"Sleepy Inuit Village" button ring

I'm fascinated by igloos. It's crazy to think about how early Inuits were able to live and flourish in the harshest of conditions.

There's a dreamy documentary from the 1920's (the first feature-length documentary ever) called Nanook Of The North that follows the lives of a family in the Arctic. Here's a little clip of Nanook building an igloo for his family in under an hour. Complete with a window made of ice and snow to reflect the warm sunlight inside.

And that's the inspiration for my latest creations...

One button...

CRW_2439

Two button...

CRW_2435

Delectable clothing buttons repurposed into...

"Sleepy Inuit Village" button rings

A miniature Inuit village sits atop the frozen lake of turquoise flecked with gold. Two stacked buttons create the scene of chilly igloos set on a pearlescent stage. Their three-dimensional character and subtle variations are the perfect splash of color for a cold winter's day. Each ring is completed with an antique brass-plated band.

CRW_1897

The finer details...

The ring's face is made of 2 plastic buttons made in Italy. The top is a transparent light green, speckled with gold. The bottom button is aquamarine, faceted, and 7/8" in diameter with pearlish speckles. The band is a very strong, adjustable antique brass-plated, 4mm in width.

CRW_1906

I have been creating button rings for the past year and this one will finally be listed in my Etsy shop available for purchase. Head on over to purchase your very own.

CRW_1928

Each ring is shipped in an itty bitty box, ready to give as a gift. Special attention is given to the packaging to make it special for you or your recipient. It's a lovely gift to give a friend, family member, or co-worker.

Hello Monday!

Here's to a brand new week! *raises latte*

I'm excited for this week, though it's not much different than the others. I'm just looking forward to what I'll accomplish this week with my art and with my design work. I've been working on a few projects for some time... wedding invitations... baby announcements... wedding website, etc. This is the week that I'm wrapping these projects up. I'm also planning on finishing the backs of my latest wooden block creations. Did you think I forgot? Nope!

Work in process - new wooden block worksWork in process - new wooden block works

Did everyone have a good weekend? Mine was pretty spiffy. Yes, spiffy. Justin & I visited the Tinymeat™ warehouse sale & Sausagefest! We munched on lil' smokies and pickles and chit-chatted with Tinymeat's owner Michael. To fill ya in, Tinymeat collaborates with artists making wallets, passport cases, and business card cases. Do check out their Etsy shop here! It was such a challenge to narrow down my wallet purchases. After going back and forth, I decided to purchase this fun goat portrait done by Ryan Berkley.

Tinymeat wallet purchase

I thought this would be a great birthday gift for one of my best friends. Since she doesn't read my blog, I don't think I'm ruining the surprise. Ha ha.

More ramblings about the weekend... I watched the movie Capote. A - m - a - z - i - n - g. Philip Seymour Hoffman is becoming one of my favorite actors.

Capote

One thing I enjoy while working on my art is to watch movies. To say the least, I didn't get much accomplish while Capote was on. It's that good.

Lastly, I would like to present to you... my new batch of pendant necklaces creations!

Nurture thy Mind No. 3 Pendant Necklace

Nurture thy Mind No.3 Pendant Necklace - Weeping Willow - purchase

Nurture thy Mind No. 4 Pendant Necklace

Nurture thy Mind No.4 Pendant Necklace - Box Elder - purchase

Nurture thy Mind No. 5 Pendant Necklace

Nurture thy Mind No.5 Pendant Necklace - Cherry Blossom - purchase

They each include drawings of trees that I have come across in Portland. This batch I added a pearl to each chain... for lil' something extra. I'm pretty happy how these turned out. It's going to be a little tough to give them up. He he. Kinda a bitter sweet thing... I love knowing that they are headed to a new home and again I like to think they keep happy thoughts close to one’s heart.