Weekly Word Picks - Dainty

A new week, and sooner a new month! I need to get my shit together and be even more productive than usual if I want to achieve my goals in April. As for what goals..? I will reveal in another post. :)

So today's word was chosen by the ever adorable Melissa from SewSweetStitches! And she chose...

DAINTY

Flowerets. Pure - Earrings. Dainty cluster of fabric flowers. by pastelpetals

Phew~ This actually took longer than I thought to curate. For the complete Treasury, please follow this link : Dainty

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

This week's word was chosen by Melissa from SewSweetStitches.

Project Craftroom Revamp part 1

Late last year, I wrote a post about my creative goals, and one of them was reorganization and mini revamp of my workspace. I had been quietly working on that for a while now. The first step was to clean up, like usual. :) We donated a bunch of stuff like broken radios, DVD players, old bookshelf and even my broken PS1 to a local corporation that recycles for charity. (my house is like a junkyard omg)

Then the second step, was to get inspiration on how to pretty my room up. :)

This I posted on my Creative goals post before. I just love the vintage suitcases and the blue cabinet beside it. I want to get a vintage suitcase, but it is so difficult where I live. :( Since people here prefer shiny and new compared to vintage and charming. So there are virtually -no- thrift stores here. Although I could get from Etsy... but the shipping charges really make me think twice. >.<;;

I love the blue wall! Also love the wall cabinet and the little jars of supplies hanging underneath. (by magnet perhaps?) Now that's something to think about. :) I like how the humidifier looks like it is smiling in the photo :D

Now this, this one I wish I can have. *sobs* I love this blue color as well, and that grid on one of the walls where she is hanging her tools, that is just awesome. The chandelier is a nice touch as well. :)

Can you tell that I like the blue + white combination? Lol.

Inspirational Friday - Oddly Shaped Bookshelves

There is a certain joy when you see books neatly placed on a shelf. Unfortunately I do not have a proper bookshelf of my own, just a CD rack from Ikea that I improvised into a bookshelf. But you would be surprised how many oddly designed and cool bookshelves out there. There is still love for books :)

The Archive series by David Garcia Studios

I want a bookshelf like this!

Swirly Bookshelf

A bit inconvenient, but looks pretty cool. :)

US map bookshelf by Ron Arad

Originally titled "Oh, the farmer and the cowman should be friends".

Twisted bookshelf

It is like those twisted trees often seen in goth fairy tales, like the dark forests. :D I wonder if this bookshelf was made with the wood from those trees? Lol. Love the sense of movement though.

READ bookshelf

Great bookshelf to remind yourself to read.

Around The World - New York

So far I had already did 5 Around the World posts, and I decided that it is time to hit a city in US for the 6th. :) Right now the cycle starts with 5 posts on international sellers, (individual countries) and I'm thinking maybe I'll do 3 post on US sellers, 1 from UK and 1 from Australia. With the latter half of the 10 based on major cities instead of individual countries. Since aside from the US majority, I think UK and Australia are the next biggest on Etsy. :)

Without further ado, here is the first city that I'm going to hit in US, and that is The Big Apple - New York.



Being one of the most well known and biggest city in the world, New York is a gathering hub for some of the biggest talents in the world. Talent reality shows like Project Runway (in which I occassionally indulge in) are held in New York, among other fashion shows and art exhibitions. So it is very exciting for me to find talented sellers on Etsy, as I have really high expectations. And I was not disappointed. :)

Because there are just too many wonderful Etsy sellers from New York though, I have no choice but to break the 6-person rule and make it a 8-person feature instead.

Since I mentioned about Project Runway in an earlier paragraph, I need to start this off with a fashion shop yeah? ;) And Felinus is a more suitable candidate like non other. Keeping a more monotonous and a vintage style, her shop stands out to me like a dark modern fairy tale. Browsing through her shop feels like I am reliving my favorite fairy tales, just with a darker twist, in which I like. :)

Still a fashion shop, next up is artlab! Being totally different from Felinus, I like how there's a 'grunge' tone to her work. Her intricate cutting, unexpected folds and delicate ruffles all make her work look modern and edgy. Only she could make ruffles look grungy!

Still fashion, but in a slightly different category are teeshirtgnome's amusing t-shirts! I love how they poke fun of modern culture and puns. My personal favorite is the East River Aquarium tee! (the shark breaking out of the glass one)

There are a lot of jewelry sellers in New York, but I am quite taken by locallibrary. The simple shapes presented in unexpected ways, I just love the simplicity and overall consistency of her collection. And her photography skills? Excellent!

Katedurkin has the cutest plushies, pillows and illustrations! Her simple, consistent style and the color usage really speaks loudly for her work, and keep everything looking uniformed. I can't decide if I like the whale pillow or giraffe pillow more. I have a friend who would like the dachshund pillow though. :)

From cuteness, we are going to jump straight into oddity and creepiness. Frankenkitty takes some of the most disturbing bunny pictures that I have ever seen. Although thanks to the Silent Hill games, bunnies already creep me out enough. But aside from unusual photos like those above, she sells some prints of flowers as well. However, I feel that her creepier photos are stronger than the others.

Stepanka's ceramics are some of the strangest I have ever seen. I love how she detail the illustrationed cups and wall pillow with 'raised' sides and holes. Gives it a 3D feel, makes you want to touch them, feel them! (if only!) I also love her translucent cups as well, whether it be the alphabet one on top of the dotted ones in her shop, it would just look so amazing by a window :)
Last but not least, I feel the need to include this vintage and collectibles items seller - FishboneDeco. I know vintage collectors are not really considered as 'artists' or 'crafters', but having a cohesive collection and how to represent them in photo, that unifies the entire shop's looks. Now that, will definitely take some skills. So kudos to FishboneDeco! For having such a consistent and amazing retro collection!

Because US is so big, I had decided to let it have a map of it's own where I can pin my hearts at. :) Perhaps when I start doing Australia and UK, I could add them to the roster with US as well. A thumbnail will be placed on the side bar (eventually) and you could access it to know which places I had done. If you have a suggestion for next week's city in the US, feel free to suggest them in the comments!

Weekly Word Picks - Fragile

I'm terribly sorry for the inactivity for the entire week last week. My modem had been acting really wonky lately and internet connection had been on and off for a while. (mostly off though) and it had been disrupting my blogging schedule. :( But never fear! This week I will be more prepared!

Today is Monday, and it is the day for Weekly Word Picks. This week's word was picked by Sadiie, and her word is...

FRAGILE

Such a beautiful word, but it only turned up with 16 pages of result! It was tricky, but I persevered!

Life is Fragile Handle with Prayer shelf sitter by distresseddesigns

For the complete Treasury, please follow this link : Fragile

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

This week's word was chosen by Sadiie.

Weekly Word Picks - Warm

First off, Happy Valentines to all the couples out there! ^^ I hope you have an enjoyable day. While for me, this is Single Awareness Day (SAD) lmao! No anti-Valentines plans as well, since I want to avoid the Valentines crowd. So here I am, sitting at home on this faithful day, perusing Etsy and preparing for today's Weekly Word Picks.

This week's word was chosen by the amazing Dana from urbanheirlooms! :D

WARM

Book Love Fine Art Photograph by KristyBee

What a beautiful warm brown. For the complete Treasury, please follow this link : Warm

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

This week's word was chosen by Dana from urbanheirlooms.

Big Box of Free Goodies!

Yesterday I got a pleasant surprise in my mail - the box of goodies I won from Sampler Village in a giveaway!! :D My first giveaway win woohoo! Even in it's sealed state, I could smell a faint fragrance coming from within. It is a "Be My Valentine" sampler box, and it arrived just in time for Valentines, how awesome is that?

When I popped open the box, I found this inside. How thoughtful and pretty. :) The smell is even stronger now!

And here it is, the moment of truth. These are all the goodies I found inside, yes... ALL in that red colored box! :D I haven't count or went through every single item yet, there is just so many!! Lots of soap samples and soy melt tarts though, and most in the shape of hearts, d'aaaw~

You know I felt like a little kid opening presents on their birthdays when I was opening this box, hehehe. Just so excited!!

I will write another post later when I get around to take better pictures and go through all the items. :)

Inspirational Friday - Repurposed Cutleries

We all know that forks and spoons are cutleries you use to eat your food, but do you know that they can be repurposed for a lot of other usages too? Take a gander. :)

Tiny Items Storage Solution - DIY project with ladle

Technically not spoons, (they are ladles) but you get the general idea. ;)

Personalized Spoon Racks by jjevensen

Everyone has their own hook!

Antique Silver Plate Fork Bracelet by Contrary

A fork bracelet cuff! What else in this world that you can't make jewelry with?

Vintage Silver Forks Place Card Holders by BasilicusJones

Forks as card holders, why didn't I think of that?

Fork You Fine Art Print by MarianneLoMonaco

Last but not least. This clever photo made me chuckle. :)

Around The World - Korea

South Korea is our next destination in the Asian region! The rapidly developing country is rich with culture and bursting with talent. When you mention about Korea, the few first things that popped up in my mind are... large boy bands, and kimchi, a well known fermented vegetable dish. Although I don't like kimchi, a close friend of mine does and loooves, she went to South Korea earlier in January and she claims that they have the trendiest of fashions. Not to mention cute guys. ;)

They also have the most adorable handmade items! So without further ado, here are my Korean finds. :)

There is something very attractive with MorningCalm's soaps. Her photos are clean, uncomplicated and just simply attractive. Less is more right? She is still a newbie right now, but I foresee her being very successful in the future. :) And being a handmade soap lover, I can't help but want to try out her soap! But alas I need to lessen the amount I currently have in my hoard before I try new things.

Did I mention South Korea has really adorable handmade items? Well Indigosome is definitely one of them. She makes these really cute hand bound books with assorted collage covers, and I can tell you that I really love them! It is a surprise that she still doesn't have any sales yet! How is that possible?! Someone needs to own one of these cute books!

At first I thought these were wallets, until I read their titles and descriptions. These lovely items made by Atelierdesoyun are actually needle holders! Knitting needles, crochet needles, hooks, you name it. They are so adorable as well and I love the texture she has going on with the fabric. It is really a pity they are not wallets.

Having being featured on the Etsy Blog before, Revolt70 is a collective of Koreans that makes gorgeous watches. I can't begin to describe how good their craftsmanship is, the amount of detail, the little cute details. Their work just amazes me to no end! My favorite from their shop is the bunny watch above :)

Senayoon makes some really adorable and sporty clothes for the younger generation. I have a preference to cute hoods, and I absolutely love the grey hood cardigan with the huge sleeves on the top right. Her designs are just so playful and cute!

If you are planning for a romantic wedding, you should definitely check out Woomi. Another prime example for the Korean distinctive clean, uncomplicated style, her products definitely exudes professionalism. She has a huuuuge array of colors and styles as well to suit any bride's needs.

Delving into Different Metals

It's been a while since I showcased my new items on the blog, so here are a few new experiments both in photography and techniques. I've decided to take the plunge and delve further into precious metals. Especially for my gemstone pieces. Here are a few.

Naivete

Duchess

Yup, I took the plunge and delved into gold filled wires as well. :D My Paypal is weeping right now lol.

Evil Twin

The reason behind the naming is because there is an alternate version of this - Periwinkle Blue Drops, that is wire wrapped with tarnish resistant silver artistic wire. This one is with oxidized sterling silver.

Illusive Owl

Aside from trying out more precious metals, I experimented on using different metals and techniques as well. This necklace is made with antiqued bronze, silver and gold plated components, which makes it very interesting.

Dew Drops

I also tried making some lariat necklaces with the various lone-colored chalcedony stones I have. (believe me, I have a lot of them) Here is the first one which has more blue.

Green Drops

And the 2nd one showcasing how it can be worn. These chalcedonies are more green. :)

Spear

I'm not sure what is the name for this type of cut. (fancy cut?) But I quite like them and their large size. :D

My Heart

A last minute creation for valentines hahaha.

And last but not least, my signature pearl cluster bracelets. How can I conclude a post on new items without them?

Neopolitan Ice Cream Redux

Romanticism

Weekly Word Picks - Forest

A brand new week, a brand new word! I am slowly and surely getting back into the swings of blogging and writing after my Chinese New Year holidays. It is time to be productive again! :D

This week's word was a truck load of fun, it was chosen by the ever wonderful artangel whose work I absolutely adore! And it is...

FOREST

Little Hooves - 8 x 10 Archival Fine Art Print by WildLifePrints

For the complete Treasury, please follow this link : Forest

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

This week's word was chosen by artangel.