New Supplies Listings

I have started sculpting snakes and listing them as supplies in my Etsy shop. They can be used to create your own works of art. Each one is a OOAK, signed and dated.

A Bubblegum Corn Snake

This little guy was a special order for a special little girl named Olivia. Her mom had seen my Green Tree Snake listing in my Etsy shop and contacted me with some pictures of Olivia's corn snake... I was very pleased with my creation. Apparently she liked it too because I shipped it out today.
It was a fun project to do. Olivia, I hope you love it!

Time to go to work!

With the holiday season fast approaching, it is time for this lazy artist to go to work creating some unique jewels. I plan on designing some larger, deep colored and bold pieces for fall and winter fashion. The new fasion trends call for bold! Most importantly it calls for unique which is my trademark. Each one of my designs are one of a kind and they are signed and dated on the back. Since each piece of jewelry is made by hand, no two are ever alike. New Fall and winter jewels will appear in my Etsy shop after the Labor Day weekend is over. I invite you to visit often to see the new Jewelry accessories as I list them.

Riley

Of course, Ethan's sister, Riley, is always a little lady!

Super Agent E 10 (Ethan)

Ethan seems to never have a clean face! The boy certainly loves his food!

Etsy

Even though sales have been slow, people are still browsing my Etsy shop but it seems like they are spending less. I have some new lower priced items that I've just listed in the hopes that sales will pick up a little. I've been working with memory wire which makes some very easy to wear summer jewelry...just pop it on and pull it off! There are many different styles for every outfit. I can also make custom color combinations. Just contact me through the convo link at my shop.

Plums

The plums are delightfully sweet and juicy this year, as demonstrated in this image of my grandson, super agent E10 (Ethan). Wouldn't it be wonderful to not have to grow up, able to be child like all your life, to not care about making a mess, to play in mud puddles and get caked with the brown muck, to eat a chocolate ice cream cone and have a mustache, to eat a piece of juicy fruit and look like you've really enjoyed it. Is it not wonderful to be a grandmother and send your grandchild home looking like he really enjoyed the day?

New Earthly Pendants Line

I can't seem to stop experimenting with my polymer clay. A while ago, I got hooked on cracked glass marbles and I've been obsessed with round things ever since. I decided, quite by accident, that I would make a line of "Planets" as pendants. Well I mixed up a bunch of a golden tan polymer clay and then I add all the earthly colors ... blue, brown, a touch of green to outside of the unbaked base color and blend it in gently with my fingers while rolling it after each application to view what I have and how much more it needs. I then apply paper thin pieces of white for the clouds, and blend that in. I then bake them, glaze them and add the hand made gold spriral wire setting. It's quite a process but I think they turned out beautiful. I have just listed them in my Etsy store and there are more to come. The second pendant can be seen in this Etsy listing. What a great way to show concern for our Planet, I thought.

Marbles

I came across this beautiful fractured marble at my local bead shop a couple of weeks ago. I found out that they are wonderful when strung onto memory wire because the memory wire makes them sit in the natural hollow of the neck.
I have put this blue one on silver plated memory wire with silver plated and glass beads. It will fit up to a 19 inch neck. You can see more of it in my Etsy store, where you will find some of my other new memory wire listings. Enjoy...

Words To Live By

Handle every stressful situation like a dog.
If you can't eat it or play with it,
pee on it and walk away.

Spring is finally here

I think Sring has finally arrived in Western Montana. It is still cold at night, in the low to upper 20's, but it warms up in the afternoon to the 50's and 60's. The grass is finally throwing off new green shoots and the horses are just loving it. They jump, run and play as if they too, are celebrating the arrival of Spring. My resident Magpies are busy renovating last year's nests. They have nested in the same tree, just outside my window, for the last 8 years. They usually have 3 to 4 offspring every year and I am looking forward to seeing the new babies. They seem to trust me enough by now to let me help them look after the new ones.
Easter is tomorrow. Where has the last month gone? It will be a wunderful day. The grandchildren, Riley and Ethan, will be here and I can't wait to see the look on their little faces when I give them each their giant, soft and fluffy, stuffed bunny.
Happy holidays to all. Be safe and enjoy one another's company.

Steampunk Airship

Steampunk fascinates me! I was totally engrossed in the movies 'The league of Extraordinary Gentlemen' and 'Skycaptain and the World of Tomorrow'. If you have not seen these movies, they are worth watching. I find the whole 19th century, industrial revolution genre quite addicting. I have just discoverd a lot of Steampunk in the game Final Fantasy too. Very interesting.....anyway, here is a little sculpture that I created this weekend of a Steampunk Airship. All I can say is that I had a blast making it. It is for sale in my Etsy store if you would like to see more pictures or purchase it. It is a signed and dated one of a kind.

The Encounter

While walking through the forest
On a beautiful Spring day
I came upon a meadow
I believe it was in May.

The wildflowers were blooming
The colors so vivid and bright
I was hoplessly enchanted
I stayed far into the night.

I couldn't help but wonder
How this meadow could be so lush
When I heard a sound a'stirring
In the thick underbrush.

I sat there very quiet
When much to my surprise
A little Gnome came forward
The moon twinkling in his eyes.

He carried a rake and shovel
The tools of his trade
He went to work very quickly
And what a commotion he made.

He snipped and he clipped
Made each blade of grass stand tall
Then he slowly stepped back
And admired it all.

He looked up at the sky
And suddenly there came
A small, dark cloud
And it began to rain.

The rain was a soft mist
Just a very gentle shower
So as not to harm the petals
On even a single flower.

Suddenly, he looked over
And saw me sitting there
He smiled and winked at me
Showing no fear or care.

He walked around again
This time without a rush
When all of a sudden
He disappeared into the brush.

I awoke the next morning
Not believing what I had seen
For I was fairly certain
This had all just been a dream.

I started to rise
It was time to go home
T'was then I saw the sign
It read,'Planted by a Gnome'.

Angelika Joy

Copyright 2006

It's A Boy

Little Dragon Whelps peeking out of their egg is my newest addition to my Dragon Eggs. I started making dragon eggs a couple of weeks ago for my grandkids and I've had so much fun making them that I now can't stop. This little green guy is a special order for a client, should she decide to adopt him and the orange one is in my shop. There will be more to come in my Etsy shop. Next...packaging...what will they live in?

Some Fun Stuff

Dragon's Eggs...fun stuff to sculpt! I have decided to do more sculpture to feature in my Etsy shop . I have been working on some Dragon Eggs which my grandkids just love. They are totally mystified that Nana has 'real' Dragon Eggs. These eggs are solid polymer clay, embellished with little seed beads, hand applied scales and eyes or crystals. This has been a fun project.

Adjusting to the Times

I am, by no means, an economist nor do I know what needs to be done to fix these trying times in which we live. I do, however, know that my values revolve around my family, friends and the local economy in which I live and work. For me, plasic has become cash, handmade has become my choice over mass produced and American made has become my choice over imported. Etsy is a wonderful source of handmade products for home and gift giving. This Valentine's Day, Easter, birthdays and any gift giving, will be done by supporting the artisans on Etsy and locally in my community. For a vacation this year, I plan on visiting a local resort. I live in Western Montana and have never been to Glacier National Park or Custer's Battlefield National Park, both of which are within driving distance for me. How sad is that. I would like to encourage everyone to look around, it's amazing what you can find that you never knew existed or took for granted. I believe that fixing the World begins with fixing ourselves first and eventually, everything will trickle up. For my family, this is the year of local discovery.

I Give You My Heart

Here's a new Luvy Bug...Each section of this little worm is pegged and glued. He holds a bright red heart in his little arms which is removable. You can find him in my Etsy store.

Luvy Bugs

Time for something new...

I sat down today and started playing with some red polymer clay and came up with my first 'Luvy Bug'. I just love this little guy and there will be more to come in different colors and different types of bugs but they will all be based on a heart shape somewhere. I am so excited...I hope you like them to. A little whimsey and color! You can find him for sale in my etsy shop.