Happy Autumanl Equinox!

And Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, Fall-rites, and Mabon, and all the other lovely celebrations that mark the rotation of seasons!

I'm not always the happiest when fall weather starts encroaching too early on my green summers, but once it's here legitimately, I can warmly embrace the season (as long as winter doesn't start pushing its nose in too early! Wait your turn, winter! All things in their time!)

I don't really have a lot to report on the Izile's Oddities front.  I haven't honestly had much time, with day-job business recently reducing me to work-food-sleep-repeat for the past couple of weeks.  BUT, the big "stuff" is done for now, and I'm hopeful for some more time to work on my own projects, soon.  Currently, I'm working on a commission piece that's very interesting, but a bit outside my normal aesthetic - it involves a LOT of teeth.  Yes, teeth, big incisors, molars, canines.  I was given a bundle of teeth and asked to create.  I've been making some slow progress, but as I've never worked with teeth before, I'm trying to take my time and get a feel for them.  I know 2 of the teeth are human (came in a sealed medical bag labeled as such), and 2 are from a dog - and the rest?  I'm not quite sure ...  I know they were acquired perfectly legally from an oddities shop in Manhattan, so I'm not worried about anything unethical - it's just odd work - fun, and sometimes being pushed outside of our normal comfortable patterns is good for growth.  So, we'll see where that goes.

I still need to find time to finish up my Night Circus picture frame, too.  Autumn definitely lends itself to more indoors times (and winter triple-y so!), so, we'll see.

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The Autumn season definitely has a gorgeous and inspirational color pallet to work with, that's for sure!  And the amount of treasuries going up on etsy with all the warm golden, bronze-y, and russet colors are boundless!

In a recent treasury on my following board, I found Rainwater Studios.  While she focuses on bridal accessories, her handmade jewelry is what caught my attention - particularly this "Fall Splendor" piece - which has a decidedly vintage feel to it.

And with freshwater pearls and glass leaves, this piece is a real bargain at only $25!  It's found under the Shabby/Boho Chic category, though there are also Vintage/Victorian, and Magical and Mythical categories for non-bridal-themed accessories.  But, the bulk of the store (over 130 entries) goes to bridal hair flowers (not that you can only wear these flowers at weddings, but that's the target), and at 9 pages, there's plenty to browse through!

Happy Autumn!!

 

Happy Friday 13th!

I'm currently having rather mixed feelings about Etsy these days, after the last update and s***-storm that followed their decision to piss off tons of people and become more like ebay.

But I'm not here to really get into all that right now.

I haven't been posting, because I don't know how I feel about always doing the etsy plug every post, when, I, myself, am thinking I won't be buying through etsy anymore.  I will try and find sellers who have their own .coms, or sell on other sites, and buy that way.  I'm not very comfortable at the moment with etsy, either as a seller (haven't put anything new up since this debacle), or as a buyer.

However, a lot of etsy sellers do have their own .coms (like Dryad Tea .com and I know Dark Side Customs is working on a way to sell off-etsy, too. ) - and that way you're still buying from a small, craftsperson/artisan and supporting the little guy, but you aren't having to worry about politics and drama that are apparently inevitable when idealistic young companies like Etsy was 8 years ago turn into mega-corp "to hell with the little guy" monsters like Ebay.  For now, at least (until Etsy decides to follow Ebay even more, and start banning links from etsy shops to independent .coms), etsy shop owners can still link off-site to their own personal sites for sales, giving you the choice on how you want to purchase.

I guess this will be my first post where I don't like back to etsy.  Instead, go look at some pretties, as Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (who has etsy shops and their own .coms) has just put up the first part of their Halloween update!  FUN!!

(I love this graphic this year! They're working with an amazing artist!)

Deepwoods Wanderers

How appropriate a theme for this month's FAE Exhibit!  Today, I'm finally getting my day to leave the city, go out to the real woods, and do some trail running!  Excited.

This exhibit is exciting, too!  Go check it out!

Tea for Two . . or Three. . or More

I was working on my new foodie blog, and I was answering a question a friend of mine asked me about planning a romantic picnic.  In the blog, I said, “… there's some little foodie-girly part of me (the same part that wants to throw a proper garden tea party), that loves picnics!”  And I thought, oh, how neat to do a follow up blog about “proper garden tea parties.”  Then I thought, I’ve never actually thrown one, only in my imagination – and most of what I think about is things I’ve seen on etsy.  So it seemed like a perfect tie-over to this blog.  So, today, I’m going to be talking about my favorite etsy sellers for throwing your own girly-foodie garden tea party. 

I will endeavor to include new etsy sellers, like I always do, but this post is going to necessitate repeats from past plugs, as it’s a lot about my favorites.

The first thing you need when it comes to having a tea party is TEAS!  Yes, multiple teas!  I went to a going-away tea party at Alice’s Tea Cup this past spring, and it was delightful!  Each person got their own small tea pot (3-ish good cups) of their own choice of brew – and of course we all shared!  My absolute favorite tea vendor on etsy, whom I’ve blogged about before, is Dryad Tea.  As an added perk, she’s put out some new blends since then!

One of the big perks I like about Dryad Tea is that they carry black, green, white, rooibos and herbal tea blends – that way you have lots of options in case a guest wants something low-caffeine or caffeine-free.  (Not all of us are constant caffeine addicts like me).

She also sells lots of sampler kits, if you can’t make up your mind on what flavor, which is always one of the hardest parts for me!  The picture here shows “Katrina Thorindal” flavor which is a peach and strawberry.

She also sells infusers and tea trivets.  I’d also recommend this other etsy seller, as well, who specializes more in tea accessories than tea itself.  CaseyMC works in fused glass and clay, and has a number of items, such as tea bag trivets and spoon rests, as well as a couple of handmade tea pots!  (There's also lots in your shop for candles, incense, and purely decorative works as well)

There's honestly not much in the way of handmade tiered cake stands for a fantasy tea party -but Nancy's Tea Shop has the perfect assortment - and a large assortment it is! - in vintage English china and tea party paraphernalia!  Her prices range from $9 to a simple sugar bowl, up to $145 for an entire 5 place tea setting.  I've always been partial to the Old Country Roses pattern, myself.  I bought my mother this very teapot in the blue Midnight Roses variation for a mother's day ages ago.

And since I said I was mixing favorites in with some of the new recommendations, tea parties must have tea biscuits!  - Scones would be terrible to ship, make them yourself - I like this recipe from Pinterest for tea scones. - and I still think my favorite tea biscuits/cookies shop on etsy is Butter Blossoms.  New treats for her include mini-butter blossom shortbread cookies, lemon-lavender, rosemary-pinenut, and plenty of new sampler sets, for those who have a hard time picking just one flavor!  The shop is so popular right now, that there is currently a 2 week turn around period after orders, so plan ahead!  (Shown here are Madam Butterfly flavor, green tea with sunflower petals and peach flavoring.)

I'd love to hear back what other people would include in their dream teaparty - feel free to link to YOUR favorite etsy sellers (or yourself!)

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)

Geeky Fandom Cookbooks and Food

So, I just wrote a bit of a blurb about geeky fandom cookbooks on my new foodie blog, and I was going to link it over here, because I think it is relevant, being all nerdy and stuff, and talking about the new "Shire Cookbook" being created by those who brought us "A Feast of Ice and Fire."

You can read the entry here at South Eats North.

Also, to keep on track with Izile’s Oddities, I found some shops I thought were pertinent.  Now, because I don’t approve of blatant copyright violations, I’m not going to feature anyone selling non-licensed Game of Thrones items.  However, a search for “geek” under plants and edibles did give a couple of good hits!

Geek-a-bye Baby is a surprise contender, as, being a baby supply shop, is normally the last thing I’d be looking at.  However, among all the baby paraphernalia, there is a listing that I thought was pretty sweet!   Pun only sort-of-intended.

The Scifi Geek 5 Jam Sampler.  Each jam is inspired by a different fandom, and is a mix of seasonal fruits, hand blended with help from "the Austin-based Kitchen Witch, Axure Anansi Grave Armand, of Half Moon House."  I particularly think the Shiny (Firefly/Serenity) flavor of strawberry blended with lemongrass and ginger might be an interesting take on an old classic! Definitely go check out the jam, there’s plenty of information in the listing (also jams for Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Dune fans!), and if you’re in the market for baby-stuff – eh, why not!

Otherwise, if you’re looking for a shop that specialize more in nothing but edibles, try HearthStone Bakery, they specialize in baked goods inspired by the World of Warcraft.

I never really got into WoW that much – had a bunch of friends back home who did – but I wouldn’t count myself knowledgeable enough to know how accurate these are.  I think this Mage Strudel looks good, though!  Plus, they come in your choice of 5 flavors,
and 3 shapes, with custom decoration options available upon request.

 NOM!

Summer Season

It's fully summer now, and despite the fact we're still getting rain at least 1 day out of every 5, there's been enough sun and heat to counteract it.  The garden is doing well.

Also, I got a day-job, again!  Yay!  I'm not allowed to talk about my company anywhere where I talk about my opinions, because it's a charity organization - so, you won't hear anything about it except that I'm happy!

Of course, this has meant that with a new 40-hour work week, and it being summer, that I've been getting very little done in the Izile's Oddities department.  I've completed some custom pieces, and I always make time for my customers who want something special designed just for them - but the general crafting for etsy has had to take a big backseat.  It will probably come back either when I acclimate back to a full-time job schedule, and/or when the weather starts getting so cruddy that I don't want to be out in it.

I've also been taking more time for my own art projects, tending the garden, and playing in food.  I actually started a new blog  South Eats North - that's all about my food adventures in NYC (reviews, rants, and recipes).  I started it on a quiet rainy lunch break just before the holiday.  There's only 3 entries so far, and they're kind of introductory, "just getting going" posts.  I'm hoping to be working on a good recipe post with pictures, soon!  One of the things about writing at your desk during lunch is that you don't really have a way to make the posts very visually interesting.

And speaking of the art projects for myself, one of them is a picture frame renovation inspired by The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  It's an old, wooden, very ornate frame, and I'm doing it all in black and white, and then, there's a sculpted ribbon that spirals around the edge of the frame that I'm going to do in bright red.

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If you haven't read The Night Circus, I highly recommend it.  It's fairly light reading, but so enjoyable and inspiring!  If you like the kinds of mythical realism in modern fantasy, like Neil Gaiman, you'll probably love this book.

I'm not the only one who's been inspired by The Night Circus.  Using the title as a search term on etsy gives some very interesting results!

Awoken Words does illustration prints of works inspired from stories.  And she has one from the Night Circus, where the Illusionist, Celia, is first auditioning to join the circus, and turns her jacket into a raven.  I think this is an absolutely lovely visualization of this early scene in the book.  There aren't many prints in her shop currently, but the shop isn't quite 2 years old, yet.  However, all the prints, whether color or monochromatic, are beautifully rendered and exceptionally charming in style.


Accessoreads is another shop that takes inspiration from books and stories.  "Wear What You Read" is their shop motto.   And this white, black, and red circus bangle would be the perfect nod to those of us who would be rêveurs.  The rest of the shop is 6 pages of cuffs inspired by history and literature.  There are also a couple that are thinner bangle styles than the one pictured.  If you're a book lover, I'd suggest taking the time to pour over the options!

And, the newest entry in this circus of etsy sellers, with a shop just made in May of this year, is BluDragon Art, featuring mixed-media canvases.  This 3" x 4" mini-canvas is a winsome nod, featuring a quote from the book, and small details (which I won't spoil for those who haven't read the book yet) to bring a little bit of that enchantment to your own desk or shelf.  So far, the shop only has one page of art, but custom orders are welcome, and I think you'll find the other examples of her art as equally appealing.

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  !!  

Summertime! (well. . not really, but it feels like it)

Starting last week, the almost ubiquitous cold and wet of not-quite-New England, has started to give way to actually decent weather!  We had a short 3-day burst of sunny 90-ish weather, that was absolutely gorgeous, and after some rain (really, it must rain more here than anywhere else in the country, it's quite annoying that it can't seem to go a full week without a torrential downpour)  - it came back around to sunny, and mid 70's.  Not beachy, serious outdoorsy weather, but pleasant enough.

Sorry about the weather review, but with my Reynaud's, and living this far north, I have to pay very careful attention to the weather, and it tends to dictate my mood a good bit, with cold and wet ad nauseam making me quite the unhappy little elfling.  So, when it kicked around to the first few days of the year where I could go out without worrying about getting chilled, or if I'm bringing enough extra clothes with me in case there's a 5 degree temperature drop, I ran out and didn't want to come back in until all my solar batteries had been recharged.

Or, in short, I haven't been making anything because it's been too nice outside, and I have needed to be OUT in it until I had my glut of sun and heat.

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However, because of my Irish-German heritage, I can't exactly take the sun casually, either.  Tons of high powered sunblock is always required, and a big straw hat for the beach.  And even though I escaped several days of full-on sun and 90 degree weather without a single burn - that doesn't mean you still can't get a touch of sun poisoning.  I, myself, ended up with a bit of a sun rash, that was quickly soothed with a homemade oatmeal, honey and rosewater skin treatment.

So, it's always important to try and protect your skin as much as possible, and then, if you do go overboard, have the right stuff to try and heal as best you can.  And that's our theme for my etsy plugs today.

***  Note from elfling who spent many years in a dermatologists office.  REMEMBER:  THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A HEALTHY TAN!!  All tans that you weren't born with are skin damage, and the idea you can get a "base tan" to protect your from further damage is a myth - and not the fun kind of myth!  Sun damage is cumulative, and even a little tan, or just one burn in your life can increase your chances of skin cancer exponentially, and even if you're not burning, the damage is still building, year after year, under the surface of your skin.  Not to mention that sun damage is the main reason people get wrinkles and dark spots - it's all sun damage. ***

Homemade all-natural sunscreens can be tricky.  I love the idea, but I also realize it's a little bit of a case of buyer-beware.  Because of this, I like Cabin Creek Apothecary 's Sunscreen Stick.  She comes right out and says the the SPF is an untested assumption based on the information she gathered by using a 23% zinc oxide fine powder added to the other ingredients.  Her listing gives excellent information about every ingredient she lists and how it can help protect your skin.  I also like that she uses red raspberry oil, which apparently has a great reputation as an all natural ingredient to help boost "spf" (not that any product not reviewed by the FDA can have a real SPF number, but in this case, think of it more as a loose guide)

And there's one thing a lot of people always forget about - sunscreen for lips.  It's important to keep the delicate thin skin of your lips moisturized and coated to prevent any damage in that area, as well.  Thankfully, this is also one of the most fun areas of sun protection.  Pigments cause a natural barrier to protect lips from sun, and shea butter has a natural "spf" of about 5.  And if you get one with a fun flavor, it's no problem to keep reapplying!  Puritea is a relatively new shop that only has one thing - protective lip balms, 100% organic and vegan.  She has five different flavors, but for the summer, I think Mango would be a great one!  Or, get the set of 3 and mix and match all season long!

It's always better to NOT get a sun burn to begin with - but if you had an oopsie-day, this stuff sounds amazing to try and reverse as much damage as possible.  (Though, I know, all the damage can never be reversed completely, but we do what we can!)  Wash The Day Away caught my attention with this White Willow & Aloe Sunburn Lotion.  It's made with white willow bark (the natural form of asprin), aloe in three forms! (butter, extract, and gel), as well as calendula, comfrey root, vitamin e, arrowroot, lavender and chamomile.   And she makes samples on request, so you can test it out!

So, I hope you guys have a great and safe summer, and enjoy the sun in a way that doesn't leave you sore, cracked, or looking like Snooki, or the infamous "tanning bed woman" from a few months back.

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.