Pagan Pride Day 2015!

What a wild and crazy summer!  After a whirlwind of events, the months have flown by and before we realized it: Pagan Pride Day was upon us once more!

What an amazing weekend!  I met new friends, saw many old friends and was brainstorming with wonderful people on what we should focus on next.  If you are visiting this page for the first time, welcome!  I am so grateful you stopped by my booth and had a chat with myself and Yarn Twisters.  If you are interested in Saucy Links chainmaille, you are also in the right place!

To keep in touch with all of the projects that we are working on, please visit my Facebook page: Bewitching Dreams!  Be sure to like a couple of posts, so that Facebook's algorithms will continue to show my posts to your timeline.  If you do not have a Facebook account, you can still view my work in progress pics there since it is a public page.  

Without further ado, here are some pics from this weekend!

My raffle donation included an autumn wine goblet with basil, coleus and one of my brand new planter tentacles.  This one was black with rainbow suckers!

Our side of the tent!

Rainbow of Cthulhus!

Saucy Links chainmaille jewelry and D20 keychains!

Multi-colored tentacles, growing out of a pot!

A beautiful weekend!

Mascot Cthulhu earned a witch's hat!

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and a delightful New Year!

It has been very busy over the last several weeks, but as things begin to calm down and the weather turns gloomy here...I am able to sit more and more at my craft table to focus.

One project that I had a great deal of fun creating were these racing pigeons:

During the holidays, two of my other creations found new homes!  My Itty Bitty Santa Cthulhu and my miniature Koi Pond both traveled to their new owners.  I am so thrilled that they arrived safely!

I am trying out a few new techniques, at the suggestion of my fellow polymer clay artists.  So far, I am liking the effects, but you will have to stay tuned to see what those changes will be!

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!

Meet Easter Cthulhu...

 Meet Easter Cthulhu....the Easter Bunny's very distant, undersea cousin.

Easter Cthulhu also enjoys painting eggs and hiding them around as a wonderful surprise for the unsuspecting human.

Unfortunately, this little guy could not wait and hatched prematurely! Easter Cthulhu was surprised to have his beautiful work shattered by the impatient youngling...scattering decorated egg shells onto the ground and him!

It is alright, though...Easter Cthulhu has plenty of paint left and an unlimited source of eggs beneath the icy waves.  He doesn't mind starting over, because there will be plenty of time for hiding the eggs along the shoreline for unsuspecting children to find.

Who knows?  Maybe even you will find one of his delightful egg surprises!

In all seriousness, I had way too much fun creating this little guy! Everything just fell into place as I was working and I have to admit, he is probably my favorite little Cthulhu I have made so far.  :D  What do you think?

Work Table Weekend

Here are a couple of projects that I have been working on this weekend...

A little brown mouse that hopped onto my table...

  

He is a bit droopy, but he makes me smile.  He was made using a base brown clay, then layered meticulously with various metallic paints to give his coat more detail.

The other piece I finally finished from a couple of weeks ago is a mini Dalek.

I think this little guy is perfectly harmless...wait...what is that noise?....

More Cthulhu Goodness

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day (if you celebrate) and a great week!  I'm so happy Friday is finally here.  I've been fighting a migraine for the last couple of days, but wanted to show you these little guys I've been working on.  They are either going to be Cthulhu earrings or possibly magnets.  I'll let them tell me what they want to be when they grow up. 

Either way, lots of tentacles are headed this way as I start some new projects this weekend!  Especially with another round of snow in the forecast for tomorrow.

Work Table Wednesday

The final touches have been added to the Santa Cthulhu and he is getting ready to travel to his new home.  Hopefully the snowballs won't melt, considering how warm it is here at the moment!

As I finish up a couple of more sculptures, I will be embarking on a new project..trying to mesh a couple of techniques into one item.  As it progresses, I will post pictures along the way for you to see.

When I came home tonight, I had a wonderful surprise waiting for me!  Star from Coltpixy.com and I did an exchange recently...I sent her a miniature koi pond, hermit crab with betta fish and a snail necklace...in return, she sent me this gorgeous black and white mosaic keepsake box that she created using multiple techniques, including Sutton Slice, stamping and sculpting. 

It's absolutely amazing and pictures cannot do it justice, because it is so beautiful.  And let me tell you something...working with white clay is probably one of the hardest things to master...the fact that she was able to blend white and black polymer clays in such an elegant fashion continues to amaze me!

If you haven't checked out her blog or her Etsy shop...you really should!  She is one of the most talented artists I have the pleasure of knowing and I am honored to call her a friend.

 

 An even bigger surprise were these three little treasures tucked safely inside of the jewelry box!  A tiny, miniature mask that is just gorgeous in detail, a bunny booty pendant, which she is a master at making and a gorgeous tiny glass bottle that she created.  I have collected mini bottles and vases since I was young..Star did not know this, but she has sent me something that immediately reminded me of my collection and happy times. :)

Work Table Weekend

Now that I have given some of our holiday gifts out, I feel like I can share the final pictures with you all.  :)

First, the Santa Cthulhu's on their snowy drifts....though, I have to admit, this isn't the final picture.  I added snowballs to each Cthulhu and they were hilarious!  They actually looked like they were having a snowball fight with each other and I regret not getting a picture of that! :) 

I bet you can guess where the snowballs went though ;)  So, just use your imagination.

The finished unicorn went to another friend, who absolutely loves and collects various unicorns.  I used roving wool for the mane, tail and feathering around the hooves.  It was a pretty white, but when I think of mythical creatures, I think of glitter, etc.  After some pondering, I tried out some beautiful violet mica powder that I had and was able to actually "paint" it onto the wool to create an iridescent and glittery appearance.

To commemorate the engagement of two friends, I thought of what better way than interwoven rings.  I used another color of mica powder to create an antique silver finish.

Finally, a friend of ours just recently bought a farm and has been raising beautiful fancy chickens for some time now.  I thought a bird's nest pendant with colorful green eggs (textured glass beads) would be something she could enjoy.

I have several more projects I am going to be working on in the coming weeks before Christmas, so check back to see what is meandering across my work table!

Work Table Wednesday

I have a lot of things on my work table right now!  The holidays are fast approaching and I find that I have a project every single evening for the next two and a half weeks, if I am going to stay ahead of the game and have everything done in time for the holiday parties.

My grandmother's birthday is this Sunday, so I sent her a package today containing some cute jigsaw puzzles, which she loves, as well as these goodies...

She is receiving a wall plaque I made out of polymer clay with pearlized powder, a beaded bookmark and two sets of earrings, including some gorgeous blue lace agate from CrysallisGEMS that I made into simple drop earrings.

Santa Cthulhus' are finished and drying with their shiny metallic sheen.  Maybe they should get candy cane staffs ;)

Our dog, Kallie, has not been amused by all of the frantic creating or holiday shopping.  She would rather take a nap.  So would I....she is a very smart doggie.

Vacation Creations

Just a teaser of some of the projects I worked on during my travels...

Did you find any fabulous deals on Black Friday or have fun creating something during the holiday? :)

Packing for the holidays

If you have ever tried to pack up any of your craft/hobby/art supplies for a trip, then you can sympathize with how much of a hassle it can be.  Do I take this set of tools, or that one?  Should I take these beads to work with, along with my crochet...or should I just focus on one project?  What if I have a bunch of free time and wish I had brought X?  What if I don't work on anything at all and just dragged these supplies around for nothing??

Such was my dilemma at 1am this morning.  While a pumpkin cheesecake was cooling on the counter, I was rifling through my clay and trying to decide what projects I might want to work with, what was absolutely essential to take with me and what I realistically would have time for, if there is any time to spare.

Enter: My new organizer.  This is the one I was drooling over at Jerry's a few weeks ago and fortunately, I found one (the last one) in a store closer to me.  I had a coupon at the time, so I just went ahead and picked it up. 

Squee!  It makes me happy every time I look at it.  The handle is round and does not dig into your hand.  The lid has a flip open section for storing small items, such as tools or other essentials...*ahem*

Don't judge me.  In my line of work, I never get the opportunity to paint my nails, so I thought I would toss these in just in case I have "more time." :P

Open the lid completely and you have a great drop in tray that stores a LOT of clay, or anything else you would like, for that matter.  My tool case that my boyfriend gave me for my birthday this summer also fits nicely in there, so it's the perfect compartment.

The bottom is the standard, empty toolbox bottom.  I did not want the clay to react with the plastic, so I lined the bottom with tinfoil and using some spare foam, I cut it to size and wrapped it up as well, creating a divider.  I have shells, armatures and miscellaneous on one side and finished projects will rest on the other side.  In time, I think I will probably divide this into three compartments and maybe put a secondary shelf.  The box is deep enough to allow that.

This will be it's maiden voyage.  I'm curious to see how it holds up, if I'll actually use it and whether it will be a better stay at home storage tote or if it will be ideal for traveling.  I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!  Will you try to tackle a project or will you take it easy and focus on more...culinary projects? :D