Portuguese Tile Pendant Give Away!

Last day to enter! The giveaway ends tonight at 11:59 PDT! I just made a batch of pendants with some new patterns I hope to list this week. Thanks for all your support - I'm overwhelmed by the response and all the kind words! THANKS!

UPDATE! I've begun listing tiles on my Etsy shop! I'll list throughout the day. Check here for newest additions.

I'm so excited I'm leading with a photo!
These are images of the long awaited Portuguese tile pendants! These are large, 1 1/2 inch square pendants with quality glossy photos embedded in crystal clear resin. I took each photo, cut each photo and embedded it in resin. Metal tags are attached firmly to the back to hang these beauties to a cord or chain. That's the fun part! Below is a mere sampling of the nearly infinite variety of coordinating cords I can make for each pendant. The colors pop and look simply lovely!

I will be offering Kumihimo braided cords, as well as traditionally braided cords. If you prefer a simpler look, I will include a chain instead. Don't like the cord I've shown the pendant with? No problem! Contact me and I'll make one just for you! Prices to be determined before I list these on Thursday.

These are conversation starters because they are so different and fun. The houses in Ovar are so beautiful and colorful, robed in these tiles. These are a little piece of Portugal!

GIVEAWAY!!
I'm running a giveaway until next Tuesday, the 31st. One lucky winner will win their choice of one of the pendants from the above collage and their choice of cord, either one of the ones pictured or a style and color of their choice. Wow! The winner will be chosen using Random.org.

For one chance to win:
Go check out my Etsy shop or my ArtFire studio and then come back here and leave a comment with the title of your favorite piece(s).
For a second chance to win:
Follow my blog and leave a comment that says "follow."

That's it! Good luck everyone! And be sure to check out my Etsy shop on Thursday for the Grand Launch!

Have a great day!

New Line and Giveaway Announcement!

Hi all! I hope everyone had a great weekend. Ours was okay though we did have our hearts torn a bit when it turned out the car we really liked and were able to get for a price we could afford turned out not to be dinghy towable - dang it! So the car search continues. But enough of that - onto the fun, crafty stuff!

You may remember a few weeks ago I wrote a post about the Portuguese tile pendants. If not, I'll summarize by telling you that in December we visited Keath's family in Ovar, Portugal. I was taken with the wonderful tiles that cover the outsides of the houses and I took tons of photos with no idea of why. In the end, I decided to make some resin pendants out of the photos. I'm very pleased with how they came out. The pendants are large, about an inch and a half square. They need to be this large so that the details of the paintings can be seen easily. These pendants are striking and definitely a conversation starter!

I'm planning on selling these lovely pendants at my Etsy shop on Thursday. Today I went shopping for different colored floss, yarn and ribbon to make the cords for the pendants. I'll actually be selling each one with a choice of cord or chain in order to maximize people's enjoyment of the necklaces. Below are some photos of the results of my shopping - I went a little crazy! There's also some photos of one the process of one of the kumihimo braids I'm making. This one's for a blue and white tile pendant and I'm making it with yarn.

Did I mention there's a give away? It starts tomorrow, so I have time to take photos of the first batch of pendants. The winner will win a pendant of their choice with the cord/chain of their choice - woohoo! So be sure to come back tomorrow to learn how to win! These tile pendants are different and fun, and even though I'll be making multiples from each tile photo, each necklace will probably be one of a kind, due to taste variations in cord type or chain. So come back tomorrow and enter to win it before you can buy it!

Visit Sweeties Sweeps to get your daily dose of sweepstakes, contests, and blog giveaways.

Thursday Temptations

I have some lovely things for you today! Before we get to them, I have to share my excitement at our impending huge purchase. We're going to be upgrading our rig to a Class A motorhome before the end of the week (if all goes well!) I can't wait! I love our little trailer and we've been in it for the past three years, but now that it's clear our full time lifestyle is more than a passing fancy, it's time to go slightly bigger so we stop having nervous breakdowns due to the lack of space (current count: K-3; me-2.) I'll no doubt post a ton of photos when we get it, so be forewarned!

Onto the main event!

I have the work of two artists today.

First up: A gorgeous pillow from Mireio. This pillow features a vintage Burmese flag and other vintage fabrics. I simply love the peacock on the front of this, and I wish I could smell the lavender inside! Mireio has tons of lovely items in her shop - it's a nice shop to virtually poke around in.

Next is this very cool painting by Maria Kitano:I feel very unqualified to discuss painting, but this really grabs me. The bright orange is so striking and the little crack so intriguing that I just can't help but look at it, even on a computer screen. Maria's DaWanda shop had a great variety of artwork, including ACEOs and other very affordable works. Definitely worth checking out.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Tasty Tuesday

A tasty, healthy vegetarian recipe is what's on tap for today. The recipe is tofu tacos, and they're what we have for lunch pretty much every day. A few years ago, both K and I went on NutriSystem to take off the pudge we had put on traveling around the country and eating local delicacies. It worked very well, but the limited vegetarian menu kind of got to us. That and the processed nature of the food. So we worked out the nutritional guidelines and caloric counts of the meals and started following those guidelines when making our own meals. It has worked great and as long as we've been on it, we haven't yoyoed more than a few pound (okay, five when we went to Portugal and tossed reason out the window!) This lunch is about 175 calories and super yummy.

For each person you need:
One corn tortilla - Trader Joe's has good ones; these are Don Pedros. They have 50 calories each.
Tsp Tomato paste - seasoned with whatever you like - I use oregano and cumin
Tbs of refried beans - the ones here are black refried beans
3 oz slab of super firm tofu - I use Trader Joe's high protein tofu for these - 100 calories per 3 oz
Tsp of jarred garlic

To start, spray a pan with a little cooking spray and get the garlic going in the pan over medium high heat. Cut the slab of tofu in half and put it on top of the garlic.

While that browns, slather the tomato paste onto your tortilla, then put the beans on top of that.
I realize this look unappetizing in the extreme.
When the tofu has browned on one side, flip it and put the slathered tortillas next to the tofu on the pan. A minute or two later and you can put the tofu in the tortilla, fold it in half and have a yummy meal.I think it takes five minutes start to finish. Super yummy!

Have a great day!

Do you think....

that the script for the new Wolverine movie explicitly states that the young Cyclops should look like Andrew Eldritch circa 1987? Not that the actor, Tim Pocock, has Eldritch's ow-I-just-sliced-my-finger-off-on-your-face cheekbones, but who does? Look at them side by side though, and tell me they didn't do this intentionally. Or did everyone look like this in 1987 and I was just two young to notice?

Thursday Temptations

Oy, it's late to be posting this! But I had to wait for the library to open before posting, since for some reason anything involving Google does not work on the network in the park. Any techies who have ideas why this might be, feel free to shoot me a note! Onwards!

It's Thursday again! Do the weeks just seem to be flying by - they do to me! Since it's Thursday, it's time to see some wonderful splurge items by handmade artists. This week we have something for everyone in an array of styles.

First up:
A beautiful wall sculpture by PoodleBreath on Etsy. I simply love this piece. It's called Little Helping Hands, and it's just that - 3D hands that come out of the wall to hold your jewelry or whatever else you'd like to hand over. Poodlebreath's shop is filled with items that evoke (to me, anyway) the mysterious, not-quite-dark side of fairy tales and fantasy. Looking at her shop is a little like walking through a dream.



Next up:
A lovely handbag by InkiMade at Etsy. I love that blue pattern on this bag and its wealth of pockets to stash all your stuff. I don't usually carry a purse, because I can stash everything I need for short jaunts into my pockets, so for me this would make a lovely bag for a day jaunt into a city, with enough room to carry lunch and a book as well as a wallet and cell. Inkimade's shop is chock full of a fun variety of items, including stationary and sachets.








On to:
A quirky laptop and accessory pouch set from Brokesy at Etsy. I adore this because it makes me giggle every time I look at it. The poor petrified squirrel looks like he'd like to hide in the pouch with your accessories. Brokesy's shop features cute, humorous ways to safely carry your laptop and other gadgetry. I love that the opening scene to The Crow (I'm pretty sure) is featured in one of the product photos - clever.









Last but not least:
A cozy lap afghan by PrimitiveJunkie on Etsy. This color palette is so soothing it makes me want to curl up and drink tea under it, which I'm pretty sure is the main goal in the life of a lap blanket. I love the look of crochet because my grandmother used to crochet things for me all the time. PrimitiveJunkie also features jewelry, hand stitched pillows and an assortment of other fun goodies.

That's all, kidlets! I think that my blog posts may be fewer in the next few weeks while I get my behind in gear and order an Express card so I can get reliable Internet wherever I am. Until that happens or the mystery of the nonresolving Google is solved, chances are good that I'll be updating twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'll still do the Thursday Temptations because I love it so.

Have a great day!

Safari!!

Here's my entry for this week's Thursday Sweet Treat:

I'm very pleased with it. I made the cord with the kumihimo technique I wrote about yesterday and I love the results. I think this will be one of my new favorites!

Also today, I'd like to take a minute to solicit submissions for tomorrow's Thursday Temptations.

Here are a few guidelines:
-Send a link to specific item(s) you would like considered to wanderlustbling@gmail.com
-Items can be on any handmade venue. If you are on ArtFire, I will give preference to Verified members.
-I'm looking for items listed for at least $50.
-I will notify you when/if your items will be featured. Following my blog, tweeting, blogging and/or Facebooking about your presence here would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and have a great day!

Tuesday Techniques

This past week I heard of the Japanese art of Kumihimo. I no longer remember where I heard of it, but when I Googled it, I found a website called Primitive Originals that sells every type of tool for this craft that you might need, including the portable Kumi Loom (tm) which is much preferable for me to the large wooden marudai would be.

While it's a beautiful piece of equipment, it would take up way to much room in my tiny abode. Besides, I've been looking for something that is relaxing and portable, like knitting and this fits the bill. The learning curve was a lot less steep than that of knitting (at least for me) and the end result is something I can use in my jewelry making. Plus it allows me to indulge my nearly unhealthy addiction to embroidery floss.

This is the Kumi Loom kit I bought. It really does have everything you need to get started and the book is well written and very helpful. I didn't read it all the way through, but every time I needed guidance the info I needed was easy to find.

Here's the first piece I made with my Kumi Loom and the practice yarn that comes with the kit. Not something I'd use for a jewelry project, obviously, but it's definitely a fun, easy technique with plenty of room for variations and creativity. I've already incorporated the technique into my jewelry, making a necklace cord for this week's Thursday Sweet Treat piece. I'm very happy with the results, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what I've done with my new toy.

If you're interested in trying Kumihimo, I highly recommend the Kumi Loom and the starter kit available at Primitive Originals. As you can see from the photo of the loom, the quick start instructions are printed right on the back of the loom. That was all I read before starting my yarn practice piece and it came out wonderfully. The foam loom is sturdy and holds the fibers firmly but gently. I have not used any other type of portable Kumihimo device, but the plastic ones I've seen online don't seem as comfortable to use. The bobbins that come with the kit (or are sold separately) are ingenious as well. Two simple pieces of plastic hold the fiber to keep it from tangling and only require a little extra tension to release more length as you work. And they make a lovely windchime-y sound as the bump against each other while you work. I think I'm going to become some sort of Kumihimo addict!

Have a great day!

Eugene!

Hello all!

On Saturday we ran our last race in Redding, the NorCal 10 and 3 mile. K ran the 10, I ran the 3. I had been sick for a week, so I wasn't expecting much for myself, but I did well. Well enough to get 2nd place for my age division - if I was a guy, which they thought I was . After straightening that out, I still wound up with a medal, albeit for fourth. I did manage to sprint ahead of someone at the finish line, which is always fun. Not that my sprint affected my age group ranking, since the girl I got ahead of was 16 and I'm, well, not.

Cute, huh?

We moved from Redding, CA to Eugene, OR on Sunday and I'm a little peeved that the weather decided to welcome us with snow. Uck. It didn't help that the weather in Redding was gorgeous when we left! But such is the life of a nomad. Sun is in the forecast for the end of the week, so I shouldn't complain. Eugene looks nice and we're looking forward to pub trivia tonight, a diversion we missed while in Redding. Not that we're particularly good at it, but we like to try!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Time to Wander

Well, we've thoroughly enjoyed our time in Redding, CA, but it's time to wander once again. This weekend we're heading to Eugene, OR. This will be the first time in many months that we've changed states. It seems like we've been in CA forever! We're looking forward to a change in scenery, since we tend to get a little antsy after a few months in one place. We've definitely been noticing that the past week or so.

So thanks to Redding and all Reddingites for the great time - see you on our next trip through! Eugene - here we come! Fellow RVers, now you know where to find us!

Have a great day!

Thursday Temptations

Welcome to Thursday Temptations! It's the day when we take a look at some of the splurge-worthy handmade items available from various venues. Today we have one item from Etsy and two from ArtFire. Let's get started.

From Holmes Wilson Tables we have the fantastic Pliny End Table. I love the impressions of the leaves on this piece and the way it seems to glow. This, and many other pieces in their shop, makes me wish I had room in my RV for real furniture. Next up is this gorgeous necklace from Shiny Adornments on ArtFire. The Shara Necklace would be a lovely and unique bridal piece. The cluster is just stunning and you can see a single pearl is attached to the clasp. I love that kind of detail. Last but not least, The Jewelry Shop at ArtFire has this stunning Reconstructed Vintage Garnet And Glass Necklace. This necklace is so regal and it hangs so uniquely. It has a Crown Jewel feel to it that would make anyone feel like royalty.

Thanks for looking! I hope you've enjoyed this week's Thursday Temptations!

If you would like to be considered, please read the following:
-Send a link to specific item(s) you would like considered to wanderlustbling@gmail.com
-Items can be on any handmade venue. If you are on ArtFire, I will give preference to Verified members.
-I have no hard and fast guidelines, but in general, I'm looking for items listed for at least $50.
-I will notify you when/if your items will be featured. Following my blog, tweeting, blogging and/or Facebooking about your presence here would be greatly appreciated.

Have a great day!

I'm back!

Ugh, what a long beginning of the week. My husband and I went to Trinidad, CA for my birthday over the weekend. We stayed at a lovely house we found on Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO), a site I highly recommend checking out if you're not already familiar with it. The house was set in the Redwoods and came complete with a hot tub - sweet! K made me the best Red Velvet Cake ever from a recipe he found on a high school friend's blog, Smitten Kitchen. Yum! It was fun watching him bake while I sat on the couch drinking wine and watching What Not to Wear. Yes, this is what I did on my birthday and I loved it!

The next day, we went for a hike at Patrick's Point State Park. It was a great, easy hike and we got to see a lot of fun ocean views. We spent a lot of time on Agate Beach, enjoying the surf and searching for sea stones. There are a lot of agates on the beach (duh!) but I'm not sure if I got any or not. I should get better at identifying stones, since I plan on getting a Dremel and making jewelry out of fun stones I find!

We drove home through the rain on Sunday and by Sunday night I knew I was sick. Glorious. The hot tub I had spent so much time in had done me wrong and I had to get myself some Cipro on Monday. I'm still not quite right, since UTIs throw me for a loop for some reason, but at least now I'm functional. Yesterday I was just a whiny lump and Monday I slept a lot.

On to the future!
Tomorrow is Temptation Thursday - be sure to swing by and see the fun, handmade splurge items from great artists. I think you'll find some drool-worthy goodies! Check out last Thursday's post for last week's featured pieces.

Have a great day!

Business cards and ads and sales, oh my!

So last night (or rather early this morning) while I was waiting for UTI meds to kick in so I could sleep, I redesigned my Project Wonderful ads and my business cards. I've learned so much in the past few months that my old ones seemed horrid looking. So I took a simple photo and added simple black text. Here are the results of my PW ad reformat:
And the previous ad:
I think the new one is cleaner and crisper, important because the size is so small. We'll see how it does click-wise, but I much prefer it on a purely aesthetic basis. It also shows a whole piece of jewelry as opposed to a bead strand, which I think is more indicative of my shop.

I also have a new design for my business cards and I'm getting rid of my old ones by slapping coupon codes on the back and sending them to the lovely DirtyAss Soaps (love the name!) so she can put them in goodie bags at the Indie Garage Sale next month. That will drain me down to less than 20 cards left, which should really get my butt in gear to get the new ones printed!

Blech...

I had a wonderful weekend away with my husband... now I'm sick! Yuck. But at least I had a great time before. I'll write more when I don't feel dreadful.

Have a great day!