My Shopping Connection Feature

A few weeks ago I created a custom pop art pet portrait pendant of two ADORABLE Dachshunds. That's the pendant there to the left. You can see the original blog post about the pendant here. The pendant is 1.5 inches in diameter, and features a miniature original acrylic painting on a wooden tile. The tile is then sealed to make it water-resistant. Then I add a shiny resin finish which is scratch-resistant and gives the impression that it is a heavy glass pendant when it is actually very lightweight.

The person who commissioned the pendant was Erika of My Shopping Connection and Indie Spotting. She has been so kind as to blog about her purchase on the My Shopping Connection website. You can read about the pendant in the site's Shopping By Mail feature, which showcases great gifts and products that you can buy online. It makes me incredibly happy that Erika is pleased with her pendant. Whenever any customer tells me that his or her purchase from me is perfect and exactly what he or she wanted, it brings me great joy.

If you're interested in having your own custom pet portrait pendant feel free to purchase one of my custom listings, convo me, or email me. Have a wonderful day!

New Pet Portrait Pendant

Here's Caymus, a gorgeous white German Shepherd. I had the recent honor of painting a realistic portrait pendant with him as my subject. I have a special place in my heart for German Shepherds since my husband's and my pooch is a rescue German Shepherd mix. I did an interview with her back in the Fall of last year. ;)

I am using the photo of the Caymus pendant as an example with my Custom Portrait Of Your Pet Hand-Painted Art Pendant Necklace in my Etsy shop. It was very exciting to see it featured at the end of this Storque article on Thursday.

If you're interested in having your own custom pet portrait pendant, feel free to convo me in my Etsy shop or contact me. Have a great day!

Storque Feature

A big congratulations to Etsy seller wickedworld who created a custom pet portrait pendant with a photo for Mickey Rourke. Mickey Rourke wore the fantastic creation at the Oscars which has brought even more exposure to the handmade world of Etsy. You can read about the pendant and see what it looks like here in The Storque, the Etsy blog.

Also, here's a big thank you to the Etsy admin for including my Custom Portrait Of Your Pet Hand-Painted Art Pendant Necklace with the article. I couldn't figure out where all the views were coming from for about half and hour. :)


Be sure to check out the entire article in The Storque!

New Work!

I recently finished a custom pet portrait of an adorable pooch! I donated a gift certificate for a custom 11x14 oil paint pet portrait to the 2008 NC State SCAVMA (Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association) auction. The woman who bid on and won the gift certificate contacted me with the photos of her dog, and here's the finished portrait:

How cute is he?? :)

I have also finished several new wearable art pieces which I will be listing in my Etsy shop as the week goes on. Here are a few of my new designs.

Bird On Branches Silhouette Hand-Painted Art Pendant Necklace


Birds In Flight Hand-Painted Art Pendant Necklace


Spring Growth Hand-Painted Art Pendant Necklace


Bird In The Grass Silhouette Hand-Painted Adjustable Art Ring


Puddle Jumper Hand-Painted Art Brooch

Be sure to check back with my shop as I list even more new pieces as the week goes on. Thanks for looking! Have a wonderful day. :)

Workshop Wednesday - How To Create A Reversible Headband With Zemphira

Today marks another installment of a my weekly blog series titled Workshop Wednesday. Each Wednesday will feature either a tutorial by yours truly or another talented artist or artisan, or a snapshot of an artist's creative process. This week's Workshop Wednesday features Zemphira, who is graciously showing us how to create her fantastic reversible headbands.

How To Create A Reversible Headband, Zemphira-Style

You Will Need:

2 pieces of fabric that measure 19 inches by 3 inches
5 inches of elastic
template and tracing utensil, safety pin
iron, sewing machine, thread, scissors, & and chopstick


Step 1- Choose your fabric. I tend to use two fabrics that somewhat coordinate. Cut a 19x 3 inch rectangle from each fabric.

Step 2 - Put the two fabrics right sides together, and then fold them in half. Place the end of the template on the fold and then trace. Cut out the pieces on the line.


Step 3- Sew the two pieces of fabric together leaving the ENDS open as well as a 2 inch hole along one side. (sew 1/4 inch away from the edge)


Step 4 - Attach a safety pin to one end of the elastic and thread it through one end of the headband. Do not pull it all the way through, stop with a little bit of elastic hanging out of the end. Then sew down that end of the elastic - I backstitch over the elastic a few times. Then pull the elastic out the other end and sew it down. (right now the headband will be scrunched up and inside out)


Step 5- Turn the headband right-side out through the 2-inch hold you left on one of the long sides. Use a chopstick to push out the corners and along the seams. Iron the headband flat.


Step 6- Top-stitch a little less than a 1/4 inch all the way around the headband - make sure you pay extra attention when you are sewing the hole to be sure you close it up.


Step 7 - Wear your headband, give your headband away, and then create another!


Be sure to check out more of Zemphira's work in her Etsy shop! If you're interested in being a part of future Workshop Wednesdays, please feel free to convo me in my Etsy shop or comment on this post. Have a great day!

Congratulations Leah!

Congratulations Leah from Los Angeles, CA! You've won the February giveaway! Leah has won a $15 gift certificate to my Etsy shop. The winner was chosen through an online random number generator. Congrats!

Thank you to everyone who entered in this post. Be sure to come back around March 15th for the next giveaway. Have a wonderful day! :)

Monday Must-Have - Nature Nomad

**Due to the Monday Must-Have, the giveaway winner will be announced tomorrow.**

Today marks a new installment of my Monday blog series titled Monday Must-Have. Each Monday I will feature a fellow talented Etsian and his or her phenomenal work. Each featured artist will have his or her own online Etsy shop where you can peruse and admire his or her one-of-a-kind body of work. Hopefully you will find new favorite artists and artisans whose work you MUST HAVE. :)

Today's featured artist is Nature Nomad.

Who are you (actual name/and or shop name)?

I’m the Nature Nomad.

What do you create?

I am more an observer of nature than a photographer. Many of the things I would like to photograph don’t always develop because Mother Nature has a different plan than mine so I am left without the image. When all things come together (nature, patience, silence, trust, etc) then the photograph happens.

When did you start creating?

I have had a camera since I was in high school but have been in love with the beauty of nature since my childhood.

Why did you choose your shop name?

Nature Nomad says it best for me. On any beautiful day (and even the crazy weather ones) I am usually wandering around with my camera. This can include a starry night trying to photograph the planet Saturn millions of miles away or examining the intricacy of a February snowflake or walking across a South African National Park and wondering where the lions are sleeping. There is always something to marvel at.

What inspires you?

Nature, nature, nature! Every time I look closely at a photographic image of nature I am reminded how I am just a tiny piece of a much bigger picture. The photographic image can only embrace a single moment in nature. It cannot adequately depict her grandeur, complex simplicity or unending beauty.

What is the most time consuming part of your craft?

The most time consuming part of my passion is wandering around. I can be gone for minutes, hours or days at a time. (And you can guess how my wife feels about that with plenty of chores to do at home!) It makes running a business challenging but I don’t want to ever feel as if I’m not spending enough time outdoors. For me, to really develop at what I am doing, I need to spend as little time indoors as possible. This is a bit odd for a business plan.

What is your favorite place to visit in your hometown and why?

That’s an easy answer. My favorite place is my backyard (the woods, the creek, the field.) I can spend a part of each evening watching a mother hawk raise her babies...


or a tiny frog resting on a Zinnia.


I am blessed to have great neighbors who call and say “Hey, come quick and take a look at this interesting moth so there is no shortage of things to photograph.


What is your most popular item that you create (and why do you think it is so popular)?

I don’t know that there is any one thing. People do seem to respond best to those images that make them laugh, reflect or feel a connection with nature.

What's your next project going to be?

I am working on a book of photographs paired with reflections. This is going slow because I’m finding self publishing with text and color images to be expensive, and truth be told, it is not my area of expertise. If any of your readers have any suggestions please let me know.

What types of things do you do to turn first time buyers into repeat clients?

I always work at giving a little bit more to people who purchase my images. An example of this is my photocards, which come from my photographs. I often put one of these little pieces of art in the mail to customers as a thank you note. Some people tell me that they still have them years later pinned on a bulletin board or under a magnet on their refrigerator. That’s great!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Yes, I am often out wandering around so if you contact me I will respond to you but please be patient. Thanks!


Please be sure to check out more of Nature Nomad's fantastic photography in his Etsy shop. He will be out wandering around this week capturing more phenomenal subjects with his camera so if you have any questions, orders, or thoughts for him he will give you his full attention when he gets back.

If you're interested in being featured in future Monday Must-Have segments, please feel free to convo me in my Etsy shop or email me. Have a wonderful day!