Clinkscales Arts

Aww, my baby turns 8 this weekend.  I can’t believe it’s been eight years since Jeff and I came hope from our Eureka Springs Memorial Day jaunt and found four little kittens tucked in the back of my closet.  I wish I had taken pictures of him when he was little, but alas, I didn’t.  But here’s one of him hanging out today, just enjoying his Sunday.  Hope you enjoyed yours too.

Sorry if the picture is kinda blurry, I was hungry, dirty and hot.  I planted my topsy turvy tomato thingies today.  More about those soon.

Simply put the code “MEMORIAL 2009″ in the notes to seller section during checkout and your discount will be refunded via PayPal. No need to wait for an adjusted invoice!

Yeah, I know, you probably think the little green men came and took me away.  I disappeared into the wild blue yonder.  Well, I do that sometimes.  I’m still here, just not here.

I have been caught up in Idol-land though.  I was really pulling for Adam Lambert to win and was disappointed when he didn’t.  He took it with such grace.  He knows that he didn’t lose anything, I’m sure he has people clammering at his feet to sign him.  I still think he’s truly the most talented contestant to every grace that stage, not to mention he’s a cutie.  I admit it, I like guys with makeup and nail polish, or not.

I’m really happy that this weekend is Memorial Day weekend!  YAY!  No lake visits for us, but I’ve got something better - four days filled with nothing, nada, zilch!  The sound of that is music to my ears.  Well, actually, I do have things to do.  I have new items that are completed and not photographed yet and I’ve got a studio table full of little bits and baubles just waiting to be strung together.  And, I might get to some of that this weekend, don’t know yet.  I bought a topsy turvey tomato planting thing today (two actually) and I have tomatoes to plant.  There’s nothing better than home grown organic tomatoes.  I spent a small fortune last year buying them from a local farmer and I decided I was going to grow them myself.  I’ll keep you posted on the upside down tomato plant thing.  I have my doubts, but I’m willing to try anything once.

The Happily Handmade Giveaway ended last week and winners were drawn this past Monday.  I had a winner from my shop - yay!  Congrats to Paulette Dorland - she won basket #11.  A fine bunch of loot if you ask me!  I also did my $25 gift certificate drawing for my shop.  As soon as the winner confirms with me, I’ll announce them too.

A happy weekend to all!  I’ll be announcing a special promotion for Memorial Day weekend tomorrow.  Stay tuned!

A huge thanks to Nicole and the gals from Happily Handmade Giveaway for the great write up in their blog today!  If you haven’t entered the HHG, what are you waiting for?!  You only have one week left.  Last day to enter is May 13th.  Prizes will be awarded on May 18th.  GO!

Last year after reading about the Bead & Button Show and their auction to help fight breast cancer, I came across Jeanette Shanigan’s website and her beaded quilts.  Jeanette asks beaders around the world to donate individual beaded squares based on a theme.  She then sews the squares together to make gorgeous quilts, mounts them in shadow boxes and donates them to be auctioned at the Bead & Button show.  In 2008, these quilts raised nearly $4,400 for breast cancer research.

Being a member of the Etsy BeadWeaver’s team (EBW), I knew we were sitting on a goldmine of talent.  I asked the group if they would like to make squares to be included in Jeanette’s quilts.  I would collect all of the squares and submit them at one time in hopes that they would all be included in one quilt.   Fifteen EBW members stepped up and created 35 squares to be included in a 2009 quilt.  The theme for 2009 is “Bead artists have the heart to take on breast cancer” and I believe the EBW contributors did a magnificent job representing it.

Below is a mosaic I created of all of the EBW squares.  This is not the actual quilt, only a digital version using photos I took of each square.  Please visit the Bead & Button Show website to find out more information about the auctions, which will be held June 6, 2009.   Below the mosaic is a list of contributors and links to their shops.

First row (l to r): Susan Clinkscales, Eddy Downing, Eddy Downing, JoJo Curley, Swanee Hielscher
2nd row: Swanee Hielscher, Swanee Hielscher, Swanee Hielscher, Linda Davis, Smadar Grossman
3rd row: Smadar Grossman, Smadar Grossman, Smadar Grossman, Lisa Savoy, Lisa Savoy
4th row: Lisa Savoy, Jama Watts, Jama Watts, Jama Watts, Kerrie Slade
5th row: Kerrie Slade, Kerrie Slade, Kerrie Slade, Victoria Thompson, Victoria Thompson
6th row: Victoria Thompson, Kim Shaver, Dawn Nelson, Melody Murray, Melody Murray
7th row: Ileana Munteanu, Ginny Bracht, Ginny Bracht, Ginny Bracht, Ginny Bracht

I just entered this photo in Handmadeology’s Etsy Worthy Photo Contest and I need your votes!  I also just listed these Red Patina Earrings in my shop.  I am so totally addicted to these patina brass stampings, don’t be surprised if a lot more start showing up in my work - and not necessarily just in jewelry.

Today is my significant other’s birthday - don’t tell anyone, but he’s 41.  He hated turning 40 last year and 41 isn’t sitting too well with him either.  I made him a decandent chocolate cake - it’s gorgeous!  Or at least it was until i got a hold of that tube of blue gel icing.  I wanted to personalize the cake.  Well…I DID.  It looks like my 6 year old nephew decorated it!  But I did it with love and that’s all that matters.  That and the fact that my preliminary tastes show that it is going to be fantastic.  I would show you a picture, but it’s for our eyes only.  I’m a chicken and too embarrassed.

I noticed some increased traffic in my shop today, did a bit of digging and found my Pink Ice Earrings in this fabulous treasury called Softer Shades of Pale.  Isn’t it gorgeous?! It will be up for 3 days, so if you get a chance, give it some click and comment love.

The curator is a seller that is new to me - ScenicYouth.  Her jewelry designs are right up my alley.  I love all of the flower elements she uses.  Check these babies out:

And one last note, or a question really.  Have YOU entered the Happily Handmade Giveaway 2009?  Well then get your butt to my website and click that big green badge and enter!  You know you wanna win one of those boxes of indie goodness!

Oh my Dear Blog,

I am so sorry you feel neglected and lonely.  I haven’t posted anything here in more than a week and a half.  Do not feel sad, dear blog.  I haven’t forgotten you.  Sometimes I feel the pressures of my world pushing down on me and I let things drop - like blog posts.  Know that I still love you and will come back soon.

Always,

~Your Susan

My shop on Etsy would be so full if I could just get pictures made of everything!  Here are three more items for your dangly bauble pleasure.  Two pair are gemstones, one is vintage porcelain beads.  A little something for everyone.  Click on each picture to be taken to my shop.  Enjoy.

I love color.  And I love glass, especially old glass.  So I decided to put these together.  I hope you love them as much as I do.