Fulton Street ARTisans Market: Esty West Michigan comes to FSAM August 17th#links

Fulton Street ARTisans Market: Esty West Michigan comes to FSAM August 17th#links

For those nice warm lazy summer Sundays when you have nothing to do..... Mark your calendars!!!!! The artist's market will be starting mid June and going all summer long. Check out this link to see some of the talented artists from last years Etsy Day (including me!)

Wire Wrapped!

Lately, I've been pretty obsessed with learning the diverse techniques of wire wrapped jewelry. I thought I'd include a few pics of what I've done so far. Herringbone wire wrap is by far my fave. Although a little tedious, it produces a visually amazing effect. If you would like some inspiration and ideas for your own projects, visit www.wirejeweler.com Some of the work will knock your socks off!!!

Purple Passion Silver necklace

Here, you can see the herringbone method of encasing stones in silver wire. This creates a stunning visual effect

Purple Passion close up

Spring Bloom Necklace

This style is what I like to call a reverse choker - the necklace wraps comfortably around the back of the neck, with the flowers resting in the front for a fun effect. The entire necklace is created using wrapped wire.

Crystal Surprise Earrings

This is an example of very simple wire wrapping techniques that seem make the crystals to "float" inside the wire.

Our Kitty Cat Family

Bear Bear, Biscuit, and Baby Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ... ..... ..Water Cat
I thought I'd share a few pics of our kitty cat family. We seem to gravitate toward black cats and have never been happier! Biscuit and Baby Girl have now passed on and are very missed. Simon is our newest edition, and he and Bear Bear have bonded immediately.

The wonderful world of Etsy

Maybe I should title this "what I am doing to quit my day job" but I couldn't make up my mind. Anyway, for those of you who have not yet discovered the wonderful world of Etsy, this is your lucky day! http://www.etsy.com/ is an online gathering of artists and craftspeople from all around the world who showcase their creations. You can browse, you can shop, you can share, the list goes on and on.

And this brings me to quitting the daily grind. I have recently discovered a passion for creating wearable art in metal (silver) and also beading. And so I've opened FreshMetal, my shop on Etsy. It has offered my an escape from the daily grind and a creative outlet. I also decided to start a blog, because one thing Etsy doesn't provide is a way to offer shoppers a view into the world and creative processes of each artist. You can view my collection at www.FreshMetal.Etsy.com I hopefully will be posting new items I've created on a regular basis.

I'm a member of Etsy West Michigan, which is a group of artisits/crafters who collaborate, give and take feedback, and generally support each other.