Saturday, November 28, 2009

My Golden Dreams Treasury Capture


Treasuries are so much fun to do! All the colors and textures to choose from ...and you get to honor your friends works for all to see for a few hours. Here are some of my very favorite artists and some new artists that I love to browse their shops. Enjoy the time in my golden dream!!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=77448

Friday, November 27, 2009

Goodie, Goodie!!! New Photos of Amazing Felted Art using my Raku Buttons






Received photos to day of two truly amazing felted collars that are a work of art unto themselves. That you can wear this art makes them that much more special! Jane, whose shop is at JaneBoFelt.etsy.com, creates gorgeous work with natural and other fibers from her home in Moscow, Russia. You absolutely much visit her online shop! Such work...a feast for the eyes! My favorite is the colorful made to order Felted scarf/shawl called Orange Burst.

We had such lovely communication during the buying process. And I love how she has incorporated my raku buttons in her work! Please take time to visit her shop. Tell her I said hello!

You can fine these lovelies at the following links:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35327523
http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=21124746
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=31153876 (Orange burst)

Enjoy my friends!!!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

I'm into Treasurys Today!!




These treasuries are just to lovely to let fade into the Etsy Ether ...I do have inclusions in each which drew my attention...but are they not just fabulous!!! The guests work is original and colorful...and please check out the curators shops as well. The links to each page are following...hurry, as you know they disappear all too soon!!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=76009
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=94812
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=94975

Have fun...I certain did!

Monday, November 9, 2009

In the Wings of the Scarab Treasury by erraticneedle.etsy.com


Erraticneedle of Etsy included one of my Scarab Pendants in her treasury...this was such an outstanding treasury, I wanted to feature it in my blog. Just beautiful in color and composition! You must stop by her shop to see her wonderful needle work....as is seen in the above work...eratticneedle.etsy.com

Treasury can be found at http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=93409

Sunday, November 8, 2009

What do you think? More color or leave as is? Or Much Ado About Nothing?




A challenge from my friend and pottery teacher, Suzon Martin, resulted in this creation. "Here", she says, "take this lump of earthenware clay and see what you can do with it." After a three year sabbatical from class, I was nervous to try anything larger than the raku jewlery pieces I had been creating to sell on Etsy. A prompt was necessary to get me away from the small raku pieces.

I am not a wheel potter. I fashion with my hands and roll slabs of clay to make my pottery. This piece is a slab draped to follow the contours of a bowl I had on hand. I took a walk in my yard and grabbed a couple of different kinds of leaves that happened to be close and started impressing these in the clay to form a background for the three dimensional work.

Another thin rolled slab let me impress, cut, then attach more life like leaves to the still wet clay in the bowl. I work wet...less scoring and magic water application that way. I seem to be more spontaneous that way.

Dragonfly's and a beetle or two and I have taken a perfectly functional form and made it unusable! Can't say why I have the need to clutter up a piece of pottery...it is just what the muse has me do!

I imagined a goldfish bowl? A bowl filled with water to float a votive? A bowl to float my favorite Gardenia blossoms in? Something fanciful?

Now, my dilemma is this... I imagined lots of color in the leaves and flowers against a natural background. The raku muse wanted this bowl...but the clay can not be rakued. I put a wash of white under glaze on the elements, thinking I could layer color later. In a change of mind and taking the under glaze off...the details of each leaf and creature began to pop. So, with the encouragement of teacher and fellow students...it has been fired with a simple clear glaze over the details of the leaves and creatures.

Should I fire again with vivid blues, reds and greens against the earthenware red, or leave well enough alone? That is the question! Should I make another in a raku clay to get those glorious iridescent colors I like so well and leave this one alone? Perhaps it should be all white glaze with the red earthenware showing in distressed areas? Look at the close ups in close up again to see the detail.

Too many options...just can't make the decision....help!!! What do you think about it ...as is?? The bowl measures 11 inches in diameter and is 3 1/2 inches deep. Is this much ado about nothing?

Sunday, November 1, 2009

An Autumn Whisper...

I have been out of the treasury business for a while....just happened to catch an opening. I have included many of my favorite artists and a new Etsy artist, Amy68, from North Carolina. Hope you enjoy browsing these wonderful shops with their amazing art work!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=91438