Artist of The Week - Dyan Whyte

Dyan Whyte is the artist behind the artwork of Where Ava Dreams.  Her artwork is both imaginative and inspirational.  The first thing that appealed to me about Dyan's work is the tenderness in which she expresses her subjects.  I love the soft images and caring faces that come to life in her paintings.

Dyan is a writer of stories for children and a painter.  Her artwork is inspired by her childhood imaginings.  While researching her work, I found this beautiful quote written by Dyan:

 

Dyan is originally from Jamaica.  She moved to Canada a little over a year and a half ago.  Dyan has been writing, painting and creating since she was a little girl.  After studying communications in graduate school, she decided to take herself seriously as an artist and pursue a creative path.

When asked what her favorite part of her work is, she replied, "I feel as if I am a very, very lucky person because I followed my heart and made a radical life change and my family supported me. The parts of my work that I love the most are the tactile physical act of painting - mixing paint, putting it unto paper and watching the effects which can be quite spontaneous with watercolour! The other part that I love is being inspired, that picture or dream that flashes into my mind unexpectedly and the process of trusting an unseen force that guides each step of the piece as it comes to life. I'm feeling that especially right now as I work on my new collection debuting this Winter..."

Here is my favorite painting by Dyan entitled "I Will Call You Friend".

I Will Call You Friend

If you'd like to read more about Dyan, visit her blog at Where Ava Dreams.  Her blog is full of inspirational posts and beautiful photos of her work.  If you are interested in seeing the artwork that Dyan has available to purchase visit one of her websites. Her Etsy site is Little Doll Whimsies and her other website is The Where Ava Dreams Store.  I'm sure you will fall in love with Dyan's work, just like I did!  Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by today.  Stacie

Grand Opening of the Waygoose Redux!

I'm so excited, this week the new Waygoose Redux opens.  The new Waygoose Redux is located at The Shoppes of Bethesda on 4926 Hampden Lane.  The grand opening is this Friday, October 1st.  Doors open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

I was so excited about packing my jewelry up and sending it off on Saturday, that I forgot to take photos!  Sorry, you'll have to stop by the new Waygoose Redux to see the new goodies!

I do want to share some photos of other merchandise that you can find at the new Waygoose Redux.  Check out these cool reversible jackets:

Reversible jacket by Winding River of Massachusetts

Pottery from Maishe Dickman of New Haven CT.  A one-man operation, wheel thrown.  Wonderful rich colors.

To find out more visit the Waygoose Redux facebook page.

Off to the studio to work on new silver clay pieces for the Waygoose in Rockville & my Etsy site.  Enjoy the day.  Thanks for stopping by.  Stacie

Celebrating With Friends

I have to admit for 2 days this week I played!  Two of my very good friends, Allison and Kathy, share a birthday on September 22nd.  So on Tuesday four of us had a girls day.  We started our day at a yummy restaurant called Isabella's Taverna & Tapas Bar in Frederick, Maryland. They have a wonderful selection of Spanish Tapas that we all enjoyed. 

My friend Kathy is celebrating a special birthday this year, she just turned 50! So my friends and I decided to buy and make her 50 different gifts, wrap them up, put them in a basket and surprise her with them.  She was very happy and surprised.  I did a similar gift idea when my sister turned 50.  It's really fun because one of the rules is you can only open one gift per day, so it's 50 days of fun.  Here are a few photo's of my wrapping creations.  Kathy is an avid seamstress, so I decided to decorate her gifts with buttons.

After lunch we were off to the Mall for shopping. We really had a great day, I'm so lucky to have such good friends.  

On Wednesday it was my friend Allison's actual birthday, so we celebrated with breakfast at another yummy restaurant in Frederick called Cafe Nola.  They have amazing breakfast sandwiches and great coffee.  After breakfast we relaxed with a wonderful pedicure from Thomas Scott Salon and Spa.

So, the past few days I've been working like a nut trying to make up for my play days.  I was in my studio all day yesterday and today creating and pricing jewelry for the Waygoose.  I'll take photo's tomorrow of some of the pieces and post them on Monday. I'll also give you more information about the new Waygoose opening in Bethesda in Monday's post.

Here is a photo a Yin and Yang necklace that I made.  I love how it turned out.

Yin and Yang Necklace

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!  Thanks for stopping by.  Stacie

Artist of the Week - Beki Lambert

Beki Lambert creates gorgeous handmade handbags and tote bags that come to life with color.  She has a great style and an attention to detail that results in an original work of art.  She works with both vintage and new materials. Beki said she finds her vintage materials at her local thrift stores, on Etsy or from friends and family.

Dottie Vintage Bitty Bag No. 1

This bag is made from a combination of vintage and new materials.  The exterior of the bag is made from a vintage bed linen with a new cotton dotted print lining.  She made the dotted flower brooch detachable so you can use it on the bag or on something else.  Anyone who knows me, knows why I choose this bag to be the first photo to show off Beki's work...I love daisys!

When I asked Beki where here inspiration comes from she said, "My inspiration comes from everywhere.  Once you open your eyes to all the little details around you, it's amazing what you see.  When making bags, sometimes the fabric itself inspires me, other times I come up with things purely out of function."

Dotted Pleated Tote

This pleated tote bag incorporates a colorful dotted fabric on the outside with a golden green textured print on the inside.

Inside peek of the Dotted Pleated Tote

Keri lives in Louisiana with her husband and three children. She has been sewing off and on since childhood, but really started sewing 9 years ago when she became a Mom.  You may have seen her work in books or magazines.  Her work has been published in quite a few publications; for a full list visit her blog artsy-crafty babe.

Not only does Keri create amazing bags, she creates and sells her original sewing patterns as well.  That kind of fascinates me, I can't imagine creating a pattern that really works!  I have used a brown paper bag to create a purse once, but that's about it.  Her patterns and her beautiful bags are for sale at her Etsy shop, artsy-crafty babe. It's great too, because her patterns are available PDF, so you can get instant instructions!

Erica bag pattern

To find our more about Beki and enjoy more of her bags, visit her blog arty-crafty babe. Thanks so much for joining me for the Artist of the Week post!  See you Friday!  Stacie

A Day at the Fair

It was a beautiful day on Sunday, so we headed out to the Frederick County Fair.  The Fair seems to have a personality all it's own. People watching alone can fill a whole afternoon. 

One of the funniest signs was the one outside the pony rides, check it out.

I had to take a picture of it!  I also admit, I"m guilty, I quickly snapped a photo of my daughter on the pony ride!  Hope the fair police don't come after me!  After paying $4.00 for a 30 second ride on a pony, I sort of felt like it was only fair that I capture the moment.

Madison Pony Ride

Madison & Mom

Madison & Madison!

Cool teenager...my son Ryan!

Overall it was a successful day at the fair. We spent a million dollars, kids rode a million rides, and then it was home for showers and dinner.

 This week I am working on jewelry for the new Waygoose Redux. I 've sold my jewelry at the Waygoose for over 10 years and have watched the store grow and move several times now.  I love the selection of American made handcrafted items that are part of the Waygoose.  The store is moving to their new location next week.  I'll talk more about the grand opening and give you all the details in next weeks blog.

I'll be back on Wednesday to write about the Artist of the Week.  You don't want to miss this weeks artist, so make sure to check back on Wednesday!  Thanks for reading.  Stacie

Busy Jewelry Week & New Work Table

I have been busy making new jewelry this week.  I am taking a small group of jewelry to The Muse today.  Here are a few photo's of some of the pieces that I will be dropping off at the shop.

I have a lot of jewelry that I am going to work on this weekend. Here is a peek at a few pieces that were fired in the kiln and tumbled, now I get to see what I will create out of them.

Work in progress!

I forgot to show you the new table that I found a few weeks ago at a Flea Market.  It's a Farm Table from the 1890's.  I love it!  It makes a great work surface, sturdy with a lot of character.  I keep thinking while I am working, who ate on this table???  Makes it kind of fun.

I am looking forward to getting in some jewelry time this weekend.  I am also excited for my Saturday night plans.  My daughter is having a sleepover and my husband is going to be at his brother's 50th birthday golf weekend celebration, so I decided I'm going to pour a glass of wine and sit down to the computer to read all of the other artist's blogs that I've been so wanting to get to.  Then it's off to the County Fair with the kids on Sunday.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  Stacie

Artist of The Week - Cheryl Arkison

Cheryl Arkison's quilts seem to tell a wonderful woven story.  Her blog, Naptime Quilter, will keep you reading and longing for one of her beautiful handcrafted quilts. The first quilt that caught my eye is this colorful and unique bookshelf quilt that she made for an old book club friend to welcome her new baby girl.

Nadine's Bookshelf

As an avid reader and an artist, I find this quilt the best of both worlds!

Cheryl is from Calgary, Alberta Canada where she lives with her husband and her two little girls.  She left her desk job in the environmental field to be a stay-at-home mom with a part-time creative career.  I asked Cheryl to tell me a little about her process and what inspires her wonderful quilts, and this is what she said;

"Most projects start with an inspiration.  That could be anything from a word, a pile of crayons in my hand, nature, a specific fabric, the carpet in a hotel ballroom... Anything, really.  And you never know what it will be. I've got notebooks filled with doodles and sketches.  About 5% actually make it to quilt stage. And it may take years for it to happen. If I've had a concept in my head for a while and it keeps pushing forward at the expense of all others I often give in and go for it.

After inspiration always comes the fabric pull. Arguably, this is one of the most enjoyable parts of quilting. There are no mistakes here and new possibilities can emerge."

Cheryl works with quilting cotton fabric only and as you can see by looking at this next quilt, she really makes the fabric work for her.  This quilt was designed and crafted for her neighbors as a Gratitude gift.  To read more about the story behind this beautiful quilt, stop by her blog and read the Fall Quilt Festival post.

In closing, Cheryl says it best with a tag that she puts on all of her quilts that says "Wash Gently, Love Generously".  I hope you enjoyed meeting Cheryl and discovering a little bit more about the world of quilting.  Thanks for reading.
Stacie

Creative Thursday

Last week, I joined an online community called the Creative Coconuts.  I found the group through the blog Creative Thursday.  Marisa, the creator of Creative Thursday, is an artist and a teacher. Her blog is full of beautiful art and great online classes and workshops.

I am really excited about joining the Creative Coconuts. I don't know about you, but to me the online world feels overwhelming at times.  There are millions of different forums and groups available, but to me it always felt like I was a bit late in joining the group or the group was so large that I couldn't even read the comments let alone participate!  This group is a great size and filled with creative souls.  I already feel like I have made some good friends and have learned valuable information.  I would highly recommend looking into the classes and workshops that are offered through Creative Thursday.

Today is making Clay day!  I am all set up in my studio and ready to go.  Hope you have a wonderfully productive day.  See you Wednesday for the next installment of Artist of the Week!

Stacie

And the Winner is...

Yesterday was my son's 14th birthday; can't believe it!  So, he had the honor of picking the winner of the $50.00 Stacie Jewelry gift certificate.  And the winner is...Michele!  She is excited and shopping in my Etsy store looking for ways to spend her gift certificate.  Thanks to all who entered the contest.

I have been busy making jewelry this week and really enjoying it.  Here are a few pieces that I made.  The first is a special order for a customer, the rest will eventually show up on my Etsy shop.

There are many more pieces that are work in progress.  I have a few watches that I am excited about, one with the bird theme and the other with the black and white zentangle theme.  Can't wait to get them put together. 

Well, off to the studio. See you next week and have a wonderful weekend.
Stacie

Artist of the Week - Cathy Nichols

I discovered Cathy's incredible artwork when I enrolled in an online creativity class through Creative Thursday.  I was so excited to join the group and get to know all the other artists and their work.  I immediately fell in love with Cathy's beautiful art.

Found

Spun

Her work seems reach out and touch your heart and soul.  While researching Cathy's work, I found this description of her work and decided I had to "borrow it".  I couldn't say it better!

"Cathy Nichols is a former Los Angeles artist and illustrator who now lives in New York.  She weaves together melted wax, cut paper, oil paint and gold leaf into visual stories of love, longing and transcendence. Cathy’s subject is often our emotional landscapes and the way that our feelings color the world.  She has a master’s degree in literature and has shown her work in galleries on the east and west coasts."

To find out more about Cathy Nichols and her work visit her blog, Cathy Nichols on blogspot and her Etsy shop, Paintings by Cathy Nichols.

This month, Cathy's original paintings are currently for sale at Nahcotta"s Enormous Tiny Art Show 8 in Portsmouth, NH.  If you are unable to get to Nahcotta, you can go online to view her beautiful paintings at the Enormous Tiny Art Website.

I hope you enjoy visiting Cathy's art as much as I do! Thanks so much for stopping by. 

The Place Where My Heart is Quiet

Don't forget, today is the last day to be qualified to enter the Follow Stacie Jewelry contest to win a $50 Stacie Jewelry gift certificate!

Personalized Name Necklaces

I am introducing a new product line to Stacie Jewelry today; Personalized Name Necklaces.  Each necklace will be custom made using precious metal clay and include a diamond cut sterling silver chain.

A few years ago, one of my favorite customers requested that I make personalized name necklaces for all the employees at her husbands doctor offices.  I really enjoyed creating the necklaces knowing that I was making a special piece of jewelry that was unique to each person.  Over the years, I have had other requests for personalized necklaces.  To be honest, I was always a bit afraid to offer a custom product like this.  With two kids and a husband with a demanding job, my schedule can get really crazy.  This year my son's starting High School and my daughter is in third grade, so they are getting to the age where they understand more when Mom has a special order to work on. So here we go!

If you think you'd like to order a necklace or find out more about them follow this link to my etsy shop,
Personalized Name Necklaces.

Thanks for visiting! Stay tuned for the Artist of the Week post on Wednesday, you won't be disappointed!
Stacie

Clay Crazy!

So, I think I went a little clay crazy.  This past Tuesday was the first day since the kids went back to school that I had the chance to sit down in my studio and create.  Well, I sort of kept on going and going!  Take a look...

See what I mean?

I think I will have enough to keep me busy for a while!  I did finish a few pieces like this Live Laugh Love necklace.  I also worked on a few orders I had for a customer and a special necklace that I am creating for my son's Tae Kwon Do Academy.  The unveiling of that necklace is planned for October, 2nd at the next Black Belt exam.  I can't wait to see what everyone thinks.  I will post a photo of the necklace and a link to the Academy's website after the unveiling in October.  I am really happy about how it turned out.

I also had an exciting moment on Etsy this week, I sold my 50th piece of jewelry!  Very exciting.  The lucky customer who purchased the 50th piece received this charm as a surprise!

Wonder what I should give away for the 75th sale?  Any ideas? I did promise myself that I would reward myself with Photo Shop when I hit the 50th sale.  There seems to be a million different versions of this photo editing software.  Does anyone have any advice on which version is the best to use?  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend!  Stay tuned for a new personalized Stacie jewelry product to be introduced on Monday!

Thanks for stopping by!
Stacie

Artist of The Week - Renee Zemanski

Renee Zemanski has a special creative talent of turning ordinary objects into unique works of Art for your home.  Renee loves the thrill of the hunt for old things that can be brought back to life in a new piece of her artwork.

Renee is not only a talented artist and writer, she is my sister!  We enjoy creating together and learning from each other.  A few weeks ago, she was in my studio and worked on this unique and rustic Believe Sign.  If you like the sign and would like to see more of her work visit her Etsy shop and you will find a collection of One of a Kind Art at Where The Grass is Greener.

Renee also enjoys creating Collage Art, like this beautiful Dream Mixed Media Mini Collage.

I love her use of color and different types of media.  Her work seems to bring to life not only found objects, but paper and words. Renee's excitement for her art comes across beautifully in her designs and sense of style.  If you'd like to find out more about her artwork and design process, take a look at her blog at
Where The Grass is Greener.

I love it when Renee calls from her cell phone on Saturday and Sunday mornings when she is out at the flea markets and tag sales...it's always exciting to hear what fun things she found on her hunt. Next it's fun to read her blog about what she has created out of her finds.  I'm sure you will enjoy her blog and Etsy shop as much as I do!  Have fun!

Thanks for reading!
Stacie