Showing posts with label artisan. Show all posts

REVIEW: Beaded Webs: beautiful bead and wire sculptures hand crafted in Australia

In tonight's blogpost, I am featuring a local artist from Queensland, Australia who creates absolutely gorgeous intricate original designs from seed beads and wire.

A very talented Australian artisan, this lady creates beautiful designs out of wire, beads, and trinkets, she sells them from her facebook page, at bargain prices even though they are worth so much more.

One of her recent Beaded creations is a mermaid themed one, I am totally blown away by the detail she has created by only using wire and beads. The red beaded hair is flowing and luxurious, and the scales on the tail and fin are so delicately created. A masterpiece!

Picture (c) Beaded Webs 2014

As well as character pieces such as the mermaid, Beaded Webs creates intricate interwoven pieces based on a central design element. In the below example, she has created the complex layers growing from the central tree of life image. Look at all the detailed work that has gone into this piece!

Picture (c) Beaded Webs 2014

Nature is often a theme in her work, such as the wolf and the moon, which features tiny moon and star charms as well as the memorising wolf baying at the crescent moon!

Picture (c) Beaded Webs 2014

Another speciality from this artist, is gemstone 'bonsai' trees, I am lucky enough to own one of these, which i keep at work to lift my spirits while I am at my desk.

Picture (c) Beaded Webs 2014

If you would like to purchase any of her amazing work, please visit her facebook page and peruse her for sale album there.

I can say with pride that I own many Beaded Webs original pieces, in a variety of sizes, colours, and themes. She is a truly gifted artist and I would be so happy if her work could be seen by the world!

NOTE: all photos used here at copyright of BEADED WEBS

Feel free to post a comment
............................................................................................................... Please visit me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat handcrafted gothic goodies at bargain prices. see me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat ...Please visit me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat handcrafted gothic goodies at bargain prices. see me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat

Tips for motivation and inspiration

I have been creative for as long as I can recall sentience, however there are times when I just cannot make anything, design anything, think..of anything. Considering i have a small hobby business that sells the things i create, it is a bit of a drag if i can't motivate or inspire creativity within myself!

Stay positive!
Easier said than done, however if you train your thoughts to turn things around to think of them in a more positive way, or as a healthy challenge to overcome, then this can help in a small way to bring your inspiration and motivation back. Do not take on the stress or nasty thoughts of other people, and choose happiness. Nothing kills inspiration and motivation as quickly as depressive thoughts!

Do something different
Are you making something out of clay and the clay just will not take the shape you can see in your head and you are telling yourself you are useless and why on earth did you believe you could do this? Then step away from the bench!! Go for a walk, read a book, smell the roses, and do something different. Then go back to the clay after your mind is refreshed.

Refocus
Okay so the gorgeous hand knitted bags you re making are just not selling?? Refocus, have a look around market stalls, chat to people, see what is online, and find out what people want at this moment! Refocus and make something else for a while. Knit bags aren't selling, what about knitted scarves for winter instead?
Keep trying different things, find a good seller, and work with that, intersperse other items to sell, but keep your main saleable item a constant!.

What tips do you have to stay inspired and motivated?
What tips do you have to sale the things you make?

Feel free to comment!

Post by Support Cottage Industry.

............................................................................................................... Please visit me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat handcrafted gothic goodies at bargain prices. see me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat ...Please visit me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat handcrafted gothic goodies at bargain prices. see me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat

Alphabet Challenge: Happily Handmade Handcrafts

Up to H in my alphabet challenge blogs, and today's post is about Happily Handmade items, beautiful things made by clever artists.

Beaded Webs

There is an amazing artisan creating as Beaded Webs, who makes the most delciate and decorative wire and bead creations! Based in Queensland Australia, she works from home and sells from Facebook.

Starting off with wire sculpting and hand beaded web shapes, she has since branched out (excuse the pun) into tree of life shapes, as well as owls, bats, and cars. Her gorgeous bead and wire art is created in a variety of sizes such as large hanging decorations, pendant or keyring sized and medium sized beaded decorations.

I have purchased a purple, as well as a red and black beaded web from her and they are gorgeous! I also have two gorgeous bat beaded decorations that she made to order for me!

Beautifully made, and unique items, her online store is worth a look, and why not buy yourself something beautiful from her today!

Below are some pictures of her great pieces

Alphabet challenge: crochet

Blog post brought to you by the letter C as part of my Alphabet blog challenge.

My Mother taught me how to crochet when i was about four years old, i remember making massive metres of chain out of yarn! As i got the hang of the whole crochet thing i started making clothes for my toys and granny squares for cushion covers. I enjoy crocheting and recently made myself a scarf, fingerless gloves, and matching beret out of dark sage green yarn. I don't usually bother with patterns and tend to make things up as i go along, or just use the pattern as a guide.

As well as making my own crochet pieces i like seeing the crochet made by others. There is an amazing textile artist on Etsy, ScarletRabbit, who makes the most delicate elegant fantastic crochet accessories, and i have become a fan of her work, having the honour of owning several of her fingerless gloves and wristlets, many which i have custom ordered.

Ruth, from the etsy store ScarletRabbit, is extremely talented and artistic, as well as crocheting, she draws in pen and ink, and also makes beautiful jewellery.

The fingerless gloves I have purchased from ScarletRabbit are delicate fine crochet created with 100% cotton yarn. The designs are unique, and the crochet is perfect; the lacey crochet design makes these fingerless gloves an absolute delight to see and to wear. I also have a delicate lace crochet and ribbon choker that i bought from ScarletRabbit!

My most recent purchase from ScarletRabbit was a custom order of a pair of purple fingerless gloves and a pair of emerald green. Absolutely beautifully made, they are gorgeous and so comfortable to wear! (see picture of them above)

If you appreciate elegant unique hand made crochet, please visit ScarletRabbit !

Support unique artists: say no to mass produced!!

Dear Batlings,

Today's missive may be nothing more than a feverish rant, but i do believe it has some merit: say no to mass produced tawdry trinkets, and start supporting the artisans who put heart and soul into producing beautiful hand crafted items! We will lose our artisans, the skills to create and the option to obtain unique work if we do not support the hand crafts industry!

Mass produced is cheap
everyone has one
plastic
poorly manufactured
Land fill
Lacking original thought
Heartless and soulless

Even those websites advertising themselves as places to buy and sell handmade goods have become prey to sellers offering mass produced, made in timbuctoo, plasticky rubbish!

Personally i love hand crafted things. Unique, quality made, creative items made by those whose joy of imagining and creating shines through the finished product.

I buy many hand crafted things from a variety of artisans from all over the world, and i am the proud owner of such a gorgeous selection of unique accessories as a result of this. I also make a lot of things myself, from jewelery, to clothes, to toys, to bags... I keep some things for myself, i give some away, i sell some.... Beautifully made handcrafted items are rich with the souls of their creators.

What happens if we stop supporting handcraft artists?
What happens if we want the world Andy Warhol sartired in his famous pop art?

Many artisans rely on the sales of their wares to purchase more raw materials to keep creating wonderous things. Others rely soley on sales to make a living and put food on the table and a roof over their heads. Nothing kills a muse of creativity faster than the stress of not being able to pay the bills!

There is a place for mass produced, yes indeed batlings, it has its place, but not at the expense and ultimate death of hand made quality!

Artisans! Stand up for your rights to be heard and to have a place in the merchandise of the 21st century! Support each other. Motivate each other.

Spread the word that not supporting artisans ultimately means that one day the world will be a sterile plastic environment where nobody recalls how to make anything anymore.

I would really like to hear other's views on this.

Please feel free to post your comments!

<end rant>

Artist Profile: Kim from SassySteampunk

Today's blog is a feature on that amazing Steampunk artisan Kim, from the etsy store Sassysteampunk.

First things first: what is Steampunk?

Becoming popular in the late 1980s, Steampunk is possibly a sub-genre of Cyberpunk and takes inspiration from Sci-Fi, fantasy, parallel histories, and history meets future. There is an emphasis on steam or clockwork propelled engines, and modernistic inventions with an historical twist. I personally think of it as Jules Verne on Acid..... but I'm a classic goth, what would I know???

Kim of SassySteampunk
Kim hales from Alberta, Canada, her family comprises of two adult daughters, two grandchildren and two dogs. She is a jewellery maker and creates steampunk and goth inspired treasures. She is also a painter and designs tattoos although she states that she has known of her own.....yet.
An avid collector of blue dragonflies, and a fan of horror movies; collects glass orbs and also makes soap; what else inspires our steampunk artisan?

Inspirations
What inspires our Sassy Steampunk Kim? Kim said that she was initially interested in designing and creating steampunk items after seeing the video for Ben Lovett's song 'Eye of the Storm'. She has been interested in the steampunk genre for over four years, when initially she sold old watch parts. (think cogs, dials, cases, so cool!)

Kim's sassysteampunk treasures
Batlings, as you know I'm a traditional goth, i am into black lace, lush velvet, bats.... dripping candles ... knee high boots, and opera gloves....so some of you may be surprised, and exclaim in horror as you are overcome in a stupor when I tell you that I am a fan of the etsy shop sassysteampunk.

I seriously believe you do not have to be a steampunk aficionado to love her work!
I have purchased several amazing jewellery items from her, and they are beautifully made unique accessories that are a pleasure and honour to wear!

One of my fave pieces that I have purchased from Kim's shop is a small ring that comprises a dismembered watch set on a silver plate ring base and features a crystal as a focal point. I also have a gorgeous dragonfly altered art domino necklace, a beautiful bat cuff and a lovely bat necklace.

Kim is a true artist, as can be seen by her beautifully designed and created pieces, I encourage all of you to take time to browse her shop and buy yourself something delightful from her beautiful wares.

ARTIST PROFILE: Lampworker Artisan from M1dnight Dreary

This is the first in a series I have been wanting to write for some time, profiling artists who create the most amazing things, are talented and creative and deserve to be seen.

Introducing the lampwork artist from etsy shop M1dnight Dreary

Born in Argentina and settling in Australia in the late 80s, the owner of the shop M1dnight Dreary, known on etsy as Glassy Lassy, is a musician, artist and designer.

I asked her some questions about lampwork, she was kind enough to say that my questions were okay, although I think that as I know nothing about the artform, my questions were totally inane and demonstrated my absolute ignorance on the subject!

What is lampwork?
I asked Glassy Lassy what lampwork is, she told me:

"Lampwork is the ancient art of making glass beads. The debate goes on as to wether "lampwork" relates to beads being made by the flame of a lamp .... but it is questionable as no one really believes a lamp would have generated enough heat to melt all the ingredients to make a glass bead. ...... There are very many examples of roman and viking beads of a very high standard, with intricate murrini."

OOOOH i KNOW that one! Murrine is a type of glass bead or decorative embellishment made from an intricately designed multicoloured rod of glass that when sliced in cross sections forms pieces with pictures or patterns, Millefiore being a well known type!(phew I am NOT as ignorant as I thought i was!)

Basic set up

If anyone wanted to start doing lampwork Glassy Lassy explained that the basic set up would need to include a torch (no bat-lings, not a flashlight.. but a burny, hot, ouch that hurts, flame type torch). The torch she uses is a "hothead" which uses LPG as its fuel. She explained that there are lots of different torches on the market and the more advanced ones burn really hot as they use a combination of O2 (Oxygen dear fiends.. you know that stuff we breathe??) and LPG, which makes the bead making process quicker.

If only we could find a flame breathing dragon! Then it could be a pet and a lampworking torch all in one....

I digress... back to our artist...

The next thing lampworkers need is a mandrel which our very knowledgeable and patient artist explains is a

"a long, usually stainless steel rod) dipped in bead release (it hardens like clay onto the mandrel, making it possible to remove the bead from the mandrel) otherwise melting glass directly onto the mandrel would make the glass stick to it for good."

Thirdly you need material that allows for the beads to slowly cool, they will be so amazingly hot that they would crack if they cooled too fast! Glassy said she uses vermiculite for this.

The bead needs to fired to finish it off properly, so you also need a kiln, our lovely artist explained that the reason the bead needs firing is that the very hot bead cools faster on the outside than on the inside which means that pressure will be exerted inside the bead caused by the differing temperatures, so to ensure the bead is nice and hard, it is fired in a kiln at a temperature lower than your initial torching.

What sets her work apart from the rest?

I first saw Glassy's work very recently, and I was instantly intrigued. What really appeals to me about her glass pieces is that they are different to mainstream lampwork. She adds an element of the macabre and the Baroque to her work. For example, have a look at these lampwork beads she has made called 'Dripping blood'

Who first taught you lampwork?

We all need to be taught how to do the basics of an artform if it is new to us, Glassy said her first lampwork teacher was Pauline Delaney at the Glass Shed in Sunshine, Melbourne, Australia. Pauline taught her how to form basic shapes with lampwork.

What got you into lampwork?

I am always fascinated in what inspires artists to try new media to express themselves, so I asked Glassy how she got into lampwork. She told me how she was once a member of a viking re-enactment group and was looking for some art technique she could use to share with the group, initially wanting to learn silversmithing she was unable at the time to locate a place to learn. She said that Vikings were skilled lampworkers so she located a lampworking course, with Pauline, and has not looked back!

The additional good news is that Glassy has also found a silversmithing course and has become a silversmith as well!

She promises that she will be listing some of her silver work in her etsy store soon too!

Personally I am very eagerly waiting to see Glassy's silver work as well, I love her lampwork beads that are full of heart, soul, and honesty, so I am sure her silver work will be just as amazing.

I really appreciate Glassy Lassy from the etsy store M1dnight Dreary for permitting me to profile her on my blog. Please visit her store, she is a true artist and deserves our patronage.

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Information on lampworking may be found at the following sites

Favourite gothic etsy stores (part one)

It is a rewarding experience becoming a part of etsy. It isn't just about selling items, it is about meeting like minded people, finding etsy stores that sell things I really like and usually have to make for myself if i want them as they are not commercially available, and seeing all the great ideas and artwork of other people. It is a huge global community of artisans and I really enjoy being a part of it.

I created a team on etsy called goth n gorgeous, and we have really great active, talented members on board. I am the 'captain' of the team, and have appointed some cool etsians as leaders to help support and motivate the team. The leaders in the goth n gorgeous team have really funky shops please have a look at them: there is Jynxx; ghostgap, Lady Nocturna, deepmidnightbathery and UlZaorith.

All members of our team are encouraged to be an active part of our virtual artisan community, and we encourage and support each other in our handicrafts and art. Our team doesn't bow to egos, as our common goal is to promote each others work, provide inspiration and encouragement, and to have a fun time while doing it.

In today's blog I would like to share with you all some of my favourite etsy stores.
This list could go on and on and on, but here are just a few , please check these guys out, they make some very cool things. Have a browse in their stores, make a purchase or three.

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ghostgap:
The owner of this store, Julia, is a very talented lady who makes the most imaginative and cute creations.
She also chats to me over etsy mail and keeps me occupied while im on train journeys to work.. which i find a great distraction to my almost two hour commute to work each day, because she is in USA and I am in Australia she is usually settling down for an evening of relaxation as I am venturing out on public transport of a morning trying to avoid the feral humans spitting on the train ....

With a Halloween twist, her items include such greats as : a pirate trinket box, a miniature Halloween house, and a black cat necklace.

Julia is friendly and approachable and committed to excellence in customer service. Her second etsy shop is angels and crafts and there you will find an array of gorgeous angel themed items, and gentle accessories like this sweet barrette. I personally like her birthstone angel for November (because its all about me.. well my birth month anyway!). I have recently ordered a custom made trinket box from her, Julia is happy to accommodate custom orders.

Her work is high quality and you can see that she is passionate about what she does. Please visit her stores and make a purchase, ideal for gifts for whatever holiday you subscribe too!

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Moira Coon

The items in this store contain such treasures as reproduction Victoriana ephemera, I am particularly fond of the pendants that are made to look like vintage poison bottles. My favourite being the arsenic bottle pendant. I am also impressed that the store owner tries to use recycled packaging wherever possible.

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Moonie Tricks Designs

This lady is an inspiration. read her profile on etsy and see how she has motivated herself after facing adversity. I personally admire her for her positive attitue and her self discipline and her very attitude is inspiration and motivation to others.

I have purchased one of her items, a gorgeous bat lanyard clip, and use it at work all the time. It is high quality, looks beautiful, and is very useful. She has so many beautiful hand made items to sell in her shop, you need to visit it to see for yourself! I am a happy customer of her store and can vouch for her high quality items and wonderful customer service.

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Jynxx Designs

Jynxx makes the most inventive, amazing, charm bracelets I have ever seen (and hey I make my own charm bracelets, and hers are FAR superior to anything I could make!) I have purchased a rat inspired charm bracelet from her and am excitedly waiting for its arrival in the post! You really need to have a look around her etsy store to see the amazing jewellery she has created. A halloween bracelet she has made that features spiders, cats, witches and other amazing beads and charms looks so beautiful and is so well made you would expect it to be selling for $100 or more, but she keeps all her prices fair. I also really like a black cat bracelet she has made, and am secretly hoping nobody else will buy it yet, as I want to buy it for myself as soon as i have some cash!!

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deepmidnightbathery

Catrianna (Cat) is a perfume artisan who concocts amazing unique and ethereal fragrant fantasies!
I have recently ordered one of her sample packs so I can decide which ones i prefer to buy as a larger vial. Cat respects animals and her products are vegan, scores BIG POINTS with me!

Cat is a highly skilled artisan, she is friendly and helpful, I contacted her to ask for suggestions for which of her perfumes she thought I would like and she provided a thoughtful, honest and quick response to me. She is well schooled in alternative therapies and has an eclectic collection of formal qualifications and her products reflect her knowledge, imagination and amazing abilities, please note that her products are kind to the environment and kind to the humans that use them being both Pthalate and Paraben free.

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Please note that this is PART ONE of a series of reviews I am writing regarding etsy shops that appeal to me, stay tuned for more. Feel free to comment on any of my postings i welcome feedback and ideas.

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Beaded Webs

Blog post brought to you by the letter C as part of my Alphabet blog challenge.