Anticipation

I'm honored to have some of my jewelry designs featured in the gallery section of  Tammy Powley's soon-to-be-released book titled The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making.

As many of you know, Tammy Powley is about.com's jewelry making guide. It's been a pleasure working with her on my design submissions and getting to know her, especially during the summer when she needed the designers to submit more jewelry designs under extremely tight deadlines and specific photo guidelines. This time crunch actually forced me to figure out all of the fancy settings on my digital camera.

I'll keep you posted on the book's release date. In the meantime, you can order an advanced copy at Amazon.com.

Christmas Inspiration

Although I haven't seen any snow yet, it definitely looks like Christmas. The stores are stocked with merchandise, and shoppers are out and about in full force. I love the way the visual merchandisers decorate their Christmas trees.

I snapped these two photos while shopping at Kohl's this afternoon. There are so many talented designers out there, and I encourage you to visit my friend Mary's blog at Home Again. Her store is all decked out for Christmas, and I can't wait to get over there for a visit.

What's on your decorating agenda for the Christmas season?

Snowflake Crafts

I'm currently working on a Christmas project that involves snowflakes, and I've been playing around with different ways to create paper snowflakes. Six of the snowflakes on the left-hand side of this photo show how I adhered tulle fabric to the back of each snowflake. I'm not too crazy about the color choice of the tulle, so I decided to continue making the snowflakes without the tulle.

After designing the snowflakes, I sprayed each one with Aleene's Spritz-On Reposition-It Tacky Glue. Then I sprinkled on some silver glitter.

I love this product! It's so easy to use. Just a quick spritz, and a dash of glitter, and you're done. Aleene's Spritz-On Reposition-It Tacky Glue is a wonderful alternative to using regular glue and applying it the old-fashioned way, which is the time-consuming way.

Not Your Ordinary Charm

I was asked to create a charm for a customer who had a special request. Two of her cats recently passed away, and she wanted to keep a little part of each of them nearby, so I gladly accepted the job. Fellow cat owners can relate.

She gave me a tiny, glass jug that contained some of the cats' ashes, and she asked me to create a charm for her bracelet. It took five feet of 24-gauge sterling silver wire and three feet of 26-gauge sterling silver wire to complete the job and lots of time to wrap the piece.

May she wear the charm in good health knowing that her little loved ones are always close by. 

The Genius of Halloween

There are Halloween displays, and then there's Eric's Halloween display. My friend Eric and his girlfriend Mary Ann gave John and me a first-hand tour of his most magnificent Halloween display tonight.

Eric is a mechanical/electrical genius. He can take any old motor or electrical part and turn it into a functioning object. Eric used an old fan to make this witch's head move back and forth.

Imagine the creativity it took to create this skeleton sculpture that stands two stories high. Eric is a design genius. He has both the technical knowledge and artistic ability to put together one of the most fabulous Halloween displays I've ever seen.

This mausoleum was my favorite prop in the display. Eric put it together, and Mary Ann did a fantastic job painting it.

Here's a closeup of the mausoleum. Eric explained how he built the structure with wheels to make it more mobile, and I love how he uses it after Halloween for storage. Hee! Hee!

Speaking of building things, I love how Eric put this bridal carriage together with old wooden palettes. That blue light makes for an extra creepy bride. If it were light outside, I would have gotten a better picture of the horse that Eric created for this prop.

This poor soul's been buried alive.

Here's a one-of-a-kind skellie that Eric designed. He makes his own molds and uses many different materials, such as foam. He really should look into licensing his artwork. He'd make a fortune.

This is my favorite shot of the night. This photo reminds me of my favorite 1970s horror flick titled The House of Seven Corpses starring John Carradine, John Ireland, and Faith Domergue. I can watch this movie over and over and over again. It's so cheesy, but watching it brings back fond memories of me sitting glued to my old black-and-white television waiting for the next scare.

This scarecrow really creeped me out. I don't like those hallow eyes.

~Just hanging around~

~Creepy~

This pumpkin sculpture overlooked the driveway as guests arrived.

Believe it or not, there's actually a television screen hiding behind this hooded ghost. When it's turned on, you'll see a picture of yourself in the screen. Scary!

Don't Fear the Reaper. Now I'm going to have to pull out my Blue Oyster Cult CDs. Now that I think of it, one of my favorite Blue Oyster Cult CDs is appropriately named Spectres. I so love the artwork on that album cover. The cat in the back with its arched back just screams Halloween. Click here to see what I mean.

This guy is just dying to get out.

Mr. Skellie is so cute.

 ~A lovely silhouette~

~The pumpkin patch~

If you're looking for a good scare or some honest-to-goodness Halloween entertainment, take a drive by this wonderful display. It's across from Pasquale's Restaurant on the Sans Souci Parkway in Hanover Township. You won't be disappointed.

Need Help Identifying Vintage Lighting

John purchased two pieces of vintage lighting at a house sale last year in Dunmore, Pennsylvania. He'd like to list them on ebay, but he's not sure what to list them as. John knows his collectibles, but these pieces have him stumped. He has a feeling that these pieces are homemade, and he tends to think they may be from the late '40s or '50s.

Here's a picture of this particular piece when it's lit up. Very cool. I'm wondering if it was meant to be placed on top of a television.

This is a picture of the back.

This piece of lighting does not have a stand, so I guess it once hung on the wall.

If anyone has any information about vintage lighting, please drop me a line. I'd love to learn more.

Breaking Out of My Color Zone

Here's a quick look at some of the jewelry I've been working on for my Recycle With Style™ jewelry line. These necklaces feature pearls, Swarovski crystals, and Miyuki seed beads and Delicas.

I'm not much for red, but I couldn't resist the red pearls that I picked up at the Philly Bead Fest in August. Perhaps I'm breaking out of my familiar color zone. That's a good thing!

Talented Students

I have the pleasure of teaching an adult education watercolor class in Mountain Top, and I'm always amazed by the talent of my students. Melanie is almost done with her fall-inspired piece.

Lisa's doing a great job on her painting. I can't wait to see how the painting will evolve when she adds leaves and more branches to this piece.

I love watching the sun set in Mountain Top, PA. It's a fabulous view.

Craft Stick Ornaments in Create & Decorate

~image used with permission of Create & Decorate, December 2010~

I was thrilled to receive my copies of the December 2010 Country Christmas issue of Create & Decorate, which features my craft stick ornaments on page 87. This is a fun project to make for both adults and kids alike. 

When I spied those jumbo craft sticks at A.C. Moore, I knew my primitive snowman designs would fit perfectly on them. One of the neat things about teaching at A.C. Moore is that I always get to check out all of the craft supplies.

~image used with permission of Create & Decorate, December 2010

and Sean O'Brien Photography~

I'd like to thank editor Beverly Hotz for choosing this project for their December issue, which is loaded with fabulous craft projects and recipes. I especially enjoyed the article about Vaillancourt Folk Art. It's a great issue. Be sure to pick up a copy today.

Happy crafting!

A Day at The Berlin Farmer's Market

A trip to the Berlin Farmer's Market in Berlin, New Jersey is like a treasure hunt. You never know what you'll find on any given day.

This van is fit for a king. Look closely, and you'll see what I mean.

Here's a closeup of the van. The chandelier adds a brilliant touch to the decor. The owner was gracious enough to let me take his photo.

I spied some interesting glassware and pottery.

These sleds bring back childhood memories.

Check out the purple peppers on this plant alongside the red and yellow peppers. I love the colors.

The owner of this stand was trying to sell store-bought tomatoes as Jersey tomatoes. The growing season's over in New Jersey, Bud. I don't know who's buying your line.

I couldn't resist taking a photo of this cute, little pooch at the flea market today. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

~A sea of never-ending drek~

~Junk, junk, and more junk~

~Heading home after a long day~