Good For You

Check out Shelly's delectable soaps...almost yummy enough to eat and good for you too!


by Body Deli by Shelly



My name is Shelly I love to make soaps, body creams, and mineral makeup with healthy ingredients. I stay at home and LOVE what I do! My products are made from scratch with my wonderful recipes and most of the novelties soaps are made from silicone molds I made from real food. Create body products and makeup is my passion!

http://www.bodydelibyshelly.etsy.com/

I just created my blog, also have website, twitter and flickr accounts.
Have a peek!

http://www.shellyfrancesminerals.com/
http://shellyfrancesminerals.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/shellycosmetics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shellyfrancescosmetics/

Thank you for all of your wonderful messages and words of encouragement!













You are going to go bananas for davenevanxaviour's absolutely adorable amigurumi !
Enjoy having a look through her shop www.davenevanxaviour.etsy.com and
her blog at http://geekycrochet.blogspot.com/.

I used to work for Ty Inc., the Beanie Baby company. It was my first job after I had graduated from The Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. After drawing and animating on a computer all day I wanted to just relax on the couch and make something. I had discovered amigurumi (a Japanese word meaning crocheted or knitted stuffed dolls) while browsing the internet, and I thought it would be cool if I could do that. So I asked my mom to teach me how to crochet. She knows how to do everything that involves crafts. She taught me the basics, but now I make up my own patterns and am getting more advanced as I try new things.Crocheted toys make up the majority of my shop, but I like to try new materials and mediums. I find old crafting supplies around the house, and make cute and geeky things. This is a hobby for me, so I make everything while I'm on the couch relaxing and watching tv.My words of wisdom:I believe that you should create art that you like and can be proud of instead of trying to make things that appeal to certain tastes, ages, or trends. If you believe in your work and are confident in what you are making people will like it. Listen to the positive and negative comments, but don't take them personally. Everyone has different tastes, and for every person who doesn't like your art there is someone who does. That is life, that is art.

Any Place Is A Great Place To Create!

Creating is creating no matter where you are!
Do you like to create indoors or outside? Do you prefer to create early in the morning after waking up feeling renewed and refreshed or in the evening when the kids are in bed? Maybe you are a night hawk and like to create in the middle of the night (I love the feeling of finishing my paintings ~sometimes in the wee hours of the night!) I have even found ways to bring some of my art tools with me when I go away on vacation (you never know when inspiration will hit!).
I agree with New Creationz that any where you can find a spot is a great place to create! Check out her fabulous creations http://www.newcreationz.etsy.com/.

When I take a look at the photos posted here, one word immediately springs to mind ‘HELP!’I am one of those people that dream of having their own studio, I wish for a space that I can call my own. That I don’t have to share with anyone else. That has all my equipment orderly arranged along spacious shelves and tucked away in neat little boxes. But, alas my life is not like that and though I peel through decor mags searching for the answer to my clutter problems, I have not let it hinder the flow of my creative juices.Sharing a small house with a family of five (including two teenagers!) has to have a few compromises. But my family is very accommodating. Most times, I am busy on more than one project so end up being rather spread out around the house. They put up with not eating at the dining table for days, due to it being covered in paints, canvases and with whatever project I am involved in at the time. It’s only once in a while that they tend to murmur when I am so engrossed in my art that I forget all about fixing dinner! I also work five days a week at my children’s school so am not normally able to sit down and complete a piece in one sitting.














For that reason I have adapted the way I work, to grabbing a moment here and there, so as to ensure that I progress with paintings or other projects. So I would like to encourage those that are not naturally “tidies“ or that don’t have a special studio to work in, or not much time to spare, to not be discouraged or feel they cannot produce anything worthwhile!I have learned to make the most of what I have got. Though my space and time is very limited, I am compelled to use the talents I have and won’t let my circumstances stop me. Having said all of that, I am still allowed to dream.....

(I am originally from South Africa and now live in New Zealand with my husband and three children. We love the life we have here and I am continually inspired to paint and photograph the beautiful green fields, blue sea and white beaches we are surrounded with.)