Monday, June 29, 2009

From This to That

Some time ago, my husband, Brett Rickaby, (who is an actor by profession whose passion has become writing) decided to hire out his writing talents to those desirous of an unusual and incredibly romantic gift: a love poem. Calling this service Cyrano Service, Brett was hired to write a love poem for a gentleman who obviously wanted to make up for a misstep taken in an as yet undefined relationship he wasn't ready to end.

Armed with nuggets of information about this woman and specifics about their relationship, my talented husband worked for hours on this beautiful poem, creating something that would melt even the iciest heart. As a further service, he offered a handmade card (created by Made by SwirlyGirl, of course!) to showcase this poem, which was gratefully accepted for the fee asked. This collaboration with my husband (the first of it's kind for us--though we've collaborated on many different projects) was a true labor of love! We worked for many hours, giving this customer much more than his money's worth and enjoyed the process tremendously!


Here is what I did with my husband's beautiful poem:


First, I took the photo that the gentleman asked me to use (all of the photos here have had the facial features blurred for privacy of the subject) and made several versions of the print,

removing the color and gradually adding color and saturating till the last one, on which I put a filter effect to make it look almost like a painting with the colors very saturated.

I printed lines of the poem on vellum to layer over the photos and cut and matted the poem sections with handmade papers, using the colors of her dress as inspiration.

Taking card stock and adhering the folded paper in a reinforced fan fold,

I adhered the photos and papers to each side, placing them each differently on the page for visual interest.

The covers were made of book board covered in handmade textured papers, with a beautiful fabric ribbon to close the book/card, and a rhinestone gem to dress it up even more.


We both signed the back of the card and dated it, as well.

If you are interested in any custom project of this sort, please contact me through Etsy and let me know what your idea is! We loved doing this together and would enjoy more opportunities to do similar projects! http://madebyswirlygirl.etsy.com.

Moody Monday

Going with the Flow:













Saturday, June 27, 2009

Happy Birthday Blog

Today is my eldest daughter's 13th birthday! It's easy to get sentimental here and gush about how wonderful my child is; how talented, smart, kind, mature, compassionate, fun-loving, and responsible she is; what a good student and hard worker she is;...but I'm not going to do that! ;-)

Instead, I've chosen some Etsy items to represent Kaitlyn and her day today! Click on the links to see other items in the shops of the artists I've chosen.












Happy Birthday, Kaitlyn!


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http://madebyswirlygirl.etsy.com
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Thursday, June 25, 2009

I'm a Fan of...


About a year and a half ago I was doing an online search for somewhere that I could get my images printed on glass and stumbled upon The Color Bakery. Perusing their site, my pulse quickened and my breathing became shallow as I clicked from page to page, item to item. The colors and movement in the work I saw had a visceral effect on me and I fell in love with this art work. Over the next few days, I returned to that site several times, showing anyone who happened to be standing near what a find I had made! I sent an email with an inquiry and within minutes got a reply, and that was the beginning of a connection with Mindy Sommers and The Color Bakery that I feel strongly, even though we have never met in person.
The Color Bakery makes upscale, high end, one of a kind, custom-made tile murals, home decor, art gifts and art wearables. They create tile murals and backsplashes in ceramic, stone, tumbled porcelain and glass, custom wall and desk clocks, furniture, boxes, tapestries, throws, mirrors, shoulder bags, placemats, serving trays, mugs, coaster sets, and glass cutting boards. With over 400 products and over 1000 incredible images from which to choose, I highly recommend that you bookmark this site to refer to for all your gift-giving occasions.

And here is the best part: besides having an abundance of choices of every color, style and mood, you can also choose to have YOUR OWN art put on these wonderful products! Glen and Mindy Sommers have built a company with integrity, creativity, artistry, and craftsmanship that you should really investigate for yourselves. They do all of the manufacturing themselves in their purple house in Vermont and customer service is of the highest priority.

I am a bit in awe (can you tell?) of this woman I know only through emails and Twitter: she also designed The Color Bakery's website. Check out Mindy's PeaPodDesigns, too, and some of the other websites and logos that she has designed and created, as well as her blog!





Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Theme of the Day Thursday

I love new books, used books, handmade books, bookstores, library books, bookmarks... I love books and everything to do with books. Since during the summer we (theoretically) have a little more time to enjoy things like books, my theme for the today is: BOOKS!









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Visit http://madebyswirlygirl.etsy.com
for handmade cards and photo art!
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Wordless Wednesday





Premio Meme Award


Julie of Julie Magers Soulen Photography has awarded me the Premio Meme Award. I'm so thrilled to be given this by a photographer whose work is so amazing! Thanks so much, Julie!

The rules of this award is that I am to give 7 facts about myself and pass it to 7 people. Here we go!



1. I hate wearing shoes in the house.
2. I used to not like the quiet and now can't get enough of it.
3. Our dog is the first one I've ever had who will fetch a ball and drop it into my hand. Or roll it to me by pushing it with her nose after she's dropped it.
4. My left ear is double pierced, but I only have a single in my right ear.
5. My husband and I met while waiting tables together in NYC.
6. I hate throwing out anything that has creative potential. And that can be almost anything.
7. I love anything that cannot be explained. The unexplainable is the most fascinating subject.

Now to pass this award along to 7 deserving blog owners (in no particular order):

jbEbert--pearls, gems, and a little bling
Canadian Rockies Art
Jewels by Jules Simple to Sophisticated
Mad Maggie Designs
kmt graphic design
wash when dirty-handmade by kristina
Gallery of Dreams

Please be sure you visit and follow these wonderful blogs!


Visit Made by Swirly Girl on Etsy !

Monday, June 22, 2009

Kreativ Blogger Award

My friend Theresa, from Studio618 has given me the Kreative Blogger award. This is such an honor, coming from a jewelry artist whose work I admire so much! (THANKS, Theresa!!) Please check out her store and see her beautiful craftsmanship and unusual pieces.

Here are the rules of the award: 1. The winner may put the logo on her blog. 2. Put a link to the person you got the award from. 3. List seven things you love. 4. List seven blogs you love. 5. Leave a message for your nominees.

Here are the seven things I love (in no particular order):
  • listening to the call of the Mourning Doves
  • ideas that challenge me to think in a different way
  • watching people immersed in what they love to do
  • exploring new places
  • the smell of food cooking--especially if it has garlic in it!
  • library sales
  • a glass of wine, chocolate chip cookies, and a good book

Seven blogs I love and I recommend you visit:


The fellow crafters and bloggers I've met online are among the most generous people I've met. They are constantly helping one another by promoting one another's products and shops, giving thoughtful advice and constructive criticism when it is sought, and generally offering unconditional support. Within the past few days I have been awarded the One Lovely Blog Award from two more artists whose work I admire: Linda, a jewelry artist whose Etsy shop is full of fun and affordable accessories and Elaine, another wonderful jewelry artist whose creative products on Etsy deserve a visit! Thank you both, Linda and Elaine! To those reading my blog, I encourage you to visit their blogs and shops, as well as the links of the wonderful artists I've listed in the above list. As much as I'd love to pass this award on to 30 (or at least 15) more artists with lovely blogs, I have nearly exhausted my list of those I am acquainted with, being still somewhat new to the blogging scene, and having passed the torch to 15 crafter/artists last week. In the future, I will continue to feature the work of those who inspire me and hope that as my following grows, I can help others get the recognition they deserve.

Thank you for helping me to bring awareness to the world of handmade art and craft!

Moody Monday

Cravings: