New Design!

dare I say it?...

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!
ha, ha!  just in time for Valentine's Day :D

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I'm simply thrilled with my latest design.
"Cascade" (below) is a look I have been flirting with for some time now, but not quite meeting the mark...until now.

 In fact, I've borrowed the name from a much earlier design, a once made & never repeated prototype (right).  In actuality it bears little resemblance to the original manifestation of the idea, but it encapsulates everything I wanted from the beginning in a far simpler way that better showcases the heart of my work, that is to say, the polymer clay flowers.
One down (and sold, much to my delight), another heading for the oven, and a third in production...you can expect to see plenty more of this one!

Like a calming sigh of relief...

another necklace was born!

It's been so long since I've taken the time (well, fought external forces to make the time) to make something, anything...and that it should be business related was all the more sweeter!
Well, not exactly business related, unless you count that it was a new design, so in that respect it was progressive for my repertoire and creative juices.

To explain a little why I've been away so long (seems as though I'm having to do this quite a bit...sorry!), I'm taking some time to look after my two little ones.  One which I believe I've told you about, my now 21 month old son Evan, and my second son Lucas, who just turned 7 weeks old yesterday.  Needless to say they keep me busy!  And while I do have loads of help from my husband and my mom, between trying to "catch up" on near sleepless nights and the daily grind of toy-clean-up and other such mundane things of life, there's been little to no time for work...so far.  I'm beginning to see the light at the end of that tunnel though, and just this past weekend felt a little of that light shining on me when I took just a few hours to flex my creative muscle.

My muse was a children's necklace for a friend's daughter's "princess" birthday gift.

A little about the design:  I thought to myself that I needed to create something really different from my usual designs, something far more whimsical and fun.  Taking my inspiration from a dollar store gift bag (yes, you read that right!), I set out to make a piece that was full of bright colours and bold flowers.  I quite literally pulled the colours out from the image of 6 or so Disney princesses imprinted on the bag, and bearing in mind that this was to be worn by a little 6 year old, I set out to make 3 different, small, single-flower polymer clay beads that would be durable for everyday wear.  The other thing I wanted to experiment with was larger scale single flowers (you may have noticed that I usually work with miniature clusters of flowers of varying kinds).  I thought this to be more appropriate for a little girl, in that I could give more attention to detail to each flower, increasing that "whimsy" factor!  Before I even began making the pc beads, I already had in mind how I would string them together to form the necklace.  I knew that I wanted to use some of the coloured memory wire I had on hand, making sure to add lots of princess crystals of course!

This design was all about colour, lots of it, and whimsy.  I loved the freedom of creating something that didn't have all the restraints of a mature, more subdued piece.

What I took from this experience?  Well, a few hours of baby-free time for one, and a resurgence of that long-forgotten, incredibly satisfying feeling I get when I create something beautiful and new.  I'm inspired and encouraged that routine will again fall into place, and I will be back to my old self...nestled into my little studio, happily playing with my clay.

Karen Pasieka
Subtle Details

Weaver's Cabin

I love this scarf! Traded for at the close of the Heintzman House Auxiliary Craft Show & Sale 2009, I was so grateful that the artist, Wilma, was willing to trade with me (she took home one of my Li'l Bouquet pins).

According to the tag, the fibers include wool & mohair, but I just love the colour! So much so that I had my mom crochet me a couple of hats to go with it (the corner of one of my favorites just visible in the first photo...hmmm, a thought about another blog post!).

I've enjoyed wearing this handwoven scarf & crochet hat combo with my new seasonal dress coat. He! I love being put together, clothing wise, accessory wise, and I love having lots of accessories, being able to switch up my look in an instant...thank you Wilma for allowing this addition to my wardrobe!

Scarves are only the beginning of what is offered by Weaver's Cabin, they also make beautiful blankets, and all sorts of home accessories in between!



The scarf seen in these photos was handwoven by...

Weaver's Cabin
Severn Bridge, Ontario

Pavlo Pottery

In a trade that I made almost a full year ago (at the By Hand Show in Toronto last year), I acquired this beautiful piece of pottery (square plate seen in the photos), as well as a huge round serving platter, wine cooler, and brie baker that I gifted to my sister and her husband this past Christmas.

I kept the square piece for myself, and use it every day, as you see in the photos!

What attracted me to these pieces (they were all finished the same way) was the combination of the rich undertones of the base colour (brown) with the silvery, almost pewter-like glaze over top. Add the pattern detail (it reminds me of a tattoo or henna), and the overall effect is exquisite and unusual!



The pottery in these photographs was handcrafted by...

Pavlo Pottery Studio & Shoppe
Rockton, Ontario

Trading!

A prologue to the mini-series on varied artisan works (which I hope to expand on as time passes and I acquire exciting new pieces)...
a short word on trading.

As an artist, my eye (like many of yours I'm sure) is tuned in to great design and workmanship. This means that I not only appreciate the beauty of the object, but also the time and skill that has gone in to the making of the piece, not to mention the inherent dollar value of the materials involved...

Which brings me to the next, or perhaps previous, important word...starving! Yes, as an artisan, young in experience and business, I am a "starving artist".

This puts me at a great disadvantage, you see, because while my eye is scoping out all those beautiful objects (easily found at the juried craft shows), appreciating their value to the truest sense of the word, I am admittedly short on cash...at least when it comes to justifying the spending of money on artwork (of any form).

And so, in comes the trade! It can't always be done, but when other artists are willing and open to the idea, it's a great way to get your hands on new and exciting craft pieces!

Over the next few posts, I will be featuring some of the pieces (& their makers) that I have traded for...so stay tuned!