Taking pet rocks to a whole new level!

So after my son made loads of pet rocks last month and all the great feedback everyone was giving him, I decided to search for pet rocks on etsy (just to see if anyone did this). Well...................... take a look - you won't believe your eyes! Make sure to click on the pictures and see these fabulous rocks up close and personal.

From RockArtiste's etsy shop:






















From CynthiaKayoDesigns' etsy shop:



















From MelanieKay's etsy shop:























From Gardenstones' etsy shop:



I especially liked how this artist used the cracks and crevices to compliment her designs! Very clever!

















Which NOW leads you to the rock I painted. My son found this rock over the summer and I kept saying how it looked like a converse shoe. After much shameless begging, he let me paint it. Not quite like the artists above, but, none the less, fun!

monster pins

My little monster pins that I made for my son's class Halloween party. We had a Monster Mash - good times!

Woo Hoo!!!

Click on any picture above for more info.......................

Hope to see you there!

Pet Rocks Galore

So, my son is gearing up with me for my upcoming art shows. We did this a couple years ago and he really had fun with it (and made a bit 'o money too, I might add!). For the last few months, he has been painting rocks and then I glue the "googly" eyes on them to make "pet rocks". He usually paints about 6-8 at a time before it gets old, so he has been working hard on these for a while now! He also makes up names that I print on little strips of paper, so that when someone buys a rock, they can pick a name for it too. The names are seriously the best - here are some (remember, HE came up with these!):

Obi One Baloney
Storm Pooper
R2 Poo Poo
Melon Head
Captain Underpants
Chowder
Fancy Pants
Brutus
Gizmo
Puppy Face
Little Miss Sunshine (I told him to have some girl names too!!)



btw- he has a name for almost every Star Wars character like the ones above. The last shows I took these to, they sold out and my son was starting to make more money than me!

My latest.............

A few buildings in downtown Columbus.................

Contest

I just happened to stop by one of my favorite bead stores, Pink Flamingo Beads, that I probably haven't been to in well over a year - had to get some wood beads for my son as we were making hemp bracelets. As I was checking out, the gal at the counter had told me about this contest they were having. They had a big basket full of plastic shapes, different sizes and colors. You had to incorporate one of the pieces into a design that could be worn. I was intrigued as I saw a two-color half-moon that I knew I had scrap glass at home of the same color. I made the fused glass pendant hanging from the half-moon plastic piece and viola:





So.....here's where my Columbus peeps can help me out. Starting this week, they will have all the entries displayed in their store. If by chance you are in the Powell area - stop in and vote for me - please! They are also having a 10-year anniversary event going on September 23rd where again, you can see all the entries. Here's a flyer of what's going on during their event: -click on the flyer for larger view-
:)



Now, these ladies at Pink Flamingo are serious beaders and my entry may very well be blown away by the beaders - but, it was fun and I don't think I've ever competed in a contest making jewelry! I'd love to hear your thoughts - leave a comment on my blog and when the contest is over (I think at the end of the month) I'll randomly pick someone to win this necklace! Just mention in the comment how much you love it and love me and that will score extra bonus points! Because really, a little boost to our ego (ass-kissing) is what we all want, right? LOL!

busy, busy, busy.......

Lots of things happening at once. Here's the lowdown:


My 2 latest listings in my etsy shop:

Yin Yang Guitar and Let It Breathe





I LOVE, love, love the way this turned out!































Gearing up for 2 shows.

Independents' Day and C-Note Art Show










And my biggest surprise of all............
STAY TUNED - I'll be posting it next week. HINTS: it involves summer, a picture, a painting, a contest and the fabulous artist Christy DeKoning

Ah-ha moment

So, my son is HUGE into playing with legos and the other day as I was building something with him, I just happened to think "I should make a little lego man out of my fused glass." My son was all excited and made up the lego man and I used that for my model. Of course after I made it, my son wanted it for himself, so I ended up making him a smaller version that was about 3 inches tall and not framed. He carries it around everywhere with him and actually fell asleep with it in his hand the other night. How funny is that?! What can I say...my son has great taste! :)

Urban Scrawl III

This past Saturday marked the 3rd year of Urban Scrawl in Columbus, OH.

Urban Scrawl = art, crafts, skateboarding, breakdancing, vegan hot dogs, Hip Hop, graffiti, and artists coming together with a common goal - to create a vibrant Franklinton.

Franklinton—long considered one of the most depressed areas of central Columbus—is beginning to show signs of life and color. And Urban Scrawl is a driving force behind that effort.

Murals and artwork from past Urban Scrawls have been hung on buildings around Franklinton, said Nikos Fyodor Rutkowski, Urban Scrawl founder and president of the Franklinton Arts District. The artwork creates an aesthetic counterpoint to the neighborhood’s blight, Rutkowski said.

“It adds color where there wasn’t any,” said Jim Sweeney, Executive Director of the Franklinton Development Association. “It’s amazing to see the changes. Hats off to Urban Scrawl.”

-Columbus Underground

The artists who participated in this were AMAZING. Here are just a few of the pieces that were being worked on throughout the day.

Yummy!

I'm proud to announce that I will have one of my fused glass art pieces hung at the the upcoming exhibition Yummy! an explosion of art & food from August 14th - September 13th.

Yummy! is an art exhibition which explores eating, drinking, cooking, dining, and everything related to food. Work created by over 35 artists from Columbus & beyond will be displayed.

The opening party for Yummy! is this Friday, August 14th, from 6pm to midnight at The Matchbox Gallery @ Junctionview Studios, 889 Williams Ave., Grandview Heights, OH. There will be refreshments, music and more. Junctionview Studios has teamed up with the folks at Pecha-Kucha Night Columbus to have Pecha-Kucha Night Volume 10 coincide with the opening of Yummy!

If you're unfamiliar with Pecha-Kucha, (Japanese for "the sound of conversation"), it's a forum for creative people to share information about the work they do. Each presenter is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each - giving 6 minutes 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This keeps presentations concise, the interest level up, and gives more people the chance to show. Pecha-Kucha Nights happen all over the world, from Amsterdam to Hong Kong to LA to Chattanooga!


My submission - "Just Breathe":







If you can't make it to opening night, feel free to stop by the gallery during their regular hours:
Fri.: 1 - 5pm
Sat. & Sun.: 12 - 5pm

Etsy Inspired Challenge

I am BLOWN-AWAY from all the creativity of these gals who created cards that were inspired from one of my fused glass art pieces. Here are just a few:

From my Boots were made for walking....

Ashley created this:


















From my Cherries Jubilee pendant







De created this:








AND Ryann created this:


























From my Breakfast at Tiffany's piece




Jacquie created this:























From my Birds of a Feather piece









Lee created this:














And these are just a few of the great creations.














The winner of this challenge goes to Cathy, who was inspired by:
my Dichroic Fused Glass Puzzle Piece Pin and my Abstract Piano piece

Here is what she created:



Congratulations Cathy - a rockin' fused glass pendant is on the way! Also, thanks to EVERYONE who participated in this challenge. You are very talented women who inspire me!

Heart Hugs & Give-away

I am honored to be featured on Heart Hugs Designs blog - a blog that is home of the Etsy Inspired Challenge. Ashley, a SAHM to two sweet adorable boys came up with this blog and is a crafter herself. She says, "I love all things handmade and try to show off the wonderful things I find. That's why I came up with the EtsyInspired Challenge, to show off the amazing handmade things you can find."





So, check out her post this week. I'll be giving away one of my FABulous fused glass guitar pendants. Click here to find out the rules of this challenge, and YOU may be sporting one of my necklaces! Good luck!

Tweet Tweet

My newest creation. Twitter much???

Gift for baby

I was recently looking through my photo album of my fused glass art when I came upon this piece. I had blogged about it last year, but wanted to revisit it again.

This was made for my nephew for his baptism last year. Now, my brother is currently a police officer in Mechanicsburg, Ohio and is also certified as a paramedic and firefighter. His wife is also a certified EMT. Thus, the idea of this fused glass picture for the baby. With parents like this, there's no doubt for a future in public service for this little guy!

Fused Glass Night Lights

Adding my fused glass night lights to my stash that I'm taking to the show tomorrow.


























If you're in the area, stop on by! Here's more info about the show:
http://www.columbusarts.com/details.php?id=61948&type=e