My choice for the Artist Who Rocks this month is soo UNIQUE!!

"The Bride"

So, this artist I found about 2 years ago on good 'ole Myspace. Say what you will about Myspace but if you want to find awesome raw talent-HOLY CROW, that site is chock full of goodies. Shame I can no longer remember any of my login information to get into my Myspace account..lol- c'est Le vie!

"Madre"
*do you see momma's lil babies crawling out of her clutch?

Ok, So, it was not until RAY CAESAR that I found true value in the digital arts. His pieces are so layered and detailed it boggles my mind on how you can do this with a serious Photoshop program! Once I realized he spent MANY more hours on his pieces than even a traditional oil artist, I knew then it was a true art form. His working method is a very interesting read with pics that show the process...very cool!

"Sleeping-Study"

Ray Caesar is an artist from Toronto, with gallery representation in Philadelphia. He creates his images in the program Maya. Here's a little note about his method

"WallFlowers"

My work is entirely digital, from its creation to its method of printing. I create models in a three dimensional modeling software and cover these models with painted and manipulated photographic textures that wrap around them like a map on a globe. Each model is then set up with a invisible skeleton that allows me to pose and position the figure in its three dimensional environment. Digital lights and cameras are added with shadows and reflections simulating that of a real world.

For 17 years I worked in the Art and Photography Department of The Hospital For Sick Children in Toronto. I worked in a department that documented such things as child abuse, surgical reconstruction, psychology and animal research. They were years that I will never forget, years of witnessing great sadness but also great miracles.

I often awake in the middle of the night and realize I have been wondering the hallways and corridors of that giant hospital. As I lay there in the dark, I struggle to remember the fading words of those that still haunt my memories of so many years ago. It is so clear to me that this is the birthplace of all my imagery.

It is appropriate that I now live my dreams for those that didn't get a chance to live theirs.... to do otherwise would be a sin.


Ray Caesar

"Sleeping By Day"

Not only so uber gifted but clearly a good hearted soul too.... Ray Caesar is the EPITOME of the Art Rocks award!

Also, wanted to mention while visiting Ray's pictures be sure to REALLY look. Each and everyone has some slightly hidden details that you miss unless you really look for it.

My Morning

I got up at 6;30 am (a huge deal for me..) this morning and decided to take pics on the beach of the sunrise and sketch for a bit. I virtually had the beach to myself. Just had to share a few pics...

Happy Feet!

~Silly Skelly Makedo on Etsy~

~I have a wonderful new home!!~

I am so tickled with this goofy character & his bottlecap eyes. It took me a month+ to discover who he would be. He was worth the wait.

Ok...now I am really off to relax..(uh huh)

Family Time!!

I saw this cartoon and had to giggle. This is soooo us!

Although, they left out one additional semi-cranky teen, 3 more dogs, 1 chicken coop for our lil flock of hens & ducks, and a window sill big enough for two cats to lounge on for ungodly long hours.

This brings me to...it is family vacation time! We are leaving in the morning for the week

to a really nice beach house that is in Michael's Family! How nice is that? The best part besides it is free is that it is only 40 minutes from our house (gas prices..ugh) and it is a NJ beach that is the nicest I have ever seen. It is almost like it is undiscovered.

I will have Internet access (OH thank you JESUS) so never fear my SpookyTime Jingly friends, I will be checking in, in the evenings.

It will be so nice to spend quiet un-rushed time with Michael and the boys. Michael's partner is awesome and will handle all the business worries so Mike can really actually relax (wonder if he forgot how to?...lol-I know I have a bit). I always need to be doing something so besides brainstorming about SpookyTime Jingles on the beach, I do need to fill an order for 30 ornaments. So at night I will be designing some new ornies and I am excited to see what inspiration will come from our week away. I will try and channel Tim Burton while on the beach ;)

~Dani~

Hey, y'all!!

Thanks for all the funny comments based on my "lotion" fiasco. I am still thoroughly annoyed with that seller and really would like to lay my Jersey "tude" on her! But in the interest of being a kinder gentler and more understanding person I have decided to send a small note of mention along with my message that the candles arrived while secretly cursing her sheer stupidity under my breath (oops, I did it again ;). I will let you all know if any new developments should rear their ugly lubed-up lil head.




UPDATE...just now decided to google it! It is tanning lotion! Shwew~ LMAO!! Still not happy with it on the outside of the box but sooo much better than where my mind went! Now, I am annoyed with this company who produces it. Look at what they name all of their products!! They either have a sexually charged name or a controlled dangerous substance name!!!



Is it really any wonder we have so many young girls/women with self esteem/image issues (anorexia, bulimia, cutting). They can't even buy tanning lotion without a big neon reminder to be sexy no matter what or stoned to have fun. ARGH!!! Much of the media and marketing SUCK for a young persons self esteem. Ok, I am off my soap box...... ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





I wanted to thank Kim of Folk Art From The Heart for featuring my Spring Bunny Sculpture as a favorite on her site. She also featured FIVE other SpookyTime Jingles artists as fav's, saying how inspirational she finds our pieces!! How cool is that? Besides the fact that I am the owner of SpookyTime Jingles, I really TRULY believe we have some of the very best artisans from across the US and Canada. That is why I do not hesitate to put that statement on all of our marketing materials. I think that by Kim choosing 5 other STJ artists as inspirational favs shows just how wonderful they all really are and how SpookyTimeJingles.com does have the best artists!!

Thank you Kim, especially since you are a wonderful artist yourself!!

WHAT? WTF? Huh? You MUST be kidding me!

1st let me worn you, that what you are about to read is far from my usual demeanor but you just can't take "the Jersey" outta the girl, I suppose. So, here is my good 'ole Jersey attitude which rears its ugly head every 6 months or so.


Ok, you cannot make this stuff up!! Two weeks ago I made a purchase from an online marketplace featuring handmade goodies. 1 candle and 1 tart. Easy breezy right? Ok, well I paid instantly and never heard a thing from the seller. Not, I processed your order, thank you, FU......something??!!! So, I contacted the seller yesterday to say Hello...what's up? The seller explained that she mailed it Parcel Post 5 days after I bought it. Well, ok....moving on, now it made sense. So, I cooled my jets figuring I should see it by Christmas.



Well, my candles arrived today which is amazing on its own but they arrived with some WTF extra's! What is a WTF extra you ask? Let me show you...

Please notice the 5 count them FIVE Avon books! All of which were outdated plus it came with a card (can't show you b/c it has the persons name on it-but, don't think I wasn't tempted) that read This book has EXPIRED, but...you can view everything Avon has to offer at www..... BLAH BLAH BLAH..

Secondly and really most importantly-READ THE BOX that my candles came in..Caribbean Gold SEX KITTEN!! WTF ??? 10 MILLION, TRILLION, ZILLION TIMES over WTF??


The box originally held 12 bottles of some sort of lotion... oh that is just lovely.. Again WTF?
This seller couldn't find time to peel off the 2 stickers that say SEX on the outside of the box but found time to put in 5 outdated & worn Avon booklets?
She couldn't find time to mail it before 5 days? She couldn't find time to contact me to say she got my order for the Pumpkin Cheesecake tarts & Wedding Cake candle? God only knows what my mailman thinks of us now...sheesh~


Sure, I have 12 bottles of sex lotion sent to my home all the time. And don't you know the candle was pretty heavy so it truly felt like I had been shipped 12 bottles of lotion. PLUS, the only thing professional about the whole transaction was a computer generated shipping label that made it look like it arrived from a warehouse!


In closing, how completely and TOTALLY unprofessional & gross. Do not take my purchase as a green light to send me your bullshit. I have no interest in it. I didn't contact you for AVON. I contacted you for candles..homemade yummy smelling candles (which btw..they do smell great).
But I can never buy from you again after this BS...thanx, everytime I look at that candle I will think of my mailman carrying the box labeled sex kitten lotion to my doorstep while my son plays in the front yard.

~Favorite Tools~

I was tagged by Lance of Crescent Hill Designs to show my favorite tools of the trade. So here they are. If I had to pick one I would have to say bamboo skewers. I use them on almost every single piece I have made. They make great lines & shapes and allow me to do some different stuff. My second favorite is a knife my son Gavin gave me from boyscouts, it makes supersharp-detailed lines that make for awesome teeth! Thanx Lance, this one was a fun one!

I am featured on ESO!!!

Please stop by and read my interview with Rod of Etsy Spotlight on.....

The reveal for SpookyTimeJingles.com

I just am loving me some Spooky Time Jingles!!! All of our artists are SOOO Good! Here is my Halloween offering for August.

Upcoming Pfatt Peek!

Come peek on the 10th!

"Gettin Jingly With it"

This dancing snowman is "Gettin Jingly with it" to celebrate the season!


SpookyTime Jingles exclusive on the 13th!

Sneak Peek!

I will list these ornaments along with a few others I am working on at either Pfatt (the 10th) or SpookyTimeJingles.com (the 13th). Stay tuned!

As seen on SpookyTime Jingles!

Rachel of oneprettything wrote a post on IndieFiXX of her top 3 inspirational artists and I was one of them! She chose my "lil devil trick or treater" sculpture to show my work and that can be found only on SpookyTime Jingles! I am so excited I will even take $10.00 OFF the "lil devil trick or treater" piece (plus still free shipping) to anyone who mentions the IndieFixx post !!!


Thanx Rachel & Thanx Indiefixx!