Bead Dreams Peoples Choice Awards

It is that time of year again.  I am honored to have TWO pieces accepted into the Polymer Clay category of Bead Dreams.  We find out next friday (the 10th) who takes ribbons in each category.  

Here are the pieces I have in the competition

 Sunset Gold Rush

and 

Zen Cairn

However, there is another way to win, and that is the Peoples Choice award.  You get to vote for your favorite!

So you can win first second or third place in your category, and then ONE person also wins the Peoples Choice award.  

If you would like to vote for Sunset Gold Rush
  


And if you would like to vote for Zen Cairn



Thanks to everyone who is always so supportive of me and my art!  You guys rock.  I am really honored to be part of this competition for a third year in a row!

Also, if you will be at Bead and Button in person, please snap a picture for me of the pieces in the case!  I would be forever grateful!  

And if you would like to buy some of my beads while you are there, the lovely Nikki Thornburg of Thornburg Bead Studio and Marsha Neal will have some of my beads at their booth #608!!!!

(Nikki's practice set up)

New Work and a Holiday Sale

I try to do a sale each year........I don't do them often.  However, its a way for me to thank everyone for their support.  So this year, I am giving 25% off your total order from my shop, by using code "thankful" at checkout.  Sale runs from Thanksgiving day until December 2nd.  

I will be filling the shop with LOTS of new goodies tomorrow.  It will hopefully be the most full my online shop has ever been!!! Earrings, bracelets, beads and necklaces.  I even made some new styles.  They are a tad simpler, and in a lower price range.  Great for gifts.  

I know I certainly have friends and relatives who love my style of jewelry but are intimidated by the larger pieces- these are perfect for them!  They are more average sized, yet still have flair, cool stones and fossil and are unique.  They will make great gifts.

I also got these Zen Beads strung into some simple necklaces on leather.  I wanted those intricately carved beads to be the stars of the show!

 Now, even though I am listing tomorrow, I cannot hold items until the sale starts.  It is first come first serve.  Early orders will not get the sale price refunded.  Coupon code goes active midnight on Wednesday.

In other news, I have also been messing around with some other "art".  I made some polymer mixed media pieces that have been running around my mind for some time now.  It felt REALLY good.  

This is the direction I plan to explore next, and take a bit further, these organic fossil like pieces.

I LOVED how these turned out, though I had not even sketched them. They just happened spontaneously

Tree of Life

(these all sold already, but I plan to make more)

My full moon and swirling sky piece's were the first I sketched.  I have one hanging in my home already.  These were my favorites!

Art has always been my passion, and though I get to be very creative making jewelry, I always long to be painting or sculpting or doing something else as well.  I was really happy with how these turned out and plan to make more.  They are for sale, but not in the shop, nor are they part of the 25% off sale.  You can see which are still available on my facebook page here

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.907680209302220.1073741875.214196618650586&type=3

and if you are interested in one, you can message me.

So that is all.  I hope you can stop by the sale- and enjoy your Thanksgiving.  May it contain laughter and love and good food!

Listing the Beads!!!!

I am finally listing all the new stuff I made for Bead Fest in my www.slartisanaccents.etsy.com shop.

 

I have been, and will be listing on and off for a few days.  I am not holding items, so just buy as you like, and on consecutive orders use code freeship2 so you don't get charged shipping more then once. 

 

I have lots more to list, a nice variety of my newest stuff, and some of my classic things as well.

Some of these are listed and some are not up yet. So keep checking back to see whats new in the shop!

The Artists Studio

Well, the studio is done.  I just need to put it back together today. 

 

Here is a photo progression of the events.

 

messy over crowded studio

 empty with carpet still in tact

carpet is out

 

 my super handy hubs measuring (this is what he does professionally)

 framing

 framing

first layer of plywood

 

topped with finished plywood- smooth oak

edged with trim

 

a little mineral oil on the surface

 

 

 

moved in

 





 then decided to paint the sub floor- grey base, black doodles

 

 

 

painted the framing of the table black too, to hide the cheap lumber

~~~~~~~~

Now I am just waiting for it to thoroughly dry before moving the rest in.

 

My hubs did an amzing job building my desks, they are open underneath, which was important to me, but also SUPER sturdy.  He does NOT mess around.  That man builds things to last.  If a tornado ever hits, I am ducking under these babies.

 

The painting of the floor was such an amazing zen experience.  I have always loved to paint (the moon painting over my workbench is one of mine) and painting on this scale, with endless free form, no thought, nothing is wrong, possibilites, just freed my mind.  It was meditative, and I was able to enjoy it with my entire being.  You can read more about that experience tomorrow (friday) at Love My Art Jewlery.

 

So that is it. What a feeling of joy and relief.  I am almost in shock.  I now have a beautiful and functional place to create.  I have wanted this for soooooooooo long.  And thanks to the fact my hubs is a carpenter, it cost next to nothing.  He used lumber and trim he had, I just had to buy the finished plywood, a new light for the room (cause it was so very very dark in there) and paint.  He didn't even charge me labor ......lol.  He built it just the way I wanted, even though I changed it 20x, even as he was building it.  I am sure I am on his difficult customer list now, but thats ok.  It's perfect, so it was worth it.