Back in the Swing of Things! Or, Today is a Japan day.

Now that my thesis and college days are through I am back in the swing of things. I am back to working full-time, not having homework to stress over, working on my art, and cruising Etsy.com for awesome things! Here are my most recent finds:

This adorable sleep mask was found at a lovely little shop, currently featured on Etsy. The artist makes demure lingerie, the kind of thing that is comfortable and is nice to wear. I read that she likes to use natural fabrics like silk and linen, which is an extra plus! The artist is based out of Japan, so international rates may apply.

You can find this artist at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Naomilingerie

This is one of many finds on etsy. A friend of mine is going to Japan soon for a teaching job. She is going to be an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) in a Japanese school on the smallest of the four islands. I am looking at fun stuff related to Japan.

Speaking of which, here is my next find: Sushi candles.

Aren't they great? They are made of beeswax and look totally adorable. Yep, one of those things that I think are fantastic. I know I wouldn't have thought of making sushi out of beesewax. This artist has all sorts of other things up her (?) sleeve.

Another fun thing? You can actually burn these! They will only last about 1-2 hours, but still! It struck me as oddly humorous, though, to burn sushi. I guess people burn candles in all sorts of shapes, so it really shouldn't be weird. You know?

This fun artist can be found at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/craftycollegegirls

That is it for now. I am really excited to be back at my blog here! Soon I shall make and post new items.

A gray and cloudy Spring day

So I must think of brightly colored things. I like brightly colored things in general, unless they are violent green, burn your eyes out blue, safety cone orange, or such colours. I also like warm colours. So, to fight of the annoyances of gray cloudy days, I decided to blog about pretties.

Here is a wonderful example of bright, fun, warm colours.

I also love how the blue works really well with the red, and the white tips of the ends of the fins. I am a fan of the Beta Fish, also known alternately as Japanese Fighting Fish and Chinese Fighting Fish. I actually used to own a few that were really fun colored.

I am not sure if I would actually wear this mask... I would probably mount it on the wall so it can be seen. I wouldn't have many occassions to wear something this fun, colorful, or flashy.  That thought actually kind of makes me sad. I wish I had occasion to wear such a lovely thing.. and genuine leather, too!


You should take a look at her shop and her masks. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40582298 is the listing for this particular mask.


Another fun-colored thing to look at is basketry. Not my own, here, but a very talented lady who makes pine-needle baskets. Something I lack the patience for!

It doesn't show how warm the colors are in this photo, but it shows the pretty bottom to this basket, which must have taken so many hours that I wouldn't be able to sit still long enough to do it.

The stitchwork is lovely, creating beautiful patterns while carefully coiling the piece. This basket makes me feel all warm inside just looking at it!

This piece can be found and purchased online at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25312550



For Something a little different, here is an obsidian knife. It is the red in the obsidian that I am liking here. Something about it and the red bead with it just make me smile. May also involve the sunshine filtering into the background of the image.

This appears to be an obsidian with almost pink in it, but I think it is just the lighting on the red. A lovely knife that would look great in any household. The hilt is antler, I believe, and is also pretty, but I wanted a closeup of the blade.

This item is for sale, too! Because lots of the things I feature on this blog are. This one is, guess what, also listed on etsy.com.

Here is the listing for this particular item: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40892137

Happy spring, and may the rest of your day and your week be less cloudy than mine. Hopefully the weather will clear up enough to go flower-gazing at all the blossoming trees around here.

Picpic Tewlikitpe

First Feature!

These are amazing artists on Etsy, whom I have enjoyed their work and now want to share it!



The first is a ceramicist who focuses on masks. He found me and faved my mask on http://picpictewlikitpe.etsy.com and so I have decided to feature my favourite pieces of his. He can be found at http://www.etsy.com/shop/DaveBowen

I particularly enjoy the offset of warm/cool colors. I also enjoy how, while not symmetrical, it is balanced. I also think this mask is amking a fun, funky face that I can't help but smile at when I see it.







This artist, who is also found at http://www.etsy.com/shop/jstinson, makes all sorts of beautiful beaded Native jewelry. Her designs are lovely and I like the color choices that she uses. She is an amazing artist and here are a few of her pieces that I enjoyed. 

These earrings are adorable! They come in different colors, too, if pink is not your fancy.











 For my third feature, I picked an artist that has made a Native prayer fan that I adore. You can find her at http://www.etsy.com/shop/SeaMySoul.

This fan makes me smile. It has a lovely copper-colored face so at peace that I feel peaceful just looking at it. The beadwork compliments rather than detracting from the copper piece and all beads and metal work well with the wooden base.







I hope you take the time to visit these artists and look at the rest of their work!
Have a wonderful Friday and a great Weekend!

~Picpic Tewlikitpe