Quote of the week

I'll make it short today.

A fashion magazine, a photographer, a doubtful editor - and a new face, accidentally found in a antique book store.

Do you read fashion magazines? Well, let me tell you that ...

Jo: It's chi-chi and an unrealistic approach to self-impressions as well as economics.

Maggie: We are going to have trouble. She's a thinker.

Dick: She's also a talker.

Jo: Sie sind eine unwirkliche Beeinflussung des Zeitgeschmacks um ökonomischer Vorteile willen.

Maggie: Es wird Schwierigkeiten geben, sie kann denken.

Dick: Sie kann auch noch reden.

Of course Jo, the ugly duckling, turns into a beautiful swan later and of course Dick, the photographer, falls in love with her ... this might not be a movie of hard to predict scenes, but sometimes romance is just what you need ...

Funny Face, USA, 1957

Alive and kicking

Kind of.

Not much new in my world. I still can't tap dance or own a 3 star restaurant.

The cats still drive me crazy and today Meffi stole my milk. Nothing like hearing a little lapping sound next to you and discovering a tiger head in your mug. I wish I had had a camera on me then, the look she gave me when I asked her what she was doing was incomparable and showed me my limits in this house once again.

I am working on a looming project at the moment, you might get to see pictures soon. Actually I got something on both of my looms, but I ran out of gunmetal colored beads. Never thought that would happen as whenever I put in a bead order, there's gunmetal and black in there. I guess the cats took them to gaslight me.

Picnik is closing down and I'm really still very upset about it. No matter if it's shampoo, my favorite cookies or my favorite photo editor, sooner or later they take it away from me. Mostly when I just got really, really addicted. Ok, it's weird to be addicted to shampoo. I mentioned it first because they did it to me three times already!

Today I got mail, my free sample of Preciosa Ornela twin beads. I have no idea what to do with them yet, but a gift, especially if you forgot about ordering it already, is always nice!

Sorry for the bad picture, they are still in their bag.

Enough random thoughts for today. I think the dishwasher is ready to be emptied. What an exciting life I lead sometimes! ;-)

Interview with the artist - Sue from Dala Horse

Today please welcome Sue from Dala Horse.

I remember well when I set eyes on one her pieces, unfortunately not in real life, but on our jewelry forum for the first time. Sue's jewelry is unique and beautiful and the way she captures animals shows her connection to the animal world.

It's hard to pick my favorite among her collection, but one of them certainly is this gorgeous raven pendant.

Let's give the word to Sue now however, shall we?

Tell us a little about who you are and where you come from.

I am John's wife, mother of 3 grown kids, Dan, Jeff and Devon, 2 cats, Lily and Mia, a guinea pig named Grey Ears or Grey for short, and a black and white bunny named Benjamin. In short I'm an animal nut. I was born in Miami, Florida, but have lived in Ohio since I've been a wee one. We live in a rural suburb called Morrow ... our house is on 8 acres and we have an abundance of wildlife that occupies our surroundings ... like foxes, skunks, deer, hawks, groundhogs, bunnies, wild turkeys, stray cats from time to time. Thank goodness I'm an animal lover!

What's your craft/art and how did you get to do it in the first place?

My art would be jewelry design and creation ... I began doing wirework and beadwork exclusively and branched out into silversmithing. With the help of a local mentor, Ted, also known as Smithy from then SJA forum, now JAC, I learned how to solder using oxygen and propane. My first torch experience was with hand held butane torches and solder paste ... I learned how to solder myself, in the basement, but not very well. Smithy taught me the fine points. I now work out of a studio in Dayton, Ohio ... Mythic Silver. Dave Brand and Sandra Picciano-Brand are the resident jewelry artists there ... they are awesome folks and wonderful teachers! My first stop at the local bead shop was to buy crystals, beadwire, crimpers and pliers to make a bracelet ... truth be known ... my husband does all my crimps and drilling (he's a mechanical engineer and former machinist ... he's my quality control guy and teacher, too). Even years ago one could spend a lot of money at a bead shop and lose track time ... bead shop time warp.

Trilobite pendants, made with the lost wax casting technique

I think this is one of the most asked questions - where does your inspiration come from?

Everything and anything ... I'm a visual person with a very overactive imagination ... I need to start writing ideas down because I get great ideas ... then other great ideas take their place and lots of cool stuff goes unrealized.

Tell us a fun thing about yourself.

Hmmmm ... self proclaimed lunatic and experimenter ... also love to shop ... hopelessly addicted to clearance shopping! Also Sci-Fi and horror movie junkie.

Do you do other crafts, if yes, what?

Not at present. I would like to try my hand at leather tooling.

Which one of your pieces is your absolute favorite? Which one was the hardest to make and why?

My favorite would be my Wolf Totem pendant ... I love how he turned out, especially the beadwork I did for that piece ... everything came together beautifully. The hardest piece was the one I thought would be the easiest ... that's always how things go for me ... each and every piece has its quirks ... thank goodness for these pieces though because they are the best teachers.

Is there someone whom you admire and who inspires you?

Buddha and the teachings of Buddhism. "Wisdom is the best guide and faith is the best companion. One must try to escape from the darkness of ignorance and suffering, and seek the light of Enlightenment." (His Holiness the Dalai Lama)

Another inspiration is St. Francis, patron saint of the animals. I love the Prayer of St. Francis ... I start my day out with it.

If you had free choice of one supply you need for your craft/art, what would it be?

Sterling silver sheet in a bunch of different gauges.

Do you sell online, if yes, where can we find you?

Etsy is where you can find me ... at Dala Horse.

Is there anything you feel you need or want to tell the world outside now?

Hmmmm .... might have to get back to you on that one ... oh ... I do have a giveaway coming soon, so visit my blog and enter to win.

You better do that because look what Sue is giving away - Moonshine the Rabbit pendant. Isn't it gorgeous?

Moonshine the Rabbit - the cab is obsidian

Quote of the week

It helps to know that today's movie is a parody of Elvis and spy movies, with the The Blue Lagoon generously thrown in as well.

It features an adorable young Val Kilmer and is pure nonsense, but still kind of fun. All I say is Zucker, Zucker and Abrahams. If you know them, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Kilmer plays a young rock'n'roll singer coming to East Germany who finally ends up with the French resistance ... and Hillary.

Nick: Look. I'm not the first guy who fell in love with a woman he met at a restaurant who then turned out to be the daughter of a kidnapped scientist, only to lose her to her childhood lover whom she'd last seen on a deserted island and who turned out, fifteen years later, to  be the leader of the French underground.
Hillary: I know. It all sounds like some bad movie.
[Long pause. Both look at camera.] 

Top Secret!, USA, 1984

More wire knit - a sneak peek pic

I think I'll need an intervention.

I'm sorry if you are getting bored, but at least I moved from bracelets to a collar now.

AND I did my laundry and the litter boxes and some more stuff, so I don't have a bad conscience about neglecting things.

I'm so easy to please these days ... give me some glass beads, a whole lot if possible and I'll spend some happy hours.

Interview with the artist - Star from Colt Pixy

I'm really happy to welcome a very talented lady on my blog today. You have heard about her before, I have more than one of her great polymer clay pieces, like my beloved dragon Tomomi and her pal, the octopus, a flower snail, and then there are the pieces that went to friends and family, like the bunny butts or an adorable little owl.

Talent is not all she has got, though, she's also a lovely person. I'm very glad to have met her online.

Tell us a little about who you are and where you come from?

I am ColtPixy. Most people call me by my middle name, Star. I currently reside in beautiful Middle Tennessee, US. 

What's your craft/art and how did you get to do it in the first place?

I mostly sculpt nowadays, but like doing just about anything with polymer clay. Years ago I was a stained glass and mosaic artist. My work was sold in 4 stores in Tennesee and Alabama and I taught mosaic classes in both states. Then an injury caused me to lose the use of my thumb for 6 months. It was my doctor who encouraged me to create with clay, I chose polymer clay and fell in love with it.

I think this is one of the most asked questions – where does your inspiration come from?

One of my favorite sources of inspiration is just talking with friends. Sometimes an offhand remark will give me an idea. Especially when we are not even talking about creating anything at all. I like to think of them as my real live Muses.

Do you do other crafts, if yes, what?

I draw, paint, I love to work with a quill and ink. Stained glass, mosaics. I like hand sculpting with concrete. I can tufa, but like concrete better. I sew a little. Needlefelt. A little beading. Embroidery. Wood burning, carving. Weaving. Lost wax silver casting. There is not a lot that I have not tried actually. I believe that one thing can lead to another and so on. I love learning and mastering new things. It makes me feel alive.

Which one of your pieces is your absolute favorite? Which one was the hardest to make and why?

My favorite has got to be this Octopus...

The hardest to make would be the passion flower. Figuring out how to make it as close to the real thing as possible and yet make it a strong sculpture.

Is there someone whom you admire and who inspires you?

Too many people to list and I am not going to try for fear of leaving any of them out.

If you had free choice of just one supply you need for your craft/art, what would it be?

Polymer clay.

Do you sell online, if yes, where can we find you?

Yes, my shop is at ColtPixy.

Hop over there, guys, and you'll find some amazing stuff. Her latest passion are the snails one of which I'll show you here. Isn't that adorable? It's hard to show you more because Star's snails are not slow. They fly out of her hands and that's no surprise to anyone who knows her and her gorgeous work!

Maeve the pixie snail racer

Quote of the week

You know that I use this "quote of the week" thing as an excuse to go over my old DVDs and to watch movies again, right? That way when someone asks me why I buy DVDs (I haven't arrived in the Blu-ray age), I can always say that they don't just fill up a shelf and collect dust.

I seem to remember seeing today's movie on a USA vacation for the first time. I laughed, I was surprised, touched ... and I needed tissues.

One of my favorite quotes is when Frank Bennett meets Idgie Threadgoode for the first time.

Frank: I must say, you're looking mighty fine today.

Idgie: You a politician, or does lying just run in your family?

Fried Green Tomatoes, USA, 1991

What a perfect quote for our times .......

By the way, I once tried the recipe for the fried green tomatoes, it was yummy!