Enflamed

No, not me, but my new silk crepe de chine scarf. I got some sunshine today and was able to get a few silks photographed.

One of the ones photographed is Enflamed. She is a coppery coral, and I think she's "flaming fantastic"! Of course, I'm biased because I painted her and I love copper colors. You can see more pictures of her in my Etsy shop.

This is silk crepe de chine, a very popular silk for scarves. Crepe de chine has a luxurious texture and a very soft and graceful drape. It doesn't have a super smooth texture like charmeuse or habotai, but a slightly "sanded" or "sandwashed" texture. If you've never tried a crepe de chine scarf (or crepe de chine anything), you don't know what you're missing!

What's a girl to do . . .

. . . until the weather clears up? With all the rain, I've not been able to get my new silks photographed. I just want to SCREAM!!! Tomorrow, I guess I'll just have to figure out an alternative way to get them photographed. Oh well, it's not something I can control.

And that's probably what frustrates me the most. Not being in control.

This turtle's face says it all . . .

FREE Shipping!

Happy Memorial Day weekend everybody! I hope everyone gets a chance to kick up their heels and relax this weekend. Me, I'm going to be working on some custom orders (I gotta get caught up!). However, I do plan to have some down time . . . hopefully :)

In my Etsy shop (and my sister's Etsy shop) we are having a FREE shipping weekend. It started today and will end on Monday at midnight. Plus, each shop has a special item that has an extra special deal attached to it. What's the deal? If you purchase the item, you'll receive a $10 gift certificate to the shop. This gift certificate can be used on anything listed in the store. You can use it yourself, or you can gift it to a friend. Or, you can use it right away! It's your call!

Now, I will not make you go and search for these items (since nobody seems to like a scavenger hunt). The items are:

Red and Blue silk charmeuse scarf - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25370463

Red, white and blue flat spiral bracelet - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13510801

Enjoy your weekend!

Out With The Old, In With The New

Memorial Day is just around the corner. Even though summer is officially still a month away (approximately), I view the Memorial Day weekend as a kick-off for summer. And it got me to thinking - "I need to get more sarongs painted!" - and my next thought was - "I need to move out some of my cold/cool weather items!" So, if you check out my Etsy shop, you'll see a sale section that has two of my silk/wool blend scarves. They are deeply discounted for quick sale. Mention this blog and get free shipping too!

Also, I'm painting more silk sarongs (two just came off the steamer) that should be listed by this weekend. Sarongs are most than just a beach cover up. They are a multi-purpose silk item. Yes, they are great as a swimsuit cover up either at the beach or around the pool. But, they are great tied and wrapped as a skirt, a dress or a top. Silk sarongs make a very elegant wall hanging/wall art or window covering. When I worked at Club Med (back in the day), I basically lived in my sarongs. When I was not wearing them, I used them to cover the window in our tiny, tiny room (at least it was by the beach!). I used them for wall art (because our walls were so bare) and I even used them at the beach as a beach towel (although this is not recommended for the silk ones). So, see . . . multi-purpose!

When I find some free time (big laugh), I'll try to put together a post on the many ways to tie/wrap a sarong. Of course, there are a plethora of internet sites with this information, so maybe that would be a wasted effort on my part :)

Growing Up Fast

This post was supposed to happen yesterday, but you know how life intervenes sometimes. This post was also going to be by my sister, Denise. After all, it is about her baby being all grown up and the lovely necklace she made for her. But, again life intervened.

Denise, being a beadweaving whiz, created a simple chain and crystal necklace for Hannah (for her prom). She wanted the necklace to complement Hannah and the dress, not compete with it. Starting with a twisted link chain, she incorporated Swarovski bicone crystals in Montana and Silver Shade to create a graceful drop of crystals loosely mirroring the neckline of the dress. I've included several pictures of the necklace and Hannah.

Now, an ode to Hannah. She is, and always will be, the baby of the family. But at 17, she is definitely growing up fast. Hannah is a lively, happy, outgoing, loyal and caring young woman. She is a competitive cheerleader (obviously, the best on the team). She is an outstanding actress (Oscar worthy), although she has no interest in acting. She will tell you what's on her mind. She is a natural blonde bundle of joy that will soon take on the world. She's come a long way from that mischievous little tyke with an aversion to clothes and a hard head. Yes, she does have her faults (don't we all), but I prefer to concentrate on the positive. :)

FindIt Friday!

My sister and I put our brains together and decided to hosting a 'scavenger' hunt in our shops as a way of promotion. We decided to call it "FindIt Friday" because we think it's a catchy phrase, plus who doesn't love a little alliteration. Both of us have selected 5 items in our shop - that's 5 in her shop and 5 in my shop - that have a hidden phrase within the item's description. That hidden phrase is -- drum roll please -- "ʎɐpıɹɟ ʇıpuıɟ".

If you find the phrase AND you love the item AND you purchase the item, you'll get that item for 50% off! This scavenger hunt (promotion) starts today at 7 am (about 30 minutes ago) and ends at 7 pm tonight (that's Eastern Time).

So, how do you get you item for half off? Just add the item to your shopping cart and check out. Then, select 'other' for payment and place the phrase "FindIt Friday" in the note to seller (see no extra emails or convos to send). We'll then send you a PayPal invoice that reflects your 50% discount.

So, what are you waiting for . . . start hunting!

http://www.expressionsinsilk.etsy.com http://www.TheBeadedEdge.etsy.com

Strawberries, Muscadine & Bluebirds

I'm noshing on some strawberries as I write today. Chocolate was my first choice, but I decided on the healthier snack - fresh strawberries. I like my strawberries one way - straight from the field. Not smothered in sugar, or baked in pies, or in dumplings, or snuggled up to pound cake. Just plain strawberries with their natural sweetness. But this little batch (from the local fruit market) is extremely tart. I may have to search some chocolate out, after all.

Today I listed Muscadine. She's . . . unique. Her colors are a deep magenta and deep sapphire that appears almost purplish in some areas. I had a bit of an adventure while photographing her (and some others) this morning.

As I've mentioned before, I photograph my silks outside. I set up Daisy (she's my "model") in a prime location to take advantage of the extremely overcast morning sky. It just happened to be right by a bluebird house. (We have three bluebird houses around throughout the yard, and each have about 2 or 3 families raised each spring and early summer.)

I enjoy having them around. They're fun to watch and they eat bugs. I think they just tolerate us because the houses are such prime real estate :D They don't appreciate anyone hanging out around their homes, but sometimes it's necessary. They always show their displeasure by dive bombing me. I snapped a couple of shots as they went in and out of their home. They are so darn cute!

Well, it's back to Etsy. I need to list one more scarf. It's actually a relist. She is a silk and wool blend scarf that is a great mix of blues. Plus, she's on sale!

I'm So Easy

Well, I'm half way thru the week and there are several things on my 'to-do' list that is still not done. It's not that I'm procrastinating, I just had a really ambitious list to begin with (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). One thing that must be done by the end of next week: my wholesale price list. It's 99% done, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem to get it finished and sent out.

My problem is that I'm so easy! After my everyday routine of painting and managing my Etsy shop, I have time allocated to work on other business such as my wholesale price list. But, if I'm invited to lunch, or I hear the dog barking (begging for a walk), or any other fun distraction comes my way . . . well, let's just say I'm easily talked into the fun stuff!

Right now, more fun stuff is whispering in my ear. And since it's getting dark . . . after all, there is tomorrow . . .

Another Rant

What a whirlwind the last few days have been! I was completely out of touch with the blog, Etsy and my entire Internet world on Saturday and Sunday. I spent part of Saturday helping my parents in their yard, and when a nice spring storm popped up on Saturday afternoon, I unplugged my all my technology. And, I kept it unplugged all day Sunday. After all, it was Mother's Day . . . plus we were preparing for a family and friends party on the deck. It kinda felt "freeing" to be free of the computer. I knew that Monday morning I would bring a boat load of emails to answer, but I told myself that it could wait. It was Mother's Day.

Monday comes and I drag my tired butt out of bed, and I'm greeted by a rainy, dreary, cool day. Yuk! I want the sunshine and 85 degrees back! NOW!! I spent my entire day being cold, and I hate being cold in the spring.

To make my Monday worse, I plug up my computer and my connection to the outside world and . . . it doesn't work. It seems that my modem has kicked the bucket. It is times like these that I hate technology. My well-planned Monday was quickly turning into an unproductive mess. By early evening, I was back online. All my stressing over this technology glitch did nothing but cause a headache. Now, if I can just not stress about cramming two days worth of work into one day . . .

Not What I Expected . . .

. . . but I still like her! I finished this silk scarf yesterday and I'm learning to love her. Before I ever started painting her, I had an image in my mind of how she would turn out. This is rare for me, as I usually don't know what I'm going to paint until I start pulling colors off the shelf.

I was aiming for a brighter finish, but she turned out deep and mysterious. Although, she does have a silvery gray finish on each end. I named her Summer Nights, and listed her on Etsy last night.

My pictures are not the greatest. As I was setting up to photograph, the storm clouds started rolling in so the lighting was not the best for my amateur skills. About the time I snapped the last picture, the rain started. We (meaning the silk, the camera and me) narrowly escaped getting soaked, but I had a silk and camera to protect so I was quick on my feet!

Well, it's time to get my Friday started. First there's silk to be painted, then I've got a steamer full waiting to be steamed.

Etsy Worthy

Yesterday, my sister entered one of her product photos in the Handmadeology Etsy Worthy Photo Contest. I know I'm a little biased because I took the picture, but I think it is definitely Etsy-worthy. I've decided to do a little promoting for her and get the word out. Stop by and vote for her Cobalt Hand Beaded Bracelet. Here's the link:

http://timothyadam.cheddrmedia.com/iframe/310-Etsy-Worthy-Photo-Contest/entries/2508-Cobalt-Hand-Beaded-Bracelet.html#ed_comments

The Sunny Side

I can't help but smile when I see yellow. I guess that's why I consider it my happy color. Paired with turquoise, it's just one big happy smile :D

I painted The Sunny Side a little over a week ago. Because I could not decide what to name her, I held her back from listing in Etsy. Today, the name just popped into my head. I think it might be because it's such a dreary and rainy day.

She is a flub (a silk that doesn't pass my quality control because of dye/paint errors or hemming errors). In this case, she is discounted because there are a few dropped stitches on the hem (machine rolled hem). I could fiddle around with the serger and fix it, but there is just too much to be done and not enough hours in the day. If you love silk scarves - especially in yellow, turquoise and cyan - then this is your lucky day!

Check her out at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24644645

The Spider Irises are in bloom! It's one of my favorite flowers, and it's the most beautiful shade of purple. I snapped this shot this afternoon when I finished photographing some jewelry for my sister. Last spring, I painted a silk scarf in this purple with some foliage green. It was awesome . . . I know, I'm biased!

Purple and green are two colors that I enjoy combining on silk. Every shade from a blue purple and kelly green to a red-purple (magenta) and emerald, it is a popular color combination and sells quickly. Although my all-time favorite color is turquoise, I love purple and green, too. One of my favorite combinations is turquoise, purple and kelly green - I even made it my company colors. Another favorite color combination is turquoise and sunshine yellow, but that's another story.

Now that my silk has arrived, I think I'll put the color combo on my to-do list!

I'm no expert . . .

. . . but I'm helping my sister get her Etsy shop spruced up. Mainly, I'm taking photos of all the jewelry. I spent about 4 hours yesterday afternoon (after I got The Playhouse cleaned and ready for Saturday) photographing various pieces. As I said, I'm no expert. But I think some of the pictures turned out Etsy-worthy.

Here is one of my "artistic" attempts. I personally like it, but the question is - will anyone else like it enough to buy it? And, yes, there will be 4 other photos with it showing the entire bracelet. Now, I just need to get them all downloaded from the camera and listed on Etsy.

Photographing jewelry is very different from photographing silk. Over the years, I've developed a 'look' with my silk that I'm pleased with (currently, anyways). I do not photograph my silks inside. I prefer the natural beauty that natural light gives the silk. I just cannot achieve that inside or with artificial light.

So, this is what I did for the jewelry for my sister's shop. I went outside. My sister and I tried the light box method, but only 1 of about 20 shots would be usable. When I use the beauty and light that God provides, then I start getting results I like. Hopefully, my sister will like them, too. I haven't let her see them yet. Once I get them listed on her Etsy shop, I'll share them with her. They always say it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission . . .