Featured Artist. Anne Toprak of PlumCreek22 on Etsy

I'm happy to share with you the work of Anne Toprak of PlumCreek22 on Etsy.

Anne creates unique hairpins out of vintage glass and lucite cabochons.

I like what Anne is doing with the vintage cabochons, since it is a wonderful blend of vintage materials with a contemporary spin. Her designs really highlight the beauty of the old glass and the vintage lucite. They are both playful and romantic.

I learned of Anne's work after she purchased some of my vintage glass cabochons from Bumbershoot Supplies, and then introduced herself and her shop to me. It is worth a trip to PlumCreek22 just to see Anne's shop banner, which features a stunning photograph of plum blossoms.  

Plus, as a customer and as a seller, Anne is unfailing pleasant and friendly.  It's always a pleasure to have her visit my shop, and to visit hers.

Studio Snapshot

For wrapping things up pretty...

Women. Wednesday Stamper

This is a creation for the Wednesday Stamper challenge blog, where the theme this week is "women" in honor of Women's History Month in the United States.  This is an artist trading card (ATC) created in memory of my maternal grandmother.  She is the one in the center, in the lovely flapper dress. You probably can't see it, but her outfit is complete with a long strand of pearls and rolled down stocking.  Her family was British and her father served in WWI.  His pet name for her was Poppy (after the Flanders Fields poem). I have a couple of beautiful fabric post cards of his correspondence to her during WWI (see below).  I am so inspired by women I see around me, creating inspiration and history every day, whether or not we hear of them.

The background of this card was a photo of poppies from our garden that I digitally altered.  The photo of her family is placed over the background and I've used stamps in 2 places: for the words and along the side, where I stamped into modeling paste with a swirling stamp, then inked over the top.  Embellished with vintage beads.

Below are two of my great grandfather's post cards to my grandmother from WWI. My mother had these framed some years ago, so there is reflection from the glass over the card, but their beauty can still be seen.

Irish Blessing. Happy St Patrick's Day!

As say the Irish:

May joy and peace surround you,

Contentment latch your door,

And happiness be with you now,

And bless you ever more.

St. Patrick's Day Collection

It's easy to be green on St. Patty's day! Here are our picks.

1.Peridot Oval Cabochons,  2. Vintage Emerald Green Beads,  3.Emerald Green Clovers 4.Scrolled Bar Brass Stamping 5.  Jade Carved Flower Cabochons, 6.Green and White Tatting Thread,  7. Emerald Chaton Roses

For more check out our supplies shop.

Party Animals. Mixed Media Monday

This 6x6 inch quilt square is for the Mixed Media Monday theme "party animals".  I live in Seattle, on the Puget Sound and quite near the San Juan Islands, around which reside well studied pods of orcas. They migrate every year, returning to the Puget Sound and it is a cause for celebrating this life rhythm. I took a holiday with my daughter to try to see them return.  We did not see them, I guess they were on holiday for the day too.  We did, however, see otters and porpoises within a dozen feet of us at our whale watching spot.  And at the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor, we saw video of the orcas playing and splashing, surely looking like they were having a party, celebrating their return home.

This quilt square is made of silk, embellished with silk ribbon, vintage sequins and vintage seed beads.  It is stamped with letter stamps and stamped orcas were fused to the surface. The  beautiful orca stamp is a design by the Haida artist Paul White.

Monday in Seattle. Picture and Quote for the Week. Market Tulips

(tulips, Pike Place Market)

By the pixies' magic power

do my tulips always flower...

~Maud Keary

Featured Artist: Olivia Suero Velasco

It is my pleasure to share with you the work of Olivia Suero Velasco.  I learned of Olivia's work after she purchased vintage glass cabochons and vintage ivory roses from Bumbershoot Supplies, then sent me a link to her blog where she is posting and selling her creations.

Given my mixed media perspective, I find the mix of metal, glass and fiber really appealing.

Olivia is Spanish, and so is her shop blog, but don't let that stop you from heading over for a look.  Her presentation is creative and artistic - many of her designs are photographed on backgrounds of beautifully sketched female nudes, drawn by Olivia. 

Her photography is beautiful and her designs highlight the vintage glass cabochons, and they just glow.  Enjoy!

Doodling. Wednesday Stamper

My first ever posting for the Wednesday Stamper challenge blog, where the theme this week is "doodling".  For this ATC, I stained some water color paper, stamped with paint and ink, embellished with flowers and vintage topaz rhinestones.  And of course, I doodled - outlining the flowers with a white pen and doodling with a glue pen over the script, then applying gold foil.

It's hard to see the foiling, you can get a sense of it in the photo below:

Studio Snapshot

My portable studio, in the Jade Room at Seattle Children's Theatre, while Eric is rehearsing Getting Near to Baby.

A little blogging...

A little light reading...

Tools for projects....