Monday, June 27, 2011

Etsy Teams Newsletter

I am so freaking excited!  The Etsy Teams newsletter for Gay Pride month just went live, and they chose one of *my* photos to showcase!  *SQUEEEE!!!!*


Click here to read the newsletter!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Giveaway!

The Queer Etsy Street Team is doing an awesome giveaway in honor of LGBT Pride Month and because we got 700 followers on Facebook, and it's packed with a lot of great things! My original watercolor postcard, Let Your Love Shine, is just one of them! Do head over to the Queer Etsy Street Team's blog, check out the list of prizes, and leave a comment to enter to win! It's THAT simple! What are you waiting for? CLICK HERE!


Let Your Love Shine

And after you've entered the contest, you can check out some great merchandise by the QuEST folks, at all the great treasuries we've created and listed here! Just click here!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

How to Make a Mask

Today I'd like to share with you how I made this fabulous mask for the Shine Masquerade Ball last Thursday. Oh, I know there are TONS of tutorials online that tell you how to make masks, but what do you do if you've got to wear glasses like I do? Well if you've checked out as many websites as I did, you may have come to the conclusion that you can paint your face or carry a mask on a stick. Neither are satisfying answers to me. So I got to thinking about it, and here's what I came up with!


Isn't it fabulous? I'd love to make more elaborate ones, and believe me, I have lots of ideas in my head... ~_^ But let me tell you how I made this one!

FIRST, find some cardstock, your favorite color or white. You'll be decorating it later. Put your glasses on the paper, front of the lenses down, and trace all the way around them, making sure to get the the nose piece and the little bumps where the arms stick out. Then put your glasses back on so you can see what you're doing again! XD


NOW you can roughly sketch out your mask; I sketched out where my eye holes should go first, then made sure the eye holes and tabs where the mask would be attached to my glasses were well reinforced. I just took one piece of packing tape and pressed it across the whole area right over my sketched marks. I had trimmed the edges where the tab would be and made sure to fold it over so the tabs would have extra reinforcement. (You can see it in the pics.)

NEXT I folded my paper in half making sure to line everything up so when I cut my mask, it would be symmetrical. You might prefer to have a more free-form mask; if so, skip the folding. Then I used a marker on the tape to draw how I wanted my eye holes to look and cut on that line with a craft knife. Then I used scissors and just cut random curls and waves around the edges. You might prefer to draw it out first, but I was impatient. ^-^ Be sure to make holes on the tabs for your mask to slip onto your frames! I used a 1/4" hole punch, but something a bit more rectangular probably would have worked better.

FINALLY you can decorate your mask however you want. I sketched out some feathery swirly shapes and things and used watercolor pencils and LOTS of glitter glue on mine. When we got to Shine there were some gems and feathers available, so I added some of those too. Whatever you do, make sure to leave the lower half not too much wider than your frames so they can be put on without mishap. (I learned the hard way and lost some feathers the first time I tried to put it on.)


NOW comes the tricky part: slipping it on your frames. Take your glasses off, and hold the mask upside down to your glasses, the insides facing each other, and slip the tabs over each of the ear pieces. Slide the mask down to meet then lenses and then you need to do a little finagling to flip the mask right side over on the front of your glasses. I hesitate to give more details here, because everyone's glasses are slightly different and it might not work the same. However, since it's made of paper, and has been well reinforced, it's capable of being curled and bent a bit to get it in place. Just be careful of your decorations!


Additional tips:
  • Mod-podge works awesome to keep everything glued on and still flexible.
  • If your mask seems to flop out from your face a bit too much, try gluing a popsicle stick or coffee stirrer across the inside of the brow to help keep it flat.
  • Have fun and send me pics!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Marriage Equality Act

YAY! NYS passed the bill 33 to 29!!!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

EtsyBloggers BlogCarnival: Favorite Summer Recipes

Our EtsyBloggers Team Blog Carnival this time is: What is your favorite summer recipe? Please share with us!

I've answered this one before; I *love* sharing my favorite summer recipes!  My absolute favorite special summer meal is Pepper Steak, Salt Potatoes, and Corn on the Cob, and I love the summertime sweets, Pfijit and Clementine Cake... 

As many families do, we cook out a lot in the summer, and usually it's hot dogs or whatever meat was on sale, and we eat a lot of tossed salads, especially when it's hot.  Marshmallows are a staple, usually roasted, and just last week, Jacqueline introduced us all to dough boys.  It is SO easy and SO tasty!  I wish I had taken some pics of it, but truthfully, I was too busy stuffing my face; so many thanks to Krista at The Nourishing Apron for this great shot!


We used crescent rolls, but many people use biscuit dough, and yes, those refrigerator tubes work just fine if you don't want to make your own dough.  There are SO many variations, but basically you wrap the dough around your stick, making sure to pinch the ends so it stays stuck on, then rotate it over hot coals until it's browned nicely on the outside.

Be careful over flames, because it can burn quick and still be raw inside.  Of course, be careful with your *self* around the fire, and let it cool some before you eat it!

And do try some of the variations!  You can dip the dough in cinnamon & sugar before wrapping it around the stick (chocolate croissant anyone?); if you can pull it off the stick in one piece, you can fill the hollow with a string cheese stick, let it melt a bit, and dip in marinara sauce; you can fill the hollow with chocolate chips (or another favorite meltable) or pie filling; or you can do what I did, roast your hot dog over the fire til it's almost done, then wrap your dough around it and cook it til the dough it done!  I meant to tuck some cheese in, but got impatient and ate the cheese while roasting my dog. Hehehe...

What's your favorite summer recipe?  Let me know then head over to the EtsyBloggers team blog for all the other EtsyBloggers' faves!

Etsy Blogger of the Month: tamdoll

Say hello to June's Blogger of the Month...


Tammy Gross of Tamdoll's Silver Mountain Originals creates wonderful pieces of wearable art, unique one of a kind accessories, and even offers patterns for you to make your own inspired creations! Here are some of my favorites...

This one's been in my favorites for a LONG time...

Lilac Oak Leaf Tiny Brooch of Wool Felt

I'd love to make this...

Serenity Mermaid Pattern for Cloth Dolls

This would be a great bag to have!

Huge Hobo Bag - Great Textured Fabric Shoulder Bag

Don't forget to check out her shop and blog, and see what's there that might be calling to you...

FAE Exhibition: Return to Renaissance

Aquariann has done it again! She's gathered together some of the best of the FAE Team work, and created a lovely exhibition. This month's theme is Return to Renaissance ^-^


Click the banner above to see the full exhibition, but here's a little sample:
Etsy
Buy Handmade
FAEetsy

Thursday, June 02, 2011

TiLT: Blessings & Blissings

Short list cuz I'm sleepy... but oh so grateful for the good things in my life...


Blessings: JACQUELINE!  Lia, Antonio, JoAnn, Esme, my camera, this computer, the internet, Ibuprofen & Naproxen, falling gas prices, Etsy sales! Hannah the Montana, food in my belly, comfy bed to sleep in, people who care about me.


Oh do go see it here!

Blissings:Showers of maple tree seed pods, red cows in a field of yellow flowers, blue skies with puffy white clouds racing by, cool breezes that make the wind chimes sing, lazy hazy summer days spent under shady trees or at the lake shore, dragonflies zipping about the yard like mini-helicopters, open-face s'mores, grilled portobello mushrooms topped with roasted onions & peppers, baked beans, SPARKLY NAILS!  Magic shell!  Birds who pose for me.  Navi-systems, Sirius radio, NPR.



Things I Love Thursday is brought to you by Gala Darling...

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Wishcasting Wednesday

What is your money wish?


Money.
by $ebastien Million


I am wishing desperately for there to be more of it.  Short for rent, still owe on electricity, not to mention the others...  only 15 more days of the school year to sub, and we still need money for Shine (gas & deposit), and I wish we had enough to buy the kids the things they want/need (swimsuits for Es & Jo, more of the food they want to eat, more art supplies, more make-up/nail polish/cleansers/conditioners/etc for teen-aged girls...), money to get them all wherever they want to go...

Most of the time I just trust that the money will come and things will work out just like it should, but sometimes, I start wallowing in the things we don't have money for, that I want us to be able to do, and I get anxious and so sad & worried...  I wish money weren't such a scarcity in our house...  And yet at the same time I realize how much we have compared to so many other people, that this wish along brings such guilt!  I am not complaining!  But I still do wish for more...

You can be a maker of magic and a tender of wishes. It’s easy. Answer the wish prompt on your blog and then add a direct link to your post in the box [at the link] below. Support wishes by visiting other participants, leaving a comment saying “As (insert name) wishes for her/himself, so I wish for her/him also.” It’s that simple. There is great power in wishing together.
~ Jamie Ridler

Monday, May 30, 2011

In Memory



Many thanks to the soldiers who died in service to our country.



May their families be forever blessed.



Click for Images Best View

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Now offering what?

Faerie Garden Fancies is now offering PRINTS! Check out our debut image:


Brown Bears Bake Brownies 5x7 Print of Original Watercolor


Any original art listed at the shop will be offered in print format for a more wallet-friendly price. Stay tuned for more updates!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

TiLT: Blessing, Blissings, and more...

I've not done one of these since New Year's Eve, and here is, practically half the year gone by.  I've been having a rough time seeing the good lately, and thought listing the things I feel blessed to have in my life and things I've been loving recently would help me see things with a rosier tint... ^-^  So without further ado...


Blessings: Always first on the list is my love, Jacqueline, who makes all things better, and my family, Antonio, Esme, JoAnn, and Lia, who amaze me everyday with their Beings.  I have a car to get me to & from work and places I need & want to go.  I have a shelter from the cold & rain and a place to bathe and get clean water.  I have a phone and the internet and lights to see at night.  I have a soft bed with blankets & pillows and clothes to wear that look nice on me even if I don't particularly like them.  I have a camera and lots of art supplies and access to thousands of books & media, and I have friends and family and even strangers who will help when things get really hard.


Blissings: The hummingbird is back at the feeder and neither rain nor wind nor sun will keep him away!  Fifth & sixth grade classrooms, the rediscovery of Flatrock in the Spring, the flowers in our yard, the sounds of the birds and bugs and frogs that fill the air of our woods 'round the clock... Glee time! (sadface that there's only one epi til Fall!)  Volkwagons and the sweet guys that drive them.  Key Lime candles, lilacs in bloom, Baltimore orieles, warm chocolate chip cookies & brownies, the smell of coffee...


More:  Dr. Who, teeny tiny animals, 3D movies, cosmic jewelry, MLP, mood beads, like buttons, tumblr, mermaids, lava rocks, sea glass, swirly skirts, and all kinds of crazy things on Etsy...

Things I Love Thursday is brought to you by Gala Darling...

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Treasury Tuesday

Today I created a fun treasury featuring animal-themed items from the Unschooler Etsy Team. Do check it out, and be sure to check out the other team members' shops too; lots of very talented unschoolers out there!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Mosaic Monday Bunday

It's time for another round of Mosaic Monday Bunday!  This week is the Full Flower Moon and our Mosaic Monday Bunday reflects that theme.  Next week I'll be giving you all a chance to win a Mosaic Monday Bunday prize by guessing the theme!  (Click here to see some of the previous prizes!)


Clockwise from top left: Expecting by brownpaperbagart, Kimono Moon Bun by moonscreations,
Always Kiss Me Goodnight by enowotny1, and Rabbit on the Moon Bracelet by TIMBEELO

Remember to tune in next time for a chance to win!

For other Mosaic Monday posts, click here!

Slam Poetry


Thunderhead by Matt Shalvatis

I want to write (and perform) slam poetry,
to transform the anger and hurt and frustration in me
into beautiful words that hit the air with rhythm,
and slide away,
leaving only awe and ions in the air in their wake,
like the feeling after a summer thunderstorm,
but I've no bravery for performance,
and the words don't come like I wish they would;
so half a poem on the internet -
no rhyme, no meter, no rhythm -
is as far as it ever gets...

~ Diana *BunnyKissd* Bukowski

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Giveaway at SuperCuteKawaii!

Just look at these shirts!  Totally adorbs, n'est-ce pas?


T-shirts you could win from Hawaii Kawaii!


Head over to Super Cute Kawaii for all the details!

I've entered!  I hope to win that über-cute Unicorny shirt!  XD

How to Keep Going when the Going Gets Tough

I've been running Faerie Garden Fancies for almost 3 years now, and sometimes it frustrates me how slow things are going.  I had expected sales every day, but truthfully I've been lucky to get sales every week, and some months there have been no sales at all.  The times I did better were when I did a lot of promoting for my shop all over; I felt so spammy.  And it's discouraging, you know, to love what you do so much, but feel like no one else does.  There have been many days when I thought, "Why bother?"  But I keep plugging away.  Part of why I keep going is that I love to experiment with my art, and I can't keep everything, so selling it makes sense (and cents).  But beside that, I've discovered a few things that keep me motivated.

  1. Find a Partner in Crime.  Someone who sells too.  Someone to share tips back & forth with.  Someone who will celebrate your successes with you, as well as commiserate when things aren't going so well, but who will also kick your butt back in gear when you've wallowed in self-pity long enough.  This could be your significant other, someone in your family, a friend, a co-worker, or a combination of all of those; however if no one around you really gets it, find someone online!  Search through Etsy's Team pages and find a group of people you fit with, now you have a whole TEAM of people cheering you on!

  2. Follow Your Heart, but Listen to Your Head.  When it comes right down to it, only YOU know if something is working for you or not.  If something causes you more sorrow & worry than joy & contentment, then perhaps it's time to let it go.  But if something brings you so much happiness that you stay up all night doing it, or jump up out of bed early in the morning to get started, if your feet start dancing or your fingers start itching to get at it, even if everyone around you is saying, "Whoa Nellie!"  Then you keep going.  Keep doing that thing that makes you so excited.  Find that group of people who will get excited right along with you, and forget what the naysayers say.  But *do* take time to listen to your head.  Just because you want to stay home all day and make art, does not mean you should quit your job right now and do that.

  3. Read Inspirational Blogs.  Sometimes your Partner in Crime won't be enough.  They won't get what your're going through or you'll feel like that anyway; they'll be AFK and you'll need encouragement ASAP; or maybe they're looking for help from you, and you just won't have the right words.  That's when hearing other people's stories - or just a simple quote from someone - helps.  There are a few I follow regularly: KindOverMatter posts beautiful photos paired with meaningful quotes interspersed with inspirational stories and kind art & projects; RootsOfShe is a whole tribe of women coming together to share their wisdom, their joy, and their stories; and perhaps the one that most often seems written directly to me, Goddess Guidebook, by Goddess Leonie Allan, who writes about creativity & art, spirituality & healing, magic & miracles, and lately a whole bunch of business inspiration!
The motivation for me to write this post came from another such blog; in fact, I didn't even get all the way through the other post when I felt the need to write all this!  The post I started reading was Four Habits For Long Term Success on Etsy by Kim at EverythingEtsy, and in it she quoted a story about a king who didn’t believe in miracles from the blog of MichaelHyatt.com.  This king asked for proof of God's miracles, and the wise counselor to whom he had been speaking gave him four acorns, told him to put them in the ground, then gaze into a pool of water for a moment. When the counselor told him to look up, there were four enourmous oak trees where the acorns had been planted.  The king praised this miracle, but the sage then told him he had been looking into the water for 80 years, even though it had seemed to the king only a second.  Indeed, his clothing was threadbare, and his reflection in the water showed an old man.  Angry the king denounced it as no miracle, but the sage replied, "It is God’s work nonetheless, whether he did it in one second or in eighty years.”


Oak Tree from dlofink

While this story refers to God's miracles, it's also a good parable for any endeavor you might undertake.  Success doesn't happen overnight.  You have to keep going with patience and persistance (as Kim said in her post) in order to reach your goals, whether running your own business, getting your Masters, or raising your kids right.  Tough times pop up, but you don't have to let them knock you off track.  Turn to your partner in crime, keep following your heart & listening to your head, find some inspirational words, and you'll find the strength to push through and things will get better.

Monday, May 09, 2011

Mosaic Monday Bunday

Whoa!  We almost missed Mosaic Monday Bunday!  I bet you all can guess this week's theme!


Mosaic created with fd's Flickr Toys

Clockwise from top left: That's right!  Today's theme is Furry Hurry Rush and Scurry!  That was *just* what you were gonna guess, wasn't it?  LOL!  I've got so many things I've been working on, that I'm running out of steam at the end of the day to tell you all about it...  and I really should get that planner, so I can write down the things that need to get done!

I've been painting, and taking pics, and hope to be adding prints to my shop very soon!  I've also been investigating selling to or through galleries and commission shops locally...  But the thing I am most excited about?  Totally not related to my art at all!  I'm going to have a very special guest blogger soon, who will tell you all about it!  Shhh... it's a secret til then!

For other Mosaic Monday posts, click here!