The Butterfly Project

In an effort to remember those children, Holocaust Museum Houston is collecting 1.5 million handmade butterflies. The butterflies will eventually comprise a breath-taking exhibition, currently scheduled for Spring 2012, for all to remember. As of Summer 2008, we have already collected an estimated 400,000 butterflies.

Based on the following poem, which I remember singing it when I was in high school at every Holocaust Memorial:


Here are the guidelines as set forth by the Museum:

Please facilitate the “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” activity and create as many handmade arts-and-crafts butterflies as possible. This project may be completed by all ages as individuals or groups.

• Butterflies should be no larger than 8 inches by 10 inches.
• Butterflies may be of any medium the artist chooses, but two-dimensional submissions are preferred.
• Glitter should not be used.
• Food products (cereal, macaroni, candy, marshmallows or other perishables) also should not be used.

If possible, e-mail a photograph of your butterflies, to butterflyproject@hmh.org.

Please send or bring your butterflies to the Museum by June 30, 2012, with the following information included:

• Your name,
• Your organization or school,
• Your address,
• Your e-mail address, and
• The total number of butterflies sent.
  

Mail or bring your butterflies to:

Holocaust Museum Houston
Butterfly Project
Education Department
5401 Caroline St.
Houston, TX 77004
USA

For questions or additional information, please e-mail butterflyproject@hmh.org.

New Year...Already or Finally?!!!

This year has been up and down for so many of us. Financial fears, layoffs, bailouts, home foreclosures...not to mention those experiencing, theft, medical issues (and by issues I do meant treatment AND insurance companies & HMO's...), as well as the myriad complications between people and nations...

For me, it was a year of chronic pain, surgeries, medications, therapy (of all kinds!), relationship building and collapses. Each year my nieces and nephews grow is a year I've had to love them more.

My artistic creations have slowed as my body adjusts to the new symptoms and limitations. Sometimes I feel trapped inside myself and sometimes I feel like I can't wait to get the artistic images out of my head and create the reality...every day is different.

I do wish all of you reading this, health, and joy - because if you don't have your health, you'd better keep a great sense of humor.

I wish better for your lives and the lives of people you love. That attaining dreams is a firm belief no matter if you did have to take a temp job in the meantime.

When the blizzard is over, the sky is new, and the ground is covered in soft snow and possibilities. Never believe there are no options...and give as many hugs as you can, human touch is truly underrated!

Have a wonderful 2009 and every day afterwards!

How Did You Know Where We Are?

Well, Marie created a wonderful Etsy Treasury to make sure you do know where we are...

He Must Be Premenstrual

...because, I can't think of anything else. He's been moody, grumpy, hot and cold, and annoying as all get out. Yes...I love him - which is why he's been allowed to throw his tantrums. But, we're both adults and it's getting old.

I happened to be talking to my sister, venting about the obnoxious behavior when she asked, "Is he premenstrual?" After we had a good laugh, I was able to get an Etsy Treasury and dedicate it solely to my DH and the many moods of the minute!


I you miss this treasury, these artists can be found by clicking their names below!

Little Bugs Boutique
Classy Castle
The Bunny's Hiccup
Studio Tau
Pockets & Patches
Phat Benetar

Maidenhand Felted Fibers

Sappy Moose Tree
Nina Gibson Designs
Mina's

One-Eyed Collie Jewelry Designs by Lori Bugaj

Moody Girl Aromatherapy

TLS Design

Paintings Galore

Nifty Stuff Made by Voz

Pretty Girl Things

Loverly Judaica at Etsy.com

L'chiam- To Life!
Picture Frame
"...If statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of stardust lost in the blaze of the Milky way. properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world's list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also away out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous fight in this world, in all the ages; and had done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it.

- Mark Twain
("Concerning The Jews," Harper's Magazine, 1899,
see The Complete Essays of Mark Twain, Doubleday [1963])

Simcha
Pewter Judaica Charms Bracelet

I was able to fill an Etsy Treasury today with some fabulous Judaica artworks! Click on the image below to view until Thursday, July 17th!

If you miss this Treasury, please click on the artists' below to view their shops, their art.

Julie Gallant Multimedia Art

Lucky Amulets
Design Kippah
Sjengraving
Kinor David - The Lyre of King David

Down to Earth Creations

EidelJewelry
Orianna Studios

CoCoMo Mosaics

Zula Surfing

RazYoel Arts

Moonblaze
Ceramics by Marcelle

Laura Bolter Design

AgruArts

Jen Lewis- Inspired Judaica

My Guys

Chanukea

I Took the Handmade Pledge!

Buying Handmade makes for better gift-giving.

The giver of a handmade gift has avoided the parking lots and long lines of the big chain stores in favor of something more meaningful. If the giver has purchased the gift, s/he feels the satisfaction of supporting an artist or crafter directly. The recipient of the handmade gift receives something that is one-of-a-kind, and made with care and attention that can be seen and touched. It is the result of skill and craftsmanship that is absent in the world of large-scale manufacturing.

Buying handmade is better for people.

The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. We are encouraged to be consumers, not producers, of our own culture. Our ties to the local and human sources of our goods have been lost. Buying handmade helps us reconnect.

Buying handmade is better for the environment.

The accumulating environmental effects of mass production are a major cause of global warming and the poisoning of our air, water and soil. Every item you make or purchase from a small-scale independent artist or crafter strikes a small blow to the forces of mass production.

Support Living Artists - Visit These Fabulous Venues!

Buy Handmade Video from Etsy on Vimeo.

Visit Buyhandmade.org for more information!

Writes of Passage - A Mix of Art and Book Inspiration

Which I find absolutely ingeniously creative! I love Elis Cookes' work but believe this is one of the most inspired Treasury's I've seen on Etsy in a long time. And, I feel proud to see my pendant aiding in that innovation! Click on the image until Tuesday, November 13th to view!

Into the Blystic - Elis Cooke Original Art

Mixed Media, Handmade Paper Collage, Abstract, Bookarts and Monotypes. I have strong interests in making my own paper, bas relief, printmaking and mixing up media! Her work is gorgeous - click on the banner to take a gander!

The Avatar's Got Me

Michelle Mahler believes,

"You can say a lot in that little box, don't forget to look."

This is my avatar:

This is the fabulous Etsy Treasury she created. It's a creative idea that features some creative work. I'm proud to say, it also includes one of my Signature Swirl polymer clay pendants. Please click on the image below to view through Monday, October 5th.


Please visit Michelle Mahler's Etsy shop: Teka and Zoe's Jewelry. An Eclectic mix of Interesting & Inspired Handcrafted Jewelry using Unusual Beads & Stones. Made from Sterling, Fine Silver or Brass. Plus a mixed bag of Jewelry makin's, some textiles, maybe stuff for wearable art...all hoping to inspire you. Click on the banner to visit her shop!

Wild Women Do and They Don't Regret It!

Insomnia won again and I was able to get another Etsy Treasury! In honor of the new November WWAO Exhibit, I dedicated my Treasury to the Wild Women I am proud to be a part of! Click on the image below until Saturday, November 3rd to view!

If you miss this Treasury you can view these artists Etsy shops by clicking their links below!

Natural Beauty - Art by Carla Kurt

trpottery - Tara Robertson Pottery

Live Funky - Original Fine Art and Prints by Jessica Torrant

Fine Art & Craft - Beornica Designs

Twisted Thicket Studio - Art on Nature's Canvas; Gourds, Rocks, & Wood!

Into the Blystic - Elis Cooke Original Art

Glass House Jewelry - ...bold, modern, unique...

Tempting Textile Art, Mixed Media Work & Altered Art - Sujati Designs

LAVA - Artisan Sterling Silver Gemstone Jewelry

Teresa's Art Studio - Original paintings, fun magnets, and more...

Pop-o-licious Art by Kris Jean

Jordanka's Studio Gallery - the "Tree Artist"

I hope you enjoy these fabulous artists as much as I do! For more excellent WWAO artists, please visit the WWAO website!

lovin' it

Wonderful work by the artists of EBSQ!

I was happy to see one of my new polymer clay, Signature Swirl pendants featured amongst these fabulous artists and their work. You can view this Etsy Treasury until Friday, November 2nd.


This treasury was wonderfully created by Eclectic Elements. You can view some wonderful handmade jewelry & craft at their Etsy site by clicking the banner below.

Featurd Artist: Staci Rose

I got to give a little interview and was featured on CoconutPalmDesigns blog!

PS...if you are reading this blog - you are my dream buyer!

Coconut Palm Designs - UNIQUE CRAFTS by a Canadian living in Belize. Visit her shop by clicking the banner below!

Whozits and Whatzits Galore

Some great Whatyamacallits. A little bit of everything.

Artists not only create the beautiful portraits, dreamy watercolored floral arrangements, or stunning landscapes that adorn your walls. Artists paint, and sculpt, felt, collage, photograph - they are involved with functional art like pottery, glassworks and jewelry, clothing design and quilt making. Artists influence architecture and landscape, create company logos and branding as well as the commercial that accompanies that after the movie or television show you just watched that artists of myriad backgrounds came together to create. Because, that's what artists do - we create.

Among other things, I create sets of distinguishable wine charms and was very pleased to see my fishies featured in a new Treasury. Please click on the image to view until Wednesday, October 24th.


Pop-o-licious Art by Kris Jean created this Treasury and I am pleased to support her fabulous art, as well! Her art is distinguished by bold colors, contrasts, and lines! Always unique, always a combination of a lot of influences. Please click on her banner below to visit her Etsy shop.

90 Features in 90 Days Challenge

Pippit Carlington contacted me about a fascinating and absolutely intriguing marketing idea. I found it quite brilliant, in fact! She proposed the following:

Would you like to get publicity each time you write a feature and then again each time someone writes about you? 180 sound bites are possible! If you add links on your blogs’ sidebar leading to all your features that’s 360 sound bites possible! - Invest your time,instead of your money. - Create a huge online media blitz - Get picked up by search engines - Increase your visibility exponentially - Increase your odds of sales Sound good? Read on! The object of this challenge is ultimately for 90 artists (technically 91 including myself) to all feature each other in our blogs as a way to increase exposure for everyone participating.

So far, here is the list of Etsy shops that have participated. Click on their links to visit their shops and blogs!

Current 90 Day Challenge List

1) Giftbearer
http://Giftbearer.etsy.com
http://artlifenewsblog.blogspot.com
Pippit works in several mediums;
including acrylics, watercolor, drawing, clay sculpture, and jewelry. A multicultural influence is evident in her work reflecting a diverse heritage of Iroquois Indian, Hawaiian, Russian Jewish, and French Canadian. She is strongly influenced by nature, political and social issues, and uses her art to educate the public.


2) SilverDragon
http://SilverDragon.etsy.com
http://vener-art.com/beadblog
My work has continued to grow and expand and I now also count myself as a mistress of the art of beadweaving. My paintings and drawings are as important to me as ever, though, and I don't find enough time to do all that I want! All of my work is one of a kind (with occasional limited editions -- I have a hard time doing things more than once!). I like to play with color and texture, experiment with shape and drape and form. Human beings, I think, are happiest when they are allowed to create. I know this is true for me.

3) StudioMarcy
http://StudioMarcy.etsy.com
http://studiomarcy.blogspot.com
I'm Marcy Lamberson, a glass artist who loves making people smile through my whimsical beads and sculptures. I use a 2000 degree torch and most of my glass comes from Murano, Italy. Every piece is kiln annealed for durability. I teach private and group lessons and enjoy taking on custom commissions. While working out of my sunroom studio overlooking my garden and birds, squirrels, chipmunks and occasional wandering possums, sometimes I just made them into beads too!

4) Tiffany Teske
http://TiffanyTeske.etsy.com
http://www.oldesage.com
I have loved photography since I was given a 110 camera at the age of 7, to capture memories on a family trip. I studied ballet, creative writing, and art in high school but did not take photography classes. Instead, I was "the after school photography club" and was taught by a science teacher how to use the darkroom. The chemicals got into my blood. After one summer colour printing course and some credit mishaps on the school's part, I switched my major to photography. Photography is my passion, I hope you like what you see!

5) Elements By Dawn
http://ElementsbyDawn.etsy.com
http://elementsbydawn.blogspot.com
Dawn is particularly drawn to creating pattern and texture in her pieces. Through pattern and texture, her designs take on movement, visual and tactile interest. Through the use of color and form, she communicates emotion and energy. Dawn's pieces range from simplistic shapes and lines, evoking a sense of calm; to heavily textured with bold colors and lines, suggesting passion.

6) Alilsumptinsumptin
http://alilsumptinsumptin.etsy.com
http://www.alilsumptinsumptin
Whimsy brings me great joy and touches that little girl within me. Most of my creations reflect this aesthetic and frequently incorporate two things I love and enjoy: flower gardens & dogs. All my pieces are one-of-a-kind, oftentimes containing handcrafted Artisan Lampwork glass beads - wonderful little works of Art in themselves.

7) Sparkly Stradz
http://sparklystrandz.etsy.com
http://sparklystrandz.blogspot.com
I've had a love for crafts, especially crochet for over 25 years ever since my grandmother taught me at age 5. It was probably the best thing she could have done for my parents because it would keep me busy for hours. During college, I developed a love for beads--not just because they're sparkly, but because beads have such a rich history to them from around the world, and can be made from almost anything imaginable. I combined my love for crochet and beads and began Sparkly Strandz which offers a variety of beaded jewelry, pet necklaces, baby jewelry, and crochet baby gifts.

8) Yaslani
http://Yaslani.etsy.com
http://yaslanisgroovespot.blogspot.com
Funky Art and Jewelry to adorn your body and home! Making things is an addiction. A packrat by nature, I believe all items have a second life and I love using recycled items and supplies that are gentle to the environment. There are no heavy messages in my work. I consider my art to be an aesthetic conversation. Yaslani is the brainchild for all my creative outlets. There is so much more I plan to do. There are so many more beautiful conversations I plan to have and I’m still planning my escape from normal. Stay tuned.

9) ThatsHeadley
http://Thatsheadley.etsy.com
http://thatsheadley.blogspot.com
Handcrafted Artisan Jewelry in Stone and Sterling. That's Headley! Jewelry Designs is about a journey in wearable art in semiprecious gemstones, wire, and glass. Color, texture, balance, and richness are my design goals.


10) soandsewcrafty
http://soandsewcrafty.etsy.com
http://soandsewcrafty.blogspot.com
Sewing is my passion! I love to take a flat piece of cloth and turn it into something beautiful to wear, treasure or use! I've been sewing for family, friends & customers for over 30 years! I take great pride in the items that I make. I love to do customs orders, so if you don't see something just like what you have in mind, just convo me and we can work together to create your dream!

And that's just the first ten!
Check back as I complete this list of fabulous Etsy artists!

t h e . p r a t t l e r 's pretties

From the Blog of Beornica Designs - I was so delighted to see the following post about the jewelry set I created just for her!


She goes on to say:
"On top of being an amazing artisan, she is just a wicked cool person in general, and just the sort of inspiring, creative person a artsy type like me loves to have contact with. She writes a new blog practically every day, and each post is inspiring and thought-provoking."

To read more about Beornica at t h e . p r a t t l e r,
please click on the photo above!

And, then she had to go and make me cry...this is the feedback she left for me about her new pretties:

"Where do I start? Staci custom made this set especially for me, and not only is it the most beautiful thing I've ever owned, it's the most beautiful jewelry I've ever SEEN, PERIOD. But if you're ehre checking out her feedback, then you probably have already figured out that she's an amazing designer, so let me tell you about the quality and craftsmanship. I am wowed by the clasp on the necklace. I've had several necklaces with clasps that weakened and fell open while I was wearing them - this clasp is guaranteed for that never to happen, since it's got this nifty little hook-and-click mechanism. Definitely worth noting. She pays attention to the little things. :)

Also, I got to know Staci a bit through our convos {when working on a custom order, she takes a LOT of care in drawing information out to see what you'd love. And is vastly successful in that endeavor, I might add.} and she's become a really good friend. I don't know what else to say other than that she is absolutely terrific, a gem of a gal, and is absolutely terrific at what she does. Buy from her! She'll likely have a famous line some day and you can say you've got a Staci Rose original!!!"

When you have a moment please visit her spectacular art at her Etsy shop and enjoy the creativity that introduced me to this fabulous woman!

It feels like rain..........

A few days ago, my husband walked through the bedroom and whined to me, "I think it's going to rain." And, later that evening, it did. The Bay Area got a nicely needed dousing of water from above. But, after knee surgery, back surgery, jaw surgery, several other surgical procedures I won't go into (but let me tell you how adversity drives the artistic need!) I understand what he means. I, too, know what it's like to be a human barometer!

Which is why I found Heide's latest Treasury featuring my earrings so very appropriate and ironic! Just click on the image to view her Treasury until Monday, October 15th.

Heide has been a great supporter of my art and a fabulous "advertiser" via her Treasury's. I have spoken to her briefly, but always appreciate when she features my work! Please click on her banner to view some of her wonderful art!

Custom Creations - Artistic Challenges

I love what I do. I love creating. It's a part of my being, just like my arms or toes - my creativity, need for artistic outlets is a physical part of me. (It may sound odd and artsy-fartsy but that is the best way I can describe this thing I've always known and tried to express...)

This also means I love creating custom pieces! I enjoy the very specific challenge of turning someone's vivid dreams or uncertain desires into the treasured earrings or perfect picture frame. So, go ahead, by all means, ask away!













I recently met a wonderful woman online that was looking for a necklace, bracelet, and earring set. I had picked out the following information from our brief email conversations:

1. I love earth tones, but bright ones...
2. ...I love your works with tumbled stones! They are delectable!
3. I like long earrings.
4. I like your bracelet designs the best...

5. Dangles please me.

6. ...I like shorter necklaces...
7. I like free-formed organic things that have to be touched.

And, this is what I made:

When I shared these images with their potential owner, this is what she had to say:

::jaw falls off:: I am speechless. All I can really tell you is I clicked on the pictures you sent me until I had the necklace with bracelet and the earrings covering both sides of the monitor screen, then I sat there and stared at them for about ten minutes, then again for another 20 minutes... It is quite simply the most beautiful set I have ever seen, EVER, and I am in shock that it belongs to me. Every other thought I'm having about it is coming out as a stutter. I knew I'd love it, but that is... undescribably scrumptious. Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!!!!!!!!! Can't possibly think of anything else to say! I literally am speechless. And I'm NEVER that, as you may have noticed.... THANKYOU!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!

And, while I'm not sure if a warehouse filled with zillions of my creations to be sold at Zellers and Kmart, Saks or Bloomingdales, a boutique in Martha's Vinyard, or artist to the stars is in my future - I think getting a message like that is an amazing accomplishment.