Article by Barbra of All About The Buttons
Slide photo courtesy of artbyjywheeler
Pin photo courtesy of Imagine247

I received an e-mail about a month ago stating that at the end of August the planet Mars would be very close to Earth. In fact, in the night sky, it would be as big as the moon and this will NEVER happen again in our lifetime…wow! Okay, not true. Mars will not be that close or that big but it got me thinking about the Moon. There are so many quotes and sayings with the moon as a symbol. I wanted to see how artists use the moon in their work. I found evidence in everything from paintings and jewelry to shoes and quilts. Here are a few samples of what I found which have plainly put me over the moon!
This is a stunning Victorian Lunar map engraving from 1892 offered by PetitPoulailler

JewelryByNorth has created a wonderful sterling silver moon pendant.

Another pendant, this time in black resin, was created by Janimie

This wonderful quilt by HMJQuiltsPlus has the moon in fabric.

And finally, what fun to be walking in these by Inkwear99

Do you use the moon in your work? Are you attracted to the night sky? And by the way, the expression “once in a blue moon” refers to the rarity of 2 full moons in one month! And that comes straight from the man in the moon….!

Written by columnist Linda aka LindaGJ

“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea-whether it is to sail or to watch it – we are going back from whence we came.”
Jack F. Kennedy

Enter my daydream, so surreal, an escape from reality so vivid that you feel as though you are actually there.
As I leave the real world, my daydream begins to swish me away to a place so serene. You feel as though you are actually there!

My soul is completely fulfilled with a sense of familiarity.
I have been transported to the Pacific Ocean in a Tropical setting

By contributing columnist Konnie aka Konnie Kappow

Name: Glenn Godden
Favourite colour: Blue
Favourite animal: Cats and Hedgehogs
Favourite band: That’s a tough one as music is so important to me. In a ‘glassy’ context I’d have to say Emilie Autumn due to an odd twist of fate that had me searching for glass buttons after hearing her albums, which led to me discovering flamework. In the workshop though I also listen to a lot of Collide albums; they seem to have just the right ‘flow’ to match hot glass, I know I play them a lot as the CD cases are wrecked! Toyah is also great to get in the frame of mind for space marbles!
Favourite movie: Again far too many to pick one, but I’d probably have to say Plunket and McLain because more people should go and watch it and turn it into the cult film is should have become!

How did you learn your craft?
I’ve always crafted and made things, usually functional items. I’ve wanted to work glass ever since I was a kid seeing the local ‘glass animal man’s’ work, but whenever I looked I could only find fusing lessons and that didn’t appeal. I went on to do a lot of woodwork projects, and got quite deeply into guilding and using very old techniques of lacquering and decorative finishes with traditional materials, but none of them really felt like they ‘fitted’ me.

The whole way I got into glass was odd, like any major changes that have happed in my life they have been due to tiny and bizarre chains of events. I’d slipped into the usual bloke routine of going to work, coming home and crashing out and got really worn down by the day to day. This is going to sound mad, but it was the chance discovery of Emilie Autumns albums that gave me a much needed kick up the proverbial! I don’t know why, but hearing them hit something in me – it really felt like I’d just been woken up by someone sticking mental electric shocks through my head! I suddenly realised how I’d stopped living and creating and was just existing. From then on I went back to making things and began crafting like mad, trying things I’d never dared to do; while trying to make a frock coat (I’ve made two now and realise tailoring isn’t my thing!) I wanted some glass buttons. I couldn’t find exactly what I want but while searching stumbled over lampworking and knew it was something I wanted to try.
I couldn’t afford to get the basic kit and lessons, so I went for the kit and some good books as I know I learn best by trying things out. I really haven’t looked back since; it just feels so ‘right’ as a medium.
I am still learning though, there is always a new glass technique to learn. I chat to other lampworkers online all over the world, swapping ideas and inspiration. I don’t think it’s a medium you can ever stop learning about and it’s very humbling. I feel like I am on a very exciting journey of discovery unlike anything I’ve ever done before.

There is a very ‘Zen’ thing about glass; I always feel that each thing I make (especially marbles) is teaching me something to make the next one better. When it goes wrong you have to learn to accept it and move onto the next one.

Your eureka moment – tell us about your favourite thing you have ever made?
There are lots of little ones along the way. One of my favourites was the first marble I put an opal inside; it worked so well and even had four tiny bubbles circling it like little moons which weren’t planned. Before that an object that was a ‘Eureka’ was a little red vortex. I didn’t know what to do with it, naturally it ‘wanted’ to be a marble but I didn’t think anyone would be interested in marbles so tried to force it to be a bead. A few days later I started making my first marbles which opened up a whole different way of thinking and working with glass.

Your “D’oh!” moment – tell us about you biggest crafting disaster
I used to do a lot of gold-leaf work. I was making a golf leaf chess board and there was a slight imperfection in one of the squares. Did you ever see the episode of ‘Father Ted’ when they had a car that had a slight dent? I though I should leave it alone, but tried to fix it, which made the small error worse, then the whole square needed redoing, which then didn’t match the rest of the squares. It’s still hidden in the back of my shed!

Is crafting what you do full time, or do you have a Clark Kent style alter-ego?
At the moment I have to do a rather dull but stressful job, but it’s really glass that dominates my mind. I like to think of myself as a glass artist who’s doing a part-time job to pay the rent, it just happens that at the moment it’s full time but it’s something I actively want to change.

Where do you do your crafting?
I have two workshops, one is a rather dusty shed for the messy jobs, and a tiny spare room converted to a glass studio.

Tell us a bit about your crafting philosophy (e.g. environmental, heritage, family, therapy!)
I really personally like the Victorian/Edwardian design ethic. There weren’t the minimalist lines and they were proud to add flourishes to otherwise boring functional items. You can see the pride in their workmanship and what they made.

Tell us why you think there are far more female than male crafters?
I really don’t know! The more I think about it the less excuse I can think of why there is this difference between the sexes!

What’s the manliest thing you make?
Well glass handled razors and shaving brushes! Although I’ve never yet sold one directly to a bloke, they are usually bought as a gift which is really nice.

What’s the least manly thing you make?
Lots of flower things! Flower pendants, flower bottle stoppers, all in glass! They are quite challenging but are one of my favourite things to make at the moment because of that!

What would you say to encourage more men to craft?
I’d ask what they did this week, can they show something that they produced. I remember a woodworking TV series years ago where the presenter had a motto ‘I too something shall make, and enjoy in the making off’ or something like that. Making is a kind of meditation, and at the end of it – however wonky or crooked what you make might be – you can say ‘I did this; I created this and brought something new to the world.’

And if that doesn’t work I’d point out that I spend my time in front of a flame thrower with molten Pyrex glass inches from my fingertips – how cool is that!

You can check out Glenn’s work on Folksy, Etsy or his own website (I know what I’m getting my Dad for Father’s Day!)

Don’t forget to check out the first interview with Dave Burgess aka The Nosuch Disco!Next in the Crafty Men series is an interview with Stewart Would aka Tree Gems!

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Beach Cuff photo courtesy of Lapis Beach
By contributing columnist Lauren of Jewels Of Saraswati

That wonderful season approaches, summer! The gorgeous sweltering sun, the lazy days on the beach, the soft and nostalgic colors of the sea….there isn’t a better time to celebrate love than with a casual, carefree summer wedding.

I have collected some of my favorite items on Etsy to inspire brides-to-be (and grooms too!) on their special day. From dresses and jewelry to fascinators and cufflinks, these sellers have unique handmade items that will take your breathe away.

Every wedding needs a ring. And how about being a little unconventional with this White Sultan Ring made from a sea urchin by Star Of The East!?

White Sultan Ring by Star Of The East

And what better way to have it carried to you than on this Ring-Bearer Seashell by
April Hiler Designs….

Ring Bearer Seashell by April Hiler Designs

The groom feeling left out? Star of The East also creates one-of-a-kind cuff links for the men!

Sea Urchin Collection- Cool Pink Cufflinks by Star Of The East

If you are up for a wedding on the beach, then most likely you won’t fuss too much about your hair. Try one of these gorgeous Burlap Bow Fascinators by Whichgoose to keep those lovely locks in place.

Sun Steeped Burlap Fascinator by Whichgoose

And of course, you’ll need the dress! I love this elegant but natural dress by Amanda Rose Bridal Shop.

Tattered Ranch Beach Wedding Dress by Amanda Rose's Bridal Shop

Hope you are ready to write it in stone with this custom Oathing Stone by sjEngraving!

Custom Oathing Stone by sjEngraving

I can’t resist a little pop of color! This rich blue reminds me of the vast deep sea. Try this crystal necklace by JBM Designs.

Bermuda Blue Swarovski Teardrop Pendant by JBM Designs

After spending all this time planning….don’t forget to invite your loved ones! These Reef themed invites by Lisa Samartino Atelier are perfect.

Reef Wedding Invitation by Lisa Samartino Atelier

Garden Bon Bons - Herbal Tea Selection

By Contributing Columnist Lauren aka Jewels Of Saraswati.

Slide photo courtesy of VintageGoodness

Wait! Don’t bite! These delectable delights are terribly deceiving.

Garden Bon Bons creates a mouth watering array of seemingly ingestible truffles that are really intended for your garden. Plant these little beauties and watch them grow into Italian cooking herbs and herbal drinking teas!

Kokocandles offers yummy looking cupcakes, mac and cheese, watermelon and more! But you guessed it…..no to be eaten but to be burned! As candles of course. Lovely textured sprinkles and vibrant colors do make them hard to resist!

Chocolate Lovers Dream Devils Food Cupcake Candle

How about some food you can wear? Glamasaurus creates delicious little food inspired items from polymer clay such as earrings, corkboard pins, brooches, necklaces and just about anything else you can come up with!

Cookie Dangle Earrings

To have a taste of Tiny Tongue’s shop you will need a “tiny tongue” indeed! Eye popping color, sweet looking lollipops, delicious sushi, sprinkled pop tarts and more…This shop offers necklaces, rings, earrings and charms of mouth-watering dishes!

California Rolls Sushi Platter Silver Ring

GelDlights encourages you to get your barbeque fired up, grab a lemonade and bring out the pie…in candle form of course! Each “fruit” in this summer fruit pie is separately fragranced with melon, peach, raspberry and blueberry. Perfect for a summer day!

Summer Fruit Pie Candle

Hope you are hungry!!!

eddited by Barbra aka All About The Buttons

Photo courtesy of: http://thequietcanadian.Etsy.com

By Contributing ColumnistLindaGJ aka LindaGJ

“It makes me feel good to know I help make the world a better place.”

I participated in an art fair a few days ago. I didn’t notice it at first, but my booth neighbor had something very special that she handmade. At once, my eye’s vision became crystal clear as I focused on the extraordinary art books she had to offer! Well, I guess they are not really art books. She has her own name and meaning for them as you will see.

Her name is Amie Krebbs, originally from Kansas City, Missouri and has lived in Houston, Tx. for 6 years. She came here to be closer to her grandmother who unfortunately passed away 9 months later. Amie has been in Houston ever since. She works as an anesthesia technician, which she is not so passionate about, to say the least!

I found Amie’s Bio in her Etsy shop and thought it was well worth adding:

“Amie, Starfire Wonderchild Extrordinaire, and the crazy person behind this endeavor started perfecting her bookbinding skills in the womb, and had mastered them by birth. Her uncanny ability for expressio and paranormal coincedence means that when you buy a “Gournal” it was meant for you, and no one else.
Every Gournal is made with love and recycled materials. That means good for you AND the earth. And yes, she knows that journal is spelled with a “j”. But these are Gournals. There’s a difference.”

She has a few years of college under her belt, but has only taken two art classes…EVER!!! She was always involved in music.

“Pin pointing when I got started in art is difficult. I was telling people I wanted to be an artist when I was 7 or 8, but didn’t even take an art class until college. I guess it started right around the end of high school. I’d always kept a journal (I’ve been keeping one before I could even write!)
I would dictate to a neighborhood girl that was older than me, “Now write this down…”) but I started sketching and drawing (not very well I might add) doing a lot of collage.”

From the beginnings of her little journals, sketching, and collages, her art progressed to decoupaging furniture and decorating journals for herself, friends, and the occasional mixed media on cardboard.

Binding journals came about when she was in a little shop in Montrose, which is an artsy area of Houston. They were looking for local artists to sell their craft. The only problem was that the shop took 50% of your sales. She would have to sell her journals for $50.00 to make a profit!

“I had to sit down and figure out how to make a book out of materials I had around…cardboard and construction paper. And Gournals was born. I also taught myself how to bind.”

Amie told me that she finds inspiration “EVERYWHERE!!!”
“I know it sounds cliche, but it’s true. A lot of my art incorporates are found objects. I like using trash. It makes me feel good to know that I help make the world a better place just by being able to look at something differently than the average person. Trash into treasure! If I’m ever feeling uninspired (which is a lot lately), I usually start cleaning my studio ( just to see if I need to clear the space to clear my head), then move onto looking through
art books,magazines, and digging around in the dirt. (I love plants, especially herbs. I’m kind of a witch doctor in my spare time.)”

Amie is inspired to create her “gournals” for the love of books and being in the right place at the right time. Other than making these as her passion, she also loves food! She loves to cook! Gardening, anything involving recycling, homeopathic healing and more.

On keeping artists inspired she says: “I really don’t have a way to inspire other artists. I haven’t found my own sure-fire way of finding inspiration. I do not know that you can’t force an idea into existence. So be calm, and if an idea doesn’t leap right out at you, walk away and do something else. It will come out when it is ready.”

I just wanted to conclude this bio by mentioning her shop’s introduction Amie states that “Gournals are my attempt at being green, so all Gournals are made with recycled paper, re-used cardboard, salvaged materials, love, and a little bit of attitude. I even recycle the scraps of cardboard that I don’t use. Every Gournal is unique, but should you want one of your own design, custom orders are welcome.”

Please visit her shop at www.gournals.etsy.com
She may not have a lot listed in her shop, but at the festival, she had so many to choose from! They were are all so unique and very special. Yall should contact her from her shop and have her show you more of her precious creations. Her craftmanship is superb!

By contributing columnist Donna Knox of GlassandWireGems

This is the first of a series of articles featuring studios from ArtFire. Today we are featuring Diva Pixie…Fools and Jewels.

Cindy, the studio’s creator, is a full-time elementary school teacher and an amateur actress/singer. She is native to Minnesota but is currently residing in southwestern Kansas. She moved there eight years ago to teach and has been there since then. Cindy does a lot of volunteer work at the local community theater. She has been onstage and backstage for many productions and enjoyed every minute of it.

Cindy is a creative person by nature and has always had an interest in many different hobbies. She took a bunch of art classes in high school and in college that encouraged her creative urges. She didn’t get into jewelry design and creation though until she moved to Kansas. She saw a set of jewelry tools over Christmas break and found them intriguing. She bought the set and some wire and started playing with them but she didn’t really start making anything for another few months. She hurt her foot the first day of spring break and was confined to her couch. That’s when she really started creating jewelry. Cindy has been trying out new materials and techniques with wire ever since.

Cindy said that she loves creating jewelry because it keeps her hands busy and allows her brain a sort of “creative break”. Cindy finds nothing as relaxing as sitting down and working with wire and other materials. It focuses her energy on something positive and the completion of a piece can give her a great feeling of accomplishment at the end of a long, hard day.

Cindy shared the following about her handcraft:

How did you come up with your shop’s name? I also am an avid sewer. A friend of mine had given me a pattern for fairy tale hand puppets around the time I discovered online selling. I was most attracted to the jester puppets. So I made a bunch of them. They are adorable. I have three left. One day I was playing around with my jewelry stuff and looked over and saw a jester grinning at me. The name just popped into my head and I started an online shop shortly afterwards.

Why are you selling on ArtFire? What makes it a special place for you? I love all the tools and community that ArtFire provides its artisans with. I am also enamored with their studio setups, layouts, and in studio blogs. It just makes your studio feel like a “one stop shop”. I have met a lot of neat people on ArtFire in the short time I have been there. I feel that ArtFire is going to be the next big thing in online handmade selling very soon because it is so well organized and run.

What do you like most about your handcrafted items? I love the color and design of my pieces. I think they are one-of-a-kind and so unique that you are unlikely to find anything like them anywhere else. I also am very proud of the fact that I do NOT use any chemical adhesives in my wire wrap pieces. If there is an occasion where I need to use such a thing, I will state so in my descriptions but it hasn’t happened yet.

How do you create your items? Explain a little bit your creative process. Honestly, I often wonder how I can say I am a designer and creator. I essentially look at the wire and start bending and twisting but the wire decides the shape for me. I allow the wire to do as it wants and go from there. I then look at the frame or shape and decide the color palette and materials used from there. The tools are really the biggest key for me. I have a basic set of tools I use for everything. I also have a flat piece of steel and a small hammer for pounding. I am very color sensitive though. Color combinations and choices are important to me. I always try to select colors that will pop against each other without detracting from one another.

Do you have a favorite material that you like to use and what is it about this material that makes it your favorite? I prefer copper wire and beads of various materials. Copper is just such a beautiful metal to look at and compliments so many other colors. It’s easy to work with and easy to find as well. It also oxidizes nicely and can have a very “antiqued” look.

When someone looks at what you’ve created, what would you like to hear them say? Wow! Now that took some skill. Or maybe…Wow! Now that’s gorgeous.

If there was one thing that you could hope for for you personally and then for your business, what would it be? I hope that I can get the word out into the public and reap the benefits of more sales from that. I want people to see what wonderful things I can create and wear them as pieces of artwork. I would like to see more custom orders as well. I LOVE to create things that are specific to the customer and that they will cherish in the knowledge that it’s a one-of-a-kind piece that was made just for them. And I hope that I can continue to create lovely things and vent my energy into something positive.

Is there anything special that you would like to let people know about you or your business? I also do bead and wire repairs and can replace broken jump rings and restring vintage beads. I will repair jewelry that does not require solder or metal-smithing work. I am also someone who likes to upcycle so reimagining a broken jewelry pieces into something new would be an easy task for me. I am willing to work with a customer on any of these as well as create something new for them.

Cindy’s beautiful creations can be found at Divapixie

By contributing columniss Cynthia Nodland aka Puddinpies

Recently while browsing on Etsy I discovered a great little shop that teaches you how to make everything from dim sum to cappuccino to ice cream cones—but no cookbooks are involved. How could that be, you ask? Well, it’s because all the items in this shop are made out of felt!!!

UmeCrafts creates and sells patterns for felt food, toys, dollhouses, and more! I had a chance to interview Jeanette Lin, shop owner, who lives in Singapore. She has her Diploma in Business Administration and opened her shop because she “loved crafts as a kid, but it wasn’t until 3 years ago in 2007 when I was having a difficult pregnancy & couldn’t work that I started making craft items & selling them online to help out with the household expenses.” Jeanette has come a long way, from growing up with a single parent, and being an introvert and poor achiever in school, to now becoming a successful Etsy seller and happy work-from-home mother of a beautiful girl, Megan. Her shop allows her to help support EMCEE and Club Rainbow for the past few years, which are charities that support abused and homeless children.

In addition to Etsy, Jeanette has also recently begun selling on Ebay. Her advice to other online business owners is “Believe in yourself and stay true to your own style. Read up on the useful tips on Etsy’s Digest (Etsy Success). Participate in the Etsy community where you can get advise & support.”

While perusing her shop I also noticed Jeanette offers a free macaroon pattern when you join her Mailing List. When on her shop page on Etsy, just convo or email her with the heading “MAILING LIST” along with your name & email address. And while all patterns and tutorials are created by Jeanette and are strictly not to be duplicated in any form, you are allowed to make and sell items made from the patterns, as long as you give credit to the original patterns at http://umecrafts.etsy.com.

If you have a little one that loves playing chef, and you want them to have play food that lasts that you made yourself, make sure to check out UmeCrafts today!

By Contributing Columnist AmyMark aka AmyOrangeJuice

I had not participated in formal artistic activities for 8 years, until the TRAIL collective was brought to my attention. Now in its 6th year this is an artist collective which exhibits sculptures all along the sea front of Teignmouth (Devon, South West England). The only conditions to exhibit are that the sculpture must be made out of at least 70% recycled materials and have an environmental message. The collective is very inclusive and there are quite well known artists, through to local community support groups, schools and youth groups.

The standard of the work was amazingly high (the Eden Project in Cornwall are currently exhibiting one of the sculptures, by The Hub Outdoor Art Group) and I was impressed with what people who don’t necessarily have an art background can produce when given a non-elitist forum to show their work. The diversity of the work produced is amazing too, from knitted Bees in the gardens at Dawlish, to paper mache sculptures of sea monsters and everything else in between! The fact that the public enjoying a day on the beach can interact with the exhibition by voting on the one they like best is fantastic! There is a public vote prize and a sponsor prize each year, so a real incentive to make something memorable.

This collective really fired my imagination; maybe because my husband is an environmental scientist, maybe because I have always been of a make do and mend mentality. Whatever it was, I embarked on a 120cm square mosaic of a plankton bloom, made from waste glass from my stained glass business and my glass merchant. I was very nervous about showing my work (I had found university had knocked my creative spirit out of me and I had not exhibited since I was 24). But the sight of my piece glinting in the sunshine on the sea front really inspired me and gave me more confidence than I could of hoped for.

I also found that creating one thing lead to other and I found myself back in the creative process. I had used bottle tops filled with shells and sparkly found objects (to represent plankton on the panel) and when a friend suggested I should turn them into brooches my best selling product was conceived (since that date I have sold over 200). I also found a love of mosaic making, which I had never really thought of before and I have developed my own mixed media style of mosaic making; using waste glass and broken costume jewelery and it is this type of recycled art that I am now creating for exhibitions.

I am so thrilled to be part of the recycled art movement and the TRAIL (Teignmouth Recycled Art In Landscape) collective and my enthusiasm seems to be paying off because I have 10 mosaic panels of plankton showing at the Recycling Exhibition at Otterton Mill and a panel depicting 8 plankton and a 45 boat mobile showing at TRAIL Inside.

Both exhibitions are free, so if you are in the area please pop along. And please remember, no matter how low your confidence, never turn down a chance to be creative, or even start your own community art project, what have you got to loose?

To find out more about TRAIL got to www.TRAIL.org.co.uk
‘Recycling’, running from 6th March for 6 weeks, Otterton Mill, Otterton, South Devon, England.
‘Trail Inside’, running from 15th March for 2 weeks, Ariel Centre, Totnes, Devon, England.

Pic Courtesy of www.folksy.com/shops/clothwood

Enjoy a sampling of the creations from “The Trail”