Trials, tribulations and the future of apple dumplings

I've been scarce in the past week; here, on facebook, and in my etsy shop and for that I apologize. It's been a very trying week for me.

After 18 hours of travel last tuesday, flying back in from Europe, I came home to find that sometime in the week between my roommate going out to sea and my return, someone broke into the house and stole his brand-new $5000 television. They tried crowbarring the backdoor open, and when all that accomplished was screwing up the door and jam, they just busted the glass and helped themselves. I also found they tried prying open the windows (and just accomplished tearing the screens and denting the frames) and apparently tried getting in the backdoor connected to my roommate's room as well. I found tired tracks in the backyard. Someone had the balls to just drive through our neighbors backyard, into ours, bust out the backdoor, load up the TV, and drive off. And somehow none of our neighbors saw or heard anything. Anyhow, it was the last thing I wanted to see upon just returning. The police were called, but the detective didn't actually show up until yesterday to take fingerprints and look at the tracks and footprints. A week went by before they come to fingerprint and take photos!?! The door was already boarded up and it's rained, washing away the evidence. I took pictures the day after, with a little tape ruler like they do on TV, but I doubt even if I send the pictures to the detective, anything will come of it. I'm not looking forward to my roommate coming home just to find this out. I know first-hand how that feels.

My roommate is on my list as well. Apparently he took it upon himself to install several locks on his bedroom doors before leaving. This pisses me off for a few reasons. The first is that for some reason, the telephone company installed the internet port in his room. The modem is in there. It was wireless capabilities, but in case there's a problem (everyone knows how often modems need to be reset) I have no way to access the internet. And of course, there was a problem the moment I got home. He knows I'm trying to run an online business here. I even explained to him that I need access to the modem and he said he understood. And then he pulls something like this. The second reason is that him locking his room up like that is ridiculously hypocritical. He'd been rifiling through my things while I was gone, helping himself to books and movies to borrow without asking me first, and yet I'm not even allowed access to his room to fix the modem? The third reason is that it speaks of a great huge ego on his behalf, for him to think I would even be remotely interested in anything in his room aside from the modem.

My mail lady has decided that it's too much trouble for her to get out of the truck to bring my packages to the door, and instead has started leaving "we missed you, come pick it up at the post office" slips in my mailbox instead. She did this yesterday when I was home all day. I don't have a car, I can't go to the post office everyday to do her job for her. Luckily my BFF's sister, Tina, is a wonderful lady and went to the post office for me to pick up my boxes, and have a word with the postmaster about it. My BFF's family are some of the most wonderful people on the planet. I'm truly fortunate and blessed to have people like that in my life.

And then on top of all that is the fact that up until last night, my motorcycle (my only means of transportation) was dead. I finally got it running last night, hallelujah.

So there's been some seriously crap things happening (I'm not even going to get into what a mess Roommate left the house in, especially MY bathroom, ugh, or the weird way his Dad keeps acting like I don't live here) but yesterday things finally starting going well enough. Well, good things started happening at least. Which is good, I couldn't take another day of everything going wrong.

I'm sorry about the whine-fest, I just needed to get all that off my chest and hopefully it explains why I haven't been around much. I'm working on getting my studio in order after the disaster Roommate left of it, and I should be back into the groove of creating soon enough.

Thanks for letting me vent, everyone! I hope you're having a great day :)

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I've been featured!

Today's feature is a wonderfully creepy collection by JaneElizabeths that plays out like a sinister Terry Gilliam movie. Basil and Paprika play a supporting role of Kitchen Antagonist. I just love love love it :)

I think they fit right in with this misfit crew :)  View it here.

JaneElizabeths shop is beautifully eclectic, mixing different styles of photography and lush canvas sachets filled with French lavender. I'm seriously in ♥ with those sachets. There's 5 different styles in her shop as I type this, each with a different, but equally lovely, artwork printed right onto the canvas. Go check her shop out and show some love!

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I've been featured!

Huzzah! My very first treasury feature (that wasn't made by me, hehe). It's wonderfully colorful and yet, flows well without being over the top. I just love it :) Check it out here.

AryalAmesJewelry is such a peach for including me. Definitely go check their shop out for sleek and elegant (and totally affordable!) handmade treasures ☺ Thanks so much Aryal!

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New Treasury "The Shankill Butchers"

I decided my next treasury should go back to my love of the macabre. It probably won't make FP this time (I think I've been spoiled now), as my tastes for the darker side tend to turn people off, but I just can't help myself. There's some wonderfully dark things on Etsy and really, is there a better time of year to celebrate things like that? I worked pretty hard to tell a story with this one, hope you like it ☺

 The Shankill Butchers

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Sneak peek!

I've just sent out another big photo order (hurray!) So hopefully these babies will be waiting for me at home when I fly in. I got smart this time and ordered different sizes. Some even small enough for me to experiment with note/greeting cards :) Here's a peek at what's to come:

The Traveler series

Heralding the night

I've been having the strangest dreams

Haunted Forest

 Where clouds are born

Some of these are so much my favorite photos now that for the first time ever, I might actually keep a few from the order (gasp!). I wonder how many other photographers have ridiculously barren walls? It's not that I don't like my own photography, I just feel selfish keeping parts of an order. I don't know, it's weird. I do have a strip of Polaroids that have been paper clipped together hanging by my bedroom door. I guess it's time they finally had some company :)

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These are a few of my favorite things

Oh Etsy. How I love you and all the insanely inspired and talented folk filling your brim to overflowing with the most wonderful of earthly treasures. You're going to turn me into a materialist!

 

Royal Tenenbaums Messenger bag  

Organic Cotton Legwarmers  

Swooping Bird Pendant 

Little Black Dress  

Peridot Glass Necklace Set  

These shops are just the awesome. Send them a little love (and let them know you found them here :D )

Front page!

I can't believe it! I knew that treasury was a gem when I made it, but Front Page! I'm so excited. Of course it would happen while I was asleep, lol. I wouldn't have known about it if I didn't get some lovely thank-you letters from the lovely sellers that had their feature snatched up. 8 things have already sold from that treasury! 8! If I wanted to replace them, I'd essentially be making a whole new treasury. There's still some very lovely things available, however, so click here to go and buy the treasury out :) I'm so proud of my fellow Etsians, and so happy that one of my treasuries was finally a hit. Now if only I could get a front page feature myself...

"Pieces of yesterday" Treasury

New treasury up! If you're anything like me, you get a little nostalgic in the Autumn :)

 

1. Yesterday by Prettypetalstudio

2. Rising Star by LAGlass

3. Hammered Brass Earrings by Dalkullan Jewelry

4. Vintage Walnut Leather Shoes by Plundered

5. Vintage Plaid Fedora by itsastitch

6. Blue Plaid Coat by Leasvintage

7. Tulle Hostess Apron by Flappergirl

8. Textile Bird Brooch by BlueTerracotta

9. Ball Lockets by softcover

10. Little Birdie by homeECOnomics

11. Brass Whistle Necklace by Objettrouve

12. Plaid neckwarmer cowl by piprobins

As I was clicking through the items to get the links for this blog, I found that 2 of the items have already sold! I didn't realize I had so much treasury-making clout already, ha! Since two of the items aren't available anymore, let's not neglect my silver-star items:

Oxidized copper and sterling silver bracelet by AryalAmesJewelry

Antique Plaid Wrap by Ilovemysewingmachine

Photo Album Necklace by BirdzNbeez

Germany bound

Tomorrow, (actually today. Yikes! It's already 1am? Time flies when you're the only one packing for a two person trip *glares at Man who's been sleeping since 9*) I'm heading to To the Edelweiss lodge in Garmisch, Germany for a 3 day weekend. Huzzah! I'll be bringing along my two new babies; Diana, and Jimmy (respectively).

 

I'm hoping to have a blast and get lots of great pictures. I think it's fated to happen since it's the Edelweiss lodge and my Diana is the Edelweiss edition ;)

Sneak Peek

For the last 6 months I've been in Italy. While that's not really something to complain about, it is a little tough to be across the ocean from your studio when you've been hatching up ideas for things to make. I've already got a huge list of stuff just waiting to be created for when I come home at the end of the month. I'll be sad to leave Italy, that's for sure, but I'm excited about all the new things I'll have to offer in my shop. (now that I'm thinking about it, I probably should compile all the "things to make" lists into one huge list like I mentioned, instead of the 30 some-odd lists I've got floating around, lol.) 

I feel like I'm limited to just watercolors and photography while I'm here. I know in all reality I'm not limited at all, and should be able to come up with all sorts of different things, but my imagination seems to be running on a different track and it's a little hard to switch it over to the here and now idea pool. Also, for some reason, it's really hard to get myself motivated to start a painting. Not too sure why that is. I've mostly just contented myself with editing new pictures. Anyhow, here's a sneak peek at some prints that will be making their way to my shop soon :)

 

A couple from the carnival that's been just down the street for about 2 weeks now. It's probably the biggest traveling carnival I've ever seen.

 

  

  

I'd like to know you think about these. I'm trying to think of what else I can offer my photos as, instead of just photos. Apparently a lot of people just aren't looking for photography to decorate with at the moment. Is there something more useful these can be? I've considered offering note/greeting cards with photos on them. Is there anything else I could be doing with these that you'd like to see?

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An Autumn Ensemble

After putting together a lovely treasury in ode to Autumn, I realized that one of the items I chose was most likely an OOAK (one of a kind). I wrestled with that for almost a full hour before deciding that if I didn't buy it, and someone else did and it disappeared forever, it would torment me for the rest of my life. For serious. The rest of my life I would awaken in cold sweat at night, crazed about my loss. So, even though I couldn't really afford it, and am by no means financially stable enough to be throwing monies around (oh Etsy, you're so evil! So deliciously, cake-batter ice-cream evil), I totally bought it.

 

Autumn Leaves 

Maybe it was the teddy bear in the picture with it, but this dress by idea2lifestyle over at Etsy made me swoon. All I could think about was how beautiful the color was, (and how awesome it would be with my new red hair), and how I could add a subtle little alice-in-wonderland look to my days without being overt about it. 

I also had a tough time not buying the rest of these beauties to form a complete outfit (paired with my gorgeous brown boots that I hope never die!). Tell me this isn't one of the coolest outfits for Autumn?

Mini Top Hat -  $80  by GypsyLadyHats
Peridot Necklace Set - $49 by MorningGloryDesigns
Leather Arm Warmers - $30 by Briellecostumes

Giving this the old college try

I set this blog up a miiiiillion years ago, but obviously never did anything with it. I used to be quite the blogger in my Myspace days, but since, have become a lazy blogger. Lazgger? Logger? Hrm.

Anyhow, I decided it was time. Last month I re-opened my Etsy shop and got down to the brass tax of being serious about it. I spent about 3, 18-hour days researching marketing tips, how to set up shop, tagging, and stalking successful seller's shops and blogs. Gleaning all the info I could about everything I could. I think it's starting to work. I've been crazy busy on the Etsy threads, been bugging bloggers about features (and actually got a few!) and have made 2 sales! Granted, one of those sales was from my Sister-in-law, but hey, she could have easily of bought from someone else, right? Right? Right. I think. I fought against the blog thing, but really, it's the natural next-step and I can't put it off forever. It's not that I don't like sharing with other people, it's that I'm a Lazgger, remember?

I realize that I don't know poop about semi-professional blogging, but hopefully this thing will get polished as I go along. Expect a good mix of personal life stuff mixed with some shameless self-promotion and raves about my favorite Etsy stuff. Cause seriously, I lurve Etsy. In the face.

And now for the shameless self-promotion. Here's a few items I've decided to relist that used to haunt my shop. I realize that I'm in Italy right now, and they're in Georgia, so they won't be shipped until I get home on the 29th of this month. I thought I'd toss them out there anyway, since it's Autumn, and 2 of them are Autumn themed.

Gossamer Autumn

The first thing I do when I get home is take a better set of pictures of this baby. It really is so much prettier in real life than this picture gives it credit for, and that simply won't do. I made this a few years ago when I was on a huge alternative dreamcatcher kick. I like dreamcatchers, but never really had a want for Native American decor. So I set about making dreamcatchers that were wildly different from the sort I'd seen before. I made all sorts. A delicate lacy one, a leather goth one, and then I made one out of wire that I called "east indian" and it made me giggle for the pun.

Of course the giggling stopped when I was hit with a surprise order for these from a company in Chicago that wanted 500 made in 2 weeks. I worked constantly for those 2 weeks without rest, and had so many wire cuts on my hands! I got those puppies out on time, though, and for once was able to pay my half of the rent for a few months (no one likes living with a starving artist).

I suppose I could make a few more of those, but in all honesty, that experience made me vow to never make another one ever again, lol. One day I might though, if there's ever an interest for one.

Eclectic Autumn

This is such a favorite of mine, that I'm surprised it hasn't sold yet (probably has to do with the whole, won't ship until after September 29th thing). I love jewelry, but I'm of a particular taste. I'm kind of a weird bird, so I like my clothes and jewelry (and decor, and cats, etc) to reflect that. Sometimes I get a little tired of seeing bland, boring, same old same old jewelry. I made this to remedy that. I love Autumn. Seriously. If Autumn was a man I'd marry it. I love everything about it, the wind, the chill, the gray skies, the way the trees seem to turn their leaves into priceless jewels, the crunch of those jewels under my feet, the cocoa, the scarves, everything. With luck, this necklace reflects that. When I get home, I'm probably going to be an Autumn-jewelry making demon.

The House Where Nobody Lives

In my humble opinion, Art is one of the most honest ways to express emotions. It's hard to lie with art, it really is. No matter what, parts of you are going to show through. This sculpture was made after one of the greatest heartbreaks of my life. (Ain't love grand? Usually not, unless it's between the pages of a book) This piece is so personal to me, that I almost didn't want to sell it. But another one of my humble opinions about art, is that it's to be shared. I'm not sure if this one will ever sell on Etsy, but perhaps with luck, I can get it in a gallery somewhere. It's good enough for me if it's just looked at, maybe connects with someone else who's gone through the same feelings preserved in it.

Thanks for braving this first post out with me. Stay tuned for more--same bat-time, same bat-channel ☺

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