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!

Year of the Water Snake

Gung Hay Fat Choy!  Well, a little early, but time to get ready!!

The Chinese New Year for 2013 will land on Sunday, February 10th.  That's less than a week away!

This year will be the year of the Water Snake, using the Chinese system of 12 zodiac animals and the corresponding 5 elements of nature.  The calendar can get very complex, also taking into account yin and yang as male and female aspects of each year, and color associations through the 5 elements.  You could actually say this is a Yin (female) Black Water Snake year!  Wow! That's a mouthful!

Snakes are a symbol of wisdom and intelligence and bring hopes for a new year of solving problems, progress and long-term success.  We can hope to see financial gains and better business sense, if we embrace the intuition and intelligence of the snake in 2013.  There's opportunity to plant the seeds of future success in relationships, as well.  But be aware, the snake is normally associated with the element of fire, and the yang (male) energy, and this being a water and yin (female) year means there can be some ups and downs as these opposing elements converge.  Be soft and charming on the outside, but strong and tough on the inside.   With so much opposition in elements, people with the lucky element of Metal, and those born in the years of Tiger and Monkey need to be particularly aware of conflict.

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So, if we look for snakes on etsy, do we find anything cool?

Herpaintology is definitely the wins the most original "snake" themed items on etsy for me!  The shop is based around jewelry made out of naturally shed snake skins of both exotic and more familiar venomous and nonvenomous varieties of snakes.  The skins are sometimes treated with various resins and paints to give them a truly unique touch as jewelry.  These treatments also give the sheds the "dragon hide" quality for which they are named.  Pieces start at $20 for domestic corn snake and skin snake sheds, and move up to $275 for a necklace made with rare Ethiopian Mountain Viper.  


It can be hard to pick just one to feature, as the natural variety before ornamentation is already great!  Here at left is a favorite from the Clearance section in a domed style pendant made from Pakistan Black Cobra.  At right, is the flat disk style of pendant showing a purple painted Green Mamba shed.

On top of all that, on her profile page, she notes that 10% of all snake shed pendant sales are donated to the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forrest, IL.  Bonus!

Ides and Ideas

We have rounded the bend in January and are now less than a month from the Ides of February, the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, and the day after, the modern interpretation, Valentine's Day.

For those of us/you who might be looking to do your romantic shopping online, that means you gotta start putting things together now!  Nothing quite says "oopsie" like a card from the corner dollar store with a note written in it about how "your gift is 'lost in the mail'" when it really means "I forgot to order it until February 10th."  And don't think that $5 heart-shaped box of stale chocolates from who-knows-when-or-where is going to make it much better.

We'll get to some of my other favorite picks in the plugging section, but I've also made a couple of things just for the holiday.

If you're a fan of my Magic Vial Pendants, you might like my new, one of a kind (cannot repeat it!) Heart of Hearts Magic Vial shown here.  It's a heart-shaped vial filled with cut and faceted gemstone hearts!  There's 3 Garnet hearts for passion and love in your relationship, 1 Amethyst heart for understanding, 1 dark Blue Topaz and 3 light Blue Topaz hearts for truth and joy together, and 1 Peridot heart for growth, may your love ever renew itself. It is rounded out with 4 freshwater white pearls for faith and loyalty.

It's finished off with a bail and swirl of 14K gold-filled wire.

Talk about the ultimate gemstone love-charm!

If you're more looking for the traditional style of jewelry, however, I also made this Heart of Gold necklace, at right.

This heart of gold is a 6 mm, half carat, heart-shaped Citrine bezel set in Sterling Silver.  Citrine is associated with the element of Fire and planetary connection to the Sun. It can be used as a substitute for golden Topaz for November birthstone, but is also associated with Gemini and Virgo. Citrine, like quartz crystal, is a purifying stone that dissolves negative energies, and can be used to help "clean" other stones as well as personal energies. It radiates warmth, love, success, prosperity, courage and self-esteem.

This warm talisman of love dangles from a swirl of a vine-like heart, attached to a delicate chain with an S-hook and loop clasp, all in Sterling Silver.

For those with a tighter budget, I also have a simple Magic Vial Love Charm Pendant for only $10, a mix of Rose Quartz, Rhodochrosite and a red Rosebud.  It's simple, it's affordable, and it's great for all shades of love, not just romantic, but healing love, self-love, universal love, maternal love. . .

I am also still waiting on my Thai rubies to be delivered - and if you want to use some in your own custom blended Love Charm, I am taking Valentine's Day custom requests with an added discount on the rubies (once they get here. *taps foot impatiently*)


Last, but not least, I am running a Valentine's Day give away on my Facebook fan page.  It's only for people who follow me on Facebook, but it's a chance to win a real sterling silver and garnet valentine's day charm.  Winner will be announced on February 1st!  So pop on over, look it up and enter to win!

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Now, obviously, jewelry isn't the only way to go for the holiday.  A lot of people get intimidated by jewelry, or think it's too serious (though I think it all depends on the style of jewelry.  A diamond and ruby ring is intimidating and serious.  A playful vial full of gemstones wouldn't intimidate anyone - wink wink :-) )

So what are the other "classic" gifts that might need a tweak or a twist?  Flowers are one, for sure.

Flowers can be great, but the fact is, getting really good ones, that aren't just 1-800-generic, smell like freezer storage and wilt when you turn your back on them for 5 minutes, can be difficult, take an interest in plants and flowers a lot of people don't have, and aren't inexpensive.

Your best bet is to go with something that isn't actually a real flower, but is a bit nicer than a stem of "silk" fakes from the craft store.  I, personally, really dig the Japanese kanzashi art flowers for the hair.  Their elegance and simplicity makes them easy to wear even in a casual or daily style.  They're frequently made out of gorgeous fabrics, and the clean lines tend to give it a more adult class than looking too juvenile and frilly.

I know I've plugged other kanzashi makers on etsy before, but I try very hard to not duplicate my plugs when I can.  The Divine Garden is one of the newest kanzashi makers on etsy.  Her shop isn't even 6 months old yet, only a few sales, but her items are very reasonably priced and look a lot better than a lot of hits that show up under the "kanzashi" search!  If you want to stick to the classic v-day color scheme, this one would be one of my favorite picks, right at $20 after S&H charges:
Also, smaller, simpler clips in a variant style are available for less than $10!

Another thing that gets done to death is the candy.  Now, I'm not going to tell you NOT to get candy or chocolate - but maybe put a bit more thought into it?  A couple of years ago, I spent a lot of effort to cook a big fancy meal, make homemade marshmallows as a gift, and get a cute etsy robot for my then boyfriend for v-day.  In return I got two giant, kinda stale, neon pink marshmallows covered in edible glitter, in hot-cinnamon flavor.  The extra sad thing about this, was that if he ever paid attention to me, he'd remember my constant complaint of how I have no tolerance for anything remotely hot or spicy, and how artificial additives can sometimes upset my stomach.  Don't be that guy.  If you're going to give candy, put a modicum of thought into it.  Try and remember if she said something important, like, "oh, I'm allergic to chocolate," or, "Red 40 makes me twitchy."

Sweetniks Creative Confections caught my attention with violet flower marshmallows and showed me a shop full of a mix of traditional and whimsical takes on a theme.  Now, I'm personally not a fan of rose-flavored things, of which she has many.  If you like rose flavoring, definitely hit this shop up.  Me, I'm going to push past.  The flavor combinations available here are very different, in a good way (I think).  If you want to keep it traditional, the tin of hard heart candies shown at left allow you to pick flavors and colors for a custom touch.

If you want something a bit more adventuresome, check out the lollypops, which have been featured in New York Magazine and on Food Network.  If your honey has had the flu or cold that's been tearing up everyone coast to coast, there's a rooibos, honey, lemon and ginger lolly.  Try passion fruit, violet (as well as rose), lavender, mojito, lychee, liqueurs . . . and wait til you see the shapes.  I'm not even going to go into them all on here.  Just, go look at the shop.  Try and make up your mind, and know that whatever you choose, I think you'll be glad you tried something just to the left of traditional.

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:

Quickie

  

I intentionally didn't update the blog while the contest was going on, then things got a little busy.  But, I'm home and in with a bit of a virus today, so it's a good a time as any for a little catch up.

The FaceBook fan page is doing well! It's easier to post little blips over there, so I encourage anyone who reads the blog to also follow me there (I also post little secrets and sales over there that I don't put anywhere else).

9 more days to commission custom pieces from Izile's Oddities on etsy, and 12 more days before final sales have to be in in time for Christmas shipping.  Hopefully will be making some more pieces for the store today, since I'm a bit under, to help restock - had quite a few sales this past week or so, not to mention the contest winner!

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But blah blah, what I have really wanted to post about was this item from etsy.

Crank Bunny  makes some beautiful and original cards.  I have literally seen nothing else like the paper works done in this shop.  My favorite is the Secret Decoder Custom Message Card, pictured here:

There's so many other clever designs, including calendars, pop-up cards . . they really are all just beautiful and worth taking some time to check out all the varieties.  These would be the kind of cards a loved-one would keep; a lot longer than the obligatory month or so before "vanishing" quietly.

$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.

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!

Happy Independence Day!

OK, lil less than 12 hours early; but I really hope to not be spending much time on the computer tomorrow - woot! day off - so I thought I'd go ahead and post it now.

I do have yet another goodie for the etsy shop to show off here, today.  Nearly 3 carats (10 mm x 10 mm x 6 mm deep) of trillion cut Aquamarine set in sterling silver!  There's another shot in the listing on my etsy shot ( Izile's Oddities )   that shows the dichroism of the gem, where it looks more pale green-greyish.  There's also another that is shot through a loupe, and when you click on it twice to get the full size, you get a real good look at it!

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So, for the plug today, my favorite part of July 4th has always been the fireworks.  I don't get to see them much since I moved since pedestrian fireworks are illegal in NYC and since Macy's moved the fireworks over the Hudson from the East River, people in Queens and Brooklyn can't see them! (Boooo!!!!)

Well, on etsy, if you enter the search key "fireworks" you get over 5,000 entries, so it gave me plenty to choose from!  Well, and surprised a favorite of mine I've been meaning to plug but apparently haven't has a new piece based around fireworks!  Marty Magic Jewelry caught my attention years before etsy existed.  Unless I am horribly mistaken, I first saw one of his signature sterling silver ear clips (no piercings required for many!! big reason I took notice!) in Dancing Dragon Catalog when I was a teenager!   I was so surprised (and thrilled) when I stumbled upon it a few months back and recognized the silver dragon wrapped around the outside edge of the ear.  He has more than a few variations on that theme now, not to mention pages of other critters and designs - and not just for your ears, either!  Now offering over 300 items in sterling silver, 14K gold and bronze - there's so much to look through, I definitely recommend browsing.

Happy Mardi Gras!

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

And let's just jump to the "festivities," shall we?

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Designs by Friston is generally steampunk themed, but has a couple of Mardi Gras offerings. Shown here, a Venetian style mask is made into a wire wrapped cameo. Gives you a taste of the party without succumbing to the baser side of the festivities. Mardi Gras/Carnivale, does not *have* to be nothing but pure raunch. This piece is a delicate and refined way that you can even keep the spirit of the celebration with you year round.

Otherwise, this lovely shop has just over 8 full pages of steampunk accessories and jewelry. Take the time for a browse; you won't be disappointed.

Sale Continues!

Just bumping my sale. Remember, purchases made between now and Valentine's Day with Coupon Code "Love2" not only receive 20% off your entire order, but you get entered into a drawing for a free gift!!

I've also added a few more Magic Vial Pendants to the shop over the weekend, including another Snow White pendant (as they seem to be fairly popular.) Here is a photo of the latest one, but as always remains a blend of Snow Quartz, Black Onyx, one red Ruby and a red Rosebud in Sterling Silver wire.

And also remember, with the discount, From Faerie bath salts are now only $8.00 a bottle! And smaller items like mini prints, storm water and lolly pop hair sticks are now only $4.00!

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Lots of other etsy sellers are also trying to help out with Valentine's sales on their shops. It's a good time to put a little more thought and effort into your V-day gift giving by shopping etsy and finding something unique and personable, instead of the same old heart-shaped box of generic candies that's been around for the past 50+ years.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not begrudging the sugar or the chocolate! But you can show a little more care and thought by buying away from the big box stores and giant corporations.

Vengeance is Sweet is running a whammy of a sale for Valentine's day confections! Order early and get 10% off with Coupon Code "BEMINE". And oh Mamma! Some of her treats! I have never cared for regular, stale, flavorless, store-bought marshmallows; but the homemade ones are divine! I am also a sucker for anyone who spikes their confections!

The "Love Potion" Marshmallows are a blend of strawberry puree and X-Rated Liqueur. (For those of you who don't know, X-Rated is a bit of a dangerous liqueur for me. It's neon pink, which is generally a bad sign when it comes to alcoholic beverages, but it is vodka blended with mango, blood orange and passion fruit, and throwing a shot of it into almost anything is girly-drink heaven!) She also has Mimosa, Chocolate Martini, Kahlua and Cream, and shown here, Chocolate covered Strawberry and Champagne!!

I'm just going to go over here and have a little cry for a moment and hope I get a lunch break soon. You go and look at the rest of her stuff. Try and keep the drool off the keyboard, if you can.

Long Time Coming

Yay! I updated my etsy shop last night. Know it's been long delayed. And, with lots of Magic Vials themed around love charms, just in time for the next holiday!

I currently have both a soft pink Magic Vial - Love and Light which with rhodochrosite and rose quartz is based more on the idea of self love, healing and comfort for $12; as well as the more traditional Magic Vial - Love Charm (left), with rubies and rainbow moonstone for love, romance, and passion for $20; for the creatives, Magic Vial - Artist's Heart, with garnet and opal for creativity, passion, communication and friendship for $16; and lastly, another Magic Vial - Lil Love, with rubies and freshwater pearls in my smallest vial for all the best qualities of passion and purity in a tiny package for $12.00

Also, now is the time if you want any custom love charms made for your significant other to send me a note!

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I admit, my own V'day is not going to be very traditional. But I am lucky! My boss is letting me off two hours earlier so I can go to a Bourbon and Bacon tasting in Manhattan with my sister! Mmmm, Bourbon and Bacon!! Who needs flowers and candy?

So, this year, searching etsy, I decided what to see was out there for "Anti Valentines," because it can be a bugger of a holiday for a lot of people. (Another small self plug - charms like the "Love and Light" can be given to oneself, or could be given to a friend or family member who's been having a rough time of it. OK, last plug for me.)

Witch City Wicks grabbed my attention right off the bat with her Anti-Valentine's Day "Tainted Love" Candle. I love the skull and crossbones label against the pink candle. Not only that, but the scent sounds great! From the description: "will mend your broken heart with an incredible mixture of orange & grapefruit, cherry blossom, hydrangea, apple and peach." Yum! But, if you like the sound of the scent, but aren't so big on pink, or skulls, the exact same candle is made in a lavender color with a different label, sans skull. And, did I mention all her candles are all natural soy wax? Bonus!

Of course, her shop is full of lots of other scents of candles as well, if you're not in the "tainted love" kind of mood. Chocolate Wine might be a good scent to try for those more into the modern interpretation of a fertility festival. (Hey, there you go, anti-V-day people! How about we do like Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab does every year and bring back Lupercalia?)

Holidays

So the holidays are here and across the country you can hear wallets weeping. I just found Plaid Friday today and fully support the idea of voting for economic change with your holiday purchases.

The idea of voting with your shopping dollars is simple: every time you spend a dollar you are telling the company you gave that money to, "I support what you're doing. Keep doing it!" If you take a moment to think about where your dollars go, what companies you're voting for, as it were, you might not like the way it feels.

Especially with the help of the internet today, there's no reason why you have to do your holiday shopping at massive chain stores that only feed the corporate monster. We have etsy and craft markets and independent artisans and even small businesses all over the country. And when you give them your money, you're not only telling them, "I support what you're doing. Keep doing it!" You're sending a message to the big companies' bottom lines, saying just the opposite. And the more people vote with their money, the more of an effect it will have.

And I want to support this. I've already planned to do the bulk of my holiday shopping at craft fairs, with local artisans, and through sites like etsy where my money will go directly to the craftsman. (There will also be lots of homemade gifting)

But how to get Izile's Oddities as a participant. I will (hopefully) be vending at at least one local market during December (more details once confirmations are in), but I also want to do something on line.

I haven't exactly decided yet what the sale will be, BOGO half off, buy 2 get 1 free, free mini gift with purchase. . . I dunno what would work best at this point.

I do think I'm going to reopen Izile's Oddities to the barter system, however. If you see something in Izile's Oddities that you would like to get someone as a gift, but are a little strapped on cash (as aren't we all!) and you can barter something that I need/want to give someone as a gift, then we can trade!

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So, speaking of plaid, let's see what pops up when you enter that into etsy's search engine.

I can't even elucidate why, particularly, but The Swan Art just compels me. Brightly graphic prints with clean lines and clever silhouettes, that somehow come across as homey and even a bit autumnal. Maybe I'm just projecting my feelings onto my favorite pieces, but there's something comforting about the plaid printed deer head . . .

I will also note that there are other deer head poses, lots of color options, including plain color blocking with no pattern; and there are also prints of silhouettes of chairs and a few different styles of chandeliers. All very interesting!

Happy Mardi Gras!

So tomorrow is Fat Tuesday and then onto Ash Friday. It's Mardi Gras!

I don't exactly have anything that would be a good offering from my shop, but in tribute to the Green and Gold and Purple of Mardi Gras, I'm going to go with Magic Vial - Lil Deep Earth (pictured). The "gold" is brass wire, and the "purple" is a much more pinkish-red tea tree flower, but it's hard to be greener than pure Malachite!

Regardless of where you find yourself this season, even for those of us long away from N'awlins, float parades, big bands and flying beads and Moon Pies, Happy Mardi Gras!

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I can already hear some of you out there querying, "Moon Pie?"

Old crowd chant (my family lived briefly in Mobile, AL) for Mardi Gras parades. "Moon Pie! Moon Pie! Come to me! M-O-O-N, P-I-E!"

They're basically giant, soft, sandwich cookies filled with marshmallow cream and then dunked in chocolate; and they get thrown from the floats just like bead strands (no flashing necessary!)

Searching "Moon Pie" on etsy was interesting, I guess I'm happily surprised to even see one page of entries.

For satisfying that Moon Pie craving without all the sugar, For Goodness Grape makes an adorable looking/sounding Moon Pie Lip Candy with shea butter.

And if Chocolate and marshmallow isn't your thing, she has over 11 pages of various products ranging from other shea butter lip balms to soild perfume sticks and more variants than I can even start to list! Definitely worth taking the time to browse.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm skipping today right into the plugging.

I bought an item a couple of weeks ago from a seller on etsy and wanted to promote them immediately, but, the recipient of said gift does read my blog now and again, and I didn't want him to see it before I gave it to him. Granted, he doesn't have it yet, but I'm hedging my bets that he won't look at my blog at work between now and when he gets off.

So, I love this new fine, Sleepy Robot 13. When I stumbled across her shop, while browsing for plugs for my earlier V-day post, I knew I had to buy, it just became problematic which little robot to get. Her shop is also constantly being updated with new robots and even has a DIY kit if you want to build you own. Of course, this also means that your favorite choice could sell out quick! Not only is the one I bought gone, but all the other potential candidates except the one pictured here have flown off her shelves!

They are adorable in person, the shipping was fairly quick and the communication with the artist was friendly and timely. Everything was packaged very well and was just a great seller to deal with! Highly recommended!

February. . .

and more snow. *headdesk*

So, it's starting: February madness. We have Groundhog's Day tomorrow, in which regardless of whether or not he sees his shadow, I feel confident that we will have at least 6 more weeks of winter. In fact, I would be overjoyed if we ONLY had 6 more weeks of winter, if by Vernal Equinox we could actually have even a little spring - I would be DELIGHTED. It's also the same day for Candlemas and Imbolc. Day after is Chinese New Year, which I've already covered in abundance, I feel. And of course, the week following is Valentine's Day. And a couple of weeks after that, even atheists will start contemplating the sacrificing of goats to bring about an end to winter.

I tried to clear off my stairs before the most recent storm hit us (or is going to hit us, I think only the early edge has hit so far and we're supposed to get more tonight). I'm posting a

picture to give you an idea of my frustration, I rely so heavily on my herb garden, even in winter, how vexing this is. I cleaned off the stairs, and when I got to the top. . . well, tell me. . . now what am I supposed to do?

I admit, I've skipped the whole V-day post in the past, because frankly, I feel like I don't know what I'm doing. I remember I always loved the giant "I ♥ U" made out of chocolate my Mom would always give me as soon as I came home from school, because she knew I'd never get anything there. (Nobody loves you like your Mama!) I also remember the strange, creepy, stalker-ish guy at college who was always trying to convert me to his own very special brand of Christianity sending yellow-orange lilies (see earlier post on flower meanings) to my dorm room with a tag that said "Happy friendship day! Jesus loves you!" My last b/f, some 3 years ago, did send a homemade card that I thought was pretty nice as it was filled with tiny, life sized, paper ladybugs he'd made (because ladybugs bring me sanity). Either way, point is, it always seemed like something for everyone else, I don't guess I ever "got it."

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Anyway.

Everywhere you go, everyone's advertising for Valentine's Day, I even saw little hearts stuck to the inside of the bullet proof glass at a subway attendant's kiosk.

I would not recommend trying to search "valentine" on etsy as you get over 250,000 page hits, and while some people have taken great care to make thematic items for their shop, a lot of people have just tagged everything in their shop with the word with no regard to any thematic relationship at all. Vexing.

So, we'll just skip all this and I'll look for something that reminds me of that giant amount of chocolate Mom would give me as soon as I came home from school. It would take me DAYS to eat that thing, and I loved ever moment of it.

Calabasas Candy Company actually had one of the best looking sets. They have a good variety of truffles, caramels and marshmallows, but I think their sampler box is probably the best for this blog topic. Beautiful 24 piece set of 6 flavors: Lavender Honey, Pecan Milk Chocolate, Maraschino Cherry, Rose Water, Dark Chocolate Fleur de Sel, and Champagne.

If their candies taste even half as good as their pictures look and description reads, then these would definitely be a good way to go! But also be sure to peek around at the various flavors of caramels and marshmallows as well, there are some very interesting options!

Chinese New Year!

OK, so I already -kinda- had a post about Chinese New Year, but it wasn't really about it and Chinese New Year is now just over a week away! (Thursday, February 3rd, day after Groundhogs Day - oh please may that fuzzy little bastard not see his shadow.)

So, 2011 on the Chinese lunar calendar marks the beginning of the year of the White Metal Rabbit. So, the Rabbit is the 4th sign of the Chinese zodiac and is considered very lucky. You would be a Rabbit if your birthday falls during the lunar years of 1999 (earth), 1987 (fire), 1975 (wood), 1963 (water), 1951 (metal), 1940 (earth), and so on, subtracting 12 years each time. I admit, I understand the 12 year cycle of the zodiac animals, and I understand the cycles of the 5 Eastern element, but why the rabbit is white, specifically, I have no idea. Would love to hear from anyone who has that information!

Me, I'm really looking forward to going to my first Chinatown celebration and see the parades and maybe go eat some dumplings and such. It's my 4th year here in NYC, and I just never seemed to get there; but this time, I'm planning ahead!

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Now, I'm not sure how much new there will be under "white metal rabbit" on etsy, as I did that search just at the beginning of January, and it tends to come up with a lot of Alice in Wonderland jewelry, mostly. So, I think I'll do a more generic "Chinese zodiac" search.

And wow, right off the bat I found a beautiful print for any of you out there who might be "rabbits" in this sense. Nicole Kristiana Studios has some very unique, beautiful and colorful prints, not the least of which is her 2011 "Year of the Rabbit." It's a lovely 13"x19" print of her mixed media original.

Her prints and originals make up a 5 page shop full of bright colors, swirling patterns, playful lines and shapes, and a lovely sense of whimsy. As I looked through all 5 pages, I even noticed an option to get select prints on tote bags, and that this particular bunny comes in a few colors choices, even black and white.

Holiday SALES & Schedule

First off is the Holiday Schedule for Izile's Oddities.

My etsy shop will be on hiatus from December 15/16 - January 5(?)

My last Post Office drop before I go back to the South will be early Sat., Dec 18th. In order to guarantee timely shipping, all purchases made before 15/16 must be paid in full by no later than Friday the 17th by 5pm, EST.

So, now, for the SALE BIT!

Starting tonight (11/28) until the time of hiatus, I will be offering 3 different holiday sales.

To participate in any of the sales, just enter the "code" and any other pertinent information into the "Message to Seller" field. Depending on which sale you choose, you may have to wait for an adjusted paypal invoice before you pay. Please, if you do not enter any code or information, I will assume you are opting out of the sale and charge you normally!

SALE 1) - Get your choice of any MINI-Print free with any purchase (while supplies last) - CODE: "Free Mini" + which mini you want

SALE 2) - 1/2 OFF all full-sized prints! CODE: 50 Off. First print purchase will get their choice of a free bonus surprise in either Japan theme or NYC theme. Second print purchase will get whichever bonus was not chosen by first purchaser.

SALE 3) - BOGO 1/2 OFF MAGIC VIAL PENDANTS! - Yup, bringing it back just for these couple of weeks. Buy any Magic Vial Pendant and get any other (of equal or lesser value) for HALF OFF! The 1/2 off magic vial MUST be a premade vial already available in shop, but the original purchase vial can be a pre-made or a custom order. CODE: BOGO

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I was a bit scattered in my searching today. I wasn't really sure in what direction I wanted to look for a fellow etsy-er to plug. I admit, I even tried being a little more abstract and doing searches of song lyrics. I guess it just gets daunting, sometimes, when you do a search and it gives you over 34,000 hits. (but you can get overly particular, there's a great lack in the "murano glass hair clip" results.)

In the end, I came back to the one theme that repeats itself so heavily this time of year: "Baby, it's cold outside!"

OK. It's not my sort of thing, and it's above the normal price cap I put on items I blog about, but Obey My Brain Creations MUST be obeyed and must be plugged! After pages and pages of etsy, to have something pop up, smack you in the face and grab your attention by the short hairs, wow. Yes, this must be shown to all.Now, I wasn't sure how to talk about this product though. I really think it's something that needs to be seen first, and I can only imagine the impact of seeing one of these in person, and then poor attempts at verbalizing should follow.

I'm even giving this shop the rare two picture feature, because he does have a hat option under $50. It, too, is of the sort that if seen in public, must be envied, applauded, and then the camera phones must come out, because there's no way you're describing this in a text message.

Rock on, Mr. Freeman! We're glad you're out there.

Holiday Season

Wooo, it's coming, isn't it? I've already got a few gifts out of the way, and some that will just have to wait a bit.

Thankfully, I've already started getting in the first of the Christmas/Yule/Holiday et al custom orders. As a reminder, I'm always up for custom work, just please note that I require 50% deposit before I create anything custom.

But, it's good. I need the extra paypal funds for my own family and friends. Which reminds me, I am TRADE/BARTER FRIENDLY to anyone who is able to offer a trade in something that I could use as a gift for one of my 4 siblings, 2 parents, 2 sibling's spouses and 3 -soon to be 4

nieces/nephews, or roommate/friends. I am a little picky, but it's something I've done in seasons past and has worked out well when artists/crafters are low on funds and have a lot of people to

shop for.

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In that thought, I'm featuring a couple of things I'm thinking about for other people (who I'm pretty sure don't read this blog.) As always, etsy only promotions.

From Gr0glmann, specializing in toy jewelry, I found these. Yes, purple lightsaber earrings. I kind of wish I'd seen these earlier, as my favorite little jedi is already bought for, and while she loves to kick ass with dual purple lightsabers, I'm not sure if she'd wear them as earrings. Still. Adorable!

Also, I know someone who's very fond of moons, and I cannot tell you

how much I really hate Twilight right now for all the flood of Twilight-themed crap on etsy that comes up when I start trying to look for a "moon" something.

Now, despite the pages of bogged down copyright infringement

items, I did find a lovely shop, Braithwaite Studios specializing in glass works. Beautiful handmade sun catchers, and now this is what you like to see when you search for "moon."

and last one before I have to run to my "day job," which is something I think would be funny for my brother's future first kid, but I'm not sure his wife would be amused.

The Design Vine has this hilarious baby-thing. I know, the photo had to be shrunk to fit and is hard to read, but go to the shop and browse around. See the full size images.

In fact, go to all of these shops and browse around and look at their awesome stuff. Hopefully, I might have given you some ideas for what to get your family/friends.

Halloween

It's creeping ever closer. Just right at a week (depending, of course, on when you read this). I admit it's been a busy fall, and I feel I've been slack on my blogging and DeviantArt updating and my etsy shop hasn't had a good restocking in quite a while. I do hope to be addressing that this weekend, if not tonight.

Last I updated on my own projects, I was working on the From Faerie (still not thrilled with that) bath product line. My first batch, the Fairy Milkmaid bath soak should be just about cured by now, but I still need to test it. Ah, I fear I've got a watercolor temperament going on as of late, but all my projects are calling for oil painting patience. Maybe I should bust out the watercolors, literally, to give me a fast paced project. Or, really, I just just make some more, new, Magic Vial pendants for fall and winter.

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But yes! Halloween, where were we? Wow, the things you find on etsy when you search "Halloween" maybe I should revise it to something a bit more obscure. Ah, "all hallows eve" gives you a much narrower lot to search through.

22 pages ranging from cute and sweet to gorey and spooky, fun and comedic to serious practitioner supplies. It's a good mix!

The one piece that caught my eye, and I guess I'm still a bit in my silhouette phase, is this beautiful Full Moon pendant by Crystal Bouquet. Her shop specializes in these glass tile pendants, and has several pages of variety, from classic movie stills to more graphic pieces like this, and even more styled or "cartoon" images. It's a beautiful selection and definitely worth browsing through