Artist Spotlight: Part ONE HUNDRED and One Hundred and One

Holy crow, I've made it to 100 spotlights!  That's a lot of amazing other artists I've introduced you to, you lucky dogs.

Well, this time I've got some more you've never met here before.

First, let me introduce you to Anansa, a venue for handmade artists from around the Middle East.  There are so many different things!

If I was a leather worker, I'd jump on these .pdf patterns.

Or look at these amazing acrylic and oil paintings!  These are just a few of the many, but they really caught my eye.  Or check out the hand painted ostrich egg!

How adorable is this custom wedding cake topper?

And how pretty is this Quran cover?

Children's items like this hand-knitted camel and handmade dollhouse.

And last, but not least, clothing and household items!

You get the idea, I think.  Visit the site, seriously.

And for 101, a new artist to this blog, Highland Princess Designs.

The Highland Princess is a fellow Rennie, which you know I love.  She's been crafting chainmaille jewelry for over a decade, which I find amazing.  The first project she ever attempted was a headdress with a 3' chain net to hold her hair, inspired by one she saw at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.  It started when her friends took up maille and she figured if they could, she could.  She was right.

That had her hooked, of course, and branching out into other accessories and materials.

She also crochets and has entered the world of costuming.  Although she does work in fabric and fiber, the funniest costume I've seen from her is this chainmaille armor for a stuffed animal!

Adorable, right?  For more, check out her blog.

Artist Spotlight: Parts Eighty-Seven & Eighty-Eight

I have two artists for you this time 'round, both ones you have not met here before.

First, April of Brooklyn Bead Goddess.  As someone who spent some time living in Brooklyn myself, I have an affinity for this chick, can't help it.  Then again, I also have an affinity for her art.

I'm an art glass collector, so lampwork like this just draws and fascinates me.  It did her too; it started when the glass artists along the Coney Island boardwalk intrigued her.

And now, the variety in her work intrigues me!  She makes each bead, and then from those creates her beautiful jewelry.

You can buy her jewelry in her Handmade Artists Shop or her Etsy Shop.

You can follow her blog.

Like her on Facebook

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Or follow her on Twitter.

Don't you want to?

*****

And second only consecutively, here's Sarah of Finding Charm.  Charm is definitely the word for it, too.

A do-it-yourselfer with her own sense of style, Sarah started making jewelry when she couldn't find anything she liked already made to go with her outfits.

She's obviously become an expert since then!

You can find her funky sense of style in her Etsy Shop, Artfire Shop, Zibbet Shop, and Ecrater Shop.

You can like her on Facebook.

And you can follow her blog

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Wanna Win a Necklace & $25?

Remember ages ago when I entered that contest that resulted in the puppet?  The one that's now the logo for Fabric of my Mind?  Well, the Handmade Artists Forum ran another contest.

I didn't enter this one.

But boy, have the entrants stepped up their game!  It was a "trashy contest," and the artists had to take something that was otherwise trash and turn it into a treasure.  You have to see the awesome stuff they made!

And if you vote on the contest (good luck choosing, it took me forever), and you comment on the blog post, you're entered to win $25 to spend at any one of the Handmade Artists Shops and this awesome necklace:

The necklace was made by a terrific artist, Lisa, of Uniqlets.

First, go vote and comment on the contest to be entered to win.  Then, if you're smart, you'll check out the other jewelry at Uniqlets.  And when you're done with that, check out the rest of the Handmade Artists Shops to see how you want to spend your potential $25!

New Shop Announcement!

Reef Botanicals has a new affiliated shop, Fabric of My Mind!

It's in that shop you'll find for purchase the results of my sewing, knitting, toymaking, and photography, as well as instructions and .pdf patterns that cross the Fabric of My Mind (see how I did that there?).  It's small yet, with just a few listings, but I hope you'll visit frequently to see what's new.  Currently, you'll find my hand-knitted cream scarf...

patterns for my felt dinosaur puzzle and busy book...

and the jumbo dolphin crayons that Eric and I make.

At some point hopefully soon, there will be another scarf available too, this one in a soft vintage lavender yarn.

Enjoy!

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