Featured Shop-"dvinedesign"

Debbie Vine is the artist and owner behind dvinedesign, a lovely jewelry shop on Etsy.com.

Her accomplishments include a Fine Arts degree from Keystone College in Pennsylvania with a concentration on ceramics, jewelry and sculpture. Her designs certainly show her expertise as she has the most unusual and unique pieces in her shop.  There is one called "Sculptured Flower Pot Vase" that I just love. The detail is amazing!

When you visit dvinedesign you will find a wonderful array of bracelets, necklaces, pendants and earrings all using fine silver and sterling silver as well as gemstones.

Take a peek at where the artist creates her art in the photos below.  Debbie has a wonderful workspace with lots of room for everything she needs. 

I hope you will visit dvinedesign.  You will not be disappointed.

Thank You to My Followers

I have been blogging for some time now and I always take note of new followers and check out what they are up to online. Whether it's a shop on Etsy or Artfire, the Hafteam forum, or just blogging themselves, I like to take the time to get to know a little piece of who you are.

As a thank you for being a part of the "bits and pieces" of my life here on Chris' Comments I would like to showcase 2 more talented followers.

The first one is Sandy of Forbes Farm Gifts.

Sandy is a multi-talented artist that has several shops where she sells her jewelry and crafts. Honestly, it was quite difficult to choose a few pieces to share with you as I truly love her work and got caught up looking around in her shops.  But I think these give you an idea of some of the wonderful gifts Sandy makes.

Bell Flower Earrings:

Made from three acrylic floral beads. The outer purple bead is transparent allowing the yellow color of the inner bead to show through giving an dreamy effect. The third flower is Lavender and centers the piece along with a matching Amethyst colored Swarovski crystal. The entire piece is topped off with antique gold colored leaves and a second Swarovski crystal.
This is a truly a gorgeous earring.  The closeup gives you an idea of all the detail Sandy puts into her pieces.

Hardanger Doily (Simple and Beautiful form of counted-thread embroidery that comes in many patterns):

This doily is done in a traditional design using color fast red cotton thread on white linen material. It took approximately 30 hours to complete. Measuring 9" square or 23 cm, it is the perfect size for a small table or in a grouping with other delicate doilies.

Beaded Parrot on Chainmaille:

Hand beaded using seed beads, bugle beads, Czech fire polished beads and Fire Line nylon thread.  This is absolutely amazing to me how much work goes into something like this and how much it looks just like a parrot. I just love all the colors used too.

Watches by Helen can be found on Artfire.  These are truly beautiful and very unique watches that are custom made to fit just for you.

This is an adorable, beaded silver watch that has purple window glass beads with violet, swarovski crystal beads. These beads are further highlighted by charlotte cut purple seed beads. There's an easy-to-fasten magnetic clasp to fasten the watch.  The silver really sets off these luscious shades of purple.

This is a fun silver watch where the glass has been cut from the iridescent glass to show shiny, clear glass beneath. It makes it look like dots. If you like red you will love this watch but you not only get red but the iridescence brings out green, blue, yellow, and even purple. The red spheres are complimented with red Swarovski crystals to make this watch even more special.

Helen also designs earring to match her watches.  I chose this pair to show you as I love the leopard print and copper and black together is very classic.

These watches  with a matching pair of earrings would really make a wonderful gift for that very special person in your life.

Featured Artist "Makin' the Best of It"

Kim is the multi-talented artist behind Makin' the Best of It, a shop where you will find an array of gorgeous hand painted glassware, home decor and special occasion gifts as well as some of the loveliest jewelry you have ever seen made with only the finest sterling silver.

Kim and her husband Andrew live in New Jersey along with their two boys. They teamed together and started the Handmade Artists Forum because they have a real passion to keep all things handmade from becoming a dying breed of art. If you check out their site you will see for yourself a group of positive, upbeat people supporting and encouraging one another in their endeavor to keep "handmade products" alive. I have been a member of this group for some time now and I can honestly say they care very much about each and every person who comes their way so I hope you will take the time to visit.

Here is a sneak peek at some of the pieces created by Kim. She has a very special gift in that she is blessed with many talents.

This sweet little pendant is so original. The sterling silver cage houses some sea glass that Kim found right on the Jersey shore. I really love the curly loops on the top and the bottom. I am sure there is a fancier name for them, but they really make the design.

This next piece is very intriguing just because of the bell shape. It is actually an old bottle stop that has been frosted through time from the salt water of the ocean. It just doesn't get any better than this. Nature at it's best.

Kim kept the design of sterling silver delicate so as not to take away from the overall affect of the natural lines. That is what makes her jewelry very special in my opinion as she always works with the natural flow.

Painting like this is something I have always wished I could do and I admire artists such as Kim who can just sit down and make something like this butter dish spring to life with these cheerful sunflowers.

Kim can paint anything and I do mean anything. She has some wonderful patterns she offers that can be put on glasses, vases, dishes, stemware. The list goes on. You really must check out her shop and see them as these are just a sampling of her work.

Of course I had to show you the adorable pink flamingo because I am a Floridian and therefore consider myself a connoisseur of flamingos and this one is right at the top.

Wouldn't this make a great gift? Just too cute.

Kim can also work up some beautiful special occasion gifts such as you see in these two examples below. These are custom pieces but they give you an idea of what she can make. Wouldn't you like to have your Mother's Day card preserved? Maybe you have a wedding invitation that you would like displayed? Kim will work with you on the pattern and design and do what she can to make it a very special and personalized gift.

Artist of the Month and Giveaway!

The artist I am featuring for the month of December has become a good online friend so it is a great pleasure to introduce Felicia Kramer of Another Bright Idea.

Felicia and I became acquainted in the DSG (Design Style Guide) forum on Etsy but I soon recognized her wit and talent and began following her blog, Felicia Kramer has Another Bright Idea.

She is a multi-talented, multi-tasking individual with a high energy for life and a real love of art. Her shop is a perfect example of the many facets of Felicia. And, she has generously donated one of these wonderful vintage blocks of distressed red oak with Burgundy ribbon and vintage images of children from her shop as a giveaway today.

All you have to do to enter to win this lovely prize is to comment on this post. A name will be randomly chosen and the winner will be announced on Wednesday, December 23rd.

So, without further ado I would like to give Felicia the opportunity to share some of herself with you through this interview.

Tell me about yourself

I’m the quintessential middle child – right smack in the middle of nine children.
I am single (previously married), no children of my own, but I have a huge extended family and tons of nieces and nephews that I adore. I love being “Auntie Felicia” to all of them! No pets – I used to travel too much. I think about getting a cute little puppy sometimes, but … not yet.

What led you to selling online?

I’ve been on Etsy just over a year. I found Etsy while recuperating at home from yet another back surgery (I have had four, and that’s a story for another day). I had plenty of time to surf the net so I started investigating Etsy, made the decision and opened my shop about a year later.

What is your favorite kind of art to do?

What day of the week is it? Seriously, though, I absolutely love doing digital collages and altered photographs, although I don’t think I’ll ever learn everything there is to know about Photoshop and Illustrator. Lately, though, I had the urge to work more with my hands instead of the computer, so I really enjoyed making the Christmas wooden blocks, pine cone wreaths and other Christmas items. I have some great ideas for some home décor items and nature collages to work on after the holidays.

The above piece is called "In the Light of the Moon". It is an 8 x 10 Limited Edition Digital Collage.

The wooden blocks in the picture below are painted, distressed, and decorated with vintage Christmas letters spelling out “LOVE” on one side and rub-on decorations on the back.

What is your favorite piece currently in your shop?

Awww … that’s like asking a mother which child is her favorite! However, I do love my Robin’s Egg Blue Pinecone Wreath. It’s quite large (24” diameter) and the color is just delicious! The delicate beaded garland and white bow soften the look.

This digital piece is also a favorite, maybe because lilacs remind me of my childhood home and my Mom. Lilac (Tinkerbell) Buds Digital Photo Collage Print

What was the most difficult piece to make, and why?

Most difficult? I think in general the digital collages and altered photographs are the most difficult, simply because there’s so much to learn about Photoshop and Illustrator. The creative possibilities of those programs are infinite.

Aside from your business, do you have any hobbies?

When I’m not doing my art, thinking about my art, or thinking about doing my art, I love to garden (in the summer, of course!). I like refinishing furniture (several projects await!) And I have a huge project in line after the first of the year: family genealogy charts and a huge family album with all the photos, ephemera, and letters left to us by our parents. And if I think my bionic back will let me, I would like to do some traveling.

Who or what inspires you?

No question, nature inspires me. I enjoy living in Michigan because the change of seasons is so striking and breath-taking here. And even though I don’t like the cold of winter, I have to admit a newly fallen snow day is beautiful, especially at Christmas time.

This stunning Autumn Scented Wreath is one of my favorites in Felicia's shop as you can see I have it on the side of my blog.

It can be hung on a door or wall and also used as a centerpiece. It really is a beautiful wreath and would be a wonderful accent anytime of the year.

What would you like people to know about you.

I always wanted to be an artist, but I was never encouraged to pursue it seriously. I finally enrolled in college at the ripe old age of 30 and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Michigan State University. And now, finally, after having gone through several other careers to pay the bills, I’m retired and can devote all my time to my art. I consider that a thoroughly enjoyable luxury.

I chose 3 more pieces from Felicia's shop to share, but it was a very difficult choice as I truly admire all of her work. You can see her love of nature is ever present in her work. She has an eye for the details that many of us would miss.

I encourage you to stop by her shop and see for yourself the endless talents of Felicia Kramer.

Tell me about your work area.

About 15 years ago I bought my first home – a 1-bedroom condo. A very small loft area was the only room available for my studio, and I knew it would not be enough space. So I had the floor extended as far as I could – although it’s still a small space - and then worked with a designer at a big box store for the built-ins. I found a cabinet style that had matching pieces for kitchen, bedroom, and office so I was able to design it specifically for my needs. There’s a desk station with file drawers, a sewing area with fabric storage, bookcases, large pantry storage for art supplies, and two custom storage/work tables on wheels. And I have every bit of it filled! I could still use a bigger work area because I pull EVERYTHING out when I’m working. The first four photos were taken when the remodel was first completed. It’s quite a bit messier right now – as you can see in the last photo!

This has to be the best studio I have ever seen and I have seen a few.

All the cupboards and shelves and divided work areas are an artists dream.

Felicia has so many varying interests that it only makes sense that she would have a fabulous work area such as this. How in the world would she be able to keep her many different types of art separated otherwise. You did a great job designing this one!!

You can also find Felicia at the following sites:

My facebook business page: www.facebook.com/anotherbrightidea
I have a zazzle shop but there’s not much in it yet; I’m still working at filling it.
www.zazzle.com/anotherbrightidea