My first dragon necklace

I just listed the first dragon necklace I made on ArtFire.com. I spent a lot of time on this, trying to make sure I got it just right. The dragon is about 3 1/2" long and 3 1/2" tall, and the entire necklace is about 22" long. I sculpted the dragon in polymer clay and actually cut out each and every scale, one by one (very time consuming, but I just love the effect). I used gold clay for the belly, horns, and the tip of his tail. I used shimmering red clay for his scales and wings. I added gold embossing powder to the center of the wings before baking them. I gave the dragon green glass beads for eyes and used a polymer clay tube bead between his wings in order to string him on the necklace. While the sculpting was difficult and time consuming, I think the beading may have been even more so. I used a combination of acrylic, glass, and metal beads in red and gold hues. I've never taken any jewelry making classes or been taught anything about the art. I just imagine what I want a piece to look like and try to figure out how to accomplish that. I knew I wanted to use 2 strands of beading wire so I could be sure the necklace was strong enough, as well as be able to have 2 strands of beads. Actually, the necklace is surprisingly light, but I still like the double strand effect. I beaded the necklace 3 separate times before I was satisfied with the pattern. I really don't have anywhere to plan my designs before actually stringing them. In the past it wasn't much of a concern because I didn't make necklaces, but now I've got quite a few ideas running through my head, so I may have to fix that. I'm already almost done with my second dragon necklace. The thing I love about these is that you have a really cool piece of fantasy sculpture that you can wear!


You can click on the picture to visit my Artfire studio. Thanks for looking!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

WooleyCreek Jewelry on ArtFire.com

Today WooleyCreek Jewelry rides the ArtFire Marketing Train!  She and her husband live in in Claremore Oklahoma where they set up at Powwows and Flea Markets to sell her crafts and vintage Native American jewelry.  She loves tribal and ethnic jewelry of every kind and specializes in Native American beadwork and crafts in her studio.  She's been beading since 1990 and is disabled.  She spends most of her time doing things that allow her to remain seated.  Beadwork helps her pass the time when she can't walk.  I must say, she does a wonderful job of it.  You can find her beautiful work at wooleycreek.artfire.com and read her blog at wooleycreektribalethnicjewelry.com/wooleycreek_blog.html. Here are just a few of the lovely pieces available from her studio, and all at very reasonable prices too.

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Totally lovin' ArtFire!

I've been on ArtFire for a few months now, and I REALLY love the whole experience!  I've met so many new artists and learned a LOT about networking, promoting my work, and general computer stuff that turns out to be pretty simple (once you know what the heck you're doing).  Before joining ArtFire I was on another craft site, and while I did make a few small sales, the traffic through my studio was sluggish at best.  ArtFire offers so many different forms of marketing and networking.  They just added VoteHandmade.com, which is really fun.  The staff is constantly thinking up new ways to promote it's artists and showcase the site as a whole.  And if someone does have problems or questions, the staff is right there to help.  Then there are the forums- OMG, they can be a riot!  You can really get to know people if you hang out in the forums for a bit.  Actually, I sold my first item after someone saw it posted in the Item of the Day thread, so it's also a great way to show off your work.  I could spend hours looking at all the wonderful items people post.  There's a definite sense of community there.  Some of the threads can get pretty intense, emotionally.  I truly care about these people, and I believe they feel the same.  Many of the ArtFire artists have also become Facebook friends, allowing me to get to know them on more than one level.  The Crazy ArtFire Marketing Train has been another great way to get to know different artists.  Everybody who signs up gets 2 days where everyone else on the list promotes them (through Twitter, Facebook, blogs, whatever works for each person).  Quite a few sales have come out of this for the selected artists, plus that's just a huge amount of exposure in general.  I like researching the artists and drooling over everything in their shop.  For me, this has been a lot of fun, and exposed me to a variety of different artwork.  So, all in all, I just absolutley love ArtFire.  And ByHand.me as well, of course.  I never would have found ByHand if it hadn't been for a link in the ArtFire forums.  The same goes for BlogSpot.  I started a blog at creativecrittersblog.blogspot because I kept seeing links for other artists blogs there.  I joined 2 different groups on Flickr because of a link in the forums.  I've actually become quite social since joining ArtFire, and I'm much happier because of it.  For me, it's definitely the place to be!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Creative Cove Jewelry Designs rides the ArtFire Crazy Train

Today it's Creative Cove Jewelry Designs turn to ride the ArtFire Crazy Marketing Train.  Cheryl, AKA Creative Cove, derives great pleasure from her one of a kind jewelry and has been designing jewelry for 6 years.  All designs are her own creation and she's quite willing to make custom orders for her customers.  Cheryl is a stay at home grandmother who lives in Alaska, but hates winter, which I find pretty funny.  You can purchase Creative Cove's beautiful handmade jewelry at creativecovejewelrydesigns.artfire.com.  Cheryl also has a blog at creativecovejewelrydesigns.blogspot.com, and can be found on Twitter, Plurk, and Indiepublic as well.  Below is a small sample of the work available from her studio.

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Beautiful jewelry from Silver River Jewelry

Silver River Jewelry on ArtFire.com

Sonja McClung, of SilverRiverJewelry on ArtFire, specializes in unique handmade jewelry.  She lives in Akron, Ohio and is a wife and mother of 2 teenagers, as well as the owner of 3 dogs and 3 cats.  She has a passion for family, the outdoors, and designing jewelry.  She has always had a fascination with flames and says, "The play of colors in the fire pit, the way the flames dance and change color are fascinating to me to this day."  She loves the fact that she can actually use fire to create something beautiful and wearable.  Sonja says, "With the flame I can meld my love of lapidary (rocks) and my love of metal and flame and begin to create a piece from scratch with no purchased components."  She hopes her skill and imagination will conitnue to grow.  She finds that the design process is always an adventure.  She never knows exactly what the piece will evolve into.  My own creative process works the same way.  The end result can be very interesting indeed.  Sonja McClung can be found at silverriverjewelry.blogspot.com, silverriverjewelry.artfire.com, as well as Facebook, Twitter, and Indiepublic.  Below is just a small sample of the many beautiful pieces available from Silver River Jewelry.

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

gardening

Well, it's another lovely spring day in NE Ohio-NOT! It's cold, drizzly, and generally miserable. However, my poor peppers and eggplants are getting too big for their containers and really need to spread their roots, so I figured I'd better get them planted in the garden. Actually, when I first went outside the sun was shining and it was almost comfortable. Halfway through planting the clouds moved in and the rain started. I've lived here long enough to be used to it though, and I know how to protect my newly planted veggies from the vagaries of our unpredictable weather. I use Wall 'O Waters for my tomatoes and cover everything else with milk jugs with the bottoms cut off. Both methods have proved quite successful.
I start all my plants from seed indoors under fluorescent lights. For one thing seeds are a lot cheaper than plants, plus you can find a much larger variety of seeds than you can plants at the nursery. Clean containers and good seed starting mix are very important for successful germination and disease free growth of the seedlings. This year I'm planting tomatoes (cherry, Roma, and yellow), sweet bell peppers (mixed colors), eggplant, yellow bush beans, zucchini, yellow squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, basil, cucumbers, cantaloupe, garlic, chives, and oregano. I make some delicious spaghetti sauce with all my fresh veggies. Plus you can freeze extra tomatoes for use later in the year. Last year I got a food dehydrator very cheap at a garage sale, so I was able to dry my herbs and some of my veggies. I also grow catnip for my fuzzies (and the neighborhood cats as well). Cats go nuts for fresh catnip!
I've been slowly but surely hardening off my veggies to get them used to the changes in temperature, wind, and light that they'll have to deal with outside. I start off putting them in a sheltered location for an hour or so the first few days, then gradually increase their time outdoors, and their exposure to sun and wind. It also makes the plants much stronger. Sometimes I'll have a fan blowing on them when they're indoors. This helps to strengthen their stems. Believe me, it works, especially with tomatoes. So far I've got my basil, peppers, beans, and eggplants planted in the garden. Tomorrow I'll plant my tomatoes. I'll probably wait a few more days to plant my cukes, cantaloupe, and summer squash. They like warmer weather. Plus they've still got a little more room in their current containers, so they'll be OK. It's supposed to get much warmer by the end of the week anyway.
Well, that's my gardening tale for the day. Now I'm off to do some cooking for Gramma. She really appreciates my garden as well. She's always had fresh veggies with her meals. I'll try to keep you all updated on my gardening progress. Hopefully I'll have a good season. Last year wasn't so hot. Bad weather (3 separate hail storms!) and critters (voles and deer mostly) really took a toll on my harvest.

Cloth dolls available at CreativeCritters.ArtFire.com

Shine Your Hiney Soap

First off, I just love the name!  Second, the products in ShineYourHineySoap's studio on ArtFire look good enough to eat!  Patti Burgess is the lady behind the shiney hiney.  She's a stay at home mom from NC with a 2 year old daughter and a 4 year old son.  She loves crocheting and making bath and beauty products.  You can see her talented crocheting skills put to good use in her adorable monster bath mitts, which even come with a free soap sample.  What kid wouldn't love taking a bath when they get to play with these fun monsters?  Patti's shop categories include Bath Mitts/ Soap Savers, Bath Salts/ Hiney Bubbles, Gift Sets, Holiday/ Seasonal Soaps, Lotion, Novelty/ Children's Soaps, Shine Your Hiney Soaps, Shower Gel/ Whipped Soaps, and Sugar Scrubs.  Many, if not all of these products are vegan friendly.  All are beautiful.  Many, like the Neopolitan Ice Cream Soap, look good enough to eat.  It even has three different scents: vanilla, chocolate, and starwberry vanilla.  Talk about pampering yourself or someone you love!  There's a huge list of scents available and Patti is more than willing to take special orders.  Below are just a few of my favorites from her well stocked studio.

 

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

djStoreRoom on ArtFire.com

djStoreRoom on ArtFire.com

Diana, of djStoreRoom on ArtFire.com, is a stay at home mom who lives in Singapore.  Handmade Treasures by djStoreRoom is her creative outlet where she sells handmade bags and crafts.  She says crafting and sewing allow her to focus on her hands and projects, which in turn fuels more passsion for creating.  Her studio categories include Canvas, Handbag, Mirror, Sewing Tutorial, Vintage Button, Wristlet, Zip Pouch, and Paper Clips.  She offers freee international shipping with free insurance, and her work is very reasonably priced.  She's a charter artisan, a contributor, a guild artisan, and a columnist on ArtFire.  You can also find Diana at djstoreroom.blogspot.com and plurk.  Below is an example of her work.

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Sold my first plush WoW Tauren!

This is my second sale on ArtFire, and my very first World of Warcraft character I've sold. I've only been making plush WoW characters for a few months now. My mother and younger brother play the game and thought it would be cool if I could make the characters as plush toys. I started with the Tauren because they are just so neat. The ones in my studio now range from about 14" - 18" or so. They're all handsewn, and most of them wear leather outfits. Most carry some sort of weapon, which I generally sculpt from polymer clay. A lot of research has gone into each one. I don't play the game myself, so I spent a lot of time online learning about the characters (WoWwikki is really useful). Each character takes at least 40 hours to complete. They're completely handsewn, and their clothing is attached to their body. In most cases their weapons can be attached to their hands with velcro. I really like the one I sold today. She was sewn in "modern cow velboa" fabric, which has a short furry nap. I saw that fabric and knew I had to make a Tauren with it. Her leather top and skirt came out nicely too. Her giant mace (huge hammer type weapon) came out really well too. My mother was really happy when I told her about my sale. Of course I had to call her first! I think my older brother would have been really proud too. He really liked the game and played whenever he got the chance. He recently passed away, and in some ways, making these characters is a way to honor him. I know he really would have liked them. I miss my brother very much, but he continues to inspire me.
I'm working on another Tauren right now, a male that I'll list at creativecritters.artfire.com when he's complete. Here are the World of Warcraft Taurens available right now.

Fun and Functional pieces from 3ZArt

Funky and Functional pieces from 3ZArt

AJ McCormick is the lady behind 3ZArt on ArtFire.com. She's a college student and entrepreneur whose interests include camping, poker, music, hiking, fishing, reading, and writing (among many other things). She lives in Texas and is the guildmaster of the Artfire Decor Guild. She sells light plates, outlet plates, square coasters, lampshades, and mouse pads in her studio on ArtFire. Her work is fun, colorful, and very professional. Why not use a fun, as well as functional light plate, lamp shade, or mousepad? She's got a huge variety to choose from and her prices are very reasonable. You can read more about AJ on her blog at 3ZArt.blogspot.com. She can also be found on twitter, plurk, and indiepublic. So do yourself a favor and stop by her studio- you won't regret it!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Fantasy sculptures available at CreativeCritters.artfire.com

Accessories by Gottjoy

Accessories by Gottjoy

Joyce Gott, of AccessoriesbyGottjoy on Artfire.com, creates beautiful items with lampwork beads and makes a wide variety of items with other beads.  Joyce's studio offers lovely jewelry, gorgeous letter openers, wine bottle toppers, ceiling fan pulls, pens, and key chains.  She's been making jewelry for several years and first got hooked on it when she saw the cool pieces her co-workers were making.  Her studio is now full of her own impressive artwork.  Joyce's interests include handmade jewelry, needlework, camping, and riding motorcycles.  Stop by her studio to see all the beautiful pieces she has to offer.  Below are a few of my personal favorites.

Happy Easter

Well, I hope everyone had a happy Easter. My husband and I spent the day at his aunt's house with all the in-laws and cousins. I happen to love all my in-laws, so I really enjoyed myself. The kids got to hunt for Easter eggs, then they hid them for the adults to find. I think the adults were more competitive than the kids! One cousin was bribing the kids to show her where the eggs were hidden! I laugh so hard when I'm with these people! And I adore the kids. Most are about 2 -5 years old, and they are just so much fun. I don't have kids of my own, so spending time with the youngest cousins is always a treat for me. I like getting down on the floor and playing Legos, or stuffed animals, or better yet, pretending to be different animals. Lilly is always a cat. I do love that little girl. It's a wonder so much personality can fit in a 5 year old.
I love seeing the aunts and uncles too. They're such friendly, fun people. They always like to hear about my art work, and were very happy to hear I made my first sale on Artfire a few days ago. My husband's cousin Andy was the one who got me started making earrings a few years ago. She convinced me that the ones I made for her were nice enough to sell. Since then I have sold quite a few pairs of earrings. The family is very close and supportive. They've treated me as a part of the family since before my husband and I were even married. I'm always happy when I'm with any of them. You couldn't find more generous people anywhere. They always make a ton of food, and everybody has to take some home. I won't have to cook for at least 3 days! Of course I try to contribute to the offerings whenever possible. Today I made a chocolate raspberry braid (sweet bread filled with raspberry jelly and dark chocolate). I came up with the recipe myself a few days ago. Everybody seemed to like it- but then again, you can't really go wrong with chocolate and raspberry.
Oh yeah, they have 3 dogs, as well. Not only do I get to play with the kids, but I get to wrestle around with 2 large pit bulls (very sweet dogs) and cuddle with little Benji. I love animals, and I really miss having a dog. The pit bulls are just big goofy clowns. They're so gentle- no matter how much we play and rough house, they never bite or growl. Well, that was my Easter- a lot food, fun, kids, and dogs. Now I'm tired, but happy.

Alisuns- Beautiful Custom Crafted Jewelry

Crazy Train on ArtFire Features Alisuns- Custom Crafted Jewelry

Alisun Riggs rides the ArtFire Crazy Marketing Train today!  Her studio, Alisuns, on ArtFire is chock full of beautiful handcrafted jewelry.  Each piece is handcrafted and is Alisun's own design, or she's obtained permission to use it.  She provides her customers with the highest quality product she's capable of producing.  One look in her studio will tell you she's a very capable artist, and has a wonderful way of combining colors and textures.  She treats her customers courteously, provides excellent service, and conducts her business in an ethical and socially responsible manner.

Alisuns is her full time obsession.  It's obvious she spends a lot of time on each piece.  She enjoys custom crafting her 3 Generations necklaces, bracelets, and Core of my Heart earrings.  She works in gemstones and Swarovski, with gold filled or sterling silver wire.  She enjoys the look of fine metals and crystals, and uses them in her work almost exclusively.  Nearly any style in her studio can be custom made.  One look in her studio will show you just how skilled Alisun is at her craft.  She has a blog at Alisuns.blogspot.com and another at artfirecrazytrain.blogspot.com.  Alisun can also be found on Plurk, AIM, Skype, and Facebook.  Check this talented lady out!  You'll love her work- I know I do!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

 

Melina the Mushroom Sitter

Melina was a pretty little fairy, only about 6" tall, with soft chestnut brown hair and bright green eyes. She had large green wings with yellow spots that were able to carry her long distances across the meadows and streams. Melina was friend to all amongst the plants, flowers, and animals in her territory. Papa Mushroom often requested her help "mushroom sitting" his 3 rambunctious children. They were very active little fungi, scrambling hither and yon. Papa Mushroom didn't move quite so fast any more and preferred to stay on his moss covered rock. Melina enjoyed chasing the youngsters around, playing tag and hide and seek. And the young mushrooms simply adored Melina. They always fought over whose turn it was to be gently rocked to sleep by the fairy at the end of the day. They loved to listen to Melina's tales of her adventures, and her other friends in the meadow. One of their favorite tales was that of Feival the Fairy and his pet dragon. They were still undecided as to whether or not they believed that one. A dragon? As a pet? For a Fairy? Maybe Melina was pulling their stem with that one. The little mushrooms had never even seen a dragon. For all they knew dragons didn't even exist. Of course, Papa Mushroom knew better. Melina had brought Feival and his dragon for a visit a long time ago, when the dragon was still small. These days Feival and his dragon traveled the realm together, having many exciting adventures. Another of Melina's friends was Mervin the Mouse and his wife Melody. They always had lots of little mice to keep an eye on. Melina helped out there as well. She just adored the tiny furry bundles of energy. They were very envious of her ability to fly and watched in awe as she swooped and twirled in the air above them.
Today Melina planned to take the Mouse family to visit the Mushroom family. On her way over to the Mouse den she gathered up some especially sweet berries for the young mice, and some seeds for Mervin and Melody. As soon as she landed all the young mice gathered around her, chattering for attention. "Now, now, calm down everyone. If you all sit nicely I'll give you a present," she said. That was all it took to calm the exciteable rodents down. They quickly sat back on their haunches, front paws clasped in front of their chest. "Now that's better," Melina commended. She gave each of the 7 mice a sweet black berry, which dissappeared nearly instantly.
After some preparations, the entire family set off for the Mushroom demnses. It wasn't a long trip, but it was the first time the juvenile mice had been away from home. They scampered back and forth across the trail, under leaves and over sticks, tripping over each other in their excitement. Melina kept a careful eye on them, as did Mervin and Melody. Before long they reached their destination and were greeted by Papa. The 3 young mushrooms suddenly became shy at the site of 7 scampering mice. The hid behind Papa's thick stem and peeked out at the newcomers. "Come on out and meet the Mouse family," Melina cajoled. They're really very nice children."
"Oh, we are, we are!" the mice squeaked. Curiosity soon overcame shyness and before long the youngsters were all happily playing together. The adults sat under Papa's large cap and nibbled grasses while they talked of the comings and goings of the meadow's many denizens. Melina fluttered between the youngsters and the adults, making sure all was well. As the smallest mushroom tired herself out Melina held her and gently rocked her to sleep. Before long the rest of the young ones had gathered around Melina and begged her to tell the story of Feival and his dragon again. And so ended another sunny day for Melina and her friends.

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

PicardCreative- Wicked Fun!

PicardCreative- Wicked Fun!

So, it's Paula Picard's turn to ride the Crazy ArtFire Marketing Train.  She has a studio at picardcreative.artfire.com where she sells some hysterically funny magnets made from recycled can lids.  So not only does she give us a laugh, she's doing her part to ave the planet.  Her magnets are silly, sarcastic, artistic, and in some cases downright rude (Ilove those!).  Her greatest hope is that people will get a smile out of her items.  I know I certainly do.  She also does personalized magnets, and I've seen a few that have made me laugh out loud.  Paula lives with her teeneage son, her boyfriend, and 2 crazy cats, Lilly and Oreo.  She owns a brick and mortar shop called "The Cats Meow", which features many handmade items.  She is a graphic designer and altered art/ collage artist.  Her goal is to transition into being more of an artist/ creator.  She has a blog at picardcreative.blogspot.com if you'd like to know more about her.  And visit her studio at picardcreative.artfire.com to purchase her funny, and often very appropriate magnets!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

The Jewelry Shop on ArtFire.com

Amy W. of The Jewelry Shop is a wife and mother  who has been collecting and selling vintage jewelry for the last 10 years.  You can check out her blog at thevintagejewelrycollector.blogspot.com to see what she's up to lately.  Amy loves vintage jewelry because she feels it has much more character than mass produced jewelry.  She's drawn by the charm of vintage pieces and loves handmade items in general.  She enjoys what she calls "treasure hunting": going to auctions and estate sales in hope of finding some vintage treasures.  She also enjoys spending time at the beach when she can.  You can find her on Twitter, Plurk, and Facebook.  Check out her work and see some of her beautiful finds!  Check CreativeCritters spotlights to view some of my personal favorite pieces in her studio.

Pieces from The Jewelry Shop on ArtFire.com

animals from my ArtFire studio

this is only a test

Caterpillar Peacock

Today Lindsey of Caterpillar Peacock (http://caterpillarpeacok.artfire.com and http://caterpillarpeacock.blogspot.com) is riding the "Crazy Marketing Train" on ArtFire.com.  Lindsey makes teeny tiny felted hats and very unique felted jewelry.  She is a self described "big weirdo" who's funny, ironic, and off kilter.  That probably explains why she makes those adorable little hats!  First she crochets them, then machine felts them until they're just the right texture, then she blocks them into shape.  She makes berets, fedoras, top hats, all sorts of different hats, as well as beautiful felted jewelry.  Right now she's working on plant inspired projects for spring.  Check out her ivy and vine necklaces and her Calla Lily pin.  They're just perfect for Easter.  Lindsey is inspired by color, nature, comic books, and things from the 50's to the 70's.  She's been crocheting since her mother taught her at the age of 8.  Obviously she's perfected her technique.  Like myself, Lindsey is an artist who simply MUST create.  I certainly understand that creative drive!  Her favorite craft books are the 30+ Creative Hands series from the 70's, which I think is pretty appropriate.  She certainly does have creative hands!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Caterpillar Peacock

Today Caterpillar Peacock is riding the Crazy Marketing Train. Lindsey is an artist on Artfire who creates teeny tiny little hats and very unique jewelry. You can find her at http://caterpillarpeacock.artfire.com and http://caterpillarpeacock.blogspot.com. She's a self proclaimed "big weirdo" and describes herself as funny, ironic, and off kilter. Which explains why she makes teeny tiny little hats (which I think are just so cute and funny). First she crochets the hats, then machine felts them until they're "just right". Then she blocks them into the desired shape. Not only does she make berets, fedoras, and top hats, but she also makes felted jewelry. Right now she's working on plant inspired jewelry for spring. Pesonally, I like her Calla Lilies. Perfect for Easter. Lindsey says she's inspired by color, nature, things from the 50's to the 70's, comic books, and just about anything interesting. Her mother taught her how to crochet when she was only 8 years old. Like myself, Lindsey is another artist who simply MUST create. I certainly understand that drive to make things. Her favorite craft books are a series from the 70's called Creative Hands, and Lindsey certainly does have creative hands. Her are just a few of her creations.

Feival the Fairy's Discovery (a fairy tale)

Feival the fairy was walking through the woodland one warm spring day when he spied a large blue and green speckled egg laying in the grass. He couldn't imagine where it might have come from. As he made a closer inspection of the egg he noticed small cracks beginning to form. Whatever was inside the egg was just about ready to come out! As Feival watched a little green snout poked through the shell, soon to be followed by a pair of bright black eyes, and then an entire reptilian head. Why, that was the head of a baby dragon! Feival jumped back away from the egg when he realized that he was watching a dragon emerge from the egg. Dragons could be terrible predators, and were known to eat just about anything they could fit in their jaws. This dragon, however, was now stuck halfway out of his shell. He couldn't seem to get the rest of his body freed. Watching the animal's struggles, Feival began to feel sorry for the helpless creature. Pushing his fear aside, he approached the baby carefully saying, "Hey little guy, take it easy there fella. Be nice and don't eat me, OK?" It only took Feival a minute to find the problem and break the shell away. the little dragon tumbled from the egg and landed in a heap, tail flopped over his head and legs sprawled in all directions. Feival couldn't help but laugh. This little guy wasn't exactly fearsome. Seeing that the dragon was having a hard time untangling his limbs, Feival helped straighten him out. In thanks, the dragon gave Feival a big sloppy kiss with his long forked tongue.
"You're more like a pup than a big deadly dragon," Feival laughed, patting him on his gold speckled green head. He realized that the dragon must be an orphan. Normally female dragons wouldn't leave their nest until well after all the eggs had hatched, and they certainly wouldn't leave an egg out in the open. Something must have stolen the egg and left it here. So now the fairy had a choice- he could leave the defenseless infant on it's own in the wilderness, or he could try to care for it himself. Really, there was no choice. Feival was a kind hearted soul who simply couldn't allow an animal to suffer. So he gathered up the little green creature and carried him back to his home in the hollow oak tree.

Feival and the dragon, which he named Dilwyn, quickly bonded. Feival would sit in the sun in the morning with Dilwyn on his lap while the dragon warmed up. He would talk to the dragon about all sorts of things. And Dilwyn, being of one of the intelligent dragon breeds, listened to every word Feival said. He even understood most of it. As Dilwyn grew he became Feival's protector, rather than the other way around. And Feival's opinion of dragons in general drastically changed. He realized how intelligent, friendly, and faithful they could be. He and Dilwyn were now constant companions, and both were better for that.
And they lived happily ever after!

My first ArtFire sale!

Well, I sold my first item on ArtFire today.  YAY!  Did I mention I love ArtFire?  I had a feeling I'd get a sale soon.  I've had a lot of traffic through my studio and I've been working very hard on promoting my work, as well as the work of other artists on the site.  The thing that's really awesome is that I just listed the doll, then put her on the forums as my item of the day.  I noticed I had a message, checked it, and got the good news.  So fast!  I've been bouncing off the walls today- can't help it, I'm just so happy.  Plus I joined the "Crazy Marketing Train" that was recently started in the forums.  The idea is that you sign up and agree to promote the artist whose turn it is for 2 days.  Every artist on the list gets a chance to be the one being promoted.  I think it's an awesome idea.  See, that's what I love about ArtFire.  The artists work really hard to help each other out and try to make sure everyone has the opportunity for sales.  I am SO glad I joined, especially while I was still able to get the $7.00 a month deal.  Although they only raised it to $12.00 instead of the usual $20.00.  Are these people great or what?  They truly want to see the artisans on their site be successful.  I'm in a very good place right now, but there's more work to be done, so I'm off for now!  Thanks for looking!

-Michelle

http://creativecritters.artfire.com

My latest project- Taurens

Several months ago I had never even heard of a Tauren, then my mother started talking about the World of Warcraft and the characters that inhabit that world.  After she saw some of my other work she thought it would be a good idea for me to recreate these characters as plush critters.  I chose to start with Taurens because they're critters that I like.  They're very spiritual and protect their environment.  I did quite a bit of studying to get the look just right.  I have 3 plush Taurens available in my shop now and am working on a hunter Tauren and his pet lion.  These guys stand about 16" tall and take quite a while to make, but I enjoy doing it.  I've always liked stuffed animals, now I have a good excuse to make them!  So far this one is my favorite.  I used real leather for her top and skirt and used polymer clay for the tree detail on her skirt and the leaf pendant attached to her cloak. 

organization

I finally got my card catalog from husband's uncle today. It's got 10 long narrow drawers and has a perfect surface for me to trace patterns on. See, my problem is always that I don't have enough storage space for all my "stuff". I've got a lot of "stuff": clay, cutters, tools, jewelry findings, beads, thread, needles, buttons, you get the idea. Now I'll finally have a place for all the little things that tend to get lost in the jumble. I find it's so much easier to create when I don't have to deal with clutter everywhere. Plus when things are organized I can actually find what I'm looking for! Of course I've still got plenty of organizing to do, but the weather's supposed to be pretty miserable for the next few days, so I'll be stuck indoors anyway. And I'll have my cat, Ozzy's help. He enjoys supervising when I clean and sort. He has to be sure to check out everything that gets moved. He makes housework more enjoyable! He had to thoroughly investigate the card catalog when I brought it in. Thankfully he's good about not jumping on my crafting tables and such. So anyway, I'll likely be organizing all my craft supplies tomorrow. Actually that can be fun. I often unearth things I'd forgotten I had. Then seeing all the craft things tends to give me ideas for new projects. As if I don't have enough ideas! I'm currently working on three separate projects: a plush male WoW Tauren, a knit bunny (that I want to complete before Easter), and butterfly beads that will probably become earrings and maybe a necklace. And there are tons of other ideas in my head for new sculptures, jewelry, knit toys, WoW characters, everything imaginable. At least I can be more organized while juggling all these projects. More later- thanks for reading!

My ArtFire experience

I've had a verified studio on ArtFire a little over a month now, and I'm really enjoying myself. It's a very easy site to navigate, and if you have any problems the staff and the other artists are extremely helpful. I now have about 6 pages of products. One nice thing about this site is that you can customize your own studio categories. In my studio I offer jewelry, miniature houses, pen sets, plush World of Warcraft, animal sculptures, cloth dolls, fantasy sculptures, knit toys, and polymer clay sculptures. It's nice being able to organize all the different items I make. Another great aspect of ArtFire would be the chatterbox forums, where you can meet other artists, share your work, ask and answer questions, find contests and promotional opportunities, and have a good laugh. I've learned so much in the short time that I've been on the site, and I'd like to thank the staff and artists who made me feel so welcome. They're very kind to "newbies" and help them find their way. It's just a good place to be. And the talent! You really have to see this stuff! Actually, I'll show you a few of my favorites. Stop by their studio and see all they have to offer.
This is one of my favorites from HaffinaCreations

This Ninja Frog is from WelcomeToMyWhimsy
This is from NinjaJenn. I just love kitties!

These beaded dragon bracelets from WickedOrin are great!
And these are only a very few of the amazing artist of ArtFire.com. I feel honored to be included amongst all this talent! Here are a few favorites from my own studio.

First is my Frog Prince fantasy sculpture. Next is my plush female World of Warcraft Tauren, followed by my double triangle earrings, and finally my kid safe knit cat.
I've just been having tons of fun working and playing on ArtFire!