Artist Spotlight: Part Ninety-Eight and Ninety-Nine

I have two amazing artists this time, neither of which you've seen here before.  First, Dyanne of Deeliteful Jewelry in Van Buren, Arkansas.

Dyanne is a self-described widow, mm, daughter, sister, aunt, fiancee, and friend.  In addition to her online presence, she's actually got a brick and mortar business, so kudos to her for taking that leap!

She was originally led to create exciting jewelry with beads, and lets her inner goddess guide her as to color, size, shape, and combinations.  Like me, she loves bright colors.

In 2012, she added creating lampwork beads of her own to her repertoire.

Her business is a one-woman operation, from creation to shipping.  Her jewelry is unique, and each piece is one of a kind.  She's definitely got an eye for design.

Even better, since her jewelry is inspired by her own dreams, you know you'll never find anyone else making or wearing the same pieces.  If you're anything like me, this is hugely appealing, since I love to stand out in a crowd.

To keep up with her, be sure to follow her blog.

The second artist I have for you is something entirely different, and I love it!  Check out ThinkEco2.

This stuff is just phenomenal!  Meet Brian Behncke and Jules Lavallee, of San Diego, CA, the founders of ThinkEco2 and the brains behind these gorgeous recycled wares.

Brian is a hardworking construction guy with a passion for building eco-chic cedar products.  He works with a crew to build the products, while he and Jules help the community by building jobs and donating many of their beautiful wine racks to help local charities and fundraisers.

I agree with them that it's important to be eco-conscious and to give back.  To that end, they use 100% reclaimed wood for their products and employ 100% US employees.  They refuse to harm additional trees to make their products.  And heck, they even add to the flora by making planters!

My favorite, though, is this amazing patio table.

You can keep up with them on their blog or feel free to contact them to discuss custom orders, which they're happy to fill.

Artist Spotlight: Part Ninety-Seven

This week, I'm bringing back an old favorite of mine, John Rasmussen, of Rasmussen Gems.  If you've been following along, you've met this Rensslaer graduate geologist here several times before, together with his wife, Deborah, the beader in the family.  They've been busy with new pieces, and they're just as breathtaking as ever.

This rock crystal pendant is certainly on my wishlist.  Just look at it!

On the other hand, in my world you can't go wrong with rubies, my birthstone.  These pretty little ones are the perfect frame for this morganite ring.

I still have a thing for more natural-cut stones, though, like this amazing fire opal.

Gorgeous, am I right?  On the other hand... this citrine is calling to me too.

I'm obviously like a kid in a candy shop here.  Know where I could really go crazy, though?  With Deborah's beaded pieces.  The woman is running a liquidation sale!  Seriously unreal prices for beautiful handmade jewelry.  Seriously.

Like this necklace in my favorite color, blue, and white.

You're not as much of a fan of blue as I am?  OK, then.  I give you earth tones in agate.

Or for a different look, this pretty pendant necklace.

No?  Then how about my other favorite, this turquoise and howlite necklace?

The shop is just full of wonderful things, and I'll leave you on a colorful note with this all seasons necklace.

Just don't forget to stop by the blog to see what's new... like their two new grandchildren or the craft shows they're headed for!

New Product & a Pre-Sale!

Reef Botanicals will soon be offering its own Buzz Off Insect Repellent!  It will come in 8 oz atomizer bottles, like these:

It also will, of course, be chock full of 100% natural goodness... that mosquitoes hate.  Fully of nifty essential oils like citronella, lemon, lavender, clove, basil, and cypress, together with several others, it'll smell great, be Deet-and-other-poison-free, and keep those little vampires we know as mosquitoes at bay!

I've been using 100% natural insect repellent for some time now, and love it.  It works well and I don't feel all dirty and slimy and like I need a shower because I've got poison on my skin.  I'm not afraid to use it on kids or even spray it straight into my face (eyes closed, of course) because I know it won't harm me.

So... because we've just ordered the additional essential oils and bottles, and because while we were at it we also had to order our scrub tubs that house the Purity Makeup Brush Soap, we've decided to host a pre-sale.  Through midnight EST on July 4, 2013, both Buzz Off and Purity tubs are 15% off!

Check 'em out & enjoy!

Edit:

Wanna see what they look like?

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Getting Ready for the Cold - in June?

It's 90-zillion degrees out and humid.  But now that I'm making and selling things like scarves and hats, I've resigned myself to the concept that the retail season is different from the actual season in which these things are worn.  So... I've added the first hat, a real, knitted skullcap-style hat... to Fabric of my Mind.  It's a soft, cozy tan acrylic in small/medium, so it's good for women, teens, and tweens.  The tan is a great neutral that goes with everything, and acrylic is warm and soft, washable, and perfect for anyone who's allergic to wool or straight up vegan.

Ready for our New Tenants

Bees!  Yeah, you read that right, real, honest-to-goodness bees.  Specifically, honeybees.  If you knew me in person, you'd know how huge this is.  I'm not generally a fan of anything with more than 5 legs.  Six legs... not a fan.  Six legs and wings... really not a fan.  Six legs, wings, and a stinger... well, I'm sure you get the point.

So this started with Eric, of course.  He's the daredevil in the family.  I've lived nearly 43 years happily mostly avoiding bees together with pretty much every other insect.  I'm not nervous about bees specifically; I've only ever been stung once and I don't remember it hurting all that much.  Plus, I know it was my own fault to an extent.  I scratched an itch without looking and it happened to be caused by a bee walking up my arm, which of course thought I was attacking.  Reasonable.

Eric, while he hasn't got my aversion to insects in general, has been scared of bees since he was a kid and stung repeatedly when a bumblebee hive funneled its way into his bedroom.  And he hates being scared of anything.  So it occurred to him that a good way to get over the fear would be to own bees.  That's my Eric.

He did a little reading, and what he read convinced me too.  Did you know that there's a honeybee shortage in the world these days?  Apparently, in China the bee population has been so decimated that humans are being employed - at a pittance, of course - to hand-pollinate the farms with little paintbrushes.  And the honeybee populations here in the states are dangerously low too.  Whole Foods released a picture of what its produce section would look like sans bees.  It wasn't pretty.  It was pretty empty, in fact.

The upshot is that we as a species, as a world, need bees.

Add to that the more selfish idea that we could have our own fresh, natural honey to eat, with which to bake, to sell, and to make our soaps and other honey-laden products.  And on top of that, there's the beeswax, perfect for our lip balms and candles.  And mead, since we both know Eric would be making mead from some of it.

The next thing I knew, he'd signed up for the Northeast NJ Beekeeper's Association, went to visit hives with a local beekeeper, and bought a book on beekeeping.  And nearly immediately after that, we both owned beekeeping gear.

How cute am I?

I've already used the gear too.  Check me out holding a frame full of bees!

I rock, I tell ya.

In addition to gear, Eric bought all the bits an pieces to put together a hive.  He put it all together, I primed and painted, and then we brainstormed so I could have some fun with it.  It wasn't hard to settle on a Winnie the Pooh theme.  So I painted some more.

As of yesterday morning, the whole hive was finished, sealed, and set up, ready for bees!  And since I've been asked by others, yes, although I obviously copied the characters, I did draw them freehand.  It's good to know I've still got my abilities.

We're hoping to still get some this season, though it's late in the year.  If we do, the bees will have to be left to produce whatever honey they can for their own survival, and we'll have to feed them over the winter.  We've already got the food for 'em.  Now we're just waiting for a viable "nuc" (nucleus hive of bees) to be ready for the move to our hive!

Fingers crossed that we get 'em soon.  And then?  We get a kid-sized suit for the nephews & kids' friends to come learn about bees!

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