Lost in time

Featured in the Storque!

2009-02-08T14:16:00.004+02:00

About a month ago I thought I would write a new installment for the Storque's "Shop Local" series, featuring Greek sellers. I contacted all the Greek members of the European Street Team and some of them were kind enough to send me their beautiful photos and quotes. Etsy Admin Vanessa was kind enough to publish my article last night.

You can read it here.

Thank you girls! I couldn't have done this without you :) I hope this brings us all some much needed exposure, and sales!

My window to the world

2009-01-23T15:16:00.004+02:00

This weekend started with high spirits and a very good mood ! I have a new table to work on, combined with a brand new light I got a few days ago and an organizer with drawers and wheels, my little corner is turning into a great workspace! It's going to be a lot more fun and comfortable to work now, and that can only mean more and better designs! :)

I placed my new table right next to a window; my own little window to the world.

From one side I can see the mountain.

And on the other side, lovely sunsets.

Of course, this is still Athens, so there's plenty of concrete around as well. But if you look really hard, you can find beauty everywhere :)

Night Owl

2009-01-04T19:06:00.006+02:00

My sister is one of the most artistic persons I know. As soon as she gets her hands on something and learns the basics of any art or craft she will begin to create wonders in no time. A few weeks ago I showed her the basic knitting techniques (cause that's all I know about knitting) and in a few day's time she started making caps, jewelry, moved on to crocheting and now she's making even more wonders :)

I've been complaining about the bright sun waking me up and how I need a night mask so here's what she made me!

The sweetest night mask designed to be an owl's face, and what's even more funny and cute is its "o.O" expression. It comes with a little rubber band on the back to stay safely in place.
It's also a nose warmer! Perfect for my cold nose all during winter...

She found the pattern here: http://littlegreen.typepad.com/romansock/tutorial-owl-eye-mask.html and adjusted it some.

I bet some of you would like to see me wearing that and have some giggles!! :D

Naming Contest - January

2009-01-03T13:44:00.006+02:00

Alright me hearties, it's time for a new naming contest, the first of 2009! As always, you can enter with as many ideas as you want, by commenting here or sending me an email at ladyaranwen [at] hotmail [dot] com , as long as you remember to leave some way for me to contact you, your email or website etc. The winner gets a 15% discount off any purchase from my Etsy shop! The contest will run until the 31st of January.

This time I'm desperately looking for a name for this lovely and elegant brooch:

Tell me anything that comes to your head when you see it, that could be turned into a name. Maybe a movie, a book character, a childhood memory? I love hearing what different thoughts my jewelry stirs into my viewers :)

You can see some more details and photos here.

Looking forward to reading your ideas!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T13:34:00.002+02:00

Sometimes everything just falls into place... The holiday season is not my favourite time of the year, usually. But this year a lot of good things happened. For one, I managed to turn my favourite activity into a profession, and I'm thankful for everyone's support even by just reading this blogpost

My goals for the new year? Go to as many live concerts as possible, travel as much as possible, and in general, have a lot of fun. Oh and, try to blog more often ;) I think I'll make it.

Best wishes to everyone, although I'm not your most optimistic gal, and this planet is not showing much promise.. Ah well!

So to keep true to my word, keep reading my blog, more posts coming up!

My First Daily Deviation

2008-12-15T13:12:00.005+02:00

And I say first, cause I'm hoping there will be more in the future :)

My first Steampunk design received a lot of love from numerous people, both as a watch and as a photograph. It was chosen as a Daily Deviation on DeviantART by Kitten-of-Woe, suggested by 0-kelley-0. Thank you both!

In 24 hours, it was viewed 12,000 times and marked as a favourite almost 2,000 times. I am very flattered and grateful for everyone's comments, it's what motivates me to work harder and design even better pieces.

Thank you!!

Secret Santa has arrived!

2008-12-13T13:06:00.007+02:00

The wonderful and ever busy ladies of the Etsy European Street Team organize a Secret Santa every year. This time it was our beloved ArtMind who put in a lot of time and effort into sorting us all out and making the pairs. And judging from all the happy Santas and their "children", she did an awesome job.
It was my turn yesterday! I opened the envelope and found this little box.. I would recognize this kitty everywhere.

My Santa is Dinafragola ! I opened the box and a purple delight bloomed right into my hands.

Necklace, earrings, and a ring! All in gorgeous dark purple colours that she knows I love :)
Thank you so much <3

Now the only problem is reclaiming the jewelry from my (also purple-loving) sister...!

P.S To the EST ladies: More photos coming up soon :)

The Willows Magazine

2008-12-10T12:03:00.004+02:00

I'm always searching for lovers of the Victorian era around the web, be it individuals, publications or venues. When I came across The Willows Magazine, I just had to buy myself an issue.

Even though it's only published by a few people and still in its first few issues, it was obvious from the start that they put their hearts into it, and they have a bright future ahead. I loved the smooth feeling of the paper, the drawings on the cover and inside pages, and the very rich fonts used in the title of each story.

I was pleased to find out that the actual material in the magazine was just as satisfying. My favourite for the moment is the short story "The Replacement", a horror tale within family members. Even though I read it during early evening hours, it made me look behind my back and over the magazine a couple of times.

I'm looking forward to the next issue, and I hope more and more people discover this lovely magazine.

You can learn more about it, its devoted staff and how to acquire issues here: http://thewillowsmagazine.com/index.htm

The First Naming Contest Results!

2008-12-02T14:35:00.003+02:00

Thanks to everyone who submitted their ideas on my blog and my email! The subject was this cuff bracelet.

And the winner is karenc who came up with the name "Madame Butterfly"! I just loved it the second I read it but sadly she didn't leave any means of contacting her. I'll give it a few days and then the prize will go to a random entry.

Thanks again and stay tuned for the next contest!

Etsy Sale!

2008-11-24T20:58:00.003+02:00

To celebrate one year and 1000 hearts on Etsy, while participating in Etsy's Black Friday - Cyber Monday Promotion, I will reduce all prices in my shop by 20% and offer free shipping from November 28th to December 1st. Those are also the last "safe" dates to order before Christmas. The offer will apply only to in-stock items so you get your jewelry in time, no back orders. Most of my designs come in very limited quantity, like my latest brooch:

During those 4 days, Etsy will be the place to be! It is a great opportunity to find unique handmade gifts for this Christmas and support indie artists instead of storming the mall

See you there!

Victorian from head to toes !

2008-11-14T19:06:00.004+02:00

There comes a moment in every woman's life that we see something so special, we buy it before even knowing what hit us. Right? Right?? Ah well, when I saw these beautiful Victorian style spats I just couldn't help myself! Must be one of the fastest purchases I've ever made. And I don't even regret it, HA!

(Photo taken from and owned by Sock Dreams)

I bought them from Sock Dreams last week and they just arrived yesterday. They are a bit tight as the description clearly states, but they're worth it. They're very soft, elegant and unique! I loved the service on that website and will definitely visit them again :)

Christmas Shopping

2008-11-12T21:28:00.004+02:00

We're already in mid-November with Christmas just a bit over a month ahead. And even though I can still smell the sea from my summer vacation, I have prepared my shop for the upcoming Christmas shopping. To accommodate the needs of all of my customers, I decided to list some Gift Certificates :)

Here's how they look like, and they're for sale in my Etsy shop.

The Naming Contest is back!

2008-10-17T13:48:00.005+03:00

Those who have known my work since I first launched my website a few years ago probably remember my naming contest. I had put it aside for a while but now I am starting it again, here on my blog.

Every month there will be one jewelry piece looking for a name. Anyone can enter the contest with as many entries as they wish, by leaving a comment to the respective post or sending an email to ladyaranwen[at]hotmail[dot]com. By the end of the month I will announce the winner who will receive a 15% discount off any purchase they make in my Etsy shop.

This month's item in question is this brass cuff bracelet. You can view the listing details by clicking on the image below.

Update: I'll be running the contest until the end of November. If you participate, please leave some way for me to contact you, an email or a website I can reach you at.

I'm looking forward to reading your suggestions! Good luck!

Ruth St. Denis

2008-10-11T21:53:00.004+03:00

For a long while now I had been trying to find the origins of a few photographs I had come across the Internet; women dressed in theatrical costumes and exquisite jewelry, pretty much like Mucha's paintings coming to life.

Today my search came to an end when I found out the story of Ruth St. Denis. She was a pioneer of modern dancing back in the late 19th and early 20th century, and founded the first dance department in an American university in 1938.

Her love for the culture and spirituality of Asia and Egypt is visible in most of her works. Many of her pupils became famous dancers, and their beautiful photos as well as of herself are representative of the Belle Epoque and movements like Art Nouveau.

A link with plenty of photos, sadly in Russian (which I personally can't understand, no offense meant ^^) http://mith.ru/treasury/modern/ruth.htm

Uh-oh, I've been tagged!

2008-10-09T18:19:00.002+03:00

Dindi tagged me so, here are 7 funny/weird facts about me:

1) I eat a -lot-
2) I can't go to sleep without a glass of water next to my bed
3) I can't stand the cold, and anything under 15 degrees is cold!
4) When I was younger, I wanted to become an air fighter pilot
5) My closet is so full of black clothes I can hardly ever tell what and where anything is..
6) I wish I had a good voice so I could become a band's frontwoman
7) I dont.

The rules are:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

I am tagging these little bees:

1.Ravenhill
2.Jealousydesign
3.Arctida
4.meltemsem
5.Antigoni
6.enchantedpond
7.eleraine

Wooden Treasures

2008-10-01T12:33:00.004+03:00

To store your own little treasures, is only a sample of what Sixth & Elm has to offer. I recently came across this cozy little shop that instantly made me feel as if I was browsing through an antiques shop in the countryside on a cool autumn morning.

The warm colours of the wood is the first thing that catches your eye, with the intricate designs following within an instant. The technique used is called wood burning, and after doing some research, I learned that it's done with a special tool that develops extremely high temperatures in order to burn the wood, basically "drawing" on it. Isn't it amazing!

I just loved how detailed the designs are, especially the calligraphy and leaves. Practical and beautiful, they definitely make up wonderful pieces to be passed down through generations.

More information about this wonderful artist can be found in her blog, along with numerous other designs in her flickr page.

Spring Revived

2008-09-25T20:09:00.003+03:00

The wonderful people from Etsy's European Street Team recently came up with the idea of hosting weekly contests to show off our little creative marvels! Each week's winner hosts the upcoming contest.

This week our "boss" is Matilou and the theme of the contest is "le renouveau" which means renewal/revival. You can view all the entries here.

Although most of my jewelry designs can be characterized as revivals since they are usually vintage reproductions, my entry to the contest mostly refers to the revival of spring's lovely colours in the middle of the gloomy autumn.

Good luck to all the contestants ;)

The mythical Valkyries

2008-09-24T13:55:00.005+03:00

Were minor female deities who, according to Norse mythology, chose the most heroic of the fallen warriors after each battle. They served Odin, and carried those fallen heroes to Valhalla, to serve him as his army in Ragnarok, the Twilight of the Gods.

However, Odin died in Ragnarok, the world submerged in water, the apocalyptic prophecies came true, and a new world emerged more fertile and beautiful than ever. Man's imagination and creativity never cease to amaze me.

Edward Robert Hughes created a more serene and romantic image of the Valkyries. As if tired and looking for a few moments of peace, she holds her sword and helmet under her left arm, with a slightly melancholic look on her face. The colours and shades of the painting add to the placid image of the woman behind the myth.

My representation of this painting, silver with blue, symbolizing her vigil.

Beautiful Art Nouveau

2008-09-21T17:19:00.008+03:00

When I was a little girl, I owned a sketchpad for drawing my heart out like most children do. But that wasn't an ordinary sketchpad. Instead of its white pages, what intrigued me the most were the drawings of those beautiful women on the cover.

I found myself staring at them somewhere between doing my homework and daydreaming. I was enchanted by the intricate designs, the long slender lines, the rich colours of their hair, the detailed metal hair adorments, and their puzzling smiles.

Little did I know back then, what I was staring at was something called "Art Nouvaeu", and specifically, the works of Alphonse Mucha.

As I grew up I was always interested in arts, and always kept busy with some drawing or piece of jewelry. And in most of my work, there is always a bit of inspiration by Mucha's paintings.

What I just finished crafting is this necklace, hosting a pendant with the image of Mucha's Poetry formed in a silver plated brass stamping.

I'm so happy; the necklace sold only a few hours after I posted it on Etsy!

And here is Poetry herself, the original artwork.

In the future, I plan on designing some large hair adornments as seen in some of his other paintings, like Zodiac.

A link of interest : Alphonse Mucha's Works of Art

Welcome

2008-09-20T21:59:00.014+03:00

To this new, and currently empty, blog spot.

I could promise many exciting findings and numerous hidden treasures to stir your interest, but I never had a very good memory so I would probably have forgotten about it by tomorrow..

For the time being, the woman in my latest creation will be your welcoming committee.