Magic Here Now

Magic in this day and age is such an elusive thing. Ritual too. We, as a collective people, are not very connected to ritual*, or to things we don't understand, figuring science will come along eventually and explain everything. Sometimes I think there are things we are not meant to understand, and then sometime I think science is simply magic, reduced down to it's simplest formula. 

For this week's Etsy trio I bring you a few elements imbued with a touch of magic. . .

(*I mean this in a general way. I know many people are choosing to acknowledge the sacred and divine in their lives, as am I, in the ways they can.)

Fantasy Illustration Business Card Holder - by Sweet Heart Sinner Creations

What a lovely conversation piece this would be. This would be the perfect home for my Tangleweeds business cards!

Vintage Bette Black Magic Rayon Top found at Forgotten Muse

When I saw this top I practically hit the "add to cart" button before I checked my bank balance! Really, what's not to love about this top? There's even a zodiac chart printed on the back!

Dark Side of the Moon Glass Lens Pendant - by Renata and Jonathan

J'adore this necklace! It really does remind me of the moon in so many ways. I could see wearing this piece by itself or layered with a gajillion other chains and necklaces. I love the rustic, craggy appearance of the bezel too.

 I hope we all have a little bit of time today to appreciate the magic all around us!

Inspired by teaching

For this week's Etsy trio I rounded up some goodies just for teachers. I'm starting a teaching assistant gig (just once a week) next week and I'm getting pretty excited.

This necklace made me swoon! I think it's the perfect mix of teachy-geeky and artsy-crafty. And chic! 

Teacher's Pet Necklace by East Street Tins

These cards are so cute and classy. They're customiazable with the name of your choice. Perfect for any teacher. . . 

Red Apple Notecards by Executive Creations

A large tote bag, perfect for lugging around everything you need for your long day. I love the "newspaper" front flap.

Messenger Bag by Ligon Accessories

Enjoy your Tuesday everyone!

Let's go swimming

A swimsuit edition of Etsy Trio Tuesdays. . .

While the weather is still pretty chilly here in the bay area (except for the freakishly warm days every now and then) it is getting close to spring! I always start to think about day trips to the lake, a drive out to the river, an afternoon spent poolside around this time of the year. Which made sense when I lived in the suburbs (Livermore) and we actually had a HOT summer. While there may not be as many warm, swim-worthy days out here near the bay, we do still get some, and there's always summer camping trips to look forward to . . . One of these suits would be perfect packed alongside some sunscreen, a big floppy hat, and lots of yummy snacks.

awesome textured print with a perfect high-waist cut from Minnow Bathers

classic  red and white polka dots with a cute boy-short cut from Meshalo

adorable-ness overload! stripes and flowers at Kortni Jeane

See you at the beach!

Jewelers I Know

For this week's Etsy Trio Tuesday post I wanted to feature three lovely jewelry artists I've met in my gypsy-like arts-and-crafts fair travels. . .

Butterfly Teardrop Necklace by Compass Rose Designs

This first one is a lovely steampunk-style necklace from Creek of Compass Rose Designs. We met at an Indie Mart in San Francisco, and our paths continue to cross at fairs in the San Fran bay area. She has an impeccable eye for detail and it shows in her work!

Amethyst and Rose Gold Bracelet by Altana Frantz

Altana and I met at the 25th Street Collective on Art Murmur night in Oakland. I have since fallen in love with her elegant designs. Her shop has a lovely assortment of rings and bracelets, great worn alone, but even better when a bunch are all stacked together!

Patterned Silver Post Earrings by Mangosteen Jewelry

Gabrielle Lessard is the woman behind this jewelry line. We met initially through the East Bay Etsy Team, but our paths continue to cross at craft fairs every now and then. Her mostly silver pieces echo the organic lines and shapes of nature and are perfect for everyday wear.

There are so many great artists in the San Francisco Bay Area. If shopping locally is important to you, simply go to Etsy's homepage and on the lower, lefthand side under the header "Ways to Shop" you'll find the link "Shop Local." Then you simply enter your location and click search. Happy shopping!

Honey Amber Gold

A few of my favorite things on Etsy right now. . . 

Fresh Honey Amber Linen Necklace by Dreams Factory

I love the rustic elegance of this necklace. I'd love to pair it with an all-black ensemble, so the focus would really be on the amber.

Fiona's Heart Feather Print by River Luna

I adore this! I actually meant to include this in my Valentine's Day round-up but somehow forgot. But I think it would be perfect for any day of the week, adorning one of my bedroom walls.

Gold Butterflies and Thistles Tumblers found at Mary Beth Hale

These tumblers would be the perfect addition to my kitchen. I've been on the look-out for vintage glassware for my next all-gal gathering. Maybe these!

Have a lovely Tuesday!

Early Birthday Fun

My birthday is still nearly two months away (April 11th) but I'm already thinking about what I want to do. . . and what I want to wear. This year I'm itching to don a 50s-era dress, something floral or lacey, something sugary-sweet. 

The color of this one is so so perfect! And all-over lace is something I just can't resist.

 icy blue lace party dress found at Female Hysteria

I love the drapey top to this one, and the painterly flowers.

floral chiffon wiggle dress found at Croatia Vintage

And this one! I feel like this one would be perfect for a disco-themed birthday bash. I love the sparkle and the gathered skirt.

Mint Green Princess Party Dress found at Southern Charms Ya'll

What are your birthday plans?

Carry All Carry Everywhere

We all need that bag that we can fit EVERYTHING in. You know, your laptop, and extra change of clothes, your camera, your makeup bag. I'm continually on the search for the perfect bag that I'll use for ever. Especially as my life becomes fuller and busier as I mature into adulthood, I sometimes feel like I'm juggling three lives at once. There's the artist, there's the (sort of) step-mom shtick, there's the girlfriend and life partner to Jeff, there's that part of me that hopes to still pursue all of my other creative passions.

These two bags seem like they'd help me sew all those disparate parts together just a bit more efficiently.

Waxed Canvas Tote from Peg and Awl

Cross-body Messenger bag from Ikabags

This last bag is obviously not the catch-all large bag I showcased above, but it does seem like the perfect bag for all of the craft fairs I sell at throughout the year. I love the femininity of it. It's practical design would allow me to keep my change on me all day, and would be cute enough to wear out in the evening. Yet another way to make life a bit easier but still pretty.

Corset Pocket Belt by Little Wings Designs

What's your idea of the perfect bag?

Let's go on a journey

It may seem counter-productive to continue to write my Tuesday Etsy Trio posts given my self-imposed no-shopping year, but I do still want to share the things I love with ya'll. And the connections I make with folks through this feature cannot be measured in dollars.

The Inca Backpack

This week I thought I'd go on a journey, maybe it's an urban one, maybe it's through the woods. It's the kind of journey that's spontaneous, you just hop in your car and set forth on the road, windows down, some snacks thrown into a canvas sack and no specific time frame to limit you. This backpack above would be perfect for throwing all of my necessities into and could just as easily be taken hiking as it could the city streets. From Sabrina Tach. Check out her shop for a plethora of other wonderful leather and handmade bags.

Lapis Lazuli Amulet Necklace

This necklace, with it's gorgeous Lapis stone and hand-crafted metal work, would be the perfect talisman for the trip. As Silvia, of Silvia's Creations, states in the description of this piece: "Lapis Lazuli encourages taking charge of life. It reveals inner truth. . ."

Southwestern Jacket
And of course there were be a great need to stay warm! Assuming we're heading out on the adventure in February. I love this jacket from Astral Boutique. I've been an avid follower of this lady's Etsy shop from the beginning and love to see the way she styles pieces in her various photo-stories.

Let the journey begin!

Dress Up Time

Etsy Trio Tuesday is back! I thought I'd play dress up today without a worry or care about price or affordability. . . Because I'm on a budget, people! So I will lust and share these goodies with you and hope that they find a lovely home in someone else's arms. Here's my ideal outfit for a day full of adventure, finishing off with cocktails with friends in a dimly lit bar. . .

Isadora Duncan Dress

I can't get enough of the drama of this dress. The colors, the draping, the back! Oh-la-la! It's from the lush and lavish Etsy shop Boudoir Queen.

Leather INCA Necklace

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love to shop for jewelry, especially because I am a jewelry maker myself. I love to find designs that make me think "I never would have thought of that!" And I love to wear other jewelry maker's designs and gush about how much I love their work when others ask. This necklace would be quite easy to gush about. By Under A New Light.

 Upcycled Brown Suede Tote

I absolutely adore all of the bags in this shop. They're made from vintage and reclaimed materials, with classic styling and design to make them perfect for a lifetime! And I think the rusty orange colors would coordinate lovely with the dress I picked out above.

And at the last minute I realize I didn't pick out shoes. . . 

how about these?

Wooden Stacked Heel Pumps

I just discovered this vintage shop the other day when I was trolling around for shoes, and had a hard time resisting buying up half of the shop. It's pretty new, just opened in December, and has a very finely curated selection of vintage. Take a look at Rack Sabbath and see what you think! (Oh, and I absolutely adore her shop banner.)

I hope everyone has some time to play dress-up too!

To Give is Better than to Get

In the spirit of the holiday season, I thought I'd share some of my gift ideas with you for this week's Etsy Trio Tuesday.

Queen Anne's Lace

This hand embroidery would make the perfect gift for one of my close girlfriends.

Tangled Forest Deer Tie

These ties are awesome. And my dad would rock one of these to the office in style!

Mosaic Earrings

And these earrings! I almost want them for me. These would be lovely on another one of my girlfriends (names omitted! they are known to read this here blog =). And then I could borrow them!

I am busily preparing for my trip to LA for the Renegade down there. I hope everyone else is having a lovely, wintery week!

Whimsy and Wit

Back from my holiday vacation, I'm finding it a bit difficult to fully submerge myself in my work again. I have many things on my mind, there are many changes afoot for me in the near-ish future, and I'm finding my mind easily wandering. Searching through my new recent favorites on Etsy I found I was drawn to pieces that were making me smile and say, hey, that's different. And kind of magical!

I adore this print. Maybe because I'm such a sucker for cats, be they friendly, grouchy, stand-offish, loving, loud, quiet, short or long-haired. . . 

Kitten Pape Fine Art Print

This necklace is so interesting to me. It's made from iridescent metallic acrylic. 

Nibble Necklace

And this! I'd love to have this on the wall at the head of my bead, as pictured here.

Family in the Wild Wall Decal

Alrighty, back to the Tangleweeds production line! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend!

Jewels for Me

Now, just because I make jewelry, doesn't mean I don't lust after other's handmade or vintage baubles! Especially stones in lovely settings, which is a skill I have yet to acquire. 

This ring features a type of agate. Agate is one of those mercurial stones that comes in so many beautiful varieties. This one is a Botryoidal Agate.

Botryoidal Agate in Sterling Silver

And these. Oh wowzers! You wear these with just about anything!

Vintage Marjorie Baer Earrings 

And this gorgeous pendant. Moonstone and larvikite. I love these settings. Christmas present please!

Moonstone and Larvisite Pendant

Alright, well you and me both know these jewels weren't meant for just me! Take a look in these three lovely shops and I'm sure you'll find something perfect for one of the ladies on your Christmas list. I won't mind if you snatch up one of these beauties before I can =)

A Little Dose of Cute

Lately, when I've been browsing through Etsy, I've been finding lots and lots of animal cute-ness. We could all benefit from a bit of fuzzy whiskered noses and cuddly four-legged friends!

I adore these. All the more reason to write and post letters to friends and family.

Set of 6 Whimsical Rabbit Notecards

Gorgeous bird. I love how her tail looks soft and fluttery.

Bird of Paradise I

I think I'm putting these in my next Christmas Wish-list Treasury!

sketchbook rabbits - lot of 3

Now that I've had my dose of cute, it's back to work. I'm re-stocking one of my shops (Pretty Penny) tomorrow. Lots to do!

Trio Tuesday

Yes, you're thinking, this isn't Tuesday? Right? And you would be right! I'm bringing you my Etsy Tuesday Trio a day late this week. What's my excuse? Well, being sick, but mainly, losing track of the days! This week's trio is all about triangles. . . 

I love love love this ring. And it's from a fellow East Bay Arts Collective member. Check her shop out!

These earrings are perfectly modern AND rustic! 

This cabochon is gorgeous! One of these days I'm gonna learn how to make bezel pendants and then I'm gonna snatch up all kinds of wonderful pieces like this one.

That's it for now! I'll be back to posting my Wednesday Item-of-the-Week later today as well. So make sure to take a look back!

A Trio of New Etsy Favorites

Here's a little sampling from some of my new favorite Etsy shops! If I wasn't basically a pauper these days I'd be frequenting their shops on a regular basis.

I absolutely adore this necklace!

This soap sounds amazing. Just read this description of it's scent: "The "Harvest Moon" fragrance starts out with top notes of pear, blueberries, and pineapple. Middle notes of juniper berries and eucalyptus blend with bottom notes of spruce, woods, Douglass fir, cedar, and white musk."

These earrings from Sparrow Salvage. I love what she's doing with antique tins!

Enjoy! And if you happen to have the extra dollars to snatch up one of these goodies, I promise not to be jealous =)