Saturday, October 31, 2009

CharSpirit offers wonderful handcrafted book covers, totes, and much more!

I'm very happy to be featuring Char, of CharSpirit on ArtFire.com.  Not only is she a wonderfully talented artist, but she's also a great person!  She makes BOOKS AND NOTEBOOK COVERS, KID STUFF, ORGANIZERS, PET STUFF, TOTES AND PURSES, WANDS, and even has a 25% OFF CLEARANCE section.  Her biography reads: "Hello...thanks for coming to look into my bio! .
CharSpirit Creations comes from me "Char" (**waving hi**) who by the way absolutely loves sewing & creating new things, practically in my sleep too..! All the stuff I create is filled with so much love from within my heart "Spirit", then made by my own two hands & mind (which never shuts down) into these "Creations"..
My inspirations come from living with nature here in the Pacific Northwest Coast with my loving husband, nieces, nephew and our adopted 4 legged kids.
"Those who create magical, beautiful & creative things with their hands, spreads more love around the earth!" Char Myers
These are all my original creations and copyrighted, may not be used without my permission!"  Personally, I love her shop name, and I think her creations definitely reflect her spirit.  Her customers love everything about her work and her customer service.  Some have said "WOW!!!!! These items are so GREAT!!! Thank you so much!!! Super FAST shipping!! Thanks again!", Everything is just beautiful and so beautifully sewn. I can't wait to put the Kids Dream Therapy Pillow in my granddaughter's pillow! And, of course, mine is already in my pillow! The scents are heavenly!! What a great combination!", "Thanks so much for the awesome organizers and super fast shipping too! I got to try out the one that hangs up today and man! It made my shipping SO MUCH EASIER! These things are such a blessing to me! I cant thank you enough for making them! I am enjoying the lil freebies too. Thanks a million for them!", "Thank you so much for such a lovely item. It is going to make the perfect Christmas gift for my mom. This seller rocks! Ships fast, packages well and great communication on top of an A+ product.", and "Wonderful service and perfect products..even some little surprises which are such a treat. I recommend this studio to all buyers on Artfire."  And that's only a sample of what her very satisfied customers have said.


You can also find Char on Plurk, blogspot, Facebook, and Twitter.  Below is a sample of what can be found in this very talented lady's studio.  Be sure to stop in and see all the wonderful pieces available!


Pumpkin Mini Notebook & CoverLetter C Pillow - Deep SeasMini Notebook & Cover/SpookyCrazy Bird Hand PuppetFlaming Fire WandWuzzy the Critter Hand PuppetJazzy Neck CoolziesSmall Spooky Pocket ToteNotebook or Catalog Cover Sparkly Skulls


Awesome stuff!


-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Friday, October 30, 2009

Nightmaiden rides the Crazy Train

Nightmaiden opened on ArtFire.com 11-19-08 and offers Awareness Items, Earrings, Bracelets, Necklaces, Chakra Series, Element Series, Mobius Chains, Rosary Bracelets, Photography, and Home Decor.


Her Studio Announcement reads: "Welcome to NightMaiden Designs.
SPOOKTACULAR SALE - 20% OFF EVERYTHING ALL OCTOBER!
Now accepting Amazon Payments as well as Paypal!
Thank you for stopping by. I have a wide array of pretties for you to drool over.
I welcome custom requests, just send me a message to inquire about any custom design. Please see my policies for more information."


Her biography states: "I was taught to always let your imagination run. Never hide the gifts and talents that you were given. I grew up with the love of photography and creating jewelry.
All of this began when I tried to save money on my wedding by creating all the jewelry myself. From there NightMaiden Designs was born. As I grew along with the business, I took a path less traveled. I began creating items with a metaphysical theme. Items that by using stones and gems that come from the earth and putting them into a creation that utilizes their true and natural properties.
As far as I go, I am Irish and have a love of all living creatures. I am an avid animal rescuer and took that passion to my job. I was a vet tech until I got married.
I also have a passion for awareness causes. I support many causes and even create awareness pieces so that others can show their support.
**Click on the link at the side to visit my Facebook page, become a fan and get inside information on upcoming projects, sneak peeks to items before listing, special promos and coupon codes just for fans."


Nightmaiden can also be found on Facebook, blogspot, and MySpace.  Below is a sample of what can be found in her shop.  Be sure to pay her a visit and see all she has to offer!


Dia de los Muertos Day of the Dead PillowGarden Theme Chainmaille Charm BracelertSail AwayLil Pink DragonfliesErin go BraughFly Away With MeFlowers and ByzantineTwisted Flowers, your choice of color and styleTake These Wings


-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

How losing my brother got me started making World of Warcraft plush



I wasn't sure if I was going to write this- wasn't sure if I could.  But this has a lot to do with some of my creations, and I think I owe my brother the recognition for his part in their making.  My older brother, Jeff died 1 year ago on Oct. 28th.  He was only 39 and his passing was sudden and unexpected.  It hit me hard, and I still have a hard time believing that he's gone.  His passing caused my mother and I to reconnect after many years, and through her I learned about a side of Jeff he didn't always share.  I knew about Jeff's love of fantasy, of course, that went back to the days of Dungeons and Dragons, but I didn't know that he had traded D&D for the World of Warcraft.  My mother and younger brother played too, and through them I learned about some of the different characters and their roles in the game.  Jeff had a Tauren character.  When Mother saw some of the work I was doing, she brought up the idea of making plush World of Warcraft characters.  She's also the one who found ArtFire and sent me the link (THANK YOU Mommy!).  As a way to honor Jeff, I decided the first characters I would make would be Taurens.  It took weeks of study about Taurens, and even longer testing out patterns, changing, adapting, and trying again before I came up with a Tauren I was willing to put up for sale.  These patterns are created completely by me, and each character is one of a kind.  The Taurens measure between 14" and 18" and are stuffed with polyester fiberfill.  They're dressed in leather and carry polylmer clay (sculpted by hand) weapons.  I think Jeff would be proud of them.  Recently I've started making Murlocs.  So far I've created 3 different patterns, with options to customize each one.  These monsters measure between 12" and 17" tall and are stuffed with polyester fiberfill.  They have jointed arms and legs, and I use pipe cleaners in their fingers, making them completely poseable.  If Jeff were here, I'd give him one for a pet.  He always liked my comical fantasy sculptures- my Christmas presents always made him laugh.  As I get time, I'll be creating new characters, and delving deeper into Jeff's World of Warcraft.  These are the plushies I have available at the time of this post, however, I'm working on another Murloc right now, and will be listing new characters as I complete them.  Thanks for reading and browsing.


OOAK Plush World of Warcraft MurlocPlush World of Warcraft Tauren Hunter with Pet WolfPlush Male Tauren World of Warcraft figurePlush Female Tauren in RedPlush Female World of Warcraft Tauren with StaffGreen Plush World of Warcraft MurlocHandmade World of Warcraft plush MurlocMale Plush World of Warcraft Tauren with Ax and ShieldWorld of Warcraft plush Tauren with StaffPlush Female World of Warcraft Tauren with Ax


-Michelle of CreativeCritters


Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Wonderful handcrafted cards for any occassion can be found at ButterflyCrafts

ButterflyCrafts opened on ArtFire.com 3-26-09. If you need a handmade card, this is the shop you need to check out!  She even makes custome orders, so you'll be sure to get just what you want.  Her biography reads: "I have enjoyed crafting for as long as I can remember and it is a hobby I can never grow bored of, every time I pick up a project to continue I keep saying - oh just stitch one more row or make just one more card before i can pack away for the night.
Cross stitch will always be my weakness, I love nothing more than picking up some fabric and sifting through patterns for a new project. I have made small 'initials' pictures up to much larger fire screens and baby samplers and my friends and family frequently have an cross stitch card. Take a look in the custom gallery for my larger pieces.
I have been making cards with mixed media for a few years now. I love the way a few pieces of paper and card can be turned into something wonderful and given as a gift.
I am always trying to expand my craft skills and I have been knitting and crocheting since 2008 and I am thoroughly enjoying them and learning new stitches all of the time! I knit on the train to work, in my lunch break, on the train home from work - heck, any chance I get!
I try to run my store with my creative mission in mind. My mission is:
1) Ensure that I enjoy what I am making and be conscientious when making,
2) To make all of my items by hand
3) To design cards that I believe will bring a smile to the face of the recipient".


Some of her customers have said "Thank you so much your work is brilliant. The cards are even nicer than I imagined.", "The card is fantastic, mom will love it. It got here faster than we thought, but I'm not complaining about that at all!", "Absolutely beautiful work, highly recommended Artfire seller. If you need a special card this is where to get it. Thank you so much.", and "Absolutely loved my card. Thank you. Your work is awesome. Great packaging, great communication, fast shipping. Will do business with again!"


You can find ButterflyCrafts at www.butterfly-crafts.com, butterfly-craftsonline.blogspot.com, Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter.  Below is a sample of some of the items available in her shop.  Be sure to stop in and see all she has to offer!


Christmas Card - Cat, Counted Cross Stitch (Handmade)Engagement Card - Red and White flowers (Handmade)Poppy Scented Sachet (Handmade)Greetings Card - Japanese Cookie Jar (Handmade)Christmas Card - Stocking, lilac (handmade)Childrens Card - Piggy (Handmade)Friendship Card - Time for Tea (Handmade)Christmas Card - Let it Snowman (Handmade)Shimmer Fairy Greetings Card - Blank (handmade)


She's got cards for absolutely every occassion!  This is only a tiny sample!


-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Handsewn cloth dolls from CreativeCritters


I've been making cloth dolls for several years now.  My best friend got me started when she gave me a Waldorf doll kit for Christmas and asked me to make a doll for her son.  I knew how to sew, but had never considered making dolls before this.  My first doll turned out quite well, and several years later it is still cherished and played with daily.  Wanting to learn more about doll making, I bought a few books with patterns for different dolls and their clothes.  And I was off and running!  I discovered I really liked making dolls, and giving them each their own personality.  All of my dolls are sewn by hand and measure between 14" and 18" tall.  Some have jointed arms, and some have tab style arms.  Most often I'll use yarn for hair, although some of my dolls have faux fur hair.  I sold a few dolls to my aunt, who is a doll collector, and she has them prominently displayed in her living room.  My neice still plays with the doll I created for her as well.  I also sew all the clothes by hand, which sometimes takes longer than the doll itself. I enjoy finding just the right fabric, and combining (or creating) patterns for the perfect outfit.  All of my dolls have names, which usually come to me after I've painted the faces.  That's when their personality really starts to come out.  I also sign and date each of my dolls, which are all one of a kind creations.  A lot of love goes into these dolls, and I really do feel an emotional connection to them.  They're soft and very nice to hold, just comforting somehow.  Below are some of the dolls available in my shop, and I plan to add more as Christmas approaches.  Just click on the picture to go directly to the listing, or browse my entire Doll Category. Thanks for stopping by!


Wendy the Witch doll and her Black Cat SpookKaty a cloth doll in a Cat Halloween costumeBrianna a Beautiful Cloth DollVirginia an Adorable Cloth dollDonna a Delightful Cloth DollPaige the cloth doll in her purple snowsuitCaitlin an Adorable Cloth DollJasmine a Divine Cloth DollCute cloth doll McKaylaCloth Doll ColleenKirstin a loveable cloth dollClarissa a Sweet Cloth Doll


-Michelle of CreativeCritters