My Studio...

I finally had the guts to take pictures of my craft space and allow the world to see. I don't know if I'm really proud or severely ashamed! Proud at how I turned a 7 foot by 7 foot "room" into an actual studio, or terribly embarrassed to even call it a studio since it's nothing more than a no name room as we like to affectionately call it! Here goes!!!

A little background first. This house was built over 100 years ago and when it was constructed it had no bathroom and ended at the kitchen. When it was remodelled, there was no place to add a bathroom but "outside" the house, so its got this weird little addition to the back just off the kitchen. If you look closely in some of the pictures, you can see the siding and shingles from the orginal back of the house! Anyway, it resulted in this weird little no use "room" that I decided to turn into MY space. Here you go!



Here's my messy, messy, desk. See the funny thing is its not messy at all but I have SO MUCH junk it looks that way, doesn't it? That border you see along the top of the desk is a little wall built that covers the staircase that leads to the basement. Yes, the basement we NEVER go down to - well, I don't go down to. I am so terrified of it I bought that white curtain and hung it from the ceiling so I don't have to look at the staircase and think about monsters attacking me while I have nothing to defend myself with except a glue gun!

Here is a closeup where you can spot three wonderful Etsy seller's things: StitchandTells wonderful art (the blue waterfall piece in the back); ThreeMusesCrafts ACEO cards and LAOriginals beautiful plum brooch! You can also see my beloved Blythe Doll and a new ACEO I just finished - first one EVER - and a new brooch design I am working on.

Next is my storage space, it makes me feel better to call it an actual "space" as opposed to a corner! Lots of things going on here: art - finished - and in progress. Photo collages also in progress... I'm starting to see a pattern here, can you tell I have ADHD? Oh and not to mention a completely out of control Hello Kitty addiction! Oh yeah like the toaster oven? We got it for Christmas and somehow it ended up in here.


And one last one just for pretty: this doesn't have much use other than for a little aesthetic appeal and to house a few of my scarves and magazines.

Recent Etsy Purchases

LAOriginals

I got this AWESOME Plum Crocheted Flower Brooch from LAOriginals. I have been coveting one of her flowers for a long time and trust me, her work is even more fabulous in person! Check out her shop for more crochet goodness!

OurLadyOfTheUnderpas

I have been watching and watching this sweater FOREVER! I even convo'd the seller about measurements and everything but one thing or another kept coming up, so I couldn't get the cash to buy it... Then the other day, I was cleaning up my favorites and HOLY COW it was on super sale!!! So I picked it up right away! Check out the shop for other yummy vintage goodies!

Brookerpie

So I was browsing around Etsy and I came across Brookerpie. She has an amazing shop perfect for scrapbookers. Luckily on the day I found her she was having a sale of buy one roll of lace get one FREE! She has white, puple, red, yellow and green currently in her shop. Check it out!

MixedSpecies

And last but DEFINITELY not least, ihis awesome shirt by MixedSpecies.

It reads: "Jesus gives me a huge resurrection" I'll leave that one to your imagination...

My Birthday Celebration

So, we were supposed to have a BBQ on Saturday for my Birthday but we got rained in, so Jake just grilled outside and we ate inside. We had a yummy feast of veggie burgers, veggie hot dogs, grilled zucchini, and homemade salsa! Mmmmmmmm.

Also Black Eyed Susan (Jake's band) was gonna do a yard show but because of the rain we moved it into the living room. Yeah, that was quite the adventure! 30+ people in a teeny, tiny, house - not such a good idea!

(Apparently it was Hat Day for the band!)

Super fun times! We didn't end up going to bed until five in the morning! Oy, it was a long night but it was super fun, and this yummy cake made it all worthwhile!!!

Now the celebrating is all done, and its back to normal life. Until next year, sweet, sweet, Birthday!

Happy Birthday To Me...

Holy crap, I am 23 today! Eeeeeeek. Just had to share how cute Etsy is: when you log in you get a little welcome message wishing you a Happy Birthday! Can you find me? I am on there twice, with my seller and buyer account!

Also when I got in my car this morning to go to work, I found this waiting for me!!! The new Yael Naim CD!!! Hubby put it in my CD player for me so it started playing as soon as I turned on the car! He is so cute! I have been listening to it all day at work! Check it out if you haven't already, its great! She also sings in Hebrew.

I have to show off the other stuff I got as well: an awesome Slash T-Shirt that I have been wanting forever! I love Guns N' Roses - what can I say?! Oh guess what I heard on the radio this morning? Dr. Pepper has offered Axl Rose a deal that if he finishes his CD "Chinese Democracy" which has been in the makings for 17 years (!), they will give each person in the United States a FREE can off Dr. Pepper! How awesome is that? I am not a fan of Dr. P but the owner must be a pretty dedicated fan of Axl Rose!!!

Also I got an awesome Hello Kitty easter basket filled with my favorite candy - which means it was all Reeses's Peanut Butter cup related, and these earrings!!! AHHHHH! I love Tokidoki, and I love even more that Jake knows exactly what I like! Yup, I think he is definitely a keeper! Thanks babe!















He is throwing me a Hello Kitty themed party on Saturday, so I will keep you posted... It snowed today so not too sure how its gonna work out but we'll see!

She's Here...

Yay, yay, yay, yay!!!

My Blythe is here!!! I can't believe I forgot to write about her! I haven't thought of a name yet. Help me? She is the "Magic Wand" edition. She is a little magician and comes with a dove to pull out of her top hat and cards to do card tricks with. She's already pulled a few fast ones on me. She likes to move around - and no, I am NOT kidding.

I Love My Husband

I have to show off what my hubby made me! I wanted to make a business card or a post card that I could put in with my finished orders... Just something pretty to look at with all my Etsy and blog info - and he did it - and totally surpassed my expectations!!!

(click the image for higher resolution)

What do you think? I am trying to convince him to open up his own Etsy shop. He also did my banner. Tell him how cool he is so he joins Etsy!!!

Brooches - Badges - Pins

Finally after what seems like weeks and weeks, I finally finished photographing, cropping, editing, and listing my new pins!!! I made these in a spurt of desperation. I had so many pent up ideas in my head and I needed to let them out. I am not really sure why but I am incredibly satisfied with the way these turned out. I truly think its the colors. I am so sick of winter, everything is so ugly, and dirty and these just came out so cheerful!

This is my Navy brooch, because it seems nautical to me for some reason. Plus I have a new obsession with mustard yellow and I think that navy blue and green are phenomenal. I am a nerd. Who uses words like "phenomenal"? Oy...



This one is The Ribbon pin, cuz...um...it has a ribbon tag on it. I know, I suck at life. But focus on the part that he is completely happy, not the part that I have not one ounce of literary creativity in me!!! Also, I don't know why I insist on calling them hims. Weird...

This is my Owlie brooch. I love him. Mostly because he is mustard yellow (again with the yellow!) and because there is an owl on him. Yes I am obsessed with owls, I know.




You can go see the rest HERE

Touched for the very first time

Eeeeek! First blog post ever! Ok, I can do this...

For those of you that don't know me, my name is Maura. I am 22 years old (23 on March 27th!). I am a HUGE procrastinator, so I hope I stick this out! I'm not really sure if I want to keep this purely Etsy related, or if I want to add personal tid bits, so keep posted to find out what I decide! Just too forewarn you, I am obsessed with cuteness, and this blog might want to make you puke. I am known for that. Not in a bulimic sort of way but in a "Oh my god, that is so freaking cute I am going to puke!" sort of way - so get a bucket just in case!

Hmm, what else should you be warned about? Oh I hear I am not as funny as I think I am and that I have horrible taste in music. Also, I am ALWAYS right. Ok that's it for me, for now... Oh yeah and this is me:

I am married to an awesome dudesky named Jacob. We've been married for a year and a half now. He plays in a band called Black Eyed Susan: http://www.myspace.com/rionbuhler (That's his 2nd wife, its ok, we have an understanding). He pretty much drinks coffee, plays guitar, eats and watches TV. Yeah, we live a pretty exciting life...