Kooky Art

Hello again from the Ozarks! The Dog Days of summer are definitely upon us, but this year we've had more rain than ever before!! All is green...just hope we don't float away...

In this post I'm going to feature an artist I found just stumbling around on Etsy.com. Her shop is LaurieMade.etsy.com.  What Laurie loves to do is make kooky stuffed animals using vintage patterns from the 1920's - 1940's. Laurie's particular talent is combining just the right fabrics together on each of her creations. To me, each one is a work of art!

Here's Kooky Chicken Number One. Lauri has actually made this one using a pattern that she made up herself!! It's 100% cotton, wool felt, and the print fabrics are all Kaffe Fassett. What's not to love! This chicken is 20" tall, 12" long, and 4" wide.

Another thing I like about Lauri is that she enjoys describing her creations with delightful humor. Here's what she says about her Kooky Chicken, "Her wings were made seperately, padded and quilted, then sewn on. Although she will not sit by herself, (nor lay any eggs), she loooves to lay around anywhere comfy, propped nicely on a couch or a chair in your kitchen. She also rides well in cars."

http://www.etsy.com/listing/32787572/kooky-chicken-number-one

 
Check out Laurie's Checkered Dog which is sewn from a vintage 1930's pattern. Here's what Lauri has to say about Dog, "His eyes are buttons sewn on very firmly. He is a scruffly and proud lil guy with his bandana fabric patches and tail at attention, but is trying to clean up his act with the black bow round his neck." Adorable!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/32774698/checkered-dog

Laurie's Monkey Girl (one of my favorites!) is made from a vintage 1920's pattern, sewn in wool blend off-white felt, and stuffed with polyfil. Oh my! She's a beauty!! Her entire outfit is removeable with velcro closures and she has safety eyes. She bends at the waist to sit and her arms and legs and tail are bendable!!

You really must go to Laurie's etsy shop and check her out!!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/35558257/monkey-girl


**************************************

MY LAMPWORK BEADS

What have I been thinking about lately? I'm thinking we're going to have a cold winter here in Missouri so I should figure out which Caribbean Island I'm going to visit!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/suzoom?page=1

Or maybe I'll go to South America...

http://www.etsy.com/shop/suzoom?page=1

OK! Arizona will be just fine!!



http://www.etsy.com/shop/suzoom?page=1

Glorious Rain

After weeks of dry days it finally rained in the Ozarks today! Glorious rain all day long. Happy, happy plants!

This week I'm featuring another wonderful artist who helped me get started on Etsy. Tracee Dock, who also lives in the Missouri Ozarks, makes wonderful clay pendants and sells them on Etsy at classicbead.etsy.com. You may have already seen her work on the cover of the July-August Stringing magazine!!

She begins with a block of clay and handcrafts each piece using a variety of techniques including original molds and stamps that she creates herself.

Tracee is inspired by nature and creates a wide array of pendants depicting floral designs. In this floral pendant she incorporates three or more different glazes. These glaze combinations  are what makes her pendants so inspiring and versatile. As a matter of fact, her pendants are a jewelry designer's dream!!

You can look closely and actually see the different levels of matte and satin in the different colors.

Architectural components are another love of Tracee's and she uses them as inspiration in her art pendants.

This dramatic pendant is an excellent  example. The subtle colors and "no fuss, no frills" presentation is sometimes just what your outfit needs to give it that "WOW" factor!










Here's is a sampling of Tracee's Simply Yoga Collection. This earthy line is created for those who are devoted to the practice of Yoga.

The Light in Me..Recognizes the Light in You.....NAMASTE

Visit her website: www.theclassicbead.com
There you will find links to publications where her work is published, gallery photos, trunk show schedules, etc.
 

********************

I've been working on Halloween beads!!
suzoom.etsy.com

Here is one of my Halloween Trios - Spooky Owl, Scary Black Cat, Jack-O-Lantern, and, just to add to the fun, two Candy Corn beads perfect for a pair of earrings!!

 
Of course, you might prefer Cute Little Mummy Earrings....

http://www.etsy.com/listing/54874783/mummy-lampwork-earrings

No, you want the Sweet Candy Corn earrings after all!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/54873889/sweet-candy-corn-lampwork-earrings


I also make skulls, witches hats, and ghosts!!!!

Hang Dog August

Hello again from the Missouri Ozarks!

I'm featuring one of my very favorite artisans, Mary Ann Varanelli of Best Friends Studios - BestFriendsStudios.etsy.com and www.BESTFRIENDSSTUDIOS.COM. She also has a wonderful blog that features helpful info, entertaining tidbits and fun products for pet lovers at http://bestfriendsstudios.blogspot.com/

Mary Ann is one of those very talented, knowledgeable people that is always ready to help others. When I first started my Etsy shop she not only bought my lampwork dogs to give as gifts, but also gave me invaluable suggestions, information, hints, and praise! I'm sure my early success was largely due to Mary Ann's generosity.

So! What does Mary Ann make? Beautiful 100% wool felt appliquèd Christmas ornaments depicting.....can you guess? Dog Breeds, of course!  Their eyes and noses are glass and she embellishes them with ribbon trim & a felted bead for hanging. They are lightly stuffed with eco-friendly fiberfill. The dimensions are around 4" x 6" making them perfect for the Christmas tree.


Mary Ann's creations have been featured on the Rachel Ray show and in the Dog City gift guide. Please visit her Etsy shop or website. You'll be happy you did!

 ********************

I promised to show you a little more of what I do with my torch. I really love going sea life lampwork beads, like crabs, lobsters, and  sea turtles. Sometimes I'll do sand dollars, star fish, and tropical fish, too!

suzoom.etsy.com

Oh, I don't want to forget my frogs...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/47216741/olive-and-lime-green-sea-turtle-lampwork

Gotta love a frog!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/48246428/olive-green-frog-lampwork-pendant?ref=v1_other_1

August 2010 - My First Blog Post

Greetings!

My name is Suzanne Weatherman and I live in the Missouri Ozarks in Springfield. I handcraft lampwork beads out of Moretti glass rods. I use a Mini CC torch and I digitally anneal all my beads in a Paragon Bluebird kiln. It's extremely hard for me to believe I'm almost 60 years old because I still feel young. I've been told it shows in my creations!

If you had told me a couple of years ago that I'd have an Etsy shop and be selling my handcrafted lampwork beads online I would have told you that you were crazy! And yet, I do and I am!! Please check out suzoom.etsy.com! Now, doing a Blog!?! That's not only crazy, but out of this world nuts!! And yet, here goes!

My Etsy shop has turned out to be lots of fun! My main focus is on making the different dog and cat breeds come alive in glass! I love doing custom work, and as a result I've become acquainted with many wonderful people who have very special pets.

I also love making sea life, plant life, and various other animals... but I'll save those for a future post!

I plan on featuring at least one of my favorite artists in each of my blog posts. But I haven't figured out how to do that yet so for now I'll say so long.