Friday Etsy Meanderings

It's Friday again!

And even while I bask in my post wedding glow...

(Kate & William's wedding was fantastic!!)

I thought I'd pass along a little magic to you all!

 Isn't she adorable? She's custom made to order and is made of painted, sanded quilters muslin that the makers describe as feeling like old leather! ooo so awesome! I'd love to have her!

A delicious collection to make you patio table like a fairy land - don't you hang art outside? :D

Fog One Handle Bowls - $40/2  dorothydomingo

Beautiful Heart Lights up the City Photo - $26   ChelseaVictoria

Circus Magic Original - $425   afancifultwist

Lotus Vase - $145   WhiteEarthStudio

Look at this flag ribbon. It's so great with the green gingham and pink roses - I've always loved pink and green together

! And there's nothing so summery as gingham and roses, perhaps white wine on the deck?? Ooo and this glass set below is really nice for any little foody thing you might want to keep the flies from.

You must know that there are few orange things I can resist. And Opalescent Orange?? Please!!!

my only regret is that there is no sugar bowl...

And I LOVE buffalo nickel ANYTHING!! But buttons... you can put them on your favorite cardy and fondle them while you dream of the day these great beasts roam the plains again...

Rose Bud Bunting with 12 Small Flags - $26.58USD   SewSweetViolet
Set of 6 - Teacups with Creamer -$28   RareFindsAndMore
3 - 5 cent Buffalo Vintage Silver Buttons - $14   whiteliliesdesigns
Cloche & Globe Set - $36   TheVintageParlor

My friend, and fellow mom/artist, Pamela Petry made the great pendant below.

I always find Dragonflies the most magical of all. They remind me of the evening that hundreds of them filled the golden hour right before I met my sweetheart!

You could say they heralded my own fairy tale... I do, anyways!

:D
xx

Product review - Bubble Gun $2.99 @ Safeway

(just a quick review)

the easter bunny brought, master zeke this bubble gun for easter.

there was some eye rolling on Brian's part, but I figure if Zeke's going to try to shoot me with pencil crayons (colored pencils to the Americans in the audience)

there's no getting around the gun influence!

Just as the easter bunny supposed
He

Loved it!!

Sometimes he used the 'gun' as a 'stick' to hit bubbles with!

A success any way you look at it!
It says that it's for 3+ years, but Zeke's not the kinda kid to put things in his mouth, or drink the solution, so I felt safe giving it to him. He loved that the trigger made the blade go around and around.
(don't worry it's plastic and wouldn't hurt him)
That little gun was whirring non-stop for an hour. He loved that sound too!

Happy Thursday!

:D
xx

Apple Pie Cake

So, last week sometime, Zeke comes in from a rousing time digging in the yard, and says, "Cake!"

"Did you want to make a cake?" I asked, thinking that he would say no.

I was wrong.

I noticed it was around the time that I start making Brian's lunch, so I told him we were going to have to 'schedule our cake making.'

As soon as Zeke got on the phone with Brian he told him we were making a 'CAKE!'

What kind?

Apple Pie Cake!

oh.

absolutely....

I had no idea that there was such a thing, but, ah the interweb!

And I just can't turn this guy down ;)

So apple pie cake it is!

Martha's always good for this sort of thing...

So I printed off the recipe, saw that it was for a 9" spring form pan. Now I only have one spring form pan and it's 10". 

I figured this was only a little different. 

So I made the 'necessary' adjustments.

I made a few more adjustments on the fly 

(the increases needed to be increased, so that there could be enough for a topping) and it turned out better than you'd think!

Zeke helped.

Yummy, even.

Although...

It really does need the full amount of apples!

See the ratio of fruit to 'cake'?
:D

AND
it's not nearly as tall as Martha's...but that was due to pan size as well as the shortage of apples!

The original recipe called for 12 and I was increasing ingredients so you'd think that I'd require more, but no.

I had 5 granny smiths. 5 would be fine.

Not juicy enough.

And the description on the recipe that this is like a combo between a pie and a crisp is kind of accurate...The cake is like the crisp topping...

all topping! So it's very sweet. I'll pick up some more apples, cook them and serve that with the rest...cause it is SUPER YUMMY!

Zeke and I highly recommend it!

Of course, he's so sensible he only ate half his piece, but he walks away from a half a cookie! It doesn't mean anything...

I swear ;)

xxx

So it's Monday... I mean Tuesday... yikes...

Yesterday was rainy and my husband was sick so it really still felt like a SUNDAY, so you can't blame me too too much for being confused..

well, maybe you can. I don't really know you ;)

And it's blazing sunny so there is NO getting around mowing the lawn today.

Boo...

though...

I DO have studio work to do.

I'm still working on the wedding set jewelry as the materials have inspired some 'off roading' design-wise.

I've gotten a little off track from what the Bride and I agreed on and I'd better get back to it before the materials are all gone and I have to order new.

Sheesh.

VERY UNPROFESSIONAL.

And SO ARTISTIC!

Perhaps.

Unless you have an image of an artist as someone who meets deadlines and keeps their word... which I don't know that my image of who I am quite matches that...

Not true.

I meet my DEADLINES and KEEP MY WORD

I just have a tendency to beeline between here and there.

 wild flowers bee - $25   songsoflight

Discovery Park Flowers Photo 8x10 - $15    LifeThroughMyLens

 

 

But now I'm back from collecting pollen and it's STRAIGHT to the hive for me!

And if I keep my head down, really crank out the jewelry, 

I might 

just 

miss 

my lawn mowing deadline.

;D

Have a good one!

xxx

Friday Etsy Meanderings

It's Easter Weekend!

Happy Good Friday everyone (Good Friday/Earth Day)

So here are some lovely Easter-y photos from a few great photogs over at etsy!

 Aren't they adorable??

 easter yellow spring chick - $22   fosterbk

woodland walk photo card - $4   artbeco

lamb photo - $33  janeheller

I soooo fell in love with this bag, from bayanhippo, THE MOMENT I saw it!!

But, seriously, all her stuff is fantastic!

And what would Mother's Day be without a little MOTHERF@!*$% plate??

 trixiedelicious is actually the shop THAT brought me to etsy!!

Any place where she can sell her fantastic wares is the place I want to be!!

artsonthevine is a great little yakima valley husband and wife business, with so many lampwork and copper delights that you will want everything!

I really like the industrial look their jewelry has. So fantastic!

I really need another word for fantastic!

And just because I HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THE MAP here today:

A return to things Easter-y and Spring-y!

(YES, those ARE real words)

baby hare Isolde - $55  dragonhouseofyuen

little black & gold vintage brooch - SOLD*

(It's from Spain so Mumma if you're reading this right now - Bring me one of those! Please!!)

raincloud necklace - $43  mayahelena (who's probably getting a little weirded out with all the attention I've been giving her lately, but seriously... I JUST DISCOVERED HER!! AND I LOVE ALL HER STUFF!!

so that's just the way it goes...)

And finally, another artist I can't get enough of ARTISANIEeurope's leaping rabbits mobile - $216.42USD

Have a great weekend everyone! 

I hope that easter bunny is good to you - maybe he'll bring us a new earth ;)

(too much?)

xx


*sorry but they seem to have disappeared. I removed the link.

Wedding Sets

So recently, I had the wonderful compliment of having a friend request that I make the jewelry for her wedding. She requested 5 sets: one for her and 4 bride's maids!

I am so honored and excited!

I love this idea. As an artisan I am always looking at jewelry wherever I go and especially weddings.

I just had to list the opportunity in my shop.

So check there, if you're interested!

With weddings it is nice because you have a color pallet but every person's will be just a little different. 

They will match, but their jewelry will also match their personalities!

She picked out a couple of my jewelry pieces that she liked and then gave me her colors and preference for materials.

I have a couple of pieces complete

(that I haven't taken photos of and my camera battery's dead, or I'd show you)

 and some half complete

(here are the halfsies!)

and am waiting on a few supplies but mostly it's been pure fun!

Have a wonderful day!

xx

Lots can be said for avoiding Perfectionism and expressing yourself clearly.

It frees you.
Allows you to be the person who pursues the dreams of your heart, fulfills the potential of who you really are.

That all sounds pretty great!

Doesn't it?

It does,
however,
require starting with what you've been hiding.

Yikes!

You know what I mean.

All that scary stuff that you wish you didn't do, that you wish wasn't true, that stuff that keeps you stuck, unable to move ahead with your dreams.

...so I've decided to start with something I have been hiding since we bought our house a year ago.

something that is really preventing me from moving ahead with my dreams.

My Studio.

 Now...

I DO share my studio with a small,

rather rambunctious toddler,

but I don't know that that's enough of an excuse!!

Do you think?

In FACT!

It got sooo messy last week that I moved my jewellry making stuff out to the dinning room table.

And that sat there for a few days before Brian asked what was going on?

I had to come clean.

My office was too messy to work in, I told him.

oh.

ok.

yup. 

I cleaned up the table and moved back into my office.

so... now that I've come clean; I'm going to have to clean up!

And what a better time than Spring!!

Wish me luck! :D

do you wish you were getting rid of something?

I wish you luck.

I hope that it goes well for both of us!

xx

Friday Etsy Meanderings

We're off!

SamOssie.etsy.com

Headed outta town on a whirlwind trip to BC

Yayyyy! 

Miss Vancouver so much - NOT AS MUCH as THE Island, 

but

a lot!!

so here's a short intro to an etsy artist that you're all going  to love as much as me, I'm sure!

trumblydesigns.etsy.com

Look at these lovely, romantic prints!

 

Raposa's Garden

Messenger's Delivery

Nostalgia

Her work is so romantic and expressive! I love the layers of images and all her pieces have a dreamy depth that carry me to never-never-land.

And THAT's the perfect frame of mind for where I'm going

<3

Here's hoping that you have a great weekend too!!

xx

Rainy Day

Today it rains

...and a few of my joints ache, so it's official.

I'm old.

:D

It happens to the best of us!

When jewelry gets old we stop wearing it.

But do we love it any less?

NO.

We just occasionally take it out of it's hiding place in our jewelry boxes and fondle it... and reminice

It's funny how little strings of beads and stones hold memories and possibilities.

Well, I want to show you one of the ways I reworked a loved jewelry piece.

I took the original necklace apart long ago, but below is loose 'reproduction' of the necklace that belonged to a much loved person. Though none of us may particularly like the item we love the person it belonged to and so love elements of it.

We wouldn't wear this style of necklace.

But I unstrung it.

Here are the components.

And...

Here
Are
Two of the earrings I made.

And a bracelet!

Now it's ready for it's new love!!
If only we could do that ;)
xx

Easter Orange!! EtsyTreasury

So when you're on etsy, as a seller, there's a widget that groups together new listings from your favorite shops. And I've noticed that all various 'new listings' usually look REALLY good together!!

so it inspired me to put together a few treasuries, using the 'placement and choices' of what I can only suppose is a widget similar to the 'autofill widget' on picknik's collage page.

And to be fair once I started selecting items and it didn't fill all the treasury boxes, I started using my own taste.

Consequently, this is only loosely based on the esty automatic choices.

(shrug)

what can I say? 

I never was much of a rule follower - even the rules I make for myself :D

 

Enjoy!!

xx

Plans

So it's another sunny day up here on the Plateau above the Columbia River and while the Buffalo are still scarce upon this great grassland (see: none), there are plans for life.
Why talk about my 'plans for life'?
 Why mention the lack of Buffalo?

Why the big scope? Why am I looking at the big picture?
Well.

You see, MRSA has returned to our house, bringing me down, 

And though my days look like this

  I'm going to keep making plans for the future!

Cause, DAMN, MRSA bums me out!

The doctor says that because Zeke's still growing, his immunity falls low sometimes and he can get 'outbreaks' until he's fully grown...

yipee...

Deep Breath.

So today...

I'm going to take joy in small things.

 make big plans

and take comfort in wonderful signs

Though I'm still trying to work out if Doves cuddling against the cold wind outside our house is a good sign or not? In empathy maybe?

And get to work!

xxxx

Friday Esty Meanderings

Today's Meander takes us...
Back at the Treasuries!! 

I've taken a little while off from treasuries, so that I could get a handle on my schedule for blogging

(which is still 'under construction' really, but, ah well.)

But, now,

I'm 

BACK!!

All my Facebook friends can hide my posts again :D

Well, the ones who don't know what Etsy Treasuries are!

And really, I see treasuries as my chance to play Layout Editor for that magazine job I never even came close to applying for!

 

I seriously could not think of what to name this one - except:
'all the cool stuff I want'
then I remembered mother's day's comin up and, hey, all my friends are 'cool' and if not 'moms,' you're all 'mumma's' - so, PERFECT!

Pass this on, so that someone can get YOU something cool! ;D
xx

All Things Orange

Today's all about orange! (and reds and greys and greens that go with orange)

I am the only person, I know, who loves to shop for orange, and today I have definitely got it on the brain!

I've been working with copper wire alot lately,

and I've always loved coral, aquamarine and turquoise,
so it just made sense to put these elements together,

 with a little chalcedony for good measure!
As you can see, I rarely make symmetrical things,
but I recently discovered an etsy artist who takes asymmetrical to a whole new, wonderful level:

MiaMontgomery.etsy.com

Aren't they fab?
I love them!!

Here's my latest necklace and it's not for sale, for now. :D

I just love it too much!

I it made from a gaudy, gaudy bracelet that my mom brought back on her last trip to Spain.
(It wasn't even Gaudi, I swear)
Oh, how I love it! The garage sale chain, makes it...
just perfect.
:D
Have a great day!
xx

Field Trip: Ellensburg, WA, USA

So last week, my new friend, Pamela Petry, ceramic artist extrodinaire and mother to one swell boy, invited me over to Ellensburg for a baby road trip...
well, a toddler road trip really.
We packed up our two boys and drove the hour out to 'Ellen's town'. (Seriously, that's their advertising campaign! insert head shake)

How cute are these little grape eaters, of comparable complexion? (which you'd think would make light metering easier, but hey, sometimes you just get flare...what can I tell you...

they're super pale, you'll just have to get over it.)

Anyways :D
We had a wonderful time, despite the wind storm that you see blurring out the back window!

And THIS was the view out the front window:

You can tour the windmill center and go up inside them if you by contacting
Wild Horse Wind Farm Visitor Center to schedule. We didn't go, but Pamela's been and she said it's got to go on your kids' calender! Of course, you can go if you don't have kid companions: Everyone's welcome! It's just good to know which places are kid friendly.


Pamela invited me to accompany her to Ellensburg to stop by the

gallery one visual arts center.

And what a great place!! It was definitely kid friendly, with pottery and jewelry put up on the higher shelves and its wide open spaces between displays. The boys did laps around one of the supporting walls while we looked at gorgeous, locally made art.
(I don't know if they really encourage that sort of thing, though)
There was even some interactive art that toddlers could work on.
(The stairs are steep and the floors are concrete - so you DO have to keep an eye to really short friends, but very manageable.)
Gallery one has classes for kids and events that help make the community of Ellensburg fun.
I highly recommend it as a wonderful place if you're looking for a kid friendly destination or if you're traveling with kids and can't last another minute!

We also stopped into the Ellensburg Pet Center, a beautiful, friendly pet store with lots of active lizards, turtles, fish and guinea pigs and lots of experience with kids!

They said that kids regularly come and while away the last few moments before their art classes next door.
So these folks are very accommodating! When you're in Ellensburg, look them up!

Here's a little view of the street scene in Ellensburg.

Isn't it cute town? You could walk around and visit at the wonderful shops for hours.
Great coffee and a gorgeous riverside park just the other side of HWY 90, too!
I highly recommend it!

What fun place have you been to lately?
xx