Votes needed ... thank you discounts given!

Welcome to our Holiday Sale! We're jumping the gun on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday!  10% off to everyone!  But, would you like to receive 15% off instead of 10%?  Sure! Simply take a minute to vote for the NOMAD project and you'll receive an additional 5% off your entire order. "Neighborhood Oriented Mobile Art and Design" is the brainchild of Carrie Boucher, local Pinellas County artist.

 

Carrie believes, as do most of us, that there should be free access to art.  So, rather than to dream about it, Carrie put things into motion!  She now owns a bus, which will be outfitted as a classroom. NOMAD will reach into local neighborhoods.  Carrie has made application for non-profit status, but needs our help to get the bus on the road!

NOMAD is a contender for a $10,000 grant offered by the KIND people. If you've ever been in a Starbucks, you've seen the KIND fruit and nut protein bars at the checkout.  Yes, these are the people we're talking about. The $10,000 grant would completely outfit the bus and buy resources to get the program started.

  

Not only that, but if you like the NOMAD facebook fan page, you have a chance at a piece of Carrie's artwork.  The winner will be randomly selected from NOMAD's facebook fans.    

  

 

Vote by going here! When you're ready to shop, if you've voted, use the discount code NOMAD15, otherwise,  use the discount code NOMAD10. Speaking as a Board member of NOMAD, we really need your vote!   Thank you!  Barbara

Art Jewelry Elements

There's a great post today by Lesley Watt at Art Jewelry Elements.  When I saw Lesley's post and her pods I thought about the interconnectivity of things. First she mentioned the book by Angie Lewin.  I saw this book at a recent Surface Design Guild Meeting in Sarasota and was blown away by her work.  Being the bibliophile that I am, I ordered Angie's book right away!

After seeing Lesley's great pods, I started thinking of  Carrie Boucher's elegant pierced sterling silver pendants.  She's teaching a workshop at Painting with Fire Studio on using the jeweler's saw.  A pierced pendant will be one of the projects.  Here's an example of Carrie's pierced work ....

The photo doesn't do justice to Carrie's work, but we all know how to use our imaginations!  Carrie referenced this book by Ernst Haeckel as a source of inspiration.  

Here's another example of Carrie's work from her Pink Crow Studio etsy shop.  This is probably the work for which she is most noted. The green on the inside is not money.  Correction: I guess it is a form of money.  It is a bond certificate!  

So back to Lesley, who started the whole thing.  Here's just one of the examples of Lesley's pods.  They are wonderful!  

Please visit Art Jewelry Elements today for more examples of Lesley Watt's pod work!  She inspires me!  

A new friend, Carrie Boucher!

I have a new friend ... and a very talented one at that!  It's funny how the internet leads you to people.  You fall down the rabbit hole and where you end up is anyone's guess.  I started my morning by indulging myself in a visit to Pinterest.  I'm merrily going about my business and come across this!

My heart skipped a beat ... you mean a "person" made this!  I followed the link to this etsy site and noticed that Carrie spent at least part of her time in Tampa Bay!  

Her etsy site mentioned her blog, which was my next stop.

I loved Carrie's writing, which gave a good sense of who she is and what she was experiencing ... just the kind of person you'd love to meet and would feel comfortable around.  I emailed Carrie and told her I had read her blog and was setting up a studio in St. Pete.  When she wrote back, I was thrilled.  We made plans to meet.  She came to the studio/shop a couple of days ago wearing that gorgeous piece that led me to her in the first place ... and her zebra ballet slippers!  

She explained a little bit about the piece.  In my husband's hands he started playing pachinko with the three little stars that move.  The piece is made of 6 sheets of sterling silver, a stock certificate, and cast resin. I felt somewhat embarrassed to introduce her to torch firing, but she loved it!  I know in her hands she'll make something truly marvelous.

We had a wonderful morning of gab and a great lunch of Thai food at the Queen and I, just a few doors down from the shop.  I've noticed a pattern with the Queen and I ... by about 11 a.m. the whole area is permeated with the smell of garlic!  It's wonderful!

We're going to have another play date with Carrie, her mother, and her sisters before she leaves for Peru on March 22 for 6 weeks. She'll be spending the time at an artists' retreat.  

Please visit Carrie's etsy shop and her blog.  It's quite a treat. :-)  Barbara