Have you seen this Angel?

Transformer by Crystal Basica Fall 2011

Things never go as planned. I learned this lesson a long time ago and I try my very best to roll with the punches. Our lives can change directions in an instant. When I made this piece last Fall I started out with just the soldered wings made of gears. For once I loved how they turned out on the 1st try! The various patinas I used actually were reacting the way I intended them to. I knew I wanted to attach them to something, so I decided on soldering them to a figure... A Steampunk Angel. I wanted the piece to make a statement about technology and how everything changes so quickly now, but somewhere in the midst of all of the chaos it seems there is someone still guiding us. I finished the Angel and kept staring at it. It wasn't done. I couldn't figure out what it needed so it just sat on my work table as I continued to make new pieces for Glitterfest. One day I took a creating break and headed with a friend to my favorite Antique store Treasures and Junk for a little change of scenery. That's when we found this little vintage train transformer...it was perfect! The perfect size, weight, not to mention it said the word transformer which went along exactly with what I was trying to convey AND then the dial that read off low med high.This was it! That just made the piece for me and I could stop obsessing over what else it needed! I took my angel to Glitterfest Fall and after the show I brought my angel and a few other pieces to Whimzy, so they could be available for sale.


Skip ahead 6 months. Glitterfest Spring has come and gone. I needed to get into Whimzy and bring them some new pieces from the Spring show. I headed in to see Dianne and was given some unexpected news. The Angel had vanished. Her whereabouts are unknown.


First off let me say that I 100% believe in Karma. What goes around comes around without a doubt!
I know my initial reaction should have probably been anger but it was laughter. I wish Dianne could have been in my head because I know she was thinking this crazy artist is nuts! But all I could see was a old image of a cartoon cat burglar with the black mask with two eye holes cut out tip-toeing through Whimzy and running out the door with the Transformer! lol 

I was also kind of flattered in a weird kind of way. Someone liked my art so much they felt the need to steal it! I'm not saying it was a good thing, I'm just taking it as a compliment :) So now what I want to know is who steals an angel? It's just weird. Not that any stealing is right but it's not a shirt or a purse or something you can use or that you need, so you just have a stolen piece of art sitting on your mantle or bookcase as a reminder of what you took? It's just odd to me. The only thing that makes me a little sad is I didn't get a better picture of it, but at least I have these few :)

My Sister Melissa at my Table Glitterfest Fall

Some more good that came out of the theft was that it got me writing on my blog which I am so bad about! There is so much going on I need to make a point to check in and tell you all what is new! I plan to put up some more posts very soon about what inspired me to make some of my other pieces. If anyone happens upon my Angel or if the culprit would like to rid their house of the Angel that is causing all the havoc in their life and anonymously return her, please contact me or Whimzy. No questions asked :)

Stay Tuned!

Crystal

It's time for Glitterfest Spring 2012!

It seems like ever since I made my Steampunk Time Machine last Spring, time has been flying like crazy! Really! February is over! It's just crazy! Fellow Artist and Business Partner Tara Wilson and I have been busy hunting for vintage treasure for our joint venture Serendipity Salvage. Now for those of you that don't know, Serendipity Salvage was born out of necessity. We were both spending hours hunting for vintage gems to use in our own jewelry and art creations, so we decided to share the "extra" finds with fellow creators! Don't get me wrong -Serendipity Salvage has tons of fantastic rare vintage finds, but I'm not gonna lie- we typically cherry pick the rare finds we are dying over to use in our own work. You don't want to miss Glitterfest this Spring! All of these one of a kind focal pieces and parts have made it into my creations! My soldering iron and micro torch have been working overtime :) I have been test wearing my jewelry items and well, I'm kinda forming attachments to most of them! It will be hard to see them go, but I know they are getting a good home with Glitterfest Patrons. It's only 10 more days until this fabulous event! If you have never been to Glitterfest, it is a sight to see! I am so excited to share what I have come up with and see what all of my fellow artist have come up with. They never cease to amaze me!


This time around I drew inspiration from Art Nouveau Artist Alphonse Mucha. I love the intricate designs and layering. His attention to small details is just amazing!

La Primavera and La Plume by Alphonse Mucha

I LOVE the small details! I like to put all kinds of small twists and turns or layers in my pieces that you may not notice at 1st glance. I have noticed when have shown some of my new creations to my friends that they miss some of the little things I have hidden with in my work. I tend to get bored easily, so I like when a piece of art has something different to offer when I look at it over time. There was also recently a scrapbook paper line that altered some of Mucha's art. This paper is beautiful and it got my wheels turning. My goal was to translate these ideas into a more 3D interpretation. It's all about the layers!

So this time for Glitterfest Spring I have run with this Mucha meets Industry theme in my art and jewelry designs and I am really excited to share it with you! See you March 10, 2012 from 10-4 at the Elks Lodge in Santa Ana. Check out Glitterfest.com for all the details! Sheryl and Diane of Whimzy put in hours of hard work to make this event spectacular! Come on down and support your local art community!
Happy Creating!
Crystal

What a crazy year!

I can't believe how fast this year has flown by! I could have never have predicted how this year would have gone in a million years! It has been one crazy turn to the next. I can't wait to see what 2012 has in store! I am so thankful for all that I have learned and for all of the unexpected tiny miracles that have happened in 2011.  I have been busy these last 2 months reorganizing my work space and hunting for Serendipity Salvage. In my reorganizing I have found many treasures I had forgotten all about! I am pulling many of these one of a kind pieces to weave into some of my pieces for Glitterfest Spring 2012. (It's March 10th mark your calendars!) I kinda got a sneak peak at what Tara is doing, but I can't wait to see what everyone has been up to!
I got a package a couple days ago from fellow artist Jenny Hernandez (The Polka Dot Pixie). She is such an amazing artist (not to mention one of the nicest gals you could ever meet!) and after trying to mess with paper clay this fall, I have a whole new respect for her work! Check out what I got...

Paper Mache Sculpture by the Polka Dot Pixie, Jenny Hernandez

She is too cute! I can hardly stand it! I have decided she is going to be my wish box for 2012. I am a firm believer in positive thinking. I believe if you put it out there good always finds its way back. When I look at this bluebird I can't help but smile, so I am going to put all of my hopes and wishes for this year down on little pieces of paper and see what happens :) What will you wish for? 

See you all next year!

Best Wishes,

Crystal

P.S. Be sure to check out Jenny's Etsy http://www.etsy.com/people/thepolkadotpixie

And her Blog www.thepolkadotpixie.blogspot.com

Glitterfest "time" is drawing near...

      I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I'd say the clock is ticking, but I have torn it apart for it's pieces :) Glitterfest is just days away! 13 days to be exact which happens to be my lucky number. Speaking of lucky numbers I have another superstition...I don't make the same thing twice! Even if something is very similar I use some other bead or color...something to make it special and one of a kind. I put my heart and soul into each piece I make. If it is jewelry I wear it to make sure it feels good on. If it is a piece of art, it finds itself on my bookshelf or wherever seems appropriate. I have to love it. If not, then it's back to the drawing board.  If something doesn't look right, I can't help but tear it apart and rearrange. Perfectionist?...maybe, I just feel strongly about making what I would want instead of what I think someone else would want and I refuse to settle by saying "that's good enough" or "no one will notice but me." My work is a reflection of me and all of the experiences and knowledge that I have been exposed to. I take pride in what I make and strive to produce exactly what I see in my head. One of my favorite quotes is... 


"Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing." Salvador Dali


All of the skills I have acquired, I have learned from someone else, be it in person, in a book, whatever. I have no formal art training but if I wanted to be a painter, I would go to art school and they would teach me to imitate the masters in order to learn technique. But once you learn technique what do you make? what makes it yours? It's drawing on your experiences and things that speak to your soul that makes it yours. It's all in the details. Those are really my only guidelines for creating. Philosophy lesson over...back to Glitterfest :)


       I have been so busy making new pieces. I have filled my house with work tables and find myself moving around from soldering to wire work to painting and so much more! I have had to give myself a pep talk about letting some of these pieces go. I absolutely LOVE using found objects in my work, but most times I don't have another one and I am not sure if I can handle seeing it go away. At least I know with Glitterfest Patrons, it is going to get a good home :)


OK so here's a little peek...

What could it be? You'll have to come to Glitterfest to find out :) 
I'll give you a hint..it's not what you think it is...
See you all October 15th!
www.glitterfest.com for all the details


Sparkle on!
Crystal

Expect Miracles :)

Yay! More good news!!! I am honored to have one of my necklaces published in the new Fall issue of Jewelry Affaire from Stampington! It officially hits stands on October 1st but my local bead store Garden of Beaden has received their shipment and so has Barnes & Noble :) This is a gorgeous issue and I am truly grateful to be included in its pages with so many amazing artists! I am on page 100 - the piece is called "Expect Miracles", so go out support your local bead store and grab a copy! You will no doubt be inspired by the stunning work everyone has shared. You can read the story on what initially inspired this piece in the issue. I had written the article for Stampington late Spring of this year, but this necklace had already started spinning it's magic the minute it was made.

       I had been wearing this piece a lot when I first made it. Little did I know it had become a kind of good luck charm while Tara and I were unknowingly formulating Serendipity Salvage. We had worked side by side getting ready for last Glitterfest. What started out as us getting together to solder or work on projects turned into me practically camping at her house for a couple months! We were constantly swapping supplies- she had just what I needed and I had just what she needed. We decided we should combine our hoards and join vintage treasure hunting forces. After about 100 more fortunate accidents from amazing treasure scores to unbelievable "right place right time" moments, we settled on the name Serendipity Salvage in April 2011. Every time something fabulously weird happens we still both look at each and say "Serendipity strikes again!" This story probably belongs on Serendipity's blog too, but call me crazy-I am convinced this necklace had a hand in what has happened. It served as a reminder to expect good things, stay positive and if you are on the right path things will just fall into place. In fact, it was Tara that encouraged me to take it off my neck and throw it in the box to send to Jewelry Affaire. Serendipity strikes again :) 
       The last few weeks I have been stressing trying to juggle all of the trunk shows and business that needs to be handled while trying to find time to work on my projects for Glitterfest Fall. By seeing my necklace again I am reminded to "Expect Miracles" and everything will just fall into place :) 


Here are some silly icky photos I took of my piece when I made it. I have so much trouble photographing long necklaces!... 

Jewelry Affaire's photo is WAY better!

Thank you so much to all of my friends and family for all of the support! Now back to my soldering iron!

Stay turned for some sneak peaks on what you might see at Glitterfest Fall...(OCT 15th Don't miss it!) 

It's gonna be good!!!

Something from Nothing...the magic of junk :)

I'm on a roll! My Glitterfest creations are in full swing! I wish that there were magic elves that could read my mind and create what is in there while I am sleeping. The least they could do is clean my house in the night...that would be fabulous :) Alas they have yet to show up so I trudge along.  I have been busy glittering, gluing, decoupaging, wire wrapping, soldering, and so much more! Last night I switched to engineering mode. I love turning junk into something so unrecognizable that it requires me to explain that it actually is a bolt or a washer or a thingamado that came out of my junk drawer. If you would like to see a real live thingamado please see the photo below :)

Does anyone know why I have a six inch nail in my junk drawer? I can't imagine what kind of job would necessitate a gigantic nail of its kind. OK honestly... I have no idea what half of this stuff is for but maybe it's better that way? I have no preconceived ideas about it and I get to be a kid playing with building blocks again! It's all in my head I just have to make it come out now...back to the grind.  If you would like to see what I make out of some of this crazy stuff, be sure to come to Glitterfest Oct 15th....all will be revealed! 

That just made it!

Ok I have totally neglected my blog! Between Serendipity Salvage, two Etsy shops, and a couple secret projects I have been busy working on, it's a wonder I find time to sleep :)  I have finally found a minute to chat with you! (I will reveal the secret projects once I get the OK)  I have also been busy getting things rollin' on the art front for Glitterfest Fall (SAVE THE DATE!!! 10-15-11) I am super excited! There were a bunch of pieces I was holding back because I thought they were a little too dark for the spring show, but it's on for fall :) Stay tuned!
 I am so fortunate to have learned so many different techniques over the years from so many amazing artists. I am surrounded by the coolest most creative people any girl could wish for! I learn something new from them each day.  For this upcoming show I want to pull on several different mediums, mix them all together, and see what comes out.  I try to make pieces that represent something that I have experienced. I have found if it speaks to me, it will speak to many others. If not from personal experiences, then a movie I saw or a book I read will often inspire me. 
  Anyone that knows me knows I LOVE Edgar Allen Poe.

 In fact just today I ran into the 7th grade English teacher that played us an old recording of the "Tell-Tale Heart." I bet she hadn't realized what she sparked in me and I'm sure others. I also had the coolest, although maybe insane, English teacher in High School- Mr. Henke. He was harmless, but he got so much joy in scaring us to death.  He had a large metal file cabinet closet inside which he kept a variety of splintery sticks of wood. "The more splinters the better" he would say. He would recreate sound effects while reading us "The Raven" by rapping on the side of his podium. To this day whenever I read "The Raven," it is still can hear Mr. Henke tap tap tapping on my chamber door. Anyway, that's where the love for Poe came from and I know I'm not alone. For spring I made a POE inspired soldered tree. I never could get a good photo of it but here it is...



It's hard to tell in the pic but the metal plaque is stamped "NEVERMORE" and there is little raven in the tree.I stared at this piece loving it but it was missing something. I was digging through a box and found some little wooden balls and that was it! It needed feet! That "made the piece" for me. With me there is always a point when I look at what I am making and can say " ok..that just made it!" Until I can say those words a piece is not finished. This happens every time without fail! 




I did another Poe piece that just wasn't done. It just needed one more thing...a raven on top.

I tend to get lost in the details, but for whatever reason I always know when it is done. When I set out to build a time machine from watch parts I didn't know where it would lead me. I had no blueprint. I am not an engineer, but I could see it in my head. I looked down at a pile a bits and pieces and started to build... first the seat, then the wired light bulb spoiler...a watch gear steering wheel ... an old watch face with millitary time (so there is no confusion)...and so on until it was a time machine. But it wasn't done. It needed that thing. One more thing so I could say my magic words... and then I cackled like a mad scientist...

as soon as I added the equations for travelling at the speed of light on the base. I knew that just "made it." It's funny I don't know where that sense of finality comes from, but I know I am not the only crazy artist that does this. 

So now I am rambling on, but what I am trying to say is, lose yourself in the little details and listen to your inner voice that says "that just made it." Get out there and create something...anything! It doesn't matter how many classes you have taken or how many books you have read...just go with your gut! If you love it chances are good someone else will too!  

Until we meet again!

Crystal