Stellar Bliss,

My first "Star" for today-

is my wonderful, artistic friend
and (how lucky am I) neighbor,
Barbara.
We met almost two years ago,
because of the Wise Old Willow Tree in my yard.
She knocked on my door and asked if she could
gather up some of the branches that were scattered on my front lawn.
I was curious what she wanted them for and so glad I asked.
She said she made little nests for her craft items.
Well I had to see them and WOW!!
Since that serendipitous day we have become good friends
and she was my very helpful helper at my first craft show.
We had so much fun at the first fair.

Not only was she a big help but we make a great team- 

I like to talk and collect money, 

she likes to wrap and deliver. 

November 21st we are sharing a table at Mt Charleston

and she will be selling her very classy vintage Holiday ornaments

and really cute cat and dog ornaments.

TODAY
She is joining our Etsy Team- Handmade in Vegas.
She makes the most adorable and detailed hand-felted little creatures.
Please take a moment to go see them in her Etsy Shop- Woolcrafter.
You won't be sorry.
She has been auctioning her creations on Ebay for awhile,
I wish I could show you her poseable Giraffe- he is amazing!!
Her creatures are patiently and meticulously created with their own little story
and sometimes a little wool carpet they can rest on.

I am completely in love with those gorgeous little hummingbirds!!

segue - - - - - -
to my two new necklace sets 

featuring wire wrapped stars from Michael's.
We have had a family of hummingbirds return every year
to their little nest in our Honeysuckle vine.
I am always thrilled to see them hovering around my yard
gathering nectar and teaching the babies to fly.
They are magical creatures.
I had to make these little hummingbird charms the "Stars"of
the first set of antiqued brass wire wrapped stars from Michaels.
I named this set- "Hummer's Delight"

 I love the antiqued brass, with the gold tone wire and charm

 The tiny ceramic beads added just the right touch of red

the color that attracts hummingbirds the most.

My second set- "Stellar Bliss"

 features faceted crackly quarts rounds, 

the same wire wrapped stars in copper, some lovely peach colored faceted glass beads, 

very dark brown metallic ceramic beads  

and I finished it off with knotted and wire wrapped Dupioni Silk 

for comfortable soft touch on the back of the neck. 

Here are the matching earrings, big but dazzling.

This one was just listed yesterday in my Etsy Shop!!

I am madly creating for my two events this month. 

The Hoffman Challenge 

which is an annual event hosted by the Las Vegas Quilt Guild. 

It is a quilt contest in which a coordinated fabric line by Hoffman Fabrics must be used. 

The quilts travel the US for a year. 

The guild graciously invited me and two other vendors to sell at this  three day event 

Thursday, November 11th - Saturday the 13th: 10 am- 6 pm.

For my local friends it is held next door to 

Fabric Boutique at the SE corner of Decatur and Charleston.

Then

on Sunday, November 21st 10 am- 4pm. 

 I am back (with my wonderful co-crafter/artist Barbara)

to Mt. Charleston for a second time at that fantastic hotel 

for the Handmade in Vegas Etsy Team's Arts and Crafts Fair.

Last but certainly not least-

My wonderful, smart and really handy husband built me a huge frame

out of PVC pipe spray painted black to hold up black curtains I bought at Lowe's 

on which I can display my art quilts behind my table. 

It is really wonderful how he supports my endeavors! 

No wonder I have kept him for 35 years!! 

This time I hope to remember my camera so you can see pictures of my booth, 

I found some really unique display pieces this week on a little adventure to downtown Old Vegas.

More about that another day.

That's all for today, enjoy your extra hour today!! 

Flashback to my Alamo Beads

I finally photographed my Alamo-inspired Necklace Set in an appropriate setting.   I took several other photos but the background just didn't do the necklace justice. This background is a slice from a limb of the Willow Tree that used to reside in our front yard.  We loved the tree but it was dying and became dangerous as we have quite a bit of wind here in the Desert. Having it cut down brought tears to my eyes and a sinking feeling in my heart but I kept several slices and they make great backgrounds for some of my art. 

     I made the polymer clay beads and pendant after a vacation trip to San Antonio to see the Alamo this past spring.  I know the music is a little hokie but my husband is a huge fan of John Wayne, old movies like the Alamo and the theme songs. So I included these two for him. The Ballad of the Alamo and Green Leaves of Summer. 
     Many of my beads went to my Bead Soup Partner, Emanda and she created a stunning necklace with them. 

     I think the silk ribbon and glittery beads added just the right touch of fall color to make my faux limestone beads sing. 

I also love the large wood rounds wired into the bronze rings.  

This necklace is very comfortable and light weight. I am going to take a chance and enter this piece into a pool for a book Lorelei is writing about using cords, fibers and ribbons in jewelry.  See her October 20, 2010 post for more information about the book. 

I have yet to be published but promised myself I would approach my artistic endeavors with "No Fear". 

"There is nothing to lose and much to be gained 

when your heart and soul are in everything you do."

Sisterhood of the Traveling Beads

I happened to come across the traveling box of beads over at Lorelei's Blog.

I wondered how Heather Power's inspirational give-away was progressing.  

If you love beads and love give-aways you need to check it out. 

Just like the jeans in the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" movie, 

one of my all-time favorite movies, 

this box of beads is chock full of fabulous stuff and 

will be passes on by each winner  

after you  take what you like and add some of your own stash.

I love this idea. 

You can enter until Friday November 5th on Lorelei's Blog.

Check it out Check-it-outers!! 

Happy Haunting!!

Traditions!  

 While browsing for information and  images related to Halloween 

I came across this wonderfully carved pumpkin.  

My Celtic blood is boiling as the New Year begins.  

Did you know that part of the tradition of Halloween 

comes from the Celtic Celebration of Samhain, the end of harvest, 

the end of the lighter half of the year and the beginning of the darker half.  

It is believed that the border between this world and the other world is thinner at this time.  Bonfires were a large part of the festival.

 Masks were worn to copy the spirits or placate them. 

Pumpkins, larger and therefore easier to carve than the European traditional Turnip, 

were an American discovery.  

I am going to carve the pumpkin today. 

It will encase a tiny little bonfire 

and brighten the dark outside my door, 

where teams of spirits will come to 

"Trick or Treat".

According to Pliny the Elder, a ritual in Gaul held by the Druids

 (Magician-like Preists),

 involved mistletoe which is rare and grows on a sacred oak. 

It was a cure for infertility and an antidote to all poisons.  

I made mistletoe earrings this last week.  

Here they are: 

Sweet and simple, I was thinking as we all do that mistletoe was about Christmas.  

I guess fertility could be involved, after all we all probably started with a kiss.

My thought, I love a kiss on that tender little part of my neck 

just below the place these earrings will dangle. 

A little romance is good for everyone. 

They can be found in my Etsy Shop

Angels Among Us....

First,  I have to give a huge HOLLA BACK to Julliana  at Juls Beads 

for the BEST lampwork beads ever!!! 

If you like what you see here go check out her blog and etsy shop.

This is the treasure that she made me when I purchased 

her special half-day of lampwork deal to help her with her little sick doggie. 

You know you want it, you know you like it....Neener neener...!!  

Not only am I amazed at how much she got done in a half day 

but I let her choose what to make and I never 

could have dreamed up such a fantastic assortment of colors and styles

Oooh Aaaah I can't stop touching them and admiring them, 

so lovely, so precious!! 

She will notice that there are some missing above!!

That's because I made a set yesterday with the other focal and matching beads.

Is this bead not the most gorgeous thing you have ever seen?

I am naming it Angel's Heart because it looks to me like

a loving aura that most certainly has wings and can fly! 

You really put your best into your beads Juls!

Thank you again for your beautiful creations.

Speaking of ANGELS...

I have been wanting to create my own wings

so I finally conditioned a ton of polymer clay;

white, translucent and pearl mixed together.

I did my best to shape two wings and baked them for just 15 minutes.

Then I carved away at them with clay tools until they looked like this.

Thanks to my dear Doll Making Friend Fran ( you can convo her on etsy)

I have a two part mold making mix that is incredibly fast setting 

and remains flexible so that I could get all the fine details.

And Voila!! 

Now with a little pearlX powder the wings are ready for my Worry Dolls 

that are graduating to Angels.

The lovely head is made in steps.

1. The thumb pressed ball of clay gets stuck with a toothpick.

(Yes, like childbirth the process is a little painful)

2. Bake

3. Press clay into face mold and adhere to bald head.

(plastic surgery is needed to keep the face from distorting too much)

4. Cover the toothpick with clay, 

angels must have beautiful smooth necks that fit into their body snuggly.

5. Extrude clay for hair and create hairdo.

(This is a day at the spa for the angels)

6. Dust with pearlx powders to give the skin a fine glow.

7. Bake 

(My pictures end here but the process continues, 

I just need a good night's sleep before I continue)

8. Make-up: apply a modest amount of colored chalk, xtra fine tip eyeliners 

and lumiere paints for the eyes and spray with archival spray to make them permanent.

 For the Body 

1.  Texturize a sheet of clay and wrap it around

(this is quite humiliating for angels) 

folded and rolled toilet paper.

This supports the walls of the body while it bakes so that it becomes a hollow vessel.

A dusting of pearlx powder will make her feel better 

2. Before baking line the neck opening with some extra clay so that it is very sturdy

and be sure that the covered toothpick will fit in the neck hole firmly

(unless you want your angel to be a bobble-head)

3. Bake

4. Surgically cleanse the body after baking to remove the toilet paper by pouring water 

into the body and pulling out the softening and dissolving paper with tweezers.

I call this the esophoscopy!! 

5. Make arms and legs, poke holes for hanging and dust with pearlx powder.

6. Bake

7. Drill all holes for connecting body parts.

8. Assemble body parts with jewelry wire, 

beads may be added to give your angel some extra bling. 

PS I haven't quite figured out how I will attach the wings to this doll yet.

As soon as I do I will let you know. 

I love making these dolls. 

Each one seems to have it's own personality and they whisper their names to me.

Have you been visited by angels lately? 

A Squirrel gathers her nuts...

Beaders gather their beads sometimes not knowing what they may become.  

I picked up this beautiful wood tree pendant at (head dipped in shame because I missed Lorelei' Challenge- I was out of town and not reading blogs for a couple weeks) Michaels. 

I just love it and when I came across these spiral carved nuts at my local bead shop 

I knew I had a fine duet in the making. 

These components are not expensive and 

I love how they look together and to me they represent Fall in all it's glory. 

The beads are extremely light weight and so comfortable to wear.  

The necklace and earring set will be listed today in my Etsy Shop!! 

I just have to share photos of my Purple Passion Vine.

It went crazy this year and I have had hundreds of blossoms to ooh and ah over.

I just can't get over how intricate and strange the stamen and pistols are.

While I am waxing "Purple" 

a close up of the illusive dragonfly on 

my art quilt titled: "On Purple Pond" ( also listed in my etsy shop)

This is my artistic parody of the movie "On Golden Pond "

where like me and my family 

Life is seen through violet colored glasses 

and never ceases to be unique and inspirational. 

The center is a beautiful leaf print I did with geranium leaves and Lumiere metallic paints.

They glow on the black cotton.

 I am continually inspired to create aquatic creatures.

More later about my first artist's gallery reception!! 

It has been in the 80's all week and cooler at night here in Las Vegas.

We walk around our neighborhood at night and look at the stars and moon.

I LOVE this time of year!! 

Enjoy your weekend. 

Waiting.....

Finally home, my little bird under wing

waiting was so hard I couldn't even sing

her broken heart I fiercely defend

and gently sooth until the pain ends

what ugly beast would do such harm

to my little bird now home and warm

A bag for your worries

 a bag for your cares

a bag for your tarot

a bag for your wares

a bag full of colors

and textures to feel

a bag for your magic 

with which you can heal. 

New item in my etsy shop- 

click HERE to see more.