Fabulous Friday Finds for May 7

Another Friday, and another batch of Fabulous Friday Finds. It's been a busy week this week, trying to prepare for the Whole Bloomin' Thing festival tomorrow (!), but I still managed to find a bunch of goodies to share. Hope you like 'em! :-)

My first Fabulous Friday Find this week is this adorable, or adorably ugly (in the nicest way), ceramic pendant by artist Tanya Besedina.

I came across this piece when I was looking through all the art dolls on Etsy. Her name is Clio, and she's a Goddess Butterfly.

There's just something about the shape of her face, that nose, and those giant lips that make me smile.

Tanya has lots of other whimsical goodies in her Etsy shop, and even more in her flickr photostream. Shadowboxes, little jars that look like fairy homes, and even drawings -- cute!






About once a week, I do a search on Etsy for lampwork beads. I'm amazed by lampwork beads, maybe because I know I'd probably burn my fingers off (I think I'd have a hard time NOT touching the bead while it's being made), or burn the house down.

There are some really gorgeous beads to be found... and this incredible focal bead called Perfect Day, by lampworker Susan Jones, is a perfect example of lampwork gorgeousness.

Just look at all those colors! And I love the etched finish. This bead would look completely different if it weren't etched, probably equally beautiful, but different.

After you've finished drooling over all the beads in Susan's Etsy shop, grab a napkin and visit her website. WOW.


Going from the sublime to the sublimely ugly, my third Fabulous Friday Find is this Angler Fish charm necklace by Marty, a jewelry artist who creates silver and gold sculptural pieces using the lost wax process.

This angler fish is my favorite. All those teeth. That strange little dangly thing meant to lure in unsuspecting critters who will become dinner. Eek.

Not all of her creations are so ugly (once again, ugly in a GOOD way)... visit the Marty Magic website to see more of her creations. There are creations of all types, so plan to spend awhile browsing.

Although Lauren Abrams has two Etsy shops (laurenabrams and labeanabags), I frequently check out her flickr photostream and her blog to see what lovelies she's creating in polymer clay.

Some recent additions are these beautiful bangles, made from polymer clay on a brass base.

I love the jewel tones in these bangles!!











My fifth Fabulous Friday Find is this ceramic piece by another talented ceramic artist, Judy. She's the curator of an Etsy shop called Red Crow Arts, and I've long been a fan of her work.

I have some of her pieces from a couple of years ago, but now it looks as if I'm going to have to go shopping again.

I found this piece, called Birds of a Feather, in Judy's flickr photostream. I have to admit that I'm not quite sure what it is... except that it's adorable! It might be a little sign... but you can find a similar pendant in her Etsy shop, along with lots of other adorable pieces.

Yep. Gonna have to do more shopping. :-)





My last Fabulous Friday Find is a little robot named Lee Mayors.

I found this little guy while I was poking around on flickr, and I just love him! I think it's the eyes...

This little guy is the creation of Maria Caicedo Langer, who lives in Bogata and who proclaims himself a junk sculptor and creator of toys, sculptures, props, and accessories made from trash, ordinary stuff, and recycled elements.

Visit his flickr page to see more of his robots. Each one has its own distinct personality - zombies, critters, and even life-size cyborg suits.

But still.

Ya gotta love the pink eyes though. Right?









Okay, that's it for this week's Fabulous Friday Finds. Now it's time for me to do more preparations for tomorrow's festival! If you're in the Waynesville area, stop by. :-)