Licensed artist, Nicole Engblom, trained as a gallery owner and graphic designer, has been creating successful designs since early childhood. Her whimsical and colorful art reflects the happiness she surrounds her life with. Nicole's artworks have won the hearts of many people. You can find her pieces in galleries, boutiques and gift shops across the country. Her true love is her original animal creations. She is a regular Dr. Doolittle when it comes to animals and the spirit of love she gives to them shows up in all of her pieces. If her pet art could talk, it would have much to say about why it was made.
After moving to Austin, Texas at the age of 12, Jon Lawrence immediately became involved in various creative movements throughout the city. His artwork hit the streets with the creation of a zine called theywhosearch in 1998. Jon Lawrence's bold, linear illustrations and abstractions beautify walls, doors, album covers and even guitars. It only seemed logical to start printing his art on women's tops and undergarments. He started a clothing line called darkeyes clothing designed for the urban woman.
Caren Lee is the artist of Faux Paw Designs and a native of Texas. In 2005 she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Unable to work for months due to surgeries and treatments, she needed a mental escape to keep her busy. She followed her passion for dogs and art and started designing very unique, one of a kind collars. This in turn was the beginning of Faux Paw Collar Designs. Combining high quality leather, wire and semiprecious stones or glass beads, she creates extremely fashionable and colorful collars for the "Paws"itively Spoiled Rotten Dog. Caren resides in San Antonio with her husband William, a USAF pilot and 3 four- legged children- Ember, Amos and Buddy, which are her models and Quality Control Experts.
Marisa is the jewelry designer for FuzzyHalo, a resident of Seattle, WA and likes to think her halo is still intact. Designing has become her passion and Marisa strongly believes in following one's dreams and bliss in order to acquire true happiness. The jewelry currently featured is constructed of sterling silver, semi-precious stones and European glass beads.
Her interests include: jewelry, clothing, writing, note card designing, searching through Netflix for movies she's missed and venturing to see local bands perform. If you'd like to contact Marisa please email her at marisa@fuzzyhalo.com
Greenspace Candles was started by two friends who fell in love with all the benefits of industrial hemp. In 1999 they learned of the health hazards of most candles on the market. They noticed a few brands of so-called 'hemp' candles, but came to learn that the remainder of such candles (80-90% of the candle) was often paraffin, or petroleum-based wax, which has been found to contain many carcinogenic toxins as well as create soot in the buildings they are burned.
A similar realization occured with learning about aromatherapy--while shopping for candles they found that many of them were labeled as 'aromatherapy' candles when indeed, unless otherwise specified, most were toxic, carcinogenic paraffin candles simply with added essential oils.
Once they learned alternative waxes were available that were 100% plant, it became apparent that they could help the planet AND the people while promoting the advantages of hemp via the creation of an all-plant candle. The decision was made to make plant wax candles with hemp oil. The first candles were handmade on the back porch of the founders' home in Portland, Oregon.
I started out with about twenty dollars worth of glass scraps and a kiln that was given to me on loan by a good friend. I fired my first batch of work a little over a year ago and it shattered like many others did until I learned the process to a science and how delicate glass really is. I looked at work that about thirty other artists offer from the internet to boutiques and festivals. I spent about two weeks doing this and decided I wanted to do a couple of things differently. First was to have a different look and offer something unique and individual that people would appreciate. The second was to offer my work at affordable prices so that people would not feel like they were emptying their pocketbook to buy a single item.
My work has progressed so much since I was selling earrings and pendants made on my coffee table. I really appreciate the artistic ability I have gained through self teaching in the past since I started with the glass medium. I have always been creative whether it was writing or cooking. I am also a trained chef and studied overseas. The thing about any skill you have is that there is great joy in sharing it and seeing a smile on someone's face over something you have created. Thanks for reading my bio and please remember that all pieces are individually designed in my home based Glass Studio in Austin, Texas.
Dichroic Glass Process:
Large sheets of fusible glass are placed into a chamber that holds the pieces on the walls like a wallpaper of sorts. The machine heats the glass to a very high temperature. Then, within the chamber there is a small container like a kettle that heats a small amount of metal to a very high temperature. When the metal and glass reach the correct temperature there is an air vacuum which is created and then the metal is released into the gas in the chamber. The chamber spins and moves to distribute the metal coating onto the surface of the glass. The glass is cooled at a ramping down period so that the glass will not crack or shatter. The large sheets are removed from the chamber and then used for fusing or they also can be used in stained glass artwork. There are only 5 places in the U.S. that produce this glass, The mechanism they use costs around $500,000 and looks like something from space odyssey. This is where the raw materials come from that I use in my glass art.
Custom pieces available with a 3 day turnaround time. Please email us for more information.
I quit my Information Technology sales job to stay home with my son, but realized I needed to do something to add to Zack's college fund. I had never thought of myself as creative, but after having a ton of fun creating the goodies for my wedding, I started looking for ways to expand my new-found love of crafts. I started making button greeting cards as a way to share my antique button collection and got into beading after a dear friend introduced me to it on our beach vacation.
The jewelry started with simple glass beads and components, and I quickly discovered the beauty of handmade lampwork, dichroic, and furnace glass. My goal is to create a unique piece at a fair price and to have people ask, "Where did you get that?"
Kathy Hudson is a late bloomer. Like many others, she was taught to pursue work that would "pay the rent" rather than work that would fulfill her soul. Then she was introduced to the concept of "doing what you love and loving what you do." It struck a chord within her artist's soul and she immediately began a quest to find and "follow her bliss."
As fate would have it, Kathy found herself at age 40, unemployed in a very competitive job market. It was in this time period she found her heart's passion in kiln-fired glass.
Michael Ledoux is a Texas born artist working with constructive materials such as wood, plaster, resin and sometimes steel. Using untraditional techniques, Michael explores perspective and depth. Ledoux has introduced different styles throughout his career including landscapes, cityscapes and color fields. His influences are architecture and nature.
Michael's unique works have been collected, shown and cherished world wide.
Mikki Mallow has been creating vivid compositions for over a decade and has only begun to brush the surface of her immense talent. Her paintings are bold, vibrant and personify her unique artistic vision. Mikki has successfully made the transition from Michigan to Dallas, a city laden with many of the country's rising artistic talents. Her influences are taken from various sources ranging from observations of everyday life to inventinos deep within her minds eye. In addition to a statewide series of successful art shows, Mikki's original pieces have been featured in several galleries, lofts, restaurants, office buildings and publications throughout the country. Mikki primarily paints with acrylics on canvas although it is her innovative approach to framing and matting which have left the greatest impression on her emergent fan base.
My affair with glass began in 1999 working at a local studio where I learned to design and build stained glass lamps, jewelry boxes and mirrors. After leaving the studio, I continued to create original work that was either commissioned or sold through local galleries and shops.
A few years ago, intrigued with the possibilities of jewelry design, my imagination caught fire. I became so overwhelmed with ideas, I couldn't crank them out fast enough! Although initially created for personal wear, the response from friends and strangers alike was encouraging. I quickly realized I'd discovered my niche and have been working steadily on a growing collection ever since. Drawing from a saturated palette of color, accented with metalwork and a rich patina, this unconventional collection continues to evolve, inspire and define my artistic sense of style.
In the breath-taking mountains of western Montana, Nancy Rittel creates origami checkbook covers and other personal accessories for women. Here is what she has to say about herself and her products:
Originals by Peacock started with a dream - literally! In April 1998, a vivacious confident, spirited woman dressed in a long black dress with a black boa and spiky black hair appeared to me in a dream. This woman blithely exclaimed as she gazed directly at me, "Don't you know me? I'm Peacock!" Yes, I knew Peacock but not very well. The woman who appeared to me that night was the entity representing the spirit within me whom I hadn't allowed 'out.' I had focused my educational and professional career on quantitative, number-crunching activities. But, that one night in the wee hours of 1998 changed my life. Peacock came to visit and in her light-hearted yet poignant statement, "Don't you know me? I'm Peacock!" her effervescence and powerful presence tapped a part of my being I knew existed but didn't value or appreciate.
My dream was life-changing although it certainly didn't happen over night. In fact, it took nearly three years to allow myself the freedom to follow my passion and merge my two loves in life, fabric and folding.
Now, on a daily basis, I immerse myself in my love of fabric and folding using the concept of fabric origami. I 'transform' fabric into paper through a time-consuming and laborious process whereby each and every swatch of fabric is individually cut, ironed, stiffened, ironed again, and cut again so that the final fabric swatch 'acts' like paper. At this state, I am able to fold the fabric swatch into functional origami accessories for women to use on a daily basis such as the ever-popular checkbook cover and card case. No glue or stitching is ever used. The integrated origami folds establish not only the structure of the item but also the design.
While I haven't purchased a black gown and matching boa yet nor cut and dyed my hair black, I must say Peacock and I are good friends now. And as with any good friend who is there for you when times get tough, I reach out to Peacock and am comforted by her conviction of spirit and look forward to a bright new day!
Lena Kim is nice, and she’s got the goods to prove it! Her jewelry begs to be seen as not just an accessory, but instead, a piece of wearable art. Interesting shapes and patterns married with an eccentric imagination give birth to a collection of beautifully designed, handmade pieces ripe with personality.
Born in 1974, Lena lived her first ten years with her grandparents in Korea. At the age of ten she came to the United States to join her mother. A tireless champion of the DIY ethic, Lena spent her early years doing creative projects like making clothes for her paper dolls, crushing red flowers into dye to make fingernail polish, or affixing a lawn mower engine to a mini bike found in the trash.
These days, niceLena jewelry and accessories are available at a variety of boutiques and craft fairs throughout the US. The line continues to expand, offering a wide range of original items —such as origami earrings (decorative paper cutouts fused onto patina metal shapes), collage necklaces (Japanese paper collaged on wooden beads, complemented by heart-shaped mother-of-pearl beads), and unique decorative pins (e.g. puffy little clouds made of felt)—all lovingly and painstakingly crafted by Lena. Borrowing inspiration from nature and Korean and Japanese folk art, she employs nontraditional methods and materials in her jewelry making. “I like imagining the customer wearing my stuff and it becoming a part of their environment,” she says.
Jennifer started the company in 2001 in her hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario. She is currently pursuing fashion design at Ryerson University.
Jennifer’s Design Philosophy:
I believe in clothing NOT fashion. From what I understand, fashion is something produced by a designer in a big office which is then pumped out by underpaid workers in third world countries, produced by the thousands and fed to the masses only to be discarded a few months down the road for the next "hot trend".
I'm not saying there is anything wrong with this, it just doesn't interest me. I believe in the independent artist. A person who goes it on their own and has all the more freedom for it. To me, it is a labour of love. I don't want to work for a big company where I am a faceless employee among many, producing somebody else's designs.
I want to design not for fashion followers, but for individuals. Those who have a style identity. Those who see my designs as original pieces to collect and build a wardrobe. I take my inspiration from vintage and the recycled because you can find the most unique and interesting items. Treasures from the past, almost forgotten but too good to be lost in time. Magnificent colours, textures, prints, little details that I can pull back from the past.
Purple Spiral Studio has the goal of bringing beauty and inspiration to
the world in the form of painted silk accessories. Pure white silk is
transformed into rich patterns of vibrant colors though a variety of painting
techniques, including the application of salt to achieve a unique effect. The
magical intermingling of colors and the potential of the blank silk inspires me
as I create with this media, as does the knowledge that these scarves will
stylishly complement many ensembles.
Shano was raised in Alpena, Michigan and moved to Southern California at the age of 14. After graduating high school she became a self-proclaimed gypsy living in Santa Barbara, Sherman Oaks, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Antelope Valley, Palm Springs, Park City Utah, and Salt Lake City Utah, and on to the Seattle area where she now lives on Camano Island, Washington.
Shano is married with two children- a girl and a boy. She and her family live on a small ranch with two horses, a pony, two dogs, and three cats.
Shano studied Art History at California State University of Northridge and University of Utah, as well as a year of Fashion Illustration at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Sherman Oaks, California.
Other influences are: Tamara de Lempicka, Amedeo Modgliani, Gustav Klimt , Franz Marc, and Marc Chagal, as well as fashion illustrators of past and present.
Artist's Statement:
I have always drawn as a child, doodling in my notebook constantly: a notion that was continually getting me into trouble with my teachers. Many years later, directly out of high school, I attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Sherman Oaks, California which laid the foundation of how I create. Fashion illustration courses taught me to construct the croquis, or a figure that is 9 heads tall. In the year 2000, out of necessity, I decided to paint for a living. It was a rocky start and I had difficulty finding my niche and personal style. When the divas with their tall, elongated figures started arriving on my canvases, I discovered that I had a rather large patronage that was following my career. Naturally, this afforded me the encouragement needed to further pursue my artistic endeavors.
I love to live vicariously through my divas. They are daring, impudent, vivacious women with scintillating lives in alluring locations. Always they are powerful, sexy, demanding, and audacious. They adjure many good friends whether it is a girlfriend, horse, cat or dog, and they always invoke emotion by the viewer. The most cherished aspect of developing my paintings is that it becomes a mind's vacation. These images literally come from nowhere and take on their own personality. When these divas arrive, it is as though I am welcoming a trusted confidant into my world.
I start procuring my art on a red canvas. I then loosely sketch the figures in a light blue acrylic paint. Never in pencil- I have found that the art becomes to contrived and tight if sketching in graphite beforehand. My favorite tools to create with are my inexpensive brushes, which I abuse to perfection when formulating the multi-layered background. It is the pristine and well cared for shading brushes that allow the divas to coruscate onto the canvas. I am gleeful when these prismatic characters instill themselves into my paintings like long-lost friends. I always know a piece is done when colors have saturated and the divas' vivid personalities come forth and materialize.
Kate Tonguis touched her first piece of clay in 1989 and immediately fell in love. She has spent the time between that day and today perfecting her work for your enjoyment. The first thirteen years she was working with the art of Raku, an ancient Japanese firing technique, and refining a strong classical form for her pieces. She also spent most of that time teaching in two of her own studios, Kate Tonguis Pottery and Earth and Fire Gallery/Studio.
In the summer of 2003, she fulfilled her very own clay dream by selling Earth and Fire Studio and moving into a tiny private space where she can devote all of her time to creating. This is leading to a great deal of experimentation (as well as to an extremely enthusiastic potter). The new studio is named Sinistra which means left in Italian and refers to the fact that Kate is left handed. The new work may be one of several varieties. She is currently working with a process known as sprigging which was developed in the 18th century and made popular by the Wedgewood Company. This is the process by which small pieces of clay are pressed into molds and then each piece is carefully applied by hand to the pottery. She is also working with a modified form of pit firing and continuing with her favorite firing process, Raku.
Kate sincerely hopes that you receive as much pleasure from owning her work as she received from creating it for you.
Cheryl Chudyk is a Canadian artist based out of Vancouver, BC. She was four when she made her first craft-popsicle sticks that triangularly framed a collage of neon paper. Well before she was a teenager, she picked up drawing, dance, photography, and writing. A teacher once told her, "Don't make your passion your career - it'll suck the fun out of it." So it only makes sense that she'll graduate as a pharmacist at the end of this school year while crafting and mailing out ordes in her free time.
She is heavily inspired by pop art and retro memorabilia, and she has a greater interest in fashioning unique designs rather than mass-producing the same piece.
Cheryl's current focus combines punchy color with simplicity and function. Her Akimbo line of sterling earrings incorporates the earring functionality into the overall design. Cheryl's vegan-friendly, vinyl pouches and wristlets deconstruct everyday images into simple di- or tri-chromatic works.
Stuart Boswell's work is greatly influenced by natural organic forms and mediums. He integrates non-traditional techniques in his art reminding us that our relationship to color is primal. Stuart has naturally moved toward uncommon patterns, color and texture. His need to simplify expression is a gratifying process.
Encouraged by diversity of art in California and subsequently in Texas, Stuart explored the creative process and inspirations of his travels. While his life was filled with uncommon circumstances, he feels fortunate to have been exposed to a broad spectrum of influences. His numerous adventures are the foundation of his life and he creates from his experiences.
Stuart has a studio in Dallas and he exhibits in Dallas galleries including the McKinney Avenue Contemporary(MAC), a non-profit contemporary visual and performing arts space. His paintings are owned by private collectors. Check out his website.
Sugabeats Creations is a small company started by Amy Wyland to facilitate her creative empire goals. It all started about 20 years ago when her doll needed a pillow. Although her mother was at work, Amy took it upon herself to use the sewing machine unsupervised. After a few mishaps, the pillow was made, and the desire to create firmly instilled.
While working on a Bachelor of Arts degree in Women's Studies from the University of Minnesota, Amy began taking design classes to hone her skills. After a move to the Northwest, encouragement from friends and family and a semblance of a plan, she realized the time was right to combine business with pleasure. Sugabeats comes from a desire to combine the sweet with the sassy.
Located in Seattle, WA, all of Sugabeats Creations are handmade using high quality, durable materials.
Jennifer Ramos started Textile Fetish in early 2001 with two goals. Her primary intent was to put to use leftover fabric that may have otherwise been discarded. Coming in a close second was what some might view as sanity preservation.
Jennifer stays at home to care for two fun-lovin' daughters. She requires a creative outlet to combat that ever-so-common loss-of-identity complex that befalls many stay-at-home moms while said children are jumping on furniture and overturning wastebaskets.
Textile Fetish is based in the Austin, Texas area. Jennifer says, "It is beautiful here, creative, funky, laid back, GREEN! These are traits we strive to embody in our products. At least fifty percent of what we produce is from recycled and reclaimed fabrics."
Click here to see creations by Textile Fetish
Jen Wallace of Tilting Swiftly
Jen Wallace is the artist behind Tilting Swiftly. Jen first began
creating jewelry as a personal expression of artistry and Tilting
Swiftly was established in March 2004 as a natural progression of her
designs growing in popularity. Tilting Swiftly is now a successful
business offering designs online and through select
retail locations.
Tilting Swiftly's design objective is to offer eclectic yet elegant
jewelry and accessories. Combining form and function, Tilting Swiftly
creates wearable art for those with a different perspective. Recent
inspirations include art nouveau and the work of Gustav Klimpt and
Alphonse Mucha, the beach at Cape Henlopen, Delaware, and molas made by
the Cuna Indians from the San Blas islands.
Women of all ages – and personal styles – are drawn to Tilting
Swiftly's designs. Crafted with care, using only the finest quality materials,
Tilting Swiftly jewelry embraces the natural beauty of sterling silver
and semi-precious gemstones. The unique color and material combinations
fit a variety of tastes, from classic to trendy.
Jen Wallace, is part of the indie design movement, which consists of
independent artists and crafters who offer shoppers an alternative to
big box stores and mass-produced items. “I have always been a
do-it-yourself kind of person. I’m not one to follow the pack, but
strike out on my own, designing and creating— both in my personal and
professional lives. I think life is fuller and richer if you find your
own way in work and play. I love wearing and creating unique and
eclectic jewelry that is truly one -of-a-kind.”
Tina has been designing and crafting imaginative jewelry of all types for over fifteen years. Working from her log home near the mountains around Durango, Colorado, her unusual patterns, styles and raw materials make for one-of-a-kind pieces of every description. A recent production is that of guitar pick earrings and necklaces which use actual Fender, Martin, Jerry Garcia, Clayton and Lucky Seven picks in all imaginable colors, shapes and styles. From double and single earrings to multiple pick necklaces, Tina has provided the buyer with a plethora of choices. Let your imagination run wild. Tina can create anything your heart desires just by letting ShopCulture know what you'd like.
Other Tina's Treasures creations include bracelets, necklaces and earrings made from silver, wood, unusual glass pieces and other stones such as amber, turquoise, lapis, amethyst, hematite, pearls, black onyx, shell and coral. Inspired by the natural beuty of SW Colorado, Tina's eye for the unusual is apparent in all the pieces she creates.
I started out with about twenty dollars worth of glass scraps and a kiln that was given to me on loan by a good friend. I fired my first batch of work a little over a year ago and it shattered like many others did until I learned the process to a science and how delicate glass really is. I looked at work that about thirty other artists offer from the internet to boutiques and festivals. I spent about two weeks doing this and decided I wanted to do a couple of things differently. First was to have a different look and offer something unique and individual that people would appreciate. The second was to offer my work at affordable prices so that people would not feel like they were emptying their pocketbook to buy a single item.
