Friday Friends - DUSTy Divas - Unique Dichroic Glass Creations

Dear Readers welcome to a new edition of Friday Friends ! I hope your week hasn't been too hectic and that you had some time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak.

I am thrilled to announce a personal Blogging milestone today - the Maddabling Blog has reached 100 Blog Followers ! A HUGE thank you to each one of you, it makes me happy to share creative finds and other things with you and your comments always make me smile and feel the blogging love !

This week I am continuing my focus on local artists i.e. creators located in the South West and Great Southern of Western Australia. I am so pleased to introduce a new Friday Friend and DUSTy Diva - the absolutely lovely Deborah of Unique Dichroic Glass Creations.

I have been lucky enough to meet Deborah in person at the Denmark Markets a few times, and although we don't get to chat for long, it's always nice to see her big smile and she always has kind words to share ! 

I must admit, I do love glass jewellery and I have a beautiful Unique Dichroic Glass Ring in my jewellery collection. The simple silver on black is so effective don't you think ?

I also think that this pendant is very very tattoo cool, I will have to look out for it at the Denmark Markets this weekend.

LOVE Dichroic Fused Glass Pendant, OOAK Hand Etched Love Heart Design

Dear readers, I invite you now to read The Unique Dichroic Diaries and learn a little more about the art of Dichroic Glass creation. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, see you next Wednesday for the Wednesday Wishes post xo

Dichroic Pendant, Fused Glass, Pretty Calla, Pink Rainbow, Dichroic Glass

 The Unique Dichroic Diaries


Hi ! My name is Deborah and I am passionate about glass! I’ve been playing with dichroic glass for about 7 years and I still love it. Dichroic Glass is such a wonderful medium to work with..the colours are amazing. And there are so many different things you can do with it.

It does surprise me that I’ve been passionate about dichroic for so long.....I’ve always been ‘crafty’ and I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t creating things..  I usually only play with things for a couple of years and then move on to another medium. But this glass has got me hooked!

And I think the reason why I still love it is because I’m still finding new ways of working with it. I am still able to experiment and come up with new ideas and new techniques. I love firing it it my kiln, watching it glow red hot and melt together. And I still get excited opening the kiln after it’s cooled to see what has been created.

I also love to hand-etch the dichroic glass! This has allowed me to express my artist side, and really does turn the glass into a little piece of Art. I freehand etch designs straight into the glass...I don’t use patterns or templates. I am able to turn things I love into glass art.

I live on a very quiet and peaceful rural property surrounded thousands of acres of National Park forest, and my studio is a tiny single room cottage at the bottom of my large garden. So naturally trees are a big influence, and I enjoy hand-etching trees into the glass. They are probably my most popular designs, but I also hand-etch other things I love like Grass Trees, dragonflies, emus and even robots...(yes I’m a robot geek)

I mostly create glass pendants, and have a wide range of different styles...from colourful 3D ‘tack-fused’ designed which require a very precise firing technique, to wire-wrapped pendants where I cut a discrete groove into the side of the glass and wrap with silver wire. Others are created by building up layers and layers of tiny chips of glass and kiln firing up to five times...lots of work but the results are amazing!



I also make a range of dichroic glass earrings. My faves are my hand-etched tree earrings. They have such fine detail I need a magnifying glass to hand-etch them. The earring hooks are also handmade by me. Like a lot of other people, I have sensitive ears and had problems wearing earrings. So I started making my own solid sterling silver hooks which solved the problem of itchy ears, and I do enjoy making them.

Something new that I’ve just started making is a range of Charm jewellery...little charm pendants that incorporate my own handmade dichroic glass, and sweet little charm earrings. I do love these.



What’s next???...I can’t tell you because I don’t know LOL I just follow my passion! 

Life is far more enjoyable when you do what you love :)

Dear readers, do you want to see more ?

You can find Deborah and her gorgeous creations online here :

Etsy :

http://www.etsy.com/shop/UniqueDichroic 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DebUnique

BigCartel shop  :

http://uniquedichroic.bigcartel.com/

Follow the uniquedichroic blog here :

http://uniquedichroic.blogspot.com/

or you can shop in person at The Denmark Markets  this Sunday 22nd January.

"S" is for Sushi ! Wednesday Wishes

Sushi
noun

a Japanese dish consisting of small cakes of cold cooked rice flavored with vinegar, typically garnished with strips of raw or cooked fish, cooked egg, vegetables, etc

Have you ever made Sushi ? We are going to try making Sushi this weekend ! Wish me luck..................
"S" is for Sushi is the theme for todays Wednesday Wishes. I can only hope ours turn out to look half as good as these xo

Kawaii Sushi Ring Traditional Japanese Food Jewelry by SouZouCreations

Felt Food- 3 Sushi Rolls, 2 Chopsticks and a Fortune Cookie by  jdensing

Sweet "Geisha Chibi" t-shirt / tee (with lanterns and mochi hair ornaments) by http://www.etsy.com/shop/PeppermintCarouselAU

Sushi Soap set by Bubblelanesoap

Sushi Beeswax Candles - Set of 6 by Simple Natured

Friday Friends - Australian Etsy Artists - 4Eggs

Welcome dearest readers to a new edition of Friday Friends. I hope your collective weeks have been filled with laughter and sunshine. I am excited this week to introduce a Maddabling guest blog writer - meet Emma from 4eggs !

Emma hails from one of my favourite parts of Australia, being the Busselton area, which really is only a hop skip and a jump (as the crow flies) from the Southern Coast. A local artist who makes the most divine soft furnishings, bags and clutches. I featured one of Emma's cushion sets in this weeks Vibrant Wednesday Wishes list - did you spot it ? Before I hand the blog over to Emma for your reading pleasure I just want to share one or two of my fave items from Emma's Etsy store :  

I really heart this Red ladies cushion cover - 'Armando Caruso' Fabric. Red, white and black with tulle Fringing - isn't it just gorgeous ?

  http://www.etsy.com/listing/85940437/red-ladies-cushion-cover-armando-caruso

oh and you really must see for yourself the amazing level of details and textures in this Black Embellished Evening Shoulder Bag...... The Perfect Accessory for your Little Black Dress ! 

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/88490946/black-embellished-evening-shoulder-bag

I will now hand you over to Emma so she can share the wonderful tale of her creative journey with you all. Be kind to one another, see you all next Wednesday for a new blog post full of Wednesday Wishes. xo

Who is 4Eggs?

4Eggs is me! Emma Egginton. I used to tell my husband that I would name my brand 4Eggs because it represents my first passion, my family. All my family call us the Eggs so it was fitting that it became my shop name. It also keeps me a little bit anonymous which suits me because I can be a little shy when it comes to my creations.

When did my artistic journey begin?

I have always loved art. Many moons ago I looked forward to going to art class, I rarely got into trouble during art lessons unlike the rest of my studies. I remember making scrunchies out of liberty print fabric and selling them at a local beauty therapist. I also made Christmas cards when I was 16 and sold them at my Uncle’s book shop.

This is my year 12 major work for art; it is a self portrait of me made up of coloured photos. This was pretty cool way back then, there wasn’t any Photoshop around! I used black and white film and had it run through a colour processor to get the coloured photos. It has seen better days but I will never throw it away because it took so long to complete.

My mum is an excellent seamstress I was always impressed by her ability to whip something up on the weekends so at the age of 23 after being fed up with being a beauty therapist since leaving school I decided that I would learn how to sew and enrolled in an Advanced Certificate in Garment Production at the Canberra Institute of Technology. Let me say I had no idea what “right sides together” meant when I started out, but finished the course with an array of skills and techniques that I still use today.

I made several tailored jackets and ball gowns for friends and family but realised very quickly dress making wasn’t going to be a viable option for me because people were not prepared to pay for the time it took to make a customised garment. I made the odd outfit for friends or myself and went back to the work force and got a degree in Community Education at the University of Canberra, getting a job as a Youth worker until I had my daughter Amy.

This is a close up of the hem of a chiffon embroidered dress I made at CIT.

I started doing craft again when I was bored at home waiting for my daughter Amy to arrive; she wasn’t interested in leaving my womb so I ended up having weeks off work and nothing to do. I would wobble off to Bunning’s nearly every day to buy something to paint or stick on somewhere! After she was born I loved making her little dresses and hat and still have her special little pinafores I made for her.

In 2006 we decided to leave Canberra and move to Busselton. During a visit to Yalingup Gallery I discovered “The Ritzy Tote bag” by Caroline Thomas.  I tracked her down in Dunsborough and asked her about her bags, she offered to teach me the technique and so I did a two day course and got the creative juices flowing again...

I've made four bags and two clutches using this technique. I currently have one of them on sale on Etsy :  http://www.etsy.com/listing/88490946/black-embellished-evening-shoulder-bag

The creativity carried on until my son was born in 2008. Two little people left little time for sewing so my craft activities was redirected to painting and paper art with my daughter and my son as soon as he became mobile. Here is Amy proudly holding a painting I helped her with.

Below is a purple people eater outfit I made for Amy and 20 other little girls for their dance concert a few years ago. They all looked so cute !

As Tom got older I was able to do more and come 2010 we decided to build a house so I started painting all our furniture which was all wood and dated. You name it, I painted it  - a pink tall boy for my daughter with decoupage bedside table. Tommy got a blue and aqua tall boy with matching bedsides. The kids helped with a lot of the painting (even if it meant another sand after they had contributed ! ).

I bought an old desk and dressing table from Vinnies and did them up. I love my acrylic blue dressing table. I also tried my hand at upholstering some old chairs from Vinnie’s. I just used some IKEA fabric which I embroidered and painted. Hard work but I’m proud of the finished results. 

Inspiration

2010, Enter Pinterest to my life, this site is truly inspiring! I love how visually stimulating it is.  

A myriad of images in front of me, pins on anything and everything your heart desires. It is an amazing resource and source of inspiration and motivation for me. Pinterest ignited my creative side and motivated me to start crafting and creating again. I began (with the help of my kids) trying out things I’d never dreamt of. We made homemade glue and wrapped yarn around a bowl. Amy’s (who is 6) turned out better than mine but I persevered and tried with fabric and sari silk. I love making a creative mess, drenching fabric and yarn in gooey glue was very therapeutic and the end result I called ‘fabricmache’!

I have discovered really cool techniques from other talent artisans and I always go straight to Pinterest if the kids want to do a craft activity. We had a great time making glitter goose. Glue, glitter... what more could you ask for?

If you would like to see my Pinterest boards : http://pinterest.com/4eggs/

My Etsy Shop

I was talking to a great friend in QLD about getting a job when Tommy went to school, she made some comment along the lines of why don’t you just make stuff and work from home. I ummed and arrhhed for a while and then one day made a conscious decision to try. Knowing myself as well as I do I knew I had to pick a forte and concentrate on it. After throwing around a few ideas I decided on cushion covers. Why? Because to me cushion covers are like a laid-back canvas that comes to life when the insert goes in. Cushion covers allow me the freedom to create a one off piece that is unique. I can create something different every time. Colours, techniques, fabric type, embellishment, always different. I love mixing vintage fabrics and deconstructed vintage clothing with new satins and cottons to create bold, quirky, fun designs. I love mixing textures and weights to create unconventional cushion.

I draw influence from everywhere and anywhere for my cushion creations :

Shapes, patterns, interior and fashion designers, art, artisans, nature, colours, kids craft books, jewellery just to name a few. I am inspired by fashion and the colour's and patterns designers use to create eye-catching ensembles. I believe cushions can be a powerful entity, they have the ability to completely change the vibe of a room. I like knowing that what I make and sell has really power in the home decor world. I read just today that they are the ‘five-minute face lift of interiors’.

My designs are partly planned partly spontaneous. I sometimes have to walk away from one for a while till I work out what it needs next. I have to have about five on the go at a time otherwise I can get a little bored.

To see my shop in its entirety please visit http://www.etsy.com/shop/4eggs

Future aspirations

To be big you have to think big... so I dream of seeing my creations in a magazine like ‘Inside Out’ or ‘Home Beautiful’. That would be the best thing ever. I hope that crafting can be my business and that I can contribute financially to my family through my passion. For now I will continue making my cushion covers, jot down my ideas, do craft with my kids because, that is what keeps me happy, and as the saying goes “happy wife...happy life”.

ps you can also catch 4eggs sweet tweets over on twitter  : http://twitter.com/egg4

or on her inspirational blog here : http://stufflessordinary.blogspot.com/

Vibrant - Wednesday Wishes

vi·brant

adj.

1.

a. Pulsing or throbbing with energy or activity: the vibrant streets of a big city.

b. Vigorous, lively, and vital: "a vibrant group that challenged the . . . system" (Philip Taubman).

2. Exhibiting or characterized by rapid, rhythmic movement back and forth or to and fro; vibrating.

3. Produced as a result of vibration; resonant or resounding: vibrant voices.

4. Relatively high on the scale of brightness: a vibrant hue.

My Wednesday Wish this week is to escape the mundane ....... I hope these items inject some much needed colour into your day as they did mine - wonderful bright, vibrant Australian Etsy finds.

You and me and Yesterday - vibrant mixed media art print -
 colorful paper lanterns by danielleQ

Bright indie maxi skirt by THELONELYLEOPARD

Exuberant Neon Cushion/Pillow Cover Set. 14" x 14" & 19" x 11" by 4Eggs

 

Purple polka dot paper roses by machupo

Vibrant Coral Necklace with Fuchsia Turquoise Nugget Pendant by fleurelisedesigns

Friday Friends - DUSTy Divas - Ariom Designs

Welcome dear readers to the very first edition of Friday Friends for 2012. How is everyone going with the New Years Resolutions they made ? I decided that my resolution is not to make any resolutions this year.

I am very pleased to introduce quite fresh dust this week - a brand new DUSTy Diva and Friday Friend - meet Moira of Ariom Designs.

I met Moira recently at the Denmark Markets and was taken with her beautiful original work. I was also thrilled to me a local Etsy Seller. It was wonderful that I could pass on information in person regarding our beloved DUST team and am so happy that Moira decided to join us :) Welcome to DUST Moira  !

I want to share with you a few of my favourite pieces from Ariom Designs. The pieces speak for themselves in their raw beauty I feel. I hope you love them too. 



Handmade Leather Journal - remember to remember - the creative instigator
What a precious gift this would make for someone ! Moira describes this journal :
A special book can provide just the amount of encouragement you need
to jot down that special thought from a moment you share or
the “quote of the day” that provided just the inspiration
or laugh that when treasured can provide endless enrichment!
This journal is made from an old suede jacket and features
a little Amethyst bead paired with a bigger Eye Agate one on the cover
and on the back I couldn’t help but add a little bit of fur I found
in one of my bags of rescued scraps which I think maybe is rabbit...
I’m not really sure but it is really soft! Turning discarded
or unused materials into a precious and practical part of creation

creature-cuff  features ( as detailed by Moira) a rainforest jasper, prehnite/tourmaline

and carnelian combination and is made from recycled suede and cow leather - stunning !

Fluorite, Tourmaline and Ryolite bliss.... (with a touch of agate : )
How incredibly striking is this gemstone necklace ? I love Moira's description too :
Roughly polished pieces of watermelon tourmaline, the beautiful
bands of agate, clarifying pieces of fluorite topped off with
a deeply coloured piece of Rainforest Jasper....
the most delicious cocktail of supported love.

When creating something fresh something new I often love

the simple beauty and don't use too many different stones

in the one creation but I would say this one is one of

my favourite deviations from that :) it just works and I love it!

I look forward to meeting the one who loves her just as much as I do!

Time now dear readers to turn those virtual pages, and discover the wonders and treasures of The Ariom Designs Oracle. See you all next week for a Wednesday Wishlist and a New Friday Friend Feature x

The Ariom Designs Oracle

Hi all ! My name is Moira Stanley and I am the creature behind the label Ariom Designs. Currently I live in Denmark, Western Australia amongst the beautiful Karri trees and absolutely LOVE it here. After moving around a bit I have finally found the environment which supports my deep hunger for creativity. A very clever woman once said to me that once you find your “niche” your hands won’t be able to keep up with your creativity....now I truly understand what she meant.

I have always loved creating jewellery with gemstone beads but I think my specific love affair with combining this with leather began a few years ago when I entered the world of shoe repairs. I am a Cobbler by trade and it is a job I love but it does not support the sort of working environment I need to feel truly fulfilled. So that is when I really looked at what was I was creating whilst I was running Cobbler shops and said to myself “this is what I truly love”. So I now fill my days creating what I love supported by nature and I couldn’t be happier !

I create use several different mediums from Seashells and Driftwood to Australian Gemstones and leather and paper. After working in a field where I witnessed a lot of waste when it came to leather I have taken on the mission of using only recycled leather so all of my materials I seek from the off cuts of larger companies like Upholstery warehouses and am always on the lookout for old leather jackets that have been sitting in Op shops for centuries. I pull them apart to make something unique and one of a kind.

I do all of my stitching of my beautiful much loved 1932 hand wheel sewing machine “Ruby”. She has come a long way and is still going strong! They just don’t make them like this anymore!

I create everything from beaded jewellery, leather pouches, wallets and hand bound books. I absolutely adore bookbinding and the endless possibilities that lay within it. I find it to leave me in an almost meditative state with the careful intent of tearing page by page to fit your creation and folding and stitching the paper bringing several different mediums together to produce a bigger picture.

I have recently been doing several custom jobs for people and I really enjoy co creating projects. To combine my creativity with another’s vision is something truly inspiring and I look forward to my future being filled with many more projects like these ;)

My mission is to sustain myself in my life from every angle by sharing what I love doing with the world.

Dear readers - do you want to see more ? You can connect with and shop with AriomDesigns

on ETSY here : http://www.etsy.com/shop/AriomDesigns

or catch Ariom Designs at the Denmark Markets on Saturday, 7th January 2012 !

Wednesday Wishes - Happy New Year, Hopes and Dreams



Happy New Year Banner - New Year- Vintage Inspired by FernEllaDesigns

Happy New Year to all of my darling Maddabling readers :)

I am excited to be sharing with you all another year of blogging adventures in 2012!

As the new year unfolds, I must remind myself that endings are new beginnings....

that if something does end, it presents opportunities to embrace and try something I previously not imagined, experienced or dreamed of..... 

This Ending is a New Beginning / original illustration ART Print SIGNED / 8 x 10 by studio3ten

As I continue to learn the role of a DUST Team Admin this year,
 I feel my mantra should be
"she believed she could so she did"
 I can also apply this as a personal mantra in my everyday life.  

Etched Copper Bracelet Leather Cuff She Believed She Could So She Did in Oxblood by QueSarahSera

I didn't make any New Years resolutions this year but really like the sentiments listed below !

New Year's Resolutions Journal Diary Notebook Idea Book by stevenjameskeathley

I am also feel it's time to experience new growth in my everyday life
 to make it more fulfilling and purposeful,
I want to make a difference somehow in whatever small way that I can.

New Growth Earrings in Sterling Silver. Jewelry by FullSpiral

What are your plans for the brand new shiny year that is 2012 ?