Epic Fantasy

Also epicly hard treasury to make! I don't know if I was just really distracted this week or if I'm too picky or what, but it took me FIVE days to make this treasury! That's a new record! :)

I thought it would be fun to make a treasury based on fantasy stories since I'd been reading a lot of them lately. But it turned out to be a lot harder then I thought it would be. I think my mistake was not having a clear idea of what I wanted to include. There are SO many cool fantasy items on Etsy, I was just overwhelmed! But it's finally done! And I hope you enjoy it! :)

Carved Wood Fairy Door by TheDancingGoats	Greenman Custom Made Leather Mask by columbina
Awakening - 8x10 Print of Original Painting by EmilyBalivet	Old Dripping Candle Set by PixieDustMiniatures
Coptic Stich Wood Carved Journal by crearting	Castle of the Tiny Leprechaun by vishnya

And once again I found far too many amazing piece to include all the pictures here. So make sure you check out even more epicness in the big treasury! :)

Have a fantastic day! :)

Book Worm Day

I've been reading a lot lately. I blame my new friends at Fantasy-Faction.com: a fantasy book website that does reviews and has an awesome forum where we talk about fantasy and sci-fi geeky stuff both book and non-book related. Now don't get me wrong I love fantasy books, I'm even writing one! But listening to everyone talk about all these cool books they've read all day had gotten me back into reading in a big way. I finished 3 new books in less then a week! XD

Why do I bring this up you ask? Well I noticed when I started reading again, that since I moved I no longer own any bookmarks. I find myself using receipts, scraps of paper, and even cards from my kids boardgames I find lying around. I decided something, I need to buy a bookmark. And since I know a bunch of awesome artists on Etsy that have pieces I've been lusting after for years now, I figured I'd buy one from them! :)

That's where I ran into the problem. I found too many I like! So, then I decided to pick the pieces I liked the best and make a treasury to help me decide. But it didn't help. I still can't decide! :) Maybe you guys can help me. Which bookmark do you like best? (Make sure to check out the big treasury too!)

Octopus Illustration Bookmark by jessyjes	Handprinted Happiness Canvas Bookmark by Baisimu
Serenity Firefly Bookmark (set of 3) by bohemianbear	Northern Lights 2 Bookmark by EllesDragons
Rose Eater Artist Bookmark by schin	Character Sheet Collage Bookmark by palimpsestic

And if you are a writing, reading, or fantasy buff you can also check out my much smaller blog The Write Way To Type for updates on the non-Etsy side of my hobby life. :)

Have a great day! :)

News Update

Hello everyone! I have been ridiculously busy lately! I guess that's a good thing, but unfortunately the first thing I have to give up when I'm busy is my blog. :( Poor blog, it's been lonely without me. ;)

What have I been up to? Well aside from chasing my kids around for longer periods of time (they just stopped taking naps) and trying to get my house to stay clean for longer then two minutes, I've also been getting ready for a craft show I'm doing this Saturday! More on that after today's mini treasury.

What is today's mini treasury you ask? Well it oddly enough is themed after the second thing that's been keeping me insanely busy for the last couple of weeks: NaNoWriMo. For those of you that don't know, November is National Novel Writing Month. In honor of this occasion, thousands of writers across the country participate in an event called NaNoWriMo. It is a thirty day event, where in you attempt to write a 50,000 word novel, starting on Nov. 1 and ending on Nov. 30.

Yes that does sound crazy, I'm glad you agree. :) However be that as it may, for some reason, this year I decided it would be a fun idea to try it. Now I'm not a writer, in that I've never written or attempted to write a book, but I had a crazy dream that I just had to write down, and it has so far turned into a 30,000 word novel! As you may have noticed from reading this blog, my spelling and grammar leave something to be desired, but my husband has agreed to proofread it when I'm done writing, and this has been way more fun then I could have imagined! I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with telling you what I'm writing yet, but if you guys are interested, I'll tell you about it when it's finished. :)

Anyway, here is today's treasury: a homage to National Novel Writing Month! Enjoy! :)

Popular Pencil Embroidered Wall Art by Moxiedoll	Willy the Writing Monster Writing Set by mamaroots
Vintage Royal Typewriter Tee by CausticThreads	Mug in Cobalt Blue and Yellow by aspeerstudio
The Book Kiss 5x7 Photograph by kclarkphotography	Novels Text Steel Bookends by KnobCreekMetalArts

And of course, please check out the big treasury for even more writing inspired goodness! :)

Now about the craft show I mentioned earlier. It is going to be at St. Gregory the Great School in Hamilton Square, NJ. It runs from 9am to 3pm. Here's a map, if you're not sure where it is.


View Larger Map

I'm not sure where my table is going to be yet, but I'll know tonight and post an update at the bottom of this post when I find out. And since I love you all so much, I'll even give you a coupon to print out and bring with you to the show! Just click on the picture to open it in a new window. :)



Alright, that's all for now! I promise I'll start posting more regularly starting next week. Hope you all have a great weekend! :)

Okay, I'm adding one to the list.

Yesterday I decided that since I had some free time, I would start getting today's post together ahead of time. Good idea right? Well apparently not so much... You see one of the cool things about Wikipedia, is also one of things that can make it a pain to use: it is always changing! People update it constantly, honing its facts, adding information (and even whole articles), and then moving them, or taking them down depending on their accuracy and relevance. Well, yesterday when I looked at the New Year's resolutions article, one of the bullets points was "Keeping an updated journal." I thought that was appropriate as I think it would also apply to blogs, so I chose that point to use as today's resolution. I then went ahead and picked out the pieces I was going to use, so today I would only have to type up the beginning part. Yay for being on top of things! However, upon returning to wiki to add the link to today's post, I have discovered that the bullet point I was using is gone! I guess the powers that be (or the really bored person who was up last night) decided this particular point was not referenced right or something and removed it from the list. :(

However, I stand by my decision and will continue on with today's theme, mainly cause it's done already, but also because as a blogger, I think it is an excellent idea for a New Year's resolution! :D So if you are like me and have trouble updating your blog or journal regularly, then you should check out these lovely blank notebook journals from Etsy. Maybe their uniqueness and simple beauty will inspire you to write more! :)

Wood Book with Historical Binding by MaryJaneHenley	The Letter B - Alphabet Journal by krispix
Book with a Build Your Own Cover by moonlightbindery	Far Far Away Blank Notebook by ardden
The Jellyfish 1885 Victorian Etching Journal by TheBlackSpotBooks	Hand Dyed Quilted Fabric Journal Cover by rubymountaindyeworks

Have a successful day! :)

Featured Seller of the Day 11/10/2009

Today's featured seller has come up with some cool and unique ways to recycle some very recognizable products. :) Their shop is called:

IVY LANE DESIGNS ☮ Home of Eco-Fabulous Nifty Gifties

While I'm sure many of you do recycle as much of your packaging as you can, today's artist has found a unique way not only to recycle (or upcycle) old packaging, but also to turn them into useful treasures.

Mac -n- Cheese Recycled / Upcycled Journal Notebook - Original Spiral Bound - Cheesy-licious

I think my kids eat about a million pounds of this stuff a week. :) Definitely a fun way to keep track of your thoughts! :) Thinking about a different food? There are many, many varieties to choose from, including Duncan Hines Brownies, White Castle Hamburgers, and even Nestle's Hot Cocoa!

Need unique eye candy? You can't get much sweeter then this!

Candy Pop-Art Collage Original Spiral Bound Recycled / Upcycled Journal Notebook - One-of-a-Kind

This super sweet notebook is sure to give it's owner sugar shock, in a good way! And just think, no calories!

And if you are more of a music buff then a foodie, their are notebooks available for you too!

ARLO GUTHRIE'S ALICE'S RESTAURANT Timecycled / Recycled / Upcycled Record Album Cover Journal Notebook - Vintage Circa 1967

Keep your thoughts and drawings safe behind this vintage LP cover art. What a great way to get use one of the beautiful album covers that most people these days are throwing away!

Need something to draw in your cool new upcycled notebook? How about some recycled crayons!

Recycled / Upcycled You Are My Shining Star Crayons - Set of Five (5) - Eco Friendly

Okay, so maybe these are geared more towards little kids then grown-ups, but I still think they are cool! :) And my kids would go nuts over the cute shapes! There are even some available that are multicolored, for the kid that can't make up their mind. :)

Okay back to grown-up stuff. :) This next one is makes use of something that we all probably have lying around in a junk drawer somewhere: paint sample cards.

NEW Pop Art Paper Bead Eco Friendly Necklace - Recycled / Upcycled One-of-a-Kind - Turquoise

Isn't this a great idea! And not only is the design beautiful and unique, but since the artist is using a paint sample, the colors match perfectly! :)

Tomorrow's featured seller is a brillant knitter. ::Hint - She makes cute animals!::

Later!

P.S. For more information on today's featured seller, please check out their Etsy profile here => ivylanedesigns's Profile

Featured Seller of the Day 11/09/2009

Today's featured seller is from Latvia, and creates unique journals and albums. Her shop is called:

Crearting handmade

Her pieces reflect the natural setting that surrounds her, making each piece a unique work of art!

Handbound wood journal

This hand bound journal looks like it was created by an elf or a forest spirit. The wood cover has been polished smooth, but still retains the rustic, imperfections of the natural wood. You can imagine the artist sitting in a meadow near the forest painting the beautiful floral design on the cover. An exquisite piece, filled with the charm and beauty of the wild wood.

The next piece has the same earthy feel as the first, but is made with a completely different material.

Large 9 1/2 x 7 Handbound Leather Journal

This richly colored journal is made with high quality cow hide, that has been painted with a mysterious forest scene. Everything about this journal looks and feels organic, right down to the polished stick used as a closing clasp. What hidden secrets could be captured within this volume? The only limits, are your own imaginations! :)

While still beautiful and richly colored, this next piece has a slightly more modern feel to it.

Leather notebook 4 3/4 x 3 1/4

If you have been following this blog for a while, you have probably figured out that blue is one of my favorite colors. :) I think it's because the color blue reminds me of two of my favorite things: the sky and deep water. This cover seems to show one or the other and both at the same time. Does it show the sky and sea meeting? Or are we flying over a lazy river? The gorgeous colors of this piece are only enhanced by the unique texture of the layered leather. This is definately a notebook worthy of your best ideas or most sercret thoughts!

Tomorrow, we move away from the organic, into the world of the up-cycled. ::Hint - Tomorrow's artist makes notebooks!::

Later!

P.S. For more information on today's featured seller, please check out their Etsy profile here => crearting's Profile