Gramma passed away

Those of you who know me, know that I've been living with and taking care of my grandmother for quite a few years now. This last year or so has been really rough. She's been in and out of the hospital with pneumonia and other issues since last spring. She never fully recovered from her first hospital and subsequent rehabilitation stay at the hospital. This time around we discovered that she had uterine cancer, and it was quite advanced. I believe just about everyone in her family died from cancer, so she really wasn't very surprised with the diagnosis. While risky, she opted to have surgery to remove the tumors. She fully understood the risks involved, and the final decision was hers to make. The surgery itself went well, and I really thought she might recover and have at least a few more good years. Two days after the surgery, however her organs started to fail. She was in so much pain that last day, it ripped my heart apart to see her like that. Years ago she made a living will, and told me she didn't want to be kept alive on machines. She put a huge amount of trust in me to carry out her wishes. When the doctor told me that the only thing keeping her alive was those machines, and that nothing they could do would make her better, I knew I had to tell them to turn off the machines. It's what she would have told them, had she been able to speak at that point. Earlier that day I told her I loved her, and she was able to say that she loved me too. Mere words can't encompass all I felt for Gramma though. I only hope she knew just how much she meant to me. I'm not really sure what I'll do without her. I'm glad I was with her, holding her hand when she passed. Now she's up in Heaven with my brother Jeff, my grandfather, and the rest of her family, friends, and pets who have gone before her. I feel so blessed to have had in my life for as long as I did. The picture above is from my high school graduation (I always was a bit of a goof). She was always my biggest supporter, and loved me no matter what stupid things I did as a teen. She's a huge part of who I am, and I can only hope I live up to her expectations. I know God has a very special place for her among the angels.
Rest in peace Gramma. I love you more than you'll ever know.
Eva Waldeck 4-15-16 to 5-16-10
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Fantasy Clay creates wonderful fantasy creations from polymer clay

Fantasy Clay on ArtFire.com says polymer clay is her passion. That passion certainly shows in her wonderful sculptures. She says polymer clay is her favorite medium and has been working with it for about 10 years. She's always finding something new to try and loves making sculptural and fantasy creatures. She's also started making beads and exploring more cane work recently. She enjoys exploring colors and trying new materials, such as mixed media, inks, mica powders to enhance her work. She loves to create custom orders as well, so if you'd like her to create something special be sure to contact her.
Some of her very satisfied customers have said "Thank you for making me the black cat magnet! I LOVE him! I also want to thak you for all your help! You're the best!", "You hit the nail on the head, it couldn't be any more perfect! Looks just like him, I think he thinks I told you exactly what to do. It's great, love the mustache!", "Couldn't resist this adorable steampunk dragon and now that he has arrived, I am delighted. Thank you, Susan", and "The dragon is beautiful, My daughter loved it. thank you."
You can find Fantasy Clay online at www.fantasy-clay.com, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, and IndiePublic. Susan is also a fellow member of the ArtFire Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild. Below is a small sample of the work you can find in her shop, and don't forget to contact her for custom orders!

Did I mention I absolutely love the work of Fantasy Clay? Each character definitely has it's own unique personality!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Blackdog Handcrafted Jewelry - where you will find original and unique hammered Sterling Silver and Copper jewelry designs

Sandi, of Blackdog Handcrafted jewelry on ArtFire.com, creates all her jewelry by hand in her home studio. She uses eco-friendly Sterling Silver and Copper whenever possible so you can "go green" and look gorgeous doing it. Sandi says "I enjoy creating jewelry that has that certain "style" that is both natural and soft yet bold and unique, easy to wear, eye catching pieces..I make what I love to wear! Inspiration comes from every where! Richly colored Gemstones from the earth, Pearls and Shells from the sea,the romance of handmade Bali,Thai-Hill Tribes Silver made by artisans in small villages far away, handmade Glass Beads,Crystals and of course the beautiful mountains where I live, all inspire me to develop new and exciting ideas.
I love to let the Sterling Silver and Copper tell me a "story" as it takes shape. Each piece is an original design and individually hand-crafted which means no two are exactly alike. When combined with rich, earthy Gemstones, polished and waxed the metal takes on a warm glow that looks and feels amazing next to the skin." Blackdog Handcrafted Jewelry can be found online at blackdoghandcraftedjewelry.com, Facebook, and Twitter. Below is a sample of some of the beautiful and unique jewelry available.

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Sister Jewelry on ArtFire.com- Lovely handmade jewelry and watches

Sister Jewelry on ArtFire.com opened her shop 6-18-09. She uses SRA beads, lampwork glass beads, crystals, gemstones and quality findings to make fashionable, affordable handmade jewelry. She has a large (and lovely) selection of different kinds of Bead Watches, Bead Bracelets and Beaded Necklaces. All jewelry from Sister Jewelry is one of a kind and designed and handcrafted by the artist. You can also find Sister Jewelry online at sisterjewelry.blogspot.com, Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. Below is just a sample of the wonderful jewelry and watches available from this talented artist.

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Handmade floral themed creations

Spring flowers from CreativeCritters

The flowers in my garden are putting on a beautiful show now that the weather has warmed, so I thought I'd share some of the flowery creations from my studio on ArtFire.com. I have several pairs of earrings which feature flowers, and were sculpted by hand from polymer clay with glass, polymer clay, and acrylic beads for added interest.
My miniature house sculptures are all carefully sculpted by hand from polymer clay and are covered in tiny intricate flowers in a variety of colors and shapes. These miniature house sculptures are all one of a kind pieces, sculpted with great attention to detail.
Several of my fantasy polymer clay sculptures incorporate flowers as well. Fairies and flowers just belong together, in my opinion. And that's just a sample of some of the flowers growing in my shop. Now that it's spring, I'll be creating a lot more floral themed items, so be sure to check back often. Thanks for stopping by!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Located in beautiful Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, Inlet Images offers a variety of unique color, black & white and toned digital photographs available in standard sized prints. All of these original, fine art prints were created by photographer Bill Barber.
The gallery hosts many genres of photography, from landscapes to wildlife photography of birds and woodland creatures. These durable prints will be the perfect addition to any room in your house. Find Inlet Images online at http://www.inletimages.com/, http://inletimages.blogspot.com/, Facebook, and Twitter.

Be sure to stop in and see all the wonderful photos available at Inlet Images on ArtFire.com!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Pretty things of adornment from Baublezptoa

Baublezptoa on ArtFire.com creates beautiful jewelry from beads, gemstones, and precious metal clay. Her biography reads: "When I finished high school in Richmond, Va. and began taking accounting courses and working during the day, I used to walk around the block from where I worked to the only bead shop in town, and the only one in existence that I knew then. It was a hippie time of life and stringing beads for necklaces, bracelets and earrings to give to friends and family was just the thing, and I was enthralled with all of those beads!
Well the bead store closed, I no longer had a bead source and I really had to keep my head down with classes and work. Years later, on vacation I found another bead shop in Colorado. Oh Oh. but nothing serious happened until I left Corporate America to try a different approach to life.
So I learned about beads, and the history of them, trade beads, and what they meant, ancient beads and their values, vintage beads, and then gemstones and silver, then silversmithing, and more classes and lots of creativity, or so I thought until I discover Precious Metal Clay.
That is my medium of choice and I can still use beads and gemstones,! I have since gotten Precious Metal Clay Certification, and have many ruined blobs of silver behind me. It is one of the things I love to do, and it is an outlet for my desire to use my hands to create. And of course the positive feedback of someone wearing my creations is a marvelous reward."

Baublezptoa can also be found on www.baublez.themooaany.com, http://blog.themooaany.com, Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter. Below is a sample of some of the beautiful jewelry available from this very talented artist. Be sure to stop in and see all she ahs to offer!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

MDavisPhotos captures the beauty of nature in her photos

MDavisPhotos, on ArtFire.com opened on 8-27-09. Her studio sections include Calendar, Glossy Cards, Flat Matte Cards, Animal Photos, Scenery Photos, Flower Photos, and Something Different. She says "I guess, ever since I was young, I liked to take pictures. I love to see the beauty of the things that I have taken, in that moment of time. To look back on the memories of being there, no matter the time and place. Here is my world, time and place, I am sharing with you. Enjoy!" Some of her very satisfied customers have said "Beautiful greeting cards! Wonderful seller - quick to ship!!", "Wonderful cards and pictures, lovely art. Fast ship, quality product, highly recommended Artfire artisan.", and "Top notch artist-you are truly a pleasure to do business with!"
Below is a sample of some of her great photos. Be sure to stop in and see all she has to offer!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters