Following Fractals

Fractal art relies completely on the designer’s eye and skill of the artist directing the computational power of a computer through mathematics. Donna of DreamTreeStudio on ArtFire (which has closed) creates stunning modern digital art prints with layers of vibrant color and captivating design. Her visually pleasing prints are available in sizes from 8 x 10 to the pocket art collector ACEO size of 2.5 x 3.5 inches. I am fascinating by the design that reminds me so much of perfectly spread creamy lemon frosting.

Donna’s unique masterpieces can take up to several days to complete. Her incredible art prints are professionally printed in a photo lab and come ready to be framed. The patterns and colors will keep you mesmerized.
She computes her equations in South Carolina, ships internationally, and can also be found on Facebook and etsy. Please contact her with any questions or special requests. These delightful prints would make such lovely note cards.

The Gentleman Carver

We have friends who live on Catalpa Way, and I didn’t know it was named for a tree until exploring this delightful shop, Twinwoodcarving, full of hand carved bowls on etsy. Joe listens to each block of wood then uses the skills of a master craftsman to bring out the bowl hidden inside, exposing its glorious grain patterns and natural wood beauty. Years of hand woodworking classes in school, while growing up in Ireland, gave this artist the true appreciation of wood he enjoys today. Thank goodness for those cost cutting measures.

Each of his bowls is a one-of-a-kind treasure. He finishes each bowl with tung oil and beeswax, giving his artworks a lasting finish. These bowls are safe for food use, but are recommended for dry foods only. He also has a line of modern candle holders.

Joe carves in Missouri, ships internationally, and can be found on Facebook. He has an amusing and informative blog post about an over exuberant carving expedition on a piece of green wood, among other helpful ‘working with wood’ insights. My husband makes guitars and I can appreciate the amount of careful cajoling it takes to release these artistic pieces. I can imagine the satisfaction Joe takes when stepping back and gazing at a job well done!

Tatted Treasure

Inspired by the childhood memory of a lace edging her mother made, this artist has been captivated by the traditional art of tatting. Krystledawne, on ArtFire (which has closed), is the place to discover fine tatted lace jewelry. Krystle’s earrings, necklaces, rings, and hair ornaments are uniquely designed and many incorporate accent beads. The gorgeous bridal choker and earring set is available in several colors by special order. Don’t miss the little pumpkin earrings, definitely a hit for the fall season.

Krystle hand dyes cotton thread in an array of exclusive colors and shades to further ensure the uniqueness of her little works of art. She offers dyed thread in several sizes for your needlework creations.

When you are ready to stand out, tatted earrings are lightweight, full of personality, and offer a distinctive flair. In addition to her tatted pieces, she incorporates tatted elements as the focal point in some of her necklace designs.

Krystle tats her heirloom treasures in Washington State, ships internationally, and can be found on Etsy and Facebook. She is happy to work with you on special orders. Visit her blog for sneak peeks and more examples of her intricate designs. Tatting is still on my list of things to try!

Much Ado

My daughter had a great time creating the masks for a steampunk production of Much Ado About Nothing, so I’m in the mood for a masquerade ball. BejeweledMasquerade, an etsy shop and serious party stop, has a striking array of handcrafted paper mache masks. Nora’s original Venetian style designs are fashioned and bejeweled with the finest materials giving you serious sparkle. These elegant masks can be comfortably worn for an exciting and memorable evening out. You will feel like a princess and certainly be the center of attention wearing one of Nora’s outstanding works of art.

This lady enjoys several artistic outlets, but her passion is in the art of magnificent mask making. What a statement one of Nora’s very uniquely adorned disguises would make; a playful exotic display, sure to be the focal point in any room. These masks are for a serious collector of masquerade art, or anyone who can appreciate this art form, which dates back hundreds of years.

Nora creates the magic in Missouri and ships internationally. Whether you are looking for an impressive prom or wedding mask, or to finally win the costume competition, Nora will make the custom mask of your dreams. Be sure to look through her sold items for additional examples of her incredible talent. I like the cat mask, and can only imagine the dazzling costumes and fairy tale dresses that go with one of her treasures.

Nuts and Bolts

I ran across a very interesting model shop on Etsy, NaturalBamboo (closed). Christopher has created a line of motorcycle and car sculptures incorporating various nuts and bolts. Each of his marvelous metal works is uniquely handcrafted, and I like his use of chain for some of the tires. He also makes novelty statuettes, including an impressive robot warrior, a ‘gone fishing’ pencil cup, and an out-of-the-ordinary cow coin bank.

Too many years ago I tried my hand at model making. It was a plastic model and took no imagination to put together. I had glue dripping everywhere, frustration took over, and I never finished.

To my amazement, Christopher has constructed his own line of vintage vehicle models from scratch using tin. The double-decker bus and fire engine would make attractive display pieces, perfect for any enthusiast.

Christopher builds his metal works in China, ships internationally, and can be found on Facebook (although I'm not sure how active he can be). Be sure to contact him through email chris.he2009@gmail.com if you have a custom piece in mind. I wonder if he will ever make a dalek?

Duck, Duck…Goose!

You won’t be running with one of these delicate treasures. Michael’s shop on etsy, Eggstreme, is where you will discover a nest of eggsquisitely hand carved and bejeweled eggs. Working with duck, goose, emu, and ostrich eggs, this artist creates one-of-a-kind Faberge-style egg art to be enjoyed by any collector.

The duck egg with all the holes is named Bubbles, but I thought of Swiss cheese. Safely holding such a delicate work seems like an accomplishment in itself, let alone keeping it in one piece during the transformation process. He even crafts music box eggs to play a tune, and a diorama egg ornament. The original dark color and mottled pattern created by carving the emu egg are very interesting. The rose trellis ostrich egg must look very impressive when lit up in a darkened room.

Michael carves these eggseptional art works with his gentle touch in the United States and ships internationally. What an eggstra special ring box one of these gilded eggs would make. A family heirloom; sure to be cherished as the proposal story is recounted to children and grandchildren!

Cross My Heart

Cross-stitch is one of the oldest forms of embroidery and Gail at CrossStitchCards on ArtFire has a line of greeting cards that incorporates these elements in her exceptional designs. Her enchanting cards will certainly be treasured and their cherished messages reread over the years. Some of her cards even have removable cross-stitch ornaments that can be used year round as thoughtful reminders of your kindness.

Gail has a passion for cross-stitch and has been making superbly stitched art for many years. The peacock avatar she is currently using is magnificent. Her exclusive cards are certainly not for the casual well-wisher, and a disposable store card is good enough for that. A handcrafted card designed by Gail lets the recipient know you are genuinely thinking of them by your unique card selection.

Gail precisely counts her stitches in California, ships internationally, has a website, and can be found on Facebook. I stitched an announcement when my first was born, and it took such a long time to finish. I understand the countless hours she invests in her art work. If you are looking for a card to truly convey your heartfelt sentiments, visit Gail for a cross-stitch treasure!

Star Wars Amigurumi Crochet

Amigurumi is the Japanese art of creating small-scale cuteness by knit or crochet. Fantasy crochet patterns abound at LucyRavenscar on Etsy. Whether you are looking for your favorite Star Wars character, rabbits, wizards, or other fantasy folk, Lucy has the roadmap to creating your own amigurumi. The little gnomes, or any of these wee wonders, would make such a fun hide and seek game. The seeker leaves the room while the gnome is hidden, but part of it must be visible from the center of the room. I played this fun I Spy game as a child with little pocket rabbits my mother knit.

Her patterns range from beginner to intermediate crochet level, and I can only imagine the hours of trial and error that have gone into creating them. I was once asked how I create crochet patterns: simply write each row down as you work, and when you make a change, tear it out, cross it out, and continue on. Did you know that crochet nomenclature differs between the US and UK? Lucy provides both terms in her directions.

Lucy has painstakingly crafted her patterns in the United Kingdom, can be found on Facebook, and by e-mail her patterns are available via PDF worldwide. Visit her blog where you will find darling little eggs to delight any egg hunt, as well as free patterns and links to free patterns that you can try your hand at. Keep in mind that her pattern designs are available for personal use only. She has spent great time and care in preparing them. I wonder what she will come up with next!

Paper Cuts

Few things are quite as exciting as passing down the skills of a traditional art form to the next generation. This gentleman was fortunate enough to have grandparents mentor him in the art of paper cutting and painting, and the amazing results can be found at swipxa, on Etsy. When my husband saw the country road, he thought it was an ink work.

Steady hands and painstaking attention to detail allow this artisan to create his delicate paper lace designs, which come ready to be framed and will certainly be the conversation piece in any room. These incredible art works can be prepared in a single color or hand painted to please after they are cut out. Zhang can turn a photo into a paper cutout to commemorate a special person or event, so be sure to contact him for custom orders.

Zhang skillfully maneuvers those sharp blades in China and ships internationally. You will also find him at Bonanza, where I am in awe at the zebras through a chain-linked fence.

See him at work in a YouTube video, although the audio is in Chinese.

I have admired this artist for quite some time and have seen great growth in his shop offerings. I hope he will be able to continue his family heritage and pass this craft on to his daughter.

What's Bugging You?

Well it certainly won't be any of these cute little bugaboos from the LuckyBugs shop on zibbet. Daresa has populated her very own colony of Lucky Bugs in a charming array of colors and designs. The flowing antennae and lacey legs give each insect an elegant appearance, and those little faces staring back are precious!

Camouflage bug has got to bring a smile, and the Silver Bug lapel pin is an eye catcher. Every one of her handmade creatures is a true one-of-a-kind work of art with personality, sure to be enjoyed and treasured for many years to come.

This lady absolutely loves playing with polymer clay, and her cheery creations are evidence of her joy. Discover her second shop on zibbet, Daresab, for more examples of her inventive creative energy. She truly upcycled a tobacco tin in a stunning beach themed trinket box, and the hummingbird is amazing!

Daresa models her menagerie in South Carolina, ships internationally, can be found on Facebook, and also has an Etsy shop. Would you like to see a Lucky Bug in your favorite, school or team colors? She enjoys the challenge of custom orders, and will gladly work with you bringing your unique ideas to life. Here is a wonderful surprise for the avid gardener on your gift list – bugs that won’t need spray!

Plarn Creations

As many of you know, recycling is dear to my heart. Anything we can do to keep materials from our landfill is a benefit to all, and the creative recycling and upcycling of these materials, turning them into beautiful and useful items, is very satisfying.

There is a shop on ArtFire doing just that, KConkle.
Karen crochets a line of beautiful bags and totes made from 100% recycled plastic shopping bags in a range of lovely colors and designs. Her husband Terry offers wonderful support and collects bags from coworkers who know of Karen's marvelous creative talent.
 
Karen hooks her eco-friendly creations in Kansas, ships internationally, and can be found on Facebook. Like me, she has recently opened a shop at ShopHandmade, and should have it stocked with more of her wonderful recycled treasures shortly.
Plarn is soft, strong, waterproof, and has marvelous insulating properties. Be sure to stop by her ArtFire blog if you would like to know the secret to perfectly cutting a bag into a long usable length of Plarn to crochet or knit your own upcycled item. Thank you Karen, I applaud your efforts!

The Discovered Treasures

My adventure in creative discovery and blogging began April 27, 2010 with my first feature, Rebecca of PeadenScottDesigns, and her delightful pop-up cards. Over this past year I featured 71 amazing artists, and was introduced to several new art forms. Those publicly following my blog have grown to 340, and I average 27 views a day from a wonderful international audience!

This has been a year of growth and change for us all. I recently went through the features making sure all their links were active. Sad to say, but several of the Discovered Treasures have closed their shops, while others have taken their creative expression in new directions. I edit the links in my posts keeping them current when I become aware of changes, since keyword search traffic finds some of my features everyday, and I want my posts to remain relevant.



Your comments encourage me in my weekly hunt for those amazing shops that have gone unnoticed, and I am sure they are very much appreciated by the featured artists. The creative energy I have seen online is awesome, and I hope you have found the Discovered Treasures to be inspiring.

Are you ready for another year of discoveries?

Spread the word - These exceptional artists deserve a greater audience for their unique craft, and if you missed a few, browse the Past Discovered Treasures!