Have a Smooshers Halloween!

Mummy Pin by Fantasy ClayNow that that summer is coming to a close, my thoughts turn to Autumn.  The changing color of the leaves, the crisp bite to the air and, of course Halloween!

Halloween is my favorite holiday,  In pagan religions, it is the time when the this world and the next is thinnest, allowing departed spirits to visit this world.  for those that fear those spirits, mankind has come up with all kinds of spooky, scary items to scare the visiting spirits away.

Here are some of my favorites from the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild on Art Fire.  Some are scary, some are cute and others are just plain goofy and make you laugh.

Hope you enjoy my choices.

Here's a pair of Skull and Crossbones Earrings from Michelle of Creative Critters.

This frighteningly adorable  Mummy Pin by Fantasy Clay 
makes me want to grab some old bedsheets and makes myself a mummy costume!

This spooky, funky Halloween Octopus by Creations-In-Clay
is a real imagination in its subject.

I thought it would be easier to find Halloween items from the Smooshers but I think I've chosen some fun and funky ones to highlight.

Goodsmith.com

So I joined a new selling site a while ago, Wyvern Designs on Goodsmith.com and finally set up my shop the other day.  I, also  list on Art Fire and I have an Etsy shop, although I've let everything expire there and I'm not sure if I'm going to keep my shop open.

Goodsmith.com is fairly new and there are still some bugs that need to be worked out, such as the fact that the photos of some product get cut off at odd places.
Niamh the Forest Fairie

The second photo in the listing is cut off at the head and the knees.  It makes it look like I'm selling doll body parts!

But they are working on a fix and they've posted some tips on how to deal with the photo problem until they they fix it.  

They seem very responsive to sellers needs and questions and hopefully the good communication will continue.

There are no listing fees and until sometime in 2013 the fee once you sell something is 2%.  It will go up to 2.5%  in 2013.

I would recommend this site, especially to those who want to try selling on line but don't have the cash to start their own website or pay a monthly fee.

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/Wyverndesigns 

Caty Ann's Creation - Featured Artist

 Cathy of Caty Ann's Creations started designing jewelry for fun.  Her early pieces were mostly for herself, her sister and a few close friends.  Some time after beating stage III breast cancer, a friend sent her a link to her new website where she was selling her own handmade jewelry.

Cathy decided to do some research towards opening her own on line store.  After a week of research, she decided to market her designs on line.  She started with an Art Fire shop, then added Zibbet to her sales base.  After a few sales on her basic accounts, she upgraded her shop to premium and was on her way. 

 She recently added crochet items to her Zibbet shop as she recently rediscovered her love of crochet.

 I love these  Lollipop Swirl Earrings

Purse Charm

Luscious Lime Delight Also has a swirl element.  I'm sensing a trend here.

She also has a place to store your earrings.  Jewelry Frame

Besides Art Fire, she can be found here at her blog  Caty Ann's Creations

 Her website  Caty Ann's Creations

http://catyann43506.wordpress.com/

Swirls and Whirls in Polymer Clay

I love the swirl effect that you can get working in polymer clay.  I found a tutorial on line for making swirl lentil beads but, as my husband just installed a new operating system on the old PC, I lost all my bookmarks and, for the life of me, I can't remember who the author was.  I guess I'm having a "senior moment".

I have seen some wonderful swirl beads.  I haven't quite mastered the technique so that the beads come out as I expected every time.  But as we all know, when working with polymer clay, even "mistakes" can be beautiful.

Here is a gorgeous Swirl Necklace with Leaves and Flowers by Creative Sisters

 
Here's another pendant by Dream Weaver's Designs
This one reminds me of the vibrant color of Autumn leaves.

Here are some Iridescent Swirl beads by Prescence

This unique state shaped necklace by Harrison Hollow Designs
features stamped swirls on a Mississippi shaped sheet of clay.

Swirls in polymer clay are both versatile and lovely.  These are just a few of the examples I found while searching the Smooshers Guild on Art Fire.