Word of the Day - Scope

1. 1917 Vintage Telescope, $175 by BellaDays
2. Scope Ring, $60 by StudioAMF
3. Scope for Imagination, $250 by AutumnRussell
4. Top of the Rim Arizona, $10 by Studiojb

Oxidizing Brass

The brass findings I buy in bulk generally come in raw brass form, so I've been wanting to oxidize them myself to give them an antiqued bronze look. I've searched in the Etsy Forums for instructions and figured I would try the ammonia fume method. This weekend was my weekend to experiment. It worked like a charm and is so easy! So here are the items and steps I used:

thread, Glad plastic container, clear ammonia

First I washed the findings with soap and water to get rid of any oily residue. Then, I strung the brass findings onto the thread.
Then I poured some ammonia into the plastic container and then held the threaded findings across the top. Making sure the thread is taut, I snapped the lid on. Remember, ammonia fumes are toxic, so be sure to do this in a well ventilated space.
After about 1/2 hour to an hour, I took the brass findings out of the container and let it air out a bit. The longer you leave it, the darker it turns. The bottom picture of the locket shows what happens when it touches the ammonia. It turns almost black with a green verdigris. The only thing I have to do now is seal it. I read that I can just use spray lacquer which is available at your local hardware store. So after trying this, I think I put way too much ammonia in the container. It was a small one, so only a little bit is needed since those fumes are pretty powerful. So good luck and have fun!

Word of the Day - Reflection

1. What lives at the bottom of the well, $20 by Brightnewthings
2. Reflections of Fall black and white, $12 by Blackstreamphoto
3. Reflection, $25 by JKphotography
4. Reflective chairs photo notecard, $3.50 by kimberart
5. Coffee Shop, Government Center, Boston 1975, $35 by Toshio
6. Reflections of Tokyo - Modern Print, $249 by Iammatt

Knitterly Things

During the warmer months, I tend not to knit much, if at all. I have recently started meeting up with friends for knit night, so it has forced me to pick up my sweater coat project that I started about 2 years ago. Maybe one day, I'll be able to post the completed coat here. Anyway, since I haven't been inspired to knit anything, I thought I'd browse Etsy for some knitterly items.
1. Flower Boxes - Ultimate Knitting Needle Case, $22.95 by Lenabrowndesigns
2. Cinnamon, handspun luxury fibre yarn, $15 by snowberrylime
3. Medium Project Bag, $30 by AndreaJene
4. Yarn Keep, $30 by Inklore

A Festival, Drinks, Movie and a Wedding

I had a jam packed weekend and just wanted to recap and share. I had a booth at the Kirkwood Spring Fling, which was looking a little iffy because of the weather, but it actually turned out alright. It rained for a good hour, and some of us were beginning to wonder if we should pack up and leave. But after the rain stopped, people rallied and came out to drink, shop and enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Afterwards, the hubby and I ate a carnivorous dinner at Enoteca Carbonari and then met up with friends to check out the newly renovated Livingston restaurant at the Georgian Terrace. For you Atlantans who haven't been there yet, do go for a drink or two. It is beautifully designed and the servers are so attentive.

Sunday, I got up to watch the 10am showing of Angels & Demons over at Phipps. I was very tired after a long festival day and then a night of drinking, but thoroughly enjoyed the movie. After having a burger from Johnny Rockets for lunch, I came home to take a power nap so that I could be rested for a wedding up in Duluth. Whew, I'm tired thinking about everything I did. It's great to have a busy weekend full of fun things, but I am looking forward to a nice quiet one next weekend.

Word of the Day - Vibrant

1. Naturally Dyed Play Silk, $9 by Syrendell
2. Behind the Light, $20 by ShadedMemories
3. Mosaic Print V-Neck Dress, $109 by Esoneofone
4. Yellow and Teal Wishing Well, $25 by luckalilly
5. azaleas . hot pink, $16 by trystbykerry

Kirkwood Spring Fling

I'll be setting up shop this Saturday at the 7th Annual Kirkwood Spring Fling. I've never been to this festival but have a few friends who will also be selling, so it should be lots of fun. So if you're in town, I hope to see you there? The festival is at Bessie Branham Park and my booth number is 14, right on Ridgedale Rd. And in looking at the map, the alcohol sales booth is right across from mine. Score!

New Necklaces

I've always loved long dangling earrings, so when I started making jewelry, that was all I made for a while. Friends would tell me I needed to start making necklaces, but since I didn't wear them to often, I wasn't sure what kind of necklaces to make. Well, I've gotten over that and have been having fun creating new necklaces for my shop.
The flower bar necklace was a big hit at the festival, so I'll be making a bunch more in different colors as well. I will slowly be adding these to my Etsy shop.

Looks Good Enough to Eat

I see a lot of artists who make fake food, whether they be felted, crocheted, sewed, soaps, clay, etc. so I was just browsing through Etsy for these delicious lovelies. I think the biggest teasers are the soap makers. They make the soaps look so good!

Images from the artists' Etsy shops

Counterclockwise from upper left:

Gifted box sushi set, $75 by treaclezoo
Strawberry Crepes , $15 by PetitPlat

Chocolate Creme Filled Cupcake Soap, $4 by LoveLeeSoaps

The chocolate creme filled cupcake soap even has cream in the middle, if you cut it open. How cute is that?

Word of the Day - Equestrian

1. Unspoken, $40 by DancingHorseStudio1
2. Equestrian Horse, $64 by designbynihan
3. Save Gas a Horse Scarf, $20 by theoddbird
4. Horse Decal, $20 by Elephannie
5. AMICO PICCOLO v. II - Mini-Purse, $98 by Feralgirl

Improving Photos

As an online seller, I am always looking to improve my product pictures and find new backgrounds for my jewelry. I'm pretty happy with my latest product shots and want to reshoot a lot of the existing pieces.1. Victorian Charm in Antique Silver, $30
2. Rose Quartz Droplet, $36
3. Icarus Earrings in Gold, $28

My favorite picture is the Icarus earrings, and it's definitely gotten some notice in Etsyland as it was on the front page twice last week!

Shoe Lust + Etsy Fashion

Shomore over at ShoeBlog.com currently has a shoe girl crush on Zoe Saldana and I totally understand why. Here are the Alaia Lace Ups that I've paired with a few findings from Etsy.

Shoe image from Shoeblog.com

1. Parachute Pocket Dress, $290 by lizarietz
2. Tulip in Gray, $225 by Morelle
3. Pebble Bangle, $105 by reaashlie
4. Satellite Earrings in London Blue Topaz, $88 by onegarnetgirl

Check out Shomore's full post on Zoe's fabulous shoes. Here's Zoe wearing the above shoes.

Word of the Day - Dangerous

I've decided to pick random words from my head and search Etsy using that word to see what comes up. So the first word of this series is "dangerous," for absolutely no reason at all.1. The Boy That Fears No Danger, $18 by myfolklover
2. Ms. Scarlet in the Conservatory with the Knife, $18.50 by LunasBaublebilities
3. Idel Threat Scoop Shirt, $24 by MoxieMadness
4. The Dangerous Liaison Wicked Ankle Cuff, $265 by BoudoirQueen
5. DANGER Will Robinson Cork Necklace, $16 by uncorked
6. Dangerous Exhileration, $150 by FreyRichards