Blowing Glass

Glass blowing has been around since ancient times, and Kelly at KLGlass on ArtFire has embraced this traditional art form with a passion. Her shop has a wonderful selection of amazing glass works, from elegant vases to fanciful kritters. How cute are those bugs on sticks? Many believed the duckbilled platypus to be an elaborate hoax, and she will have you looking twice at her collection of whimsical creatures.

Tired of the same old, boring, mass-produced, everybody has one, tree ornaments? Kelly’s blown glass balls in vibrant original colors will make unique Christmas gifts, sure to be treasured for many years. She also has a line of lovely angels, perfect for a Christmas tree, but for me the showstopper is a friendly little elf ornament.

Kelly rolls her blowpipe in Canada and ships internationally. Drop by her website for more artistic works by this outstanding artisan. If you have an idea for a special piece, she is eager to help bring your glass dream into reality. If you pass by the Stony Creek area of Ontario, a visit to her studio would be a memorable excursion, and she would enjoy sharing her love of this traditional art form with you.

Quilted Wall Art

Years ago, wall hangings were a way of keeping out the drafts, but they have become less utilitarian and evolved into amazing and unique works or art. Armed with a pallet of colorful fabrics in a range of textures, this ArtFire shop, UniquelyJenQuiltCreations, specializes in piecing together intriguing art quilts. Working from an impressive stash in a well-organized studio, this fiber artist designs exceptional scenes to grace your walls. Jen combines textiles with other fibers and beads, bringing to life the scenes from her imagination.

Jen has enjoyed teaching creative quilting for many years. She also makes traditional lap or bed quilts, and for the kitchen, she has beautifully coordinated oven mitts and hot pads. I have never seen anything like her wonderful line of fabric coasters that fit right over the bottom of stemware. Her fabric art postcards make the perfect little artistic displays to brighten up a desk or bookshelf.

This active lady sews up a storm in Idaho, ships internationally, and can be found on Facebook. Don’t hesitate to contact Jen if you have a question of special order in mind. If you are near her in Northern Idaho, attending one of her artistic quilt classes could spark a creative design epiphany of your own.

Sugar Lace

Were you ever told not to eat paper as a child? Well here is paper you can freely eat and enjoy! The sweetsocietybakery shop found on etsy has a wonderful selection of lacey delights to accent your culinary creations. Edible decorating paper comes in many colors, and it can be sweetened or not. These charming designs will add visual appeal and kick up the simplest dishes a notch. Watching them magically dissolve in a liquid is great fun!

The sweet treats come from California and are shipped internationally. Special requests are welcome. Order a thoughtful garnish for a baby shower, wedding, or any special event you wish to make memorable. There are so many possibilities!

Marble Mailling

There are many shops offering chainmaille jewelry, but this outstanding ArtFire shop, Sneath, has taken mailling to a surprising level. Beyond an impressive array of bracelets, some which glow in the dark, you will discover unusual earrings featuring caged marbles. I find the Tao Dragon Tail* weave to be very pleasing. Glen also has an eye-catching line of mailled marble key chains, which can be converted to pendants. Some of his marbles contain trace amounts of uranium and emit a harmless eerie glow under backlights.

Glen was inspired after a Lord of the Rings marathon to have a hand at creating his own chainmail. His interest turned into a hobby, and has since grown into a small business. Popular at craft shows, he now offers his artistic pieces online. Find this young artist modeling his amazing chainmaille neckties on his blog. What a show-stopping gift for dad!

Glen mailles the magic in California, ships internationally, can be found on Facebook, and has an etsy shop. If you have any questions or would like a custom piece, he would be glad to hear from you.

*Tao Dragon Tail is a Tao of the Dragon variation weave by Corvus Chainmaille.

Behind the Mask

If you are still deciding on the perfect mask for a costume party, drop by tinylittleworlds on etsy. Danelle’s imagination soars and the bright colors and designs of her creations will add intrigue to your disguise. The attention and complements will have you using your mask over and over. Lightweight, durable, and gluten free, this paper-mache contains potato flour and cornstarch.

Danelle has several cat masks to choose from among her party favorites. The raven reminds me of a plague doctor, and her Dia de los muertos line is reminiscent of a luchador.

Any one of these artistic works would make a dramatic display for year round enjoyment, the perfect gift for any collector or unique masks.

Danelle gets crafty in Oregon and ships internationally. If you have a mask idea in mind, she would be happy to make one just for you!

Graceful Swan Origami

As many of you know. I strongly believe in reusing, recycling and upcycling, so it was heartwarming to discover RutisRoots on etsy. Ruti symbolically turns ugly ducklings into swans when she uses paper heading for the dustbin to create glorious 3D sculptures. Her graceful birds come in a variety of colors. Select a loyal swan to hold your nightstand treasures or become the eye-catching focal point of your desk.

Ruti has bowls in a variety of sizes available. What a wonderful presentation for hospitality mints, or my favorite, Hershey kisses! The designs she brings out in her bowls are amazing, and I continue to marvel at her creative genius, turning scraps of unwanted paper into remarkable works of useful art.

She also makes colorful magnets, which become perfect event favors, and has a line of note cards. This shop truly embodies upcycling in action!

Ruti folds her sturdy treasures in Israel, ships internationally, and can be found on Facebook. This charming lady was a featured etsy seller, and her interview gives further insight into her resourceful and imaginative spirit. If you are interested in a particular design and color, please contact Ruti. She will be happy to discuss your paper vision.

Flower Fancy

This flower filled shop on Zibbet, lagodesigns, may have the bees fooled with a garden of impressive floral beads fashioned from polymer clay. Diana creates her exquisite tiny beads in an array of colors and flower designs, which come together with dazzling beads to make striking statement pieces of wearable art. Her bold feminine designs are true one-of-a-kind treasures and sure to be the focal point of any outfit.

With hair pins to shoe clips, Diana’s designs will have you shining from head to toe. I like the cheerful gerbera daisies, but you will find orchids, roses, crocus, delicate apple and cherry blossoms, as well as tulips among the garden dwellers. If you are thinking of making your own floral beads, Diana has several tutorials to take you through the process of creating the flowers, then putting them together in your unique statement necklace.

Diana’s flower garden grows in Portugal. She ships internationally, and can be found on etsy. Visit her website for detailed pictures of her wonderful creations – such nice photos! These works of art will be enjoyed for many years.

Scratching an Egg

This artist celebrates her Lithuanian heritage in a traditional art form and creates the most beautiful decorated eggs. Christine’s etsy shop, teener1416, features a wide array of these delicate treasures in wonderful colors and designs. This older form of decorating eggs starts with an egg dyed in a single color. The designs are then etched by carefully scratching through the layers of dyed shell exposing the natural color of the shell. The eggs used, combined with the artist’s hand, guarantees that no two eggs are every identical.

Working with chicken, duck, goose, and turkey eggs, Christine uses her art for stress management after a hard day. You can’t be overstressed for long when working with eggs! Her exclusive eggs can be displayed on a tiny stand or be made into impressive Christmas tree ornaments. You will also find several multicolored eggs in her shop. Her floral designs are amazing.

Christine carves her eggs in Pennsylvania, and ships internationally. Custom orders are always welcome and your egg can be personalized. She has another shop on etsy where her creative spirit has produced a line of richly embellished greeting cards – when you care enough to send uniquely handmade!

Metal Art

Sparks will fly when CabinHollow takes an order at their metal fabrication shop on Zibbet. They specialize in silhouettes, but have racks and hooks of all sorts available. One of my sons has wanted a CNC Plasma Cutter to go with our welder. Just take a look at this well stocked shop and see all the wonderful things you can make with it. Your favorite animal would make an eye-catching house number accent for your home or mailbox. Getting something personalized with a name or number is not a problem.

Most items in his shop are shown in black, but can be ordered in any solid color. I do like that red rooster yard decoration. It reminds me of the Rhode Island Reds we used to keep.

When it comes to metal, the lower the gauge, the thicker the metal, so 12 gauge is thicker than 14 gauge. It works much like the gauge on knitting needles, with the higher numbers being the smaller sizes.

Gerald cuts it out in Kentucky, ships internationally, and is also busy on etsy, CraftIsArt, and ArtFire. If you can imagine it in metal, he will do his best to make it, and special orders are welcome.

There is a beautiful cutting of Proverbs 3:5-6 on their blog.

The Artful Gourd

Amazing – Simply amazing! Pyroengraved gourds are found at JRAGourdArt, a museum quality gourd art shop on etsy. I know pyrography or pyroengraving as wood burning. Jennifer has chosen to enhance the simple beauty and natural wonder of ordinary gourds with her intricate freehand designs, many of which feature Celtic symbols. She works with several gourd varieties transforming them into one-of-a-kind works of art. I had never seen canteen gourds before, from which she fashions exquisite hard shell purses.

When I showed this incredible artist to a daughter, she commented on how erasing must be difficult. Jenn’s Tree of Life bowl featuring her backyard friends, a squirrel and a number of birds, in a tree framed with beautiful Celtic weaves is a pyrography must see. She labored on this treasure for months.








The process of growing a gourd and preparing it as a usable canvas takes over a year. When properly dried, gourds can be worked on just like wood. Smaller artworks are available as precious Christmas tree ornaments made from egg gourds. If you shake one of these, you will hear the seeds inside!

Jenn patiently burns her wonders in Pennsylvania and ships internationally if possible. Find more of her unique work on her website. She is glad to take custom orders and will personalize a prized family heirloom just for you. If you live nearby, consider taking one of her gourd classes!

Stained Glass Menagerie

Discover a wonderful world of colors and imagination in this stained glass shop, TYorkStainedGlass, on ArtFire. This artist has a passion for stained glass, and her fanciful creations will astound you. Frogs, owls, penguins, fish, roosters, and dolphins along with a host of other fantastic creatures are sure to please. There are so many whimsical sun catchers to choose from. A charming cat face can be made in the colors of your furry friend.

There are beveled art works that will paint any room with a dazzling light show. If you are looking for a business card holder, there are beautiful styles and colors to choose from.

Visit the photos on their Facebook fan page to see the vast spectrum of this shop’s artistic expression. Larger glass art works are available. The 3D dragonflies are amazing. As you explore this artist, you will continue to be astounded at her artistic vision - birds and butterflies in every imaginable color combination!

The glass magic happens in Rhode Island. They ship internationally and can also be found on etsy. Special orders are encouraged and custom colors are welcome. The colors of stained glass never fade and these treasures will be enjoyed for many, many years to come!

A Work of Leather

As many of you know, my husband makes electric guitars and amps as a hobby, so I was thrilled to find the astounding guitar straps available at EthosCustomBrands on etsy. With over fifty years of leatherworking experience, the Ethos Team is well equipped to work their leather magic and create a masterpiece for you, whether you are looking for a custom pair of kickin’ boots, eye-catching cuffs, or would like your jeans fashionably inlayed with leather.

I didn’t know that kangaroo hide was tanned, but apparently is it lightweight and very strong, and you will find it here in their fabulous Celtic inlay work. I have my eye on the portfolio cover, which fits a 1-inch ring binder and would be perfect for my husband’s worship music. They also have a line of device covers. Just let them know what you need protected and they will create the perfect leather case.

These wonderful leather works are created in Oklahoma and shipped internationally. They can also be found on Zibbet and Facebook. Custom orders are always welcome, and they will gladly work with you to create the perfect leather piece.