Last year, I started attending the local art guild meetings with my mother. She didn’t like driving at night, so I agreed to take her even though I’ve never had any interest in visual arts other than collecting.
What I discovered was that I didn’t have to draw a straight line to produce art. When the guild asked for artists to participate in a studio art tour, where folks culd visit the artists’ craft rooms, studios, barns–wherever they produced their art—I signed up with mom and dragged my daughter right along.
We began making altered art pendants, using decoupage techniques. We made a ton of things with dominoes and scrabble tiles. When we grew more confident, and made things we wanted to wear, we branched into using inks, stamps, paint, etc. An example of something I made recently is this pendant. A funny thing happened.
I started posting my pictures on Facebook. People contacted me, wanting to know where they could buy our little pendants. We all had so much fun with the idea, we’re in the midst of creating a website, and branching out with beading, bead-making, metal-stamping, crochet and knotted cord and silks…
You get the picture. I have a new obsession. And it’s one that fits very nicely around my writing life. When I’m drained of words for the day, I head to the art room.
Here are some more recent samples…
This one sold the day I posted it.
I’ve grown more confident. This one I painted then stamped. The “messier” the images look, the happy accidents, are what make them more interesting to me.
I just love making these!
And I’ve found a way to blend my two worlds…
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I love the bracelet that sold the day you posted it. Do you have a website for them yet??? And how much do you usually charge for the dominos?
Z
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I’m charging $12.00 for the dominoes, $20.00 for those particular bracelets. The website isn’t ready yet, but people have been emailing me directly. The prices include mailing in the US. For someone outside the US, I’d need to add the extra cost. I could make another of the blue, maybe with a button closure like the black instead of the beaded ends. But you’d have to wait a week or two because I’d have to go back to my source to buy more beads. Glad you like them!
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Wow, beautiful! Congrats on finding such a lucrative expression for your other creative talents.
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Thanks, Elf! It really has opened up a side of me I didn’t know needed expression. Sounds so frou-frou, doesn’t it? LOL
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Beautiful. I met a woman at an Arts & Authors fair that makes jewelry like that. It’s such a personal looking item. You’ll have orders out the window 🙂
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Wow. I love seeing your photos, Delilah. I’m so amazed at your talent, not only with words but with this art! Glad you’re finding another creative outlet for the beauty you have inside!
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Very nice Delilah! I love seeing the pictures. Have you set up an Etsy store or thought about it?
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Forget that Etsy comment. lol I’m a dork. (I’ve been playing on Etsy today, found the answer)
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I love the designs you do. Hopefully soon I will have the extra money to order a few from you.
Thanks for sharing these again.
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So cool. I have been thinking of trying something like the tiles just to make a little extra money and to find a new hobby that I can do that would be great for me since I am now working on getting my disability settled.
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I just love wearing bracelets & these are all so gorgeous.
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Absolutely gorgeous and original! Can’t wait till your online catalogue is up and ready for prime time!
D
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Thanks for the compliments, ladies! I love my little hobby. The Etsy store will follow the website. One step at a time. Today, I have to get with the bank to open up an account, then I can open a paypal dedicated to the site… There’s so many steps it’s mind-boggling. It’s kind of like writing. All I want to do is write the stories. The rest of it—finding a publisher or all the steps to do it myself—always sucks the fun out of it.