Feature, Feature, Who's got the Feature?

It seems it's been my week for features. This is a new experience for me but I have to admit, I like it. It has been a lousy week and if not for the ego stroking, I would have considered it a complete loss.
Lousy you say? yes! Lousy! I know it was Thanksgiving and the kids were off school and DH was home from work and we had lots of time.................whoooooooooaaaaaaa. there ya go! Lots of time. That is code for your week is gonna SUCK! The time Gods heard that one and Bam! they threw a party on my week. a cold, painting the house, a cold, laundry, a clod, making jewelry, a cold.

Did I mention, I caught a crappy, head stuffy, coughing, burning eyes, all I want to do is sleep cold? So much for tasting the turkey. so mcuh for making jewelry, cleaning, laundry, shopping, or anything else I had hoped to do. Not to mention, sitting through a show feeling crappy is the worst.


OMG! can I whine! Must be why I like cheese so much. Sorry about that. So, I do believe the title of this post is features. Yes, I had a few. Handmade Fusion listed me on the front page as the featured artist complete with interview

.

That was a special feeling. Not to mention, I was chosen as the first ever featured artist there. I'm sure it was a pull of the hat, but I will fool myself into thinking it was all becasue I am special (works for me, hehe)

I have also been featured in a few treasuries on etsy this week. It's been awhile and it was nice to be recognized by my peers. best of all was today's Front Page feature on etsy



If you are not all that familiar with etsy, suffice it to say, the FP(frontpage) is akin to winning the etsy lottery. Tons of exposure, lots of attention and the ultimate etsy feel good.
I have only had a front page feature once before and it was very short lived. The item sold immediately and poof, I vanished. I have made a few treasuries over my etsy career that I felt worthy of FP status but I was mistaken. It is a great and true honor to make the FP as an artist or a curator. Thankyou justEARRINGS for making me feel good!
I now return to my mundane lifef on the couch with the kleenex, remote and a big glass of Gatorade.

Diagnosis---Potteritis

Prognisis--not fatal yet no known cure has yet to be found.
Therapuetic regiment-- avoid gorgeous pottery finds
Chance of managing disease--- little to none

Yes, it's true, I have an affliction. Not alcoholism or diabetes or other ailments that are detrimental or manageable, I have Potteritis. I had an awful flare up this morning too. You see, I am shopping for Holiday gifts and heard someone on my list was interested in some nice serving dishes. Much like offering a cold one to a lush, I was intoxicated with the thought of searching the world over for that perfect piece. Oh, a better job, I could not imagine.
Where to start? Oh, the choices. Home Goods, Pottery Barn, The One of A Kind Show, etsy. Well, if you follow this blog or even read my intro, you can guess where I started, etsy, of course! It really does fit all my criteria. unique, handmade, supports small business, beautiful selection and the ability to find new talents. Oh yeah, that chance of fulfilling the one for you, two for me shopping prophecy, well, does that really need mentioning?

I cannot think of a better way to spend a few hours, head cold as an excuse for not accomplishing other things than to search etsy and get the warm fuzzies from the comfort of my own PC. Now I have a new problem. Maybe not a problem, but what do I choose? Do I keep the favorite for myself? if so, how do I explain it's appearance?

(oh, look, here it is)
Not really the kind of thing you can say, "oh, I've had that forever. I can't believe you never noticed."
So, here's a few lovlies to help explain my affliction.
wabiSabo
clearmountaincraft
thewheelandi
natureofclay
pastembraces
Please be understanding of my illness. Afterall, how bad can appreciating art be?

P.S. These may not be serving pices but they sure serve me.
gorgeous
incredible
useful
and just plain fun

Gobble til you Wobble

Thanksgiving is here and the holiday season is offically upon us. Lucky for the angry pilgrim (DS#2), we haven't come across too much inthe way of Christmas yet. He earned that nickname after getting overly upset and considering knocking on the doors of the overzealous Christmas decorators for completely ignoring Thanksgiving. He was barely over Halloween and bam! red and green, snowglobes and santas, wreaths and reindeer had started taking over the neighborhood. Between you and me, I think he was worried about missing a day completely devoted to food.

That's the nice thing about Thanksgiving. No pressure, no gifts, no rushing or worrying. All you have to do is eat. You eat and eat and eat and eat. then you have dessert. Yet another reason the angry pilgrim was worried. He does believe pumpkin pie to be the perfect dessert. No utensils or plates needed (in his opinion), and no gunking that baby up with whipped cream either. He's a minimalist when it comes to food.

I am thankful for my angry pilgrim and his brother (despite the teenage angst). I could not imagine my life without them. Okay, maybe sometimes I long to travel to Italy with girlfriends or pub crawl through county Cork with an old friend and his guitar, but most days I wouldn't trade them for the moon. I am also thankful for my husband, Mark. Yes, he is cheap and stubborn and ADD, but he is also generous and kind and talented in ways I cannot explain. Now that family of mine that puts the fun in dysfunction, they too make me grateful and blessed. I count my blessings every day that I have with my grandmother.

Today may not be a most traditional of Thanksgivings. It seems many of us are fighting colds and working on projects and feeling like staying home. It just might happen too. Time will tell. So, while we are thankful for our health, today, we could stand it to be slightly improved.
I'm not sure if you have an angry pilgrim in your house or just a grumpy snot fountain, whatever you have, give it a hig, say a prayer and be glad for what you have.
Now GO EAT!

Crimson Soles and Crimson Linings

There's only one thing that brings to mind. I believe it to be the greatest story ever read (to me, that is). I remember that little Golden Book, cracked at the spine, pages loosening from the binding, corners tattered. It didn't matter, that just showed how loved that book was.
The memory of crawling up in my Grandmother's lap and listening to the story of tigers, tail to mouth, holding crimson umbrellas and wearing pants, filled with greed and jealousy until the run themselves int o melted butter will stay with me long after the pancakes are gone. She never tired of reading that one and I never tired of hearing it.
I think it's a shame that the story of Little Black Sambo has been banned or at least the name has been changed and the wording made more politically correct. The same with the stories of Unclie Remus. Every child should hear the story of Brer rabbit and the Tar Baby. they should have the joy of seeing Johnny smile as he laughs through the lafin' Place in Song of the South.
I don;t believe banning these things will change history or a single persons mind. These stories are not what fuel racism and predjudice. To act as if they never existed will never make it so.
Instead, share them, celebrate them and learn from them. they are stories of friendship, love, problem solving and courage. they are stories of wisdom, acceptance and childhood innocence. What's so wrong with that? And what;s so wrong with the title? At the time that story was written, people were referred to as black. To change the name, again, does not change the fact of the time. We should not forget our past, or rewrite it. We should learn from it. History forgotten is bound to be repeated.

What brings me to this soap box, you may ask? Well, memories of my grandmother are always welcomed and enjoyed. As she approaches her 92nd year in frail condition, I find myself thinking of her and our time together more and more often. I know it is borrowed time and I cherish it. I don;t see her enough and I talk to her less. It seems the phone calls make matters worse by confusing her, and so I try to be kind and not exasperate the situation. It doesn't mean I don;t think of her every day. I thank God that I am blessed with memories and lessons and the love only she can give. I am thankful that my boys know that love and joy also. How lucky they are to havve had so many years with a great grandmother to love them.
so, truth be told, there was no soap box. tangent thinking, definitely, but not really a soap box.
You see, I made these today.


They seem to have opened the flood gate of tigers and pancakes and grandmothers and censorship and life. Wow, that's some pair of earrings!

Low Fat and Delicious

Not to mention, you are sure to show up with a dip most have never had. This is not an easy task to accomplish. This recipe is easy and if you crave that sweet/salt balance like i do, it is a sure bet.

Advertising, Marketing and Promo's, Oh my!

Ah, yes, Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore.
I have spent enough time marketing one thing or another this week, I think even the Cowardly Lion would be proud. If not, at least Glinda would understand. Afterall, she worked so hard to be ♫Pop-u lar ♫.

When not at the book fair helping all 535 kids fill their wishlists, I was using all the smoke and mirrors I could muster to promote both my etsy and handmade fusion shops. Between you and me, I think the wizard lived an existence as exhausting as a stay at home mom with a colicky baby.

It is no secret that my photography is lacking. However, it is nothing compared to my skills at photoshop. Amazingly, none of the above seems to deter my need to torture myself. Be assured, many a SD card was harmed in the making of my advertisements.

This is where I give the shout out to my great etsy friends. It is their humor, their commaraderie and their pity for me that melts the wicked witches in my life time and time again. This time I can hang my hat on the lovely, talented, effervescent and eyernally cheery Yobo! With the wave of her wand (more likely her mouse), she in no time had a batch of resized photos for me. As if that wasn't enough, the queen of the prickcushion herself, Miss Elli (abitabite) swept in and dazzled me with her wizardry. Before you knew it, not only did I have useable, attractive and enticing ads, they were animated!!
okay, not animated here, but it should be. I guess I need another couple mirrors.


So, you may see me around internet town, flashing on a blog or working the sideline of majaba. Let's hope many others do too. Maybe it will make me a little
♫ Pop U Lar ♫ too.