A Day Full of Love

This summer has been full of ups and downs.  There have been plenty of scares, but we are still holding on and moving forward.  Sometimes, our path leads in a different direction.  Perhaps one that we did not anticipate or expect, but we still continue onward, waiting to see what is around the next corner.

In the meantime, I have been working on a major project over the last month.  We just came home from a beautiful wedding of two of our dearest friends.  It was such a happy occasion and everyone was bursting with joy for the couple.

At the beginning of the summer, the bride approached me about making a bride & groom sculpture for the occasion.  She gave me plenty of notice, so I had no problem planning out the project.  Many sketches and redesigns later, I give you the Happy Cthulhu Couple!

This was the first time that I had to fix a standing figure with legs into the base.  This was a challenge, but I am more confident than ever in moving forward with these types of sculptures, due to the structural integrity that I was able to master.

I bugged the bride and groom for as many details about their wedding day as possible, so I could match the color of the bouquet, the style of wedding dress, the groom's suit and boutonniere.  I made cherry blossoms, to match the design of their wedding cake.

I added a few Swarovski crystals to the train of the dress to add a bit more flare and sparkle.  

Oh, and speaking of the wedding cake.  You have got to check this out!  Made by my friend, Mike, over at Baking Better.  If you have not checked out his blog, you must for some of the best dessert recipes around!

Seriously, the best wedding cake I have ever tasted.  Ever.

And a big Congratulations to the happy couple!  It was a beautiful wedding, full of love and joy!  We are all so happy for them and it was the loveliest wedding that I've ever attended.

Exciting Things Are Happening...

Things have been so hectic lately, I have barely had time to keep my head straight!  My day job has kept me on my toes, with training new personnel, helping with projects and trying to finish up my own.  My SO and I also just celebrated our tenth anniversary this past week. Appropriately enough, part of it was in the local craft store, picking up new supplies. :)

If you have "Liked" my Facebook Page, then you will have seen some big developments occurring in the world of Bewitching Dreams.  If not, then I'll give you a quick rundown! :)

Located in Cary, NC, The Gamer's Armory is an awesome game store that has been very supportive of the local gaming community.  The owners are amazing people and I was honored when they reached out to me a few weeks ago to inquire about my little Itty Bitty Cthulhu sculptures! They carry several local artists and were looking to expand their selection of gaming/geekery items.  I was thrilled to receive the email and met with the owners to show them some of my latest creations.

First, I had to show off the Sentimental Cthulhu....Cthulhu has a softer side.  He enjoys stopping to smell the roses...before eating them.  

(Psst!  This was my first attempt ever at making roses...I had a lot of fun with them!)

Then, I wanted to show the Gamer Cthulhu.  You just know that he's screaming all sorts of insanity-inducing expletives over his gaming headset, don't you?

Then, there is the Romantic Cthulhu.  Cthulhu has a heart...truly...it might not be his own, but he is still presenting you with it. Aww...so romantic...and messy.

Then, there is Cthulhu...holding a brain.  Because, why shouldn't he? Where does the yummy soul lie....in the heart, or in the brain?  That is the true question...and the true connoisseur that Cthulhu is, has to try both to find out.

Which is your favorite?  If you are in North Carolina, stop by The Gamer's Armory to see some of my work, along with other great artists and check out the wonderful gaming groups that meet up there on a regular basis! They have a wonderful selection of miniatures, tabletop, card games and more!

Edit: After much deliberation, my friend ColtPixy helped me narrow down a name for these guys! Thank you so much!  I love my Itty Bitty Cthulhu!

What's on the Work Table?

I showed you one of my projects that I have started to play around with....the miniature koi pond pendant.  I'm going to work on a few more this upcoming weekend, or at least that is the plan.

Here are a couple of other projects that you might have seen on my Facebook page:

This is a Tree of Life inspired pendant....I carved the tree into the clay prior to curing it.  I was aiming for an etching style...then finished it with clear resin to cause the colors to really pop.

This is the pendant before resin was added.

This little guy was inspired by Cthulhu...I was trying to go for an old relic discovered, but that didn't really work out for this pendant.  Obviously, not every project is a success or even comes out remotely like you envisioned it...but that's all part of the process.  I'm not displeased by him, but I have ideas on how to make this piece better. 

This probably involves not giving Cthulhu freckles in the future...when texturing goes horribly wrong :P

What's been on my culinary table...

So, I'm alternating between my clay table and my kitchen.  This week, I've been making candies and goodies for presents.  I love making things for others, whether it's with clay or dough, chocolate or stones.  There's something about putting your heart into a gift and seeing it received with joy.

Now, for my utter geekdom.  I bought the Han Solo in Carbonite Ice Cube Tray from ThinkGeek for my boyfriend's birthday last month. After stumbling across it the other day while going through some of my candy molds, I had a "EUREKA" moment.

Yes, it's Han...in chocolate.  Actually, it's Han in Peppermint Bark!  Hey, just because you are frozen in carbonite does not mean that you cannot celebrate the holiday season.  I mean, seriously....who wants to miss out on winter peppermint goodies??

Han, in festive winter packaging!

Other goodies that I worked on for my co-workers included pumpkin spice cookies with white chocolate drizzle and soft peppermint sticks dipped in dark chocolate, followed by white chocolate. 

I cannot get the smell of peppermint off of me.  At all.  The cats won't stop following me around the house...help!