Whirlwind….

November 25, 2013Leave a comment

November was a whirlwind.

It started with a trip to Faerieland, aka FaerieCon.

Faces of FC 2013

Needless to say fun was had, friends old and new, revelries, magic…

Then there was a two week period of custom orders and teaching. Whew. Glad to be getting caught up…

And now its Thanskgiving, Black Friday sales – and more importantly the last few shows of the season! If you are inthe area – I would love to see you at:

The Arden Holiday Shoppe – a great local show, small and very “homey”! In the town of Arden DE (north of Wilmington.)

The DCCA Alternatives Holiday Craft Show – new to me – this annual show hosted by the DE Center of Contemporary Art shuld be stellar! In WIlmongton, at the River front…

And I will have a few special season items at The Palette and the Page in Elkton MD.

Holiday offerings

Whew.

Have a great Thanksgiving, one and all! You will hear more from me in the near future. I CAN see the light at the end of the tunnel…

Spirit of the season…

December 14, 201237 Comments

My hearts and prayers go out to all those affected by the tragedy in Connecticut. And at this time of year, let us remember the season is one of love, family, and friendship. Hold your loved ones close, and remember to breathe…

It seems like ages ago that Sally of The Studio Sublime sent out a call for participants – the 2nd Annual Ornament Swap. I worked on mine and sent it away before Thanksgiving – that also seems like so much time has passed… ( My original partner was unable to participate – so I will be sharing what I made. Sally adopted me as her second partner, and I will be sending her something along these lines in the very near future. Sorry for any confusion. )

And so it begins

My idea started with a tiny vial of snow, of ice, of crystalized winter. I prefer to do seasonal motifs, as everyone’s beliefs are personal and varied… I set up the polymer oven – as I have been doing more and more of late. Polymer is versatile and immediate. Earthenware and stoneware have such a long process time: dry, fire, glaze, fire… For something like this polymer suits the bill nicely.

Comes together

The swap brief said to include an artist bead. Although I am creating the entire piece, I wanted to be true to the challenge, and created these snowflake charms. You will see them again…The bird and tree are stamped and hand painted onto ivory polymer. Here it is all together:

Winter wonder

Ornament reverse

And my partner/friend? So sweet! Sent me this …I may have to keep this up in the studio all winter!

Oh Christmas Tree!

Ooh! I love the flame patina on the copper, the SueBead with silver, the accents of olive and aqua! Its so lovely…

Light and shadow

So – those extra snowflake charms… They ended up here:

Snowflake earrings

Two pairs were already sent on their way to lucky winners of another challenge. I think I will save one pair for my MiL… So that leaves YOU dear reader. If you want to be entered into the give away – mention that in your commment! ( And it would be so easy if you were willing to leave your email as well…) I will pick a winner Monday afternoon!

So – thank you all for celebrating and hopping with me. Here are my friends and fellow swap partners. Happy Holidays!

Happy Krampusnacht!

December 4, 20121 Comment

Be wary if you are out tonight. Should you see a devilish dapper beast abroad – you would be well aware if you met Krampus on Krampusnacht! Could it be the devilsih appearrance, cloven hooves and horns? The lascivious grin? The bundle of switches or the basket on his back – from which muffled cries of kidnapped naughty children can be heard? What gave it away?

Krampus

Krampus travels abroad this night – searching out naughty children. He might switch them, rattle his chains, scare them witless, or stuff them in his basket to take home to torment. But he usually returns them on the morrow – and they are most often never so naughty again! Krampus is the companion of St Nikolas – who’s feast day is celebrated tomorrow. This is the St Nicholas ( aka Sinterklaas) who leaves delectable treats inside your wooden shoes left by the fire; oranges, chocolate, peppermints…

St Nick and K

Mischief!

scary one

But as scary as some images of Krampus are – I find the cheeky Victorian era postcards the best! Naughty takes on a whole new meaning…

While Santa Claus expanded shop and sold products in mid-1800s America, the holiday card craze exploded in Europe.In Austria and other parts of Europe, countless season’s greeting cards featured Krampus, often emblazoned with the phrase “Grüß Vom Krampus” (Greetings from Krampus). While the lurid images are suffused with a modern sense of the comic and the surreal, they still resonant with mythic power and primordial horror. And with Krampus representing the naughty side of the season, the sexy subtext is hard to ignore in these often very cheeky cards. A century later, the brilliance of these magnificent works of pop art is now gaining global recognition. (Krampus.com)

Krampus devil

Saucy Krampus

So however you decide to celebrate Krampusnacht – be you naughty or nice… Enjoy!

And please check out:

my friend Grace wrote a great post on her blog Domythic Bliss!

Ten fun facts about Krampus

Krampus.com

St Nikolas’ array of diverse companions

So many things…

November 22, 2012Leave a comment

Happy Thanksgiving.

I have so much to be thankful for… my husband, family, my work, my friends.

Photo: One more leg. #holidaze

I travelled yesterday without any stress or mishaps. I am visiting my parents and my sisters, and my little nephew. While I miss my husband and his family – I am so thankful to be spending time with my far away sisters! There are delicious smells wafting up the stairs, and I think another cup of coffee is calling my name…

Photo: Festive. #holidaze

centerpiece

I hope you have a wonderful day with you and yours!

I am also thankful of my online community of friends and family. I recently joined Art Jewelry Elements and am thrilled to be working with such a diverse and talented group of women. We are hosting a Holiday Open House tomorrow! Blog posts every half hour or so, recipes, articles, sales, folklore, and beads… of course! Whether you are shopping Black Friday in the stores or staying at home – stop by and visit with us. Many of the sales will run all weekend. I know I will be adding items to my Etsy store throughout the weekend, and especially on Cyber Monday! Thank you for your interest and support! Until later…

Post re-do: Snapshots from Texas

January 1, 20111 Comment

I first attempted this post on the road during vacation. My apologies to anyone who went looking and found the post lacking… pictures, that is. I have some bugs to work out between my iphone and Flickr – to enable posting on the go. So here is my holiday post, better late than never…

I hope you and your all had a fantastic holiday filled with family food and fun. Here are a few snapshots from my Christmas in Austin with my family- Texas style.

Highways trees

These trees – all along the highway. Random Manifestations of holiday cheer. We saw two cars of people spontaneously decorating. So cool!

Wine fueled Trivia

Kahlua and coffee. Trivial pursuit and Star Wars marathon. Chocowine anyone?

Jack of hearts

Zentangle with Francie

Family time!

Lucy!

So much fun crammed into a few short days! Now it’s time for a nap, or at least that’s what Schatzi thinks!

Schatzi naps.