fantasy art and tree chatter of aquariann

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Gloria for submitting the randomly chosen 325th entry. Don't go loony if you didn't win - you can still get 10% off anything at Dzign by Jamie by using coupon code "FAIRYDEAL" before May 31, 2012. Moms love receiving personalized items from their children. If you've grown past making macaroni art or coupon books, hand stamped jewelry is a unique idea for a Mother's Day (or any holiday) gift. Dzign by Jamie offers several sweet designs that can be customized with names or adorable stick figures. In even better news, she's giving away a $30 gift card! That's enough to buy a monogrammed three initial brass necklace AND my favorite piece, the hand cut moon necklace above, for free. Jamie not only makes lovely metal jewelry - she also creates amazing lampwork beads. You may recognize her bird, cat and other cute creatures from when her shop used to be called Glasstastic Treasures. For those women ...

If you want to keep your head, don't let the Dark Queen catch you sneaking around the new Fantasy Artists of Etsy exhibition ! The Etsy Mini below is just a glimpse at the dark art, gothic jewelry and costume accessories that she's entrapped in her glorious garden. EDIT: The Dark Queen's Garden has been replaced by another exhibition, but click on the screenshot below to view all the FAE items currently for sale that are tagged with the word "queen."

"How do you get to wonderland Over the hill or underland or just behind the tree When clouds go rolling by They roll away and leave the sky Where is the land beyond the eye That people cannot see Where can it be?" - Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland Theme Song Flutter to my Wordless Wednesday Directory for a list of blogs that regularly host WW Linky Parties. Grab my button as a reminder to return next week for more photography fun! <a href="http://blog.aquariann.com/search/label/wordless%20wednesday" target="_blank"><img src="http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee329/aquariann/blog/wordless/125x125-wordless.jpg" alt="Wordless Wednesday" border="0" /></a>

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Paula for submitting the randomly chosen 168th entry. Anyone else may still use coupon code "AQUARIANNROCKS20" during checkout to receive 20% off at Bunny Burrow Boutique before May 31, 2012. 2011 may have been the Year of the Hare, but cute rabbits are just now popping up all over my blog! Mary Ellen of Bunny Burrow Boutique is giving away a $25 gift card for one reader to run wild through the fields of her jewelry shop. Many of her beaded bracelets, necklaces and earrings are rabbit-themed. Other pretty pieces feature cat, butterfly and flower charms. Mary Ellen is a huge supporter of rabbits; each month she donates to a different recipient. In April she's donating a $1 from every item sold to Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue, the House Rabbit Society Chapter for the state of Rhode Island. Every adorable accessory benefits bunnies, how sweet is that?! <a href="http://blog.aquariann.com/2012/04/jewelry-giv...

"In the cherry blossom's shade there's no such thing as a stranger." - Kobayashi Issa Flutter to my Wordless Wednesday Directory for a list of blogs that regularly host WW Linky Parties. Grab my button as a reminder to return next week for more photography fun! <a href="http://blog.aquariann.com/search/label/wordless%20wednesday" target="_blank"><img src="http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee329/aquariann/blog/wordless/125x125-wordless.jpg" alt="Wordless Wednesday" border="0" /></a>

EDIT: Giveaway is officially closed. Congratulations to Ellen for submitting the randomly chosen 153rd entry. Anyone may still use coupon code "SPRING10GRG" to receive 10% off at Green Ribbon Gems during checkout before May 31, 2012. Delaware is known as the "Small Wonder" ... so it's not surprising that so many talented souls call it home. Genevieve of Green Ribbon Gems is an Oregon native, but now resides clear across the country. She's a fellow proud member of the Delaware Etsy Street Team . But you don't have to live in America's second smallest state to have a chance at the $25 gift card she's giving away! The winner will have quite a task choosing just one listing from the ten pages of glittering jewelry in her Etsy shop. Her beautiful brigade of handmade earrings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, and bridal accessories are crafted from Swarovski crystal, semi-precious gemstones, pearls, glass, copper, antique brass and solid sterling...

My cousins live in Florida, so I don't get to see them very often. In September 2010, I flew down to visit (you may remember the photograph I shared of the chicken at Popeyes in Oviedo) and met MichelleZ for the first time. As if I weren't impressed enough by her delicious lemon icebox pie - she told me about many other creative outlets she enjoys. Amongst them is paper quilling, where the artist coils and shapes narrow strips of paper into an intricate design. I have been in awe of the detailed little creatures she makes ever since. And am very proud that she officially joined our family last year. Today is her and my cousin Carlo's 1st anniversary! A couple weeks ago she surprised me with her newest creation, a dragon! This quilled paper artwork is made with two-tone green strips for the head and wings, solid apricot strips for the body and tail, and solid medium gray strips for the swirly border edge. Techniques include quilling, scrolling, edging, shaping, outlining...

"Awake, thou wintry earth - Fling off thy sadness! Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth Your ancient gladness!" - Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn" Flutter to my Wordless Wednesday Directory for a list of blogs that regularly host WW Linky Parties. Grab my button as a reminder to return next week for more photography fun! <a href="http://blog.aquariann.com/search/label/wordless%20wednesday" target="_blank"><img src="http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee329/aquariann/blog/wordless/125x125-wordless.jpg" alt="Wordless Wednesday" border="0" /></a>

I hope all my recent rabbit-themed posts aren't driving my readers as mad as a March hare, because look what hopped my way in time for Easter! I won this adorable bunny necklace from Donna of Lavender Rabbit , whose work you may recognize from another jewelry giveaway I hosted back in November. The Fab Furs, as she calls them, are four bunny friends that have been carved from environmentally friendly animal bone. The uniquely cute pendant is attached to an 18" antique bronze chain that closes with a lobster clasp. This necklace is certainly one of the sweetest handmade prizes I've won. And what's more, it wasn't even a computer that pronounced me the random winner. Donna enlisted the help of her bunny crew ! She even photographed Cooper Super Dooper picking my name out the bag with his smooshy little bunny face. Donna hosts monthly giveaways on her Lavender Rabbit Hoppenings blog so scamper over there to meet her and her sweet pets.

EDIT: Giveaway is officially closed. Congratulations to Michelle for submitting the randomly chosen 796th entry. Anyone can still get 10% off to Elfling Creations by using coupon code "GIVEAWAYELFLING12" during checkout before May 31, 2012. Many Americans may dread mid April because of Tax Day, but Meri of Elfling Creations has a reason to rejoice. April 16th marks the 5th year since she opened her Etsy shop. To celebrate her Etsyversary with her fans, she's giving away a $25 gift card! The winner may have a tough choice deciding what magical accessory to spend it on. I'd choose the pink and black butterfly chainmaille necklace above in a heartbeat, but that's because I already own a pair of her costume dragon horns and crocheted elf ears, which you can see me wearing in my FaerieCon 2009 collage. Meri makes pretty much anything if she can get her hands on the supplies. She began creating jewelry as a child, stringing plastic beads into necklaces for her m...

"Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark." - Rabindranath Tagore Flutter to my Wordless Wednesday Directory for a list of blogs that regularly host WW Linky Parties. Grab my button as a reminder to return next week for more photography fun! <a href="http://blog.aquariann.com/search/label/wordless%20wednesday" target="_blank"><img src="http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee329/aquariann/blog/wordless/125x125-wordless.jpg" alt="Wordless Wednesday" border="0" /></a>

This is no April Fool's Day joke - a new drawing finally tumbled from my fingers! Seeing the wonderful Alice in Wonderland exhibit at the Noyes Museum a couple weeks ago motivated me to sketch my own White Rabbit art . Rabbit pencil sketch is inked with black Sakura Pigma Micron Pens onto ACEO sized Strathmore Smooth Bristol Paper and soon to be hopping around in Prismacolor pencils . Scamper over to Sunday Sketches to see more art by creative souls.