this week's wants

It's that time again! My, how the weeks are flying by. This edition of "this week's wants" has a definite focus--pink and red! To anyone who knows me, this will come as no surprise. What does shock me? As I write this, three of these sellers have yet to make their first etsy sales! Wha? I'm guessing at least one of you will want to click away and be their first customers!

The list begins with my inspiration for the day, this gorgeous grey sparrow dress by Makool. The deep, warm cranberry red and cool, pale grey make a stunning combination. I only wish I had a more glamourous life so I could justify buying it for myself!

This raspberry resin ring by Jasmine Scott is so sweet! It totally reminds me of making kool-aid with my mom as a kid. You know, when you drop the powder into the water and it begins to dissolve? This ring has captured that moment and frozen it in place and time, giving it a fun and childlike innocence, while remaining incredibly chic and sophisticated. N'est-ce pas?

Um, I LOVE this nouveau enameled copper pendant with sterling silver necklace by OiOi. The red is so dramatic and beautiful and as a brilliant extra, the reverse is black! The lines are so feminine, but definitely have a bit of an edge (forgive the pun). It makes a stunning ensemble with a little black dress, as shown here, but I think I'd love it just as much with a crisp white button-down and my best jeans. Tempted?

How sweet is this original watercolor by Trafalgar's Square? Little Lolli (also my weimie's nickname!) looks like she is concentrating so hard on what she's writing. I adore her rosie cheeks! This piece really appeals to the wannabe writer in me, as well as my inner child.

Happy shopping,

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mad scientists of etsy

The Mad Scientists of Etsy are famous (well, a little better known, anyay), thanks to one of our very own, Patricia of deWiUK! Patricia was gracious enough to write a lovely article in Physiology News that highlights many of our talented members (click it to read!). I was stunned and delighted to find the b-line mentioned there!

I must say, it's one of the more enjoyable and informative articles I've ever read in a professional journal!I love reading about the other shops in our group. It's so fun to see how other scientists let their creative juices flow. I'll leave you with a beautiful find from Patricia's shop. The colors in this necklace are perfect for these late summer-early fall days. For other mad scientist's offerings, search MSOETEAM at etsy.

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inventions

I'm sitting here with a stack of lab reports in front of me just waiting to be graded. The first stack (of many) this year. The inertia is overwhelming! In the spirit of further procrastination, I thought I'd drop a line to say that I'm still here, just a little busy this week. Alas, the grading calls out to me.

Oh, if it were only this easy! A pen to do my grading for me. What will they think of next, Scantron? I'm wondering if you can get these for other things, like taxes, balancing your checkbook, etc. Wouldn't that be grand?

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this week's wants

Here it is, my last day of summer. School starts tomorrow and I am knee-deep in syllabi and anxiety, but I just had to take a little break to show you a few of my favorites for this week.

First up, this beautiful scarf by happiknits. My office is usually over-air conditioned and pretty chilly as a result. Since I can't control the temperature, I usually layer up. I'd love to have this scarf (by a fellow mad scientist of etsy) to keep me stylish and warm.

For those rare occasions during the semester when I have time to look up an daydream, I'd love to see this print by Irene Suchocki opposite my desk. I've always loved images of the Eiffel tower and Paris in general, but since we honeymooned there, I covet images such as these even more.

The only thing I didn't like about going to Paris was that we couldn't bring our dogs along. I hate to leave them behind. I get so much joy from our puppies--they ask for so little and give so much in return. Perhaps that's why this print by artandghosts appeals to me so much. I'm somewhat tempted to consider the symbolism embedded in this piece, but that will have to wait while I just enjoy it for a bit. Adorable, don't you think?

With quite the busy semester ahead, my hubby and I are likely to see each other only in passing several days each week. I think these magnetic chalk-board coasters by purpose design might be just what we need to keep in touch with little notes. (And to keep our drinks straight at the weekend.)

Speaking of the weekend, I suppose I have a few hours left to enjoy, so I shall do exactly that!

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an apple a day...

School starts in a matter of days, so I've been scrambling to get ready for all of those young and eager minds that will fill the seats in my classroom come Monday. It'll be a challenge to figure out my schedule once school is back in session. I've enjoyed the luxury of etsying at will this summer, but that's going to have to change--it's already changing. I'm sad to give up so much of the time I've had to plan and create and reflect this summer, but I'm also looking forward to squeezing in as much of those activities as possible while getting back to my "real" job of teaching, which I do so enjoy.

I'm completely knackered after a day full of meetings and errands, but, being a girl of discipline, I forced myself to have a peak at etsy, the blogs I enjoy and some of my favorite flickr buds. And I'm glad I did, as I discovered that the sweet figments blog featured my apple earrings in an adorable cherry tomato red collage. Sweet Figments has been offline for a spell, and I am so please to see them back in business. Thanks, tiny fig!

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visitors

If I owned an actual shop (I mean a brick and mortar one), I could just imagine the excitement I'd feel if a gigantic tour bus parked right outside of my storefront. All of those visitors at once! The likelihood of a purchase dramatically increased. What a blessing!

Now, as I do not own a B&M shop, but just an etsy storefront, it won't make much of a difference if a tour bus parks in front of my door. (Although I do get excited when I see a usps/ups/fedex truck arrive.) To me, having a spot in a treasury that appears on the front page is my "tour bus". It's very exciting to "watch" all the visitors enter my shop "door" and have a browse (nevermind a purchase, whoa nelly!). I only wish I could greet them! (I guess you can tell I was sorta pleased with the analogy myself, Peach! :))

So, imagine my excitement yesterday when I was featured in two treasuries that graced the front page! I'm very grateful to elleabelle and PianoBenchDesigns for their masterful curating and for including me in their visions (and for etsy admin for choosing them):

Not only that, but one of the treasuries I curated actually made it to the front page yesterday as well. This brings satisfaction of another sort. I love watching a treasury I've created change form as people buy things from a treasury. And I get a kick of imagining how those sellers feel. It feels good!

Yet another bonus to the whole treasury shebang--I've met some really awesome people! It would be easy to feel isolated and out of touch with an online shop, I suppose, as you could manage to run your shop without interacting with anyone. But I actually feel like I'm part of a close-knit community. Making and commenting on treasuries has been a really fun way for me to get to know other sellers and buyers on etsy. It's also helped me add to treasures around my home, as sometimes I just can't resist snatching up a beautiful item before its one-of-a-kind-ness goes off to live with someone else!

To put it bluntly, I love treasuries. I love making them, viewing them, commenting on them, being inspired by them, and being featured in them. So, to whoever invented treasuries, thank you thank you thank you!

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this week's wants

It's Saturday, and time to get serious about some shopping! I'm going to risk getting scooped and let you know about a few of my favorites this week.

I've been eying this raku tea bowl by elm studios for a while now. It sorta reminds me of a geode. You know, those rocks that are really plain on the outside, but filled with gorgeous quartz crystals when you crack them open? The colors on the inside of this bowl absolutely captivate it. If (or rather when) I buy it, I'll probably just stare into it for hours!

This Jasmine top by VC2O is so sweet. I love how it looks here with a slim black skirt and I'm sure it would look equally fabulous with a great pair of jeans and my new boots!
May I have this dance? My hubby and I got married eight months ago yesterday. Like many, we took dance lessons beforehand so we wouldn't make fools of ourselves at the reception. For some reason, this Chateau Versailles 2 Petite Print by Cafe Baudelaire takes me back to our first dance In case you're wondering, no, hubby was not wearing breeches and a frock coat. But it takes eme back to that happy moment nonetheless. Plus, the colors are gorgeous.

I'm gradually learning how to work with metal. The more I do, the more I tend to notice and admire what other silversmiths achieve. I'm now thinking I should learn more about enameling. One look at the pretty pink enamel pendants on silver chain by Plum & Sage above and I think you'll know why. The blend of rosy pink and golden brown in the enamel is stunning (kinda reminds one of that gorgeous bowl above, huh?).
I posted a blurb a few weeks back about my new "studio" (I've commandeered most of our tiny sunroom). It's been great to have the space to myself and not worry about messing up other areas of the house (like the living room or dining table). But I feel things are getting a bit too messy for my taste, so I have begun to organize a bit. Today I bought a new shelft for my beads and a corkboard for tacking up inspirations and ideas. And right after I finish this post, I'm heading over to etsy to buy these tacky cork pushpins by uncorked. I love the idea of using another artist's work to organize my own!

Happy shopping!

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enter and win!

How would you like to win a little b-line of your very own? Head on over to subu's blog for today's contest. The winner will receive her very own rosalba bracelet, compliments of the b-line. Hurry, the contest ends at midnight, August 12th!

You should also spend some time in her shop on etsy, which features beautiful handmade notebooks and journals. I have somewhat of an addiction to office supplies (I think I've mentioned this before) as well as an attraction to handmade goods, and her items have me ooh-ing and ahh-ing!

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fashion friendly!

What a lovely surprise to find two of my pieces featured as the fashion friendly item of the week on Gilbea's Fashion and Handmade blog!

Thanks for the honor!

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let them eat cake!

Well, maybe not them. Maybe just me! Here's a glimpse of those yummy cupcakes I ordered from bangarang bake shop. The were absolutely scrumptious. I ate three different flavors, but only a (large) bite of each, as you can see. I promise. Lola's looking on with great anticipation (but I didn't share). I did share with my hubby and mom, though. I'm not that greedy!

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this week's wants

A glimpse at my wish list this week...

One of my first etsy purchases was the coco tee by roselabiche and I love it! Her sparrow hoodie is next on my list!

This print by ena and the swan really appeals to the wannabe dancer in me. Maybe this would help me cope with the loss of my weekly So You Think You Can Dance fix now that the season is over.
I love the rustic feel of this bracelet by gypsy studio. The brushed finish on the sterling silver gives it a sort of industrial feel that is softened and prettied up by the black flower and red beads. Have I mentioned my affinity for red? Oh, yes. Just the thing for that hoodie above, right?

After a little too much frivolous eating this summer, I'm on a diet. Don't get me wrong, though. I fully intend to dig in to the cupcakes that just arrived from bangarang bake shop! But other than that, I really do plan to be quite good. (I've got to fit comfortably back into those school clothes!) Though I wouldn't actually eat them, these polymer clay macarons by PetitPlat are about the portion I could "afford" (calorie-wise). Stephanie's work with polymer clay is absolutely mind-boggling. Not only do her creations look incredibly like the real thing, they are teeny! So precious! As someone who also dabbles in polymer clay, I'm always amazed at what she can do.

Actually, now that I'm thinking of those cupcakes, perhaps I'd better check on them. You know, make sure they're all right.

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new boots

But not mine! I'm a bit of a shoe fiend, if you must know, and I think it's starting to wear off on my husband. After graciously putting up with more than a few extravagant shoe and boot purchases over the last few years, I guess he's decided that since he can't beat my shoe addiction, he might as well join it. Thus, the sexy new Frye's he's sporting here. Now, when the temps cool off a bit, he'll actually be able to wear them (for more than a few hours in the evening)!

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oh, susannah!

Here's a perfect little number for autumn: susannah. I'm enamored with the warm, rusty tones of this clay, not to mention the fabulous tones and texture found in the mookite.
Despite going on ad nauseum about how I love fall, I am freaking out today, August 4th. How did it get to be August? I still have a ton of things I want to do this summer. And school starts in three weeks! Makes me nervous just thinking about it. I'd better go get ready....

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this week's wants

Oh, do I have some wonderful finds for you this week!

I'm always drawn to red, and my closet is proof enough of that. Sometimes I think I should cut back, give some of the other colors a shot, but then I see some thing like this Erin jacket by flutter. Completely gorgeous. Hi red, it's me. I'm back! (Can you blame me?)

Though I love clothes, and shoes, and accessories, I'm a pretty conservative dresser for the most part. This adorable barrette by sayooh really appeals to the nature-loving wannabe flower child in me. What girl wouldn't want to wear feathers in her hair?

Banana butterscotch cupcake with butterscotch buttercream frosting. Need I say more? Find them at bangerang bake shop!

I found these antique porcelain glove molds at bluebellbazaar. Perfectly charming! Wouldn't they look fabulous on your mantle? Or you could use them to display all of your lovely rings!

Enjoy the weekend,

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