NEWS FLASH!! RING OF FIRE CHALLENGE

This reporter has a news flash...

The Ring of Fire . No, we're not talking about the Tectonic plates; we're talking about an artist's challenge. Artifire and Delphi Glass have joined forces and have put out a call to artists.

Nothing complicated, just choose one or more of the following:
1) Metal Mesh
2) Krafty Blok
3) Pressed Flowers
4) Recycled Glass Tiles
5) Fine Silver Wire (It's on sale, BTW)
6) Millifiori Spring Mix (Millifiori in Italian means a thousand flowers!)
7) Glaze/Art Gel
8) Color Slide
9) Dichroic Scrap
10) Mirrored Tiles

Then, get your creative juices flowing and create! The earlier you enter, the more votes you can get. If you work with clay or fabric or metal, incorporate the product(s) of your choice and WOW the judges.

Then, when you're all done, submit!

Deadline is June 30th. And, as an added bonus, from now until 6/30 the Ring of Fire products are 15% off. Just use FIRE15 code at checkout.

So, put your creative thinking caps on all you Artfire members and blow their socks off!

A Blah Sort of Day

Okay, so I am off today and, although it started off with a bang, it seems to be going out like a lamb. I did manage to go to Michael's today and I found some supplies for a vest I want to make, a steampunk vest to be exact. I did also manage to do a couple of loads of laundry and clean up a little bit. But now, I am really tired. I'm blaming it on the time change! LOL I can use that excuse for about a week and then I'll have to come up with another one. Old age is the next excuse. ROFLMAO

I felt sort of lost today. I did write about it on my other blog on Artfire. http://www.artfire.com/users/night_owl2704/blog I did check out the forums on Artfire and nothing said "RESPOND" to me, so I just lurked today.

So, I guess looking back at today (and it's not over yet), I did accomplish some of the stuff on my to do list.

I posted a new item last week, I call it "Symphony in Pink and Black". It's another knitted wire bracelet. The wire is black and it has hot pink glass beads knitted in it. I tried a different photo approach and I am pleased with the results. I am building a light box with some items that I have around the house. Sort of a poor man's version of the really good ones. As soon as I can figure out how the lighting is supposed to work I am going to retake pictures of the items that I have online and give them more ambiance and light.

I have been working on another project for a VERY long time, but I have to get that copyrighted or at least registered before I can put it out there. Right now, I am tormenting my kids and friends by asking them for their opinion, advice, suggestions. It's an idea that an old boyfriend had (he has passed away) and I just sort of took it and developed it a bit more. I am dedicating it to Bob and to my mother (who has also passed away). They were two of the most influential people in my life.

I am going to go and have some dinner and maybe work some more tonight. Get to bed really early and wake up with the chickens and create all day tomorrow.

Google Analytics

Alas, I tried to update my account on Google Analytics, but they are undergoing an update. As soon as they are done, I will update it so My Views are taken out of the equation. This is a great tip, thank you Fantasy Clay!

You Can Sell it Guild

The You Can Sell it Guild has a new Guild Master. Follow the renewed energy and spirit of these determined artisans, including myself, as we take an OK guild to one of the best guilds on Artfire. Let's blog about it, tweet about it and anything else that we can think of to promote this guild and show everyone of what we're made!

P. S. Love the new widget!

How's your belly dancing?

This belt is absolutely a work of art! I can just see it on a beautiful belly dancer. Can you hear the finger cymbals, yet? I just love the attention to detail that this item has. I sew and bead and all that other good stuff and I know that this one took a long time to create. Go and visit this wonderful shop at http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&page_no=2&display=20&op=new&sterm=&sort_cats=&seller_id=52658&sc_id=0 The You Can Sell it Guild on Artfire is a great support group and have been absent too long. Since I just could not seem to manage, home, full time job, creating and posting...I decided that I should work on Artfire on Tuesdays. My track record with making plans is not so great, but I thought this one was benign enough to actually work! LOL

Has anyone out there tried Zibbet? I just heard about it a few days ago and I was thinking about opening up a shop there also. Any info would be great. Also, I found mycraftcorner.com -- very small, I think, but it seems like it might be another venue for everyone to at least get the word out about other shops. Like I keep saying, I am still getting my feet wet on this cyberstuff. But like Dori said, Keep on Swimming!

The Best Laid Plans...

Okay, I think that making plans is totally over rated! I was going to do a wonderful arts & craft's show in Columbia, SC the first weekend in March. I sent my pictures, along with pictures of the other items of my friend's items. Well, I was getting kind of antsy because I had not heard anything from the jurying committee...I called and the voice on the other end of the line said that they were interested in the quilted and sewn items but not in the other. Imagine my disappointment and Cathy's! (my friend) The show is expensive, so we were going to split the cost, as well as the cost of the hotel, etc. So...try as we might to think of something else that Cathy could do, the show is just not possible. So, now I'm back to square one. We were so looking forward to this show. Not only because we, being the crazy women that we are, love that kind of pressure, stress and insanity; but also, because we know it's VERY good money. Cathy and I are both looking for some other show maybe in April to do. We are trying to keep our spirits up, despite our set back.

As for me, I am desperately trying to sell items online. Who knew it would be so hard to do this. I have joined www.mycraftcorner.com and it seems like this, also, will be a good outlet. I read somewhere about Zibbet.com, I think I will give this a try also. I have posted my link to my studio on Artfire on Freecycle cafe as well. I'm also telling people at work and when I go back on Thursday I am going to take a few little things...MAYBE I can sell some of my items.

It's a rainy and cold Tuesday morning and my mind is racing with ideas...one of them has to work! LOL

It's Almost February, eek!!!

I cannot believe how fast this month has gone by! It seems just a little while ago, that I posted at the first of the year and here it is almost the end of January. Well, you know what they say...the best laid plans... I had all these plans for this month and so far I have not been able to achieve any of them. So, what I have decided to do is just take it a little at a time. Being a Virgo, I tend to over plan. I make all these lists and have very high hopes. But then, I have to work extra hours or like now, I have a terrible head cold. No matter what I take I don't feel much better and I feel as if I'm moving in slow motion. I'm starting to silently freak out because the March show is just a month away and I have really not done as much as I had wanted to do this month.

I have been staying with my daughter because I have no real heat at my house and it has been FREEZING at my place. With great big hopes of the weather breaking and me being able to go back home I will end this month and start to sew and craft. I'm going to try to do some new items for this show that will hopefully SELL, SELL, SELL. Like I've posted before, I made my first sale on Artfire in December, but as of today, that has been my only sale. As soon as I have made some of the new items, I will post them in my Studio and see what the "world" has to say about them.

My daughter and I have also come up with this GREAT idea! Critter Treats. They are dog biscuits, cat munchies and wild bird treats. These, are all home made, by the way. Good ingredients, like chicken stock, V-8 juice, catnip, peanut butter and such. I keep trying different things. It's the only thing that I can do. I can only seem to move forward, I cannot stop trying. I think if I stop trying to make this work I will go mad. You know, padded room, eat the paste kind of mad. Many years ago, it all seemed so much simpler to make ends meet. It seemed so much easier to make your dreams come true. I'm 53 and I am still learning this cyberspace. I am willing to learn and try just about anything to one day, not have to wait on tables and scrimp for money for my supplies. Thank goodness for Freecycle! (Awesome site!) I've gotten everything from sewing machines to fabrics from that site. Check it out. (www.freecycle.org)

Happy New Year!

Hi Everyone,

I hope that all of you survived the holidays and are ready for the new year. This year will is filled with possibilities. I look at the new year as a brand new notebook full of blank pages waiting for me to write in it.

I made my first sale on Artfire! I was so excited. Hopefully, that sale was the first of many more to come. The You Can Sell it Guild has been wonderful and I vow that this year I will be more active and do my part.

I have a craft show coming up in the early part of March, so I must get busy soon and start to make items. I have some ideas that I will start to work on and then post pictures to see what you all think. A friend of mine and I will be doing a NINE day show in November! I wonder just how much merchandise one must have to do a show this long????

Oh, well, I have ranted enough.