Elysian Field Originals

I thought I’d share a new little piece I’ve been working on.   It’s a faerie child wrapped in a maple leaf and asleep in an oak leaf cradle.  The faerie is 3″ long and was sculpted using Kato clay with Genesis heat set oils for added color.  I really prefer this clay now for sculpting as it is very strong and if properly conditioned doesn’t moon at all, and the color when cured is beautiful.

I miss sculpting these miniature fantasy pieces and will add her into my Etsy shop along with more wearable art pieces.

I’m also working on a pair of Nature Spirit earrings for my April giveaway coming up soon. I’ve not done earrings with the faerie faces before so these should be a treat. Add to that they are Birch leaves and very sacred leaves to faerie and pagan culture, and with Beltane coming up will be a wonderful addition to someone’s wardrobe. Here’s a sneak peak of them in progress!

Yes, I know, dear reader, I am a bad blogger, and as many of my artist friends would say, “Valerie stand in the corner!”

Ok…now that my stint in the corner is over, I’ve trudged back over to my laptop in tutu and combat boots to write to you.  (I am very unorthodox fey you see in dress and deed)

For those of you who are newly come to my art…WELCOME!  For my regular readers and friends, I’m glad to see your lovely shining faces once again.

Things have been crazy busy at Elysian Fields, many new techniques to try out and I’ve been working on stretching the boundaries in my work with polymer clay.  I’m also thrilled that the medium is enjoying new kudos and has begun to be taken more seriously as “fine art”. Many amazing artists have pioneered and paved the way to make it easier for the rest of us to focus on creating, and for that I am truly grateful and inspired.

I also want to give a very special Thank You to Karen Kay, editor of FAE Magazine in the UK, for launching my first exclusive feature as an emerging fantasy artist.  She is a truly amazing lady and I’m looking forward to the day I can fly over to give her a hug in person.  Thank you also to the many emails I’ve received from all of you on my art as well, it really is great to hear from people and connect with you all…it is inspiring and always a welcome surprise when I open my mail.

So, now the seasons are changing and we’re heading into Winter, and that means all ten fingers and toes will be very busy creating new and unusual Nature Spirits, as well as a return to some

of my popular miniature sculpts.  If nothing else that will silence, Silas, my house Brownie, who loves to sit amongst them like he is High King of it all and they his court paying homage.  I don’t dare correct him for fear I’ll lose another necklace to his mini rampages.  In the past if I forget to leave him his milk and honey he wreaks havoc around here and scowls most ferociously at me.  I act duly chastened but really love the scolding he gives me, he sounds like a squirrel chattering away.

That’s it for the moment…I’m busy today finishing up on some new pieces to add to my Etsy shop.  For those unfamiliar with Etsy it is a venue for all things hand made and a neat place to show and sell my art.  Stop in, take a peek around and let me know if I can help you with anything, if I’m busy I’m sure Silas would love to help, although I’d keep a close eye on any sparklies you may be wearing…

Valerie & Silas

Hello my friends!  The spring/summer has come and gone and I’ve been a very bad blogger, so forgive me dear readers for my extended absence, but now I am back.

I’ve been busy with family, spending time outdoors,  working on new pieces, and experimenting with polymer clay techniques.  Ah, the sweet joy of success…and of failure too when trying new things.

One thing I’ve thoroughly enjoyed is incorporating precious & semi precious gemstones into my work.  I’ve met a wonderful gal, Shelly, who carries the yummiest gemstones and it takes all  my willpower to stay away from buying everything on her site, Sapphire Gardens. Make sure you stop in and take a peek.

I‘ve had a few days off from work and saw something the other day I haven’t been able to get out of my mind. I was driving my truck (I work part time for a landscaper) back to the yard this past Friday and saw some commotion in the road ahead of me. There in the middle of this two lane busy road was a tiny Yorkshire Terrier running back and forth in the road!! Cringing because I figured at any moment that the poor thing would get squashed on this busy road, I was even more surprised at the number of people pulling over to try and save this wee beast. There had to be at least a dozen different people trying to get the “poor little dog”!

In the midst of all this chaos all I could think about were the times I’ve seen a “human” in trouble on the side of the road or in a public place and my dismay at how many people walked on by and pretended not to see. Something to think about?

Lastly, here are a few new pair of earrings and a pendant I’ve listed in my Etsy shop! Enjoy and thanks for stopping in!

I love pastel colors and the weighty feel of certain gemstones. So, while digging around in my box of goodies pulled out these amazing adventurine nuggets that I’ve been saving for a rainy day. On a recent trip to one of my favorite findings manufacturers, Wolfe E Myrow, I also grabbed some gorgeous fire polished Czech beads in a stunning Jonquil color. (some of which I will be adding to my Etsy shop)

The necklace was created using sterling silver and alternating the stones to create a 16″ choker. I also added two more inches using Czech beads as an extender and finished with a hand forged sterling clasp.

As the focal piece I’ve used a carved Amazonite leaf and created a small flower that sits nicely on top of it using iridescent pink Drusy beads and a Swarovski center.
I’d debated keeping it for myself or putting into my Etsy shop. I usually post things I’ve created on my Facebook page to show family and friends first. A wonderfully talented polymer clay artist,
Cheri Desiree purchased it shortly after it was posted.

Our next item is a beautiful pair of earrings created by Val of ElysianFields. Val, says of her design: “Cyprus, the birthplace of Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and beauty was also where the mineral Copper was mined and named for. I have combined the organic warmth and protective qualities of Bali copper wires and added to it the fiery sparkle of pink fire polished Czech beads. The fire used to create these sparkling little treasures seems to radiate from within the bead itself. A lovely gift for your Aphrodite this Valentine’s Day, they come in a lovely hand crafted gift box.”

A quick snap of a piece I created for my mom. She found this leaf and thought I’d like to use it in my art and I thought it would make a pretty pendant for her in turn. The bail is sterling, it’s accented with quartz faceted beads, and the adjustable ribbon is hand dyed silk.

I was talking to some of my friends on Etsy the other night and they were asking how many of us had a PIF in their shops. Now I like to think I’m fairly savvy about Etsy and things in general but I was stumped. What the heck is a PIF? It turns out PIF simply means to Pay It Forward, a practice many Etsians have of creating a handmade item which they in turn put into their shop basically for free. So in the spirit of creating something nice, I created two really nice necklaces for my PIF’s.

Stop by my Etsy shop and grab one quick!! http://elysianfields.etsy.com

All three pieces are available in my Etsy shop: http://elysianfields.etsy.com/

Thought I’d post a few pictures of a piece I’m working on. I went for a walk yesterday and found some beautiful Birch tree and Silver Maple leaves to imprint. I have a few more tweaks to do, then I’ll create the bail and necklace pieces.
I also decided to do reversible leaf pendants, for an added option.

Update:Here is a picture of the finished piece. I listed it on Etsy Monday and it sold that night! Nature rocks!!

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