TLC Family "Christmas Card Mobile"

Cover of TLC

TLC Family "Christmas Card Mobile":
How to make a Hanging Mobile using your Christmas Cards.
This is a great idea, and you can get the kids involved as something to keep them busy on the cold winters day.


Don't be afraid to display your Christmas card mobile high above the crowd!
What You'll Need:

• 2 wire hangers
• Red or green colored tape
• Plastic drinking straws
• Hole punch
• Christmas cards
• Red or green colored string
• Artificial mistletoe
• Streamers
• Ribbons
• Ornaments
• Scissors

Ask an adult to help you make the base of this mobile. Insert one hanger into the open part of another hanger so that they form a cross shape. Twist the tops together so that they form one hook. Wind colored tape around the base and the rest of the hangers, if you like.

Tape the straws to the base, so they jut out from the base. Cover the straws with the colored tape. These will 

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Member of the Day: cursiveart

Member of the Day: cursiveart:
Cursive Art started as original paintings (which I still do from time to time) but became mostly a card shop when I wanted to find a way to get my art out there in a way that was affordable and useful and stuck to my unique style of clean lines and simple colors. ~ cursiveart

Two of my book reviews just got published on Amazon

Profile and Book Reviews

Share the Love - Blogger's Unite Featured Artisan (2)

Share the Love - Blogger's Unite Featured Artisan (2):

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This weeks Featured Artisan is Debbi La Rue - Flower & Bud Handcrafted Jewelry!

You can find Flower & Bud on:

Etsy

Facebook

Twitter

You can grab the code for your blog here:

https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1HjXPejja0H5uiB-aGYjb6bs6OFaqreXG6id7zDXfwU0

Polar and Tropical, Hot and Cold, Share Your Creations!

Polar and Tropical, Hot and Cold, Share Your Creations!: Michigan sure has had its weather extremes this year. Polar-like weather during our winter months which is typical and this summer has been Tropical-like weather due to such high temperatures and dew point temperatures which is not so typical. So the current theme is polar and tropical. Here’s a handy website to check your current weather conditions: NOAA’s National Weather Service

To post your item(s), use the 'Click to Enter' button located below the images. Post only HANDMADE item(s) related to cold (polar) and/or hot (tropical) weather. For greater exposure, be sure to share this blog. Happy posting!

Handmade Dangles and Charms

Handmade Dangles and Charms: To post your item(s), use the 'Click to Enter' button located below the images. Post only HANDMADE item(s) related to dangles and charms. For greater exposure, be sure to share this blog. Happy posting!

Featured Artisan, Vanessa Martins of Heavenly Shop

Featured Artisan, Vanessa Martins of Heavenly Shop:

Heavenly is Vanessa's handcraft jewelry project that was born from the simple idea of designing pieces and collections with different inspirations and moods in mind. Every piece is thoughtfully created and has meaning and a story behind it. Here are some pieces from her Collections.

These earrings from the Daya Collection, are made with jade beads and brass. The Daya Collection is an amulet collection, entirely handmade and composed by three themes: Daya Tanah, Daya Laut and Daya Jiwa.

This ring from her La Rocca Collection is made with Swarovski Crystals and Copper. The La Rocca collection is divided in two ocasions: La Rocca Giorno and La Rocca Notte. This ring represents the collection, La Rocca Giorno.

A lovely necklace from the Carmel Collection. This necklace is made with teardrop shaped natural carmine jasper stones, Swarovski crystals and wooden beads.


You can find more of her designs in her Etsy Shop Heavenly

Twitvid - Share videos and photos on Twitter

Twitvid - Share videos and photos on Twitter: ""

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Raven Crow Orange Black Halloween Surreal Goth Grunge by laurali

Raven Crow Orange Black Halloween Surreal Goth Grunge by laurali:

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Phychobilly Alternative Punk Skeleton Hand Dangle Earrings

Phychobilly Alternative Punk
Skeleton Hand Dangle Earrings
with Cute Cheetah Print
Tail Bows 

Look at these great earrings I just bought on Etsy!

I couldn't believe my luck and only $13.00 including shipping.  I'm so excited.

These are really cute, so I'm posting the url if anyone wants to see more.

Click here For the Greatest Halloween Earrings Ever

New Works In Ceramics, Great Christmas Gifts

New Works:

Love Birds Luminary
When snow falls deep and fat in January, i give myself time to experiment. I’m trying out some new glazes, and this one above, Rust, has some great possibilities. It has that organic woodland feel that I have been pursuing the last few years.

Birds Nest casserole
I also reformulated my cobalt blue glaze, made it more opaque, and lighter. Here it is on a casserole.

Bird Yunomi
And here it is on a tea bowl (yunomi),
under Flow (a glaze that creates fluid flowing).
Here’s another glaze I plan to use this year: Root Beer Brown

Bee Yunomi
I’m working on a few new designs, too. Today I made a few soap holders, which will have doves, ravens and owls. It’s important for me to take this time to work without a rigid schedule. Some days I've just read and not worked in the studio at all. It feels so luxurious! November and December were 80 hour work weeks so this is a nice balance.

Target Marketing that Works For Me

Target Marketing that Works For Me:

I don’t seek out marketing tips because I’m generally selling very well. So I tuned into Etsy’s Success Symposium yesterday at random and just happened to catch April Bowles- Olin’s workshop Attract Your Target Market — You're Not Walmart. I enjoy writing (have you guessed?) so I got caught up in her writing exercise. First you list the characteristics of your buyers. A few of mine are: nature loving, eco lifestyle, animal lovers, non commercial, cooks at home, appreciates the simple pleasures. So then you write a profile of this person- a character who is a composite of your buyers. Mine is a woman who passionately cares about her kids, about the world’s complex big issues, who is creative herself, is proud of her homemaking and entertaining abilities. It goes on and on but that’s the condensed version.
So then April threw in a strange question: “What problem do you solve for this customer?” I scribbled aimlessly and then figured out a few things. It feels silly to even reveal that, so I won’t.
But what I can say is that I listed 4 new pieces last night. Two sold immediately. Those were the ones in which I added a short sentence to what I usually write in my listing copy, based on April’s exercise. Not only that, one sold to the exact same woman who I pictured as my typical buyer.

There are lots of obvious answers to that question- “What problem do you solve for this customer?” Sometimes it’s wanting to give an original gift. Sometimes it’s wanting something that is not disposable, that will live with you and pass memories down through new generations. But the power isn’t in knowing the answer, like knowing my answer.The power is in the question.
Thanks, April Bowles-Olin! I like your style. Marketing doesn’t have to be hyping yourself into a celebrity and stepping over others to get there. It really can be just discreetly, authentically, and effectively, connecting to the people who want to buy your stuff.

Pottery Loved by a Potter

Pottery Loved by a Potter: I’ve always been opinionated, especially about what looks good, and really, there should be some sort of syndrome named for how opinionated I am about what is good or bad in pottery. Maybe 2% of all pottery made qualifies as even good, and then only maybe 10% of that qualifies as something I like. So there may be worthwhile pottery that doesn’t make my list but you cannot convince me of that, so don’t even go there!

So here are pieces by a few claymakers whose work enthralls me at the moment:



By Romy and Clare, it’s the organic shapes that push the barriers of function without being unfuctional that really awe me. And the modern version of hand painted fruit. I just love it, and everything they do!



From HodakaPottery, it’s how harmonious and quiet this piece seems, while using so many design flourishes. Really quite stunning.



By JustMare, it’s the soft, subtle glazes paired with the twig handle- such an original interpretation of a mug!



You know I'm a fan of MarciG! Even if she wasn’t my daughter…. I’d be in awe of this huge emerging talent. Her pieces are magical and functional.



By peifferStudios, the organic shape that utilizes both stained and glazed areas is alive with that peace that comes from knowing nature intimately.



This is someone to watch! She has always had a unique vision and she’s really coming into her own lately. Keep your eye on DBabcock!

By WhitneySmith, this pine cone inspired set of nesting bowls is visually sophisticated and flawlessly executed. Whitney is a creative giant whose work evolves in new directions as if a fine geneticist is cross breeding nature with clay.

When I look at pottery, which has been made by human hands for over 10,000 years, the words of Werner Erhard come to mind:

“Any idiot can walk the path when shown it. But out here, there is no path. The path is made by your walking. “

And that’s what I love to see. Someone following their own muse, forging their own path, speaking in an ancient tongue but saying something that takes you into a yet uncharted inner terrain.

the TuckooandMooCow story

the TuckooandMooCow story:

I met up with Sarah-Lambert Cook at the Big Crafty in downtown Asheville. She’s using her drawing talents to capture a niche audience with quirky miniature jewelry based on literary and film characters. If you enjoy The Hobbit, Monty Python or Shakespeare, her zany meets cute world will wow you.

Here’s how she went from unemployed to full time artisan, in her own words:
I began listing items in May 2010, selling art and the hand painted jewelry. In the first few weeks, sales were few but steady. Since it was mostly the jewelry, I decided I ought to focus all of my energy on that. But life threw a curve-ball in August when the store I was working at in Kansas closed. My husband and I decided it would be the perfect time to pick up and move east. My parents were living in Atlanta and offered us the front room of their house until we could get settled. For seven months we lived in one room as storage space, bedroom and studio simultaneously.

Emboldened by reaching 80 sales by the end of October I stopped looking for work and focused my energy on Tuckooandmoocow. Researching, networking, renewing, and creating new designs paid off! I had almost 200 new sales the next month! Business stayed steady through Christmas, and when things didn't slow down much for the rest of winter, I knew I had it.

Now, we live in beautiful Asheville, NC and are able to depend on sales from TuckooandMooCow to support us. There have been things that didn't work: shipping UPS express international is a cluster-cuss for everyone involved, staying up all night for more than 3 nights in a row will cause a massive migraine and creative burnout, and with made-to-order items there must always be time budgeted for unforeseen circumstances. Some things have been godsends: Etsy is a community of artisans, not just solely a venue, so getting involved in some aspect of that can be very helpful to your business and your sanity. As TuckooandMooCow grows, I'd like to eventually be much more self-sufficient and not purchase settings, but make them myself.
I haven't had a full day off since November, but I'm happy and the rewards have been worth the effort.

This weeks Featured Artisan is Sharri Powell - Most and Mist! Gorgeous creations created with love.

You can find Most and Mist on:

Etsy

Facebook

Twitter

Grab the code for your blog here:

This collar style necklace is brimming with pearls and moonstones

 

Jewelry Lookbooks - StyleBistro

Jewelry Lookbooks - StyleBistro:

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How to Repair Costume Jewelry | Cosmic Jane

How to Repair Costume Jewelry | Cosmic Jane: Whether you buy costume jewelry for your own collection, for investment or for resale, it's important to know when to repair a piece that has damage or missing stones, and when to walk away. Whether you intend to wear it, ...

[extracted from How to Repair Costume <b>Jewelry</b> | Cosmic Jane via feedly]

On Fire For Handmade

On Fire For Handmade