Finally Friday! It was a very strange week. There wasn't a single day that followed my normal routine and was just exhausting, but it is now over and next week is a three day week!
Today I plan to feature luckygirltrading. Here is a photo of one of my favorites from her shop, but all of her work is fabulous. Her profile explains the name of her shop. She writes, "In the spring of 2001 I was overwhelmed by sadness and huge piles of clutter. My marriage was in the midst of a very ugly ending, and he had left tons of his stuff behind. I suddenly realized that I was a very lucky girl to be rid of him, and Lucky Girl Trading Company was born. I began listing his stuff for sale on eBay, clearing away both the clutter and the sadness. A few years later I met my lucky guy--who was selling a bit of jewelry--and married him in a hot air balloon ceremony in 2006. We've worked together to build Lucky Girl Trading into a fun and fulfilling enterprise. I've also discovered working with glass--one of my all-time favorite creative outlets. I've also discovered two ancient arts: Kumihimo and Temari. Both are centuries-old crafts, and both give me a zen-like tranquility while working. I truly am a Lucky Girl! Every day I gather pretty, sparkly things and send them to people. I imagine a person opening their mail and taking out their new pendant or chain or pouch. It's perfect--they have a huge smile on their face--and so do I. I'd love for that person to be you!"
Check out all of her items http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5252096 and her blog http://luckygirltrading.blogspot.com/

Finally Friday!

My husband and I are having an Open House tomorrow. We've been here almost a year and are just getting around to having one. I took off from the deli tomorrow to have time to prepare.

I'm tired since I worked both jobs today, but before I turn in for the night, I am going to feature Silver Dragon Creations http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=77921 She writes in her etsy profile, "I have always been an artist and one of my earliest art memories is also one of the influences that has stayed with me from the very start. I was four years old and my nursery class had a field trip to a local museum in Rochester NY. I was completely mesmerized by the textiles and beadwork of the native Americans. I don't know how long I stood there just gazing at the work and absorbing all that the creator had to say.My path as an artist, however, was a duet of both fine and performing arts. I am a (retired) ballerina as well as a published artist, having done illustrations for a CD picture book, "Papa CArdinal Finds Breakfast" by Sandra Wellborn. One of my paintings accompanied and essay I wrote for an Astronomy textbook. (I also hold a Masters Degree in Astrophysics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy NY and have worked as an astronomer and still teach astronomy as an adjunct professor for University of Maryland University College.)My work has continued to grow and expand and I now also count myself as a mistress of the art of beadweaving. My paintings and drawings are as important to me as ever, though, and I don't find enough time to do all that I want!All of my work is one of a kind (with occasional limited editions -- I have a hard time doing things more than once!). I like to play with color and texture, experiment with shape and drape and form. Human beings, I think, are happiest when they are allowed to create. I know this is true for me."

From reading her bio you learn that she is a very talented person. Even her blog http://vener-art.com/beadblog/ is creatively done.