Summertime Sun

It's a cloudy-rainy day today, but up until today, it's been super summery (we'll pardon you, storm Dorian, as my tomatoes could use the rain, now that they finally dried out enough in the 100+ heat).

The summer also inspired some new Magic Vial Pendants!

My favorite right now may be this one shown at left:  Summer Lightning.  It's a mix of Red Rutilated Quartz and Garnets, with a sprig of bronze fennel from my garden.  I think the fennel really mirrors the lightening-like lines in the rutilated quartz.  That combined with all the items connecting to either/or/and the elements of fire and air, makes for a sparkling talisman for summer storms.  I do love a good thunderstorm!

I'm really being inspired by gemstones with inclusions and veining as of late.  I've always liked "flaws" in my gems, as I think it gives them more personality and can really make "reading" them a lot clearer/easier.  The rutilated quartz is a great stone for that look, and I particularly like the red variety I've come across.  Another similar stone that I also just started using is Moss Agate, which is almost translucent in parts, pale green, and shot with deep dark "mossy" green growths that give it its name.

Moss Agate was the inspiration for this other new vial, along with the bounty of herbs pouring in from my garden:  The Apothecary.

I used my last cubic vial for this, as I thought the shape went well with the theme.  This vial is filled with Moss Agate and a few slivers of pale green Jade to add to the wisdom and luck of the vial.  Along with that is a blend of herbs including lavender, sage, and fennel.

This one is a mix of elements in a balancing act, as a good Apothecary would be, with the herbs and stones working as tie-ins to the elements, with peaceful lavender tying in air, purifying fennel tying in fire, and healing sage tying in the earth; added with the earthy green moss agate, and water-loving jade.

I also recently realized I had From Faerie stock left over from the Steampunk World's Fair that wasn't on my etsy shop, so I added those back, and have decided to make all future From Faerie products made-to-order - unless I'm experimenting with a new blend, in which case the original will be listed.

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Busy, busy, summer!  But it's been a good one.  Day job is going well - garden is doing fairly well (better than last year - herbs are amazing) - and I'm getting to do/see a lot of things.  Granted, that doesn't leave a lot of time left over for the etsy shop - but I've been making time for custom orders, and a few new pieces here and there.  Need to make more time for my own experiments - maybe if Dorian lasts a couple of days, I'll have some rainy-indoor days for crafting.

For my plug today, I'm plugging a whole group!  the Enchanted Etsy Street Team has just recently gotten their own Pinterest board, where you can track all the wonderful things these magically inspired creators are coming up with!

For those of you not familiar with pinterest - it's crack.  It's like bookmarks feature old browsers like Netscape used to utilize for saving important websites you stumbled upon and didn't want to lose, except it's all visual.  Instead of a blank link that just says "recipes" it's a list of pictures of food. Much better option for those of us who can be more visual at times.  So this is a great way to get acquainted with the Enchanted Etsy Team!  - Just look through this pinterest wall, and click on the pictures of anything you like, and it'll take you to that store and that item!  Brilliant!

(A sample shot of all the wonderful things from Enchanted Etsy! Just click HERE)

Moonlight and Moss

Team Exhibition Time!!

The FAE (Fantasy Artists of Etsy) Team's June theme is Moonlight and Moss - a collection of beautiful pieces by the members circling the theme.  

You can also now follow monthly exhibition items on Pinterest!  HERE!

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In a bit of reversal - today the plug comes first and the regular bit comes last.  Short bit, just wanted to say I'm running a FREE S&H on all domestic orders for the next week on Izile's Oddities with COUPON CODE: WELOVEFREE  !!  

Working on Restocking

This past weekend was the Steampunk World's Fair, and my first time to ever vend at a "Con."  It was a great experience, and very different from selling at street fairs and craft fairs.  The patrons definitely had different tastes.  I came very close to selling out of my Magic Vial Pendants (and did sell out of all of the bulb-bottom ones), and almost all of my From Faerie bath line.  So, right now I'm in the process of restocking and ordering more raw supplies.  

There are a couple of new things at the etsy shop because of SPWF.  First, I had made Voynich Manuscript inspired pendants, made out of wood in a more rustic medieval style (as suits a 15th century mysterious manuscript, I thought).  

I really enjoyed handing out little flyers to people on the Voynich Manuscript and encouraged folks to go google it and read up on this indecipherable codex.  (Seriously, open a tab, do a search, it's so entertaining!)  And so, I have a couple of those left over.

Also, waited until I could go out and do a proper live photo shoot with a model friend of mine to get better shots of my Sterling and Velvet - Victorian Gothic Choker.  That's her, here, and of course, bigger, better resolution shots on the actual listing.  So, thanks to Ms. Abigail Neffer LeMorte.  Also, she'll be moving to Seattle, WA this June, so if any of you are out there, and need a model, I highly recommend her (hey, she's even been shot for Japan's Vogue Magazine!)

Will miss you when you go all west-coast, chicky!!

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Speaking of the west coast, my plug today is out of Portland, OR:  Little Wing Faerie Art.

Yes, there are fairy wings, and yes, they are awesome, but what caught my eye was something a lot more out of the ordinary.  

The "hair wear" section has a collection of truly alien looking sculptural orchids for hat or hair.  They are hand-painted, hand sculpted, and flexible enough to allow for you to do a bit of your own minor adjustments to make sure it lays just right, whether perched in a bun, tucked behind an ear, lolling in a hatband, or pinned on your lapel.  The colors used are vibrant and almost seem luminous.

And, the other item she makes that first caught my attention really ARE luminous.  The flower lights are similarly fashioned and shaped, but inside their petals hide battery powered LEDs.  This fuscia one here, is a favorite!  I love fuscias, but they have never loved anywhere where I have lived.  I spent some time in Seattle years ago, and was struck by the fuscias there.  This is a gorgeous nod to the flower (and would love to see this same style in various colors, the way fuscias come in so many combinations).  

That's not even all of what you'll find over at her etsy shop - there's more to explore, and I highly recommend taking a few moments to pop over.

Changes

. . . they are a comin'.  This week has had a few surprises.  On Monday, I was told due to the consolidation of offices, my position was becoming redundant, and I would no longer be needed after Friday.  In other words, back to being on the hunt for a new day-job.  (On the plus side, already had one fairly good interview on Wednesday, so that's promising).  Some of my coworkers have been really nice this week - been handing out lots of business cards, and one receptionist even bought my vintage amethyst earrings that I had on etsy until today.  And, it will give me some time to catch up on things with Izile's Oddities that have been slacking since I got sick a while back.

One of the things I hope to keep working on is the new From Faerie line.  I've already had one sale in that section, my new Unicorn Milk Bath (shown here).  And I have two more milk bath blends that need to be finished up, bottled and labeled.  There will be scrubs in the future as well.  Right now, for the salt scrubs, I'm taking my time and testing variations on some friends to get just the right texture of salts and sugars and just the right blend of oils.  I might come out with some uber-simple sugar scrubs in the meantime; I've been dreaming of both a brown sugar, honey, coffee scrub, and a sakura (cherry blossom) scrub as well.   - Just a note, I do plan to do a BIG Sakura post in the future, where I'll be featuring some sakura sweets and recipes as well as hopefully jewelry and a bath treat!!

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Another new surprise was I was invited to join a new etsy street team called Enchanted Etsy!  Runs a little parallel to the Fantasy Artists of Etsy that I'm already a member of, but seems to have a slightly different focus and a few different shops.

You can find the Facebook Fan Page for the street team at Enchanted Etsy and you can find goods sold by the members of Enchanted Etsy by searching "enchantedetsy" (one word) in the search bar at etsy.com

The organizer for this little group runs The Evergreen Nest, based out of South Carolina, and has a beautiful and eclectic assortment of candles, fairy crowns, hair clips, fairy-inspired earrings, miniature polymer sculptures, and even fairy nests!  I think the nests are one of the most adorable and unique items that she offers; and since it's even in her shop name; that's the item I'm going to plug today. (though I think you should go and check out everything else, as well!)

The fairy nests are sorted by color, and look like tiny birds nests filled with all sorts of fairy treasures.  The nests contain pretty buttons, bits of colorful ribbon and feather, vials of color coordinated fairy dust, and bits of quartz crystals.  I can definitely imagine this set out on an alter or windowsill to help attract the fae, or as one of the little fine touches to decorate a room you want to give a more fanciful treatment to.  She also offers the ability to custom order your own nest, if the color combo you want isn't currently available.

The group is new yet, and a lot of members haven't had a chance to get many of their items up on the "enchantedetsy" tag search - so keep going back and checking regularly to see what's new as more members find time to tag their items into the search!

Ides of February

Well, little past it, actually. . . but anyway.

Hope everyone survived their Valentine's Day, or Lupercalia celebrations.

I admit, I've been in a bit of a funk this week, and had lots of frustrations in almost every aspect of my life.

So, this week, we're keeping it simple.

Giving a shout out to all my fellow fantasy artists over at FAE and hoping you'll all take a moment and go check out this month's exhibit:  Toadstools and Trinkets.  We've got a whole lot of new members this year, which means we've got new styles and ideas and . . . thingies. .. that we've never had before!  Help welcome in our new members by sharing a heart or a fav on their shops!

Red and White

That time of year and I always just love the way strong reds look against clean whites.  Maybe it's that strange Snow-White fixation that's so common with love of contrasts; the look of blood upon the snow.  Ah, and snow - we finally got a little of it this weekend here in NYC.  Not a lot, and it didn't last long, but my garden was tiny drifts of white for a couple of days.  I'm now left torn between wanting at least one more snow, a good one, with real deep pillowy dunes; and spring with budding little flowers breaking through thin frost and fleet feathery flurries.

Well, since my rubies finally came in for Valentines Day projects, I've made a couple of red and white themed vials.  Every year I make a couple of Lil Love mini vials pendants with rubies and pearls.  I love the symbolic mix of the passion and joy of the rough rubies with the purity and loyalty of the smooth pearls.  Topped off with some flecks of red rose petals and sterling silver wire.  It's one of my favorites to make.

And of course, a variant for the full-sized bulb-bottom vials is always a fan-favorite.  For this one, I have had a surplus of creamy opals, which with their little flecks of fire and versatility combined beautifully with the deep red rubies and a whole red rosebud and the classic silver swirl of wire.

Blood and snow, flowers and frost, it's still a little early yet, but I guess that's where my thoughts are turning.

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Along those lines, I found a new etsy shop that I'm loving - oddly off pinterest this time, and not through my regular grueling searching through page after page on etsy.

Gardens of Whimsy is right in there with my thoughts turning towards early flowers; and it doesn't hurt she's also a redheaded crafty Brooklyn-girl, too ;-)

The majority of her shop focuses around floral hair accessories, whether crowns, clips or pins.  While there is a definite nod to bridal customers, there are many pieces that would look more in place with cosplay or a ren faire than a wedding aisle.  The elfling in me also appreciates an entire section dedicated to more fae creations.  (I am also totally envious of her ability to style her hair so great - and take such awesome pics herself! I have a LOT of hair and I'm doing good when I can get it into a fishtail braid!)

She has a huge history of sales (this is definitely a "new to me" entry) so if nothing catches your eye immediately, you might want to give it a peek.  She does do custom orders, though I'd read her policies page first.

Me.  I think I need to go back on pinterest and see if I can find more step-by-step instructions on how to put my hair up in swanky ways while I try and make up my mind.

USPS Strikes Again!

So, for those who hadn't heard, the USPS is having yet ANOTHER fare hike.  This time focused primarily on international shipping charges.  It will not be a small one, sadly.  This blog HERE has a great calculator set up so you can see the differences in the price now and as it will be next week.  As an example, a 1-2 oz bubble mailer being shipped from Izile's Oddities here in the US, to someone right over the border in Canada used to cost about $3.00.  The new price will be $6.16.  Yeowch!!  UK and Australia (my other two biggest international shipping destinations) aren't looking any better, either.

So, starting tomorrow (Friday, 1/25/13), I'm going to start the process of adjusting all my international shipping charges to reflect the new USPS "please bend over" system.

Fun.

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Completely unrelated, but fantasy artists are really starting to grow back, and I love finding new fantasy artists.

The Faerie Market is one of those new-to-me sellers, and I thought I'd share some of her awesomeness today.

She describes her shop as "nature inspired" and predominantly works in the fiber arts.  Embroidered flower and leaf hair pins and headbands make up a bulk of the shop in the under $50 range.  There's a wide variety of colors, styles, types of leaves (you could actually identify some plants by the detail she puts into her fabric leaves).

And if you have a little more room in your budget, she has some gorgeous and very fae scarves made to look like you're wrapped in the woodlands, themselves.  They vary not only in colors but also in foliage styles, to give a look that could work with any season.  To give you an idea, I've picked two different leaf scarves that I think show a fall vs spring feel.

There are also more "sparsely" leaved scarves for those who might prefer a simpler line with only one ornamented floral point.  Regardless of your color preferences or wallet capabilities, it's a great shop to go check out and see something new in the fantasy arena!

Happy Holidays!! - Izile's Gone South

Well, I'm actually not heading South until the wee early hours of Wednesday, but I'm shutting Izile's Oddities down for holiday hiatus today (Tuesday) at about noon (EST) so I'll have time to get any last minute packages to the Post Office and still pack and get everything cleaned and in order for pre-flight checklist tonight.

So, thank you to everyone who shopped with Izile's Oddities this holiday season - being all jobless, it REALLY HELPED!

And thank you to everyone who chose to shop Etsy.com and any other small or local business or online retailer instead of some big-box mega-corp chain, even for some of your gifts.  Your purchases MATTER SO MUCH to all of us in the small business and crafting communities.  I know they all want to offer their thanks as well.

So, Happy Holidays, one and all, and I hope you all have a very Merry New Year!!  See you in 2013!

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And, my last plug for the year is a good one!  A bit of a review, too.  I'm not a huge tea drinker, it's more an occasional drink for me (excluding sweet iced tea, which is ubiquitous in my home) than anything, and I can be very picky about anything I eat/drink.

Dryad Tea (also DryadTea at FB) makes hand-blended, loose leaf teas with a strong fantasy influence from the band Pandora Celtica, a five-person "... dark faerie Celtic acappella band from the land of dreams and myth." of which the owner is also a member.  I love the depth and personality of the descriptions of the teas, and the tastes do not leave you disappointed!  I was very much won over by her blends with my first cup!

For my part, I have tried 2 different blends of tea of which I got the smaller sample baggies (about .3 oz) so I could try some while waiting for my fella to open his gift of 3 other blends.

I tried Persephone: "Pomegranate mixed with black tea and laced with vanilla to create a loose leaf tea worthy of Persephone herself."  The ingredients list also includes rose hips and sunflower petals.  I normally don't like a lot of vanilla flavored teas, because they leave a kind of strange aftertaste in my mouth I don't care for.  However, this tea was lovely!  The vanilla was very mild and did not overpower the other notes or the tea itself, but gave it just a hint of a creamy smell that made it pair very well with just a touch of milk (and I normally do not put milk in my teas).  It had a nice fruity sharp but sweet note to it that balanced well before and after the addition of some local apple blossom honey I horde for my rare cup of hot tea.  Overall, very lovely!

I also tried Rubiee: "Mistress of the Keys, Keeper of Pandora's Box and Glitter Bomber Extraordinaire. This tea is a spectacular blend of Elderberry, Plum and Pink Peppercorns with a tiny splash of anise, cinnamon and clove."  It is a really beautiful looking tea, as you can see above.  Plus, I love plum-everything and I think I might be a little obsessed with pink peppercorns as of late.  Again, I had a moment of worry the first moment I saw "anise" in the ingredients list - I loathe everything licorice-like.  I honestly never even noticed the anise, and I'm also not sure I ever really tasted the pink peppercorns much either - there definitely wasn't any kind of "pepper-like heat" but as pink peppercorns aren't really peppercorns at all, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.  The flavor was a lot sharper and more tart than the Persephone and I found it called for a bit of honey and no milk.  The plum reminded me much more of a sour Asian type of plum than the uber-sweet and juicy black plums I'm used to back home.  However, with a little honey to balance out the fruity acidity, I might prefer it even over Persephone!

There are many other flavors available, including rooibos, herbal and green tea blends as well as black.  I'd definitely suggest taking the time and reading through her descriptions, they're very evocative of a wonderful fantasy world and the realms of Faerie.

Mistletoe & Magic

Yule is looming on the horizon, and Christmas right on its heels.  You've still got a little time left for some last minute magical gifts for friends and family, so why not check out FAEs Solstice inspired Exhibition:

$25 Gift Certificate Give Away!

Yup! We have a contest going on at Izile's Oddities.  One lucky winner will win a $25 gift certificate to spend as they see fit at my etsy shop!

The contest is being run over on Aquariann's Blog, where she is doing a series of contests and give aways!

So go on over, enter to win!  You get extra entries for watching my blog, or following my facebook fan page, or a number of other ways, as well!

Also, I thought this might be a good time to go ahead and put up the holiday deadlines.  I just updated my etsy shop to reflect these dates, but I'll put it here, too.

The last day for shipping for Izile's Oddities this holiday season is December 18th.  No packages will be mailed after December 18th until after January 2nd. (Because I will be out of state with family).  That means all items must be bought and paid for by December 17th.  The deadline for CUSTOM ORDERS is Friday, December 14th.  That means all CUSTOM ORDERS have to be discussed, agreed on and paid in full, by December 14th to guarantee completion and shipping prior to December 18th.  

Especially if you were thinking of ordering a one of a kind custom piece for someone this holiday season, I would ask you contact me sooner than later about what you're looking for.  Even if you need a couple of weeks before you can pay for the piece, contacting me and us working out a formula or design well ahead of time gives me more time to get any extra components in will better ensure my ability to make you exactly what you want before the cut off date.  (If you contact me Friday the 14th night and you want rubies, and I'm sold out of rubies, then you aren't getting rubies.  If you contact me in the next couple of weeks about something, and I don't have it, I have plenty of time to go get it or order it if it's a hard to find component.)

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Well, you already need to go read Aquariann's blog in order to go see the giveaway she's hosting for me, so, you might as well take a little extra time and get to know who she is and what she does.  She is one of the leaders of Fantasy Artists of Etsy (FAE) - and, as ever, all FAE member goods can be found on etsy by searching "faeteam."  

Aquariann is the etsy shop of her fantasy art.  She primarily works with classic illustration with pencils and inks.  Transferring her designs to a variety of products such as bookmarks, buttons, magnets, pendants and even standard prints.  Bright colors and whimsical fantasy themes make for fun and distinctive pieces.  The piece pictured here, and one of my favorites, I think is a great example and shows a stylistic kinship to other fantasy artists like Amy Brown and Molly Harrison.

While fairies are a staple with Kristin, expect to see plenty of witches, mermaids, dragons, unicorns and other fantastic creatures brought to life with vibrant colors and beautiful detailing.

Hurricane Sandy

Yeah. . . . you know what my week's been like.  Really, though, we here in north-central Brooklyn were really lucky!  The garden's a bit of a wreck, but we never lost power, and we're all safe and good.  However, my day job is down near Wall St., so there's been no work all week, either; and as a long-term temp, that means no pay, either.  :-/

Well, on the other hand, I've had some time to catch up on cleaning and tv, and I've made some new Magic Vial Pendants for my etsy shop.  This one, here at left, I wanted to call it "Fire Under Your Butt" vial, but I thought that was just a bit silly and long.  It's a Fire elemental charm focused on energy and motivation to . . . light a fire under your butt . . . It's made with Red Tiger's Eye, Garnet and a Herkimer Diamond with Rosemary leaves and brass wire wrap.

There are 3 more on my etsy shop.

Also! I've got an Izile's Oddities FB Fan Page now!  So, you can keep up with all the tiny, no worth a whole blog post, little news from Izile on Facebook, now!  There's a link on the side of my blog, or you can just go to my etsy shop and hit "LIKE."

Otherwise, been trying to sell some old vintage stuff my Mom brought me on ebay to help make up for not working (so far) this week.  I actually hope I can get back to work soon!  My rent is actually going up this coming month, and I've not only got to pay the new higher rent, but the difference to up my deposit. 0_o.  Lovely timing.

Oh, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

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OK, I promised you last time a blog plug all for this one amazing new etsy seller.  Sorry, she has to split one with my griping about the hurricane; but, check this out!

Lisa Sell was selling her masks in the Artist's Alley section of a convention room at DragonCon in Atlanta this year.  Her stuff caught my eye, even surrounded by so many other talented artists all scrabbling to put their most eye-catching pieces right out there.  She sat quietly with her Dad against the wall, her items spread out on a simple table, while she worked to repaint a custom piece for someone who came by and wanted something special for the Steampunk Masquerade Ball that same night!  Wow, right?

I bought two.  I bought the one at right for me (I've shown both her picture from her shop and the picture of me in the mask at the Masqurade Ball that night at DragonCon); and I bought the one I'm posting even further down below those pictures, for my boyfriend. (No picture of him in it, because he hasn't had a chance to wear it yet.  Obviously all our Halloween plans got swept out to see like everyone else in Sandy's path.)

We both had a very hard time picking.  I wasn't sure if I wanted the one with the blue, the purple or the pink flower (eventually went with blue, because I have a thing for blue roses and I thought it'd go with my eyes the best); and he wasn't sure if he wanted black or red, a fully sculpted on or one of her awesome masks that can actually be tied directly to your glasses' frame!

I know a lot of people who cannot tolerate contacts well and are always bummed to not be able to wear masks over their glasses, so this is just brilliant!  She doesn't have any of those on her etsy shop, yet, but hopefully she'll have some soon, and you can always ask!  I remember she made the style I'm wearing in a flat style that could be tied onto glasses, and she also made, if I remember correctly, a style that looked like a dragon making an infinity symbol.

All of her pieces are cast in resin from hand carved molds and then hand painted and detailed.  I absolutely adore how delicate and detailed mine is, and yet how comfortable, durable and sturdy it is!  I was never afraid it was going to break, even though it's very lightweight and looks like it might be fragile.  LOVE LOVE LOVE my mask!  I can definitely highly recommend Lisa!

Busy, Busy!

October's always a busy month, it seems.  New York Comic Con is this weekend, and have family coming into town, and of course, Halloween.  A bit of my stock is still spending the pre-holiday season at Gothic Renaissance just south of Union Square here in NYC.  If you live or are visiting in the area, now is a great (but busy) time to hit G.R., not only can you see some of my hand-painted Venetian masks, my OOAK velvet choker done all in real sterling silver, onyx and garnets, but a few of my Magic Vial Pendants as well (outfitted with adjustable sterling silver chains, just for the brick-and-mortar location!); but they have an amazing array of corsets, other masks in classic Venetian style, leather and laser carved, and tons of clothes and accessories for goths and steampunks and people just wanting that little extra special detail for a certain costume.

I have recently also added a few more traditional pieces to the etsy shop, including a couple of rings.  I can't exactly link to my favorite new ring, because it's not on my etsy, and I'm not entirely sure I'm going to put it on etsy.  I might just keep it!  Something about the pink beryl I used, with the beautiful scar right through the heart of it; it just speaks to me!

 However, a second favorite that is in the shop for sale is a piece that blends the more traditional look with the meaning and intent of my Magic Vial pendants.  The ring is for communication (called "Speak to Me"), and the gemstones used were selected to help amplify and smooth out communication issues for the wearer.  This piece is shown here at left, Malachite and Opal in Sterling Silver in a band size 8.  More information on the stones meanings and more photos are in the listing on etsy.  Lots of photos because opal can be a tricky stone to photograph.  (Just click on the photo and you should go to the listing)
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I haven't plugged a fellow FAE (Fantasy Artists of Etsy) member in a while, and October is always a great month for the fairies and spirits and whathaveyou.  It does, however, get tricky to remember exactly which shops have been plugged in the past and which haven't.  So, if I double up, sorry, I'm trying to do someone new and different every time, but I hadn't exactly thought about how long I'd be doing this when I started.

Loving Lee Crafted makes one of my favorite fantasy items, fairy doors and fairy houses.  Hers are made out of wood and each shaped and decorated very uniquely.  Since we're nearing Halloween, pictured at right is her Halloween Magic Door, decorated with a black cat, a ghost and a jack-o'-lantern.   They are sealed with 2 coats of polyurethane so they work outdoors in your garden as well as against the baseboard in your house.  (My little polymer clay gnome door is braced against the wall on a 2" ledge in the middle of my stairwell.  I love putting them in quirky, unexpected places where people will see them in passing and go "what the. . .??")

There's plenty of variety in the pages of her shop, including doors that lead into little stump and log houses; even a few with magnets to go on fridges or other magnetic surfaces.  Bring a little whimsy and magic into your home, invite the fae in with their own door!

Shiny!!

This quickie blog post is almost no blog and all plug today.

See, for years and years, back since livejournal days, I found through various friends this amazing lady on LJ who made ridiculously great costumes, lots of fairy and elvish stuff, too.  Every few years, I seem to stumble upon her website, drool over all the gorgeousness.  Not long ago, through another completely random friend, I found her new Facebook, and immediately started following.  Then, this morning, I saw an update (she's now working on fantasy jewelry, too) that included a link to an etsy shop!

She created her etsy shop a week ago.  YAY!!!!  It's mostly just the fantasy jewelry right now with a few pairs of her awesome costume wings - but also make sure to check out her .com after you've looked over her etsy shop.  She's still around after all this time for good reason!

Firefly Path, by JoEllen aka Lillyxandra, welcome to etsy and I hope you blow a whole new level of customers away with your awesome!

Oh, and the piece from this morning that caught my attention and lead back to the new etsy shop?  Her Autumnal Equinox necklace, GORGEOUS!

Home again, Home again

The trip to Atlanta for DragonCon was good! (Well, Dragoncon was good, the drive was a little wedge of hell).  And this weekend has been about rest and recuperation.  I did update my etsy shop last night with a few new little pieces.  There's a new Magic Vial Pendant, Hope, a pair of sterling silver rose bud stud earrings with garnets set in the center of their petals, and this new finished necklace:

This piece is a three stone drop pendant on an embellished 20 inch sterling silver chain (including hook and eye clasp).  The pendant part, including bail, is 1 1/8th inch long, and consists of a 4 mm round Peridot, a 5 mm round White Topaz, and a 6 mm round Blue Topaz.  It's a great piece for those who like plunging V necklines and showing off décolletage.  And since it has an extra long 20" chain, it also works well with those who have thicker necks, or are more muscular/athletic at and above the shoulders.

The gems are gorgeous, have a good degree of color saturation with lots of clarity and LOTS of sparkle!  And again, these are real gemstones, not labs, synths or crystals; and all hand prong-set in a real heavy sterling silver setting, no snap-tite forms.

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Saw some great vendors and artists at DragonCon.  The first couple of years I went, I never went into the Artists' Gallery - I expected it to be just professional comic book artists.  There is an area for that, but then one year, I went in and it was amazing.  It's now one of my favorite things to see at the Con, and I kinda feel bad for the people who keep skipping it, having no idea what's in there.  Of course, no photography is allowed inside, so it's hard to explain to them the awesome they're missing.

My sith companion for the weekend purchased a set of leather bracers from Serendipity Leathers, who, sadly, only have a facebook page, not an etsy shop.  So, while I'm linking to them, they don't really count towards my plugging etsy artists count.

Likewise, I am enamored of the sculptures of The Foundation of Arcane Enquiries; however, they don't have any kind of internet shop at all.  More's the pity, her faux taxidermy is amazing!

There was an amazing young lady who had a booth of masks, and she is in the process of building an etsy shop.  Her items were amazing, and I bought one myself, so I'm saving her until she gets all her things together and writing a raving/glowing review of her stuff once her etsy shop is ready.

BUT, one of my favorite artists in the genre of paintings and prints from D*Con DOES have an etsy shop! *SQUEE*  Her stuff is somewhere between Waterhouse and Froud, I think.  It's lovely and it seems to absolutely glow in person.

Annie Stegg Illustrations her 8 x 10 prints are only $15 and she offers smaller sizes as well.  And while it was her tiny unicorn foal that got my attention and dragged me across the crowded aisle into the nook her paintings were hanging in (shown here), her fairies, nymphs, and mermaids dropped my jaw.  Each one is amazingly detailed, intricately wrought and flooringly beautiful.

Picking one to feature is very difficult, but I decided to go with "Pearl Ryukin."  We can only hope that the galleries and art auctions were kind to her, and that maybe in the future, we can hope to see bigger sized prints, or maybe even some originals in her etsy gallery.  

August Update!

1st of August seems as good as time as any to give an update.  All the sales from my previous blog post are still going on, they will end August 26th.  After that (not sure at what point) some of the items may go to take a spin at a brick and mortar shop in Manhattan that has carried some of my stuff in the past.  They get a real rush before Halloween, so some pieces that survive the sale may go there.  Also, the Custom Vial Pendant Sale currently has 3 slots left.  Then it's over, whenever they're filled.

I also have a giant crate full of tiles I'm still trying to figure out what to do with.  I have a lot of ideas, but the tiles are very varied, and most of them are glazed, though the terracotta and darker ones aren't.  We shall see. . we shall see. . .

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There's a huge amount of variety and supply when it comes to tile crafts already on etsy.  A lot of people are recycling old tiles, some are making their own from scratch (but, damn, the ones that look like the back of a surinam toad just creep/gross me out so bad.  I swear, I can't look at those things or anything that even resembles them without getting full body shuddering heeby-geeby creepy willies!!)

But for people who are making them from scratch, I like the decorative pieces of Earth Song Tiles.

 The Celtic knotwork and themes definitely give her an extra + in my book, to boot.  And while it was her cat tile that caught my attention, I think my favorite is this mermaid and seal combo (or is it a selkie? ah-ha!).  Her collection is small, but well varied with knot work pieces for borders, feature tiles and crowns with animals, fairies, and other Celtic symbols, like the Claddagh and the Thistle.

Feeling Better

Doing much better, though I've been house/pet sitting all this week (and will continue to through the rest of the week), so I don't really have much as far as an update goes for Izile's Oddities.

Still, want to try and not let the blog lay fallow too long; so, if nothing else, more random etsy plugs!

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I recently stumbled across this artist on etsy, and have wanted to do a detailed plug for her shop for a little while.  I can't remember the last time I saw anything like her stock!  It reminds me of how back in the 90's I loved to collect those small, intricately detailed, pewter fantasy sculptures. (Anyone remember what I'm talking about? Like Spoontiques?)  I had tons of dragons, and a few unicorns, too.  There was always some really poorly done, cheap pieces, and then really nicely done, more expensive pieces.  I loved them!

Well, at Mystic Swan, it's like she was able to take those fantasy sculptures, cast them in sterling silver and gold, and then form them into jewelry!  Each piece is cast from original wax carvings, so her works are very different from anything else out there!

Now, I will admit, the pieces at this shop are more expensive than my normal features (I tend to try and keep things either under $50 or sometimes just under $100 for the budget-minded (like myself) ), however, her work is just too special to not feature; and there are a few pieces under $100 (one shown above left).  But, consider!  You are buying wearable sculpture cast in precious metals!  These are not insubstantial pieces, and Sharon (the artist) has done every process of each piece herself!

It's really hard to pick a favorite in this shop, so I'm picking three.  The above piece is just under $100 and features two of her fairies.  The piece shown here at right, is a close up of a pendant of one of her unicorns - you know I love unicorns - for just under $200.  Just look at the detail and polish in this piece!  It's gorgeous! The way the wood of the tree is gnarled and detailed against the high shine of the unicorns coat!  Beautiful!

She has a few selections of unicorns and pegasi to go along with a bevy of fairies, dragons and mermaids.  And while I seem to inadvertently be favoring necklaces, she also does bracelets, earrings, and rings (oh, there's a gorgeous swan ring!!) as well.  And as I said, she does some work in 14K gold as well.  I'm not so big on yellow gold, plus I'd never be able to afford those pieces, so I'm sticking with sterling!  And, one of my absolutely favorite pieces of her, definitely at the high end, but just go to her shop and look at all the pictures and see the amazing detail (right down to the clasp) and you can get an idea of the amazing quality going on here.  

So, go look at the shop - if you love fantasy I promise you you'll fall in love with at least one item, if not the whole shop!  

Valentine Specials

So, it's been kind of groggy and I made some special goodies for Valentine's day for Izile's Oddities. In my last post, I talked about the new Magic Vial pendants I had made around various interpretations of the love theme. But after that, I made a new From Faerie offering as well. I have a single full sized 16 oz glass milk jar, and a single dose sample size (in a cute little red chiffon baggie with red ribbon): Leanan Sidhe bath fizzies!

I had talked before on this blog, though so far back I don't quite remember, about the bad rap the Leanan Sidhe get in modern interpretations, as just another form of succubus or vampire; but that's not really accurate, I feel. The Leanan Sidhe do feed on the life and love of their chosen partner, but in exchange for miraculous inspiration and divine insight. Not only that, but the Leanan Sidhe can also be made the submissive partner, if a man is strong enough to resist her charms, she will be beholden to him, much like selkies once a man captures their pelt. So, to emphasize the softer, more romantic side of the Leanan Sidhe, I made a series of heart shaped bath fizzies. Just

pop 2-3 speckled pink hearts into your bath water, and watch them fizz away with rose oil and rose petals! I even topped it off with a bright pink ribbon, over the usual From Faerie labeling.

And on the other side, you can see the sample size dose, for those who have to watch their pocket books just a wee bit more carefully.

Like most "From Faerie" editions, these are rather one of a kind creations. If response is good, I will find a way to make more.

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As I've mentioned before, not a lot comes up on etsy when you search for "leanan sidhe" or "sidhe" at all, (or even "unseelie" in the past). What does get a fair number of hits though, that's somewhat related is "rose fairy." Now that gives me something to look through!

And out of the blue pops Fizzy Claret! The floral fairy houses are some of the cutest, most eye-catching, original and fun pieces I've seen pop up on my etsy list in a while! They are each handmade out of polymer clay and finished in acrylic paint, and almost all seem to be less than 2" tall! They are excellently executed and so crisply done! It was very hard to pick a favorite to display, so I went with a themed set. ADORABLE!!

First Post of the New Year!

*whew* I've been gone just about a month this time! Sorry about that. It's been quite a hectic holiday season, and my trip home to see family was entirely too brief. And I'm slowly trying to get everything for this year back into gear. I did upload at least one of my new items for Izile's Oddities on etsy lastnight. Finally took a picture and uploaded the From Faerie: Stardust bath salts to the lists (seen here at right). It's very similar to my Seelie blend, but incorporates Starwort flowers for love and patience, which helps add to the hints of purple (along with the lavender buds) amongst the Himalayan pink salt base.

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I have also found another etsy shop - just last night while updating - that has really caught my attention.

Nix Creations has some of the loveliest polymer clay and wire wrapping pendants I've seen in quite a bit. I also like how the polymer clay can be used as a scent carrier. (I had noticed this when making my polymer clay lollipop hair sticks, you could rub fragrance oil into the lollipop head to make it smell like candy. It doesn't last forever, but it would last for a few days.) They tiny details on the flowers and the intricate way of wrapping the sterling silver combined are just gorgeous! It's hard for me to pick a favorite, and I think my favorite examples are actually on his DeviantArt gallery. They are all "custom made to order" so you can pick and choose flower style, color and such; but this is my favorite example currently displayed on his etsy (seen left).

He does carry other kinds of jewelry, including fused glass, and glass eyes - though I admit, I have never understood the appeal of glass eyes, or why there was a trend there for a while when taxidermy glass eyes were considered steampunk - makes no sense to me. But he has lots of them, if that's more your style.

He also has tutorials, which is generally a good thing, but I will admit I do have one criticism here. He has a $19.99 tutorial on how to "fracture marbles" and then make the interchangeable wire wrapping for them. My only thing here is . . . fried marbles are not a new and original concept, nor are they particularly difficult to create - we're talking going back to my grandma's days here - and there's nothing about it that's particularly secret. You can google "fried marbles" and get countless dozens of free how to's, including step by step youtube videos. Charging money for information so old that not only should it be free, but is free most places, is a little off for me. But that's 1 item out of PAGES of items, and hell, those flower necklaces make up for it. Now that's a tutorial fit to sell! How to make those tiny, immaculate, polymer clay flowers!

FAE Exhibit

So, the FAE team of etsy (Fantasy Artists of Etsy) - links below on right - has set up yet another great seasonal exhibit! This one themed with Fairies and Elves and Pixies, oh my!

You can see a great selection of pieces from my fellow FAE-ers, as well as a couple of pieces from my own "From Faerie" bath line.

Just click the banner to follow the magic!

From Faerie - Leanan Sidhe

The Leanan Sidhe are an interesting branch of study when looking over the various types of Fae. Most commonly these days, tales bend their mythology exceedingly dark, making them vampirish succubi. Mostly these confusions and different interpretations end up varying by location. Central and mainland Europe was much more given to the vampiric succubus stories, while the Irish treated her more as a life-giving spirit and source of inspiration. It was in later times that she was given the distinction of trading her love and inspiration to men at the cost of the shortening of their lives. However you prefer to think of your Leanan Sidhe (and there's almost as many spelling variations for her as there are interpretations of her nature), one thing holds over. She is the Fairy Sweetheart and seeks out mortal men to love her in exchange for her own love and gifts of inspiration and creativity.

I am working on a From Faerie product in tribute to the more favorable side of this particular Sidhe. Currently, I have the petals from 5 red roses sealed up in an airtight container with pink Himalayan salt, to desiccate the petals and infuse the salts with their natural oils. I'm not sure where I will go from there, just yet, but it is in the making.

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Leanan Sidhe and Bean Sidhe are probably two of the most widely known Irish fairy women in everyday society. Though, I think her sister, the Banshee (modern Anglo of Bean Sidhe) probably wins as the best well known, if not most commonly misunderstood, because of that, as well. But, sorry dear sister, today we are dealing with the Fairy Sweetheart. And while the proper name doesn't give very many results on etsy, some creative searches based around the meaning of the name did offer some relevant finds.

PixieGirl Felt and Clothing has some adorable hand felted hats and headbands that could definitely make you feel like a lovely fairy woman yourself. One of my favorites from her shop (pictured here) is this vibrant red headband felted from silk fibre, mohair and tussah silk. The shop has many color options as well as clothing and accessories. I would note, however, to be mindful of the S&H as they are based out of Australia. Etsy is international and you should always note where your crafts are coming from so there's no surprises during check out regarding international shipping.