Jessica Earrings

Originally uploaded by maugustawoodland

Three AAA-grade Mozambique emeralds on sterling silver! I’m so pleased to be able to work with these lovely stones.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14241155

EMPRESS ALEXANDRA WEARING PEARL CORONET

Originally uploaded by booboogbs

Isn’t she absolutely lovely?

Love Always Necklace

Originally uploaded by maugustawoodland

I’m finally putting to use the stamps I got from my friend, Dan, for Christmas. Hurray!

Welcome Spring Bracelet

Originally uploaded by maugustawoodland

Winter leaves me with the worst dry skin imaginable. I find myself faced with the choice of not shaving my legs or basically kissing the skin goodbye. No matter what the choice, I feel like my legs are props in a horror film. I can bathe in lotion five times a day and the results are always the same.

So needless to say that I try just about anything out there to save myself from nasty winter skin. In my current obsession of finding a way to cut down on packaging of my bath products which started with Lush’s solid shampoo, I decided to try 4^th Ave. Soap Co’s Kauai Ginger Blossom shaving soap. I do believe I’ve found something that works great for me, and I think you should give it a shot.

At $4.50 for a 3.5 ounce bar, which is a nice big hunk o’ soap, and $2.25 for shipping, it’s a pretty sweet deal for handmade soap. The scent left me not only having legs like it was summer, but also smelling like it.

Another thing I really like about this seller is that she lists all of her ingredients, which isn’t something you always find on Etsy sadly. But she also goes one step further to explain what some of the ingredients do. For instance, the wheat protein in this bar is to increase lather and the glycerine is both vegetarian and kosher. It’s not that I really need to know what it all does if it works for me, but it appeals to my curious nature. Plus I think it’s a good sign of an artisan that knows what they’re doing.

Plus there’s also the fact that this is another Iowa seller. I’m all about supporting my fellow Iowans. Call it a strange sort of camaraderie, but that’s one of the great things about handmade, right?

You can find 4^th Ave Soap Co at 4thAveSoapCo.etsy.com.

Etsy Front Page - 02/06/08

Originally uploaded by maugustawoodland

When it rains it pours for me. This is my second front page appearance this week. This treasury is by burdanART on Etsy.

The other front page I got was on 1/31 and featured my Anne B. earrings. They were also featured in The Storque.

I’m feel really, really blessed by all the attention I’ve gotten recently.

Anne Boleyn Earrings III,
originally uploaded by maugustawoodland.

Silver filigree, blue sapphires, rainbow moonstones, and freshwater pearls. Almost 200 beads total. Around 14 hours of work. Three broken fingernails. And two eye-strain headaches later…

Finished!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8826670

Lucinda Deluxe Earrings,
originally uploaded by maugustawoodland.

I wish the earring on the left didn’t look so darned lop-sided. It isn’t in reality, I swear!

I’m not making resolutions this year.  I’m making goals.  That way if I slip up for a week or so, I won’t feel like I’ve failed completely.  Maybe it’s just me, but “goal” feels much more flexible.  Anyway, one of my goals for the year is to blog more often.  I might as well, since I took the time to set it up, right?  Right.

 Consider my weekly picks a wishlist…   I spend way, way too much time on Etsy just gawking at things, so I should take some time to maybe share them with you.   You know, in the event you decide you want to buy them for me!  Or yourself, I guess.

Helena Necklace by Bijoux d’Odalisque - $575

When Bijoux d’Odalisque put this up in her Etsy shop, I considered going out and robbing someone for the money to buy it.  It involves pearls, more pearls, blue topaz, even more pearls, and vermeil.  This is my favorite jewelry designer on Etsy, and I feel like she’s really outdone herself with this one.

Bird Bowl by Whitney Smith Pottery $62

I used to dream of having a hutch filled completely with random vintage china.  Now I think I’m leaning towards a hutch filled with Whitney Smith’s pottery and leaving the vintage china and Depression glass in the cabinets instead.  And you know what?  It will all go great together!  Needless to say, another one of my goals is to be able to buy at least one of her pieces this year!  I could do a whole post on just Whitney Smith.  It might just happen.  Seriously.

Verdigris and Amethyst Earrings by Lura Jewelry -  $35

Ms Megan Steer, designer of these earrings, if you’re listening, your experiment with vintage brass and copper totally worked.  Lately I’ve felt a little indifferent about the popularity of brass stampings, but your earrings have infused me with the feeling that they’re not all the same thing!  I salute you!

Convertible Wristlet in Pink Color by Number by MineFull - $23

 I’m admittedly obsessed with anything with a bird on it.  But add pink and I go stupid over it.  Then add paint by number?  Ok, I spent way, waytoo much time looking at this convertible wristlet.  I’m not sure I’m the wristlet type of girl, but since it converts into the cutest little purse ever I’d probably be willing to give a wristlet a shot.  Who knows, maybe I’m convertible, too?

Thai Sapphire and Freshwater Pearl Necklace by No Naked Necks- $1,124 (or $843 until January 13th)

So this is completelyout my budget, but since seeing this necklace I’ve not been able to stop thinking about it.  I keep thinking to myself “Oo, wouldn’t that be pretty worn for my imaginary wedding?”  Needless to say that my imaginary wedding is sadly realistic to the point that with this necklace I’m wearing a garbage bag because I blew my entire budget on the necklace.  But it’s worth it, right?  Because I’d probably wear the necklace all the time.  I figure nobody would notice the the double-layered Hefty bags because of it.  And fortunately garbage bags do come in white, though maybe if I’m lucky I’ll be able to splurge on some of those “decorator” garbage bags.  I do believe they come in champagne, and I wouldn’t have to buy perfume because they’re scented.  Plastic and vanilla…  Mmm.

Theda Bara Ring,
originally uploaded by maugustawoodland.

Here goes the first ring for sale! Get it at http://maugustawoodland.etsy.com!