Thinking of Easter: A Moodboard

Multicolor Birds Mobile - Crochet Pillow Cover - White Silk Blouse - Ruffle Peg Bag 

Even if these pieces were not designed specifically with Easter in mind, they still remind me of this celebration of Love and Peace. That mobile by Cherry Garden Dolls is the cutest thing you can imagine - I would definitely want it for my own baby! The crochet pillow by katrinshine is a very nostalgic thing for me as it reminds me of my great grandmother who was a master of crocheting. The clothespin bag by Duni Studio is full of shabby chic; those roses are irresistible! And, of course, our floral blouse from vintage silk... just a nice blouse, lovely to the touch, that can be dressed up or down. 

Lampwork Bead Set for Pandora

This is a traditional post of thanks - this time to Aimée Milan of PolychromeBeads on Etsy,  for the lovely set of handmade lampwork beads. I put them on my multi-cord khaki Pandora bracelet and I believe they look perfect there. They are like a tiny garden on my wrist. Aimée  is a self-representing artist and makes the beads in her studio, herself, which makes them much more interesting to me than mass-produced components.

Thank you, dear Aimée! I will be back, as, of course, I need many more beads! Best of luck to you and your shop!

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Misty Forest Moodboard

It gives me a lot of pleasure to browse beautiful handmade and vintage items on Etsy. Many of them induce interesting associations. Today I saw these beautiful felted flowers by Roltinica and thought of enchanted forest, full of milky mist and soft shadows, in the dim light coming from the white clouded sky. 

I had the irresistible urge to find a picture of forest to suit the description, and found just what I needed - a dreamy forest, where you cannot tell reality from illusions (www.khoras.net).

...After uniting the two images in a collage, I realised they needed something else. Something to gleam softly - a lost treasure - maybe a strand of pearls lost by a princess who travelled here or a nymph living somewhere deeper in the forest. However, no explanations are really needed; the pearls just needed to be there, and the lovely keshi pearl necklace by Arctida was perfect in its organic beauty. 

This is what they call "moodboard" - a funny name. To me, this is a more sophisticated stage of window shopping. I play with the items, put them close to each other and think about associations. I try to make a beautiful combination. Then maybe I will buy something (I know I can always find a use for a pearl necklace with great luster, and the flowers are lovely), or maybe not, it does not matter. It is the process that gives pleasure.

Winter Tale of Lisa Evans

Lisa Evans (http://firefluff.com) is one of my favorite now living illustrators. The atmosphere she creates is like nothing else. I am looking at this print and memories are coming - memories of moonlit winter nights when I was looking out of the window to see that the whole world was covered in clean glistening snow and the huge benevolent moon was reigning above all, and my room would be almost as light as in the daytime. It felt like magic and gave me a chill in the stomach - expectation of something new, exciting and wonderful. The familiar things around me looked alive and different in this cold and even light.

As a rule, the moon looking into the window at night feels disturbing to me, but Lisa's moon here is so kind, even if a bit stern - like a loving grandmother - and there is no sense of alarm and fear. But this is no time to sleep, either, because everything around is so alight and alive. This might be the time to leave the bed, shake off the sleep, pull on your clothes and run out, to meet some adventures! The toys will follow you to help and protect.

Sophie and the Moon

My Etsy Steampunk Finds

I love steampunk style, I must confess. I cannot say that I am a big fan of steampunk style literature and films - I mean, I do not try to see and read everything there is - but I love the style, the atmosphere and accessories. 

The mixture of modern and antique, the flair of Victorian style and the endless possibilities for recycling, upcycling and reusing have to appeal to me, as I love vintage things and the idea of re-using instead of wasting. And at times I feel a bit fed up with the glare and glitter of new things which are sold at clean glistening shops. I really long for something old, enigmatic, covered in patina and cobweb, and maybe bearing some unreadable inscriptions - secret scribbles - and where do I find that dark and dusty Old Curiosity Shop? Certainly not in my home city. But now, when we have Internet, we have more possibilities. Etsy Marketplace is one of them, and I love browsing it (yes, I am also a renowned window shopper; I try to buy less, but I enjoy browsing).

Here I have a small collection of steampunk items from Etsy sellers who make things themselves. These are all real people who work from home, and I find their items much more interesting than faceless mass produced goods.

Downloadable steampunk alphabet letters. You might use them for a banner if you are having a steampunk party or wedding, or for some crafting, like for your own packaging. They were drawn by a professional graphic designer. I like their aged appearance. 

Steampunk Alphabet Initials Letters by KarisaGraphics

A mechanical cat brooch. The cat is full of gears and I think it is cute and funny. It would probably drink luboil instead of milk. Yes, I do prefer real animals, but a robo-cat is an interesting concept and looks beautiful. Just think of all tiny elements inside a living cat - all that complex mechanism which makes it alive - any robot will seem crude and clumsy.

Gears Cat brooch - steampunk jewelry by Citrus Cat

The combination of an old rusty skeleton key and smooth prehnite beads with their dreamy  glow is irresistible. A very fine example of steampunk. It makes me think of things which deteriorate - everything made by humans, like this key - and the eternal life and beauty of nature. 

Vintage key necklace with pale green prehnite by Lenamer

A very vintage looking lace cowl with decadent roses and ribbons, a perfect mix of pastel shades and textures. If I needed a steampunk costume, I would certainly want this cowl. In combination with a plunging neckline, it looks very edgy. 

Crochet scarflette cowl by AllMadeWithLove

This is a beautiful piece of jewelry which is actually forever. A timeless piece, it goes equally well with a suit or jeans and t-shirt. I love its wavy structure - an unexpected twist. It must be nice to wear it to the office, as something alive and different to complement that very formal attire. In the most boring meeting, he can look at his bracelet and think of you.  

Men' chainmaille bracelet from oxidized sterling silver by Arctida

A vintage pocket watch is a must for a true steampunk lover. This shabby looking watch is from the Soviet Union which makes it even more interesting. Oh, there is a huge potential for writing post-Apocalyptic stories set up in the post-Soviet environment. Please do not take me wrong, I am fond of our history, but all those huge factories (many of them dead now), and mines (also many dead), and a number of dead towns (I have seen some of them) present a great environment for writing, filming or just walking around and taking pictures in steampunk style... if you are not too afraid. So, vintage Soviet pocket watch is a great steampunk find! 

Vintage Soviet Pocket Watch MOLNIJA by GeorgiVintage

The bathyscaphe vase. This is probably one of my favorite items ever. I adore the contrast of rough surface, looking like rusty welded metal, and smooth glass. The round window provides insight into the depths of unknown, dark and secretive. And above these gloomy secrets, above the rusty metal and cold glass, we have those flowers, so alive and lovely, like a symbol of nature which survives the unreasonable humanity. 

Steampunk urban vase from recycled glass by GrimMe

Ah, the stunning bisque doll twins. They are so pretty and innocent, certainly there must be some mischief in them, and twins are always special, are not they? Sometimes they look quite eerie. These are vintage replicas of much more old mignonette dolls, and they are exquisitely beautiful. No, I do not expect them to turn into blood-sucking monsters, they are just artist hand made dolls, but unusual and with lots of character. The painted stockings do make them look a bit strange, in my view. All for the better. 

Vintage mignonette twin dolls by MulberryTerrace

Spring Flowers for Sister and Daughter

As is my custom, upon receiving from Etsy something that I like very much, I am writing this appreciation message. This time I have the pleasure of writing about a ring and a barrette that I bought for my daughter and sister. They are from Mariya, a Russian artist who lives in Kursk, who has a shop named Sweetpinkbox on Etsy.

Mariya makes lovely items from artistic clay, sculpting all by hand. I know a bit about how she works from her Facebook page, where she shares photos of the process sometimes. I am amazed at the fineness of the detail, beauty and subtlety of these pieces. I have been watching them for a while, and finally decided we needed to buy something and see it in real life, touch and use it.

First I chose a ring for my 14 years' old sister. I know she will love it (will give it to her today). These tiny flowers in spring shades have to be loved. By the way, the grass-like substance is packaging, which is a nice detail, and also the ring has its own organza bag. And the size is adjustable. The shank is of good quality, sturdy and well-made.

Second, because I have a 8 years' old daughter, of course I had to buy something for her, too. I chose a barrette with dogwood flowers. They are larger in size but just as lovely. I adore dogwood and have a vintage sterling brooch with it. Now Madina will have something to match. The clasp works well and I think it will last.

As for the clay elements themselves, they feel quite sturdy and strong - not like dry dough, but rather like somewhat stiff leather. I inquired about their longevity before purchase and Mariya explained that this clay is quite durable and "is easier to cut with scissors than to break". It certainly feels like that. Of course we still need to be careful with these items - keep them dry, not to leave in direct sunlight for a long time, not to hit hard against things - but "real" jewelry also requires precautions, so this is only normal. Let the girls train with something not so expensive (but very pretty and well-made) first. 

It is a dark rainy morning here, so the photos are quite dark, too. I even like it, as this light lends that special early spring atmosphere to the lovely flowers, as if I was walking in the garden after the rain, and they were there, still wet and cool to the touch. (By the way, I want to mention that the seller's photos are true to life and show the products very accurately), I like these little works of art, and I like the fact that I bought them directly from the artist, a very nice young woman who has a small son, who works a lot and continues her artistic education. This makes things feel more alive and personal, much better than in case of a mass made product. In the end, jewelry is a very special thing for women - even for little ones.

I hope that Katherine and Madina love these little presents and take good care of them and enjoy them a lot. Thank you, dear Mariya of the Sweetpinkbox! I guess we will be back for more!

Yelena Merener and Her Unique Handmade Jewelry

It is always interesting for me to see how things are done. How beautiful silk ikat fabric is woven, comfortable walking shoes are made, cakes with meringues and whipped cream are baked and assembled, dogs are trained without stress and pain, lovely perfumes are mixed... the list is endless.

It is like magic, when a person who knows how to do something takes the components and turns them into something new and whole. It is fascinating to watch my mother calculating and drawing a pattern for a new dress; I loved to watch my father making a bowl from clay, and then colouring and baking, so that the unstable raw material turns into a strong and shiny ceramics which can last virtually for centuries.

Jewelry is no exclusion. I have a soft spot for jewelry and love to be able at least to peek at the process - even if only in the photos. Yelena Merener, an Israeli jeweller, has shared photos of he working process, taken by Alexandra Efremova. These photos very well convey the concentration, precision and care invested into the jewelry making process. And of course it also takes creativity, artistic vision, taste for beauty - you name it.

The outcome of this hard work is an eco-pendant with a very touching little elephant, fully handmade from recycled copper and sterling. A perfect gift for those who love animals.

Another piece of animal jewelry by Yelena Merener which I loved is this owl pendant which she called her guarding spirit - and she is ready to give it to the others for protection. It does have a very kind and soothing appearance, does not it? I love those labradorite eyes which seem to emit a light of their own, and the wings opened for embrace.

Yes, to me it is a kind of magic that someone can make beautiful things from cold and hard metal at her small workshop at home. For me, this seems almost impossible, but this is what Yelena really does and enjoys doing. Below is a very striking pendant with turquoise-like blue howlite and beautiful textured metal which mimics the natural pattern in the stone.

You can see more photos of Yelena's working process and more of her jewelry at her Facebook page called Unique Jewelry. She sells her work on Etsy, in her shop called LenaMer. I am thinking of asking her to make a Malinois pendant for me; I am sure it would turn out great! and maybe a matching collar tag for Jager, so that he does not feel neglected.

Holiday Wreaths by Mindie Lue Gifts

There is one tradition in the West that I regret we do not have. Actually there might be many more than one, but this time I am thinking about decorative wreaths. They are so beautiful! I guess they are more for private houses than for apartments - I do not know where I could hang one in our flat - so my interest in them is purely abstract now. Still, I look at them now and then, admiring their rustic feel and richness of colors. I love both autumn and Christmas wreaths - they all have their own charm.

For instance, this autumn beauty with leaves, flowers, berries and even a lovely embroidered pumpkin. A feast for the eyes! I love everything about harvest, autumn woodland and fields...

This Christmas wreath with bright decorations and an elegant organza bow is very elegant and sophisticated. I always love green and gold together. The large poinsettia flower adds even more festive mood to the already bright

And now my favorite -green with red and white. Ideal harmony of colors and shapes, this is the one I would like to own! The striped balls - do they represent candies? They are candy-like.

After looking at these, I think I could make a small wreath for us - it will be an interesting project... I will see if we have tiny pumpkins and corn here. Leaves we do have, that is for sure!

The wreaths are from MindieLueGifts.

Looking for a Sterling Dogwood Flower

I love dogwood, with its perfectly simple and elegant flowers, and regret we do not have it here. I thought it would be nice to have at least an artificial flower, a beautiful copy of the real thing, so I have been looking at sterling dogwood flowers on Etsy for a while.

There were some beautiful silver dogwood flowers, like these ones, by Stuart Nye.

 (MaejeanVINTAGE)

A beautiful and elegant set, somewhat Japanese in appearance - so regular, with precise lines and perfect symmetry - like a ritual piece. It dates from 1950s/1960s and is a beautiful example of Stuart Nye sterling jewelry. As far as I know, this designer was most famous for his dogwood jewelry, and I can see why. It is so clean, stylized and striking in its simplicity. Somehow it looks very serious to me.

I contemplated buying a set or a single sterling dogwood flower by Nye, but decided to keep looking. I wanted something more life-like, botanical, accurate in all lines and details. 

Then, in handmade jewelry section, I found this lovely dogwood necklace: 

(AutumnSunJewelry)

Even though it is also much stylized, it looks more relaxed and playful than rather formal flowers by Stuart Nye. However, even though my first finds were beautiful, I was determined to find my perfect dogwood flower - something which would strike me as being the one, that very piece I needed. 

I turned to the vintage section again, hoping that old masters would provide me with a realistic botanical piece. And there I found this dogwood antique silver spoon necklace:

(WoodsEdgeJewelry)

That was some spoon! The pendant is two inches across!  The repousse is amazing: it could come from an antique botanical print (Jacques le Moyne?), so exquisite and with a lovely patina. I loved the design, but wanted something smaller, to be able to wear it to the office. 

And finally I found this. The ideal dogwood flower, so light in appearance, so effortlessly elegant, with its clean lines and minimum of details. The satin petals with softly drawn lines are amazing. The asymmetry makes it look alive and trembling in the wind.

 
 (WeLoveVintageJewelry)

The listing says it is by Harry S. Bick and son: this was a business located in New York which was active from 1940s to 1980s. However other sources say that this mark - HSB with a line through it - was used by a Danish silversmith Hans Saugmann Bjerregaard, who designed between 1921 and 1937. I am not sure at the moment what information is correct, and will do more research on the subject. In the meantime, I just enjoy looking at this tiny piece of art. 

By the way, there is a similar brooch for sale here, at  Silversafehouse, and it is even cheaper than what I have paid. Fortunately I do not need another one. There are also earrings from the same set at Rarejewelsvintage.

Now, I am thinking that owning a sterling rose would be nice, too. So far the ideal sterling rose necklace for me is this one, by the same designer, whoever he was: 

(NeedleInTheHey)

These roses and stems and leaves are so amazingly detailed - you could almost use it as a teaching aid - but only "almost". They do not copy the nature, they retell it, and is not it what the art is about? 

I am only sharing it because I cannot afford to buy more jewelry now. However, lovely Mary has made a COUPON CODE for a 10% DISCOUNT specially for me and my readers - MULBERRY10 - thank you, Mary! Check her shop, NeedleInTheHey; there are many other beautiful items in addition to these roses.

New Life of My Antique Brooch

I bought this antique brooch made from angel skin coral a while ago; I love Japanese style in art, and I love corals, so there was no chance for me to resist. 

Daisy of the ReadyMadeJewelry kindly reserved the brooch for me for a couple of days, and then shipped it quickly, and it was very well packaged, too. I am very happy with the transaction and I recommend this seller without a hesitation.

The brooch was lovely but it was difficult for me to wear, so I had it remade into a pendant. It took several months, as my jeweler needed to think and to wait for inspiration (and also she is very popular and has a lot of work to do), but finally I received the ready pendant and I am very happy with it.

It is made from sterling with gold and enamel accents and looks gorgeous on. I am afraid my photos do not do it justice, but I will show some photos on a model later.

So, once again, thank you Daisy - I am glad I found your shop, and I keep watching for your new finds.

A Vintage Rocking Horse from Renee's Retro

This vintage wooden rocking horse is from ReneesRetro on Etsy. The moment I saw it, I realized I had to have it, to put it on my dressing table, just like this:

I love horses, and rocking horses in particular. I never had such a toy as a child, and my own daughter is indifferent to them, so I now have a mini version for myself, to marvel at. It comes from an Italian family and has no markings - possibly self-made. 

Renee was amazingly kind; she gave me a discount, and even sent a lovely present for my daughter - a necklace she made together with her granddaughter. Madina is proudly wearing the necklace to her kindergarten. So, this was a great experience overall - dear Renee, thank you so much! I am coming to your shop now and then to look for more treasures.

Winter Sun at Casa De Gato

I received a package from Galia Grayevsky of Casa De Gato - it was in December, I just somehow could not write about it sooner, but better late than never. The package was full of lovely things, from the crocheted snowflakes above - I love them so much! - to hair clips for my daughter who now does not part with them (she even manages to wear the two together sometimes) -

...and a lovely strawberry nursing necklace for my sister in law who has recently given birth. Lily loved the necklace and wears it all the time; she has already washed it once with baby soap, and it survived the procedure without any damage, just as we were told. It looks lovely on Lily, with her bright eyes, white skin and black hair.

All in all, we found something for everyone (save for men) in CasaDeGato.etsy.com and are very happy with the items and great service. Now Galia is expanding the range of styles introducing crocheted jewelry (in addition to more specialised nursing necklaces). I do not wear costume jewelry, but in this case I was surprised to find that I really liked the wooden crocheted necklaces and could (with pleasure!) wear this one, for instance:

It is so elegant and sophisticated, and would raise no brows in our office; moreover, I am sure all of the ladies would be thrilled with it. I guess I need to expand my horizons a bit. There are many things to love at Casa De Gato!

Katherine's Enamel Bracelet by A Fine Line on Etsy

This is something I should have written a while ago, but somehow I could not get everything together. By "everything" I mean myself with my camera, my sister and her bracelet we gave her for her 12th birthday last November. But finally we have met and at last I am writing this.

I always try to write about purchases which made us happy, and we were especially pleased with this particular find. I was looking for something to give to Katherine - something to last, unlike countless mass-market dolls, child's cosmetics, hair clips etc. - and I decided to look for affordable vintage children's jewelry. I was thinking of something in the range of 50 dollars and was looking at vintage silver bracelets on Etsy.

Then I found this lovely bracelet - Child's Sterling Silver and Guilloche Enamel Heart Bracelet with Handpainted Roses, it was called in the shop - and the moment I saw it, I realized we had to have it. Only it was more than two times more expensive than my perceived budget. I tried to look for more affordable items, but I kept coming back to look at this lovely piece and finally decided to write to the seller and ask if a discount was possible. 

Jana Robers Nelson, the owner of that shop named eyessayall (A Fine Line) was amazingly kind to me. She gave me a very substantial discount, packed this bracelet really well and shipped it promptly. It arrived well before the birthday date, and both my mother and me were much tempted to give it to Katherine earlier, to see how she reacts. However we have not done this (although my mother has done a similar thing on many occasions) and she received her present on her birthday.

She loves her bracelet and wears it all the time. I am sure she would wear it to the swimming pool and to her Taekwondo club if we allowed her. Frankly, I would wear it myself if it fit me - I like it so much, these delicate enamel hearts with pink roses on cream background.

Jana is a wonderful seller and an extremely nice person. Her shop is full of beautiful and unique things, and I especially love her beautiful enamel pieces. There are guilloche  lockets and brooches, earrings and necklaces, a lovely spoon, and so much more! She also offers Anri wooden figurines which look as if they came directly from a fairy tale. It is easy to find something to love there - this is a very nice shop with lots of individuality.

Dear Jana, I want to thank you again for this lovely bracelet; Katherine is also thanking you and wishing you all the best. We hope to be in touch!

Thank you, my Secret Santa!

The Russian Artists' Team on Etsy traditionally plays 'Secret Santa' game, and I took part for the first time. It was very exciting and I received a lovely gift from DemyBlack - these handmade earrings with Czech glass beads. The textured metal contrasts nicely with smooth glass which looks almost like Oregon Sunstone due to the shiny metal particles. The earrings are unusual but very easy to wear as they go well with so many things. I have already worn them and received lots of compliments; I was actually asked to share contacts of the artist so I do not have DemyBlack's card anymore, but I remember the address very well: DemyBlackDesign.etsy.com.  Thank you very much for the lovely gift!

(the last photo was taken by my daughter)

Tourmaline Earrings by Gray Cat Designs

I have to boast about the tourmaline earrings I received from lovely Caroline of Gray Cat Designs (graycat26.etsy.com) - are not they gorgeous? Unfortunately my pictures do not do them justice; I am very bad at photographing jewelry.

These are bright and sparkly little pieces, full of saturated and clean little faceted tourmaline beads on oxidized silver wire. Caroline called them "Rose Garden" and they indeed resemble one - a very Victorian garden, seen in the evening, when all the stems and branches look almost black in the fading light, but  flowers almost have a light of their own. It is probably autumn - the garden lacks the feeling of crispness and freshness of spring, when everything is light and new, leaves and petals look like washed and starched, and soil seems to be bursting with energy. Instead, the colors are more of a vintage palette, telling about ripeness and mellowness of autumn, darker shades, richer fragrances with fruity notes. There is still time till winter to enjoy the walks in the garden. "Season of mists and fruity mellowness...".

..I know, sometimes I get carried away. I probably love jewelry too much - I invent all sorts of stories about pieces I own! Now I want to say a big "Thank You!" to Caroline, who has made this exquisite pair of earrings for me, and I know I will wear them a lot - I like them so much! They also go well with so many colors, it will be easy to wear them. My sister wants to borrow them sometimes, too - everyone likes them!

The earrings arrived very fast, and they were packed in the most exquisite way - there was an organza bag, then a nice little box with Gray Cat Designs business card on top, and inside there was a tiny black velvet pouch for the earrings. The pleasure of opening, unfolding, shaking the earrings out of their velvet pouch to cradle them in the hand, marveling at the colors!

Caroline is an amazingly nice person, and a pleasure to communicate with. I enjoyed the whole process immensely, and I regret about being a very lousy correspondent from time to time. Dear Caroline, thank you very much and sorry about not writing back sooner! Merry Christmas to you and everyone!