I know that if I had the 'disposable' income, I would certainly spoil myself with these beautiful finds on sale:
Visit Artbeads.com now to take advantage of the savings!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Let Artbeads.com Be Your Valentine!
Glass and Silver From Artbeads.com!
The Swarovski project yielded 6 pieces from my selection, and I had certainly outdone myself - with 11!! The selection of glass beads and Bali, Hill Tribe, and sterling silver beads Artbeads.com has to offer come in a myriad of colours, shapes, cuts and finishes for a real unique design experience. I've got a few new beads of my own and a few recycled pieces of jewelry to use with these fantastic beads!
Wow, there's just too much to show you - let's get started!
Skeleton Key necklace
Skeletons in your closet much? This necklace is one of my favourites!
These skull beads, carved out of bone (ironically!) are one of my favourites in my stash, and were a great element in this necklace. These avocado green glass beads with a 'Picasso' finish add the perfect detail to the rugged skulls. The green star pendant was from a pair of recycled earrings, and the vintage key came from an Etsy purchase from summerscreations.etsy.com. A great fit!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Lookit! New Beads!
Being swayed by new visions of cleverness, I hit some of the shops on Etsy that provided nothing but the most gorgeous beads and findings - and nothing short of! Check out these fantastic beads from these fantastic sellers!
Snow White Czech glass flowers, floridaangel.etsy.com
Czech glass in rose, floridaangel.etsy.com
green Czech pressed glass beads, floridaangel.etsy.com
vintage feather charms, snapcrafty.etsy.com
vintage plastic filigree beads, snapcrafty.etsy.com
ruffled grey rose cabochons, snapcrafty.etsy.com
ruffled jet black rose cabochons, snapcrafty.etsy.com
antique brass adjustable rings, snapcrafty.etsy.com
antique brass scarab pendant, snapcrafty.etsy.com
vintage warrior cabochon, waytobead.etsy.com
vintage German lucite conch shells, waytobead.etsy.com
Amber Floral Pandora lampwork bead, beadcrazed.etsy.com
Just you wait and see what I do with these! I've got upcoming project ideas for the next Artbeads.com sponsored project, as well as some new items to go up in my Etsy shop! You'll get the first look right here, real soon!
Photographs courtesy of mentioned shops.
A Very Etsy Christmas: Supporting Handmade for the Holidays
Spoiling myself a little bit over the holidays, I took to Etsy for some of my holiday shopping ... while finding some gifts for myself!
The Hootie Owl necklace and Olivine Green candle holder both came from summerscreations.etsy.com. I had my eye on this necklace for a while, and the candle holder was a present from 'Santa' to my boyfriend, Nick - who loves candles, seemingly.
This awesome tote came from my friend Tracy at thetotetrove.etsy.com, and was a gift to my sister-in-law. She surprised me with a small matching change purse inside! (The postcard had a message from Tracy, and it's of an Andy Warhol painting of a Corvette, that I still have on my fridge! It's awesome!)
Visit their shops to find more awesome stuff!
Photos provided by their respective Etsy shops.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Wordless Wednesday, Issue #8: Piccolo the Cat
Piccolo, our very first pet in our new apartment, minding her own business while I was getting ready this morning.
Photography credit: Cassandra Watsham
"Hey, Do You Have Any More Of Those Reindeer Antlers?": A Handmade Christmas, 2009
The benefit of a handmade Christmas is the money you save; that's the first thought that may come to your mind. I'll be honest, that's the first thought that came to mine. Since Nick and I moved out on our own, we knew we were working on a far stricter budget than we anticipated. Fresh-baked cookies in a dollar-store Christmas tin may be cost-thrifty, but don't doubt that you'll be the hit of every Christmas party and family gathering - we certainly were! Nick and I spent some quality time together in the kitchen making some Christmas treats, starting a tradition I hope we can keep up for next Christmas!
These cookies were a mainstay around the apartment during Christmas. There was always a fresh batch made every few days, either baking for friends or family. To be honest, probably half of each batch made ended up in our tummies. This is your standard choco-chip cookie recipe, replacing chocolate chips with red and green M&M's and adding a quarter-cup of cocoa powder for extra chocolateyness. (It's a word now!)
These cookies were a mainstay around the apartment during Christmas. There was always a fresh batch made every few days, either baking for friends or family. To be honest, probably half of each batch made ended up in our tummies. This is your standard choco-chip cookie recipe, replacing chocolate chips with red and green M&M's and adding a quarter-cup of cocoa powder for extra chocolateyness. (It's a word now!)
Where To Start When Playing Catch-Up ...
Oh my goodness, I couldn't believe how long it had been since I'd posted anything here, and I have so much to tell you all!
We last left with the news that Nick and I have moved into our own humble abode, unpacking slowly but surely. The 'moving' part is almost over - we still have some things in storage we need to pull out - and the exciting part - well, for me - is beginning: organizing!
We last left with the news that Nick and I have moved into our own humble abode, unpacking slowly but surely. The 'moving' part is almost over - we still have some things in storage we need to pull out - and the exciting part - well, for me - is beginning: organizing!