Busy as a Bee...

Well, the holidays have passed, but things haven't really slowed down for me. My daughter's birthday is in January and every year, immediately following the holidays, I begin birthday shopping and birthday party planning. This year she will be 6, and we are having a princess party with 8 little divas. We are busy making a paper mache pinata, and making decorations. My daughter wants a desk for her room. Being the tightwad that I am, I had an old desk in the basement from my great-grandpa's house. I began sanding and painting it white, and am going to hearken back to my muralist and faux finish painting days and paint a little scene on it for her. I think toadstools, fairies, and flowers are in order for a 6 year old princess. Her room is already full of my art with a castle, magic tree, dragon, and frog prince painted on her walls. I'll be sure to post pictures as I finish it.

My husband (he is known to most as Pudge) is working on a welding project for me (have I told you all how awesome he is?) He is making me a tree jewelry display for my art shows. It is nearly finished...we ran out of metal rod and had to get more. Here are some action shots of him creating my tree in his studio.

I can't wait until it is finished!! Oh, if he only knew all the projects I have in store for him! Hopefully I can talk him into making a garden arch for me.

Also this week, I have become a member of the Fantasy Artists of Etsy team- "FAEteam". I have been wanting to be included in this group for a while, and am so excited at this new opportunity! Everyone I have met so far has been so creative, inspiring and helpful! They have given me such a warm welcome and I am looking forward to working with this great group of artists.

I recieved a beautiful little package in the mail this week. It was from MiddleEarths shop on Etsy, we exchanged jewelry creations. She creates beautiful little bits that seem to be a piece of the Shire itself. I received in the exchange a mossy little beauty that looks as if it is covered with dew and fairy dust. So magical!! I sent her one of my blue eye rings. It was so fun to trade with a fellow artist! Here are a few pictures I snapped of her magical creation~

She such a friendly and creative person! You can find more of her creations in her Etsy shop: http://www.middleearths.etsy.com/

Stay tuned later this week- I have plans for a birthday earring give-away! I will also post pictures of my jewelry tree and my daughter's finished desk. The energy of the upcoming Imbolc holiday has a hold on me and I have 100 things going on at once! Now, let's see if I can get them all finished...

Homesick...

This beautiful pendant is going to a Michigan girl who has left our beautiful state.

The Petoskey stone is Michigan's state stone. It is actually fossilized fragments of a coral reef from the Devonian period which occurred 350 million years ago! They can be found on the shores of Lake Michigan in northern Michigan.

The Dark Streets of London...

Stories are the food that keep my imagination alive. I fully immerse myself in the story; the clothing, sounds, landscape, and the general feeling and mood of the story. The characters become real for me, and I find myself loving or despising them individually. So was the case when I recently saw the new Guy Ritchie movie Sherlock Holmes.

The movie was a great mix of adventure, mystery, and science, all topped off with gorgeous costumes and beautifully dark vignettes- with a pinch of Irish folk music by the Dubliners... it was near perfect. The gritty and ecclectic Sherlock was balanced nicely by the gentlemanly and tidy Dr. Watson. And there was Irene Adler, my newest heroine, and the only thief to ever escape Sherlock- she is beautiful, intelligent, and daring. There were tophats, bustles, pocket watches, secret societies, and dark laboratories filled with bubbling concoctions. The whole experience left me giddy with inspiration!

I have since been looking for ways to incorporate more dark victorian goodness in my jewelry, wardrobe, and home decor. I have quite a collection of vintage treasures, and am planning some new jewelry projects with them (stay tuned for more on this). My house is decorated in an eclectic assortment of various treasures, including antique books, lots of candles, medieval inspired art, and a few skeletons and ravens that are year-round guests. That's a good start...but needs improvement. My wardrobe is in desperate need of help. There is really no need for a work at home mom to include a bustle into her wardrobe. Can you imagine me in a bustle in the yogurt aisle at the grocery store?! I would likely find pictures of myself online with a black bar across my eyes. I do, however have my eye on a few goodies including this shirt from Clockwork Couture http://www.clockworkcouture.com/:

And I simply MUST have these delicious boots form the Pyramid Collection http://www.pyramidcollection.com/ :

Now, if I could only get my husband to talk with an English accent and wear a derby, that would be just dandy!