Time For a Change

Here's a charming shop that combines a love of painting with practical time keeping pieces. RFForeverClocks is a delightful Etsy shop where you will find the cutest clocks ready to grace any room in your home. Whether you are looking for a table clock, wall clock, or one to sit on the bookshelf, you are sure to find the perfect artistic piece here.

Rosemarie stays very busy, maintaining a second Etsy shop, RFColorfulCreations. There you will find various treasures including whimsical works done with polymer clay. I decided to lead this feature with her crafty clocks, but I am also impressed with her line of decorated treasure chests, which would make wonderful jewelry or keepsake boxes.

Rosemarie creates her art in New York and will ship internationally. She has a Facebook fan page where her latest creations pop up, and she can also be found on Artfire. If you are looking for a unique gift, Rosemarie’s shop is a wonderful place to browse.

Gourdgeous Art

That's exactly what you will find at this charming Artfire shop, Simplygourdgeousart. Gourd artist Hilary Bell has created a line of delightful gourd birdhouses. She skillfully paints these one-of-a-kind gourd canvasses making each an eye-catching garden display, certain to become the artistic focal point of your backyard. Your little friends may not appreciate the artistry that has gone into decorating these homes, but the increased property value will certainly have them squabbling over the real estate.

Hilary has spent nearly a decade crafting with gourds, and thoroughly enjoys it! She creates impressive gourd bowls, bird feeders, and Christmas ornaments among other outstanding gourd items. She also enjoys working with glass and creates lovely magnets. Another passion is handcrafting wooden buttons out of fallen tree branches. What an exciting addition these rustic buttons would be to a hand-knit sweater.

Hilary works in Florida, ships internationally, and can also be found on Etsy. If you have a particular color or design in mind, she would be happy to take a custom order. These painted treasures are absolutely fabulous!

Hanky Pysanky

Beautifully decorating eggs in an intricate design, pysanky, is another incredible ancient art form. For thousands of years all manner of bird eggs have been elaborately adorned. Ukrainian eggs are found in an enchanting Etsy shop, Suzy6281. Here you will find a wide range of standard chicken eggs and the larger goose eggs, at about 4 inches, each with an unbelievable artistic pattern. These impressive eggs can be displayed year round or make a wonderful unique collectors piece for your Christmas and Easter decorating.

The creativity of this artist does not stop at decorated eggs. She has other delights in her shop and makes wonderful bread dough ornaments to add bright and cheery charm to any Christmas tree. One could be personalized as a special teacher’s gift. Suzy also has a line of pine cone fire starters in a gift basket that will make a fetching display piece next to the fireplace. As a special bonus, check out her blog for a how-to on making these useful yet elegant pine cone decorations.

Suzy works in Georgia and ships internationally. The time and care it must take to complete one of these egg designs is unimaginable for me. I decorated blown eggs one year with my kids, but we used crayons and glue with glitter. Well packed away or proudly displayed, these eggs will be around for many, many years. Anyone holding a one-of-a-kind art piece like this must be filled with wonder at the process and marvel at its design.

Window on the World

This Artfire shop, PetsInGlass, transforms simple pieces of colored glass into heirloom quality artworks to be passed down for generations. Inspired by her genuine love for animals, Joan has focused her stained glass artistry on dogs. Whether displayed on a wall or hung in a window, these incredible works of art make an eye-catching focal point for any room. When someone is doing exactly what they are meant to do, it is very evident in their work, and Joan’s work is magnificent!

Whether mosaics, bevel clusters, etched or dichroic glass designs, Joan’s full range of glass working abilities can be found on her website. I really like the green parrot and the Celtic knot. If you have a few minutes and would like to see pet pictures transformed into remarkable stained glass artworks, check out her YouTube video. The picture she is using for her bio is Eric, and Elizabeth the cat is in the banner. A portion of every stained glass sale is donated to one of two non-profit organizations: The Magic Bullet Fund or Blue Ridge Assistance Dogs.

Joan masterfully pieces her creations in North Carolina and ships to the United States and Canada. She has a Facebook fan page, where newly completed pieces will pop up. If you would like a beloved pet immortalized, or if you are interested in a non-pet custom piece, please contact Joan, she is ready to brighten your window on the world.