How to make Orangeade - Wednesday Wishlist.

Mandarin orange and poppy seed cocktail rim sugar by dellcovespices

It is the middle of winter. It's oh so cold ! It makes me crave
things like sweet juicy oranges, such a summery fruit - this weeks blogpost includes a recipe too - How to make Orangeade. I hope this soothes your soul and brightens your day xo


Orange Blossom Honey Perfume Oil 15ml by WigglePerfume

How to make Orangeade - Ingredients :
7 large oranges
3 lemons
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
2 litres soda water, chilled, to serve


The burnt orange eco slouch - upcycled with leather adjustable strap by redtreedesigns

Method:

Juice 5 oranges and 2 lemons. Place 1 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup lemon juice, sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Slice remaining oranges and lemon.


tangerine clove lollipops natural by ThisCharmingCandy

Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes or until syrup has thickened slightly. Transfer to a sterilised bottle. Set aside to cool completely. Secure lid. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


orangeade flower hairpin by piperewan

Pour 2 tablespoons orangeade syrup into each glass. Top with orange and lemon slices. Fill glasses with soda water and serve.


Ginger Orange Loofah Glycerin Soap by TwinDreamCreations

*recipe from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/529/orangeade


Tangerine Laced Guillerminas with burgundy suede by
lepiedleger

Friday Friends - Dusty Divas - Baubles for Bellas and Lush Baubles

Welcome dear readers to another Dusty Diva's Friday Friends feature. My goodness it has been chilly this week, case in point - our cat went up to our heater the other morning and pressed his nose up against it as a hint to turn it on. He even smooched it and rubbed himself up against it ! When this failed, he curled up under the blanket on the end of our bed with our dog (which doesn't happen often).

This week I want you to meet the terribly talented West Australian artisan Kylie Marie



from Lush Baubles



and Baubles for Bellas !



Kylie Marie's work is simply stunning. It is feminine yet bold, unusual and beautiful. I want to share a few of my favourite pieces with you.

I am simply loving Rock Candy - a 14kt Gold Filled Druzy Stacking Bangle in delicious tropical colours



the sublime Steampunk Angel necklace made from an Antique 14kt Gold Filled Fob with white pearls



and the classical femininity of the Tudor Necklace made from Swarovski Cream Pearls and Ruby Swarovski Crystals is simply breathtaking.



Time now to sit back and relax - perhaps a mug of hot chocolate is in order ? Enjoy the story of Kylie Marie and lust after her beautiful creations.

PS dear readers, I want to share a little secret with you too ! Kylie Marie is having a sale ! She has had to reduce some of her stock due to her relocating, so for all sales over $100 use coupon code crazy25off for 25% off your purchase and for all sales over $200 use coupon code crazy50off for 50% off your purchase on ETSY. Sale Ends 10th July 2011 !

The Legend of Lush Baubles and Baubles for Bellas



Hello - my name is Kylie Marie. I have been creating jewellery for around 10 years, I use to have a regular market stall here in perth for several years. My handmade journey began with the jewellery which was a kind of therapy after damaging my spine and being unable to do much for several months, although I have always been creative.



The jewellery I make is semi-precious and costume. I enjoy making unique pieces of jewellery for individual people. I am completely self taught, The first pieces I made were quite awful, I started just by stringing plastic beads onto coloured wire and twisting it into some kind of shape, from there I discovered glass beads, the crystal, then sterling silver and so on.



This extract is from a previous feature and describes my work beautifully :

“Kylie Marie is a creative jewellery artist who finds inspiration in the romantic, the historic and the grandiose. Her many and varied influences include “Elizabeth 1, Marie Antionette, Boudoir, Gothic, Art Nouveau, Victoriana, Rococo, High Heels, Chocolate, Red Wine, Champagne, Silk, Lace, Velvet, Incense, Lillies, Roses, and all the things that make a woman feel sensual.” The results of such rich inspiration are the luscious jewelry lines Baubles for Bellas and Lush Baubles. Her pieces are evocatively nostalgic but with a firm foot in contemporary style.”



I have 2 shops on etsy Baubles For Bellas, and Lush Baubles, I am also on artfire and madeit as Lush Baubles.



Baubles for Bellas, it dedicated to high end semi-precious jewellery, the shop is mostly filled with jewellery made from gemstones and precious metals although sometimes I do include high end plated jewellery supplies and vintage jewellery incorporated with gemstones or precious metals to create something new.



Lush Baubles is dedicated to costume jewellery. My style in both shops varies greatly from the simple and chic to the luxurious & glamorous.



My favourites would be vintage and antique items, I love working them with contempory items are creating new life for them.



I work with many mediums, from glass through to fine gemstones, and base metals through to precious metals, I love working with a variety of supplies.



I have so many favourite peices, one of my favourites was a Marie antionette inspired piece with vintage rhinestones, pearls, and fine pink amethyst gemstones.



I find motivation and inspiration in almost everything, I remember going for a walk on a rainy day and watching a snail cross my path on the footpath, and finding inspiration then went home and created a beaded snail.



I can find motivation in something as simple as a leaf or something as dramatic as an opera. For the future I’d love to be able to continue creating, I just wish I sold more lol !

Want to see more ? Check out these links :

Buy Kylie Marie's goodies here :

Etsy :

www.etsy.com/shop/baublesforbellas

www.lushbaubles.etsy.com

Artfire

www.lushbaubles.artfire.com

Madeit :

www.lushbaubles.madeit.com

Connect on Facebook here :

http://www.facebook.com/lushbaubles#!/pages/Lush-Baubles/135041813183236

or follow the sweet tweets on Twitter here :

http://twitter.com/#!/lushbaubles

Sisterly Love - Wednesday Wishlist

Vintage 1950s For My Sister A Birthday Note Greetings Card poshtottydesignz

My little sister has a birthday this week. We don't live so close, actually there are several hundred kilometres between us and we don't get to see each other often. This weeks Wednesday Wishlist is dedicated to sisters everywhere and especially to my little sister Tina - Wishing you the Happiest of Birthdays ! Love you xo


Sister to Sister we will Always Be, A Couple of nuts off The Family Tree Handstamped Necklace by WireNWhimsy


ROCK STARS by tmlCREATIONS


i smile because you are my sister sign by gotmojo


Whimsical Folk Art Friendship Painting Art Print on Wood - Lean on Me by Sascalia


Sisters bracelet, black leather, silver, copper, hand stamped, artisan jewelry by jewelrybyfrancine



Human Nature - Art print by shirae



Sterling Silver Hand Stamped Necklace - Sister by GracieJewellery

Friday Friends - Australian ETSY Artisans - Glass by Girl Friday

Welcome again to Friday dear readers - it comes around so quickly !
I am happy to be having some time off over the next week, to rest and relax before a change in jobs, same workplace but the job I have been doing for the past 2 1/2 years has sadly come to an end. It will be a time of reflection and adjustment for me personally, but I will adapt to the new challenges that come my way. I intend to head back to bed shortly (it is a very chilled 9 degrees here this morning) and bury my nose in the Aurora Teagarden Mystery Omnibus v1 by Charlaine Harris.

This week I am thrilled to introduce to you Maxine



from Glass by Girl Friday



Maxine is a fellow Australian ETSY seller, a glass artisan and a Roller Derby Girl. Maxine's glass creations are whimsical, full of their very own personalities, some are a little weird and unusual but they are always completely wonderful.

I want you to meet Puck. He came to live with me after leaving his home at Maxine's studio. Puck sits on the craft shelves in my creative space most of the time, observing and making sure things are going along well in my crafting world. Although sometimes I am sure he is living up to his namesake; the mischevious Puck (a.k.a. Robin Goodfellow)from a Midsummers Night's Dream; the clever and mischievous elf who personifies the trickster or the wise knave; when things go wrong for me when I am creating.



I also want to share with you a couple of my favourite pieces from Maxine's ETSY store.

For example, the Very Cherry Blossom Geisha Lampwork Glass Pendant (which I love simply because of an ongoing fascination with all things Geisha)



the Oh Mummy Glass Lampwork Pendant which is just a little on the spooky side with his glow in the dark eye (yes singular eye not plural)



and this tantalisingly juicy Red Apple Upcycled Recycled Tail Light Lampwork Pendant



Well my lovelies, I implore you to make a cuppa, and to immerse yourself into the magical madcap world of Glass By Girl Friday - read what inspires and how Maxine creates her amazing pieces. Wishing you all a fabulous weekend xo



The Marvellous Glass by Girl Friday Mystery

I would love to tell you all about my long and illustrious career as a self representing lampwork artist... but that would make me up myself right? Plus it would be totally wrong. I never set out to make a full time job out of this. I never would have forseen meeting and dealing with the most amazing clients on the planet, and I never in my wildest dreams believed that others would get my sometimes warped sense of humour. Well to explain things a little better, let me start at the beginning.



I have never exactly fitted 'inside the box' (square peg, round hole, yadda yadda...). When I was a kid, I wanted to be all sorts of things girls weren't supposed to be... a rainswoman or a jockey, amongst them. But the one thing that has stayed with me from my childhood is my love of cartoons.



I ALWAYS drew and doodled all over any blank space available when I was little. Even my bedroom walls when I was 2, but we won't talk about that here. I loved the classics, the fact that each piece was drawn by hand, the fact that these kooky characters sprang forth from peoples imaginations... I guess that's what lead me to this artistic endeavour. That and the fact that I love the idea of making stuff from absolute scratch... like clothes, food, etc.



Jump forward a few decades, and I am wandering aimlessly around our local book shop (remember those? :P). I happened to be amongst the Art and Craft section and I came across a book on Glass Bead Making. I was caught... hook line and sinker! The thought of taking a raw material (other than 'traditional' mediums) and creating. The whole thought process and techniques behind these miniature artworks cleverly disguised as beads.



So a lot of you know about beading, right? Well Lampwork (as it is officially known) is the art of glass bead making. It isn't taking a marble and drilling a hole, it isn't necessarily glass blowing (although this can be incorporated). It is the art of taking a glass rod, melting it and shaping it around a mandrel (erm... basically a stick coated in a clay type goop so you can get the bead off once made... hence the hole). After many hours of research, I discovered a lady that sold lampworking supplies which was just a quick jaunt up the freeway from where I live... lo and behold, she also held classes too! CRIPES!!! THAT'S ME!!! I HAVE TO DO THIS. To say it became an obsession would be an understatement.



As I became more proficient, I started showing my pieces on various forums around the world. I was inspired initially by the work of other artists. Then I slowly started to incorporate my love of cartooning into a lot of my pieces... mainly for my own therapeutic reasons! My pieces became quite popular in some of the online galleries, which was how I was lead to offering my pieces up for sale on ETSY.



I became known for my bad pun pieces, as well as doing stuff for a dare. I looked at my early cartooning, and also drew on my inspiration from anything like aliens, bugs, cute stuff, silly stuff, and pieces made purely because people said it wouldn't work. Some of my most popular pieces were my little Doodlebugs, and my Tenpin Bowling Pin set titled "STRIKE!!"



and was exhibited in the Sydney Royal Easter Show Arts Exhibition. (hehehe... basically lots of stuff you can put googly eyes on!). My cute little geisha girls became quite popular too.



I am now starting to play with 'recycled/ upcycled' glass. That is, if a pint glass breaks in a pub, I am normally the first to scoop down and pick up a piece to melt into a bead.



I have also made beads out of wine bottles, beer bottles, and my current ones I have in my ETSY store are those made from the broken tail light lens off a 1920's Chevrolet. Kinda rare but funky with the story behind it.



It is to the point now where a lot of my friends and customers say, "I have this coloured glass bottle... do you want it?" Yes please is inevitably the answer.

I think that's enough of me rambling for now. But feel free to join the Glass By Girlfriday madness on my Facebook Fan Page, or stop by my ETSY STORE.

Ooh and don't forget to look out for me in Cecilia Cohen's Book

"The Glass Artist's Studio Handbook"
where I humbly feature a small sampling of my work amongst some amazing artists from all over the world. That's one hell of an infomercial, don't you think???


Here's how you can connect to Glass by Girl Friday :

Browse the glassy goodness in the Glass by Girl Friday ETSY store here :

http://www.etsy.com/shop/girlfriday1962

and become a facebook follower here :

http://www.facebook.com/GlassByGirlfriday#!/GlassByGirlfriday