It's Better Handmade Blog Post Ring #7- JudyCogoDesigns

This week's Roastee is Judy Cogo of JudyCogoDesigns. She resides in the Great White North...Canada, in case you didn't know. Around TO (Toronto) to be more exact. It's a nice area...I haven't been since 68, but that's what my friends who live there say.



She's from a bit North of there, in a cute little small town called Stouffville. I can only think of Stouffer's Mac and Cheese...Dunno why...maybe because it sounds like a comforting place to be creative. 


Well whatcha know: Stouffville was named after a guy named Stouffer and it was used for the filming of a 97 movie.  Nice claim to fame.


She's a gal after my own heart...she works in gemstones...drool. She wire-wraps, knits, crochets and sews too. She also loves to garden and read. 



Back to her shop...before I get completely off on a tangent.  
This gorgeous piece is from her Bead Crochet section. I just can't describe it. 

It's like she wove butterflies and tropical fish into a piece of art!
I wouldn't even ATTEMPT that in my wildest and most coordinated dreams.


This wonderful piece is in her Valentine's section:


I think it would be lovely for Mother's Day too. Aventurine is SUCH a wonderful stone. I've seen it myself in Red and Blue and the usual Green and they're all pretty.


Utoh...I found my favourite colour combination!!!

Here's what she said about it:

"I was inspired by the forecast of orange being the Color of the Year 2012, and knowing that there are many individuals who think they cannot wear this color, I softened the design by combining the lighter orange with green and blue. Anyone can wear this jewelry set. I am very pleased with the final result and think it is beautiful."

I happen to agree absolutely! 
Another of my favourite stones is Obsidian and she has a set of Rainbow in her shop too.




This one is really interesting also with the different textures and the colours of the Greek Flag...I would be touching it all day.

And she's got Snowflake Obsidian earrings...drool...
Now I'm in trouble...hehe

Oh jeeze, something else I love: Copper Goldstone. What a pretty bracelet!


Anyone wanna pass me a bib, plznthnx?


If you wanna see some more really pretty things like Swarovski Crystals, and Chain Maille come and check Judy out!

She can be found here on Artfire:
https://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/JudyCogoDesigns
Her own site here:
http://judycogodesigns.mysupadupa.com/
On Pinterest:
http://judycogodesigns.mysupadupa.com/
On FaceBook:
https://www.facebook.com/judycogodesigns
And this is her blog:
http://www.judycogodesigns.blogspot.com/

It's Better Handmade Blog Ring Post #6 - Lisian Blue

On the hotseat this week is Kris from Lisian Blue. She called the shop after her favourite flower and it's colour. I've never heard of them...but by Googling I found out that it's a pretty "big" flower for bridal bouquets...They're very pretty, too See?


She lives in beautiful Albuquerque, New Mexico, another of those places I'd like to visit. According to her bio, she paints on all sorts of things with all types of paint, beads, photographs, works with wood, crochets, and works with glass too...all supervised by her 12 yo kitteh.  I know how it is to be supervised by a pet...I'm rather surprised Obelisk hasn't laid a Faberge egg yet, with my propensity to drop beads on the floor. 

In her Shop she has Ornaments which are available only until 24 July...They're all so pretty. She also has a spring collection of ornaments and heart shaped ones too. I really like this one because it reminds me of Fish Scales and I love and spoil my fish too.How many people do you know who would buy Xmas treats for their goldfish?


This is my fave in her Stained Glass section:

I'm an Egyptophile since way way back. I even tried to run away to see the King...and I don't mean Elvis.




The one on the right is prolly more of how you've seen him...

Moving right along...Her Miscellaneous Painted Glass section has too many cool shinies. I especially LOVE these bears.


Aren't they just gorgeous?!In Native culture bears are a very powerful totem. 


The last section of her shop has hand beaded appliques...better her than me, because the whole deal would go out the window if I was doing them...My Great Grandmother used to tat and I'd watch her and just shake my head...I don't have the manual dexterity and that just looks akin walking and chewing gum...so I'll leave that to the folks who can.

Just lookit how delicate that is...and if those teeny itty bitty beads are even life sized, I'd be so screwed. LOL


Kris can be found on Artfire, here:
https://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/lisianblue
This one has her crocheted goodies and an awesome quilt.
http://handmadeartistsshop.com/shop/lisianblue
This one's got more glass shineys.
http://handmadeartists.com/shop/reflections
Her blog is here:
http://lisianblue.blogspot.com/
And she's got pictures on Flickr too.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisianblue/


Come over and check out LisianBlue...Her blue phase is NOT depressing and it's better understood than Picasso's.

It's Better Handmade Blog Ring Post #5 - GlassSculptureOrg

This week's victim is Joy Alyssa Day of GlassSculptureOrg.  She and her partner reside in Carmel Valley, CA. It's really beautiful there. Clint Eastwood was Mayor of Carmel by the Sea for a bit and DH and I visited the Hogs Breath Inn while on our honeymoon.  Carmel Valley is about 10 miles away from the seaside town.


They does glass blowing, painting, etching, carving, all sortsa stuff pertaining to glass. They also write books, have a cat rescue, do regular painting, and things with wood. Yikes...must keep 'em out of trouble to be so creative.


Glass and I have a tendency not to get along...I've broken all types from Porcelain(You haven't lived till you've glued a Heron toe to your finger) to Swarovski(proud owner of a crystal lute) to Correlle and Pyrex. Needless to say, I try to have a very small profile around ANYTHING of a glass ilk.


Going through her shop...this jumps right out at me...and I sorta wish it was real...cuz I'm rather hungry right now...

A Red Velvet Armadillo Cupcake sans Armadillo. Just like in Steel Magnolias.

And no Armadillos were harmed during the making of the cake...seriously...I swear...


I love this paperweight too. I used to live on a beach/resort town/tourist trap where the streets rolled up from Columbus Day to Easter.

So the ocean's in my blood.


She's got some gorgeous fused glass pendants too...

Aren't they out of this world? Pun intended.

Another really touching and amazing thing that she does is Urns, and Paperweights, for you  to keep and cherish the cremains of your pets whom have crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  I wish I had known this when my birdies crossed. :( I have some feathers and Slifer the Sky Dragon's spurs in a box, some of Tom Brunanski and Jerry Remy's and MissMoneyPenny's feathers too.

I'll have to remember this shop when Obelisk the Tormentor crosses. Hopefully not for quite some time yet.

She also does Bottle Stoppers, Business Card Holders, Candleholders and Dishes of various sorts.  Along with glass furniture (steps quietly away) bowls for your babies to be dunked in, awards and windchimes...I swear to the Gods that if it's glass, they can do it! They've even made awards for the Planetary Society, including Professor Stephen who got one and  a "Lobby Sculpture" for the Space Foundation. NOW I am even MORE impressed!!! If that's possible...

She, well THEY, can be found here:
http://sphericalmagic.com/

https://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/GlassSculptureOrg

http://joysblog.glassnebula.com/

This is for the Bengal and Maine Coon Cat Rescue:

http://bengalmania.org/

And on FaceBook:

http://www.facebook.com/JoyAlyssaDay

It's Better Handmade Blog Ring Post #4 - Heart and Sow Designs

This week's Roastee is Gail, from Heart and Sow Designs out of Oklahoma.  No, I will NOT sing that song...unless Hugh Jackman is doing a duet with me. 

She's originally from So Cal. Lucky ducky...*I* nevah woulda move...well except maybe for the earthquakes...She's been a crafter for a long time...she looks young enough to have started crafting as soon as she zipped her egg shell...She's a Jill-of-all-Trades, like most of us are, but seems to have settled into her comfy niche of sewing things.

I like to sew...I just am not good at it...everything looks like Woodstock did it.



She has all sorts of neato sewn goodies from Turban/Headbands and Flower Clips, Scarves and Aprons, to Totes and Throws.


Her Headwrap/Turban/Headbands are very Gloria Swanson...
See?!


Dang! I just dated myself badly...


Moving right along, then..ahem...
I LOVE this. I'm a big Paisley nut. AND it's in my fave colours of Olive, and Chocolate.  


Her Aprons come in full, the ones that go around the neck and waist ones, that tie around the waist. She has them for us adults and for the kiddies too, cuz we all know how kids are when they "help"...
This is always appreciated:


And you don't have to just save them for the kitchen either. Working in the garden the pockets would hold twine, scissors and your phone. At a fair or a show, they can hold your money and receipts. I still have mine from Zany Brainy and use it at my shows.

I LOVE this one too...I KNOW noone would swipe it from me because it's bright Glorious ORANGE!!! I LOVE ORANGE!!!

There needs to be an Orange Lady club like the Purple Lady Franchise...


I like BOTH of these! Decisions, decisions....Nah...won't pick...I'll show 'em both off.




My sister is a giraffe nut so I would get this for her for Xmas. We share a taste for animal print. It's been sold...dang...but I should think that there might be a few bits left...nod wink.


Being a mom and having bouts of random dipstickery, I first looked at this shop name and was like Heart and Sow...mmm okay???  I was thinking:

not:


So please forgive my dipstickery and enjoy seeing all the neat goodies in this shop.


You can find Gail and Heart and Sow Designs here:https://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/Heartandsowdesigns
http://www.etsy.com/shop/HeartnSow
http://heartandsowdesigns.blogspot.com/
http://heartnsow.com/
She's also on FB and Twitter.

VAGINA IS A SWEAR WORD?!!!

Say What?!!!

You're kidding right?!!

Wrong?!!

What the fuck you MEAN you can't say VAGINA?!

Read this and see how the male legislators in Michigan "think".

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/michigan-state-rep-lisa-brown-silenced-vagina-comments-article-1.1096480

I mean Come ON!! Are you shitting me?!!!  

Are you guys for real?!!

VAGINA has never been a swear word in my lexicon and I have a quite rounded vocabulary, thank you very much. 

The only time the female parts are considered a swear word is when you call a person a Cee U Next Tuesday. 

Are these poor pitiable men so afraid of VAGINAs that they need to become the three wise monkeys? 

 

Hear no Vagina, See No Vagina, Speak No Vagina...

How do these guys think they were born? 

From an Egg maybe?Or the Stork or even a Cabbage Patch? 

Maybe we should check them for umbilici to see if they have one...

I KNOW chickens do, at least the Gallus gallus domesticus do. Prolly not the aforementioned human chickens. No offense to all the feathery, intelligent poultry out there.

MAYBE we should make them immune to the word VAGINA. Sort of like aversion therapy...

If we keep saying VAGINA, maybe it won't have such a frightening connotation to these poor misguided ninnies.  

This is what happened in the past couple of days to work towards this end. 

"The VAGINA Monologues" was recited outside the Michigan State House.

http://www.vday.org/node/2922
Isn't that too cool?

There's even a VAGINA song that the male legislators can listen to as they work to make being a female and having female issues a crime:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHAl3uPrCvY&feature=youtu.be 

Or if they go onto Regretsy, they'll see tonnes of VAGINAs and Vulvas for their therapy.  

http://www.regretsy.com/category/vaginas/

This lovely kit I found on Etsy should be required for those off days in winter:

Mayhap they wouldn't be so intimidated. 

I presume that most of these legislators are married or engaged, or have at least seen, touched, been inside a VAGINA...what are they so afraid of? That it'll grow teeth?!  Oh please!!! 

Vagina dentata (Latin for toothed vagina) describes a folk tale in which a woman's VAGINA is said to contain teeth, with the associated implication that sexual intercourse might result in injury or castration for the man. 

Let's read that again gentlemen a FOLK TALE!!! 

Well, except for the lovely Aztec Goddess, Tlaltecuhtli.

She had teeth and jaws all over her body and is usually depicted squatting in the birth position with a human body hanging out of her VAGINA. 

Yep, that might be scary to those males who might wanna put a penis into a VAGINA. 

Oops, can I even SAY penis?

It's Better Handmade Blog Ring Post #3 - My European Touch

This week's victim is Monika of My European Touch. She was born in Germany and came here, Yays! She now lives in the Orange State, in Jacksonville, She's a bit closer to the ocean than to Disney though. She's a life long crafter. Her work shows it too.

She does tessarae, which is a type of mosaic work. Most Tesserae work can be seen in ancient Rome, and and the Eastern Part of the Roman Empire, like Byzantium, or whatever it's called these days...
This beautiful piece is in the Hagia Sophia, a Hang out for the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, then a Mosque and  now a museum.

Our clever teammate uses vintage and new china and porcelain plates in her designs...Hades, I can destroy Correlle and Melmac dishes, so I strongly avoid anything that I can break by looking at it. hehe 


She calls her goodies, Shabby Chic, but I don't see a danged thing shabby about any of it.

Isn't this gorgeous?!

I LOVE this one too! It's made from a REAL violin too! Of course you can't play it, but wouldn't it just be nice hanging in your bedroom or music room or conservatory?


I've actually TRIED doing mosiac tiling stuff...I don't have the patience for it.  But I commend anyone who does.

She also has some Vintage Goodies, like Cut Glass Decanters and Upcycled Dress Hangers.

I also think these are awesome items too.

Nancy Kerrigan would be pleased to see these hanging in her room next to her last Gold.  I used to ice skate...I was NEVER good at it, more like this poor gal.


This is also pretty.

And it would look really nice with this in your little Cape Codder on Nantucket Island.


Right now she's having a sale in her shop, 15% off of everything.
Soo check it out! 


You can find Monika here:
https://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/Myeuropeantouch
Here:
http://myeuropeantouch.blogspot.com/
http://handmadeartists.com/shop/Myeuropeantouch


AND she's on HGTV!! So she's a celebrity in MY eyes. Martha can go pound sand! Monika RULES!!
http://my.hgtv.com/share-my-craft/Home-Decor/Broken-China-Mosaic/detail.esi?oid=25227515

It's Better Handmade Blog Ring Post #2-Pin and Tack

Well, here I am again with another IBH team mate. This shop is called Pin and Tack. 


Her name is Corrine and she resides in Medford, Oregon...not confusable with Meffa Massachusetts. ;)  She seems to be another magpie, making the mundane shiny so us fellow magpies have some more neat things to hoard and use.  


Case in point: 
Clothespins...yah, whatevah, ho-hum...I get it, but take a peek at THESE!!!



She calls them "Party Favours" pshaw...I'd weather seal 'em, and use 'em for their true purpose...drawing those treacherous Yellow Jackets away from your undies when you hang 'em on the line.  


I can't remember how many times I got stung in the mornings...heckuva wake up call.  And it was ONLY me! pfft.


Her Party Favour/Clothespins also come in all these lovely colours and she can make you up batches of more or less and different colours.  You can use them as chip clips, place holders, to hold banners, even organizing yourself...


But wait!! There's more to her shop than just Yellow Jacket lures!


She also has Gem Covered Thumbtacks and Pushpins. 
These would be nice for my birthday...nodwink...



Aren't these just neato?!!


And she has things to appeal to us writers too: Corkboards and Chalkboards for those ideas that come to us when we are nowhere near paper. And look at these mini journals, perfect for the nightstand or to keep in the car.


I LOVE both of these...my birthday's coming folks...hint hint.

In addition, she has cards with envelopes, candles, tags, gift wrap, magnets, and other goodies. Come on and check her shop out.

You can find her here at:https://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/PinAndTack WITH a contest going, so check it out.
Her Blog is here:
http://pinandtack.blogspot.com/
She's got some tutorials on that...
She's also has another blog here:http://tuesdayalchemy.blogspot.com/
She's on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/craftymooncrab
And FaceBook:
https://www.facebook.com/pinandtack