It's Ready!!!!!

My necklace is finally ready!!!! :D I put it in my cart and paid for it late last night. I'm so excited!!! After featuring tqbdesigns on September 18, I just couldn't get that "Wishes" necklace out of my mind. I had to get one of my own! And although the colours on the necklace I had featured were gorgeous, I knew I wanted to make one my own. My favourite colour palette at the moment is greens and blues, so I knew I wanted to go with that for sure. The earrings I also featured were inspiring, and I chose the dill flower and tourmaline right away. As shown in the earrings, I had also chosen the olive, but after talking with the designer, I decided on the leaf green instead. Although both lovely greens, I think the leaf brightens up the whole ensemble.

I can't wait to get it!!!! I'm so used to getting packages in the mail from my mom, who lives in Northern Ontario. It only takes about 2-3 days. But this package is coming from Portland, OR. Quite a bit further. I purchased some beads from St. Paul, MN 2 weeks ago, and they still haven't come in. I don't want to wait 2 weeks!!! I really want this necklace for Thanksgiving.. but that's only a week away, so it definitely won't happen. But once I get it, it's mine, so I'll have it whenever I want from then on.It's so gorgeous!! I can't believe how the colours complement each other. This wishbone will most definitely become my favourite piece of jewelry ~ and my lucky piece as well. I'm going to start wearing it to interviews and meetings, and my thesis defense.. hopefully it will bring me good luck!
I just wanted to thank Lisa again for making such gorgeous jewelry and for customizing a piece for me. I love it!!! :D

Item of the Day!

Ok.. so I didn't get around to posting yesterday... yes, I feel guilty! I love posting on my blog and I love promoting some of the amazing artists on Etsy. But I was so busy! I was actually stuck at work until 6 (and extra hour whereas I usually leave an hour early!) because my computer no longer recognizes my camera. Could have something to do with the fact it was dropped on it's side....

Enough with the excuses and on to the art. Amazingly beautiful art at that. Today I'm featuring AmyGiacomelli, and you absolutely must check out this shop! I was first stunned by her newly posted Autumn Landscape (we all know how much of a sucker I am for fall things..).
These paintings are ginormous and absolutely breathtaking! I love the warm autumn tones, especially the crimson and burgundy reflections floating in the foreground and atop the spindly trunks. I really like the fact that a lot of Amy's pieces are sets of three or four ~ I find these arrangements particularly attractive. I love how a wall becomes filled with larger paintings, presenting them to you and becoming part of the masterpiece. I dislike seeing small pieces lost on a large wall... it's such a waste of space!

These next two pieces are simple, beautiful and great gifts!! They come framed as you see, and each print is an original, one of a kind painting done by Amy. These modern and contemporary pieces are classy and understated and would make great gifts that would complement almost any decor. Anyone is sure to love either one of these, but especially the trees, even if you aren't sure on their taste.

AmyGiacomelli has a wonderful shop you should check out immediately! Not only does she have original, one of a kind paintings of all different sizes, she also sells painted art pendants, some interesting sculptures and framed art. Everything would make a fantastic addition to your home or someone else's you know. Go on and browse, there is something you are sure to fall in love with!! Not only that, if you glance at Amy's profile, you'll see that she's a world reknown artist ~ and has work in all the Disneyland parks worldwide!! Get an original while you can!!

Item of the day

Over the weekend, I was watching the newly posted items scroll at the bottom of the Etsy website (as usual) and came across a gorgeous gold necklace. When I saw that the artist, Kate, was Canadian, I knew what I would be featuring today. Kate lives in Whitby, Ontario, a place I've actually been to (a friend went to school there, and we would get rides home with him)! She runs her shop, kateszabone, full/part-time, the rest of her time being spent as a domestic goddess. If you read through her profile, you'll see that Kate used to be in real estate, but found that it wasn't something she loved to do. Now she designs unique jewelry, and has been doing quite well as evidenced by her shop, which has only been open since January and already has over 500 items sold! I think this speaks to the quality and graceful designs of her work. I definitely think she made the right decision in switching!!

The first necklace I saw and fell in love with is this lovely gold-dipped pine cone. This brings me back to my childhood, during my favourite season, Autumn: I grew up in the country, and we had a huge oak tree and several pine trees in my front yard (as well as many maples, birches, cedars and others in the forest on my parent's property). I remember collecting pine cones, acorns, coloured leaves and branches for crafting ~ I would make wreathes with my aunt and Thanksgiving baskets / centerpieces. Classically fall ~ and now you can wear it around your neck! The intricacies of the pine cone are beautifully preserved in the 24k gold. This pendant would make a great addition to any jewelry collection and would also make a wonderful gift, especially if shopping for anyone who is environmentally active or a lover of the great outdoors. You can also find other amazing gold-dipped pendants in kateszabone shop ~ I'm particularly fond of the dipped coral (random shapes, with the natural red-pink coral showing through) and conch shells.

The next item that I'm trying to live without is these wonderful sea grass earrings. I couldn't find a more fitting name: the 14k gold filled flattened and curling wire looks just like sea weed. I can imagine my hair getting tangled around in the grasses just as my feet would while swimming in the river or lake (HATE that feeling, never fails to send a shudder down my spine). Thankfully these weeds aren't black-green and slimy! And tangled within them aren't your feet, but tiny faceted blue labradorite gems. The frosty gold of the weeds and light blue of the gems create a fantastic watery feel to these earrings. You can tell that these earrings would constantly be dancing to the movement of your head and ambient breezes, just as if the seaweeds were caught in a gentle current. Simply lovely!!!

If you're looking for simple and understated beauty, please check out kateszabone's shop. She has an extensive collection of hammered and wrapped bangles, plain hoop, loop and leaf silhouette earrings and many more!! Most, if not all, of her pieces have an effortless feel to them, something clean and classy you could wear all the time ~ be it for the mundane (grocery shopping) or for special occasions. Check it out: you won't be disappointed!

Item of the Weekend!

Since I usually take the weekends off, but still feel like posting an item today, I'm going to make it the feature of the weekend. I have a lot to do this weekend and I think I'll head out to the Ancaster County Fair tomorrow. Even though I grew up in the country surrounded by farms, I've never been to one. I'd like to see what it's all about, see some of the animal contests (especially the bunnies and llamas, heehee).

I often sit on the front page of Etsy and watch the new items posted scroll by at the bottom, clicking on anything that catches my fancy or looks interesting (or I can't figure out what the heck it is). Yesterday, I happened to notice this striking necklace and just had to click on it. This "Bee Pendant" from bordeaux's shop is delightfully simple yet still we can clearly see that it's a bee ~ right down to the stinger ~ it's almost buzzing on the end of the chain. The use of bold lines and open space make this a stunning piece. Browsing through bordeaux's shop, you'll soon see a few themes, all done in beautiful sterling silver. The insects, including the bee above, are lovely, but this bird, part of the nautical theme, is exceptionally charming and whimsical. "No really I'm a seagull" has really great shape ~ I love the curly wing and tail.
This bird reminds me of a great blue heron more than a seagull, so we can see why she has a bit of an identity problem. But I'm sure she can really represent any bird you like. Other pendants in the nautical theme that are equally remarkable are the blowfish, dolphin and seahorse.

Bordeaux Designs has many other great pieces, and they aren't all beautiful wire outlines. Just look at her avatar, the gorgeous star fish above ~ the detail and texture of the silver is amazing! The designer behind these pieces is a stay-at-home mom ~ rather, a domestic goddess ~ so I can imagine where she finds the time to create these unique designs! So run on over and check out this shop, it's truly one of a kind.

Featured Item of the Day!

I was browsing through the shops of my street team EtsyU, and came across memory. I was delighted by this raccoons little face. Isn't he cute? I was even more pleased when I saw that Monica (hehe, I'm assuming this is her name from the title of her blog) hails from New Brunswick Canada. How great is that? I get to feature both EtsyU AND a Canadian!!

Monica is a photography student who, like a lot of artists on Etsy, dabbles in various other art form, including drawing, sewing and making jewelry. Her memory shop is strictly for photo prints and illustrations, but you can also find her at heyprettycupcake (for buttons, magnets and other things featuring her art) and morememory (for supplies). Phew, that's 3 shops today!! But I'm really only featuring memory. And this poor little raccoon who just isn't having a very good day. It's hard to see in these pics, but beside his tail is written "Today is not my day." Although, other than the downpour he's caught in, I can't see why. He has a lovely red balloon that should help brighten even the most rainy days!The humorous and bleak expression in his eyes and his manly chest hair have captured my heart. He's adorable!! I'm also particularly fond of the slate gray of the background - it's the same colour as my favourite pair of pants!

I was also impressed by the following two prints. The first is called "Fog" and is a digital collage of a barren landscape and a foggy window. To me, it looks like a vast field in late November, with snow just starting to fall. Not the first snowfall since you can see that this has already melted in some places, leaving wet spots and blanketing the ground near the hills. A very melancholy piece that reminds me of dark November afternoons where you don't want to go outside because the falling snow is more like slush and you'll get soaked. "Fog" definitely has lots of emotion, leaving one longing for summer.
Which brings me to the next piece. Full of movement and light, "Wind" brings you into Spring, right in the middle of Mardi Gras. Although I've never actually experienced a Mardi Gras festival, this photo reminds me of all the bright colours of carnival beads that you can find (or earn). Living up to it's namesake, you can almost see the breeze rustling through this partially blurred feather. A gorgeous print that would look great in any room!
You must take a look at memory's shop (and her other two), you won't be disappointed! And imagine, she also has a blog (who doesn't nowadays?)! Take a peak: monicamakesthings.blogspot.com.

Item of the day!

Today I'm featuring a Canadian seamstress: SewMo. She's from Toronto, so that's really close to home for me. I was specifically looking for a Canadian today, and what drew me to this shop was the fact that Mo tries to use up-cycled materials as much as possible. So not only do you get a great bag, wallet or accessory, you're being kind to the environment too!! Every time you sling that purse over your shoulder, you can give yourself a pat on the back at the same time: you're doing your part!!

The first item that caught my attention was this cute, Simple Wallet. I just love the polka-dot pattern! And of course, who doesn't need another little pouch to hold money, change, credit cards, coupons or those feminine products you don't want falling out of your bag as you root around for a pen or your sunglasses. As you can see, it would also hold business cards quite nicely, so they could always be on hand.
The next item to catch my fancy? This delightful little Checked clutch purse / wristlet. The pattern is so cheery and fun! It's a perfect size for bringing the essentials to school, work or a night on the town. And it can be machine washed, for anyone who gets a little sloppy now and again (who doesn't?)!
And while you're at it, why not get three matching magnets? The pattern is irresistible! Hop on over to SewMo, there's a lot more in store - like that pretty pin cushion you'll recognize in her store banner and also on her blog: sewmo.blogspot.com. Check it out!!!

Item of the day

I've been meaning to feature Concertinapieces, a member of my street team EtsyU, for a while. Ever since I stumbled across this little guy, Stan the onion:His cute little smile drew me right in! And then I read the description that goes with his post, and it was so touching (and made me giggle at work)! Apparently Stan was part of a government lab experiment until he escaped, and now he's just looking for someone to love him. Won't you? And if you browse through Concertinapieces shop, you'll find other members of the veggie family:Aren't they adorable? Other stuffies made by Concertinapieces include Beatrix the beautiful birdie, the Octiwees and Octibees, and many many others. Octibees are bigger than Octiwees, and they try to take care of them. But sometimes, the poor little Octiwees are orphaned, and need someone to look after them. How can you resist that little face? Fitting in the palm of your hand, they wouldn't take up too much room or cause you much trouble.
Run on over to Concertinapieces, it's well worth it. You'll soon see that there isn't only toys offered. There's quite a bit of pretty jewelry (including some button bracelets!) and some ceramics. A great shop to check out if you have a gift to purchase and want something nice and unique!

30 Hearts!

I made it to 30 hearts today!! I'm so happy, Etsy is such a great community. :) Although, I'm not sure if I can technically count the latest heart... it's from EtsyU, my street team, haha. Which, by the way, you should take a quick look at. It's a work in progress, we just started up, but the profile lists all the great shops (and hard working students) that are part of the team.

Today wasn't a very productive day. I spent all morning (mostly on Etsy, haha) waiting for a meeting that was supposed to happen at 9. It never happened... investigators who are also MDs are so hard to get a hold of!! But I guess that's kind of a good thing. I'm sure his patients are a little more important than me. Then I spent pretty much the whole afternoon with my supervisor. I've been having so much trouble keeping my preps from drying out overnight but the perfusion rig I had set up wasn't reliable to leave overnight (perfusion = constant flow of media / liquid over the cell preparation so that it's impossible to dry out... except that often it would just stop). So Luke changed the tubing to a larger size and rigged up a drip ~ just like for an IV bag, but he made it for me. So now I can see the media drip from the reservoir and control the flow easily. I'll have to try it out during the day tomorrow to see if it'll be ok overnight. I hope so!

So I didn't work at all on my applications. And do you think I'll get on that tonight? I don't... I'm planning on making some tiny notebooks for promo baskets we're trying to get together for EtsyU. Fun fun!!

Oh, and I posted three new button bracelets, why don't you check them out?

Item of the day!

I came across a splendid necklace on the Etsy front page, and instantly fell in love with the large beaded round balls. After browsing through tqbdesigns' shop, I know what I want for Christmas (or Thanksgiving, or Halloween, or...): this gorgeous Wishes necklace. I love the fall colours of each of the beaded balls, and just look how they glimmer! They look like ripe berries ready for picking. The necklace's name suits it well: hanging with the juicy berries is a silver wishbone. I love this necklace so much I can't stand it!!! I might just have to splurge (and I really can't and shouldn't... but just look at that necklace!!!!!!) ~ I hope no one beats me to it!!
And if someone does, there is a large selection of equally beautiful and almost edible delights: like these fantastic Flowering Vines earrings.

As I've mentioned before, this is my favourite colour combination at the moment ~ I love how the dark tourmaline ball shimmers with greens and purples. Once again, words just don't do justice: you MUST check out this shop!!!!! Each item is completely handmade by Lisa Gastelum. That means she makes all of these beautiful beaded charms by hand - the beads are stitched onto a wooden core. Amazing!! Read more on her profile and blog: tqbdesigns.blogspot.com. Don't wait, hurry over to tqbdesigns right now!!!!

NEW: Accordion-style memory book

I just posted some new items, go check them out at ulixis.etsy.com!! Four delicious button bracelets (some with funky triangle buttons) as well as an envelope accordion-style notebook, of which I am particularly proud. I put a lot of time, effort and love into this notebook, and I think it turned out quite well!! This will also be the last notebook I'll be posting in a little while: my gramma and Aunt each put in a custom order (for five in total, due at Thanksgiving :) such a great, supportive family!!) which I'll be concentrating on.

This notebook (or memory book, as I like to call it) is perfect for anyone who wants to get scrapbooking but doesn't know how to start or doesn't have the time to dedicate to creating their own layouts. Each page is an envelope, so love letters, notes and special mementos can be hidden away. Each envelope, front and back, is embellished in a one of a kind design, using mostly green tone paper. Unfortunately, five measly pictures does NOT do this item justice. So, I'm going to post quite a few here. First, a view of the front and back, without the large green ribbon (and matching tag) that is included and can be used to hold the book closed.These two are of the back of the envelopes, spread out.
Each page in close-up, starting with the one attached to the cover:A pretty vellum envelope in which to hide more mementos.(The sticker at the bottom says "You are my sunshine".)
And now each of the front pages in close-up (see my etsy posting for the first page):

A close up of the sequined flower:
And finally, the last envelope, which is stuck to the cover: Since this is my first attempt at anything like this, I'd like anyone and everyone's opinion ~ any ideas on how I could improve? Anything in particular that you really like? Please let me know! And please go check out my shop at ulixis.etsy.com!

Item of the day!

I've realized it's nearly impossible to get everything done on the weekend. I so wanted to work on my applications, post new items... but cleaning up and spending time with my boy friend ate up all my time. It doesn't help that I'm inherently lazy, and relaxed a lot this weekend too. Mondays suck ... back to reality.

But on a happy note, I have another Canadian to feature today!! I stumbled across a beautiful ring by Colleen Baran on the Etsy front page, which lead me to her amazing shop, ColleenBaran.etsy.com. I was delighted to see that she's from Vancouver, BC ~ yay Canada! And I'm almost positive I saw another wonderful ring as an avatar on weloveetsy.com or indiepublic.com, but I can't find her on there now. After looking through her website, colleenbaran.com, I have fallen in love with the cloud series, as well as the like wearing a love letter series. Her jewelry is amazing, you must check it out!! This is my favourite ring on Etsy (I was going to say my most favourite, but after browsing through her website, the "I've loved you since the moment I met you" and "I want to be your wife always" rings have stolen my heart, as did Cloud ring #7... I'm not sure if they're available through Etsy, but they are beautiful and so meaningful). This ring, called Bubble Lace Ring 1, it is so light, simple and delicate, it could be worn every day!! In fact, I probably would never take it off (except to do dishes and shower, I guess, mustn't ruin the silver!)!! I'm really at a loss for words ... I think the picture (and great number of links) speaks for itself!

Be sure to also have a look at her one of a kind, extremely unique floating saucer series. You should also mark her as a favourite and check back often - Colleen has a new felt series (great texture) and framework series (the missing avatar) coming out and posts new items regularly. Oh, and stop by her blog, seeseebe.blogspot.com while you're at it!

Item of the day!

Today I am promoting the hard working members of my street team, EtsyU. Juggling school work and social time and a day job is hard enough, but trying to make time for crafting can be difficult. It's important to us to let our creativity fly, helping to destress and unwind after a long day, but with deadlines (projects, tests, assignments, presentations, group work, etc) looming, it's hard to justify.

While browsing through the shops of my fellow members, I cam across this cluster ring and fell in love. I just knew that I had to feature it today.From the delicious shop of SugaNspice, this ring captures my favourite colour combination to perfection. It reminds me of the sea (that I've never seen, haha... so it reminds me of the lake too I guess), with tiny silver fish darting through the sun beams that cut through the water. It reminds me of shiny droplets of dew sparkling on individual blades of grass throughout the lawn. This ring makes me think of home (the country as opposed to the city I live in now for University). I found another fall bracelet - my favourite season and my favourite adornment, how perfect! This Autumn bracelet with it's pretty silver leaves also reminds me of the spring - the beautiful faceted green beads remind me of a tree in full bloom. Delicate little buds coaxed to unfurl in the warming sun. It could easily be worn year round, and would make a lovely addition to any jewelry collection.
Merely glancing at the two items I featured from SugaNspice would give you no indication on the variety found in her shop. In fact, staying true to the name of the shop, many items are food and sweets inspired - like these adorable Fried Eggs earrings. So be sure to check out her shop!

Item of the day

This is most difficult... how am I supposed to choose just one item / shop to feature a day!??! Etsy is so full of wonderful artists, it's hard to choose a favourite! I mentioned yesterday that I would like to promote Canadians (GO CANADA!!!) so I was looking through the Etsy Canadian street team. But at the same time, I thought it would be nice to promote EtsyU, the street team that I'm a part of... Decisions, decisions... I was never good at making them! So since I found my Canadian first, I will feature her today, and my street team can wait for tomorrow (sorry!). But you should definitely go check out the wonderful artists that are crafting while still in school ~ let me tell you, it gets really crazy busy sometimes!! http://team.etsy.com/profilest/etsyU.shtml

UPDATE: If you check the EtsyU profile, you'll see that BlindCaveFish is now a (most deserving) member too! Yay!!

The name of my featured shop, BlindCaveFish, first caught my attention. It turns out that the artist behind the store is actually a biologist and worked with these fish! She's now in Calgary working on her Master's investigating birds. I just had to promote a fellow scientist!
So the item of the day is this Glorious Fall Bracelet ~ I love bracelets, especially those that jingle and jangle when you move your wrist. Plus, my favourite season is fall, with the beautiful changing leaves and equally lovely harvest: berries, pumpkins, squash, wheat. Such a pretty time of the year, and this bracelet would let you celebrate all year round! This bracelet is full of dangling peridot and amber leaves, amber flowers and Bali silver beads that also look like flowers or bunches of berries. The wire chain and hook clasp (with a pretty little spiral) is all handmade, and definitely one of a kind. It truly is glorious... and would look wonderful with this matching Glorious Fall Lariat!One other item that caught my eye in BlindCaveFish's shop was the Silver and Copper Toggle Clasp. This is a one of a kind, handmade clasp, and though large, would look amazing as the focus of a modern bracelet. You can tell that a lot of time, dedication and originality went into this amazing piece - and being a grad student, time is a most precious commodity, making this clasp all the more special.
BlindCaveFish also has a blog, so check that and her shop out!!