Wednesday Wishlist #7 - Well, this is kind of cheating...

... since, actually, I purchased the first gold dipped jade ring pictured last night.

So this is more of a "can't wait" list than a wishlist.
I'll be sure to post properly about this lovely treasure when it makes its way over here from Chicago.

See more stunning jade rings (as well as other types of amazing jewelry) in the AHC shop. 

Lou Reed - I'm So Free (live)

Oh, and I hand in my papers today. 

"Such stuff as dreams are made on"; Ovate & Bloodmilk's Mare Frigoris/Sea Witch, by Ellen Rogers.

A few favourites from the recent Mare Frigoris/Sea Witch shoot for Ovate & Bloodmilk jewels, by the amazing Ellen Rogers.

This collaboration is - to keep up with J.L. Schnabel's Shakespeare inspiration - "such stuff as dreams are made on." See more here. 

Small mercies: a "surprise" necklace.

Wearing (on two consecutive dreary, rainy library afternoons) the Dear oh Deer necklace I won a couple of weeks back on Dianne's blog.

I got back to the UK yesterday and was delighted to discover it on the doormat - with all the hustle and bustle of travelling I had forgotten it would be waiting for me.

I love it; it's even more beautiful in real life. It's times like these I really do wish I owned a digital camera, to do it some form of justice.

Sunday Soundtrack - Grunge Goodness (& Winning A Giveaway!)

I never win anything. But I just won this beauty from Dear oh Deer and am utterly delighted. Spring colours most certainly putting a spring in my step this Sunday afternoon.

Can't wait to post about it properly at some point in the near future...

Mother Love Bone - Stargazer

Throwing Muses - Not Too Soon

So into all of this right now. (I was born two decades too late, blah blah blah).

Wednesday Wishlist #4 - I want... New Dear oh Dear, CAMP and QUARRY and Et Respice Finem.

Dusty Rose - Rhodonite and Chain Collar Necklace by Dear oh Deer.

Glacier Blue - Amazonite & Chain Collar Necklace by Dear oh Deer.

Prehnite Raw Green Crystal Large Chunky Nugget Necklace by CAMP and QUARRY.

Purple Amethyst Crystal Skull Necklace by CAMP and QUARRY.

Triad // Trio of Silver Rings by Et Respice Finem.

Pillars of Creation // Purple Quartz Necklace by Et Respice Finem.

These are just a few wonders from the absolute wealth of jewelry some of my favourite etsy sellers have listed over the past couple of weeks: Dianne of Dear oh Dear, Sarah of CAMP and QUARRY and Lauren of Et Respice Finem.

All images are taken from the listings, linked to below each item.

I reckon I'll treat myself to a new jewel once I get rid of some of the work I keep going on about.

The main challenge will be choosing...

Wednesday Wishlist #3.

Beardmore Glacier blue lace agate stone necklace by Dear Oh Deer. Hand-marbled letter writing set by Over and Out Paper. Splash dyed hand painted tshirt by Two String Jane. Black patent Doctor Marten boots. Whale cotton tote bag by Rustic Country Crafts.

Haven't done one of these in a long while.

Happy first of February to you all - we can now definitively bid goodbye to the January blues; although these picks are still following a rather blue trend, I feel.

Mon Petit Fantome's Fairytales.

Vasilisa.

Baba Yaga.

While all of Chad Merritt's recent additions to the Mon Petit Fantome etsy store have me utterly entranced, these two papercut prints are particularly amazing.

Evoking images from two of the most frightening fairytales, they're so full of movement and magic.

Currently craving... CAMP and QUARRY.

One of my favourite etsy shops, Sadie Designs, has very recently rebranded for 2012 to become CAMP and QUARRY.

All of the above are from Sarah's supremely beautiful selection over on etsy - looking back a few posts reveals what a big fan I am of her mixed mineral creations, but there's such a vast array of amazing jewels to choose from.

Visit the CAMP and QUARRY blog here to peruse the inspirations behind all the beautiful creations, and you can become a facebook fan, too.

Resolutions.

I think these coasters from Lucky Bee Press would be an awesome addition to a New Year's Eve dinner table.

Controversial comment: I am not a very big fan of big New Year's Eve parties. I prefer to celebrate in the relative calm of my home, among family and loved ones.

This year, I am making quite a concrete resolution: I am only going to eat meat when I can buy it from a local farmer, in person. I don't eat much meat anyway, but I reckon this amazing cookbook will make it easier.

Whatever you are choosing to do this New Year's Eve, and whatever resolutions you make, I wish you a wonderful 2012.

Oxfam Unwrapped...

... made my gift-giving so much more special this year.

In recent years, I have become extremely opposed to the whole "buying-for-the-sake-of-buying" attitude that sometimes comes along with Christmas.

So this year, alongside small gifts from small businesses (<3 etsy), I gave my loved ones:

Food For A Family

A Health Check

Clean Water For 10 People

Animal Care

Fertilizer

and Long life Learning.

We all have so much; so giving a gift that really matters is so important.

Go and take a look for yourselves here.

Halfway to a Hundred; some musings on blogging.

Here I am, at my 50th post on this humble blog.

I thought I'd take a moment to overcome my ambivalence about the internet, and think about why I "came back" to blogging. I made this blogger account in 2007 - and am unashamed to say it was entirely with the purpose of writing to Jade Puget from AFI to tell him how much their Milan concert in May of that year meant to me... Oh, my, to be 17 again (as a short aside, AFI still have a hold on my heart).

So, I came to blogger through music, and then swiftly forgot I had even created this account.

I only rediscovered it when, while listening to Pentagram and reading about the band, I stumbled across the blog of lead singer Bobby Liebling's wife, Hallie Liebling: Halcoholic. I swiftly became addicted, and through Hallie's awesome stylings, I discovered J. L. Schnabel's Bloodmilk Jewelry, and subsequently the amazing etsy. These were the two blogs that "opened up" blogging to me, so to speak - sending me in the direction of so much creativity. So, in a sense, I "came back" to blogger through music, too.

I can often become rather cynical about the internet - and especially social networking - for all the narcissism and and egotism it can engender. However, over the past few months I've come to discover a much more appealing side of it - as a place where people share their artistic output and inspirations, and as a space for positivity rather than put-downs, and sharing of inspirations rather than "oversharing."

To a certain extent, this blog hasn't progressed much since my first post - I'm still treating it as "a place to collect the things that make me think." It doesn't really have a specific direction and doesn't fall under any particular category, but nonetheless, it has grown.

I think I will close this (hopefully not too incoherent) ramble with the bands that indirectly brought me here, and then back again.

AFI - The Art of Drowning - Wester

Pentagram - Relentless - Sinister

Jewelry Junkie: Dear Oh Deer's Wonderful Wish Bracelets.

(Work edging in on pleasure in the corner there...)

Dodgy webcam photos will have to be excused while I struggle to contain my excitement - look at all this beautifulness that was waiting for me when I got in today!

On Sunday morning I ordered this pretty pair from the lovely Dianne over at Dear Oh Deer, and they already made it up here lightening fast from London, wonderfully wrapped (with a sweet surprise chunk of rose quartz, too).

Before you think I'm just greedy, the Pink & White with Botswana Agate one is a Christmas present for my little sister; I can't wait to share the work of one my favourite etsy sellers with her. However, the Lavender & White with Bostwana Agate will remain round my own wrist for the foreseeable future.

I cannot overstate how lovely these little bracelets are. They're made with vintage Chadwicks wool from the 1930s, and are supremely soft and delicate - the care and skill that's gone into making them is unmistakable. The fact that they're made of wool means that one size really does fit all - so even though I have stupidly small wrists, all I had to do was loop the catch into a lose knot to have it fit perfectly. The stones are so glossy and gorgeous, and the tiny silver shooting stars just set the whole thing off.

For a better look than my PhotoBooth pictures can offer, here are Dianne's own photos of the wish bracelets, from their listings on etsy.

Pink & White with Bostwana Agate Wish Bracelet

Lavender & White with Bostwana Agate Wish Bracelet

Just look at all that delicate detail! I have no doubt many etsians will be wishing for wish bracelets this Christmas.

Getting your Christmas gifts from etsy is awesome - you know you're giving someone you care about something really unique.

Do take a look at Dianne's delightful blog for inspiration behind Dear Oh Deer, and head over to the shop to choose your favourite from all the pretties on offer. Or, if you're lucky enough to live near London, you can visit the Dear oh Deer stall at The Wonderhill Market next weekend. Get a gift for someone special... Or yourself.

The Conjurer - Bloodmilk Jewelry as captured by Christina Brown.

Yesterday was the long-awaited launch of Bloodmilk Jewelry's lookbook, photographed by Christina Brown - and my, was it ever worth the wait.

J.L. Schnabel's jewels move me in ways I struggle to find words for; I treasure my two Bloodmilk pieces and feel a special tug inside whenever I glance down at them hovering over my heart. Her work is wearable art - so much more than mere adornment. Similarly, her amazing blog is an absolute wealth of wonderment-inspiring images & sounds.

It was a serious struggle to select my favourite images - I have scrolled through it several times now, slowly savoring it. It appeals to me on every level. I find the pages with words to be particularly poignant.

I watch the moon. Her gaze rippling in ribbons over a night sea. We stand at the cusp where dark water meets dark earth. I long to pull you away from this terrible edge, but instead, you wade in inch by inch. I do not follow.

I find your body next to mine in the darkness. I press my wrist to yours, to find that strange pulse that lingers beneath your skin. You do not wake. Not ever.

Download the entire lookbook from the new Bloodmilk website here, as well as a stirring S4NtA_Mu3rTE mixtape to accompany your perusal of Christina Brown's beautiful photography.

I would also urge a reading of this illuminating interview with J.L.Schnabel, over on Ghosts in the Garden.

Jewelry Junkie: Et Respice Finem.

What a lovely parcel I picked up yesterday - containing the Blood Moon - Raw Garnet Necklace by Et Respice Finem. Isn't the postcard awesome? I wanted to find out more about the short story it advertises, but for now Mona Brandon and her honour remain a mystery.

But back to the jewel. Being a January baby, garnet is my birth stone. It's supposed to be a balancing gem, sharpening self-perception and opening the heart; as this necklace's listing says, it's meant to activate and strengthen the survival instinct, bring courage and hope, and cleanse and re-energise. I've also read a lot about it being a stone to protect the wearer when traveling.

But all that aside, doesn't it just look delicious? The chunk of garnet is just so gorgeous and catches the light in wonderful ways. It goes from a rusty blood colour, to an almost edible-looking raspberry. I love it.

The silver chain is a lovely length - there's no clasp, so it can just be strung straight over your head. I can imagine this being a good necklace for layering, although I adore it on its own. I'm currently going through a bit of a raw crystal phase, it seems - I just love the way they look. Pretty and prickly at the same time. Lauren Holmes' nuclear winter range is replete with raw crystal loveliness. I've got my eye on the Smoky Sky - Labradorite & Leather Bracelet. Pick your own favourite over at the Et Respice Finem shop on etsy (pssst: use the code "fallout" to get a 15% discount).

Bit blurry. I just liked the leaves. Autumn colours are in full swing here, although I feel we're starting to slip into winter. I'd like to think my love & I are getting slightly better at wielding his camera. If I actually took the time to look over all the settings, and we spent more than 5 minutes taking pictures for a post, maybe they'd look better...

Meanwhile, take a look at some awesome photography and the inspiration behind Et Respice Finem over on Lauren's blog, here.

Nuclear Winter Wishes...

Blood Moon - Raw Garnet Necklace.

Frost Covered Grass - Cracked Green Moss Agate Necklace.

Currently coveting both these pieces from the new Nuclear Winter range of Et Respice Finem jewelry.

(The Latin name means "Look to the End." I didn't even have to look that up. Thanks, school-day Latin classes).

These are such fantastic colours and textures.

Enjoy the inspiration behind these lovely jewels on their creator Lauren Holmes' blog.

Shadow Sisters.

This beautiful papercut print by Mon Petit Fantome was waiting for me when I got home this evening - in time for Halloween, although I know I will enjoy it all year round. So delicate and delightfully dark.

Now I must seek out a frame to do these Shadow Sisters justice; and hopefully acquire some companions for them - it's so hard to pick, but at the moment I especially love Now My Dears, Time To Learn Levitation and Where Do They Bury Witches, as well as Our Nighttime Escape, to name only a few...

Essentially, I love them all. The skill involved in crafting them is evident, and they are so evocative - magical and macabre at the same time. These qualities, combined with the black & white colour scheme, coincidentally cohere beautifully with my current bedtime reading - Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus - which I can't wait to praise in a later post.

Meanwhile, enjoy the inspirations of the man behind Mon Petit Fantome, Chad Merritt, on his blog, here.

Jewelry Junkie: Sadie Designs & Dear oh Deer.

I recently received two delightful little parcels of jewels through the post: one came all the way from Canada, the other from not so distant London.

The picture quality will have to be excused, as my love and I are still learning to use his camera, and are generally rather technologically impaired. This, coupled with the fact that I never know what to do with myself when put in front of a camera and am not overly enthused about showing my face... I wish I could do these jewels justice. Well, enough excuses.

Black Tourmaline & Clear Quartz Crystal Point Ice Silver Necklace by Sadie Designs. I have been wishing for this for a while, and I cannot exaggerate how amazing this necklace is: the raw crystals are so beautifully flawed, and the contrast between the two minerals is really striking. They are silver dipped, which is really special because it means you can still admire the shape of the entire crystal. The little dagger of quartz catches the light in lovely ways, and the tourmaline is so glossy, its underside cut through with a pinkish sandy shimmer. An amazing combination, and naturally unique. While I especially love her mixed mineral creations (hoping my next purchase will be the pyrite and rose quartz necklace) there's such an array of lovely stones to choose from. Follow Sarah's blog here to learn more about the inspiration behind her one-of-a-kind creations.

Amethyst & Leather - Head or Wrist Band by Dear oh Deer. This is just perfect - the suede is so soft, and the little stones are so sweet. The colours are stunning, and the stones are so carefully sewn onto the band. A beautifully unique and versatile piece of jewelry. I spent most of yesterday with this on my wrist rather than my head, but sadly every picture came out blurry. I'll hopefully show how that looks soon, but I have to say that it feels great wearing this across the forehead, and it would complete any concert-going attire (I have no doubt I'll be wearing it this way at my next one). My love stated that it made me look like the lead singer of Diamond Head. I don't know whether to laugh or cry...

Now all I need is a shirt like his.

Back on the subject of Dear oh Deer; Dianne uses a beautiful selection of semi-precious stones, as well as carefully chosen and ethically sourced feathers (now I'm craving the magpie feather one). Enjoy perusing her inspirations on her blog, here.

How could anyone not be delighted with such a gorgeous little parcel landing on their doormat? I couldn't resist photographing this - the tissue paper is especially wonderful. Made me smile as I have recently acquired a toile tote bag and duvet cover over the past couple of weeks. I love it.

I attempted to photograph the equally lovely package that arrived from Canada, but the camera utterly failed me, which I'm rather sad about. Beautiful tissue paper held together with pink & grey tape, a little floral patterned paper bag, a brown paper logo tied across with red and white string, and my personal favourite element, a little paper frog. Fingers crossed I'll get better with the camera soon, and show how lovely it was.

Etsy is an absolute treasure trove for jewelry. Both Sadie Designs and Dear oh Deer are such friendly sellers. I was never that interested in it before I was introduced to etsy, but I really think it's awesome to support small female-run businesses, and so special to wear a little work of art that someone has spent time creating for you.

Wednesday Wishlist #2.

Black tourmaline and clear quartz crystal point ice silver necklace by SadieDesignsCa, Chalkboard skull in pine green by IAmHome, Birch Bark tea light set by MiWoodcrafts, Whales throw pillow by ZenThreads, Magnesite & leather head or wrist band by DearOhDeer (whose image quality is a little dodgy, but the effort of remaking the collage is beyond me).

More etsy procrastination!

... Sigh.

Wednesday Wishlist.

Moringa Body Butter by The Body Shop, "Elementary" Sherlock Holmes earrings by Jezebel Charms, Garnet red oversized grunge sweater by IleAiye, Dracula book purse by Novel Creations, and Ouroboros lined Moleskin journal by Blackbird and Peacock.

Unemployment & about a month til my next course starts entails Etsy "favourite" hoarding.