It’s A Puzzler!
December 2nd, 2009
We love puzzles…of every kind. But throughout the winter months you can bet that we have a jigsaw puzzle going. It is what we do on those cold days when we just don’t want to get out. And well, we are all addicted to them. My Mom started the tradition when we were very young. There would always be a puzzle going in our Dining Room, because it was the warmest room in our house. We lived in a very old house growing up…it was built in the 1890’s. It has no insulation and was always very cold in the winter and steaming hot in the summer. So as we all gathered in the central dining room around a table next to the old wood heater we would sit and work on a puzzle, catch up on daily events and just hang out as a family. It is a tradition that I remember fondly and have passed onto my own children.
Now, every Christmas we all look forward to getting a new puzzle from my Mom. Once we have completed our puzzle we will usually trade with one of my sisters so that we have another new one to complete…and I gift puzzles to my own children as well. We look for hard ones these days…and this is one that I found this year that I fell in love with:
I love, love, love all of the Alex Beard products, but his puzzles…oh his puzzles are fabulous and hard. Of course he has some that aren’t quite so difficult, but I am loving this Peacock puzzle BECAUSE it is hard. It isn’t going to be done in a day or two as so many of ours are. The quality is so good, meaning that this puzzle will last us for a long time, no matter how many time we put it together…and the hard ones, we do over and over again for the challenge.
Check out all of Alex Beard’s products, you will find so much to fall in love with. There is something for everyone on your list including the kids!
Alex Beard Studio provided me with a sample product for review purposes. I was in no other way compensated for this post, I do just really happen to love all of his stuff!
MMM - MuddSpirit (GIVEAWAY)
April 13th, 2009THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!!
Welcome to another edition of Meet Me Monday! I would like to introduce you to Tina from MuddSpirit Ceramic Pendants. A delightful person who really, really needs to come to my house…she likes to de-clutter. And loves the creative process. And I need both in my life. She is a fellow homeschooler and doesn’t live to far from Hick Town. I plan to look her up one day and beg her to show me her shop and have coffee with me. She has some beautiful pieces and I hope you enjoy meeting her as much as I have enjoyed getting to know her a little.
Balance and Flow with Ceramic Pendants By Muddspirit
My name is Tina and I live in Acworth, GA with my wonderful husband and son. We moved here from CA about 5 years ago, and have had the great fortune to find wonderful friends and a great community that we love.
I really, really like this one!
I have always wanted to make art of some kind, but always been so involved in music that there really wasn’t room for anything else. A while ago I stopped teaching. I wanted more time to homeschool my son, who is now 13 years old. But having this insisting urge to create, be it pulling together an event, de-cluttering my house, research school books or make something crafty, I just couldn’t stay put doing only one thing. Since I love trying new things I signed up for a pottery class one day. I took one class and I was hooked! Now, I couldn’t afford a large kiln and a wheel, so to get started I bought a tiny kiln (called a test kiln after its use for testing glaze samples), and I decided to make tiny things that would fit in my tiny kiln. And so it is that I came to make pendants!
I love the elemental look of a lot of her pieces, it just speaks volumes to me
When I create, time disappears and there is a kind of flow that I don’t want to break. I like both the fast action and excitement of throwing on the wheel, and the detailed, slower work of decorating a pendant or a pot. It’s all absorbing to me!
Nature is becoming more and more important as I get older. It is one of my main inspirations now. Being in nature connects me with life and fills me with a sense of peace and joy that I often lose in the hustle and bustle of a busy life. I also like geometric shapes (especially squares!), lines in a simple pattern or as random, sparse accents. I guess simplicity speaks to me, and since I tend to constantly bring new things and activities into my life, I have a lot of opportunity and a great need to simplify and find space. It’s a balancing act indeed.
My favorite piece! I long to have it!
Another balancing act - the pull between working in the studio and staying close to my boy and being involved in his studies. That’s an act of balance truly. A wise teacher once said that balance is movement. The act of balancing is a series of never ending adjustments. And although I would like to “find” balance and stay there, I know that every day is a new opportunity to learn the fine art of finding balance - again. Luckily I have help. Both my need to create and my love for my son help motivate me to do the balance act, called life.
You can find Tina’s creations at MuddSpirit located on Etsy. Please visit her to see all of her creations. Tina is a proud member of TeamNorGA, the local Etsy team in North GA. Please take a look at what these talented and creative people have to offer in their shops - www.teamnorga.etsy.com.
Tina is offering up this great pendant for one of you lucky readers to win.
To enter:
Visit MuddSpirit and leave a comment here at The Post-It Place stating which is your favorite piece. All entries must be received by April 24th at 5 PM EST. Winner will be selected using Random.org. Winner will have 3 days to respond to the confirmation e-mail before another winner will be selected. Have fun and Good Luck!
Want extra entries? Blog it, with a link back to here (leave link where it can be found). Subscribe (either by a reader or request in your comment to be added to the e-mail list only for contests and giveaways). Place my button on your blog (leave link it can be found at). Stumble it (leave your ID in comment).Twitter it (leave ID in a comment, mine is jillybean01 if you would like to follow me). Technorati it (leave your ID in comment). That is 6 extra entries that you can earn for a total of 7. All extra entries must be left in a separate comment.
Feature You Friday-Beth Peters (GIVEAWAY)
March 13th, 2009TIME IS UP, WINNER ANNOUNCED SHORTLY!
Welcome to Feature You Friday. I hope that this will be a regular thing around here. I will be showcasing some of the local artists here in Hick Town and across Georgia. I love arts and crafts fairs. I love to meander through the aisles looking at all the wonderful things people can make. It shows dedication. It shows creativity. And, the local arts and crafts people make great things for me to give as gifts. I like supporting small artisans. And you just never know when they might hit it big, and you will then have a treasure on your hands. During the holidays (if you were here) I showcased a lot of people and companies located here in GA and did a lot of giveaways to introduce you to some really great products. I hope that every Friday I can introduce you to an artist, regardless of medium, and you will fall in love with some of the really neat things they have to offer. So, without further ado, let me introduce you to Beth (whom I should have asked how in the heck she does everything she does with 5 kids, I barely survive with 2).
Beth Peters, born in 1969 in Jacksonville Florida was raised in Stone Mountain Georgia. She is the mother to 5 beautiful children and a wife to her best friend and soul mate, George.She works full time as an Administrative Assistant as well as paints. She loves to dance, participates in Community Theater, film, and commercials. She also enjoys Ghost Hunting (how cool is that? or is it creepy? or ghastly? I crack myself up sometimes. Beth paints some of the coolest glassware. She also does canvas, wood and jewelry. One of my favorite:
Where and How did Kiwi-Arts begin?
Kiwi-Arts was founded after a long journey of visions. I started painting a few years after my father passed away. He was an artist himself. I never had the chance to learn from my father, but I know his passion and creative vision was passed on to me. My father saw things differently than most people. I never understood these visions until I started having them too. One morning I awoke with a strong urge to experience paint. I wanted to feel the paint in my hands, I wanted to touch the brushes, and I wanted to mix colors all day long. I loved the feeling of paint on different surfaces. I developed a desire to apply paint, and scrape it off again, only to continue this process as visions began to reveal themselves. I studied art/painting/composition at Spurill Art Center for the Arts in Atlanta Georgia and started to fulfill my desires of freedom.
I have come to realize that my father is communicating with me through my paintings. He never had the chance to be a parent to me here on earth, but I am satisfied in knowing he still has a hand on me from beyond.
What is the inspiration behind your paintings?
My paintings are painted by seeing beyond the image itself, and my desire to express freedom. All of my paintings are a spiritual journey and my hope is that my audience is able to feel this journey as they view my pieces.
(one of my favorite paintings of hers)
What are you currently working on?
At the moment I am working on a couple of commissioned large canvas paintings, preparing some art pieces for a local Spa to feature in their store and selling my current paintings while painting glass and jewelry accessories. I am really excited about posting some new natural wood bracelets on my Etsy, Artfire, and website stores. Painting on natural elements such as wood has become a new and exciting adventure. I am finishing the last touches on these eco friendly bracelets now.
This year I have made it a plan to be more earth friendly. I like the idea of painting glassware and dishes. My hope is that society will continue to become more aware of drinking out of non-disposable items such as glass and buy less plastic bottles or disposable items.
What are your goals?
My goal is to inspire others through my passion for life. My wish for you is to find peace within yourself, and that you listen to the small voice that is within us all. Share positive energy, and fuel others by it. Do not hold onto negative feelings, and express yourself through your given talents.
Thank you Beth taking the time to let all of us get to know you a little. It is Beth’s hope that you view her insights and enjoy her art.
Beth Peters, Artist
Kiwi Arts
You can find more of Beth’s work on these related links.
Kiwi-Arts website www.kiwi-arts.com
Etsy Store www.kiwiarts.etsy.com
Artfire Store www.kiwiarts.artfire.com
BlogSpot www.kiwi-arts.blogspot.com
Twitter http://twitter.com/KiwiArts
Facebook http://tinyurl.com/kiwiarts Etsy Teams http://OriginalArtists.etsy.com and the Ga Etsy Team.Beth has graciously offered to do a giveaway! One lucky reader will win a “Go Green, Use A Glass” painted glass in their choice of colors.
To enter: Visit one of Beth’s shops then come back here to The Post-It Place a leave me a comment telling what piece of hers you liked the best. The deadline to enter is March 20th, 2009 at 5 PM EST.
All entries must have a valid US mailing address.
Want extra entries? Blog it, with a link back to here (leave link where it can be found). Subscribe. Place my button on your blog (leave link it can be found at). Stumble it (leave your ID in comment). Technorati it (leave your ID in comment). That is 5 extra entries that you can earn for a total of 6. All extra entries must be left in a separate comment.
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