Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Thinking About Frida

The July Challenge for the Etsy Owls is in honor of Frida Kahlo, so I've really started trying to think about something unique and different. This challenge is going to be hard for everyone, because it does require some deep thought and creativity, but I feel like in many ways it's going to be harder than average for me since my main art form is crochet. What to do, what to do?



Anyway, in planning for this, I think I'm going to spend some time browsing through my Frida sketchbook and looking at some of my favorite Frida pieces. For some reason, I can't get Blogger to let me upload a photo, so for now I'll put in a link, but later, I'll add it in. My favorite Frida painting:

lo que el agua me dio

Monday, June 15, 2009

Spanish Civil War via Magnum Photos

I really don't spend enough time posting about things I'm passionate about. Some of you might know I spent 3 months in Spain last year, and came back with a great appreciation for a lot of the culture and history there, particularly some of the art and literature born of the Spanish Civil War (1936 to 1939) and the time after during the reign of Franco. Also my recent subscription to American Photo has really gotten me into looking at the work of others.

Anyway, I made my way to this because I saw Robert Capa's brother Cornell listed in the current issue of AP, and remembered that Robert had taken some photos during the war, so I set off to find them on Magnum Photos . These photos aren't all his, and also include work from others from the same time. I'll be sharing more soon!

Click on each photo to be taken to them on the website where there's a bit more of a description that what I'm giving here, as well as around 1000 more photos from this time.

David Seymour: Children seeking shelter from bombings in Minorca
David Seymour: Pablo Picasso w/ painting Guernica, Spanish Pavilion of Int. Worlds Fair (France, 1937)

Robert Capa: 1939, With Barcelona fallen, people evaculate for France for political asylum from Franco's regime.

Monday, June 08, 2009

Yart Sale Sneak Peek...

So, I'm working on planning what I want to do for the Yart Sale in my various shops, and here's what I'm hovering around thus far. Let me know what you think!


Dreambirdphotos:
$2 5x7 prints!
Yep. Every 5x7 in shop: $2. How crazy is that?? This is a $5 savings per photo.
Also available: $1 4x6 prints!





suenosdejmi
$5 fingerless gloves
$5, $10, and $15 scarves!
Average savings per item: 50% off!
Here are some of my scarves, check back later for exact sections to see the savings!




Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Go Wild with Etsy's Yart Sale!

Have you heard about the Yart sale?



It was started last year by one of the teams I'm in, the Etsy Supply Street Team. It started as a little bitty idea but expanded so much, and last year's Yart Sale was huge! It's basically a gang of people offering fantastic sales, think yard sale, but with gorgeous art instead of that junk in your garage :)


Of course, this year's will blow last years away, because this year's sale gets one of the coolest teams on Etsy- us! :)

We've decided to participate this year as a team, it won't be our entire team, but I'm hoping it'll be a good amount of us. You'll be able to see our items by searching etsyowlsteam + Yart and before the sale we'll post all of our sales on the blog for a look see, too!

If you're an Etsy seller, you should participate! For some awesome information on how to do that, check out the Etsy Supply Street team blog for all the latest information and also this very helpful article on the Storque!

See you at the Yart Sale!

Sale of the Week!

50% off Scarves! Buy two items (any two in shop) and get free shipping!!

Select scarves only in 'Extra large Scarves' section apply for 50% off discount. Prices have not been adjusted. Convo first or wait for a Paypal invoice before payment.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Have I shared my Cleolinda love here?

I don't know if I've posted this here, but a conversation in the HPKCHC on Ravelry reminded me of it. I haven't read it in quite a while, but Cleolinda's fantastic. She makes these awesome parodies, MoviesinFifteenMinutes, in which she, well, takes apart a movie in fifteen minutes of hilarity. My favorite of these all is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Seriously. Read it.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Summer Sale of the Week!!

Since the summer heat isn't very good for my line of business, I've decided to have a Summer Sale. Each week, I'll feature a different type of item on sale for the entire week. To start it off, I'm starting with my fingerless gloves!



Get any pair of fingerless gloves for only $5! That's 50% off on average, and $10 off of this pair!


Prices have NOT been adjusted so please wait for a Paypal invoice before completing payment or convo me for a special listing


Buyers from the US and Canada: If you purchase more than 1 pair, or any other item with the fingerless gloves, you'll get free shipping on your order!


This sale starts right now and will run until Sunday, May 31st at 10:00 PM Eastern. A new sale will begin at that time, and the Summer Sales will continue until August!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Just Popping In...

I really dislike that I let my blog go, sometimes for weeks at a time. I just wish there was more to blog about. My life is all about the Owls, the HPKCHC on Ravelry, and work. That's about it. lol. :)

Today was a nice break from the normal, as my bf and I went to see Star Trek with a friend of ours. Being that the movie theatre is (in another city) near a Hobby Lobby, I also side tracked and bought a bit of yarn. I needed to get Gryffindor colors for a House Unity project I'm doing in the Cup, but it turns out that what I ended up buying could've been purchased at my local WalMart.

Go figure.

I did get a gorgeous skein of green Caron, it's Simply Soft Shadows. It's neat because it's a solid color with a series of different colors twisted in. It works up gorgeous. Well, Shadows does. I've never used the green, but I did get a grey once, called Mardi Gras. It works up like this:




(Note that you can click that to see it still in my Etsy shop :))

This is the green version. Isn't it gorgeous?


I also bought KNITTING needles. Yep. I'm ready to try it again. (it was a terrible disaster last time). I'll be sure to let you all know how it goes, and also how my crochet projects are coming along. I'll be better, I promise! Happy crafting!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The tunes that move me...

Yup. You know it. Music feeds the soul. Here's what my soul's munching on lately.

WARNING. My music is strange, just in case you didn't know. :)

If it gives you that 30 second crap, there's a link in the top of the box that says 'play full song here' or something like that. just click that if you want to hear more.


May

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Found on Flickr: Pt 2

In Found on Flickr: Part 1 I talked about Gary Shrimpling and how his awesome photography knocks me off my feet. Once I got past staring at this photo in American Photo, there were so many other cool Flickr features to see!

I know a lot of people spend a LOT of time on Flickr just browsing around. I really haven't before, but recently I was introduced to some really cool things on Flickr. Things so cool that I think I might start browsing Flickr to see what else is out there. :) As soon as I figure out how...
What's a good way to find cool people on Flickr? Anybody?

Anyway. The American Photo spread of Flickr Superstars also features Lauren Rosenbaum Her photos are definitely different than Gary's, yet are just as if not more intriguing for some very different reasons. I mean, check this out.

She does this gorgeous set of self-portraits called 365, which is a year of herself and her camera. I definitely recommend flipping through it. As noticed in the photo below, she also takes a lot of really cool photos in (bathroom) mirrors. The below shot was 118 of 365. She really makes me want to grab my camera and go take pictures of myself, which is saying a lot because I tend to not like photos of myself.



If you take a look at some of her photos, you'll soon notice she's either capable of seemingly impossible feats such as levitating or holding her kids in one hand, or she's great with Photoshop. The magazine even goes in-depth with one of her shots and explains the process of how she ended up floating in midair. You can see a small version of this tutorial in her photostream as well. I looked through a good 100 pages of photostream for this picture in a size I could save. It's in the magazine and it makes me go ooooh...

These are some of my other favorites:



Please note: The photos used in this feature are all really low-quality versions of her photos. Visit her photostream and check these pictures out in better versions. I just looked through her whole photostream, and trust me, you won't be sorry!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

I'm Going Crazy!

I'm getting involved in so many things, I might be spreading myself too thin! But it's all fun stuff!

One thing I've joined is A Granny A Day. The object's simple: Make a Granny Square every day and share it. :) I've yet to share a square, but I'm working on my second one (I just joined a few days ago). I'm thinking I'll make a lapghan and sell it in my shop. Check out the awesomeness that's in this group, the color combinations are so inspiring!


Monday, April 20, 2009

Found on Flickr: Pt 1

I know a lot of people spend a LOT of time on Flickr just browsing around. I really haven't before, but recently I was introduced to some really cool things on Flickr. Things so cool that I think I might start browsing Flickr to see what else is out there. :)

A few posts ago, I mentioned that I'm a Maghound member, and that because of it I've fallen in love with American Photo. The May/June issue headlines 12 Flickr Superstars, and highlights some really awesome photography that's on Flickr!

This photo REALLY caught my attention, because it looked so tragic, and just a touch familiar. Turns out it's from the Atonement set, which photographer Gary Shrimpling was allowed access to after filming.



All of his photos that really catch my eye are Long Exposures, which I know so very little about but am so very captivated by. Here's a few more of my favorites of his extensive collection. Click on any photo to be taken to his photostream.





Saturday, April 18, 2009

Should I do a new layout?

I really like my 3-column layout, and I did a lot of work to get it to be the way it is, but now I'm wondering if I'm ready for something different. I've seen a lot of people with these layouts where the text is all on the left and then there are two columns of space on the right for links, advertisements, etc.

I've really noticed this is trending lately on blogs and I'm wondering what other people think of it. Two blogs of interest that I've noticed that are set up this way are Meet Me At Mikes and LillyElla
What do you guys think???

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Does anyone still do magazines?

I've always loved magazines. I love to pour over a particularly good issue of one of my favorite magazines over and over again. On the rare occasion when I find myself in Knoxville, I love to go into Borders or Barnes and Noble and drool over the massive collection of magazines.

Back in the fall, we found Maghound . Very much like Netflix, with Maghound you pay a monthly subscription fee and they send you X number of magazines of your choice each month. We were signed up for a while waiting on the site to launch. When we first started, we got 5 magazines for under $8 a month.

After a few months of getting magazines that I wanted to read but still haven't had time to (even now there are still several issues of Real Simple and Siempre Mujer are stacked underneath my coffee table waiting for me), we recently dropped down to an even lower package, 3 magazines for $4.95 a month. It's perfect for us, and between our monthly and bi-monthly magazine choices we share the three quite well. We have one magazine pick in common, Poets and Writers . Our other choices make us look somewhat like a small magazine store, my boyfriend getting Discover and National Geographic while so far I've tried everything from a crochet magazine, home & decor magazines, and a few spanish magazines just to practice!

One awesome Maghound feature is if you dislike a magazine, you can just swap it and you get a different magazine the next month. If magazines only come out bi-monthly or quarterly, you set up substitutes and those magazines come instead on the months that your regular magazines aren't around. With several of our picks being magazines that only publish bi-monthly, we've been able to try some new magazines out. I've found that I really like Real Simple, and I get it every few months when there's a substitute (it's on the top of the list). Even though I don't really cook, I also enjoy Saveur , a mouth-watering cooking magazine.

Last month, I decided to venture out on yet another new magazine journey and signed up to get American Photo . I've wanted to try this since the fall, and when it arrived yesterday, I fell in love immediately! So much in fact that I blogged all of this to preface talking about some things I learned about in A.P., which will be coming up in the next few days. So, I'm settling down, picking a regular magazine for a while. Alas, my days of Maghound magazine hopping are over. :) If you like magazines but don't have a lot of great ones in your area, (i.e. you live in the middle of nowhere like me!) or just don't have the time to go browse the bookstore, check them out! There are a lot of magazines that they do not have, but they do have quite a variety!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Amigurumi Madness :)

Since the warmer months are upon us, I've been looking for ways to still crochet but not make as many scarves. Lets face it, people just don't buy scarves in the summertime!

So, I've been working on various ideas including fingerless gloves (which are in many ways a year-round item) and amigurumi.

On my days off when I'm sitting at home doing lots of Owls and other Etsy stuff, I keep the television news on all day. All day long today I've been watching the outcry over the unveiling of Bo Obama, the new First Puppy, seen below. This is an adorable little doggie, and I think I could make the cutest little amigurumi version out of him, so I think I'm going to try it. :)



Also, a few weeks ago, I made Toledito (shown below) and when I did him someone mentioned making a Highland Cow version of him. I decided this might be the cutest thing EVER, so I added it to the to-do list. I mean, look at Toledito and then the below picture of a highland cow. Wouldn't it be the cutest thing ever?? We'll see!!




Monday, April 13, 2009

Since I haven't done this in a while...

Here's the latest political fodder on SNL. I love Biden. :)

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Spanglish Team: Miembro de la semana!

I'm a member of the Spanglish team and this week they are featuring auclairdelalune as their member of the week. Her shop's full of gorgeous clothing and other fabric items all made from upcycled fabrics. She rescues fabric and gives it a new life.

Check out her shop and also her blog at http://auclairdelalune2009.blogspot.com/

Sunday, April 05, 2009

For the Love of Frida...

There are some of the coolest Frida Kahlo-themed items on Etsy. I want them all, so much! Have I ever mentioned I love Frida Kahlo? I love Frida, seriously. Always have. This entry highlights some of my absolute favorites. Click on the pictures to see the listings on Etsy.

This one is from http://six06.etsy.com/ and is a print of an absolutely gorgeous painting! She's incredibly talented. I also have fallen in love with Loteria, it's not a Frida print but it's gorgeous, go look!



The below print is from http://teetee344art.etsy.com/ It is a print of an original painting as well, and I love the way you can see the texture of the canvas in the print. She uses some beautiful colors too!




http://minimalista.etsy.com/ is one of my Spanglish teammates, and I've loved her shop for quite a while! Her Viva la Frida tops and bags are just precious! Here's an example, but there's so many more than this one!


This is an art card from http://catboxartstudio.etsy.com/ She has an absolutely gorgeous shop full of prints, cards, jewelry, and other Dia De los Muertos and Frida Kahlo inspired pieces.


There are so many gorgeous Frida Kahlo themed items on Etsy, these don't even really begin to cover it. Click here to see a Frida Kahlo Etsy-search! Viva la Frida!

Thursday, April 02, 2009

TeamESST's First Weekend Shopping Extravaganza

The destash supply shop I have with presentsforpirates and knitandpearl-- PiratesDreamofPearls is a member of a supply Street Team on Etsy teamESST

Every month they have a First Weekend Shopping Extravaganza, where they host various sales over the weekend and invite other Etsians to participate. Participating at least one day is a requirement for the team, but the best fun is participating all weekend! Check out this Etsy thread for great specials all weekend long! And be sure to visit me too, I'm on the very bottom of page 24 or you can just see my specials right here!!

In my crochet shop, I'm offering 25% off your purchase and Free US shipping on orders over $20 (after discount) (Code FWSE in Notes to Seller) Sale ends Sunday night at 10:00 Eastern time! I also have a new 'on sale' section where the items are priced at 50% off original prices. This weekend you can get an additional 25% off those already reduced prices! Here's the section:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5002728&section_id=6042712

In PiratesDreamofPearls, I'm offering Free US shipping on all the times that are mine in the shop. Here's a link to them:

http://www.etsy.com/search_results_shop.php?search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_6155163&search_query=SDJ

Happy Shopping!
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