Because Photobucket is being useless, I have opted to upload my necklace pictures to facebook.

Picture of the summoning charm (conceived by Tithenai) are available here.

People with Etsy Stores, I have a question (or, perhaps, many, many, many sub-questions) for you:

Main question is: How do you make your etsy store look like a store?

Do you just DIY a banner in the right dimensions, upload the thing and start listing stuff?
Or is there more to it than that?


Information is appreciated. Thanks a Great Big Bunch. :-D

So I'm working on that necklace for my mom -- the one made from an old strand of amethyst chips (her birth stone) and the fake pearls from my great grandmother's necklace -- and part of me is going:

YAY! I'm making jewelery again! :-D

And another part of me is going:

Why are you waisting your creative output on jewelery for December when you have a poetry performance (well, open mic) TOMORROW??? DEADLINE, WOMAN! Get To It!


And, seriously, I think I have to listen to the former and just go with it 'cause if I stress myself out too much, I won't wring any poetry out of myself anyway.
At least that's the theory I'm working under right now. :-)


Recycling jewelery is fun. :-D

So.

This morning, I went on my walk.

I walked along Dows Lake and then up to Carleton U.
There was a couple fishing in Dows Lake. Three lines. They had a pile of fish and had probably been there for some time. Little perches and small-mouth bass.

I got to C.U. and then realized that I'd left my tape at home (woops). So no postering there today. But I left a poster at the used text-book store on Sunnyside and one at Mothertongue (which, granted, was closed -- hopefully it'll still be there when it opens).

I walked past the Sunnyside branch of the OPL. I really like that place. It's kinda pretty and I really like their garden. It's got poppies and sunflowers and corn and pumpkins and milkweed and mallow flowers and all sorts of stuff! I love it! :-D

I did *not* go to the house on Sunnside and Riverdale that has the bunch of in-fruit fig trees. More fool me. ;-)

Followed the canal back from Sunnyside to the Somerset bridge. Got to watch the Pretoria Bridge lift up to let a boat through (which was kinda cool).

Sat on the benches every so often. (Had raspberry smoothy and a cupcake. It was tasty). Drew a picture. (There are houses on Sunnyside that are sort of funky-industrial boxes with sheet metal and plexiglass and stuff on them. Kinda cool looking and kinda weird. I kind of like them. ;-) Contemplated landlordhood (yeah, right, but still. A day-dream is a daydream. :-)

Picked up orange juice, milk, frozen raspberries, frozen blueberries (frozen fruit = on sale at the hartmann's, btw), and icecream (same), and then headed home.

Groceries have been put away, stove has been cleaned (due to scalded milk from yesterday, I mean), and now I'm cooking curry-coriander pumpkin soup on the stove.
Have already burned things to the bottom of the pot, just a little (woops), but it should be okay. :-)
Here's hoping it tastes good. :-)

[EDIT: It tastes sweeter than I expected. A little lemon might help with that, or adding extra stuff like fresh herbs or sauteed mushrooms or something... But it's a good purreed-soup base. It's currently chilling in my fridge before going in the freezer. /EDIT]


Am also coming down from the hugely happy state I was in on my walk. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeenteresting. Hm...

Maybe I'll take another walk this afternoon and/or sit and write in a park or read tarot cards or something.

It's weird how that happens. How I get into the house and start doing things and, very, very quickly, I start fading like that. More than a little bit... worrying? Maybe that's not the right word. But... worthy of note, I think.


Anyway. Part of me want to try making a necklace for my mom (She wants an amethyst and pearls necklace using the beads from my great-grandmother's fake-pearl necklace. It's going to be her xmas present).


I also want to try making jelly. Which will involve going out and finding an old, threadbare cotton pillow-case to serve as my jelly-bag, and also harvesting a bunch of crab apples from Confederation Park and/or a bunch of rosehips from along the canal (they are SO bright and plump right now!)
I'm thinking crab-apple/cayenne/ginger for one. I think the rosehip jelly would involve apple juice and maybe a little lemon and... cinamon? Maybe? Not sure.


Anyway. Right this second, I'm eating cherry-chocolate-chunk icecream and thinking about going out again this afternoon with my tarot cards and my notebook and The Artist's Way which is, so far, proving not too terrible a thing to be doing. :-)

Sara may call in a little bit, though, so I figure I'll wait for a while. :-)


- TTFN,
- Amazon.

First attempt at erotic prose in quite some time (or at least at erotic prose that went anywhere). Available here.
Comments and critiques are appreciated. :-)

Am designing a pair of earrings for Vimy. Reds for courage and blues for healing (among other things), lots of water-based stuff. I hope she likes them. :-)

Stayed home from work today.

By which I mean, I went to work, stayed for twenty minutes, and then got told by my boss to get myself home and rest up. Apparently I looked about as good as I felt.

Anyway. So I came home. I took the chance to visit the bank while the bank was actually open.

I also took a nap.

Holy fuck, I had a weird/creepy dream.

I dreamed that my husband and I were still married. I dreamed that he knew about my desire for polyamoury, but didn't know that I was dating Sara -- or else was in denial about my dating Sara. Or something. Everything was awful, basically. Part of me didn't know what he was doing in my life again, after months of, er, being rid of him. Part of me was enjoying talking to him. Most of me was just really damn freaking uncomfortable and going "But I wanna date Sara! What do you mean we're still monogamous?? I'm not!!!"
It was all kinds of awful and, when I woke up, I had to remind myself that everything was fine and that my former marriage is now OVER.

Ohmygahd, what an awful dream. I woke up more stressed than I was when I went to sleep! :-P


Have since had an avocado, and a glass of milk, and am feeling a little better.


Also, Miz Sara phone me on her way back from somewhere - probably the H&S (she does soup and candy bars for them every Monday) - to check up on me and see how I'm feeling.

She is all wonderful and stuff. :-)

Random sidenote: "www.amazoncreations.ca" is not taken. Huzzah. :-) (How exactly does one go about registering a domain name and putting up a website? Someone? Help?)

So, I went to Pagan Brunch today. Picked up my Witches' Gathering ticket.

Whee!

Now to get that costume properly made.

Wah!

So, I went to value village.

But I didn't START at value village.

I started at St. Laurent Mall. Wherein I picked up the following:

non-latex gloves
nail clippers
hair dye ("black currant" - a burgundy from Garnier)

a new bra (burgundy, again)
5 pairs of undies[1] -- on the off chance that I'm ever in a situation where I need them -- possibly including nude-esque modeling for photos. I figure if I'm *technically* clothed, I could get away with doing this in, say, the arbouritum and, as such, within the confines of OC Transpo, thus allowing me the power to decide when it's time for me to go home.


This was followed by South Keys Mall. Wherein I picked up:

Wild Side Sex: The Book of Kink by Midori (using the last of a GC for Chapters)

4 strands of dark green aventurine balls -- which will work way better than the green garnet for the necklace I'm making Miz Sara.
1 package little gold leaf and flower charms
1 package little gold butterfly charms
1 package silver screw-clasps

pine nuts
pistachio nuts
dried figs
dried pears
summer savoury


Then I went to value village. I got the following:

1 skirt to be used as the base for the many-layers-of-ruffles skirt for the Hallowe'en costume
1 velvet top to be butchered and turned into a shrug for said costume
1 black, cotton-lined, crinkle-cotton just-below-the-knee skirt for summer
1 black lace over beige stretchy fabric dress (that needs to be butchered and re-stitched into something that hits at mid-knee or so.
1 purple velvet stretchy dress that needs to be modified into a drop-waisted mini with a (possibly asymetrical) flaired skirt
1 midnight blue velvet stretchy dress that needs to be modified into a mini w/ a pleated/gathered skirt

YAY I have *dresses* again! Pretty ones (or ones that *will* be pretty) that I can wear out to clubs and shows and stuff! Woohoo! :-D


So, it's quarter to eight. I want to finish Sara's necklace (I'm going to make co-ordinating earrings with some of the gold butterflies, to go with it) before I head to bed, so off I go. :-)


- TTFN,
- Amazon. :-)

P.S.: Will also be participating in Arndis' bulk body-suplies purchase.

P.S.S.: Have decided that it's probably not profitable to sell semi-precious bead jewelery at this juncture. Though I could be wrong. I figure, I can make stuff for friends and family and if I come up with extras, I can put them up on Etsy or something and see what happens. ;-)

- TTFN,
- Me. :-)

[1] Cause getting five was actually cheaper than getting two. Gete-rid-of-this-stock promotion. ;-)

So.

I went to the bead store today.

Picked up new jade (balls), green aventurine chips, moss agate chips, a string of... Indian Agate (looks a bit like fancy jasper, but with nifty patterns in the stone), and a bunch of odds and sods that allow me to actually Make Stuff. Whee!

Also went to the online bead store and placed a large (for me) order:

lapis lazuli, sodalite (x2), hematite (x3[1]), "african jade" - aka opaque green garnet - (x3), little silver-plated balls, little gold-plated balls, and a package of gold-plated lever-backed earring hooks. This stuff won't be here until, like, Hallowe'en. Unless I'm very lucky. ;-)




I want to make Miz Sara a three-strand bracelet with a magnetic clasp. And I'm having trouble deciding whether to do it in moss-agate or green aventurine. Honestly, I may just do one of each. I'm really not sure. :-P

The Indian Agate will be strung onto beading wire as-is (little round balls separating four or five big rectangles) thus becoming an insta-bracelet with the addition of a gold clasp -- this will be one of the DIY presents I make for xmas - this one for my mom).


Anyway/ I have been plotting and beading all evening (well, once I got the dishes washed, anyway). :-)

Made a fresh bottle of sumac/rosehip/hibiscus iced tea -- sweetened with apple juice and a little maple syrup (the latter is a new addition). It's a good combination, I find. :-)


I've decided to try, when I'm buying juice, to get stuff that comes in glass bottles or in cans. This may be a problem when it comes to getting the apple cider in for Midwinter, but beyond that it should be fine.


Along the same lines as the whole cans/glass decision (although I have yet to switch my milk over to glass bottles, I confess), I've been looking at soy and beeswax candles again.
Not like I don't have a zillion candles, but it's good to Be Prepared, so to speak.

Anyway. I'm looking into things. :-)

Won't be buying anything else frivolous for a little while -- rent, food, bus-pass, all that stuff's important, after all. ;-)


- TTFN,
- Amazon.

So.
I was late for choir yesterday morning, BUT I made it, and had a good time (and got to sing the soprano 1 line in one of the songs - Whee!).


I'm starting to figure out why singing christian music ticks me off so much.

Because it's not the singing that ticks me off. The christian music we do is *beautiful*. We do a Brams piece ("The Lord is my Shepard") which is peaceful and lovely and has gorgeous chord progressions and everything. We sang through a Mehndelson (I've just spelled the poor fellow's name wrong) piece today that finished on a fabulous finale of overlapping runs on the theme of Alleluia. It's such a thrill to sing.

So the music is not a problem. I quite enjoy the music.

( What I Don't Like... )


On a more creative note: I spent yesterday afternoon making jewelry (while watching "Erin Brokovitch") for Naamah's save-the-carnivores charity auction.

( What I Made )

I'm fairly happy with how they turned out. :-)


Now I need more crimps. :-)


While I was a Sassy's yesterday (between choir and home, picking up the gray jasper and the charms) I also picked up a string of slightly-buttery amber chips.

So now I have all my pride-colours sorted out. :-)

red shell, amber, green aventurine, turquoise, lapis lazuli, & amethyst. Yay. :-D

So I can play around with that today. :-)

( More Fun With Crafts )


Anyway. Tonight is Louis' T-party -- <*blink*> I think that turned into a pun. Woops...
Right. party. So Teh Husband and I shall have an early dinner (Around 5pm) so that I can head out and be down town for 7pm (and home again by nine, for sweet, sweet sleeping).

I'm hoping to squeeze in a long, luxurious bath (YAY!) and a massage from Teh Husband (YAY!) between now and then. :-) (Hey, I've got seven hours 'til dinner starts. I'm sure I can fit them in). :-)


I'd *also* like to get writing the actual Scene scene in my BDSM story.
I am, however, a little unsure as to how to proceed.

See, I've done something that is potentially very unlikely.

( The Situation )

Suggestions?
Please? :-)

Choir went well.
Thank goodness.

And I don't screw up as much as I thought I did, so yay! :-)


After choir, I dropped into the Sassy Bead on Bank (which is right near where we do our rehearsals) and was able to make some exchanges.

What I brought back:
- Strand of mahogany obsidian chunks (left over from Explodingrunes' hammer necklace - which he liked, woohoo!)
- Strand of dark green jade balls _ strand of yellow onyx balls (too big for the pride necklace I had in mind - the balls I'd have been using for the other colours are smaller, and significantly cheaper, so I decided to say 'screw it' and get something else. I kept the red ones, though, which I have two strands of, for my 'Blood Countess' collar. Which should be quite snazzy. Hematite, or (possibly) onyx, will be the contrasting colour). :-)


What I got in exchange (+ an extra six cents):
- (much shorter) strand of snowflake obsidian (regular cut, not irregular chunks)
- another strand of red fossil (for the Blood Countess collar)
- a package of 5 silver/nickel magnetic clasps
- 26 small nickel balls
- A cowrie shell set in silver - very pretty and quasi ornate. Will likely become the center-piece of a nickel-&-shell!chips (and possibly pearls) princess necklace. It's really pretty, and I like it. :-)

the snowflake obsidian + about 14 of the nickel balls (plus a wodge of my hematite balls) + some of my grey Sculpey will become the "Frost Hammer" necklace -- I'm inclined towards donating this one to Gaia Gathering, for use as a door prize or a fund-raising piece or something.[1]



After that, I came home and ate. And watched "The Matrix". :-)
<*insert squeeing about Belinda here*>


To do with the rest of my evening:

Finish Dealing (however temporarily) with The Bedroom.
(Seriously. I just sorted and folded all of Paul clean clothes, for ease of moving out of the way? So many of his clothes are coloured for his office job - sage/beige/white - and so few are coloured for his skin tone... He needs blood-ruby-wine-garnet-cherry-crimson-burgundy reds. He has tomato/scarlet reds. He needs malachite/emerald greens and he has sage/olive greens. I feel this sudden urge to go shopping. For my husband. This might or might not be good. :-\ )

Anyway. His clothes are all on the client bed in the office now. Now to tidy up the rest of the stuff. (There's a lot of Stuff to deal with... Good golly...). Wish me luck! :-)


After I'm done with that, though, I get to have a nice long bath, with a book (not sure which, yet) and chocolate-mint bath milk. :-) Woohoo! :-D May re-dye my hair tonight, too. Not sure yet. :-)


And now for something completely different: A Meme. (Oh, the sarcasm...)

Or at least the results of a meme. This is what I got for the album cover meme that I ganked from Ami_B:

( Third Crusade presents... )

You can thank Nelson Mandela for the spectacular album title, by the way. :-)


According to the "Random-Wiki Album Generator Meme", ( these are the songs: )


Anyway. That is all. Now I must go and do more bedroom-prep. :-)


- TTFN,
- Amazon. :-)


[1] Note to Self: When next at Michael's, pick up:
- Hematite balls
- Shell chips (white/un-dyed)
- Citrine chips
- irregular pearls (un-dyed)
- Turquoise balls (maybe)
- Tiny onyx balls
- Fancy jasper chips
- Red jasper balls
- Shell balls OR tiny cowrie shell beads.

I need to figure out how to make my little Sculpey Goddess figures. :-)