Artist Spotlight: Part Thirty

The artist spotlights are back!  This week, though, instead of featuring a single artist I'll be featuring for you the Handmade Artists Forum, which actually does it's best to feature tons of other artists and handmade artisans.  It's really a blog that anyone interested in handmade should be following.

Right now, they're running a contest featuring items inspired by pieces of music.  I didn't enter this one, but you can bet I voted and commented!  See, one commenter actually has a chance at winning $25 to anything in the HAFshops and this awesome teddy bear created by IKnitQuiltSew.

You can all go vote, but don't any of you comment, though.  I want that bear!  And there are so many things I want in the HAFshops, I could really use the money too.

For instance, I could use it toward this amazing bracelet I've been drooling over, from the shop of Chainmaille by MBOI.

Or I could get this gorgeous wire wrapped necklace from Makin the Best of It.

My nephew's birthday is in December, and I'd love for him to have this adorable mobile from IKnitQuiltSew in addition to that bear!

Meanwhile, heading back to the HAF blog, you can learn about these and other artists, like the ones who've created these...

Doesn't that make you insanely curious?  Doesn't it make you drool?  So go check it all out!

Blogs I Follow: Poncho Meg - The Modern Bohemian

I honestly don't remember how I found this blog.  All I know is I've been following it for a while and I really love it.  Meg is in her mid-20s and from Lansing, MI, and really is a hippie in 2010.  She's creative and talented, and posts poetry, creative ideas, and even fashion stuff.

As she stated in her intro post, back in June of 2009, "I will be sharing more of my life, my stories, my views, my creativity, and my interests with you.  I will give you links to great Bohemian websites.  I will post fun pictures, articles, and information for you.  I will do product reviews on stuff that interests you!  And of course I will open up to you."

Who could resist following a blog with that description?  Not me.

From that blog, you can jump to her related blogs, like her Poetry Spot or her Creativity Station, where you can get instructions for projects like this Pine Cone Bird Feeder.

Personally, I love her zombie Halloween costume... but then, I've got a penchant for zombies.

Most recently, she uploaded her first Youtube video, a great song she wrote about surviving the recession.  Her voice actually gives me chills (that's a good thing), and there's a gorgeous cat that gets in on the act too.  If you're feeling down about your finances - or even if you're not - I highly suggest you check it out.

I'm a Guest Blogger!

This absolutely terrific blog, Or So She Says... has let me be a guest blogger in today's post, which is mostly a recap of my puppet-from-a-shirt tutorial, which was originally here.  There's a little more, though, about me & Eric.




Their blog is really terrific, with tutorials, guest posts, product reviews, ideas, recipes, stuff to do with kids, and a zillion other useful and fun things.

So go check out the post and show some comment love!

Blogs I Follow: Find Your Fashionista

A resident of Massachusetts and a wonderful, sweet person, Jackie is also a professional woman who knows how to dress.  Chick's got style!

With a fun and easygoing tone, her blog is a great read and always full of nifty photos.  And she's not just telling us to buy Jimmy Choo shoes and this season's latest runway fashions at full price, ignoring the fact that most of us don't get freebies like the models do and don't have the shoe budget of Imelda Marcos.  (Remember her?)

Instead, she shares the best looks for every body type.  She posts about sales and discount websites so we all can dress like the stars without having their paychecks.  She suggests outfits for specific sorts of occasions.  And she tells you what she's wearing too!

Now, I have my own sense of "style," such as it is.  I have my lounge-around-the-house-and-no-one-should-see-me-in-this wear, I have my ultra casual I'm-having-a-comfy-day wear (like today, because I'm sick and feel crappy, and had stuff to get done anyway, I'm in jeans, an old t-shirt, and a corduroy button down shirt thrown on over the t-shirt for warmth), my going out clothes, my plethora of suits, my work casual clothing (which overlaps with my going out clothes, actually), and my dresses and then formal gowns.  I occasionally get compliments on how I look (not today) and there are days when I can look in the mirror and think, "Hey, I look damned good today!"  So I don't think I'm a candidate for "What Not to Wear," by any stretch of the imagination.

But I'm not brave.  I think I used to be braver.  In high school, and keep in mind this was 1984-88, I'd wear painted t-shirts, belted, with leggings and rocker chick boots.  I had ankle-high booties in metallic gold leather (yes, really) with multicolored rhinestones all over them.  I had calf-high boots in pink and aqua fabric.  I had black canvas hightops with silver sequined appliques, silver glitter gel, and clear rhinestones sewn onto them.  I also had at least one friend who refused to walk down the school halls with me when I was wearing those loud things.

I kind of miss them.

And I kind of miss my less in-the-box ways.  Reading Jackie's blog actually shows me the more out-of-the-box possibilities.  And no, she's not steering anyone toward a pink and aqua color combo or painted, rhinestoned, sequined loudness.  Her style is a lot classier and more grown up than that.  But for instance, she talks about pairing a black pin-striped blazer with a plain black t-shirt.  Huh?  As a suit wearer, jackets, in my head, go with button down shirts or "shell" blouses.  But apparently they don't have to!  And I can tell that what she's saying will look good!  Look for yourself.

There's info on accessories, on menswear, and holy crow on what not to do.  Um.... yeah.

And... and... if you ask her fashion questions, she'll write posts to answer them!

Moral of the story?  Check her out!

Oh, and by the way, although I'm focusing on her fashion blog in this post, she's also got a killer cooking blog!

The House Smells Like Heaven

There's a good reason for that.

Candles.

We've been making candles, and now we've got some properly photographed for you (and on the website, too)!  They a good paraffin that burns really well and they are long lasting, with a good strong scent from top to bottom.  We're doing 9" round pillars with a 3" diameter, 4.5" square pillars that are 3" across, 3" round pillars with a 3" diameter, and the ever-useful votives.

First, the ones we've photographed...

Healing Tea.  These are a really pretty mottled sage green and are scented with Eucalyptus and Green Tea.  Amazing!  These are the favorites of a lot of people who've seen and gotten them, as we've been selling them already at craft shows.

Chocolate Decadence.  Wow, is that an appropriate name for these!  They're a mottled mahogany, and scented with a deep chocolate fudge, vanilla, and hazelnut.  These candles will fool guests into thinking you've been doing some pretty hefty baking... or get the romance going, according to those who say chocolate is an aphrodisiac.

Ocean.  These are a great mottled light aqua and really are great for evoking that crisp, clean ocean scent.  Relaxing and indulgent, they can turn any room into a spa.

While our Autumn Harvest, Lilac, and Cedar are available for purchase, we don't have those photos yet.

Autumn Harvest, as the name suggests, would be perfect for any Thanksgiving table setting, though they're really great any time of year.  In a beautiful mottled red, these candles are scented with crisp apples, warm cinnamon, and a touch of plums, pears, grapes, nuts, and just a bit of caramel.  Really truly amazing.

Lilac is as it sounds, in a pretty pale mottled lavender, these are scented with pure lilac, my favorite flower.  It's just a beautiful light floral.

Our Cedar candles are colored with a beautiful mottled reddish-brown and scented with cedar fragrance oil.  Fresh and woodsy, these are a great relaxing candle without being feminine.  Perfect for that candle-loving guy you know!

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