Thanks Scoutie Girl!!!

i'm so slow in catching up with things sometimes and i meant to post this wonderful shout out from Scoutie Girl  blog editor Tara Gentile  as soon as i received her email... but on the run for two days leaves me with a slightly belated post and link-- but no less  happy for the lovely boost-- Many thanks Tara!! please go and poke around Scoutie Girl-- it's got a little bit of everything-- lots and lots of wonderful etsy artists featured, interesting interviews, and links to one great shop after another --a great blog to loose oneself in!

Sequel to the Fable of the Wooden Clogs

The Enchanted Garden of the Black Monkey

i'm finally in the halloween spirit-- i loved fairy tales as a little girl-- Grimm's and Han Christian Anderson were loaded with so many amazing stories.. so i made these collections in honor of those wonderful books and tales!

Fable of the Wooden Clogs

here are all 16 frames from the etsy treasury-- in the spirit of halloween... and the fun of storytelling. be sure to go to the treasury while it's up and add to the telling of the tale...

new jewelry from my etsy shop kathiroussel.etsy.com

some new pieces for my etsy shop. nature based--- leaves, pods and flowers--always favorites of mine. simple, organic, modern and urban--

top: fives leaves necklace , made of fold formed whitened sterling silver leaves and torch fired enameled flower, and hangs on a 7 strand fine black steel neck wire with a bayonet clasp in 22kt. gold.

bottom left: line drawing open orb necklace, made of forged whitened sterling silver w/ fresh water pearl on oxidized sterling chain, with hand made toggle clasp.

middle: dangle leaf earrings, made of fold formed and whitened sterling silver, hanging on contrasting oxidized sterling chain.

right: pine cone & pod necklace, made of hand forged & enameled copper, oxidized fold form leaf, and a hand cut agate pine cone by talented stone cutter gary wilson.  all hang on oxidized sterling chain with a hand made toggle clasp.

nest ...... all 16 frames

i can't resist posting all 16 frames of this etsy treasury--  and it makes my record of 3 posts in one day. i can go for days or even weeks without making an entry and then wha baam--- 3 in one day. i love everything here-- and could easily bring each and every item home with me!

more vintage

i've been feeling nostalgic for old silver and lace-- it's the miss havisham in me--but i've learned since growing up to lower my expectations....

that's why i can enjoy pieces left tarnished and silver plate that is worn away is spots.  i've always been a sucker for aging, cracking, peeling, blemished and well used objects-- the mystery of history. the funny thing is that i used that phrase "mystery in the history" in one of my item descriptions in my vintage shop listing yesterday morning. then last night i watched a brief few minutes of t.v. ( boy is t.v. boring these days!), and there was a used car salesman saying "there's NO mystery in the history..." !!! i can swear to you that i've never heard that silly commercial. so i have to ask what are the odds of that phrase being repeated in the same day and with total opposite emphasis??....  and by a used car salesman no less!! hah!! - is this some kind of cosmic parallel?--- or my lost twin brother?  or perhaps a glimpse of myself in a past or future life as a used car salesman??  love that!!

above is a sterling silver tea strainer-- with a lovely patina of tarnish, and a silver plate chatelaine coin purse with some fine surface wear and a wonderful softly faded violet interior... these items are both for sale in my vintage shop, 5gardenias

better late than never

a collage featuring one of my favorite jewelry artists-- iris eichenberg with some pieces from  her blossom series, some fun new vintage finds from my vintage shop 5gardenias, and a vibrant series of owl rings by idlehands from etsy.. oh and a wonderful, colorful necklace from dutch artist  ursula woerner from op vorraad.

eichenburg's work speaks of unseen systems at work -- natural internal mechanisms-- animal and human--mysterious and ambiguous at times --always leaving the viewer with a need to know more... organic and visceral. visually stunning- made in all of my favorite media, ceramic,  (porcelain) silver, and a variety of textiles.

my latest vintage finds at 5gardenias have an old world, mrs havasham kind of feel-- great expectations and cobwebs... i've suddenly fallen in love with tarnished sterling and silver plate, old sewing notions, and crocheted lace... visit my shop for more...

and a treat from etsy shop idlehands-- just in time for halloween these owl rings are cast from colorful resin. visit idlehand's super fun shop for more   dark humored and spirited items --  stitched heart pendants, blood garnet rings and skeleton pendants..

and last but not least --another talented jewelry artist featured on a favorite jewelry blog op voraadd , ursula woerner has made a colorfully modern necklace titled loop- in- loop. check out the blog for many more wonderful jewelry artists!

happy autumn!

saturday morning with... thePhotoZoo

i found darla's work  through a treasury on etsy. i fell in love instantly with her dreamy, grainy visions--poetic and rich in visual content. you can find a wonderful array of her photos in her etsy shop thePhotoZoo.

when you browse in darla's shop and open her photos individually -- you will find along with the description, an inspired quote which adds to the beauty of each piece and reveals some of the inspiration behind darla's work. you will also find part 4 -- the image that completes this stunning butterfly series -- along with it's beautiful quote...