~Firebird Fine Arts @ Up from the Ashes~

Vacation!

2010-07-17T06:45:00.001-04:00

2010-07-13T23:05:00.003-04:00

So after three weeks of physical therapy, my sprained wrist/hand is sort of usable again. Needless to say, I can't wait until I can get back to work. I have a bunch of projects piling up on me, not to mention all the things I need to get done for my wedding. Only 108 days to go!

This is Kaylee! I believe I have shown you this design before, but this particular pair turned out so charming that I just had to share them. (Yes, they are named after the character from Firefly.) They are made with steely blue organza and are detailed with black and super sparkly silver paint. The antennae are covered with black ribbon and tipped with crystals and the back is decorated with a matching blue flower and black goose feathers. The whole effect is elegantly gothic!

Baby Blue Jays

2010-07-08T01:03:00.002-04:00

These darling feather wings were a custom order for a photographer in Canada. I had an absolute blast painting all the feathers to look like a real blue jay. You'd never guess it, but all of the feathers started out powder blue.
These are my first baby angels, scaled down in size for infants.

Amulet with Viking Knit Chain

2010-06-23T23:34:00.003-04:00

Back in December I did a little research on a technique called Viking Knit. It is a method of wire weaving that creates a small tube/chain that can be used for necklaces or bracelets. It takes quite a bit of time (like most of my hobbies!) but it makes for an amazing piece of wearable art. Below are pictures of an amulet necklace I made with a large white howlite donut, black tourmaline beads, black glass flowers, white pearls and rutilated quartz tear drops.

Soooooo.........

2010-06-22T19:35:00.003-04:00

Yeeeeaaaaahhhh.
Well, obviously, my plan of trying to get three blog posts in a week in April didn't happen. Or in May...or in June!
So I've been busy!
First came the Maryland Faerie Festival, which was a blast. Then came an interesting stack of custom orders that I am still weeding through. Then there was the wedding planning, which is still trucking along. Now I am laid up with a sprained wrist (right, which is my current dominant hand) so just about nothing is happening, even though it should be!

I have a ton of new pictures to post in my flickr gallery, and some really fun new custom orders to share with you. This is a custom pair of cellophane fairy wings that I created to specification for a lovely May bride. Theses strapless wings are a little under 5' in height and are around 2.5" wide.

Holy Crow, Where Did March Go?

2010-04-07T07:32:00.001-04:00

Seriously, I am getting tired of writing these pathetic, oh, my goodness, I lost track of time and now days/weeks/months have slipped away without any news on my sad, neglected blog. All that says to me is that I am not managing my time properly. Last month I decided that if I ever want to be a full-time artist, I would need to learn to think and work like someone who already IS a full-time artist. This means that I need to be beyond organized, step up my customer response time and schedule the hell out of every waking moment, not to mention my sleeping ones. To that effect I started setting some personal goals to strive for and at the end of every 30 days I create a report based on how I was able to do. Last month (March) my goals were to list an item on Etsy or Ebay every day, write in my journal everyday and implement a new time management technique called "time blocking".

Of course, I am 0 and three at the end of 30 days, but I did learn some interesting things:
First of all, the only reason I didn't make my "list every day" goal was because I went away for a week for training and did not want to list anything that I could not ship. I actually did pretty good, going all the way from the 6th to the 26th, and ended up selling more than I usually do this time of year. In fact, it had an interesting effect on my customer response time: when I was listing daily, I felt compelled to respond right away and was much more focused on actually getting some work done versus the apathy that has been eating away at me for the past few months. And as a result of that, I have some really fun custom orders to make in April. So I have decided to continue this goal for April and have hopes of actually meeting it, if at all possible.
Second, I wrote in my journal maybe four times all month. Really. That is pretty pathetic, but I either didn't have anything to say or was so grumpy I could not make myself write (and pain-induced grumpiness just makes me want to curl in a ball and do nothing). I decided to revise this goal for April and change it to writing in my sad, pathetic, lonely blog a minimum of 3 times a week. So y'all have permission to poke me if you don't see at least three posts here per week!
Third was time blocking, which is a method of time management where you dedicate a particular block of time to focus on a particular task before stopping and moving on, regardless of whether or not you actually completed the task. Yeah, that so didn't happen. As usual, I spent most of my time scrambling to catch up on orders, correspondence, and work on my stock for my rapidly approaching fairy festival. So I am renewing this goal for April, and I want to use it in particular for my standard production methods: my theory is that if I know I only have an hour to work on a step, I will work harder to get as much as possible done in that time.

So what was I doing in March, you ask? Well, I was planning my wedding! I had help, in the form of my charming fiance (man it still feels weird to call J that!), and we actually were able to pull everything together in record time. Our save-the-dates will be mailed out this week to inform our family and friends who do not already know that we are getting hitched on October 30th!

Celebrate Odd Etsy and a treasury!

2010-03-03T21:49:00.003-05:00

Check it out! Some of my fantasy fairy wings were featured on Celebrate Odd Etsy!

AND

My Christina wings were featured in this gorgeous Haunted treasury by ImpandPetal

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!!

2010-02-18T15:40:00.002-05:00

I'm getting married!!

My guy of 6.5 years proposed last Saturday and we are now planning what we hope will be a stupendous wedding!

We have set the date for October 30th of this year, giving us about six months to plan this shindig (eep!). We are going with a Halloween theme (like you didn't see that coming), and are going to invite our guests to come in costume.

More to follow!

Etsy Finds Feature!!

2010-02-11T23:48:00.003-05:00

OMG! My mauve and black Christina Wings were featured on Etsy Finds this week under the "knot a typical affair" and the fairy tale wedding!

Cello Wings!!!

2010-02-11T23:10:00.002-05:00

So here they are as promised, my first two cello wings:As you can see, these graceful wings catch light with iridescent flashes of pink, green and blue.
I will be making some changes to future versions based on what I learned making these two, but in all I think they turned out pretty darn well.

In other news, we seem to be stuck in a blizzard! It started snowing late Tuesday night and continued all day Wednesday. Fortunately for me, my work shut down on Wednesday and Thursday: our very kind landlord plowed our driveway, but missed a large patch of snow in front of my car and with the build up, there was no way my little car could have made it out the drive. In fact, it is still buried, but I suppose that is okay since J and I are going away for a few days. We are going to Virgina Beach for the weekend, and yes, I know it is freezing. We sometimes like to go to the beach during the winter because it is deserted.

Blizzard!!!

2010-02-09T09:40:00.003-05:00

I had a feeling this would be the year: after so many mild winters, we in the northeast are getting slammed with multiple snowstorms. Last weekend we had around 2 feet and tomorrow we are going to probably get at least one more. Where in the world will we put it all??

I have to say I do love snow days when I don't have to be anywhere. My favorite thing to do would be to cuddle up on the couch with a good book or movie and a nice big cup of chai but what I actually do is lock myself in my work room and have at it. I try to spend the time finishing up old projects, organizing, and custom orders if I have any. Last weekend I spent some time playing around with new materials to use in my giant feather wings: just wait till you see what I have come up with! I am working on better ways to make the long fabric faux feathers and I think I have finally found the perfect medium. In addition to that, I am working on making feathery fabrics that actually move. I know, I know, I have been pondering that question for ages, and I am sure I have mentioned it before, but now I am actually at the hands on stage, having already worked on a frame that shows a whole lot of promise.

AND last weekend I finally (FINALLY!!!!!) finished making my first two pairs of cello wings. Yes, that would be the two pairs that I started oh, maybe nearly three years ago and never got around to finishing. Yes, that would be the frames I spent tons of time making, then managed to mangle when I got to the adding of the cello stage. I ended up getting so frustrated that I balled them up, dropped them into the bag and tried to forget about how much time I had wasted on that epic failure. But since I can't throw anything away, I ended up carting them along when I moved to my new apartment, where they continued to languish ignored. But since my unspoken goal for this year is to complete my old abandond projects, I dug them out last weekend and reapplied myself to the task. They turned out fantabulous, but now I need to find some time to take the darn pictures! *sigh* Ooooo, if we have a snow day tomorrow, that will be at the top of my ungodly long to-do list!

:) I have my music on random and Breakin Benjamin's "Forget it" just came up - love that song, no idea why, but it might be pretty darn near the top of my all time favorites list.

To Melt Winter's Heart FAEteam Exhibition!

2010-02-09T09:00:00.002-05:00

The February Fantasy Artists of Etsy Team exhibition is going on right now! Be sure to stop by and take a look at some of the beautiful items on display!

WOOT! Treasury Feature!!

2010-02-02T21:25:00.003-05:00

Muchas Gracias to Studio Seventy Five for including my Morgan wing s in her fantabulous pixie dust treasury!!!!

Um, What do you mean it is February already???

2010-02-02T14:38:00.003-05:00

And where the heck did January go?????

Seriously. I don't even remember most of it.
Okay, so I remember that there was that whole Christmas thing, and the New year's thing (crappy weather+homebody boyfriend=did nothing again). I remember spending a bunch of time reorganizing my work room (starting to finally shape up!). I remember working on designs for a bunch of new products but having NO energy to make anything. I remember it was bloody cold, so I did not want to work on any of the wings I have started because it would involve spending time out on the front porch in my spray booth and there is no insulation to speak of out there, so I reeeeeally didn't want to attempt to airbrush when I couldn't feel my fingers.

Oh yeah, now I remember: I got some not so good news from my doctor about a lovely medical condition that I have been dealing with for the past oh, four, working on five years. I really don't want to go into it other than to say it is not life-threatening but it does cause times of Extreme Pain. Basically, we have gone through every treatment available, and nothing has worked. My final option is major surgery, which I am not prepared to do quite yet. So I spent maybe a week or so moping about that and then decided to suck it up, get back to work and spend the next year gritting my teeth (there is a timing issue on the surgery).

So I made some upgrades to my website (check out the Bejeweled section in particular since I added customizable tiaras and crowns!), applied to some shows for this year, and worked on a few custom orders. And I am toying with the idea of getting back in to pure fine art again, such as paintings and sculptures...

I have to admit I am not back up to full speed yet and I am fighting hard not to be bummed out about this medical crap. But at least I am working on it!

On the Road with Mr. D. Duckie

2009-12-13T19:16:00.004-05:00

from the travel Diary of Mr. Devil Duckie:

Arrived at my hotel room after a harrowing drive. It took almost three hours to get from PA to VA; the entire first hour it was raining so hard the world looked white and I could barely see the car in front of me. I made it safely in any case, so I am settling into my room.

I have chosen the firm pillows, and I am glad to see they were clearly marked by the courteous hotel staff.

There is also a mini fridge with a coffee counter, which is nice but will not do me too much good since I can't stand coffee.

Oh, well!
I guess now I will take a bath and go find something for dinner. I have a big day tomorrow!

Oh No She Didn't! Chibi Wings!

2009-12-10T13:32:00.005-05:00

Oh yes she did!

I have created the ultimately adorable chibi-stlye feathery angel wings!

For those of you who do not know, chibi is a term used in reference to anime charaters that have been simplified into a child-like or diminutive style.

So here is Cherubial!

Introducing Odette!

2009-12-09T13:20:00.005-05:00

This is my newest small fairy wing design which I have dubbed Odette (as in the Swan Princess). It is actually a minaturized version of my very popular Bella wings.

Adorable!!! This is number two, done in magenta and navy.

I was updating my facebook profile a few days ago and I had to pause at the favorites section. Can anybody possibly pick just one favorite movie or book or band that they adore above all others?? I know I can't. They don't give me enough room to mention all my favs so I usually just end up writing too many to mention.

I actually rotate through a random list of "go-to" band of the moment when it comes to music. Sometimes it is new, sometimes it is old, but always fantastic. At the moment my Go-To Bands are Ra (Black Sun) and Muse (Origins of Symmetry).

New Mask: Monarch

2009-12-07T13:42:00.003-05:00

I am beginning to include some animals and insects to my mask line, so here is the Monarch:

I was going for a stylized butterfly that would work for either a light or dark charater. The design is both carved and painted and the antenne are made with non-tarnishing gold artistic wire with glass crystals dangling from the ends.

In other news, I finally dragged myself to the hairdresser on Saturday and put my hair through the ringer. I have very thick long hair that tends to friz more than behave, so out of desperation, I got the Kerasmooth treatment. It is like a perm that straighens instead of curls, if you have never heard of it, and this one is formaldehyde free-big plus in my book. After they wash off the chemical goop, they straighten your hair with a flat iron and you can't wash it for 72 hours, so at the moment, my hair is poker straight and kind of jaggedy-looking.

Anyway, I like to have music or movies playing in the background when I work, so yesterday I turned on Rurouni Kenshin (guilty pleasure! don't laugh!) and sat down to finish up some new wings. After a few minutes I realized that my hair looked just like the cartoon characters. If you have ever watched any anime, you will see that some of them have a very specific way of treating hair: it is usually stiff, straight, jagged or spikey and continues to move sometimes even after the charater has stopped. Which is exactly what mine is doing now! I have anime hair!

Too bad halloween is not for another 10 months!

Upcoming Event! The Rock Bass Rainbow Fest!

2009-12-03T11:34:00.005-05:00

Mark your Calenders! Update your Blackberry! Block out some time in Outlook!

I am going to be at the Rock Bass Rainbow Fest on Saturday December 12th!!!
The place is 2424 Studios - Philadelphia/Fishtown's newest workspace and gallery!
The event is sponsored by the Cohoquinoque Crew and Skybox Productions and there will also be a food drive for Philabundance during the festival.
So stop on by from 10 am to 6 pm!

In other news, I am making updates to my UftA website! (finally right??)
I added four new wing designs yesterday:
Kaylee
Jaenelle
Odette
and Selene (sorry no pictures yet, but they will be coming soon).

And today I spend several hours building products under my Bejeweled catagory for customizable crowns, mini-crowns, tiaras and hair combs. I need to finish editing the pictures and create swatch pages for all the crystal and bead options, so they are not active just yet.
So stay tuned-more lovelies on the way soon!

Deep Thoughts about Personal Labels

2009-12-02T08:10:00.004-05:00

"Security is mostly a superstition.
It does not exist in nature,nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable."
~Helen Keller

I was having some deep thoughts yesterday, something that has been happening more and more frequently of late, and I came to the realization that I spent way to much time labeling things. Society conditioning has convinced most of our race that every one and thing must be neatly labeled and placed in appropriate boxes. Look at relationships for example: there are a progression of labels that help people figure out how to relate to each other, particularly in social situations. They include acquaintance, friend, best friend, boyfriend/girlfriend, partner, spouse, ex, and so on. Each of those labels is applied to attempt to define how you relate to each other, and can be changed if the relationship changes.

I have friends in my age group (pre-30 but getting scarily close!) who are getting very upset because their label of "single" or "girlfriend" has not changed to "wife" yet, but it occurred to me that this is just another label tragedy. Shouldn't the most important thing to focus on be your connection, not what you call your relationship?

So what if there were no labels? What if you related to people based on who they actually are, not how you are attempting to define them?

There is societal security in labels: it is an easy way for people to relate to you and define you. And it is really sad because that label, if you buy into it, stops you from exploring who you are and lets you place other people in limited categories as well.

How can life be a daring adventure if you spend your time trying safely categorize and label the people in your life?

Revel in our interconnectivity and let the adventure begin!

Hello December! Good Bye Christmas!!!

2009-12-01T13:55:00.004-05:00

So you know what time of year it is: the twinkle lights are out in force, Christmas trees are on sale and holiday trappings are everywhere you look begging you to buy presents for everyone on your list. I actually thought it would be a really cute idea for a while to put a picture of our cats wearing Santa hats on the Christmas cards this year. The cat's didn't go for it. And they still have not forgiven me for trying to make them wear hats.

In any case, for those of you that know me, I am so not into the whole holiday thing.
Would it offend you if I told you I really did not feel like celebrating a bastardized pagan holiday mainstreamed by a religion I have no connection to and savagely commercialized by companies so desperate to turn a profit that they pepper your every waking moment with advertisements that belittle you for not emptying out your bank account to buy presents for anyone and everyone you have ever met?

So I've decided to give up Christmas and start my own holiday!
This year I am going to celebrate HAPPY BAKING HOLIDAY!
That's right! The only true delight of the holiday season is in the crumbly sugary goodness of the all the baked goods and confections created and consumed with relish (and guilt!) from Thanksgiving to New Years Eve!!! So while you roast your turkeys and dream of sugar plums with presents stuffed under your ornament laden trees, I will be in my kitchen, whipping up endless batches of chocolate chip wonder cookies, lemon coconut angels, Magnificent cocoa brownies, coconut marvel balls, truly evil pound cake, vintage spice cake, cheesecakes, sugar cookies, peanut butter blossoms, peanut butter Tandy cakes, oatmeal chai spice cookies, butter creams and peanut butter bull eyes (just to name a few).
Hahahahahah!

And what better way to celebrate Happy Baking Holiday than to share these treats with all of your friends and family so they can enjoy the sugar high while silently cursing you for contributing to ever expanding waistlines since everyone knows you can't just stop at one!!

That being said, since J still wants to celebrate Christmas, so we will have the tree and presents as usual. *sigh*

Wohoo! New Arrival!

2009-11-28T19:27:00.003-05:00

It's here!
My lovely new laptop has arrived!
I spent half of the day yesterday and most of today loading up software and files so I can get myself up and running again. It is so exciting because it is ridiculously faster than my old desktop.
I have a bunch of photos to take so I can start to post my latest works, so hopefully i can get started on all that tomorrow. For the moment, here is a picture of an absolutely darling tutu I made for a lovely woman in Australia, and my kitty Ringo decided to ham it up and pose in the photo as well!

Whew! Where did November Go?

2009-11-24T09:00:00.002-05:00

I can't believe Thanksgiving is just two days away!
What happened to November??

My new laptop has not arrived yet-I am seriously bummed and irritated because i have tons of stuff i need to do and no computer to do it with. ETA is the 30th so here's hoping!

I have progressed a bit on the workroom rennovation in the mean time. I bought a giant bookshelf and filed away my supply stashes in neat boxes, so things are starting to shape up a bit. In the process i realized i had way more fabric than i thought i did, so a lot of it is still in piles all over the place. I was able to straighen up a lot though, and moved my main work table to the side so now most of the floor is open. I found a ton of little project that i started and never finished, so i am working on clearing some of them out of the way to make more space. Sad to say, i had to throw away the Giant Daffodils that Ate Philly. I just don't have the space, so i am trying not to regret it too much.

I am also going through my clothes to alter and update to go along with the 24 pounds i have lost in the past few months. Yay Weight Watchers! I still have a long way to go, but i am thrilled with my progress so I guess that is what counts!

I have been working on a few new projects here and there, including a brand new wire crown or two, but at the moment I am trying to concentrate on Christmas presents for family and friends. So new pictures will be available once my new 'puter arrives!

Oh there is a desk under that pile of paper....

2009-11-09T13:54:00.003-05:00

New computer is on the way!
This is my first laptop so I am excited to investigate my new desk freedom.

Incidentally, this incident has made me realize what a god-awful mess my desk is. Really, it is overwhelming. I have boxed up all my Matrix figures (*sigh* all three movies worth) and they are now living in storage. I also boxed up a few years worth of magazines and pulled out all the circulars to paw thru at a later date for clothing/costume ideas. I will probably box up the rest and re-set up my desk to accommodate the new computer/docking station (since I still want to use my lovely monitor). I was also thinking about getting rid of my battered sewing desk, moving my sewing machine and serger to my main desk and getting a giant set of shelves so I can store my supplies/paperwork, etc. I will have to take some measurements for that, but I had my eye on a nifty set of shelf's at ikea that might do the trick.

I also need to get rid of some of my old art projects from college. I threw away my lovely old piece "Bury the Hatchet" which was a men's suit jacket in black that I stretched over an old canvas with wire shot up the arms to keep them outstretched and a axe sticking out of the back i made from aluminum flashing along with a giant splattered blood stain made from polyester casting resin with red glitter suspended in it. I already dismantled and threw away one of my bride sculptures and my black widow dress. I am keeping the "Shotgun Wedding" dress for now, although that may change depending on space. I am however seriously considering getting rid of my Killer Daffodils of Philly painting, since it is a serious space hog. it is about 4'x4' and it has three massive screen and wire daffodils careening out of the frame over a silhouette of the Philly skyline. It is hanging over my sewing desk, and would have to go if I went with the shelf idea. I don't know, I just hate parting with it since it took so long to make. I would not say it was one of my best pieces, but maybe i could do some work to it to make it a bit better...

I am way to embarrassed about the state of my work room to show any pictures right now, but maybe I will post some after all the moving is done.

In other news, I went to the Geminara Rock and Gem show on Saturday in Exton, and spent way too much money on fun rocks, minerals and gems for jewelry making supplies. I have so many new fun ideas, I just wish I had time to do something with them!

Epic FAIL!

2009-11-05T09:34:00.002-05:00

Yep.
My computer died a sad and final death last night.
I knew it was on it's way out, but I was hoping it would last a little longer-like until I picked out and purchased a replacement. Oh well, I am grateful for the 5 years of service despite the plagues of two failed hard drives, two burnt out power supplies and a busted video card, and the inability for the system to recognize my scanner no matter what I did to it. Fortunately, I had most everything saved to a second hard drive so the only thing I may have lost with this motherboard meltdown was some emails.

SO now I am shopping for a new laptop!
I am very excited about the space saving potential (and if you saw how crowded my work room is, you would be exited for me too) and portability. Not to mention having a processer that does not start screaming when I try to run photoshop!

Deviously Planning

2009-11-02T08:13:00.003-05:00

Soooooo, there went October!!!
This was a most amazing Halloween season for me, and I would like to thank all my wonderful customers for their love and support. I lost count of how many wings I made for custom orders, which was just overwhelming for me that so many people wanted to wear my creations.
Thanks so much!

I took the day off yesterday to recouperate, and in a day or to I will hopefully have some pictures to show you so I can tell you about MY halloween (which was awesome despite the rain!).

For now, I am turning my concentration to my AMY BROWN FAIRY COLLECTION, and a potential show I may do in December.
More to come!

On location: the Media Food and Craft Festival 2009

2009-10-04T15:12:00.004-04:00

Wall to wall people! So I could not even get a good shot of my booth, but here I am at the Media food and craft festival! We had a blast-the weather was gorgeous, the people were friendly, the food was amazing!

Here is a better view, taken by Joan Miley Stanford, budding photographer (and my Grandmom!).

I committed the cardinal sin of running out of business cards and buttons by 3pm. (eek!).

At the end of the day, I left half of my remaining stock at Earth&State, so if you are near Media, come check out their amazing store!

Raven

2009-10-02T17:53:00.002-04:00

Yes, I am plotting your demise.

It's Here!

2009-10-01T11:06:00.003-04:00

It's Here! It's here!
It's finally here again!
My favorite month of the year that contains my favorite holiday!
Halloween is bigger than Christmas for me. I love going to costume parties and the Reniassance Faire and getting all costumed up in general!
Past costumes have included Trinity from the Matrix, Jessica Rabbit, the Corpse Bride, Alice from Alice in Wonderland, Death, and last year a Fallen Angel.
This year I am going to be helping my sister with her scary front yard setup. She and her husband go ALL out: last year featured a fake fence and colored lights, a life-size realistic skelleton hanging from the tree, a troll popping out of a little casket and a pair of hydrolic legs that kick like the poor man had been half buried under the house. This year he is adding a full size casket, that I believe has some fun functionality to it as well.
It sounds like they are going to be zombies; J wants to be a zombie as well although he wants to take it a step further. He wants me to make him a collar to which he will attach a chain so he can run at the fence and pretend he is going to attach the kiddies seeking candy. He is so bad!
I am going to be a Grim Reaper this year. It is based on my death costume from a few years ago, but this time the cloak has been modified to be worn with a pair of my massive black feather angel wings. I also orders a sycthe on ebay which is about 78" tall-it looks so awesome! I may think of a way to stylize it to be a little more creepy, although a 6 1/2' pole with a giant blade on the end seems pretty darn creepy to me.
I am also going to have to design myself a nifty mask for the event. When I was death, I had J paint my face to look like a skull but most of the grease paint had worn of by the time we got to the party-even with the setting powder that stuff just will not stay on my face.
Project!!!

The Media Food & Crafts Festival: A Feast for All Five Senses | Philly2Philly.com

2009-09-30T11:28:00.002-04:00

The Media Food & Crafts Festival: A Feast for All Five Senses | Philly2Philly.com

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Check this out! I have a mini-interview in this article about the Media Show I am doing this weekend!!!

Treasury Feature!

2009-09-19T10:25:00.004-04:00

Huge thank you to 4eva for including my Raphael Feather Wings in this absolutely amazing treasury!!!

Treasury Feature!

2009-09-13T07:32:00.003-04:00

Thanks so much to Kiamichi7 for featuring my Raphael white feather angel wings in her lovely angel treasury!

Treasury Love!

2009-09-08T19:46:00.002-04:00

Thank you MiniMade for this wonderful fairy inspired treasury!

Gabriel Black Feather Small Angel Wings

2009-09-07T17:17:00.003-04:00

This is the first of 4 new small feather wing designs I am working on. Gabriel is 29" across and 12.5" high. Four medum feather wing styles will be soon to follow!

Starting a Small Business: Types of Business Entites

2009-08-27T10:03:00.004-04:00

FIRST, and before you do anything else, you need to choose what type of business you want to have-this effects how you will register your company with the government.

There are four (4) main types to choose from in the US:
1. Sole Proprietorship: this is the simplest form of business type. They are inexpensive to form, easy to dissolve and generally have no tax aspects, since profits and losses of the business are simply part of the owner's personal income and the company is disregarded for tax purposes. However, since legally the company is nothing more than an individual using a trade name, you are liable for the company's obligations. On the death of the owner, the company immediately ceases to exist. Highest Personal Risk.
2. Partnership: relatively inexpensive to form, and can be as simple or complex in structure and administration as the partners want it to be. Partnerships are formed by two or more persons who make an agreement to share profits and losses. Each partner has what is called joint liability to the partnership, which means either partner can be made to pay the entire debts of the partnership, regardless of what they contibuted. Partnerships have pass-thru taxation, which means the partnership itself pays no taxes; it is only required to file an informational return to the government to report what the profits and losses of the partnership were and how these were split between partners. A partnership ceases to exist at death or bankruptcy of a partner; or if they decide to end the partnership. Medium to High Personal Risk.
3. Limited Liability Corporation/Limited Liability Partnership: this is a hybrid of corporations and partnerships, combining the features of both. LLC's are extremely flexible, and can be used for a very wide range of businesses. The members (equivalent to shareholders or partners) can, but do not have to, have limited liability. LLCs can, but but do not have to have, managers (equivalent to directors and officers in a corporation) and can elect to be taxed either as corporations, or as partners (if they have two or more members) or be disregarded for tax purposes like a sole proprietorship. Like partnerships, LLC's can be as simple or complex as the members desire. Depending on state law, an LLC can have the same limited liability for members as a corporation, or have some members with limited liability and some without limited liability (like a limited partnership), or even have no limited liability for any members (like a general partnership). Unlike corporations, some States require that their LLC's designate a date in the future at which the LLC will automatically dissolve. Some States also require that if a member dies, goes bankrupt or meets some other calamity the remaining members of the company must either dissolve or vote to continue. LLCs are more expensive to set up, and although a lawyer is not required, one would be very helpful in guiding you through the process. There are more fees involved in set up, and the main partner/officers must pay a registraton/renwal fee every year. Medium to Low Personal Risk.
4. Corporations: much more complex than partnerships or sole proprietorships, in that a new legal person (entity) is created. A corporation is an entity that is separate from its owners, so that regardless of what happens to shareholders, the corporation continues until it is legally dissolved. Depending on state law, a corporation can be owned by just one person and have just one director and officer. The owner(s) of a corporation are known as shareholders. The shareholders elect directors to set the policies of the corporation and represent their interests. The directors appoint the officers of the corporation to manage day to day operations. Corporations are legally required to follow more formalities than any of the other entities, including annual meetings of the shareholders and directors, as well as board approval of most significant acts by the corporation. Because a corporation is separate from its shareholders, for example, even if one person is the sole shareholder/director/officer, that person cannot just take company funds for him/herself without documenting the reason and entering a board resolution into the corporate records. Taxation of corporations is much more complex than sole proprietorships or partnerships: depending on the number of, residency of and type of shareholders, a corporation can elect to be treated for tax purposes as a if it were a partnership (an S corporation) and therefore not pay taxes itself, or it can be treated as a taxable entity (a C corporation). Definitely consult with a lawyer before forming a corporation. There are many forms and fees that will need to be filed properly. Low Personal Risk.

Choose your business entity based on your current needs as it can be changed as you grow: a sole proprietor ship can choose to form an LLC or C Corporation, a partnership can become an LLP or C Corporation. A C Corporation can elect to become and S Corporation (usually for tax purposes).

Notice to those planning to form partnerships: please but keep in mind that partnerships have a higher failure rate, usually based on lack of unity in vision and goals. If you choose to form a partnership, have a lawyer draft an agreement that assures all of your partners are liable for exactly what they put into the business and that you have an exit strategy (a plan for how one or both of you can get out of the agreement).

Most artists can set up a small business as a sole-proprietor with a minimum of labor, and it is probably a good way to start out, since you can always change to a LLC or take on partners as your business grows. Just keep in mind that as a sole proprietor, your business finances directly effect your personal finances.

Starting A Small Business: How Up from the Ashes was Germinated

2009-08-26T10:46:00.007-04:00

I recently sent a friend some information on starting a small business. I realized while I was typing up the information, that some of this could be useful for artists who are looking to break from the studio and into entreprenuership. I have spent oodles of time and energy researching how to make our business a success, so I thought I would take some blog space to share what I have learned and present resources for artists and artisans to use to start their own businesses.

How Up from the Ashes was Created in a Trial by Fire:
I graduated from college with my degree in fine art and no practical knowledge what-so-ever about how to start and run my own art career. Typical of my former self, I jumped in feet first and realized I had no idea how to swim.
A dear friend and I created Up from the Ashes in 2004, based on our mutual desire to create amazing and magical products to sell, and the hope that one day we would be able to have a booth at the PA Reneiassance Faire.
I'm not kidding, that was our goal.
Our only discussion about business structure was that since there were two of us, we should form a partnership. And the business plan? What is a business plan? Do we need one?
So we sent $70 to the government and filed our ficticious name. We applied for an EIN and a tax resale number. My dad suggested we get a website, so we registered for a domain name. We had business cards printed with our charming new logo designed by my long-suffering boyfriend, Jason. He also pasted up our first website, which was not much more than a convoluted description of our intentions pulled from our EIN application and some pictures of things we made. Yes, they were horrible pictures.
We applied to some fairy festivals and craft shows, and surprisingly were accepted to some considering our level of disorganization. We learned the hard way that some craft shows one of us would sell great and the other would sell nothing, thus generating some tension, since both of us were spending money on the fees and travel.
We both worked full time and my partner was earning her masters, so we had very little time and energy to contribute to our fledgling company. We had no practical experience or backround in management, and had no idea who to turn to for help. I think, that if it were not for my obsession with making things and then having to find places to sell them because I was running out of room in my tiny apartment, we both would have given up after the second year.
We made all the usual mistakes: we spent waaaaay too much on supplies (well, I did at any rate-my credit card still hates me), we had no set goals or plans about where we wanted to go, we did not do more than basic research to create the entity, we underestimated how much time we would need to devote to the cause, we did not create an exit strategy in case on or both of us wanted or needed to get out, we did not properly track our finances, we did not perform market research, we did not spend enough time developing products-new and old. And we have not even made it to the Reniassance Faire yet. We both, at one point or another, wanted to give up.
At the moment, our little company is five years old, and finaly starting to make a little profit. My partner is taking a break while she works on getting her doctorate, so I am working hard to continue getting our name out there. We have a long way to go, but the road is starting to look a bit less rocky.

That being said, here are some things to think about if you are thinking about starting your own small business:

18 REASONS WHY SMALL BUSINESSES FAIL
(these are things to look out for so you can prevent failure)
Statistic: According to Dunn & Bradstreet, 88.7% of all businesses fail due to management mistakes.
1. Mistaking a Business for a Hobby.
2. Asking Friends and Relatives for Advice: unless Uncle Joey actually successfully runs the type of business you want to have, ask a professional-they have the experience and they answers (Lawyer, Accountant, Banker, Insurance Broker are the Big 4)
3. Asking Friends and Relatives for Money: Big no-no because relatives and friends are emotionally involved, and if the business fails, it can ruin good relationships. This is what banks are for.
4. Mismanaging Money: Your Accountant can help with this or you can take courses to learn what you need to do online or through small business associations. Also, don’t go first class from the start as overspending is a serious problem for beginning companies-if you are not making money yet, that $2,000 suit and first class plane ticket could be a nail in your business’s coffin. Allocate your limited start-up resources to where they will make the most profit.
5. No Business Plan: the business plan directs your focus and establishes your goals. You need to have your focus written down before you can get to work.
6. Inadequate Pricing: you need to charge the going rate for your services from the start, so know your competition, your clients, and know how you do things better.
7. Inability to Manage Growth: this actually is a major issue; if you have a surge, you need to be able to plan to meet demands.
8. Lack of Commitment: you are gung ho now, but that may change as pressures increase and you get worn out from working all the time. You need to be sure you are committed to your business success, and find new ways to recommit if you feel yourself lagging.
9. Failure to Set and Revise Goals: this is where your business plan comes in. Once you set your initial goals and get to work, you may realize that your focus needs to change to a different aspect or you need to broaden your horizons; this is not only okay, it is a very good idea-revision ensures you are directing your focus to make your business the biggest success it can be.
10. Inability to Develop and Monitor Financial Statements: Financial statements monitor the pulse of your business. Banks use them to evaluate what type of funding they will give you. You need to track all of your incoming and outgoing funds, and this can be done with simple programs like quickbooks or peachtree.
11. Inability to Balance Family and Business: think of this business as your baby; you need to be prepared to care for it 24/7. You may be working 12 to 16 hour days during the start up phase (which can be more than a year based on the type of business and product you have) and you and your family need to acknowledge the drain and strain this will put on you. You can work from home if your office needs are small, but you need to be able to work without interruptions.
12. Underestimation of Time Requirements: this goes with the previous. Many small business owners think that if they hang up their shingle, customers will come running to partake of their services. In reality, you are going to need to be marketing yourself and your product 24/7, and always be thinking of more ways to get your name out there. If you plan on doing this full time, you may actually be working those 12 to 16 hour days. You will get tired, but you need to prevent burn out to succeed.
13. Lack of Market Awareness/Poor Marketing: you can’t buy a product you can’t find. KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER: it is a complete waste of time and resources to market your product to someone who cannot use it or pay for it! Be sure your product is ready for your customers before you start marketing it. Know how much of your product you need to sell to stay in business and make a profit. Understand that it will take time for you to show a profit and make back your start up money.
14. Failure to Research Industry Norms: If you have no experience in field you are planning on jumping into, check with professional associations to find the statistics for the industry. This will help you know what to expect from the economy, your competition and your customers.
15. Insufficient Startup Capital: It can typically take 2-3 years before most businesses begin to make money. You need to plan where your funds are going, and you need to make sure you will have enough to cover expenses until that profit begins to arrive. IF you have employees, make sure you can pay them (this includes your own paycheck).
16. Over-Reliance Death Trap: DO NOT have one good customer that makes up 70-80% of your business. This may make you money short term but you will be screwed if they fold or choose to go with another provide. Change your marketing strategy and re-evaluate how you are getting your clients to avoid this.
17. Entrepreneurs that Fall in Love with a Product that Does not Sell: if you are not getting a return on a product, no matter how wonderful you think it is, scrap it and move on to something else if you want to stay in business.
18. You Will Make Mistakes: it is call being human, so get over it. It could be your lack of focus, it could be your pride, it could be that you spent all your petty cash on widgets: it is part of your entrepreneur experience, so take that information, file it in you mind, learn not to do it again and move forward.

This list came from a class I took about starting small businesses (oh, about a year and a half or so after we started our comany!)-the list is from the class, the comments are mine. ;)
More to come!

Custom Luna Moth Wings

2009-08-25T14:02:00.001-04:00

Just finished this gorgeous pair of Luna Moth wings for a lovely lady in Canada to wear to Faeriecon this year. Lunas actually have reddish purple veins and outer edges, but I made them navy blue this time to match her dress.

Custom Strapless Fairy Wings

2009-08-11T06:16:00.001-04:00

Just finished these gorgeous wings for a custom order. This fairy is going to pair these wings with an exquisite teal gown for her Halloween costume this year.

A Midsummer Nights Masquerade Treasury

2009-08-06T23:05:00.001-04:00

Many thanks to JKarnos for featuring my Puck Leather Mask in this Awesome treasury!

Fit for a Queen Treasury

2009-08-05T20:33:00.003-04:00

Many thanks to ThisYearsGirl for including my Titania Crown in her beautiful treasury!!!

An interview with Rick Malwitz/Malwitz Surfboards

2009-08-05T20:25:00.002-04:00

An interview with Rick Malwitz/Malwitz Surfboards

Posted using ShareThis

Check this out! This is an interview with my seriously talented cousin Rick who makes handmade surfboards!!!!

For My Princess: Pretty In Pink Treasury Feature

2009-08-03T21:29:00.003-04:00

HUGE Thank you to lachiffonniere for including my pink and black Ceres fairy wings in her pretty pink treasury!!!

Just Finished: Customized Small Fairy Wings

2009-07-31T18:13:00.002-04:00

This pair of small fairy wings in my Hilary design were customized for a little girl to wear to her mother's wedding. The white edges are a little unusual for me, since my standard is to paint the edges a darker color for contrast. This time, I painted the inside and left the edges the white of the fabric.

Instant Faerie Kit

2009-07-30T17:56:00.004-04:00

I made this gorgeous little outfit as a charitable donation for a benefit one of my friends held this month.
The "Instant Faerie Kit" includes a pair of small fairy wings (this is Anorra #14), a matching tulle tutu, a feather wand, a glitter fairy dust necklace, and a tiny sparkle tiara.
It turned out so darn cute I may have to start making them to sell, or at the very least start making order forms for sets in custom colors and sizes.

Black Fox Mask

2009-07-02T00:33:00.003-04:00

Here are a few pictures of my Black Fox mask.
As you will see, I was not paying attention to the other side of the leather when I cut this one, and managed to get the pricked id right across the face (something the manufacturer does). Oh well, that just means I get to keep it!
I wore this one for two days at the Maryland Fairy Festival, and it was very comfortable, and stood up well to the uncontrollable sweat from the heat on Saturday.

Treasury Feature!

2009-06-16T22:18:00.002-04:00

Huge THANK YOU to fundamentalfindings for including me in her bewinged treasury!

2009-06-16T08:49:00.001-04:00

Treasury Love!

2009-05-23T09:29:00.003-04:00

Many thanks to Danagonia for featuring my little blue Annora Fairy Wings in her beautiful treasury!

New Product: Crystal and Glass Wand

2009-05-20T14:32:00.006-04:00

And here it is, the new product I mentioned a few days ago that was unveiled for the first time at the Maryland Faerie Festival: my first Soldered Crystal and Glass Wand!The shaft is a black 12-13mm dia. moretti glass rod. The stones include two large quartz points - one on each end, a baroque labradorite cabochon with wonderful shiller (the blue flashes), and a collection of tumbled quartz and hematite. It was composed with silver back copper foil and lead free solder holds it all together. This is a solid construction and weight more than it looks like it should. As my very first soldering project, I am quite pleased with the way it turned out.

Maryland Faerie Festival 2009

2009-05-19T09:05:00.005-04:00

The 2009 Maryland Faerie Festival was a blast. The weather was cooperative (for the most part) this year, with a bit of rain Saturday and Sunday morning but clearing up for the rest of the day. Saturday was gorgeous and warm and the fae creatures were out in force. I saw dragons and trolls, tons of sprites, fairies and pixies of all sizes, even a parade of greenmen blessing the faire.
I remembered to bring my camera, and took some pictures of happy customers to share with you:

On Sunday, I loaned my Fire Fairy Tiara to a charming young Faerie Queen named Sophie so she could preside over the day's festivities in regal style.

In all, I would have to say it was a very good event. The attendees braved the morning gloom to frolic in the afternoon sun and I was thrilled to see several fairies bedecked in my wings from previous years flutter by to say hello.

I just realized that I don't have any pictures of myself, but the night before I left for the festival I made a black fox mask to wear with my furry black fox tail. I *may* have scared a few children, being accidentally mistaken for a wolf. I will post pictures of my mask and a few other new ones once I finish unpacking.

I swear I'm not being a slacker!

2009-05-15T15:02:00.004-04:00

Seriously-I have been insanely busy! I can usually sneak in a post here and there but lately I have had no time whatsoever. Between a wedding and a funeral and many very late nights editing photos on my computer, I am plum worn out.

I am going to be at the Maryland Faerie Festival Saturday and Sunday (the 16th & 17th-keep your fingers crossed for good weather this year!). Yes, tonight I am packing up my little car and tomorrow at 5am I am driving due south for 3 hours to reach Upper Marlboro, MD.

I have kept up with a pretty steady production pace for wings over the past several months, so for the first time since I began this venture, I don't feel like I am scrambling to get them done at the last second. Unfortunately, I wish I could say the same about my masks! I have several out on consignment, but my own stock was down to a paltry 5 pieces. I made 10 in the past week and a half, and if I have time I am going to squeeze in one more for myself to wear at the show. :)
I made a few oldies but goldies and have a few new designs to showcase. Of course it would help if I remembered to take some pictures to share before they get snatched up....

In addition to mask making, I have decided to learn a new technique and subsequently started a new product line. It is something I have wanted to do for years, but just never got around to learning. I will be unveiling my first piece at the festival, and will post pictures here when I get back. No, I'm not telling yet-it's a surprise!

So if you are free, come visit me this weekend-I'll be bringing my masks, fairy and dragon wings (sorry, still no feathers yet), crowns/tiaras and my fairy dust collection, which includes my potion bottle necklaces, my children's fairy dust vial necklaces and a few of my brand new vessal necklaces filled with semi-precious gems.

Ordering Custom Wings Just Got Easier!

2009-04-23T11:04:00.003-04:00

After receiving several requests for custom wings for flower girls and brides, I decided to add a way to easily order custom wedding wings from my FairyTaleWedding Etsy store.

Customers can now specify their desires based on the following criteria:

1. The base fabric color-I use organza and crystal organza for a sturdy wing base, and it is available in a rainbow of colors. (a color chart of available colors is forthcoming, but I can also do special buys if you are looking for something special).

2 The painted edging color-I can airbrush the edging to match just about any color as long as a good color swatch is provided.

3. Ribbons-these are the straps the hold the wings on, so you can pick a color that matches the wings or the outfit you plan on wearing (or go strapless, +$10)

4. The back decorations-I use a variety of items to decorate my wings including silk flowers/leaves, all sorts of feathers, gems, and fabric paint. Please be specific in your description of colors or the style in which you wish your wings to be decorated.

At the moment I have all five of my small fairy wing designs available and my Bella large fairy wings-one of my most popular designs. I will be adding more just as soon as I finish editing some pictures. And as always, I am more than happy to create custom wings to fit your needs!

Treasury Feature!

2009-04-15T06:46:00.003-04:00

Huge Thank You to CatsMeowVintage for including my Titania Crown in her latest treasury collection!

Mini Wings!

2009-04-09T07:05:00.004-04:00

These Mini Wings are a prototype for a custom order, based on my Annora small fairy wing design. The purple one is a clip and the other is a foam back sticker. Each tiny pair of wings measures 3" across and is 1 1/2" tall. They are so cute! I think I may start making hair pins

Featured on Handmade Philly

2009-04-03T08:45:00.002-04:00

I am so excited to be one of the local artisans feature on Handmade Philly's blog this week!
Sarah of lilithsapothocary wrote this lovely spring theme article and featured my gold Anna Maria wings:

Happy Spring!

2009-03-20T13:05:00.005-04:00

Today is the first day of spring for 2009 which puts me in a frame of mind for some serious house cleaning. Not actual cleaning mind you, but more reorganizing and rephotographing!
I pulled all my wings down and took inventory a few days ago and was aghast to see that some of my decorating was unfortunately not very attractive. So I pulled them apart and made them beautiful!
I also took some time and re-photographed these reborn wings on my white background. As you can see, the colors show up so much better:

Aren't they adorable!!!
I still feel like I don't have enough light to work with, so I am saving up for another lamp with a boom extension so I can give it true overhead lighting and try to reduce some of the shadows.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T10:56:00.004-04:00

While I decided to forgo the grand holiday tradition of imbibing in way too much green beer and participating in Irish drinking song marathons this year, I am going to share with you a gorgous pair of luminous green fairy wings.

This is a variation on my Christina design, and is about 10" larger all around.
Wingspan: 44"
Overall Height: 40"
The fabric is a combination of aloe green crystal organza and sheer white organza, stitched together in a butterfly inspired pattern. The wire casing is matching green satin ribbon and the decoration on the back is sheer organza and velvet rose petals with crystal centers.

Treasury Love!

2009-03-15T21:51:00.002-04:00

Huge THANK YOU! to cocodrillobeads for featuring my Fire Fairy Tiara in this gorgeous treasury!

Holding Hands with Cezanne While Wandering Memory Lane

2009-03-13T09:11:00.004-04:00

Last Saturday, my sister, mom and her boyfriend and I all piled into the car and made our way into the city to visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art. My mom is a painter by nature and LOVES Cezanne, so my sister bought her the tickets as a birthday present.
I tagged along, and spent most of my time making sotto voice comments to my sister about composition, color and paint application. As much as I despise small crowded areas, I actually found my self surprised at how much I enjoyed the exhibit. When I studied painting in college, I had this one professor who also regularly expressed his devout admiration for the works of Cezanne, and I have to say I never really got it. I always thought his work was bland, and with my love of brilliant pop art I suppose that is not surprising. Maybe the difference was seeing it in person as opposed to a picture in a book, but I could fully appreciate his planar brush strokes and attention to the minutest color detail and how well his pictures were composed, even bending trees to his designer's whim. And I loved seeing exactly how old these pictures are-again, something you just cannot appreciate from a book. I had to keep arms crossed sometimes so I wouldn't be tempted to reach out and experience the tactile joy of all the textures from the layers upon layers of paint. I hate to say it, but it actually made me want to paint again, and I haven't picked up a brush since I graduated from college some five (ahem!) years ago. That actually has something to do with same said painting professor haranguing me to with in an inch of my sanity....

Going to the Maryland Fairy Festival!

2009-03-10T12:14:00.003-04:00

I opened my inbox this morning to find my acceptance letter to be a vendor at the 2009 Maryland Faerie Festival waiting for me! Yea!
I am really excited about this year-they moved it back to May so we will not be faced with the potential for sweltering heat like last July. This has always been my favorite event of the year, so I am thrilled to be able to be a part of it again.
Over the next two months I am going to be in production overdrive, making sure I have enough products ready!

Springtime in the Glen-FAE Artist Spring Exhibition

2009-03-03T12:32:00.004-05:00

The Fantasy Artists of Etsy are at it again, and this time we are unveiling our fresh spring creations for a new Exhibition, Springtime in the Glen. This lovely collection was once again curated by the talented Aquariann.
Take a few moments and traverse the winding path through our woodland glen and let the springtime magic fill your senses!

Sharing the Magic at Mardi Gras!

2009-02-28T11:10:00.003-05:00

My friends at Earth&State in Media, PA decided to mix things up this year for their Mardi Gras Celebration. They brought a selection of my leather masks to one of the bars for the State Street bar crawl and set up a photo opportunity to have patron's pictures take wearing my fantasy masks.
Just check out some of these pictures!

Thanks Drew and Heather-it looks like everyone had a blast!!!

Oh Snap!

2009-02-25T20:18:00.003-05:00

Interesting week.
First my brand new Fiskars soft touch micro tip scissors decide to snap while I am slicing through some tape.

Then the spring snaps on my trusty two-year-old Cresent compound pliers, the second pair I have broken in my artistic endeavors, but the first one was not a Crescent.

I was on my second to last frame of my latest run of 5 wings when that catastrophe happened, and I could not find my back-up pair anywhere. :(
The good news is that Fiskars offers a warranty, so I can send them back for a new pair. I am still waiting to hear back from Cooper Tools, the owners of the cresent brand, but I have a bad feeling they are going to say it is not a covered part-which really sux because I NEED my pliers. I think I am going to Sears for some craftsman tools next-they are supposed to have a lifetime warranty.

New and Improved: Potion Bottle Necklaces

2009-02-20T12:59:00.006-05:00

Back when I first started my etsy shop, I created these lovely potion bottle necklaces: they were little round glass bottles that I decorated with findings and beads and suspended on a chain to make them wearable. I filled them with fairy dust (ahem...glitter) and that just added to the loveliness. I made about a half dozen to start and after months and months, sold a grand total of two. In my disappointment over a product I adored, I let them fester in thier jewelry boxes and in the back of my mind for the better part of a year.
Then one day as I was doing a little housekeeping (i.e. moving piles of my supplies around trying to find something...) I stumble upon my sparking beauties. And realized that they could use some jazzing up!
So I pulled out my well loved pliers & wire cutters and my truely scary bead stash and got to work. I further embellished the few I had started so long ago and then found in the bottom of a jewelry supply case that I had purchased more bottles and promptly forgotten about them. Well, I couldn't just leave them there, so they have been jewelerified as well!

Here is one of the new ones: my Purple Pearl Fairy Potion Bottle Necklace! I just think this peice is so charming with the cascade of pears and crystals, the teardrop rhinestone charm and the little silver fairy charm. This one is filled with extra fine silver glitter for all you pixie dust lovers out there.

And here is one of the revised ones: my Silver Rose Potion Bottle Necklac e. The vintage silver rose with a rhinestone center was the original focal point of this necklace. The shell hearts and snowflake beads are from the first incartnation, but the luminous white stick pearls, swarovski crystals, silver pearls and teardrop charm are new. This necklace is suspended on an extra long chain and is sold empty so you can fill it wit your poision, er, potion of choice.

I have many more to follow; all the work is done and the pictures are taken, but I am having trouble finding time to post anything new!

Treasury Feature!

2009-02-02T06:30:00.003-05:00

Huge thank you to CharlieCarter for featuring my Purple Dawn wings in her recent treasury!!!

In other news, I am having surgery on Wednesday, the 4th of February. I will be laid up for a while, so maybe that will give me a little time to work on the three baby blankets I need to crank out for all the friends having babies this year. :)

FAE Team LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT Exhibition!!

2009-01-21T11:24:00.002-05:00

Once again, the lovely Aquariann has out done herself! Please stop by and see the first showcase of talent the Fantasy Artists of Etsy has to offer for 2009-you won't be disappointed!
There are painting, sculptures, jewelry, wings, magic vials and more. I just love the Fairy Pockets by SEStudio.

Come See My New Etsy Store!

2009-01-20T12:20:00.004-05:00

I've been making plans for my 2009 business direction and I decided that this is the year to work on more wedding related items. So to that end, I decided to open a new, separate Etsy shop just for weddings.
So for your shopping pleasure, please visit FairyTaleWedding!!!
I posted a few things to start, and many more will follow!

In other news, I visited a new specialist last week and he has declared that I need to have surgery in the next month or so. I am not so thrilled about this, and we both think it may not help, but at least it's a start. So don't be surprised in a few weeks when you see my stores are inactive for about a week because I can't make it to the post office.

Treasury Feature

2009-01-13T09:49:00.003-05:00

Huge round of applause to missgaylee for putting together this gorgeous Oz-themed treasury! And in the upper left corner you can see my Surrender Dorothy Crown, the perfect accessory for any wicked witch.

Faeriecon International 2000

2008-12-05T13:36:00.003-05:00

I hate to say it, but as a vendor it was three days of hell. It was better than last year, and I felt more prepared and that I had a better set up, but when you've spend weeks killing your self getting stock ready and no one wants to buy any thing because the economy is tanking it is time to rethink applying for next year.

Maybe my thoughts would be different if it was not held in the middle the city in a convention center. Let's face it, the crowd this type of event would attract is more at home in the forest than the concrete jungle. Trying to find (and paying for!) parking was just rediculous. I probably would not have gone myself if I had not paid a small fortune for my booth just because I hate driving in the city. Plus the fees are extraordinary because the convention center sets the rate and then they are marked up from there.

Due to my own personal constraints and the inability to find anyone willing to model for me, the only submission I had for the fashion show was myself, which was the white and black cherry custom dyed haboti silk Titania ballgown and wings (above).

So the prognosis is that I will not be vending at Faeriecon again unless they get out of the city and the economy picks up so I can actually make something back instead of barely braking even. That is really sad because I know how lucky I am to live so close to such an event.

It Never Ends-The Quest for Better Photographs

2008-10-03T13:19:00.008-04:00

Oh yes, I just reshot all of my wings and things this week. I invested in a nifty light kit by Smith-Victor from Adorama-a fantastic photography supply site. --->

I had no idea my work room was so dark until I lit these babies up. No wonder I am going blind. My boyfriend stuck his head in the door at one point to check on my progress and he was wearing sunglasses...

Well, here is a brief example of the results:

Fright Night Exhibition

2008-10-02T10:44:00.002-04:00

The Fantasy Artists of Etsy's October Exhibition is now live! Please visit Fright Night to see all the haunting and creepy creations by the collective of Etsy fantasy artists.
While you are there, be sure to take a look around and see the brand-new FAEteam website.

Exciting News!!

2008-09-25T09:52:00.002-04:00

I've been sitting on this one for a while waiting for the paperwork to come through. Last night after arriving home from yet another horrible day at work, I was instantly cheered to find that my licensing agreement from Amy Brown had finally arrived.
This very talented artist has granted me a non-exclusive license to create costumes and wings based on her beautiful paintings! I am so excited and can't wait to get started. This was initiated via email back in July and I have hesitated to start creating until everything was finalized.
I hope I can crank out a costume or two before Faeriecon next month-which is only a little over two weeks away!.

In other news, I have been going insane trying to make all kinds of things to get ready for Faeriecon. I have several projects in the final stages of completion and hope to have a few pictures posted in the very near future.

In the wake of Ike

2008-09-18T11:06:00.003-04:00

Hurricane season has already left a swath of destruction in the US.
Fellow FAEteam member Beth of Archeress Arts has begun a small fundraiser, called Winds of Hope, to assist another member, Valorie of Battlemaiden Studios who's family's home was devastated during the storm. At some point during the deluge, half of the roof on her family's home gave way, leaving her brother and sister's room to an open-sky ceiling. Fortunately, nobody was hurt, but the 4 family members are now taking shelter with her in Valorie's apartment until repairs are made. Under the tag windsofhope, some of us are selling at least one item with the proceeds to go directly to Valorie and her family, for roof repairs and any other necessities as they push through this hard time together.

I have listed my white recyled and distressed rabbit fur mask, titled "Artic" to be sold for the Winds of Hope Fundraiser, with the proceeds to be donated to Valorie. I believe more Fae friends will be listing items in the near future, so be sure to take a moment and search for the tag "windsofhope".

New Product Announcement!

2008-08-25T11:07:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago, while toiling away on my leather masks, I had a flash of inspiration. I had a sudden vision of a glowing, jewel encrusted wire mask, that would mold to the contours of you face, enhancing not hiding your natural beauty.
It took almost a week to construct the first one, but here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what this new product line is going to look like:

I have a really unique feature that I have never seen done before: instead of wearing this mask with ribbon ties or elastic, it is worn like a pair of glasses, with adjustable arms that hook around your ears. Being tie free, it will not interfere with your hair style or other headdress items.
This mask is woven non-tarnish artistic wire in three different gages and accented with tiny clear irridecent seed beads, fire-polished and swarovski crystals. It is also light as a feather, not feeling much heavier than say, a large pair of sunglasses.
:)

Silicone Rubber Mold Making Tutorial

2008-08-12T09:10:00.018-04:00

I am working on a nifty new project that requires me to create something I never have before-icicles.
After doing some research, I decided cast them out of a clear resin epoxy, such as Easy Cast, which was available at my local craft store (Michael's).
I dusted off my mold making knowledge from sculpture class in college and snapped a few pictures along the way so I could share it with you.
This method is for making casts of small items. Bigger objects would require a plaster "jacket" for support when casting!

Materials:
-The item(s) you are planing to cast.
-Silicone Caulk and caulk gun-available at your local hardware store, usually in or near the paint section. Make sure you purchase 100% silicone-not the white latex adhesives, they will not work.
-A plastic bucket half filled with warm water
-Liquid dish soap
-Cooking Spray (Pam)
-Saran wrap and masking tape (to protect work surface)
-Vasaline
-Vapor breath mask

Preperation
Work in a well-ventilated area and wear a protective mask: the fumes of the silicone are very noxious. Cover a section of your work area with the saran wrap and edge with the masking tape. This is to keep the silicone from sticking to your table.
I made my icicles out of microcrystaline modeling wax, built on 14 gage wire. Make sure your item(s) are clean and dry, then spray a coat of cooking spray. This is a inexpensive but very effective mold release.

Using the Silicone
Pour some liquid dish soap into your bucket or bowl of warm water and swish the soap around to dilute it. You do not want tons of bubbles, you want to make the water feel super slippery.
Cut the tip off your caulk cartridge, puncture the inner seal and load it into the caulk gun according to the manufacturer's instructions. Squeeze a clump of the caulk into the bucket of soapy water. Using your vasaline-coated hands, reach into the bucket, scoop out the silicone and gently squeeze out the excess water.
Place the wad of silicone on your prepped item, smoothing into the cracks and crevices. Repeat until you have well covered your item(s). Check for any holes or gaps that need to be plugged. This will be a reusable mold, so I made made it about a quarter inch thick all over with a little extra on the bottom and sides for strength. I used about 2 1/2 cartridges of silicone for this little project.

Finishing
The silicone will dry rapidly in the air. I usually let it cure for 24 hours, which also gives a chance for some of the fumes to dissipate. After it is well dried, remove your casted item and wash both with warm soapy water.

Such Goings On

2008-08-05T11:42:00.005-04:00

First of all, the FAEteam has a new exhibition going on called Visions of Atlantis. Please stop by and check out all the fabulous watery themed handmade art by the Fantasy Artists of Etsy!

Second, it is time I introduced you to my new baby: my beautiful Sony digital SLR. It was a surprise present from my dad-he thought I needed to take better pictures of my work.
It is a marvelous new toy-I love being able to make minute and huge adjustments on the fly instead of spending a ton of time in Photoshop afterwards. I didn't realized how much I missed the chink-chink of the shutter snapping open and closed. It brings back nostalgic memories of photography classes in college, a slightly happier but no less stressful time.

And lastly, I finally finished the new leather masks I have been working on for the past month. Note to self, keep the mask runs to 10 at a time! Here are a few images snapped with my nifty new camera:

Some Poetry for Y'all

2008-07-17T11:47:00.001-04:00

art therapy

See my brush skip across this canvas

To obliterate the memory of you

Removing form, blurring lines

Out of focus, Out of time

An ironic echo of what we once shared.

The steady strokes of paint to clear away

The stubborn silence gray

Surrounding the reds of brutal fights

A white wash of surrender

Tinged blue from lonely nights

With opacity I can cover up

But that doesn't make you right

I'm painting out the memories

That used to make my life complete

With a perplexed sigh

And brush in hand

Using color and line to erase

The friend I thought I'd always have

And the hole in my heart

You left in your place

Misaligned Perspective reveals

Disorienting mis-communications

With your true colors now exposed

I finally see I made myself blind

That dazzling kaleidoscope of your attention

Is shattered from falling

From the pedestal I placed you on

And you, the actor not the artist,

Will pretend this never happened

But this hole in my heart

Is my constant reminder

That you only played your part

The crystalline clarity of hindsight

Gives me hope for my future

I will not close my eyes to

The glaring orange of indifference again

My painting will be repaired

For now, it is the patch for

The hole in my heart

Where you use to be

I'm painting out the memories

That used to make my life complete

With a perplexed sigh

And brush in hand

Using color and line to erase

The friend I thought I'd always have

And the hole in my heart

You left in your place

Crocheting with Wire

2008-07-02T16:03:00.003-04:00

Does it sound painful?

The key is using the right gauge of wire. For crocheting, I like to work with 22 to 28 gauge wire. "Gauge" is the measurement term that describes the size of the wire's diameter. The important thing to remember is that the higher the number, the thinner the wire. If you were wire-wrapping pendants or rings you can use 16 or 18 gauge wire, but you could never crochet with it because it is too thick (and you might break your hook/hand trying). 22 is a little stiff, 28 is a little fragile, but I find that 26 is just right.

For practice, you may want to start with Artistic Wire, which is a copper wire base with a non-tarnishing color coating. It is available in a rainbow of colors and there are many gauges to choose from as well. It is available in most hobby and craft stores, and the price is decent.

If you want to include pearls or beads in your work, make sure you string them all on the wire before you begin. If you are creating a pattern, make sure you string your beads in the correct order before you start. To create the "spines" showed in the above picture, pull a pearl up to about an inch or so from your last stitch, bend the wire back down to the necklace and twist the wires together until it reaches the starting point, then continue with your next stitch.

Obviously, wire is a LOT stiffer than yarn, so it does require a certain degree of hand/wrist/arm strength. And is use B or C hooks, which are small and tend to bend under too much pressure. Be gentle with your creations, wire is strong, but if you pull to hard you will distort your stitches. Having a pair of pliers handy is a good idea: they can assist in de-tangling, help make your beginning stitch taught and are useful for weaving in the ends. Be gentle with your pliers too-they will leave marks on the wire and mar the finish on artistic wire.

It's Official: I'm going to Faeriecon!

2008-07-01T15:06:00.002-04:00

I am going to be a vendor for the second year of Faeriecon International!
I pondered this decision for a long time. Last year was it's first in Philadelphia, and I must say that based on what we spent on the space, the profit was pathetic. So what would prompt me to plunk down $850 of my very hard-earned cash?
According to the rep I spoke to, they have listened to the comments and feedback from last year and they are adding seating areas for visitors, places to obtain food (didn't know there wasn't going to be any last year!) and doing a ton of promoting in the area. Most of the traffic from last year was people who were just walking by and decided to check it out.
Beyond that I really, really, really want to have full outfits ready for the fashion show. And since I still have quite a bit of stock left over from the Maryland Fairy Festival, I can use this time to work on costumes and plan out my booth set-up.
Maybe I am crazy, but this is the biggest fantasy/fairy event on the east coast-and it is less than a half-hour away-how could I possibly pass up the opportunity to meet my target customers??

Pain for the sake of Art-yet Again...

2008-06-30T22:41:00.004-04:00

I spent eight or nine hours on Saturday cutting an molding new leather masks. I had planned on making it a weekend project, but I over-worked my poor hands and could not get more than three done on Sunday. So here is a preview of eleven new unpainted masks:
They have been cut, tooled, molded and hardened and await a coat or two of luminous paint.
The white faces you see are plaster casts I made of a plastic face form I got when I first started mask making. They are sturdier than plastic and don't move around when I am working the leather. I did have to seal them to prevent plaster dust adhering to the masks and the bottom has a layer of felt or foam to keep them from marking my table.
I am looking forward to my time off next week: my next mask project is to design masks for people who wear glasses.

I'm Featured on the StylePhile Blog!

2008-06-20T08:26:00.005-04:00

Jamie from Style-Phile has posted an interview with me about my line of dragon wings on their new blog!!!

On the left you can see the first incarnation of my dragon wings modeled by this charming young man-er, dragon-at the Maryland Fairy Festival back in 2006.
I recently re-designed the line (see this post about my baby dragons)
to include two new baby dragons and two large dragons.

Here are pictures of Bastian (the gold one) and Edward (the green one), my two new large designs.
These wings were designed with teens and adults in mind, so I nixed the tail (I thought it would look silly hanging from the middle of their back) and went for matching felt spikes instead. The frame is the same sturdy wire one I use in my fairy wings, the one that opens and closes and the lock clips so you don't have to tie them on. I am working on a Goliath sized pair of the Bastian design, but I think they don't look masculine enough.

Midsummer Night's Dream Exhibition by the talented members of Faeetsy!

2008-06-12T09:52:00.002-04:00

The newest exhibition by the amazing Fantasy Artists of Etsy is now available for your viewing pleasure! Stop by to see beautiful jewelry, gorgeous art dolls, amazing fine art paintings and prints, charming sculptures and herbal goodies. The ever-so -talented Aquariann will be updating throughout the month, so be sure to stop by often and see whats new!

I was so busy trying to keep my head above water the last few weeks that I missed the call for entries, but keep an eye out to see some of my goodies featured there in the future.

Maryland Fairy Festival 2008

2008-06-11T08:55:00.005-04:00

This is usually my favorite event of the year.
This weekend, however, has me questioning my sanity and whether or not I even want to do these outdoor shows at all anymore.
My Mom and I drove down to set up on Friday: it was brilliantly sunny, super hot and sticky humid. In the hour it took us to set up the tent and my frame for the wings to hang on, we were drenched in sweat. Other vendors around us were talking apprehensively about the next two days would be like. Saturday dawned in a haze of fog. The fair grounds looked surreal with the tents peeking up through the mist. I wish I had had a chance to snap a few pictures, but we were too busy setting up. Even at 7:30am the heat was oppressive. Then the sun came out and things went from bad to worse. I believe the recorded temperature reached 97*F, but the heat index was over 100*F. Julia, Jill, my Mom and I all agreed that we had never sweat so much in all our lives. All of my wire jewelry and crowns became too hot to touch and I heard that a little girl got a second degree burn from picking up a piece of jewelry a few spots away. It was brutal, and my Mom ended up getting very sick from all the heat. Because there were so few customers and because it was to be even hotter on Sunday, we decided to pack up and go home than risk my Mom getting worse from being outside for another day.
It was a real let-down. I love the air of magic that the festival usually inspires, but this year I just felt limp. I was so drained by the sun that I couldn't walk around and visit other vendors or see the concerts. I have major respect for all the singers and dancers that performed and all the wonderful people who braved the heat to attend.

But this experience has really made me stop and think. I know that the full-time life of a traveling crafter is not for me. My art takes too much time to create to keep enough stock for more than a few shows a year. But those few shows are so draining that it zaps my energy for the next week or two after. Caravan artisans are at the mercy of the elements, whether it be brutal sun, pouring rain or freezing cold. You always seem to be stuck at 6's and 7's, never knowing what sort of turnout to expect from the customers or if you will be able to recoup your expenses just to get there. I hate to be so dependent on the intangible and incalculable.

A quick order then I am off to the fair!

2008-06-05T18:54:00.005-04:00

I just finished these fabulous black feather wings for a very tall guy to wear to a weirding (wedding). I think that was the fastest I have ever started and finished a pair of wings in my life (so far!). I usually work on anywhere from 5 to 25 pairs of wings at a time, so it can take me months to make any real progress. The feather wings are the simplest to make, and with just one pair to do, I knocked this one out in 3 1/2 hours!! Our kitty Raven even tried to help (by help I mean sit on whatever I am working on).

43rd Annual Media Arts and Crafts Festival

2008-06-04T08:45:00.006-04:00

On Sunday, June 1st I spent the day on State Street in Media, PA for their annual Arts and Crafts festival, sponsored by TownTalk, the local newspaper. It is a juried show for local artists and artisans to exhibit and sell their handmade works.
Here are some pictures of my set up: I LOVE my EZ-up tent, it is huge, sturdy and easy to use. The only problem with it is that you need at least two people to set it up. So I dragged my sister, Carisa, out of her warm bed at 6:45am to help me set up.
My crazy set up takes a minimum of an hour and a half to put together. A few years back I decided to lash together some coated wire shelves to hang my wings on-it was the sturdiest thing I could come up with on a shoestring budget. I use metal shower curtain hooks to hand the wings and curtain pins to hang the masks.
I had so many people walk by with their mouths hanging open-I suppose this isn't something you expect to see at a local craft show. They are usually even more flabbergasted when I tell them, "Yes, I did make all of this myself." And then there is the question about my wings that never gets asked at fairy festivals: "But what are they for?"
But even with my colorful display of wings and masks and a table full of glittering crowns, tiaras and crochet wire jewelry, the most eye-catching and crowd stopping thing at my tent was the flower decorations I hung from the tent frame.
I took these giant daisy-like flowers my mom gave me a few years ago, popped out the centers, strung them with looped wire and tied on ribbons to hang them from the tent frame so I could have an up-side down garden inside. I had no less than a dozen people ask me how much they were so I guess next year I will have to make some to sell!

What a month of general ickiness!

2008-06-03T11:35:00.003-04:00

May was a real killer for me. Besides battling ongoing health issues, I spent every moment not at work (at my day job!) on churning out my new line of fairy and dragon wings in preparation for the Maryland Fairy Festival and the summer show season. I've been working so hard, but feel like such a slacker because I have not had the time or energy to post more listings on etsy, answer emails or hang out with my teams.
In addition, my furbaby Ringo has been really sick. He spent an entire week at the cat hospital with a blocked urinary tract and a terrible infection. The doc finally let him come home last Friday, but he still has not bounced back. He is very happy to be home even if he isn't feeling well-he spends most of his time catnapping on the bed, stretching from time to time to let us rub his belly.
Now I am counting down to MMDF - three days to go!

The Baby Dragon Wings are flying FREE!

2008-05-15T15:01:00.010-04:00

I finally finished my two new baby dragon wing designs!
I am most proud to unveil Isaac and Jacob!

I made nine pairs to start in all different colors.
I made these with all the little boys dragged to fairy festivals in mind. The Isaas wings are curvy and elegant, measuring only 25" in wingspan. The Jacob wings are sharp and bold, measuring 35" in wingspan. The tail hangs down about 21" from the top. I just love the tail; dragon wings are fantastic, but without the tail how do they know you are a dragon??

The big brother version is next on my list to finish-they are sized for teens and adults, but made without the tail. I'm still trying to decide if I am going to make separate tails that go around your waist...

Pain for the sake of Art

2008-05-07T11:10:00.007-04:00

Yeah...so where have I been?
I've been destroying myself trying to get some wings done before the Maryland Fairy Festival.
How you might ask?
Well, last Saturday I decided that I would paint all the wings I have sewn (around 30 or so) all at once to get that stage out of the way.
Silly me...
See I converted a corner of our front porch into a spray booth for my airbrush. The walls and floor are lined with heavy plastic (yes, I have plenty of ventilation). But it is essentially a little cubby corner and I don't have a table or chair that will fit in there. So all my paints and supplies are on the floor and when I mix I kneel or sit on the floor then I stand up to spray, but then I have to kneel down again to wipe off my stencils and stand back up to do the other side. So I spent six and a half hours doing squats after which my knees would barely hold me and I wobbled around like a newborn foal. Better yet, I stuffed a pillow under my knees for suppory before I fell asleep that night, so I didn't move-all night. When I woke up on Sunday my legs had cramped up so bad that I could barely walk. My boyfriend spent the day laughing at my attempts to hobble around, especially when I tried to get down the stairs....
In other news, I am so excited because my giant order of ribbon finally arrived! I LOVE JKM Ribbons! This was my first wholesale order I have done for ribbon-prior to this I have been buying the little spools you find a JoAnn's or Michael's-where you spend $3 or $4 for a three or four yard spool. JKM's 100 yard spools are going to go so much farther! See how huge they are in comparison! And this is my furbaby Ringo (no, I didn't name him) inspecting the merchandise-my kitty quality control.

Tagged!

2008-04-17T08:21:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I am little slow on the uptake here! I got tagged by Hyla of MyFairyBabies and Janine of AthenasArmoury a few days ago so now I have to list 6 random facts about myself. Here goes:

1) I make wings because I have always wanted to have a real set to fly with

2) I can't sit still without falling asleep so I am always working on something

3) Chocolate is my bane and I crave it constantly

4) I once had a friend refer to me as "gothic lite"

5) My favorite fantasy creature is a winged unicorn

6)I despise clothes shopping, usually because I can't find anything I like

My blog is feeling neglected...

2008-04-08T12:19:00.005-04:00

It's been a few days, so I thought I'd share what I've been up to.
I picked up some lovely tulle this past weekend for bridal veils and I made one in black and another in white. They are very simple and elegant: the design has a long bottom piece that hangs to mid-arm length and a blusher on top that just covers the face. I used my beloved serger to finish the ends and give them a feminine lettuce edging. The tulle was hand gathered and sewn to a 4" silver comb and finished with ribbon and beads. Here are some pictures:

AND I've been stashing away time to work on my new STEAMPUNK wings. Oh yes, they are in the works! I am building the frame right now and it is real slow going. The base wire is aluminum and the connecting/wrapping wire is 16 gage stainless steel. My hands are killing me and I've been wearing my wrist braces again but it will be so worth it when they are done. This pair is going to be movable too! I will post some pictures as soon as I get a little further along. :)

The Fantasy Artists of Etsy Spring Fever Exhibition!

2008-04-03T10:51:00.002-04:00

The talented artists of FAE have banded together once again to show off beautiful works of art and magic for this months exhibit. The current theme is "Spring Fever" that crazy rush that overwhelms the senses when the sun once again begins to warm the earth, drawing greenery up from its wintry slumber.
Here you will see jeweled adornments, whimsical sculptures, clever dolls and masks, beautiful drawings and paintings, fairy furniture and magic potions to delight your sensibilities.
Click on the banner to be taken to the page. Many thanks to Aquariann for putting together this gorgeous exhibit!!

Opening soon: Chatfields Boutique!

2008-04-01T11:29:00.009-04:00

A new kind of bridal boutique is opening in St. Louis, MO, early May 2008. Run by the fabulous Debbie Welcher, this shop will cater to maternity and plus size brides and bridesmaids.

And I am sharing this because I just finished a new line of bridal hair accessories that will be sold exclusively at this charming new store!
Here are some quick pictures I took just before shipping (I apologize-they are not up to my usual standards!)
This is a unique opportunity for brides and bridesmaids because all of these items are fully customizable. Wire choices include silver and gold, but a rainbow of colors are also available to meet individual needs. I use Swarovski crystals, Czech glass beads and pearls that are available in a range of color palettes to match personalized wedding color themes. If you are interested in purchasing one of these designs, please contact Chatfields Bridal!

Here Comes the Bride-Run for your life!

2008-03-29T23:59:00.010-04:00

In honor of the new Etsy Wedding Team, I decided to share my own bride experience-or at least as close as I'll ever get to it. My Halloween costume three years ago was a homage to Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.
I already had the dress-I had made it two years before for a project in college. I slashed apart the bottom of the skirt added black Venician lace to the corset top. Then I airbrushed the colors to mimic the movie version, Burton-esque swirls and all. I made the veil from scratch with decorative stitching, paint and the blue rose wreath-and the bouquet to match. Then I made ribs out of porcelain craft clay and stitched them to a piece of black velvet for the hole in the corset.
And here is the finished product:I made a glove with bones to mimic her skeletal arm, painted my skin bluish-white and wore a black and blue wig to complete the outfit. The pirate is my sweetie J, I made his costume too. :)

Brand Spankin' New: The Etsy Wedding Team!

2008-03-27T14:53:00.005-04:00

Yes, it's true! a bunch of etsy members have banded together to to form the new EtsyWeddingTeam. Within mere hours, the numbers of interested parties had swollen to 30+ in answer to Middleburg's query in the forums.
I personally can't wait to see what all the new members make! Hand crafted elements are the perfect touch for weddings; handmade favors make your guests feel extra special. My sister is getting married in January of 2009 and I am making silk mango calla lilies for the favors-I am still in the design stage but they are going to be breathtaking.
I have always love the pomp and circumstance surrounding weddings. All the time and energy and planning spent on making one day as perfect as possible. Well, now there is a whole team of artisans that can help make your day as special a possible!
I am going to be directing my energies to making a line of bridal tiaras and wedding wings. There may also be veils and ring bearer pillows in there too!

It's a Sweater! (purse)

2008-03-25T08:38:00.009-04:00

In the immortal words of El Guapo (nod to The Three Amigos), I shall tell you how a charming, but unworn sweater became a purse.
I had this lovely sweater languishing in my closet for over a year. The yarn was spun with metallic silver thread so I could not get away with wearing it to the office. So I decided to recycle it into a new, super-fun accessory. The torso of the sweater was already the perfect size and shape, so I trimmed off the sleeves and collar and sewed up the bottom in a box shape for more carrying space. I added a lining of vintage cotton fabric with a dusky tree print so nothing would poke through the sweater and to give it added strength. I also added a reinforced pocket on the inside to keep small things from rolling around on the bottom, and added a vintage metal zipper for the closure. Next I decided to crochet a wavy carrying strap, which I attached on each end, one side in the front, one in the back. Then I crochet 3 matching green flowers for an accent and used a scrap of the sweater for an embellishment swirl. I even used the ribbon loops that were to keep it on the hanger around the top edging.
So, that is how I created this cute little bag. I periodically go through my closet and pull out things that I don't wear anymore, but I cannot bring myself to throw them away. Maybe it is my pack rat syndrome or because I hate to waste anything, but making cast-offs into something new is a great solution. Other ideas include turning old pants into skirts or combining several different items in to a new patchwork wonder. You are only limited by the scope of your imagination!

Farewell, Dark and Blurry Pictures!

2008-03-24T22:03:00.008-04:00

Whew!
I just spent the whole weekend rearranging my tiny workroom so I could fit in a permanent photography corner. I have tubs of supplies now stacked to my ceiling but I don't care as long as the pix are better!
AND here to the left is an idea of what it looks like! In my traditional ghetto fabulous style, I used a clothing rack (that my boyfriend actually trash-picked for me-that is true love there!) and used it to hang a large panel of muslin that I dyed a pale gray. A second, smaller piece covers the floor and the base of my dress form. Then I went nuts at home depot and bought a bunch of clamp lamps and 100 watt bulbs so I could place them above, in front and on each side to minimize shadows. My next project will be to make diffusers for the lamps to reduce harsh shadows.
So my picture taking possibilities went from this (red) to this (gray).
I am pretty happy with the results at the moment. I still think I need a lot more light though.

And while I am on the subject, how about a peek at my ever-so ghetto fabulous light box! I made this baby out of a mid-sized card board box.
The sides and top are sheets of velum and the back to bottom curved sheet is watercolor paper-I wanted the toothy texture on mine. You can see my lovely clamp lamps in action-just remember not to leave them on long or unattended-this is a fire hazard from all the heat generated by the lamps and it must be watched when in use! I know it is not pretty or super professional, but it really does get the job done. My jewelry pictures are sooooo much better now than before I made it-see the difference in the two pictures here of my aquatic potion bottle necklace: on the left is before and on the right is after. Yikes!
Good pictures are uber important, that cannot be emphasized enough. They are your calling card, how your customers recognize your work and your self-representation all rolled into one little package.

And now for something completely different....

2008-03-17T22:41:00.005-04:00

I hate clothes shopping. I can never find anything that fits right or looks right or fits my sense of style. So what's a girl to do?
Make my own of course!
I've been rabidly reading each new release of Altered Couture and Belle Armoire Magazines but long before I found those wonderful publications I have been embellishing here and altering there to develop my own unique look.
Most recent in these attempts resulted in this adorable baby doll shirt. This top actually started out as a button-down men's shirt and has been transformed into a super flattering, feminine baby doll shirt. It is fun and flirty and equally wearable with jeans or dress pants. The design incorporates ribbon ties that gather the waist and bust peasant-style to fit your unique shape. The top is a single piece of ribbon that is laced through the back, over the shoulders to form straps and through the front to tie in the center. The pocket and buttons down the front remain functional. I get mad compliments whenever I wear mine (it is green with pink ribbons) along with queries of where I found it. So I decided to make a few and put them in my etsy shop.
This is my own original design, so please respect the copyright. I do plan on releasing a tutorial in the near future, so stay tuned!

Learning to go the distance

2008-03-16T19:00:00.010-04:00

Up from the Ashes was the brain child of myself and my friend Julia. Back in 2004, I had just made some wings for a photography project in college and Julia and I and our friend Lorraine decided to go to the Spoutwood May Day/Fairy Festival in Glenrock, PA. They were huge and awkward, but we lost count of how many people told us how awesome they were.

Through a convoluted connection of friends, I was put in touch with the wonderful folks at Earth&State in Media, PA to see if my wings would sell on commission in their store. To my surprise, they were wildly popular-which may have had something to do with the 5' fairy sculpture I made for their front window. One day soon after Julia and I decided to start our own independent artisan company. So we filed the paper work and applied for the Maryland Fairy Festival in 2005. That was our first real show and boy were we in for a big surprise. We had a tiny little tent I and jerry-rigged a contraption to display my wings and hats. It was a very windy, chilly but sunny mid-May day. Despite the cold, we all forgot sunscreen and had horrible burns to show for it. And we had no idea that the melting temperature of Julia's soaps and candles were low enough to get soggy from the sunlight!

We have learned a bit since then. We have have been thrilled to go to the Maryland fairy festival every year since. The picture to the left is from 2006-we still had the little tent but I had a (slightly!) better set up for my wings-especially after learning how brutal the winds could be there. In 2007 we scored on one of those big ez-up white tents and that was a dream come true on how easy it was to use and how sturdy it is (sorry, I can't find my 2007 pictures!).
We remembered to bring sun screen and icy gel packs for Julia's soap! The fairy festival is such a blast because of all the awesome people from all over the place you get to meet. The local craft fairs can be fun, but I usually get a lot of really strange looks!
In October of 2007 we joined the big league at Faeriecon International at the Philadelphia Convention Center. That was an amazing experience, unfortunately not one we are going to repeat.
There were so many amazing artists and vendors, but not nearly enough people there to purchase things. Julia was a model in the Sunday fashion show (the picture on the left-outfit and hairfall by the amazing Marley of Darklocks) and my wings and mask made appearances on the runway on both Saturday and Sunday. We think we will go back this year as attendees-and maybe for the fashion show. :)

We are gearing up for the Maryland Fairy Festival this year-it is in the beginning of June this year-and I can't wait!

If I were to offer advice to crafters or artisans just starting out, I would say don't be afraid to go just for it. It can be nerve wracking, and disappointing, but the best way to find customers is to put yourself in a place where they will come to you!
Another important thing to think about is the market you are trying to reach-my wings can sell like hotcakes at a thematic fairy festival but I may only sell one or two at a local arts and craft fair. And there is nothing wrong with diversity; having a range of products enables you to reach a range of markets and customers.
Never be satisfied with your product-but be happy with your progress so far. You should always be working to improve your technique or presentation. I find myself randomly brainstorming about how I can improve my step for the next show. If you have the space at home, try doing a trial set-up of what you want your booth/table to look like-that will help you tremendously in setting up for the actual show, and give you time to work out any kinks.
Always bring extra water and snacks, sun screen, lots of business cards, hand sanatizer, wire and pliers!
Anyway, that is just a little bit of wisdom gained while we are learning to go the distance.

If you could have wings, with what would you fly?

2008-03-12T13:13:00.003-04:00

I have spent the last two months designing new fairy and dragon wings for production in 2008. But this has got me wondering...I know what kind of wings I like, but what would my customers like to see??
My dragon wings were created to meet the demands of the boys dragged to fairy festivals, so are there other fantasy creatures out there that would like to have wings?

Klunk the Plushie

2008-03-11T10:24:00.003-04:00

A while back my talented boyfriend decided to design some cute little creatures-I don't really remember why but they were so adorable I decided to make one. This little guy is called Klunk. He is shaped like a little blue mailbox and is about 5 1/2" cubed. He is made from fluffy blue fake fur, his tummy is orange and he has little orange felt feet and horns. His eyes are big white ovals of felt. He is entirely hand stitched, too.
I am interested in opinions on this little guy-does anyone think he would be purchasable?
J doesn't have any confidence in his extraordinary skills, so he could use a little validation on his little monsters. To see some of his other nifty works, visit his deviant art page here.