Hearty thanks to JustEarrings and bitchenstichen for including my work in two neato treasuries! Have a peek:
-Lavender Fields
-Awesome Baltimore

The Golden Egg vol.12

My golden egg this week goes to darling strawberryluna. The work of this artist is bright, modern, and lively. She is a screenprinter, which is an elaborate and painstaking art process that results in a limited set of bold, colorful prints. She is very prolific, updating frequently. You'll find gigposters of some familiar bands here, as well as an adorable animal aphabet series, some art prints, cards, tees, stickers, and something really neat called test prints. Test prints are one of a kind, the result of many layers of trying out designs one on top of the other to ensure the screen is really ready for printing. They are all different, and since I really enjoy her work, I appreciate the way the test prints "quote" her other finished prints in colors, text, and images.

This recipe is just too awesome to sit on any longer. Yes, it's not relevant to beading or Etsy, but I made them again tonight, and I'm simply undone. I may never pay for box brownies again.

GOOD GOD Brownies:
Blend:
1 1/2 sticks melted butter
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix in a separate bowl:
2 C sugar
1 1/2 C flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 C cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt

Bake for 25 minutes in greased 9x13" pan. (I added 10 min baking time to mine, your oven could be different)

Frosting:
1/2 box confectioner's sugar
1/2 stick butter
1/4 C cocoa

Mix and add enough milk to make spreadable. Spread on warm brownies. Cut when cool.

Now, normally I am a brownie purist, and enjoy them best without frosting, but this particular variety works so spectacularly in concert with the brownie that I strongly recommend adding it. If you are already a fan of Texas cake, you'll want to try this recipe. YUM!

***Also: Many thanks to collage artist JBlackDesigns, who has kindly included my Dogwood earrings in her unique blog. On Sundays, she chooses a poem she loves and illustrates it with images of Etsy items she likes! How cool is that?

Thank you to dollcloset for including my Tahiti Earrings in her adorable spring treasury! Way to go on making the front page!

The Golden Egg vol. 11

My roommate and I have been going bonkers over WynnDrew, an Etsy seller with fabulous bath and body products, and the stuff we've tried from them is simply decadent. I decided it's high time I gave these folks a shout out. So far, we have used, with great success and satisfaction: Elated Body Butter, Lime and Coconut Soap, Almond Spice Lip Balm (It's the bomb!)and a selection of custom products they have been kind enough to develop! I am most keen on the Cranberry Lime Sugar scrub. I am hoping they will start listing it on the site, because it smells just GODLY and leaves your skin exquisitely soft. All the items are packaged in a charming, adorable way, suitable for gifts or just for treating yourself. As an added bonus, they're all organic! These people are so nice, and their passion for what they do crystal clear in all their work and communication with customers. Please visit their Etsy site, and if you harbor a secret wish for that perfect product at a perfect price, convo them right away!

Here's a rundown on some of the exciting things going on in my Etsy world:

1. A giveaway of a new set of my napkin rings is running on the Baltimore Etsy Street Team Blog. To win, choose the item you want most (there is a selection from local Baltimore artists on Etsy) make a comment on the post, and join the BEST mailing list. They are very kind and won't bury you in spam. Emails are sent only a few times a year, so please consider joining up!
2. A giveaway of my Sakura Earrings is running at WishingWillow. This runs out Monday, so if you want to win them, make a comment on the post or twitter. These lovely folks have the nicest write-up about my shop! Thanks, WishingWillow!
3. Sedgeworks was kind enough to include my Set of 4 Sorbet Blossom cards in a treasury that made the front page! Thank you, sedgeworks! This set is now sold, but take a peek at my other cards if you want a piece of the action. As with most of my work, the individual cards are one of a kind, totally handmade. No die-cuts or tracers. Ink images are drawn by hand- no stamps or printing. A little original work of art!
4. On my flickr page, I've added images of four of my latest creations- two necklaces, a bracelet, and a pair of earrings.
5. I've completed three new pairs of earrings so far today, and I'm hoping that tomorrow I will be able to take images of them. Keep tabs on the flickr page to get the first peek.
6. A BEST buddy of mine, nfall2rt tagged me with the task of posting seven things about me. That was February 23rd. Meanwhile, I was working on my list of 20 things which will go up at the BEST blog at some point, so I thought why not go ahead and do 13 better. Sorry it's been so long in coming, N! I'll link to it in my Into the Woods section on the left. Whew!
   

The Golden Egg vol. 10

Hi folks! This week's winner is Miss Jamie Christina of PrettyDitty. I can recommend this seller personally, as I have purchased two of her darling aprons. They are beautifully made, functional, and refreshingly feminine! Her fabric choices are charming and lively, and are generally more lightweight that that of other aprons. She's added some dressy details like rouching at the bust and an extra-wide, figure flattering tie closer that works on your front or back. So many of those other aprons give us ladies a boxy appearance, especially when they're made with canvas or other super heavy-duty materials. But, Jamie C takes something as pedestrian in purpose as the kitchen apron and makes it seem downright saucy! They're fit to be seen at a fabulous party. Wear them with a wink, and sing a little ditty, too.

The Golden Egg vol. 9

This week's belated (though equally sincere) Golden Egg goes to theCandyTheif! I own a headband made by this talented lady, and I get compliments every time I wear it. Her color choices are unique and sophisticated. She uses simple felt and transforms it into something elegant and organic. You'll find layers of feather and leaflike forms combined with impeccable skill and strength. The craftsmanship is just exquisite! The care and attention to detail she puts into these pieces is simply wonderful. The headbands all have a section of elastic at the bottom so a variety of heads should fit within them. She is having a "March Madness" sale this month, so do check it out!