saturday's featured artists on...sunday

for today-- some modern jewelry. a wonderful blog- op voorraad features a variety of dutch artists selling their  contemporary designs...  i'm a huge fan of the color-- and the rough or un-fussed with finishes & organic qualities of these pieces-- giving them an amazingly fresh and modern appeal .

top row 1. patrizia thomazo/ lelies earrings  2. jorge manilla/ histories of a big city
bottom row 3. agnes larsson/ hibernate  4. sara mesritz/ kickin' it

global etsy project embrace team

 i just got word today from kristin, of loveartworks on etsy --and team captain of global etsy project embrace--that teamepe is official as of this morning!!!!  for those of you who are wondering... etsy project embrace is an etsy support group brought together by kim, aka slinkymalinkicat  and amy of thepeachtree in order to support fellow etsy artist and friend laura, of creativelytangled who has been undergoing chemotherapy to treat ovarian cancer. laura has been mapping her progress on her blog staytuned09--  a wonderfully inspiring journal of her experiences. laura has provided the light and laughter for all of us with her amazing courage, love and humor... and we are all thrilled for laura as her doctor has reported that her cancer has gone into remission!!!!
now teamepe has grown with over 60 members devoted to offering support and awareness for others who are going through the experience of having cancer. many of the artists are donating to the American Cancer Society with proceeds from their etsy shops-- others are lending moral support and helping in whatever way they are able. i'm excited to be part of this wonderful group!

corn husk dolls

i found these corn husk dolls last spring tossed in a pile-- as though they no longer were of any interest... i swooped them up without thinking twice! i'm a total sucker for oddities and quirky things.. these are just so sweet .. made with loving details:  braids made from the corn silk, aprons, hats and sashes, curly hair, and my two favorites are the little boy dressed in blue knickers and hat-- and the rabbit wearing the long dress with the pink ruffle collar...

september vintage saturated in color

  just a few new things from 5gardenias vintage -- lots of color and funky finds... i'm loving the 70s chunky amber rocks glasses which remind me of gin rummy games in the kitchen, whiskey sours,  and maraschino cherries-- an electric blue sapphire butterfly wing grecian cameo pendant that vibrates with color ( 40s-50s), a fabulous marigold and white marbled enameled bowl perfect for a fall fruit fallout, a 1950s mink fur hat with netting for oh so chic glancing across dimly lit crowded cafe rooms, and a pair of intensely cobalt, cobalt blue tea cups with rococo- like handles, which make tea taste very special... oh...and a sweet waddling pair of duck salt & pepper shakers from 1950s japan --they like each other very much ... cute....

saturday morning...with Michel Maule

good morning! i can't believe that saturday has rolled around so quickly ...wasn't i just here a minute ago? well it's as if i never left because here i am again with a cup of joe in front of the computer and my blog page open-- and this beautiful autumn morning light is keeping me company..

i discovered portland oregon artist  michele maule's work just recently when i was doing a search for "water" on etsy. there among the variety of objects and images my eyes caught sight of a rich inky sepia brown landscape and a hulking form in the distance-- a water tower. i was struck by the deep stark beauty and mood of the piece and it's painterly use of materials...  so off i went to michele's etsy shop to find more.

once there i was amazed by the range of work -- figures, interiors, still lives, objects-- each with a story to tell of the artist's intimate relationship to her world. one of my favorite interiors, is "tied to you" an image of a sturdy old fashioned windsor style chair and a modern office chair tied to one another with a fine red string.  this image speaks so simply and beautifully of the relationship of two --a portrait of a couple.

here's a sampling of some of michel's prints, collages and paintings-- if you go to her etsy shop, and i hope you do, keep in mind that her paintings are out for the day at a show and will be returned in the next day or so..

summer strawberries and sweet surprise peas!

i have never loved a garden plant as much as the strawberries that i planted in a huge deep container on my city deck in the beginning of this summer. we don't have much room for a vegetable garden.. i would have a huge one if i could.. but we do manage to squeeze in a few goodies on our deck each summer season. usually some herbs; basil, parsley, sage, rosemary --but not thyme-- coriander, chives, catnip, tomatoes, clematis, and this time around strawberries. i was so surprised and delighted by the continuous growth and abundance of strawberries that kept on coming--so sweet-- and wonderfully hardy. what a generous plant--and it asked for so little in return.

as i was picking a few ripe strawberries the other morning and tending to some weeding, to my surprise --nestled and hiding in among the berries were a little enclave of sweet peas growing happily  and anonymously in the secret recesses of the strawberry leaves... so now i know what i'm adding to next year's deck garden--  sweet peas!

so here is a little homage and thanks to my sweet little garden goodies.. thanks berries, thanks peas...            thanks summer...

saturday mornings...Good Golly Miss Holly

i've decided it's time to start featuring some of my favorite artists -- many will be from etsy of course, because i have grown so fond of so many over time--it's the most logical place to begin..it's just difficult to choose--as there are so many many talented and creative souls. it's a deep deep well to dip into.

saturdays are going to be my target feature day-- i can't think of a better way to start my saturday mornings--  a cup of coffee near at hand-- the sound of cartoons trickling in from the other room... the autumn air and light coming in the window, the city sounds of bottles clanking in shopping carts and trucks motoring by.... and my favorite's list in front of me...

the first feature for this september saturday morning  is the wonderful watercolor work of etsy artist gollybard-- aka holly. it was love at first sight when i saw her images at least a year ago. i adore her ability to distill the qualities of nature into a concise message of beauty and poetry--with a distinct "quirky" style ( holly's own words she describes her work with) -- filled with light, color and incredible sensitivity. the images have an immediate warming and emotional impact on me. i feel connected instantly to the things i love about nature. i find i am continually delighted every time i return to see her latest work. thanks holly-- for giving the world such beautiful gifts!

berries for birds

i make lots and lots of treasuries on etsy, and for those of you who do too, you will know when i say that there are some that you just love -when a certain bit of magic comes together-- and then poof-- it disappears, after such a short while up. so i thought well.. i'll keep this one around for a bit and post it on the old bloggo--