preparations for precious cargo…

When one of our items are purchased, a rejoiceful time follows, (of course, for the obvious reason!:-)) most importantly because packaging is the final, yet another, creative endeavor for all of our art.

double boxed, with custom made boxes, sized just right...

wrapped with the item’s description, from the shop---perfect for gift-giving...

bundling carefully for a safe journey to their new destination...

re-using recyclable materials from newspaper and boxes...

all in hopes to convey our gratitude and create a ‘happy moment’ for the recipient.

a winter treasury on the caribbean shore

I have decided that I take great pleasure in being a curator. Etsy treasuries are so enjoyable to present and share. They really are just an additional way for us to create: first you gather some of your favorites, picking just the right textures and colors for the mood or theme you are trying to convey, arrange…arrange some more…

Take a peek at the treasury on Etsy and visit the fantastic shops of some very talented artist; they amaze me. (note to self: feature more artist!)

star beaded ornament – WildWomanJewelry
film negative earrings – theLostEarring
octopus necklace – WorksInProgress
square clock – MCDB
waiting for the tide – HazyDaisy
vein hat – GingaSquid
utopian bloom – bionicunicorn
nancy drew handbag – spoonfulofchocolate
bird and blooms – AutumnArt
encouraging words – anycards
flowery lampwork earrings – lightkeeping
bliss bottle cap bracelet – bayatinge
 
hope you liked!

sunday collage…late october

Jeff loves his early morning walks through the yard, while letting our jack russell out for her first run of the day. On Sundays, he takes his time before coming in for his cup of coffee. With iphone in hand, he shoots away, in appreciation and awe, then shares with me all that he saw…on this cool Sunday morning, in late October.

happy autumn, everyone,

~dale

do you trade buttons?

I’ll trade mine for yours. I’m speaking of blog buttons, of course. There are many reasons I like blog buttons. One reason is they help make our blog pretty. Another is the act of helping each other; it just feels good. When we trade buttons, we are helping to promote one another. So if you don’t already have one of our blog buttons, scroll down the page a bit. They’re on the right side. Choose an image and copy the code beneath it and add it to a place on your blog where you would like your button collection to be. Let me know about it, so I can add one of your buttons to our blog.

If you don’t have any buttons to offer and would like to, below is a brief tutorial. I would like to thank lightkeeping for posting about this on the Etsy forums and enlightening me about the great hobby of blog button trading. :)

• First, make your blog button image in JPEG or GIF –in sizes 125x125 or 150x150.
• Upload it to the web, wherever you have images stored online – such as: flickr, photobucket, or your own website.
• Copy the web url address where the image is hosted at. This should start with ‘http:’ and end with ‘.jpg’ or ‘.gif’.
• Paste the url in the following code, in place of where it says YOUR IMAGE URL. (two different places in the code)
• Then type your blog website address in place of where it says YOUR BLOG URL.
• If you use Blogger, put this code into an Add a Gadget application called HTML/JavaScript and save. (For other types of blogs, enter the code however you are able to edit the html in your sidebar.)

I used three different button images, and just copied the correct code for each image into the gadget three times---one right after the other.

Here’s the code:

<table border="0" width="100%">

<tr>
<td align="center"><img src="YOUR BUTTON IMAGE" alt="" /><br/>
Copy and Paste Code</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><textarea cols="13" rows="4"><a href="YOUR BLOG ADDRESS" target="_blank"><img src="YOUR BUTTON IMAGE" border="0"></a></textarea></td>
</tr>
</table>

And that should do it! Leave a comment if you would like for us to add a blog button of yours to our collection.

~dale.ocasio
“ttfn!” ~tigger

a room with a view…

I love my new outdoor room that Jeff created for us; it replaces the space an oak tree once stood before it almost fell over on me. (It was a perfectly non-windy day---kind of freaky :-\)

After we cleared all of it, we had a brand new space to play with, in a yard that has very little space due to all of the overgrowth that we allow, mainly because it is too defeating to fight it back---and it kicks our butts when we try. Jeff came up with the idea to section it off with an old wood-framed window he had found, recently, by the side of the road.

One simple window, something to sit on, and it’s as if we added a new room to the house!

I try to make it out here at least once a day. I use the time here to write notes down, make lists, write this blog posting, dream…

special arrival…hens and chicks

These hens-and-chicks arrived in the mail yesterday; they came from my brother’s yard and he was cool enough to send me some. I love them and their perfect rosette shape, so much! (i hope they live, i hope they live, i hope they live…) Hen and chicks is a common name for a group of small succulents belonging to the flowering plant family Crassulaceae (krass-yoo-LAY-see-ay) As the common name suggest the main plant (or mother hen) surrounds herself with miniature replicas (her little chicks).

My plan is to give them a chance to recuperate from their journey, and then transplant some into small containers for gift-giving. I’m thinking of using bamboo cups, since we can easily make those ourselves, (note to self: “blog about our cherished giant bamboo stand that grows in our yard”) but my mind is open to other ideas that may pop in.

Also, I have plans for a rock garden…which will have to wait for now. But one inspiration, that was burned into my skull over 10 years ago and never subsided, is a succulent wreath. I saw it, coincidentally, in Martha Stewart Living, and it is on my ‘bucket-list’ of things to make. Here’s a couple of links, take a look and tell me that this is not something that you would love to have, hanging on your door, out in your yard, by a sunny kitchen window…

From the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia website is a fairly understandable set of instructions. I wouldn’t bother watching the video on this page, though; it is kind of long-winded and is only part 1 of a two-part video. (???)
This link, from WonderHowTo, has a much better video, and shows how easy a process, making a succulent wreath, can actually be.

Feature Friday…think pink, think pink, think…

“It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow.”  ~Robert H. Goddard

Every October, pink ribbons abound throughout the world in an attempt to increase awareness of breast cancer and to remind women about the value of early detection. National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.


Etsy is brimming with creative and unique takes on this commemoration. One of my favorites is this precious wire crochet bracelet by cfdesignz.

Description:
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month I'm creating a few one-of-a-kind "Hope Ribbon" Bracelets.
Wear your support with this fashionable Black and Pink glass beaded wire crochet bracelet. The Silver charm in the middle is a ribbon that says HOPE ... let's all support to find a cure!
This Bracelet is approx. 7 inches in length and can gently be adjusted by stretching or squishing the wire loops. This bracelet closes with a silver toggle clasp.

50% of all the purchace prices in cfdesignz Think PINK section WILL be donated to the Southwest Florida Susan G. Komen fund.
About Creative Fly Designz:
Why a "Creative Fly"? Well... It all started with an idea and a compliment ... the story behind the fly ... I was working on a CD cover design many years ago (wow .. 9 years ago!)... and A friend's boyfriend said, "Wouldn't it be cool to be a fly in Amy's brain .. Then we can see how her creativity works" ... I took that compliment to heart ... and that is how the Creative Fly was born ... :) I have always been a creative soul! Whether it's capturing a moment in time with my camera, looping some yarn or wire together by crocheting my little fingers away :) Or even just having fun and being silly with my family and friends. I'm quite excited to have this blog be my outlet to share these chapters of my life with those who have the same passions as I do.
http://creativeflydesignz.blogspot.com/

help yourself by helping another

This is really two posts in one. Yesterday at the Handmade Success blog, I discovered a forum thread titled “Lets Help Each Other!” by Twist21. An ingenious idea, and it goes like this: … Promote the shop above by picking one item from that person's shop and posting it on your facebook, twitter, myspace page, wherever you want! Then the next person will promote yours…
Well, I tweeted about the thread yesterday. Today, I’m jumping in, and hope you do as well.

This is a charming and vibrant holiday card made by AnotherCreation. I love the vibrant and rich colors! They’re created by her own painting on silk, Kids Spread Peace 'Round the World. They can found here: http://bit.ly/4wLBrg

a cherished gift...beaded snowflake

Beaded snowflakes are always lovely regardless of their simplicity. This one has a very special meaning to me. Years ago, my daughter (who had just turned old enough to drive) drove her younger brother to our nearest craft store. Had him dig deep into his pockets and purchase some beads and wire. You see, Christmas was close at hand, and she discovered that he had yet to get me a present. When they got back home, she dug out my old Martha Stewart Living magazines, found the issue with the beaded snowflake instructions, and assisted him in making two of these for me as tree decorations. Needless to say, they were never put away with the rest of the holiday décor that year. They have remained prominently displayed in my kitchen window, hanging on a bamboo cylinder Jeff had made for me to gather my curtains.

You never know when your children will take your breath away…those times always sneak up on you.
I actually found the exact same article that was used to make my beaded snowflakes. It’s online here: http://www.marthastewart.com/article/beaded-snowflakes - From Martha Stewart Living, December/January 1997/1998 (oh, the wonders of the internet… : ))

Works in progress…amber gleam

These tiny bottles have been hanging out on our window ledge for several weeks now, just waiting to be finished. They are the tiniest bottles and have little corks to go with them. Every morning they catch my eye as the sun hits them at just the right angle. I love them so much and haven’t been able to bring myself to paint them. You see, I would like to leave them white, and Jeff would like color on them…

This happens between us occasionally. :) And, when it does, I do nothing…I stall…until an idea blooms in my head that we can both agree on, or Jeff starts to see things my way.
In the meantime, they sit, and every morning they gleam…

just some etsy* finds…

*Etsy—“your place to buy & sell all things handmade” (just in case you didn’t already know)

Today, I’m highlighting some handmade artisans that are on the ‘Etsy D Listers’ team, a team whose purpose is “…to help those that are just starting out ...to learn to promote and gain positive ground with building their Etsy shops…” It has been a great community to be a part of. This is just a small sample of what these talented people have to offer.

gratis gift bags with our bottles…

Our upcycled wine and liquor bottles are accompanied with complimentary handmade gift bags when they are shipped. We use pages from magazines to make these, because their bold, striking images, nice color tones, and quality paper make each bag a one-of-a-kind piece of art, in itself. It’s our way of saying thank you.