fantasy art and tree chatter of aquariann

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Rab Pom for submitting the randomly chosen 938th entry. If you're feeling blue about summer ending soon, brighten your mood with some sparkles! Jacqui of Daisy-Doo is giving away the Swarovski crystal bracelet above to one lucky lady. She's alternated one of Swarovski's latest 2012-2013 Autumn/Winter color releases, Denim Blue, with Light Azure crystals and sterling silver spacer beads. The calm color scheme will keep the winner looking cool during the chillier seasons. The blue bracelet even has a silver extension chain, so the clasp can be secured anywhere from 7.5 to 8.5 inches long. It will arrive professionally packaged in a 2 piece white leatherette box, embossed with silver Daisy-Doo logo. Jacqui designs a variety of sparkly products using Swarovski crystals and elements, from pearl necklaces to wedding tiaras to Christmas ornaments. However, she specializes in personalizing bracelets as gifts to loved ones...

"Stretching his hand up to reach the stars, too often man forgets the flowers at his feet." - Jeremy Bentham 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!

If reading art blogs makes you glow, flit on over to Pencils and Fireflies . The beautiful blogger behind it, Amalia, is a full time independent illustrator and crafts enthusiast. She began the blog during a dark time, when life had stolen away her dreams. Just when the nights were at their blackest, she started doodling again and drew hope back into her heart. Art is her haven, one she invites her readers to take refuge in whenever they feel worn down to the end of an eraser nub. Amalia's made it her personal project to show us that art heals and makes us better people at the end. Her blog focuses on art in all forms. She writes about her life, work, inspirations and passion for art. And although the images from other artists she finds are amazing, my favorite posts are from her In The Studio category. Reading how pieces evolve from daydreams into reality always fascinates me. For example, the charming pair to the left. I wouldn't have guessed Amalia was an insectophobic ...

"My idea of heaven is a great big baked potato and someone to share it with." - Oprah Winfrey Yes, that is a real sweet potato. And yes, the Ogre and I will be enjoying it together, most likely drenched in cinnamon butter. 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!

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Loredana Macrì for submitting the randomly chosen 310th entry. Many flowers have stopped blooming for the summer season, but not at Cap Creations . Cathy's pretty rose necklaces are vibrant all year long. And if you win her $25 gift certificate, you could face the same decision I did when picking periwinkle petals out of the 19-color chart. Although Cathy's resin roses have spread like wildflowers in popularity, she specializes in sterling silver hand stamped jewelry. Cathy can personalize pieces to celebrate anything, from family to faith to ... cupcakes. She even offers an A La Carte section, where you can order charms, pearls or chains to add to accessories you already own. The winner is going to have her work hand cut out for her when deciding how to spend the $25 gift card. <a href="http://blog.aquariann.com/2012/08/jewelry-giveaway-25-gift-card-to-cap.html" target="_blank"><img src...

You may have gleaned from my nature photographs that I am a fan of flowers in any hue. So when Cathy of Cap Creations told me I could choose a pretty rose necklace in one of 19 beautiful colors for hosting her jewelry giveaway (hint hint, nudge nudge - check back after August 20 to enter), I was happily perplexed. Should I go natural with one of the many pink shades? Or perhaps choose black, grey or white to match a multitude of outfits? Of course, autumn is blowing this way, so I'll be wearing more browns and oranges ... No, I couldn't resist the periwinkle rose necklace . I had been pondering why I don't own very much blue jewelry, so now I've taken the first step to remedy that. Plus, the large resin rose is such an interesting blue, almost a purple. Cathy also let me choose the metal tone for the 24 inch chain. I decided on the shiny silver, not realizing just how long it'd be. However, the chain was thick enough that I could easily rig the latch so the flo...

Storybooks still fill my mind with childlike wonder. A stroll around Faerie Moon Creations does the same. The Little Red Riding Hood necklace to the right is only one of seven iconic fairy tale characters that Theresa MacNaughton painted into an enchanting collection. She certainly accomplishes her goal to craft whimsical handmade jewelry and original art that makes your heart sing and has you feeling forever young at heart. When asked what inspires her to create, Theresa replied, "Deer in the woods ... butterflies on flowers ... leaves floating through the air ... the sun shining in the sky, and the stars glowing in the night ... faerie whispers on the wind ... in other words - magic. And it is through this natural magic that I wish to inspire YOU." And to motivate you to give her works a loving home, she's offering Etsy coupon code FAERIE10 to save 10% off your entire purchase, before shipping fees. Most of her jewelry is one-of-a-kind. However, if the Big Bad Wolf...

"Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair..." - Susan Polis Schutz 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!

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Mary Michelotti for submitting the randomly chosen 1142nd entry. You may think you have candy bowls full of time to pick out a costume, but Halloween will creep up and sink its fangs into your neck before you know it. One trick-or-treater will have it made this year. Andrea of Beadmask is giving away a leather mask in winner's choice of base and accent colors. The simply stunning design is called "Little Sprite," but with the right accessories, it can transform its wearer into any fairy, nymph, elemental or magical creature imaginable. I wore my olive green and gold masquerade mask to FaerieCon 2011 as a tree elf. It was amazingly comfortable and flattering to my face shape. Andrea hand cuts each mask from her own original pattern. The quality tooling leather is then sculpted, hand painted and sealed with a protective top coat. The final touch is a gleaming dusting of ultrafine glitter. The entire mask measures ...

"Blue thou art, intensely blue; Flower, whence came thy dazzling hue?" - James Montgomery 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!

Count the grains in a handful of sand and you may come close to how many times I watched The Little Mermaid movie as a child. My best friend and I knew every song by heart. Years later, when reading the Life is the Bubbles! shop name for the first time, Sebastian swam out of the dark abyss of my memory, enthusiastically singing the lyric from "Under the Sea." I coasted into the shop while searching for Pirates of the Caribbean jewelry , such as the Mermaid Tears necklace to the right, but dropped anchor when I saw the abundance of Disney-inspired treasure. Life is the Bubbles! is bursting with magic, from fairy tale necklaces to cartoon earrings to fashion scarves. Mother-daughter team, Brandy and Kathy, see their creations as tangible connections to the magical possibilities we all desire. When asked about their muse, they replied, "Walt Disney, the master of believing the impossible, has been our inspiration. Bringing happiness to others is our aspiration!" ...