the winnebago diaries

I love a good chance at winning lovely things! Here's a blog about some fine hand-makers, who make beeswax candles! This is the charming prize. oooooh!

thewinnebagodiaries.blogspot.com

Just go to the link above and leave a comment to be entered. FUN!
Also- I like this post about spring water, take a peek below:

a dip in the springs

Simple Pleasures. Natural history decor

Simple Pleasures. birch bark, peacock feather, blue morpho butterfly wing, a photo by PoPkO! on Flickr.


Today I had a pile of wings & feathers on my table, and a few large bottles I found in Cape Cod last week. Needing a break from catching up on jewelry, I took a little time to make something for myself, for once. This simple little display did the trick!

It took my mind off the lists and requests I have in front of me and let my mind play a little. Sets of objects in a theme can make an eye catching home decoration.

My mantle looks a little more interesting now!

Contents: blue morpho butterfly wing, peacock feather, birch bark

ps- I know that blog has been a little neglected last month, but the sun has been shining and I cant resist the outdoors!

Beauty is always on Duty!*

If you haven't already noticed, I'm revamping my blog!


I have a lot of work to do on it, now that there are tabs on the top of the page-
I've got to fill them up!
I'll be including a tab for my favorite LINKS..all of my sisters websites!
Also coming- a PRESS tab. Oohlala!

But, its still just little ol' me doing every task around here, so bear with me.
Thank you for your patience while I hem and haw over what size font, which type to use, content, and how many exclamation points are acceptable in each exciting post! Millions!!




*Thanks to my friend Kate who gave me this quote last weekend. Its sooo very true...

Quick look: Butterfly boxes in progress

Butterfly wing jewelry boxes are officially a ton-o-work!
WHEW!
Here's a quick look at the progress Ive made in.... 11 hours. Piles of ground rectangles & some lids prepped with wings. At least I think they look good so far, exactly what I was hoping for.

I know, they look kind of...dry right now. I promise, they are great. You can't quite see all the iridescence and fabulous-ness. That's part of the process!

Twist 6 Northampton..the countdown

9 Days till Twist 6!

Really, you HAVE to go. I want to say its like party while you shop, but I also want you to know that its much much more than that. If you want to see amazing, refined, true talent, come to Twist on May 6th & 7th 2011. Plus have a beer and meet the artists. Win/win.


Here's a few reasons (out of more than 65) why you should come!
Rocks & Salt Design - Brooklyn, NY
I can see John wearing this in the summer for sure.

Edison Rex - Easthampton MA
I'm partial to this print, because I OWN one!

Beehive Kitchenware - Fall River, MA
Yep- these are the folks that you've seen in all the magazines..including Oprah's O Mag!

Little Birch Farm - Western MA
No artificial anything! Hooray!

Twitch and Whiskers - Danbury, CT
Upcycled jewelry

VeronicaDesigns - Jamaica Plain, MA
Bags, wallets + clutches oh my.

TWISTFAIR.COM

Stay tuned for more previews of the handmade excellence to come.

These crafty crafters aren't wearing granny pannies! Well, I'm not going to ask.

Quick look: Butterfly Project, glass bottle specimen

Here's a quick glimpse of a special request order that I made for someone recently. It's a real sunset moth wing sealed into a tiny glass bottle. I have seen versions of this before, but I really like the way mine came out. What do you think? Should I carry it in my regular line?

Also- be sure to join my mailing list to hear WHEN my Second Annual Super Seconds Sale is happening. I am planning it now, so get ready.

Handmade with love - AnselBlue for Japan Relief

The tsunami and earthquake in Japan brought us the most heartbreaking news of crisis and fascinating stories of the strong people who endured these disasters.

They need your help, and my local artist friend Sarah has been working tirelessly on fund raising for The American Red Cross for Japan Relief.


Purchase this handmade sparrow ornament called
Little Suzume for $10


100% of the proceeds will be directly donated to the
American Red Cross

“Little Suzume” is a special edition of my flying bird illustration made into a wooden ornament. She stands 3-1/4" tall and is painted white with a red sun and kanji that reads “Help Japan” in black. A white ribbon will be threaded through a small drilled hole on her top wing.

-from Sarah's etsy page

photo by Sarah Platanitis

Sarah has a personal connection to Japan, and you can read her story
in the article she authored and had published today in the newspaper.

Click the image below to read:

Thank you Sarah for helping others! Thank you everyone for donating to the A.R.C. by purchasing a Little Suzume
as a reminder of your generosity and love for Japan.

Real Butterfly Box -completed

It's finished! I love my newest project. I am keeping this one for myself, my first butterfly box. Here's some more progress photos and also the finished product!

My mother was also making a stained glass box, hers came out gorgeous, she worked with the aqua swirls on her glass to make a wavy pattern on the lid.

Something new... Butterfly box!

Here's the first part of the project. I should be done with it this week.
You can see the four walls and lid (not made) above.


What else is new?


A special order butterfly wing to be made into a necklace. I've never had a butterfly like this, I am so mesmerized by the metallic wings.

A few new pendants/necklaces. I have to decide if they are going to a local (MA) store or in my Etsy shop. I always want them in my Etsy shop, so everyone can see my new work.
But I can't forget the locals!

I have a new computer! This is very exciting, because I won it in a local raffle to benefit a church that had been fighting very hard to stay open, and finally won. The church is 100 years old, the same age as my grandmother who attends!

I cant believe how FAST computers are these days- haha, I just needed some extra space to make it sail. This one has 4x the space than my last one. Wow. My old one was at the edge...

I'm also playing with the new photo editor, so these pictures are the first test. I will head to my old computer and check the brightness/contrast to make sure I've got the images looking like they are in real life. If the colors dont match I will have to rework them.

One more thing- Dont forget to follow me on Facebook!
I'm often there and would love to see you!

Facebook.com/PopkoShop

More SNOW!

What am I up to? Here's a view out my studio window. It's nice and big and gorgeous, and is one of the reasons I can lock myself in here and work- the VIEW!

Lately the view has been pretty WHITE!

This isnt even half the snow, It looks like a dusting compared to what we've had here in Massachusetts. John decided to load up the firewood onto a sled to drag it around the house. Having a fireplace is one of my favorite features everrrrrrr. I hated when the neighbor cut his old trees down, but we got the wood!!

Also, we've got a snow cave/tunnel. Its all the sidewalk snow piled up and John, resident outdoor activity director, dug it out. This is my little niece trying it out.

What else am I doing? Making things. Orders. I have a LOT lined up. Almost too much to do. I am fortunate, but man, its a little intimidating when someone asks for 50 necklaces. WOW! So I must plug along and play in the snow a little, and work a lot. Its good, because when the weather warms up, it wont be as easy to stay inside!

I made these this week. They are all in the mail to their owners as I type!

Aaaannnd...one more thing! New in the shop, customizable little hearts. I LOVE them! They are little silver hearts that I sculpt myself, and fire. I got a new stamping set, and can hammer in and letter of the alphabet that you choose. Here you go: custom heart on etsy.

I don't want to leave you with all businessy stuff this time. Here's my snow-angel niece!