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Happy New Year!

Monday, December 30, 2013


Where does a lucky bird live?

Friday, December 27, 2013

 
A real birdhouse? Amazing work! Love it! I doubt I would let ANY bird anywhere even close to something like this! :) I would put it inside the house, away from the birds :))

Christmas tree in patchwork technique

Thursday, December 26, 2013




We got this nice handmade gift for Christmas this year! (Just bragging :)

Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 25, 2013


Happy Fairy has received her gift!

Tuesday, December 24, 2013


Once upon a time there was a Magical Castle in a Magical Forest... Nobody really lived in it... A few fairies used it as their "Meeting Castle". Maybe one day I will start telling you this story... It is a lo-o-ong story... and it is in Russian :)
However, the story of the gift is short :) One of the fairies was called Happy Fairy and one of the others was Reero. Reero made this brooch for Happy Fairy. That is it! She has completed a few gifts for some of her fairy friends. This one is her latest project. If you would like to see other gifts, visit her page. She is a Russian fairy, so her web-site is in Russian too... but that does not matter for the pictures :)

By the way, I have a gift by Reero also ;)

Hand-painted Christmas tree ornaments by Pearle Northshop

Monday, December 23, 2013


I have to save this shop for the next year. Love their ornaments!

Victorian Christmas Ornament

Friday, December 20, 2013

 
Just sharing this wonderful etsy find. I am not that much of a collector to purchase something like this, but I will enjoy having it in my virtual wish list :)

Australian boulder opal

Thursday, December 19, 2013



I will start showing my gems once a week, I think. I do not have a lot of gems, as I am picky... always looking for a good stone for a good price :)  This opal is a little bit smaller than 2cm in diameter. The price was reasonable, so I could not pass :) It is nice on both sides, so I will have to really think what to do with it, as it would be a shame to cover one of them...

DIY - Cute Christmas Cards by Janet Roberts

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

 
 
I am not really used to buying online yet, so I did not even think, that post cards could be purchased online too! There are artists who can make you personalised cards worth hundreds of dollars. It might be a way to go for some people... However, I prefer something cute :) So, I kept looking and found this store! They all are so cute! Here is one more thing I did not think about... The cards are digital! A buyer can print out the coloured card or just black outline to colour him/herself!
 
Reading the description, it is a DIY project to me*, so I am saving it with this tag, as well, as in my wish list for future.
 
* - From the item description: "This artwork has been produced from original drawings by Janet Roberts of Pink Gem Designs. You may use our downloadable digital images for any hand made projects that you wish to sell on at craft fairs, Etsy etc or provide as gifts but you must make something with the image and not sell 'As Is'. There are no limits to the number of projects that you can make. We would ask that you acknowledge Pink Gem Designs when selling on your creations although this is not essential."

Ugly Christmas Sweater :)

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

 
Oh, so wonderfully ugly! :))  You might think that I am jealous I am not as young and not in such great shape... (which I am not, of course :)) However, the words "ugly Christmas sweater" can be found in the tags by its seller ;) This is just something they do there at etsy :) Probably to stress that it is vintage and "very" Christmasy". Love it! And yes, very, very jelous that I cannot wear it!

Light fixtures for my garden... I wish...

Monday, December 16, 2013

 
 
 
 
This magical picture belongs to IKEA. Really, really magical...
 
I might have found a new interest in art... Light fixtures! :) What do I do, when this happens? I go to etsy to check what is out there that is handmade :) Oh, I have found a few light fixtures that I would like to have... if only I had somewhere to attach them in my house... or in a garden, like they are hanging in the IKEA picture! Something like this, perhaps:
 
 
 
Or this:
 
 
 
I have found something else too... I will share some other time :)

I am on the front page of Etsy right now!

Sunday, December 15, 2013


Agua Nueva Agate

Saturday, December 14, 2013


I have a couple of gems in my blog that I am proud of owing. Here is one more. It is called Agua Nueva Agate. If you google it, you will see that it can have fantastic patterns! Though not always. It is hard to come across a nice stone that you do not have to pay an arm and a leg for. This one was not exactly cheap either, but not too bad. I am very picky about the stones. I am not a big fan of any lace agate just because it is a "lace agate". I want to see something really special. When I saw this cabochon, I fell in love with it. By that time I have made up my mind not to buy ANY stones. The decision needed to be corrected :) No stones AFTER this one :)

If you hope to find your Agua Nueva, you may check what's available on etsy.

Christmas decoration. Russian style ;)

Friday, December 13, 2013

 
 
It is very usual to see this style on jewellery boxes and brooches. However, I have never seen it on the Christmas decorations for a fir tree! I think, something like this could be a very special and absolutely gorgeous Christmas gift! Here is a link to see more spheres  (the web-site is in Russian)

Autumn, do not leave yet, please!

Thursday, December 12, 2013


My favourite season of the year is... anything, but winter! :) Spring is far from here still, but autumn... we had it just a few days ago, it seems. Do not leave yet, come back, come back! You are too beautiful to leave so soon.. In autumn this shawl would be too much, but now... now it would be perfect, as if I am still holding it by a corner of its biggest maple leaf that is just about to fly away...

What Cinderella would wish for? :)

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Thin layer of snow came down two days ago. I consider us being lucky to have it for at least a few days. It is like a fairy-tail coming right out of a book! This feeling (I think) is to blame, that a coat like this is going into my wish list :)



It has nothing to do with fashion, of course... This is a coat for a princess from a fairy-tail... It reminds me of fairy-tail that probably all girls of my age still love... even now, when they are not little girls anymore :) Maybe, because this is the only winter fairy-tail that I know is similar to this style..


It is called "Three Wishes for Cinderella". Timeless film. If you have not seen it yet, winter is a perfect season for it!

Ermilovski toy ("Ermilovski" is a name of a style)

Tuesday, December 10, 2013


What a wonderful item for my virtual wish list! This is a vintage Russian souvenir toy. I used to have a very similar horse... Then another one... They were very fragile, no wonder, it is hard to find them now. I loved both of them and happy to have it my blog.
 
Hm... let me check google one more time... Yes! I have found it! I had exactly that little horse from the picture!



Wow, I see people are still making them! If I can reach this store owner, I will buy one!



 

Kokoshnik that tells a story...

Monday, December 9, 2013


While pinning my previous post onto my pinterest board, I've come across this picture. I tried to find the original web-site for it... but I could not figure it out... However, this lady is worth mentioning :) This is probably the most famous Russian ballerina of all times. Her name is Anna Pavlova.

This is her costume for her Russian Dance. There is a little bit of her bio here. I do not think there is a good reason for copying it...

Interesting enough, there are videos of her dancing on youtube! Not in this costume, alas... Evidently, she was famous for her Dying Swan dance. Here is a short video of it:


What is Russian kokoshnik?

Saturday, December 7, 2013


Peter the Great's (1672-1725) attempts to Westernize Russia were partially manifested in changes to the traditional costume of the court. Though they were not required by law to adhere to the reformations, the peasant class commonly adopted aspects of Western styles blended with folk dress. This headdress in particular is an excellent example of the melding of cultures found in Russian history. The shape of this headdress is nearly identical to a French style from Alsace illustrated in Auguste Racinet's "The Complete History of Costume". This type of crossover is characteristic of the evolution of Russian dress. Married women were required to cover their hair entirely lest they be considered immodest, therefore headdresses, or kokoshniks were often accompanied by a venchik, a forehead covering made of fabric or metal.
The picture and text is from The Metropolitan Museum web-site. I have found it very interesting that something like this can be found in the North America! Definitely should go see it if I am ever making it there!

Nika Shmeleva

Friday, December 6, 2013



I like good designer pottery. No wonder that this jar caught my eye! Hand painted vase with lots of details. What an eye candy! (I like candies even if they are just eye candies :)  There were a couple of jars in my mom's home... That is maybe another reason why I am indifferent to the jars specifically... My eye is used to be caught by nice jars... :) 

Etsy Finds. Paintings by Sergey Piskunov

Thursday, December 5, 2013


My virtual wish list is getting bigger :) Who knows, maybe one day one of my lottery tickets will allow me to buy everything from it. I do have an expensive taste (poor me... :) This is art by Sergey Piskunov (click on his name to visit his etsy shop). Just breath taking pictures...
 
(I am on my way to the closest corner store for my lottery ticket... Wish me good luck!)

Etsy finds. A tent, that I wish I had a reason to have :)

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

 
I love my virtual wish list! I can put here things, that I love, even though I have no reason to own them :)
This etsy store sells only one item, and rather successfully, I think. What a wonderful tent! Just an eye candy!
 
 

DIY - Crocheted black lace

Monday, December 2, 2013

 
This video is from the author of the lace collars that I've used for my lace necklaces, Irina Astratenko. The video shows how to crochet this lace motif. Note, that this is not how the tatted collars were made. This is a simple way to make a lace for anybody who knows how to crochet (or even if they do not know yet and wish to learn). There is a picture at Irina's website that shows a top made with these motifs. I am in love with it! I wish to drop jewellery making for a week or two and make such a top! (I won't, of course, but I sure wish to)
 

Here is the original page for this tutorial (in Russian, though)
 
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