New Pendant Shapes and Sizes

I (kind of) unintentionally came upon a new stock of resin lately, and since they (also kind of) has an expiry date, I figured I should utilize them to the fullest and make more (and more!) pendants. And since the pendants are well received, I thought it was about time to expand and provide more options in the collection. :)

A large, round pendant setting. I am loving this one! It has a gorgeous backing with a tree etched in it. This will come in a longer chain, am thinking 30 inch.

A rectangle one that you've probably seen in a failed specimen photo before this. I finally have a successful specimen! And a round version for my existing vintage victorian laced pendant setting.

Of course, I have more planned and experimenting on new things as well, and enjoying it in the process! Will be listing these into the shop over the week. :)

Weekly Word Picks - Pickle

This week is a fun one! It is...

PICKLE

Quick Pickling Vintage Cookbook - VintageBarrel // Del Monte Pickle Pepper Relish Mug - amoredolce

Pickle PDF Embroidery Pattern - wildolive // How to Make Spicy Pickles Illustrated Recipe - sevenstar

Elbo's Kosher Dill Pickle Pipes - tezcatlipoca // Dill Pickle Printer Drawer Jewelry Hanger - bluebirdhaven

For the complete treasury : Do You Like Pickles?

This week's word was chosen by Rebecca from thesimplequiet.

So what should next week's word be? Suggest by posting in the comments below!

For a list of words already suggested, please refer to this post.

Wicked Plants Book Review

Just finished this fantastic book over my long Chinese New Year holiday. I must first admit though, I am not a huge book reader myself, with an average of one book a year, hahaha. What can I say, I am a picky reader.

But this book by Amy Stewart - Wicked Plants, is totally right up my alley. Not only was it educational, (for my own safety too!) it was such a fun read! Imagine a pocket-sized encyclopedia written in the style of a witty mystery/thriller, and you get this book. I mean, who could have known that corn if consumed as a main diet, can cause pellagra and it killed hundreds of thousands in the history of mankind? And tobacco being the deadliest plant on earth, having taken millions of lives every year. Not to mention the betel nut native to Malaysia, or more known as buah pinang locally, has intoxicating effects?

The more you know...

Aside from that, the editing of the book has a vintage flair to it, with beautifully suitable illustrations that somehow enhanced the eeriness of the content. The book is just plain gorgeous!

Now I want to get her other book - Wicked Bugs!

Around the World - Africa - Schefo

Leaving Kenya, our next stop is almost on the other side of the African continent - Ghana. This shop is also for a wonderful cause. :)

Handmade by the women in the Buduburam Refugee Camp locating in Ghana, SCHEFO is a fair trade fashion line consisting of jewelry and various clothing such as tops and skirts, among others. These are all made of authentic African and Ghanaian materials. The tribal patterns for the clothing as well as the design would make these fantastic as summer wear! :) Not only will you look totally fashionable, you will be helping single mothers and children in the refugee camp as well.

Succulents!

I love succulents! Unfortunately I do not have a green thumb, or can I grow anything at all. All my plants seem to die. Even cacti... :( Nevertheless, I can still take fun photos of them! All photos taken in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

Around the World - Africa - Harriet Stanes

Our next seller is also located in Kenya as well!

Although an English born, there is still something very African to Harriet Stanes's illustrations, most probably due to it's subjects, haha. I have to admit, some of the scenes in his paintings I sometimes also see in Malaysia too, especially in the more rural areas like where my grandparents live. The lively, comedic and simplistic style of Harriet's paintings is something that you can easily fall in love with. I mean, how can you not smile while looking at his illustrations? (and the subjects)

Happy Chinese New Year!!

Lion Dance Chinese New Year Photo - sixthandmain

I'd like to wish every chinese (or just everyone in the world!) a Happy Chinese New Year! And because I am away for the celebrations, there will be no blog updates in the next two days when I am at my grandparent's place. (without net) All orders will be prepared for shipment after I get back, this I assure you. :)

Enjoy the food, but please don't eat shark fin's soup. ;) I wish all of you prosperity and good luck!

Around the World - Africa - Kiki Weavers

Initially I had wanted to select another country in Africa to feature, but unfortunately, I found out the hard way that African shops are close to non-existence on Etsy. How sad is that? :( But I found a few very meaningful ones that are scattered across Africa, so I'm going to make an exception this time and treat the whole continent of Africa (except South Africa) as a country.

Though let's be clear here and set the facts right, Africa is a continent, not a country. ;)

Our first stop, let's go to Kenya!!

Comprised of a group of women in Kenya, Kiki Weavers is a source of precious income for these women living in poverty, having many children to raise. The baskets are made of water hyacinth, an invasive plant species known for choking waterways. The harvesting of these plants and turning them into baskets is a difficult and time consuming process, but it is also very inspiring to know how much time and effort had been put into each beautiful basket. You can pop on over to their profile page to read more about the individual weavers of the shop as well. Pop on over and check them out. :) They definitely deserve some love!