Quick Update: Keep the Gulf Coast in Your Prayers

Hey everyone....just a quick update as I have been following the news about Hurricane Gustav (junior meteorologist, thats me;). The storm lost a lot more intensity than originally forecast whilst going over Cuba, but is forecast to pick up again before landfall.

Im just asking my friends of all faiths from all around the world to join me in praying for those affected in the Gulf region. This storm is trying to follow Katrina's path of destruction where people are just finally beginning get back to normal. Lets pray it doesn't, or at least that it dissipates significantly before landfall...a miracle would be delightful wouldn't it? :-)

Fairy Lights & Ancient Tones

The first piece in my new Fairy Lights Magic Forest collection

I remember late one night at a bluegrass festival in Bean Blossom, Indiana when I was 16...I was walking from one jam session across a field to a wooded area when I looked up and saw the most amazing sight. The WHOLE stand of trees on the other side of the field was covered in fireflies all the way to the top of the trees. I have never seen that many in one place at one time before or since~it was pure magic! I caught my breath and just stood for a few moments listening to the fiddle music wafting on the breeze and watching the twinkling fairy lights.

It may be a bit difficult to match a bunch of guys in cowboy hats to that image, but I really wanted to include this music with my story. Bill Monroe was a character, and his brand of music isn't for everyone, but he captured what he called the "ancient tones" in many of his tunes. Kentucky Mandolin is one of my favorites and was one of the tunes I heard played by some of these same guys on that magic night...close your eyes when you listen and I'll bet you can see the fairies dancing too;-)

Fairy Friday?

I've seen quite a few blog posts with alliterated titles like this, so Im thinking a Fairy Friday tradition would be good to start on my blog:-). Only I missed it by half an hour and its actually Saturday...Well anyway, you get the idea, right?

The Fairy Glen, Skye ©Karla Hall

Here is a photo I took of a magical place known as the Fairy Glen on the Isle of Skye off the coast of Scotland. Ian took me there the last time I was across. He is a very long suffering muggle and just sort of smiled at me as I exclaimed over every new thing I discovered on my second trip to Scotland...fairy bridges, fairy glens, ferry boats (very exciting for a Prairie girl, let me tell you).

To be honest, he was as fascinated as I was by the site of this unusual place. Its hard to tell from the photo, but all those ridges on the hillside are in miniature..you are driving a long the road, come over the crest of a hill and suddenly you are in this amazing landscape all in miniature! It is a natural phenomenon- I don't know what caused it, but it is not man made- you can see why the locals named it fairy glen, and why legends of the Fae still abound on the misty Isle of Skye.

NOTE: If you are finding this scene eerily familiar, it might just be because scenes from the movie Stardust were filmed in almost this exact location;-)

Here is a Tabblo of some of the other photos I took when I was in that part of the country...

Elven Forest Autumn Tapestry Collection

I love the first signs of Autumn in the forest...leaves are just beginning to turn, and the deep greens mingle with the sudden red, orange and copper that appears in ever increasing measure as we say goodbye to the year.

Czech glass leaves, swarovski pearls & crystals combine to make this autumn fantasy necklace. The pendant also features a garnet heart and a wee piece of amber for a bit of added magic;)

This necklace is the first in my Elven Forest Autumn collection,to include earrings, ear cuff, bracelet, tiara, hair combs and more. If you would like any of these items before they are listed, just drop me a line!

Red Hot & Wired Treasury

I am honored to be a member of an amazingly talented group of Wire Artisans on Etsy. The Wire Artisans Guild street team is a fun and inspiring group of artists from all over the world and I have learned a lot in just the short time I have been a part of the group. Here is a lovely Etsy treasury curated by Lotta of Silverknuten.etsy.com Lotta is of our Swedish members and a fantastic wire artist in her own right, so do stop in and see her own shop as well as her blog if you get the chance:)



The treasury is up through Saturday (29 Aug) so pop in for a closer look before then if you like.

For more information about our group and other beautiful creations from member shops please visit any of these links:

Wire Artisans Guild Blog

Wire Artisans Group Photo Pool

Wire Artisans Guild Team Shop on Etsy

Sophia's Fairy Woods Collection

I am finally getting some more of the Sophia Fairy Collection designs finished.

I already had an earcuff, and here is the bracelet. Earrings and ring to follow next.


If you would like me to make a tiara, necklace, hair comb or clip in this colour combo, just let me know:)

This collection was named in honor of my new baby niece, Sophia...the pinks remind me of her cute little baby cheeks, and purple is her mum' favorite colour, so these just had to be named after her!

You can see more amazing photos of Sophia and other beautiful stuff at my sister's delightful photography blog: from Snapshot to Fine Art.

For my EC friends~ she's not an EC-er yet, so if you do pop in, please leave her a comment encouraging her to join;)

Not Yer Granny's Photo Album...

Since I've been entrecarding through the blogosphere (and other words that aren't really words), I've seen a lot of cute blogs with cute kids. Im thinking, hey I have some cute kids too..better put them on my blog! Course if you've been around my blog long you realise that we dont do anything in an ordinary fashion at my house:


My eldest, Matthew the warrior...expert on everything, official big brother to the world (the good kind, not the one that watches everyone with evil intent), alternate reality Elvis, Red Sox fan, gift of God (I cant help it, that's what his name means- do keep in mind his middle name means "crooked nose" so that sort of evens it out a bit;), writer and aspiring English teacher.


Middle son Timothy the wondrous...word weaver(poet), musician, ancient soul, prophet (the kind who hears from the heart of God, not the fortune telling kind), curator of one of the most amazing music collections on the planet, proud owner of a theremin AND a didgeridoo, master of gentle-sharp witticisms, and bringer of joy into early morning lives~aka barista. (photo assemblage by Matthew)


Youngest son, Jesse the undiscovered...artist who did the "photoshoppage" on this photo and the one of Matthew, channeler of old Carl Perkins songs ("took some honey from a tree, dressed it up and they called it me.." google it;-), indie fashion t-shirt designer, also barista and dweller in coolest apartment of the family.


NOTE: these photos ARE Jesse & Matthew's copywrited material, and I am 6'3" and a fierce mama bear if someone messes with my cubs...do NOT steal or borrow or think about using these without permission. (pretty please:)

Stray Cats - Shady Grove - Live!

Absolutly nothing to do with jewelry, but if you've read my blog very long, you know I love music:-)! This one of my favorite traditional songs AND one of my favorite rock bands~ two different genres but a fascinating mix. BRIAN SETZER playing a BANJO. Fans of British traditional folk music may more readily recognize the tune as the rather bloody ballad, Matty Groves. I much prefer the happy sweet version that it evolved into when it was handed down in the Appalachian mountains of Eastern Tennessee & North Carolina. If you are interested in hearing the song in a more traditional setting, there is an excellent Doc Watson version of the song also on You Tube.

Etsy Bloggers: Featured This Month

I have just joined the Etsy Blogger street team (now that I am a professional blogger, lol). Im just learning all the ropes, but was delighted to find that this months featured blogger was Tulips Talking - the VERY blog where I discovered the Etsy Blogger's street team in the first place:)

She hails from sunny Florida and I think that is reflected in her bright sunny designs, mixed with cool ocean blues...I love this necklace! If you get a minute, do visit her delightful blog and be sure to stop by one or both of her Etsy Shops: Tulips Treasure Box is her main shop & for a limited time her former shop Octahedron is still open as well

Of Jealous Husbands & Subliminal Inspiration

Anjelica Huston wearing Alexander Calder's
 'Jealous Husband' necklace

I thoroughly enjoy the email newsletter from the folks over at Beading Daily.

Just recently Denise Peck, who is the editor-in-chief of Step by Step Wire Jewelry wrote a fascinating little post entitled Original Jewelry Designs: Is It New or Just New to You?.

In the article, she highlighted the work of Alexander Calder, an American sculptor and artist most famous for inventing the mobile, but who also made metal and wire jewelry. When I looked at his early designs, I decided that contemporary wire workers have probably all been influenced by his work in some way, whether we realise it or not!

Calder Necklace, 1930

Alexander Calder’s jewelry is in a traveling museum exhibit~ at the Philadelphia Art Museum until November 2nd, and then at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. I rather doubt that this prairie girl will have a chance to catch either of those this year, but if you are on the east coast I hope you get the chance to yourself!!

NOTE: Info for this post was gathered from these excellent sources:

NPR: Alexander Calder's Jewelry Gets Its Due, Finally

Unwearable art

Alexander Calder on Wikipedia

Amber & Jet Mabon Treasures @ Thyme2dream

Just a wee photo gallery of my Amber & Jet Mabon range...can you believe summer is almost over?







Amber & Jet are wonderfully organic, lightweight "Stones" and are delightful in jewelry. It is a combination that has been used in magickal jewelry for centuries.








Look for the matching Bracelet, Necklace,Earrings and Ear Cuff in my Etsy shop!









To find them easily from any page in my Etsy Shop, follow the Shop home link in the upper right corner, and once there search for keyword "mabon"

Talent Database~ I've been Featured!

Wow, its been a good day...I just got a notice from my friends over at the Etsy Dark Side team blog that I've been given an award which I will do a post on when I have a bit more time. THEN I got a notice that my portfolio was being featured on the Talent Database Fashion Portal Main Page!





Sweet...guess I'd better get to work then, eh?

You've Got Maille

Chain Maille that is....I wanted to say thanks to my FAE (Fantasy Artists of Etsy) friend Beth over at You've Got Maille who featured Ian & I in a blog post recently.


Chain Maille is a detailed artform that I think would drive me totally insane, but I love the look and feel of it...Im glad there are talented artisans like Beth out there who have mastered the art so I dont have to!!


She also featured this gorgeous wee fairy desk from The Midnight Orange

Faery Weddings & Hair Fancies

Okay, quick post today cos Im off to KC for a gig with the guys...

I have been having wonderful response to my Queen Mab's Faery Wedding set inspired by Arthur Rackham's illustrations and wanted to pass along one more cute bit of trivia from Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.

J M Barrie wrote some funny little things in his books...most of us remember the thimble is a kiss confusion that Peter & Wendy had, but until recently I never read about "fairy weddings". According to Mr Barrie, just leaping into someone arms with a big hug counts as a fairy wedding....so there you go, even if you arent going to a traditional wedding, its still easy to get 'married' and wear a hair clip;-)

Look Mum We Have a Music Myspace

UPDATE (June 26, 2013)~ we have pretty much abandoned Myspace, but you CAN find us at our alive and kicking Glenfinnan Facebook page- please stop by;)

Glenfinnan is a village in Scotland famous for many things~ Bonnie Prince Charlie's gathering of the clans at the start of the Jacobite uprising of 1745, the rail viaduct featured in the Harry Potter films, the opening line of Highlander "Im Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod from the village of Glenfinnan on the shores of Loch Shiel", and other great and wonderful events in Scots lore. Its also the place I always had in my mind's eye when I dreamed of visiting Scotland as a teenager. AND its easy to pronounce, so it made a great name for our Celtic band when we decided to switch from Tandragee (try it, if you are from Kansas you will never pronounce it correctly)

Our piper, Liam has been working on our Myspace and it actually has music on it!! Now I just need to get the band website up to speed...sigh. Anyway, go and have a look if you are interested in very homegrown and pretty rough around the edges Celtic folk music from the Heartland.

NOTE: Ian made the banner from a photo I took when I finally got to Glenfinnan. We arrived just before sunset, and it looked just like the photo in the book I dreamed over when I was a young girl. Yes, I did cry and hug Ian~ a lot;).

Circlets Crowns & Tiaras Sale

Visit Thyme2dream or Pern Circlets this month and secure your right to be Queen for a day~ or just prove you are the Princess (I always prefer princess, they have less responsibility;-)

Fantasy, Medieval and Renaissance weddings are my specialty...most of my tiaras are part of a full range of matching jewelry and bridal or costume accessories, and I love custom work if you need something special!

With this August Etsy Secrets Coupon, you may take $10 off your choice of Crown, Tiara or Circlet atThyme2dream OR PernCirclets.

This coupon is good towards the purchase any Crown, Tiara or Circlet $30 or more, and runs through August 31st. Please mention this coupon when you checkout. As always, the "buy any 3 items from get free shipping" offer is good with all sales and coupons.



So as not to leave anyone out, we also feature Renfaire & Medieval Circlets for men as as well~ in colors to match "your clan, your costume, your football team, your basketball team or your eyes" ;-)!

Gypsy Starchild Defines Her Fashion

So I was signing up for Stylehive the other day, and trying to figure out how to fit myself, (ie: gypsy starchild jesusgirl pagan friendly hippie chick celtophile princess) into the "fashionable" hive world...


It just wasn't working. I mean, I make ice crowns and unicorn horns...and why are there no categories for ear cuffs, arm cuffs, or Elven headdress on Stylehive?

Then I remembered the little one line description I came up with when someone asked me to describe what I do for a living: "I create jewelry for discerning Faerys & Elven Folk and have recently discovered that mortals like it too." And suddenly I had it:

I'm a Fae Elven Fashionista

Watch out Fashion world...here I come

:-)

Best Jewellery in a Folk Rock Video

Well, okay...maybe the ONLY jewellery I've really noticed in a Folk Rock video...but probably the title I actually want to award John Jones of the Oysterband is the "one of the most amazing voices in Folk Rock and the voice most likely to make me happy"

This video is Where the World Divides, a song from their most recent album Meet You There. Its hauntingly catchy and a new favorite of mine!



When Ian and I first met we lived 4,000 miles apart (Edinburgh to Kansas), and since we were both musical beings to the core, one of the intitial ways we got to know one another was through the music we loved. The first mix tape he sent included this band.

It is difficult to explain the exhilarating feeling I had when I first heard John Jones sing "I am the fountain of affection, the instrument of joy..." and the rest of the band rip into the amazing instrumental that opens When Im Up I Cant Get Down . Its very "dancey", that song. I knew when I heard it for the first time that my life was about take an amazing turn for the better, and I have been living one big delightful adventure ever since.

Thanks for the soundtrack boys:-)!!

Of Fairy Doors and Elven Enchantments...

I just got notice that my Fairy Bower Ear Cuff has been featured in a new treasury curated by Jewel Divas on Etsy. I thought I would pass this one along since it has some of my favorite fantasy artists included...its up til Tuesday, so please pop in and have a look:

Arthur Rackham's Faery World

  I used to have a big poster of this painting on my wall when I was 16 and all I knew about it then was the caption said "Queen Mab". Many years later when I found it on the web it was entitled "Feeling Very Undancey Indeed," and when I researched it a bit more I discovered it was actually from Arthur Rackham's illustrations for J M Barrie's Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.



Ah, so that explains why I loved the painting so much! I love J. M. Barrie~the world has lost way too much of its innocence these days. I work very diligently to hang on to as much of mine as I can~reading Peter Pan every few years is one of my favorite ways to accomplish this.

Queen Mab Tiara by Thyme2dr

  According to our beloved Mr Barrie,
dancey is how the faeries say they are happy...so undancey is faerie-folk language for a wee bit dispirited or some such thing. It is Queen Mab, and the reason she is feeling undancey is too long to go into here, but Dover Publications is issuing a new edition of the with Arthur Rackham's original illustrations next month, so you can go and read the story for yourself if you are curious: Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (Dover Children's Classics)

One of the things I love most about Arthur Rackham's illustrations of Queen Mab is the beautiful tones of ivory and burgundy that he used...it seemed only natural when I was asked to create a wedding set in these colours that they should be named after the undancey faery Queen.

When I finished the tiara, I went to find the Undancey picture again and was delighted to see how much it the tiara looked like it belonged to her:)! I also made a hair clip, earrings, two necklaces and am currently working on a bracelet as well. They are my new personal favorites. These are for sale in my Thyme2dream ArtFire .

Queen Mab Earrings by Thyme2dream