Liesl Designs

How cool are these?

2010-06-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

Came across these at the flea market recently. If I had the cash (and somewhere to put them), I would totally have bought these vintage bumper cars from the now defunct Santa's Village.

I Love (hate) Love Ikea...

2010-06-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

I have a serious love/hate relationship with Ikea. I recently (finally) decided on their Leirvik bed frame for my bedroom, since I have up until last month had my bed sitting in the middle of the floor in an unfinished room. Well, that and my dad kept asking me why my room looked like a crack den every time he stopped by. (Just kidding.)

Now, I have been raised to be a do-it-yourself kind of person, which is a really good thing, because if you've never had the pleasure of assembling an Ikea product, these are their instructions:

Yep.

There are no words, only pictures. You get to figure out what everything is and how exactly it goes together.

So, I shoved everything over to the side of the room and put down a blanket (because God forbid I accidentally dent the new floor) and started putting it together.

(Yes, that is the oldest phone jack known to man on the wall--I'm not even sure it works anymore)

Now, I understand that the instructions with the little blob people are telling me to NOT do this by myself, but really, who actually pays attention to instructions? (Let's just say that it was a REALLY good thing that I put down that blanket!)

I got it to this stage when I discovered a slight problem...

This stupid piece wouldn't screw into the other. Seems that there's a small piece of metal crud clogging up the threads. Hooray.

It all worked out okay though, because Ikea has a bin of spare parts by their return desk, and while I couldn't find the exact piece I needed, I did find one that did the job, and was able to finish putting the bed frame together:
Now, if I could only sit on the edge and actually have my feet touch the floor, life would be perfect...(turns out it's a very high bed.)

What I'm working on...

2010-06-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

I'm currently working on an order for some bridal party jewelry (9 bridesmaids!), this is one of the sample bracelets I've created for her. I really love this particular design, so it will probably be making an appearance in my shop soon.

New in the Shop...

2010-06-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

Some new earrings will be making an appearance in my shop this evening:

Sabine earrings

Verity earrings

I'm baaack....

2010-04-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I've finally got my computer put back together, and can finally get online. Hooray!

So, anyway, I've moved from my hobbit-hole apartment....

To my sister's house, which is on possibly the quietest street with kids that I've ever seen.

Don't get too excited for me yet, because my sister decided that she wanted to put the new floors in at the same time as I was moving, so this is still what all of my stuff looks like:

Yep. Still living out of storage three weeks into my new digs. But at least I have a bed, and now that the floors are finally done, I can start moving some of this upstairs.

I hope.

Countdown to Moving Day...

2010-03-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

The photo above pretty much sums up what life has been like the past few weeks... endless boxes in preparation of my move this weekend. Can you believe it took *nine* of these boxes just to pack up my kitchen?

The sad part is, most of it is going into storage. My sister bought a house last year, a rather big house with many "projects" to complete. She's also never lived by herself before, so now she's a little lonely. I'm moving in with her to help her out in terms of company, and having a little extra cash to fix it up. Which means I have to go through twelve years of stuff that's accumulated in my apartment and decide what goes with me, what goes to storage until I have my own place again, and what just needs to go. Very tough choices...

Last week I tried to get rid of some furniture by calling Salvation Army to pick it up...turns out they don't do pick ups in my area anymore, even though there are three stores within a 30 minute drive of my apartment. After a couple of days thinking that I would have to figure out how to haul the stuff there myself, I remembered the wonderful thing that is Freecycle! It's truly amazing how many people will jump at the chance for free furniture, no matter what the condition(my couch, in my opinion, was a little worse for wear), and are happy to come and take it off your hands. I now have these big empty spaces in my apartment where my furniture once was... slowly being filled with more boxes.

iPhone photography

2010-02-25T15:31:00.000-08:00

Who says you can't be artistic with a camera phone?

(Images created with TiltShiftGenerator and CameraFD apps for iPhone)

No Frills 2/20/10

2010-02-24T15:09:00.001-08:00

This past weekend I was a judge for my model horse club's "no frills" live show, judging china, custom and resin models. While I really enjoy coming to these shows, I actually really dislike judging, if only because it is very hard to relax, socialize and admire everyone's models, particularly if there are time constraints and we have to be out of the show hall at a certain time(such was the case this past weekend.) I was only able to get a couple of pics of models that really grabbed attention due to being completely absorbed with getting the classes judged and everyone out on time.

An amazing(and gigantic!) bronze by Lynn Fraley owned by Liz LaRose.

A Breyer Alborozo model, custom painted to a wonderfully soft dappled buckskin owned by Marilou Mol. This pic does not do justice to how lovely he is.

A bone china "Ravenhill" from Horsing Around, a company in the UK, owned by heather McCurdy. I wasn't crazy about this model when I first saw pics of him, but he looks very different in person. I'm kind of wishing I had purchased one when they were available. :\

More info on collecting and showing model horses can be found here.

Expensive Tastes...

2010-02-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

While I was out the other day thrifting, I decided to stop by one of my favorite antique malls. Even though it is definitely on the pricey side, I love walking around and exploring the different booths, as this mall carries only antique and truly vintage items. Nope, no booths full of Smurfs or Beanie Babies here.

Anyway, when I came across this gorgeous setee, I just about died. It's blue, it's French-inspired, it's tufted, it's perfect...except for one thing.

It's $2500.

I can only hope it sits there for ages and gets marked down......or I win the lottery......

I plan on stalking this booth for some time to come......

A brief Indie Wed recap...

2010-02-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I participated in Indie Wed, a bridal show and market at the Ravenswood Event Center in Chicago. It was an unbelievably fantastic show, and I had a great time selling and meeting other independent designers and crafters.

So, I was going post all of my awesome Indie Wed photos of people, booths, and the fashion show.....

Unfortunately, my camera died. And did I bring extra batteries? Of course not, because the ones in my camera were new. I came to the decision that I really need a new camera.

Anyway, here are a couple of the meager pics I managed to take with my iPhone (not fantastic, but at least I have a couple):

My table at Indie Wed

A fabulous dress made from invitations at the Paper Stories booth

Runway show featuring designs from Dame Couture, Audey, and others.

New in the shop...

2010-01-26T17:26:00.000-08:00

I've been pretty busy getting ready for Indie Wed lately (I can hardly believe it's this Saturday... time has really flown by!), and because of that I have been working on some new pieces:

Paisley necklace - I know I posted this one before, but I was ultimately not happy with it, and it has undergone a major transformation. I am soooo much happier with it now, it is much lighter and more fun.

Laura earrings

Luella earrings

Vivian necklace - This one is not in the shop, as it is a custom order. I really enjoyed making this one, and love the graduated vintage chandelier crystals. It may show up in the shop at a later date.

Doctor Who on Etsy

2010-01-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

Feeling a little down about David Tennant's departure from Doctor Who, I've been perusing Etsy for something cheer me up. Here are some of my favorite Doctor Who items:

Absolutely fantastic prints from henNchicks (The 10th/4th Doctor one is totally coming to live with me!)

A TARDIS leather bound journal from BindMe.

And one of my favorite DW quotes immortalized on this shirt from PaganChick

New in the shop...

2010-01-02T21:15:00.001-08:00

Moira earrings

Gabrielle earrings

New Year Resolutions

2009-12-31T08:12:00.000-08:00

I don't generally celebrate the traditional New Year, simply because I'm still recovering from Christmas, and I highly prefer the Lunar New Year (longer celebration, plus it seems to have more tradition & meaning to it).

However, I do make resolutions for the beginning of the year. Here is (more or less) my game plan for 2010:

6. Post more often on my blog (which has been very much neglected since I started it)

5. Participate in more craft shows this year & explore getting my work into shops

4. Improve my photography skills

3. Learn how to reupholster a tufted chair

2. Get myself back into shape (I'm become a bit of a couch potato this year)

1. Keep all of the above resolutions in effect for the entire year. :)

What are your resolutions for 2010?

2009-11-26T10:31:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone is having a happy Thanksgiving!

I'm back...

2009-11-25T21:21:00.000-08:00

Well, after a couple of weeks of being completely obsessed with preparing for my craft fair on the 21st, I am now able to focus on preparing for the holidays. (whoo hoo!)

This weekend I will be participating in the holiday sales on Etsy, as well as offering free shipping to the US and Cananda for all items in the Liesldesigns shop until December 31st.

In the Gypsy Mouse shop, there are sale items and free shipping to the US and Canada on books and supplies until December 31st.

New in the Shop

2009-11-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Gigi earrings

Why I Love Autumn...

2009-11-04T12:00:00.000-08:00

It's the leaves.

I love going to my parent's house in autumn, simply because they have a large wooded lot, and every autumn their yard is FILLED with leaves. Seriously. You can't even see the grass anymore. Raking is an all day activity.

And they have the *best* leaves, too... their yard has leaves from oaks, chestnuts, and a wonderful red maple in the front. I love the fiery red dotting the brown and orange carpet of autumn.

I know I should really be there to visit with my parents, but I can't help finding excuses to go to their house before they get around to raking just so I can play in the leaves.

What do you love about autumn?

GLC Fun Day

2009-11-03T15:09:00.001-08:00

I'm *finally* getting around to uploading all of the pics from my camera, so I'm a little behind with posts. I have definitely NOT made my blogging goal this past month!

Anyway, here are some pics of the Breyer Youth Fun Day that the Great Lakes Congress model horse club hosted on October 24th:

Fun mechanical carousel made from Breyer Stablemates that Bentley Sales Co. had in their booth.

GLC members Kerri Johnson and Liz Cory

GLC members Jamie Rott and Cindy Chrisos picking out Stone "Chips" at the P.S. Cord booth

Youth showers listening to the critique of the sport breeds class

My favorite picture of the day: a "Snow Horse" entry in the Youth display class

More Owls...

2009-10-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

In preparation for Indie Wed in January, I've decided that I need to streamline my sales process for craft fairs, since my meager little "money box" is just not going to cut it anymore. So, I went looking around on Etsy for the perfect craft fair apron.

After paging through quite a few "it's okay, but I'm not in love with it" offerings, I came across this one and absolutely fell in love:

This apron is offered by Etsy seller Boojiboo, and she offers several great retro-style aprons in her store from patterns she has designed herself.

It arrived today, wrapped in a pretty orange ribbon...and I have to say, I love it even more in person! The owls are very retro-looking(a definite plus for me), and it fits perfectly!

Swap-O-Rama

2009-10-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

I *love* getting mail. (Who doesn't?) Today in the mail was this absolutely wonderful package from fellow Etsy Wisconsin Street Team member MineFull. I am participating in the WIST ornament swap this year, and she was my ornament "Secret Santa".

This is the adorable snowman ornament I received from her:

For my ornament, I decided to try something new, and created a little tree from a felted wool sweater. I added beads for ornaments, and a vintage rhinestone button for the star:

I have to say, I am definitely hooked on this swap thing now. I may be heading over to Swap-Bot to find some more swaps to participate in!

Thrifting...

2009-10-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

On a whim, I stopped by Goodwill on my way home from work today and perused the furniture section. I normally don't find anything that appeals to me (or I see it being carried off by some lucky person as I walk in), so I was pleasantly surprised to come across this guy:

While it does have some issues (the original cushions are disintegrating under the icky-colored slipcover, and a couple of the support springs are a tad loose), it was sturdy and fit nicely into my mid-century aesthetic. And it was only $10! How can you beat that?

I'm currently researching where to find new springs, but the cushions are easily replaced, and I've already found a great fabric for them (Amy Butler Martini):

(I'm still trying to decide which color scheme I want....)

Sadie has given it her seal of approval, I have a feeling I'll be fighting her for this one. :)

Owl Love

2009-10-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

Lately (and and somewhat inexplicably) I have become obsessed with owls. I think I somehow associate owls and the great autumn weather we've been having here on the IL-WI border. Here are some of my favorite owl items on Etsy:

Retro Owls print by FerntreeStudio

Owl mobile by EvelynX

Adorable upcycled wool felt plush owls by woolcrazy

iPhone case by KapomCrafts

Screech owl necklace by lulubugjewelry

Naptime...

2009-09-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

The perfect blustery Autumn day activity.

Smurfs, Paint and Puppies

2009-09-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

I spent this past weekend at my sister's house painting the bedroom I will be using when I move in with her in March. This weekend I also discovered that I have absolutely no talent for painting.

This is my "painting glamour shot", the photo that says "I am a master painter!"

Well, at least I picked a great shade of blue. Isn't that the happiest blue you've ever seen?

Here I am actually painting. Wow, I really look like I know what I'm doing, don't I? Well, you can't see the back of my shirt...

or the bottom of my pants...

or my socks...

or my shoes...

or... well, you get what I'm saying.

By Saturday night, I looked like an light blue Smurf. I even had blue paint streaks in my hair, no clue how that happened. My mom had a nice chuckle over that one.

This is the part of the room that caused the most problems (yes, that is a sink in the corner... don't ask, 'cuz we don't have a clue...) I kept backing into the walls when I was painting this side of the room, hence the Smurfiness...

This weekend I also got to meet this gorgeous guy, Kody. He is a rescued white collie that my sister is currently fostering and will most likely be adopting. His coat is a little short (it had been shaved before he came to my sister's house), but it kind of suits him right now, giving him a rangy, wolfish look. I am completely smitten with him!

New Pieces

2009-09-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

Some new pieces that will be showing up in my Etsy shop this weekend:

Diedre bracelet

Rosalie necklace

Paisley necklace (Remember the bird pendants? I finally decided what to do with them!)

The search for the perfect paint color...

2009-09-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

I'm moving to my sister's house in March, and have been told that I need to paint my room now, before it gets cold outside. Apparently, paint won't stick to cold walls. I learn something new every day...

So, today I went to the various home improvement stores in my area looking for a suitable paint color that I can live with indefinitely. I figured this task was going to be pretty challenging, as my sister's house is two hours away, so I can't paint chips on the walls and see how they look.

I absolutely *love* this Dutch Boy Crayola display! I wasn't really loving the colors they had, but how cute is this display?

I wasn't having much luck until I got here:

This is the magical, wonderful wall of color choices that Valspar had...oh. my. gosh.

These are my final paint chips, narrowed down from the bazillion choices available. I eventually chose a deep sky blue color called Lyndhurst Celestial Blue.

Setting Goals

2009-09-17T07:33:00.001-07:00

Ok, I have a confession to make... I am probably the worst person in the world to have a blog.

Which is okay for me, since I'm pretty sure no one actually reads it.

(At least, not with any regularity...) :)

This is nothing new, I've always been a *terrible* correspondent...I can't tell you how many pen pals and friends I've lost touch with because I just can't seem to sit down and write with any consistency. I don't *mean* to do it.... it just sort of happens...

But after reading this Creativity Series post at The Daily Etsian about creativity and setting goals, I've decided that I am going to start setting some goals to accomplish by the end of this year, starting with my blog.

So...... my goal for the rest of the month of September is to post to my blog at least three times a week.

What goals do you set for yourself in order to be more creative?

9-9-09

2009-09-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about the new remastered Beatles CDs that were released today! I've had the opportunity to hear some of them already, and they sound sooo much better than the old CDs. I've already put all of them on my Christmas list!

(I debated about adding the Rock Band game too, but that may be getting a little obsessive, since I haven't owned a video game system and since my uncle gave us his old Atari.)

Anyway, about halfway through my team meeting at work today, it struck me that I had subconsciously dressed for the occasion... this is the random shirt I pulled out of my dresser this morning:

Controlled Chaos

2009-09-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

My current studio workspace... aka the coffee table.

My Weekend Catering Gig...

2009-09-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was the caterer for a convention...

...of mosquitos.

Apparently I taste **really** yummy...

This is only a small fraction of the bites I discovered on my legs after coming inside...these are also the small ones...there's one the size of a QUARTER. I kid you not.

I'm going to be stocking up on insect repellent today...and a lot of calamine lotion.

New Necklace in Shop

2009-09-03T09:25:00.001-07:00

Tamsin Necklace -- A longer necklace that is wonderfully asymmetrical and just in time for the fall weather! I will be wearing mine with my t-shirt and sweater combos!

Two New Necklaces

2009-08-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

I've been working on some wedding-inspired jewelry in preparation for Indie Wed in January, and have been playing around with incorporating vintage chandelier crystals into my jewelry. Two new necklaces will be debuting in the shop on Monday...

Cassandra necklace

Collette necklace

I'm Going to Indie Wed!

2009-08-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

I've been accepted as a vendor for Indie Wed in Chicago on January 30, 2010! For more about the event, click here to go to their website.

I'm so excited! This is the first juried show I've applied to, and I can't wait!

Tilt-A-Whirls and Tornadoes

2009-08-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took the kids I work with to the Lake Villa Fun Days carnival...

Of course, they had a Tilt-A-Whirl...

We had to leave because it had started raining, and around 5pm we noticed these clouds...

Unfortunately, my camera doesn't pick up exactly how low and fast moving these clouds were, but it was pretty impressive how they were cruising along.

Later on we heard that there had been a tornado somewhere to the west, and that those were the remnants of it. Whatever it was, it was an impressive bit of nature!

Little Birdies...

2009-08-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

A week or two ago I was at the thrift store looking for some fun vintage items for my gypsymouse shop, and cruised by the "jewelry" rack to see if there was anything there that I could take apart and use in my own jewelry designs. (I've been trying to use more vintage components, as well as components that don't require new energy consumption to produce)

And yes, the quotes around jewelry were intentional... let's just say the thrift store's idea of jewelry is a little tacky and kind of gross. :(

But I was able to find a necklace of cute little dyed mother of pearl birds, which I have turned into whimsical earrings:

Both of these are now listed in my shop here.

My New Favorite Earrings...

2009-08-04T15:08:00.001-07:00

New in the shop this evening, Genevieve earrings.

I absolutely love the resemblance to the fleur-de-lis in these brass stampings, and think they go beautifully with the deep blue of the iolite beads.

My Other Etsy Shop...

2009-08-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

A while back, I opened a second etsy shop, gypsymouse, to sell my extra supplies stash from my jewelry making, scrapbooking, and various other crafty projects. As some of you may know, I recently started giving this shop more attention and have added vintage items to the shop. Here are some recent additions:

Blue daisy coffee pot

Green juice glasses with blue and green flowers

Strawberry patterned tin with handles

Skate keys

Botswana agate pendants

I love these...

2009-07-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

Put some tabby stripes on this cute kitty, and it's so totally Sadie!

One hundred hearts...

2009-07-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

My Etsy shop is very close to 100 hearts, sooo.....

I'm offering a giveaway to my 100th shop heart. The winner will receive a pair of Jennifer earrings in their choice of color.

(The above pic is me this year at Breyerfest, standing in the special items line for the Breyer store.)

Back from Breyerfest...

2009-07-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm finally settled back in after my trip to Lexington, KY for Breyerfest, and thought I'd share some pictures. (Isn't the costume above adorable? There's a miniature horse in there somewhere!)

This is me on Friday morning at the Hobby Information Booth demonstrating how to hair model horses. I was amazed how many people were interested in this aspect of customizing, since (to me, at least) it's a little old-school. I answered all sorts of questions on customizing as well, from what I use to paint (pastels & acrylics) to how to remove the manes & tails for hairing (Dremel--to be used by adults only, please!). I worked in the HIB all three days, promoting the model horse hobby and taking subscriptions for Just About Horses on Saturday and Sunday.

This was the volunteer horse for this year, the Breyer Proud Arabian Stallion in a chestnut pinto... isn't he awesome? This particular one went in the Saturday night auction for $600.

This is the 2009 Breyerfest celebration horse, Whizard's Baby Doll (Roxy) and her rider Stacy Westfall. They're waiting to enter the arena for a bridleless reining demonstration. And yes, she is wearing a wedding dress, it's part of their routine.

This is my best friend, Melanie, who won the Just About Horses raffle for a Silver Screen model. She had just left the park, so I had to call her and tell her to come back because she had won!

On Vacation...

2009-07-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I was going to post pictures during my trip to Breyerfest, but dummy me forgot the cord that attaches my camera to my laptop. So, the pics will have to wait until Monday when I get back, unless I can figure out something else.

Queen of Procrastination...

2009-07-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

Remember the Breyer Lady Phase I was torturing in my last post? Well, she finally got to the painting stage, which is a good and a bad thing.

Good, because I'm making some progress and getting her ready for my demo at Breyerfest.

Bad, because I leave town tomorrow to drop kitty off at my parents' house and drive to Kentucky on Wednesday morning, so I don't have any time to paint after today.

Here is my drying space, as you can see I'm trying to multitask and get several models done. If I get the others finished, they will be for sale at Breyerfest. So far, only one of them is even close to being ready by Friday.

And, as if I weren't stressed out and overwhelmed by my painting procrastination, I've been restoring some Hagen-Renakers to possibly show at the Breakables live show on Thursday. The two on the left are probably not going t get done, they have quite a bit of work left on them.

Well, back to the trenches....

Adventures in Customizing...

2009-07-08T16:31:00.000-07:00

I've been chosen to demonstrate the somewhat lost art of rehairing customized model horses at Breyerfest again this year, and decided that I needed a new model to work on, since the one from last year was a little boring (and, to be honest, I was really using the wrong kind of hair last year... using up old materials). I also decided to share the fun experience of customizing with all of you. So, I pulled out this gal:

To those of you who are not in the hobby, this is the Breyer Lady Phase. This one has obviously seen better days, but that really doesn't matter since I'll be painting her later. My first step was to remove her mane and tail. So, I pulled out my trusty Dremel and went to work cutting and grinding.

Here she is without her mane and tail. Unfortunately, she is also without a nice chunk of neck (you can sort of see it--where it looks like a dent on her neck) and has a big hole in her rump. Oops... got a little over-zealous. No worries, though, because I will be filling this in and sculpting a new neck and tailbone with Apoxie Sculpt.

These two photos show the holes in the body, filled with tin foil. Breyers are hollow inside, so I needed to build a base for the Apoxie Sculpt to sit on, otherwise I'd have to use way more of it than was necessary. I'd never be able to get this thing through airport security, though! :)

I need to let the model sit for 24 hours for the Apoxie Sculpt to cure completely, and then I will be able to apply primer to the model and get her ready for painting. More pics to come!

New Necklaces...

2009-07-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of new necklaces I've been working on:

This is Morgan... as you can see, she is a little horse-crazy...

I created this necklace along with matching earrings as a donation for Breakables, a model horse show that I will be attending in July in conjunction with Breyerfest. Their raffle will benefit The International Blessed Broodmare Project. You can read more about Breakables and TIBBP here.

And since she turned out so well, Morgan will also be available for purchase in the Etsy shop.

Also in the works is a variation of the Sabrina necklace, this one is Audrey:

She should be ready to be listed in the Etsy shop this weekend.

Only Two Weeks Left!

2009-07-01T06:56:00.001-07:00

In two weeks, I will be heading to Lexington, KY for Breyerfest, a three-day event for model horse collectors. It is held at the Kentucky Horse Park, and is celebrating it's 20th anniversary this year. (Shown above is Fluffy the inflatable horse, he greets visitors as they enter the park.)

Lexington is also a treasure trove of *all* things horse related. This sculpture is outside of one of Lexington's parks (there are many more inside the park as well!), I found it by simply driving around town one day. This is one of my favorites.

I've been lucky to have been able to work at Breyerfest a couple of times... this is me after my workshop assistant gig a few years ago... I have to say, it is a blast being able to help out and introduce new collectors to the hobby!

Two weeks left!

New Earrings in the Shop!

2009-06-26T10:53:00.001-07:00

Claudia earrings... I really love these...

Cecilia earrings in green chalcedony

Marla earrings in prehnite

Kathy earrings

Rummaging...

2009-06-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

I scored some goodies at a local church rummage sale this weekend:

An old Brownie Reflex camera with its box that I picked up for my sister (she has a small collection of old cameras).

A lonely chair that will be repainted and reupholstered for my desk (which is also waiting for a paintjob...)

A neat vintage wooden folding table... it folds up the middle and the two halves fall to each side.

But my favorite find was this:

A mid-century modernish wood and glass bar cart! I was so excited when I saw this, I grabbed the handle and pulled it along with me until I found someone who was working at the rummage sale. The two top shelves are actually removable trays. The brass parts of the handle are loose, but otherwise it is in beautiful condition... I won't have to refinish it at all.

Rain, rain, go away...

2009-06-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

Yet another day of storms around here, and I'm waking up thinking "When did I move to Seattle?"

This of course got me thinking about umbrellas....

I would love to have this Marimekko umbrella to splash around in puddles with. I may buy one today.

Isn't this adorable? This little clutch/wristlet from atouchofstardust can be found here.

And, I dream of being here with this wonderfully tattered, vintage-y parasol pic from saranorris to shelter me from the sun.

Indie Style Giveaway

2009-06-12T22:22:00.001-07:00

Indie Style is featuring a giveaway of my Cecilia earrings in the winner's choice of aqua, lavender, pink or blue. Indie Style is a daily design and style blog featuring handmade goods, unique crafters and Indie Blogs.

Entries are being accepted until Friday, June 19th.

Etsy YART Sale starts today!

2009-06-10T06:23:00.000-07:00

Starting today and running through the 14th, Etsy sellers are banding together to hold A YART sale, offering fantastic deals from their shops!

What is a Yart Sale, you ask? Well, it is a combination of the words yard and art - art sellers having the internet version of a yard sale. This is a popular type of sale in the art world - lots of artists and art museums have Yart Sales to raise funds. On Etsy it's like a neighborhood garage sale - just about everyone does it differently. Some people give across the board discounts on their merchandise, some people set up a Yart Sale section in their shop with a few designated sale items, some people give free or discounted shipping. The possibilities are endless!

I've set up a special section in my shop for YART sales items.

WIST Giveaway!

2009-06-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

I'm being featured in this week's giveaway to help promote WIST--the Wisconsin Street Team on Etsy, of which I am a proud member. The giveaway is for the winner's choice of earrings in my Etsy shop.

You can read the post and enter the giveaway here.

Good luck to all who enter!

Something for a rainy day...

2009-06-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

Or anytime you need a pick-me-up...

I was sent this by a friend after I had been complaining about all of the rainy, crummy weather we've been having this past weekend. Right after I watched this, I *swear* the sun came out....

New in the Shop This Weekend

2009-06-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

I finally got some clasps in, so I was able to finish a couple of necklaces that have been on hold:

Natalie necklace

Ondine necklace

I've also been working on a new wedding jewelry line using vintage components. All of the pieces in this line will be very limited editions, size depending on the availability of materials.

Sabrina necklace, using vintage crystals

Busy, busy, busy....

2009-05-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

The title says it all.... there haven't been any new posts because I have been spending a lot of time working on new jewelry designs and reworking my promotional materials. Hopefully I will be able to post some pics in the next couple of days. It will really depend on the weather, as I still rely on natural light for my pics (I really need to invest in a light box!)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Isn't This the Cutest?

2009-05-19T16:46:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been adding to my collection of children's books by my favorite author, Margaret Wise Brown (she wrote Goodnight Moon, among many, many others), and came across this little guy on Amazon. He's the child from one of my favorite stories, The Little Fur Family.

I've decided that I absolutely must have him, he is too cute to pass up!

New Necklaces!

2009-05-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

New in the shop today, the Parker necklace:

Here is a sneak peek at the Natalie necklace I'm working on. I discovered I had run out of clasps, so she is on hold until those come in. :(

For this necklace, I've used 14kt gold-filled wire, which is kind of rare for me, as I prefer to work with sterling silver. However, these pendants from fellow Etsy seller ellielantern inspired me to try something different. I may be working with the gold-filled wire more often now, since I'm really liking how this necklace is coming along.

The Cutest Bird Pendants Ever...

2009-05-14T21:54:00.001-07:00

I was at Michael's today for an emergency pair of earwires (I almost never buy supplies at stores unless I run out and need something right away), and spotted these adorable pendants.

I love, love, love the birds-- they are the cutest pendants *ever*, and they're my favorite shade of blue!

I'm not sure how I'll be using any of them yet, but they'll be making an appearance in the shop in the near future!

I Have a Leprechaun on the Bottom of My Shoe...

2009-05-10T16:54:00.001-07:00

Wow, two posts in one day... but I had to share...

The title refers to a Robot Chicken skit where a man has an extraordinarily lucky day, then finds out he had stepped on a leprechaun and it stuck to his shoe. My sister said this to me after I told her about my lucky find today: A Tilt-A-Whirl!

For as long as I can remember, the Tilt-A-Whirl has been my favorite carnival ride. In fact, it has become sort of an obsession for me as they seem to have dropped off of the carnival mainstream. Every time I see a carnival, I look for this ride. It has been a long time since I've ridden one.
As I was out and about in Racine today, I spotted the carnival in the mall parking lot. I drove around the outside looking for my favorite ride. It was here! And not just any Tilt-A-Whirl, but the original kind I rode as a kid!

The very nice lady at the ticket booth told me that this was the last day, since they had been there all week. I promptly bought tickets and made a beeline for the ride. I had the operator take my picture in the cars, but I accidentally erased it! GRRR! Oh, well.

It was still as much fun as I remembered.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T07:12:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born. So one day she asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live being so small and helpless?'

God replied, "Among the many angels, I chose one for you. She will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

But the child wasn't sure she really wanted to go. "But tell me, here in Heaven, I don't do anything else but sing and smile, that's enough for me to be happy."

God smiled. "Your angel will sing for and will also smile for you every day. And you will feel your angel's love and be happy."

"And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me," the child continued, "if I don't know the language that men talk?"

God patted her on the head and said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

The child was sad. "And what am I going to do when I want talk to you?'

But God had an answer for that question too. "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

The baby then turned to God and asked, "I've heard that on earth there are bad men, who will protect me?"

"Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life!"

The child was sad. "And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

But God had an answer for that question too. "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore," the child continued warily.

God smiled on the young one. "Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way for you to come back to me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment, there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from earth could already be heard. The child knew he had to start on his journey very soon. She asked God one more question, softly, "Oh God, if I am about to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."

God touched the child on the shoulder just before He departed and answered "Your angel's name is of no importance. You will simply call her Mom."

New in the Shop...

2009-05-05T19:25:00.001-07:00

Remember her? This is Vivian. She is now complete and has been listed in my Etsy shop. This could easily be my favorite necklace to date...I love the combination of colors and shapes...

Also in the shop, Cecilia has decided to try on another color...

And last, but not least, we have these really cute jade and coral earrings (as yet unnamed.)

The Studio Mascot

2009-04-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

This is Sadie, my roommate and Liesl Designs studio mascot.

These pictures were taken the morning after I apparently fell asleep on the couch watching TV. I awoke to this face peering at me(and unable to move my legs, since she's laying on my knees.) I'm not generally a heavy sleeper, so I can't imagine how she was able to walk on me and lay on my knees for any length of time without my noticing.

(cue "Twilight Zone" music)

Meet Cecilia....

2009-04-24T10:02:00.001-07:00

These earrings will be listed in my Etsy shop either today or tomorrow...

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

In celebration of Earth Day, I took my first walk of the Spring in the newly thawed Grant Forest Preserve today. It was pretty barren due to the crummy weather we've had lately, but there are some buds coming out. Pretty soon it will look like this:

Budget Gardening

2009-04-15T19:27:00.001-07:00

It's finally starting to be consistently warmer here, and soon I'll feel comfortable enough to start decking out my patio with flowers and container veggies. We'll see how successful I am with the veggies...

I was thrilled to find these garden tools at Target, in their dollar section no less! (They also come in purple and pink.) Somehow, they make me feel like I could actually accomplish my gardening goals.

They also have vegetable and wildflower seed packets, garden edging, and even tiny gnomes!

And yes, I did consider getting the gnomes.....

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend!

(The above graphic is from The Vintage Workshop. It's a terrific source for all types of vintage images. You can visit their site here.)

Sneak Peeks

2009-04-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

A couple of pics of work in progress....

This necklace is a custom order piece:

If you're in the Columbus area...

2009-04-03T07:13:00.000-07:00

Please consider donating your time to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, which will be taking place on May 16th to help the fight against breast cancer.

This cause is particularly important to me, as my aunt, Heather Pick (who was a channel 10TV news anchor in Columbus) lost her battle with breast cancer in November.

You can read more about the Race for the Cure and Heather here.

I'm in the Treasury!

2009-04-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

I received a note this morning from fellow Etsian karenshmaren07 that my Gemma earrings have been featured in her treasury! You can view it here.

Karenshmaren07's shop can be seen here.

New jewelry pieces

2009-03-31T15:43:00.000-07:00

Just added to the Etsy shop this afternoon:

These will be added tomorrow:

Snow Day

2009-03-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

The forecast was for snow this weekend, but I guess I didn't realize quite *how much* snow we would get....or that it would actually stick. After all, it is Spring, right?

This is the view from my patio window two hours ago, and it's still coming down...

I'm really looking forward to brushing off my Jeep to go to work this evening. :) Hope everyone else is enjoying better weather!