Falling into Autumn........

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends!

Yes, this weekend is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, so we will be celebrating with turkey and pumpkin pie.  We had a fabulous month of September with summer like temperatures, but yesterday the weather changed and we awoke to a dusting of the evil white stuff on the ground. The weather here always seems to turn cold, about mid October, and Old Man Winter settes in for his long stay. I think we have a bit of a reprieve this weekend with warmer weather once again, but we all know that the winter weather will be upon us very soon. 

You probably know that I dislike the winter season, and that summertime is my favorite time of year. However, that being said, I do enjoy the colours of Fall, and the warm days of Indian summer. 

Here is a look at one of my recently completed pieces. Some of you may have seen it when it was in the "pendant" stage, but now it is finished. My inspiration for this piece was Autumn, the warm colours of that season and the falling of the leaves.

Falling into Autumn

Falling into Autumn is now for sale in my Etsy Boutique!


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I am busy packing and preparing for our little get away, so today I am introducing you to some of the fabulous shops that I have recently found on Etsy.

 Enjoy!

From the Waughdrobe: 
Handmade, Vintage Inspired,one of a kind hats, fascinators, jewelry & accessories. I love her shop...but I am especially  drooling over her gorgeous hats!

Handmade, crocheted accessories from JustColor. LOVE this adorable purse!

treehouse28 is definitely high up on my list of the next place to purchase some unique and comfortable clothing!

P.S Hot Rocks on Etsy will be closed from Feb. 14- 28. I will reopen in March with fresh new designs for Spring. Pin It

Handmade Christmas Review

Sorry I have been absent for the past week! We took a little  mid week break, and went to Banff for a few days to visit one of our daughters, and to partake in a little R and R. As of Monday, everything returns to the normal routine, the husband goes back to work, and my son, much to his dismay returns to school after the Christmas break. As the holiday break comes to a close, I wanted to share with you, some of the amazing handmade goodies that I purchased for gifts before Christmas. This past Christmas, I set out to buy handmade as much as possible, and I had great results with all of these gorgeous items, from some extremely talented and creative individuals!

From Rockitbot, I bought this cool all  in one iPod/iPhone Nerd Herder wallet for my son.

Several people  received these fabulous handmade french inspired soaps from DancingMooney,  located in Oregon. I kept one for myself, and this is honestly some of the nicest soap I have ever used!

One of my daughters  was the lucky recipient of this deluxe camera strap from Phatstraps , for her DSLR camera.

  From Ireland, the talented Kate Ramsey of FeltFieltroFilc, made this stunning silk and felted wool scarf for one of my other daughters.

 The same daughter also received these cool fingerless gloves, from BonzieDesigns, also located in Ireland.

  Seriously, some of the best tea I have ever tasted came from Wildroot, in  Bellingham, Washington, where the ingredients for this awesome tea are organic, locally grown, ethically wildcrafted and fair trade certified.  I bought 5 different flavors, and gave 4 away to the kids, and once again, I kept one of these for moi!

 

My husband was totally spoiled, with this beautifully handcrafted leather messenger bag, from RusticLeather  located in Texas. As you see...I managed to get in on a sale price during Black Friday!

Daughter number 3, got a turquoise Sassy Scarf created by Michaelah Polegato of Calgary, similar to this one.

 

Two of the daughters got these extremely cool bags, (which make super beach bags or shopping bags) as well as wallets, made by recycling the material from  billboards!  Designed and created by  the very creative Canadian artist, Jill Lennox.  Her website Recreate It is coming soon.

 

Of course, Christmas gift giving would not be complete  without all 3 daughters,  receiving some of Moms handmade Hot Rocks Jewellery!  I made each daughter a personalized necklace, featuring the color of their birth stones, their initials, and I was  lucky enough to have found a couple  of dog tags made in the year that they were born that I embellished, and added into the mix. Unfortunately I could not find a dog tag with  the birth year for daughter # 3, so she got a pretty locket instead. 

 Well, I hope to get back into my regular routine starting on Monday, and I also have a lot of reading to do catching up with all of my bloggy pals!

 

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Stay tuned

I had lots of fun at the Redwood Meadows craft sale on the weekend, and although it was not quite as busy as I would have liked to to be, I did manage to sell several items to wonderful  new owners! I still have a few pieces left, which is great news for all of you, as I am spending the next few days listing items in my Etsy shop, and preparing for my Black Friday weekend sale. I will have 10 % off everything in my shop from this Friday Nov. 25- Monday Nov. 28. However for you, my loyal readers...you will have the opportunity to get 15 % off! Stay tuned for the special coupon code that I will give you later this week, that will enable you to get in on that secret  discount! 

As for now...here is one of those pieces that I just listed in my shop!

 "MOM...the Chauffeur!"

When I found this vintage Chauffeur ID tag, I knew that it would make a fabulous Christmas gift for one of the many Moms that spend their time chauffeuring their kids around! So in honor of Mom, I added some bling and sparkle...but not too much that she could not wear it with her everyday jeans and T-shirt! The sparkly bits consist of modern cut glass and Swarovski crystals. The tag is from British Columbia, Canada, and has the year 1968 engraved on it. I also added chrysoprase and labrodorite stones. Apparently Labradorite is a protective and grounding stone that provides relief from stress...and what Mom doesn't have a bit of stress in her life! As for the stone chrysoprase, it is said to help one to focus, and see problems clearly.... again ....perfect for Moms!
I also added vintage brass buttons including one that is from the Royal Military College of Canada, a vintage forest green tassel, and a vintage skeleton key from England.

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This coming Monday, is Thanksgiving Day, here in the Great White North. That makes it a long weekend! Yes, we shall be feasting on turkey, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce, and of course the traditional and most required pumpkin pie. So to all my Canadian readers I wish you a happy, safe and very enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend! To my readers from other parts of the world, I wish you all a wonderful weekend. ( American readers, don't be jealous....your Thanksgiving will be here soon.)

 Have you thought about buying handmade this Christmas season? I certainly plan to do a lot more shopping from artists at local craft shows and on Etsy, for gifts this year. Support your local artist, and you are supporting your local economy! Plus you will have something unique that those big box stores can't offer. So enjoy your weekend and in the meantime, please check out these very cool Canadian Etsy Shops! These are  very talented artists, that have some amazing shops on Etsy. Great for getting gift ideas, because you know that Christmas is just around the corner, eh?!

                                             SummerBreeze 

Greeting cards and original abstract art

                                        The Spirited Fairy

Eco-Friendly 100% Vegetable based candles

                                         Hand Knit Hugs 

 

Classic Knits for todays children

                                          
                                          The Soap Gallery

Simply delicious body care

                               Mgotovac Original Art and Crafts

Original art and crafts

                                                  
                                                   Raceytay

Photography

                                   
                                    My Hand Bound Books

Hand bound books

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Spring Sale and New Items!

I currently have a Spring Sale going on in my Etsy shop, where I have reduced most of my Winter stock. I also added some new items yesterday, including bracelets and some earrings. AS well, there is one more day to get in on the ADDITIONAL 10% OFF which ends April 20th. Just add the coupon code BLOG10, during the checkout process. My shop will be closed from April 21 until May 2nd for the Easter break. There are currently some great deals in my shop, and with Mothers Day approaching you may just find that perfect gift for Mom.....or for yourself! Below are some brand new one of a kind creations, just listed.

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Fresh Designs

Here is what I have been working on during these snowy days of Spring. More creations from my Woodland Jewels Collection, that are perfect for summer  brides and  Spring prom girls!

"Love-in-a-Mist"

 

This bracelet is designed on sterling silver chain, with Swarovski glass pearls, rough  hammered quartz nuggets, several beautiful types of vintage beads including West German givre beads, Swarovski givre beads and crystals, faux pearls, and pretty white glass buttons also hailing from West Germany.

"White Magic"

 

 

 

This necklace combines delicate sterling silver chain with Swarovski glass pearls in white and platinum with a gorgeous vintage rhinestone necklace from the 1950's. 

"Casa Blanca Lily"

The  unique vintage rhinestone clasp on this piece reminded me of a lily! I created this bracelet with  white Swarovski pearls, sterling silver beads, Swarovski crystal hearts, faceted glass beads and vintage fabric beads from France...ooh- la-la! Pin It

Hot Rocks.......Lava Rock!

Beads made from molten lava are said to strengthen our connection to Mother Earth. Lava rock is a stone of strength that provides protection and stability during times of change. It helps to dissipate anger and provides the wearer with guidance and understanding.

I like to use lava rock beads in my jewelry, to add an element of texture to the piece. Most lava rock beads come from Indonesia. Lava rock is formed when hot lava from volcanic eruptions, cools and hardens. During this cooling process air bubbles and air pockets are formed creating naturally formed voids or holes that end up making each bead unique.The black beads are tumbled, polished and oiled or waxed to a smooth finish. They are actually very light weight making them perfect for using in jewelry. I like the irregular surface of lava rock beads next to a bead or crystal that is perfectly faceted or totally smooth as it adds a nice contrast .

I also think that lava rocks look stunning when combined with sterling silver!

This is a bracelet that I made awhile ago, incorporating a few lava rock beads, with Swarovski crystal, onyx, Venetian glass, quartz and sterling silver. I kept this one, and because it usually goes with most things in my wardrobe, I tend wear it often.

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A Little Etsy Love

Please visit the wonderful  blog A Little Etsy Love and enter the give away featuring a pair of handcrafted sterling silver, and crystal  earrings from yours truly!
Thank you Nancy!

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Lets Have a Tea Party!

These are my Mad Hatter earrings! I love them because they are so whimsical and crazy, but still very pretty and feminine. They are so named, because they remind me of a topsy turvy top hat! So, I got to thinking that on this very cold wintery day, why don't we have a tea party?

 

I would send you invitations....I love these pretty invitations to a  Mad Hatters Tea Party, from Life Events on Etsy.

How about this teacup centerpiece for our table? Available on Etsy at French Kissed in Pink

Of course you will need a dress! Olivia Kate Couture has several ones to choose from.

We could have delicious cakes! These are guilt free from Fabric Fancies.

We must have tea at a tea party! I don't know about you...but Happy Tea sounds great to me!! Tea by Wildroot Botanicals on Etsy.

I do hope you can come........and remember....don't be late!
Pocketwatch from Plasticouture Pin It