In The Studio

I've been behaving myself and staying clear of the big, heavy window that's been yelling at me to finish putting glass on it until my neck, shoulders and back feel a whole lot better.

In the meantime, I've got a new custom order to work on and I'm kinda excited that this customer is so excited about it. It really feels so good to be appreciated and in unexpected ways at that!

Last week I made a treasury, part of my almost daily routine in making one treasury for each team I participate in on Etsy. I belong to 60 teams, yep, count 'em ... 60 ... and I'm some where in the middle of the alphabet in getting the treasuries made. But last week, I made one for a team and that lead to a new customer and my first sale on Etsy in close to 6 months!

Now I know people believe that sharing your items through favorites and in treasuries is the way to make sales, that's not so with me. More often than not, someone finds me doing a search on Google (thank goodness for all those SEO tips!) and actually joins Etsy so they can purchase an item from my shop or ask me about doing a custom order for them. Rarely does it happen the way it happened this time. And I'm thrilled!

My new and actually best customer to date, is also an Etsy shop owner. This shop is Clairporium Where Heart, Soul and Spirit Connect. I LOVE her shop and she apparently LOVES mine. I was thrilled when she contacted me on Facebook and let me know she wanted to purchase some switch plate covers she saw on my page as well as a few other items. I hadn't put the switch plate covers on Etsy but I let her know I'd make a reserved listing for her and within minutes of getting it listed, they were paid for. What an amazing feeling to have made a sale after so many stagnant months! I was seriously in shock for a few days.

This was what she purchased and her reviews on all the items are so awesome. I'm tickled beyond words! Take a few minutes to go read the reviews if you'd like. It's so nice to be appreciated and get a review after not having one in such a long time. They really are nice to get. Even a bad one would at least be better than nothing. If you shop on Etsy, take the few minutes it takes to leave a review. And if you really love what you've purchased and have a blog or other favorite social media spot, share what you purchased and let others know why you love what you received. Trust me, it means the world to those who make handmade items.

She let me know she was interested in having custom made switch plate covers made and I set to work getting an invoice set up for her right away. One of the best things an artist can hear besides kudos about their work is being given carte blanche when doing a custom order. I'm making 4 switch plate covers for her. Here's 2 that I've now gotten primed and ready for mosaic goodness! The other two are on their way to me. By the time I have these finished or close to it, the other 2 will arrive. YAY!

plate covers are sanded and primed with a glue/water mixture

I'm not going overboard with listings on Etsy any longer; learned my lesson the hard way about all of that. But I will keep what I can listed for a while and those that I feel I can let go, I will keep on the other shops that allow free listings.

I did list the mosaic pitcher on Etsy yesterday and added it to the other 3 shops as well. I really do love how this turned out and wanted it to be shared where ever I could share it.

Mosaic Pitcher

I have some plans for a few other cookie jars, one exactly like the one above, and I'm kind of excited to see them from start to finish. Also, the lids that go with these, are going on separate mosaics some time in the future. It's funny how my creative juices flow more when Spring arrives! The rebirth of the muse each and every Spring. That's awesome!

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

Featured Shop - Light and Ladder

lightandladder

As I've often mentioned when doing my Featured Shop posts, every so often a shop catches my eye with unusual items which are simple and so well crafted that I need to share what I've found. This shop, lightandladder, is a perfect example.

I'm in LOVE with the decorating aspects of her ceramics. And for those who like to have things made especially for them, have no fear! They accept custom orders!

Farrah Sit from Brooklyn is the artisan behind Light and Ladder. In her words: "I love creating strikingly simple designs that speak to their intended purpose. Attention to detail, honesty to material, craft and form is what drives me. The ceramics are handcrafted in Farrah's studio in Brooklyn, NY. "

Places to connect: Find her through her personal website and the business website. I recommend bookmarking both and visit often. Don't forget to give some love to the Etsy shop too!

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

In The Studio

Welcome to my studio!

This week, I thought I'd try to catch up on the donation pieces that are now either delivered or on their way out the door. Yay!

First, the "Q" for Quilt has been delivered and will go on a wall as part of the ABC Mosaic Mural for the Ronald McDonald House in Portland, ME. Head on over to Mandolin Mosaics' blog to read all about it after you finish reading this post, of course.

The Mosaic Star Box for the DWB-MSF 2014 International Mosaic Auction is heading out tomorrow towards Michigan. I'll share more info about this auction as it gets closer to it, because it is an online auction and all you have to do is sign up to start making bids! I've also included a pendant, which I believe I neglected to take a photo of grouted (how unlike me!) but I'm hoping I will be able to share a photo after the multi-talented Lin Schorr takes a few photos of everything before the auction.

The window is coming along really well, however my body gave out way before it was finished and I'm giving myself the rest of the week off from working on it. My neck, shoulders and back are in bad shape right now, stiff and sore from lifting the window which is ever getting heavier as I keep adding glass to it.

I place it on a makeshift table each time I work on it and put it aside along a wall in my room when I'm finished for the day.

Lifting it each time and moving it around has caused my body to groan with the movements. But it looks so pretty in the window already!

Of course each time I take photos of it in the window, it is me who is lifting it up onto the windowsill and then back down again. Really not helping myself one bit by doing that too but as they say, we suffer for our art!

Only 2 more panes to go before it can sit and rest until all glue is dry (I'm guessing about 2-3 weeks).

Once all the glue is dry, this awesome window will be grouted and placed in my window. And if it needs to be moved, someone else will move it for me. Because I'm positive it will be a struggle to get it lifted once all glass is on and it's grouted.

Isn't it cool?!

The sphere, which I've dubbed "My World" is waiting for grout. The glue is almost dry enough to do it!

I had a grouting weekend as I anticipated, and got all 3 mosaics finished up.

I love how this trivet turned out. Even though I went from one design to another, the grout sort of molded it altogether nicely and it looks great. It's on a beveled mirror with felt feet and I'm considering adding it to the online shops next month. :)

I really do love to grout. I love to see the results of my labor as I'm cleaning off the sanded grout. It's like unearthing a treasure deep under muddy ground.

The GOG Nugget Challenge! piece turned out to be a bit of a problem because I dropped it after I got the nuggets glued on the glass. It stayed together, though, so I continued on with it. It came out really nicely. I hope to frame this at some point. It's 13 x 9 inches on one of the donated glass window panes given to me recently.

Black grout rocks!

Lo and behold ... it's a turtle!! I didn't even know!! Honest. I had it horizontal for most of the time, even when I made it, and I didn't see the turtle until I turned the glass vertically. Coolio!

I also played with paint over the weekend and used the last ATC sized piece I had (2.5 x 3.5 inches) to create a "Meditation Flower". Groovy.

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

Trendy Tuesday

summer trends

A great compliment to your summer theme, no matter what it might be, are the fresh items shown above and below.

Citrus Slices Coasters - set of 4

Citrus Slices Coasters - set of 4

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

Promo Blast!

Happy Memorial Day! Hope you had a great weekend and enjoy the beginning of warmer weather, BBQ's, camping and other fun outdoor activities!

Today I'm sharing one of the latest photos I put up on society6. I call it "Fire Bird" because I can see a bird with wings spread out widely and beak open ready to grab whatever it has its sights on.

I personally love it as a tote and pillow cover the best. Check it out!

Looks great as a clock, laptop or iPad skin, rug, mug, etc. too!

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

In The Studio

Friday's used to be "Picture Day" but I've been stumped with the daily photo challenges I was doing so I stopped for the rest of this month. Hopefully I'll pick it back up before the end of the year.

Not knowing what to replace this weekly post with was fairly easy. Another "In The Studio" post!

I have been working with paints for the past few days and really having an awful time with it. I love dot painting but sometimes it just doesn't connect from my head to my hand. And I'm not really very good with brush painting but I do try.

I was working on a sphere and had a few problems from the get go. I didn't like it, no matter how hard I tried to like it, when I put dots on it.

just wasn't diggin' the design

this was okay but wasn't really speaking to me

After painting the ball black once more I thought perhaps maybe the black was what was tripping me up. I painted it purple ... nope. White ... hmmm, maybe ... and I started another flower using a paint brush to outline the pedals (in orange) and did some dots in purple on the flower. Then I expanded and painted vines and some leaves in greens but it wasn't really what I saw in my head and frustrated, I covered it all in blue!

blue with green and a little white peeking here and there and a whole lotta gold glitter

Knowing there's no way to keep the glitter contained without covering it, I grabbed the tempered glass this morning (we had a power outage that lasted for most of the day) and my glue and with very few distractions (no internet, phone or Netflix) other than a rumbling of thunder and rain, I set to work on a mosaic sphere!

I LOVE THIS!!

Not a bad ending to a frustrating start. I wasn't meant to do a dot painting on this which is why the muse left me hanging until I got it right! As I always say, however, even a bad day creating art is still a great day!

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

Featured Shop - JoyForToes

JoyForToes

crochet slippers and shoes

Natasha has a true calling. As someone who can't get the hang of crochet or knitting, I have a true admiration for anyone who can. And seeing these slippers and shoes that can be worn inside AND out ... well, what can I say ... except that she rocks!!

She's keeping her secrets to herself regarding how to get the sole mounted onto the crocheted shoe and I, for one, think that is the way to do it. Competition is steep with crocheted items as unique as these and once she labored through the processes to figure out how to do what she does so well, I think she deserves to keep her secrets. Joy For Toes is truly one-of-a-kind, filled with well-crafted slippers and shoes. The term "happy feet" should be used for Natasha's beauties.

You can find JoyForToes on Facebook too!

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

In The Studio

It's not as busy here this week as it has been. I still have a lot of grouting to do, but decided to forge ahead and start working on an old window I've had sitting here next to me for quite some time. Grouting will have to happen on all the things waiting for it this coming weekend. And I'm okay with that. I love to grout but really have to be in the mood for it. And I know I'll be ready for a break from things after I have finished and grouted this window.

I decided to do a scrap glass mosaic on a 6 pane window frame because I think it is one of my favorite mosaic designs to make. The other window waiting for some mosaic goodness will have a sun and moon design on it in my favorite Bohemian style if I can find all the right colors in my stash of glass.

It takes a lot of hard work to make a mosaic on a window. I have very little room to let it sit out on a table or work station so each time I work on it, I build a small IKEA end table someone gave me to put a mosaic on a few years ago (she gave me 2 actually and I'm still waiting for inspiration to cover them with something awesome) and lift the window onto it. When I'm finished for the day, I break it all down and move it all back into a corner until the next time.

I work hunched over I've realized and my back has been giving me some trouble since I started hoisting this thing and working long hours on it. But it's so worth it!

I'm almost 1/2 way finished with the 3rd pane.

Doesn't it look awesome in the window?! Once grouted, it will be placed on this windowsill but not in this window. I really love it.

And my back will heal a little bit before I start in on another window now that I know how it bothers me and why. But while I'm resting, I'll be able to enjoy this beauty with the sun shining through it.

Life is wonderful when you have art in it!

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

Trendy Tuesday

Graduations are happening soon. Many of your babies are headed towards college and independence. Here's a treasury featuring some great gifts for everyone.

enjoy the journey

Don't know what to get the new graduate? How about an iPhone case?

Red

Grow, Bloom, Fly

Here's some totally cool pillow covers to help decorate the dorm.

People Who Are Crazy

Pink Sun

Shadows and Light

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy