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.