fantasy art and tree chatter of aquariann

I wear skull accessories year-round, but pumpkin jewelry is strictly reserved for autumn. Why remind myself during other seasons that there's no pumpkin cheesecake to be found on dessert menus? I can be scary if the food I'm craving isn't available. Beaded Embellishments' crystal cluster necklace combines a sugar skull charm and pumpkin bead into a Halloween treat. The drop cluster sparkles with various shapes and sizes of black Swarovski pearls and orange, black and green Swarovski crystals that have been wire wrapped with sterling silver wire and attached to a silver-plated chain. A 14mm black onyx round bead is wire wrapped and attached to an antique silver-plated swirl link. The cluster is suspended on a 28" silver-plated textured oval chain with a silver-plated bail. The Halloween necklace fastens with a sterling silver lobster claw clasp, embellished by orange and black Swarovski beads on each side. Disclaimer: The handmade necklace above received the...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Milù Bijoux for submitting the randomly-chosen 527th entry. Before you know it, the holiday season will be in full swing! Forget about hanging the stockings with care, the crystal bib necklace above will knock the socks off the other guests at a Christmas party. Arni of OSOFREE Jewellery is gifting it to one lucky lady. The bold 4" bib features a black crystal surrounded by a Victorian-style filigree element atop two gold-plated metal discs. The entire statement necklace measures 17" with glass beads, acrylic beads and brass findings. Every one-of-a-kind necklace in Arni's Etsy shop looks like a work of art, so it was no surprise to discover that she received a bachelor of fine art degree from J. J. School of Art. After graduating, she realized she had a passion for jewelry. A course at GIA in California kick started her career as a jewelry designer. Now she offers her couture designs to unique women around the w...

"Men say that in this midnight hour, The disembodied have power To wander as it liketh them, By wizard oak and fairy stream." - William Motherwell Last weekend I took a broom ride to Rehoboth Beach's Sea Witch Festival parade for the first time ever. I've seen the sea witch balloon mascot in ads for years, but didn't realize there were so many other billowing balloons in the procession! The seahorse balloon was my favorite, but I couldn't resist tying the three Halloween balloons together into an animated gif. 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!

I always have sky-high hopes to sink my claws into decorating for Halloween, but as usual, my intentions were buried six feet under other events this year. Browsing holiday home decor still makes me purr, though. Maeve Star of Mad Maiden's Emporium 's handmade decoration ideas include primitive black cat doll by Wickedly Creative, painted black cat gourd ornament by The Root Cellar and my Halloween fridge magnet . Treasuries shared by readers between October 29 - November 4, 2013 Samhain Spirits Autumn is Awesome! A homespun winter holiday Collect moments Saturday Night Out

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Eugenie Wu for submitting the randomly-chosen 634th entry. I've had enough of the October rain, but at least it grew some magnificent mushrooms. If you're lucky, a ceramic mushroom could pop up in your home for free. Ildi of Ceraminic is giving away a $25 gift card to her pottery shop to one winner. The adorable spoon rest above is just one of dozens of decorative plates available. She sculpts them in a variety of cute shapes, including fish, flowers and fruits. You may remember Ildi from the jewelry giveaway I hosted for her other shop, Lemone Rouge , which features just her shiny stud earrings. If you had a hard time picking your favorite handmade piece then, just wait until you see her ceramic rings and necklaces! Not to mention her whimsical ornaments that can brighten your walls year-round or deck the halls for holidays. <a href="http://blog.aquariann.com/2013/10/ceramic-plate-giveaway-gift-card.html...

The 2013 Halloween Shop Hop Linky has crawled back into its grave until next year! Thanks to the ghouls that played this year. Congratulations to Beaded Embellishments for her crystal cluster necklace getting the most clicks. Below is an Etsy treasury of submissions that are still available to buy at time of update. Halloween Orange and Black C... beadedembellis... $70 ...

"He is the cheese to my macaroni." - Juno You may have noticed how quiet I've been this week - that's because my fingers were busy stuffing my mouth with delicious food in the Historic Triangle of Virginia for Ogre's birthday. Monday we went to Riverwalk Restaurant in Yorktown and I ordered the lobster mac & cheese bisque to keep me warm. Despite the chilly shade and strange looks from the staff, we looney lovebirds opted to dine on the patio to enjoy the breathtaking river view. 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!

"People once believed that, when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead." - The Crow By the sixth day of rain last week, I thought it only appropriate to upcycle an old masquerade mask with black feathers and dress as a crow for an early Halloween costume party. It can't rain all the time, right? 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 Eugenie Wu for submitting the randomly-chosen 374th entry. The world has been gray in Delaware this week, due to it raining cats and dogs. I look forward to the clouds finally parting and revealing the earth tones of autumn. If the weather is also gloomy where you live, brighten up with the hope that you could win a $25 gift card to Bunny Burrow Boutique . Mary Ellen has several handmade and vintage accessories to choose from in her Etsy shop. She offers beautiful beaded jewelry in fall colors, like the memory wire bracelet above. And even when the sun is shining, her shop is always raining rabbit earrings. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter to win jewelry giveaway before 11:59pm EST on November 5, 2013. Be sure to leave the mandatory comment on the blog post with the same name you use to fill out the Rafflecopter - all entries by winner must be easily verified or a new winner will be chosen. Not including usernames when ...

Last weekend, I adorned myself from head to toe in pink for a breast cancer awareness 5K in Delaware. That's not an exaggeration - I wanted to show off my new bright pink scarf from Smiles by JEM , but it was too warm in the morning to wear around my neck, so I tied it into a headband instead! By afternoon, it was even hotter (did I mention I got sunburned in OCTOBER?!) so I tied it around my waist instead. I'm impressed that the scarf was versatile enough for me to wear in gorgeous 80-degree weather. The temperature has dropped 15 degrees in the last few days and I'm ready to wear it around my neck like the model to the left. Isn't it cool how the colors fade from flamenco pink to light pink in an ombré style? The pink cotton scarf is handwoven and measures measures 17" x 70." Janelle and her partner Megan live in Ventura County, CA but travel to Thailand to make and design all scarves. In fact, they just flew there this week! But don't dismay, their...

"I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty." - Georgia O'Keeffe The orchid house in the conservatory at Longwood Gardens is immense, but these magenta pink orchids are one of my favorite kinds! 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 Evelyn Chuter for submitting the randomly-chosen 657th entry. I may have gotten sunburnt today, but the unseasonably warm weather won't last forever! Soon there won't be any butterflies to be found, unless you're the lucky one to win the beautiful butterfly bracelet above from Rebecca of Winged Art by Athenianaire . The double-sided bracelet features two bold species in a .75" diameter circle of silver-coated rhodium to match a wide range of outfits. The shown orange, yellow and black side is a Delias butterfly, and the other side is a Morpho Didius, known for its highly reflective deep blue wings. The lepidopterans Rebecca uses to create her real butterfly jewelry are bred on farms all over the globe, including countries of southeast Asia, the south pacific, south and central America. The rearing of these insects for education, art, inspiration and export help fund organizations dedicated to protecting the uni...

Unless you're color blind, you've probably noticed that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Branch out to Beadmask , Athenianaire , Purple Peacock Jewels and Life is the Bubbles for pink jewelry and costume accessories. Beadmask's leather masquerade mask will make you the prettiest pink fairy at a breast cancer awareness fundraiser or Halloween costume party. The simple design is painted in pearlescent bubblegum pink with shimmering peach accents, then dusted with ultrafine glitter for even more sparkle. The handcrafted leather mask measures about 5.5" x 11" and ties with gorgeous stretch lace straps. It's part of an open-ended series that she offers in every color of the rainbow. Athenianaire's pink butterfly necklace is even beautiful from the back. The double-sided glass pendant features a swiveling bail to show off both sides of a Citharias aurorina butterfly wing. The delicately small butterfly is known for his bright pink and clear win...