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The Return of Wednesday Inspiration (featuring Mermaiden Creations)!

Those ofBrown velvet tricorn hat you who follow my blog (all two of you) may remember way back when I used to do this thing called “Wednesday Inspiration”. It served two purposes: one was to celebrate and promote other artists that I admire, and the other was to give myself a writing prompt in hopes that it would get me to blog more regularly. So every Wednesday (or every other Wednesday… or as often as I could find the time) I would share images and links from artist friends and strangers who inspire me to be more creative.

butterfly wing earrings
“Waiting on the Eastern Glow” earrings

I’m bringing that back – in part because I’m trying to post more often, and partially because I realize that I fret and complain too much about copycats and jackasses. While the latter concerns are real and should not be swept under the rug completely, there is GOOD stuff happening in the creative community too. I’d like to make a greater effort to celebrate that. My motivation for this is summed up nicely by this quote: “Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate”.


So without further ado, today I’m sharing a few pieces by Mermaiden Creations. My friend Julie creates work that”is the stuffs of fairy tales and legends; curious offerings of nature, weird beauty, wild and fey-inspired organically imperfect designs”. She moves fluidly from jewelry design to millinery work, to hair accessories and home decor.

Sterling and labradorite ring by Mermaiden Creations
“Midnight Moon”labradorite ring

Her work is imaginative, dreamlike, organic, untamed… and skillfully crafted. I own a few pieces of her jewelry and one of her scarves, so when I attest to the quality of her work, I am speaking from affection and experience. I’ve showcased a small handful of my favorite pieces here, but I encourage you to visit her Etsy shop or to follow her on facebook in order to see more of her beautiful work!

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Trinkets and Toadstools

Yikes! I just logged on to write this post, and realized that I have not blogged since the last FAEteam exhibition. I blame the flu and the holidays (and maybe even a touch of laziness) for this.

In any case, I’m back, and I’d like to share the newest exhibition, “Trinkets and Toadstools”. As the name implies, this is a collection of fantasy art and objects with a mushroom or trinket-y theme. It includes artists prints, fantasy jewelry, candles, hair accessories and so much more. The preview to the right is just a sample. To see the real deal, along with clickable product links, please visit the Fantasy Artists of Etsy  blog.

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Sunshine and Peridot

“Sunshine and Peridot” treasury on Etsy

I haven’t had time to create many Etsy treasuries of late, but I was feeling so grateful for the summer sun this morning that I decided to make one today. Not surprisingly, it has a summer/sunny theme; I called it “Sunshine and Peridot” to play off of the ruling planet and birthstone ascribed to the month of August.

The astrological sign for August is Leo, which is symbolized by the mighty (yellow) lion. In addition to peridot, gold is also supposed to be well suited to leos. With all of these assorted symbols and lore, this collection just sings “summer” to me.

The selections include fine art prints, jewelry, photos and hair accessories from the Fantasy Artists of Etsy. These offerings are as lovely as they are diverse, so if you’re looking for Leo gifts, you’re sure to find something special for your favorite August child. Click here to see this treasury on Etsy, where you can click through to product descriptions and purchase info!

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The Dark Queen’s Garden

via http://www.faeteam.com

The Fae Team has launched the newest exhibition, titled “The Dark Queen’s Garden”. The selections are opulent and elegant, with just a hint of darkness. They include a stunning collection of fantasy jewelry, costume accessories, prints, candles and more. Please take a moment to explore the offerings there — you’re sure to find something special!

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On a Lighter Note…

This piece by Carapace has been making me grin all week. I suppose that means that I need to buy it. The painting is precious, and I love the description too:

© Carapace – http://www.etsy.com/shop/carapace

Flower fairies get all the attention when humans start looking for nature’s decorators. But somebody has to paint the deserts, and detail the scorpion. Somebody has to bead the lizards.

Lizards at least are fairly patient if unappreciative customers. And she actually enjoys imposing beauty over their sullen disinterest. But it does irritate her when people overlook the intricate patterns of her reptiles to coo over yet another watercolor sunset. Yes, yes, very nice purple. Look at the lizard!

Okay, I’ve decided — this one is mine; but if you’d like one of her other fantasy prints please check out her shop.