Sunday, May 31, 2009

NinjaJenn rides the ArtFire Crazy Train!

The ArtFire Crazy Train shows no signs of slowing down, just as well our newest rider is a Ninja!! That's right, NinjaJenn is in the driver's seat for the next couple of days! She has oodles of fabulous stuff in her studio, this is just a very tiny sample for you to drool over..



See what I mean? She has awesome stuff! So get yourself into NinjaJenn on ArtFire and see what other goodies are available!

Friday, May 29, 2009

The Broom Closet rides the Crazy Train!

Another rider jumps on the ArtFire Crazy Train as it continues on it journey of promotion! And who are we promoting?
The Broom Closet! There are some really interesting items in their studio, like these...




I love what they have! So drop on in to The Broom Closet on ArtFire and see more for yourself!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

ChantillyLace on the Crazy Train!

Another new rider has jumped on board the ArtFire Crazy Train promotion! This time it is ChantillyLace in the driver's seat. There are some lovely items in their studio, like..



Lovely items! Come on in to ChantillyLace on ArtFire and see more for yourself!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

I thought you might like to know...

I dont talk about myself much on this blog. I tend to focus on my fellow artisans. So I thought it would be nice to talk more about me and what I do, and the things that are important to me, especially in terms of my creativity.

I'm a busy person, I never seem to have enough hours in the day to do all that I want to do, yet I happily take on new challenges almost every day. I'm not sure if I'm crazy..or if I like the adrenalin rush. Sometimes when I think about all the roles I attempt to fill I wonder if I'm making life difficult for myself, but in the end I realise that most of what I am doing is linked together and makes me happy.

So what do I do? I make polymer clay beads and cabochons and other bits and pieces. I make necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings with beads and chainmaille and seedies..anything really. I am a columnist on handmadenews.org in the Craft Techniques department. I am administrator on a fabulous forum known as Alundra's Conundrum. I am a moderator on the new Handmade Artists Forum. I am also a member of several other forums, including BeadingForum.com.au and BunnyRabbitSex (its a writers forum..ideas breed like rabbits). I have two blogs - here and well.. here - of my own, plus ones on various forums. I also have a blog and a ning for the ArtFire Chainmaille Guild, because I'm the Guildmaster for them. I'm also a guild member for 4 other guilds, including the Polymer Clay Smooshers and the ArtFire CafeMom Team. And I have a studio on ArtFire, and a little store on Alundra's Conundrum (which is where I first started selling - I owe my boss Jade big time for the faith she has always shown in me - I love you kiddo).

Joining ArtFire opened up many doors for me, has given me many opportunities. I wouldnt be a columnist for HandmadeNews.org if it wasnt for ArtFire. I wouldnt have the fabulous friends I have recently acquired. I wouldnt be growing in confidence and feeling more sure of my talents.

Did I mention I'm a mum? I have 5 amazing kids, who are demanding and challenging (as most kids are), but also help give me an added incentive to keep all my balls in the air. I have also battled severe depression and a disassociation disorder for most of my life... but I will not let it win... I deserve to win and I will.

But mostly, I'm just me.

If ever you wanna know something about me..ask. I might not answer, but you never know.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Angela's Adornments rides the Crazy Train!

The ArtFire Crazy Train keeps on rolling on, and currently in the driver's seat is Angela's Adornments. There are some wonderful items in her studio, like these..



Lovely items indeed! Get in to Angela's Adornments on ArtFire and see for yourself.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

DerondaDesigns on the Crazy Train!

Another amazing ArtFire Artisan is riding the Crazy Train! This time it is the gorgeous DerondaDesigns. She has some of the most beautiful lampwork beads I have ever seen. I drool big time every time I visit her studio. Take a look at these..



Aren't they gorgeous? Head in to DerondaDesigns on ArtFire and see more of what is on offer.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

SheDesignsJewelry rides the Crazy Train!!

The ArtFire Crazy Train promotion has picked itself up a new rider. It is the gorgeous SheDesignsJewelry. She has some delightful things in her studio, like these ones..



Beautiful items! Drop in to SheDesignsJewelry on ArtFire and see more of what she has to offer.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

BeadAllAboutIt on the Crazy Train!!

The ArtFire Crazy Train promotion has a new rider! The wonderful BeadAllAboutIt! There are some great beadie supplies in their studio, including lots of semi-precious lovelies like these..



It makes me drool seeing all those lovely beadies! Come on in to BeadAllAboutIt on ArtFire and see the other fabulous stuff they have.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

debvandetdesigns rides the Crazy Train!

The ArtFire Crazy Train promotion is pulling out of the station with a new rider! This time around it is debvandetdesigns. There are some awesome things in their studio, such as...



Really awesome stuff! So drop by debvandetdesigns on ArtFire ans see what else they have to offer.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Creative Haven on the Crazy Train!!

The ArtFire Crazy Train promotion is still powering along. Every two days someone else gets to sit in the driver's seat and enjoy the ride. The current Crazy Train rider is CreativeHaven. She has some absolutely gorgeous items in her studio, like these...



See what I mean? Brilliant stuff! So get yourself in to CreativeHaven on ArtFire and see for your self.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Butterfly-Crafts Feature!

We are back with another amazing ArtFire Artisan Feature. This time it is the beautiful Victoria from Butterfly-Crafts.
Now we will hand over to Victoria and let her tackle the questions.

1)What do you like to be called?
Victoria


2)Were you named after anyone?
Nope!

3)How many birthdays have you had?
I’ll have my 27th in August

4)Where in the world are you located, and where would you like to be located?
I live in the Hertfordshire countryside in the UK. I’m pretty happy living here but would love a year in NYC

5)What defines you as you?
I think I can be defined by a few things, firstly my crafting as it is a major part of who I am and what I love. I think I can also be defined by the love I hold for my family and close friends and finally my considerate nature, I will give everyone a chance and believe that everyone is worth that chance

6)What was a defining moment of your childhood? (happy/sad)
I think when I was taken to a craft store and picked out my first cross stitch. I was six and it was a bear in blue pyjamas standing on a yellow moon. I still have it on my bedroom wall. It was from this kit that my love of cross stitch and crafting began. I have never looked back.

7)If you could be an animal which animal would you be and why?
I think I’d have to say a butterfly (yes I know it fits in with my store) but its because you have three stages in life, first you get to be a caterpillar eating leaves and plants, then you get to sleep it all off as a chrysalis and then you emerge into the world as a beautiful butterfly in beautiful colours flying around all day long

8)Do you believe in miracles?
I am not sure. I think wonderful things happen in life but I am not sure if they are miracles or just coincidences

9)Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
I don’t often wear shoes with laces but if I do, no.

10)Favourite smells?
Lemon, Rose, fresh rain if it’s not rained for a while, roast chicken and bread cooking


11)What is on your mouse pad?
A purple flower

12)If you were a crayon, what colour would you be?
Purple, it’s my favourite colour

13)Do you still have your tonsils?
No, nor my adenoids

14)Do bald men wash their head with soap or shampoo?
Do they even wash their heads?

15)What is the first thing you notice about people?
Their eyes and their smiles, I think both can tell you a lot about someone

16)What colour pants and shoes are you wearing?
I am wearing some battered old jeans and I have Eeyore slippers on

17)Scary movies or happy endings?
Happy endings every time, I don’t like scary films

18)When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?
Cheddar

19)Where can people find you and what you do on the internet?
My main shop is: www.butterfly-crafts.artfire.com
My blog is: www.butterfly-craftsonline.blogspot.com
My twitter is: www.twitter.com/Butterfly_Craft
My Flickr is: www.flickr.com/photos/butterfly-crafts/

20)What do you want to be known for, both in terms of your ‘art’ and personally?
I would personally like to be known as someone who always has time for you, to listen and have fun.

In terms of my ‘art’ then I would like to be known for my card making and knowing that every card sent will bring a smile to its recipients face.

Thank you for that, Victoria. Wonderful to have you participate.
Now it is over to me to do a spotlight on the beautiful items available at Butterfly-Crafts on ArtFire.



We are at the end of another fabulous feature. Join us for the next one, coming soon.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Giveaway Winners!!

Well, the time has come to announce the winners of my first ever giveaway!!
We have three fabulous winners!

The winners of the custom made chainmaille bracelets are....

Shake Your BonBons and Rainwolf!!
Congratulations ladies. I will be in touch with you very soon.

Now, on to the winner of the handmade polymer clay pendant on leather necklace.
Well, there were 146 beads in my beadie bag, which means the winner, who came closest with her guess of 152, is...

EclecticGayle!

Congratulations Gayle. I will be in touch soon.

Thank you to everyone who participated. I hope you all had fun.
And to those who didnt win.. keep an eye on my blog.. I will be running another give away soon.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Epheriell Feature!

Here we are with another awesome ArtFire Artisan Feature. This time we are talking to the lovely Jess from Epheriell.
Lets see how Jess handles the questions.

1)What do you like to be called?
Jess. Call me Jesse at your peril...

2)Were you named after anyone?
Well, my middle name is Hattie - which was my great-step-grandmother's
name. Mum chose that because Hattie died just before I was conceived,
and mum was very fond of her!

3)How many birthdays have you had?
28 :D Bring on 30! Life keeps getting better every year.

4)Where in the world are you located, and where would you like to be located?
I live 10 minutes walk from a lovely beach near Brisbane, Australia. I
wouldn't want to be anywhere else!

5)What defines you as you?
That is a very difficult question. I would say - messy,stubborn, full
of smiles, absent-minded, obsessive, practical, passionate about my
creations, loyal, logical, intelligent, skeptical, loving, academic, a
lot more patient than I used to be... just to name a few!

6)What was a defining moment of your childhood? (happy/sad)
My mother had depression for many years during my childhood. It taught
me to be independent, and as an only child, to entertain myself!
Everything is good now, though, and my parents and I are very close!

7)If you could be an animal which animal would you be and why?
Anything that could fly. Remember those dreams when you were a kid,
where you flew all around your neighborhood? I would just love to be
able to fly!

8)Do you believe in miracles?
Nope! Only the everyday ones like waking up each morning and still
being alive to enjoy this wonderful world!

10)Favorite smells?
9)Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
Ummm - honestly, no. I'm too lazy! I just untie them when I put them back on.

Cut grass, honeyed tea, my fiance Nick, my cat, the water in the
shower, and the smell when I come home to Nick's cooking after a long
day at work.

11)What is on your mouse pad?
I use a laptop - so I don't have one!

12)If you were a crayon, what colour would you be?
Green - my favourite. A deep, foresty green.

13)Do you still have your tonsils?
Yep! And my wisdom teeth :)

14)Do bald men wash their head with soap or shampoo?
That all-in-one body wash/hair wash stuff.

15)What is the first thing you notice about people?
Their eyes + their smile - or lack thereof.

16)What color pants and shoes are you wearing?
Blue trakkie daks (sweatpants to you non-Aussies) and no shoes - it's
late and I'm curled up on the couch!

17)Scary movies or happy endings?
I hate to be a girl, but happy endings.

18)When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?
Sexy!

19)Where can people find you and what you do on the internet?
I am in a lot of places - but primarily..
My Blog - Epheriell Designs
My Artfire Shop
My Etsy Shop
Twitter!
My main passion is crafting jewellery from metal, and also from other
materials such as sea glass, resin, yarn and more!

20)What do you want to be known for, both in terms of your ‘art’ and personally?
Personally, I'd like to be known as a good person. I would love my
work to receive appreciation. It is a part of me that I've brought
into the world, and I think it takes courage to put yourself out there
creatively. I love the thought that I am creating something that might
be treasured - and that might even endure on past my lifetime.

Fabulous answers, Jess! Thanks so much for participating!
Now its my turn to spotlight the wonderful items available at Epheriell on ArtFire!




Gorgeous items! This brings an end to this wonderful feature. Be sure to join me for the next one, coming soon.

Giveaway Update!

The time for entering has ended! Keep an eye open for the announcement of the winners on Mother's Day!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Kickinskreations feature!

I am back with another ArtFire Artisans feature. This time we are hanging out with the awesome Kickinskreations. So here she is to tackle the questions.


1)What do you like to be called? Either Valerie or kickin. Kickin is my yahoo name for years so i dont mind either way.

2)Were you named after anyone? No i was not named after anyone.

3)How many birthdays have you had? LOL Ive had 44 birthdays.

4)Where in the world are you located, and where would you like to be located? I am in N.Y.S. and i would love to be south like in N.C.

5)What defines you as you? I think its my sense of humor.

6)What was a defining moment of your childhood? (happy/sad) The day i got my horse, was an awesome day for me.

7)If you could be an animal which animal would you be and why? A bird, so I could have wings to see my son.

8)Do you believe in miracles? Yes i do.

9)Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Once in awhile I will untie them.

10)Favorite smells? My milk chocolate candy dish and cupcakes.

11)What is on your mouse pad? Its all blue with a cpl spills stains lol.

12)If you were a crayon, what colour would you be? Blue its my favorite.

13)Do you still have your tonsils? Yes i do.

14)Do bald men wash their head with soap or shampoo? Shampoo, at least my step dad used it.

15)What is the first thing you notice about people? The eyes.

16)What color pants and shoes are you wearing? Im wearing blue jeans and red and white sneakers.

17)Scary movies or happy endings? Scary movies.

18)When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say? Crackers.

19)Where can people find you and what you do on the internet? http://kickinskreations.artfire.com
http://www.mycraft.com/kickinskreations
http://www.flickr.com/
http://twitter.com/kickinskreation
http://www.facebook.com/people/Kickins-Kreations/1250695555
http://home.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user
http://www.indiepublic.com/profiles/profile/show?id=kickinskreations

20)What do you want to be known for, both in terms of your ‘art’ and personally? I'd like to be know personally as a friendly person with a good sense of humor who would try to help others, as for my art that would be that i create unquie candles with great scents.

That was fabulous Kickins!
And now I get to do my spotlight on the fabulous items available at Kickinskreations on ArtFire.



So we come to the end of another fabulous ArtFire Artisan feature. Be sure to join me for the next one.

Monday, May 4, 2009

JanelsonArts riding the Crazy Train!

There are heaps of talented artisans on ArtFire, and one of them is JanelsonArts. And she is currently riding the Crazy Train promotion. So I am going to take this opportunity to give you a little glimpse inside her studio at the absolutely gorgeous lampwork beads that she makes. I spend a lot of time drooling over her beadies!






Aren't they fabulous? And they are only a sample of what is available at JanelsonArts, so go and look for yourself and be inspired and amazed.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Acadienne Feature!

We are back with another ArtFire Artisan Feature. This time we are talking to Joyce from Acadienne. So here is Joyce to tackle the questions.

1) What do you like to be called? Joyce

2) Were you named after anyone? no

3) How many birthdays have you had? Everyone only has one. I have had 55 birthday anniversaries, however.

4) Where in the world are you located, and where would you like to be located? I live in Tucson, Arizona, in a suburban development. I would like to be located on a certain island next to a wildlife refuge , on the north shore of Massachusetts. I carry this place in my heart, always.

5) What defines you as you? My Lunatic Center political and moral views. I live rather conservatively, but my views swing wildly, depending on the issue. I usually vote very liberal.

6) What was a defining moment of your childhood? (happy/sad) When I was 5, my Dad was overcome by smoke in a fire (he was fire captain in our town), and had to retire due to heart problems. This was sad, but he was still able to teach me how to appreciate nature, and such wonders as catching baby frogs and how to spot mayflowers in the spring.

7) If you could be an animal which animal would you be and why? A killer whale, because they roam the ocean and have no natural enemies.

8) Do you believe in miracles? Definitely. I am a Red Sox fan, since grade school

9) Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? No, but then, I only have one pair that tie. I usually wear some kind of loafer or sandal.(I am in Arizona after all)

10) Favorite smells? Chocolate and salt water

11) What is on your mouse pad? Besides the mouse, A logo from my husband's former government workplace.

12) If you were a crayon, what colour would you be? Yellow, bright yellow

13) Do you still have your tonsils? Yes, but not my gallbladder or original lenses in my eyes

14) Do bald men wash their head with soap or shampoo? Shampoo. I'm married to a bald man.

15) What is the first thing you notice about people? Their eyes.

16) What color pants and shoes are you wearing? I'm wearing blue jean shorts and no shoes.

17) Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings

18) When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say? Please don't eat me!!!!!

19) Where can people find you and what you do on the internet?
www.Acadienne@Artfire.com www.ChezAntonine@Etsy.com www.DollsAndShawlsEtc@Etsy.com

20) What do you want to be known for, both in terms of your ‘art’ and personally? Unique items made with care, and an intelligent, creative woman.

Thank you so much Joyce! Wonderful answers. Now I get to do a spotlight on the fabulous items available at Acadienne.



We are at the end of another ArtFire Artisan feature. Be sure to join me for the next one.