Hounds of Winter

Not having the best week, and so I'm going to give into my seasonal downs and quote one of my favorite songs today: Sting's "Hounds of Winter"

"Mercury falling, I rise from my bed
Collect my thoughts together, I have to hold my head
It seems that she's gone, and somehow I am pinned by
The Hounds of Winter howling in the wind

I walk through the day my coat around my ears
I look for my companion, I have to dry my tears
It seems that she's gone, leaving me too soon
I'm as dark as December, I'm as cold as the Man in the Moon

I still see her face
As beautiful as day
It's easy to remember, remember my love that way
All I hear is that lonesome sound
The Hounds of Winter
They follow me down

I can't make up the fire the way that she could
I spend all my days in the search for dry wood
Board all the windows and close the front door
I can't believe she won't be here anymore

I still see her face
As beautiful as day
It's easy to remember
Remember my love that way
All I hear is that lonesome sound
The Hounds of Winter
They follow me down

A season for joy
A season for sorrow
Where she's gone
I will surely, surely follow
She brightened my day, she warmed the coldest night
The Hounds of Winter
They got me in their sights

I still see her face
As beautiful as day
It's easy to remember
Remember my love that way
All I hear is that lonesome, lonesome sound
The Hounds of Winter
They harry me down"

Go look it up if you're not familiar with it. The music is as beautiful as the lyrics.

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So, what to plug with this maudlin mood?

Ha! For making me laugh when I tried to search "hounds of winter" on Etsy . . .

Cozy Horse: Custom Coats and Accessories. They sell horse blankets, but most of their shop sections and listings are for dogs. This is great! Keep your pooch warm, if he's going to be a "hound of winter" (ha!). Sorry.

But seriously, her items are really clever and look very well made and functional. My current situation has no allowance for any pets, but I've owned dogs before, and I see a lot of dogs out on the street of NYC, and I always think, "Wow, up here in the winter, they really NEED a real coat as much as we do!"

Now, there are sections for Small, Medium, Large and XL dog breed sizes. The one on the left is an example of a larger breed, but I had to include the picture on the right, because the handle just makes me smile. I already see so many people carrying their dogs in purses, and why not just take the next step.

Best Blog Award!

Hey, Janz Crystalz creations blog decided to pass on a Best Blog award to Izile's Oddities here on Blogspot! Yeah! She had recently discovered this blog and included it in her list. Thanks!

This is another "tag n pass" award, but I don't mind them, I think it's kinda a neat way to maybe find more new blogs you weren't aware of, and a promotional plug is a promotional plug!

The rules of the award state that you must post it on your blog together with the name of the person who granted you this award and a link to his/her blog. (check)



Pass the award on to 15 other blogs you have recently discovered and think are great! (I have my reasons, but I will only do 5. Sorry and Thank you.)

Remember to contact the bloggers you’ve awarded to let them know they have been chosen.

So, onwards to my top five newest blogs:

The Enchanted Masquerade - (I've known this artist for a long time, but her blog is new, and I really think more people should be aware of it and her art.)

K. Nice Artworks - (I think we've been stalking each others blogs a bit as of late. She even did a wonderful little interview on Izile's Oddities and seems a total sweetheart!)

Darlingtonia Moccasin Company - (Just. .. CUTE, and launching her etsy shop 11/13!)

Miss Millificent's World - (her dolls, oddly, make me smile. Reminding me of darker, slightly askew humor/artists like Edward Gorey and the guy who does Salad Fingers.

and, last, but not least, just so new that I *just* found her while looking for the proper URL's for the others and was very impressed with her blog. . .

ViSart - DaLi - (if it weren't for all the rain, I would run out right now and try her Fall Leaf tutorial!)

Surprise Finds

I also found my cedar stick that I'd brought back from Mississippi! I've been wanting to make my forest or tree Magic Vial Pendant again for some bit, but I need the cedar wood for that! Pictured here is the Forest vial (with rainforest jasper, malachite and cedar wood).


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This next etsy seller was also a kind of a surprise find. I was logging in to answer some conversations and leave feedback and tiny square in the upper left corner just begged to be clicked.

Tights and leggings of all kinds are supposed to be really big this fall/winter, but I'm a sucker for something with a bit more personality and interest than just the same-ole-same-ole.

That said, I recently got very badly burned (financially) by ordering "one size" stockings from trashy.com, which is not an inexpensive place, and I had to give away 2 out of 3 of my order because they were ridiculously big! (I'm small, but I'm not tiny, I'm 5'8" and a size 4.) I mean, we're talking about the fabric actually being BAGGY around the legs. I sent them to a friend of mine who is a few inches shorter, and roughly around a size 20, and they fit her. So, I won't be buying from THAT website again!

Then I see, Tattoo Socks! The tights are very interesting! Besides just the great designs (getting there), I was really pleased to see that they carry not just knee-highs, thigh-highs and full stockings, but they also have them broken down into Small/Medium, Large/X-Large, and XXL. This should definitely take care of any stupid "one size" malarkey.

Now, this first pair to the right is what originally caught my attention, and I think they're adorable! I probably wouldn't wear them here in NYC for fear that someone would read them and decide that was a serious invitation. . . but if I still lived in the South, these would just be so cute. The pair on the left are a recent design addition, and really appeals to my love of all things swirly and vine-like. Plus, it's a good way to show that Tattoo Socks has a range of base colors, 5 actually, from white to cafe latte.

And, if you're worried about them not being warm enough, Tattoo Socks even shows a few examples of how their stockings can be layered with other tights.

Veritas Equitas!

First off, I hope everyone had a very Happy Halloween!!

Secondly, as the title indicates, today is All Saint's Day, and all that means to me is that I get to go see the new Boondock Stains sequel, All Saints Day! WOOOOO!!

Now, I want someone to explain something to me, which might be a sensitive subject, before I get all high-handed here.

So, what's the deal with people on etsy who make movie merchandise? They can't all possibly be licensed. Are these legal? I really don't want to plug any merchandise that's illegally infringing on, particularly one of my favorite, movies. (And particularly a movie that has been plagued by bad luck and lots of financial and legal difficulties.)

So, if anyone has an opinion on this, I'd love to hear the thoughts.

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So, since I can't plug anything related to today from etsy. I'm going to have to reach into my favorites stash and pull someone out at random.

I don't remember ever giving this artist a plug before, so hopefully I'm not being repetitive here. Sarah K Designs has really touched something off in me today. It's the gold finches.

Years and years ago, when I was only about 13 years old, my grandmother had come to live with us in her last stages of adrenal cancer. One of her last joys was to sit by the large window in the great room with her binoculars and a book on different birds of the United States. That last spring, just a bare month before she finally died, the yard was filled up with gold finches. None of us had ever seen any before. Grandma was so excited! Our yard was covered up with gold finches; and it was beautiful!

Then the gold finches left, Grandma died, peacefully, and we've never really seen them since. Mother says she may spot one, rarely, in early spring, and it always reminds her of Grandma. So, too, gold finches will always remind me of my Grandmother. Heck, it wasn't quite 2 years ago, during one of the most painful experiences I've endured in my young life, that I sat and watched as a little female goldfinch found me in Seattle and tapped and beat at the window for nearly two days straight.

Sarah has beautiful gold finch prints! I have not always been a fan of digital collages, but these really tug at me. I'm not sure if I like the one on the right better, or the left, so I'm having to feature them both.

Also, she has lots of other birds, animals, seasonal specials, holiday cards. I definitely recommend taking the time to look through her work!

Just Arrived

Still feeling under, so this will be brief; but I finally got in my gemstone shipment in from Thailand. (The quality, size, and expense of corundum, in particular, isn't very good at the local gem shops where I can get most everything else.)

So, pictured here, once on a black background and once on a white, we have my little piles of blue sapphires, red rubies and, since I was already paying the shipping and handling, I threw in a little bit of peridot. The peridot is the only thing that will need breaking down before it goes into vials, and they're not that high on the Moh's hardness scale, so it won't be difficult. One reason I like buying the sapphires and rubies like this is because they're generally small enough to not need cleaving. Remember, kiddies, the only thing harder than corundum (sapphires and rubies) is a diamond!

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For another etsy seller who deals in rough gemstones, I like Jealousy Jewelry & Designs. There are a variety of rough gems and crystals set in various fashions, but for today's post, I really like her rough sapphire earrings (pictured left.)

There are also pieces in purely sterling silver and with polished gems, but what I like is regardless of whether the pieces are made without gems, with either polished or rough gems, all the pieces have a very unique and organic feel to them. Definitely take the time to look through their shop!

Recovery

Ug, just now getting over my first (please last) cold of the season. Seems I've spent this whole month in recovery from one thing or another :-(.

But I come to praise not to bury! (you can please excuse my weird butchered quotings to either medication or fever).


My roommate has just listed her first new item on etsy! Aughra is the wonderful woman responsible for making both my and my friend Bentley's Mad Scientist costumes for Dragon*Con! She's also had several years of making amazing and intricate quilts; and also working on and creating costumes and wardrobe for various off-Broadway plays and musicals, as well as tv shows and movies.

We hope she'll put even more of her fabulous creations online, but today she starts off with this amazingly beautiful purse.

So go to Aughra Moon at etsy, and look at all the lovely detailed photos of this adorable purse, and give her shop a heart so you can follow whatever comes next!

Fall Food

Wooo, been a busy week! Though I have put in a new order for empty vials and a new batch of sapphires, rubies and some upgraded peridot. So looking forward to having those shipped in and being able to get back into the swing of things.

This time of year can get so busy, so fast; and it seems it only games momentum from here on until after New Years! I have one day kinda to myself, and I'm really thinking about doing some baking, something autumnal, with spices, or dried fruits or something.

While I google for recipes (largely debating between carrot cupcakes or craisin+orange zest bagel loaf bread) I thought I'd pop on here, update, and see what etsy has

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The first thing that really grabbed my attention was Ottawa Cupcakery's Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream. They describe them as, "Our lightly spiced pumpkin cupcakes are topped with a light maple cream cheese buttercream and a sprinkle of spiced shimmer sugar." That does sound delicious!

If pumpkin isn't your thing, or you're still clinging onto summer flavors, she also has strawberry, lemon/lime, and the ubiquitous chocolate cupcakes.


What actually started me off on this was that for several weeks, I've kind of been wandering into various bagel places, and I'm always disappointed, because there's no fruit flavor or sweet bagels (raisin is not a fruit in my opinion, it is a horrible little thing that should just stay away from me). No blueberry bagels, no cranberry bagels, no citrus zest bagels. . (pout). Sadly, even on etsy, no one is making any such bagels. I may well have to stick to making my own (thankfully, bagel making is *REALLY* easy!)

However, etsy did have some other baked goods that kind of filled in the missing niche. Fortune Cookie Cafe has the most divine looking Butterball Cookies. She uses buttery shortbread cookies, dipped in sugar and sandwiches them with an assortment or raspberry jam, triple berry jam, or dark chocolate. Seriously drooling here!

The rest of her shop has a very interesting and unique variety of cookies that includes green tea cookies, biscotti, and cinnamon pumpkin seed brittle.

DeviantArt Contest

So, every time my DeviantArt page hits another 10,000 views, I do a contest to win a free custom Magic Vial Pendant. All you have to do is watch my profile page (HERE) and when you see the page views count hit 30,000, grab a screen cap! (Currently at 29,521) You can grab a screen cap by pushing keys Ctrl+Alt+PrtScr, then going into any art program (Windows Paint, PSP or Photoshop, any one should work), open a new file and then hit paste.

Be the person to send me the screen cap with 30,000 views and you win your own custom Magic Vial pendant for free! If you're a DA member, you can send it in a Note to me on DA, you can leave it in a comment linking to the picture here, or however else you want to get it to me.

Pictured is one of my latest Magic Vial Pendants, Dark Fire (kind of a fall/halloween theme with orange jelly fire opal and black obsidian glass).

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For today's etsy plug, going along with my latest Magic Vial Pendant, I thought I'd look for other orange and black seasonal specials.

It took several pages, but then something jumped out of me and screamed to be featured! Magic Cats!!

Le Chat Noir Studios specializes in OOAK (one of a kind) handmade fantasy and myth inspired art dolls. It was the Futhark Feline, named AmberMoon, (pictured) that was so adamant about being included in my blog today! She's made of beautiful orange patterned fabrics and is covered with Futhark Runes! Very unique and very beautiful!

Time to . . .

Oh, nice day today! I haven't had any physical discomfort or pain, and I'm not on any pain medications anymore, either! I'm also no longer feeling dizzy or blurry if I sit or stand upright for a couple of hours. Still not going to push the "no lifting/no aerobic activity" ban for another solid week, and still gotta take my antibiotics, but I'm starting to feel more like me again.

What does this mean to any of you? Well it means I'll finally start getting back on my metaphorical feet and getting back to work on Izile's Oddities!

We've all had those times, whether it be some medical procedure, a bad car wreck that left us stiff for weeks, or a horrible illness that we just couldn't shake. It makes even the simplest of tasks seem overwhelming and physically taxing - even if they're not really physical at all. But man, when you start to really shake it off and feel *good* again (if you can avoid the mental stress and panic of "OMG! I'm so far behind! I've got so much to do! I have to I have to I have to NOW NOW NOW!! AHHHH!!!!") you start to get those itchy fingers that want to create.

That's about where I am. I've got some custom necklaces I need to complete, and I know my shop stock is greatly depleted. I also have an oil painting that I had started about a month ago that I keep looking at.

I won't be able to just throw myself into it with wild abandon, because a girl still needs to pay her bills, and I have little temporary jobs on Saturday and Monday night and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday morning. Who knows, my last temp job was to bartend at a new designer's launch party. One of these might provide some interesting inspiration. .. and if not, they'll at least provide money for new supplies :-).

So, here's to getting up, dusting myself off, and starting again.

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Strange inspiration for the plug today. Listening to Imogen Heap's new album, and I love the song "Little Bird." It reminds me, seems like in another life, of probably my all time favorite term of endearment anyone ever used on me: "Song Bird."

Little Doodles of London just struck me as I flipped through the birds of Etsy. All 16 listed prints in her shop are the sweetest (pun, depending on print) little birds. It was actually hard to pick just one as a favorite, so I definitely suggest if you like the picture here, you go and check out the other 15! I, of course, chose the "Choccie Birds," as I can definitely relate to claiming a favored chocolate candy!

Folks

Yeah! So my parents are in town for belated birthday celebration, and to be through my last little bit of medical issues.

I'm taking just a moment so my blog isn't completely neglected without warning or explanation.

So, now you know.

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My love of mad scientists continues as I have now been indoctrinated into the fandom of Dr. Steel and his Utopian Playland - "remember, only YOU can help Dr. Steel take over the world."

And then I found this on etsy, and it is truly genius! EVIL genius (of course!)

Xylocopa designs has a set of alphabet blocks so you too can start your child off to a future in mad science and world domination!

The blocks themselves are solid American maple wood, laser engraved with original art; and all edges rounded and smoothed without harmful dyes or finishes, to be safe for your future evil genius.

From the listing, the images are as follows:
A - Appendages
B - Bioengineering
C - Caffeine
D - Dirigible
E - Experiment
F - Freeze ray
G - Goggles
H - Henchmen
I - Invention
J - Jargon
K - Potassium
L - Laser
M - Maniacal
N - Nanotechnology
O - Organs
P - Peasants (with Pitchforks)
Q - Quantum physics
R - Robot
S - Self-experimentation
T - Tentacles
U - Underground Lair
V - Virus
W - Wrench
X - X-Ray
Y - You, the Mad Scientist of Tomorrow
Z - Zombies