A Story of Mountains and Connections

What a great week... not only did spring finally arrive with my daffodils in full bloom, beautiful sunshine, warm temperatures (which means also fewer fires in the woodstove... and less dirt in the house!), but I had the pleasure of having my grandpuppy here again for the week (she was great company for me while John was away and for Abby who is still missing Bruschi, as am I!). And, and this is a big ol' AND... my bracelet / cuff arrived from LaTouchables... all the way from Germany!

I have been following Dawn's blog, and I've been watching her progress since she began creating these gorgeous bracelets and cuffs from amazing materials. She's not been selling them too long on Etsy, but man, does she sell them! Many of them get bought up just after she lists them. And that's what happened with Nanga Parbat! As soon as I saw this one on Dawn's blog, I knew that I had to have it.

It spoke to my soul... its colors, its textures, its design... and of course that fact that Nanga Parbat, as Dawn wrote in her description, "is the mountain with the highest face in the world." I live right beneath some of the oldest mountains in the world, the Sauratown Mountains. One of my neighbors has written in his blog, "North Carolina’s Sauratown Mountains are between 500 million and 1 billion years old. These unique mountains could be called hills after being worn down by so many years of erosion. They were once higher than the Himalayas but now top out at just over 2500 feet." So is it any wonder that I felt immediately connected to this wonderful Nanga Parbat creation? I think not.

So yesterday, I ventured once more to the Post Office hoping to find what I've been waiting for, and there was a note in my box that I needed to sign for a package! Yippee!! This bracelet is everything I'd hoped it would be and more. It fits perfectly, feels so soft and light on my wrist, and I feel that I bought the best bracelet Dawn has ever made.

These are some photos that my son took for me today when he drove up to collect his dog. He's a photographer in real life, so I'm quite pleased that he came here today... just in time to get some fabulous photos for me to show off my new purchase! And yes, I can and will wear it when I play guitar because it looks fabulous there on my strumming and picking wrist!

What to Wear?

Not too long ago, I received in the post this fabulous bamboo jersey T... so stylish and sexy and soft and just all around gorgeous... from GinaMicheleVintage. She sells her own original designer styles as well as wonderful vintage finds. This T is one of her originals, and I fell in love with it as soon as I opened the package. Of course there was still snow on the ground and a cold wind in the air, so I've had to set it aside and wait for the warmer temperatures to arrive. Well, they're coming, along with the springtime sun and the flowers... finally!

So today I decided to do a little window shopping on Etsy to see what I might find that would go with my new cobalt blue T. I thought you might like to have a look with me.



So I started with this fun and fabulous circle skirt by textureclothing

Then I found these wonderful leafy enameled earrings from decoratethediva...

If I'm feeling a little bit festive, I might add these lovely hair pins by poetica in my hair

Then I'd drape this gorgeous beaded necklace from beadworksbykerri around my neck

For my wrist, a sweet little felted wood bracelet by ingOOte, whose work I attest for first-hand!

And to carry my must-haves, which aren't many, I'd take along this Everyday Purse by annyandme

And last, and definitely not least, I'd sport these gorgeous Ariat cowgirl boots... a girl can't have too many...

So you may notice that I am not one who likes to match everything perfectly, and I like to wear things just a little bit different. And that's why Etsy is a perfect place to shop! So many choices, so many styles, and something for everybody! Give it a whirl, if you haven't yet!

Tuesday's Treasures... Items Worth Purchasing!

I've made quite a few purchases on Etsy... materials and beads for my jewelry, gift items, things for myself. And today's post will feature some of the sellers of these items, sellers whose products I highly recommend.

If you like handmade soap, and there are many reasons to choose handmade over commercial, you'll definitely want to try krugsecologic. She has an Etsy shop and her own website, and she was recently featured on CNN! I was fortunate enough, and oh so thrilled, to receive a gift certificate to her shop for Christmas from another member of the Etsyveg team, lulubugjewelry who makes and sells fabulous pieces (which I have featured here in the past). I chose three bars of soap and let me tell you, these are sizeable soaps that last a long time and smell fabulous... Vixen (scrumptiously sensuous), Agave Almond (sweet and luxurious), and Fall Harvest (deliciously warm).

Have you ever thought about handmade laundry soap? I hadn't given this much thought until I saw it on BlissCandle's blog. Suzanne of Bliss Candles had featured me on her blog last fall, and I've been following her ever since. She's also been a featured seller on Etsy. A month or two ago, she recommended MayleesGarden for natural home and bath products, and so I decided to try some laundry soap... and it's what I'll use from now on! I have been impressed with its cleaning power (and trust me, my husband gets his clothes dirty with outdoor work and as an automotive instructor) and the small amount that you have to use for each load, and it's safe for HE machines, which is what I have. I chose the cedar and sandalwood scented eco-friendly laundry detergent.

When Christmas was approaching, I purchased a couple of small bags from CrazyDaisiesDesigns, one for my daughter and one for myself. My daughter loves her bag in pastels and pinks, and I really like my hip bag! It's just the right length for me, it's easy to get in and out of, and I like it because it's small (I don't carry a lot of crap in a pocketbook) and doesn't weigh down my shoulder. Crazydaisies is closing her Etsy shop, so now's a great time to buy since everything is on sale, and it's all well worth the price!

I recently got a new point and shoot Nikon Coolpix and wanted a nifty handmade case for it. After searching through Etsy at the many sellers who make these kinds of products, I chose a camera pouch by KaraMiaSofia. I have to admit that I was looking for a snazzy, colorful pouch that would accent the cobalt blue of my camera, and let me tell you, KaraMia has lots and lots of gorgeous fabrics to choose from. And once I received my camera pouch, I was not disappointed... my camera fits perfectly in it, it was well-made, and I am thrilled with my choice.

Last summer I bought an earthy leather-look barrette by pjlacasse and I love it! She works a lot in polymer clay, and her work is gorgeous!

Last summer I was featured on a blog by mymothersgarden who creates beautiful clay and ceramic products for the garden and home with garden themes. I love her natural work and colors, and I've purchased one of her trinket dishes with lizards. I highly recommend this seller!

Buying clothes online, sight unseen and without being able to try them on, can be a very tricky thing. But sometimes you see something on the screen that you just fall in love with. That's what happened when I took a look at the shop of freeflightclothing. I love her styles and her designs, and I bought a royal blue peacock dress that is so soft and free-flowing. In fact, it's what I'm wearing on my CD cover photo. I recommend you take a look at her shop for yourself!


Browse through the shops of these sellers... you won't be disappointed!

A Weekend of Art

Wow... it's going to be a busy weekend 'round here... full of artful happenings.

Tonight is the opening reception of Winter Showcase, an all-member show for the holiday season at Associated Artists in Winston-Salem, NC. It's going to be fantastic, I know, because I was there in the gallery on Tuesday helping to set up and I got a preview of all the fabulous art and gift shop items for sale! Along with the jewelry that I keep inventoried in the gift shop, I will have two paintings in the show. These are part of my Women in Seasons series and are named for women in my community of local friends.

Emily in Twilight Snow, 2009, is 24 x 36, and named for the mother of four children, the youngest being born in May of this year. She is the most natural mother I have ever met...

Julie's Spring Dance, 2009, is also 24 x 36, and named for one of the most jubilant, colorful, and vibrant women I know...


Also this weekend is a holiday bazaar at my little community church where visitors will find not only my jewelry and my smaller paintings and photographs, but also scrapbooks ready for personal use, notecards, ornaments, handknitted and crocheted goods, artwork by another fantastic artist, wine glass gift sets, custom-made knives, baked goods, gift certificates for local music lessons by two fabulous musicians, and lots more. This takes place on Sunday afternoon. Here are photos of a few things I will have for sale:

Aztec Morning... necklace and earring set...

Stormy Weather earrings...

Winter Roses bracelet and earring set...


And in between these two events, I will be with the band, working once again on recording and mixing original songs! So there will be little time to slow down, but it's going to fun, festive, and inspirational, and I'm looking forward to each part of the weekend.

And... one last thing... I am entered in the November Challenge on the Etsyveg Team blog, and I would love your vote, if you haven't yet voted. Click on this link to see the entries and vote. Thanks!

Hope you all enjoy a fabulous weekend as well... and if you're local, come check out Winter Showcase and our Holiday Bazaar at Danbury Community Church!

Tuesday's Treasures... Five Favorites

This week's edition of five of my favorite Etsy finds.... beautiful work in browns!

A pendant with a message... Fear Less... by PointyKitty


A miniature acrylics painting, framed... White Horse by AnikaEaster


A sweet brown owl fanny pack by hitree


A beautifully earthy bracelet by emmsgems


And this Blustery Winter Morning scarf by yarnling


Until next week, remember BUY HANDMADE, SHOP ETSY!

New Bracelets!

I have completed the photos for these new bracelets, the first that I will list on Etsy. Most are gemstones, a couple are glass... so there's a variety of pricing which is important in Etsy shops.

My personal favorite... Winter Roses... a bracelet and earring set featuring carved agate roses, petrified jasper, pearls, sterling silver, and more:






Presenting Harvest Song, featuring a lovely fossil coral focal bead... very chunky and eye-catching!


Twilight... with Picasso Jasper, Onyx, and Sesame Jasper... for the larger sized wrist...


Another of my favorites... in the rich, warm, earthy colors of fall... November Woods:


And two bracelets with only glass beads... lampworked, cat's eye, seed beads, and more... First, Spring Waters, second, Blue Stars...