Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas...

... and a supper HAPPY NEW YEAR in 2010!

From the team members of Artfire Cafemom Team to you and yours! Be on the lookout in 2010 for great things coming from the group!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Say "Booooooo!" and Vote for Your Favorite Halloween Themed Item

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s time to vote for your favorite item in the ACT October Contest. Our theme was “Booooooo!” and 4 of our talented artists submitted one of their creations.

First up, is a Devil Ring submitted by the Vermont mother and daughter team at With Our Hands. The size is adjustable.




Second, Coco of ByCoco--Art for Everyday Enjoyment, who hails from Maine, submitted her stained glass Ghost and Bat Duo, which measures approximately 4.5"x2.5".




Next, Haffina Creations from Southern Australia created this polymer clay Evil Tomato Keyring. The eyes and mouth of the tomato are glow in the dark clay, and each side is different.




Finally, Creations With Heart, a Jewelry artisan from Michigan entered these glass bead Ghost Earrings made with sterling silver ear wires.




It’s now up to you to help determine which of these pieces best fits our October theme: "Booooooo!" To find out more about each piece just click on either it's picture or its title. If you'd like to see other works by that artist, click on the name of their studio. Once you've made up your mind, please vote using the poll below.



Each month, members of this Artfire Artisan Guild are challenged to create something that represents a specific theme. The contest is designed to spur their creativity in the spirit of friendly competition. Stay tuned to find out who won the Artfire Cafemom Team's contest this month.

What will our November theme will be? Becoming a follower of this blog is an easy way to keep abreast of future themes. If you're an artist and would like to participate in our monthly contests, join our guild on Artfire.com. We are user friendly and welcome new members.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

StichNLove's Tie-Dyed Ensemble Wins ACT's Retro Challenge

Congratulations to Christie of StitchNLove for winning ACT's retro themed September Challenge. At the beginning of the month, our guild master, Jenn of Jemz, dared us to get "groovy" with the 1960's and 70s and create something "far out". And Christie responded by creating this funk-a-delic (a creative combination of the words funky and psychedelic) Tye Dyed Bell Bottom Outfit complete with a cloche hat.

Christie was captivated by the material from the moment she first laid her eyes on it. Each time she returned to the store, she was once again drawn to the colorful tie-died material but couldn't figure out what to do with it until the theme of ACT's September challenge was announced. "When I thought of the 60's and 70's, I thought of bell bottoms and tie-dye. This outfit blends the two," said Christie.

Christie designed this boutique outfit using patterns she found online at You Can Make This. She used Toni Hamel's Skinny Bell Bottoms pattern as the basis. She combined elements of two shirt patterns from the same site to create the tie-dyed top. Even the hat pattern came from You Can Make This!

The pants pattern seemed to run a little big, which presented her with an additional challenge. However Christie was very pleased with the overall project and said, "It took about a day from cut to last stitch, but it came together even better than I imagined."

Knowing that Christie is Mom to 6 children, I asked her when and how she carves out the time to design and sew her outfits. Her reply: "Very creatively actually. I sew when Dad is home in the evenings and after bed time. And I sew during the day as much as the kids will let me. There are only two not in school. Next year, I have to decide if I am going to homeschool my youngest daughter, and that will be interesting: homeschool and a sewing business.

(Any homeschoolers out there? Leave your tips for Christie in the comments below.)

When I expressed my curiosity about what her young model had to say about the outfit, Christie shared this antidote. "She is such a ham! She often stands next to my mirage of outfits with her hands in a prayer position and asks what she can wear. This outfit, if I am not mistaken, she wore to bed that night, she liked it so much!"

Each month ACT (Artfire CafeMom Team) challenges its guild members to create something that reflects the chosen theme. Member artists have 21 days to submit their entry by posting a picture of their item in a designated thread within the guild's forum on Cafemom.com. The general public, as well as guild members, are then invited to vote for their favorite item during the last week of the month.

Christie was the only one to rise to the challenge this month, but even if there had been several artists competing, I do believe that she would have won hands down with this 60's & 70's inspired bell bottom ensemble.

To find out more information about ordering this fun colorful outfit in the right size for your little lass, just click on the link to go to the listing for this Tye Dyed Bell Bottom Outfit in StitchNLove's Studio on Artfire.com.