Strain's Asylum

You have GOT to see this movie!!!!

2009-04-30T23:00:00.005-04:00

Action, personal drama, romance/sex, humor, attitude...what's NOT to love?

Yes, yes, I'm a "Star Trek" fan, from way back...but this movie is bloody INCREDIBLE! My favorite of the movies has pretty much stayed at (like most people) the EVEN numbered movies, particularly "The Wrath of Khan" and the "Next Generation" movies.

THIS movie had the theatre - including my friend who was "enduring" the movie out of friendship - wrapped up from start to finish! My friend (who got us the premiere tickets) has NEVER liked ANY of the "Star Trek" franchise. And, indeed, DISliked it, because people (like me) were avid "Star Trek" fans and she didn't "get it".

This movie's casting and chemistry showed her why- The entire cast was spot-on, pretty much. Quinto, as Spock, was an eerie perfect doppelganger, even to the early series periodic emotional displays. Chris Pine, as Kirk, is as spontaneous and stubborn ... and creative ... as Kirk as ever been. Pegg's Scotty, Cho's Sulu, Saldana's Uhura, Urban's McCoy, Ryder's Amanda and Cross' Sarek were all perfect! Perfection squared, even...

So, even if you don't like "Star Trek", but DO like a great action flick - go SEE this movie!

Make your choice and VOTE!

2008-11-02T02:19:00.003-05:00

This election is one that brings many questions, concerns, party lines, opportunities for both good and bad - no matter WHICH person or party or issue you vote for. I'm not promoting either party or candidate; I simply want Americans of all flavors to exercise their right to vote!

If you don't make your opinion known - by VOTING - you may as well not have an opinion. Nor a voice. Check out this video, with some famous folks saying the same thing: "Don't Vote" campaign

America is not perfect - NO country is, despite how much we love our respective countries. But we can each try to make it better, by making considered decisions on putting them on the line on November 4th.

I love America. I love it for what it has been, what it could be, for the opportunities it gives us. There are horrible events and periods in the past, which we, today, cannot change. Just accept and go on, looking to the future.

If you don't vote, you can't gripe about the results-!

Modern Metal Masterpieces!

2008-04-04T23:35:00.007-04:00

Having decided as a child that she would be an artist, Danielle Miller took metal as her medium of choice after discovering her passion for metals in high school. Her passion for the material led her to study metalsmithing/jewelry at Tyler School of Art at Temple University.

She has been actively selling her jewelry since 1994, adding motherhood to her list of accomplishments along the way. Danielle has had an online shop on Etsy.com since 2007, as well as participating in shows.

Her clean, simple geometric forms create elegant and comfortable jewelry with a modern, playful twist.

Many of my pieces have kinetic elements designed to attract and engage the wearer. The kinetic elements that I incorporate into these structured pieces add unexpected fluidity and movement. Pearls or stone settings may spin like a propeller, slide freely across wires like an abacus, or rock to and fro like a see-saw. These articulated parts rely on the wearer for motion, which can be a simple turn of the body or a deliberate manipulation of the movable parts. This dynamic aspect of the work creates an intimate and unique relationship between jewelry and wearer.

These concepts are easily seen in her work, such as the Bubble Charm Necklace, shown at the top of this post, which has matching earrings, the Baby Bubble Earrings and the Cascading Bubble Earrings.

Danielle Miller's work is meticulously handcrafted using traditional jewelry making techniques: hand-fabricating, soldering, casting, forging, etc. in her home studio, which she is justly proud of.

Check her website and blog to keep up with Danielle's work and activities.
And don't forget to check out her wonderful shop on Etsy, DanielleMillerJewelry.

A Renaissance Artisan: CelticGoddessJewelry

2008-02-18T01:19:00.010-05:00

Celtic Goddess Jewelry was started in early 2001, and has been selling on Etsy for 2 years and still counting! Andee Harston is a Buddhist pagan living in the Orlando area and a wonderfully charming and stimulating young woman. Andee creates and sells celtic and pagan inspired jewelry, including wonderful tiaras, art (painting and photography) and bath and body products. The latter are available in her 2nd Etsy shop, SacredWaters, which is temporarily closed, due to Andee’s recent travel.

I met Andee while she was putting together a promotions pack for members of our Street Team on Etsy: the EarthPath Artisans Street Team (EAST). She had designed very cute containers and was diligently soliciting items for inclusion and assembling the packs for distribution. We stopped at Starbucks for coffee and had a marvelous brainstorming session. I found Andee to be cheerful, intelligent with a sharp humor and very creative.

Looking at the pieces in Andee's CelticGoddessJewelry shop confirms this and the feedback from customers is universally positive, even enthusiastic. There are so many lovely pieces in her CelticGoddessJewelry shop that it's hard to narrow it down for a feature.

I strongly encourage you to visit her shop and browse through its beauty and positive glow. You will find many non-pagan-specific pieces, as well as pagan oriented, and all lovely!

Here is an convenient Mini Ritual tin, for performing rituals while traveling! Check Andee's shop for all sorts of pendulums and pendulum charts, as well!

Andee's tiaras or crowns are incredible, such as the Harvest Goddess piece shown above and the "Tatiana" crown (perfect for a renaissance faire or a bride!) shown here.

Thought for the Day: What's in a Word?

2008-01-03T10:13:00.000-05:00

Most people don't think about the simple power that words have. They simply use them and move on, never thinking about how the words they use came to have the meaning they do.
By "meaning", I mean the emotional context (the CONnotation), as much as the actual definition (the DEnotation).
You hear someone upset and cursing a blue streak and may be shocked. But think about it: a word (or phrase) is only a collection of sounds until we (society or individuals) give those sounds a definition with an associated emotional context.

A colleague on Etsy made a profound post on her blog yesterday (click here for the post, pointing out a specific instance: how do people react when someone says they are a witch or mentions witchcraft? Revelate said:

Words are powerful. They are tools and are loaded with energy. Words can bring on intense emotion. Spilling tears, steaming anger, delirious joy and belly laughs can all result from words. The energy attached to a single words can create a vivid picture in your mind's eye. You may feel emotion and be transported to a different place with the energy of one single word. A fine example of this attached energy is found in a related group of words; Witch, Wicca, and Witchcraft. To many they immediately are negative, words that stir up ideas of "the devil" and of animal sacrifice. What really bothers me about the negative attachment to these words is the fact that the ideas of Wicca and Witchcraft being practices of devil worship and causing harm to living beings is ignorant.

If you are pagan, Wiccan, druid, shamanic, Buddhist, Taoist or a member of any non-mainstream spiritual path, I'm sure you have encountered these reactions. If you are a member of a mainstream spiritual path (Christian, Jewish, Moslem), you may have used those words in a negative context or reacted in a negative way, without even realizing it. Or realizing why...

Please go to RevelationsNorth, Revelate's blog, to check out the full post - you won't be sorry!

I believe that most people are inherently good, in that they do not go out of their way to cause harm to another person, physically or emotionally. I may be wrong. People in groups tend to react differently; they get caught up in the "mob mentality" and become dangerous. But, please, THINK about the way you react to certain words or phrases. If it's a negative reaction, examine the reason. It may be valid...but it may NOT.

Walk on the Geeky Side with LizStaley!

2007-12-27T14:42:00.000-05:00

LizStaley’s journey to the geek side of creativity began long, long ago in a state a few over from her current residence. When liz was very little, she wanted to help her mother paint ceramics. Her mother, knowing what kind of “help” a young child with a paint brush could be, gave liz a paintbrush, a cup of water, and a rubber ducky. It took poor liz awhile to figure out that whatever you paint is supposed to change colors when you paint it, though! (her mom is just as “evil” as liz, apparently!). Suffering from PTPD (Post-Traumatic Painting Disorder), she has been a creative fiend ever since: crocheting, making very cool buttons (drawn from sci-fi, do drawings, sew, and come up with new ideas!

In LizStaley (Liz' shop on Etsy), you can find an incredible array of cool, different and nerdy items: hand-crocheted fishnet gloves (fingerless and otherwise), buttons with great and smart-alecky sayings from various TV shows, movies and games, unique keyboard wallets and keyboard button chokers!

Liz' keyboard wallets are amazing! Crafted from keyboard circuit board covers, with handsome images (usually anime, but not always), they have one pocket for bills, and two pockets for your ID and credit cards. They are very sturdy and even survive washing and drying!

I also like her keyboard KEY chokers - especially
"ByteM3"!

And the buttons in Liz' shop are legend!! Wait...she hasn't done that set, yet! Seriously, she has button packs from the series "FireFly", the "Pirates of the Caribbean", "Star Wars", "Labyrinth" and "SpaceBalls" movies, as well as gaming oriented and just plain geeky or sassy buttons! We're hoping to badger her into making some for "Monty Python & the Holy Grail" next! But, in the meantime...why is the RUM gone????? (couldn't resist!)

LizStaley is a born geek whose hobbies include (of course!) watching anime, playing tabletop role-playing games (Dungeons and Dragons; Big Eyes, Small Mouth; D20 Modern, West End Games' D6 System, etc), building web-pages, and playing on GaiaOnline[dot]com. She also has a gallery on DeviantArt and Flickr, both of which you can find with the user name lizstaley as well.

Tribbleyarn is a work in progress, where liz will be selling her handspun yarn, in the future!
Liz’ blog has all sorts of interesting posts, from crafting with YouTube videos, coverage of conventions (anime and other) and more! Click HERE to visit liz’ blog. Fair warning: Liz is an emote junkie, so when you visit her blog... BE WARNED!!

Liz also writes and illustrates a story that she publishes to the web. She’s been working on this project since high school, with it evolving as she did. It may eventually even be published! You can check out her story by clicking HERE.

"Tribble Claus" is LizStaley's entry for Etsy's EAST
Winter
Wonderland Challenge.

Isn't he adorable???

If you want to VOTE (all Etsy members get FOUR votes) and be put in for a chance for a FREE PRIZE PACK, to be awarded to FOUR VOTERS, click HERE! It costs nothing to VOTE, look at really great pieces and possibly WIN some really GREAT PRIZE PACKS, with earrings and other great items.

Feeling Better with SummerSea Herbs!

2007-12-27T12:04:00.000-05:00

SummerSea is an incredibly gifted and giving artisan, as the members of Etsy's EAST (EarthPath Artisans Street Team) and any of her friends and colleagues can tell you. For example, the proceeds for her Cold and Flu Tea go to benefit breast cancer victims who are struggling to make ends meet while struggling to stay alive.

Tracy Wilkinson of SummerSea Herbs has been a practicing Green witch for many years and has been a certified medical Herbalist for ten years. All of her products, whether teas, essences, resins, oils or smudges, are made with the utmost care and skill. Making herbal products is an absolute joy for Tracy. Making them the best she can is an obligation for her. Packaging them as responsibly and attractively as she can is her gift to the environment, as well as to her client. Her love of Nature comes through in her work AND in her lovely product photographs.

Tracy’s concern for the environment means that she keeps packaging to a minimum, with reusable, recyclable containers. Her concern for her patrons means that she uses only the best ingredients:

“I make my herbal products with the finest organically grown and ethically wild-crafted ingredients available. Why Organic? Because I believe that my products are truly better when I use ingredients which have NOT been irradiated, treated with pesticides or sprays. Your body and spirit needs good, clean energy! Making every product with only organic ingredients costs a little more, but it's worth it!”

SummerSea Herbs is a small company, and she personally makes all of her wonderful (and wonderfully packaged!) products in small batches, by hand. This ensures quality control and product effectiveness.

“I have taken great care in blending your item. All my medicinal and magickal formulas are tried and true, developed from the personal needs of my community over the years. It makes me very happy to help people through the use of herbs!”

Whether you want a delicious tea or need an incense blend to assist in magickal workings, you can be confident that any product you purchase from SummerSea Herbs will be the absolute best! I have purchased several items and will definitely purchase more!

For further information and to keep up with SummerSea Herbs, check out Tracey's blog HERE.
While you’re at it, pop over to the Winter EAST Challenge and VOTE! You can vote for up to FOUR items, just by “Adding Item to Favorites”. It’s FREE and, best of all, Etsy members who vote are put in for a random drawing for a FREE PRIZE PACK, with LOTS of great items made by EAST members. There will be FOUR winners! Click HERE to check out the entries! You can see SummerSea's entry below :)

CraftyMoose is VERY crafty!!

2007-12-22T04:28:00.000-05:00

CraftyMoose, in Hudson Valley, NY, is an artisan with a wide range of interests and a solid grounding in various types of crafting. She is self-taught and has enjoyed painting, needlework, quilting, polymer clay and jewelry making.

CraftyMoose has recently rediscovered a love of beads and has returned to the art of french beaded flowers.

Craftymoose is also introducing a new line of one-of-a-kind beaded art dolls and suncatchers. Her art dolls are unique, often with a whimsical flavor, such as the "Very Happy Cat" beaded art doll, which has a huge smile, licking its lips - why? Ask the FISH shown in its tummy!

CraftyMoose is currently advertising a SALE on her HOLIDAY pieces, which might be your opportunity to get some lovely paper angels or funny snowmen!

Follow CraftyMoose in her blog HERE.

Treasures Galore! from PersonalTreasures

2007-12-22T03:09:00.000-05:00

Don't we ALL love treasure-hunting (and FINDING)? /dreams of Johnny Depp and Jack Sparrow (that's CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow!) Well, this artisan creates the kinds of treasures that would be part of a wonderful trove!

PersonalTreasures and MufiJewels are Etsy shops run by a jewelry designer with a broad range and perspective, as well as a deep background in the arts, including being the recipient of a grant for the National Endowment for the Arts.

PersonalTreasures is a shop geared to high-end, elegant designs, with top-grade components, such as the Russian Amazonite necklace shown above, a "Looong Hessonite Necklace" and many more! Most pieces are one-of-a-kind designer jewelry.

Mufi Jewels, Phyllis' other Etsy shop, has simpler, more casual jewelry, with similar high quality materials. There, you will see very simple, but wonderfully designed, pieces such as a Chrysoprase Pendant, Fire Agate necklace and these Labradorite Hoop earrings. These Montana (Blue) and Bronze Earrings are a great (and neutral color-set) accessory!

Phyllis Mufson, of Philadelphia, PA (USA), currently lives and loves living as a jewelry artisan and creative career and small business coach. She helps people "move from places (in their lives) of exhausted possibility to new challenges and fulfillment."

Among Phyllis' past experience is working as a textile artist for years, which still influences her perspective as a jewelry artisan. Phyllis designs her pieces with an eye toward how the pieces will "drape" on their wearer, looking to compliment the wearer's form and attire.

All of this goes to say, if you want someone whose work you will TREASURE, visit PersonalTreasures and Mufi Jewels on Etsy, the online marketplace for handmade articles.

If you are interested in following Phyllis Mufson's work, check out her blog. I found some very inspiring business tips there!

If you wish to look into a small business coach, visit Phyllis' business website HERE.

WinterEAST Challenge on Etsy - VOTE and WIN!

2007-12-18T16:20:00.000-05:00

HEART YOUR FAVORITE ENTRIES IN THE WINTER WONDERLAND CHALLENGE AND WIN AN EARTHPATH ARTISANS PRIZE PACK! YOU CAN FIND THEM IN OUR FAVORITES!

Click HERE to pick your favorite item and heart it to cast your VOTE!

THE ITEMS WITH THE MOST HEARTS WINS!

To reward the VOTERS, there will be RANDOM DRAWING to win PRIZE PACKS! THERE WILL BE FOUR WINNERS!

The WinterEast Challenge runs Dec.15- Jan.7th

The EAST team of Etsy has issued a challenge to all members to create an item that falls in the theme of "Winter Wonderland".

Voting is open to all Etsy members (buyers AND sellers):
Pick your favorite item HERE and heart it!

You "heart" an item by clicking (on screen's right hand side): "Add Item to Favorites".

The entry with the most hearts wins! There will be four winners.

As a reward to voters, gift packs filled with promotional items from participating member shops will sent to four lucky voters, determined in a random drawing on January 7th!

You can view all the entries here, in our (EarthPathArtisans') Favorites!

Search with the tag "East" Etsy-wide for other items and other member shops!

Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade items of all types and using all media, sold by their makers. It is a terrific place to shop, whether to buy or "window shop", full of a variety of pieces from body and bath products (handmade, of course) to teas to e-books to oil paintings to crocheted or knitted to stationary items to leather goods and clothing to copper, gold or silver jewelry. There are many whimsical items, as well, such as pin-on buttons with entertaining or even irritating sayings.

Canadian Soul!...Or is that Caribbean Soul?

2007-12-09T04:01:00.000-05:00

You may know that Jimmy Buffett's music is called "Caribbean Soul"? Well, I want to introduce to "Canadian Soul", in the form of Joanne and her lovely artwork, found in her Etsy shop, CoconutPalmDesigns!

Joanne is Canadian "to her core," of Jamaican-Lebanese extraction, with a notable sense of humor. Her family is very important to her. So much so that she packed up and moved to Belize four years ago, when her parents decided to make a change.

Now living with her family on a 32 acre tree farm in the making in the hinterlands of Belize, Joanne can finally use her graphic design background to create art of her choice! Joanne's diverse background may add some spice to her art, but her humor definitely adds flavor, as well!

From lovely watercolor ACEOs to bright and cheerful signs, Joanne's work is her own unique style. I love her signs - and immediately "hearted" her signs for addition to my pool area - while still admiring the soft lines of her watercolors. Joanne's hand-drawn art seems to strike a chord with people.

Check out CoconutPalmDesigns on Etsy; you'll be glad you did! And you can keep up with Joanne and her exploits via her blog, as well :)

IndieFinds' Blog - Etsy Artisan Promotion and Instruction

2007-12-05T19:17:00.000-05:00

While wandering the wilds of Etsy's How-To and Storque, trying for more and more information that will help me as a new(er) online seller of handcrafted items, I was directed to IndieFinds blog.

Curious, I followed the trail and found a great site where new Etsy sellers are introduced to the Internet public and various helpful tips can be found, along with the blogger's own shop and life information. DottyRal has been blogging for a bit, learning as she went (as most of us are doing).

She and some colleagues (SchOOLLOcker and Littleputbooks) even put together what looks like a very helpful utility, the Etsy Mini-Blog! I have not yet figured out the fine steps of how to install it, but that's only because I haven't had time to read the conveniently provided and helpful FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) and TOU (Terms of Use), conveniently provided.

All of this information was like finding an oasis in the desert! I currently have three shops on Etsy: BerryPatchDesigns, UnderCurrent BodyWear and SilverShadow Designs. Starting off with this many shops may seem a bit excessive, but each is a bit different. BerryPatchDesigns is a shop that I share with two of my closest friends, who also make handmade jewelry. UnderCurrent is sort of an "alternate lifestyle" shop, instituted at the repeated requests of various friends - it is still "under construction."

While it's not clear how the new Etsians are selected for featuring, it IS clear that IndieFinds is a place to look for great finds: new shops, tips, selfless promotion of others and a study in how to self-promote, as well.

Hats off to IndieFinds, DottyRal, Littleputbooks and SchOOLLOcker for putting so much work into creating such a helpful and generous tool and site for budding online artisans!!!!

Today's Free Rice

2007-12-03T14:17:00.000-05:00

Whoot! Just hit a max donation (for me) of 1280 grains of rice :) That's vocabulary level 47 /big grin! That's the FreeRice online charity donation, previously posted.

Etsy Artisan JenniB on Martha Stewart!

2007-11-29T15:24:00.000-05:00

Doesn't this look YUMMY??? Too bad! It'd give you a major tummy-ache AND end up with a trip to the dentist!

This is a terrific example of "faux food"!

Etsy artisan JenniBOriginals will be on Martha Stewart on Friday, December 7th, teaching Martha Stewart how to make faux holiday treats. JenniB specializes in creating lovely faux food delicacies, among other things.

Faux food is very popular among restaurateurs and food vendors, since the display stays looking "good enough to eat" and is an "appetizing" display! "Faux" is French for "articial" (fake, in other words).

The faux holiday treats make great presents, holiday displays for your home or office and even tree ornaments!

Etsy is an online market specializing in handmade items, usually sold by the artisan who created them, or sometimes a small group of them. There is an incredible variety of items including clothes, original artwork, jewelry, health and beauty aids, toys, buttons with sayings, magnets, stationary, glasswork, furniture and oh-so-many more items! Since all of these are handmade by individuals, purchasers are giving the gift of someone's time and creative energy, instead of mass-produced items that benefit a faceless corporation. That's what the "Buy Handmade Pledge" is all about - more on THAT another time (but I took it).

Anyway, don't forget to check out JenniB's segment on Martha Stewart on FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7th. Holiday treats like these are truly a TREAT!

It's All About Art for Indigo Luna!

2007-11-26T17:15:00.000-05:00

This mixed-media Mermaid Gourd is one of Indigo Luna's latest (and loveliest) creations! It, and many other lovely creations can be found in the online artisan venue, Etsy, exclusively for HANDMADE items of all types.

Rachel Kitterman, AKA “Indigo Luna”, self-defined art addict. Rachel’s primary passion is fabric; she has been making art quilts and dolls for over a decade now. Rachel’s Etsy shop is full of an incredibly eclectic collection of art in so many varied forms that it’s impossible to put a single label on it: paper, altered art, mixed-media, knitting, crocheting, jewelry, artist books, photography. As Rachel says, ”Pretty much, if it will hold still, I'll make art out of it!”

Indigo Luna creates whimsical self-ejecting Moo card holders, mini-artists' books for great ideas, mixed media ornamental post cards and so many more items, from incredible to incredibly cute.

Among the many hats she wears (and those she makes, like the autumn scarf shown here), Rachel is a sign language interpreter, an energy worker, a minister, a blogger, a wife to a wonderful and creative man, and a mother to two wild and amazing little girls. All of these roles combine to shape her art and artistic vision.

Rachel’s hand-drawn and hand-colored mandalas are truly beautiful, both as art and meditative focuses. She creates mandalas in various themes – whatever strikes the right chord at the right time. The wonderful thing is how wonderfully the shape, lines and colors combine to speak the theme.

“When I create mandalas, I enter a meditative state. The lines and colors just seem to flow out of me.”

The word “mandala” comes from Sanskrit and means “sacred circle”. The circle symbolizes the womb of creation. It is an artistic representation of the cosmos and a focus for meditation. Indigo Luna's mandalas are beautiful to look at, no matter what spiritual path you follow! Shown above is an Autumn Earth Mandala Wall Hanging that Indigo Luna created for a challenge for the EarthPath Artisan Street Team on Etsy.

Rachel is a 5th generation Oregonian who has traveled in the United States, but cannot conceive of wanting to live anywhere but in her lush and verdant home state, where she studied plants and gathered mushrooms as a child.

Rachel’s work has appeared:
2005 Quilting Arts Calender (cover)
Artella Magazine
Art/Quilt Magazine
Fiberarts Design Book 6
Many juried shows

Indigo Luna's blog is a great place to track her latest wonderful creations and exploits!

High Marks for Earmark Invitations!

2007-11-23T01:24:00.000-05:00

Looking for "different" holiday cards? Take a look at Earmark Invitations' Rudolph card! The recipient will be GLOWING when they see Rudolph's nose!

Earmark has a wide variety of greeting cards (individual and sets), invitations, terrific magnets (individual and sets), cool and cute theme pencils, journals and banners (graphics designed for Etsy shops).

Far from being the “average” stationary shop, they even have a “contempt” series of cards, with “cutting” remarks (remember how much PAPER CUTS hurt!)

I love the very inspiring "Adventure" magnets, with quotes by Mark Twain, Belloc and more. You can get individual magnets or a set of 6. My favorite is the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

"Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and make a trail."

There's even an environmentally friendly and attractive series starting, with soy ink and recycled paper!

Earmark Invitations is a proud member of Etsy’s online handmade artisan community since August 2007, but have been creating charming and varied stationary items for a good bit longer.

Earmark does custom work and has a separate listing for custom printing on your purchased cards. This can be especially terrific for special events like birthdays, retirements, anniversaries and (of course) the holidays! Former customers have praised Bridgette and Mike for their speedy and accurate service with custom work.

Bridgette and Mike ARE Earmark, located in San Diego, CA, USA. They do (and love!) custom work and will cheerfully bend over backwards to provide excellent service, as the comments from their customers show!

If you live in or are visiting San Diego, you can find Earmark Invitations at the OB Farmer's Market, every Wednesday from 4-8 PM in Ocean Beach.

You can also find their products at Cyd's Gourmet Café (Peoria, Illinois) and soon at My My, (Hatboro, Pennsylvania)

Online at:
www.earmarkinvitations.com
http://www.indiefixxshops.com

If you are interested in carrying their lines of greetings, stationery or invitations, contact them via their shop on etsy or email bsb@earmarkinvitations.com

The charms of earthcharms!

2007-11-16T13:19:00.000-05:00

earthcharms is an artisan on Etsy who works with gems and macrame to make lovely and intriguing jewelry and accessories. Other blogs have shown the infamous “Wench’s Choker” (which I like a lot) and perhaps even the “Polarity Choker”. Not many have shown the “Zombie’s (censored)” or “Give Me Back My Aaaarrmmms” earrings.

earthcharms’ profile says far more about her than I EVER could! This is a MUST-READ profile. The quick and dirty is that earthcharms is an artisan who has a shop on the Etsy online artisan marketplace.

earthcharms' humor and style are irrepressible and entertaining and her soul is “owned by a thieving cat,” among other things. Her jewelry is similarly unique, with a distinct style and charm. Virtually all of earthcharms’ pieces are assembled with a desire to be both attractive and helpful – or, in some cases, flat-out hilarious!

Among the pieces in this oh-so-entertaining artisan’s shop are jewelry and accessory sets, geared toward helping the purchaser achieve an end: the “Health” and “Studious” assortments. I love these sets!! Each contains a choker, earrings, charm, pocket stone and tealight. Jewelry whose stones’ metaphysical qualities enhance an ability or achieve a state, along with candles and pocket stones for the same purpose!

I particularly like earth's earrings - well wrapped wire, with wonderful and different stones, all intended to enhance the wearer's state of being. Great wrapping and great stones, all combining to become lovely, earthy and feminine earrings.

earthcharms’ identity is as firmly rooted in her sense of self as the element she admires most: Earth. Most people, thinking of Earth, think of it as being rigid and inflexible. Far from it! The Earth and all on it are constantly changing: islands being “born” in the sea, mountains and beaches getting smaller, grain by grain. This, too, is one of this artisan’s truths: “No story ever ends”, she says.

Other places to keep up with earthcharms' creations and exploits would be her blog and website.
She is also a member of some web communities:
Myspace
etsylove (ning)
flickr
http://picasaweb.google.com/salyxwoodbine/

Giftbearer's Many Gifts

2007-11-11T23:07:00.000-05:00

Pippit Carlington (AKA Giftbearer on Etsy) has been creating …everything… ever since she was 2 years old. At age 5 she was composing songs on the piano and teaching herself to play by ear. From there, the world was waiting! Now she is a skilled jewelry artist of 23 years, with a shop online on Etsy and displays her work in many other venues.

“Seeing something made from nothing into a beautiful object has always been a gratifying experience to me, so I keep doing it and trying to top the last thing I made.”

Giftbearer, as Pippit is known on Etsy, has very detailed work with an wide range of styles, no doubt rooted in her diverse heritage. There is a very unique flavor to her lovely jewelry, as you can see.

"A Hint of Something Deeper" is one of Ms. Carlington's personal favorites, due to its complexity and details. This piece seems to have a Polynesian flavor.

"Medicine Man" and "Many Muses" both display definite Native American influence.

She is an incredibly prolific and productive self-starter, as her professional and artistic resume shows. Formal training includes Callenwolde Center for the Arts, The Atlanta College of Art, and Atlanta Jeweler's School and Studios.

Ms. Carlington has exhibited in many showcases, exhibits and galleries, and has been featured in many shops. For a complete list of this incredibly energetic artist, check out Giftbearer's profile on Etsy.

Pippit works in several mediums including acrylics, watercolor, drawing, clay sculpture, and jewelry. She is in the process of teaching herself more elaborate wire wrapping, metal stamping, and additional bead weaving stitches and is also exploring further into PMC (precious metal clay). She also hopes to
learn Chainmaille and would one day love to go to an artist retreat to take some intensive classes in more advanced metal fabrication.

A multicultural influence is evident in her work, reflecting a widely diverse heritage including Iroquois Indian, Hawaiian, Russian Jewish, and French Canadian. She is strongly influenced by nature, political and social issues, and uses her art to educate the public.

“The sense of community in our country is not what it used to be … people must pull together to make good things happen.”

Pippit is also a very caring person, who “puts her money where her mouth is.”

She has mentored artists with mental illness in a psychosocial rehabilitation program she developed called Artvision, which she operated out of her home on a shoestring budget. The project was fully self-supporting, receiving no government funding. Artists in the program received help and guidance in learning all aspects of how to run an art-based business. This prepared them to earn money using a talent they already have.

Many other volunteer efforts benefited from Ms. Carlington’s generosity of spirit, as well, including online support and treatment information line for persons with autoimmune disorders and Hurricane Katrina survivors.

Most recently, Pippit has initiated an innovative new marketing plan among artists on Etsy called the “90 Features in 90 Days Challenge”. If you are an Etsy seller who would like to increase your sales, learn more about the 90 Day Blog Challenge, check out the thread and sign up HERE! Some sellers whose sales were previously stagnant have already reported sudden sales after 28 days with 54 participants! (I have noted increased activity)

Other Online Sites for Ms. Carlington (Giftbearer)'s work:
SmashingDarling

Mindt (items available in this store soon)

GiftBearer’s Blogs
http://artlifenewsblog.blogspot.com/ (including features on Etsy artists)
http://giftbearer.zaadz.com/blog
http://blog.myspace.com/giftbearer

Giftbearer's Flickr Profile and Photostream:

The Art Jewelry Collective Street Team Blogs:
http://artjewelrycollective.blogspot.com/
http://artjewelrycollective.wordpress.com/

Have Fun AND Feed Someone!

2007-11-08T13:18:00.000-05:00

This is GRATE...err...GREAT!

Are you good with words?

Do you like games?

Click HERE to get to a site where all those qualities can help you feed hungry people!

No strings - just answer the questions. No private information, no registration or anything. Click on the answer you believe to be correct and you'll either get another question (and see the rice bowl on the side start filling) or get the correct answer. Click again to get another question.

How much easier can it be? Set a goal for yourself - I'm going to try for 300-500 grains of rice per day. That's maybe 5-10 minutes a day of entertainment AND helping the needy!

BerryPatchDesigns Goes into the Shadow...

2007-11-07T22:16:00.000-05:00

SILVERSHADOW, that is! I've found that another online seller (in another venue, which shall remain nameless.../coughs *Bay!) has the same name and sells - among other things, "handmade jewelry".

Rather than cause confusion for either shop's customers and prospective customers, I've decided to change my primary shop's name from BERRYPATCHDESIGNS to SILVERSHADOW DESIGNS. Silver, because I love silver's clean lines so much, and Shadow because shadows are simply places where the light is textured (not non-existent). And I LOVE textures! And the play of colors!

So there will be a period of transition while the listings are moved, but that will NOT negatively affect ANY PART of my customer service! Whether that service is answering questions or completing a custom piece or shipping an ordered item.

Just think of all the LINKS you can click!

Check out UNDERCURRENT BodyWear for a different style of "hot" accessories!

Eclectic Figments: SuperMom and Artisan!

2007-11-07T19:33:00.000-05:00

Figments…err…Eclectic Miscellany…errr…Kathleen (!) is a working mother who loves to create unique pieces of jewelry in what little spare time she has, selling them online in a venue for handmade arts and crafts called Etsy, which has been in the news lately.

Kathleen is a “mild-mannered” (?) software support consultant who sheds her disguise in the evening to become: SuperArtisanMom! She is a mother, wife, cook, housekeeper, crafter, scrapbook creatrix and more! She also loves to travel, read and go to the movies.

Kathleen grew up in a house full of books and handcrafted objects. Both parents were very creative: her mother painted, sewed, did silversmithing, read, did needlework and was a children's librarian; her father taught theatre and acted in and directed shows. Not surprisingly, all the pixie dust flying around settled on Kathleen:

I love to create fun, wearable pieces of art and these Figments are the result.

This is Spirit of Fire, one of Kathleen's elemental based pieces.

Another is Pele, part of her wonderful Myth Cycle group. The central piece is a fiery lampwork bead and the entire piece is divine!

There are many members of the Myth Cycle group and some that are distantly related, like the Thunderbird, out of Native American spiritual beliefs.

For the Cure is a necklace for breast cancer awareness. The proceeds from the sale of this piece go towards the treatment of and search for a cure for breast cancer.

Kathleen is also an active Etsian and is a member of multiple Street Teams:

The INCrowd, a group of Etsy artisans located in Indiana. Enter "incrowd" in your Etsy search to find them.

EarthPath Artisans Street Team (EAST). A group of people who walk similar alternative spiritual paths, focusing on beliefs in the world of Nature. Enter “EAST” in your search to find EAST members!

etsyBEAD street team, Etsians who create beads or beaded jewelry.

Tranquil Beading Oasis (TBO), a group of jewelry and bead artisans. Enter “TBO” on etsy to find the creations of these many talented artists.

Since we are both member of EAST, one of Etsy's Street Teams (Yay, EAST!), I had often seen Kathleen's lovely jewelry in our forum discussions, admired her range of styles and wondered what sparks her inventive fires. Here are her answers to some of my nosy questions:

Q: If you had to pick ONE piece of art or book that continually inspires you, what would it be? And why?
A: Inspiration....hmmmmm....probably a small watercolor that my brother did MANY years ago called "Paradise Lost". Eve has pulled the apple from the tree (a sparse tree, no leaves, just a trunk and one branch) and the tree and apple are bleeding. She has her hand to her cheek as if to say "Oh no, what have I done?". Adam is slumped against the base of the trunk like a rag doll. It is very simple yet says so much....

Q: One movie that is your absolute, bottom line favorite - and why?
A: Movie...I don't think I can name just one...I love "While You Were Sleeping" but "Stranger Than Fiction" ranks right up there and I can't leave the original "Pirates of the Caribbean" out of the running either.

Q: Favorite element and why?
A: Element - Air - it is all around us, within us, cushioning an protecting us, sustaining us and giving us life.

Q: What do you hope to learn to do in the next year (2008) that you do not know how to do now?
A: In the next year I would like to learn to.......do lots of things....make lampwork beads, work with stained glass, make anything pottery related. WILL I get to any of these? I don't know. The local center for the arts has pottery classes and I may try to take one in the spring, if I can find the time! Between working full time, being a mother and wife, doing housework, spending time online, making my jewelry, doing shows and working with other local craftspeople to promote our crafts and handmade items in general I don't get much free time!!!!

You would need to check out Kathleen's Etsy shops, Figments and Eclectic Miscellany, to truly appreciate her range and depth of inspiration. Do so, at once. You WON'T be sorry!

And don't forget to BUY HANDMADE! These are gifts that show the recipient that you cared enough to give more than money; you care enough to make sure they have something different. Many handmade items are unique or very limited editions!

Celtic Rover in the DownUnder!

2007-11-06T14:47:00.000-05:00

NerysPurchon of Etsy skillfully crafts lovely and unique bags and lives a unique (and enviable) life, living a roving lifestyle in their 29’ Caravan:

“…being a Celt, I am nomadic by nature. After my 5 children were grown, my husband and I decided that life in a house was too static. We have been living on the road with our two little dogs for many, many years now. Our way of life means that we can be on a beach, in a forest or a desert as the mood takes us. We can stay for a short while or a long time...if neighbours become troublesome, you simply start the engine and move on!”

Don’t we ALL wish we could do that, sometimes? Fortunately, their Caravan has 58 compartments, most of which are filled with supplies for Nerys’ wonderful fiber art creations. They stay connected to the Internet while on the road with a pretty hefty 3G fast broadband connection. Home base is Perth.
One of Nerys’ creations that caught my attention was her “Tribble” bag (The Tribble), made from soft, rich brown Merino wool , with lots of great add-ins: lovely dichroic glass bead, magnetic catch, Scotch-guarding for stain protection, zipped inner pockets for small items, durable but attractive inner lining, a key catch for easy access to your keys and a charming lavender scented herbal packet.
Another charming and versatile bag is the
Little Darling, which is knitted from 100% wool and then felted, creating a lovely and long-lasting accessory, whose colors will go with many outfits and seasons. The strap is long enough for hand or shoulder, there is a beautiful purple bead accent and lavender scented herbal sachet. The “Little Darling” is also Scotch-guarded for stain resistance.

Possibly one of Nerys’ most interesting creations is the Sari Bag, made of yarn from recycled sari silk.
Besides being utterly lovely, with LOTS of goodies: dichroic beads on front and back,a colorful beaded dragonfly, beautiful colors, a separate but included cell phone/iPod pouch, magnetic closure, zippered pocket, satin lining and convenient key catch. The frame will keep the bag’s shape and the material is Scotch-guarded for protection. There is , of course, the lavender herbal organza pouch from the herbalist’s grand-daughter J
The bag description points out how unique this bag is and that, like the Hill Tribes silver and African Kazuri beads, this yarn aids women trying to help themselves:
“Recycled sari silk is the most unique yarn. Silk thrums from India's weaving mills are handspun by women's cooperatives and cottage industries into gleaming, richly coloured silk skeins. Each recycled silk skein is handspun creating natural inconsistencies and a rather scrappy nature; to make any project, no matter how simple in design, instantly charming and unique. No two skeins of this yarn are the same, so every product made from this is one of its kind”
Recycled sari yarn purchases support women's development groups in Nepal and provides additional income to support their families.
Originally from North Wales, Nerys and her husband came to Australia in 1969 and bought a run down little farm of 16 acres. Through months and years of toil, they created a herb farm and a business creating cruelty-free, natural skin and hair care products.
Later, drawing on a lifetime of knowledge about herbs and their uses, literally learned at her grandmother’s knee (her grandmother was the valley herbalist and healer), Nerys began writing about herbs and essential oils, natural healing and a couple on food.
After several years, Nerys got sick of deadlines and wrote 3 e-books on herbs and natural healing (all of which are for sale in her shop.)

"Mummy Boo", intended as a fabric hug-fest for children with stress or anxiety, is scented with lavender oil, this relieves stress and aids sleep. MummyBoo also has an incredibly sweet card from Mummy to the child, and a basket of Guatemalan "worry dolls".

Besides the lovely bags that I’ve mentioned above, Nerys’ shop contains lovely, rich colored and textured scarves and cell phone/IPod pouches she’s made, with terrific textures, as well as charming stitch markers and Nerys’ e-books. And, coming soon, a small range of essential oil blends for Lovers, Stress, Headaches and a few more, some using convenient roll-on applicators!

Happy Friday, all! - Friday, November 2, 2007

2007-11-02T15:40:00.000-04:00

Question for the Day: Do you LIVE or EXIST? AND do you know the difference?

What Color Crayon Are YOU?

2007-11-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

You Are a Yellow Crayon

Your world is colored with happy, warm, fun colors.

You have a thoughtful and wise way about you. Some people might even consider you a genius.

Charming and eloquent, you are able to get people to do things your way.

While you seem spontaneous and free wheeling, you are calculating to the extreme.

Your color wheel opposite is purple. You both are charismatic leaders, but purple people act like you have no depth.

What Color Crayon Are You?

Long Day and Early AM - October 28, 2007

2007-10-28T00:09:00.000-04:00

LOL! Sorry, Constant Reader (is anyone out there???). Still learning what to do, etc. I have pics on Flickr, but not sure how to link, yet.

And no time to learn, since weekends are NOT made for Michelob, these days :( Had a nasty car repair (BIG bucks) and still recovering from "my boy's" vet bills (my cat, Riley, has HCM - heart disease).

Plus the addiction to jewelry design /sigh... But THAT is not something I want to give up, so doing the 2nd job thing, for now.

Sadly, that means being at work at 5 AM tomorrow - errr...TODAY. Guess I'd better go to sleep and hope I can do some jewelry tomorrow? It's an all day event. If I am put in a booth, I can do some small jewelry (heheheheheh). Wonder who I can bribe for that?

Strain's Asylum

2007-10-09T23:13:00.000-04:00

This is the start of my blog, so this will be a learning experience. However, I DO learn fast, O Constant Reader ;) And Life can be one big asylum.

This blog will be a place to seek asylum...IN the Asylum ! LOL! Don't we love homonyms and homophones? Those are words that SOUND alike, but have different pronunciations and meanings. Like "peer" (a person who is your equal), "peer" (to look) or "pier" (dock, basically)!

This, like my jewelry and photography are refuges. Places to seek asylum, that is.

Jewelry, did I say? ooooh... Yup! I design and create jewelry - mostly with gems (jade, garnets, tourmaline, etc.) and minerals (like jasper, agate, etc.), with some organics (pearls, coral, wood) and man-made (goldstone, glass, crystal, blown glass and dichroics), along with the metals (sterling silver and copper, mostly). LOT of fun!

More tomorrow, I think. Kind of "late" and I'd rather be conscious at work, wouldn't you? It helps, in order to get paid. Which we LIKE to do, in order to support our REAL LIVES :) And our various "habits" (coffee, chocolate, Chinese food, BBQ ribs and...JEWELRY)

Oh, if you're curious... Check out http://berrypatchdesigns.etsy.com/ or http://undercurrent.etsy.com/. Those are my "shops" and contain some of my handmade jewelry. Still more "in the works".

And we have a big Autumn Challenge coming up VERY soon. Going to link to our blog for that tomorrow or next day, since it's really soon (October 15th) and we have a lot of great stuff listed. Can't wait to see how we do... "We", in this case, is EarthPath Artisan Street Team, a great bunch of gals and guys on Etsy. Terrific artisans, all!

This is the piece I designed for the EarthPath Artisans' Autumn Challenge. I'm pretty proud of it, since it's different from anything I've made before. It's purely convertible - a double strand necklace OR a SINGLE strand necklace AND a bracelet. The leaf drops are hand wired and are made of jasper (two kinds: ocean jasper or fancy jasper).

The strands are variously colored pearls, all in autumn colors: cranberry, bronze, champagne and olive green faceted potato shaped cultured pearls, with some dark purple "pearls" that I believe are glass "pearl" beads. I only used two of those, since I prefer real pearls :) (Besides, mixing man-made pearls with natural pearls is misleading, unless you make sure a note it and I am honest!...except about my weight or age :P )

So what do you think??