Cross-Pollination

I'm SO MUCH happier writing about and showing other people's work. I don't mind posting photos of my work on Flickr but blogging about it makes me nauseous for some reason. Hopefully, it won't make you nauseous too. Queasiness aside, I'm going to write about myself today. When I first started this piece, I was thinking of the magnolia tree at my parent's old house. I was fascinated by their tree and it was the first time I'd ever been up close to a magnolia seed pod. But, at some point during the creative process, a lotus pod got involved and the cross-pollination resulted in something that would probably make a botanist cringe. It's growing on me though (no pun intended) and I think I'll explore this design a little further. I've listed it in my Etsy shop if you'd like to take a closer look.

Speaking of Etsy, those of you who sell your work there or on other online sites, know how difficult it is to drive traffic to your shops. There's a brand-new site called LuvHandmade that's meant to be a way for artists to promote their items. The have a blog, a forum, and an online community and it's totally free to sign up. I was chosen as their rise and shine seller this week and you can read my interview here. Hopefully, the site will continue to grow and bring exposure to many online sellers.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Enviable Design Skills

I know very little about this talented artist. I believe her name is Ingrid and her native language appears to be German. I'm hoping that some of my international readers will see this and be able to give us a bit more information. I ran across Ingrid through a comment she left on one of my Flickr photos. Her profile on that site gives nothing away. Update: This talented artist is Ingrid Ulrich and she is from Germany. You can read the delightful comment she left by clicking on the comment link at the end of this entry.

I'm smitten with her unique designs and these extruded tubes that she arranges in totally brilliant ways. Seeing such fresh work is a great and inspiring way to start the week.

I hope you'll indulge me in a brief bit of shameless self-promotion today, too. After putting it off for a year or so, I've finally managed to put together a "kimcavender" shop in the vast wilderness of Etsy. I'll be listing more things in the coming weeks and maybe I'll even figure out how to fix that sucky banner I have up there now.

Hope your week gets off to a positive start!

Something Fishy's Going on . . .

Tamara, of Block Party Press, is one of my favorite polymer artists. She designs wonderful pieces that have such a fresh, clean style. She recently posted a slideshow that explains a little of her process. Her fantastic designs are available on Etsy if you'd like to see more.

After seeing her fish, I decided to gather some photos together of a few of my favorite aquatic vertebrates made from polymer clay and share them with you. Some of the pictures are a little small but don't blame me!

Here's Leslie Blackford's "Always a Bigger Fish". What a face on this guy!

Jeanette Kandray of Columbus, Ohio started making these beautiful fish when she ended up with an overabundance of flower and leaf canes after taking workshops with Marla Frankenberg and Donna Kato. I have one of these in my collection and I have to say that the picture doesn't really do it justice.

Denise Baldwin has an online photo gallery that's one of my favorite places to visit when I want to look at fun and whimsical art. This fish is actually a rattle and I believe Denise makes some of her sculptures over burned out light bulbs. Her work is divided into several categories and all of it is wonderful. The most recent things showing up appear to be lampworked beads (also very beautiful) so I hope she hasn't decided to move on.

As much as I love fish, I don't think I've ever made one with polymer clay. I'll have to add that to my growing list of things I want to do. At the top? Find a great restaurant when I get to Synergy and have a wonderful salmon dinner with a baked potato and steamed asparagus. It's fuel for creativity!

Picture Perfect!

This focal bead from Bianca van den Berg of the Netherlands is just exquisite. And, I can't say enough about her photography skills which make me pea green with envy. I'm not a huge fan of photos that use a lot of cheesy props. I've seen some in books and magazines that caused me to have to really search for the artwork amidst all the clutter. But, this photo is total perfection! Her choice of the starfish was excellent and serves more as a background than a prop. The radiating arms pull your eyes right to this glorious bead which just jumps straight out at you and screams, "You know you want me so get out your credit card and head to Etsy!" What better way to start the week than with perfection?

Have you picked your pumpkin yet?

If not, this is the perfect weekend to do it! These cute little guys are from Cindy Riordan of CLB Creations. Look for her on Etsy too. Have a great fall weekend!