October Fest Free Worldwide Shipping Sale September 30, 2008

2Monkees is participating in the October Fest Free Worldwide Shipping Sale.  Go to my shop, decide which handmade items you can’t live without, purchase at least $20 US and then wait for me to send you a revised invoice before paying.

Heather Knitz has a complete listing of all the etsy shops that are participating in this fabulous sale.  Each shop has different guidelines so be sure to read their shop announcement to get all the details.

I am on Livvy Lu Design September 29, 2008

Look at me!  I am on Livvy Lu Design, the very cool blog by the talented artist behind Livvy Lu Design Jewerly.  This blog features all kinds of informative posts about different crafty projects-anywhere from knitting, sewing, doll making etc.  It is very interesting and even offers some tutorial videos from YouTube.

Tracey shows glimpses of her new designs and upcoming projects.  She also has interviews with other etsy artists.  Check  out her blog to see  her latest creations and learn more about the talented artists on etsy.

Diffraction September 26, 2008

With the Holiday season right aroung the corner, my thoughts turn to presents, parties and people…..all the shopping, all the events and all the friends and family I get to connect with.  The time between Thanksgiving and New Years is my favoirite of the year.  I love how the world puts on all it’s finery to celebrate and connect with family and friends.

This year, I am toying with the idea of a Holday party.  I don’t know if I will actually be brave enough to host one but I like thinking about it!  One of the issues that always seems to rear up at parties is keeping up with your cocktail.  I inevitably set  down my glass of Cab to sadly watch it walk away with the sparkly dressed vixen from down the street.  I know wine charms have been around for a long time but I absolutely love these unique leaf shaped wine charms from Diffraction.  These charms are so detailed and realistic it is amazing!

The artist behind these charms prints her orginal photographs on sturdy plastic and then painstakingly cuts them out.  She uses the shapes to make wine charms, earrings, pendants and rings…. all with the same detail and beauty you see here.  To find out more about this talented artist, visit her blog at www.dif-fraction.blogspot.com.

Absent Blogger September 25, 2008

I have been a total neglectful blogger- not that this hasn’t happend before- but this week I actually have a good excuse.  Tonight is The Baby Blues Connection  (BBC) Volunteer Appreciation Wine Tasting and Auction and I have the pleasure of not only attending the event but also helping get everything ready for the auction.    It has been exciting cataloging all the donations and seeing all the support of this growing organization.

Baby Blues is an amazing grassroots organization that provides support, information and referals for women who are experiencing Post Partum Depression.  BBC has a 24 hour message line staffed by volunteers who have been trained to support women suffering from Postpartum Depression.  They also offer regular support groups  where woman can talk with other women experiencing similiar symptoms.  BBC is based in Portland, Oregon but their website offers valuable information and resources for woman (and their partners) who live outside the area.  Please visit their website to gain more information on this very necessary organization. 

Note to Self- When a Recipe Calls for Lard Use Lard! September 23, 2008

 My husband and I are part of Dinner group that meets every other month. There are 10 couples in this group and we each take a turn hosting the dinner.  The hostess decides on the theme for the dinner and then assigns a reciped to each attendee. (And each family is required to bring 2 bottles of wine to match their dish.)  We have had some really amazing dinners- Mardi Gras, Spanish Tapas and Northwest cusine just to name a few.  It seems that everyone goes out of their way to do a good job with the recipe they are given.

Last Friday night was our dinner group and the theme this time was fresh Mexican…. very yummy!  Unfortunately for everyone else, I was assigned to make the dessert.  I am usually a pretty good cook but this was a disaster.  I was suppose to make a traditional Mexican anise cookie with brandy but the recipe called for two cups of lard.  I could not wrap my head around using lard in cooking, so I decided to look for an alternative.  A few friends suggested I try Crisco and then one friend gave me the name of an organic vegetable shortening.  Organic, I thought, this has to be good.

I was suppose to mix up the dough and then roll it out and cut the cookies in beautiful fleur di lys shapes.  My first hint that something was wrong came when I noticed the dough was basically in crumbs.  It had no cohesion to it.  I bravely ploughed on thinking that maybe if I just started rolling it the dough would magically stick together.  This did not  happen!  When I went to roll the dough, it would crack and break apart.  I eventually gave up and decided to squish the dough together into balls, mush them with a fork and hope for the best.  You can see the results in the first picture-  Lots of ugly cookies with crumbs.  Oh well, at least they tasted good!

Love Etsy Feedback September 19, 2008

Have you seen the Love Etsy Feedback blog?  It is a great site to keep up with talented etsy artists.  Love Etsy Feedback features different etsy artists, many of whom host giveaways on the site.  The blog talks about the artist’s craft and the feedback they have received on etsy. 

This week 2Monkees is participating in one of their  giveaways.  Here is your chance to win your choice of any one of 2Monkees adorable  scrabble tile pendants! There will be 2 winners and each winner will get their choice of any 1 scrabble tile pendant and a chain. (Your chances of winning are double so click on the Love Etsy Feedback link above.  Enter your comment and sit back and wait to be notified of your winnings!)  Contest ends at Midnight PST September 25th 2008.

Bottled Up Designs September 18, 2008

I decide to step away from the usual today and feature an artist who is not on etsy.  Imagine my delight when I discovered Bottled Up Designs.

Laura Bergman, the creative force behind Bottled Up Designs, has always been an avid collector of antique bottles and glass.  This quest to discover glass has led her to spend countless hours poking through old bottle dumps in the woods of her home in Pennsylvania Amish Country .  Disturbed by other collector’s tendency to take only whole bottles and leave the broken glass to litter the woods,  Laura decided to find a purpose for the broken waste.  Out of her desire to preserve the woods, Bottled Up Designs was born……and what a beautiful solution she found!

Bottled Up Designs features earrings and  pendants in a variety of vintage glass colors.  I was stunned at the vibrant reds, cobalt blues and gorgeous greens.  She offers many unique designs and her website promises Christmas items coming soon.  I can’t wait to see what she will be offering!!  Each piece comes with a “Story of the Glass” that includes the approximate age of the glass.  Check her out to find the perfect piece of glass history for yourself.

Bunny Love September 17, 2008

How lucky is this?  Today I got to spend the afternoon sitting on my deck in the sunshine working on new scrabble tiles for my upcoming show while my son’s bunny, Hooper, tried to get his groove on with the girl bunny next door.  Over the summer, Hooper has been trying to woo Poppy (Ms. Bunny) through the fence.  Much to his dismay (and I think to hers- the little minx), they have only been allowed to interact through the fence.  This picture shows his typical seduction attempts.  What you can’t see is that she is on the other side of the fence rubbing, shuffling and hopping around at the same time.  So far, a face to face meeting has not been arranged because Poppy’s humans are reluctant to add to the bunny population.  (We have discussed, however,  how cute it would be to have little Poppers!)  With autumn quickly approaching, I fear their days of through the fence love are  numbered for awhile.  I guess we will just have to let him enjoy it while he can!!

Smitteniche Pewter Pendant Giveaway September 16, 2008

Looking to win your choice of one of 2Monkees pewter pendants?  Head over to Smitteniche and enter a comment on the 2Monkees giveaway post for your chance to win.  While you are there, checkout all the other hip indie artists that this cool blog features.

Beaded Things September 12, 2008

Rescued from a local thrift shop, this beaded votive from Beaded Things is stunning.  I love the bright colors and hand sculpted wires.  I can picture the candle light flickering through the colors throughout a romantic dinner for two.  Beaded Things also offers beautiful salt and pepper shakers and wine stoppers…. all studded with these amazing primary colors!