5 Questions Mezzo: Feather Hairpins

So on Monday I went to check the mail and received my second Etsy Baby Shower Gift from Juliette Mourez of Mezzo on Etsy. So what did I get you ask?

Three beautiful and elegant feather hair pins which I will be putting to good use in my own hair sometime during this coming holiday season. I love that these hair pins are for me; I sometimes think that a gift just for a new Momma and not just a little something for the new baby is a gift well given; A new Momma tends to put all her thoughts and energies into that new baby and can soon forget about herself. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had decided to make sure that I felt good about myself and would be putting an effort into making sure that I do so during this pregnancy. Receiving something that is so simple but with an extravagance to it; something that I may not have thought to get for myself to make me feel pretty is a wonderful gift.

Right now Mezzo's shop carries only her signature feather hair pins but in the past it has carried an assortment of jewelery for both people and for cats; which if you look at her sold items are fantastic. Her signature hair pins are; as she explains in her shop announcement like her cat for whom the shop is named; a tall black cat, mixed between a snob puppy and a mischievous monkey playful and elegant. Having received my gift I have to say that the quality of her workmanship is amazing. her pins are high quality and stunningly beautiful.

To find out more about what Juliette is up to with Mezzo you can visit her blog of the same name. If you have a holiday party, are getting married soon and you need something stunning to adorn your hair or you just need a little something to make you feel good about yourself visit her shop and pick out the perfect feather hair accesory to help you stand out in the holiday crowd.

So without further ado: here are Juliette's answers to my always probing and thought provoking questions.

Do you listen to music when you create? If yes, what's on your play list right now and why?

I usually don't, simply because I work on my feathers late after the kids are asleep, so usually in silence or while watching a movie. I am into the Mad Men series right now (finishing season 3 !), and I have been crazy in love with this 50's and 60's style for a long time.


Have your customers ever surprised you with how they plan on using your creations?
Yes ! I wish I got to see more of my pins in 'action' though ! I just love it when people send me photos. I once admired how a bride used 3 of the White Clouds feather hair pins to hold in a very light and small birdcage veil. I would not have thought of that !

What item in your shop is your favourite and your best? i.e. do you have an item in your shop you love above all others?
I have a soft spot for the Pink Puff feather hair pin. It is so light, girly and retro at the same time! It has a different volume from the other feathers and the color is very chic.

What was the last thing you purchased on Etsy?
A pair of handmade cotton and fleece slippers for my 2 year old - they're the 4th pair from this seller ! My girl has been wearing this 'brand' since before she could walk :)

If you were an animal what animal would you be?
Oh, I dread this question... I seriously don't know. Aren't we humans animals after all ? All right, I am going to say... a kangaroo !

A Thousand Words

when she tells you she's a fairy you don't argue

A Thousand Words

One of the things I'm working on

New to the shop

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I was planning on introducing some of the 1000 Word photographs which I post of Thursdays here, to my Etsy shop.

Over the weekend I added a new shop section and listed two of the photographs from the weekly feature to boot! I'm listing these photos in 5"x7" sizes and will also add ACEO sizes as well. Not everyone has unlimited wall space or the funds to spend on wall art. Smaller prints that can add a splash of colour, or an interesting place to rest your eyes in your home seem to fit the bill.

These two prints are the flagship items in the new section and I will be adding new ones as time goes along. Are there any 1000 Word posts that you think need to be added to the shop? I have an idea of which ones I'm planning on adding; I'd love to see if great minds think alike!





The Peanut still has a cough but her sinus seems to be drying out. On the other hand the Husband now has a sore throat... Hope every one had a great weekend!

A Thousand Words

Months have passed

since my last weekly 5 question feature.

Doing a weekly feature was taking a lot of time away from my own creative practice so I took a break from it for a little while to focus on doing my own things.

Of course I never considered completely giving up the features, they're one of my favourite things to do on this blog but I think a break was necessary for more than one reason. I put a lot of work into each 5 question feature I do here mainly because the artists and artisans I feature are some of my favourites and I'd love to be able to help them succeed, even if it's just in the form of someone visiting their shop after reading about them here. Putitng one of these features together each week became a pretty daunting task what with contacting artists, compiling links and adding photos not to mention the research I put into the features, I was working in some cases a month or more in advance of a post which meant that I was working on more than one feature at a time which really became overwhelming.

While I was focusing on my own work, I made a few decisions about how I wanted to do these features and I'm happy to announce that 5 questions will be returning at the end of this month as a monthly feature instead of a weekly so that I can keep up with the momentum I've built up over the last few months with my own stuff. I'm also hoping to keep you all informed about my own processes, tragedies and triumphs too, so if you think I'm a little behind in sharing feel free to give me a nudge...

Thousand Words Thursday

Pink & Green Mama posted about this phenomenon the
other day and I decided to give it a try at my house.
I even managed to suitably impress the husband
with my anti-gravity skills

5 Questions: ♥ unique, ♥ handmade

Mitsy of ArtMind is one of my most favourite Etsy artists. My wish list has more than one of her fabulous creations on it; some of them are pictured here.

I first came across her in the Etsy Virtual Labs where she was sharing her 99 Feelings project. I was so inspired by her feelings and so excited by them I was sharing them with anyone who came within ten meters of my computer. I started following her blog to see how her Feelings project was progressing, and soon I was dropping in, on a sometimes daily basis just to see what was new. Her collection of feelings has a strength to it that really speaks about emotions and how we relate to them.

In addition to her feelings, Mitsy is also adding new an exciting items to her shop all the time. From post cards and magnets to 3D felt greeting cards and even a new secret project. Mitsy is one of those people who seems to always be creating and someone who I would love to emulate just because of that creative lifestyle.

Mitsy can be found on Flickr, where you can see her works in progress, check out some of her tutorials and her favourites. You can see what she's tweeting on Twitter and get more of all of the above and then some on her blog. Read on to see what tidbits ArtMind tossed my way:

What has surprised you most about selling your creations online?

Definitely the feedback I get on my work. The response to my '99-feelings'-project has been amazing and I'm delighted to know that it touches the hearts of many.

When people purchase a feeling, they often tell me why they buy it, and many of those stories just give me goosebumps. It's also fun to know that sometimes people write me to tell how they feel about a certain texture or that they feel completely different than what I named the feeling and I love it when people do that.

It has been such a personal journey that every texture can feel different for other people, so when people actually do tell me how they feel about a certain feeling, I'm happy to know that they are trying to feel in their own way...


What is your ultimate creator’s block cure?

Without a doubt: nature!

As many artists I suppose... nature is just healing in many, many ways. It inspires and clears my head.


What got you started?

Anything can get me started!

I get very easily distracted and you will find me doing one thing and another thing the next minute. I blame it on my unquiet mind - it's always in search of new and exciting things to do.

My hands can't sit still, nor can my brain. It tires me sometimes but it also makes me happy to be able to do it all!


Do you have any influences that guide your work?

When you look at my shop at the moment, there is really only one answer to this question: babuschka's... It all started with an assignment at the academie of fine arts where we were asked to make a selfportrait. I thought that it was easiest done by using the shape of a babuschka and since then I just love it.

Rock, Paper or Scissors?

Paper! Because it's vulnerable & strong at the same time. It can tear but also cover. It is flexible and can be colorful. It's a lot of things I am I think...



As always, if you've seen something you like or simply have to have click on any of the images to find out more. As always, your thoughts and comments are more than welcome, they'll put a smile on my face. If you want to make me jump for joy, head over to ArtMind's shop and buy one of her fab creations, I swear I'll do a little dance with my very poor robot moves thrown in, extra special to make the Peanut laugh.

5 Questions: A rabbit girl art

When I was very small, my Dad used to recite the poem Wynken Blynken and Nod to my sister and me at bed time. When I was pregnant I wanted to make it a part of the Peanut's childhood too.

So I painted her a small picture illustrating Wynken Blynken and Nod for her room. I was quite pleased with it, but I would have loved to have done half as good a job as Arabbitgirl's collage of the same name; It's so full of whimsy and has the dream like quality that I was working for in my own painting but didn't quite reach, I love it and am currently coveting it with a passion.

And that's what Karen Preston, the artist behind arabbitgirl wants her work to be known for; beautiful, day dream inspired, digital collage prints. Browsing through Karen's shop is an invitation to step outside of the mundane and marvel at the sublime concoctions that Karen has included there.

With subject matter that spans fairy tales, the circus and vintage engraving collages as well as pencil and digital drawings, Karen's art has an innocence juxtaposed with a delicious edge which brings your eyes back again and again.

In addition to arabbitgirl.etsy.com you can also view Karen's work on Flickr as well as on Trunkt.org . Karen also writes Life & Art of a Rabbit Girl a blog where she shares her work in progress, snippets from her personal life and some of her favourite Etsy items.


What got you started?

I suppose being born got me started. I believe that we all come here with a preconceived plan.
I have always felt a need to create. Its just something I have to do to be happy.


Do you listen to music when you create? If yes, what's on your play list right now and why?

Sometimes I listen to music when I create. Right now Tom Waits is on my playlist. His music can bring me to the place I need to be. It's so full of magic. I like to fill my work with the same type of magic his music holds.

Do you have a Etsy Shop that you drop in on to see what’s new?

There is no one shop I drop in on. I often browse through the vintage shops.

Which Children's book character would you be and why?

Oh boy thats a tough one. There are far to many children's book characters that I love.

Charlie Bucket - because his eyes and mind are so open and impressionable his adventure so fantastic.

Willie Wonka- because he is so confident in his craziness.

A Who in Whoville- because they are always kind and generous and know the true meaning of Christmas, and they know all the words to that great Christmas song.

Pippi Longstocking- because she is brave, she has a monkey for a pet and she makes her own rules.



Rock, Paper or Scissors?
Paper

Did you see something that you simply must know more about? Click on any of the pictures in this feature to find out more! As always your thoughts and comments are welcome, plus they'll put a smile on my face. If you want to make me jump for joy, head over to Arabbitgirl's shop and buy one of her amazing prints, I swear I'll do a little dance.

A Thousand Words Thursday

you can barely see it, but the tiny white speck at the top of the
mountain there, is the new windmill they've installed
on Grouse Mountain.
Yay for greener energy!

My weekend was full

of screaming and tantrums galore. The Peanut has reached that stage where a total meltdown is a millisecond away at any given instant. Do you want to go to the playground? Yes? OK put on your shoes...... and we have tantrum, full on throat tearing screams, earsplitting nerve grating tantrum. My sweet little Peanut Butter Pie has become that kid.

She's also become the kid who will get into the worst possible mischief as soon as my back is turned. Yesterday brought a "I have something special for you Mommy; come and look" which turned into a whole jar of sugar sprinkles spilled on the floor in front of my drawing table. Later I heard an excited "look at me Mommy" and turned to find a new roll of paper towel unrolled in a carpet down the hall and into her bedroom and back. Both of these happened while I was in the process of making breakfast and then dinner. Keeping track of what she's got in her hands where she is and and how she'll manage to push her boundaries is... well there are no words because at one and the same time there's frustration, laughter, exasperation and joy and a billion other thoughts and feelings...

On that note, I can't even begin to tell you how pleased I am to have AnyMommy's blog on my reading list. I've been following anymommy for quite a while; her posts are full of all that stuff I mentioned above; written with more eloquence and grace than I am able to muster most days; and she does it with four beautiful children to my one little peanut.

I look forward to Stacey's posts because she makes me laugh and cry and squeal with glee sometimes all in the same fifteen minutes. AnyMommy is, as her blog title refers a mommy blog about a Mommy who didn't always want to be a Mommy, who refuses to sort laundry and only recently caved and started pre-treating before washing among many other but not so recent things.

When I found Anymommy she was pregnant, living with her three children in paradise and dealing with poop in the public swimming pool.

5 questions: Revisiting Deadworry, home of the Octo-Owl

Last winter, one of my first features was done on Deadworry, a small independent print shop out of Fort Walton Beach Florida. I was taken by the cute and creepy themes that April and her partner screen onto their shirts, bags and dresses. The name of the shop is an anagram of shop owner, April's favourite, and one of my favourite artists, Edward Gorey, if you have time I recommend The Gashlycrumb Tinies.

Since I've started to do my pre-holiday window shopping and we are again planning on going Hand made with our gifts again this year I thought I'd share Deadworry with you all again. I'm eyeing up a few of the t-shirts for the Teen Boys on our list and possibly one of their cool totes for my cousin if I draw her name this year.

Deadworry's full line of Indie shirts, dresses and stuff to have before you die! can be found on their deadworry.com, Shanalogic.com, and Funky Finds, They have also been featured on My It Things. If you're interested you can also befriend them on MySpace.

I'm still digging the cute on the verge of creepy graphics that are screened onto the apparel and bags that are in the shop. They remind me of Mr Gorey's intricate line drawings and dark themes, which is enough of a reason to recommend them all by itself.

What got you started?

I was very interested in the t-shirt making process as a kid so I went to work in this huge factory that made collegiate wear. It was an awful place to work but I was there for five years and working for "The Man" made me tough. I decided to start my own company with my boyfriend in 2007 and we've been printing our booties off ever since

Who has influenced your work the most?

I've always admired Warhol for being the most famous screen printer and making a boring production skill into art.

Can you describe the palette you use to create with, what colors do you always reach for?

I'm really liking grays and blues right now. I tend to lean toward monochromatic schemes...I am trying to break out of that box though so this spring I'll be adding some bright new colors to my palette.

What life or art lesson have you learned that has shaped your work?

You are the only one that's going to make it happen. You can't depend on others to do the hard work for you.


Which Children's book character would you be and why?

Well, I used to be Piglet - afraid and timid...but now I'm the ever optimistic Pooh ready to take on that Honey Pot!
Did you see something that you simply must know more about? Click on any of the pictures in this feature to find out more! As always your thoughts and comments are welcome, plus they'll put a smile on my face. If you want to make me jump for joy, head over to Deadworry and fill your closet with a few of their awesome shirts or grab a tote or three!

5 question: that most curious of birds

One day while browsing through my blog list, I came across a tutorial on how to do a tutorial, this post was in support of a blog exchange program on Totally Tutorials' Blog, where Etsy Suppliers offer free samples of their supplies to blog writers who are willing to use these materials to produce an art or craft tutorial linked to the supplier's shop and the shop owners blog.

The first thing that entered my mind after "Wow I'd like to get a piece of that action" was "What a great way to kick start some creativity!"

At the time I was going through a bit of a creative drought and had been in one for a while (hence my 5 questions question about getting out of a creativity block) so I kept my eye on the exchange program in case something that I could work with popped up.

Enter MagpieMine and her digital collage sheets. I was one of the lucky recipients of the exchange, and I've also become a customer too. There is such a wide selection of collage sheets in MagpieMine to choose from that the ideas come fast and furious as soon as I start browsing.

Maggie, of MagpieMine is (as she mentions in her profile) like that most curious of birds, the magpie; always on the lookout for interesting, shiny objects. She collects images and squirrels them away in case they are needed someday. In most cases these images and ideas end up on her amazing digital collage sheets.

Maggie claims to have too many ideas and not enough time to create all of them, which means that there is never a shortage of collage sheets in her inventory. I picked up the Elves and Fairies in the Woodland page and a few others to finish off the backs of my hand sewn greeting cards

Up until now, I'd been using decorative papers and in some cases small hand sewn pieces to cover up the reverse side of my cards which is time consuming and expensive. I can use Magpie's medallions printed onto adhesive paper and stick them over the loose threads to finish off my cards with ease as well as an added decorative flourish.

MagpieMine's collage sheets are a perfect first step to getting creative. They can be used for collage projects, jewelry and in some cases, they can be printed out and framed just as they are (yes, they are that well designed).

You can follow Maggies tweets on Twitter and if you want to learn more about Maggie you can also read her Blog, The Magpie's Nest where you'll find some of Maggie's favourite picks from Etsy, a sneak peek of new work, and of course links to some great tutorials featuring her work (stay tuned for my tutorial in the next week or so).

Magpie allowed me to pick her brain with 5 questions: here are her replies:


What has surprised you most about selling your creations online?

What has surprised me the most is the huge number of artists who create gorgeous pieces with clip art or collage sheets. Prior to making and selling collage sheets, as a graphic designer, I used clip art very occasionally when designing an ad or magazine feature or catalog page. It was kind of the last resort if I couldn't find or create the art I was looking for, and I always considered it not the most creative option. Since becoming part of the Etsy "family", I've been surprised to discover artists who create stunning collages, jewelry (charm bracelets are my favorite!), altered art like books and assemblages, all with heavy use of collage sheet art and clip art. The finished products are ultra-amazing! Luckily, with Etsy and other sites showcasing art, I doubt I will run out of new discoveries any time soon!

The other thing that has surprised me is how much I love thinking up new ideas for collage sheets! They just pop into my head, and I probably have forgotten more of my ideas than I have actually used! Got to start writing them down...




Do you listen to music when you create? If yes, what's on your play list right now and why?

Actually, I feel terrible admitting this but, no I don't listen to music when I am working. What?!? Un-American!! My favorite atmosphere when working is: nobody home but me, windows in my office open if it's nice outside, listening to the birds and the sounds of the neighborhood, with one of my cats lounging on the other desk by the window. I am just a peace and quiet fan. Today is one of those days, lucky me!



What got you started?

I have no first memory of discovering art; I was probably born with a Crayola crayon in my hand! I'd like to think it was Jazzberry Jam, but they didn't have that color back then! I've been a painter and a sketcher since I was very small.

What got me started selling online was a suggestion by a coworker that Etsy was a place to make some extra money. I had never heard of Etsy! But within a few weeks I had joined up and started making collage sheets.

So now, I have quit my day job, have let my housework go to pot, and spend way too much time at the computer. (No, the Storque will not be looking to interview me for Quit Your Day Job; I think you have to make enough to support yourself which I don't, though I am extremely fortunate that my great hubby picks up the slack, at least for now!)

Details from Grungy Inchies in Jewel Colors Collage Sheet

Which Children's book character would you be and why?

Well, I guess I would say Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz because no matter where I go I always feel that there's no place like home! Haven't found the Emerald City yet though...



Rock, Paper or Scissors?

Definitely paper! The best things are on paper (sad for someone who works almost entirely with digital files, right?). I love books, magazines, paper beads, papier maché, paper airplanes, paper bags, and origami; not to mention watercolor paintings, scrapbooks, doilies, sticky notes, paper dolls, and I hate to say it but I use too many paper towels! You have to watch out for paper though. It piles up and takes on a life of its own! Sometimes I think I am drowning in paper, since I hate to throw anything away.

detail from Birds, Gators and Hedgehogs Collage Sheet

Did you see something that you simply must know more about? Click on any of the pictures in this feature to find out more! As always your thoughts and comments are welcome, plus they'll put a smile on my face. If you want to make me jump for joy, head over to MagpieMine's shop and buy one, two, three or more of her great collage sheets!

We now return to our regularily scheduled programming

During my vacation from my regularly scheduled blog posts, I spent some time thinking about what direction I want to take this blog, what my goals are for it over the next few months and how I can possibly reach those goals.

That lead to me thinking about what my mission statement should be for my scheduled blogs. Which got me thinking harder and took me down a few paths that I backed right out of before taking more than one or two steps more than I wanted to.

I started doing a weekly feature because

A) I wanted to drive more traffic to my blog and hopefully further on to my Etsy shops, TMCPhoto and PeanutButterPie.

B) I wanted to showcase some of the artists that really caught my eye while browsing through Etsy

and

C) I wanted to send out some positive Etsy Karma and hopefully help some of these incredibly talented artists and artisans make a sale here and there; the idea being what goes around comes around. If I can help a fellow Etsian add to their income the positive energy would make its way back towards me.

I can honestly say that A has been achieved. My weekly 5 question features garners the highest traffic to my blog each week, sometimes in record numbers. There are one or two features that still get heavy hits. B, it goes without saying is also a goal well met. All my features are of people who's work I adore, In some cases they have work that I have paid for and in others they have work that I would gladly fork over cash for if I had it to spend. C was a bit of a tricky goal, I mean how do you know if something you've posted online has directly resulted in a sale unless the buyer or the seller lets you know. Fortunately In the case of my feature on TubbyTabby this was the case. I can't tell you how tickled I was to have had a hand in making a sale.

My goals for the next few months are more of the same with a little more thought put into it. I'm putting a little bit more lead time ahead of each live posting, hoping to have posts written, linked and ready to go live well ahead of schedule so that I'm not scrambling (yes even working two weeks in advance I was scrambling at some points) and in the case of unexpected speed bumps I'll have some wriggle room and possible ready to go features to tide me over until I can get back up to speed.

Abiding by a feature mission statement meant I've had to create one:

5 questions is a fun look into the mind of an Etsy artist or artisan who's work is something that I personally love. the work has to be something that I would buy for myself or as a gift, have bought for myself or as a gift or have on my personal wish list. The 5 questions asked will range from a growing list of questions I keep on file, chosen at random based on what I want to know about my chosen artist.

Making sure that I remind my readers that they can connect to any item featured in the post by clicking on it's image is also on my list. When I write up my features I always, always always link back not only to the Etsy shop but also to any of the items I've used to illustrate the feature with. In the few cases where the feature artist has requested or provided images that are not for sale in their Etsy shop I link to an appropriate Flickr page or personal website. In any case you can always click on an image of something you like to get more information.

Also a to do is a re-write of my request to feature convo. This is just something for me to help keep me organized. Asking for images and links to websites, blogs and fan pages so I'm not forgetting anything when I start to write.

With this post I'm priming the pump for the return of 5 questions next week. Next weeks feature is an artist and designer that I'm pleased to say falls into the category of some one I have bought from. I came across her while browsing Totally Tutorials blog exchange program. I liked her work so much, felt so inspired what she was offering and immediately had a handful of good ideas for projects that I applied for her exchange. Those ideas for a tutorial really got me excited and I happened to be in a particularly productive stage, I couldn't wait to see who would be accepted for the exchange and I bought a few sheets before she could even post her picks.......

But more about that next week.

Your questions please!

My original idea for my last post was to do what I'm doing in this post but when I sat down to write this post I couldn't concentrate on what I had planned on writing and instead you got my thoughts on a truly terrible situation that to be honest is still on my mind but I'm pushing past it and getting back down to business.

I'm gearing up for the return of the 5 question feature. I've got a list of shops and artists I want to feature and I'm truly excited about getting back into the swing of things.

The questions I use for this feature are a compilation of random questions that I find interesting to find out from artists I admire. To keep things fresh, fun and interesting I'd love to hear the questions that you'd ask the artists and artisans you admire.

Leave me a comment with your questions and I'll add them to my roster, with props to you of course!

I've been lax

I keep telling myself and posting about how I'm gong to keep on schedule, keep up with weekly feature posts, keep up with regular posts, keep up with posting at least three times a week to at least post.... see a pattern here?

Summer is catching up with us we're out more often, for play dates, birthday parties (because it's birthday party season) weddings and berry picking. Blogging time just kind of melts away and will be slowly returning as summer turns into autumn.



In addition to all these real world happenings I have plans to add to, tweak and organize TMCPhoto and my business plan for TMCPhoto and for PeanutButterPie. I have plans and I also have no idea where to start or how. Of course we'll figure it out and by we, I mean me. I started out on Etsy by just diving in. I've had a year to see how things work and now It's time to set things up to work better. I have goals; I want more views, I want more sales, I want to feel like I'm moving forward each week instead of treading water or coasting.

5 questions will be back in September; The last feature I did on TubbyTabby resulted in a direct sale as a result of the feature and I couldn't be more excited and pleased and happy for Jodi of TubbyTabby. I couldn't have been more pleased if the sales were mine. I'm a firm believer in the rule of three, what you put out comes back to you threefold, if I can help out a fellow Etsian I'm also helping myself. I'd love to have more sales for my feature artists result from my features. And this is where the title of this post comes in. I'm giving myself permission to slack off for the rest of summer.

Every once in a while I come across

a facebook list that I want to share, this one was a new note from one of my old high school friends, I like the list of 3 aspect.

Our schedule these days is pretty hectic, so far this week we've gone shopping for our punk fairy tea party, had a punk fairy tea party, went to the old neighborhood for a Dr's appointment followed by an impromptu picnic and play date. The lower mainland is cooking right now, and all this heat is making it difficult to concentrate on anything other than making a new batch of lemonade iced tea and making sure that we are staying in our own patch of shade. I'll be breaking up the weekly Artist features into bi-weekly features for the next month or so to take advantage of these lazy hazy days.

Here's the list:

Three names I go by:
1. Peanut butter pie
2. Dear
3. Mommy or Mommy Kitty

Three Jobs I have had in my life:
1. Landscaper
2. Waitress in a Pancake House
3. Photographer

Three places I have lived:
1. North Vancouver, BC
2. Calgary, AB
3. Red Deer, AB

Three Favorite Drinks
1. Pepsi
2. Lime Slushees
3. Ceasers

Three TV shows I watch:
1. Dollhouse
2. Lost
3. Fringe

Three places I have been:
1. San Antonio TX
2. Porcupine Plain SK
3. Los Angeles CA

People that text me regularly:
1. no one texts me regularly
2. my husband will sometimes text me
3. but not daily, hourly or by the minute

Three of my favorite foods:
1. BBQ teriyaki flank steak
2. Ginger Beef
3. Lamb Souvlaki with Greek salad, roasted potatoes pita and tzatziki

Friday night my husband left me

to go to the guitarist in his band's weekend long bachelor party. I was worried that a whole weekend with no one to give me a break from the little ball of energy that is the Peanut that I might be a frazzled mess by Sunday night; so I planned the weekend carefully so that I might wear the Peanut out enough that she'd melt into bed at night with minimal fuss.

We are planning a dress-up tea party play date on Tuesday and we did a little getting ready for that. We had frozen Pizza for dinner and went to the outdoor pool that is within 10 minutes walk from our place and stayed up late Saturday night for a kid friendly movie on PPV. Around the middle of our movie we had a big storm descend which led us to some serious storm watching. We had a few good hours of flickering lightening, bright sudden flashes and sharp cracks body jarring booms and rumbles. There were at least four strikes that were close enough that the thunder followed in less than a second. It tapered off around ten, the peanut at about nine.

Sunday morning brought us a new little friend when I brought in a tattered edged pink rose from the garden. We had fun watching the inchworm loop across the leaf he was on and then set him free on the backyard and got ready for a nother swim at the pool.

While I'm sharing, here are two more blogs that I'm really digging lately:


Lately I've been leaning a little towards the work and writing of some of my fellow Canadians. Akane Designs is one of these. An eclectic mix of personal snippets, favourites and art features, Akane also includes shop giveaways and marketing tips for online sellers and product reviews. A true believer in the "share the wealth" philosophy and it shows. Her Blog is beautifully designed and illustrated with bright images and I look forward to seeing what she'll be posting next.

Bees & Trees is simply a beautiful blog full of artist features and the authors own works. I love that in addition to posting their work they also talk about their process, the ideas behind it and the style they are working in. since these are all things that I love to read about and the work that they post and feature is so stunning, I couldn't be happier about stumbling upon their blog. They are well worth a look.

Don't forget to help me celebrate one whole year on Etsy and enter my giveaway! The deadline to enter is rushing this way, you don't want to miss out.

5 questions: Casual Blings and Things

Before we get started, help me celebrate one whole year on Etsy and enter my giveaway! The deadline to enter is rushing this way, you don't want to miss out.

Have you heard of Mixxmade? it's a social networking site for creative people.

I've recently joined with an eye towards meeting other creative types like me; that's where I came across Jodi of TubbyTabby and her eclectic mix of jewellery made from upcycled game pieces like scrabble tiles and backgammon pieces, not to mention the pendants she makes from American Brick; wooden blocks that were toys in the 1940's.


Tabby's jewelry really lives up to her tag line as casual bling, all her pendants would look fantastic on any day of the week and can even work well for a few not so casual events too.

TubbyTabby's works are unique, colourful and wonderfully designed, which isn't surprising, seeing as she also has a second Etsy shop; TopCatDesign where she sells her graphic design skills. You can follow Jodi on Twitter. As always; if you see something you like, make sure to click on an image for more details.


What got you started?

I really started selling on Etsy purely by accident. My step-daughter was making Scrabble tiles and I saw how cute they were. I happened upon some wooden dominoes one day at a second hand store and started experimenting with those, had fun with it, and realized how much I really missed doing crafts, it just snowballed from there!



Do you have any influences that guide your work?

My only influences are really my mood at the time and my laid back attitude, just whatever happens. I usually have something in mind when I start to create, but without fail, it always, pleasantly or not, goes in a different direction. I guess that's why I consider my jewelry creations very eclectic, ya just never know what I might dream up.



What is your ultimate creator’s block cure?

Usually the best thing is to walk away and come back to it later. I love to laugh, so usually if I'm not creating, I'm not happy about something. The best cure for me is to watch something or talk to someone that makes me laugh, usually takes care of it.


What has surprised you most about selling your creations online?

How much work it takes to get people to notice and purchase. I suppose I just originally thought that everyone would see my wonderful creations and would just HAVE to buy something! I work promoting my sites everyday now, it's hard work! On the design end of it, it's even harder because (no offense to anyone) but graphic design is what I do for a living and I find it hard to compete with the low ball pricing people expect for design work. I feel its the quality of my work that will bring customers in the end, just will take some time.



Rock, Paper or Scissors? Scissors–

I can do a lot with scissors, I even run with them sometimes!

donkeys, deer, dwarves and urns or at least one of each

I've moved up one block and started collecting the PCGS there now. Last week I shared my most favourite garden decor there. What I've shared with you so far is only a small percentage of what is actually on display. I could document house by house but there are so many duplicate statues that you and I would soon be bored by it all.

This weeks statuary is located in another yard that has decided against an abundance of greenery in favour of a rock garden and painted cement figures.