So busy I forgot to notice!

"Ilyana and the Enchanted Koi" - Hand sculpted without molds - January 2012

Things have been insane lately. I expected that after the holiday season, I'd have a dead spell and wonder what to do with myself. I certainly wasn't looking forward to it financially, but I almost think I wanted it just so I could catch up with everything I sold in the shows and festivals I attended last season. Not happening!

"Goblin Chess" - January 2012

He's cheating!

I've been really busy prowling about looking for leads for shows, festivals and shops which would like my creations. This is a hard process when you're relatively solitary like I am. Social networking is key in this game and has never been my forte. I find myself in a muddle trying to remember names and locations and dates and applications. And who do I talk to in order to find out who I talk to? I'm sure it'll come to me... what's her name again? What's my name?? Let's start over.

Faery Baby #30! She's at The Garden Party

January marked the second year The Silver Branch has been in business! This second year I'm still looking to do shows and festivals, but I'm also going to focus a lot in the spring and summer on getting my faery babies, Green Girl boxes and jewelry into shops and boutiques. Today, I started selling my faery babies at two shops that I wouldn't have thought to sell at. One is called The Garden Party. It's a floral boutique located on the oval of Milford, NH (263 Union Square). Look them up on facebook! Eileen keeps a lovely shop with lots of amazing flowers and local artisan gifts. The other shop is Here Today Emporium - an antique shop (primarily, she also sells greeting cards, bath and body stuff and .... my babies!) located on Main St in Wilton NH.

I'm also trying to expand - a hard thing to do with my tiny little working studio (I'm grateful for it, don't misunderstand that for a moment!). I've been throwing children's birthday party workshops and classes on everything from how to sculpt dragons to how to make polymer clay sushi.

Happy Birthday Madeleine! The whole party made awesome gnomes!

The Atkins Family in gnome form

My gnomes are really expanding in variety. I get so many custom orders for these cute little guys! My favorite order was to a family in Australia who wanted themselves depicted in tiny garden gnome fashion.

Other creations from the past 2 months include....

I hand blended 3 colors of viscose to make Ilyana's braided hair.

"The Faery Tree" complete with door in roots, glass leaves and good listening skills.

Sushi Ring! Leftover from teaching sushi caning.

If I can't grow flowers, I'll make 'em! (Or make faeries for them)

I like little ole Milford and the apartment my father and I have lived in for the past 11 years. However, living in a second story flat has its downside.... no garden!! Granted, my balcony looks like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon every summer thanks to my ambitious green thumb, but for years I've dreamed of having my own, real, in the earth garden. I even doodled sketches last year in hopes that I might secure a little plot somewhere. If Milford has a community garden, it's well hidden. I finally put two and two together today when I was drawn yet again to silk flowers in the craft store.

For those who know my work, you know I'm creating an OOAK fantasy flower line ('ooak flower spirit' to be precise). This came about when I fell in love with some awesome blue tiger lilies at Michaels Crafts floral department. With a tag saying 50% off the hefty priced flowers, I bought myself a new inspiration! You may recognize this little gem of a sculpture from my Etsy shop (listing here) or one of the dozen treasuries she's been in. (Thank you etsy curators! You all rock!)

I loved making her and just had to keep going. With another idea planted in my head, I created this next lovely; a fantasy style orchid. I improved a little I think. The only parts of her that are not polymer are her leaves and the terracotta pot she graces. She found a perfect home. :3

I have so many ideas for flowers now that my imagination is like a stuffy greenhouse. Everything from elegant and intricate to comical and cartoonish all stuffed in that little nut I call my mind. Check out my Dandelion ... get it? Dandy-Lion? Ok, so it looks a little more like a puppy in a lion's mane. I plan to keep the idea but rework the face.

Then I drifted back to that darned floral department. I just finished my Captive Mermaid and wanted to get back to practicing my faeries. But another flower! And there's still snow on the ground! Another flower wouldn't be a bad thing, I convinced myself, much influenced by the new 60% off sale (those sales kill me!). I bought a big lavender colored bloom. I'm not sure if it's fashioned after a real flower. It sat in the studio with me for a while and I was torn between using it to create a new flower or making a baby to sleep in it. Well... here's the winning idea. This adorable baby is a lot like my adult faeries - all hand sculpted without the use of molds. The wings are hand made too.

And of course, the big flower was just too soft and inviting not to have a faery baby snuggling on it!