Apologies to both lisianblue and trusk4u!  I completely scrambled this post up, initially.

Many people are sucked into the world of artists after finding one medium that captures them.  While they may maintain interest, cultivate, and perfect that medium, very rarely does the journey end there.  Inevitably, it snowballs and other crafts are learned and explored.

This week's artist, trusk4u, began with sewing, a craft she's still passionate about.  From sewing, Teresa has also found jewelry to her taste, and it's been her focus, recently.

Her jewelry style is very clean, feminine, and makes great use of colors.  I found several pieces that really caught my eye, but this stately piece made with a mixture of obsidian, onyx, jade, and blackstone really did it for me.  Not only is it a geology lesson in a necklace, but it's something that stands out.

Though jewelery is the main star of her shops, these days, you can still find pretty, functional sewing.  I love this pink batik purse set.  Not only do you get the purse itself, but it comes with a zippered bag and coin purse, too.  Gorgeous and summery!

Make sure to check out her shops for other amazing work, and also keep a close eye on her upcoming brick-and-mortar shop, Hollyhocks!  Now that's a labor of love.  

This week has been a fraught of computer and networking issues, so I'm terribly behind on getting this feature ready.  This week's artisan is baublezptoa! 

A self-proclaimed ex-hippie, Carmen began her jewelry career right after high school when she found her local bead shop.  She strung for friends and family, but soon found herself drawn away when the local bead shop closed and school and work picked up in intensity.  Her talent laid low while she maneuvered herself through the corporate world, but it came into full bloom when she began searching for a new way of life.

Since she made that break from 'the real world', she's acquired more and more skills and explored her artistic abilities and talents in many different areas.  One of her more recent accomplishments was to gain her certification in Precious Metal Clay.  The below piece uses PMC as a base for two lovely peridot cubic zirconias.

Carmen's certification in PMC allows her to share her knowledge and skills with others.  I'm a pretty bad teacher and have a weird learning style, so I have a great deal of respect for anyone who's able to communicate with others and allow them to explore new things.  That said, she prefers to stay in the studio and design, sculpt, and tweak her pieces.  

The piece below really caught my eye.  The glitz of the cabochon is unbeatable and snazzy, and you can see how much care she puts into her pieces in the detailing around the sides and top.

Another part of her life is her animals.  She has a beautiful fur family, and I really enjoyed looking through her galleries.  Currently, baublezptoa is donating 30% of sales to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.  Pet lovers will also love the paw print medallion at the top of the page.  Everyone will love at least one of the drool-worthy, fine-art pendants!  Absolutely gorgeous.

You can find baublezptoa's shop on etsy, as well.  She has a website here, and a blog where you can read about her crafts and other artist features.