Thursday, October 1, 2009

WARNING: Unbelievably Inspiring, Truly Talented Artists With a Contagious Case of Joy Are Spreading It Everywhere!

In a society where negative criticism and cynicism can be prevalent, there is something deliciously rebellious about choosing to be joyful. When you stand up to negativity around you and silence it within yourself, you are left with a HUGE open space in which true beauty can grow. That is the perfect fertile ground for JOY.

Thanks to Brandi, the true JOY REBEL, today’s Thursday Sweet Treat is filled with more joy rebels creating from a space that’s bright, light, warm, inspiring and filled with love. These works of art created by super talented artists will make you want to dance in the streets, sing when the feeling strikes, laugh out loud and live every single day with joy in your heart.

Thank you, Brandi for inspiring me to be joyful and create a theme that celebrates JOY. Thank you for being a part of this special Thursday Sweet Treat as well.

And now, without further adieu let us do the dance of JOY!!!!!



Maureen, a talented artist, created these sensational pieces.

"Oooooh, beware of Spreading Joy!!!" said Maureen. "After painting this 9x9 watercolor, I just couldn't stop myself . . . joy oozed, dribbled, leaked out all over!! Natasha, if these 7 photos are too many to post, I understand. But it's all your fault--this overflow of joy--for giving us such a juicy prompt!!"

http://aquamaureens.blogspot.com/


























Agathe, creator of Meherio68, created these incredible pieces.

"I'm a busy bee, but, still— as you may or may not have noticed before, I love red, all reds," said Agathe. "Now that is a colour that gives me joy. Especially in nature— roses, poppies, and sweet peas on my balcony! Today, I treated myself and rummaged in my stock of gems. I ended up with these cute earrings that are garnets on gold. And they too give me great joy!"

Blog: http://lebarduvent.blogspot.com/
Etsy shop: http://meherio68.etsy.com/
DaWanda shop: http://lebarduvent.dawanda.com/
















Althea, creator of Salvaged Expression, created this stunning work.

"I decided to do something just a little different with mine since I've been captivated lately by the idea of Guerilla Gardening," said Althea. "It's the idea of taking empty land ie. the grass between lanes of a highway or an abandoned lot and growing beautiful and/or edible things there for everyone. I made a set of garden bombs for areas you can't access due to fences, fear, topography or what have you and filled them with wildflower seeds. The clay (harvested from a hillside on my property) will melt away in the next rain and the seeds should sprout. The large one has 4 acorns in it and reads "Spread seeds of joy."

http://salvagedexpression.com/














Catrina, creator of Minoukatze.blogspot.com, created this beautiful piece.

"I was thinking of things which always cheer me up, and cute little singing birds do the trick," said Catrina. "This is one of my watercolors combined in Photoshop with photos of birds. To see more, my art blog is at http://minoukatze.blogspot.com/."

http://minoukatze.blogspot.com/













Kelsey, creator of Caffeinated Frenzy, created these two, fabulous pieces.

"Here are two creations for this week," said Kelsey.

1. Ribbet - Hand Knit Frog-like thing.

2. Two Tone DNA Scarf - This one's still in progress, but I was thinking about how to make a mellow blue burst with joy.

http://caffeinatedfrenzy.com/

Ribbet



Two Tone DNA Scarf













Brandi, the JOY REBEL, created this awesome piece, titled, "Let's make our own joy vocabulary."

"This piece was inspired by this blog post: http://www.joyrebel.com/2009/09/mission-monday-creating-world-through.html."

http://www.joyrebel.com/












Felicia Kramer, creator of Another Bright Idea, created this gorgeous piece titled,“Art is Joy Perpetual".

"What else can I say except that art spreads joy!" said Felicia.

http://anotherbrightidea.etsy.com/
http://www.feliciakramer.blogspot.com/












Natasha, creator of Doodlestar, created this piece.

"I was walking down the street after reading something Althea had written about being rebellious and joyful and this image popped into my head. Thanks for the inspiration, Althea. I think I want this to be a journal cover. It's just makes me happy; it fills me with JOY. And of course, it makes me want to surf. LOL"

http://doodlestar.etsy.com/














Jodi, creator of Jodi Horgan - Beaded Art to Wear, created this incredible bracelet titled, "Joie de Vivre".

http://www.jodihorgan.etsy.com/
http://jodihorgan.blogspot.com/















Janet, creator of JanetDavies, created these exceptional pieces.

"I started to say that I have been really focusing on finding joy in my life but what I really mean is that I’m remembering the joy that I have always had and that still is with me now, even when it’s hard for me to see," said Janet. "One of the practices that has brought me a lot of joy over the last 20 years or so is my daily dog walk. Lately the weather in my beautiful Sonoran desert home has been HOT! This is the hardest time of year for me, the summer has been long and too hot, and while the rest of the country is enjoying crisp weather and the brilliant fall colors, I am cranking up the swamp cooler to deal temps in the 100’s. So when I woke up to temps already in the mid 70’s ( promising temps well into the upper 90s...again) I took my cranky, grumbling self out for the daily dog walk and I saw the most spectacular sky! So incredibly beautiful! I had to photograph it to share with all of you.Of course my dog Chewy always brings me joy, mostly because he is so full of joy!"

http://janetdavies.etsy.com/





















Trina, creator of Woven Chains Jewelry, created these phenomenal pieces.

"The Spreading Joy Theme touched me more than any I've done yet. I have three entries," said Trina.

http://wovenchains.etsy.com


1. "Stars and Rainbows"

"I'm definately channeling my inner 8-year-old with this one. Two silver and gold stars hang from either end of a rainbow. Its made to hang from a rear-view mirror or on a wall."








2. "Joy in the Garden"

"I love little critters. When I found these wonderful charms of insects and small animals, I knew they were going to have to be a charm bracelet. I also like the sun, moon, and star charms and what they added. I couldn't stop smiling while I was working on this piece. It brought me joy!"






3. "Simple Joy"

"A simple bracelet and pendant set, that brought joy when I made them."















Amanda, creator of Persistent Green, created this magnificent 4 1/2" x 5 3/4" handmade marbled journal.

"I couldn't think of a better way to spread joy than to host a giveaway!" said Amanda. "This journal marks the launch of a new product line in my shop (I'll be listing more for sale in the days to come). Please come visit my blog today for "joyful" details on how to enter to win this journal, made with my hand-marbled paper."

http://persistentgreen.etsy.com/
http://persistentgreen.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/PersistentGreen














Marja, creator of Glass Elements created these unforgettable pieces titled, Color of Joy.

"Funky, fun and full of color – these pieces radiate joy – and help cheer up your day just by wearing them," said Marja. "So be bold – and wear your joy. :)"

http://www.glasselements.etsy.com/
pendant: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31842393
earrings: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31842762














Phoenix Ravenswing creator of Crow Tarot, Kitty Hawke Cat Bird Crystals and
One Earth One Tribe, created these fantastic pieces.

Talismans by Crow Tarot
found at
http://www.crowtarot.etsy.com/

Our Other Etsy Shops
http://www.kittyhawke.etsy.com/
http://www.catbirdcrystals.etsy.com/
http://www.oneearthonetribe.etsy.com/



"This little guy was originally destined for another Treat, but after I saw the theme on Friday, I understood why I hadn't completed him before and had completed him now," said Phoenix. "He was originally intended for sale, but mysteriously developed this chip after I announced that, so apparently he is also supposed to join our collection."



"In the interest of spreading some joy around, I'm offering a custom-made miniature garden bottle (~2.5 to 3.0 inches high) to the first 5 TST-ers to say they would like one," said Phoenix. "They are great for small hydroponic cuttings, or for a miniature silk or dried flower arrangement, or, and thnx to Lisianblue for the idea, your favorite fragrance oil. These in the pic are samples of ones I've done before, for folks to get an idea of what they look like. The wire comes out rather randomly, but I can customize color selection to the extent of my bead stash. Enjoy!!! :-D"





"For those of you old enough to remember "Rocky & Bullwinkle", the duology of "Mage & Squirrel". :-D"

"The first series was taken in early September or so, the second last Saturday as I was getting ready to take photos. There was actually a squirrel up there both times, but the second time, I was JUST getting ready to hit the button, in fact, I think I had, when the batteries died. By the time I'd changed batteries and gotten back to the living room, the squirrel had moved on to bigger, better, and hopefully for it, less soggy pursuits. :-D I was, however, able to catch Mage in his look of "Please let the glass turn into a Squirrel-Permeable Membrane... PLEASE!!!" :-D"







This week, I looked around and found JOY among Etsy artist items. These folks do not know they are in the TST yet...I am going to write to surprise them. More artists to celebrate and invite to play - YAY!





SALE- Original Simpler Times JOY Painting Commission by Robert David Bretz
http://paintallnightstudios.etsy.com/












Glittery primitive JOY Chritmas letters with jingle bell
http://craftjunkie28.etsy.com/













Fhiona Galloway JOY Peacock Swan and Poppies Magnetic Recycled LOCKET SET
http://polarity.etsy.com/



After viewing this joyful TST are you feeling creative? Are you ready to dive in and start creating for the next theme??

Well, the next theme is theme is.........."Believe in Magic".

All of us have something beautiful inside, something that others see as "magic." Those are the people that believe in us with their whole heart. This week, create something to honor that someone or those folks in your life that have always believed in you.

Tune in tomorrow for more fun details!

12 comments:

Phoenyx Ravenswing said...

Greetings!

Awesome TST, as always! :-)More specific comments in a bit, just wanting to get in on the comments from the first. :-D

Wow... what a kyool theme for October, Natasha. :-) Will have to see what I can come up with for that one. :-)

BB & GF! :-)
-Bird

Felicia Kramer said...

Wow - the cooler air (except for Janet!) must have jump started everyone - great job! I'll make it short and quick.
Maureen - painting on walls?? Cool!
Agathe - beautiful in its simplicity.
Althea - LOVE THIS IDEA!
Catrina - Lovely and oh-so-effective.
Kelsey - Love dat ribbet! And the scarf is intriguing.
Brandi - I'm with you - make Joy a priority.
Natasha - this just makes me smile!! Would definitely have a journal like that.
Jodi- everything you do blows me away!
Janet - just goes to show - every place has a beauty of its own. Gorgeous photos.
Trina - Me too loves that joy in the garden!
Amanda - as you know, I love your marbled paper.
Marja - what fantastic color!
Phoenix - Thumbs up all three. I'll take one of those bottles. Thanks!

Love the three drive-bys - that first painting is wonderfully delightful; I love Christmas so that second one is adorable; and the locket set is downright fantastic!

Thanks everybody!

Unknown said...

WOW WOW WOW

Maureen - I love it!

Agathe - simply pretty elegant.

Althea - fantastic idea!!!! my morning glories have taken over bare areas in the apt complex - they are so generous with their seeds!
Catrina - the rich colors and little birds are just beautiful.
Kelsey - adorable little frog - and you made the mellow blue burst with joy!
Brandi - JOYORITIZE - YES!! fantasticly wonderful.
Felicia - love the colors, texture and the whole layout and fantastic saying.
Natasha - look at that hair fly! I love how you make simple stick figures so beautiful!!
Jodi - you do such beautiful bead work, and the image on the cab is so wonderful.
Jodi - wow that sky - so amazing. enjoy the dog walks!
how warm does it stay there in the winter?
Trina - chainmaille is so amazing -Ranbow & stars - excellent!
I love the little critters & charms on the bracelet -
Amanda - your marbled papers are so cool - you should have no problem with the magical theme! They are all sort of magical.
Marja - stunning pieces - sort of envious that you have the tools to do this with!
Bird - that mask is too much! Put a flower or something over the chip!! Love the pics of mage and squirrel - and the whole of it!
bottles - those are so cool - so when you send me little bottles to do, I would love one of yours!

the flybys - some great and joyful creations.

My creation for this week had to be ripped apart and restarted - had a late last minute idea to send - but a phone call interrupted it all - but I take joy in seeing all these joyfull creations.
Natasha - thank you for spreading such joy around!

meherio68 said...

Joy rules!!!

I don't think there is a single item today that I don't love.
Gorgeous photos, funny pets, glorious colours— and inspiring words— I love it all, I tell you!

Marja/Glass Elements said...

The colors are bursting out this week! Fantastic!

Maureen - I love how the joy just spread over your entire house. That just made me smile, I could just feel it expanding outward! :)

JanetDavies said...

This Sweet Treat is so fantastic!!! I am so excited to see all this joy that is being shared!

Cat said...

These are all wonderful!

giraffelabel said...

this is so great! i love everthing. it's great to be able to see joy...amazing! i actually made something this week, but never took the photots. (i made a bag...for myself!!) i wanted to use it right away, and that brought me joy! i haven't made anything for myself since the very first purse i made!

great job everyone! just beautiful!

bird, did you give 5 away yet? they look like they would be perfect for the "bouquets" that my kids pick for me... :)

Phoenyx Ravenswing said...

Greetings!

Giraffelabel, not yet! So you're number 4. They're small, fit for a dandelion or two, but that could be really cute, and since you hang them on the wall, very handy as well as colorful. :-)

And good on you for creating something for yourself!!! :-) We all need to do that from time to time, I think. :-)

One more, folks. Any takers? :-)

Felicia, Lisianblue, Natasha, Giraffelabel, pls convo me or e-mail at phoenyxravenswing at gmail to let me know your preferred colors for the beads and the address you'd like me to send your bottle to.

On to comments! :-)

Marja, I love, love, LOVE the use of color in your pieces!!! :-) I'm a color junkie, so these do indeed bring joy to my heart! :-)

How beautiful, Amanda! I love the unique swirls of marbled things, whether stone or fabric or paper. Will have to go over to your blog and check out how to win! :-)

Trina, thank you for reminding me that joy doesn't have to be complicated to be there, and that joy in the process of creation is the most important part.

Also, how wide is your "Stars & Rainbows"? I'm seeing that it might have pendant possibilities. :-D

Janet, you are so right about the healing powers of a dog and of a beautiful sky! :-) Thank you for sharing such lovely pictures with us! :-)

Jodi, awesome as always!!! I love your choice of color and stone here. To me it gives such a lovely sense of history as well as joy. :-)

Natasha, amen!!! :-D What a kyool, fun picture to represent your personal triumph!!! (Yay, you for that, btw. Still haven't found all the English, but I am so proud of you!!! :-D [And curious to know where you went surfing w/o freezing your butt off! :-P])

Thank you for sharing this pic and your message! :-)

Felicia, both the color and the words are simply GORGEOUS in this!!! I love beautiful typesetting, and beautiful typesetting on top of beautiful colors is a new joy for me! :-D Thank you so much for sharing! :-)

Brandi, how awesome to see you here! Welcome! :-) I love your mission this week - will have to see if anything presents itself. :-D

In the meantime, I love your word! I am going to add it to my vocabulary pronto! :-D

Kelsey, I love your frog!! :-) Both kyoot & cuddly! :-D And he brings pleasant memories of a beloved childhood stuffy. :-)

Imo, you succeeded w/your scarf! :-) I like the implication also that joy is in our very makeup. :-)

Catrina - colors & birds! :-) How could it get any better??? ;-D Thank you for combining two of my favorite things in this awesome piece! :-)

Salvaged, what a kyool idea!!! :-) I will have to remember this for when we move into our house. Even tho' it will be ours, premixing it into dirt might help to keep it safe from birds and from drifting to where the neighbors might object. :-)

Agathe, what beautiful reds indeed! :-) Garnet is such a lovely stone to work with, and you have worked with it wondrous well! :-)

Mauren, how kyool that your art just kept going! :-) I love your picture especially - the sunlight almost always (except in the very heart of summer, which it can be too much of a good thing :-P), brings me joy. :-)

Wondrous works all! :-)
And as they say on 'Ghost Hunters' - on to the next! :-D

BB & GF! :-)
-Bird

Amanda Fall - Sprout editor said...

Hi, everybody! The last couple of days have been crazy-busy and filled with creative chaos....can't wait to come back here when I have more time to savor these gorgeous creations. Wonderful job!

Still plenty of time to enter my giveaway! Come visit http://PersistentGreen.blogspot.com if you want to :)

CaffeinatedFrenzy said...

These are all awesome! A few of my favorites are Janet's photgraphy of the sky, Brandi's piece, and Althea's. So many different ways to express joy!

aquamaureen said...

Only just now had time to sit and really study each offering (Sunday afternoon) and what a treat.
Agathe--love the earrings AND the sweet flowers
Althea--"garden bombs"--never heard of those--I LOVE it!
Catrina--beautiful!! I can almost hear the birds.
Kelsey--I love Ribbet! You do stuff with yarn that I can't even imagine.
Brandi--"Joy-oritize"--the world has needed this word!
Felicia--I couldn't agree more: art makes joy perpetual. Gorgeous colors.
Natasha--your picture IS joy! Perfect journal cover. LOVE her hair! (WANT her hair!!!!)
JOdi--week after week, your beadwork stuns me. I applaud myself 'cause I've created a single strand anklet, and then I see your intricate Works of Art!!
Janet--what truth you speak: remember the joy you've always had. And your sky pics are out-of-this-world.
Trina--you work magic. I LOVE the Simple Joy bracelet.
Amanda--Wow. A giveaway. How generous. I'm privileged to see firsthand the loving careful work you put into this new line of journals--everything hand-done, down to the tearing of each page. Wow. I'm heading over to your blog to enter the giveaway . . .oops!! can a mother win????
Marja--talk about a POP of color. How gorgeous these pieces are. No, "delicious" is a better word. I wanted to lick them!! (oversharing????)
Bird--love the wire wrap on the teeny bottles--so free and swirly. and the LOL mask made ME LOL!! And another giveaway--yippee!!

What a wonderful week!!