Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Choosing Your Favorite...





Choosing your favorite creation is LIKE picking your favorite kid! But just for fun, I asked the artists of ArtFire what their personal favorite is of all of their creations... what a gorgeous collection of treasures!


 Above you see my "Black Dahlia Peacock Menagerie" One of my all time favorite creations... and my first sale on Artfire! Below you will find personal faves of some of MY personal fave Indie Artists!


ENJOY! ~~~
Jenn Kos
of Metal Petalz~ A Unique Boutique ~
http://www.MetalPetalz.com
http://www.facebook.com/MetalPetalz
 



Like you said it´s like picking a favorite child, but right now, and because it's Summer, here's mine:
White Dotted Ruffle Necklace
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The first time I saw this kind of necklace was on a neck..... and fell in love with it. But it was very simple, it only had the ruffles on the metal chain. When I got home I went to my little fabric pieces and got started. After the ruffle I sewed the synthetic pearls and the rose, and it was sooooo beautiful (a least in my opinion!!), it looked awesome in my neck. Then I made another for my other shop, and it's very beautiful also, in USA colors, or if you prefer, in navy colors.

Thank's for this great idea!


http://www.artfire.com/users/NOTON


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My favorite sculpture is one I made a few years ago.  It's quite large compared to the little ones in my studio.  Santa Stands 14 inches tall.  I wanted to capture what for me, is the true meaning of Christmas combined with the wonderful tradition of Santa Claus.   In my mind I could just imagine what it would have been like if Santa were there in the stable where Jesus was born.  When he saw baby Jesus, he felt such love for Him that he just couldn't resist....He very humbly asked Mary and Joseph if he could hold him.  They kindly agreed and Santa reached down to pick up the Christ child.  (When I was sculpting Santa's face, I wanted him to look as though he was giving thanks for the greatest gift of all.) I don't know if I acomplished that, but, that's what my intent was.  It was an emotional experience creating this piece and will probably always be my favorite.
It was completely sculpted in polymer clay from my imagination. (except for Sant's mustache and beard which are lambs wool)  No molds were used.  I actually made three of these.  Posed slightly differently, but, with the same composition.  The other two had actual fabric clothing.  I used red velvet.  On this one the entire piece, including Santa's clothes,  is polimer clay.  The figures are nestled in pine brances.  This piece is not for sale.  Many, many hours invested.  I may make some on a smaller scale (6 to 8 inches tall), but, haven't decieded yet. 

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Oh this is so easy for me :)  When I started my jewelry business, I started it with $100 and went to a wholesale bead show. I'd had my other business(soap) for years but didn't want to use that money to invest in buying beads. So off I went to the bead show..no clue what to expect.. I saw rows and rows of glittery gemstones..$200-300 a strand. I just looked at them and knew thats what I wanted someday. I wanted to make OOAK genuine gemstone jewelry that nobody else would ever have. But of course, I went over to the $3 bargain bins and spent my $100. And made some seriously awesome jewelry. But every bead show, I'd lust over those briolette and rondelle strands.
About 2 years later of selling my jewelry..I walked into that same bead show and walked out with myglittery gemstones. And this necklace is the very first one I made. It has 594 views. I've since been able to buy even higher quality gemstones but this necklace is dear to me.
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My  favorite creation that I am surprised I didn't sell yet is the Personalize Birthday Hats for Dogs. I think they are really cute. How can you say no to this.
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I create durable dog toys,cat toys,pet head wear,and upcycled pet feed mats. Pet items links are:
http://www.artfire.com/users/CritterCrafts



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http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=1531398

I have so many favorites that it is hard to choose but this new piece really has a place in my heart. It is a 5in by 5in wall hanging in earth tones. This was one piece I feel I came up with on my own. After being at a convention, that squished feeling was really strong. I just wanted to express that. Since I'm from an urban area, this feeling is all to familiar in subways, malls , streets, everywhere.
I feel like sometimes it feels like there isn't enough room, we are all looking to find our place and be different somehow but too often everything seems to squeeze in, people, stress, everything.
On a side note, I made this thinking of the whole and then doing the faces, I saw the overall crowd. My husband thinks looks absolutely creepy, he focuses on each face. I wonder it this means something.
htttp://fantasyclay.artfire.com



I just recently posted this favorite item of mine, I love turquoise and the southwest with all its beautiful cactus flowers and Native American designs. I went to Arizona this past April and bought a Turquoise stone from bead store in an Indian Reservation. The stone is mined from Kingman, Arizona is known for its beautiful golden matrix. I then constructed a sterling silver bezel and pendant for mounting the stone, and added sterling cactus flowers on the bottom of the pendant. I was not going to put it up for sale, but I probably will be going back out to AZ next year and get more stones. Here is a pic.  
Natural Kingman Blue Turquoise Oval Sterling Pendant




Okay, I don't really have a favorite.  I think that my favorite is whatever my newest creation happens to be.  But there is one thing that stands out in recent memory.  I made a pair of earrings and a bracelet for an attorney at work who got married in May.  The pieces were a gift for her bridal shower, and although I didn't expect her to wear the pieces at her wedding, I did make them with white pearls and clear Swarovski crystals.

At the bridal shower the earrings were a big hit.  Another attorney commissioned me to make a pair for her but a different color.  I really wasn't looking forward to it because these earrings take 4 hours per earring.  I can make 5 necklaces and a couple of bracelets in the time it takes to make these earrings.

But, she liked them so much that she wanted another pair using a different color crystal.  I have to say that although I hate making these earrings, I do like the final product (sort of like giving birth).image

I will be making more in the future, but I will be make them between other projects, in 30 minute increments.  Here they are...

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For me, I would have to say my froggy is my favourite. Years ago my mother had made me a long legged frog stuffy and he went everywhere with me. I was about 7 years old or so at the time I believe. Anyways, I still think about that froggy at the oddest moments and it is one reason why I kept trying to come up with a cute pattern that a cat would enjoy playing with when I started making catnip toys  This is what I have come up with. Each one is slightly different and has quite the personality I think LOL
Froggy Long Legs Handmade Organic catnip toy
There is a picture of another one I made in my gallery, and I even did a blog post about my prototypes last spring LOL.




OAK Charm bracelet handmade 28 charms Antique brass swirl clasp
I put a lot of work into this charm bracelet. I love blue and green colors. My inspiration behind this piece was a vintage garden. I love the Antique brass. I wanted to make something that expressed Vintage romance.
christina



This is my favorite piece. I love my polymer clay beads and I was able to find matching silk strands- so colorful! It was alot of work, and I may have paid too much for the silk...is it too expensive?
Colie Necklace, silk and polymer clay floral beads



My favorite creation? This glass pendant featuring a "bird" with a cartoon beating heart. I believe it captures my vision to create one of a kind pieces - lol.
Glass Pendant Wacky Bird with Cartoon Beating Heart






this one has always been my favorite.

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it was one of the first items i listed here. one of the first tries i did at wire wrapping.  it's a piece that makes me happy when i see it.  maybe i'm blocking it mentally -- no one has bought it yet! LOL





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I do a lot of designs that are detailed and floral. People like them, and so do I, but as far as the creative process is concerned this is my current favorite piece.
It's detailed, but randomly done which is what I really enjoy doing. My favorite pieces to work on are the ones that contain surprises for ME, and that create their own little universes. These are the pieces that suck me into an alternative reality while I am doing them-- This one in particular. With floral designs, you are depicting. A design like this is a totally right-brain piece: while I was working on it I lost all sense of time and reacted spontaneously without having to follow nature.
If this makes sense......
http://www.artfire.com/users/morgansilk
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My favorites are always the ones that are the most labor intensive.  Like this gold mega Egyptian swirl coil necklace and King Tut pendant.  Gold mega Egyptian swirl coil necklace and King Tut pendant   N19 

Since we are in a gifty mood, this is my favorite and the newest!

Perfect Gift Argentium Silver Copper Ribbon Artisan Pendant NecklacePerfect Gift Argentium Silver Copper Ribbon Artisan Pendant Necklace

It's inspired by my love to gift wrapping art. Ribbons and all :3 




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favorite of my own? This one, the bright color of green trees in lamplight, like if you lay on your back in the grass at the park:
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 my favorite item.  It's hard I have two of them but I'm going with the one I haven't posted in a thread. 
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This was the first photograph that I took that was worthy of selling.  After hearing how much people would love to have it on their wall I opened my studio here.  It hasn't sold though and I have it in three sizes



Summer time tree at the beach
I was taking a stroll on a nearby beach where I live in New Zealand when I came accross this wonderful tree. It was as if it was beckoning me to come sit beneath it stop a while to contemplate. I am in the middle of winter now and dream of those warm sunny days. Hope you like it.


Here is one of my favorite pieces this week anyways. I just love the vibrant colors.
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www.artfire.com
The colors in this necklace are so vibrant and bold. 




http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=1499280


Amazing right?
THANK YOU to all of the artists who have shared their favorites... now to go look at their other goodies :)
Happy Day!










7 comments:

  1. I just love looking at people's favourite creations, you can learn a lot about them just by that alone :) Some really gorgeous things here!

    Thank you for including my little froggie ;)

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  2. Thank you for including my sculpture in your blog post. Honored to be here amongst such talented artists.
    :o) button

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  3. You are so welcome... and so equally talented. This blog was a blast too...

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  4. Wow the artistry here is amazing!!! I must say, your favorites are all absolutely wonderful.

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  5. Jenn, Thank you for including my favorite creation (bird with cartoon heart)on your blog. From your forum posts and your blog writings, I can only conclude that you are a very kind and encouraging person - and that is nice to see. Thanks again, CRyan

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  6. What a great post. I enjoyed seeing what the different artists chose. Such talent...amazing!

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