I actually got in on time to make a treasury!

It doesn't happen often, that's for sure!

I enjoy making treasuries on Etsy, I guess because it gives me a chance to look at all the amazing works of art that fall into my chosen theme.

This time I chose -- can anyone guess? -- TEA TIME! haha!

The link will only work for as long as the treasury exists, and it's supposed to expire in the wee hours on Sunday...

~ ARTFIRE FINDS! ~

And now, how about some of my more recent additions to my Artfire hotlist!

I fell in love with this Boro Art Glass Lampwork Pendant instantly, the moment I saw it on the homepage. It evoked thoughts of my favorite painting, Starry Night, from Vincent Van Gogh. This is so beautiful. The listing also states that this can be purchased as a cabochon as well as a pendant. GORGEOUS!

The next item will beautify any room in your home, from Shades of Splendor Studio...

I know, stunning, right? This is the Spring Bouquet Table Lamp. There are many colorful, whimsical, and gorgeous lamps/shades in the Shades of Splendor Studio, however, this particular one caught my eye because these are my youngest daughter's favorite colors, and this would be a perfect match for her bedroom! LOVELY!

Today's final item comes from StarSeedCharms Studio...

,
This handcrafted charm - Tree Soul - created out of Precious Metal Clay is breathtaking! The rainbow moonstone is what first caught my eye... the colors are beautiful. And the little tiny trasvorite stones (the little green stones in the branches) bring the tree to life!

There are so many beautiful, fun, whimsical, and amazing works of art to be found at Artfire... stop in today and see what catches your eye!

~Anne

Win a Sweets Basket worth over $50!

Who doesn't love sweets? OK, so maybe our hips, thighs and waistline don't particularly care for the sweets, but, sometimes we have to think with our tastebuds and not our thighs.

Double Dipped Sweets (check out her Etsy Store!) is hosting a contest on her blog. It's really easy to enter... well, there is the part about choosing which sweets you'd like in your gift basket, and that's pretty difficult to choose from all of her delectable treats... but, other than that, it's really easy to enter! Just visit her blog, and follow the simple directions... and I've even given you a direct link! Woo hoo!

I mean, check this out... you could win these in your basket...

Quit licking the screen! LOL!

~Anne

Neutrals Journal

Hello Everyone!

Well, I finally finished Nancy's journal, and it's all dry. I chose to scan this journal instead of taking a pic because while it was a bit larger than the scanner, the colors are light and I thought that the photo would lose much of the more subtle details.


I am really enjoying the "true colors" journal round robin... I find it a lot more liberating than a set theme.

Nancy chose neutrals for her color palette. Her journal cover is so incredibly beautiful... and it evoked a feel of "vintage" for me, so I chose to go with vintage "time" as a theme for my composition.

I had a lot of fun with this piece. I hope that Nancy enjoys it too.

~Anne

PS: Don't forget to visit my tea journal and enter to win the contest. There's only a few days left!!!

Artfire Hot List #3!

Hello Everyone!

It's about time to do another feature from my Artfire Hotlist. There really are so many different, awesome artists on Artfire, and so many fantastic works of art to choose from, so, you might wonder how I choose what to feature on my Hotlist... well, really, it's what catches my eye for whatever reason, I might just be chillin' on the homepage, and see something that was just listed that makes me say "ohhh I want that!" -- it's really just that simple.

Other times, I'll be browsing through Artfire and find something so cool that I really MUST have it.

Anyways... here are four more items from my Hotlist...

First up, a spectacular bead from the Transitions in Glass Studio...

There are several really amazing beads available from Transitions in Glass, but I really like this one, titled Evening on the Lake. This bead reminds me of an abstract southwestern landscape by Georgia O'Keefe, one of my favorite artists.

Stunning!

Next up is an amazing painting from Jordanka's studio...

I feel a great connection with trees, even painted ones, and this Twisted Red Tree with Green Dots is no exeption. Again, there were several amazing tree paintings from which to choose in Jordanka's studio, however, I ultimately chose this one because I love the colors of this piece... bold, yet subdued. The line and shape of the tree is very free and uninhibited... it's just amazing!

The next item I'd like to share with you is from Elephant Dreams Studio...

There are some amazing photographs that can be found in Elephant Dream's Studio... but I was immediately drawn to this one, right off the front page, after it was listed the other day, because it reminded me of the cover artwork from Chinese Democracy (Guns N' Roses' latest album). For Christmas, my family bought me the vinyl issue of Chinese Democracy so that I could frame it and hang it on the wall (we don't have a record player!) and while the two bicycles are quite different in the two pieces, A Bicycle and Yellow Door reminded me immediately of the album cover of the album for which I have waited so many years, that I fell in love with the photograph immediately, and I must have it!

My last item from my hotlist that I will share with you today is a sculpture from The Studio at Crow Haven Farm...


I love this sculpture crafted out of polymer clay. It reminds me of something that might come from Tim Burton. Nostalgia - 1938 "He" is 7 inches tall... and rather than going in to detail, I thought I'd share another photo of it... and allow it to do the talking for me.

I love, love, love it!!!

Well, that's it for now... I hope that you enjoy this eye candy sent to you from my Hotlist on Artfire!

And, if you've been thinking about joining Artfire, please consider doing so under my referral! Register on ArtFire.com

I've been tagged!

Hello Everyone!

OK... so my tea journal was tagged, however, because the photo that I'm to tell you about happens to be art related, I thought I would carry out the tasks set forth in the tag on my Art Blog instead.

So... here goes!

Rosemary, from Rosemary's Sampler, has tagged me! This is a 6th Picture Meme Tag, and here's how it works...

The tagged individuals are to go to their picture file on their computer, and select the 6th folder, and then select the 6th picture from that folder, post it on their blog, and then tell the story behind the photo. And then, of course, you must tag 6 other bloggers...

While this should be fun for most people... well... the photo that happened to be the 6th photo in the 6th folder was... err... um... rather... surprising, and not really in a good way.

But, who am I to break the rules? So, I shall share with you the 6th photo in the 6th folder of my picture file....

Brace yourself. This isn't going to be pretty.

*sigh*



eeeeeep! Yeah... so for any one out there that might not know what this is... (I have a feeling that at least some of the artists out there know what this is... at least I HOPE so) this... is a picture of my art studio.

The Story Behind the Photo

So where does one begin when they are going to attempt to explain the mess that is their art studio? Do I defend the mess? Do I dismiss it? Do I admit proudly that yep, that's my studio, and it's all mine? Or perhaps, take the opposite approach and say, this isn't mine... it's a friend's art studio? haha

Anyway... yep, it's my art studio. And actually, this is kind of a mid-way point photo. It DID look worse. Way worse... but the truth is, when it looked worse, it also was completely unpacked... you see, we just moved back in August, and up until about 2 months ago, everything that you see in this mess of a photo was packed in boxes which were stacked on top of each other in some sort of intimidating, oversized wall of packed boxes.

It was very overwhelming, to tell the truth, and my hubby went out there and helped me start to unpack and organize.

Right now, it still looks a bit like this, but there have been bits of improvement, for example the first, circular table was cleared off, and the empty boxes have been broken down and recycled. There are still several boxes to unpack, but things are looking better. It's just so darned cold right now and hey, it is a garage... so as you can imagine, it's as cold as the outside (I contend that it's actually colder because it's an enclosed space), so it's not really inspiring to go out and organize while feeling your fingers become numb from the cold.

So, yeah, that's my art studio... (don't worry, I don't blend my tea in there!!!) And that's my story behind the picture!

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Now, for the tagging part:

Let's see, how about I tag some artists as well as tea fans?

1. Valerie at Tea and Trinkets
2. Rebecca at SoapDeliNews
3. Amber Dawn at Inventive Soul
4. Jeri at Artful Gathering
5. Sherry at Hair Ties Galore N More
6. Patti at Shine Your Hiney Soap Co.

So... ladies, I'm tagging ya... now, you need to show us your 6th picture meme!!! And don't forget to tag 6 others!!

~Anne

PS: Please check out my Tea Journal for a chance to win a print from Infivision's Artfire Studio!!!

I'm hosting a contest!

Hello Everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that on my other blog, the Tea Journal, you can enter to win a *FREE* 8x10 print from Infivision's Artfire Studio!

This is a really awesome offer... and a great way to add some cool art to your wall!

It's really easy to enter!

Just... visit my blog >> click here!

Then, visit Infivision's Artfire Studio, and select your favorite 8x10 print... you can choose from this...

or this...



or even this...

and there's many others to choose from too!

As you can see, Infivision's photographs are amazing!

Once you've selected your favorite 8x10 print you just comment on my blog, and tell me which one you like. I will randomly select the winner next Wednesday.

So hurry! Enter NOW!

~Anne

More from my Artfire Hotlist...

Well, I had hoped that I'd be posting some of my art this time -- specifically, Nancy's True Colors Journal -- but I'm not yet finished with it. Hopefully I'll get it finished tomorrow, so that I can post about it and share the photos on Thursday. In the meantime, I thought I might share with you some more really cool works of art from Artfire Artisans! These are a few of my favorite things that I've "stashed" on my hotlist!

Hotlist item #1, from Tatsuko's Studio...

The Square Sushi Platter Necklace... I don't really like sushi. I've tried a few vegetarian varieties (sorry, but I just can't knowingly eat raw fish, I just can't) -- none which have really impressed me. This pendant, on the other hand really does impress me. Entirely handcrafted out of polymer clay, the detail in this piece is amazing. Having worked with polymer clay a bit (certainly I'm no expert, but, I'm at least familiar with the stuff!) I just can't imagine getting this detailed with it.

So, while I might not be interested in eating the stuff... I certainly wouldn't mind wearing it...

Next on my hotlist, from Wovenlight's studio...


These GORGEOUS hand knitted angora/wool blend mittens! I love the color of these mittens! And, if you'll visit Wovenlight's studio, you'll see the cute little bunny (named Rosie) that donated the angora fiber to craft these beautiful mittens. And did you know that wearing angora can help with arthritis, and other joint or muscular pain? That's something I didn't know until I read the listing for this item... perhaps I might try to have Rosie donate some fiber to have a pair of socks to help me with my feet...

These mittens are definitely at the top of my "I WANT" list... yeah... visiting Artfire on a regular basis can be hazardous to your pocketbook!

This next item definitely appeals to the abstract artist in me... from Gwendoline's Studio...


These one of a kind, abstract lampwork beads are stunning! Gwendoline calls them "A Nice Morning" ... and I guess I can see that... the colors are joyful and celebratory... then again, the one on the bottom, center kind of looks like one of those things from last night's episode of Fringe! Each one of these beads are playful and fun!

These would be a stunning addition to any charm bracelet... or as the focal point to a necklace!

Speaking of charm bracelets, my final hotlist item that I'll share with you today comes from Radical Recycks Studio
This charm bracelet is titled "Whales Ashore" and I implore you to click on the link or the photo for a better look at this bracelet! The charms are crafted out of up-cycled plastic bottles! The bracelet is simply stunning, and being eco-friendly is a bonus!

Amazing!

I hope you enjoyed window shopping at Artfire with me!

Support the arts!

~Anne

My Artfire Hotlist...

Hello Everyone:

Well, it's no secret now that I love Artfire, is it? I have 2 shops (or studios) on Artfire, one for my teas, and one for my altered art (and eventually, my 'zines). This is something that I had wanted to do on etsy, but, because I had already established tea sales as well as 'zine sales on the same account, I didn't want to confuse my existing customers.

But I like having the two stores, it makes things seem a lot cleaner, at least from a consumer perspective, and from a vendor perspective, it's just a little easier for me to manage.

Anyways... on to my current Artfire Hotlist... These are items that I want, want, want on Artfire, and I thought I'd share them with you! Just be warned, I will not be held responsible if you find yourself spontaneously spending on some of these amazing things!

First item is from SoapDeli, one of my favorite vendors!

I have such a tHiNg for handmade soap. I just love the way it treats my skin, I love the way it lathers, and I love, love, love the way it smells. You simply cannot buy commercially processed soaps that smell as amazing as SoapDeli's soap. The biggest challenge for me when I visit her studio is not whether to buy, but which soaps to choose, because she has such a huge array of tempting soaps from which to choose, and each one sounds so deliciously yummy.

This is her Grapefruit Twist Salt Bar. I chose this one because she recently sent me a sample of one of her salt bars, and I really enjoyed it, so I'd like to try another!

As a long-time customer of SoapDeli, you can trust me when I say to you that you can't go wrong with a purchase from her studio... stop by, and choose a bar or two! They make great gifts too!

Up next is this amazing little needle felting tool...


Now, I must tell you that it is with great hesitation that I even share this photo with you, as I really, really, REALLY want this tool. As some of you know, I love to needle felt... and is this not the most fantastic needle felting tool you've ever seen?

It's found in the studio of Flights of Whimzy, and it's called a Whimsical Needle Felting Tool. In addition to a couple of these really amazing little tools, made of upcycled porcelain cabinet knobs that have been repurposed into the handle of three 38 star felting needles, Flights of Whimzy also features every color of the rainbow of merino wool roving. GORGEOUS!

Up next is another item that I hesitate to share, from CraftySteph's studio...

This curious little item is called a Tea Stir Stick. It's made with a cinnamon stick, with beautiful beads and a cute little teacup charm strung up and attached with a wire to the cinnamon stick. This is a fabulous (and tasteful!) alternative to the teaspoon!

I really love this idea, and at $2.75 it's quite the bargain too!

At CraftySteph's studio, you'll not only find several of these cool Tea Stir Sticks to choose from, but also some tempting hand dipped incense sticks, and some tea bag wallets too -- great for when you're on the go!

Now we come to the final piece for today's hotlist... and it comes from MNHPhotography...



I LOVE this photograph! I have such a fascination with bare trees and the grey skies of winter. Sometimes, when we're out driving, I'll see a tree with bare branches, such as this one, and behind it the beautiful Pacific Northwestern winter-y sky, I'll ask my husband to pull over so that I can snap a quick picture of it, but nothing that I capture even remotely comes out this beautiful.

The title of this photograph is "Out of the Fog" and it truly is lovely.

In MNHPhotography's studio, you will find an amazing assortment of photographs, each one skillfully capturing nature. Among her collection you'll find birds, trees, streams, and sun "shows" (that is, some beautiful sunsets or sunrises).

As you can see, Artfire artists... are on FIRE! Stop by and see what strikes your fancy!

~Anne

Setting Up Shop!

Hello Everyone!

Have you heard about Artfire? I have only just learned about it over the past week or so. It's a new website that is dedicated to artists and their wares.

It's free to set up a shop with 10 items or less. No listing fees, no percentage of the sales fee. This is a site that understands what it is to be a starving artist!

I currently have two studios at artfire... one for my tea: Liberteas

And one for my mixed media art and my 'zines (if I ever finish another one!): EccentricPastiche

And yes, I do still have my etsy store open. However, as items drop get close to expiration on etsy, rather than renewing them there, I plan to put them up at Artfire.

So... please stop by and check out artfire.

~Anne

PS: also... try this tumblr blog... it will show you some items listed on artfire at random... it's cool!