Baratto: offro...

I'm taking part to the exchange prganized by Orlosubito on her blog: Orlosubito

Here my earrings, two tiny cows and two tiny sheeps made out of polymer clay

Halloween

Here you are a post that I've written last year fort the Etsy Italia Team blog about Halloween, with new info.

This is a very ancient festival, linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-an or sow-in) that means "summer's end" in Gaelic language. During the night all the fires were doused and then lit again thanks to a large Bonfire were bones of slaugthered animals burned. The border between our world and the Otherwolrd became thin, mankind and supernatural creatures may meet, walk the same paths, eat the same food supplies (the traditional trick or treat). Both harmless and harmful spirits might pass through the border, so to avoid harm, humans disguises theirselves with costumes and masks.

Cherrypieartstamps

Signoraluna

After the Christianization Samhain was replaced by All Saints' Day and finally named Halloween (from "All Hollows Eve) from the XV century in England.
Nowadays Halloween is very famous in the United States and in Europe, the birthplace, it is back in the last years.
In many villages of Italy the tradition of the coming back of the dead, often walking in procession in the 2nd of November night, and lighting a candel inside a pumpkin, get Halloween similar to All Saints' Day.

So tonight, remember to lit a candle and put it on your window, it will show the way to your Ancestors, then put on a costume or a mask so harmful spirits can't touch you!




BOO!

Sealight

1. Mermaid - CloudNumberNine
2. Wave island necklace - Chickslab
3. Mermaid Tears - LaPerlaa
4. Spuma di mare Earrings - Betsy

I follow your voice, mermaids, to see the light of the sea.

Five best blogs

Yesterday I had a wonderful surprise, a prize for my blog, the first one :D
Ilenia give me it. She is a crafter, her handpainted ceramic pendants and creations are so beautiful and delicate, please, visit her:

Blog
Etsy shop



Now I have to give the prize to five blogs. It is a hard choice, I know a lot of wonderful blogs, but here you are the five winners:

Alicecloset
Celidonia
Cuori di pietra
Etherealflowers
Fiorejewelry

I have chosen them because they are poetic, their blogs have a beautiful graphics and theay are sweet persons :)

Nautical shabby chic

I don't like sea or nautical theme very much, but there is a kind of style, between nautical and shabby chic, that fascinate me in a strange way. Light colors mixed with blue and red, some grey and a lot of white. Lighthouses in the shades of the summer sky, lost shells, faux starfishes, clear sand, soft cotton fabric.




I know that this mixed style is not the real nautical one, but I like it too much for considering something of different about sea :)




My first attempt to create something about the sea is this little roombox, about eight years ago. Pictures are very bad :/




I reach the first lovely result with a tutorial written for Piccole Cose (the ADMI magazine), a little woden boat in two colors: white-read and white-blue.




But I'm very proud of my "nautical attempts" only with these two shelves :)



boat-shaped, sold out here


bathing cabin-shaped, for sale here
One of my endless projects, to trasform a greenhouse from Ikea in a nautical shabby chic roombox, but I accept suggestions for a shorter project :D

Black Wonderland

1. Ace Card Poker Set - Venetianartiquity
2. Alice in Wonderland Coin Purse - Retrospettive
3. Into the vortex - Lazyfish
4. Perdiction - Juliacalimera

Sometimes also the Wonderland seems so dark...

Now you are my guest - Bijouxdellostregatto

From now a new section to host artists I know, great artists for me :)

Romantic creations, delicate as the petals of a rose, fresh as the dew on the flowers in a sunny, sweet morning.
This is the spirit of Bijouxdellostregatto, a beautiful shop on Etsy and a collection of curated, lovely items.




Jewelry, elegant bookmarks, cell-phone pouches presented in soft light pictures.
Pink, light blue, nautical themes seems to be the favourites of this artist.
A year ago I bought from her a wonderful necklace for my mom, this one:



I have to say that this necklace in person is better than in photo and soft to the touch, amazing! :)
Priscilla, the person behind the brand Bijouxdellostregatto, is a very sweet, beautiful woman, very kind and elegant. I've never known a person so quiet and sweet :)



Take a peek in her sho
Bijouxdellostregatto 
and in her facebook page
Bijouxdellostregatto

Today is her birthday, best wishes Priscilla :D

Sea magnet

You need
4 flat wooden sticks
1 little wooden peg
some nautical items (anchor, pebbels, shells, faux starfish)
cord
paper sheets
magnet
blue and white acrylic paint
white 3D liner
brush
sandpaper
glue for wood

Cut from the flat wooden sticks four pieces: 2.8 in high, 0.7in wide, 0.1 in depth.


Sand the flat wooden sticks and paint them with the white acrylic paint on both sides.



Prepare three shades of blue adding a growing amount of blue acrylic paint in the white one. Paint one of the stick in white and three sticks with the other shades of blue (see the picture).
Glue the four pieces of wood.Now you have a 2.8 in square.



Glue a magnet, or four littel magnets, on the back side.


Glue the little wooden peg on the front of the square and also the nautical items and the cord, as you prefer.
Write the word "Sea" with the 3D liner.



You can put in the peg some paper sheets or a little photo.



Happy Holydays! :)

Only for personal use, commercial use is not allowed.

Getaway to the Otherworld

1. To Edgar - ArchivioGotico
2. Skull and Raven - Lemondedeamelie
3. Raven card - Sabrinazanetti
4. Heart key necklace - Nanofactory

Carrion-crows and ravens are seen in many religions as psychopompos, guides of souls to the Otherworld.

The House of Mouse

I'm so excited, The Mouse is arrived! :D
One month ago I entered a giveaway on The House of Mouse blog and I won! :D
The mouse I've chosen is Gourdon the Pumpkin Mouse, here you are!



This mouse is so tender and funny, I can embrace him with my fingers.



The package is simple, cute and I find a little gift inside :) and a certificate.



In April I bought from The House of Mouse a Chewbacca Mouse, a gift for my husband, and two funny magnets.



The creators of these wonderful and sweet mice are Anna and Naomi, two sisters who live in Netherelands and England. Here their shop on Etsy: The House of Mouse. Please, visit the shop because their mice are so funny and they have the power to give to the world a smile :)
Anna and Naomi are both really kind. I'm so happy to have these two little mice with me.



Hey Gourdon, it's time to search a comfortable corner for you. Say goodbye and follow me!
Thank you Anna and Naomi :D

Delicate

1. Floral-print bow embellished dress - Chromantication
2. Beige pleated clutch with removable fabric flower pin - Loscrignodililly
3. Pink Flower Rabbit Brooch - Atelierpompadour
4. Petite Organic Sterling Silver Band Ring - Lovepotiondesign
5. Two tiny round cameo paintings - Artinvenice

Earrings and bracelets display racks

English version coming soon!

Only for personal use, commercial use is not allowed.

La creatività incontra la rete

The Etsy Italian team will see you at Faenas Cafè on May the 13th, 2011.


Save the 10%with this coupon



Graphics by Ethereal Flowers

Pasqua 2011

I wonder why the first tought for Holydays goes to food. Maybe because food puts togheter families in a easy way, even if sometimes food can divide.

My mother comes from Perugia (Umbria) so I've made some traditional Easter food from Umbria.



A ring shaped cake called "Ciaramicola". This cake has a heart of soft sponge-cake with Alchermes (a sweet deep pink liqueur) and a coat of meringue with tiny sweet confentioneries in five different colors: red, white, yellow, green and azure.

Red and white are the colors of Perugia. Yellow is the color of the cornfields, green is the colors of the meadows and azure is the color of the Trasimeno lake.



A salty cake, a sort of cheese bread. This cake is often served with a salted and smoked pork meat taken form the neck called "Capocollo".

I know some of my followers are Veg*, I hope one day traditional Easter food will be meat-free!




Eggs! Why eggs? Eggs are symbol of birth and Easter is the day of rebirth. It is Springtime and Spring is the season of birth and life. So eggs!


I wish you a Happy Easter and better, a Happy Rebirth-day ;)

I say woof!

1. Scotty dog striped red and orange - Fattidame 
2. The boss - Trotalo
3. Sir Thomas Portrait - Valeriatelier
4. The small giant - Cartaforbicesasso

Ode to the violet

The shy violet, a little, poetic flower, the queen of modesty, with its deep purple and velvety petals. I think that the XIX century was the perfect time for this flower, the romantic era, now dead to the modern way of life. I dont' like Romanticism so much, but for violet I may love it :)

A violet in my garden

Violet inspired me a workshop for the fourth edition of Miniaturitalia (the only Italian fair of dollhouse miniatures) on February 2008. I realized a romantic, shabby chic ensemble, picture below:



Every year, in springtime, pillows of violets bloom in my garden, hidden to a careless eye. It is a promise of joy, the hope Spring comes again. The mistery of birth-death-rebirth.

Violet is also the color of the spirit. It comes from blue and red mixed togheter, blue is the color of quietness, red is the color of passion, so I can say that violet is the color of armony.

This basket is now with one of the OOAK Celidonia's dolls

Do you know the Acatholic Cemetery of Rome? Well, in this ancient cemetery there is a tombstone in the middle of a meadow, with pillows of violets at its feet. Here lies John Keats, an English poet. On the tombstone an epigraph:
"Here lies One / Whose name Was writ in Water"



But the violet is only a little flower.