I received my order and these are now
available for your purchase!

I am adding something special to my etsy store, artful bliss, and I wanted to give you a sneak peek…

I love to use hands in my artwork and I had a lot of fun taking these pictures. The last picture is an example of a pendant I made for a round robin I’m participating in. I have also used these hands in assemblage and other mixed media work. I hope these will inspire you to create many beautiful and creative masterpieces.

I will be listing the first set of hands tonight. I should receive more sets of hands later this week and will add them as demand dictates.

I am so excited to be participating in this worldwide giveaway: One World – One Heart, created by Lisa Swifka. This is a fun way to get acquainted with new people. All you have to do for a chance to win is leave a comment on this post. You’re not even required to have a blog or host your own giveaway (unless you wish to). On Thursday, February 12, I will draw a random participant to win the prizes below! Make sure you leave your email or a link to your blog so I can contact you if you’re the winner.

That’s it… that’s all you have to do… although I do hope you stop by the blog to say hi every once in a while.

If you would like to host your own giveaway, learn more about this event, or if you’d like to meet other participating bloggers, they are listed at the One World – One Heart site. Clicking the logo above will take you there.

UPDATE: If I get 200 entrants, I will add another set of prizes!
Stay tuned!

Here is what the lucky winner will receive: one vintage German doll torso, one frozen Charlotte doll, and five antique medicine tin lids.

These dolls are perfect for creating unique works of art. They are beautiful as the focal piece for a pendant. Add a bit of lace and make a special ornament. Alter and art them up… the possibilities are endless. Because these dolls were dug up from an old doll factory, the amount of detail, distress, and dirt will vary. The doll torso has holes for the arms and legs and measure about 1 3/4 inches tall. The frozen Charlotte is about 2 inches tall. The jewelry box and the hand are not included in the giveaway and are used for display only.

The small tin lids are very old. There are no bottom pieces, only the tops. The color is a deep yellow with very decorative trim. These would be so perfect for making ornaments or charms. Find small treasures to encase in resin. Attach to a chain and wear as a pendant. Or paint it and make a mini collage. Each tin is about 2 inches in diameter.

I only have time for a short post… I should be sleeping right now! I listed some really cute new items in my etsy store: artful bliss. Here’s a little teaser for you…

Happy shopping!

I think my etsy shop looks better than ever. I got rid of most of those eBay-type-mug-shot thumbnails I had on my listings. I hope the new snazzy pics entices everyone to buy, buy, buy! Click on the photos below to link directly to the items at artful bliss.

I attended a wonderful workshop at Sally Jean’s gorgeous studio in the Pearl. Her studio is heavenly and her personality and style is imprinted on every single square inch of the place. Spending time in her studio is an inspiring experience. If you haven’t already done so, pick up a copy of Where Women Create… you will be amazed. And Brad was the photographer! His photos are wonderful and he’s got a couple more spreads in the next edition. Great work, Brad!

The women in class were so very creative. It is always fun to meet new people and learn about their lives. Watching how others compose their artwork is always interesting. It was truly a pleasure to see everyone’s finished work. What talented artists! See for yourself…

I apologize I didn’t get everyone’s name to give them credit for their work.

Going back to Sally’s lovely studio tomorrow for round two: soldered angel tree topper! Yippee!

I found this really cool new ecommerce site. Setup is free and easy to use. Transaction fees are $.20 plus 2% of the sale.

You may use this coupon code (SPECIAL10) to receive a 10% discount from your purchase greater than $15. Plus, all items are listed with free shipping! Click on the picture below to access my site.

Whew! Here are the pictures of my piece for Katherine. It’s in remembrance of her father. She told me some of the items she wanted in the composition and I tried to keep that in mind when I worked on it. Only thing: I wish I’d have taken Lisa’s workshops prior to creating this piece. Anyway, I hope she likes it. I did add one small thing after I took the picture: I added the word heart from an old book to the little doll (he needed something).

I took Michael deMeng’s assemblage class Morpheus Box at Hampton Art & Soul. I was nothing more than terrified. If you’re familiar with his art, it’s pretty intense; filled with depth of meaning, strong passion, concentrated color, and interesting (not to mention strange) found objects. So far from my sense of style (think architectural pieces, serenity, le jardin, and a dash of vintage thrown in for good measure). I knew I was taking a step outside my comfort zone but I didn’t want to learn his style, per se. I wanted to learn how he chose his composition, how he got the pieces to stick together, how he created multi-layered color and texture. And I figured, he’s from Montana… he’s gotta be a cool guy.

As a formally trained artist, Michael’s patience with those of us who were not is, in my opinion, worth mentioning. The knowledge he shared about paint (he uses Golden) and tools and adhesives took much of my fear and apprehension away. His demos were not only informational, his humor made the class fun. Although it was a large group, Michael took the time to give everyone the attention they needed. The critique session at the end of the day was great. He honored each student/artist with sincerely positive words and admiration. Everyone’s project was unique. I’m really drawn to the work of my new friend, Leslie. I love the colors and the way she incorporated each element into a cohesive work of vintage beauty. The piece just exudes her creative energy, don’t you think?

Michael maintains a very busy teaching schedule including workshops in Italy and Mexico and Bali (in 2009 with his sweetie, the wonderfully talented Judy Wilkenfeld). I would definitely take another of his classes. Oh, and don’t forget to check out his latest book, Secrets of Rusty Things: Transforming Found Objects into Art.

I was so pleased and quite surprised with my completed project. Michael called it sacred and playful at the same time. My favorite elements are the color and texture; the sheet music covered with a translucent layer of roses; the key, frozen Charlotte, and the words on the spinner; the little cherub; and the tiny casters. I’ll be keeping this treasure for my personal collection.

I returned home last night from a wonderful art-filled vacation in Hampton, Virginia. I am so happy I went because I made so many new friends. That is a big accomplishment for me. I am usually very shy. Often I feel uncomfortable around others who I perceive to be superior to me in some way or another. As you may or may not know, I’ve been working on my self-image in therapy. I made a conscious effort to take a risk and expose my true self to others. Maybe some people didn’t like me but that’s okay. I met some wonderful, beautiful, creative women during my adventure and you know what? It was damn well worth it. I know I will see many of these ladies again and will keep in touch with many others. Connecting on a creative level with these remarkable individuals was enough to make the trip priceless.

By the way, I am going to add a new blog roll category to spotlight friends and acquaintences from this trip so you can meet them too (stay tuned). Thank you all for inspiring me and accepting me… flaws and all (you know what I’m talkin’ about!). Sincerely, I am so fortunate to have crossed paths with you all.

I LOVED every class I took. I will be high-lighting each class in separate blog posts but for now, I wanted to give a glimpse of some of the artwork I created.

Tejae Floyde is offering her Secrets of the Encased Hearts class online again. I have admired her work for a while. I was a little dubious but this is totally a bargain at $45. Plus you get the instructions so you can refer back to them over when you can’t remember what you’re supposed to do. In some ways, it’s better than an in-person class.

Also, Lisa Kaus is hosting a couple workshops in May—I’ll be in Hampton, Virginia at Art & Soul!—at her studio in Portland: Let Them Eat Cake & Home Sweet Home. I found out she will be offering them again in July. If you’re interested, go to her website and sign up to be on her mailing list so you can get advanced notice. I love Lisa’s art; it’s so whimsical and feels so happy. It would be great to see some of you there in July!

My kiln should be delivered tomorrow… unfortunately, I will be in Chandler, Arizona. Fortunately, Steve will be home to accept it. Hope it makes it in one piece!