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Bringing exposure to wonderful artisans whose shops have gone unnoticed or under appreciated.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Wood Trek

With phasers at the ready and shields up, this reclaimed wood shop on zibbet is boldly going where no other wood recycler has gone before. RaysScraps pieces together impressive modes of the Starship Enterprise from little bits of scrap wood. It is almost like 3D intarsia, although he does stain or paint most pieces. I am a great fan of The Original Series – Star TrekTOS – and was tickled to find a great selection of USS Enterprise models; ships on their own, in spacedock, and even Klingon birds of prey can be found is this fun shop. The rainbow Enterprise mobile is perfect for any nursery or child's room.

Ray has not stopped at making unique Star Trek collectible mobiles and desk art available, but uses his woodworking skills at crafting an assortment of airplanes from bygone eras, helicopters, trucks and cars. His selection of trains makes me think of the children's book The Little Engine That Could. What a delight they would be for any train enthusiast. Be sure to see the bi-plane birdhouse. How special is that for the backyard!

Ray precision pieces his wooden wonders in California and ships to the United States. He has a shop on etsy where even more wonderful wood workings await. He creates these unique art works with scrap wood bits so no two will ever be identical. You are guaranteed of an unparalleled work of art to display. If you have a custom order in mind, be sure to contact him. I showed my husband what Ray does with wood scraps, but he is going to stick to making guitars and let the scraps fall where they may.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Magic Mirror

A burst of lovely colors and shapes captured my attention, and before I knew it, I had been transported into the magical recycling world of MarilyndaGallery on etsy. This mother and daughter team give an exciting new life to the forgotten fancies of fashion. Their bewitching arrangements of costume jewelry pieces adorn the backs of hand mirrors. The queen may ask, “Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” I don't know the fairest one of all, but I'm sure the fairest mirror is found right here!

Whether you prefer square, round, oblong, or hearts, they have bejeweled mirrors in a shape and size for you. These two tempt our eyes to discover every added trinket in their elaborate playful designs. Although this team is enhancing functional hand mirrors, their mirrors strike me as eye-catching works of wall art. Pick your favorite color combination and add intrigue to a desolate wall space. Visitors are sure to pause as they examine the pleasing shapes and colors. They do have a few wall mirrors available.

Marilyn and Lynda artistically collude in Michigan and ship internationally. You can see their past 'sold' work as well as available art mirrors on their website. There is so much to see on each artistic piece. Take a look, then look again. I'm sure you will smile with delight as another element reveals itself. If you are interested in having a custom mirror made with your baubles from the past or a love one's costume collection, be sure to contact them for a truly memorable piece of art that will be treasured.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Cozy Cat Crochet

This artist captivated me with the photography of her endearing cat pillows. Ralitza at zolayka on etsy will crochet a pillow to remind you of your beloved kitty. All she needs is a few photos of your furry friend and her hook and yarn will start flying. Her crafty cat crochet is just the tip of the talent truck. More crochet treasures await; lace wrist cuffs and socks, hats, baskets, and doilies. Her wide range of emoticons is sure to bring a smile, and those amigurumi owls are show stoppers for any owl collector!

When Raliza is not wielding a hook she works with knitting needles or a needle and thread. Embroidery hoop wall art, accent pillows, and so much more is waiting to be discovered in her shops. Be sure to see her line of french macaron coin purses. They make wonderful little zippered treasure boxes and would be perfect bridesmaid gifts.

Ralitza creatively crochets her cats in Bulgaria, ships internationally, and is found on Facebook. You will find more of her work on her website, and she keeps a second etsy shop, Bubabuba, with her creative overflow. Special orders are no problems for this artist, just contact her. How does this actress, musician, mommy, shop owner find the time to be so creative?