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Happy May Day!

Great Greenman layered leather mask

It’s a perfect occasion to share these throwback photos of beautiful Janna Prosvirina Fantasy Art with one of my Greenman masks. The Green Man is an ancient symbol of nature, and the cycle of rebirth and regrowth that begins anew each spring.

This mask features a layered design that allows you to wear it as one dramatic mask, or as a thematic pair of masks. Worn separately, the two layers play nicely as Green Man and May Queen, Green Man and Green Lady, or just a couple of nature spirits.

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Hail Spring!

Hail Spring! Today is the vernal equinox, signaling the first day of spring. 

As an avid gardener, I’m excited for warmer weather, planting season, colorful flowers, and butterflies! As an extreme allergy sufferer, I’m less than excited about the next few weeks of alternating between zombie mode (unmedicated) and total spazz (whacked out on allergy meds) < ~ Please bear with me there.

What are you looking forward to this season? 

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May Shop Update – You Must Believe in Spring

 

Today’s shop update is a celebration of spring! It’s an explosion of colorful butterflies, birds, flowers, and jewels. Like most artisans my work tends to mirror my interests, and this collection is no exception. My garden is my happy place, and these pieces are a clear reflection of the fact that it’s finally warming up enough for me to get back out there to start planting again. For my east coast friends who are still slogging through snow and ice, perhaps these creations can serve as a symbol of hope –  it may not feel like it at the moment, but spring is coming!

These offerings include a variety of leather barrettes and hair slides, as well as a few pair of hand crafted semiprecious stone earrings. You can find them here, and I do hope you’ll enjoy them!

purple and blue leather dragonfly barrette with quartz crystal dangle

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WIP – Lady of the Roses(?)

Lady of Roses leather mask
Lady of Roses leather mask

This piece is a work in progress. It’s a new iteration of my “Lady of the Leaves” design, which I usually create in either summer  or fall colors. She was inspired by the first blooms of spring.

When I shared this piece on my facebook fan page, and asked for suggestions for a name, “Lady of the Roses” was the one that I liked best. It fits well with the rest of the series … and I suppose that once she’s finished, I’ll need to create a “Lady of Winter” too.

 

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Full Worm Moon

beaded triple moon pendant
beaded triple moon pendant

This piece seemed to fly off my needle last night. Not at all what I intended for this cab, but it seemed to have its own ideas as to what it should be!

The next morning, I read on the Farmer’s Almanac site that the March full moon was traditionally known as the “Full Worm Moon” and it heralds the end of winter and the onset of spring. It’s been a hard winter, so I’m celebrating the idea of spring and change

The Almanac explains:

As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon, and was considered to be the last full Moon of winter.

Made with : Bali carved bone triple moon, titanium quartz points, shimmering blue kyanite, rutilated quartz and vintage Swarovski.

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A Quick Hello

Oh hi, sleepy blog! I still think about you from time to time, but I’m taking a full course load again this quarter so “thinking about it” is about the best I can do right now. Won’t be taking as many classes come Spring, so hopefully I’ll be able to pay more attention to this blog then.

Until then, please enjoy these photos from a recent road trip to the Skagit Valley. We went up to the Cascades to check out the bald eagle migration, and while we were there we also discovered huge flocks of migrating swans. Gorgeous, aren’t they?

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EtsyRain’s Spring Craft Show

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Please stop by and visit me at EtsyRain’s spring craft show at the Intiman Theatre on May 8th. It’s the day before Mother’s Day, and you’re sure to find some great gifts for Mom – and yourself! Check out the press release for more info:


SEATTLE, April 22, 2010EtsyRAIN announced today that it will host its second annual Spring Craft Show from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, 2010.

The EtsyRAIN Spring Craft Show will be held in the lobby and the fountain courtyard at the beautiful Intiman Theatre, located at 201 Mercer Street in Seattle.

Arrive early for swag bags:

The first 50 customers through the door will receive free swag bags full of handcrafted items by Seattle-area artists.

Support local artisans and crafters:

Choosing to support our area’s small businesses helps in so many ways! Buying local is more than just the hottest trend. From reducing your carbon footprint to keeping your hard-earned dollars right here in Seattle, purchasing locally produced items benefits our city and our planet!

Spring Craft Show benefits local charity:

In the spirit of keeping it local, EtsyRAIN has chosen a Seattle-based charitable organization to support at its spring craft show.

Lifelong AIDS Alliance  is a group that strives to create “a world without HIV or AIDS, where every person living with illness is treated with dignity and respect.”

Representatives from Lifelong AIDS Alliance will be at the show, sharing information about their organization, selling raffle tickets for gift baskets filled with EtsyRAIN member merchandise, and collecting donations of canned food.

Admission to the event will be a suggested donation of $1 that will go directly to Lifelong AIDS Alliance or a canned food donation for their meal delivery program.

About EtsyRAIN:

EtsyRAIN is a local collective of over 700 artisans and craft makers from all over the Puget Sound region who operate online shops on the international handcrafted shopping site called Etsy (etsy.com). EtsyRAIN’s mission is to create a local creative community that nurtures, supports and educates artists who currently have or are interested in opening their own independent e-commerce shops on Etsy.

The group’s website features an event calendar of local craft-related events that is quickly becoming the “go-to” place to find out about crafty happenings in the Seattle area. Check it out to learn about all things crafty going on locally, such as classes, shows, application deadlines, networking events and more. You can even create an account and post your own crafty events!
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