Brand New Mirror BLUE MONDAY

Recently added to my Etsy shop. BLUE MONDAY, a unique oval mosaic mirror in assorted shades of blue. Check it out here.

Etsy Mosaic Artists Street Team ~EMA

As Vice President of EMA ~ The Etsy Mosaic Artists Street Team I have been privileged to get to work together with some of the talented mosaic artists in the Etsy community. I would like to thank Dana of Artful Mosaics by Dana for her hard work and dedication as EMA President, and Merritt of Glass and Grout our Secretary for helping get our street team off the ground. It has been great working with you ~ we are definitely headed in the right direction.


To celebrate the grand opening of our Street Team Blog and our official status as a team on Etsy, we are having our first ever Group Sale! Starting today, our members will be offering various promotions and specials with in their shops. Just search EMA on Etsy to see fabulous mosaic art by our members.

My EMA Grand Opening Sale Specials

My shop is all set for the sale. Stop by now to shop my EMA Sale section with mark downs on some of my mosaic pieces. AND ~ I am also offering BUY ONE GET ONE HALF OFF, on all 5 INCH MOSAIC MIRRORS. Any mini mirror in my 5 inch mosaic mirror section in my shop is included. Buy one at $24.00 and receive a 2nd mirror for just $12.00. Stock up for the holidays ~ mini mirrors make great gifts. Or maybe pick up a little something for yourself. :o)

Hurry ~ the sale ends 8/3/07.

Please Help

By now you probably heard about the charges against NFL, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. It has gotten extensive coverage on the news, ESPN and in newspapers all across the country. While I normally like to write about my art, creative endeavors and happy things ~ I can't help but feel obligated to use this space to speak out and to get people to speak up on this horrible, horrible situation.


I am not going to go into details about the charges, nor do I wish to revisit exactly what was going on on his property. If you are unfamiliar with the story, you may click here to read it. I will say that this sick individual, who participated in these disgusting, repulsive, unforgivable and unethical acts needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. They need to lock him up and throw away the key. He has no right to walk free, let alone continue to play football and be paid millions of dollars. Do you want your child to look up to an athlete that is a killer?

Please, please take a minute to sign these petitions and let your voice be heard. You may not think that this will impact the situation in any way, but the truth is it does.

• Sign the petition to tell the NFL to suspend Michael Vick now.
• Send a letter today to the NFL commissioner by clicking here.
• "Tell Nike that it should not be represented by someone accused of organizing "contests" in which dogs tear one another apart. By not distancing itself from Vick, Nike sends the message that cruelty to dogs is fine by it." Tell Nike to drop Vick now!

Whether it is a pro athlete, or just an ordinary person down the street from your house. Whether they live in an urban area or rural one ~ anyone who participates in this practice is sick. Please take a minute of your time to help.

Juried Show ~ Am I in or Out?

Well, I am in the show. They selected 1 out of the 2 pieces I submitted. The one pictured here is the one that made it in. There will be awards given out this Saturday at the show opening. I am excited to be part of it, and can't wait to see all the work I am competing against. Despite the outcome, it is great to have my work out in public, and not just hanging in my own living room ~ which is where this mirror was! Right over my couch!

So as I celebrate my first acceptance in to a juried show, and quickly add it to my artist resume, I am wondering why it took me so long to enter one? While I am not expecting to win a cash award (although it would be nice) I am feeling a sense of accomplishment.

Juried Shows

In a little while I am headed to Artwell Gallery in Torrington CT, where I am a member. Today is the day I will enter 2 of my mosaic pieces in a juried art competition they are having. While I have been in several shows in the past, this is the first show that my work will be juried by several panel members and either chosen or not. It can be intimidating to make the leap into the world of juried shows. You are paying the fee, not knowing if you are going to even get in, you are up against dozens of other artists in a variety of mediums, and your work will be scrutinized. Not an easy thing to bring upon yourself!

Well, I am here to say you need to take that chance and go for it. You want to be a successful artist right? Well the more you get your work out into the public eye, the greater your chances become of making a living at what you love to do. It has taken me 7 years to take my own advice! But I am doing it. I'll post pictures of my entries tomorrow! I am headed outside to take pictures now. Wish me luck!

My Workspace is Messy

It is official. I have lost all control of my workspace. Usually once a month it gets to the point where I have no desire to sit and create things because the clutter is so distracting. It is time to clean up, condense and reorganize. I like to think of my mess as the result of having been very productive. Makes sense doesn't it?

Pictured below is the table which holds all of the potential projects I have lined up to complete. Frames, boxes, wood things, and that ugly mirror I blogged about last week from the thrift store. Oh and the table is a project too. Two years in the making. Behind those closet doors are mirror frames ready to be tiled. the problem is, I can't work on them until I clear off my desk. So rather than sit here and write about what I have to do, I need to get moving. It's off the post office to mail out some orders, then I when I return home, I will get to work on my studio.

Happy 4th!

Words That Give Me Strength

"There is a vitality, a life force a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. If you block it, it will never exsist through any other medium and be lost. The world will never have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how valuable it is, nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours, clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction what so ever at any time. There is only a queer, divine, dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than others."

~Written by Martha Graham in a letter to Agnes de Mille~