Owl and Fox

Sharing pretty things...

2010-08-18T17:02:00.007+10:00

I'm a total sucker for a pretty/cool/weird print! I've been on a print buying spree these past few months, here are my latest editions!

For the study:

"Moments when my gaze goes vacant" by The Mincing Mockingbird

For the entrance to the back hall:

"Fox and Hare" by Traceface

For my work room:

Vintage dictionary prints of an Owl and Fox by Memorydust

For our bedroom:

"Spore" by Yellena

For our ensuite:
"Season" by Yellena

I just couldn't resist these two...
"Blossom Tree" by Lino Girl

"Scarlet" by Lino Girl

An etsy purchase from last year. Hanging in our front hall/gallery:
"Wish you were here" by Jan Allsop

By popular demand! Necklaces on Madeit...

2010-07-13T04:56:00.007+10:00

As requested by all of you lovely St Andrews and Camberwell market ladies, some of our most popular Owly and the Fox items are slowly being listed on Madeit! Yay! (about time eh?)

All necklaces are in very limeted quantities!

"Little Birdy" Vintage Verdigris Brass and Copper $22

"Forever Bloom" Lucite Rose Pendant $20

"Pretty As A Picture" Verdigris Vintage Brass And Copper $22

"Owl And Fox" Gold Pewter $24

"Swallow Elegance" Vintage Boheimian Crystal, Vintaj Brass And Copper $26

"Concentric" Vintage Enameled Brass, Silver And Gunmetal $22

"Lotus" Vintage Brass, Freshwater Pearl And Copper $32

Stockist: Curious Oyster Shoppe...

2010-02-18T10:27:00.006+11:00

Annaleise of "Curious Oyster" fame has opened up a beautiful new boutique in Thornbury, stocking quality vintage & handmade goodies from Melbourne talents, including Rummage Style, Mother Maria, Nearly Roadkill, Naomi Matsuda Lingerie, Pocket Carnival, Amy Eating Apples, Philippa Garrard, polkadotrabbit, Shadow Theatre, Pirdy, Mina & Oli, Betty Jo Designs and much, much more!

With it's turn of the century inspired "Alice in Wonderland" interior, The Curious Oyster Shoppe will draw you into Alice's world, with lots of draws for exploring, a grand old wardobe to rummage through, and pretty floral tea cups displaying pretty sparkly things, this place has a unique and special feel.

The Curious Oyster Shoppe has an exclusive Owl and Fox range, stocking our Swarovski crystal, gemstone, sterling and goldfill items, as well as the favourite Owly and the Fox accessories available on Madeit.

776 High St, Thornbury, 3071
0447 175 235 | (03)484 3018
www.curiousoyster.com.au

Owly and the Fox on Madeit!

2009-09-24T12:09:00.006+10:00

I finally caved to all my lovely customers at the weekend markets and created an online store at Madeit, and all Aussie handmade collective. So far so good, within 24 hours I was in business! Thank you to all my gorgeous supporters, couldn't have made it this far without you. xx

Some of the more popular peices from the market stall will now be available online here.

Guess who wears the pants in this relationship....

2009-09-11T11:50:00.004+10:00

How I found these two lovebirds this morning....
....she then proceded to settle down for a nap, hehe.

New at Owl and Fox....

2009-09-07T07:42:00.006+10:00

Some recent additions to www.owlandfox.etsy.com....

Patchouli and Orange - Tourmaline and 14kt Goldfill earrings

Water Bloom - Carneilian & Sodalite Sterling Silver Earrings

Neutral Beauty - Mixed Stone and Thai Fine Silver Bracelet
Frozen - Kyanite and 14kt Goldfill earrings
Happiness - Turquoise and Vermeil Earrings

Estury - Sterling Wrapped Labradorite Necklace

Rockpool - Vintage Lucite and Sterling silver Earrings

Tall Poppy - Graduated Sponge Coral Necklace

Baroque - Swarovski and 14kt Goldfill Earrings

Sell Your Handmade Free at Zibbet...

2009-09-07T07:23:00.009+10:00

I've just started to add a few things to the fairly new venue called Zibbet, and so far I'm liking it. It's easy to use and navigate, lots of handy features for sellers, looks quite neat and tidy - but best of all, it's totally free! No listing fees, no selling fees. Read all about it here.

An Etsy Front Page Sale...

2009-07-28T07:31:00.005+10:00

My Swarovski crystal and goldfill earrings ,"Mayan Gold", were featured on Etsy's front page last night, (my first that I know of), and sold immediately!
I only noticed because of the influx of shop and item hearts gained overnight, so I checked out The Vault (a nifty feature on Craft Cult), and there it was. Totally thrilled :)

Treasury!

2009-07-28T07:23:00.003+10:00

Monicaj has kindly featured a pair of my Baroque earrings in this sweet Treasury West.

Pink and Gray Day

Featured!

2009-07-27T17:26:00.005+10:00

The ever lovely Erin of InnerEarthSoaps has featured me on her blog! Check it out here.
For the most amazing artisan made soaps in an abundance of decadent scents, Erins soap is our lather of choice! See my previous review of InnerEarthSoaps here.

Owly and the Fox at Little Shop Of...

2009-07-23T13:25:00.009+10:00

You can now find some of my "Owly and the Fox" jewellery range at the gorgeous little handmade in Melbourne boutique store "Little Shop of..." .
Bec has done an amazing job with the space, it's choc full of goodness from many well known indie Melbourne designers - and the best part, it's all under $50!

Look out for my label:

Some of my peices that you can buy in store:
Swallow Dots in silver $18
Knotted stone necklace w/vintage button $44Moonstone and sterling silver earrings $34
Tensha earrings $18
And lots more :)

Little Shop Of...
8 Woorayl St, Carnegie, Victoria
Wed, Thurs, Fri 11am - 6pm Sat 10am - 4.30pm

Blog Lovin' Award!

2009-07-23T12:51:00.005+10:00

The ever sweet Annaliese of Curious Oyster has awarded me with this amost adorable "Blog Lovin' Award" :)

There's so many blogs deserving of this, but here's just a few of my current favourite reads:

...in my spare time
Pocket Carnival
Anastasia Drawing and Dreaming

Old news but news to me...

2009-07-23T07:15:00.005+10:00

This is news from way back in 2007, but it is just too sweet not to post! I googled "Owl and Fox", as I do periodically, and this is what I found:

"An Owl and Fox cub make sweet music together"

Look at the fuzz! Hehe!

Click here to read the accompanying artical from the UK Times Online. Gorgeous!

Treasury!

2009-07-05T04:46:00.003+10:00

The lovely Anastasia of Pe rcival Road has included my "Baroque" earrings in this soft and sweet treasury, full of DUST team members. Thanks so much AC!

Dust till Dawn

One Lovely Blog Award....

2009-07-03T07:10:00.004+10:00

A big thank you to Lou of Buttons by Lou Lou for passing on this "One Lovely Blog" award to me! So sweet of her.

Rules: 1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link. 2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you have newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Check out the following blogs that I have recently (and not too recently) discovered:
In no particular order...

Wishlist Wednesday!

2009-07-01T08:13:00.004+10:00

I LOVE Winter. I love the clothes, the colours, the food and the cold! I love it so much I couldn't resist showing you a couple extra of my cool weather favourites :)

Celedon Lace Mug by JJ Ceramics

The Winter Orangery by Realization Creations

Felted Wrist Warmers by Folilaine

Cherry Blossom Wall Decal by Single Stone Studios

Deepest Turquiuse and Elven Glow Scarf by The Felt Elf

Branching out....

2009-06-25T13:52:00.006+10:00

I've been having lots of fun with new and interesting beads and wire...goldfill, vermeil, and Japanese tensha will now be a permanent addition to Owl and Fox! I've also started making my own ear wires, and am experimenting with different shaping and oxidising methods - having a blast! :)

Golden Lotus

Stormy Night
Marquess
Indian Pink
Black Lotus

Wishlist Wednesday!

2009-06-24T10:43:00.004+10:00

My fur kids have been behaving themselves this week so I'm dedicating this wishlist to all things cat. After the great bean bag disaster 2 weeks ago, of which I'm still vacuuming up those little foam balls, they are being very polite and leaving me be...though I did catch Marley trying to steal some of my toast this morning...ratbag :)

Stylin' small dog bed (Indie would fit nicely) by lovebarklee
Catnip Eyeballs by HannaPT
Perfectly matched to my furniture raised cat bowls by Merlin's Bark

Treasuries!

2009-06-24T09:14:00.004+10:00

I've been terribly lax in updating the Treasury posts, so much to do with so little time *sigh*. So here are the recent Treasuries and Treasury West's that the lovely people of Etsy have included me in. Beautiful work ladies!

My Chocolate Blue Obsession - featuring Coco Jungle
Rose Hip - featuring Green Rocks

Silver Grey - featuring Lady Grey

Pearls for Girls - featuring Urban Girl

Grey Skies are Gonna Clear Up - featuring Lady Grey

Sugar and Spice - featuring Ocean Breeze - SOLD

Mainly Green and Blues - featuring Coco Jungle

Wishlist Wednesday!

2009-06-17T08:39:00.004+10:00

Husband and I are learning French together, so this weeks wishlist is inspired by all the romantic notions of the beautiful city of Paris...*sigh*, we'll get there someday!

I'd like to wear this... A Peaceful Afternoon dress by SarahSeven

...while taking a ride on this...Eiffel Tower Carousel print by Brew Ha Ha
...then pick up a classy souvanier to remember the trip... Paris in 1945 by Le Photique

Treasury: Spring It!....

2009-05-28T11:46:00.002+10:00

The lovely Kylie of Early Bird Creations has featured my "Breathe" necklace in this gorgeous treasury, thanks Kylie!

Spring it!

Wishlist Wednesday!

2009-05-27T12:00:00.002+10:00

Awesome gifts for the men in our lives - husbands b'day is coming up so I've scoured etsy for manly stuff...you'd be surprised how manly Etsy actually is :)

Fork it Over money clip by Spoonerz

Vintage Globe from Adventures in Vintage

Les Paul coffee table by Timothy Adams

USB Stick by Woodtec

New Supply Shop!

2009-05-26T10:55:00.004+10:00

I need to purge massive amounts of supplies to make room for new stuff, so I've started up a new shop id on Etsy. I've been using our ebay screenname for destashing and purchasing market supplies, but wanted something fresh and identifiable just for this purpose, so this morning I made up a new banner and listed my first items...and was thrilled to have made my first sale within an hour of opening! I've gone with our market stall branding of "Owly and the Fox". Let me know what you think! :)

Wishlist Wednesday!

2009-05-20T14:16:00.006+10:00

Inspired by my lovely new blog and etsy banners...some of my favourite Owls and Foxes.

Minerva's Companions by Realisation Creations

Little Vixen Necklace by Joanna Rutter

Owl by Alix Martin

Moxy by Amber Alexander

My new look!

2009-05-18T11:34:00.004+10:00

A huge thank you to Renee of Thompson Designs for creating my gorgeous new artwork for the blog and my Etsy banner and avatar. I love my adorable new creatures :)
What you think of the new look?

Treasuries!

2009-05-07T06:48:00.006+10:00

I'm running late with these once again! Here are some beautiful Treasuries my work has been featured in the past couple of weeks.

Cant stop Wining - featuring "Madeira"
You wont believe this - featuring "Aitutaki"
I love Earth tones - featuring "Spiced Chai"

Thanks ladies!

DUST "Mum will love it!" May sale items...

2009-05-06T08:35:00.009+10:00

Some of the items offered up for the DUST team "Mum will love it!" May sale :) See other great items from the May sale here.

Still Life Vase - Coin pearl, ebony wood and fine silver earrings
Aitutaki - Sponge coral and fine silver chunky graduated necklace

Pendulum - Swarovski crystal and oxidised sterling silver earringsViolet Passion - Faceted amethyst and fine silver chunky graduated necklace

Frozen in Bloom - Kyanite faceted wrapped briolettes on fine silver ear wires

Wishlist Wednesday!

2009-05-06T07:50:00.005+10:00

I've got the 7 month itch! I need a holiday, I'm not used to staying stationary for so long and it doesn't suit me one bit! Every time a plane passes over, that longing, passionate need to explore takes over, and I'm lost in daydreams of tropical lagoons and snow covered mountains. So, to satiate my daydreams, here's some travel inspired goodies :)

Road to Nowhere - Compass ring by Out of the Blue

Jewelry Roll - LinenCollection by Paulinagtz

Birds on Branches - Vintage Samsonite Luggage by Roundtrip

Treasury!....fresh!

2009-04-24T06:43:00.006+10:00

The lovely Natalia of Realisation Creations has again made a stunning Treasury West and included my "Helix" earrings. I'm loving the green! Green is my all time, absolute, always going to be favoutire colour :) Thanks Natalia!

fresh! green/white

Wishlist Wednesday!

2009-04-22T06:28:00.008+10:00

Tomorrow is my 26th birthday (yikes!), so I got a bit carried away with my wishlist....can you guess what I really wish for tomorrow? ;) We'll be spending the morning shopping for vintage boots, then driving down to the peninsula for lunch, stopping at a few of our favourite wineries on the way, can't wait! I confess, I have a boot fetish, I have a pair for every day of the week...but strangly I dont yet own a black pair, so I think that's where my hunt will start.

Vintage black leather cowboy boots

Vintage 1980's leather slouch stiletto boots
Vintage leather lace up pixie boots
Vintage pixie slouch tall boots
Some in my favourite colour for good measure!
Vinatage 1970's stacked heel tan leather boots

....and I just couldn't resist this gorgeous vintage leather belt to match!
Vintage 1970s tooled leather belt

Treasury!....Pastels....

2009-04-21T14:15:00.004+10:00

The lovely Mich of Michvanetta has included my "Breathe" earrings in this beautiful pastel coloured treasury, thanks Mich!

Pastels

My crystal lust....

2009-04-21T11:58:00.007+10:00

I've been fascinated with vintage things for as long as I can remember. I love the romantic notions attached to something that has lasted unscathed for so long, and is still as beautiful and useful as the day it was made. So, naturally when I began to use crystal in my jewellery, I was instantly drawn to the stunning cuts and colours and the the old world charm of vintage Swarovski, the finest crystal beads in the world. I've amassed quite a collection, which I'm slowly giving up to creation....I think I'd just prefer to have them safe in their box, looking pretty, but I do love the feel of the peices that come from using vintage crystal. They seem to take on a life of their own.

Some earrings using vintage discontinued 1930's to 1960's Swarovski crystal

Madeira - Oxidized sterling silverand vintage Swarovski crystal

Berries - Bali silver and vintage Swarovski crystalMod - Opaque vintage Swarovski - SOLD

Then there's the newer styles of Swarovski crystal, which I'm equally fond of but rarely use in my work. The past few weeks I've gone a little crystal mad and have been making up lots of pretty sparkling earrings for Etsy. I am in love with the newer "Helix" shape, reminicent of the older styles of fancy cut crystals. They're just spectacular in person.

Helix - Sterling silver and Swarovski step cut crystals

Elegance - Swarovski with Bali sterling silver - SOLD

Baroque - Oxidised sterling silver wrapped Swarovski Pendulum - Lightly oxidised sterling silver and Swarovski crystal

Treasury!....all through the day

2009-04-17T11:22:00.004+10:00

The lovely Natalia of Realisation Creations has made another stunning Treasury West and included my "Morning Dew" earrings. Aren't those feather earrings fabulous!

all through the day...and until the evening comes...

Love Cats....

2009-04-17T10:49:00.007+10:00

I'd like to introduce to you two more of our fur kids. Binx, our 2 year old Ragdoll boy, and Luna, our almost 2 year old Devon Rex girl. Luna is absolutely smitten with her fluffy friend, and shadows him where ever he goes. She never misses an opportunity to climb into, on or under him, and is often seen with a face full of white fluff looking very much like a bearded lady. Every time I see them like this I end up with the baseline from The Cure's song "Love Cats" in my head.... :)

Treasury! ...Fabulous Aussie Autumn

2009-04-16T15:40:00.003+10:00

The lovely Deborah of Unique Dichoric has featured my "Nag Champa" necklace in this beautiful all DUSTer Treasury West. Thanks Deborah!

Fabulous Aussie Autumn

Wishlist Wednesday....

2009-04-15T11:35:00.008+10:00

I'm not feeling so good today, so just a quick hello and some pretty things to share, then I'm off to the couch with some rosehip tea and a good book.

Deep Dark Waters earrings by Realisation Creations

Bamboo & Organic Cotton jersey pjs by Sandmaiden

Emerald Briolettes on sale at Luxury

Treasury! ...navy + geen compliments

2009-04-10T17:01:00.004+10:00

Thank you to the gorgeous Natalia of RealisationCreations for including my "Dragon" necklace in this beautiful Treasury West. I'm loving that green dress!

Inner Earth Soaps, the verdict....

2009-04-09T06:22:00.008+10:00

Inner Earth Soaps

A few weeks on from the arrival of our first lot of Erins all natural soaps and Salt Glows and I am absolutely in love.
I can't tell you how excited I was when my package arrived, a delicate hint of spice was gently permeating through the box....I ripped it open and took each well wrapped piece out to examine one by one. The first thing to grab my attention was the size. They're quite a bit bigger than our regular handmade soaps. Then, (as I resist the urge to bite into it, they look so edible!), I take the "Wild Spice" out of the cellophane. The woody scent of patchouli and warming spice hits me, and I know this is going to be a favourite. It's not too heavily perfumed, and I'm confidant that Husband will enjoy it, as even with the feminine pachouli, it's quite a neutral scent. After several days of use, my skin is feeling loved again - no more itching! Just silky smooth and sweetly scented.

Next, the "Coffee Scrub". I was expecting strong brewed coffee, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the just as refreshing hit of lemon myrtle, tea tree and rosemary were the prominent scents, with the coffee background hinted at when it's in use. This is perfect for the kitchen, I've seen Husband using it often, so I'm guessing he approves :)

We're yet to try the "Salt Spa", but it's smells and looks divine! I'm loving the rosemary and lavender together with just hints of peppermint and lemongrass. I think I'm going to have to sneak in a soak in the bath with a good book and try this one out soon.

Our Salt Glows were custom made for our sensitive skin, how luxurious! I've been trying to get Husband to use an exfoliant for years, and he'll usually do it if I remind him, but he LOVES his Salt Glow so much he's using it every few days with me. It's unlike any other salt scrub I've used before. It melts into your skin and leaves it feeling clean, smooth and moisturized.

Custom Salt Glow by Inner Earth Soaps

My little sample soap of Calendula Silk has me pining for more too, it's a very, very decadent looking soap and smells amazing. Next on my soap wishlist: Coconut Lemongrass, Basil Lime and Pomegranite....yummm....

Treasury....Aussie Elements....

2009-04-08T10:19:00.005+10:00

This beautiful Treasury created by the lovely Carley of Vanilla Pixie featured my "Desert Rose" necklace, which sold the next day! Woo! :)

Aussie Elements

Wishlist Wednesday....

2009-04-08T09:30:00.005+10:00

I love a warm, snuggly hoodie for early morning walks, they're a quintessential part of my "market stall holder" wardrobe in the cooler months too.

Forest Friend - Eco consience hemp fleece hoodie by Jennifer Joy Creative

I saw this design in a Sydney boutique a couple of years back, and loved it the moment I laid eyes on it!

Japanese style Chrysanthemum - pendant by howlindoggie

We're almost out of the organic shampoo and conditioner we've been using, and I'm not too keen on it so these ones will be coming home with me real soon :)

Grapefruit and Lime - shampoo and conditioner by Tranqillita

Treasuries!

2009-04-06T06:35:00.008+10:00

I'm running a little late with this, but i'd like to thank Gillian of EclecticMoi for including my "Aitutaki" necklace in this one:

I love Red

Tess of Planet Treasures for including my "Indah" necklace in this one:

Aussie Autumn

And Meg of Artnomadix for inclding my "Big Red" bracelet in this one :)

Gorgeous Autumn Glory

Thanks ladies!

DUST April Sale! I like 'em chunky....

2009-04-03T06:45:00.009+11:00

I'm feeling the big rounds beads this month. I love the way they feel on, they have such a beautiful sway about them. With all of those gorgeous cooler weather fabrics popping up, it's time for bold jewellery designs to shine!

Indah - Rutilated Quartz & Bali sterling silver

Daintree - Rainforest Jasper, Tiger Ebony & Bali sterling silver

Nag Champa - Snakeskin Jasper & Thai Karen Hill Tribe fine silver

Desert Rose - Picture Jasper & Thai Karen Hill Tribe fine silver

Lots more "Aussie Autumn" sale items in store at Owl and Fox

Wishlist Wednesday....

2009-04-01T08:05:00.023+11:00

Happy April!

Sweetgrass Place Setting - JDWolfePottery

I've found a whole new love for stoneware. I've been buying bits and pieces from an artist at St Andrews market on Saturdays, and just love the way they feel. This set would feel right at home in my kitchen.

Excited like my Labrador - reclaimed childrens book brooch by Reread

I love all of the things in Reread's shop, but I'm really feeling this one today. I'm excited about the DUST craft swap, trying another one of my new soaps that I got the other day, not having to vacuum...the cats are being quiet for once....House is on tonight...I'm just having a great Wednesday!

I Love Owls - comfy looking clutch by In Bloom Designs

With the cooler weather approching I always gravitate to soft and snuggly things. This would be great to take with me to the market, I always seem to lose things in my huge messanger bag, so a bit of organization would save a lot of time. Oh and the owl fabric is just too cute!

Pink Kisses on Grey Flannel...Treasury

2009-03-29T15:31:00.006+11:00

Valerie of Mistflowerstudio has picked some of my vintage buttons (in my poorly neglected destash shop) for this pretty Treasury. I love the way this has been put together, just beautiful.

Pink Kisses on Gray Flannel

Wishlist Wednesday!

2009-03-25T07:27:00.017+11:00

I'm jumping on this bandwagon, thanks to Carley of Vanilla Pixie for the inspiration! It's a lovely way to show off other peoples work and do some window shopping at the same time.

Spearmint Swirl - One of a kind ring by Incalesco
This is just so gorgeous, I adore green amethyst and this piece really appeals to me. I think it's a little too small a size for my fingers, though I'm going to keep Erika in mind for my next ring purchase....our 1st wedding anniversary is in August....hint hint Husband!

Deer in the Forest - Coinpurse by Pocket Carnival

I've been looking for a little purse to carry around my business cards and return address label, something small i can grab for post office trips. This little cutie is right up my alley :)

Sleepy Hollow Owls - Lino Cut Print by Light and Shade

Ever since I received my DUST craft swap gift print from Vanessa, I was hooked on this medium. I think I need to have this hanging in my study. Soon my sweets, soon.

Treasury! .......and..........exhale....

2009-03-24T07:35:00.005+11:00

The gorgeous Natalia of RelisationCreations has included my Lady Grey pearls in this beautiful Treasury. The light to dark from one corner to the next is a splendid interpretation of that calming breath we should all take more time to practice.

I've gone pearl crazy!

2009-03-20T14:10:00.006+11:00

...oh how I loooove pearls! I'm having a whole lot of fun creating with them this week. I've had a few custom orders for the market stall lately, so haven't had much time for the Etsy store. I stayed up late last night to make these so I could list them today:

Dragon - Biwa pearls and Thai Hill Tribe silver

Lady Grey - Triple strand pearl and Swarovski crystal necklace with Thai & Bali silver

March DUST "Green Dreams" Sale....

2009-03-19T06:43:00.005+11:00

Better late than never! This is the first DUST sale I've participated in, with thanks to Melanie of Wiccked for being so patient and helpful to those of us who are a bit technologically challenged!

On sale now until the end of March!

Moss - Moss agate earrings

Spring Rocks! - Chunky prehinite necklace

Forest - Brazilian crysocolla earrings

Things that make me smile....

2009-03-18T17:06:00.003+11:00

This week I've decided to feature a fellow jewellery artist, Shannon of Musette. I love her use of colour, shape and texture. There's also something very tactile about her photographs, I feel as though I could be holding the peices in my own hands just looking at them.
Shannons work is also featured here, she's donated a cute bangle for a givaway. If you're in the US or Canada, check it out!

A couple of my favourites from Shannons Etsy shop

Kyanite, I'm in love....

2009-03-12T09:54:00.006+11:00

Deep teal Kyanite is just so stunning, I adore these stones! I found a small stash of these beauties and was tempted to keep them all for my personal collection...but reason won over my incessant need to hoard rocks, and I made 2 pairs of these beauties, one for me, the other for my Etsy shop, which sold the next day! The others are just begging to be wrapped, so I will have some more in the shop over the coming weeks. :)

Frozen - Kyanite wrapped in the "messy on purpose" style with sterling silver

Breath of Spring....

2009-03-12T09:29:00.005+11:00

Ali of All About The Beads has made this stunning treasury inspired my my "Breathe" earrings, how sweet is that? I'm loving the cool tranquility of this one, grey and blue are just meant to be together!

Pearls, pearls and more pearls....

2009-03-12T08:10:00.012+11:00

I've been on a pearl buying frenzy, I love the decadence that pearls imbue, especially when there are LOTS of them! Much to my delight, (and Husbands!), this luscious necklace sold the day after it was listed. The lovely Erin of Innerearthsoaps purchased these as a 50th birthday gift for her mum, how perfect!

Midnight Rose - triple strand pearl necklace

Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere...

2009-03-09T16:13:00.005+11:00

Handmadesbylorri has featured my "Indah" necklace in the gorgeous Autumn inspired Etsy treasury. I'm loving the brown, cream and orange theme...Autumn is my favourite time of year :)

My first time wrapping....

2009-02-19T15:17:00.011+11:00

These were a custom order from husbands lovely Aunt, and my first time wrapping with 14kt gold fill, (and my second go at wrapping briolettes). I only bought just enough wire to do one pair, so lucky I didn't stuff it up! I quite enjoyed the change in material, and have already ordered the next lot of gold wire...can't wait to have a play! I can see how wire wrapping can be so addictive! Expect to see a lot more of it in my store :)

12mm Swarovski flat briolettes in Olivine, wrapped and hung on 14kt gold fill.

These are my first sterling silver wrapped earrings, which are for sale here.

Oz Bushfire appeals first donation....

2009-02-14T09:09:00.006+11:00

I'm just so proud of everyone involved in the phenomenal effort that was seen this week. We've sold over 340 items and raised $5000AUD for the Australian Red Cross.
I'm in awe, it's truly heartwarming to see so many people from all corners of the earth come together with so much kindness.
There's still lots of beautiful things to buy, take a look here.

UPDATE: $10000AUD raised 500 sales and counting!

6th in the 6th....

2009-02-13T14:57:00.008+11:00

I've been tagged by the lovely Erika of Incalesco to play 6th in the 6th. A blogging game where you locate the 6th photo in your 6th picture folder and blog about it. Then tag 6 more people to do the same.

So I open up "My Pictures", find the 6th folder...it's called 2004_05_15, which is the date format that my previous camera stored and uploaded photos...feeling a little anxious about opening it...oh it's a Zebra, that's not so bad!

So here it is! My not very interesting, (but thankfully not too weird), 6th in the 6th.

This was taken from the Safari bus tour at Werribee Open Ragne Zoo. It's nice place to visit, (when it's not school holidays). We go every year, sometimes twice...husband is a wildlife park junkie. And now that my little sister has started kinder, he's been asking when we can go again...sheesh! There's only so many times you can see the same things again and again and still feel enthusiastic about it, but I go and enjoy the walk in the fresh air.

I've tagged Erin Indidi Angie will do some more later!

Proximidade Award....

2009-02-13T10:20:00.006+11:00

Proximidade is described as follows:

This blog invests and believes in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes for self-aggrandizement!
Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!

The rules are: This blog award should be sent to your favorite eight bloggers and they, in turn should forward to eight of their favorites. You should include the text for Proximidade (above) in your announcement blog.

Jan Allsopp has kindly passed on this Award to me, see her beautiful blog entry here.

My 8 Awards will go to these awesome bloggers:

Green Gracious

Persistent Green

Realisation Creations

Hannah Faerie

michvanetta

Incalesco

littlechrissy

Sophism Press

planettreasures

You guys really have a great way of thinking, I love reading your posts. Well done!

All Aussie Etsy

2009-02-12T15:09:00.006+11:00

For those of you who missed it, here is the stunning all Australian treasury, made by moonmum, that made it to Etsy's front page today at around 3pm, no small feat! A tribute to the terrible bushfires that continue to burn in my home state of Victoria.

Waiting for rain...

And it was still there 30mins later...spot the difference...

Victoria's heartache....

2009-02-09T07:00:00.004+11:00

Please visit our Oz Bush Fire Appeal store on Etsy and grab yourself something beautiful. All proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross, helping those who've lost everything in Australia's worst bush fires in written history.

My heart goes out to everyone in Victoria, every single person I know has been affected by this terrible tragedy. We have family who've lost their homes in the Marysville fire, and are so thankful that they got out in time, with their pets. They were the lucky ones. Several of my families friends are still missing in the area of the Churchill fires which are still burning.

Donate what you can to the Australian Red Cross bushfire appeal.
Stay up to date and know what's going on around you: CFA incident reports

The weather has finally turned, we have had a bit of rain, and it's now in the low 20's. Hopefully this will be enough to finalize the destruction for this year.

my preciousss arrived....

2009-02-07T06:45:00.009+11:00

My new Larvikite ring arrived from MsRose, so instead of the basic arty closeup of the ring I decided to use this opportunity to introduce you to our youngest fur kid, Marley the 1 year old Devon Rex. We we're toying with the idea of calling him Gollum, for obvious reasons, but he's just so laid back and loved up just like his namesake that it stuck with him. He's a chocolate spotted tabby point, and has the most gorgeous light aqua eyes, I'll get a decent photo of them one day, he doesn't stop rolling around long enough to capture them.

sharing the things that make me smile....

2009-02-04T14:32:00.004+11:00

I am not a coat - Fox Pendant by Christy Robinson Designs

This clever necklace is not only animal friendly, it's earth friendly too! Hand made buy Christy Robinson from recycled aluminum and ethically sourced sterling silver, this Fox knows that being Eco friendly will never go out of style. He and all his Eco chic friends will be giving 10% of proceeds to Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary this month, so check out Christy's store and let people know you care with some cute and stylish Eco friendly designs.
For even more Eco friendly goodness, visit www.christyrobinsondesigns.com

Real chocolate truffles...the healthy kind!

2009-02-04T11:18:00.010+11:00

Kinda bumpy, but so very tasty!
Dairy, Gluten, Soy and Nut free Chocolate

These chocolate truffles are made with real cacao and cacao butter, nothing compares to the taste of REAL chocolate! It's healthy for you too, so no need to feel guilty, and because these are dark and rich, one or two is enough to satisfy even the most rabid of chocolate obsessions. I don't use a recipe, I could never find one, but I can give you the basics of making chocolate at home. It's really very simple, and after you taste your own, you'll wonder why those big commercial brands are so popular. That C word is a swear word in our house!

All you need is a few basic ingredients, cacao powder, cacao butter, honey (or maple syrup might work for a vegan version), vanilla extract, agave nectar, and any other flavours that you like. I used a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg in these ones. I've also used chili, coffee, nuts, dried fruit...pretty much anything naturally good for you will work!

You can read about all the wonderful health benefits of real chocolate, and buy all the cacao ingredients here: Cacao Power

REAL CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES - BASIC HOW TO -
I'm not going to call this a recipe! It's up to you how sweet you like it, the fun part is experimenting and tasting along the way!

This is what I use as a guide:
1 part cacao butter
2 parts raw honey - I use macadamia honey, any mellow flavour will do.
3-4 parts cacao powder
1 splash of vanilla extract
5-6 splashes of dark agave nectar

To give you an idea of quantity, I used about 60-70g of cacao butter, 120-140g honey, around 250-300g cacao powder, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and about 60ml of dark agave nectar to make 20 truffles.

There are a few things to remember when making chocolate, no water must touch it (it becomes grainy and can't be fixed), you shouldn't overheat it, and it will always taste better than store bought commercial stuff! (I do have a soft spot for Lindt, but only at Christmas!)

So now you are thoroughly confused with my "recipe", time to get started!
What you need: a medium saucepan, large glass mixing bowl (ceramic would work too), spoon or spatula for stirring, and a thermometer is handy but not absolutely necessary.

1.Using the double boil method, get some water gently simmering in a pot, and place a glass bowl inside, making sure it's large enough that it doesn't touch the water.

2. Roughly chop the cacao butter and put it in the bowl. It will melt at around 35C.

3. Once melted, stir in your honey and vanilla extract.

4. Add about half of your cacao powder, stirring it in until smooth, then add the other half. I don't like to get the heat above 44C, don't let the water boil and you should be ok, just a very gentle simmer.

5.You might find that it's a bit grainy and thick, this is when I add the agave nectar, a bit at a time, continually stirring until it's smooth and shiny. This is the point that I will taste and adjust the sweetness and flavour, add any other bits you'd like now.

6. Once it's looking gorgeous and glossy, turn off the heat. Continue to gently stir for around 10 minutes. Now remove the bowl (careful it's hot, and make sure you don't get a drop of water into the mixture). I "temper" the chocolate by gently stirring to evenly cool, until it starts to thicken. This may take another 10-20miutes, depending on your ambient temperature. I've found that this is a pretty important step for a smooth and consistent ganache.

7. Put the bowl in the fridge, I don't cover it for fear of condensation dripping in and ruining all my good work, but if it's cool enough I think it'd be safe. Leave for about an hour. I'm impatient and stir it every 15 minutes, so I can bring it out sooner. Once it's firm enough to handle, it's time to roll some truffles!

8. In any bowl, add a tablespoon or so of cacao powder. If you're not keen on the slight bitterness of raw cacao powder, you could add a little cinnamon too. For this batch I added crushed hazelnuts, though they didn't stick too well. If you have a mellon baller, now is it's time to shine, I don't and used a teaspoon instead. Depending on the size you want your truffles, grab some ganache, and with clean, dry hands, quickly roll into a ball, then roll it in the powder. Continue until you're out of ganache, try to resist eating them now! Pop them on a plate, cover with gladwrap, refrigerate, and you're done!

Enjoy with a freshly ground latte at morning tea....heaven!

There you have it, my first food post! I am no Nigella, but I have a great love of healthy, natural and delicious food! These truffles may cost a little more than a block of $4 supermarket "chocolate", but I don't believe one should sacrifice the enjoyment of eating quality food for the sake of getting a cheaper alternative, what price would you put on your health?

Do you have a raw chocolate recipe to share? I'd love to hear some! Post your recipe or links in the comments :)

Psych Test

2009-02-04T08:18:00.006+11:00

I've just finished this personality test, recommended by Natalia at RealisationCreations .
It's really very well done, I thought my results were spot on. It took around 25 minutes, so if you have the time, it's worth a go!

Here's the link:

My result was "Considerate Creator"

Husband was very impressed with it, his result was "Considerate Inventor" what a match!

Something different for me....

2009-01-30T10:35:00.004+11:00

I'm one of those rare people who doesn't really care for purple of any shade, or roses for that matter! But as soon as I saw these pearls, I new that they had to be together. The Brair Rose necklace was listed for a total of 10 minutes before someone had reserved it! To say I was surprised would be a gross understatment! So it got me thinking about purple, as long as it's not over the top, I think I can handle it! I'm off to find some more pearls...

Briar Rose - Triple strand pearl necklace

something else new to me....

2009-01-21T06:23:00.005+11:00

I've been hesitant to buy Sterling silver chain as it's so darn expensive, but I found some at a what looked liked reasonable price and took the plunge. I've had it sitting in my chain draw for a few weeks, too scared to touch it, not wanting to wreck it! I finally plucked up the courage and took the cutters to it....only a little bit, but it's a start! I'm pretty happy with the result, it looks really cute on and has a nice weight and movement to it.

Summer Rain
Mixed stone and Hill Tribe silver beads with Sterling silver 3mm flat oval link chain.

Rainy Day
The matching earrings.

my new favourite thing....

2009-01-15T10:44:00.003+11:00

For the past couple of days, I've been trying to figure out how to knot 1mm waxed cotton with beads that have a 1mm hole, which in theory sounds simple enough. But, after several trails resulting only with my frustration, I gave up using the waxed cotton and brought out the Silkon .5mm nylon thread. Success! I'm pretty pleased with the results, (and I think I've found a new obsession). I'm really loving the fluidity of movement using thread brings to the piece. It moulds to your shape beautifully, very comfy.

Natural 12mm Fossil beads were used with chocolate brown thread, one carved wooden feature bead set asymmetrically, and an interesting vintage olive green button I found in my local op shop.

I'm not sure weather or not to list this in my Etsy store...I think i'll do a couple of bracelets and list those...I'm a bit partial to this one so it might have to stay here with me :)

what a way to start the day....

2009-01-14T07:50:00.001+11:00

After an awful night of trying to keep cool, failing, and getting about 2 minutes sleep, husband gets me up at 5:30am to take him to the train station. I grumble incoherent ramblings the whole 10 minutes it takes to get there and back (....how could he not have made me a coffee? Not even a lukewarm sip from his black tea...I can't believe it's already 25 degrees outside....BLAH!). What a way to start the day!
So I'm trudging to the kitchen, passing the study...then I get this odd feeling...could it be? I find myself getting a little giddy while checking on my emails....Ah-Hah! I'd made my first sale! No longer needing my caffeine hit to keep me going, I've been convoing, twittering, plurking and texting my excitement for about 2 hours now. Yes, I'm a dork, you were bound to find that out sooner or later.

These are the earrings that a lovely lady in the U.S bought today. They're part of my "simple" series of earrings that I listed only the day before.

my preciousss...

2009-01-12T13:42:00.001+11:00

"At Night" Larvikite Ring in Argentium Silver by MsRose

I've had this gorgeous thing in my favourites for a little while now, every time I see it, it just draws me in with it's flashy grey goodness. Finally I could resist no longer, it's on it's way to my right hand ring finger and should arrive in a torturous 10 business days. Until then, I will gaze longingly at this one.........what's that? Husband needs to be fed? Just a few minutes more.........

Next on my want list, this stunning Kyanite one.
For more beautiful things from MsRose check out her Etsy shop here.

I am NOT a crazy cat lady....

2009-01-12T06:44:00.002+11:00

I never considered myself a "cat person" because of the serverly adverse reaction my body has whenever I'm near one, I'm horribly allergic. That was until several years ago, when my mum introduced me to her new Ragdooll rescue, Pepper. Ragdolls are known to be somewhat hypoallergenic, so after a few hours of total comfort with this big fluffball cat hanging around, I decided to do some research and look into which other cats might be suitable for the newly discovered cat lover in me. After a couple of months of gental persuation, I'd convinced husband how great it would be to finally be able to have a feline friend, but he's even more allergic than I am, so we needed to test this out. After a few visits to our selected breeder, who had seven Ragdolls in the house, both husband and I had fallen for these big, fluffy, floppy cats...and not a weeze or sneeze out of either of us! This was the result:Before Mr Binx was even old enough to come home with us, we decided that it would be nice for him to have a friend, as we weren't home as often as we would have liked, and we didn't want a bored and destructive kitten destroying our brand new home. So along came Indie. Two kittens kept us on our toes, but they were great fun and they both grew to love each others company, which gave us some time off from the kitten claws.
Six months later....
We both had had enough of the el cheapo cat scratchers that our growing boys were destroying way too quickly, (3 in 6 months!), and had seen the Funky Cat Feline Furniture online and decided to spoil them, and us, with this rather extravigant purchace. We decided to go and veiw them in person, and tentativly walked into the scariest place someone with cat allergies could go...a National cat show. Zyrtec was well into our system, so we were doing pretty good. Just go in, buy the cat tree, and leave.....ha! Even husband couldn't resit looking at all of the pretty, weird and just plain scary looking felines, it was like a day at the zoo!
And then we saw them. 7 tiny black gremlins, staring at us with big round eyes set in strange elfin faces, twitching their massive ears, almost hairless apart from some fluff on their tails and faces...Devon rex kittens...quite possibly the ugliest, and the cutest things we'd ever seen.
To cut a long post short, we now have 4 cats, two Ragdolls and two Devon Rexes. Our 3 boys Binx, Indie and Marley, all live harmoniously, though our queen bee, Luna, can be quite a handfull, (she's a very complex individual). I'll be "cat posting" every now and then, but not the "look what my fluffie winkles did today! aww!" kind of post, yuck.

One of my favourite photos, this is currently residing on our fridge.

Binx - 4 months - Polerized Macro

my first time playing with hemp....

2009-01-10T09:22:00.001+11:00

In my interest to learn how to knot beads, I found a really good deal on hemp cord that I just couldn't resist. Yesterday I was having a tough time with "beaders block", (it always seems to happen whenever I have washing to do, bad feng shui perhaps?), so I decided to try something different and got out the hemp. I looked up the basic knotting instructions - simple enough. I loved the thought of adding beads, something earthy...it had to be those Australian recycled wooden beads I've been hoarding. 25 minutes later, my bracelet had to be rethought out into what turned into a pretty funky necklace.
I'm a total hippy at heart, I'm really only a few steps away from dreading my hair and moving to Kuranda, so hemp knotting seems like a logical creative outlet for me. I think I might do a few more and take them up to St Andrews market next Saturday. They're so much fun to make, I can't believe I never got to do this as a kid! Next stop - knotting gemstones onto waxed cotton cord.

sharing the things that make me smile....

2009-01-08T10:54:00.001+11:00

"Mocha Kenya" Original Gocco Print by artist Jan Allsopp

I could stare at this for hours. I love how it takes me back to all the little coffee shop adventures I've had with my closest people. Be it a shack in the Cook Islands, a cosy cabin in the snow fields of New Zealand, or a chic coffee house in Melbourne's CBD, coffee is central to so many of my fondest memories. This print is definatly pro caffine, decaf is a chemical mess!
Jan's unique art can be found here on Etsy.

So I'm venturing into unknown territory...

2009-01-07T07:33:00.001+11:00

Blogging. For so long now, I've never given a seconds thought to the word. It's strange and unattractive sounding, and has no meaning in the "outside world". I'm the girl who never turns on her mobile phone, so why would I bother looking into social networking on the internet?
Etsy, that's why. That magical online place filled with extraordinary people, who I've found to be a very real source of inspiration, so much so that it's made me think twice about this "Blogging" thing.
Etsy has opened up a whole new way for me to create something for myself. It began with beads, and where this will lead me...well I can't wait to find out.
So here I am, blogging, who'd have thought?
Stay tuned - Tiff