HELP! ...I Need Inspiration! ... (a contest?)

Have you ever just hit a wall ... losing all sense of creativity... getting a little depressed everyday that you can't express yourself with writing in your blog, your journal, going to your studio area and getting lost in your projects.

If you noticed I did a hell of a lot of slide videos for other people recently...animoto.com must have gotten pissed I took advantage of their "FREE" video setups :( ...BUT I was very happy to help promote others especially when I hadn't created anything in weeks.

But I feel the juices flowing again (slowly, but surely)... and I want to nurture it BUT I need your help.....I also want to keep promoting other artists, as well as having inspirational entries to help my readers...SO I PROPOSE AN ON-GOING CONTEST...

Open to anyone visiting or following my blog... IF you have any favorite websites, blogs, pictures (your pics, with permission to use them), movie critiques, your own writings, favorite TV show, recent art show you've been to, a group you belong to (book club, girl's lunch out)....ANYTHING & EVERYTHING that YOU find inspirational in someway.

Please write a brief proposal for your inspiration.... with a way to contact you...I'll contact you for more details...and IF your "inspiration" is choosen, I'll send you a free jewelry gift from my studio...and place it in my blog with full credit to you. This I feel should be an on-going contest... to give everyone time to think of things that really inspire you in small & big ways.

Robert Seitz...rdotell at Etsy.com

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Robert Seitz...artisan jewelry at it's best

When I first approached Robert for permission to write this entry about him & his shop, I mentioned that I thought he should be a "rockstar". I was surprised his shop wasn't "sold out".

Robert grew up in East L.A., but left it as a youngster to travel the country...after 10 years, he returned home to share what he learned about living a good & creative life. He brings culture, handmade skills & traditions, and variety to his life and others around him.

Currently Robert has a website under construction, BUT there are some lovely additional pictures of his work in the "gallery" section, as well as the selections from his Etsy site.

Zazu Faure/Los Angeles at Etsy.com

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Zazu Faure/Los Angeles ...handcrafted animals from recycled materials

Zazu's motto is summed up in one word..."repurpose". Using all the little scraps she hoards away, she's inspired by nature, architecture, fashion design, fine arts & misshapened vegetables :D

She uses her scraps like a sculptor uses clay. She sees her job to strip down to "essential" forms & employ minimal moves to convey a creatures characteristics with simple sculptural forms & clean lines, so evident in her Etsy shop.

Zazu is a LA based building designer focusing on residential remodels...as she explains, practicing architecture with a lower case "a".

More creatures can be seen on her Flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zfla/sets/72157623898662762/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zfla/sets/72157605755463097/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zfla/sets/72157605755258839/

Please mark your calendars for (2) upcoming shows:

May 15th (LA area), 9am-5pm... Red Rabbit Spring Arts & Crafts Market,
Glendale Civic Auditorium

May 22-23 (Bay Area)... (showing & teaching a class as part of Etsy Plush Team)
Maker Faire at the San Mateo County Event Center

Also sells locally in Sierra Madre at the artist's co-op, Belles Nest

Now....please 'Let it Be'...(a prayer)

'Across the Universe'...Let it Be

Bonheur at Etsy.com...follow-up on Krista Raak

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

A needed follow-up on Krista Raak's earlier article...

I had tried for days to contact Krista via email, BUT after a few days of my mail returned to me, I thought I would never reach her so I used her website for information and was able to gather (2) pics of her work from a public access source...both of which i remember to be older works.

Today, I received an email out of the blue from her, giving me permission to use some current works (see video above), some more links where you can enrich your senses viewing her many talents as; embroidered jewelry & accessory artist, digital artist, and art doll creator. She has hinted that the on-line work may slow-down just a bit to allow her more time to discover the world of art dolls & couture fashion.

If that wasn't enough, she has a wonderful blog, though she confesses she doesn't have as much time as she wishes to make regular entries.... still check it out. It is filled with inspirations & rich examples of her works to come....I CAN'T WAIT!

Queen Size Bed vs. Cal King Size

Lately my husband , John, has had a "metro-sexual" bug up his ass... wanting to paint every room in our house, starting with our bedroom. So for the past 10 day's & counting, we've been sleeping in the guestroom which has the queen mattress we first did the "evil deed" when we first met in 1999.

So this experience has started a mental checklist in my mind of the "pros & cons" of queen size vs. cal-king:

(pro) the queen seems firmer & more comfortable.
(pro) the king is a sleep number bed so i can adjust it firmer.
(pro) the queen bedding is so soft & fluffy & warm.
(con) the king bedspread smells slightly of kitty pee...a gift from 'stella'.
(pro) the queen only allows space for one cat to sleep with us.
(con) the king allows for all the cats to sleep with us BUT the terriory fight in the morning is scary.
(pro) for some reason, john doesn't steal the queen size blankets.

.......BUT when all is added up, (2) basic 'truths' come out:

(1) though the queen size was more than ample when John & I were flexible, lean, & world-class acrobatic practictioners, the queen was sorely lacking space for us now.

(2) my sleep number has grown from 35 to 60 in 11 years.... in 10 years, i'll be buying our bed from "Posture Pedic Cement" bed company.

Krista Raak, one of my favorite websites...

I first discovered Krista's website about 3 or 4 years ago, through a wonderful entry in 'Modish' blog. Back then she was making mainly bags & clutches, decorative cuffs & brooches. She's now added more to her repetoire.

In 2001, she began her journey by embellishing handbags for the most practical reason...she couldn't find one that was suitable for HER eveningwear. After that she started to make these bags for her friends as gifts.

As a former jeweler, she was intrigued by an idea to make jewelry out of scraps of brocades, silks, lace & beadwork. Combining her love of hunting in antique stores & secondhand boutiques, she collects vintage pieces of fabrics, laces, ribbons & buttons...washing them, cutting them into pieces and sorting by color & materials.

She uses her skills in ribbon embroidery & millinery techniques combined with hand embroidery & beading. The connecting thread is literally a reverence to the past eras...Baroque, Victorian, & Art Nouveau . It is not uncommon for Krista to study pictures or old movies where elaborate vintage gowns & accessories are shown with fantastic fantasy flora. Please feed your eyes with her website... and leave wanting MORE.

Miriamdema at Etsy.com

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

From the window of Miriam Dema's studio...

All of Miriam's work is handmade or screen printed in limited editions at her studio in the mountains of Los Angeles. As she says, "I read lots of old books and magazines while I breath the musty smell deeply and sneeze."

She's not limited by color or imagination...as she straddles between a retro post-war styling & our modern world, to present strong visual & current subjects more poignantly.

Check out her Etsy shop for extraordinary buys, her blog site for her brand new things & frequent musings, and her website that shows her earlier work.

Please mark this on your calendars... Miriam will be participating in THIS WEEKEND's Spring Brewery Artwalk... a free weekend of open artist studios at the world's largest art colony located in downtown L.A. , the BREWERY ARTS COLONY.

Open 11am- 6pm, Sat.- Sun. April 17th - April 18th, 2010
2100 N. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90031
Ph# (323) 223-6089
email: info@breweryartwalk.com
website: http://www.breweryartwalk.com

Unmasked at Etsy.com

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Unmasked at Etsy.com...a remarkable artist & shop

Peggy is a remarkable artist as her work speaks for itself. She has (2) online shops; one at Etsy & the other at 1000Markets, where you can buy her ooak ceramic mask wall hangings as well as smaller proto-types which originally are used to work out the logistics for larger works, but with forthought become pendants & wall hangings.

If you dare to expose your child-like wonder with your mouth gapping open at every piece you are exposed to, you should view her website & blog site to get a more spiritual sense of the woman behind the mask.

Peggy has also been published in the collector's section of "American Style" magazine... i was impressed, i can't even afford a subscription :D

OMG! Mother's Day is just around the corner!

If you are like me, you owe so much to your Mom... she was the first one i turned to for advice...okay, okay maybe the 2nd or third, especially on advice about sex or boys in general...BUT after my peers told fairy tale stories of where babies came from, i always knew my Mom would tell me the truth (& maybe a little lecture with it).

She was also the one who I totally dumped my adolescent angst on and she still loved me!

She deserves so much more, BUT we can start with a hug & a kiss and a day long celebration of a life well lived & maybe something well thought out about to commemorate your love.

Go to CCC (California crafter's club) of 1000Markets.com ...and view the fabulous Mother's Day Gift ideas the market has come up with.

Vicky Riley Weddings at Etsy.com

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Exceptional Handmade Bags by Vicky Riley

With special ocassions just around the corner... from weddings, proms, formal events, and those well deserved romantic dinners out with someone very special...those oversized purses or ackward clutches just won't cut it.

Vicky's classic evening bags are exquisitely made and are the perfect accessory to a lovely dress or gown that needs just the right compliment.

Visit Vicky's Etsy site to shop on line and also her blog for inspiration & her inspirations behind her work.

Announcing the winner of the "SUPER_DUPER GIVEAWAY"...

Due to some technical difficulties, there will be some changes to the final giveaway.... you see it was raining "cats & dogs" (in California...i know that in itself is weird)....BUT i got a graving for Chinese food...dim sum to be exact and when i reached into the hat to pick out the winner....i did grab a definitive winner, BUT i also had (2) other names stuck to my fingers...lesson learned ...always wash & dry hands thoroughly before picking names from a hat :D

The definitive winner is "Annie"... remember you have 24hrs to email me back with your identity & mailing address. If no contact is made you forfeit your prizes to one of the other 2 runner-ups... "Lu" & "Irene".

Now the winner will receive the giveaway prizes as well as the "super-size" extras randomly choosen from my studio..... the "sticky finger" selectees (Lu & Irene) will receive a consolation prize selected from my studio.

So Annie, Lu & Irene...email me at: ellen@ellenikemotodesign.com with your mailing info within 24hrs.

My first this year...SUPER-DUPER GIVEAWAY!!

We are excited to announce our super-sized, "SUPER-DUPER GIVEAWAY" which starts, April 5th, Monday (day after Easter) and ends April 12th, Monday, 6:00pm PST.

Anita from Monkeyminddesign09 at Etsy has generously donated a set of her handmade cards…and along with her “giveaway” gift, I’m adding my own necklace to sweeten up the pot for our “Super-Duper Giveaway” winner….BUT WAIT…there are twists & turns to this giveaway… MORE ways to enter and INCREASE YOUR CHANCES TO WIN…and with “Spring Cleaning” on the brain, more additional items to win as well.

So here are the Rules:

please make sure to leave separate comment for each entry;
In your comment, please include contact info & whether you are a multi-entry participant...so i can reach you & know you're eligible for the "SUPER-DUPER GIVEAWAY".

Winner of this giveaway will be chosen April 12th, Monday, 6:00pm PST

Winner has 24 hrs. to answer my email OR new winner will be drawn.

Here's how to enter:

MANDATORY ENTRY: please visit anita’s shop, Monkeyminddesign09 AND my shop, Streetnoodles…choose (1) item from each of our shops and report back to this blog and tell us which (2)pieces you like.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
add Monkeyminddesign09 OR Streetnoodles as your “favorite” on Etsy (leave your Etsy user name)…will get (1) extra entry for EACH shop you favor.

Follow Monkeyminddesign09 OR Streetnoodles on Twitter…will get (1) extra entry for EACH shop you follow.

Tweet this giveaway (leave your tweet link)... will get (2) extra entries.

Follow my blog …will get (2) extra entries.

Post about this giveaway in your blog (leave link, worth 2 entries);

Purchase from Monkeyminddesign09 AND/OR Streetnoodles and let me know (5 entries).

Remember to leave your contacts in the “comments” area and leave separate comment for each entry.

***Now the Super-sizing of this giveaway***

The winner of this giveaway will be chosen on April 12th... if they made multiple entries, we will add an additional random item from my studio... so if you won, and in total, have 5 entries, you will receive not only the original set of cards from Monkeyminddesign09 & my necklace from Streetnoodles, but also (4) additional randomly selected items from my studio... which will be selected from handmade scarves and jewelry….my attempt at “spring cleaning” :D …so let’s get started …good luck to everyone!

p.s. for those followers of "made in canarias", if these rules sound a little familiar, it's because i think ave has the best blog for "giveaways"...amazingly organized and well thought out. so i mimicked to a certain extent some of her guidelines...please checkout her blogsite..