Amethyst Art

2012 Ornament

2012-01-06T10:59:00.001-05:00

Introducing the 2012 ornament for my son and nephew. This year, I experimented with a hollow ornament with a little character holding their "Christmas Number" One had a mouse, the other a bear and both oh-so-cute if I do say so myself.

Happy 2012!

2011-12-31T20:50:00.003-05:00

Blue Christmas

2011-12-30T14:52:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I made some jewelry to go with my dress for my company's annual Haolday Gala. The dress was navy blue with an asymetrical neckline and a beaded accent on one shoulder. So I made a necklace that followed the neckline shape and a bracelet to continue the look. All in all, the bead work took about 10 hours to complete and it was the first time I had attempted something like this, although it has been on my "to-do" list for a few years:

I Wish You A Blingy Christmas

2011-12-07T09:52:00.001-05:00

Last weekend I went to an open house craft show. I wanted to bring something a little different. While browsing through the craft aisles, it hit me: BLING. Yup. Bling. So rhinestones, sequins and beads galore resulted in a very blingy group.

So fab!

Ornamented

2011-11-30T17:00:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again. Deck the halls and decorate the trees!

Twisted (but in a good way)

2011-11-11T10:09:00.001-05:00

My larger tube beads arrived and I am pretty pleased with the results! There was a little bit of a reaction between the yellow and the blue on the multicolored bead, but otherwise, they are bright and fairly uniform. Yay!

All Fired Up!

2011-11-05T15:07:00.002-04:00

I am so excited!

Two years ago, my boyfriend bought me an amazing gift- a glass bead kit. I gave him a list of things I would like for Christmas and where they could be found, etc. and that was one of the items. I was SUPER excited when I opened it. He is a little craft oblivious, so he was a little surprised to find out it had a blow torch in it. Yes. You read that right. I was pregnant at the time, so I didn't dig right in. Come the following Spring after my son was born, I decided I wanted a little guidance before I tried it. So I added classes to my wish list the following year. My mom found a great class for me to take where I could learn safety and technique. Here we are, almost a year later and I found the time to take the class. Thanks to two very generous gifts from two people I love, I have a new favorite art form!

My teacher, Diane http://www.dkdesigns.biz was so helpful and informative. She has a lot of experience and it showed. Under her tutelage, I was able to make some really great beads:

The first few were a little tricky, but in the end, I had some nice matched pairs that I was happy with. We also made some larger beads that I will post another day. They needed to anneal (see how I used my fancy glass art term there?) for strength.

Since I have my own torch and supplies, I hope to have more examples to show you soon!

New Friends

2011-10-18T09:46:00.001-04:00

I haven't made anything for the Pumpkin Monkey lately (bad mommy). So I decided to fix that. As I have mentioned before, his room has a forest theme with lots of woodland animals. Here are the latest forest friends:

That Time of Year

2011-09-19T12:10:00.000-04:00

Do you feel the chill in the air? We finally have a break in the exeedingly hot weather in Georgia. I walked outside last week and I didn't have my breath taken away by the wall of heat. Instead, it was... comfortable!

When the weather changes, I know all those great holiday things are right around the corner. The first of which is Halloween! Check out the lastest of the creepy crawly Fear Things collection:

Granted, these might create some all-together different chills, but fun all the same!

Feeling Plucky

2011-08-29T14:07:00.000-04:00

Jumping off from the last two posts, I decided to do a little drawing. More peacock feathers!:

Concept Realized - Ghost Earrings

2011-08-25T09:19:00.000-04:00

Here they are! I think they have an ethereal quality to them. I have had dozens of feather earring concepts floating around in my head for years. I should probably knock a few out before the trend fades...

I think these will come just in time though!

Ghost Earrings

2011-08-23T10:17:00.000-04:00

I am excited about my next project. I will be making these in the next week or so for a very special person. I am calling them Ghost Earrings. No, it doesn't have anything to do with Halloween and the reason will be clear once the real deal is revealed!

Fear Things

2011-08-11T15:11:00.000-04:00

My endevors as of late have been a little creepy if not down-right gross. Yet, there is a reason for my sudden departure: Fear Things my new Etsy store that is open just in time for Halloween!

Please come by and check it out, but in the mean time, here is a little sample:

His Tiny House

2011-08-05T11:13:00.000-04:00

I have been thinking about making my son a play house sometime in the next year or so. This is a little sketch I did while brainstorming. It is color pencil on paper.

Stargazer

2011-07-18T14:43:00.000-04:00

Shiny silver beads strung on navy navy hemp cording. Like twinkling stars on a field of blue sky at dusk...

Concept Realized!

2011-07-14T09:21:00.000-04:00

I decided to go two with strands. One was nice, but I thought it needed a little more. I used two different sizes of the brass beads on the red hemp cording.

Red Boho Concept

2011-07-11T14:00:00.000-04:00

I liked my Rouge Hemp and Copper necklace so much, I decided I want to make a longer version. Here is my initial idea:

I have some small antiqued copper beads that would go really well with the tubes I used on the shorter necklace. In the illustration I have a single strand. Since the cording is so thin, I am torn between making it thin and delicate, or layering for more "heft". The existing piece has three strands and is still pretty delecate, but I kind of like that about it. It is simple and understated which gives it an air of sophistication you wouldn't normally associate with hemp jewelry.

Concept Realized

2011-07-03T19:59:00.002-04:00

I made my sister's necklace that I teased and then some. I also made a necklace for my mom. These were designs I had in mind for them for a while and thank goodness, they liked them!

Flight Club

2011-06-30T09:45:00.001-04:00

I have a silver feather necklace I made a couple of years ago (I lengthened it and added some silver beads since the version in the link), that I just love. It is on a long chain and it just goes with just about every outfit. It is shiny though, and every now and then I wear something that is a little more "dressed down" or earthy and it doesn't quite work- but more due to the finish than the style. So... what's a girl to do? Make another version of course!

This time in antiqued brass:

Mossy Pebbles

2011-06-27T17:15:00.001-04:00

This necklace was something I wanted to make for a while. I love green and copper, so I wore this necklace proudly today. It was exceptionally easy to wear!

Glitter and Smoke

2011-06-24T11:46:00.002-04:00

Black is my neutral. I wear black or gray just about every day at work. Yes, I do use a pop of color so I don't look like I am attending a funeral every day. I needed a new go-to neutral necklace for work. I think I made it- it is a mix of smokey gray, black and metallic silver Czech glass faceted beads all on silver chain. Perfect for adding a little sparkle to the daily uniform!

She Doesn't Know It

2011-06-22T13:55:00.001-04:00

She doesn't know it, but my sister is getting a necklace. What's the occasion? None. Why? Because I looooove her. Hee hee...

Get to the Point 2

2011-06-16T09:22:00.000-04:00

A more vibrant foray into the tri-angled obsession.

Ouch!

2011-06-15T17:00:00.000-04:00

I have to go to the dentist to have a wisdom tooth pulled tomorrow. This is my first extraction, so I am a little nervous. Say hello to Mr. Sad Tooth who represents my impending DOOOOOOM.

Dreamy Purple 2

2011-06-13T13:27:00.000-04:00

I made some earrings to complement the Dreamy Purple Necklace:

Feeling Bubbly

2011-06-10T14:34:00.000-04:00

Bubbles, bubbles, everywhere. Taking away every care. Pop and fizzle, swirl around. Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles abound.

Dreamy Purple

2011-06-06T14:25:00.000-04:00

I decided to make something this weekend. I didn't really have a plan going in other than that some "thing" should be a necklace. The result is this long necklace with dreamy, soft purple faceted beads. It is approximately 36 inches long landing at about mid-torso for most. It is a little heavier than most of my necklaces to date, but I like the extra heft to it.

Happy Monday!

Rut

2011-06-01T15:01:00.000-04:00

I am feeling like I am in a bit of a creative rut. I have more supplies and ideas than I could go through in a year's time- yet... I can't seem to make much these days. Yes, having a 13-month-old is a big contributing factor. However, I do find time to answer e-mails for the day job or watch TV after he goes to bed. Before he came, I would work while I watched TV. I don't seem to have any issue with motivating others or coming up with ideas for them. Am I more tired? Less motivated? Who knows.

I really am trying to pry my backside out of this well-formed rut and get the creative juices flowing again. I am not going to say what I'll do or make any big announcement to do more (mostly because I don't have much faith in my current rut-removal capabilites). For now, I'll just say I'm going to try to find my pry bar and do my best to keep this thing going.

Friends for all!

2011-05-29T14:46:00.000-04:00

Last week I went to Costa Rica on business. Prior to the trip, I made some little "friends" for my team members there. I had a lot of fun making these little guys and my goal was to put a little of each person's personality into each. Each is also the person's favorite color and animal:

Acorn

2011-05-09T12:28:00.000-04:00

Once he lived in a high, high tree.

Now he's come to earth just for me!

Armadillo

2011-04-28T10:50:00.000-04:00

Am I the only person out there that is fascinated by armadillos? Surely I can't be! I got a bug to sketch up this little guy. I like him- I think I'll keep him.

Everlasting Easter Egg - How To

2011-04-21T20:36:00.002-04:00

Easter is such a fun holiday, a great opportunity for family time and crafts. To honor the holiday, I decided to create a tutorial for everlasting Easter eggs. Real eggs that you can hold and reuse year after year!

The first step is to make a hole in both ends of the egg. There are Ukrainian Easter Egg kits that include a little blower that allows you to only use a single hole by injecting air into the single hole and allow the pressure to push the egg out. The two-hole method allows you to extract the egg without specialized tools. You can use a nail, screw or rotary tool. I chose to use the rotary tool because it uses the least pressure and there is less chance of crushing the egg.

The next step is to use a needle, wire or other long, thin item to puncture the yolk within the shell. I used an eye pin. This will allow you to blow the egg out by blowing into the top hole with a steady and strong breath- kind of like blowing up a balloon.

Waste not, want not. I caught the egg in a bowl for an omelet.

Once the egg is out, rinse the egg shell out to the best of the best of your ability. Then gently dry off the egg shell with a towel.

You can then dye the egg (again, the Ukrainian Easter egg method is a lot of fun, but takes patience), paint it or decoupage.

I chose to gild mine, I may choose sheets of leaf if I do it again. I am not sure the leaf flakes accomplished the effect I wanted. For this or decoupage, I would start with a clear sealant which can double as a sizing for the leaf or glue for the paper.

The finished product! I made Ukrainian Easter eggs a few years ago- that example is on the left. The gilded egg is on the right. The flakes are yellow and rose gold with some oxidized pieces with green and blue coloring.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Two For One

2011-04-18T09:44:00.001-04:00

For Christmas '09, my mom bought me some lovely beads. She gave me two strands of the same type of glass beads, in two different shapes: round and oval. They have beautiful variegation and have shades of blue, green, amber and everything in between. I have had them in my collection for a while and have been trying to think of the best way to use them together.

I chose to make a double strand necklace that doubles as a long necklace (24 inches). The short strand uses the round beads alone and the longer strand uses the oval beads with Celtic inspired connectors.

I am very happy with the versatile result and I can't wait for my mom to see it!

Just Visiting...

2011-04-12T11:49:00.002-04:00

I was recently invited to be a guest blogger on my fun, fashionable and crafty friend's blog.

House of April is a great read and always inspirational! Please take a look around and please share some love and leave a comment.

J'aime la manière que vous écrivez!

Courtesy of Bable Fish ;-)

Happy Birthday!

2011-04-12T11:32:00.000-04:00

The Pumpkin-Monkey turned one yesterday! We had a really good time with our friends and family. Here are a few of the hand-made goodies that made his special day, all the more so:

Here is the banner I teased a few days ago. It fit perfectly with the rest of the decorations, don't you think?

Mommy made dino sugar cookies to fit with the theme. Mmmm... Pteranodon.

I didn't make the cake, but the ladies at Publix made his crunch cake extra special. Loved it!

Our crafty friend Annie made him a fantastic card. How awesome is that?

We all had a wonderful time, especially the Pumpkin-Monkey! Can't get better than that :)

What I Have Been Up To

2011-04-06T14:17:00.000-04:00

I have been very busy the past few weeks (as you can read here), so I have not been able to post very often. After this weekend, I hope to resume business as usual and ramp up my creative game again.

In the mean time, here is a sneek peek at one of the party decorations:

In Bloom

2011-03-22T13:36:00.000-04:00

Spring is in the air again! Besides all the sneezing taking place, it is blissful. The flowers are in bloom and there are sprouts of fresh, bright green everywhere.

My inspiration today is one of my favorite Spring flowers- the Iris:

Concepts Realized!

2011-03-16T15:52:00.001-04:00

I found some old sketches There were several things from this sheet (that was covered with ideas) that I actually made in the last year.

The first is the Tulip pendant I wrote about earlier this year:

The second is my Butterfly Facinator. It you don't know what a facinator is, it is an eclectic hair piece that is kind on in between a barrette and a hat. You wear it when you want to stand out. If I did a little more research, I am sure I would find it had some sort of Victorian root. Not today.

I am not sure whether I have featured it on here before. Note my original sketch had three butterflies and the leaves and curly-cues were a little more spread out. When I actually made it, I condensed it. It is a fairly large facinator with one. I like the end result much better than the concept sketch.

I love making little discoveries like this. It brings me hope to know that many of these ideas knocking about in my head actually come to fruition from time to time.

Monstrous

2011-03-11T15:02:00.001-05:00

Another adventure in fabric designing today. When my little pumpkin-monkey was new and small, he had these great monster onsies and I L-O-V-E-D them sooo much. These two designs are inspired by that as well as a life-long love of monsters:

My first run had a retro sort of vibe (I thought)...

but my boyfriend thought it should be "monster centric" so this revision is for him.

This is the cast of characters. I haven't given them names beyond their colors:

Blue and Green

Red and Orange

Shelf Update

2011-03-09T14:03:00.000-05:00

I have made some more progress on the shelf project for my son's room. As I mentioned in a previous post, I painted the surround and shelf in a color called Boot Leather. This week I was able to paint the insert. I did this in an antiqued white. I plan on painting a little scene on the insert and I wanted it to have a little bit of a weathered or vintage feel to it. Hopefully I can get to work on that part soon!

Get to the Point

2011-03-01T11:23:00.000-05:00

I see triangles EVERYWHERE. Really- they are the design of the moment it seems. Whether it is art, textiles or architecture, they are all around.

Take a look next time you are shopping for clothes or home decor. I am sure you will see triangles too.

This is my latest digital painting inspired by these tri-pointed constants:

I was feeling a little "retro" when choosing the palette. The colors may be muted, but they make me giddy!

Everything Zen

2011-02-23T15:42:00.000-05:00

I decided to try my (rusty) hand at painting this week. It has been a year or so since I have used watercolors.

I have a few bamboo plants and those were my inspiration for this muted botanical painting:

Blog Redux

2011-02-20T11:54:00.000-05:00

You may notice the blog has changed. I thought it was about time to freshen things up a bit! Please take a look around and note the new pages located at the top of the site.

I hope the new design improves your experience here. I also hope to make some additional changes in the near future- this is but step one.

Feedback, is welcome, thanks for visiting!

A Sweet Valentine Treat

2011-02-14T10:38:00.000-05:00

I was inspired to make some yummy treats for my valentines this year. I made six different chocolates and put them in these super cute boxes I found:

These are the finished products:

And what's a box of chocolates without a flavor map?:

Upcycled Concept

2011-02-10T17:28:00.000-05:00

This is an up-cycled concept that I sketched last year. The idea was to weave strips of old T-shirts into a layered necklace. I made a note saying that it should have "5 layers", but in the end, it became 3. It just made more sense. I started to add more and it became a bit busy.

The colors ended up being black and white for the first run, thought I have been considering making one in red for my little sis. She's been a fan of the black and white one (read: borrowing it on several occasions) so at some point, I need to make her one that is all hers and suitable for her vibrant teen personality.

Goal: Mission Accomplished

2011-02-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

I managed to paint the shelf with the base color this weekend. It is a color called Boot Leather. Sounds interesting, eh?

I do plan to take the project a step further. Baby steps are necissary, especially when you have one crawling at your feet all the time ;-)

Though I was INDEED motivated this weekend and got a lot of things accomplished, I was not able to continue the project I had started before. Perhaps I will be able to finish that this week!

Goal for this Weekend

2011-02-04T11:44:00.000-05:00

This may be foolish- but I am setting a goal for this weekend! I say foolish because it is Super Bowl weekend and there is already a ton of stuff to do in prep for visitors, etc.

Staying busy is good for the soul though, right?

The goal is to finish the shelf and coat hanger I bought almost a year ago for the pumpkin-monkey's room.

If I feel especially motivated, I may finish something else I started for him a while back as well.

Stay tuned for the pics and progress!

Groundhog Day

2011-02-02T10:46:00.001-05:00

Happy Groundhog Day to all! Today, I witnessed good ole' Punxsutawney Phil predict an early Spring! That is good news because I am ready- no MORE THAN ready for warmer weather.

This weekend I was able to take my little pumpkin-monkey for a walk. He can't walk yet, so for him, I guess it was more of a roll, but either way, we got to get out and enjoy the 66 degree, beautiful, sunny day. This was not once but TWICE this weekend. I was so happy and I think he was too. Really, there is only so much you can see of one house before you go stir crazy and I think he has spent a good 70% of his life in one room.

So thank you Punxsutawney Phil and a double thank-you to our local weather predicting rodent friend General Beauregard Lee who also failed to see his shadow. May you furry fellows be right!

Scaled Bib Concept - Focal

2011-01-31T09:49:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago I posted some concept sketches I made last year. This was the result:

I think I could have been a lot neater with the "scale" placement, but overall the effect isn't bad. I think it could still turn into a pretty neat necklace.

In the (HOT) Pink

2011-01-27T10:43:00.001-05:00

I was experimenting with a concept a while back, as I tend to do, and it occurred to me that I wanted to do something kinda folksy- but not.

So I decided to try my hand at "primitive" but change it up with color. The result was this little bird sculpt. I used a form based out of random household items and some wire forms for the legs and then built the details up using papier-mâché. Then I painted it in a bold hot pink color. In keeping with the folkart/primitive feel, I didn't add any details to it. It is like a silhouette, if you will.

My Prickly Friend

2011-01-25T09:57:00.002-05:00

Good day, dear readers!

I would like to introduce you to a friend of mine. I think he is very handsome indeed, though some would say he is a bit prickly. Tut-tut, I assure you he is gentle and ever so kind. Just take a look at his eyes and you will see. His demeanor is so pleasant, his face is so sweet, I think you will find, he is one of the nicest you'll meet!

You can't visit my friend at home, as he lives in a cozy little hole at the base of a mossy tree. He rolls himself into a tight little ball and stays snug and warm nightly. During the day, he roams the sunny meadows and greets all of his friends with a polite "How d' you do?"

Please say hello, won't you?

Flower Power - Part 5

2011-01-24T11:45:00.000-05:00

This is the last post (for now!) in the flower pendant series.

Today's is another example of a warm Spring time- inspired piece. This time, it is Tulips:

Three deep pink Tulips on a pale blue backgroud. Reminicent of the Spring skies, no?

I think I feel warmer already!

Flower Power - Part 4

2011-01-22T11:00:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned in the first series post, roses are the natural choice for polymer clay flowers.

This one is special because it is a Sterling Rose. I used to have a wonderful rose garden with Sterling Roses. They were always my favorite although they were not necissarily the bushes that produced the most blooms. They are my mother's favorites. She would come over and admire the Sterling Roses with fond memories of the garden that her grandmother kept and Sterling Roses were HER favorite.

So, this is my small dedication to my great-grandmother's memory and her favorite roses:

Flower Power - Part 3

2011-01-21T12:01:00.001-05:00

Living in the South, there is an event I look forward to each year. A sign the frosts and chills of Winter will be leaving soon: the Daphodills blooming!

This happens earlier for us then most places in the country, I would assume- typically in March or so. I also grew up in a town that is famous for their "Jonquils" to the extent it is the town's logo and the theme of an annual festival so that is always close to my heart as well.

This was the inspiration for today's pendant:

Ah, just looking at this piece has me dreaming of those warmer days to come!

Flower Power - Part 2

2011-01-20T09:34:00.001-05:00

I really am fond of cherry blossoms, can you tell? Today's series post illustrates that fact once again. This piece is 3D but does not project out as much as the others. Since it is an entire tree branch of flowers, everything is scaled down a bit.

Did I mention the size of these pendants? This is the largest and it is maybe an inch and a half from the very top of the bail (the part that the necklace threads through) to the bottom edge. The colors are pretty soft as well- demure in fact ;-)

Flower Power - Part 1

2011-01-19T11:12:00.001-05:00

Consistancy! A theme! Yes... a great feat for me.

This post kicks off the presentation of a series I have been working on. I love including flowers in my art. Whether it is painting (something I need to share more of on this blog), sculpting or jewelry, it is a subject I use over and over again. Why? Well, I am not a girly-girl. I think it is just because I appreciate their beauty and fragility. They are like nature's beautiful and temporary paintings.

If you have worked with polymer clay, you know that is it really easy to start making roses as you are fiddling with your scraps or kneading the clay while thinking about your next step in your project. The medium lends itself to it so well. This is just how this series started- I was playing with some clay I had blended for another project that didn't work out and made some little pink roses with it while brain storming. I had made several polymer pendants during my 365 day "adventure" and I thought those delicate little roses could be the project and would make a really nice pendant!

As you can see, there is some varigation in the leaves and on the petals. The petals are primarilly pink but have some metalic silver accents blended in. The leaves are several shades of green blended.

In creating these pendants, I tried to make each three dimentional, delicate yet wearable. I have really enjoyed making these, I hope you enjoy them as well!

Concepts are Sketchy

2011-01-18T16:37:00.001-05:00

Something you may not know about me (unless you saw some of my not-so-hot 365 posts):

I am not a great sketcher. I think I can draw and paint well but my sketches are rarely to never neat or realistic. This is mostly because I feel sketches are kind of a throw-away. They are not the real deal.

With that being said, sometimes I have an idea that I don't want to lose. These usually come in bursts. I will cover a sheet of 8"x11" with tons of little sketch doodles. Some make their way to fruition, others just go in my bag, purse or get buried under craft-junk on my drafting table.

Here are a couple of examples of these *ahem* sketches:

Each of these are supposed to be covered in individual hand-applied scales. That's what those little circle blobs are. The one on the left would be sort of a bib necklace. I still want to make it, but that trend train might be on to another station by the time I get to it.

I actually made the pendant portion of the item on the right. It turned out great, with bright colors in aqua, hot pink and white, but it is pretty large and heavy. I am not saying that is a bad thing- just very audience specific. Therefore, I haven't made the necklace portion yet. I need to make sure it is balanced correctly. Since the pendant is 3-4 inches long, I am thinking it is better suited to a long chain and could lose the drop beads above the pendant. We'll see where that goes.

I actually decided to post this because my co-workers tease me about my sketching I do for my for mock-ups, brainstorming, etc. They don't say so, but I know it is because it is bad. And frequent. Not going to stop though, bad or not!

I guess it is just the way I can get the idea out and explain a process. I guess that means I am a visual person? Hmm...

I'm a Fabric Designer!

2011-01-17T17:03:00.000-05:00

Last year, I created some custom fabric for a friend of mine. She was a HUGE help to me this Summer and I wanted to do something to show her just how much. She loves to sew and had recently started an online presence which she named The Paisley Dragonfly.

I took that idea and incorporated some of her favorite colors to create a custom fabric panel for her to use as she wished:

Then I got the bug so I tried a few more designs:

Contact me if you would like additional details on any of these designs.

Wood is Working

2011-01-15T09:27:00.010-05:00

I received some wonderful craft-related gifts this Christmas. One item was a great wood burner with interchangeable tips. It was something I asked for because I was having some flashbacks to those fun craft toys you got as a child. You know- the rock tumbler, spin art, pot holder looms?

I was excited about trying out some of my new "toys" but as usual, my ideas got loftier than my current supplies allowed. I was searching for one unrelated thing in a home improvement store and walked out with a new carving tool.

I've always wanted to try woodworking- more the hammer, chisel and plane type but for now, it will be the hand held power tool type :)

I worked on a gift for a friend first. I had planned on making her a frame but now I could take it in another direction.
I free hand carved her name, her daughter's name and some messages. Then I painted the frame and painted the carved words in metallic silver for contrast. Finally, I added some fun paper as the photo placeholder.

My craft adventure did not stop there. I have been picking up various unfinished wood items over the past few years with this sort of thing in mind. I tried my hand at a nature inspired carving next. I carved a simple cherry tree into the lid of a wood box I had on hand. I am not sure how to finish it. I could stain it, paint it, guild it... options, options.

I know... I mentioned my wood burning set but clearly, I didn't use it on either of these. I guess I get distracted! I will try my hand at that next. Hopefully my skills have improved since my last attempt at wood burning when I was 10.

Ty's Choo Choo

2011-01-07T09:42:00.004-05:00

rainMy nephew Ty was about 18 months old at Christmas this year. Last year I made him his first ornament and I decided to continue to make one for him each year. Being a little boy, he probably wont ever care, but I hope his mommy and daddy enjoy them. This year he is very fond of choo choo's so that was the inspiration.

The funny back story to this, is that this ornament was my third attempt. The first one nearly burned the house down. I am not exaggerating... I made it from oven-hardening clay and the ornament burst into flames in the oven and plumes of thick black smoke filled the house. It was pretty scary. I thought it was my method for creating it- turns out, the oven was broken. It would only broil. After try one, I made another and moved it to the dedicated craft oven and sure enough, this one got roasted too. No fires this time, but it was a little worse for wear. I made it from colored clay and I tried to salvage it through sanding with no avail, so I ended up painting it. In the end, I think the result was pretty nice but it was a bit of a challenge getting there:

Where did the time go? (AKA Not my New Year's Resolution Post)

2011-01-06T17:26:00.005-05:00

It is really amazing that before you have children, you feel like you have NO time. Between work, family, friends and home maintenance, there never seemed to be any "free" time. Well, after children, you realize how spoiled you were before. You could work long hours whenever you needed to. You could run errands after that long day at the office. On the weekends you could spend mornings doing yard work, afternoons were spent catching up on a book, lazing around a bit or catching up on what couldn't be done during the week. Evenings could be used for spending time with friends with some of that 'fun money' there seemed to be so little of even then. I've said farewell to all those precious minutes I didn't think I had before.

So what's the point? Well, I guess it is my way of explaining my embarrassing lack of postings for months on end. Bad, bad blogger.

The crafts have been few and far between, but I have managed to sneek a few minutes here and there. I will (try to) post some of the items I have worked on in the past few months soon and hopefully, as the little wonder boy becomes more independant, I will have a few more of my precious minutes back! I will never say any were wasted- they were certainly well spent on spoiling him, covering him with*MUAH* lots of mommy kisses and filling his belly with puffs and mushed up food. Now we are in the "I can move around and get into everything and put it all in my mouth" stage- so the crafts have been temporarily put away or given a new home in lesser used areas of the home.

I can't wait to get them all out again. I have a backlog of ideas and inspirations just waiting to come to life!

My Greatest Creation

2010-05-21T20:20:00.004-04:00

My first child has entered my life in recent weeks. What a fulfilling creation indeed.

My Weekly Etsy Picks - Week of Feb. 14th

2010-02-19T09:44:00.004-05:00

Spring, Spring... oh how I long for you to arrive soon! In Georgia this week, we have gone from 4 inches of snow to 60 degree days. What a swing! Hopefully this weekend was Mother Nature's last Winter blast and we are bound for more days like today!

This week, I am featuring Dreams of Spring

Fuzzy yellow chicks are certainly a sign that warmer days have arrived. Check out this sweet little guy created by seller birder1:

Mmm... green, cool grass. What a wonderful and unique lamp shade by tansyandco!

Seems seller jefffetty's philosophy is to go big, or go home. Look at these amazing sculptural Daffodils:

A Rainbow of Ear Candy

2010-02-18T20:05:00.004-05:00

Silver shine and the colors of the rainbow!

I made several pairs of earrings for the store. The simple, single color and bead designs seem to be popular.

Faux Peacock Feather Hair Clip

2010-02-17T07:54:00.003-05:00

Peacock feathers are all the rage right now. It's a trend that keeps coming back, from the Victorian era (or earlier), till now, people have been adorning themselves with the beautiful bird's plumes.

I was inspired by the more recent incarnation of the trend to try something a little different. I sketched out an idea for a faux version made of felt. I think the final result was something very nice to behold, not to mention animal-friendly!

New Feature

2010-02-09T13:40:00.005-05:00

I am officially an Etsy addict! I love seeing all of the beautiful and creative items people have in their stores.

Each week I plan to feature three items in three artist's shops that catch my eye.

The first week, there is a somewhat predictable theme: LOVE. It is the week of Valentine's Day afterall.

This is a lovely puzzle by seller Jenlo262 made from a print of her original painting
See it here
What is more romantic for an evening out than a beautiful, feminine, frilly dress? This was created by another Georgian artist audreyandgrace
See it here
I love ceramics and one day I wish to have a kiln (or access to one). In the mean time, I will admire sweet creations like this one by kensgardenpottery.

Plastic Diversion

2010-02-08T11:03:00.004-05:00

I let my creative bug get the best of me this weekend. I had a few projects planned, but they got trumped by these:

Custom phrase necklace... in this case, I am getting prepped for St. Patty's Day with the classic "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" phrase.

I also created a floral motif pendant with an illustration I hand-drew:

These are a lot of fun because they are truly customizable and unique. I can make just about anything I want into a fun, plastic charm.

Find these and more at www.amethystart.etsy.com

What Next?

2010-02-05T10:10:00.003-05:00

I am feeling a bit schizophrenic when it comes to my project list. I have so many ideas to the point where I kind of freeze up because I don't want to go to one and forget another... or lose passion for it because the prior didn't have the result I wanted.

I have so many ideas! Some are based on trends and things I've seen. Some are based on seasonal things like birthstones, holidays, etc. Others are purely creative and are just for me.

I feel like I should narrow down my crafts into one or two things that I can become really-really good at, but I don't want to lose the excitement I get with trying new things.

The problem is this: I don't want to get into a rut (feeling) that I was in with the 365 day project where I made so many things, but few that I had a passion for or could be truly proud of. That doesn't mean the quality wasn't there... just that I know that is so many cases, I could have gone BIGGER, BETTER and I didn't.

At this moment, I have some ideas for paintings, sculpture, decorations, jewelry... just about everything! What to do. What to do...

Thankfully the weekend is almost here and the house is in order, so I think I will be able to post some fun stuff soon. Stay tuned!

Valentine's Day Commissions

2010-02-03T13:21:00.004-05:00

I have had a few inquiries for custom Valentine's gifts.
I am taking custom orders for Valentine's Day, but they must be in before Feb 5th if being shipped and by the 10th if local (Atlanta area).
Any other custom requests are welcome any time.
Please note I make clip-ons and other hard to find items including children's jewelry and accessories.

Pre-made items can be ordered at any time and can be found here:

www.AmethystArt.etsy.com

Turtle, Turtle

2010-02-02T13:32:00.008-05:00

leI had a recent commission for a couple of items for the requestor's turtle-loving friends. I think they turned out pretty nicely:

Can't Wait...

2010-01-27T10:08:00.003-05:00

I really can't wait until I can start working in resin again. I had some ideas and I sat on them too long, now I can't play at all. Why is it that the forbidden fruit is the only fruit you want? Sigh. Only a few more weeks until I can start my experiments again *evil laugh*.

Heart Shaped Box with Flourish

2010-01-09T13:32:00.005-05:00

A romantic heart-shaped box. Metallic red and dry-brushed with gold.
Please check out this item at http://www.etsy.com/shop/AmethystArt

Blue Bird Headband

2010-01-08T10:32:00.003-05:00

This is something I wanted to try for a while. Thankfully, I was able to take a little repite after the 365 day project was over. I started on this the next day, but I was able to complete it over the course of several!

Hope you enjoy :)

Please check out this item at http://www.etsy.com/shop/AmethystArt

Happy New Year 2010!

2010-01-01T11:54:00.009-05:00

It has been a long and challenging year. I knew creating something each day of the year would be difficult. I was able to post through two trips to Boston and one to New York with success if not a little frustration to my travel mates. I was a little fanatic in the first few months!

Over the year, I had some significant life changes and the blog became routine. Though I stuck to making something for each day, posting was the difficulty. Each posting requires a scan or photo which must then be edited or at least resized. Then I must transfer the file to a computer. That seems easy enough until your computer goes on the fritz!

I started posting my pictures in batches so that the lengthy process was limited to a few nights a week and life could be lived. I felt bad about this at first, but I also realized my readership was not close to what I had hoped for. The lack of objections made it much easier to post when time allowed.

In the end, I have gained practice and experience in crafts of many types this year including polymer clay, resin casting, painting and jewelry design and creation. However, I feel the daily constraint limited the amount of detail and attention I could give to each item I made. I was prolific, but not particularly proud of my results. I have had so many ideas and concepts I dreamed up, but in the end I would have to go towards simplicity in most cases.

I started the year with a retail web site and an Etsy site. I also had a very busy (regular) work year which along with focusing on the blog left my free time limited. So I let both go to the way side and focused on my (regular) career instead. Of course, I can do both. I have done both and I WILL do both going forward. I took my original web site down, but I still own the http://www.amethyst-art.com/ domain. A talented friend is helping me get that restored, but in the mean-time, I have begun using the Etsy shop again which is located here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AmethystArt

I will continue to post creations on the blog and eventually I will integrate it into the web site. Until then, keep visiting to see the the latest creation (though not daily).

As always, please contact me with any requests or questions. Often the greatest inspiration comes from the ideas of others and their excitement.

Thank you to those that did visit and support this project and an advance thank you to my new friends that might stop by.

Until next post, please enjoy something else that came to me this year- a fantastic new logo from the mind and artistic hand of Kevin Whelan
Have a happy New Year everyone. I hope 2010 brings only good and beautiful things!

~Shylee

Chocolate Frill Bracelet

2009-12-31T13:29:00.007-05:00

Last post of 2009! Over 365 items...

Day 365: Ribbon, glass pearls, sterling plate memory wire
Please check out this item at http://www.etsy.com/shop/AmethystArt

Padparadscha Chandelier Earrings

2009-12-30T19:33:00.005-05:00

Day 364: Swarovski crystals, antiqued brass components

Please check out this item at http://www.etsy.com/shop/AmethystArt

Pink Sweetheart Necklace

2009-12-30T19:32:00.012-05:00

Day 362: Glass, acrylic and silver tone beads, silver tone components

Something Blue Bracelet

2009-12-30T19:32:00.011-05:00

3Day 363: Glass pearls, Swarovski crystals, glass beads, silver tone metal beads, ribbon, sterling plate memory wire

Please check out this item at http://www.etsy.com/shop/AmethystArt

Amber Disk Earrings

2009-12-29T18:50:00.013-05:00

Day 359: Glass beads, copper tone components

Basic Color Milifiori Pendant

2009-12-29T18:50:00.012-05:00

Day 360: Polymer clay, silver tone component

Blue Adventure Earrings

2009-12-29T18:50:00.011-05:00

Day 361: Blue Aventurine beads, sterling silver components
Please check out this item at http://www.etsy.com/shop/AmethystArt

Candy Stripe Pendant

2009-12-29T18:49:00.007-05:00

Day 357: Polymer clay, silver tone component, sealant

Tricolor Drop Pendant

2009-12-29T18:49:00.006-05:00

Day 358: Polymer clay

Confetti Beads

2009-12-28T15:17:00.008-05:00

Day 355: Polymer clay

Heart in Flight Pendant

2009-12-28T15:17:00.007-05:00

Day 356: Polymer clay, silver tone component

Amethyst Chip Pendant

2009-12-28T15:16:00.012-05:00

Day 352: Amethyst chips, polymer clay, silver tone component

Turquoise Chip Pendant

2009-12-28T15:16:00.011-05:00

Day 353: Turquoise chips, polymer clay, silver tone component

Confetti Pendant

2009-12-28T15:16:00.010-05:00

Day 354: Polymer clay, silver tone component

Sweet Rose Pendant

2009-12-27T12:21:00.021-05:00

Day 351: Polymer clay, silver tone component

Wood Bead Concept Realized

2009-12-27T12:21:00.020-05:00

Day 349: Wood beads, copper tone components

Tie Dye Pendant

2009-12-27T12:21:00.018-05:00

Day 352: Polymer clay, silver tone component, sealant

Wood Bead Necklace 2

2009-12-27T12:21:00.017-05:00

Day 350: Wood beads, copper tone components
Please check out this item at http://www.etsy.com/shop/AmethystArt

For Ashley

2009-12-27T12:20:00.004-05:00

Day 348: Glass beads, silver plate components

For Donna

2009-12-25T08:36:00.003-05:00

Day 347: Glass beads, silver tone components

Sundown Eclipse

2009-12-25T08:35:00.014-05:00

Day 345: Digital painting

Natural Flourish Earrings

2009-12-25T08:35:00.013-05:00

Day 344: Silver tone components, wood beads

Light Amethyst Sparkle Earrings

2009-12-25T08:35:00.012-05:00

Day 346: Sterling silver components and beads, Amethyst beads

Please check out this item at http://www.etsy.com/shop/AmethystArt

Dark Amethyst Drop Earrings

2009-12-24T13:07:00.010-05:00

365 Day Project, jewelry, crafts, Day 342: Sterling silver components, Amethyst beads

Pink Peek

2009-12-24T13:07:00.009-05:00

Day 343: Digital painting

Amethyst Bar Necklace Concept

2009-12-24T13:06:00.012-05:00

Day 339: Digital painting