Foxfire Daily: Onward and Upward...

Also known as: a step in the (hopefully) right direction.

Dragon has gotten a job... 45 minutes away. Prohibitive on gas, but at least he's working. Potential for great things, but also potential for this to be hugely wasted time. We're tired of the knife's edge... we're ready for something stable to stand on. We are both hopeful and discouraged. The oldest child is being overly teenager-ish, and the youngest is potty training. The middle child is wholly and uniquely herself in the midst of all the chaos, bless her. And in the meantime...

Dragon's creativity is being given an unexpected outlet at his work, which he's discovering he is both good at and enjoys - event organizing. Who knew? Parleying that into something greater... looking into it.

I have gotten my first official art commission in years... from a local church member, of all things. (insert absurd giggles here) It's giving me fits, but what does one expect? Church art. Creative brain does not want to even...

One step. Find gratitude. Another step. Synchronicity. Keep walking. Intention. Never stop moving.

This has been just a quick update; this blog and Twinflame Studios in general has suffered over the past few (very) busy months, and I'm feeling the call again, so... one small step. Etsy is no longer a viable option for us due to disagreements with their policies on certain things; Amazon's marketplace is untenable for the same reason. So we're looking for alternate options. Artfire requires a subscription of sorts, which is also unworkable right now. Fox's jewelry is up in several art galleries, including our FB gallery, but it's awkward to arrange purchases. Local craft shows cost money we don't have. It feels like there's too much take and not enough give, but I'm not sure where to prod to get it to come back into balance.

One day at a time. Breathe. Center. Believe. Intend. Small mercies. One step.

Blessings...
-your Artful White Fox.

Gratitude by kattything on deviantART

Foxfire Daily: Fox and Dragon

A conversation with a friend on Facebook sparked (pun definitely intended) a thought process in your Artful White Fox's mind (while I was trying to do the first wirework I've been able to do in almost two weeks because of the sickly in the house).  It's part of our tagline - "Foxfire and Dragonfire come together and a new era of creativity is born" - but what does it mean?

The common element is Fire. But what is Fire?

Fire burns.
Fire melts metal.
Fire creates ash, from which green things grow.
Fire creates power.
Fire warms the cold nights.
Fire is passion.
Fire lives, breathes, grows, and procreates.
Fire is creation and destruction in the same heartbeat.

And both are required for life and growth.

Now... Fox and Dragon... where in the world does that come from?

I, the White Fox, and my partner, the Black Dragon, recognize the fire burning in each other, and it burns brighter, hotter, and stronger together than it could apart. It runs like liquid stars in our veins and pours from our hearts straight into our hands and mouths, where we can share it with the rest of the world.

Fire is the forge and hearth of our life together.

Dragons are fierce, proud, loyal when you've earned it, and deadly when you've not. Dragons hoard what is precious to them, and that is not always gold and jewels. Sometimes a dragon's hoard is a little less tangible... like knowledge or wisdom... or a little less cold, like friends and family.  They can be greedy, but if one is greedy for the right things... well, let's just say there are some things I don't think you can have too much of. And if one turns that greed to thoughtful purpose, instead of mindless acquisition, then it becomes passion. And God help you if you mess with what is precious to them, because they will eat you.

Foxes are wild, shy, gentle, and clever. They are great parents, and good at making safe, warm, cozy dens. They can be loyal companions when they learn to trust. They are often mischievous and love to play. They can and will vanish if threatened. They are strong-hearted and adaptable, surviving where others might not. They're ethereal, hard to grasp, like the wind... but if one comes to stay, treasure it and treat it with respect, and it'll stay with you, and work hard to make your world as bright as it knows how.

I am his White Fox, his kitsune - his bright, wild, magical, overly outspoken and often troublesome creature that comes to his call and stays by his side by choice.  He is my Black Dragon - fierce, proud, loyal, protective, and passionate, who spreads his wing so I may shelter in its shadow.

Winter-struck

Sometimes it gets to us all. The White Fox and Black Dragon have been down with this season's fever/sore throat/sinus crap but we're on the tail end of it (thank you, Nano Silver!) and hopefully can get back to (what passes for) normal in the next day or so.

Sorry about missing this last Artist's Sunday; that will resume this coming Sunday, with something geeky for Easter weekend, and maybe a sprinkle of St. Paddy's thrown in. We'll just have to wait and see what comes out.

On another note, we've (re)acquired a roommate from a previous dwelling-place. This is not a bad thing (sister-in-law, and she's a sweetheart), but it's starting to get crowded and worrisome for purely survival reasons (food, mostly), but we're figuring we can make it work. Still trying to come up with some way to get ahead when we live in a county where the number of jobs is SO much less than the number unemployed... unfortunately almost all the opportunities available are too far away or cost too much to take advantage of. What are a jewelry artist and a blacksmith/jack-of-all-trades to do with so little to work with?

Dig up the bones, dust them off, and see what can be recrafted from what's left. As always, we're open to suggestions.  There's got to be a few avenues we haven't yet explored.

Live, Love, and Make Art
-your Artful (sickly) White Fox.

Dragoncraft: Inkling #2

"Feed them your hopes, dreams, wishes, and prayers 

and they'll work themselves to the bone to help them come true!"

The #2 Limited Edition Deer Bone Inkling, hereby dubbed "Ziggy" is now officially available for purchase! Message us for details if you'd like Ziggy to come home to a shelf, table, mantle, nightstand, or altar near you!

Dragon's Snark

As of today, Dragon's Snark will no longer be available. I feel that it has faltered from its intended purpose. As it stands, it may resume at a later date. If you have read it, and enjoyed it, then I am sorry. However as it stands, I am not happy with the path it was taking as I am overly critical of my own works, and will be trying to come up with something different to replace it. Thank you for your time. ~Dragon

Dragoncraft: Treasures from a Dragon's Hoard, pt. 2

Dragons are clever creatures. They hoard many things - jewels, gold, expensive fabrics, and precious artifacts - but there are other less-known things a dragon will hoard. They love pretty things of all natures, of course, like paintings, fine wines and liquors... and women. But their cleverness shows in that they also find knowledge beautiful and hoard-worthy. Many dragons keep extensive libraries, and read whatever strikes their fancy when they're not out hunting a farmer's herds or raiding castles or making off with pretty virgins.

My Dragon always says that his hoard is his family, sweet, romantic, scaly fire-breathing thing that he is... I also know that he loves pretty and precious things just as any other dragon. However, he too loves knowledge. More specifically, he loves sharing it. He loves teaching. And he loves old things.

Amongst the many things I have seen him teach others in recent years, one of the most fun is listening to him on the subject of Antiques. He is deeply in his element at certain times... such as crafting, or cooking... or surrounded by old things. The area we live in is rich in history and antiques; this area of NC has roots as deep as the mountains in the distance. Inspired by these old and deeply rooted surroundings that he grew up in, Dragon has decided to share some of his personal Hoard with our small audience.

He has acquired three artifacts of history that will follow this post in pictures and detail. If you know antiquers or junkers (and yes I know the difference), you might want to spread the word.

Source credit: deviantART

Dragoncraft: Bones and Ink - Treasures from a Dragon's Hoard

“We men dream dreams, we work magic, we do good, we do evil. The dragons do not dream. They are dreams. They do not work magic: it is their substance, their being. They do not do; they are.”
― Ursula K. Le Guin, The Farthest Shore

Such can be said for Fox's dear Dragon. The Internet is not his thing; blogging and networking via this electronic medium is a vexing task for my grumpy one, so he mostly leaves it to his Fox.  But outside the computerized world, he does plenty else. He takes care of his Fox, and our little dragonette, as best as he is able. And somehow amongst all that, he finds time to create. So let me celebrate him:

The Birth of Something New and Drippy: Dragon's Inklings. Feed them your hopes, your dreams, your wishes and prayers, and they'll work themselves to the bone to help them come true!

Dragon hand-carves and hand-paints bone in much the same manner and much the same techniques Fox uses to create her own bone and antler pieces. Only, he creates little wish-creatures instead of jewelry. No machinery was used; these are shaped and carved with nothing but a pocketknife, a craft knife, and some detail files. They are painted with India Ink and a fine-tip brush, and much patience and care. Have I mentioned, his hands are magic?

Now I must admit, this post is a bit of a tease; There will be 4 (I believe) more Limited Edition Deer Bone Inklings, made from deadfall deer bones rescued from an ignominious ending in a ditch. These are Dragon's current project, along with some clay versions of the Inklings. These will be available for purchase (wink wink nudge nudge). Stay tuned for more on those, but for now, let me show you what I am describing:

Thanks to Magaly (recipient of the #1 Limited Edition Deer Bone Inkling named Moe), I have got some lovely pix to share. If you'd like to see what she wrote about him, look no further than Ink, Art, Books, and Bones. The Moe-specific portion is the third picture down from top.

Studio News: The life and times, chapter 2

First off, the happy things...

The dragonette is crawling, working on walking, clapping her hands, improving her little baby vocabulary, and has "mama" and "dada" down pat. And she hates sleep, both naps and nighttime. She still thinks books are for chewing on instead of reading from. Music and dancing are her favorite things, followed closely by things she can chew on (read: everything else). She's starting to share our meals, when there's something mushy enough for her to masticate.... 

Dragon's had a job offer... well, two, technically... and they're jobs he can work at the same time. The catch: they're in Greensboro and we're currently staying in Albemarle. That's an hour and a half (or so) drive away, for those of you unfamiliar with the area. Oh, the irony.

So the door closes, the window opens... and it's out of reach with no ladder in sight.  Nothing works out. Anybody know a way we can live in Greensboro long enough for this job opportunity to go through?  Or, if someone here in the area (I think we'd even take something within a state or so's distance... hint hint nudge nudge to my family in VA) have any leads on a place to live and/or a job possibility...

It's an interesting place to be in, when (literally) the only thing one has is one's partner. All Dragon and I have is each other, and our little wyrmling. Well, ok, we have a car, and clothes and stuff. But, with no job and no place to live that isn't granted us by someone else's grace... well, that's not my idea of a way to live. We've got very few allies. My mom is the only one who really seems to care anymore. Everyone else is either unable or unwilling to help... or has outright turned their backs on us.

We wanted a better life for ourselves, each other, and the little ones... and we ended up with nothing and no way to change that.

We're open to ideas, at this point. (Hint: this is where you chime in...)

Studio News: Announcement

Some of you know, but a major portion of you don't...

Fox and Dragon had our first baby Aug 7, 3:53 AM.  She was 7lb, 13oz, 20 & 3/4 in. long, and her name is Moira Jeannette. She is strong, healthy, has a voracious appetite, and is incredibly alert for a newborn. Dragon is positively beside himself being a new daddy.  I don't think I've ever seen him smile this much, or heard so many giggles out of his mouth... especially when the little dragonspawn latched onto daddy's nose and started suckling.

Many blessings, much love, and all the Light-

Fox, Dragon, and the brand-new Wyrmling. 

Quotes from Dragon, posted by Fox

I just remembered something Dragon said to me yesterday (after not sleeping for over a full day - he does that sometimes) and it amused me, so I thought I'd share.

"I'm more than delirious.  I'm right."

Flame of the Day (Dragon Speaks)

Believe it or not, unlike most artists, both the White Fox and myself are online regularly(daily), and are entirely ready and willing to answer questions and the like for any who are willing to ask. Just as an extra bonus for checking in our activities I am prepared to offer my wisdom to the masses, so as of today April 6 2011, at 9:21 a.m. be prepared for whatever it is I choose to write in for the "Flame of the Day"! Whether it be a quote, or a daily guidance mantra, or even a witty limerick. Check in, say hi, and see how the artistic juices are flowing. Hopefully we will have new works available soon for your viewing pleasure along with my quips. Well, anyway I've stretched this explanation long enough, so here it is, what you've been waiting for....

The Flame of the Day:

"Never poke dragons with sticks, it may give them ideas."

Fox and Dragon's blog: Handmade jewelry and other crafts.

Also on Facebook, Pinterest, deviantART, and Etsy for convenient access. Photos of our work can be found on Facebook and deviantART. Purchasable items can be found on Etsy. Also see links at the top of the sidebar. Please visit our various and sundry pages, add us, and tell your friends and family!

We use whatever mediums happen to be at hand.  Fox prefers gemstones, antler, bone and metals, but has been known to try her hand at sculpture with polymer clay, and the occasional bit of wood or leather work.  Dragon will put his hand to whatever strikes his fancy next, though he has done a little of everything from wire pendants to metalsmithing and woodworking.  His latest - polyclay and bonecarving.

What's upcoming in the Studio's plans? We'll be exploring our own lives in sculpture and carving, with items such as offering bowls, wands, prayer beads, jewelry, spiritually inspired art... and whatever else strikes our fancy.