All I want for Christmas is whirled peas...

Save yourself the headaches and fights of battling crowds and 4 am shopping in those big box brick and mortar stores, and give yourself some peace for Black Friday! From now unitl Cyber Monday, buy anything $10 or up in my shop and recieve a free pendant (like the one above, pictures may vary but will be similarly styled to your order)! Just put "black friday" in the notes to seller in checkout. With many necklaces priced at only $10, this is a great chance to get those stocking stuffers and gifts for coworkers done and save big! Happy Holidays!

Kitschy Pendants and Earrings

My new pendants and earrings feature vintage/ retro photos printed on super durable and lightweight plastic. I have everything from squirrels (of course!) to guns to these fun jukeboxes:

Check back to see my flowery and paisley patterned pendants! Coming in the next week! I love paisley more than I love squirrels, believe it or not. xoxo

Drink of the Week

It's raining and gloomy here. I can't take pictures of all the new jewelry I made this week. Which is too bad, because I have some great new stuff. Keep an eye out next week! I will also be having a sale (details announced tomorrow) to coincide with the FAM Back to School Fling. The Fling is and event sponsered by the Fabulous Artistic Moms (FAM), specifically a fun back to school treasure hunt. Visit various FAM stores on Etsy and look for the hidden owl in each shop. You can win FAM bucks, good for merchandise in participating FAM shops (including mine)! For more details, visit the FAM blog.



Sierra is just now finally recovering from her Brown Recluse bites, of which she managed to get not one, but two, this week on her arm. For those of who who don't know, Kentucky, specifically this part apparently, is lousy with these nasty spiders. We have both been bitten on a few occasions since our move here in 2005. I got a crash course in what not to do when bitten when I almost lost my leg to one a month after moving here. Needless to say, we're experts now, and Sierra is fine. But it has been a long week. Our new kitten, Tramp, also went missing, but is found again and also fine.



In addition to all the other activity around here lately, Lea, the exchange student from Germany I found a host family for, arrives Tuesday. We are very excited to meet her and show her around. In the spirit of friendship, my drink recipe of the week is one I created for my lovliest of friends, Andrea, or Dre:



Behold, the most refreshing and tasty of all martinis, and sure to be your favorite too!

Fruit Punch Martini (aka Dre-tini)

1 1/2 oz vodka
3/4 oz triple sec
1 1/2 oz Rose's Watermelon Mixer
splash grenadine
splash cherry juice from maraschino cherries
Shake over ice, strain into chilled martini glass.
Garnish with a orange slice and maraschino cherry.

To chill a martini glass, fill with ice and water before making drink. Dump out right before straining drink into glass. Enjoy!! xoxo

Have a Heart!

After spending a weekend trying some of those drink recipes I've been posting on Fridays, its time to see what that really does to you- mwah haha!! I have several funky new pendants from this rad French alcoholism propaganda ad I found from the 1800's. This one shows the before and after effects of alcohol on organs. I'm sure its all talk though. I mean, what did they know back then, right? I'm sure it's all viscious scare tactics, after all, when I drink, everyone looks prettier!

See this and more in my Etsy shop! Thanks for looking!! xoxo

Feeling Squirrelly?

As promised, I have kitschy new jewelry, some of which features my furry yard rat favorite:

I also have gas pumps, jukeboxes, and more! Stay tuned or visit my etsy shop for more! xoxo

Tales from the technology darkside and crazy hair

Technology hates me. I spent all day yesterday hating Vista, hating Nikon, and hating Sony. Trying to figure out who, ultimately, is responsible for everything technological breaking on me when I want it the most. Bill Gates? Nah, I don't even think he works anymore (don't send me hate mail, I could be wrong). Whoever it is, my internet keeps kicking me off when I am on IM or trying to upload something, my computer keeps freezing up (thanks, Vista), yesterday my camera kept freezing up when I had to take 100 product shots, and my Sony phone keeps doing this thing where anything involving sound doesn't work (which turns out, is everything on a phone).

So what's a girl to do to keep herself occupied when technology fails her? Shave her friend's hair, of course! That's right, my artistic outlet of the day was the mohawk I gave Zak:

Oh, and some new sweet cutout black plastic pendants I made, like this one:

Luckily, the art part of my brain wasn't made by Microsoft.

New Turquoise Jewelry!!

After alot of requests for turquoise jewelry at craft shows, I have spent the last few months searching high and low for the best, top quality turquoise to incorporate into my jewelry. As they started to show up in my mailbox, I bagan to hoard and covet "my precious" until inspiration hit. Well, that day was yesterday, and I have (and will continue all week) to list new high quality sterling silver necklaces and earrings in my shop. Here are some of my favorites:




Be sure to visit my shop to see what else is new, and for my blog readers, this week only, enjoy free shipping on orders over $10 with the coupon code: DASSHIP01

Enter the coupon code into "message to seller" in checkout and wait for a revised invoice before paying. Happy shopping! xoxo

Interview of the week: Melissa Hart, aka catscradle

This week I interviewed Melissa Hart, from catscradle.etsy.com, and found more about this fellow Fabulous Artistic Mom. She is a nature lover, mom of four, talented jewlery artist and breast cancer philanthropist. So pull up a chair and sit in our our coffee talk:

Corinne: Where do you get your inspiration?

Melissa: I do what feels right to me. Some inspiration comes from what I like to wear, and some comes from nature.

Corinne: You call yourself a “southern gal” living in the north. Where do you call home these days?

Melissa: A quiet little town called Ellenburg Depot in the northeast corner of New York state.

Corinne: Do you spend a lot of time outdoors with your kids? It seems all your jewelry is very nature-inspired.

Melissa: I actually prefer to play indoors with my kids--I have two who enjoy playing piano and two who enjoy cooking with me. I like to dream about gardening--we're planning on planting a veggie garden with the kids and I'm working out details for a flower garden as well. I love the colors and shapes nature offers.

I enjoy spending time with my family. If I had to choose an outing, I would spend the day with my husband and our four kids--at the zoo! We all have a wonderful time when we go to the zoo; the kids are always looking to learn something new and my husband and I take advantage of the wonderful photo opportunities.

Corinne: are a lot of jewelers selling their things online. What do you think sets you apart from your competition?

Melissa: I create pieces that I have fun with; if I don't have fun with it, you won't see it in my shop. I feel that each piece I create has a unique buyer and the right buyer will eventually come along.

Corinne: That’s a great attitude! Your style is very young and hip, while still maintaining an elegance. What do you contribute that to?

Melissa: I'm always looking at what's selling in the mainstream and make my own jewelry loosely based on current styles.

Corinne: What materials are you drawn to working in?
Melissa: Silver- or gold-plated copper with glass and natural stone, but I'm extending my sterling silver usage.

Corinne: What piece of yours is your favorite right now?

Melissa: I have two favorites; the carnelian butterfly brooch and a spring-y two-strand necklace with a red jasper cab.

Corinne: One of my favorite things in your shop are these silver stardust turquoise earrings. What is silver stardust? I am enchanted by the hoops but can't quite tell what they are.

Melissa: Stardust is a term that refers to the texture of the hoops. It almost looks like it was rubbed with coarse sandpaper.

Corinne: I find your ACEO’s really interesting also. I noticed this is a pretty popular thing on Etsy. Can you tell me more about these?
Melissa: ACEO is also called ATC. ACEO is "Art Cards, Editions and Originals" and ATC is "Artist Trading Cards." I plan on integrating ACEOs with my greeting cards at first, then maybe selling them as stand-alone pieces of art. I also have several series in mind right now.

Corinne: What do you do to get over creative block or to take a break from creating?

Melissa: I browse the internet, get caught up on e-mail and visit discussion forums.

Corinne: Anything else you want people to know?

Melissa: I've been working with beads for nearly 10 years now, starting with creating rosaries for my parish bookstore. I have extending my bead-working to creating jewelry including bracelets, earrings and necklaces. I am continually looking to learn and perfect new techniques to further expand my line. I hope to begin offering rings in the near future.

Corinne: Do you have a website or blog in addition to your etsy shop?

Melissa: My website is http://www.catscradlecreations.com and my blog is http://blog.catscradlecreations.com. I also have a patterns site at http://patterns.catscradlecreations.com where I post free crochet and knitting patterns.

See Melissa’s jewelry in her Etsy shop: www.catscradle.etsy.com

key to my ART necklaces

My newest necklaces are perfect for Mother's Day and any girl who likes to be a little different! Each features a tiny little vintage padlock, which has been embellished with a nifty metal touch or cabochon, and also doubles as a pendant and clasp. Each necklace comes with a wooden heart keychain and two keys for the lock. The four I have left are all unique and different from each other, so check 'em out before they're gone!! Its not too late to get it shipped for Mother's Day! Order today in my new Etsy store- daydreamartstudios.etsy.com, and get a free hemp choker just in time for summer

My little gnome Hubert says:

Happy spring! xoxo Corinne

Check it out! I got interviewed!

Thanks, Kelly! Kelly Malouf, of Kelly Malouf Designs, interviewed me a couple of weeks ago for her blog. You can read it here. She also makes fabulous jewelry herself. You can check her stuff out on her website.

Here Comes the Sun!

I have seasonal affective disorder, I'm sure of it. I have been moping and puttering around the house for what seems like the longest winter in history, but this week it went from 40 degrees to 80! So I am a happy girl. Make that delirious. Why, you ask? Why, I must be crazy to offer my newest jewelry set at such a steal, especially when I wanted to keep it for myself. Yes, alot of love, meticulous work, and good vibes went into this piece.

Want to see more? Visit the Grand Opening of my Etsy shop online: www.daydreamartstudios.etsy.com

xoxo

I heart Etsy!

I love Etsy! This terrific site is for buying and selling all things handmade, but it goes so beyond that! The members all network and join groups based on interests and helping each other out to be successful. I joined almost two weeks ago, and have already sold two things there, hopefully more to come! I am trying to put a new item in my shop Monday - Friday, and today, in honor of Earth Day, added another creation that combines handmade with recycled parts. See:

TODAY ONLY in my Etsy store I have a secret item with a special super offer- can you find it?

daydreamartstudios.etsy.com

Earth Day treasure

In honor of Earth Day, I thought it was only right if I recycled something in my art. So, my newest necklace, made with love from a vintage prom dress I salvaged for parts:

Gotta love rhinestones!! The skull pendant is one of several that I made by hand, so they are all a little different, and sealed for a super high shine for extra glitz. Since its from recycled and handmade parts, there is only one like it, so if you like- click here to buy. Happy Earth Day! Save the earth- buy recycled!

xoxo

Artist of the Week

My artist of the week is Redd Hynes. She originally stood out with this little contribution to The Grid:

Killing time, I went to read her blog and I have to tell you, this chick cracks me up. Her very funny blog, A Little Piece of the Madness, is a hilarious rambling barage of shout outs to other artists, updates on her son, new jewelry she makes and random thoughts that will keep you laughing and very, very entertained. She claims a phD in "kicking your ass," as her education. What does that tell you? Her website is definately as fun and quirky as the 25 year old self proclaimed "dame" is herself. See?

Her jewelry shop on etsy is chock full of fun stuff at a huge deal. I think she must steal, because everything is crazy cheap for what it is. Seriously, if you see a young chick named Redd running around Canada holding up craft shops, offer to take her out for coffee. You'd have fun, I'm sure. I am digging this squirrel ring in her shop:

Check her out! And while you're on Etsy, wasting time, wander on over to my new Etsy shop there, and tell me what you think! For a limited time, get a free gift with any purchase!

New Jewelry

I have had so much fun playing with polymer clay on my vases, I have started making pendants for my jewelry. The nice thing about this clay is I can make funky, chunky styles I love, but it is still super lightweight. Finished with a super shiny clearcoat, this butterfly necklace really draws attention!

I am also trying out a different store site to sell my stuff, so this piece, and a few others, is in my new etsy store. To buy now, CLICK HERE. All my other jewelry is still available HERE!

xoxo

Fires and Shout Outs

My week started a little rough but things are looking up! You may or may not know that while I enjoy my life of leisure and creativity in the off season, when the tourists are here in our beautiful town cruising the lakes , I work as a bartender. It's an incredibly fun job that I look forward to getting back to all winter. I love the fast paced social-ness of it, the art of mixology, the pride in knowing I make the best martini and manhattan this side of the Mississippi, the different people I meet and the stories they tell. The place I work at, The Cumberland House, was slated to open back up soon, and after meeting with the owners last Thursday, I was going to start my cleanup this Tuesday (yesterday). I had just gotten to my hotel in Chicago when I got the call my bar was on fire. For hours. I spent all weekend worrying after finding out the owner was airlifted to Evansville, and my job didn't seem so important anymore. Dan and Deloris, the couple that own the place, are the nicest people, and thank God, Dan is ok. It was iffy for a day or so, but he is out of the Trauma unit and has only minor burns. He is already talking about reopening, although it may be awhile before I am back to work. Good thing I am creative!! More time to work on my art!

Speaking of my art, I got a shout out today from one of my online blogging friends on her blog! Go check it out, and her beautiful jewelry:

Annette Piper Jewelry http://annettepiperjewellery.blogspot.com/2008/04/autumn-great-art-grid-and-quiz-for.html

New Jewelry

Have you checked out my jewelry yet? I have many super summery bracelets that liven things up! MMMM...I'm thinking warm, sunshiney thoughts already, hoping these 30 degree nights we've had are about to end, and I can start enjoying beautiful Kentucky summers on the beach again. Even Cosmo named the jetty here in our little town between the lakes one of the most romantic places! Can you feel the love?

Clearance Sale this week!

Not only do I have dozens of beautiful jewelry pieces for sale at way below value, but the first 12 people to make a purchase gets a free gift- a handmade, one of a kind hemp choker! Thanks for checking my shop!

xoxo

Starving Artist Sale!

My loss is your gain- and you can have the satisfaction of helping put food on my table! Since I am still not back to work at my regular day job (or evening, as the case may be) we are very broke this week!! We need grocery money, you need beautiful handmade jewelry at rock bottom, fire-sale prices! I really need your help- $15 can feed our family for a day, and I have priced all my high quality bracelets and necklaces to move. All are handmade by me, one of a kind, and very nice! Keep checking- I will be adding new products all week.

Thanks for all your help! xoxo

finally...

Just so noone thinks I have quit making art this week, I dragged myself to the computer to prove otherwise. I fought near death conditions earlier this week, but even that couldn't stop me from painting!! I have spent the better part of the week working on two paintings and making dozens of pendants for new jewelry, but everything I am into lately has several steps of painting, drying, layering, drying, so on and so on. Oh, and I cleaned my studio out and sorted through stuff. No, really. I did. Keep an eye out next week for two finished paintings (maybe three!) and dozens of necklaces and bracelets in my store! Until then, a glimpse of what I have been doing: