Another month has come and gone with only one post. Oh, Alcove, I had such high expectations for you. But, as I said in my last post, things were bound to be busy this month. I went from 17 sales on Etsy to 43, with several repeat buyers and two long-term commissions (one to a fellow Sherlockian, another a fellow fairy/folktale junkie…who better to be fans of my work??).
Here are two new creations that are now available as made-to-order in my shop. I do enjoy the notion of one person having the first editions of each fairytale set, and I’m so grateful for her support of my blossoming shop, and the inspiration her ideas have provided me with. Here’s a shout out to Cindy in Maryland:)
From Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid"
Tom and I are still keeping on. We’re busy working, laughing and eating (so. much. food.) and dreaming of being able to quit our day jobs. I’m finding all kinds of incredible work to be inspired by, and the work has been flowing at a pace that makes me wish my days (MY days…not everyone else’s) were 48 hours.
So I’m sitting here drinking my coffee this fine Sunday morning. And it occurs to me that this is pretty much the only time in my week where I’m in the same place at the same time. Having a blog is more work than I thought it would be with two full-time jobs (preschool teacher by day, Feltmaster (I wish…) by night!) So I really need to make a schedule for myself. As with everything, it will come in baby steps, so as my first blog resolution, I’m starting what many “Etsian” bloggers do, and that is having a section of their blogs for “Finds” from Etsy. There are many great things about doing this…it puts you in contact with other artists, you get to find new and exciting things happening in Etsyland, and the list goes on. So. Here are a few of my favorite finds from the past month:
From Crankbunny (New York, NY):
Custom message decoder card. (totally getting this for Christmas…maybe I’ll actually give it to someone other than myself)
Amazingly imaginative, beautifully crafted, and unabashedly wacky. The work speaks for itself. Just looking at it now is making me want to turn my sewing machine on and make a circus/carnival set.
In keeping with a dark, bohemian, Moulin Rouge-esque theme, I bring you Madame Scodioli …a shop with a sense of humor the size of Texas.
My Sherlockian tendencies lead me to love this one…
Definitely on my Christmas list…finding these in my stocking on Christmas morning would make me a truly happy woman.
Any writer knows that titling is an art, and can make or break the magic of what you’re creating. This wonderfully imaginative woman channels her inner-child in a way that makes me so happy. I’ll clarify…for as long as I can remember, I’ve imagined myself into historical scenarios. I freely and proudly admit that if a time-machine were ever invented, I would be the first in line for a ticket. Not to go back to a single place forever, but to explore and find out little details of everyday life in past decades and centuries. Obviously, as I got older, darker details filled in (so no, I was not a five-year-old imagining myself into a house of ill-repute…) and I read everything I could about any era or place I came across while reading fiction, so that I could imagine every detail of what I was reading. Weird? Yes. But to make a long story short, I feel Madame Scodioli is a kindred spirit in this way…and I got all of this from shaving soap, aftershave and perfume. That’s great marketing.
Finally, and I’m going whole-hog on this Curiosity-themed post, I give you Renata & Jonathan. This fabulous team immerses itself in history, antiques, and whimsical beauty in a way that makes the art history major in me sing.
A shadowbox neclace…one of their many, and probably my favorite of the lot.
I’m a total sucker for literature-themed…anything…but Jane Austin jewelry? Yes. please. Though I really love all of their wax-seal pendants.
And something from Jonathan…I spent many a happy afternoon while I was a student in Kansas City embroidering or felting to mini-series and documentaries. Ken Burns’ The Civil War was one of my favorites. This facet of my many-sided nerdiness adores this portrait of Ulysses S. Grant.
On top of all of this beautiful work, they seem like really wonderful people. I had a nice little exchange with them on Twitter after I followed them. Come to find out, they thank everyone who follows them. With almost 800 followers, this is no small thing…it’s inspiring to know of people with large followings who still take the time to acknowledge someone who is just starting out.
With this, I bid you a happy Sunday…it’s time to break open the decoration boxes and start getting into the spirit of the season.
Handmade by Aly Parrott 