Featured Canadian Artist: Leola Walker aka South Shore Artist

Leola Walker aka South Shore Artist
The day to day musings of a miniature artist

Note from Kim:
Visiting Leola's Blog was supposed to be a quick peruse of her sites with a book mark to view more later.......not so......an hour later and I am still looking at all of her art and fun products.
Some of her art makes me want to climb right into my monitor and sail away on a pirate ship. Or be sitting somewhere safe in the middle of her incredible lightning storm art.

She has an Etsy shop here, her profile on Can-eh and the most fun Cafe shop I have ever visited.

Her Cafe Shop is called Living Sky Art Print Emporium, and if you can't find something fun or wonderful in her shop well, I would be very surprised. She has it all from intimate apparel, to incredible greeting cards that would make beautiful miniature art prints. Her Road Hogs are a Hoot! or should I say Oink?

On and if that isn't enough, she has a fabulous selection of Enya music on her blog playlist. In fact I have had a separate browser open on her blog the whole time just so I can listen to the music while I am working and typing this very post. I think I have listened to the entire selection twice now.

Leola, I have had a great time visiting your blog and links! Thank-you for sharing your art and musings with us!

Featured Canadian Artist: Roberta Murray aka Uncommon Depth

Roberta Murray aka Uncommon Depth

I am a photographer from Alberta, Canada. My blog is mostly a photoblog with daily images, although I also write about life, recipes, Etsy going's on and whatever else strikes my fancy. I'm also a fibre artist, so that sometimes sneaks in as well. Most of my images are altered using textures. I often combine hand painted acrylic or watercolor paintings with my photos. I first started hand coloring traditional photographs in the late 1980's, so this is something I've been playing around with long before it became 'trendy'!

My website is http://www.uncommondepth.com - but it is used mostly for my gallery work. There is, of course, crossover.
My Etsy store is http://uncommondepth.etsy.com
My iCraft store is http://www.icraft.ca/roberta_murray
Trunkt is http://www.trunkt.org/uncommondepth


Note from Kim:

Visiting Roberta's Blog was a fun read. Her blog is the hub for many interesting journeys to fabulous art interest as well as linking you to all of her yummy art selling venues.

There is no question when it comes to being a pet lover, she captures the quirkiness of her own pets (check out the obvious Princess Rosie ) and many others. I was smiling instantly and could not get enough.
Her Art is so beautiful, I am instantly mesmerized by the colors and subjects she chooses. Very reasonable prices on all her sites with many options for custom work.

My personal favorites: Against the Wind, Bird of Happiness, and Perception but don't stop at my favorites, there are many more for you to fall in love with!

Thank-you for sharing your Art and Journey with us Roberta!

Featured Canadian Artist: Susan Stevens aka Hot Rocks

Susan Stevens aka Hot Rocks Unique Designer Jewelery

Whimsical, funky, and elegant... are all words that people have used to describe my jewelry. I love glass, especially artisan made lamp work glass beads, and many of my designs incorporate these fabulous, miniature works of art created by some extremely talented artisans. Venetian glass from Italy, semi precious stones and pearls, along with sparkling vintage and contemporary Swarovski crystals are also some of my favorite beads that I love to use, to create original, unique pieces of jewelry. Oh, and because I also love music, all of the bracelets and necklaces that I make are named after a song! So you may find your favorite song amongst my creations. I invite you into my little corner of the world, here in the quiet countryside, in the foothills of Alberta, where you can catch a glimpse of my life, my surroundings and my jewelry designs.
Susan
Hot Rocks

Note from Kim:

Well first of all, before you go visit her blog or website or Etsy shop, there are a few things you must do.
!. Grab a towel and cover your keyboard because there is an incredible amount of drooling when you start looking at all of her beautiful jewelery creations.

2. Be prepared to start singing.....her jewelery is named after song titles and they are all titles you will know, recognize and want to sing instantly. This could be hazardous to those around you, especially if you are not one with a singing talent like ummmmm myself and/or if you work in a cubicle.

3. Put some cash in your paypal account. Did I mention this jewelery is gorgeous? Everything!

I'm personally waiting for some Neil Young, like maybe Harvest Moon or We Never Danced......
although after visiting her Etsy shop I have been singing Rebel Rebel a lot lately!

Susan's creations and custom work make you want to capture a moment of time in your life from that first love, your first slow dance or the first kiss and wear it close to your heart. With or without the occasions and memories, her jewelery will easily withstand the fashion trends and become collector pieces of both the past and in the future.

Thank-you for sharing your art Susan!

Featured Canadian Artist: Mary-Beth Janisse aka My Journey into Art

Mary-Beth aka My Journey into Art

a little about me - I did the country crafts for years and still have my favorite pieces. For the last 7 years I have been stamping and within the last 2 or 3 years have been dabbling in mixed-media, having a lot of fun and hoping to get up sellable art soon. I have also taken up amateur photography to use in my art.

Note from Kim:

If Mary calls herself an amateur photographer, I can't wait till she goes professional, those lilies are beautiful and you should see the full size pic on her blog.

Her art is gorgeous, I love the arch with the birds, the dimension, using found objects is perfect for this sweet little nesting family.

She does challenges, swaps, and yes, I hope soon we will see her having some type of shop like Etsy maybe? In the mean time, I'm gonna try and get on one of those swaps with her somewhere I just have to have a piece of her art in my collection!

Oh yeah and she's normal.....at least to me...oh, you don't know how happy I am to see that!......just check out the art studio pic!

I just wish we could have seen the art table top
to confirm it!....... :)
Thank-you Mary-Beth, I look forward to more please!

Featured Canadian Artist: Robin Young aka Primitive Pursuits

Robin Young aka Primitive Pursuits

I make a variety of hand painted/hand made ceramic and wooden (sewing) buttons. I also dabble in altered art jewelry. My goal is to provide artisans/crafters with unique items they can add to their own creations.

Note from Kim:

Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?

Well Robin Young of Primitive Pursuits has all the buttons!

The buttons are adorable in a variety of themes. Check out her Etsy Shop for yourself.

She does Halloween designs, different birds including crows, and what ole crow doesn't like buttons? Even her packaging is beautiful, I would even use the packaging for my art creations. Speaking of creating, Robin makes these buttons to use in your own art for embellishing. That's an A+ plus in my book when it comes to reselling finished art projects.

With a name like Robin, she's definitely Rockin' when it comes to button creation!

Thank-you for sharing your art Robin!

Featured Canadian Artist: Krysta aka Simple Pleasures Soapworks

Krysta aka Simple Pleasures Soapworks

I'm a stay at home mom to 3 kids ages 5 and 3 1/2 and in my "spare" time I make handmade bath and body products.

Kim's Note:

Another lovely blog that has me trying to sniff my screen. Krysta's soap products are made in expressive colors and the names sound absolutely delicious.
Check out her Soapsicles in her Etsy shop.
They look good enough to eat, tho I ain't falling for that again..... I've tasted soap....(after following the neighbor Mr. Mason around all day as a child and coming home and using his choice words for my mother's ears..... )

I think I'll just stick to using Soapsicles for the bath!

Do visit her Etsy Shop for a wide variety of soap and bath products, and remember these bath products may be slippery when wet,...... but they are slip sliding away, right out of her shop just as fast!

She's all about family too! It's obvious they come before soap, wow, I love the Barbi Birthday cake, now that's for sure yummy!

And she's all Canadian, oh yeah, she even comes with snow pics!

Thank-you Krysta!

Featured Canadian Artist: Lisa Schmidt aka Pretty Little Messes

Lisa Schmidt aka Pretty Little Messes

Okay, Lisa now how can you call your
art blog: "Pretty Little Messes"?
Anyone that paints using fine vintage china and lace tablecloths can't possible be messy.

Ohh yes pretty, definitely! but certainly not messy.

Besides if you look at the pictures of her bead boxes, her beautiful family and the incredible design and visual she created for her daughter's Graduation.....
.......um there's no mess anywhere to be found on that blog.
She has a studio to make us all jealous,
Lisa please show us more pics.

Ohhhh now maybe that is where the mess is....
inside the studio......hmmmmm
that's okay we all love a little clutter anyway and we still want to see more pics inside!

You can see some of her incredible artwork
on her blog and in her photo albums
on her Flickr page, just follow the links on her blog.
It's all Pretty........and No mess.....

Thank-you for sharing Lisa, and
Happy Anniversary to Lisa and Mark!