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New items in Etsy shop

... These are just a few, more here.

Merry-Go-Round - Take Care!

Jump on our merry go round and join a group of artists/crafts-women from around the world as they link hands and tell you a little bit about their lives in craft.

Do look up the answers from the rest of this band of crafters (links to your left).

If they haven't posted yet, remember we all live in different time zones and check again later...

This month's theme:

How to take care of your art— information for buyers.

Because of the variety of crafts I dabble in, there cannot be one answer to this, except to point out that anything extreme (temperature, activity, fingering... or even cleansing!) is going to be potentially damaging.

So, first things first.

When you buy jewellery from me, you're going to be aware of the materials used, because I always give as much information as I can in my listings.

If you buy pearls— since I tend to use silver or vermeil with them, but not glue— a little soft soap and warm water once in a while, followed by thorough rinsing and immediately by light-handed dry padding with cotton cloth, is going to revive your pearls for as long as you love them.

My more whimsical jewellery often involves the use of glue. This entails that though you should be able to rinse it (it will survive rain too!), soaking is an absolute No No. My motto for cocktail rings: "No shock, shower, no dish washing!"

Anything that involves several elements shall definitely come apart if you try it...

The good news is that most of my pieces can also be mended.

As for textiles, I like my own possessions to be washable, so most of what I make can be washed. But any handmade accessory, especially embroidered and embellished ones, will have to be hand-washed, just to be on the safe side. I use nearly no synthetics, so, yes, the fabric will age, as we do. Careful storing and moth-repellents work well...

Under the influence.

Pas pu m'empêcher...

Couldn't help myself. *.*

Celebrate the Fleur de Lis and donate

I'd like to show off a few photos of my first Fleur de Lis items, all created with Louisiana in mind, celebrated the old tie with this "cousin", and trying to help.

I've already made a donation because I wished to help in any small way to clean up and save as many as possible of the unsuspecting creatures that have been victims, as usual, of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, but there is only so much I can do on my own...

Now, when I posted a question about this on the oh-so-friendly Etsy forum, I got a biting remark about the first victims which happened to be the human fatalities and casualties at the site. So I guess I had better point out right away that however saddening the loss of these lives, I still find the the loss of innocent animal lives (and the wrecking of quite a few human lives too) even more saddening and quite maddening. Not that I'm happy about the plants destroyed either...

I should also add that I'm fully aware that Louisiana is not the only state suffering from the consequences of the spill— I just had to pick.

Anyway. I have begun listing a few original Fleur de Lis items and whenever I sell one— nudge, nudge—, I will donate half the price to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation (here, scroll down to the very bottom). To help clean up the mess and save lives and keep people busy in a good way.

I began with the two "Carnet de Bal" notebooks, and then went on to create two different pairs of earrings. Everything handmade by me. Everything listed in my Etsy shop.

So— thanks in advance— nudge, nudge...

Etsy Craft Party... à Bordeaux, le 18 juin

Pour célébrer ses 5 ans, le site de création / design / bidouillage etc. artistique et tout et tout, Etsy, lance une vague de "Craft Parties" dans le monde entier, histoire de se retrouver entre créateurs de tous poils.

Comme l'indique le titre, à Bordeaux, ce serait le 18 juin, sans doute au Frog & Rosbif.

Qui veut en être ? C'est ici qu'il faut vous manifester.

Merry-Go-Round - Looking Forward

Jump on our merry go round and join a group of artists/crafts-women from around the world as they link hands and tell you a little bit about their lives in craft.

Do look up the answers from the rest of this band of crafters (links to your left).

If they haven't posted yet, remember we all live in different time zones and check again later...

This month's theme:

What are you planning for the year ahead?

So. First off— I am really, really sorry I am so late posting this.

Got carried away with how short February is and how much there was I wanted / had to cram into it...

The bad news: no photo.

The good news: I am actually looking forward to this year and gradually making out what it is I am going to make of it, craftwise.

Late December-Early January was a difficult time but it was also liberating and brought me peace and clarity of mind the like of which I had not experienced in a long, long time.

The past year was spent, not uselessly but sometimes seeminglingly pointlessly, dabbling around new stuff.

I do intend to go on experimenting (sounds better, does it not?) with textile and metal, and learning, but things are slowly beginning to fall into place and I am beginning to see more clearly how to combine, or not, this and that craft; how this is going to be just for my own pleasure, whereas that is going to be "marketable" in some way.

Recently, I have been going through my stacks in a violent session of pre-Spring cleaning. Order! Order! Yeah, right... Anyway. The mix of contemplation and exertion (panting and resting vs. putting shelves together and up against the wall) allowed me to think and fantasize freely.

A thematic project has been slowly growing and coming together.

So— watch this spot for some statement jewelery— that's all I'm going to say for now!

New Business cards just in - J'ai reçu mes nouvelles cartes !

Except the colours are nothing like this... Sauf que les couleurs n'ont rien à voir...

Help Sammy get well with Etsy sellers

Sammy the beloved Kitty of fellow Etsian twostraycats has sustained serious injuries inflicted by an unknown human abuser and must undergo expensive surgery. In an effort to help her out with these medical bills I am pledging to donate 50% of all sales (excluding shipping costs) of this shop until the end of September to help contribute to the Sammy fund. I hope you can find something you like for this good cause, in my shop or in any of the shops listed below.

Look up this thread on the Etsy forum for more info and updates on Sammy and on the shops with "Help Sammy" donations going on:

TwoStrayCats.etsy.com Sammy's family

MoLStationery.etsy.com 65% of all MoL book sales and 75% of all graphics sales. plus matching donations by 50%

chicadolly.etsy.com & faeriegood.etsy.com 25% of all sales profits this week

GenuineArticle.etsy.com & GenuineArt.etsy.com 50% of the proceeds from both of my Etsy shops

glasscircus.etsy.com 25% of my sales

aztek721.etsy.com 50% of any photo sales

Adornyourself.etsy.com 15% of all sales this coming weekend (Sept 18-22) excluding shipping charges

Dearange.etsy.com 100% of the purchase price of Fancy Wearables (as seen on Sammy and Koru)

LittleJumpingBeans.etsy.com 40% of all the sales from shoes this weekend

deersprite.etsy.com 10% of all sales (pre-shipping) until the end of September, off the REGULAR price. If you mention "Sammy" in the message to seller, I will also give you a 10% discount - but Sammy will still get the 10% of the original price.

TaraFlyPhotos.etsy.com profits from print sales of "The Letter" and "Mr. Darcy"

WindandHoney.etsy.com 15% of sales this month

laurart.etsy.com 15% for each sale. I'll donate an extra 5% if the customer mentions in the note how they've helped shed light on this animal in need, via Twitter or blogging.

meherio68.etsy.com 50 % of all sales from now on and until the end of September

Sybillinart.etsy.com 50% of the sales of any of my cat related items

ASecondTime.etsy.com 100% of the profits from the sale of these two items in September
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29349803
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29350384

LuminousDreamDesigns.etsy.com 100% of the profits from the sales of her print until next Friday: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30684781

thebeadedhound.etsy.com 10% of sales for the rest of the month

greytdogz.etsy.com the proceeds from the sale of Custom Pet Themed Digital Photo page. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25607442

rayneedeigh.etsy.com 40% of all sales before shipping will be donated to Sammy

Nouveau visage - New face

Alors, qu'est-ce que vous pensez de ma nouvelle bannière et de mon nouvel avatar ? Ils sont basés sur une gravure ancienne chinée au printemps dernier : des sirènes et une émeraude...

So— what do you think of my new banner and avatar? They were created out of an old print I unearthed at my favourite antiques fair last spring— a print showing mermaids and an emerald...

Nouvelle Lune / New moon

Juste pour dire que, oui, je travaille. Un peu. Et les résulat est en vente sur DaWanda et Etsy...

Votre avis m'intéresse !

J'ai des tas de projets de variations sur ce thème : anneaux simples à accumuler en constellation, lune rousse (en cuivre), etc.

Just to say that, yes, I am working on my skills and experimenting. A little. And the result is listed on DaWanda and Etsy.

I would love to have your thoughts.

I am considering a lot of variations on these : stacking rings, copper, etc.

Newly listed - Nouvelle mise en vente...

Pour varier un peu les plaisirs, je viens de mettre en vente une de mes trouvailles chinée chez un brocanteur.

Il s'agit de ce petit haut en dentelle que je pense vraiment ancien. La finesse du travail et la discrétion des coutures est incroyable.

Je dirai fin 19ième, début 20ième.

Vous trouverez plus de photos sur Etsy où je l'ai mis en vente, et je serais vraiment très reconnaissante pour toute info sur l'époque précise et l'usage de ce vêtement...

J'ai quelques autres petites trouvailles que je mettrai en vente dès que je trouverai du temps...

For a change, I've just listed this antique find of mine.

It is a small lace top, that I believe is truly more than vintage.

You can find more photos and details on Etsy, where I listed it, and I would be very grateful for any information on this, from someone more knowledgeable than me.

I have a few more vintage or antique finds that I will list— as soon as I can make time.

Treat of the Imagination!

This week's theme for the Thursday Sweet Treat was "Flicker of the Imagination", launched by Natasha's lovely poem entitled "Fireflies".

This is my own little glow-worm, very much my own creation.

Twice.

It is now listed in my Etsy shop.

Again, you should really check out the
Thursday Sweet Treat blog to see all the particularly amazing art and craft inspired by this theme.

The blog is kept by Natasha — you can find her own art in her Etsy shop, Doodle Star and you should definitely look up her other blog: Creative Nachos.

Over the Rainbow - A Ribbon of Rainbows!!!

This week, I've taken part in a new (I mean new for me), weekly theme project. The inspirational theme for this week was "vibrant chaotic rainbow".

Here is the necklace that sort of beaded itself in my hands.
I "crash-tested" it and I absolutely love it - it's one of those se pieces that just make you feel great...

You should definitely check out the
Thursday Sweet Treat blog to see all the amazing craft inspired by this theme.
This is a generally thrilling blog kept by Natasha of Doodle Star.

Latest Whim on the Block

I've had this idea mulling on a backburner for some time and now it's out there and I'm really happy about it.

I find sometimes a bad pun does a lot towards brightening a dark day— plus this is actually pleasant to wear in a striking-but-not-too-flashy way. If I'm the one saying it...

So here it is — a bright piece of dazzling humour — my Queen of Clubs Ring & Bracelet set. Yours if you'd like to get it on Etsy or on DaWanda.

AVANT-PREMIERE / PREVIEW

L'année dernière (!), sur le marché de Noël de Bordeaux, sur un stand qui vendait des santons de provence, je suis tombée sur un lot de fèves inutilisée... aux quelles j'ai tout de suite trouvé un fort potentiel bijoutier.
Au grand étonnement des propriétaires, je suis repartie avec tout un lot de miniatures, en particulier des reproductions de mascarons et d'assiettes en faïence.
Comme d'habitude, je laisse les idées tourner un peu dans ma tête avant d'utiliser ce genre de pièces uniques, mais je me suis déjà mise au travail : j'ai commencé avec les mascarons en faisant un collier et une broche très vintage, mais aussi une paire d'assiettes "souvenir de Paris" qui sont devenues des clips pour une amie parisienne.

Last year (!), roaming along the alleys of the Bordeaux Xmas Market, I found a display of unused "fèves" (small objects traditionally hidden in Epiphany pies and cakes - the person who finds it in his/her slice gets to be "king/queen" and choose his/her "queen/king").
Some of these are "mascarons" (typical sculpted ornaments found on 18th century façades here) and others are tiny miniatures of antique porcelain plates.
I like to let designs mature in my mind before I do anything too definitive with unique pieces like these, but I've already gotten down to work - with mascarons first (a necklace and a brooch, both very vintage-looking), and with a pair of Paris plates which were turned into a completely unique set of clip-on earrings for a friend.

Time flies...

You can't! They fly too fast.

Une petite plaisanterie pour signaler qu'en ce moment, je suis surchargée de travail et que mon "atelier" fonctionnne, mais au ralenti, et que j'ai l'intention de mettre mes deux boutiques (sur DaWanda et sur Etsy) en vacances pendant 10 ou 15 jours à la fin du mois. J'aurai des nouveautés à mettre en vente à la réouverture en janvier... J'espère aussi pouvoir blogger plus à partir de cette période.

Just to say I have been really overworked this term and will close both my DaWanda and Etsy shops for 10 to 15 days at the end of the month. I hope to catch up on some blogging but mostly to go away, get a rest and give some reality to a few projects that have been begging for my attention!