Seashells by the Seashore

Well these are not real seashells and we aren't by the sea but these are a few samples of the characole snail-shell type jewelry from our Ebbtide collection available in the Fireweed Art Studio in Scotch Creek on the Shuswap lake.

Our latest work includes some fun rings ...

 and adjustable bracelets...

I will also be holding classes there throughout the summer with the first one on Thursday July 14.  My students will be learning some polymer clay basics and then turn their creations into some fun to wear Beach Bling jewelry.

Ballerina Drawing

Remember the show in Westwold I shared with you a few weeks back?  Bryan of Bras Art Gallery was working on a drawing right next to us and he finally finished it so I wanted to show you the finished piece here.
Isn't it lovely?

Here he is working on the piece that day when we met him:

This is just one of his many gorgeous drawings that are found in his Etsy shop.

Canada Postal Strike - Here we go again

The postal strike here in Canada still has not been resolved and unfortunately it has gone from a rotating one to a lock-out.  This is what greeted me when I went to send a letter today.

So we are forced to closed down our mailable items in both our shops again until it has been resolved.

Fortunately our tutorials are still available in both our Etsy Shop and ArtFire Studio and will not be affected by this strike as they are sent right to your inbox by e-mail.  We allow up to 24 hours from when your payment is made but most often you will receive it within a few hours.

Blog Debris - Young Artist Aelita Andre

I love spending time each day relaxing with my cup of tea and catching up on blog reading.  I came across an interesting post on Every Day Inspired that I had to share with you.

It is about a young artist who is 4 years old.  She has been painting since she was only one year old and had her first gallery showing at age 2.  You can see an interview on 60 minutes here.

I found all this to be so unbelievable until I watched the video (see below) showing her at work.  I was just mesmerized while watching her and was blown away by the intent look of concentration on her face the entire time.  I found her use of color and painting techniques was extremely fascinating and how she seemed to know exactly how she wanted her piece to look and when it was complete.

When I saw all the mess my first thoughts were how patient her parents must be!  But then when I discovered that her paintings sell anywhere from $4000 - 10,000 with one for sale at $24,000, I decided I would be extremely patient as well!  With that kind of money I would hire someone to not only clean up but also keep a wardrobe of new painting clothes on hand in the closet!

So I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did ...

Getting Back on Track and Ready for Summer

So far the Canadian postal workers strike has been rotating and so mail is still going through so we decided to reactive both of our shops again and will carry on for now with business as usual.  I am struggling with learning how to operate a new computer system so everything for me seems to be going at a snails pace and I am learning patience. --

Speaking of snails -- I have been working on some more beach themed pieces that will be going out to a local art gallery called the Fireweed Art Studio in Scotch Creek right on the Shuswap Lake.  It is very busy there during the summer as it is a popular vacation spot with the warm weather, beaches and plenty of water sports.

I will also be teaching classes at Fire Weed Art Studio through July and August so should be a nice change in pace and something to look forward to.

New Computer and a Fresh Start

Wow!  What a wild week it has been for us.  A few years ago we purchased a new iMac computer and I absolutely loved it.  We didn't have a minutes problem until my "cyber" world, however, came (literally) crashing down around me when I received my usual software updates and the computer would not start up again properly since.  After several calls to Apple Care and finally having to take it in for repair, to our dismay we were sadly informed that the motherboard was totally fried and there was nothing they could do except replace the part for a cost that was equal to buying a whole new computer.  So we dumped Apple completely and are now back with PC again.

I have a bit to catch up with here since I haven't been able to post anything since last Friday.  Our shipable items in our ArtFire Studio and Etsy shop are still on hold until the postal strike is settled.  Right now mail is going through as the strike is rotating but things could change over the next week.  Our tutorials are still available and we are able to send them now that we are back on track with a new computer.

For now I will share with you a few shawl pins that I have made over the last few months.  Several of these have already sold in our Etsy shop so we are busy making more as well as some new designs that I am not quite ready to reveal to you yet but will very soon.

Candy Swirl Buttons and Blends

Our flip flop jewelry has a new look this year.  I've been playing around with all types of striped blends and here are a few of the pendants.

This batch was made using the six-step color blend and need the straps added yet before finishing.

I love making lentil swirls from the left-over pieces and here is a batch I made into buttons ready to go into the oven.