I just got home from Boston last night – a shopping highlight was Black Ink in Back Bay, a great paper/giftie/cool stuff shop. They had some interesting rubber stamps with potential. I admit to scoffing at one time about rubber stamping, but it has a goofy appeal that is kind of infectious. It’s fun to make strange collages by stamping unexpected objects together, and it helps in a pinch if you need a quick gift card. Here are a few stamps that I picked up at Black Ink and just now used for cards:

So it’s not high art, but it’s fun – one of my favorite sources for stamps is Pink Flamingo on Etsy. Checkout this baby from their shop:
They would look interesting with chickens on their heads.Anyone else got good stamp sources or stamp ideas? Yeah, it’s kitschy, but hey . . .

As my printer friend says when talking to her customers, pick any two – but these candle screen holders are all three – great idea. they’re made from waxed paper and use (of course – duh) electronic candles. I saw this on Design Sponge and plan to steal the idea immediately. Want to steal it, too? Check the link.

I love seeing how other artisans use my shard faces in their work. These are some photos posted by Dos Manos Mosaics with a note to me from Connie Stout, the force behind Dos Manos. She’s doing some amazing and inspired work.

Tonight I finished the 22nd painting in the 30 Shades of Twilight series. That’s good, but even better is that I like them all, some better than others, of course. But for the first time, I laid them out together in some sort of order, and they made a good, strong visual statement. So, whew! Eight more to go but those will happen at a more relaxed pace. Here are three that are current favorites, although that changes. Dang, thirty paintings is a lot.

Do you ever commit to a great idea, then realize how close it’s getting? Well, here I go again – it’s open studio time, and I’ll have lots of new ScentShards, SprigShards, spirit pins, shard faces, journals, votive screens – at least that’s the plan! If nothing else, there will be lots of food with Chef Mike in charge of the cooking.

Please plan to drop by – I know there are a zillion things going on in December (like the King William Home Tour on this same day) but we would like to wish you a happy holiday. Whether you go home with some artsy gifts or just a full tummy, we’d love to see you.

But wait! There’s more – if you subscribe to my new blog, Shards, (see form on right) I’ll put your name in a drawing for a custom magnetic shard adornment pin. You don’t need to be there to win – I will get someone to do the drawing during the event and email you.

At the Trinity Alumni Artisan Show yesterday, my friend Bonnie Flake requested three new journals for her grandchildren – what a delightful task! It had been a while since I worked in “journal mode” but I put one together in the studio last night. It reminded me how much fun they are. They are like little stories in themselves. The title of this one is Claire Luna and is is a 5×7″ collage cover on an existing bound plain lined journal base.

I’ve just switched from my old blog on Blogger to a new site – my blog is now on my own domain site, EarthShards.com!