Spring Sale at Crazy4Art's Etsy Shop

Just a quick post to alert everyone to my spring sale at my Etsy jewelry shop starting today March 17 -
April 2. Everything is 50% off or better! I shift gears every season, or so it seems and jewelry making is done for the winter season. Now I need to make space for other items. I am also destashing my quilting fabric, lots of quilting kits and a large portion of my beading supplies. Watch for the destashing items to start appearing on my Etsy site soon, and you can be sure there will be some great buys there too!
Happy Almost Spring!
Ciao for now,
Beth

Why Do We Make Art?

I know, I know...this is such an open ended question it almost begs not to be answered. However, this is a question I have been plaqued by for a long time. I know I have an undefinable inner need and drive to work with my hands and create things that are pretty, well, at least they are to me but as an anthropologist as well as an academic reference librarian (note: not employed in either field-just thought I should say that for the record) I feel like I should have a more sophisticated answer. I read other artists biographies or resumes and am awe struck by how well they define what their art stands for and therefore how well they know themselves.  Is that part of the equation? Knowing yourself - that is also a problem I have been plaqued by - defining who I am. Mostly I am like a little kid excited with the prospect of what I will find around the next corner, or the discovery of how something works, that probably explains why I am interested in so many different things. My art though, is just something that comes from inside of me and I am not sure why, just that it does and I have to make art...hmmmm that was a complete circle LOL!  Anyone care to chime in with their thoughts? (Oh and if you are wondering why I have a picture of an alpaca up with this post it is because I think he is absolutely adorable - he belongs to a freind, Pam at Dream Come True Yarn and I just couldn't resist sharing Monte Cristo with the world!)

Would love to hear other thinking besides my own...
Ciao for now,
Beth

Spring is On Its Way

It has been too long again since my last post - time just seems to slip away! I have revamped my website (http://www.crazy4art4u.com/) and am likin' the new clean lines take a look and let me know what you think. I am expecting new orders to come in around the end of March and the beginning of April so come by and look around then to see all the new goodies as they arrive!  I have been working on my links page and have added a free tutorial page you might like to visit (www.crazy4art4u.com/freetutorials.aspx) - there are tutorials for beadwork, wirework, knitting, spinning (one of my newer projects to learn, which seems to be a natural evolution of learning to knit) and last but not least lampwork (another new medium I'm learning - just couldn't resist those glorious little pieces of glass art any longer). I have also finally taken the plunge to join some of the artist studio sites out there and put some of my jewelry up for sale on them - I guess only time will tell, patience young grasshopper!

I have two etsy sites one is for jewelry (http://www.crazy4art.etsy.com/) and the other is for knitting (http://www.definitelyewe.etsy.com/) where I have some lampworked stitch markers listed so far . I have to admit although all this website designing and blogging is an awful lot of work it does have its own creative side that is actually fun! I just wish people would find me so I am not just talking to myself *Sigh* I guess that will happen in time too, darn that patience thing...

Come back and visit again - I will be adding links to some of my favorite free knitting patterns soon.

Happy New Year To All

Oh my gosh, has it really been 3+ months since my last post? Well, lest it is thought that I have fallen off a cliff and disappeared into the dust I guess I should say something. Last I posted I was building my website http://www.crazy4art4u.com/

and somehow it evolved into two additional websites http://www.burntoakbooks.com/ and http://www.onceuponajewel2.com/ as well as designing my Etsy site http://www.crazy4art.etsy.com/ Whew, now all I need to do is get cracking in my studio to create inventory to list on the latter two sites, and get out there scouting for books and such to add to my inventory for the first two sites. Hmmm, now where did I put that wallet?

Just so you don't think I have been a complete slug I have made some progress in my studio and Mulu (above right) a Princess of the Zebra tribe from the land of Centauria is one of my completed projects. I will be offering her for sale on my Etsy site soon.

You should definitely take a look at Crazy4Art4u in the "Favorite Links" section as I have been very busy seeking out tutorials and inspirational sites to upload or link to. You will also find a few sites where you can take online classes (some are even "free"). Really worth looking at, especially if your creative muse seems to be sleeping after the onslaught of the holiday season.

I hope to be adding a lot of inventory to Crazy4Art4U in the coming months and am looking into making up kits for those of you who may have a little less time right now, or just like the idea of a kit with everything in it so you don't have to shop and make decisions on color, how much, patterns, etc.

So, please visit my sites and let me know what you think...
(And I promise to try and post much more often!)
Cheers,
Beth