Artist Spotlight: Part Sixty-Nine

You've met this week's artist before, here, here, and here, but it's been quite a while, so let's see what Sandi's been up to over at iKnitQuiltSew!

Well, when she's not off with her husband in some remote high-mountain meadow trying to catch dinner in one of the many streams, creeks, or ponds near where they live in Utah, she's been busy!

Still knitting... headbands, cowls, booties, infant hats, receiving blankets, and a new line of wash/discloths...

Still sewing her amazing dolls, bears, and now pincushions!

And still quilting... for kids and now for adults too!  I love the amazing wall hanging that would be so great over the couch in a living room.

Be sure to keep up with her on her blog too.

Artist Spotlight: Part Forty-Six and Forty Seven

Two artists for you again this week!

The first you've met here a couple times before, but she's so multitalented that she's worth discussing again.  Sandi Levy of IKnitQuiltSew does in fact knit, quilt, and sew!

Like these great items:  baby booties, receiving blanket, women's headband, and baby headband.

Or this amazing hand-done car quilt, one of many in her Etsy shop and Handmade Artists Forum shop with which I'm in love.

Or these terrific hand-sewn dolls (I love the glasses and the smirk!), sundress outfit, and bear!

To learn more about Sandi, be sure to check out her blog.

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Our second artist is also multitalented.  Fasten your seatbelts for this one, because you're about to meet Haffina!

I'll start with my favorite part.  I've got dollhouses.  I got my first one for high school graduation, and spent a lot of time and effort painting, wallpapering, carpeting, putting in wood flooring, hanging pictures, running electricity, furnishing, and decorating.  I even have a tiny little Hummel figurine.

What I do not have - and really want now - is one of these cakes, made from polymer clay and available at her Handmade Artists shop!

Looks delicious, right?  But look how tiny!

Crazy?  Not as crazy as this chainmaille necklace or this seed beaded one from her Zibbet shop!

Not nutty enough for you?  At Haffina's Minis, you can find this tiny Barbie jewelry, in seed beads or micromaille.

Or how about her tiny, hand-embroidered doll cushions?

Your Barbie needs more accessories?  She can have this handmade suede purse!

On the other hand, you can find more human-sized pieces at her Artfire shop.

To learn more about this Australian mother of five (!!!), you can check out her Wordpress blog or Blogspot blog.  Of course, if you're having trouble keeping everything she does straight, since I have no idea how even she does it, you can just get all the links at her main site.

Enjoy!

I really have to get used to writing 2011?

I love New Year's Eve.  I love starting fresh every year and having a marking point where I can tell myself, "OK, now is the time to do... whatever."  I hate having to remember to write the new year on checks and stuff.  I know for the first month, at least, everything will be written as January 2010, crossed out, and rewritten as 2011.

Geez, 2011 is even weird to type right now.

I guess I should give it more than a day, huh?

So... it's January, and I've got that January quilt kit to try.  I pulled it out, since I figure I should get it done and hang it before the month is over, yes?

Especially since I also have the February one, and would want to hang that one come February.

Why did no one tell me that quilting involves ironing?  I hate ironing!  So I pulled out the kit, pulled out the pattern and fabric, read the instructions... and came here to write this.  I have not yet ironed the fabric.

I guess I should have known.  It makes sense.  I just didn't think of it.

Sigh.

I suppose I should go find an iron (we have two) and the ironing board.  It doesn't look like it should take that long to do this... once I get going and just do it.

Ironing, huh?  Happy new year to me.  

But a real happy new year to YOU!  I mean it.

Artist Spotlight: Part Thirty-Four

Wow.  Just wow.

No, really.  I've never seen anything like this.

This week's artist is Joy, creator of Eye Candey.  And eye candy she's got!  I don't even know where to start with this bookaholic football fan from Buffalo, NY who now lives in Tampa, FL.  Look, for instance, at her fun and funky jewelry.

Or her funny t-shirts.

Very modern vinyl wall decor, a hot thing right now.

Want something a little more statement-making?  How 'bout this one?

I think that says it all, don't you?  But if you're not into the vinyl, she has repositionable and reusable fabric wall decor too.

I'm such a fan of the whole Steampunk thing, I really am.  But I love this great abstract set!

How much fun could you have with that?  Seriously.  Is it at all surprising that she says she's a lover of all things wild, wacky and over the top?  Not to me, it's not!

Speaking of wild and wacky, how about this awesome fabric wall decal?

I think I'm in love.

But that lollipop has reminded me to tell you about her edible wares.  Yes, edible.  She makes printed cake and cupcake toppers, which you can have customized!  Look at these adorable things!

Is that funny, or what?  What a terrific idea!

And her edible stuff isn't the only thing she'll customize.  She will actually print fabric that you yourself design!  That's just fabulous for you artists who make purses, clothes, stuffed animals and dolls... pretty much anything!  With my new forays into sewing, you just know I'm going to be taking her up on this.  That said, if you can't think of a design, she's got some ready-made stuff for you as well, like this moustache fabric.

And these great Victorian panels that are perfect for quilting.

There's tons of information, of course, on her blog, as well as tips and tutorials, posts about outrageous food, and a plethora of other subjects.  Check it out!

Artist Spotlight: Part Thirty-One

Now this is fortuitous.  My spotlight this week is on an artist I mentioned in last week's spotlight and featured back in May:  Sandi Levy of iKnitQuiltSew.  So let's see what she's been up to since May, shall we?

Well, for starters she no longer has just an Etsy shop, but also a Handmade Artists shop, just one more opportunity to shop for her wonderful things!  She's also started a Facebook fan page, where you can get the latest news on everything in her shop and what she's doing.

She also now offers - get this - a baby gift registry in her Etsy shop!  Isn't that the most phenomenal idea?  Instructions on how to choose your registry items are here.

You know, I love the handmade community.  Most are such a giving bunch, but Sandi is truly generous.  Not only did she create a terrific bear specifically to donate as a prize for the HAF contest, but she even gives away her self-learned secrets.  On her blog, she's got a tutorial on making a log cabin quilt block!  Since I started sewing and may be trying my hand at some simple quilts, I could see using that tutorial.  She makes it look so easy!

It's the exact opposite of her bears, which look like they wouldn't be easy at all to make.  I'll leave those masterpieces to her, the expert.

I love those smiling furry faces!