My First Fairy Garden!

I say "my first" because after I created this little fairy garden in a dish that I found at a thrift shop, I could tell that I was instantly addicted. Trouble is, in my neck of the woods, gardening season is over and winter is around the corner so I'll have to wait until next season to do a larger one. My inspiration came from a little shop my husband and I visited when we took a day trip to Amish country. This shop has lot's of little fairy gardens. Some smaller than mine, in little clay pot dishes, some larger in old wash tubs and some even planted right in a flower bed. They just drew me in. It's like they were little miniature neighborhoods with fairies, birds, butterflies, and frogs. For mine I collected some little things here and there and as I did, it sparked more ideas. I found some little christmas bulbs to use as gazing balls. You can see a green one in the photo. I will probably glue this to an upside down tiny clay pot to make it look more authentic. I found this neat distressed birdhouse that looks like a potting shed. My fairy is a cute rusty looking fairy made of cast iron. For live plants I used a lucky bean plant that looks like a shade tree, some miniature jade, elfin thyme and in the little clay pot some hens and chickens. I bought some sheet moss to loosely cover areas of dirt until my thyme starts to spread.  Under the stool you can see a tiny green frog that I've had for 22 years. I bought it when I was pregnant with my first child because I thought my belly looked exactly like that little frog's belly and I had a favorite green shirt I used to wear. I may just have to try my hand at creating a little winter fairy garden. Now that would be fun!

Enjoying The Simple Things In Life!

I was out shopping for supplies for a wedding order that I had to finish. Rushed as usual, I ran around the store picking up what I needed. Ribbon, organza bags etc. I was a bit crabby because I feel like I'm always behind. In my own little world with a ton of things on my mind and wondering if I was going to be up til 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. to get it all done, I walked out of the store and this is what I saw. Honestly, the sky was so beautiful and mesmerizing, I stopped dead in my tracks. In an instant, I forgot how rushed I was. Suddenly, I was reminded that we all need to slow down and take in the beauty of the world around us. I only wished I had my better camera and not just my iphone.

What Can You Get These Days For Under $6.00?

Well, there isn't much you can get for under $6.00 but I just have to share an awesome deal that Artfire is offering. For a limited time only, the first 20,000 people to sign up for a pro account studio will be able to get in on a group deal  for only 5.95 per month.  The great thing is it's not a temporary deal but rather a rate that you can lock in to! If you are a crafter or artist who has sold in other venues whether it be a craft show, consignment shop or online, you know what a great bargain this is. I've never done a month long craft show for only 5.95. As if the low price wasn't reason enough to give it a try, you should see all of the tools Artfire gives you to make your online studio a cool place that people will want to shop at.  They are still a young venue but I see many great things happening at Artfire. If you ever need any type of help, their administrators are very prompt about helping you. It's apparent that customer service is one of their top priorities. Don't take my word for it, check out this cool venue for yourself http://www.artfire.com/ and don't forget to click that link at the top of the page that will tell you all about locking into this great rate.
http://www.artfire.com/groupdeal
To put it in perspective, you would pay more for a fast food meal, a magazine, a new bottle of nail polish, a movie.....So give it a try. I should also mention if you decide after you've tried it that it isn't for you, then you could always back out. There is no obligation to stay.

It's the great pumpkin!

I love making these movable shadow box charms! Each one is like a little diorama. I've had the idea for this one in my head for the past year but as with many of my ideas, it just stayed in my head for a while until I could find the time to put it in the works. That is the trouble with many of us Artists. The ideas flow faster than we can create.  I'm planning on making some more of these fun little shadow box pieces so check back here or in my shop, http://www.sissysart.etsy.com/  or my artfire shop at http://www.sissysart.artfire.com/ .

Wear Your Child's Artwork

I was inspired to create these new pieces while sorting through an old box of my kids (now grown) school artwork. They were so much fun to look at all these years later but I got to thinking, what a shame that some of these special pieces just end up stashed away somewhere. Why not wear some of your favorite pieces. You will find a custom listing on my Etsy site for this new item.

Playing With Fire

If anyone has ever tried to make these singed flowers, you will know how much fun it is and how cool they look as the edges of the petals start to curl while holding the fabric pieces over the flame. I found a tutorial on how to make these and I'm hooked! I made this flower brooch, a hair clip for my son's girlfriend and a ring for my other son's girlfriend. It is a great way to recycle old fabric or use up left over fabric that you may have laying around. It's on my list of things to do to make more of these fun flowers.

Wonderful Sparkly Glitter!

I have a new love for glitter. Not just any glitter but the German glass glitter. I purchased two colors over the winter for a project and now I just love looking at it in my little bottles. I do like the Martha Stewart glitter. It seems like a good quality if you don't have access to the German glass glitter. However I have discovered that if I want to incorporate any glitter in my soldered projects it has to be the glass glitter. I discovered the hard way one day that regular plastic glitter will not withstand the heat of a soldering iron and you will end up with a melted mess. The picture above shows a few of my glitters displayed on my studio window sill. I love how it sparkles when the sun is coming through my window.