Thinking about Penguins and Squirrels, oh my !

It was a busy week creating animal theme Treasuries highlighting penguins for National Penguin Awareness Day and squirrels for Squirrel Appreciation Day... these collections feature work or products by members of the Etsy for Animals team.

Check them out... I got 'extra' creative by including non animal related items... which certainly added some environmental ambience to these Treasuries :)

THiNKiNG ABOUT PENGUiNS today

curated by brizel4TheAnimals

click HERE to visit Treasury

"Its National Penguin Awareness Day today (January 20)... If you think its cold where you live... can you imagine what the ambient temps are in Antartica ?

Members of Team EFA (Etsy for Animals) take off our hats and bow our heads at our penguin friends who are undoubtedly having a rougher day than we are."

APPRECiATiNG SQUiRRELS

curated by brizel4TheAnimals

click HERE to visit Treasury

"Squirrel Appreciation Day is coming up... get some nuts out and celebrate with Team EFA (Etsy for Animals) Oh and um... be nice to the squirrels too !"

This fun collection included one of Brizel's Silk Tapestry Boxes...

"Brizel Handcrafts presents, Autumn Squirrel, a small unique handmade decorative Silk Tapestry Box, made of silk sari yarns, perfect for stashing a memory keeper !

Autumn Squirrel is a vibrant soft fiber arts container featuring orange & red silk sari yarn paired up with a chocolate rayon yarn that has multicolored silk sari highlights."

AUTUMN SQUiRREL

silk tapestry box

by brizel4TheAnimals

"It has a lid of its own which is embellished with a gorgeous carved blue adventurine gemstone squirrel. Autumn Squirrel got her name because she has the best reputation in her neighborhood for gathering the most acorns during the fall season.

This animal Silk Tapestry Box measures approx: 3 1/8" in diameter x 2 1/4" high with an interior of 2 3/8" in diameter x 2" high"

Autumn Squirrel, as well as many other animal theme Silk Tapestry Boxes, can be purchased in my animal fundraising shop. Click HERE to visit my shop on Etsy !

Early Morning Chicken Cheer !

Up in the Twilight mountains, we've had some tremendously beautiful weather in the last ten days or so... warm enough to work on property in short sleeves and run a good sweat. Ahhhh country life is so good on such days...

Its a fabulous time of year to prune & clean up. The Buddleias have already received their hair cut but the garden shrubs & roses still await... and so do the majority of the fruit trees. I have been slowly pruning the apple trees... getting the small prunings tailored for next year's Brigid Crosses and then with the rest, creating Gourmet Gnawer Chew Sticks for the bunnies and chinchillas...

The onset of the Year of the Rabbit is fast approaching and I want to get my battalion of apple sticks lined up and ready for the big bunny party :)

brizel4TheAnimals

Gourmet Apple wood

Gnawer Chew Sticks

There is so much to do at this time of the year when we enjoy a mini spring during our otherwise cold & damp winters. In the meantime, my neighbour's chickens are happily crowing and their song can be heard in the distance...

Coincidentally, I am in the process of typesetting an article about chickens for EFA's blog and was inspired to create a collection of hen & rooster products by our membership on Etsy. I like how this Treasury worked out... chick it out:

EARLY MORNiNG CHiCKEN CHEER

curated by brizel4TheAnimals

Click HERE to view Treasury

"Be kind to all chickens...

hear them cackle & crow...

there is wisdom in their pecking ways !"

Celebrating Birds

Seems to me like an interesting time of year to celebrate our feathered friends... especially for those who experience colder winters as many of their regional birds hibernate or fly south during this time period.

So... Who would have known that National Bird Day is January 5th ? It was a surprise to me... until it flew right in my face on -the actual day- "Oh my goodness" I explained and promptly ran down to the Etsy house of Treasury and created this flighty collection

CELEBRATiNG BiRDS

curated by brizel4TheAnimals

Click HERE to visit Treasury !

I'm very pleased with how this Treasury composed itself... Soft hues of white, grey, blue, pink... many of which highlighted by blacks or a smidge of yellow...

Deliriously delighted with all the beautiful artwork displayed in this collection... all of them created by colleagues from my Etsy for Animals team including one of Brizel's Silk Tapestry Boxes...

"... Bold Eagle, a unique handmade decorative Silk Tapestry product, made of banana silk yarns, is perfect for storing a memory keeper !

Bold Eagle is a soft fiber arts basket container featuring vegan banana silk yarn in tones of golden yellows paired up with a variegated sky blue yarn. It has a lid of its own which is embellished with a carved pewter eagle."

Bold Eagle, as well as many other animal theme Silk Tapestry Boxes, can be purchased in my animal fundraising shop. Click HERE to visit my shop on Etsy !

Also amidst the many aviary wonders...

one of my favorites

WiNTER SONG

original painting

by Rebecca Dresser

"In the silvery woods lit with falling snow, you might spot this beautiful little titmouse, keeping an eye out for his next meal. The background is painted with pearlescent white acrylic which gives a beautiful shimmery appearance. The very pale trees are also acrylic, but the titmouse is painted with creamy oils. On the top are small strokes and drips of the pearlescent white to give the look of falling snow."

Rebecca Dresser has long time been a lover of birds... she is, in fact, a queen of tweets... much evidenced in her Etsy shop, KneeDeepOriginals, which is filled with original artwork portraying our feathered friends in oil, watercolor, and scrimshaw engravings....

"Welcome to Knee Deep Studio where nature-inspired, soul-created watercolors and oil paintings come to life. There is and will be only one of each item that you see in my store. Each is handmade to be one-of-a-kind because I believe that each item is special in itself and that we all deserve to own one-of-a-kind items. Please note that all my work is created in a smoke-free environment in the middle of the North Carolina woods."

MORE FAVORITES...

SOLSTiCE SONG OF PEACE

original watercolor

CAROLiNA WREN

original oil painting

BLACK BEAUTY

original oil painting

BiRD ON A BRANCH

original scrimshaw engraving

MORE ABOUT REBECCA...

"There are two things I love about art - discovering the soul of my subject as I bring it to a new and different life on canvas, and the element of surprise - you never know what will emerge and what you'll discover.

I have been working as a full-time artist since November of 2007. Prior to that, I worked as a Communication Director in graphic layout and marketing and as a writing instructor at a state university. I am a member of my local Arts Council as well as Associated Artists, a non-profit arts group designed to promote and showcase local talent. I have had solo shows as well as group shows within these organizations and outside of them. My most recent solo show was in October 2010 at the Apple Gallery of the Stokes County Arts Council.

All of my work is influenced by the natural world around my home (mountains, woods, birds and wildlife, gardens of all kinds), whether in color, texture, or materials. Each of my paintings is original and one of a kind. At this time, I do not do prints of my paintings or drawings, though I know some people prefer this because it is less expensive. I have recently added watercolor paintings to my Etsy shop. These are less expensive than oils, particulary the miniature unframed pieces, so there is affordable and original art for all!

I also play guitar, write songs, and sing with a band called The Ramshackles. We play blues, folk, a little country and a little rock and roll. We are a trio of two guitars and one cello. You can check us out on myspace at -- http://www.myspace.com/theramshacklesnc -- and my first CD of original tunes is available here in my Etsy shop.

When I am not creating art or music, or working on my Etsy site and primary website (www.kneedeepstudio.com), I enjoy walking in the woods and around the mountain behind my small house with my two dogs and my husband, a fabulous custom knifemaker (www.jbhegecustomknives.com). I often carry my camera with me to capture shots that I may later paint. The smell and sounds of the woods and the mountain... well, there's just nothing like it for me. I'm a nature girl at heart.

I also enjoy gardening, and I love the spring and summer for their wonderful colors of flowers, vegetables, grass, trees, and of course the sunshine and warm rains. There's something special about going out to the garden to pick and gather what you need for your evening meal!

While I am mostly an introvert, I find that being with others can be fulfilling at times. So something else that keeps me busy is volunteer work that I do in my community. I am an adult literacy tutor and have sessions with my student twice a week, and I also go a couple times a month to a local nursing home where I sing with and for the residents as well as just visit and offer an ear and a hand. Volunteering in my small community makes me feel a part of something beyond myself and it brings a sense of wholeness."

I highly recommend visiting

Rebecca's online sites !

BLOG

MUSIC

WEBSiTE

SHOP

ARTFiRE COLLECTiONS: lunar blues, amor turquesa, & squeal teal !

I have been included in some wondrous ArtFire Collections lately... Here are three different ones, all featuring a variety of Brizel's Handcrafts in tones of blue !

FiRST MOON OF THE YEAR

curated by larimarandsilver

Click HERE to visit Collection !

"Brizel Handcrafts presents Moon Goddess a unique handmade decorative Silk Tapestry Box, made of recycled silk sari yarn, perfect for storing a something sacred !

Moon Goddess is a divine soft fiber arts container, with a lid of its own, featuring variegated celestial blue silk sari yarn paired with a deep dark midnight blue and embellished with a carved Czech glass lunar Goddess button.

This gorgeous Silk Tapestry Box measures approx: 3 1/4" in diameter x 2 1/4" high with an interior of 2 1/2" in diameter x 1 3/4" high"

Moon Goddess is available for purchase

please click HERE to view listing !

SQUEAL TEAL

curated by GemsandKnots

Click HERE to visit Collection !

"Brizel Handcrafts presents Lagoon Tweed, a bohemian style ooak wearable flat fiber art belt bag... a unique Silk Tapestry Hip Pouch perfect for special occasions & events !

A vibrant multicolored open top waist purse featuring handcrafted teal green silk sari yarn combined with a soft brown multicolored silk rayon. This Silk Tapestry pouch has a strap closure which secures with a beautiful teal and silver floral vintage button and is synthesized on a hand woven Guatemalan ikat cotton sash belt of deep sea green with whispering white 'clouds'. "

Lagoon Tweed is available for purchase

thru Brizel Handcrafts- click HERE !

AMOR TURQUESA

curated by FingerinthePie

Click HERE to visit Collection !

"Brizel Handcrafts presents the Blue Delightful Daisy pendant necklace, an eco friendly Jewelry product made from rainforest tagua nut, aka vegetable ivory.

This is a one of a kind multicolored necklace, in tones of turquoise blue and natural white, and its guaranteed to keep you cheerful throughout the day !

Turquoise Blue Daisy features a large flower medallion, made with tear shaped tagua beads sewn together and embellished at the center with a natural white spiral. The floral pendant measures approx 2 1/4" in diameter.

Delightful Daisy pendant has been made adjustable... strung on a blue faux swede ribbon. The silver bead located at the top slides down to provide the desired length."

Delightful Daisy is available

for purchase HERE !

A BIG THANK YOU to the

curators for featuring my work :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR from a bunch of animals

HAPPY 2 thousand 11 !

Twilight got 3" of snow which began to fall on New Year's eve... what a beautiful sight to wake up to on New Year's day- a blanket of dry, fluffy snow... perfect for the dogs to run in and enjoyable to walk through. Living where we do, with so few snow days each year, it meant we were officially snowed in for a little over a day.

Merlin & Dingo

One of my projects for New Year's day was to put together a Treasury of animal portraits created by Etsy for Animal Team members that would then be used on EFA's website for a updated front page photo grid.

I had already done my homework during the previous week... finding tons of product images... but today, it was time to select just 16 and compose them in a harmonious symphony of animal faces. I was pleased with the outcome... see what you think:

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

curated by brizel4TheAnimals

Click HERE to visit Treasury !

Animals that were featured in this collection of products include cat, lemur, elk, moose, squirrel, tiger, zebra, pig, chickadee, elephant, toucan, squid, rabbit, otter, cow and owl.

I'll post an snapshop image of EFA's new front page as soon as i get that completed... in the meantime, do visit this marvelous Treasury on Etsy to see the beauty of these wondrous portraits by an incredible group of talented artists !

About EFA

EFA Artists Helping Animals is a group of independent artists... craftspeople... vintage & art and craft suppliers that combine their efforts to provide charitable relief to animals.

EFA can be found as a Team on Etsy.com,

an online marketplace for buying

and selling handmade items.

All members of EFA are also Etsy members.

Visit our website HERE

Visit our blog HERE

Wishing all animal lovers out there...

a HAPPY NEW YEAR !