Interview with the artist - Eirini from Drømme Lund

Today we'll get to know a little more about Eirini from Drømme Lund. She makes beautiful wire trees.

One that caught my eye in particular is the Fire Opal Willow. Can you imagine how it must sparkle in the light?

Erini, your turn now!

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

My name is Eirini Konstantopoulou. I was born and raised in Greece, but I moved to Denmark on March 2011. I am living in a small town called Thisted, with my husband and cat.

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

Ten years ago I had a female friend who used to make copper wire tree sculptures just to pass the time. Since I am a creative person who loves nature, I asked her to show me how to make them. At first I must admit I was pretty bad, but after years of practise I managed to learn the craft and find a new technique that worked better for me.

Back then I was living in Athens, a big city away from nature. I was feeling quite miserable and my escape was making wire tree sculptures and write fantasy stories. I just put on some medieval themed music, let my mind free and started creating. This escape rested my mind and soul while I was taking a break from the chaotic life of a big city. After some years my life changed completely when I fell in love with a Dane. I moved to a small city in Denmark, got married and decided to share my craft with the rest of the world.

It was then that I realised that the only profession that felt fulfilling was creating. Living in a small town, around nature, unwound my creativity a lot.

So Drømme Lund was born which means Dreamy Grove. At this point I must refer to an essential part of the Grove; my husband who does all the woodwork. I am not that good with a saw, I must admit :)

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

Inspiration comes to me in various forms; books, music, fantasy, movies, seasons, can be anything really. Sometimes I get inspired by finding a certain charm or some beads that I really like.

The most important form of inspiration is nature itself and the wire I use. It might sound a bit weird, but when I create each sculpture, most of the times I get lost in it and the wire itself "tells" me how to proceed. That is why I can't produce any exact copy of a previous sculpture I've made. All of them are unique in their own way and I believe they have a character of their own.

Frosty Moonlight Dream

Tell us a fun thing about yourself.

I guess the most fun thing about me is being a Gemini :P Two different personalities can be fun sometimes, especially when they are balanced. Since I am at peace with myself, I found this quite fun :)

Do you do other crafts, if yes, what?

Lately I have been needle felting. I am not that good yet and I have no idea where it will take me. I have a lot of fun doing it though and in the future we'll see where it takes me.

In the past I used to draw, mostly with pencil. I was not at all good at it, still it was a great way to express myself. Another thing that I love to do, even now, is writing fantasy stories, since that is not a craft, I will only say that when I write it's like living another life through a different person's perspective.

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

It's really hard to choose a favorite. All my pieces have a special place in my heart. If I had to choose though, it would be the Tree Lantern. The shadows that it produces are amazing. It's like walking into a forest of old.

Tree lantern

The hardest would definitely be the Haunted Window I made for Halloween. It was one of the first Dreamy Windows I made. All the shapes were cut by using a pair of scissors and the witch was particularly hard to cut. My only guide was a piece of paper stuck on the fabric and since she is rather small, it was so hard to do some details.

Haunted window wall plaque

Is there someone whom you admire and who inspires you?

A particular person, no. Mostly it's other people's work that inspire me. You will see, for instance, pieces inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's work, Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas and Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.

If you had free choice of just one supply you can use for your art/craft, what would you be dreaming of, no matter how expensive?

I would have to say precious stones. Emeralds, diamonds, and the list goes on.

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

I mostly sell online. You can find my shop on Etsy at Drømme Lund and you can find me hanging around my facebook page as well.

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

I would like to say a big thank you to all the people who have supported me and my work. A special thank you to my lovely husband for his endless support and to a very special friend that has been immensely helpful and kind to me from the very start; Kirsten Miller from Quernus Crafts.

Drømme Lund has expanded so much the last year. I am hoping to see more people leaving their cares behind and walk into the lands of fantasy with me.

Last but not least I would like to say that all of us should tread into the paths of nature with outmost resprect. The beauty you will find within is stunning and it deserves to be protected and cared for, for we are only visitors passing through this world. Let's all preserve this beauty and make it our legacy.

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!

Stuck

I'm stuck.

There are the things that I have to do (cleaning litterboxes or doing laundry, writing e-mails which actually also belongs in the second category), there are things I want to do (looming, crocheting, reading, playing computer games, having someone else cook for me) and there are the things I feel obliged to do ... and that's where I'm stuck. I'm still working on my move from ArtFire to Zibbet. Most of it is done, but not all and I can hear the little woman in my ear nagging to get it done.

I'm afraid she's not going to let me off the hook.

Last night I sat here trying to make a looming pattern, but I kept being distracted by one of the few pieces I want to rework. Then I remembered another piece that was still waiting downstairs for its "surgery" and the one I still need to take photos of ... deeeeep breath.

Baby steps will do the trick and then I'll be back to tell you stories about the cats and show you new loomed pieces and maybe I can even announce I folded my laundry and learned the cat language. A girl can dream, so can an old witch like me.

Even Esme feels she needs to calm me down! ;-)

Two souls alas ...

are dwelling in my breast, said good old Faust. Not that I remember much of Faust, I'm not a Goethe fan and when our German teacher asked in our last year which play we wanted to talk about, I was the only one not voting for Faust. As always I'm digressing, sorry.

Do you sometimes feel there are two souls in your breast?

The other day I felt that way when looking at two of my latest designs. They couldn't be more different from each other and still I've been told it's not hard to see that I made both of them.

You know what? Maybe there is just one soul, too playful to want to be strapped down. I think it's lot of fun to let your creative soul wander. From serious to silly, from simple to complicated, from modern to old-fashioned. They can all be facets of you and it would be a pity to hide them.

Lion head pendant

Queenie

Lady Eleanor

Sleepy Star

Grape pie

 

Interview with the artist - Christina of Plantie Bee's

One of the things I love about the internet is that I get to meet interesting people. Talented people. Lovely people.

One of them is Christina. I'm really happy about having met her and her paintings through our European guild blog. She's a painter, but I think she can tell you about that a lot better herself.

Circe - Keeper of the Golden Fleece

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

Well! My name is Christina, and I was born in the little suburb town of Gaithersburg, Maryland. I grew up with the typical artist story: I drew all the time! It was always what I loved doing and what I had a passion for. I got more detentions in school for drawing on my desk than for anything else ;). When I was a Senior in high school I took AP Studio Art and worked all year on my portfolio and applied to several art schools. However, despite being accepted into all of them my family couldn't afford to send me. I was pretty devastated, and shortly after my 18th birthday I moved to Berlin, Germany for "life experience" as I called it and completely stopped drawing. From there I moved to England, and several years later have landed myself in Sweden! My fiancé knew my passion for art and pushed me back into painting.

Everything you see now is a result of that! Relearning, experiencing, finding a style, and finding my vision :)

Christina and her latest work in progress at the time of the interview - I already know I love it!

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

Right now I am an acrylic painter! Though that wasn't always the case. I was once a master of color pencils in my earlier years and had no grasp of wet mediums whatsoever. The summer I was 17 I spent months using up all the acrylics I had been giving as gifts, practicing portraits. That's where I got my base idea of shading and blending with them. Everything has been one big trial and error since then, constantly learning!

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

I have always had an obsession with beauty and beautiful things. Someone once told me that as an artist the way for us to feel like we own something, is to paint it. That's where my inspiration comes from - the things I find beautiful and appeasing to the senses coupled with whatever meaning/message/feeling embodies it.

Tell us a fun thing about yourself.

Oh boo, I'm actually quite boring. My fiancé wants me to tell you that I have the drinking tolerance of a grown man, but I think that might be too much fun. For me, maybe that I have been a terrible MMO addict in the past and love playing a healer in most games :P That's more nerdy fun.

Do you do other crafts, if yes, what?

I do a bit of knitting! I made a decision that for my New Year's Resolution every year, instead of taking a habit away from myself, I'd teach myself something new. When I was a teenager, that was knitting, it's very relaxing ^^

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

My favorite would have to probably be my recent piece "Song for Spring - Canary" because it is what set me off in a more mature style, helping me learn skin shading, hands, portraiture. I really love having it around, it makes me smile. The hardest one ... lol, that's difficult to say. I always complain about a project in length at some point. It's a tie between "Winter Guardian" (which was a digital piece (remark of the interviewer: the first painting of Christina's that I fell in love with)) and "Snow Dance: Red Crowned Crane" as her face was like a never ending punishment to get right :P

Aedhen: Winter Guardian

Is there someone whom you admire and who inspires you?

Yes! The painter Jasmine Becket-Griffith. During the early stages of me getting back into art I found her randomly on Etsy. Her acrylic paintings are truly fantastic, but it's more than just her ability to paint profound and unique characters ... It is her complete business which she has started up and built on her own as an independent artist. She's incredibly inspiring to me in all ways!

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

Lol, well, I always need paint, but that seems too easy, so I'll be more specific. A large bottle of titanium white. Even if it's the blackest of paintings somehow I always use up globs of it and it's the color I've had to replace the most.

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

I sure do! You can find my paintings on Zazzle here - Plantie Bee's

And I am currently making plans with my art supplier in Malmö for giclee prints for my Etsy shop, so stay tuned!

You'll find me here - Plantie Bee's.

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

I am really happy with where my art has come from and to where it is going. I hope people out there like my paintings and will follow my progress and be there to support me on this grand journey :)

I could always use the company, hehe.

Thank you so much for the interview, Christina. I know I'll be there to follow you!

Quote of the week

Today's my last day before going back to work. What better movie to choose one about a vacation?

Although I have to say, mine was probably a little more relaxing. I didn't have to deal with teenagers, son-in-laws and their future bosses or adventures in a sailing boat ... or a pump ...

Mr. Hobbs as narrator:

"A hush falls over the crowd as Hobbs' shrewd eyes take in the intricacies of the complicated machine at a glance. Then his strong, skillful fingers, as sensitive as those of a surgeon, make their first sure contact with the key valve."

See for yourself what happens to the "surgeon" ...

Mr. Hobbs takes a vacation, USA, 1962

Five hours ago ...

... I was terribly tired. It was too late for a nap and too early for bed.

Now I'm suddenly awake again and still sitting here trying to get things done. Monday it's off to work again and I guess I feel as if I have to pack stuff into the days before that, only the more stuff I'm packing, the less I unpack again to actually get it done.

It's not as if I haven't done anything today and it's not as if I didn't have an excuse for the time when I didn't do anything and by the way, who cares if I do anything in the middle of the night?

Everyone around here is asleep but me.

Know what? I think I'll treat myself to a drink and then decide what I want to do.

Oh, by the way ... my excuse! ;-)

I'll be watching you

My inner playchild came out and, well, played. Nuff said.

I'll be watching you - Wire crochet eye pendant

A new year - a new technique

Actually this wouldn't be a new technique for me if I right away had followed the whole tutorial I once got from Yoola Design, but you know me, being playful and impatient I don't deal with tutorials well and this has nothing at all to do with the tutorial itself, just me *inhaling deeply* That had to be said first.

Maybe it just came at the wrong time for me, though.

Now someone suggested the subject "New techniques" for the year's first blogring of my jewelry team on the Jewelry Artisans Community (no names will be told) and I had to think of something. It's not as if there isn't anything on my list, but none of it would fall into the urgent category, so I was pretty much at a loss at first.

Then I remembered this technique, though. I have seen it described as wire crochet (it's different from the wire crochet I have done so far) or as wire knitting. The finished product looks like a knit piece to me, but you can't grip the wire well with knitting needles, a crochet hook works much better. It also reminds on working on a knitting spool, just without the spool, and you can't just make tubes, but also flat pieces.

Actually that is what I have been making, bracelets and a necklace. This year has only just begun, I have time to try different items, I hope.

Let me show you what I have so far.

This was my first attempt. You can tell by the irregularity of the stitches. I had planned to make a simple bracelet without any extras, but I couldn't stop myself, so instead I made a long strip of wire whose edges I then crocheted together so that I could fill the bracelet with small beads.

This bracelet is by no means perfect, but I learned a lot from it already and I'll keep the design in mind.

My second attempt called for a slightly thicker wire and beads. What a nice coincidence it was that I still had the blue seed beads on the dark blue wire. Yes, this was certainly getting addictive as it turned out so nicely.

Now I started wondering if it would also work with bigger beads. A while ago I had gotten myself a few tubes of large Miyuki cubes not even knowing what I wanted to use them for.

I chose the silver-lined clear cubes and teamed them up with black wire. I wasn't all that happy about the cubes along the edges, though. It was ok, but round beads would have looked better ... or maybe no beads at all?

This took me to my next piece and this time I decided to really dig in. Bright red Miyuki cubes and clear AB finish Swarovski crystals ... bling, bling, bling. Believe me, these pictures might give you a vague idea, but they can't show the sparkle. What I like a lot is also how the cubes give the cuff a nice weight and still leave it slinky.

You know how I always seek to use up my stash? Well, here we go. Hm, more cubes. I really have to go and look for some round beads next, huh?

I'm not the only one in my team trying out a new technique. Please also visit:
Jewelry Art by Dawn
Bead Sophisticate 

Oh, and by the way, I just had a new idea for cuff #3. I still have those blue cubes somewhere ... stay tuned!

Dein Helfer, Lesson #2

Do you remember this little booklet?

Shortly after New Year is a time when many people try to get organized, in their lives, in their heads and what should be the easiest task, in their home.

Let me help you bit with that by offering you sound advice on things you never knew you couldn't live without until now.

Today I picked a beautiful example for everyone dealing with precious cut flowers. Sorry, I can't tell you what flowers exactly are meant by that, maybe magic flowers that can heal, or dancing and talking flowers like the ones in Andersen's fairy tale "Little Ida's flowers" which I love very much, but now I could have told Ida how to make her flower friends last a little longer ...

"To protect precious flowers from withering all too soon, they have to be kept carefully. The best way to accomplish this is to wrap each individual blossom in newspaper overnight. The paper may not be touched by the water and the flower stems may not touch the bottom of the vase."

Wow. In that case I don't think I would want a fifty red rose bouquet from my husband! ;-)