Painted Glass, Gifts, Home Decor, Jewelry, Art, Polymer Clay Beads and More!

Let me start off by telling you something about Chris Courtney. Besides being a beautiful person, inside and out, she is a talented artist, painter, sculptor, jewelry designer/teacher and mother of 5 wonderful children with another one the way in July. That in itself makes her amazing and in my opinion, Wonder Woman! Her husband and children are her most ardent supporters, always there for her with a positive word.

Chris’s eclectic style is evident in her work with metal, glass, gems and of course, my polymer clay beads. She has been designing jewelry for many years, always learning, discovering new techniques and methods. Lately, working with flames has captured her attention, which is unmistakable in her superb hot glass beads.

Her inspiration comes from the individual components themselves, the pieces she works with. In her words, she can “see” the finished piece in her mind before she even begins. Everything is inspirational in her “I Love Life” world from wire designs to old buildings, seeing the beauty in everything around her. If asked if she had a personal favorite amongst her many masterpieces, she would say “Swept” would win out (see left.)

I not only think highly of Chris as a person but also admire her as a designer and the work she does with my polymer clay beads. To quote her directly, “CreativeSpiritToo has the most beautiful creations in her shop. I love the colors she uses and the shapes she creates. Her pieces are a blast off the creating starting line for me. I look at the pieces and see it finished in my mind. Once I see it, I have to have the pieces!” I am honored to have her as a loyal purveyor of my artistic works and as a friend.

•-:¦:-•Purchase 2 items - 20% off
•-:¦:-•Purchase 4 items - 20% off plus FREE SHIPPING
•-:¦:-•Purchase 6 items - 25% off plus FREE SHIPPING
"and" a coupon for 10% off your next purchase
•-:¦:-•Purchase 8 items - 30% off plus FREE SHIPPING
"and" a coupon for 15% off your next purchase
•-:¦:-•Purchase 10 items - 35% off plus FREE SHIPPING
"and" a coupon for 20% off your next purchase

Sale ends midnight PT, Monday, March 16th.

•-:¦:-•:*''* MARCH $30 SHOPPING SPREE DRAWING! •-:¦:-•:*''*
Every item purchased equals "one" entry in the March drawing. Two items = two entries, 4 items = 4 entries, etc. Prize is a $30 Shopping Spree in CreativeSpiritToo AND your choice of a finished piece custom made just for you, or 10 custom made beads in your choice of colors and design.

Get a FREE ENTRY by visiting CreativeSpiritToo.etsy.com. Come back and post a comment here stating your favorite item. Get and ADDITIONAL FREE ENTRY if you comment with your favorite item from my hand painted glassware shop, CreativeSpirit.etsy.com! Link to this post, mention it in your blog or shop and get an ADDITIONAL FREE ENTRY! Freebies are great, aren't they?

I will use a random number generator to draw the winner on March 24th. Winner will be announced here and in my shop announcement.

Have fun shopping and SAVING!

A month or so ago, Melissa Pinick wandered into my shop and purchased a pair of beads made with one of my favorite blends of clay, a mokume gane blend of rich, pearlized blues, greens and gold leaf.

Mokume Gane, which translates to "wood-eye metal", is an ancient Japenese metalworking technique mimiced by polymer clay artists. In this case, gold leaf is carefully placed between multiple layers of super thin custom blended tinted translucent clay creating the illusion of depth. Melissa was kind enough to share the masterpiece she created with my beads which prompted this interview.

Last month, I was honored to have been accepted into thePCAGOE, Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy, an Etsy street team, whose members are an eclectic mix of artists creating with the same medium, polymer clay, using a variety of techniques to create everything from jewelry to furniture to fishing lures. This group of artists bring their own artistic energies together to create beautiful works of art available for purchase in their Etsy Shops.

The PCAGOE hosts a themed challenge every month. Anyone can participate by creating an original entry to fit the theme, and people are then invited to go to the website and vote for their favorite entry. Voting takes place between nooon on the 1st of each month through midnight on the 7th. All voters are entered into a random drawing for prizes. Winners also receive prizes. For more information about our monthly challenge, go to the website, or contact divadea through Etsy convo.

The photo above (Sheer Pink Focal Bead) is my entry in this month's theme challenge, "canework" and is available for purchase in my Etsy shop, CreativeSpiritToo. Please vote for your favorite and get in on the drawing. The prizes for your participation are FABULOUS!