Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and many kind blessings in the New Year!

Thank you for all of your support and inspiration in 2011. It was a great year that just flew by, now onto new adventures in 2012! I am looking forward to new designs, directions, and creative journeys. I just need to figure out where to start first!!

Gallery Time...

Last night was the 6x6 show at the Infantree Gallery in Lancaster, PA. Artists from all over the area submitted small 6x6 works of art. This was my second year, and hopefully the 4 creations I made have new homes! These ladies were a labor of love (not money, that's for sure, I probably made 10 cents an hour in the end--LOL!). I spent a ridiculous amount of time creating them... between normal daily creative time and time for these, I was double-shifting it all week.

I decided if I was going to do this project for the show I was going to have fun playing and learning a new technique. Mission accomplished! I learned how to dye clay, now I am addicted!! The colors are so vibrant and flow together beautifully. There is a Zen to watching the inks and dyes flow together, and trying to control them for aesthetically pleasing results. They have a mind of their own, you just have to encourage them, cross your fingers, and "go with the flow".

I look forward to scaling these down and incorporating my new found love into my beads and jewelry creations. I'll keep you posted, I have a few pieces started, I just need to finish them...ahhh the story of my life!

Something New, Wire Wrapped Crystal Ornaments!

Something new ... giant Wire Wrapped Quartz Crystal ornaments! Each one features a large quartz crystal, or cluster of crystals, wrapped in super heavy gauge copper or aluminum wire. I'm so excited about these, they've rejuvenated my creative spirit on every level! They are packed with energy and look magnificent in a window, on the tree, outside, inside, anywhere! They look like icicles wrapped in swirls of wire.

For years I've contemplated making "Window Jewelry" with the name Sculpted Windows Jewelry ...you'd think I would have tried making some actual window jewelry sooner!! It one of those things I've been saying I'm going to try forever, and I never take time out to try ...after 8 years, I FINALLY sat down and and made it happen.

The aluminum wrapped cluster at the top of this entry was inspired by a painting I bought from Gallery Z on etsy. A guardian angel watching over a city of crystals. I fell in love with the painting, I couldn't stop looking at it. Despite a tight budget, I had to splurge. It inspired me, how could I live without her :).

This was the perfect break from the holiday chaos. A little play-time that was good for the soul ...and for re-charging the batteries. I had a blast working on these, if my hands weren't tired out I'd be making more right now. They are addictive! Working with 12, 14, and 16 gauge wire takes some serious strength and I thought I was tough.

Hope you are enjoying the start of the holiday season. If you're getting stressed I hope you can take a little time to play, I highly recommend it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to take a minute to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and say Thank You!

I have been blessed to do what I love for another year--- create and play with my clay and wire! Without your support and inspiration this would not have been possible, so I can't thank you enough!

I hope you have a great holiday and I wish you and yours many blessings throughout the holiday season, and into the New Year!!

~Kristie

A Butterfly Emerges from the Snow!

What a weird couple weeks it has been!! A freak snowstorm before the leaves fell off the trees for the season and I finally passed my kidney stone! I am feeling sooooooo much better--HOORAY!! I thought it could not get any better ...until Tuesday ...

Zeus (our little wiener dog) found a butterfly trapped in the snow in our back yard. It is much warmer after the storm and the snow is melting, I thought the butterfly was dead until I saw it move. One of its wings was trapped in the snow and it was exhausted and cold. It was an amazing sight, I have never seen a butterfly in the snow. I love making winter clay designs with butterflies and after 39 years I finally got to see one. It was really quite amazing, especially the fact that it was still alive.

I could not resist giving the little guy a boost out of the snow and into the sun so it could warm up and fly away. I took a bunch of beautiful pictures and a short video of his taking off from the snow. It took him a about 20 minutes to warm up, a few trial flights, and then he was up and away. What a sight to see a butterfly flitting around with snow on the ground. Absolutely inspiring ...now I definitely need to make some snowy butterfly designs!!

BEES!

I couldn't help but share a picture of our pumpkin bees. The colors are amazing and luckily they are friendly bees that do not mind having their picture taken.

I have a giant pumpkin plant growing in the flower bed outside our front door and the bees are CRAZY over the flowers. I contemplate pulling the pumpkin out as it is over-running eveything. But watching these critters is like watching goldfish! It is addictive.

Each flower only lasts one day. They open in the morning and the bees sit inside non-stop until late afternoon, when the flower closes up and dies off. They will fight for space inside the flowers until they lose their little legs. They must be some of the tastiest flowers around!!

New Paua Shell Mermaid Beads

This week it is Paua Shell Mermaids! I created a bunch of Paua shell mermaids and I have 2 Norwegian Moonstone ladies that hid while I was taking pictures. I guess it was a week of iridescent backdrops and metallic clay. Lots of shimmer and shine in these pieces. I have worked on them countless hours, lots of love has gone into each one. It always amazes me how few pieces it looks like there is in a batch, but there's SOOOOO much detail in each one.

Hope you have a great weekend! Thanks for looking, perhaps these mermaids will inspire you to take a dip. If you're lucky the ocean, the creek down the road, the pool, or perhaps just a soothing bubble bath. Enjoy!