Pretty Handmade Jewelry

Hey there! The last few weeks I've been really busy with school, and my blogging has really been sparse. But I'm back with another Handmade Stuff feature! This time I'm featuring some unique jewelry from some creative Etsy artists. Enjoy!


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{ONE}
If you haven't heard of White Owl's stunning and delicate lace jewelry yet, the time is now. The way they use each piece of lace is so creative! You MUST check out their shop, I wanted to add every single one of their pieces to my favorites.

{TWO}
There are three things I love about this bracelet: the combination of gold and jade green, the combining of different textures, and the tiny bell - which probably sounds like a fairy has come to play every time you move your arm. For an Etsy shop, BrassLady has A TON, and I mean A LOT, of items up for sale. And to put the cherry on top, everything is priced really well.

{THREE}
I find this necklace rather unique. It is a chevron shape, but unlike most other chevron necklaces out there, which are very straight-edged and geometric, FriedaSophie's is made of natural-looking, rough-edged beads. Plus, the colors are amazing.

{FOUR}
What more can be said about embroidered jewelry?! It's so pretty, it doesn't need explaining. Visit Abbey Vanderlin's shop!

That's all this month! Please visit their shops and show them some love by favoriting, buying, or pinning their items! Let's help support the handmade community.

Retro Mini Dress

After painting my nails a bright red, I was in the retro mood, so cinched myself into this (really short) dress. On a hot, NOT windy day, this dress is wonderful, and makes me feel so breezy.

I love this bag. Every time I wear it I feel instantly cooler and more interesting, probably because I got it at a thrift store for about $5, and that makes me feel great. Great deals are great!

I curled my hair, parted it to the side, and pinned my bangs into a subtle twist, which is sorta like a very tiny victory roll.

I've realized I need to start buying more accessories. All I own are earrings! I've been wanting to wear bangles or stacked bracelets, but I don't own any! My plan is to find some cool gold-colored ones at thrift or vintage stores. I think I used to feel intimidated by any non-earring jewelry, but I'm ready to be adventurous!

Dress: F21
Flats: F21
Bag: Thrifted
Nail Polish: Sephora

Treasury - Pattern, Shape, and Color

In class, we've been studying Henri Matisse and Fauvism of the very early 20th Century. The characteristics of their paintings are: the love of surface patterning using flat shapes, and the unashamed use of pure, bright color (perhaps my next art history post will be about these rad dudes). I was inspired by this mini art movement, but replaced their super-saturated color palettes for a more refined and soothing one.

I had to research color names, and these are the three I came up with to describe this Treasury: light azure, pale peach, and camel. It's fun to search color terms in Google images and see what pops up... or maybe that's just a weird quirk of mine!




If you click here, you can take a closer look at each fantastically minimalist/modernist item. :)

Color Palette - Sea Breeze

Color Palette time! I love these soft blues, browns, and taupes, so serene. I actually have this image for sale in a set of two in my Etsy shop! I thought it would make a great color palette.


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Doesn't that turquoise dress look really fuzzy and comfortable?! And that Anthropologie throw is calling my name.

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Clothing/Sandals from ASOS
Blanket from Anthropologie

The Beach

I've lived five minutes away from the beach for almost a year now, but despite the fact that sunshine, sand, and the soothing sound of waves are at my fingertips, I've been to the beach only a few times! Something about that isn't right. Warmer days are just around the corner, and I should spend more time enjoying the beach.

Three things I want this summer:
(1) Spend more time outdoors
(2) Go blonder
(3) Feel confident in a bikini

Here are a few photos from my little beach outing last week:





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Anybody else excited for warmer weather?

What sort of outdoor places do you prefer to spend time at?

DIY: Paint Swatch Art

Don't you love all those paint swatch DIY projects you see on Pinterest? Well, I've decided to make one of my own! Introducing Darla Dear's paint swatch art. It's super easy, and there are a million variations in color, composition, size, and shape, that no one will ever be identical.


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First off, I dug out my old paint swatches from an art class I took a while back. I painted these swatches using gouache paint, a highly pigmented watercolor, but if you don't have paint, or don't have the energy to paint your own (it takes a while), you most certainly can use the paint swatches you get from hardware and home improvement stores if you like.

Next, I cut each of my paint squares into irregularly-shaped ovals, which remind me of smooth pebbles in a river.


I then played around with composition until I found something I liked. I had to cut down my paper size to match the amount of color swatches I had. You don't want too much negative space, unless that's what you're going for.


Once I found an arrangement I liked, I glued each piece down, starting from the bottom and working my way up, so that each piece layered on top of one another like scales. I like art that has dimension.

I thought it looked a bit empty just with the color swatches, so I drew in some lines.


And, that's it! Have fun with this, and if you do any sort of art project, add a link to your blog post about it in the comments! I'd love to see your creativity! Happy DIYing! (as a side note, check out my nail! I painted them all fancy)



This is my first diy tutorial, and I'm afraid I may have accidentally left an important step out. If you have any questions, please comment!

(arrow in top image from hello vanny)

Still Life

Before I begin, I have to mention a grammatical nuance that is rather confusing to me, and now I am second guessing every single punctuation mark and word I've ever written in my entire life because of it.  What is the plural of "Still Life"?  There can only be two options, "Still Lifes" or "Still Lives."  Neither of them look right, so I'm going to opt for something completely different: still life photographs and/or paintings.  Problem solved! 

I've always loved pictures and paintings of objects, the way items are placed and lit can be so beautiful.  A still life has the power to turn ordinary objects such as fruit, a bowl, or a vase into something magical.  The thing I love about photographing inanimate objects is that I can compose them exactly how I envision, and they never complain.  However, I have yet to photograph a still life that I truly feel satisfied with and proud of.  In my eyes, there's always something missing.  I was able to use natural light from my three fantastic windows, and I found these flowers near my house, but the colors weren't exactly what I had wanted.  BUT, I can always use practice, so here it is!

I'm not sure which, if any, I should post for sale on Etsy.  Any thoughts?  Do my readers have a favorite?

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