A Fairy Tale Life

Me ( age 2) and my sister (age 4)

When I read our latest Carnival topic on Fairy Tales, we were asked which was one of our favorite Fairy Tale. So many different tales came to mind. Most Fairy Tales begin with “Once Upon a Time”; and end with, “They lived happily ever after.” Strangely, as a child I never really recognized that concept when reading or being read one of the many fairy tales that exist. Truthfully, I always found them to be dark, mysterious, and at times quite terrifying. I guess one could relate them to a theme of “Dungeons and Dragons”. The one that always stayed in my mind was Hansel and Gretel. Two young children filled with the fear of a mother who never seemed to love them, and a father forced by his failure to be able to provide for the family. The parent’s only solution was to be rid of the children. Listening to their parents plans night after night, the children saved up some bread crumbs and as they ran away from home, their idea of spreading bread crumbs along the way to help them find their way back home was thwarted by the birds that ate their crumbs. Hungry and tired they came across a most unique house in the woods; one that would attract any small, hungry and unwanted child. A beautiful “Gingerbread House” where they were greeted by a most welcoming owner. The woman not only invited them in, she fed them and provided them with the love they were so desperately seeking. It was only a matter of time before the real person emerged; a woman who used Hansel and Gretel to do chores, only to find out that her sole purpose in helping them was to meet her own needs, and eventually planning to cook them for a meal for herself. As the old wicked woman prepared to push them into the fire, they in turn were able to cast her into the fire.

I don’t exactly know why this one particular “Fairy Tale” was and has been so vivid in my memory. As a small child, you wonder how a mother could just cast aside her children so easily, and I never understood why their father did not stand up for them. Yes, Hansel and Gretel’s father finally did come searching for them and saved them, but I wonder why they had to suffer such hardships to find love within their own family.

What is so sad is that today we so often see small unwanted children deserted by their parents; mother’s who kill their own children to satisfy their own needs. We see children starving around the world, beaten and starving as they are left to exist on their own. I wonder if these small children even know or knew what a “fairy tale” was; yet they are left to live such a life of unknown, hoping for that “Happily ever after” which almost never comes. As I think back, I wonder if this particular tale of “Hansel and Gretel” had some deep inner meaning within my subconscious. For those of you who read my blogs, you often hear me speak of my wonderful grandparents who raised my sister and me. My father left before I was a year old (which was also the last time I ever saw him), and my mother who was much too young to sacrifice her life to raise her own children. So perhaps I have lived in my own little Gingerbread House, deserted by parents; but my “Happily Ever After” came in the guise of loving grandparents, who made me the person I am today.

Wordless Wednesday

Our new Kitty has finally arrived - Jada!

My Secret Garden

I have always dreamt of having a sprawling English Garden with fields of wildflowers and fragrant rambling roses climbing the high walls surrounding it. One of my favorite books, and that of my children, has always been “The Secret Garden”. Locked away for so many years, the Garden became a vast mixture of overgrown weeds, ivy and dying roses. Through the healing powers of the minds of two small sickly children, the Garden as well as the children begins to thrive. The love the children give to the Garden is shown in it’s abundance of growth of roses, ivy, trees and beautiful wild flowers. The magical feeling one gets just walking through a beautiful garden with its fragrant smells and colors, is always one of peacefulness and content.

Although I only have a small terrace, but lucky enough to have full sunlight, I am able to grow the most beautiful, fragrant roses, and wildflowers, pansies, and heather all spring and summer long. Last year my roses actually lasted until November. One of the most beautiful color rose we grew, we ones called “Black Cherry” (shown in the photo). So as I sit out there in the quietness of my own little private garden, I can close my eyes and picture myself in my own English Garden with ivy and rambling roses growing up over the roof of my house.

Carnival: Going Green

Well, I think I will have to combine both questions on my blog this month. Actually, green is not exactly one of my favorite colors in case you haven’t noticed when browsing through my shop. Instinctively, when I am buying my crystals, my eyes automatically turn towards colors that are me – pinks, garnet, siam, topaz (my birthstone) and purples. I imagine if we all look at our shops we will find that our colors tend to run towards what we favor. Although, I cannot be prejudiced in my choice of colors, so I admit I do have a few I have green items in my shop.
I think nature is one of God’s greatest gift to us; Spring is one of the most beautiful times of the year, with all the tiny green buds starting to burst forward. The snow is gone and the grass is getting greener by the day. Yet with all this beauty nature has given us, how sad that we take so much for granted and completely abuse it. Going back to the1900’s, when factories were cropping up everywhere, who knew at that time that our rivers and lakes would become the dumping ground for the many chemicals that manufacturers’ were using. Unfortunately, it has taken almost 100 years for us to figure out the destruction and devastation that this has caused around the world. Fish are dying at record numbers, cancer abounding in certain areas that were at one time a dumping ground for all sorts of Chemicals. Beaches which were once the pride of our community are now off limits, who ever knew that water was supposed to be blue, looking across the sound (near where I live) the water is a murky green, and, not to forget what all of this chemical dumping and pollution has caused by our own greediness – global warming! What can we do? We are all guilty, and we all need to participate in the cleaning up of our world.
Well, besides the obvious, not smoking; making sure our cars are not one of the culprits; not using all those chemical cleaners that are destroying our ozone layer. Many of these manufacturers are now producing products designed to help the environment, if we take a second while doing our weekly shopping we can find these (green) products among the shelves of pollutants! I have photographed some products which if we all start to use, will perhaps keeps keep our air cleaner and our trees bursting with color for our children and grandchildren, and many more generations to follow to enjoy. So as I end this blog I think it only appropriate to leave you with this quote from Kermit the Frog: “It ain’t easy being green”!

March Blogger of the Month: DesignbyNora

Our March Etsy Blogger is Nora, whose shop, designbynora.etsy.com, has a combination of adorable polymer clay earrings, and great handbags.
Just graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Art, taking mainly Graphic Design, I am sure we will be seeing a lot more interesting items to come in her shop. So far she seems to be on the right track. Congratulations Nora! ps – I love reading also!

These are a few of the items I really liked from her shop. I swear my mother had the same bag as "Mabel" the one with the blue flower in the 50's.

Wordless Wednesday

Our newest addition - well, you can say "aaahhhhhh" - it is a Bengal Kitty - we should be getting it in 2 weeks.

Carnival: Spring Cometh Forth

"O, how this spring of love resembleth

The uncertain glory of an April day;

Which now shows all the beauty of the sun,

And by and by a cloud takes all away." ...Hamlet

As I walk down the brick steps of my house, I jump over the remaining remnants of winter’s fury. Although Spring is just 2 weeks away, last night we were besieged with another blast of Winter’s folly. As I am reaching the end of our walkway, out of the corner of my eye, I spy what I have been looking for. There quietly peeking its little head up from the softly fallen snow, are little flecks of purple. The first sign of Spring, a crocus flower bravely pushing its way through the cold ground and snow. Ever since I have been a small child, this routine is played out year after year. For forty years, that first crocus has appeared in the same spot miraculously.
As the robins start to chirp, the buds adorning the branches, and the days seem a little longer, a whole new feeling begins to emerge. Spring signifies a new beginning, an awakening, life. So as the Sun is beginning to warm the days, my walks are not as brisk; but I take the time to to look around and enjoy what God and Mother Nature has given us. Life to begin anew, birds merrily chirping their joyous songs as they build their nests to await the birth of their new little ones, and I look for that crocus that has grown with me and within me, to step outside of our closed up houses, and into the beauty of that fresh air that comes along with Spring’s awakening.

Carnival: Etsy and Me

A year and a half ago if someone asked me about Etsy – my response would be – “what the heck is Etsy”? Well I have learned a lot during that short time. One of my closest friend, Marion, http://mademarion.etsy.com, had started selling on Etsy and suggested that I look into it for my jewelry. Up until that point, although I had been doing various crafts for years, embroidery, quilting, crocheting, knitting, I had only just started designing jewelry – all of which I would make and give away. Even after checking out about Etsy, I really couldn’t imagine myself opening a shop and actually selling my work; but there I was signing away. Then they asked the ultimate question: What is the name of your shop? Something I hadn’t given much thought to. As you all know by now, I chose "MagdaleneJewels" – very befitting since I have always thought of Mary Magdalene as one of the strongest woman since the beginning of Christianity.
Totally uncertain of what to expect once my shop was opened, something I hadn't thought about, now I had to actually describe each piece of jewelry. I found this the most difficult because when I design a piece of my jewelry it is something that comes from within, a feeling, an idea in my head, and a little piece of me. Coincidentally, I have been working on a project with a few other Etsians with Marion Barnett, http://artmixter.etsy.com, who is doing research for a book she is writing. Marion took the time to look at my shop, making a few suggestions and comments; but what surprised me most was how she viewed my pieces as being very Romantic and Feminine, which completely describes me. So in that respect, I guess I have been successful in bringing forth myself in my work. My biggest success I think was doing a video showcasing the pieces in my shop – from that I have continued to get quite a lot of custom orders.
I can truly say what I enjoy most about Etsy is the friends I have made through the different teams I have joined; Bbest, Etsy Bloggers, and Plugger’s United. Although our crafts range in so many different directions, we have closeness, almost like a second family.

February Blogger of the Month:Donna Pool

This month’s featured Blogger, Donna Pool, is, according to “Etsy Bloggers” one of their very first members. So she rightfully deserves the honor of being featured. Her shop is http://DonnaPool.etsy.com. Although I often chat on the Blogger thread, I really have never seen anything from Donna’s shop, so it was a quite interesting proposition to learn about another one of our teammates.

As Donna’s profile says. “I make stuff. All kinds of stuff, but always something fun”. I definitely found this true as I browsed through her shop. There is a little something nostalgic for everyone as you step back in time. What first caught my eye was the vintage Argus Camera, who of us growing up didn’t own one of these.

I also enjoyed her vintage buttons, which according to Donna, were taken from her parents and grandparents collection of old Life and Look magazines. As she says:.”I make my vintage buttons out of recycled images from those because they're like preserving tiny bits of history...a fascinating little peek into the past.”

Donna’s shop also has some soft toys for children which she hand sews; along with some adorable photos of her cats, Sebastian and Snowflake. As always, one likes the save the best for last! This picture is my absolute favorite:

Love from joeyandaleethea

Happy Valentine's Day to all! A little blogger's Love from JoeyandAleethea

Carnival: Learning to do a YouTube Video

Tutorial: YouTube Video:

It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were just learning the mechanisms of a mouse and keyboard while still trying to figure out what do I do next! Then along came the internet, which opened up a whole new world to those of us who had just mastered the art of turning on our computers. Now we have absolutely everything imaginable at our fingertips. A whole new world of learning, research, chatting, shopping and marketing has opened up.
Then came "YouTube", where one can put any sort of video online for their friends to see. When I first saw some of the crazy videos people posted, I admit I was in awe of the whole idea, never thinking that one day I would be the one posting video’s on YouTube. The latest undertaking for some of us here at Etsy is YouTube! Is a great marketing tool for all of us here on Etsy; whether we are doing a video of our Treasury’s or showcasing our shops. I am posting the link to my YouTube Video to give you an idea of the prospects that this may lead to you. I choose which pieces I wanted to feature the added some music (U2), and you have a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uM69mwGjq8
Ok, I will admit it cannot be summed up in two sentences. There is a little more involvement to the whole process. If you are interested, make sure you have Windows XP or Vista. Go to your Programs and click on Accessories. You will have either Movie Maker or PhotoStory3 already listed. Some may prefer another program called Photo Gallery, which can be found in your Programs/Windows Live/Photo Gallery. Personally, I find PhotoStory3 the easiest for myself. If you don’t have any of these, just Google which program you would like and then upload it to your computer. Once you have mastered that you are on your way. The rest is simple – just follow the instructions – upload photos- each Program will let you edit your picture once it is uploaded. Next, you can add titles onto each photo (if you wish); thirdly, you can add any song you may have already uploaded onto your Computer. A good program for this is Limelight. If any of you have teenagers, you can bet there are plenty of songs already on your computer. Oh yes, I almost forgot the most important thing, signing up with YouTube (doesn’t cost anything!) – www.YouTube.com. Now you are almost ready to start showcasing your work. When your photos are ready to be uploaded to YouTube, made sure you save them in a movie format. When you are finished it will ask how you wish to save it. My program says (save to computer for video), then add .wmv at the end.
Ex: PhotoStory2.Angel of Harlem.wmv
I should mention that if you plan to do a video of one of your Treasury’s, when copying the item you wish to show in your Treasury, also save it in one of your picture folders (I have one just for Etsy). Then when you are ready to start working on your video, you will have all the pictures from your Treasury ready to upload. I will be more than happy to help any of you. If you wish, I can “walk” you through the whole process.
Now that I have given you a sample a new marketing technique, along with a little tutorial, the rest is up to you. See you on “YouTube”!

Carnival - Valentine's Day - A Memory!

Valentine’s Disappointments

Looking at the suggestions of special memories, funny stories, disappointments, I thought how do you choose because I am sure we have all experienced all of these. Some of my special memories will always remain within my heart; but a thought flashed through my head, and I was taken back to my elementary school, 4th grade (actually it could have been any class, or any school).
I am sure you all remember the excitement leading up to Valentine’s Day. We would spend days before cutting hearts out of construction paper and pasting them on the walls. Decorating the whole classroom: balloons, posters, etc; while there in the corner was “the box”. A box that would come to life on February 14th, as it would begin to swell with all the valentines that would be stuffed in there that morning. I remember rushing home after spending what seemed like hours, picking out the perfect cards for my friends. Then I would rush home to start writing my cards. Of course, it was not an easy task, as I had to choose which friends would get the cards I liked the most, saving those of least importance for the “non-so-important” kids in my class.
The anticipation would mount as we would have to wait for the teacher to decide when the proper moment would be to pass out the much awaited cards; and wondering if we would get “that very special card” from the boy across the room. As the cards would be passed out, the smiles were intoxicating. Yet, when I looked up from the pile on my desk, my heart would start to break, as I would see a few of the “unpopular” or those not in the “in group”, attempting to smile, while holding back tears. And there on their desk would be maybe one or two Valentine Cards. Do you remember when the Scarecrow in the “Wizard of Oz” would say, “I know I have a heart, because I feel it breaking.” That is how I felt within my heart watching the disappointment on my classmates’ faces.
If only we knew back then the heartaches and disappointments that those little things in life can bring. How simple it would have been for me to write just one more card. I can’t begin to tell you the heartache I feel even now when I think back on how much we had to learn just to make a difference.

Wordless Wednesday - The Life!

January Blogger of the Month: Roseworksjewelry

As her banner says “Beautiful Jewelry for Beautiful Women”, Roseworksjewelry@etsy.com, has some beautiful creations. Ruthie, known mostly to us as Rose, has not only some beautiful pieces in her shop, but her creativity and designs make her work unique. One can find some intricate woven beaded and hemp bracelets, as well as some beautiful beaded earrings and necklaces. My favorite is her purple and black woven beaded necklace.

What started as a hobby in High School, just creating jewelry for family and friends, has turned into a full scale jewelry business for Ruthie. How many people do you know that can say they designed their own jewelry for their wedding – well, that is exactly what Ruthie did!

Besides making her jewelry, working on her blog, and of course chatting in the Forums, she has also managed to open a second shop with her mother, “KindredSpiritTreasures”; www.kstreasures@etsy.com, which has a few beautiful hand crocheted pieces, I especially love the choker I have chosen to show here.

Carnival Blog: My Goals for 2009

I am definitely not one for making New Year’s Resolutions, nor is setting goals for myself a priority. Oh don’t think I don’t try; or haven’t thought about it each year, but they are always just ideas which float within my head – never to surface. So as I think about this week’s Carnival topic, my idea and goals will have to come from within as I reveal my most inner thoughts. What comes to mind as I think about what I am going to write is the song by the Beatles: “Within you or Without you".

"Try to realize it’s all within your self, no one else can make you change”

For those who of you who read my Blogs and know me well, I have to say that I am always one who just can’t sit back and be quiet when I find things are just not right. So you will continue to see me writing about the many causes and injustices which have affected many of us this past year. Not just on the outside world, but within. Within, I refer to all of us here at Etsy. Last year we were met with the Government’s decision to attempt to pass the “Orphan Act”. For all of those artists whose work is listed on the Internet; writers, photographers, artists, designers, to name a few, whose work would become the public domain of anyone searching the Internet, unless we bought the copyrights to our own work. And yes, the money goes right into the pockets of those running the Government to cover their erroneous deficits caused by greed alone. Unfortunately, with all our petitions, the “Orphan Act” was signed into Legislation as a law in September 27, 2008. Now, comes 2009, and again, we, the many artists and small business are being “raped” by the attempt to pass another law CPSIA, Consumer Product Safety Improvement Product Safety Act”. This law will take effect on February 12, 2009.

Once again, we are met with the many restrictions the Government is placing on all articles, such as toys, clothing, pacifiers, jewelry, etc., which would be sold to children under the age of 12.

So as the Government once again attempts to take possession of our lives, work, craft, and art, I will continue to write articles on my Blog, which will bring these atrocities to all of your attention.

Yes, we can all sit back and say how horrible for those small businesses that will probably have to close, but as for me, I will look within myself, and examine my conscience as to what is right and wrong. As the song says “no one else can make you change”, well, they are right no one can make us change except ourselves. So as I begin 2009, my blog will once again reflect my ideals of what is “within my self” and help “to make a change”.

Wordless Wednesday: A Real Angel!

"a picture is worth a thousand words"