Sugar Rush!

This Halloween I got a craving for a candy I hadn't had in a long time: Pixy Stix! I went out to the grocery store to pick some up, but they didn't have any. Over the next couple of weeks I searched all of the stores in my area, but I couldn't find them anywhere. :( Then on Tuesday, I went to Michael's to spend the gift card I'd gotten for Christmas and there they were, right by the checkout!

I was so excited that I called my husband to tell him and then briefly considered spending my entire gift card on Pixy Stix! :D My husband talked me down. But I did buy four bags! :) Yes I am weird, I just usually keep it to myself. ;)

I have been snacking on a few here and there all week. So while trying to come up with a theme for today's post, I decided why not do something with sugar! I looked for Pixy Stix specific items, but there weren't enough to do a standard sized treasury. Instead what I came up with is a treasury full of brightly colored sugary pieces, some of which are made of actual sugar. :) I hope you enjoy this sweet mini treasury! :)

Sweet Strawberry Ring Pop Candy Resin Ring by athinalabella	Rock Candy Soap Complete Set by LoveLeeSoaps
12 Dozen Sugar Cookie Lollipops by FunFavors	Ribbon Candy 8x10 Fine Art Print by SharonWhelton
Vegan Marshmallow Sushi Candy by friendlycreationss	Orange Creamsicle Polymer Clay Necklace by roscata

And here is the big treasury that matches it!

Have a sweet day! :)

Yum! Chocolate!

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I am currently on Weight Watchers. I am doing this for a couple of reasons. The first reason is because I want to be more healthy. It's hard to keep up with three kids when you're overweight. The second reason is I recently tried on some of my fall/winter clothes, and they don't fit. That's bad. So I'm hoping to lose at least enough weight by the time it gets cold, so that I don't have to buy a new wardrobe this fall.

Anyway, the reason I'm mentioning this is last night we had an impromptu birthday party for one of our friends. This party involved chocolate fudge cake. Yummy, dark chocolate frosting and moist insides, chocolate fudge cake. Normally, if I knew I was going to a party, I would eat a little bit more carefully leading up to it, so I could indulge without hating myself later. Since this was very last minute, I didn't really get a chance to do that. "But," I thought to myself, "How bad could one little slice of chocolate cake really be?" Well the answer is much worse then I thought! Apparently one slice of chocolate fudge cake is equal to more then half of the food I'm supposed to eat per day! Oops. :) It was worth it though! :)

This brings me to today's mini treasury. Today's theme is Jewelry Across Etsy. So like I normally do, I put the category name into the search bar, then went down to the bottom category to see what was there. The first thing I saw, was a chocolate necklace! Not a chocolate colored necklace, but a necklace MADE out of chocolate! I have a theory about this. I think chocolate is stalking me. Luckily, you can't gain weight from just looking at chocolate (I think). So if you are dieting, don't worry, this selection of chocolate colored jewelry is 100% calorie free! Except for the chocolate necklace. ;) Enjoy! :)

Chocolate and Gold Wire Necklace by wmahr	Little Mahogany Book Necklace by bibliographica
Chocolate Cake Sterling & Wood Ring by jewelstreet	Natural Perfume for Antique Locket by IlluminatedPerfume
Ceramic Chocolate Buddha Pendant by WickedClayGirl	Copper Chocolate Glass Pearl Bracelet by tinymishaps

If you're sill craving more chocolate covered jewelry, make sure you check out the big treasury that matches the mini treasury. Have a sweet day! :)

Busy Weekend!

Man am I beat! Saturday we had a yard sale to clear out the last of the big stuff that we have no room for in our new house. While we did get rid of a lot, we still have a lot of big stuff left. So we are going to try again this weekend. Yay. Sunday wasn't too bad, but I was so tired from Saturday, that I have a backlog of stuff to do today. :P I did get some sewing done though. I finished outlining the lettering on my Ravenclaw ornament and started filling in the letters. Here's the last pic I took.



I was going to take a pic of this weekend's progress today, but it's cloudy out. :P If you're interested you can check out my In Process picture set on Flickr, to see how I've made all my Harry Potter ornaments so far! :) Umm...what else...

Oh I added a couple more things to my destash shop (SpringToDecember), and a vintage Smurf pin to my main shop!

Peyo Smurf with Flower Enamel Pin - 1980

I know I did more stuff, but my brain can't think of anything else right now, so I guess I will see you tomorrow!

Have a great day! :)

Not a good blogging week.

So when was my last post? Wednesday? I think it was Wednesday. Last week was the worst. For no particular reason; it just was. The kids were cranky and didn't sleep well, the husband has a cold, and the weather was terrible! Tuesday it was 50 Thursday it was 90. That's not cool on any level. I'm not sure why my kids weren't sleeping well, but even if they had been I still wouldn't have slept well, because my husband was coughing and sneezing all night for, well, a week! Arg!

Luckily the weekend was pretty mellow, and I did get a lot of sewing done. Plus I finished a commission for my cousin Amber.


It's a creepy pendant from what I've been told is an equally creepy, but artsy, Russian video game called The Void. It's a copy of the moon from the game, which for some reason, has a big eye on it. The pendant was the finishing touch on her custom My Little Pony she created in homage to the game. She's a video game nut (much like the rest of my family). :) Here's a pic of her finished pony.


Strange no? But that's what she was going for, so I'm glad I was able to help. :)

In more normal (yet just as geeky) news, I've started on my 3rd Harry Potter ornament! This one is going to be Slytherin! I posted some during pics on Flickr and I'm going to take a couple more when I'm done here and post them as well. Here's the roughed out shape with none of the embroidery done.


I've actually gotten all the checker board background done and started on the black and purple edging. Here's a link to a picture of the actual shield, if you've never seen it. Okay scratch that. After taking another look at the shield pic just now, I just noticed that there are little black diamonds inside the cream colored checker board pattern, that I have yet to put in yet. But it's still coming along nicely! :)

I was going to do a selections post this morning, but I never got around to it, so it will have to wait until tomorrow. I can tell you that it's going to be May themed and I might make a Treasury East treasury to go with it (if I find enough cool pieces!). Okay, off to take pictures and clean up all the Goldfish crackers my kids just mushed into the carpet. Have a great 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 10/30/2009

Today's featured seller has some spooky and creepy items available for our viewing pleasure. Her shop is called:

-where the sweet and sour co-mingle-

Sarah's polymer clay creations range from creepy to sweet, from brains to treats! Since Halloween is tomorrow, this seemed like the perfect combination to start off the weekend. :) The first piece is Halloween in a nutshell, well in a pumpkin shell really. ;)

Whacko Jacko Necklace

This perfect Halloween pumpkin pendant is all ready for fright night! It has an old world gothic feel to it, that is enhanced by the intricate metal frame the jack-o-lantern rests on. A perfectly creepy piece for a wonderfully creepy night!

Not creepy enough for you? Well relax, it only gets creepier from here!

Opti Ring

Eye love this piece! :) No, but seriously, I've always had a thing for eyes, though generally I prefer them in someones head, rather then staring blankly up from their hand. Either way, this is still a really cool piece!

Too creepy? Okay how about we move to the sweet part of this shop for a bit. :)

Chocolate Truffle Charms (6)

If these don't get you in the mood to chow down on some serious quantities of Halloween candy, I don't know what will. And while these aren't traditional Halloween fare, I'd take chocolate truffles over bit sized Snickers bars any day! :)

Alright one more creepy piece. This one would be perfect for a special occasion in your future, if you are a zombie that is!

Lunch Meat Cufflinks

You will be the envy of your zombie friends when you show up at the next black tie event sporting these beauties! Though I would double check with your sweetie before wearing them to her aunt Mayble's 50th wedding anniversary. While you might think it's funny, I'm pretty sure aunt Mayble might think differently! ;)

I hope you enjoyed our selection of Halloween tricks and treats! Tomorrow is Saturday Selections and I will be featuring more of my favorite Halloween themed items. I'm not sure if I'll be going the creepy or sweet route yet, you'll just have to check in tomorrow to find out!

Later!

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

Featured Seller of the Day 10/29/2009

Today's featured seller makes beautiful felt jewelry. Her shop's name is:

Fiber: art, alchemy, & adornment

As with anything else, making felt flowers can be as simple or complex as you would like to make it. Certainly make a simple cut-out flower motif is not an advanced level project. But how about make realistic flowers using only felt, thread, and beads? Well that's a little more difficult.

Poppy Pin 9

This beautiful poppy flower is made of hand felted wool and silk. It was free motion embroidered, which has given it amazing texture! As an added touch, the center was hand beaded, giving the piece additional interest and adding even more to it's unique texture. This pin actually reminds me of a flower from an impressionist painting. I think it's the brush-stroke like stitches in the center, that give it a "painted" quality. :)

I love flowers, but some people prefer slightly less, well, "flowery" plant life. If you are one of those people, then take a look at this next pin.

English Oak Pin

The most striking thing about this piece is the beautiful, yet subtle variegation in the color of the leaf. This is even further highlighted, by the use of iridescent beads to accent the veins of the leaf. I also like the way the piece kind of curls slightly, just like a real leaf! :)

Okay, how about a more exotic plant?

Orchid Pin 1

This piece is beautiful! Once again the color varigegation adds a natural touch and interest to this lovely piece. I especially love the bead work on this pin. It makes the center of the piece really pop! :)

Tomorrow's artist has a spooky feel to their shop; perfect for Halloween! ::Hint - They make polymer clay jewelry!::

Later!

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

Featured Seller of the Day 10/27/2009

Today's featured seller, makes unique jewelry pieces using polymer clay. Her shop is called:

Juliespace - Julie Sweeney's Handmade Jewelry & Mosaics

Julie uses many different techniques in making her jewelry, giving her shop a very eclectic feel. One of the things I find cool about her pieces, is her use of non-clay material in her work. This, while not a jewelry piece, is a good example.

Turquoise Iris Pocket Mirror

This beautiful pocket mirror has been wrapped in turquoise polymer clay and accented with red paint. I love the texture of the carved flower on the back, and I love how the design wraps around to the front, almost as if it grew that way. :)

The next piece makes use of a different kind of glass to give it a unique texture and composition.

Petal Pendant

The sky blue tones of this pendant are set off perfectly by the green of the seed beads. And while the colors are striking, it's the texture that is the real star of this piece. The smoothness of the clay sides, mixed with the bumpy texture created by the seed beads, is perfectly offset by the soft clay petals and the large glass cabochon at the top. A simply gorgeous piece!

While the next piece does have a beautiful variety of textures, this one is really all about the color.

From The Tropics Birdy

Okay so this one isn't jewelry either. He is however a very handsome fellow. :) I love the way the fiery yellows and oranges of his feathers are contrasted by the bright green of the grass. And I really love the way the artist made his tail feathers into big orange swirls of color! :)

Okay for this last one, I'll do one more piece of jewelry. And since it's almost Halloween, how about something a little spooky?

Flying Pumpkin Necklace

Well, maybe this guy is a little too happy to be spooky, but he certainly is festive! :) He reminds me of old time Victorian area Halloween decorations. I think it's the way the black paint is used to highlight the orange of the pumpkin, that gives it an antiquey kind of look. The perfect perky pumpkin for your happy Halloween! :)

Tomorrow, I will be taking a break from posting, as I have to bring my kids to get their flu shots. We'll pick up on Thursday with an amazing felt artist. ::Hint - She makes flowers!::

Later!

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

Featured Seller of the Day 10/26/2009

Happy Monday everyone! Today's featured seller makes amazingly cool Steampunk jewelry! Their store is called:

Steampunk Jewelry inspired by Victorian Science Fiction

Steampunk, as I have explained in previous posts is a cross between Victorian era style, steam-powered inventions, and science fiction-fantasy. An element that is often seen and repeated in Steampunk design is gears.

Steampunk Jewelry - BRACELET - Copper brass and CHRYSOPRASE

This bracelet has a beautiful patina and lovely green chrysoprase stones. But it is the coiled wire and large gear at its center that make this piece Steampunk. It appears to be made from extra parts of some sort of ancient engine, but is still beautifully crafted and elegant. In everyday life elegance and machine parts don't seem like they would go together, this however is what the idea of Steampunk is built upon.

While today's artists do carry a wide range of jewelry, they specialize in rings. Here's a beautiful example, of what I would call a classic Steampunk style ring.

Steampunk Jewelry - RING - Artistic wire ring with BLUE FIRE AGATE - 8.5 ONLY

I love the use of the coiled wire in this ring, and the way the different colored metals highlight the creamy blue color of the fire agate. It once again appears that some old time mechanic has used the leftover parts from his or her latest project to create this unique piece. It almost seems to be from the future and the past at the same time.

Are these styles not quite your taste? Well I suppose Steampunk isn't for everybody, but by using the same types of materials in slightly different styles, the artists have also created some more "mainstream" rings. :)

FALL FLOWER - Gunmetal ring with DREAM AGATE beads

This beautiful floral ring is made of the same materials as the Steampunk jewelry, but has a more traditional feel to it. The simple wire flower's shape is mirrored by the exquisite amber colored dream agate stones behind it. And while this piece would offset a Steampunk outfit beautifully, it would also look just as nice with a more traditional outfit.

Too plain? ::Sigh:: There's no please you! ;) Well if you think that these pieces are too "boring" for you, then check out this last ring!

Steampunk Jewelry - ROBOT RING - copper REPTILE taxidermy glass EYE - SIZE 9 ONLY

Now really, how cool is that! I don't know about you, but I think having a robot ring would be insanely awesome. :) I love how the artist used a real taxidermy eye to give the robot a very real, almost alive, look. And I also love that his hands are made of lobster claw clasps. I wish I'd thought of that! :)

Tomorrow I will be featuring another jewelry artist. ::Hint - They work with polymer clay!::

Later!

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

Featured Seller of the Day 10/20/2009

Today's featured seller is a jewelry artist from California. She works with a variety of mediums including ceramics, gemstones, and glass. Her shop is called:

Welcome to Rhonda Chase Design

One of my favorite things about art, which you might know if you've been following my blog for awhile, is color. They way an artist uses color can dramatically change the look and feel of a piece. This first piece is a good example of color adding depth and weight:

Blue Glass and Brass

This ceramic pendant seems to have an azure blue lake sitting in its center. The lake, which was made from molten glass, draws you in and appears to go deep into the pendant. The contrast between the rich blue and the burnt red also adds to the illusion that you are staring into a deep, mysterious lake. The rich colors of this pendant, are in direct contrast with the light, earthiness of the next piece.

Award-Winning Empress Willow Necklace

This beautiful tree of life pendant appears alive and vibrant, like it is growing directly out of the red agate ring it is perched on. It's peridot leaves seem to sway in an unseen breeze, and each of the trees lovely branches ends in a soft amethyst blossom. The organic curl of the copper wire, both in the trunk of the tree and the swirls above it, also add to the illusion that this is a living breathing piece of art.

And now because myself and the artist are both geeks at heart, our last piece moves away from the natural and organic, back into the realm of sci-fi.

Dr. Who TARDIS Pendant ... Full Power

This iconic image of the Dr. Who Tardis is lovingly sculpted from fine proclien. The rich bronze pendant is highlighted with a touch of blue to give it visual interest. The way the copper wire holding the Tardis swirls around, gives it a brillant feel of movent and energy. It almost appears to be traveling swiftly through time and space even though it is succurely attached to it's cord. :)

Tomorrow I will be taking a break from my featured seller of the day, to bring all three of my kids to get their flu shots. Pity me. :) Thursday's featured seller, in honor of Halloween fast approching, makes very unique masks. ::Hint - His masks are made of leather!::

Later!

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

Featured Seller of the Day 10/18/2009

Today's featured sellers are a team of sisters from Los Angeles. They make jewelry and accessories using exotic hides and leathers. Their store is called:

Where Style Is Unapologeticly Luxurious...

These talented artists use the natural beauty of hides and skins to make beautiful pieces of art that you can wear and use. They get vast majority of their skins from the food industry, which would otherwise destroy them as waste. Since they use only real skins, not stamped leather, the shapes and textures of their pieces are as unique as the skins that they are made from.

White Crocodile Medallion Silver Cuff

This piece is a great example of unique shape and texture. The white, treated crocodile skin has scales that range from large and hard to small and soft. Giving the piece not only an elegant look, but unique feel as well. The white of the skin is also highlighted nicely by the silver back of the bracelet. And because of it's design, it is adjustable for a wide range of wrist sizes. :)

This bangle while not adjustable, is stunning in its own right!

Tangerine Orange Snakeskin Bangle Bracelet - Large

The color of this piece is incredible! The tangerine color would put the real fruit to shame. The asymmetrical shape of the bracelet, when paired with the range in size of the scales, makes the piece very organic and beautiful! It would definitely add pop to any outfit!

And if you are looking for something durable and unique, then you'll want to check out this stingray card case.

Black Stingray Card Case

Stunning and sleek, this piece is not only beautiful, but very durable! Stingray hide is one of the most durable and resilient leathers around; perfect for keeping your business cards safe, even in an extremely full purse or briefcase. And the elegant pattern adds a touch of class to the otherwise simple stainless steal card case.

If you are interested in different colors or materials then the ones shown here or in their store, let them know, they love specail orders! :)

Tomorrow we will be featuring a Steampunk artist. ::Hint - They make goggles!::

Later!

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