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Sunday 30 September 2012

September Sponsors - Part 2

Here are some more of my lovely sponsors! Please go and check their blogs, they're all very talented and interesting people.


 [Etsy] [Blog] [Facebook]
Hi, I'm Midge! I am an artist and designer for my feminist centered etsy shop, Modern girl Blitz, as well as a zinester, crafter and over all DIY enthusiast. And I like to collect fake glasses. I wear many hats, so check me out on the interwebs if you have any hats in common with me!
 
[Blog] [Etsy
I am a family loving, fashion fanatic, art-obsessed, goofy geek who spends her time blogging on Kitty Snooks. Kitty Snooks is a blog about the things that fascinate me in life, my art, and other miscellaneous thoughts that I decide to share. I hope you'll find some inspiration or at least a laugh or two whilst visiting my blog!
 
 [Blog] [Shop] [Twitter]
Well hello there. To be grammatically correct, as I generally am, I'm Em. But I prefer it with a lower case 'e'. I describe myself as being quite possibly a dinosaur made up of several cupcakes taped together, painted blue, & sprinkled with glitter. Bitch.  
I am a baker, a crafter, an iPhone-Photographer. An occassional jewellery maker, plastic dinosaur collector & Blogger.

Nice to meet you. I am a collector of vintage, floral, cameras, and knickknacks. I am a beginner in the world of sewing and crafts. I hope to sell handmade odds and ends in my very own shop one day. Most of the time, I can be found with Dominick, who is my best friend, love dove, and side kick.
 
[Blog] [Twitter] [Etsy
I am a vintage shop owner, blogger, photography enthusiast, and self taught graphic designer living in California below the beautiful Yosemite Valley.  I am a bit of a wildflower with a passion for discovery and a love of adventure no matter how big or how small.   I grew up on a thousand acre ranch I have lovingly titled The Thousand Acre Woods.  I still reside there with my family, my husband Christopher Robin, and our two dogs and three cats.  My blog follows me as I navigate through this wonderful journey as a business owner, writer, and designer.

Saturday 29 September 2012

Sugar Skull Butterfly Mocassins

A customer asked me to do her some Sugar Skull themed shoes with butterfly wings and clouds on them. I've been wanting to do some sugar skull shoes for ages so I was very very happy plus I always love doing clouds. I'm so happy with these, I think i'm going to have to do myself some skully raincloud shoes soon!






Guest Post at My Mod Style

The lovely Jessie at My Mod Style very kindly asked me to do a guest post about my shoes. Hop on over and check out her other posts too! She has some great interior decoration ideas!


And the winner is...

Well, the Halloween giveaway ended on Wednesday and I'm pleased to say the lovely Alex from Alex & Arthur was the lucky winner.

But don't worry if you missed out, there are loads more pumpkins available in the shop.


Friday 28 September 2012

Orange Chai Bubble Tea

Do you remember my strawberry bubble tea post? Well this is a continuation of my exploration (that kind of rhymed?) in bubble tea making. I hope you like this recipe guys! It's my favourite bubble tea attempt so far.

I've always been a big Chai Latte fan. When I became a vegan I could no longer have the packet stuff that I loved so much, so I began mixing my own Chai style recipes. I've never tried or even heard of iced Chai lattes, so I did wonder if my iced bubble chai would end up tasting like feet. Luckily it tasted pretty effing good and now I'm hooked!

I also remembered to buy the proper straws this time! It was so much easier to drink.


Ingredients (serves 2 people):
1/2 cup quick cook tapioca pearls

400ml Rice milk (you can use almond, soy, normal milk too)
100ml coconut cream
100ml coconut milk (for a lighter recipe omit the cream and use 200ml coconut milk)
2 bags of black tea
5 tbsp agave nectar (you can use honey instead)
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
The zest of half an orange
A thumb size amount of fresh ginger (roughly chopped)
Ice

Method:

1. Boil 5 cups of water in a saucepan. Once boiled add the tapioca pearls & stir gently. When the tapioca pearls fatten up cover the saucepan and leave to simmer for 5 mins. For none quick cook tapioca pearls follow instructions on packet. Once the tapioca pearls are cooked, drain them & mix with 2 tablespoons agave and 2 tablespoons hot water. Leave to cool

2. Heat the rice milk, coconut milk & cream in a saucepan until simmering.

3. Add the black tea bags, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, orange zest, fresh ginger and 3 tbsp agave. Mix and leave to simmer for 5 mins.

4. Once the milky mixture has been simmered for 5 mins, leave it to one side to cool. Once cooled drain the mixture into a jug, sieving out all of the ginger, orange & cinnamon bits.

5. Divide the cooled tapioca pearls into two glasses. Add a few ice cubes and pour the milky chai mixture on top. Serve with a large bubble tea straw.






Fashion Favs Friday - 28/09/12


1. Chichi Knots - A great mixture of crochet and knotted jewellery. This is my favourite shop so far for crocheted jewellery. They use a variety of materials including beads and chains in with their crocheting to make their jewellery that extra bit special.

2. The Braided Bandit - I first came across The Braided Bandit through her blog. Straight away I was in awe of her style and when I found out she had a vintage shop I was very excited. This girl knows how to dress and her shop confirms that!

3. A Rainy Afternoon - Adorable little earrings and necklaces. There are so many simple but beautiful pieces here. You can find something to match any outfit.

4. Madda Design - Awesome leather earrings but also some amazing and very original lighting too. A great shop with a variety of goodies.

5. Flower Land Shop - The cutest little clay jewellery. You can even get a custom piece of your pet! This would make a seriously awesome gift for any pet lover (I'm hinting at Ash to get me some Effy earrings for Christmas!)

Thursday 27 September 2012

Etsy Shop Feature: Paper Stories

When I write someone a special letter or make them a beautiful birthday card, I always find it's really dissapointing when I can't find a cute envelope to match. This is where Paper Stories comes to the rescue.

Paper stories was founded by Nina Voordes from Holland. It specialises in adorable, beautifully coloured envelopes & notebooks.

These envelopes  make me want to write more letters. I hope little shops like this encourage more people to write, there's nothing like receiving a hand written letter from someone special.





Wednesday 26 September 2012

Wednesday Art Feature: Xtian Torres

Xtian Torres (also known as Dirteaicecream) is an illustrator from the Phillipines. Xtian's work is usually done digitally but somehow still achieves the haunting, almost imperfect style of traditional painting. Xtian's work is mainly done in pastel colours and often portays ghostly & childlike characters in unusual settings.





September Sponsors - Part 1

I'd like to introduce you all to my lovely sponsors! I highly recommend you give these blogs and visit and show them some love!

Hi! I'm Melanie from My Billie--a lifestyle and design blog. Over there we focus on keeping things positive and creative! You'll find posts on crafting and fashion DIYs, design tutorials and peaks into my everyday life. My blog also houses my design services--My Billie Designs. I hope you'll stop by and say hello : )

Oh, hai lovelies! My name is Emily. I'm a 26-year-old tattoo collector, vegetarian, and pet mama to a fluffball of a cat named Buddha, and a "summer sausage" of a dog named Calla Lily. I adore pretty photos, handmade goods, and vintage/thrift shopping. In my free time, I run a small vintage shop on Etsy and a lil' lifestyle blog called Tea Tree, where I blog about living in the northwoods of Michigan and everything I love and believe in. Oh, I do hope you'll stop by! 

Hi!  We're Judd + Jessa, a photographer and an artist who fell madly in love and share our lives with 2 doggies and a pretty kitty. Check out our adventures, DIYs, vegetarian recipes, favorite handmade goods, old bikes and more over at Pearl + Earl's Good-time Vintage Blog. We love making new friends!  And if you love vintage clothes, scope out our finds over at J2 Vintage on Etsy.  It's so nice to meet you!  xox

Hello Darlings, I'm Autumn Bee, blogger from The Busy Bee and shop owner of Gypsybeee Vintage! I'm a wife, vintage hoarder, home maker, amateur chef, and stay at home mommy to two littles. On my blog you can find all things vintage (mostly focusing on mid century goodness), recipes, DIY projects, and all kids of other random things that inspire me. Come on over and say hello!

HELLO!  My name is Jessie and my blog is My Mod Style.  I use my blog to showcase my love for design, life and nature. I love inspiring people to live better everyday lives. Enjoy the simple things and make the best out of every moment. I take lots of pictures and share many of them on my blog.
I eat plants, not animals. (I'm Vegan!)  I am passionate about the environment and enjoy spreading awareness through my blog!  Please stop by and say hello!

[Blog] [Etsy]
Hello! My name is Crystal & I blog over at Billie Jean. I have recently made the transition over from "lifestyle" blog to "fashion" blog! I post pictures of my outfits & sometimes my little one, Tory, will join in on the fun too! I have a business degree & a background in fashion & although I am a stay at home mommy right now, I will soon be out in the real world again, hopefully starting a career in the fashion industry! Besides my blog, I also own a jewelry shop on Etsy called, Billie Jean Jewels! I'd love for you guys so stop by my blog & say hello! I love hearing from new readers!!
 
 [Blog] [Shop] [Facebook]
Hi, I'm Sammy and I have a mass of curly hair :)
I am currently starting a new chapter of my life as a fashion and textiles student on the hills of Wiltshire, England. I am living with my soon to be husband, Ben where I am starting to get to grips with student life. I am originally from a sleepy seaside town in Somerset where I was living in my little comfort zone but decided I wanted to get my butt in gear and start my dream of getting in the textile industry. I blog over at The Cookie Button where you will usually find me rambling on about my day to day life and pursuing my hobby - crafting.

I'm Alex and this is my frenchie pal Arthur, he's my most favourite thing in the world.  I want to share his cuteness with you as well as other cool things I find along the way.  I'm currently working on reopening my etsy store and translating the Marvelous Mail Livejournal community over to the blog world.  I love music, cooking, crafting and cartoons.  Arthur loves sleeping, Frisbees, walks to the park, and tuna.
 
My name is Lexie, and I run a little blog called Blue Wonderful. I'm an artist and crafter, and I like talking about art, style, photos and life. I also sell some of my art, along with handmade clutches and wallets, on Storenvy. Come and visit me, and be prepared for my extra shot of excitement because it's Fall, my favorite season! 


 





Tuesday 25 September 2012

Update time

This week has been a pretty busy and emotional week.

Other than that, I've had a ton of orders! Which is very exciting. So I've been working none stop. Here are some of my works in progress:




On Friday me and Ash went to see Frisky and Mannish in Lancaster with a couple of our friends. For those of you who don't know who Frisky and mannish are, you need to find them on YouTube. They're a comedic musical duo and they're absolutely hilarious, even my boyfriend who is a comedy snob thinks they're amazing.
I didn't get any pictures but here's a picture of Frisky and Mannish looking fabulous:


Saturday and Sunday were full of tears and goodbyes as I said farewell to one of my best friends who's moving to New Zealand. And on Sunday we drove Ash's little sister down to London for her first year of Uni. Life is gonna seem so strange without seeing those girls on a regular basis!

Here's some Effy love! She's such a baby. She's spent most of the week following me around the house watching me.



I also dyed my hair purple! And realised I'm a bit of a hair dye hoarder. I can't wait for the purple to fade and go all lilacy.



 And here's some cool tops I bought that I forgot to show you:


The cat one is from ebay & the bunny one is from Asda.



DIY Twig Necklace & a Quick Reminder!

I did a DIY post for Melanie at My Billie. Learn how to make your own simple but beautiful twig necklace! Check it out here.


And a quick reminder to enter my giveaway! Not long left to enter!

Saturday 22 September 2012

Dinos & Mustaches

A couple of weeks ago a customer asked me to paint her some Dinosaur Russian Dolls with mustaches on (pics of that still to come).

I thought this was an awesome idea. So I based an etsy treasury around it.

Here are my top Mustache and Dinosaur picks on etsy:


1. Dinosaur Hat (sizes newborn to adult) - $27.50 from Barefoot Tams
2. Mustache Vinyl Stickers - $12 from Quilted Polka Dot
3. Plush Stuffed Dinosaur $20 from Saint Angel
4. Sock Dinosaur - $20.99 from Super Sock Monkeys
5. Halloween Costume - $3800 from Glacier Milk
6. Mustache Baby Blanket - $46.35 from Little Hip Squeaks
7. Mustache Beer Markers - $6 from My Saucy Mustache
8. Photobooth Party Props - $65 from Mister Mustache
9. Mustache Cupcake Toppers - $5.50 from Cmooreof10

Friday 21 September 2012

Fashion Favs Friday 21/09/12



1. Woodii - Woodii mainly sells cute vintage clothing and Illustrations. But I am just so in love with their Terrarium necklaces. These little necklaces would make any outfit look more whimsical, natural and earthy.

2. Mimi Hammer - Possibly some of the nicest swimsuits I have ever seen. A great attention to detail and wonderful design features at awesome prices!

3. Glacier Milk - Harajuku inspired upcycled fashion - can it possibly get much better than that? This shop is a feast for the eyes with exciting and flamboyant outfits photographed to perfectly compliment the outfit.

4. Dewi Design - Beautiful hand carved fake gauge earrings. These earrings will certainly stand out from the crowd. There isn't one pair of earrings in this shop that I don't love.

5. Mary Wool - Felt & wool jewellery and accessories. I particularly love their scarves and their colour combinations. These items would make a great gift for almost anyone.


Thursday 20 September 2012

Etsy Shop Feature: Chilli Peppa

While browsing through etsy shops, Chilli Peppa seemed to just jump right at me. The bright and bold african printed fabric make this shop really stand out.

Chilli Peppa is based in Milton Keynes in the UK and specialises in supplying wax printed african fabric. I want ALL of these fabrics to make pretty dresses out of! I'm certainly going to keep this place in mind for my new line of dresses.




 Chilli Peppa also has a twitter and a facebook.

What would you make out of these beautiful fabrics? I think I'd love to make some harem pants from the pink, green and blue batik fabric.


Halloween Russian Dolls

Here's some pics of the Halloween Russian Dolls I've been painting for the shop. If you want a chance to win a set of the Pumpkin ones click here.

These are available to buy here.






If you could have a set of Halloween Russian Dolls - what theme would you pick? I'm thinking of doing some black cats and monsters for next year.