fantasy art and tree chatter of aquariann

EDIT: Giveaway is officially closed. Congratulations to Marjolein Kucmer for submitting the randomly chosen 293rd entry. I missed the moon earlier in the week - it felt like the rain clouds weren't ever going to part. But no matter the weather, the Luna Essence Etsy shop is always aglow. Jewelry artist Diana is even giving away a $25 gift card to spend on her celestial creations. The winner could choose from a myriad of gleaming pieces, including the golden bronzite beaded necklace choker above. Stargazing through her handmade store, it's no surprise that Diana is seeker of beauty. She became so intrigued by gemstones that she taught herself to craft jewelry a few years ago. Several of her designs include flower beads, so it also wasn't shocking to discover she used to be a floral designer until she became too ill to work 12-hour shifts. Fortunately, her health doesn't stop her from exploring and learning creative techniques to make unique jewelry and reclaimed ha...

I left the tree to travel down the coast for the Art of the Belly dance festival last weekend. Unfortunately, it was too chilly to go dancing on the beach, but my friends and I had a breathtaking view of the ocean from the 16th floor of the Carousel Hotel. And there was still plenty of dancing to be entranced by inside. I wore my favorite brown buckle boots in honor of Tempest's Adventures in Steampunk workshop the entire time. By the time I got home, my feet were in need of pampering. How wonderful that new organic bath and body products by Dawn of Dewdropz Garden were waiting for me! She picked out the perfect scent of Palo Santo sugar scrub cubes for me, Sacred Forest. All I had to do was bring one cube into the shower and massage into skin - no mess or fuss about trying to use loose bath crystals without getting the rest wet. The soap-free exfoliator is naturally handcrafted with minimal ingredients for maximum yumminess. Its divine effects called my inner dance goddess back...

"Then come the wild weather, come sleet or come snow, we will stand by each other, however it blow." - Simon Dach I don't think the spring flowers were expecting snow this week. I know I wasn't. 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 Kirsty Fox for submitting the randomly chosen 104th entry. It is a shame I didn't shimmy over to the Golden Hands Design Etsy shop sooner - I would have loved to show off a pair of Cathy's barefoot sandals at the Art of the Belly dance festival 2013 this weekend. But if you're lucky, your feet could wear these unique handmade accessories for free in time for warm weather! Cathy is giving away a $25 gift card credit to one winner. Choose wisely and you could even pick out two pairs! Or add some money of your own and dance away with one of her amazing crochet shawls, slouch hats or bohemian tops for women. Cathy's mom taught her to knit and crochet when she was just a teen. As she grew older, she learned to quilt, cook and craft anything under the sun. Her hands always seemed to be into a new project, which prompted her eighty-year-old Italian grandmother to tell her, "Now ... you have the Golden Hands....

"And the seasons, they go round and round, And the painted ponies go up and down. We're captive on the carousel of time." - The Circle Game by Joni Mitchell Did you spot my Ogre? I flipped through our Myrtle Beach vacation photos a few times before noticing him in a reflection on the beautiful merry-go-round at Barefoot Landing. 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 closed. Congratulations to Anna Wang for submitting the randomly chosen 665th entry. Are you getting ready for swimsuit season? My parents won us a free membership to the local YMCA so I've been working out more often ... and wearing less dangle earrings so I don't get hit in the face. If you also want to sparkle at the gym or the beach or anywhere in the universe, sprint over to the Hope Starbound Etsy shop. Jewelry artist (and computer scientist) Brittany makes stud earrings using professional grade resin, covered in a super-secret high shine lacquer. And here's a treat that won't go to your thighs - she's giving away two pairs of earrings from her handmade shop, winner's choice! I just have an addiction to glitter and peridot green, so I couldn't resist picking the pair above to share. Her big stud earrings are available in a rainbow of colors and patterns. A massive amount of them are galaxy jewelry, featuring starburst...

"The skull is nature's sculpture." - David Bailey This massively cool mosaic skull mirror guards the Pirates Treasure House in Little River, NC. 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!

Any fellow Oz book fans go to see Disney's new Wizard of Oz movie on opening weekend, too? "Oz the Great and Powerful" introduced Finley, a sweet bellhop that could have been the older brother to my flying monkey drawing ! Kathy of Bay Moon Design included my winged monkey bookmark, rainbow sock monkey by Tote-ally Bags and M is for Monkey brooch by ME2 Designs in a wonderful Wizard of Oz gift guide. Treasuries shared by readers between March 12 - March 18, 2013 Flying Monkey from the Wizard of Oz The Artsy Side of Skeleton Keys Bloom where you are planted! ITALIA MI AMORE A sweet morning Green Celebration! Kaleidoscope Soft Spring in Pink and Green The Luck of the Irish Comes to Delaware wherever i'm with you... Bring on the Luck of the Green HELLO WEEKEND! Rainbows ... One of My Favorite Things Waves of Brown and Blue Joys of the Garden

March Madness makes me daydream of Alice in Wonderland, not basketball. So I finally colored my white rabbit sketch from last year! The drawing illustrates the opening scene in the book: Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, “and what is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversations?” So she was considering, in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her. There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!" (when she thought it over af...

Do you have your green outfit picked out for St. Patrick's Day 2013? Branch out to Athenianaire , Beadmask , oBo Creations , Thyme2dream , 7PM Boutique , Life is the Bubbles , and Kunoichi Creations for green necklaces to buy as Saint Patrick's Day gifts to yourself. Athenianaire's green butterfly wing necklace is a double sided glass pendant on a swiveling bail so it's almost like getting two pendants for the price of one! The stunning side shown is a wing of Callithea philotima, also known as Darwin's Butterfly. But be careful the pendant doesn't turn if it's the only green you wear on St. Patrick's Day - you don't want to get pinched! The other side features the wing of a Morpho menelaus butterfly, known for its iridescent aqua blue color. Beadmask's green leaf necklace was hand crafted from high quality tooling leather. It was hand cut, shaped, carved and painted to resemble a Japanese maple leaf - although she's been told it'...

EDIT: The Winter 2012 Snowflake Blog Hop Linky may be closed, but don't let that stop you from blogging about snow and sharing it by commenting on this post. Or you can drift over to my current blog hop for a new theme. For my seasonal hop this winter, I challenge my fellow bloggers to bundle up and play in the snow. You can paint, craft or bake new creations to share, or feature your favorite snowflake-inspired items by other artists. It is entirely up to you how you wish to celebrate the chilly theme; just have fun floating about! This linky party will keep flurrying until melted by another challenge near the spring equinox, so you have plenty of time to participate. Featured Snowflake Images: Personalized Snowflake Fairy Wand by Amongst Lovely Things Snow Queen Snowflake Couture Tutu by My Sweetie Bean Snow Queen Tattoo Thigh-high Snowflake Stockings by Tattoo Socks Handcut Paper Valentine Snowflake Heart Art by Sienna B Snowflake Leather Mask in White by Tom B...

If you want to transform into a fairy without the gummy mess of prosthetic ears, let Sigyn of Kunoichi Creations be your magic wand. She crafts elf ear cuffs in several stunning shapes, including the fantastic filigree leaf earring cuff to the right. All designs twist around the ear gracefully without any adhesive - or piercings - required! A variety of enameled copper wire colors are available to match any fantasy costume. She'll even hunt down a different wire material for those with allergies, just ask! Although Sigyn has been designing jewelry since she was very young, she didn't start creating items inspired by her favorite myths and fantasy/science fiction games until 2011. She confides, "I discovered a passion for transforming the fantastical into reality through my products, and after many attempts, I'm finally finding ways to get that enthusiasm out there to share it with more people." Now that she's selling on Etsy, craft shows and Renaissance Fai...

"And what's romance? Usually, a nice little tale where you have everything as you like it, where rain never wets your jacket and gnats never bite your nose, and it's always daisy-time." - DH Lawrence Sadly, I finally had to surrender my wilted birthday bouquet back to the earth - but this pink daisy will be in full digital bloom forever. 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 Elisa Giocosa for submitting the randomly chosen 480th entry. It may still feel like winter outside, but before long, the weather will turn warm enough to leave the windows open at night. The rustling of leaves and faraway owl hoots will soar through the night. But if you can't wait that long, the cute owl necklace above could be yours for free. Polly of This Enchanted Pixie is giving one winner a $25 gift card to spend on her beautiful bohemian jewellery. Polly is a full time, home-schooling mama to three gorgeous girls. They spend their days covered in glue and glitter, learning her love of art, the earth and music. Evenings are spent sitting around the fire-pit, strumming guitars and telling stories, creating memories to last for years. The joy she gets from life is evident in her handmade jewelry designs - from bird necklaces to feather earrings to flower rings. <a href="http://blog.aquariann.com/2013/03/bo...