabulous invitation to enjoy Autumn! Also....When we leave impressions in the snow, we call them Snow Angels and so it occurred to me that there could be Leaf Angels as well! So this could be the first record of a Leaf Angel in all of human history! 

Hee! 

These next photos are of the still-growing creation mentioned earlier...the first photo is of a collection of buttons I acquired yesterday on Walkabout. 

They are a menagerie of Forest Critters and every one of them is so charming and whimsical!!!

I envisioned creating a bracelet with them on twin strands of brown and green leather... and so I did... the first attempt proved that I cut the leather strips too short to accommodate all the necessary knots. 

The second attempt is shown in the photo. All went well until the green lace snapped as I was adjusting the tension on the knot! So.. here is where this will rest tonight and I'll have another go at it soon! 

 

So! There you have it! 

A Wednesday full of Whimsy! 

See you on Friday! 

Ciao! 

P.S. Want to know where I and Sprite Creations will be "in person" next?

Oct. 12th, 13th and 14th, we'll be at the Saint Paul Art Crawl in the Atrium of the Lowertown Lofts Artist Coop! 

This is the 20th Anniversary of the Saint Paul Art Crawl and it would be lovely to have you celebrate it with us! 

Whee! 

Fini Friday! Cats and Cases!

Hello Everyone!
Welcome to Fini Friday!
I hope your week has been grand so far!
I have a bit of news about additions in the studio and a new creation to showcase to chat about in this blog post!
Let's start with the studio additions!
I acquired new-to-me display cases as I was on Walkabout on Wednesday!
These will need to be cleaned up, possibly have the display fabric changed and etc. I'm very much looking forward to playing with these! Here is a group photo!
And a few individual cameos...
 
I love the white-washed wood and all of the character in these! They are somehow more organic and approachable in their not-perfect condition!

And now for the new creation!
Title: All About Cats
Ingredients: Jasper, Sunstone, Lapis Lazuli, Kyanite, Bali and Sterling silver, cable, lead-free pewter, metal.
I love all the little details about this, including that cat-and-mouse-clasp! This necklace has been languishing for years as I fought with the balance of a simple and stunning yet not boringly repetitive design. I wanted the carved cat to be the unequivocal center of attention, yet surrounding her with gemstones that had their own brilliance and beauty was in order so that the entire creation glow with elegance and understated beauty. I think it does! 
 One little note about this piece... it is not quite Fini. I'm in the midst of restocking the crimps I tend to favor using and so used another type to (almost) complete this necklace. They reminded me of why I choose to use the type I do and so I'll be re-stringing this necklace with my favorite crimp when those come into the studio! 
Just one of those fascinating little peeks into an artists' life and all the details and work that we do to create the best art we can! 

And so! There we are - all Fini for now! 
Have an excellent weekend and I'll see you on Monday! 
Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Cats, Colours and Summer!

Hello Everyone!! 

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!! 

This post will be a bit of mixed media as I have a few photographs to show you as well as some very whimsical beads I'm looking forward to creating with! 

Let's continue to mix it up and I'll show you the beads in-between the photos! 

 

Title: Looking Upon Summer

I love the lush greens and the serene pose of the kitty!...and especially the little details like the clover flowers in the foreground!

These beads are hand-made by Serena Mira Asta! These were created some years ago by her and she has since moved on to eco-friendly silk scarf art, drawing, writing and so much more! She is also a sweet and jolly person! They are a bit of prototypes as she was combining textures, techniques and styles while creating them. 

I'm looking forward to playing them, yet they will need a special person to adopt them as they are experiments and may be evidence all those little features that such unique creations usually have! 

I wanted to say a bit about the colours of these beads... they remind me of all that is soft and warm and bright... and perhaps snuggly.. reminiscent of a comfy quilt...YAY! 

And the last photo! 

Title: What Catches a Cat's Attention

Again, I love the gorgeous colours and the classic, whimsical pose of the cat! 

So that's it for Whimsy Wednesday! Where will I be next, you ask? 

Why just look to the left for my next show!!   

Fall Art Festival 

Saturday, September 8th Only! 

10am to 4pm City Center Market 

122 North Buchana Street Cambridge, MN (USA

It would be lovely to see you there!

 Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Branching Out!

Hello Hello!

I hope the middle of the week is treating you well!

I've been busy doing cleaning and reorganizing things this week, both in the studio and around the house!  I always like how that feels afterwards, but it can be a bit of a whirlwind while I'm doing it!

I've a few new things to show you today and a bit of news!

Let's start with the news! I received word today from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts letting me know that I was not selected for this year's Art Perchance program. I am disappointed to not have been selected this year as it was such fun last year! I challenged myself with this year's creation, as I was determined to create a fabulous focal myself, and thus have as much of the creation as possible be my own design. I was very pleased with the results, which I shared in the post about Treasure Bottles here!

Ah well!  Rejection and acceptance are part and parcel of jurying and being an artist, so I'll wrap this up with a photo of the creation I submitted and my gratitude to all I met via the MIA's Art PerChance last year and a hearty CONGRATULATIONS! to those who were selected for this honor this year!

Title: Under Wrench and Stone

Ingredients: Hand-crafted Treasure Bottle, Sterling and Bali silver, Swarovski Crystal four-leaf clover, Secret Garden mood bead, Czech glass.

  And continuing on the topic of branching out, I've a portion of a Custom Creation to show! This metal leaf pendant was given to me to make into a necklace for a young man. The pendant was something dear to his Father and would be handed down to the Son. I've yet to find a chain that suits my standards, but I've very pleased with how the resin work came out! Take a look!

I've also been capturing a few more images with my camera and wanted to show you a companion piece of sorts to this image I took a few winters ago...

And yet more news to finish off this post!

My BlogTalk Radio Interview with Cheryl Patton!

Messages From the Faeries #9!
PLEASE NOTE!  Due to severe weather and other events, this has been rescheduled to NEXT Tuesday, July 24th from 3pm to 4pm (CST, USA)!  So! You have another opportunity to tune in and listen up!

And my next event is.....

July 28th and 29th
Saturday 10am to 7pm
Sunday 10am to 5pm

Bean Factory Artist Market

J and S Bean Factory

1518 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, MN (USA)

It would be grand to see you there!

See you on Friday!

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Moonlight and Socrates!

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!

Whimsy Wednesday! Cats & Computers!

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!

Cats!

Is this blog entry about the musical? Did I wear a cat costume for Halloween?
Well, no. But the entry is about the actual honest-to-goodness four-legged creatures we call cats. I spent much of the last weekend of October taking turns cat-sitting while friends were out of town. One of those two cats was a kitten named Nano. If that name sounds familiar, then you may recall a tiny little kitten who needed a good, warm home as our Northern Minnesota winter approached. And so she found one!! It was good to see her again!
She is healthy and has grown just a little wee bit!
In honor of Nano and all the mischievous kitties out there, I present a new pair of earrings!

Title: A Likely Story

Cats at CONvergence Art Show & Upcoming Shows

Here is a picture of two Rainbow Cats bracelets that I created during Pride. I am pleased to say that both have found their people!
The bottom bracelet, Rainbow Cats with a Twist, was adopted at the CONvergence Art Show and is now happily home with it's person!

A little more information about these bracelets:
The cats are ceramic 'buttons' that were custom-made at my request and are no longer available, as the artist is moving in new and different directions.
I've been having a lot of fun with the colored jumprings and delving more into chain-link and chain-mail.


My next show is the 2009 Coffee Crawl, Saturday, July 25th from 10am to 6pm at the J.S. Bean Factory in Saint Paul, MN.
Come on out and support your local, independent businesses and artists! Sip a good cuppa from a local coffee shop while browsing art from indie artists. Stop by and say Hi!

Amethyst Cats! A Few Pictures...

These are two pair of the limited edition amethyst cats I posted about a little earlier...
and just an idea of what I've been working on lately!

Single Swarovski




Swarovski Cameo