PASTOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES is at it again!

I am so proud of my husband, Andrew! He has his own business, PASTOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, and does trim and paint finishing for newly constructed homes and remodels. He has worked with several contractors and always seems to be in high demand for projects all over the Erie area. Andrew,my son Jason, and Grandpa Pastor all shared in this doll house bed and play center for my youngest girls. They created this piece of functional art with in a week's time while still working for the contractors. The time they shared building it will be memories they will share. It was such a nice project and the girls absolutely adore it! Thank you Grandpa, Andrew, and Jason for all the hard work you put into this amazing piece!

"FISHMAN" How to Ink Art by Jane/ katat0nik eBay

I was recently cleaning out my favorites section on the computer when I came across several HOW TO's and WIP's including this one! katat0nik is an excellent artist who sells on eBay. This how to tutorial was posted in the ATC & ACEO Enthusiasts group and I thought I would share it here as well. I encourage you to check out all the fine artists both on eBay and Etsy by using key word search ACEO!

"Fishman" - by Jane/katat0nik
Medium: Red BIC ball-point pen (aka biro)
Paper: Acid free 100lb Smooth Bristol scrap

I did not use any pencil on this...
TIP: stick a Post-It on your desk and use it to wipe the tip of your pen on...this will keep ink from building up on the tip & you won't get ink globs on your work.

1. Simple sketch

2. Fishman comes to life

3. Two faces appear as his body developes

4. Finished Fishman

This one sold, of course! :0)

Lake Erie Beach Glass presnte~LOVE AT TWILIGHT

Pink sea glass is so very delicate and pretty looking! Much of this color of sea glass comes from old depression glass. Some are pale while others are brighter and may even take on a peachier color. When I found this piece I really started thinking about the depression era, our economy now, and that movie, TWILIGHT! This piece is a mixture of those thoughts.

I cut a piece of sterling silver, shaped it, sanded it, and stamped it with the words love several different times. I added a swirl bail on the back and antiqued it. I strung it on 18" of sterling chain that I antiqued to match and gave it a handmade clasp. Thus, old meets new! I love how it turned out and I think I'll be making some more of these in the near future!

You can find this piece for sale in my etsy store here. :0)

Meet the Artist~LAKE ERIE BEACH GLASS

HI! I am Jodie Pastor, a wife, a mom, a homeschooler, a business owner, and artist all wrapped up in one.

Lake Erie Beach Glass is where I freely express my artistic side and my love for nature. The jewelry and art I create range from traditional and classical styles to one of a kind, unique, and sometimes "way out there" pieces of art.

My family has dubbed me the "moody maker" because my jewelry and art often reflect a mood or feeling that I am having. One day I sat down and decided to make romantic looking swirls for earwires while on another day I slow fired copper to give it a rose patina, work hardened it, and hammered it for a rougher look!

I grew up in the small town of Spencerville, Ohio and often spent summers on Lake Erie swimming, boating, and of course beachcombing. The draw to the water was always very strong for me and I’ve always found myself with my head down wandering the beaches looking for interesting finds.

It wasn’t until I met my husband Andrew that I started seriously collecting sea glass among other beach found materials. Andrew grew up in the town of Erie, Pennsylvania where we reside now. My family and I enjoy weekly visits to our local beaches where we collect sea glass, melted aluminum, drift wood pieces, stones, and what we like to call, "flotsem and jetsem". Flotsem and Jetsem is the trash that gets left behind carelessly that can hurt our beaches and water. We try to collect as much as possible when we are beachcombing to give a little back to that from which we take.

Together, my family and I make up Lake Erie Beach Glass. We have found everything from Native American trading beads to antique black marbles and fragments of vintage shipwreck lanterns. Part of the intrigue of a sea glass hunt is trying to figure out what the pieces were and where they came from! I enjoy searching through antique dealers looking for example patterns and maker's marks from which a piece could be. I also spend much time researching online and in various libraries and historical societies to further enhance my knowledge of glass history.

I have been collecting glass for over 8 years now widening my area from the western part of Ohio, Pennsylvania and now to the shores of New York state. We have traveled as a family of six to the shores of the Pacific, the Chesapeake, and to the shores of the Atlantic. I’d love to make it to Puerto Rico some day!

My educational history is varied as I have studied fine arts classes at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio along with continued metalsmithing courses in Erie, Pa and in Cleveland Oh. I am currently embarking on a quest to catalogue the unique colors and rarities of glass found within the confines of the shores of Great Lake Erie.

Lake Erie Beach Glass jewelry is displayed at Glass Grower’s Gallery and KADA Gallery in Erie, Pennsylvania and at Pure Art Gallery in the Cayman Islands. I am an active member of The North American Sea Glass Association. I also have jewelry and art listed on eBay and Etsy under lakeeriebeachglass.

ETSY'S MSIA SEEK, FIND, AND WIN CONTEST!

MSIA (Metal Smiths In Action), an awesome Etsy Street Team that I belong to is offering a contest and a chance to win handmade items to all of YOU! The contest starts NOVEMEBER 28th and runs through DECEMBER 12th. 25 prizes are available and the contest is open to anyone! That means our International friends as well! We have hidden 3 icons in our shops that you must seek and find. When all three have been found, you get to choose a cool handmade prize from one of the participating shops. Visit the MSIA web page HERE to get more details and see all of the participating shops. Take a look at a MSIA Treasury Feature!




To see a detailed photo album of the prize pool click HERE!
I am one of the participating shops in this contest and my donated prize is a pair of handmade genuine sea glass earrings in cornflower blue and lime green. The head pins were hand fired and polished and all metal is made of sterling silver.:0)

My Etsy shop, LAKE ERIE BEACH GLASS is offering FREE shipping throughout the US and Canada through the end of December! :0)

Etsy TRASHION TEAM Trunk Show~BLACK FRIDAY!

Team Trashion Encourages Shoppers to GO GREEN on BLACK FRIDAY!

Going back as far as the 1960’s, the day after Thanksgiving has held the unfortunate title of Black Friday. The name was given due to the madness that happens in highly commercialized places of commerce, but mostly because of the heavy traffic on that day. Folks are at the mall before the sun comes up, cars fill freeways and parking lots, money is burned on mass produced products and the gas it takes to get to them. It can get ugly.

Team Trashion, a unique, eco friendly, international group of artisans on etsy.com visualizes a different sort of Friday following Thanksgiving. Team Trashion wants to encourage families to keep the car in the garage, leave their slippers on and curl up with loved ones and a second helping of pumpkin pie. Doesn’t that sound great?

On Friday, November 28, Team Trashion will provide holiday shoppers with a unique opportunity to shop for one-of-a-kind gifts that are innovative and eco friendly. Buyers will be able to connect directly with sellers at a virtual Trunk Show on www.etsy.com. Over 30 Team Trashion artisans will be showing a varied collection of handmade treasures all created from upcycled, repurposed or otherwise abandoned materials. The Team Trashion Green Friday Trunk Show will be overflowing with holiday shopping opportunities that would make Mother Earth proud. You will not want to miss it!

The Team Trashion Green Friday Trunk Show is at 7pm est – just the perfect time to grab a cup of tea and do a little shopping in the comfort of your own home. Here’s how you get there:

1 - Log on to www.etsy.com If you do not have an Etsy account click here it's free to join, and you'll be glad you did!

2 - Choose the “community” tab at the top of the home page.

3 - Choose the “Virtual Labs” tab at the top of the community page.

4 - Choose the GREEN Treehouse “room” within the Virtual Labs.

5 - Sit back and enjoy the Trunk Show!

It will be great to see you there.

I Made The Plain Dealer?!

Wow! Imagine my surprise when a fellow Cleveland Etsy artist notified me of this write up!

FASHION AND STYLE
Latest reviews, shopping and beauty tips & more...

To read the entire article and more click hear to go to THE PLAIN DEALER.

You can see more of the Etsy Cleveland Street Team's work by visiting us at Mojo's on Sunday, November 23rd or by visiting us individualy on Etsy! Search for Clevelandteam!

Recycled, Upcycled, Gourd Art by Patti Owens!

Patti Owens aka Lily-Puts Art is well known for her whimsical creations of folk tales through the recycling or upcycling of gourds! I happen to proudly own several pieces of here work including The Cow That Jumped Over The Moon and a children's painting on recycled wood. Patti sells some of her work both on eBay(type in her id as lilyputs-art) and on Etsy.
Here's a little bit about Patti...
"I started doing art as a child, but I wanted an eclectic whimsical feel in my home so I started creating again. I love wacky designs and mix-matched art in an environment. Once I re-found art I was unable to stop. Driven by a wonderful compulsion I continued to expand my ideas and art to share with friends and family. I have shown my art in a gallery in the resort area near my home with much success But being a full time special education teacher and part time after school supervisor, time did not permit me to continue with the projects. As you may have noticed I am inspired by childhood events and carefree times that once sparked my imagination. Finding the internet as a perfect venue for my whimsical creation has given me the freedom to make what I want, when I want without any expectations. Today my goal is to promote my own art and other green artist in the US. I started this little online shop to expand on my own without timeline and fuss." Check out Patti's art in her Etsy shop here.

Lebg Custom Wire Wrapped Amethyst Pendant!

I received a phone call from a customer who owned a beautiful 12.11ct Amethyst that she wanted wrapped in sterling silver. The Amethyst is trillion cut and is very deep. She tried to have it set but was given some difficulty and hi pricing so she thought maybe a sterling silver wire wrap would be best. Thus, I received the custom order.

The stone IS absolutely beautiful! I knew I could do the setting but there would be some new challenges to face. The angle of the stone with not much of an edge made the wrap very difficult to achieve. I did however bend the cage wrap at an angle that the stone would sit right in it like a normal prong setting would. I pulled the wires over, gave it a bail, and then decorated the top with swirls. We both agreed that we wanted the face of the Amethyst to show as much as possible. This is what I came up with. I think it turned out really beautiful!

Lake Erie Brings Us More Than Just Beach Glass!

Combing the Southern Shore of Great Lake Erie is like treasure hunting! Although we collect mostly sea beach glass that has washed ashore we do enjoy finding other objects as well. Occasionally we are surprised by a specific find of interest. My son Jason found this piece of drift wood off the coast of Lake Erie in North East, Pa. Upon further examination of the piece it definitely looks to be part of an old ship wreck. How awesome of a find is that! I will be doing quite a bit of research trying to figure this one out but if any of you maritime historians out there want to lend us a clue, we would be greatly thankful!

This piece is heavy and measures about 8 inches in length about 5 inches wide and about 1 1/2 inches thick. It was evidently mounted with wooden dowel rods as one of them are still stuck inside the piece. I have been studying Lake Erie shipwrecks on the South Shore Quadrangle for some time now and can't help but wonder if this came from one of the 1800 Wooden Schooner vessels that met their fate in an infamous Lake Erie Storm! Maybe its time to take a trip back to the Erie Maritime Museum with our piece!

Cleveland Etsy Street Team Trunk Show at Mojo's!

Some of my fellow Cleveland Etsy Street Team members and myself are getting together for a trunk show and some chit chat at MOJO'S November 23rd, 2008 from 10am-4pm. At least 12 members will be displaying their wares including:

Jill Slaby * Lake Erie Beach Glass * LaPetite Fleur * Virtual Lori
Lazy T Crochet * HandmadeGoods * Beautiful Era * Ramona
Petite Libellule * Stargazer Designs * Smashing * Leah Ana Designs

We hope to see you there! :0)

"PING" The Orange Hobnail Duck!

Look! Its the Holy Grail Find in the Sea Glass World! There I was just walking along the coast line of Great Lake Erie when I saw a little sunny sparkle of orange. It was a ways into the water and at first, I thought it was the corner of a brightly colored fall leaf that had gotten trapped under some pebbles. Then, I second guessed myself and thought I should bend over to take a closer look. Of course a gentle wave was about to take that fiery little object away. I quickly grabbed the sparkly with a handful of pebbles and a wet cuff and shoe. Too my amazement it WAS the elusive and beautiful ORANGE sea glass that all sea glass enthusiasts covet! I ran down the beach toward the rest of my family with the biggest grin plastered to my face. They of course shared in my excitement but also pointed out that I must have pee'd my pants a little bit. Thank goodness for little children as my youngest daughter so cleverly changed the subject back to the glass by pointing out that it looked like a duck's head. Such incredible imaginations come from the littlest of ones! Thus, "PING" was born!

I have only collected 3 worthy pieces of orange in my life time up to this point and this is definately the best of the finds for me. It is well rounded and smoothed. The characteristic bump (of head of the duck) leads me to believe that it came from a decorative orange hobnail piece. In researching the piece I came across OODLE, a site that sells antiques including a beautiful Fenton Orange Hobnail Fairy Lamp! Being the impulsive buyer that I am, of course I have to have it to add to my collection! :0)

2009 SEA GLASS FESTIVAL is in ERIE PA!

The votes have been taken and tallied and it is now official! The 2009 North American Sea Glass Festival will be held October 17th & 18th, 2009 in my home town of Erie, Pennsylvania! The Bayfront Convention Center, overlooking Erie's Bay will be the venue to house the festival. The natural light will shine beautifully through those windows making it the perfect spot to display hundreds of unique sea glass collections from around the world, beautiful classic and unique creations of jewelry and art, informative lectures, and more! For room deals at the Sheraton Erie Bayfront, next-door to the Bayfront convention center, please call the Sheraton Erie Bayfront - (814) 454-2005. Limited rooms available. Don't forget to mention you'd like the “Sea Glass Festival deal”.

The 2008 festival that was held in Lewes, Delaware was a huge success with thousands in attendance! When the tickets were sold, we distributed name tags for entry and when those ran out, we just simply marked the hand with an X! It was an incredible show! Here is a snap shot, above, of the 2008 festival and I'm looking forward to being a part of the 2009 festival as well!


For more information on the 2009 sea glass festival visit the North American Sea Glass Festival site here.

Sea Glass Photo Stands!

I thought I had heard of everything! But sea glass photo stands are new to me. Tracey, a friend and fellow sea glass enthusiast has her own shop on Etsy like myself. We often find ourselves in friendly competition with each other but I have to tell you, she is always coming up with something new, fresh, and funky!

I loved this idea so much that, of course, I had to blog it! What a terrific idea for a gift, for your desk, or for any of you sea beach glass crafters out there (and I know there are a lot in Erie!)who want to display it a long with your favorite sea glass find photo right in your studios! You can check Tracey out in her shop, SteppingStones or her bio here.

A Crown Fit for a Queen!

WOW! When I saw what my fellow MSIA (MetalSmithsInAction) team member created, I knew I had to blog it! Tess is a talented MetalSmith and Jewelry Artist. This Bridal Crown was created for a close friend who is about to be married. I think the bride of this piece is lucky to have such a talented friend!

Please visit Tess's shop on Etsy at NovaDesigns. Here is her Bio:
"I was born and raised in beautiful Sweden, with the sea and forests just around the corner. Where children still played outside instead of playing video games... A childhood that encouraged you to use your imagination and creativity. With an artist mother I was consistently exposed to design, art, the joy of making things but I also learned that being talented doesn't always bring food to the table...

So I decided to take my artistic heritage and turn to graphic design in the hopes of actually having a job... I always wanted to explore USA so when I was offered to move as a graphic designer for a large swedish furniture company (you know... the big blue box...) to Atlanta in 2005 I accepted packed my bags.... I later moved to Philadelphia where I now live.

After staring at a computer for almost 10 years (yikes I am getting old!) I needed another outlet. Something more real. So I started my jewelry designs. And needless to say it's really hard to find the same joy in front of the computer as I do with my beads, silver wire and leather...

So I am hoping that this will be the beginning of a creative and inspirational life ahead of me."

Acution for A Cause Update!

The Auction isn't over yet! There is still time! Get your bids in before October 30th,2008 to win a beautiful basket full of handmade eco-friendly items! There is a ton of loot in this basket that is great for gift giving or to just pamper yourself and the proceeds all go to The Nature Coservancy, a worthy charitable cause! Take a peek at just a few of the artist's items in the basket!
Lake Erie Beach Glass (us) Genuine Sea Glass Earrings!

Lil Fish Studios donated this beautifully fun bouquet made entirely of buttons that have been recycled from old vintage clothing and leather recycled from an old purse!

FashionGreenTeaBags donated these adorable recycled T-shirt wristlets which are awesome for grocery shopping, storing things in, and beach combing with!

SteppingStones (my dear friend)donated a beautiful earthy genuine beach stone unisex necklace.

These are only a FEW of the artists that have donated to Eco Etsy's AUCTION FOR A CAUSE. For more information on how to bid and to few other items that are offered in this basket please click here.

MetalSmiths In Action!

I'm very happy to have been accepted to a great group of MetalSmith Artists and MetalSmith Artists in Training on Etsy! Check us out at http://metalsmithsinaction.webs.com/index.htm This will be an excellant source of encouragement, support, and knowledge. I work best when I have others to bounce ideas off of so I'm excited to be a part. Maybe! Just Maybe I might be able to offer some advice, too! So, I'm excited to start encorporating more metal work into my jewelry designs beyond bezeling!

I look forward to posting items soon! Here is a simple, fun, and versitile piece that uses a little bit of MetalSmithing technique.

This CHARMING necklace is offered for sale in my Etsy Shop with a few others that are similar. The purpose of the necklace is to use beach found objects including sea glass, drift wood, melted aluminum, beach stones, or any other cool objects found on our beaces in a "CHARM' style so you can intermix the pieces at will. You can wear one, two, or a whole bunch together as they easily slide off the leather cording and are replaced in different ways. I have handmade several of the sterling silver findings and the copper rings. The copper rings were forged and slowly fired to achieve a rose type finish. These were fun to make and are just as fun to wear. :0)

Team Eco Etsy AUCTION FOR A CAUSE!

Auction for a Cause is a collaboration of TEAM ECO ETSY sellers who have come together to auction their wares in order to promote handmade, eco-friendly goods and to support a worthy organization. This auction is entirely a non-for-profit auction and all proceeds will be donated to THE NATURE CONSERVANCY.

The benefit auction started preparations in the spring of 2008, and each participant that
donated to the auction basket were required to follow a set of rules for their items:
● Every item is Eco-related in some way. These include repurposed, recycled, up-cycled,
and eco-friendly products.
● Every item is handmade.
● Every item includes a small card that describes the item and how it relates to ecopractices.
More than 60 individual items are contained in this beautiful, eco-friendly auction
handcrafted by people who care about nature and our environment. The total of all donations
is valued at more than $300 retail.

AUCTION DETAILS:
Donation photographs will be available beginning October 20, the first day of the auction.
These photographs can be accessed by viewing the album at
http://ecoetsyauction.myphotoalbum.com/
Auction Start Date: October 20th, 2008
Auction End Date: October 30th, 2008
This auction is open to US residents only. This is to prevent any legal issues as well as prevent
shipping issues that may arise due to regulations that other countries have.
Bidding: Bids may be placed on the auction basket by emailing promo@ecoetsy.com. Updates
will be announced regularly on the EcoEtsy blog (http://ecoetsy.blogspot.com/) with the
highest bidding amount.
Please n ote t ha t t he mo n ies rai sed wil l a lso be u sed to s h ip t he do na t io n b asket to t he wi n ner.
The highest bid placed by 9 PM MST (-7 GMT) will be awarded. The auction basket will be
shipped within one week of bid payment receipt – payment details will be sent to the winner
after the auction via email.

We are back from Lewes Delaware!

The North American Sea Glass Festival was HUGE this year! The weather was perfect for the venue and the line to get in was long! There were many wonderful vendors with unique exibits and beautiful jewelry to sell. I was a part of this venue last year when it was held in Santa Cruz, Ca. and was amazed then! This year's festival added new and exciting things a long with some similarities to the Santa Cruz festival.
Lectures were offered from expert sea glass hunters and collectors. Collectors of old bottles and beautiful Japanese floats that wash up on the Alaskan coast were set up for viewing.

Several authors including Richard LaMotteof Pure Sea Glass were on hand to sign books and answer questions.

And the Shard of the Year contest brought in some of the most beautiful and unique pieces of sea glass, pottery, and stoppers that I've ever seen.

I know this was a very successful festival for sea glass enthusiasts alike! To view a slide show of the festival visit NASGA'S on-line magazine The Sea Glass Journal. So, where will next year's festival be? I've been listening to the crowd of customers, the sellers, the collectors, and the many members of NASGA and there is talk of having it back in Lewes or in my neck of the woods here in Erie, Pa. The official votes will be counted around October 30th so we will know for sure after that date.
On a second note, one might think that we would be tired of sea beach glass after such a huge event but not us! We went right back out to the beach the first chance we got and what does my daughter Hanna find? A marble, of course!