Introducing Renée Stevens {graphic design}

{PEACOCK image from Touched Creatively magazine}

{Reindeer Holiday Cards}

Modern and unique invitation and announcement designs made by Renée Stevens can make any special day more memorable. I love Renée's originality and ability to design for many special occasions. She says, "From concept development, to the typographic layout, each design becomes my own piece of art." Read more about how her design business began and her process in Touched Creatively's fall issue.

{Twins Birth Announcement}

For more wedding invitation designs, baby announcements, holiday designs and more, visit Renée's website and her R Studio Etsy shop. Happy Monday!

Introducing Leslie Zabel {jewelry}

{Palau Lagoon Lampwork Bracelet}

Just like the water in the lagoon, this bracelet holds enchantment and mysticism. A large focal bead with a "wave" in the center first catches your eye which is surrounded by lots of twists and turns in the oxidized copper. The surrounding lampwork beads are a deep navy blue with air bubbles purposefully put into the design, a soft sparkly green, and a mixture of a blue/green swirl to match the large focal bead. The oxidized copper brings balance to this piece by adding a warmth to the cool colors.

{Solemn Mt. Emei Necklace}

A soft and delicate piece created with glowing hues of opaque peach, silver gray, and a shimmering white moonstone. This beautiful trio is complimented by the shine of a sterling silver lotus flower charm and sterling silver S clasp. Peaceful beauty! Mt. Emei or Éméi Shan is one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains in China.

{Lightening on Lago Maggiore Labradorite Earrings}

This pair is made of labradorite briolettes with a brilliant blue flash and tiny sterling silver balls all wrapped in sterling wire with french hooks. Add a touch of shine to just about any outfit.

The exquisite pieces above are created by jewelist, Leslie Zabel. Leslie is full of inspiration on following your heart! Here is what she had to say, "I am a chemist who had a change of heart. After dealing with working in a lab for a few years, I decided it wasn't for me. I was missing something. Happiness. I needed a change. I wanted something I felt good in doing and hopefully made others happy as well. I've had a love of beading and making jewelry for quite some time and realized this was the direction I wanted to take. So, here I am doing what I love. Creating pieces of art for others to enjoy."Congrats on following your dream Leslie!

Leslie offers a spotlight item each week on her website for 10% off. You can also browse through her Bei Mondi Etsy shop to see more of her creations or read more about her and her work by visiting her blog. Enjoy!

Introducing Lee Wolfe {pottery}

{Dragonfly Guardian Lantern}

Beautiful pottery expressing the natural beauty found in nature is created by Lee Wolfe. Lee says, "Dragonflies are symbols of joy and transformation, making Guardian lantern (shown above) perfect for drawing joy into the changing seasons, perhaps helping us to meditate on letting go of anything blocking joy and abundance from our heart and life." More of her dragonfly creations can be seen in Touched Creatively's fall issue HERE. Below a beautiful blend of colors make up an organic flower shaped bowl perfect for kitchen use. Click on the images for more details!

{Flower Serving Bowl}

Visit One Clay Bead for more original and functional stoneware pieces! Also don't forget to check out her talented teen daughter's pottery shop who I previously posted about here! A talented team for sure! Happy Monday!

Introducing Shawna Stobaugh {illustration & design}

Cheerful designs by Shawna Stobaugh are sure to make your day a little brighter! Her soft, sweet colors are calming and whimsical. I also love the added sense of humor! Here is what Shawna had to say about her creative journey, "I always knew I loved art, but didn't have a personal style until I was 23 years old. It came from what was going on in my life at that time. My sisters had all had kids, and everything around me was cute and sweet. It really influenced my art and what I enjoyed working on. As their kids grew up, I found that my personal style did not. I was still working on things that were cute and juvenile. I finally realized when my surroundings changed, and my art didn't that I had found my personal style. I loved what I was creating and how it made me and others feel. I had finally found my niche."

Click on the above images for more information. To see more of Shawna's work, browse through her Etsy shop or check out her blog.

Introducing Kris Haas {drawing}

The blending of colors, the details and the imagination put into the colored pencil drawings by Kris Haas is absolutely intriguing. As she stated in Touched Creatively's second issue, "I feel as if our modern life has forgotten how to tell a story non-verbally." Click on the "Dancing Spoons" or the "Ancient Fire" images to see more information about the work. More drawings and paintings can be viewed in Kris's Etsy shops HERE and HERE. You are also welcome to check out her website and read more about her in Touched Creatively's fall issue.

Introducing Paul and Kate Archie {pottery}

Wow! Some of the most interesting and unique pottery creations I have seen are created by husband and wife, Paul and Kate Archie. Truly one of a kind and never duplicated. "Paul focuses on the tactile qualities of clay-basing most of his work on pinch formed shapes and burnishing for a natural and organic feel. He enjoys the unpredictability and randomness of pit firings. Kate's work is biologically inspired. Sea life, microorganisms, and anatomy all visibly influence her choice of shape, texture, and color."To see more information about the pieces above, click on the images, or browse through Paul and Kate's Studio shop to find your unique treasure! Enjoy!

Introducing Maleah Mathews {photography}

Happy Monday! I hope you are all staying warm and in good health! I figured today would be a great day to share the beautiful photography by Maleah Mathews with you. We often overlook the beauty that surrounds us. Maleah does an amazing job of capturing simple forms of nature and making them look truly magical. Maleah is featured in the second issue of Touched Creatively and there she tells us how she changed her original etsy shop from jewelry to photography. Her photographs have been quite a hit and some will be shown an upcoming film in 2010! Browse through Maleah's Urban Design Photography shop for more incredible images and read more about her in Touched Creatively!

{Click on the above images for more information.}

Live Like There is No Tomorrow

FAMILY EMERGENCY!
Sorry there will be no creative posts this week due to an accident in the family. We are never guaranteed tomorrow, so live with no regrets; follow your dreams, your heart and never take loved ones for granted!
Hope to be back next week to share more amazing talents with you.

Introducing Mary Jane Dodd {jewelry}

{gaea hits moma... necklace}

I love when artists have a story to tell through their creations. Sometimes the viewer needs to look beyond what lies in front of them to see the deepened meaning... the feelings that are being shared. The talented jewelry designer, Mary Jane Dodd had this to say about her work, "I am inspired by nature, issues, feelings & words… I am entranced by myth and legend… things that have connected humans over time… my creations are rarely purely aesthetic in execution… there is something behind them… as I learn about and explore new techniques and media, my involvement grows… " What a wonderful connection between the beautiful handmade jewelry and the world around us!

{adrift bracelet}

'not all those who wander are lost' - j.r.r. tolkien

{finding your center earrings}

'to receive everything, one must open one's hands and give.'- taisen deshimaru

For more inspiration and jewelry creations be sure to visit Mary's Etsy shop!

Introducing Branden Collins {illustration and design}

Promotional flyer for Brittany Bosco by Branden Collins

For a brilliant mix of graphic design and illustration, meet the talented artist from Atlanta, Georgia, Branden Collins. His creative imagination makes his work stand out with originality. Below are a few of Branden's collaborative pieces with the talented individual, Alex Goose.

Project: Brittany Bosco "Spectrum EP"

Design and Art Direction by Branden Collins and Alex Goose

Illustration/Typography by Branden Collins and Alex Goose

Published in BONES Magazine

To view more designs and illustrations by Branden please visit his blog and check out his portfolio on Behance. You can contact him by emailing bcolli21@gmail.com. Enjoy!

Clothing by Mnemosyne Designs

{Photo by John Cowie Photography}

If you haven't seen the clothing by Mnemosyne Designs in Touched Creatively's fall issue, you've been missing out! The talented clothing designers Amy Mathews and Heather Russell tell their story of coming together and how Mnemosyne Designs began. The beautiful and unique model, Adriane Ehmann displays the clothes perfectly in this modern elegance issue. The best part of ordering clothing from Amy and Heather is they are more than happy to work with you on getting the perfect fit for your body so you will look amazing!

Here are a just a couple more of my favorites from Mnemosyne Designs...

Beautiful and creative, right?! To see more clothing by these talented ladies please visit their Mnemosyne Designs shop and read more about them in Touched Creatively's fall issue HERE. A download is available for $1.89 and the printed issue is available for $6.29 plus shipping. Enjoy!

Introducing Liz Tran {mixed media}

Willow

Pink Party

Lift

Talented Liz Tran creates the most interesting trees I have seen yet! Her delightful trees are mixed media on panel. I love the colors, fun details and organic qualities! To see more of her work, head on over to her website. Happy Monday!

Modern Cotton Design and More

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=69494

Creative Nel behind Southstreet shop is not only talented in creating her modern cotton designs but she has a great eye for putting gorgeous collections of various artists together. She surprised me and included one of my paintings in her newest treasury. I listed all the links to the artists on my other blog so if your interested you can jump on over to my Enduring Arts site to take a look or the Etsy treasury link above will work for a limited time. Be sure to browse through Southstreet's shop. Her fabric necklaces are wonderful and she has so many different designs and colors to choose from.

Treasury Find by Southstreet

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=83468

Here is a collection of elegant pieces chosen by the Southstreet shop on Etsy. Southstreet has a contemporary line of cotton strip creations. I'm sure most of you have found your way to Etsy's Treasury before and may have even made your own. Its a fun way to see members favorites and find some fun and unique items you may not have run into otherwise. Treasuries are only viewable for a limited time and sometimes don't get all the views and credit they deserve. Here are the links to the lovely items above:

1. Exceptional Woven Bead Necklace by Veroque

2. A New Beginning Photograph by yvetteinufio

3. Avanti by brownbunnybyiris

4. Spider Seeds by wannabes

5. Obsessions Hand Painted Shoes by cocopunkz

6. Pure Silver Bracelet by zirconjoyas

7. Two for Tea by danugs

8. Gold Love Rose Garden Tiara by ayawedding

9. Faceted Citrine Gold Hammered Earrings by steinschmuckdesigns

10. Cooling Fire Art Photograph by vaeda

11. Turquoise-Pearl bracelet by toosis

12. Autumn Chartreuse Seaflower Pendant by kathiroussel

Ceramics by Brigitte Bouquet

Atelier BB offers a beautiful collection of ceramics with intricate details in each piece. With so many colors to choose from you are bound to find a favorite. Pictured above is the "Focaccia Platter Azul". In lovely fall colors below are the "Muddy Tobacco Trio Wobbly Bowls". Not only are they beautiful to look at but they are made to be used. The collection is dishwasher and microwave safe. Click on the photos to see more details about the pieces. Happy Monday!