Shopping!!

I was in need of new shoes. Shoes to work in the garden, mow the yard, and otherwise get covered in dirt. Normally I have a rotation... new shoes to walking shoes to work shoes, but somehow I've messed up my routine.

We have a relatively new store in my little town - Burke's Outlet. (Trust me, everyone gets excited when anything comes to town, even large chain stores... It beats the 1+ hour drive to anywhere else.) Boy did I get a deal in the shoe department. These Reebok's were marked $29.99 with the right color sticker to be 90% Off... On top of that, at the register, I was asked if I wanted to join their frequent shopper program (free to sign up) which includes 15% off every Friday!I can't believe it, but my new "work around the house" ended up being $1.27! I haven't had a deal that good in a long time. I'll be visitng this store again on future Fridays!

Visiting Richardson's Rock Ranch (again...)

This week, my husband and I were in Oregon visiting family so I was able to stop by one of my favorite places for stones - Richardson's Rock Ranch. They're known for their thundereggs: but I really prefer all the things I can find the in the Rock Shop - like these polished amethyst pieces, crystal points,
the large stone hearts,
small jars of stone chips,
stone starfish,
and pieces of argonite.
I can't wait to begin playing with these!

Cameron Antiques Fair

This past weekend was the semi-annual antiques street fair in Cameron, NC. I love going to this event and was disappointed I forgot my camera (although, here's a blog post with beautiful pictures). I love how you can find everything there... the antique/vintage, crafts, food, plants, etc, etc and came home with a good little stack for myself :) The first thing I bought was this cute necklace. I don't have anything like it and just had to have it.

And my prizes of the day were these glass bottles. In addition to my family's obession with shells... we have a thing about old bottles, too. We're apt to partake in occassional "bottle-hunting" expeditions (in between the beach-combing) but I've never found purple ones on my own.

I was even looking at items with a crafty eye and can't wait until I solder these miner's tags.

Shopping in Fayetteville

This summer, I discovered the "Arts Alive at 4th Friday's" events in Fayetteville and decided they are lots of fun. I did lots of shopping down there and have just gotten out a pile of stuff that is making me drool all over again :)

This first piece is an agate I got from the Cape Fear Mineral and Gem Society Showing in August. I have dreams of wrapping him in gold and making him my centerpiece at the Durham Artwalk.These beads I got from my new favorite store downtown... The Twisted Jeweler. If I had no job and if they also had a coffee bar in the shop... I'd probably live there!

I love scouring the antique shops for pretty pins, too. They make such an addition to a beaded necklace!

And finally, the other bead store - Strung Out on Beads. Who could believe that 13 months ago there wasn't a single bead store in Fayetteville, and now there are two!

This week's favorite... love washed ashore

Such a cute idea! - It's what I was thinking when I first came across this card while browsing through etsy.Simply an example of one of the many thoughtful prints available at Flash Forward Photography.

This week's favorite... Faerie Everything

Today I want to start with this stunning faerie ensemble. Created by The Bohemian Goddess on etsy, each piece, bodice and skirt, can be purchased separately and are equally enchanting. Now, if I only had somewhere I could be dressed up this year...
If faeries aren't your thing, this shop has a great selection of goddess wear and unique vintage finds. But, I'd like to stay in my faerie land for a little while... where money is no matter and I have lots of faerie balls to attend on a weekly basis... For the accessories to go with this beautiful costume:

The Purple Bracelet! Not only has Gypsy Moon Art used my favorite colors, but I believe I could wear this bracelet every day. Check out this shop for a wide selection of wire art!

A tiny ring for my wee little finger! Dee at Bei Creations has wrapped a beautiful ring that would look perfect on my hand as it is kissed by every faerie prince coming to visit my ball!
Jewels for the Neck! Being in faerie land means having an affinity for nature that this beautiful necklace from rwestdesigns just seems to bring out! Check out this shop for some very unique beaded designs.

And last but not least, the shoes. Now these will definitely make a statement and complete my outfit! Craft-Tastrophe's shop changes shoes into creations I would never imagine on my own...

Thank you for taking a few minutes to join me in faerie land. I hope the landing back into reality isn't too bumpy!

Beautiful Sea Glass... Etsy Product Review #9

Here's a different sort of product review... My mom bought me this beautiful set of sea glass jewelry from a Guantanamo Bay craft fair from the maker of Castaways Jewelry Design. I had the opportunity to meet this talented lady at a memorial day craft fair this year (My table was 2 rows behind and one to the right of her table). When I was comparing her packing up at the end of the show to how my mom and I packed up our tables, I decided she is much more organized that we have ever been :) Now, Castaways Jewelry has let her etsy shop listings expire in August, but hopefully she comes back soon! I noticed that this summer she has a new display in a Guantanamo Bay gift shop and I'm so glad because now people can buy this jewelry all the time versus just at craft shows.

Castaways Jewelry uses only sea glass found on the beaches of Guantanamo Bay to create her designs. My set was accented with amethyst and fresh water pearl beads on silver settings.

So if you're ever at a craft show and see Castaways, you definitely want to check out this booth!

Bright Fire Notecard... Etsy Product Review #7

Looking at a neat treasury a bit ago, I ran across this firey peacock print on a notecard from ARTSHARYNE. I love the combination of brilliant colors and vibrancy of the illustration. I received the card from Australia in less than a week and it came in a resealable plastic liner and cardboard lined the envelope. Overall, I believe this is the most professional looking package I have received from any online order.

Sad to say though, the card is no longer in my possession as I have already written on it and posted it in the mail to an aunt who also appreciates artwork and loves animals.

If you like this illustration, check out her blog.

This week's favorite... a picture of a beach

I love looking at beach photographs wish I could have all that I find...

Seeing this picture of a woman on the beach, in solitude, in the glare of the sun speaks to me. All noise goes away when I look at it and I feel the calm that I always feel when I am within the distance to hear waves crashing...

Called "Only the Sea" ... can cure the shattered human heart

Frances Melhop is the extremely talented photographer who has the Enchanted Pond on etsy. Like this print? Then you will definitely love these, too: All Summer Long, I Need a Holiday, and Dear Little Toadstool.

Fun Soaps... Etsy Product Review #5

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered 7 different pieces of soap from Annie's Powder Room on etsy.I really thought the little gun was just too cute to pass up for a small gift for a male in my family and just kept looking around Annie's shop. They arrived quickly and each soap order was packaged with red stuffing in a clear box and tied with red tulle. I like that the soaps came with plastic boxes - makes them very easy to wrap and send away as a gift.

For future soap gifts, I think I will shy away from the very dark colors and more intricate designs like the little revolvers - there are areas of the soap where because of the details in the mold design, the soap is almost clear because the layer there is so thin. Although, ones like the sea urchin would definitely be good for me in the future!

This week's favorite... a beautiful set of bookends

I do love my books (if you can't already tell...) and just love displaying them with beautiful artwork from around the world. Look at these Raku Raven Bookends from Kawartha Wilds Pottery. I could definitely see these sitting on my shelves :)

Origami Earrings... Etsy Product Review #4

I ordered these cute earrings off of etsy when they were on sale (always the bargin hunter, is me). They are very cute in person and will be great as a gift for my nine year old cousin Jessie. The shop is called Azure China and the crafter has a variety of paper and fabric items. The stars themselves are much sturdier than I would have guessed and do not appear to need any special or delicate handling. The little box they arrived in was cute - the shop owner had taken a regular white earring box and hand sewn fabric to the outside to make it decorative.

I may have to return to this store for a gift for another special girl in my life.

I just found the solution...

to the little problem I have about killing my potted plants: I really don't mean to, but with life speeding by too fast, I seem to forget to water my indoor plants - I've killed cacti (those don't even need water, do they?) and succulents.

These sweet little potted fabric plants are at a place called Jane Joss on etsy.

This week's favorite... a shirt I can definitely wear!

Today, while surfing etsy... I know, I have tons of other things on my plate that need to get done, but still manage to waste time doing nothing on etsy everyday... I came across this shirt that I could just see me wearing! It looks so soft, draping over curves - a kind of sexy, casual elegance - if that makes sense to anyone but me :P

It is from Sand Maiden on etsy.

What do you think of it?

Yes, honey, you can get it for me in black, iris, pewter, or periwinkle! I'll wash your car this weekend? And do the dishes for the rest of the summer?

My new sea shell necklace on etsy...

So I finally had time to get some new pictures taken... sometimes I think it takes me longer to get good pictures than it does to make anything anymore. :) And by "good," I only mean "not horrible."

Here is my green turban shell necklace:

The pendant is a green turban (also called a "turbo" by other conchology books) sea shell that has been attached to a gold plated bell cap. The rest of the necklace is made up with glass, gold plated, mother of pearl, and top shell beads.

And here is a pair of matching earrings using glass beads and gold plated filigree beads:


Soon, I'll be making some more earrings that match this necklace, so be sure to look for them in my shop.

Wildflower Soap... Etsy Product Review #3

I found this soap while participating in a Sneak Attack on etsy. The shop called Sunny Bubbles is actually run by a bunch of elementary school kids... well, actually they're the labor! Anyway, their products are all decently priced and all proceeds are donated to something that is always near and dear to my heart... the Oregon Humane Society.

The soap is a good size for a stocking stuffer gift and would fit in any of the soap dishes in my bathrooms. It has a light fruity/flowery smell that is pleasing and in no way overbearing.

Shipping was very fast.. I think I had this soap three business days after purchase and I was not expecting it near that fast (especially traveling from coast to coast). The soap was contained in a small plastic bag and wrapped in newspaper (it even looked like someone found a colorful ad and purposefully wrapped the soap up in the middle of it to look like it was actual wrapping paper) - everyone probably knows by now that I greatly appreciate the recycled wrappings more than anything else.

The sneak attack sold them out of inventory... but I'll be sure to look for more when school starts up again!

Sneak Attacks on Etsy

One of my first days looking around on etsy, I found an interesting group...

Sneakers Notorious on Etsy for Attacking with Kindness (Etsy Team S.N.E.A.K.)

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, they do an "Attack" on a new shop or a shop that donates to charity. So far I've only participated in two of the attacks because there was a week in there, where the stores they hosted did not have anything I could use... and there were two with really bad pictues and no profile or policies.... which definitely makes me a wary buyer. Although overall, I think it is a very good idea, and if I keep following... maybe all of my Christmas shopping will be done by August :P

You can read more about them on their blogs or catch them on an etsy thread...

http://etsyteamsneak.blogspot.com/
http://handmademovement.com/

Shopping on Etsy... Product Review #2

So, would you think to find handmade dog toys on etsy? It never would have occured to me.

I was trying to participate in a shop critique thread (even though I did a critique on three other shops, I never was able to get mine critiqued... ho hum...) when I ran across a crotched dog toy maker. Now the newest addition to my family, Libby who was adopted from Carolina Animal Rescue and Adoption, has made me a complete sucker for all sorts of cute dog toys... although the neighbors think I indulge her "come and get me" games a little too much.

Anyway, here is the Ice Cream Cone toy I bought for Libby. And there are more dog toys available in this store: http://www.originality123.etsy.com/

It arrived in a regular large envelope with 2 crocheted toys and a couple of dog treats. Packaging was minimal - which is what I like because I hate having to throw away lots of that stuff. The price was great for what you get - at Walmart you can hardly get one toy for the price of the two that were sent to me.

Shopping on Etsy....

I have found my new obsession.... purchasing items on etsy.

And to think my husband was happy that I had just given up my e-Bay obsession. Have you never heard of etsy? That's Ok, I hadn't either until about 2 months ago - I was working a booth at what was supposed to be an Artists' and Crafters' tent at a local fair (was a major bust because the organizers FORGOT to mention to the crafters who had signed up that they didn't sell all the booths by the deadline, so they openned it up to flea market vendors). There was a papergoods lady sort of behind me in the tent that showed me etsy... an online venue for artists, crafters, their supplies, and unique vintage items only! So unlike e-Bay, you don't have to sift through the trash in order to get to the good stuff... and selling handmade on e-Bay is hard since "most" everyone on e-Bay is looking for a deal or steal only (I'm guilty, too.).

So in the process of setting my own etsy shop up, I have managed to find all sorts of cool items and sellers on etsy and want to share them with the world :)

So the first product I want to share with you is from: http://www.jandmspecialty.etsy.com/ These guys specialize in both seeds and unique vintage glassware and pottery.

I have bought their Heirloom Fruit Seeds for the SunBerry plant. They were a great price, too - only $1.50 and they sent a pack of pepper seeds as a free gift. So much more exciting than going to Lowe's and getting your seeds. At first I was sort of disappointed in the price for shipping - $1.99 (Being an avid online purchaser and single-handedley attempting to keep the post office affloat, I have a pretty good idea where shipping prices should be for any given item.) But reading their profile more, I saw that they charge the same shipping for your first 10 packets of seeds - now that is very reasonable. I just should have bought more seeds!

It arrived in the mail in a standard envelope (the same size all your bills arrive) so I didn't realize I had gotten them already. Inside the envelope there was a nice handwritten note about both of the seeds (handling, planting, etc) and the seeds were wrapped in a bit of bubble-wrap.

I'll take a picture of the plants in a few months and let you know how the berries are!