The Mighty Oak

The weather is cool and rainy today and very much like Autumn.  After walking the dogs in the rain and smelling the crisp air my mind turned to changing leaves and Oak trees in particular.  So I was inspired to put together this collection of awesome Oak trees and Oak leaves.  I found lots of great Oak themed items, everything from Tree of Life pendants, to vinyl wall decor, to paintings, photos, and sculptural wall decor.

The Mighty Oak

   Curated By: CreativeCritt...

ArtFire.com

Craft Supplies

I hope you enjoyed this little taste of Autumn- I know I enjoyed putting it together! :-)

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Featuring Wyvern Designs

Wyvern Designs offers a unique and eclectic mix of handcrafted items.All of her items are designed and created by her and each one is one of a kind.  She welcomes custom orders as well.  Within her shop you can find beautiful jewelry, items for children, ornaments, supplies, home decor, and more.  She's a graphics and jewelry designer who loves trying new materials and new techniques and is totally addicted to polymer clay.  She's also a member of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild on ArtFire.
You can find Wyvern Designs online on ArtFire, Etsy, Twitter, MadeItMyself, her blog, and Facebook.
Below is just a small example of the wonderful items that can be found in her shop.
 Dragonfly and Fern Hand Made Light Switch Plate Cover

Scowling Pug Pendant
 
North Atlantic Puffin Earrings
 
Ladybug Necklace Hand Made
  
And these are just a few of the wonderful creations available from Wyvern Designs.  Be sure to check out all she has to offer!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Inventory reduction moving sale at CreativeCritters

Within a few months I'll be moving and I've been slowly but surely packing things away and preparing to move.  I think I've thrown out about 3 tons of garbage over the last couple months!  It is amazing how things can accumulate over the years.  One thing I'm not looking forward to is packing up all my sculptures, dolls, jewelry, and home decor I have for sale at CreativeCritters.  There's just so much of it (over 400 items)!  So I decided to have an inventory reduction sale.  The less I have to pack and move, the better!  I'm offering 50% off all items in six different categories:
Sale Half Off miscellaneous items
Sale Christmas/ Winter
Sale Pen Sculptures
Sale Animal Sculptures
Sale Cloth Dolls
Sale Plush WoW Characters
These are the lowest prices I've ever offered on these items!  You can find whimsical handmade items like this plush Murloc with sound.
 
Or a sweet handcrafted cloth doll you little girl will cherish.
 
You can even find wild (or maybe not so wild) cheetahs roaming the pages of my shop ;-)
 
There's also a wide variety of fun pens on sale too.
 
You can even get a little early Christmas shopping done!
 
You can even find mythical beasties like this adorable Griffon on sale ;-)
 
So come on over to CreativeCritters and browse the numerous items on sale.  I'd much rather sell them than have to move them! ;-)
Thanks for stopping by!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Free Shipping for Thanksgiving and Black Friday from CreativeCritters

As my way of thanking you for shopping handmade at CreativeCritters this holiday season I'm offering free shipping to the US on Thanksgiving and Black Friday (November 24th and 25th) on select items.  The coupon code HandmadeHoliday saves you an additional 25% off your order.
You can find great deals on handmade items like this cute polymer clay elf sculpture

And this necklace and earring set featuring pink polymer clay roses would certainly make a lovely gift!

This pretty little polymer clay covered tin accented with iridescent beads is a wonderful place to hide tiny treasures.

And you can even find something special for your cat without paying tons of money.  My catnip toys are very durable and are stuffed with my own organic catnip, which cats just adore!

All the items with free shipping will have an orange tag across the bottom corner which says "Free Ship", making them easy to spot.
So after you've had your fill of turkey and pumpkin pie, kick back, relax, and do a little Christmas shopping at CreativeCritters!  Thanks for stopping by! =)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Check out my new Christmas/ Winter category!

Recently I added a new Christmas/ Winter category to CreativeCritters and filled it with cute handmade dolls and stuffed animals, whimsical jewelry, unique ornaments, warm knit hats and scarves, holiday sculptures, and home decor that looks great all winter long.  This is where you can find all my Christmas themed items in one spot.
Kirsten here is one of my favorite dolls.  I was inspired to create her when  I found just a little bit of green fabric with teddy bears dancing all over it.  I imagined the sweet doll that would wear this cute teddy bear dress and created Kirsten.  As with all my dolls, Kirsten is a one of a kind creation.

I've also got several adorable and unique pins available.  Many of these pins were inspired by an aunt with a great sense of humor.  She always wore fun pins and I started making unique pins for her as Christmas gifts.  I had so much fun making different whimsical pins, I had to start adding them to my shop!

And of course I've got to have handmade Christmas ornaments!  Some are sculptural, like this Singing Cat, wearing a hand knit hat and scarf

and others incorporate glass and polymer clay beads like this set.

And I've always got sculptures! 

 

This is just a small example of what you'll find in my Christmas/ Winter category- there's plenty more where these came from!  Better yet, until November 30th you can get 25% off your order when you use coupon code HandmadeHoliday!  So stop on by and save on unique and delightful handmade gifts for Christmas!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Polymer Clay Smooshers Fall Challenge

Because of the hot weather last month I was unable to sculpt an entry for the Polymer Clay Smoosher's Beach themed Challenge.  I love participating in the Smoosher's Challenges and really regretted being unable to sculpt for about a month.  Polymer clay can get very sticky and difficult to sculpt when it gets too warm, plus I didn't want to add the heat of the oven to the already hot house.  The weather has cooled off a bit in the last week or so, though, so I have been able to get back to sculpting.  I had plenty of ideas for items I could create for the Fall themed Challenge, but eventually settled on a Fall Fairy Maple Leaf wall hanging.  I've had an idea like this for quite some time, and this seemed like the perfect time to sculpt it.

 

The red, green, and gold Maple leaf measures 9" tall and 11" wide.  I drew a template for the leaf on cardboard, then traced around the leaf on the clay using an exacto knife.  I made the leaf even stronger by using wire for the leaf veins and covering them in clay.  The fairy was sculpted from the same clay as the leaf and is meant to look like part of the leaf.  The really fun part came when I started adding red, green, and gold Pearl Ex powders to the unbaked clay, then covered the entire leaf in Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel.  This is the first time I've used the embossing enamel, although I do frequently use embossing powders in my work.  Because the embossing enamel is crystal clear I was able to add a thick layer, adding to the depth of the piece.  I baked the piece once, and liked the look so much I wanted to add another layer of color.  So I dusted on more Pearl Ex powders, and another layer of embossing enamel, and baked the plaque again.  This is definitely a one of a kind creation!  And I think it's perfect for the Polymer Clay Smoosher's Fall Challenge.  Autumn always seems to bring on a burst of creativity for me, and I have quite a few Fall themed items available in my shop.  Over the next month or so I'll be adding a variety of new items inspired by the upcoming Fall season!                                                                                                  

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Lovely Things offers a wide array of handmade items

Mary, of Lovely Things on ArtFire creates everything from fine art prints to jewelry, to clothing, home decor, quilts, cards, and more!   She wrote a few children's books, and always kept painting and drawing. After her son grew up she started to crochet shawls and tried selling them on eBay.  She also learned to make jewelry, and sews and quilts as well.  She enjoys cooking and often includes recipes as free gifts.  You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter. 
Below is only a tiny sample of the many and varied items available from this creative lady.

 

And there is SO much more where these came from.  Be sure to check out her entire shop- she's sure to have something for everyone!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Grand Prairie Woodworks on ArtFire.com

Grand Prairie Woodworks on ArtFire.com is a master builder of Mission furniture and features cutting boards, kitchen utensils, clocks, lighting and other home decor.  His Artisan Biography reads: " I specialize in Mission style furniture and accessories for the Arts and Crafts, Mission and Bungalow furnished home. Inspiration for each piece I design and build draws on the rich history of Stickley, Limbert, Roycrofters, Greene & Greene and others. All these revered craftsmen had a passion for clean simple and elegant design. As a small independent furniture maker I can offer a degree of flexibility and quality not often found in larger shops.
I build, primarily in Quarter sawn white Oak and Cherry. Every piece I build is carefully constructed by hand in the original style of the Arts and Crafts movement. The boards for each piece are carefully selected to match figure, pattern and grain. The joints are precision cut and hand fitted. Machine sanding is only used for the early stages of assembly, all my projects are carefully hand sanded and inspected. I use only natural finishes that are hand applied and rubbed out to a satin sheen.
Each piece is unique and tailored to the desires of the client. Any of my lamps and other accessories can be ordered in a custom size or finish. All furniture starts from a drawing with your ideas and needs in mind. My hope is that the final product will be treasured by the client as well as their grandchildren."

You can also find Grand Prairie Woodworks at www.grandprairiewoodworks.com, Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter.  Below is just a sample of what you can find in his shop.  Be sure to stop in and see all he has to offer!

Just beautiful woodworking and craftsmanship here!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

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!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters