nature jewelery by StudioBotanica

Don't you love jewelry themed around nature? This etsy seller incorporates actual bits of nature into them.

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[ Christy Beck's Etsy Profile ]

http://www.etsy.com/people/StudioBotanica?ref=owner_profile_leftnav

[ StudioBotanica Shop Page ]

http://www.etsy.com/shop/StudioBotanica

Holiday & post Holiday Polyvore sets

This is what I would have worn on the 25th, 26th and today, the 27th, if the internet was my closet:

Set 4 ( DEC - 25TH - 2012 )

set 3 ( DEC - 26 - 2012 )

Set 4 ( DEC - 27 - 2012 )

Sets by tiffany-gabrielle 

(follow me on Polyvore.com!)

music: GRIMES, BJORK, PEAKING LIGHTS

Prepairing for a big cleaning up day on this 23rd of December. Recently found out my boyfriend and I won't be able to move out into our new home (our first home) till end of JAN - beginning of FEB. SO. That means I'm stuck in my family home for a while longer, and to make the waiting period a little more endurable, I'm going to take on cleaning my messy messy room. I told myself I wouldn't touch it till we started actually BOXING. That's around when the build up started, so this isn't going to be an easy job. Gonna try and turn my space into a last minute cocoon. And since music helps when there is work to be done, my iPod needs to be prepared for full use today.

AND I JUST REALIZED I HAVEN'T EVEN TOUCHED MY iTUNES IN ALL OF 2012!!!! OUCH! I used to discover music once a month, two months max... Time to update this dusty old 3rd generation iPod touch.

GRIMES

GRIMES is a group I discovered recently via my Last.fm recomendations (as always) apparently from here in Montreal. Their video for Vanessa first caught my eye, then a re-listening of their song a week later caught my ear. (does that make any sense?)

BJORK

Fun and interesting old interview of Bjork I watched last night:

I first discovered Bjork by accident, listening to a song she made with Thom Yorke (I've seen it all), back when I was still discovering RADIOHEAD.  I liked her music and downloaded a few songs. Particularly, OXYGEN was a melody that became one of my favorite songs altogether. Even if I don't really understand the Icelandic lyrics, her voice and the instruments speak more than enough.

This song is extremely calming. It helps me to... in French I would say "elle m'aide à aérer mes pensées". Direct translation, it helps to air my thoughts. (I hope that makes sense). Which is ironic considering the title of the song. Downloading her entire discography or "MEGADISCOGRAPHY". 3G!!! 3 movies' worth of mp3s... Finally I will get to fully discover her music.

PEAKING LIGHTS

Particularly this song, KEY SPARROW.

POLYVORE set 1

 SET 1 - ( DEC - 22 - 2012 )  by  tiffany-gabrielle 

I just re-joined POLYVORE.com which is a website that allows you to make sets/collages of just about anything you'd like, mainly clothes, but limited at nothing thanks to their clipper tool that allows you to clip any image to their image collection. You can also search for previously clipped images to use in your sets. Had allot of fun on this website in the past. I used to make one set every single day of what I would wear on that day if the internet was my closet. 

From now on I will post my sets in this blog!

Deviantart groups + my art

Recently discovered DeviantArt.com's groups and the role they can play in getting your art known. If anyone reading this post has an account on DA and would like to take a look at my gallery, feel free to post anything you'd like into any group you'd like!

 http://luc1d-dream.deviantart.com/gallery/ 

Here's a fewexamples of what I've done over the years:

 

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Books: Mockingjay + Divergent

I just finished reading Mockingjay, the 3rd and last book of the Hunger Games series. I've been reading it very slowly for the past couple months, though always intrigued. Watched the movie twice and I can't wait to watch the other two with my boyfriend. I'm not aloud to spoil the other two books for him, so the next 1-2 years till Catching Fire and Mockingjay come out on the big screen are going to be tough for me! Ahhh!!

I would talk about this book... but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I will say this though: I can't say I was entirely satisfied with the ending. And I really wonder how they are going to interpret the whole thing in the movies. I think it's either going to be terrible or wonderful because it's probably going to demand allot from the film makers...

Anyway. So that's the end of the Hunger Games series for me. Now I'm in the beginning pages of DIVERGENT or rather DIVERGENCE for me, because I'm reading it in French. I got the book for less than 4$ at Walmart. My French teacher told me that in January we would be reading 15 minutes at the beginning of every class, so I figured it was luck: something interesting to read, something I can actually afford, something French. I think I only had a dollar or two remaining after that.

It seems to me that it will be allot like both THE UGLIES and THE HUNGER GAMES. It's about a 16 year old girl in a post apocalyptic world (Oh, would you look at that! Well whatever. It's a theme I enjoy.) and in this futuristic society, people are not grouped by their age / appearance nor by what they provide to a greater society by districts, but by their... I guess, values? Fortunately the choice is there, which society you want to belong to. I think I will enjoy this book.

Circles, Hello!

I feel like such an Etsy n00b. I've been an active Etsy member for about 5 years and I've had my own Etsy shop since August. Yet only now am I discovering what adding to circles is really about. I thought it was a request for some kind of personal friendship with other users and shied away from it. Turns out it seems that it is more a way to stay updated on this person's activity. Wow. Hello! Anybody in there?

So last night I started adding a bunch of people to my circle, and now this morning, after a night of nightmares and receiving an email I did not want to read (personal issues) I log on to Etsy to change my mind and in my feed I was happy to discover so many updates from so many people! Just started favoring and adding all over the place! Really did brighten up my morning. And so I couldn't help but feel the need to show off at least one of the items I found.

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Laurie Goldstein is a passionate ceramics artist (I hope I got that right!) working and living in Israel and amongst many other things, she made this charming little jewelry box. I am in love with these black floral designs, and the color & smooth appearance of the box. Anyone receiving this as a gift would be very lucky.

[ Laurie's profile ]

[ Lauriegceramics shop ]

[ jewelry box page ]

Patina Moon Necklace Verdigris Brass Smiling Face Pendant Moon Jewelry - N101

[ Item Page ]

( 3 in stock )

[ SilentRoses Shop ]

[ Mei's Etsy Profile ]

It's been a while I haven't promoted someone's item. I fell on this one and I knew I had to! It's so beautiful... Anything relating to the moon and stars somehow speaks to me. Maybe it's how important the night sky was to us when we were young and full of wishes. They fed us with so much hope and encouraged our dreams back then. A time when it seemed like everything would be possible when we'd grow up. Personally this period of my life still fills me with hope now that I am old enough to understand that my life is what I make of it, and that in this sense, anything is possible.

A symbolic gift. Too late for me! I picked my Christmas gift necklace, should arrive any day now. So I'm spreading the word for others.

Beautiful Boy iPhone case (New Zazzle Product)

This is a new iPod case up in my Zazzle shop! Worked on it during the second half of today, putting an end to the first weekend spent in Oli's company in well over a month. It felt really good, being in my element at the desk in my corner of his room, rather than on the dining room table at my family's house. A few hours of drawing, scanning, editing and uploading later, the Beautiful Boy design is now for sale as an iPhone cover. So far there is only an iPhone 5 version available but I'm working on getting the other iPhone cases available too!

 Link to "Beautiful Boy" iPhone5 page 

 Link to GabrielleCaramelle Zazzle shop 

Update about Etsy shop plans

[ SHOP  SHOPS  ]

It took a long time to decide this, but due to a conflict in themes blocking the possibility of new ideas long-term in conclusion, here is the new plan concerning the shop:

• 1st shop =  GabrielleCaramelle 
  Theme = interior decor
  Items = Sculptures, Kleenex Boxes, Jewellery boxes, Origami decorations, Collage wall art
  
  
• 2nd shop =  CaramelleBijoux 
  Theme = jewellery & jewellery making supplies
  Items = Necklaces, Bracelets, Destrash lots (recycled beads)
• 3rd shop =  CaramelleCrafts 
  Theme = Craft supplies
  Items = digi stamps (digital stamps / printable illustration designs)

 This will be my main project from now till when these arrangements have been made, so I will not be making many actual items for the next while.

Doodles & notes

Doodled on myself during class using a liquid eyeliner marker. My teacher noticed me examining the marker with a fully doodled arm (no suspission there!) and gave me a grin. In older times, this would have earned me an ear-pulling.

TGIF!

While doodling these I couldn't help but be reminded of Audrey Kawasaki and Ann Siems. Not that these things on my arms could in any way be compared to their art. I was thinking more of how they sometimes overlap designs on parts of their subjects, or use them as a background. It kind of looks like these designs are made with something different than what mainly fills out the image, or maybe it's just because they are uniformly colored, unlike the rest of the image. Their art is so realistic that it's amazing to have a surreal layer. It really adds something special.

I might try this idea of layering, I guess you could say, 2D designs with 3D subjects, just to see if what it gives and if I can find a way to incorporate more of my own personal style in this probably very common/popular concept. Once I find myself with both free time and my entire painting kit all in one place that is, which... might be a long while!!!

Candy, ice & wood.

 

Items added to my Etsy shop today

1) Gypsy Candy Recycled Bohemian Beaded Bracelet2) Icy Winter Elegant Recycled Beaded Bracelet
3) Wood Droplets Recycled Beaded Bracelet


I also re-beaded a few necklaces and adjusted their prices. They used to range between 9 and 19 dollars. And my bracelets were supposed to range between 5 and 10$. Here are the new solid prices:

Necklaces = 14$ each.
Bracelets = 6.50$ each.

* These solid prices are not yet applied to my necklaces, that need to be rebeaded and their pages modified all together. In time.

Effie Trinket makeup interpretation by Rachel Adler

I was looking up pictures of Effie Trinket from the Hunger Games movie. As much as it is made out to look disturbing in the movie in contrast to the places & situations going on, her style is really nice... really interesting and special to say the very least. If I had to call it something I'd call it Victorian Bonbon. I’m not usually into this kind of extravagant extra classy cheerful fashion personally, but it’s vibrancy and creativity is really refreshing.

Anyway, then I came across this photo. I think it’s a picture of a fashion blogger named Rachel Adler. And I just love love love everything to do with this photo. I love the red around the eyes, I’ve always been a fan of that. I love the freckles and I love the shiny metallic lips that match the eyes and make their natural color stand out so much. Reminds me of something stellar and mellancolic. Like a Pierrot.

I think all my art will have redness around the eyes from now on. I just love it. I know in real life, you're not supposed to put red around your eyes because it looks sickly, or at least it's the case in casual makeup. But I like it, formally and casually. Always have wherever I have seen it. And I have seen this stylistic concept allot. So I'll drop it into the collection of physical characteristics of the basic profile of my characters.

Metallic shine recycled beaded bracelet 15% off

“Metallic shine recycled beaded bracelet”

(with a 15% liquidation due to a minimal imperfection. )

I'm posting things at school, in the stairs of the entrance. Yeah, I know. Picture that: a girl with a laptop in the stairs of an adult education center. In college or university this probably wouldn’t be uncommon. But the computer-related work in this school limits itself to computer class and no one brings their laptops to school, so I’m sticking out like a sore thumb.

Will be spending the rest of the day at home working on my shop.
Yep yep yep.

Broken Ghost clothing

It’s still there…! The dress by BrokenGhostClothing on Etsy… it’s so pretty! Sigh… I wish I could learn to design my own clothes. (who am I kidding, I wish I could learn to make everything that is make-able.) I would see this with a pony tail and red tights with a red knit and lace up black boots. Wouldn’t that be pretty. Darn thing probably wouldn’t even fit me. Sniff.

Tooth Fairy Recycled Beaded Bracelet

Tooth Fairy Recycled Beaded Bracelet
http://www.etsy.com/listing/116321829/tooth-fairy-recycled-beaded-bracelet

Another item I posted last night. Cute, isn’t it? It seems my week days don't need to be entirely fruitless after all. What I -could- is leave the creating, photographing for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. And then the rest of the week, I post. With the images I have already on my computer. And post those to my social networks. (Publicity)

I think it's the best I can do.

Esmeralda Parisian style Beaded Bracelet.

The newest bracelet in my shop. I think this is my favorite of all the bracelets I made. I just love the colors. The bigger beads come from a necklace, and usually I only buy destash. But it was a really long necklace with nothing but little beads like these in it. Perfect for all kinds of different things. Look forward to making more jewelry with these beautiful beads.

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/60189843/

This is the bed cover Oli and I agreed on for the bedroom. We haven't gotten it yet, that'll have to wait till when we move out. But we chose. We were trying to go for something that would really modern up the room, and something unisex. This is perfect! I hope IKEA keeps their stock for long enough...

Krazy Glue

[ image source ]

According to my little research it turns out that when you're making jewelry with stretchy cord, you don't just tie it closed & leave it like that, you need to add a dab of glue to the knot. So I finally bought this. Krazy glue, Wallmart. Less than 4$, with a “pen” applicator. Perfect. Though I think I just realized that what I was looking for was “super glue”, not “krazy glue”. No matter, same thing, right..? Can’t wait to start working with it, though I don’t think I’ll have time today...

… Sigh.

Mugs

[ image source : Tranbina on Flickr ]

I wish I could make my own mugs too!!! I wonder how people do it… I think I should really look into that one day, can’t be too tough… I mean, anything is possible thanks to the teaching ways of the wise intertubes. (heh) I'm guessing it's allot more complicated than it looks. If at least I could just paint over an already made basic white mug, but all I have is acrylic paint. And that certainly wouldn't do. Washes right off.

AYASHA iPhone 4 case

Ayasha iPhone 4 Case from my Zazzle shop

Finished this a while ago yet I hadn’t posted it on Zazzle for some reason. Or Deviant art or anywhere. It was forgotten. So I posted it this morning and called it “Ayasha”. Because I was aiming for a touch of tribal when making this, I thought of naming it after an American Indian name. I looked up a list & of all the name meanings, this one, “little one”, spoke to me.

I was actually largely inspired by Fever Ray when I made this, even though I was mostly listening to PJ Harvey’s White Chalk album that I had just discovered,  which is…….. amazing.

I also posted this on Deviant art. Went to the store, came back, 5 views and a favorite. Better than nothing… I think I should go look for some more groups to be a contribute my art in.

Silver Shield Crescent Moon Locket for Christmas

The Etsy item I’d like to share today is this Antique silver shield locket necklace with vintage by InmostLight, and it is actually something I will be getting for Christmas! 

(InmostLight seems to be restocking these so my purchase doesn`t mean that this item has been snatched away for good! It is still available.)

My grandmother has my mom do her Christmas shopping and she just asks us what it is we’d like. I chose this because it’s beautiful, kind of reminds me of a mix of… well, in keywords, medieval, celestial, witchy, castle, gypsy, wizard, night, moon… you know, these words all mix into a kind of theme I really like. To me it symbolizes a part of me that goes back far, when I was a kid. A part of me that is more imaginative than anything. (Plus… it also kind of reminds me of sailor moon, okay!!!)

I’m sure my grandmother will be happy I chose a piece of jewelry. She likes the idea of sentimental gifts like these.

Knitting + change

Knitting this morning. Just a bit. It’s been months. I have this idea for winter cozies… Feels good to be doing something other than beading necklaces and bracelets, though I am also very much enjoying this new type of necklace I am making. 

Instead of bendable wire, I decided I will now be using transparent stretchy cord. Looks a hell of allot simpler to make and has many benefits for the person who will be wearing it.

Water Colors & Pen ink

Renée Nault's art. She has a Tumblr and an Etsy shop.

What a great idea. Mixing water colors with regular pen ink drawings. Well, capital duh to that. It’s a whole genre on it’s own and this is certainly not the first time I see this. I guess I just realized that maybe this would be a good way for me to finally start watercolors. Because the idea of watercolor paint worries me, and my attempts have been pretty bad. I guess I should concentrate on creating detail with the pen, not with the paint. At least as a start.

I can also tell (maybe? Maybe not?) that perhaps the artist used a method of... Blocking out the main shape and painting all over, then removing the main shape. I don't know if it just looks that way or if she really went around it but that soudns like a good idea none the less.

Another thing I love about this painting in particular is the tear drop. Kind of reminds me of a "Pierrot", which is... I guess some kind of French Clown from a song I've been tought as a child. (Au claire de la lune, mon ami pierrot.) This is a theme I love and inspire myself of allot.

(The popular image of Pierrot in the 80's. Painter = unkown) [ Image source ]
In this image you can see the tear drop I referenced. In many interpretations of Pierrot (costume wise, art wise...) there is a black tear drop on only one eye. I don't know if this was intentional or not in Renée's illustration but I thought it may have been a possiblity.