brandedbutterfly news

Little Packages are Great

2010-10-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

I created a pattern repeat in Photoshop of some tiny little owls so that I could print it out on fabric and make my Blythe a new dress. How do you like it? I just love this little dress. I had some issues with the repeat, so I wound up with a seam in the front that isn't so great, but it doesn't ruin the dress in my opinion. I added the "bead" flower from my stash with a little bit of green ribbon behind it. The dress needs the finishing touches, like closures for the back, that I always put off for a bit. I don't know why.

I got my package from http://dzfantasy.blogspot.com/ and it is just great! I got a little stash of fun fibers and one of Donna's great brooches. Well worth the sign up for the giveaway! I was so excited because 1) I never win anything and 2) I won when it really counted!

I won!

2010-10-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

I never win anything! I signed up for a giveaway at Donna's fantastic blog that I have been following for several years not, and I won! Woohoo! I get to get something fantastic from her shop. I am so excited.

You should check her work out! http://dzfantasy.blogspot.com/

%s

2010-10-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to get my new tattoo colored in yesterday, but it isn't healed up all the way, yet. It is healed 99.9%, so I will be able to do it next Saturday. I still haven't 100% decided what colors I want, so maybe the extra week isn't such a bad thing.

So, I am about 90% sure that deciding to switch my major from Journalism to Design, and keep the Journalism and Art minors was the best idea ever. I know I am 100% happier in my new situation. I like the professors so much more and, for the most part, I really like the students so much more. I don't agree with the professors 100% of the time, but it is true that I am always questioning everything and that I tend to let a person's likable qualities override their unlikable ones about 90% of the time.

I have so much to do today. I am about 50% done with the things I needed to get done this weekend, but I am 100% sure I would rather be fishing. The weather around here is so nice and I would love to go sit on the dock and cast a hook in.

This post is 100% done.

Card I made for a challenge at The Paper Variety blog.

2010-09-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

I used a paper with fall leaves as the border and as the smaller heart. The red card stock I used is called reflections and has a pretty sparkle. I used brown card stock for the larger back heart. The stickers say "Forever love" which is also the title of a TV movie.

Card I made for a challenge on Design Dollies

2010-09-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

I like their challenges because they have one where they simply tell you the colors to use. This is a fun concept for a challenge I think.

I think that this quarter fold card has some masculine undertones that I like. The textured burgundy card stock I stamped on is very deep and rich. The black card stock I used for the main card body is called reflections and it has a very pretty glittery shine without the glitter. It is a bit more subtle than ordinary glitter. I used gold and yellow papers on the left border. On the inside I made a place for writing the message.

On the front of our newspapers opinion page today...

2010-09-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

Caption read: It’s hard to pick out the gay service member in this photo, isn’t it?

So good. Totally surprised that our paper, The Tennessean, was ballsy enough for this. I appreciate it very much given the fact that I am surrounded by homophobic idiots here in the south.

1,000 Markets has died....

2010-09-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

As proud as I was to be on 1,000 markets, not because I was chosen because after all the "jury" could be a bunch of wombats in a closet for all I know, but I did love the look of the site and the other sellers for the most part were great creators.

So, another hours long endeavor of my turns out to be a waste of time.

I have got to learn to centralize my online presence and have faith in one thing: me.

My Dolly's new coat I just made her. I used my new eco-felt made from post consumer plastic bottles, and I up-cycled an old necklace I got at a junk shop in Bell Buckle. I took the chain off and used it as her fancy closure on her Mock Wool Coat.

2010-09-19T21:41:00.001-07:00

Halfway there...

2010-09-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

What it looks like now. I have to return in two weeks to get the color done.

Tattoo Redo...

2010-09-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

I have tattoos. I like them, but the 22 year old on my wrist is ready to be a grown up going through a second childhood. lol I got it for my 18 birthday, and since about the time I hit 30, I haven't liked it much. It is a bit faded and degraded, so I am going today to get it covered with something new. I want something that says girly but retains a hard edge to it. I am going at 5 today, and will try to remember to update with some photos of the new tattoo. I am excited.

Here is a photo of the current tattoo. I just discovered it is very difficult to take a photo of a tattoo on your own wrist with your left hand when your tattoo is on the right hand. In other words, the photo sucks.

2010-09-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

My "Surprise Birthday Cake" photo is featured in this Treasury. I just love the colors. To see more Treasury lists I am in you can search the treasury with my Etsy shop names: brandedbutterfly and brandedbutterflytwo!

'BUY THESE â™¥ . . . PLEASE' by ImJewelee

Oh just look at the exciting things that you can buy on Etsy! Click on each item to meet the shop owners, we would just love to chat with you! XOâ™¥ Julee

Orange and Violet Temari Bal... suzik $38	Pink, Yellow, Orange and Red... ItsAllMonkeyBu... $30
Winter Owls ( 8x10 Childrens... FerntreeStudio $19	Terrycloth Furry, Bumpy Popc... BabyBirdz $75
Vintage Anchor Hocking Cerea... vintagekitchen... $36	Big Breakfast Pop-Art Collag... ivylanedesigns $16
Fruit Shaped Recycled / Upcy... ivylanedesigns $5	3 Eco Daisies - Upcycled Pla... ffflowers $18.5
EMYLYNE-TEQUILA SUNRISE-brac... emylyne $24	Lovely Vintage Southern Lady... RanchVintage $22.95
Hand Painted Gingham Drawer ... LeilasLoft $90	Echino bird and berry print ... needlevsthread $32
Black Lucite Earrings - Choo... SYMBOLICintera... $12.75	Handpainted Silk Hand fan Re... gilbea $45
5 x 7 Birthday Surprise Cak... brandedbutterf... $10	Set of Six Rainbow Stripes o... InAGlaze $31

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Photo showing my new Blythe

2010-09-13T13:37:00.001-07:00

DSCF0001
Originally uploaded by brandedbutterflytwo

My Second Childhood

2010-09-13T13:35:00.001-07:00

DSCF0002
Originally uploaded by brandedbutterflytwo

As my second childhood continues, I finally got the Blythe doll I have really wanted. She is a Kiss Me True. She is a gothy kind of girl who enjoys going a little preppy from time to time.

I am making her some new outfits. Like the one in the photo. It isn't finished yet, still needs some snaps in the back on the top and the skirt. I am also making her a little felt jacket to wear with this outfit. She is going to need some shoes for this outfit.

She came with a leather jacket, glitzy dress, and some sunglasses. She has black tights and motorcycle boots.

September 11, 2001

2010-09-11T14:19:00.001-07:00

Photo taken from ferry. About 1989.

Unlike any of my other photos, I want you to take this photo if you would like it. Do not use it in any commercial work or try to sell it.

Frist Art Center Exhibition of The Golden Age of Couture!

2010-09-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

I cannot stress enough how much I absolutely loved "The Golden Age of Couture" exhibit at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts! Stunning!

I have long been a bit obsessed with the website for the V&A Museum who are the curator's of this exhibit, and I drool over the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute pages all the time, so seeing this many well preserved specimens of art created by some of the best artists to ever walk the planet, up close and personal, was a great day!

Cherry on the sundae? We also got to see unbelievable works by Chihuly! Look at them on the internet all you want, but you must see them in person to witness the truly other worldly glow they give off!

The only drawback to the day was neither exhibit had any seating to speak of. It would be nice if the world would realize that people with physical limitations also like to get out and see things like this. Would it kill people to allow for the fact that I need to sit often in order for me to enjoy myself?

Take a look at the following sites to get a taste of what I saw today:

http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1486_couture/exhibition.php
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hi/te_index.asp?s=all&t=all&d=the_costume_institute
http://www.chihuly.com/

Wish Me Luck! Classes Start Tomorrow!

2010-08-29T19:27:00.001-07:00

Here we go again. Fall semester starts tomorrow.

I hope I can do well. I have 4 classes on campus and 2 classes online. I hope it all goes well. It won't be a failure for my lack of trying!

Please, check out this shop! It is run by one of the nicest people I know online. She is always up for the challenge of helping others navigate their online experience, and I want you to buy something from her.

I have been mired in getting caught up with my stores and editing photos, etc. since my last blog post. Also, spending more time in the Etsy forum than I probably should. I have also been getting an Artfire store up and running. I will give it a couple of months to take root. I hope it does well.

I do have one order for a custom Blythe doll carrier, yea!, so I will be getting that done this week and sent off on its way. I also have a bag I am finishing up for my mom. She is quite picky as it turns out. She keeps wanting revisions. When she calls, she first says, "is it too late..." I know then that she wants it different. lol

Wow time flies even when you are not having fun...

2010-08-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

I don't want to bore what readers I actually have left at this point, but I do feel the need for some explanation of my long absence.

As most readers know, from September to May I am not much of an online presence because I am currently finishing my degree at MTSU and that seems to suck up all my time and all the energy I can must each day. That explains part of the reason it has been so long since I have been posting.

The balance of time has been spent feeling like holy hell because I have thyroid disease, am diabetic, and have fibromyalgia, and had to have knee surgery. Now I am not one to go on about health issues, but I will say that mine seemed to decide to gang up on my all at once. So there you are with a reason for my long absence.
This summer has been spent with my leg up on an ottoman being barely productive at anything.

Currently, I am trying to dig myself out of this funk and work on my health, etc., so things are picking up.

I am worried sick about school starting because I have a class this semester up two flights of stairs in a building with no ramp and no elevator. Worried I won't be able to stand the pain of walking up those stairs. We shall see what happens.

Want to know something that really sucks ass? Many teachers at MTSU have an attendance policy that lowers your grade based on number of absences. Two times now I have had an "A" in a class only to have it lowered to a "B" because I missed more than 4 days of class. I am sick dammit! What kind of people punish sick people who still do their work required for the class? I am twice the age of my classmates, and do twice the work they do. What kind of people punish people with health issues who obviously work their asses off on their assignments? And still obviously spend a ton more time working on their assignments than some of the other people in the class? Given the habit of many of today's youth to come to class admitting they slapped some crap together as fast as possible, and it shows, I can't believe they pass on while I lose a letter grade. Sucks ass. I hope they read this, too. Your policy sucks ass. My grades should be based on my efforts to complete assigned work. Period.

Rant over.

I failed miserably on my blog giveaway I did in conjunction with the Greetings Team. I totally forgot about it after I sent her the first item!! I can't believe I did such a thing. I have contacted my winner, and apologized up and down, and she was so gracious and forgiving! I sent her a package of goodies to make up for my stupidity, and I hope she likes them.

I did have a successful school year though.

I created this block dress for an assignment. The dress was also worn on the runway at the fashion show put on annually at MTSU by the Textiles, Merchandising, and Design school.

We also had an assignment to recycle/upcycle denim pieces into something new, so I took two pair of denim pants and created the following outfit. A top and a wrap skirt. The two together looked like a flower at the bottom. I liked it over-all. Given less limited resources, I would have better closures than ribbon, and, of course, wouldn't real jewels encrusted on the medallion be wonderful? The outfit was featured in the window of our local Buckle store at the mall for an auction our classes did to benefit St. Jude.I also submitted this bag to be considered for inclusion in the Textiles, Merchandising, and Design School's upcoming publication called "The Little Black Book", and it was accepted! It will come out this fall.

Of course, you can purchase the bag at my Etsy shop.

This summer, in June, we went on a camping trip to Nathan Bedford Forrest State park in TN, and stayed in the cutest little log cabin in the world. Secluded. Nice. It was way too hot, but we didn't care. We sat outside on the cool evenings, and had air conditioner to run in to.

School starts in a week. I am not ready, but I will be there. I am really looking forward to my textiles class. I already suffer from a very developed addiction to fabric. As I have said before, I really have a problem. I buy fabric and won't use it because I can't stand the thought of cutting it. I need help.

My oldest is going to Japan on Sept. 8. He will be there, with a winter break home from about Dec. 24 to the end of Jan., until July. I am excited and scared about this all at the same time. I cannot express my pride in him enough. He has accomplished so much all on his own and the sky is really the limit for him. At the same time, he is my closest confidant, and I will be missing him so much.

I guess that is enough for now. I am going to try to post at least once a week, as I was doing before.

I want you to check out this Etsy shop, after you look at mine, of course :), because I just love this shop and the art in it.

Busy, busy, busy...

2009-09-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

Hi all of my blogger, Etsy, Facebook, and other friends! I think about all of you all the time, but I am so busy. School started this week, so all last week we were all getting things ready for the new school year. The 16 year old has been in school a few weeks but still needed a few things, like some new jeans. I am finally a senior. I am sure to stay a senior for a while because I am an art minor and that takes for freaking ever apparently. My oldest is in his second year. We have an astrology class together. I just try to pretend I don't know him so that he won't be too embarrassed. He said he worries that people will think he is a mama's boy when in fact I rely on him way more than he relies on me at this stage in our lives. Oh well, I am old enough that I really don't care what anyone else thinks, but I know he hasn't progressed that far just yet. We rarely cross paths actually. The campus is big and we have really different interests. I just happen to need one last science credit because they wouldn't accept my ecology and zoology credits I already had from my school in NC. In other words, they found a way to get a few more bucks from me.

Vacation!!!

2009-08-24T11:13:00.001-07:00

We have been on vacation for the past week. Actually my SO was on vacation, and I never really planned on throwing everything aside so that I could go goofing off with her. But, it was too enticing and we have had the best time together this past week. Today is her first day back to work and I am in a funk.

We stayed at home a lot. Played video games. Yes, women in their upper 30s early 40s do play video games, and we kick ass. This week we were giving the Horde hell. We played through Gears 1 and 2 for about the fourth time.

We watched a couple of movies. We watched tv. We relaxed.

Over this past weekend we went to Bell Buckle, TN. One of the best little places anywhere. Old buildings all in a row filled with neat old things, some new, and a couple of places to get yummy things to eat. We ate at the Bell Buckle Cafe. We walked around and looked at all of the awesome junk in the "antiques" shops. It does tickle me a little that people have taken to calling old stuff either "vintage" or "antiques". It takes a lot of special to make an old thing worth keeping around. So, unless an item has that specialness, it is junk. Now, that doesn't mean completely useless, but it does mean that the price should reflect its status. lol I just love the mixture of awesome old junk, vintage, and antiques in the shops in Bell Buckle. If you ever get the chance to see them, you should go. We got some photos I really like from our trip to Bell Buckle. The photo above was one taken at one of those junk shops. It will be available in my brandedbutterflytwo shop soon.

Now that I have taken a week off I am buried in stuff I need to get done. Bleck.

I am now on 1000 Markets and Etsy!

2009-08-15T01:16:00.000-07:00

I just got my shop open on 1,000 Markets. I am very excited. Out of all of the artisan shops offered online, that was the one that impressed me the most. I read several peoples stories about having to really jump through hoops to get their shop live on 1,000 Markets. I am so proud to say that I only had two little things to correct. (In case you don't know, 1,000 Markets is juried and they preview your shop before you can actually start selling there.) I listed my handmade buttons, and didn't realize I was not supposed to have them in the shop because 1K Markets does not allow supplies and they consider buttons strictly a supply. And I had one photo listed with a watermark they thought was too prominent. Two easy peasy changes, and I am in!

Please, keep in mind that I have just started listing my items, so I don't have everything listed yet, and it will take time to get it all listed! If you see something in my Etsy shop not listed in my 1K Markets shop and you prefer to shop on 1K Markets, please, let me know and I will get it listed!

1000 Markets

brandedbutterfly

Visit the Shop

Update

2009-08-11T18:58:00.000-07:00

I had jury duty for this month. I was one of those rare people who was looking forward to the day I would get to serve on a jury. There are probably many reasons for this linked to my personality, but the biggest reasons are probably because I have a writers mind, I have a journalist's curiosity, and because I love our jury system.

I didn't even know how our system worked here in Rutherford County. Now I do. First, I got a notice in the mail that I was chosen for jury duty. In the same envelope, was a paper I could have filled out to get excused. I didn't fill that out. There was also a form with a lot of pretty basic background questions, pretty surface questions about job background, wrecks, past involvement with the court system and that was pretty much it. There was instruction that we were supposed to fill out the form and bring it with us for the assigned date.

I had no idea how the rest would go and thought some readers might find the process interesting.

We were assigned a court room and time to arrive for our first day. Mine was Aug. 3.

There were a lot of people there. I would say at least 200. The courtroom was set up so awkwardly. The gallery was where the bulk of the people were sitting, but the screen for the orientation film was situated so that it would face that jury which was at a right angle to the gallery. Whoever thought this bit of brilliance up, wasn't firing on all cylinders.

We were told to be there at 10am and the judge walked in promptly at 10am. He introduced his staff, told us a little about the orientation film, and then we started watching the boring orientation film. I was shocked at the number of people who showed up late.

After the film, we single filed out of the room, handing in our questionnaire forms we filled out beforehand. Those who wanted to be excused told the clerks that bit of information. We were handed a card as we went by the clerks.

We were instructed to call the number on the card each evening after 4:30 to see if we were called for service the following day.

I called that first evening and was instructed to call again on Friday the 7th. I called Friday and was told to report for criminal court on Monday at 9 for a jury that was being seated for a case.

I would love to be able to fill in the rest of the blanks, but I can't because my health got in the way of me being able to serve.

So, I learProxy-Connection: keep-alive
Cache-Control: max-age=0

d that people are called up about every three years. You serve for a month and are expected to follow through to find out if you are going to be questioned for a jury. You can either be notified that you will be on civil or criminal jury duty or you can get a notice to serve on a grand jury.

_____________________

I haven't been feeling great for the last several days. I feel like I am getting a cold. Summer colds are the worst.

Earlier in the year, right after I was diagnosed with diabetes, I developed an allergic reaction to something. We have tried to rid me of this since early May. It drives me crazy. I have had a couple of rounds of shots, the usual pregnizone, and taken about 5 boxes of benadryl.

About 3 weeks ago I had another round of the usual and thought I was rid of this forever. I'm not.

It reared its ugly head Sunday night and I knew there would be no way I could serve on the jury Monday because the medicine that gets it under control also puts me out like a light. This worried me sick! I hated feeling like something was getting in the way of serving, but it couldn't be helped. So, I talked with the clerk and was excused from service.

Calling all Artists Up for a Challenge

2009-08-09T20:32:00.001-07:00

I have signed up to participate in the August challenge on AprilMarieMai's Handmade Challenge site.

I highly encourage you to jump in, too. This challenge is all about creating something that pertains to machines and cogs. Seems inspired by the fantastic current trend of Steampunk fashion. Don't know what that is? Just the best mix of Victorian beauty with science fiction fusion ever! Think time travel dressed up in a corset.

I have my gears turning, why not give it a try, too.

http://aprilmariemai.com/handmade_challenge.php

We Have a Winner!

2009-08-09T18:43:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce that Audrey had the winning entry to my blog giveaway! I use a random number generator and she was the lucky winner!

Her entry:

Wow - you would think only 6 things would be easy to come up with. Ok here goes (Not necessarily in order of importance):
1) sunshine
2) family
3) coffee
4) blogging
5) entering give aways (and sometimes winning)
6) quiet

I just wanted to thank everyone who entered! I really loved how many great entries I got. Thank you to those who spread the word, too! Believe me you made it a very fun giveaway. We had so many entries!

Don't worry if you didn't win, try again next time. (Yes, I will be doing another giveaway just like this one in the future.)

Dear Followers

2009-08-08T10:42:00.001-07:00

I love that you are following my blog. I have some followers I am not following because I couldn't figure out how to follow them. If I am not following you, but you are following me, I know you are there! Hi!

If you are following me, but I am not following you, and you want me to, you need to tell me how.

I promise to get back to regular posting soon. I didn't want my blog giveaway post to scoot down because I want as many people to enter as possible.

So Many Great Responses In My Giveaway!

2009-08-06T21:55:00.000-07:00

I am loving the responses in the comments for my blog giveaway! There is still time to enter! See the post below for the details!

I am Participating in a Giveaway!

2009-08-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

I am super happy to be doing my first big blog giveaway! I really want a lot of people to participate and comment! I think the prize I am offering is really fantastic!

Please, spread the word! I didn't make that a condition of participation, but I would be super appreciative if you would please spread the word!

Head over to the Etsy Greetings Team blog to get the details!

The giveaway will run from Aug. 6 through Aug. 9!

I had to get bifocals!

2009-08-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

I can't remember if I blogged about this or not. Last week I had my appointment to get my eyes examined, and I had to get bifocals! I am not a happy camper. We picked them up today. I am drunk as a skunk. Are skunks drunk? Anyway, the new glasses look better than the last ones and they feel a hell of a lot better, but they are making me a little sick. Bleck.

They have been pardoned!

2009-08-04T12:38:00.000-07:00

You may, or may not, remember me blogging about the American journalists who were imprisoned in N. Korea. Anyway, it seems they will be coming home! Thank goodness!

I got shivers when I heard the news. I cannot imagine the hell they have been through.

Leather, yum

2009-08-04T08:09:00.001-07:00

So, I have always wanted to get into working with leather. I am much more interested in supple leathers that I can sew than in tooling leather.

Over time I have read about techniques and practiced on little pieces. Worked out what threads to buy, needles to use, and the correct tension. I have investigated when to use glue for seams and what glue to use.

Now I have purchased two pretty pieces of pigskin. The whole pigs. I know they are called something else, but it has slipped my mind.

They are so pretty. I have had them over a month. Way over a month. One is a deep brown the other a very nice natural.

I am scared to cut them and make things out of them. Is that silly? I am dying to implement the ideas I have, but I have turned chicken!

So, I am throwing down the...what is it you throw down? The gauntlet? Why do we do that? Anyway, I am. I am going to work on a couple of other things and then I am going to make something leather today! I am!

Since My Last Post...

2009-07-28T03:35:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to create some displays that I think are pretty. So, Saturday I made a wire tree. I think it turned out so great. I do think I got a little fancy for the kind of jewelry I make. I don't get into making fancy baubles, I will leave that to people who know what they are doing when it comes to gems and metals. But, I really do love how my little tree turned out.

I have finally finished taking all of my finished product photos. That was a bear of a job. I am not kidding. I bet between taking the photos and editing them, I have spent at least a 40 hour week on it total. So, now that I have lots of stock for my shops and I have the photos done for all of that, I am going to get into the habit of making three new items for each shop, taking the photos and editing them and getting that listed all in a constant cycle. This way I won't be behind, keeping fingers crossed, and I won't feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders.

Here is a sampler of some of my new items:

I have had several orders in the last few days. Yippee! I think my hard work is paying off.

Weekend before last, I decided my love would enjoy going on a photo scavenger hunt. So, I made her a card with the rules and the list of items she had to take photos of. She has a motorcycle, and this gave her a good reason, not that she needed one, for going riding. So far out of 10 items, she has photographed three. This is two trips out. lol She is choosy like me. One of the things on her list was a photo of an animal. I just figured, given our location, she would get a picture of a cow, horse, or a dog. Look what she found instead. lol

Dollhouse Update

2009-07-23T06:25:00.001-07:00

I got my dollhouse on Monday. Every surface in my house was covered with some other craft in mid-finish that I couldn't get it out and play with it until last night. We unpacked it and did a quick put together just to make sure all of the major components were there and that they would fit together nicely. They were and they do!

I wish I had thought to take a picture of the nice way it was packed in the boxes it came in, but I was so into getting it all out that I didn't even think about it.

Keep in mind the pictures are just to show the beginning progress, so we didn't bother with the smaller parts, so it doesn't look its best. Hold that against us and not the seller. In case you have forgotten, here is the seller's shop again so that you can go have a look see! I am about to go leave good feedback.

My intentions are to document my dollhouse at each major stage, or maybe even minor stage, of its construction. I am so excited. It is cute and wonderful!

My Card Shop is finally up and Running...

2009-07-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

I announced a few weeks ago that I was going to revamp my card shop. I have! I introduced new cards, some buttons I made, and I still have quite a few new things to list!

I am really pleased with the way it is shaping up! I am also a new member of the Etsy Greetings Team!

Nashville Farmer's Market

2009-07-20T06:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my love and I went to the Farmer's Market in Nashville. It has been several years since we went. They are revamping the food court, and it needs it. It is disappointing to see so many eateries that have nothing to do with local food and local farms. I hope that is remedied.

The flea market is not a flea market either. Not in my book. To me, a flea market is booths with artisan created items mixed in with people selling their junk. This sad flea market was nothing but a bunch of mass produced knock off junk, like fake Coach bags, and $1.00 store junk.

The actual produce was great though. I love to smell all of the produce when you first walk into the shed. The colors blow me away. It is easy to forget that all of the colors love each other and like to be thrown together. We got some tomatoes, new potatoes, and cucumbers. I got to taste test a watermelon. We got some pictures. We took a little ride around downtown. Most importantly, we spent some time together and had a nice day.

Junk Shop Junkie

2009-07-18T05:23:00.000-07:00

I love junk shops. No, not "antique shops" not consignment shops, but junk shops. You find the best stuff there. Treasures. Sometimes worth something sometimes not, but interesting as hell.

I have found loads of things in junk shops that I just couldn't believe someone got rid of. Funny thing is, I am not a pack rat. Others among me are, like my love, and my youngest child. So, if I am in a junk shop, falling in love with something, and having a hard time understanding why you got rid of something so useful, knowing damned well you went out a bought an upgrade to the item that cost twice as much and worked half as well. Like the piece of crap plastic everything that people traded all of that gorgeous wood stuff in for. Crazy.

Here is something I found some months back that I love, love, love. A box of stamps. Obviously for office use. Obviously used. But gently. Whoever used this set kept them nice. I am thinking the company that is stamped on the box either made the stamps or they were something they gave away as a premium for their customers. I have looked up the address and the place is still in business. They are in the security business. Safes or locks or something. Still at the same address.

Not sure of the age. They are old. Has the odor. Has the look. The paper lining in the box is not just crumbling, but to the stage of age where it simply disintegrates with each touch. Turns to powder. Now that could be 15 years or 50. I don't know.

Anyway, each of the stamps is awesome. I am a little mad at myself because I had the set in one of my large boxes where I keep my stamps. Unfortunately, a bottle of stamp cleaner was in there too, and leaked all over the storage box, so the box the stamps are in got some of it on the end. Not happy with that.

The set includes the following:
0-9
$
¢
½
a period "."

It is just awesome.

Think I paid a $1.50 for it.

Junk shops. Good stuff.

I am featured in a Treasury! Yippee!

2009-07-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

Stop Thief! is the theme. HowardsHome is the curator. Check it out before it is gone.

Is it hot in here...

2009-07-15T01:24:00.000-07:00

My newest Treasury:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=70655

Some things you might like to trade for or buy...

2009-07-14T00:31:00.000-07:00

I have been organizing and have a few things I thought someone might want to trade for, or buy. All offers will be considered.

The original Sims game with several expansion packs.. Last time I played it, it worked great. I played it on Windows XP last. I think I had Windows 98 when I first started playing it. It doesn't work on a Vista computer as far as I know. If there are patches to make it work on Vista, I wouldn't know about it since I never looked. I play Sims 2 now and am about to get Sims 3.

Anyway, I have the following games with their booklets:

Sims Deluxe Edition: Read about it here: http://pc.ign.com/objects/486/486968.html
Sims Unleashed: Have pets: Read about it here: http://pc.ign.com/objects/486/486871.html
Sims Making Magic: Make magic, go to an amusement park you build: Read about it here: http://pc.ign.com/objects/569/569957.html

I am a Sims fanatic, but with Sims 2 and Sims 3 I wouldn't have time for the original Sims. Tons of fun. Loads to do. Make an offer. I can send you a PayPal invoice if you just want to buy them.

Please, read about them and be sure you are able to handle any hiccups. I don't want to be responsible for them once they are gone.

_____________________________

Next, I have these two Card making programs. They also will not work on a Vista system, but will work from Windows 95 up to Windows XP. That is how long I have had them! I just loved making fun cards, calendars, etc. with them. You can't use the content for commercial purposes, it is just for making cards for your personal use. I no longer use them since I started making cards to sell.

CreataCard Plus 3 and CreataCard Plus 4 by American Greetings. I still have the book for the Plus 3 version. They work alone and together if I remember right. I think they should stay together. Make an offer.

______________________________

Easy Microsoft Office 2003 by Nancy D. Lewis. Have no idea why I have this book. Never looked at it that I can remember.

__________________________________

How to Start a Home-Based Desktop Publishing Business by Louise Kursmark
All of them may smell somewhat smoky. We haven't smoked for more than 3 years now, but these things were in heavy use when we did. They have been on a shelf and in a drawer and I didn't really smell smoke on them, but you might.

EMERGENCY!!

2009-07-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

EDIT: 7/13/2009: Mr. Korda has been found. The family is making funeral arrangements. Deepest Sympathy goes out to the family.

Fellow Etsians father is missing. This is not a joke.

He lives in the Los Angeles, California area and has been missing since yesterday! Please, read her flyer below and contact her immediately if you have information! You can also contact me and I will pass it along. Please, don't play around with this! Also, spread the word everywhere you can. Tweet, blog, etc. Get this viral as fast as possible!

http://www.batsday.net/missingrobertkordaposter.pdf

My Current Treasury

2009-07-10T02:44:00.000-07:00

Here's the link: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=69746

Constant work is causing Super Crankiness...

2009-07-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

I am wearing cranky pants for sure. The day school ended at the end of May, literally the day it ended, I started working on my own handiwork and have not stopped since. Every day I have been at my desk or sewing table doing something for my business. Most of it geared toward my two Etsy shops. I am exhausted and cranky.

I have sewn more than 30 new items, made about 100 buttons, created dozens of new charms, completely revamped my brandedbutterfly Etsy shop, started on a revamp of my brandedbutterflytwo card shop, overhauled my own website, created a new set of business cards, promotional pamphlets, etc., reworked all of my branding graphics, Facebooked, Flickred, and Blogged myself into a tizzy.

I am tired.

I have decided to adopt my alter ego, Chris Redfield, and spend the rest of today killing zombies.

The zombies do not stand a chance.

I Have to Have This...

2009-07-06T23:46:00.000-07:00

I hope some benevolent fairy will send me the money so I can buy this! I have looked everywhere for a doll house that I would love and this one is it! Check it out in their shop, the VictorianDollhouse! I could make it so awesome!

Edit: I got it, I got it! I can't wait to get it. I will post about it on my blog.

Revamping My Card Shop....

2009-07-06T21:57:00.001-07:00

I have been mulling over what to do with my card shop. I was not happy with the way it was. I like my cards, but think they needed a little sprucing up and I also wanted to add in some new stock. I am hoping that Etsy's new feature that will allow us to rearrange out shops will be available soon, so that I can make both of my shops look super cohesive! I am excited about that new feature.

I also will be introducing some brand new cards to my shop. I am most interested in creating cards that have subtle, yet sophisticated, pride/gay themes. I want to expand on my mature cards. They are the most fun to make!

I plan to have all of this done by next Monday! I better get to work!

Please, check out my card shop next Monday for my new cards!

I am being featured...

2009-07-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

Take a look at two sites that are featuring me!

Scented Luxuries featured me on her lovely blog last week! She featured my black and white retro bag! Check out her blog and her Etsy shop!

HappyPartyMonkey is featuring my brand new Goodie Goody Bags!

I am very honored and excited to be featured! Now go check their blogs out!

A Thread to Love...

2009-07-04T01:30:00.000-07:00

Coats and Clark has finally perfected its thread. It only took 200 years.

I am here to tell you that the new Dual Duty xp Polyester/Polyester thread is an awesome thread.

Strong, pretty, and slick. I love it. I will be using it for most of my sewing projects.

When I first started sewing, at the age of about 17, omg 23 years ago, my mother and grandmother gave me all of their remnants, leftover threads, scissors, etc. to get me started.

My grandmother, father's mother, sewed everything for her two girls when they were growing up. Everything. They were wealthy and she purchased the best fabrics and made the latest styles. This may sound counter-intuitive, but it really isn't. They lived in a very small town that was about an hour away from the nearest city of any size, and even then, Greenville North Carolina wasn't what could have been called "high fashion" at the time. It was mostly farm land if my memory serves me.

Those girls were dressed to the nines. I remember seeing their portraits when I was growing up. They always had hat, coat, dress, gloves, stockings, etc. They looked like little princesses. They both grew up to be jerks. Anyway, from my grandmother I got a lot of patterns, fabrics, threads, and advice. At the time the only thing I valued was the advice, which is by far still the most valuable, but boy I wish I had saved those old patterns! Ugh. I could kick myself!

My only actual sit down sewing lesson lasted about 30 minutes. My mother sat down, gave me the run-down on how to read a pattern, how to place pattern pieces on my fabric, and the basics of operating her sewing machine. After that I was off to the races. I would yell to the living room when I would get stuck on that first project, I can't remember what it was, and tell her the issue and she would yell back the solution. We are a very refined bunch.

Some time later, when my sister married her ex, she had a home wedding, and we made her gown. Later still, when my little sister had a baby, my mother purchased all of the fabric needed to make her a Christening gown of satin. My mother abandoned the project and it shifted to me. That is the way sewing was for a few years. Making things for family. Making things for my kids.

A couple of years later, once I was married to my ex, his mother gave me a lot of fabric, thread, and patterns. Some of the fabric she gave me was absolutely wonderful. I made an entire nursery set out of some of it. Yellow gingham for one side and on the reverse of everything I made there was an awesome retro kids fabric. My youngest sister has that set now. Crib sheet, skirt, organizer that hangs over the side of the crib, cloth diaper holder that I loved because it made life easy, crib bumpers, and a mobile of yellow gingham elephants that hung over the crib from one side to the other.

Later, while we were living in Texas, about 1992, I placed ads. in the local papers and started sewing for strangers. Never did figure out what I should have been charging. Some very wealthy people got some very high quality craftsmanship very cheap from a young woman who needed the money to much to boldly ask for what she was worth for fear of them walking away. One of the ladies who contacted me wanted very involved working balloon drapes for a huge bay window that ran the length of her huge fancy tub on the front of her house. She wanted matching things like a band of the same fabric sewn to her towels. She also wanted a little curtain to match for her kitty's poop cubby. How swank.

Anyway, she called me and we made an appointment to meet at her home so I could measure everything and quote her a price. I quoted something so absurdly cheap, like $300 for the labor, that her eyes were gleaming. I wasn't the quick study I am today, so I didn't pick up on it until I was driving away. She got me cheap, and she knew it.

She took me to her hobby room and started pulling this massive amount of fabric out of a clear plastic bag. Beautiful doesn't cover this fabric. It was perfect. It wasn't to my taste, but that is not the point. The point is that anyone with any sense of style and taste knew the minute they saw this fabric that it was perfect, and it was timeless. It would last for years because it did not have a single trendy spot on it. Classy.

As I am studying this fabric, she is telling me all about how she kept drawing and drawing this design and thinking about the colors and changing her mind and going back and starting over. This woman had designed this fabric and had it made for her. Not just some stamped on special order. No, she had it made for her. I can't imagine what she paid for that fabric.

So, I tell her with all the confidence in the world that I will have no problem with these projects and that it will be two weeks at most for me to be finished. Oh, the stupidity that is youth.

As soon as I got out of her house, and started walking toward my car, I started to panic. Just a little at first. Daydreams of horrible bloody car accidents that cause me to bleed all over this priceless fabric gave way to really horrible daydreams of my really fucking up and cutting it only to realize I had maimed it so completely as to render it useless.

They say the young have no fear. They are full of shit.

So, I take the bag in the house, wrap it in a trash bag for extra protection, put it up in my closet and proceed to sweat it out a couple of days. Drawing and re-drawing my plans for the balloon drapes. I knew that as long as I planned that out right, I would be able to get the other little things done without any problem.

A couple of days into worrying about it, I finally took the fabric down and started to work. My hands were shaking so hard for the first few minutes, but then, like I always do, I found my sanctuary and let the work take over. Working the problem is my favorite part of being creative.

They were awesome, too. Lined in white fabric. Three separate sections so that she could have them raised or lowered as needed for light and privacy. They worked like a dream. She was so excited. So stupid then because I never took pictures of anything! Ugh all the photos I wish I had now of past work and the fantastic floral arrangements I have made in my time. Oh well, you live and you learn.

So, long story short, those remnants and left over threads have slowly gone from my life, but the lessons never have.

My Newest Treasury, Pride!

2009-07-02T05:44:00.001-07:00

Dirty Diana...

2009-06-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

My favorite Michael Jackson song and video. Some idiot talking head spouting off about shit they don't understand, even with a pricey degree in psychology, said Michael Jackson was asexual at best. Bull shit. I happen not to be in the camp of people who believe he molested children, but that does not mean I am in the camp of people who say he was non-sexual as a defense against those charges.

If you think he was a person without sexual drive, you really did not pay attention. The thing is I totally get his compartmentalized personality. Quiet and timid and shy in certain situations, but high tension and over charged in others. I totally get it.

A man who is asexual cannot pull this song off so completely. There is sexual energy dripping off of every word and action.

Check out this Contest but Don't you Dare Enter It!

2009-06-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

Check out Mikiep's Blog and Blog Contest! For good measure, why not check out Mikiep's Etsy shop, too?

Hehehe! I don't want anyone but me to win, so check it out but don't enter to win. lol Oh, ok, you can enter to win if you want to.

How Dare You...

2009-06-26T22:24:00.001-07:00

Some people have the audacity to accuse me of having uncontrolled OCD.

I just don't see it, do you?

(That yellow one that has strayed across the line proves that I am just fine.)

I am not ready, but they are close to being ready.

2009-06-23T01:42:00.001-07:00

Favorite picture of my boys. Taken a few years ago when we went camping.

The oldest very close to the edge, ready to jump into the world, and the youngest looking but still hanging on. I love this picture and it makes me a little sad. So, if you are seeing this, just know, I have just shared something very precious to me.

I am too tired.

2009-06-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

Two days outside in the 90 degree plus heat drained me. I am an indoor girl past May.

I love the shots we got though! I just don't have it in me right now to get them all edited. I think I may edit them as I list the item in my Etsy shop. I did a lot of editing last night, well my hours are more like wee morning hours, but not of it was really that productive for my new inventory. I mostly edited collage sheets I purchased on Etsy so that they were in individual pictures. I got the Picnik premium account last night and I am loving it. It works so smoothly and the basics are there without having to wade through tons of extras that are usually in most graphics software. In other words, I have a new toy that causes goofing off.

We were taking our shots out in the country at a friends house and she took a bunch of my new inventory to show some of her girlfriends. She is having a little get together on Tuesday. It would be funny if I sold a bunch of my new inventory before I even got it listed. Of course, people usually wind up wanting custom work, so that probably would not happen like that.

Here is another little teaser of goodies to come.

Picture of New Handmade Items!

2009-06-21T03:34:00.000-07:00

I will be adding new inventory to my Etsy shop starting next week on Monday. We went to the country to take pictures at a friends home Saturday. We are going back today to get more photos because the sun went away on us pretty fast yesterday because we got there later than we had planned.

Here is a preview of one of the photos showing one of my favorite new bags. I just love this fabric!

My Treasury for this week on Etsy...

2009-06-21T01:03:00.000-07:00

I recently downloaded FireFox. I love it. I have all of the hacks for Etsy. I also installed a few other extensions that I am in love with. One is called "Morning Coffee" that lets you save the sites you want to open in the morning, and all you do is click it in the morning and they all open in a new tab. I also got a screen grabber! So, what better way to put that to use than posting my treasuries on my blog?!

Going tomorrow to take marketing shots!

2009-06-20T01:54:00.000-07:00

I am excited about my day tomorrow. We are going to a little, well actually not so little, place in the country to take all the pictures for my current crop of new products! I am excited because we usually opt for the white background look. This time we are going to get more creative.

It will be fun, too. I can't wait.

Want a package to come to your home that is packed with personality?

2009-06-19T05:21:00.001-07:00

Well, then you need to check out the little FluffyFlowers shop on Etsy! I just got two of the cutest little creatures in the world in the mail, and I love them! They will be keeping me company on my desk. I am amazed how such simple treasures can have so much personality!

You really should check them out in the shop because my pictures do not do them justice.

We now interrupt this blog for a little Hedwig!

2009-06-18T02:07:00.000-07:00

Oh, Rocky!

2009-06-16T05:41:00.000-07:00

If you are going to spend any time with me at all, you will be exposed to Dr. Frank N. Furter and Hedwig.

For this sleepy morning, let's start with the low-key, melancholic opening number from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I have been sewing all night long and it is almost quitting time.

Sims 3!

2009-06-16T01:16:00.001-07:00

I am a huge Sims geek. I have every Sims game made and almost every expansion pack. I even hold onto my original Sims game even though it won't play on this computer. I think I may some day have a way to play it again.

I am dying to play Sims 3! I don't have it yet though. One, I don't want to spend the money on it right now. Two, I really do have a list a mile long of things I want to accomplish in the next several weeks, and if the Sims 3 makes its way into my house, all of that will fly out the window. The Sims is one of those things I get lost in. I sit down to play for an hour and then look up and five hours have passed!

Ben Franklin!

2009-06-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

To all the millions of people, lol, who were so interested in who my art project represented, it was Ben Franklin! As soon as I saw his name on the list, I knew it was kismet! We were meant to be together. He was cool, and I am cool!

This is the original post: http://brandedbutterflynews.blogspot.com/2009/06/one-of-my-art-projects-spring-2009.html

I added the stupid link within widget just so I could have that as a link on it, and can't figure out how to edit it.

Can't wait!

2009-06-15T04:01:00.000-07:00

I have made myself set a deadline for the unveiling of all of my new inventory! I will get it all done, listed, and ready to roll by June 22! I have a lot to get done. I have done a lot, too. I have many new items all ready to go. I just want to get a few more things ready. I think I will list a couple of things a day all week next week to keep in interesting!

I am having a "Yart Sale" at my Etsy Shop!

2009-06-10T13:04:00.000-07:00

June 10 - June 14 a lot of Etsians are having a Yart Sale. Yart Sale is Yard Sale + Art Sale!

I have a huge discount on some of the things in my brandedbutterfly shop. I also have a great deal on my cards at my brandedbutterflytwo card shop! You may want to be aware that my card shop contains some mature content.

Hope you will stop in!

I need a little fairy to poof in, clean up, and leave!

2009-06-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

I make a mess when I am furiously creating at the pace I have been in the last month. The mess builds and I only stop to clean once all possible space has been depleted. I am on the last little bit of a corner of my desk at this point, so tonight I am sure I will be doing a quick clean up so I can start the process again!

The beautiful butterfly you see on the card was made by Kathy Panton. I love it! The little pictures you see paperclipped to my Post-It note drawer are a couple of the images I purchased from Piddix. I made a little booboo on the pumpkin picture, so it is there to keep me company. The girl looking in the well is ready to be applied to something, so she is just hanging out for now.

The zippy pouch is just like one that I will have for sale in my Etsy shop in the very near future.

All the markers, the pan, the punch, the pencils, are for shrink plastic I have been working on.

The spools of thread are there because I ran out of room on my craft table to put them.

:)

Want to know more about my desk mess. Ask me.

One of my art projects, spring 2009

2009-06-09T16:39:00.001-07:00

I wanted to share this with you. It is a picture of my final art project for my 2D art class spring 2009. I love how it turned out. We had to take a piece of stonehenge, 22 x 30 if I remember right, and cut it into 3 pieces to make a triptych piece of art. The instructor gave us a list of people to choose from and we had to make the art about them trying our best not to do the cliche' thing.

We also had to incorporate words and a lot of the lessons we had learned through the semester like: overlapping, cropping, transparency, scale, etc.

I love mine. Can you guess who it represents? (No fair using Google.) I will tell you later.

I am in Shock!

2009-06-08T03:03:00.000-07:00

As a journalism student, and lifelong believer in a free press being essential to free people, I am in shock that the two American journalists jailed in N. Korea have been sentenced to 12 years of hard labor!

I hope there will be an 11th hour reprieve for them.

Wow. Shocking!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/world/asia/09north.html?hp

Bad thing to start the day on.

I am a pretty flower...

2009-06-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

I am a
Canna

What Flower
Are You?

You Are a Canna

"You stand up for what you believe in, even if it gets in the way of what other people think. You are proud of yourself and your accomplishments and you enjoy letting people know that."

Have Some Customer Service

2009-06-04T21:49:00.001-07:00

Ever notice how nasty people can be sometimes? Even in the retail world, where one would assume there is something to be gained from giving great customer service, customer service is often lacking!

Well, here is an Etsy seller who gives great customer service! So, go buy something from them, you won't be sorry you did! She sells the most awesome collage sheets ever. Beautiful, rare finds!

Piddix

Too Cute!

2009-06-04T01:44:00.000-07:00

I love this lady. She is too cute. I love how she says, "Etsy".

And the spring goes boing...

2009-06-04T01:20:00.000-07:00

I tend to be a pretty controlled person. I am wound tight, some would say. I think I really have got to figure out how to let go a little. I am mentally very hyper. My mind goes at warp speed at all times. I never loosen up. As a matter of fact, I have the tendancy to be so stiff, clinching my muscles, in my sleep that I wake up sore.

I think this tendency to be so controlled has been a virtue for most of my life.

It lends itself to stubborness, a trait that is a definant plus, and I am quite sure has lead to my survival.

It served me well when the boys were younger. I lived life on a schedule. I was a stay at home mom for most of their lives, and I ran a tight ship. Clean house. Manicured lawn. Tidy kids. Bed times, bath times, meal time. Etc.

But now, as I am getting older, and they are too, I think it is time I loosen up a bit.

I know being wound as tight as a spring has an ill effect on my art.

Many times I will start on the road to something adventurous and new to me, only to scale back and create something more controlled and neat. I like my results, but really wish I could get on the wild side.

While I am working these kinks out, have a look at this Etsy shop. This artist seems to know how to take a walk on the wild side.

SparrowImages

President Obama and the First Lady

2009-06-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

I love seeing normal behavior in the White House. Taking his wife out on a date. Going to dinner. Hopefully no more endless video of a ranch in Texas that apparently needed the brush cleared from it constantly.

Edit Later: LOL Too funny. On Rachel Maddow, Kent Jones brought up the Bush trips to the ranch to clear brush!

2009-05-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

Two incredibly good videos. Hypnotically interesting. Nice to see women working in work shops, too. Something uplifting about that.

Follow Me To Sweet Figments

2008-08-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

I am a guest writer on the The Tiny Fig's blog, Sweet Figments, this week and next. I hope you will jump on over there to read my entry for this week and check out Sweet Figments and The Tiny Fig's Etsy shop!

I have oh so much to say after a first week back in college after 10 years away! See you there!

Sunshiny Day...

2008-08-23T05:44:00.000-07:00

Here is my latest Treasury! I looked for shiny happy people.

The following shops are in this Treasury:

http://messageonabutton.etsy.com

http://lonesomeroadstudio.etsy.com

http://claymatecreations.etsy.com

http://lkemp71.etsy.com

http://tonyabug.etsy.com

http://twinflames.etsy.com

http://purpanache.etsy.com

http://alison0313.etsy.com

http://thependantfactory.etsy.com

http://thejewelryhutch.etsy.com

http://clingingimages.etsy.com

http://melkitty24.etsy.com

http://3zart.etsy.com

http://jeniarand.etsy.com

http://dragonladydesigns.etsy.com

http://mountaininsidecrochet.etsy.com

Enjoy!

My Surreal Weekend Part 2

2008-08-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

Well, we got a late start on Friday due to having quite a few errands and things that had to be done in order for us to get on the road. The trip down on Friday, 280 miles, went into the very late night, actually early morning because it was about 1:30am when we finally arrived at my sister's house. We talked for a bit and headed off to bed. My sister and I were both nervous about the next day. My sister's house served as a halfway point for all of us. She lives almost exactly midway between his house and our house. I will be calling him B and his wife K from now on. I want to protect their right to privacy, but I need something to call them. We knew B and K were already in town and staying at a nearby hotel.

The next day we called him and made a plan to meet for lunch and then go back to my sister's house afterward to talk.

It was so strange! I swear my younger sister is a spitting image of him and it was disarming to see her facial expressions on his face! Also, mannerisms were flying around the room at the speed of light. It was bizarre. I don't think I ever realized, not even with my own children, how much gets passed on with DNA until now. With my own children I can tell myself it is all learned behavior, or that most of it is, but that just isn't the whole story. I wish I could paint a better picture of it, or I had a side by side film to show and tell.

We had lunch at a local seafood place and then went to my sister's house and started a talkathon that lasted for about 9 hours. It was like he had decades of stories he had been storing up to tell us and once the gates were open he was off to the races.

Surprisingly enough, to me anyway, I was quite at ease with him and with his wife and didn't really feel ill at ease at all once we got past the first few awkward moments. Also, I have to say thank goodness for my partner because having her there made for familiar surroundings and really helped with my nervousness.

He talked about growing up in the same neighborhood as my mother's family and hanging out at my mother's house all the time because her older brother was one of his best friends. If I left with the right impression, they were all friends since early childhood. They lived very near the beach, like blocks away, and spent a lot of time there playing, hanging out, and being kids.

I heard a lot of their not so good stories too, but don't feel right about sharing those. I will say that I believed him and think he was as honest and upfront. As honest and upfront as any of us can be when trying to tell the stories of our past.

His wife is a year older than me, which gave us all a giggle. They seem to be really close and she really seemed nice. I have no issue one way or the other with people's love relationships. I think it also helps that I am not one to hope a person is this way or that way. I try to base my judgments about people on their apparent character, or lack thereof, and go from there. I really had not preconceived ideas of how I wanted him to be. I did know what I didn't want and what type of person is usually not a good match for me and he seemed to be above all the things I think of as unbecoming in a person. That was a relief.

I know that this visit left me open to more visits. K seemed very keen on visiting us here in TN so they could see the big city of Nashville, lol. She says they would love to plan it for the Spring and fly down and stay longer than 3 days.

We left my sister's house on Sunday, after having brunch with everyone and saying our goodbyes. J, my partner, and I decided to take some back roads and side trips on our way home and went to Gatlinburg for a few hours. We walked around looking at the shops. Ate dinner, wonderful hot dogs of all things! Took some pictures and had a great, relaxing, time together. There is no one on the planet I enjoy spending time with more than J! We got home around 11pm.

I have been sewing almost non-stop since we got home and sewing always makes for good thinking time. lol That is why the seam ripper is my friend sometimes. I get so deep in thought I lose myself and forget what the heck I am doing.

I am pretty resolved to see where this new relationship will go and give it a chance to grow.

I am also resolved to keep my spaces on this planet in my control rather than allowing other people to control my actions and thoughts. This was a resolve that came over me as I was sewing, thinking, and singing loudly to some of my favorite playlists this week

"Hanging onto resentment is letting someone you despise live rent-free in your head." ~Ann Landers

Here is a nice family portrait from the trip. Not really, just a neat attraction at a fun house in Gatlinburg. I will try to get the rest of the pictures uploaded to my Flickr one of these days.

Surreal

2008-08-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend I will be embarking on one of the most surreal trips of my life. I actually started having the feeling of being in a dream at the beginning of this week, and it persists. I am going to meet my real father for the first time since I was 3 or 4, not sure which since everyone is always so sketchy with the actual details. Some say 3, some say 4. At this point I only mention it to drive home the fact that for at least 32 years I didn't actually even know what he looked like. I had no contact with him whatsoever for at least 32 years. A couple of years ago we started writing each other and emailing, and he did send me some pictures. Seeing those pictures led to another moment of surreality, if that is a word, where I was certain I already knew that is what he would look like, but at the same time I knew there was no way I could know that. I don't have any memories of him at all. The only picture I ever saw, before those he sent me, was a very blurry picture taken at what looked to be Thanksgiving or Christmas when he and my mother looked very young. You know the kind of picture where the whole family stands together and someone, (who is never in any pictures because they are always the picture takers), takes the worst photo ever with heads cut off across the top and people barely in the shots at all. That is it, and I only saw that photo a couple of times before it disappeared, so a hazy pseudo memory is all I ever had until recently.

I haven't actually sorted out all of my feelings about meeting him in person. Maybe that kind of thing is like a closure to a chapter and then a new chapter begins after the meeting. I have liked talking to him, a very recent occurrence, on the telephone. I liked getting the pictures when he sent them, too. I know who my sister looks like. After talking to him and writing, I know where I get my willful tendencies and my very direct manner. I have, as has my younger sister, always been told we have mannerisms that are just like his. Strange that DNA codes us with a certain way of talking, standing, or walking. Has to be DNA as I wasn't with him long enough as a child to have learned any of his behavior.

I was adopted by my mother's second husband when I was 4 and to me he will always be my Daddy. He passed away in 2000 after a prolonged illness, and I am not sure that I would have gone through with this journey if that hadn't been the case. Something about loyalty and feeling a sense of obligation to him would have probably held me back, but I have reconciled those feelings and I think I am ready for the trip. We shall see.

_____________________

I love surreal artwork and I wanted to show you this great Etsy shop full of full bodied collage pieces. Each of them telling stories in a really surreal and disjointed way. Dreamy and earthbound all at once. For now, Invisible Maps offers art and bookmarks. They are worth checking out and studying. Finding parallel journeys in the art work of the proprietor set my mind to this bit of writing today. This piece , titled "And We Find Our Heroes reprise...past, present, future", speaks to me today, but I will leave it to you to get lost in your own journey at Invisible Maps.

Let Them Eat Cake

2008-08-12T18:22:00.000-07:00

My tastes run amok at times. I go from looking at and admiring the macabre to looking for things so cute you could die. Today my focus is on good yummy sweet treats! I had some dental work done this week, but that is alright, I can still hold cake and ice cream in my mouth and let it dissolve. Who needs solid food? To continue on my journey celebrating the odd, weird, unique, and/or interesting offerings found on Etsy, I present you with some things so tantalizing that you want to reach in, grab them, and gobble them up. Cute doesn't hurt either. I know a big dose of cute is right up my alley!

First up is Ella Dean. What a wonderful shop full of "vegan, fun, smoochalicious lip conditioners & rereshing body mists". She took the time to write to me and pointed out that all of her labels are her own original artwork! What a dynamo! Her listings are also so wonderful to read and so complete. Also, her shop offers items at every price point and interest. This is truly an original seller with an original idea.

Check out the Sexy Librarian Gift Set! What a real treat and a wonderful price for such a nice set!

I also enjoy the super sly Natasha, she has balm and isn't afraid to use it!
__________________
Next up is an offering so sweet that if you are not salivating after a peek I am doing something so very wrong.

Cute Ability offers "jewelry for the young and young at heart". Her shop is full of all kind of soft fuzzy muted colors, but the little food charms are what make it so wonderful to look at. Baking a cake never looked so yummy. I don't know about you, but when I bake cakes it takes hours and I make a huge mess. This baked cake is dreamy though.

Loopty Loo, Have a Drink on Me

2008-08-08T21:46:00.001-07:00

So, for whatever reason; most likely due to a case of premature empty nest syndrome, I have decided that I can run my business successfully, attend MTSU full time, and keep my family and home in good shape.

I need a drink. Well, a drink and a big smack on top of my head.

Should I be worried that every time I actually start contemplating what all of this means I break out in worry lines and cold sweat?

I can do this, I can do this, I know I can do this. Also, for the very first time since I was 18 years old, I am now 38, I am going to selfishly choose what is best for me as long as it seems like everyone on the other end will survive that decision.

For now though, I am going to have a nice big margarita. So, have a drink on me.

While you are at it, check out Boopsidaisy, one of the most deliciously devious shops I have found on Etsy. Covered in candy coated dreams, one becomes immersed in a world of inebriated dolls and wickedly funny product descriptions. Take a look and take a shot. Have fun.

Swim It Forward

2008-08-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

On July 25, The Whimsy Trove's shop proprietor started an Etsy forum post encouraging Etsy members to join in on a round of "Swim it Forward". Named so because of an idea started when a fellow member of Etsy, thebirdsandbees, sent in a felted fish to the Etsy headquarters, and started a swimmy revolution. You can read all about the Swimmy here and here, and see its current huge form in the offices of Etsy here. The Whimsy Trove wanted to take the concept one step further, and encouraged Etsy members to jump in and "Swim if Forward" by signing onto the forum post and agreeing to send the next person down a Swimmy. I jumped at the chance and am happily sending my Swimmy to the owner of Dawn's Designs and More. I made my swimmy and sewed him onto a little simple unlined pencil pouch because I wanted to make something that seemed like me, and could be used in some way. I hope they like it! I resized the template slightly and shaped my fishy a little more plump.

Chilled to the Bone

2008-08-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

Boutique Obscura specializes in, "combining all manner of mixed-media and contemporary styles, Boutique Obscura caters to certain tastes, utilizing aspects of steampunk, taxidermy, Victorian elegance, retro charm and contemporary cultures... Think of jewelry that your grandma would wear but with a bit of a kick", and the resulting adornments do indeed have "kick".

The beautifully macabre pieces featuring the bones of small animals are a must see. Crafted with an obvious eye for detail and meticulous attention to visual appeal, these pieces are more like wearable collage than the usual bauble. I particularly like the The Dauphine Necklace. Charming, and seeming to come from a different time, the "Dauphine" causes you to do a double take as you realize something very different is going on with this necklace.

_____________________________________________

Be Warned: Purevile is not for the weak of heart or stomach, but it offers up some of the most unusual pieces of artwork, in the form of jewelry, I have ever seen. The pieces range from simple clean lines to more extravagant and mysterious. All of the items have a story, and the proprietor of the shop is kind enough to share the story with us. Purchasing pieces with history always adds a special touch. Purevile makes use of old ephemera, some merely spooky, and some disturbing to the psyche, as the backdrop to all of the pieces in the shop. Somehow managing a marriage of piece to history. Haunting Revelations is one of the tamer offerings in the shop, but still so eye catching and beautifully...haunting.

Spooky, Man

2008-07-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Smacshop offers a nice assortment of the haunting. As the proprietor has written in the shop announcement, Smacshop is, "where the surreal, nostalgia, past ghosts, forgotten toys, and the rejected human soul all find a home". I like this shop quite a bit. I have visited it several times since I was sent the link, and feel it is best experienced in gallery view.

There is a lasting impression on the psyche after viewing art like that presented in Smacshop. I really like the spooky vibe, strange milieu, and the sense that I am viewing something lost forever, but still very real.

A Shot in the Hip and a Dose of Cute

2008-07-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

Moving right along in our exploration of handmade creatures with wacky DNA, we visit Atelier de Soyun. This shop is a mixed bag of very pretty floral brooches, hats, and plushies. The plushies have big wide eyes and are really quite strange and cute. Amy the Adorable Elf captures my imagination and makes me smile. I think the combination of big wide eyes and the outstretched arms turn the charm way up.

_____________________________

Ugly Gerbil's Monsters and Stuff makes me laugh out loud. The banner to the shop really cracks me up! I love all of the items and they look so well made. All of the little critters are very cute, have tons of personality, and originality. Darla, Mistress of the Stern Neener makes me happy and she is perfect for reminding us all to lighten up!

Don't Worry, It Only Stings for a Moment

2008-07-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

For the next few days we are going to take a look at a collection of odd, weird, and interesting creatures who have some very strange DNA. I imagine them each sitting in the lobby, painted a sickly green, of a hospital, all waiting to go in one by one for DNA tests and scientific...exploration.

Some of these specimens of weirdness are quite...cute, some have that unmistakable mixture of cugly, (you know what I mean, so ugly it is cute, like ET), some are merely strange, and some are on the edge of bizarre. I will let you be the judge of that.

I hope you enjoy the journey.

First up is Melabo, a shop of porcelain sculptures where weird science is being beautifully executed. I never thought of these creatures when granny was talking about her precious porcelain collection. The menagerie of woodland creatures includes a Man Spider, Owl Girl, and a Dainty Chipmunk Lady. The creature that tickled my fancy the most was the Petite Man Kitty. Actually, I am still chuckling.

__________________________

Cloud Eleven offers a mix of glass pendants, bottle stoppers, and bobblers. All are unique and interesting. Some go beyond the interesting and step into the rubbernecking, gotta see what that lady is wearing, category. I laugh every time I see the glass vessels in this shop, and marvel at how creative and skilled this artist must be. They are all so vibrant and polished. This kid's DNA is a mystery, and his bad attitude is adorable.

Finally, we end today with a hint at what is coming tomorrow. A few of my wacky DNA finds have been the work of fabric artists who seem to be happily throwing DNA sequences into a blender. The results are cooky, funny, and amazing. I find myself visiting these shops for a dose of the giggles.

FlakyFriends offers a variety of plushies with huge personalities. The finely tuned artistry and skill used to make these original creations is a wonder, and a must see. I love their screwy expressions and their openness. Everyone needs at least one flaky friend.

Mean, Odd, and Without any Noticeable Socially Redeeming Value

2008-07-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

Mature and Adult Content Warning: Please, if you don't enjoy adult content and language, don't read this post.

I like mean things. Mean little eyes and pouty mouths speaking volumes without saying a word. Disney villains always being much more interesting than their heroes. Scar being at the top of the villain heap. Angelica being so wonderfully mean to that bunch of babies. The scrunched eyebrows of Buttercup, sure she helped, but you know she didn't want to. All of those mean little things make me smile. Malevolently, of course!

Here are 3 Etsy shops that exemplify meanness. They run the gamut from sweetly mean to wonderfully incorrigible!

Bittersweeets is an emporium of brooches, stickers, magnets and other small items with big impact. All depict deliciously mean, and quite possibly criminal (the jury is still out), inanimate objects from the food world. This listing really sums it up quite well. After all, if you were a cupcake wouldn't you be a tad bit angry?

________________________

Pocomeio is an awesome little shop of mostly mean little plushies! All of the characters have a wonderful handmade feel to them and they all have great facial features that give them personality. The shops "Bad Girls and Boys" section speaks to my mean little heart! Ewww, someone needs a spankin'.

_________________________________________

Here come the dirty words. Rounding out this list of mean little shops with scrumptiously displayed angry and bitter behavior is Spidercamp. Spidercamp is a shop run by someone with an elegant way of summing up the delicious world of curse words and swears. Emblazoned across the chests of the wonderful assortment of Spidercamp bunnies are words that get your mouth washed out with soap coupled with faces that say it all.

Now that I am done with my review, I am off to kick some trashcans and pick some fights.

Read tomorrow when I review a few shops who devote their talents to making fantastically bizarre faces out of an array of materials!

Katie

A Month of the Truly Odd, Weird, & Insanely Interesting

2008-07-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterdays post talking up ZombieParts inspired me to really take a deeper look at the odd. I am kicking off 31 days, July 25 through August 24, of features filled with the truly odd, weird, & insanely interesting shops found on Etsy. Many of them were my finds during my travels through Etsy's pages, and the rest were sent into me as suggestions from others. For the most part I have only window shopped these Etsy stores and haven't made a purchase, so my review is based purely on what I see looking through the glass. If you decide to browse these shops and buy, make sure you read their policy page and profile.

Katie

Odd I like

2008-07-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

I like shopping and finding odd little collections. I like finding things off the beaten path and that tickle my imagination.

I found a shop on Etsy that feeds my need for odd.

Zombie Parts features ephemera, beads, and the occasional fabric. None of the offerings at Zombie Parts ever seems run of the mill or ordinary. I have purchased several items and have always been happy when the package comes in the mail. I like the seeming randomness of the shop and I will be a repeat customer.

Check them out today!

Katie

Got "Through the Woods" and Took my Bath

2008-07-23T21:08:00.001-07:00

So, I got my "Through the Woods" bag done and I am very proud of it and happy with how it turned out!

I found this awesome fabric in a thrift store. It used to be a sheet. I fell in love with it immediately and every time I am thrift shopping, I keep my eyes peeled for another lucky find like this one. I brought it home, laundered it and got to work. My finished bag is so different than the one in my mind when I first started this project. I love it!

If you are interested in purchasing this One-of-a-Kind bag, please, visit my shop at http://brandedbutterfly.etsy.com/

I also finished taking my bath! lol I received an order from one of the nicest bath and body shops on Etsy for one of my Business Totes. Stupidly it is sitting here all nice and packaged for post and I forgot to take it's picture! No worries, my customer says she will happily take the picture for me when she gets it. I will try to remember to post it here!

I made a huge dent in my list for this week. I have the houses for the two Blythe's all cut out and ready to be sewn up. I found the perfect fabric for another project I am working on, and that will be next on the agenda.

Katie

Things to Get Done Today

2008-07-22T10:20:00.001-07:00

1- Finish my journey through the woods.
2- Watch the Bunnies Hop
3- Take a Bath
4- Give Two Blythes a Home

Progress will be posted at the end of the day.

Katie

Superb Talent!

2008-07-22T00:27:00.001-07:00

frskull_edited-1
Originally uploaded by Flamestitch

It is such an inspiration to see good craftsmanship paired with awesome design. Original, fresh, and flashy are the adjectives I would use to describe the designs found at flamestich.etsy.com

I believe they are designers of must have fashion.

Katie

Jumping In

2008-07-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hi,

This is my 4Th attempt at starting a blog in support of my business! I just never could get into it because it was firmly fixed in my mind that I had to wax poetic about my business and what it is that I am doing for my business all the time, and while I love to write, (I am a journalism major), I don't like to feel like I am having to come up with something to say. So, I decided to approach my blog as a place to post the news about my business. What, when, where, and how are much easier topics, and much less intimidating to me!

Katie