News & Spotlights — creativity

Pamela Malouf of Kingman, AZ shared her fantastic, mixed media art with us.   This mixed textile piece, "Vortex Visions," is a brilliant mix of of fabrics, glass eyes, and additional elements that give the artwork a 3D effect. Can you find all of the eyes? There are actually 5 thoughtfully places glass eyes. Two of them are sew-on eyes in lower left corner, plus 2 blue eyes and one brown eye glued on around center. It's so exciting to see our glass eye designs incorporated in artworks like this! About the glass eyes from handmadeglasseyes.com: All artisan glass eyes are original graphic designs designed...

Todd of Largo, FL, recently shared the steps he took to create his General Grievous sculpture. Check them out in the images below... (Glass eyes used: these golden dragon glass eyes.) It is so cool to see the epic handmade projects brought to life with our glass eye cabochons! And Start Wars inspired projects? That's even cooler. About the glass eyes from handmadeglasseyes.com: All artisan glass eyes are original graphic designs designed by Megan Petersen of Spokane, Washington Each cabochon is handmade with attention to detail and inspected for quality All products are made and ship from our studio located...

If you are anything like me, you are near-obsessive about Halloween and anything related to it. So I have a fun little DIY for those who want to start before the décor is in-store. The following tutorial is for a handmade clay spider and an easy 4 step eyeball flower for those wanting something a little incognito. Craft Project Items Needed: Crayola Air-Dry Clay (White) Parchment paper Kitchen knife Handmade Glass Eyes Acrylic Paint (Black) Paintbrush and pallet Setup: The first step to creating this spooky spider is to create a flat ball the size of your palm and one...

April from Benton, ME, makes unique animal-inspired scarves. To help add character and realism, she includes glass eyes from handmadeglasseyes.com. According to April, "These eyes are absolutely perfect for my scarves." (Above wolf scarf made with these pale blue mysterious mermaid glass eyes.) In one 5-star review, April states, "These were used for a horse scarf I made and donated to a local equestrian rescue. The eyes were PERFECT! Thanks so much!" and in another "These eyes are PERFECT for my kitty scarf. Well made, and shipped fast! You be the judge...look at this cat!.😁🐾🐈" Here is the horse scarf...

When you're a maker staying creative isn't a nice-to-have--it's a necessity. Here are my top 5 tips for keeping the inspiration on full blast... Tip 1: Define Creative BoundariesFor example, make your next project only out of red materials, or in a certain styleTip 2: Take a Walk In NatureDitch your phone, and your headphone and allow your mind to completely relax and wader as you go for a walk and breathe some fresh air. Letting your mind rest is often when the best creative ideas present themselves!Tip 3: Set Time ConstraintsFor example, have your next project be something you...