Monkey Business!

You may have noticed a new graphic on my site. You may be wondering what is up with those charming monkeys-- is there some sort of contest going on? They don't look like my work!

And indeed they're not, but to find out what is going on, you'll have to click the graphic! Here's a hint: it involves free stuff!

And it's got me in a monkey kind of mood. So this Friday Five, here's some of our kin, and theirs:

Fellow Big Damn Crafter and all around cool person Gypsyharte has an unfamiliar face-- a non-ringtailed lemur! Good for her! Check it out:



LJGrove can't resist the ring-tailed troopers, though. Heck, neither can I:



MP Sockmonkey captures a side of baboons rarely seen--all of them!


I love the way the beads on this Frogbag bottle look like seeds-but I'm sold on the snow monkeys!


Want more monkeys? Brandee2006 has all you need:



Go ape!

Friday Five: Etsy Bloggers!

Well, I missed a Friday! Can you believe, I was actually crafting, doing the three dimensional part of my Etsy business, instead of typing? Scandalous!

Well, more swag should start posting soon. But this week, the Friday Five are back!

It's practically self defense this time-- if the Etsyfriends team is a big enthusiastic party, then the Etsybloggers team is Woodstock. With amps. Broadcasting with lasers. From the moon. Maybe, if I draw their attention here, they won't crush me with the weight of their weekly posts! Witchy! Rose! Eyes here!


Someday, Palleiko Designs will feature something that doesn't make me shiver with wonder and weep with envy. But this is not that thing, being as it appears to be made of clouds and frost:



Nor is this, which appears to be from some lost fantasy world where spirits walk among our jewelry:




Waterrose catches my geeky self on either hand! This ring fits my sci-fi geek side, which squeals that it's even the right kind of blue:


And this one grabs my fantasy lover arm (and of course there is no wrong kind of green!):



Theophany knows what's important. Octopi!
And trees! Green Trees!





If I am very, very nice to the lady Down the Street, do you think she might make me an apron like this?



Or a bag this handy?



Check out the loot in A Keeper's Jackpot:



But not this one, this one's mine...for what should be obvious reasons:




Namely that it's MINE. In theory. Soon as I earn some money, anyway.

On that note, I fly! To work with me! The rest of you, talk amongst yourselves, get a nap, and hug the soft cuddlable creature of your choice. I shall return!

Friday Five-er, Four: Etsy Friends!

You may have noticed the sudden untangling of my blog. Perhaps, if you are an astute observer, you noticed me gaining a bloggy partner at the same time-- Sygnet Creations? No? Yes?

Well, Sygnet's the one who did the actual blog untangling. She did this because she is brilliant, and she rocks-- look at these aprons, from her shop Sygnet Creations:



And she did this because she's my friend-- My Etsy friend! Yes, I've joined another team, maybe the tightest, most talkative bunch of all the open chatty Etsy teams! Etsy Friends!
We have a blog:
http://etsyfriends.blogspot.com/

And a forum thread:
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5809538

And not a lot of members, yet! Which means I....still can't fit all the team awesomeness in four listings. But watch me try!

Sosoresey is so, SO cool. I want this bowl, which was once a plain, flat pillowcase:



Of course I want that one..er..shouldn't have pointed it out. Hey, look! You can get your very own set of bowls, too!




Genius often lies in finding the simple, often obvious answers that other people somehow fail to see. So when this made me slap my forehead hard enough to bruise and shout "Why didn't I think of that?!?" I knew Devancarol was a closet genius.



Plus, look what she does with scrabble boards! Mine just sit there and mock me with their missing tiles.



Zappyturtle takes eco craft and turns it into an art. Can you believe these come from a plastic bottle?



And how are the fish staying on the purse? I'm not even asking about the gravel!




Last and not least, Mvincent at Mannie's Mandibles has taste for dramatic lighting and minimal descriptions. Good for you, Mannie! Fight the power of the prose! I have already surrendered, as those who know me can attest. But look at what an artist who doesn't spend days chatting can do:





And yes, it's four this week folks, because I have a fair to get ready for tomorrow and blogger is crawling like a crawling thing that crawls. Pics and prattle Monday!

Friday Five!

This week, I'm sticking close to home. I am thereby legally required to point out that my home is bigger than some whole countries (France), that it is the birthplace of corndogs, and that chili should not have beans in it.

Seriously, I gotta say that. Otherwise the State Spirit enforcers will come for me. They have guns! As do I! You don't want to see an artist shoot out, do you?

All that being a roundabout way of leading up to this week's showcase, on Team Etsy Texas!

If I lived the life in which I would like to become accustomed, I would own everything Glassnwood makes. Future things also. But someone should own this, and soon:



Now you may not think these scrubbies from Lavender Lizard are as awesome as I do:


But that just means you've never cleaned dishes with proper scrubbies. Believe me, they make dishwashing a different, and much less depressing, experience.

This journal by bethstudio is just lovely:


But she taunts me by saying she's going along the color wheel.Come on, Beth! Get to green!

tinalewis makes some lovely pottery. But this is the first one I've seen her make that can also protect you from vampires:



Tiny, flying, buzzing vampires. Buy it, or learn the true power of the mosquito!

Argh, just one spot left! It's tempting to give it to Fearless Leader Thistlecraft, for a variety of reasons, not least her lovely scarves. Or Sweetwolf,who has such great little lunchbags. But I must be honest, and this bag from Refabulous:



has captured my heart in its many tentacles. Come on, it's a messenger bag with a random octopus! How could I not love it?

Once again, I hardly got to touch on the cool Etsyness available. Go check out Etsy Search with TeamEtsyTx DesignChallenge or just click hyar:
http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=tag_title_all&search_query=teametsytx+designchallenge

But know that one of mine won't be there, because it sold. Yes! Best Challenge Ever!

Friday Five

Hooray, it's time for the Friday Five! This is my favorite post of the week, because there's so much cool stuff to share! This week is dedicated to the enchanting artists of Etsy FAE, who also managed to make up one of the most apropo team names in all Etsy.

First, though, one final corsetier,Desert Orchid .
Desert Orchid is an incredibly convo-friendly, helpful shop. And their prices on custom corsets--real, hard wearing waist trainers--are frankly incredible.If you're even thinking of the investment of buying a real corset, do yourself a favor and check them out. And hey, it's sort of fitting-- what fantasy costume is complete without an awesome corset?

Moving away from clothes a bit this week, I also have to sing the praises of
Bending Tree Arts .
There's a cartload of nifty stuff there, and my mind boggles at the self assurance needed to make the art stones, but the real wonder is her Cedar Spirit dolls. There's a lot of information about these dolls on their descriptions, but I'm pretty sure they're really made with magic. Another wonderfully friendly seller!

Faery Spell Creations
makes many lovely things. But what you should really go look at are the pumpkin pixies, the nifty hats, and especially the bags. And for the next few weeks, everything she sells is helping yet another artist in the fantasy community. Go check her out now!

Izile's Oddities
are, well, odd. But her magic vials are truly enchanting! I of course want Good Karma (it's so green!) but they're all great. Look at the swirl on Flames of Passion! No really, go look.

Oh no, room for just one more! I can't let this Friday go by without mentioning Meri Greenleaf. She makes dolls, you see. Not just art dolls, (although they are works of art!), but snuggly dolls that just beg to be hugged and petted. She makes, to be very specific, a Caliban Doll. Yes, the Caliban. From Shakespeare. Looking just how he would look, I'm sure, if he were made of yarn. Must be seen.

For more fantastic goodness, search Etsy under tags: faeteam! And thanks to the lovely Aquariann, who keeps this team running, and who has a knack for great names (hah! Got in a sixth artist! Take that, self-imposed structural setup!).

Friday Five

Let's start things off by spreading some love! The Friday Five are five other artists who should have your money:

Want to buy clothes made in China without wrecking your karma? Want to have designer clothes with more design than just a name tag? Idea2Lifestyle has you covered, or they will, as soon as you get in touch with them.

You're probably here because you're my friend, and if you're my friend you use Renclothes or know someone who does. And if you're Renfen, you're probably as annoyed as me by having to lay out serious cash for basic items, like chemises and skirts. Have a look at My Elegant Muse- I don't know how she even gets fabric that cheap!

Damsel in This Dress doesn't have a lot of dresses, but she does have some killer corsets--and they're nearly bodice-length, too! Since corsets beat underwires, I of course want one--and since bodices beat wonderbras, women of other dimensions can enjoy these just as much!

And if you're my friend, you're probably also a guy, just by law of averages....but for the few, the proud, the female geeks and congoers, I know you're all crafters. Don't you need an apron? Of course you do! Even if you don't need an apron, you need a Sassy Apron! Seriously, look at those things. You could commit some serious gal-fu in those aprons. But the Green Envy is mine. Hands off.

Of course a nifty fifties apron needs a nifty fifties dress to go with it! If Autumn Ends is kind of spare on goods now, but check her out-- she has great retro style clothing, and sizes for those of us who can't shop actual vintage on account of women then apparently having been raised as bonsai miniatures.