Feature! Soulful Stuff

After the long silence, it is time for another post. I have been job-hunting and not keeping up for you, dear reader. I am sorry to have left you behind. I have been thinking of another great friend of mine on Etsy, and think I will share some of her "stuff" with you.  Her name on Etsy is "Soulful Stuff" and she is a member of my group-family there. She has also been a good friend off the sale site. You should click on her shop name and go see her Etsy profile.  She crafts all sorts of things, from quilting to photography, from jewelry to other handicrafts. A woman of many talents! An boy is she full of soul.

Anywho, here are some really awesome items I found in her shop. (If the listing is no longer available, it sold. But you should cruise around her shop and see if there is something else you like, too. :D )

"Proud to be Cherokee bracelet"

Here is a beautiful bracelet honoring the Cherokee people.  It has a lovely array of colors and bead types. Here is an excerpt from the listing (which you can see the full listing and buy the item here).

Hand-carved syllabary letters spell out "Tsa-la-gi" in Cherokee language. The reverse side of the focal bead features a pyrographed eagle feather. Eagles fly higher than any other bird, and symbolize our connection with Creator. The 7.5" bracelet features Cherokee corn beads which were said to have grown along the Trail of Tears as a result of the many tears shed along the way. Glass seed beads are added in traditional colors.

I thought it was a very heartfelt description and loved reading about the corn beads. Such pretty colors!

Item number two, handpicked from among the hundreds of items that Karynlee has for sale, is a photograph that I have come to love. As a basket-weaver myself (though in a different style and with modern materials), it resonated with me. There is a strength to weaving, a spirituality to the creative process. I would love, someday, to be able to create beautiful baskets with the more traditional materials.

"Emma's Hands--Weaving the Wisdom"

This particular image is named "Emma's Hands--Weaving the Wisdom." Whomever this Emma is, I would like to meet her as well.  The listing actually holds two images of Emma weaving the basket, and you get to pick which image you would like. The listing for it is here. It is available in three sizes, matted, and ready for you to frame. For more information, please see the listing!

So many pretty things, what could be next?  Why, of course it would be a quilt. I specifically named that she did quilting, didn't I? Yes, yes I did.

"Anasazi Quilt"

This is a quilt that spoke volumes to me when I was cruising through her shop. It speaks to the past as well as to the present and future. It gives a glimpse of a way of life and leads the mind to wonder. The quilt was inspired by glyphs carved long, long ago. The listing (found here) gives a history lesson on the title of the piece, and the way the artist went about creating it. Oh, did I mention that it was hand-quilted? A lot of talent there.

This quilt really does have a sense of spirit and soul about it. I would encourage you to look at the listing itself and learn about the quilt, where it came from, and what is in store for the lucky buyer of the item.

So there you have it, a wonderful woman with a shop full of soul-infused wonders. You really should go check out her shop. Right now. Seriously, I mean it. Something may speak to you. You might find the item you were looking for. Or, as in my case, you may find a wonderful friend.

Till next time.
~Winter Wolf

Chain Your Attitude (photo-heavy post)

My father has done all sorts of arts and craft over his lifetime. In the past few years it has ranged from beadwork to sewing, from making fringe to making jewelry. Lately, though, he has picked up a much-beloved hobby again and has started making chainmail.

Yep, chainmail. It is very time-consuming and takes a lot of attention to detail. Definitely something I could never do.... I barely have the patience to make my own arts and craft. But I digress. This post is dedicated to my father and his budding business, Chain Your Attitude.

His business is based out of home and is something he does on the side. Not quite to where he can retire from his job to do this kind of stuff. Maybe it will end up being that way! His prices are really reasonable, considering the amount of time and effort that goes into each piece. Not to mention cost of supplies. Those colored links cost more than plain and those swarovski crystals are very pricey!  But they make lovely gifts for anyone!
((I gave a necklace to each of my bridesmaids in thanks for their participation and help, dad made them and they were wonderful!))

See? This is an example with back and blue links and black and blue crystals. Model is my sister. I think he is making these with smaller links nowadays, but this was the first go at it. This piece (due to cost of supplies and time) is ONLY $60!!! Seriously.

Here is a piece done with twisted wire and chainmail links:

Model is another of my sisters. I really like how swishy this one is. This was his first attempt at making these, so he hasn't put any up for sale yet, but he is definitely working on them!

Have school spirit? How about a favourite team? Any sport, really... my dad has started to make these "Chain Your Attitude" spirit-bracelets! They are made with rubber "O" rings and metal links. He has three different styles (you should check his website for full details!) and can make them in practically any color and color combination. Also: since they are made mostly of rubber, you can use them as hairties/ponytail decorations too! My mamma tried it and it works! (sorry for the pic, the flash made it glare really bad, but here is an example of the simple, one-stranded ones, as well as his current color selection. Don't worry! I think he can expand upon request.)

Not into jewelry? That's okay! He does other things, too. Here is a chain-mail hackey sack he made! It is really nifty, and for the amount of metal, it is a nice price! It is about the same size as a regular hackey sack ball, and quite durable. Inner fabric available in a variety of colors.

Finally, my favourite item thus far: Hairflowers. Really, these flowers can be used for bracelets, necklaces, etc.. but my favourite thing to do with them is put them in my hair. Kind of steam-punkish and definitely shiny! (Remember, folks, I have ADOS -- Attention Defeceit-Oooh, Shiny! -- and I have it bad). He doesn't know if he likes them much. I definitely do! These are just two examples. My four personal favourite colors are Red/Gold and Blue/Silver, so I got one of each. He can do these in a variety of colors, too... so don't hesitate to ask!

He is really a great artist! If you have any questions for him, please check out his pages. Most of his items are sold on his etsy site. He posts a few images of items he has done on his DevaintArt, but he hasn't updated that in ages (then again, neither have I, so I guess I can't complain much). I highly suggest you check out those pages. You can also follow him of facebook. He has posted a lot more of his pieces there!! CHECK IT OUT!

Seriously, though, I am not sure how he has time for a full-time job, six kids (including myself), wife, pets, AND all this chainmail. You should support this wonderful guy.

~Picpic Tewlikitpe