Treasury Thanks: Strong Warriors by KellyEMarra

STRONG WARRiORS is a superb Treasury curated by KellyEMarra which highlights symbols and images from native American culture.

For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to certain aspects of this spiritual tradition as I am most at home with Earth based traditions. I have always felt comfortable respecting my ancestry, living close to the land, working with my hands, having close relationships with animals and when those things are in place in my life... I feel more connected to Spirit.

STRONG WARRIORS

Click HERE to view Treasury on Etsy

I was delighted to be included in this Treasury, even if it was a humble piece of novelty fabric that got me in...

Native Plains

by Jennifer Sampon, Kaufman fabric

"A beautiful and unusual novelty cotton fabric with a native american inspired motif of golden beaded leather strands."

To view more novelty fabrics... please visit the brizel4TheAnimals Store by clicking HERE

Thanks so much for the feature....

Here's a beautiful pendant made by our curator-du-jour:

Tribal Pendant Necklace

by KellyEMarra

"I made this colorful tribal necklace, perfect for fall, featuring one of my mother's cool tribal pendants. She hand paints these pendants on leather with many different designs. I have added a leather, nylon and polyester necklace and closed it with a silver tone lobster clasp."

To visit her store, please click HERE !

Treasury Thanks: Spirit of the Forest by darklingdoll

From yesterday's kelp forests to a more distinct spiritual outlook of nature: SPiRiT OF THE FOREST is a divine Treasury curated by darklingdoll which celebrates the celtic theme of the Greenman & Redman as well as other spirits that inhabit the Greenwood.

SPiRiT OF THE FOREST

Click HERE to visit this Etsy Treasury !

Beautifully put together, this Treasury has a plethora of tree themed products such as ceremonial masks (Greenman & Tree Ent); tree spirit sculptures & ceramic wares including an awesome birdhouse; pendants of trees and of Greenman & Redman; carvings made of wood, ceramic & wax; a wooden journal book; an image of Herne; and supplies such as herbs & beads. It is simply put: a festival of forest goods.

Amongst those items, one of my Silk Tapestry Boxes was included...

"Brizel Handcrafts presents, Leaf Frog, a small unique handmade decorative Silk Tapestry Box, made of banana silk yarn, perfect as a nature trinket !

Leaf Frog is a charming soft fiber arts container featuring variegated banana silk yarn in tones of greens & yellows paired up with a chocolate rayon yarn that has multicolored silk highlights. It has a lid of its own which is embellished with a gorgeous glass lampwork frog bead... this delightful leaf green frog straddles a red & yellow 'ball'. She's just so happy to be living in her natural element surrounded by huge green leaves."

Animal themed Silk Tapestry Boxes 

can be found in my Etsy shop: brizel4TheAnimals

Click HERE to visit my store !

Thanks to darklingdoll for a lovely Treasury feature and here's something that caught my eye in her Etsy store...

Lovers, another milestone in a life long journey. 

Loyalty, faith, respect. 

a 10 x 14 signed print

Its a gorgeous graveyard art stone plaque !

Click HERE to visit her Etsy store.

Treasury Thanks: Kelp I need somebody... by EmKatCreations

We all need some help from somebody every once in a while, right ?

I can relate to that- although I have to say that it took me a long time to learn how to accept or even ask for help... by the time I hit my forties- it got easier for me. I once was an independent self sufficient feminist and now... well... lets just say that I have no objection when someone wants to hold open a door for me. LOL.

KELP I NEED SOMEBODY...

KELP, NOT JUST ANYBODY !

I got a kick with this Etsy Treasury, not only because of its hilarious title, but because i loved the kelp theme and its beautiful curation. There are so many gorgeous unique products... to view it live on Etsy, Click HERE.

Several years ago, when I was madly collecting novelty fabrics...

... I fell upon this unusual & awesome kelp motif printed by SSI as part of their American Wilderness series... "Magestic blue pacific Monterey Bay kelp rises up from the ocean floor, column upon column... "

Thanks to EmKatCreations, my curator-du-jour, for featuring it in her Etsy Treasury !

To see more unique fabrics,

click HERE to visit brizel4TheAnimals :)

EmKatCreations is a newcomer to Etsy. Her shop has a variety of custom spell craft components including herbs, spell kits & tarot reading offerings. Here's a little interview Q&A taken from her blog: http://emkatcreations.blogspot.com/:

1. How long have you been reading tarot and doing other magical things?
I've been reading tarot on purpose for about 10 years now. I started in college while organizing an on-campus Pagan Club and have been enjoying the heck out of it every since. I've ended up having a Tarot Deck problem very similar to my shoe problem, I have around 20 decks currently and I've given away over 15. The other magical things is very hard to pinpoint. I'm sure many have the same experiences growing up; I used to make 'magic potions' in the mud with what ever plants were lying around. I've always had a relationship with deity, even back when I was learning the basics of being a Roman Catholic. I've always felt called to service of the goddess and thankfully I was raised by two very faith-filled parents who always believed in me and taught me that a relationship with the divine is far more important that which religion it's through.

2. How did you go about starting your business?
Really I've only just begun. I'm at the stage where as long as I don't loose money I'm satisfied. I've had ideas in my head for a variety of spell kits and components that I believe people would find useful and have only recently had the stability to sit down, make, and sell them. So far I'm working through a couple auction sites as well as etsy and learning my way around the witchy blog-sphere.

3. What is your favorite product that you offer?
Honestly any custom work. I love getting a feel for what the client needs in their spell work as well as what type of magic they're comfortable with but the best part is the research. I love wandering through my books and my notes searching for the best fit for their needs. Looking up and cross referencing all the correspondences (color, day, moon phase, time, herbs, stones) and then working them all together is the best part of what I'm selling. Many of the products in my shop started out as custom requests that I felt worked well as an item for others.

Wishing you well with your future endevors, Kat !

Click HERE to visit her Etsy shop.

ArtFire Collection: Of The Earth by TekaandZoe

Autumn is now officially here. Seems a little sudden but really mama earth has been whispering hints of fall for several weeks. In this neck of the woods, it's a little early as we enjoy Indian Summers... somehow I feel sure that we will still enjoy some warm days ahead... in fact, as I look at the forecast, we may see a few days above 100F yet.

I sat outside yesterday, enjoying a little personal time, journaling and made a note of all the nature sounds I heard... birds drinking from buckets of water, bugs buzzing, crows clicking as they flew over head, lizards scurrying across leaves, a frog croaking, wasps looking for insects to kidnap, woodpeckers pecking at bark, hummingbirds hovering to check out my colorful shirt... How busy nature can bee :) 

OF THE EARTH

I love this ArtFire Collection... OF THE EARTH curated by TekaandZoe. You can click HERE to see it live, although it will not look the same due to items having sold :) 

The colors and products in the above version hold their own and yet this grouping of beautiful wares have an overall grounding effect that holds true for the element that it seeks to represent. Well done !

Thanks so much, I am delighted that one of Brizel Handcrafts' Silk Tapestry Hip Pouches was included in this earthy Collection...

"Brizel Handcrafts presents This Golden Earth, a bohemian style ooak wearable fiber art belt bag... a unique Silk Tapestry Hip Pouch perfect for special occasions & events !

A gorgeous multicolored waist purse featuring recycled silk sari yarn in tones of greens & browns... golden yellows & oranges. This Silk Tapestry pouch has been carefully embellished with an earthen gold vintage button, which secures the front closure flap, and synthesized on a hand woven Guatemalan cotton sash belt of golden ochre tones with red brown stripes."

Click HERE if you'd like to see more Hip Pouches

 ... visit my Handcrafts studio on ArtFire !

But before you do... you'll want to feast your eyes on these gorgeous Gypsy Earrings... handcrafted by my curator-du-jour, TekaandZoe... 

"Disks of copper, first shaped and then enameled. The inspiration for the color was the beads. I fell in love with these Czech beads. This pair uses numerous colors and firings to achieve this blend of Dark Grey with Oranges, Reds, Sunflower and more. Each earring has 35 bead wraps, so 70 for the pair. They are assembled with oxidized sterling silver and have handcrafted ear wires."

Don't you think they would go perfectly with my Hip Pouch... oh yeah... gorgeous !!!

By the way... 

Teka and Zoe are the names of 

the chihuahuas that look to this artisan :)

Visit TekaandZoe's ArtFire studio by clicking HERE !

Blessed Be! Mabon is Here! Happy Equinox!

HAPPY AUTUMN EQUiNOX !

& JOYOUS FULL MOON !

"Set Sail, Set Sail ! The end of the summer is neigh and the voyage to The Apple Land begins where you left off... May your journey be as meaningful as you will allow... May your season be filled with harvest full of insight and healing... May your Ancestors and relations greet you with open arms & joy... and May the Gods bless you and your beloveds. Set Sail, Set Sail !" Brizel

I have not yet discovered nor met the pagan community on ArtFire and perhaps as the Autumn unfolds I will meet a few more souls who hold... Sister Moon, Father Sun, and beautiful Mama Earth with all Her wondrous creatures... as the most sacred manifestation of the divine. We are the key to safeguarding this beauty... the journey of it is often difficult but worthwhile to take.

BLESSED BE ! MABON IS HERE !

THANK YOU to DesigningImpressions for creating a Collection in celebration of Mabon, Autumn Equinox, and for spreading the joy which artists and artisans alike have in creating products inspired by our seasons. Click HERE to view this beautiful Collection on ArtFire.

Brizel Handcrafts was featured in BLESSED BE! MABON IS HERE! and presents a unique adaptation of a St Brigid Cross, a prayers cross, attributed to the Celtic saint and goddess Brigid / Brigit...

"This Celtic wall cross is handmade from apple wood... a beautiful item for your altar or hearth, for above your doorway or to gift as a housewarming / house blessing present !

Brigid crosses are solar symbols, equal armed and stretching in four directions, which symbolically encourages the strength of the Sun through our front doors and into our homes. It is a talisman believed to bring protection, blessing, fertility and prosperity into our households."

To read more about Brizel's Brigid Crosses, Click HERE.

To visit Brizel Handcrafts... HERE.

My curator-du-jour, DesigingImpressions, is an avid jewelry maker... Here is one of her beautiful autumn themed necklaces...

"Beautiful colors of fall and the changing colors of the leaves... Two string necklace with imitation champagne colored pearls with large antique brass focal. Accented with dyed red quartz, green dyed quartz and natural jasper. Antique brass toggle. Length is 23.5"."

Click Here to visit DesigningImpressions ArtFire Studio !

ArtFire Collection: The Elusive Dragonfly by EmilyClaireCreations

I thought Dragonfly visiting season was over but a few nights ago as I was going outside to enjoy the moonlight, a large dragonfly zoomed by and attached itself on the screen door. She certainly wasn't elusive as I was able to carefully transfer her on my hand & take her with me on my walk. She did not stay long as the gentle breeze inspired her to take flight...

THE ELUSiVE DRAGONFLY

A celebration of dragonflies !

curated by EmilyClaireCreations

"Dragonflies are reminders that we are light

and can reflect the light in powerful ways

if we choose to do so.

“Let there be light”

is the divine prompting to use the creative imagination

as a force within your life."

This beautiful quote is written by our curator-du-jour, Valerie from EmilyClaireCreations whose lovely ArtFire Collection adorns this blog post. If you'd like a closer look at THE ELUSIVE DRAGONFLY click HERE.

I was delighted that Brizel Supplies was included in this lovely grouping of dragonfly products...

"... A magical hand painted Czech glass button: a large red & green dragonfly with iridescent pink wings stretches out on a milk white and blue sky... They say that when you see a Dragonfly... the doors into the fairy realm are wide open for you to step through...."

To see more lovely buttons...

come visit Brizel Supplies:

... click HERE to visit my ArtFire Studio !

Valerie included one of her wondrous dragonfly pendants in this Collection:

"This handmade distressed pendant depicts a dragonfly in flight, over a field of flowers. Accented with a wooden flower bead. Made from high quality turquoise blue polymer clay and distressed with black acrylic paint. It is sealed with a satin polymer glaze."

"Making jewelry makes me supremely happy. It is a one true medium where I can express myself. I follow my bliss. I believe it shows in my designs. Jewelry should be something anyone can wear no matter what size, shape, age or color you are, it is a statement to accentuate your personality." EmilyClaireCreations

Click HERE to visit EmilyClaireCreations !

Treasury Thanks: Sweet Imaginings of the Heart by KneeDeepOriginals

The rain never came yesterday despite the prospect and dramatic display of clouds... the cooler temperatures sure motivated me to get a different type of project done... an autumn spring cleaning of my storage cupboard space. I now have room in there to move-in my craft show display bins as I will not be doing any fairs this upcoming season. Oh... it just felt so good to get everything off the floor and organized unto shelves... what a wholesome affordable thrill ! Good feelings rock :)

And then... there are those precious heart moments when someone tells you how much they appreciate you... ohhhh that feels even better. LOL

My friend Rebecca, aka KneeDeepOriginals, created a gorgeous Treasury called Sweet Imaginings of the Heart in which she choose to feature 16 artists that have inspired her. I was chosen as one of the sixteen... how incredible is that ?

SWEET iMAGiNiNGS OF THE HEART

As you can see, it is truly a magnificent collection- if you'd like, please visit & leave a comment on the actual Etsy Treasury by clicking HERE.

My favorite piece in this treasury is the Vireo Bird- a beautifully sweet petite painting by renneanne. You can see it at the bottom left of the treasury :)

Rebecca chose to feature one of my Silk Tapestry Boxes...

"Abalone Turtle... a unique handmade decorative Silk Tapestry Box by Brizel Handcrafts, made of recycled silk sari & banana silk yarn, perfect for storing a small oceanic memory keepsake !

It is a divine gentle fiber arts container, with a lid of its own, featuring variegated pastel aqua blue banana silk yarn paired with a deep dark midnight blue recycled silk sari yarn. This gorgeous box has been embellished with a turtle shaped button made from carved iridescent abalone shell."

To see more animal theme Silk Tapestry Boxes

visit brizel4TheAnimals on Etsy.

To see floral theme Silk Tapestry Boxes

visit brizelhandcrafts on ArtFire.

I love Rebecca's work...

and as a matter of fact, KneeDeepOriginals has inspired my own creativity....

Grace of Morning

"Bright, colorful, warm, and full of movement, song, and life, this original oil on canvas will bring the joy of the morning straight into your home or office. Here you'll find a meadowlark and a mockingbird bringing on the day with a powerful burst of sunrise in blues, oranges, yellows, purples, and a few other colors to boot. Painted on professional canvas with 1.5 inch sides painted in the same colors, this unique piece of art measures 24 x 30 and will come wired in the back and ready for hanging wherever you need color and cheer !"

"There are two things I love about art - discovering the soul of my subject as I bring it to a new and different life on canvas, and the element of surprise - you never know what will emerge and what you'll discover... All of my work is influenced by the natural world around my home (mountains, woods, birds and wildlife, gardens of all kinds), whether in color, texture, or materials. Each of my paintings is original and one of a kind." Rebecca Dresser

What an awesome original painting Grace of Light is...

... this Silk Tapestry Box was inspired by its energy ...

"Sunset Raven, an original handmade decorative Silk Tapestry Box by Brizel Handcrafts, made with vegan & eco-friendly yarns, perfect for storing a unique keepsake !

Sunset Raven is a gorgeous soft fiber arts container, with a lid of its own, featuring yellow banana silk yarn with hand painted rayon yarn paired with dyed cotton & hemp yarn. This unique one of a kind Silk Tapestry box has been embellished with a ceramic raven & a manzanita wood branch."

From all my heart, Rebecca, thank you !

Please visit KneeDeepOriginals

by clicking HERE

Treasury Thanks: Polka Dot Party by tiniestmonkey

Well... so much for blogging every day last week. Seems like I've been having a hard time crossing off the things on my 'to do' list. I bet none of my subscribers even noticed ! lol

The weather is shifting into autumn mode here and those of us who live in this region are wondering where our Indian Summer went. Today is brooding up for a good rain... however, I can easily imagine not too far behind all those layers of grey damp clouds are the cosmic dots that so many starry eyed folks like to connect to make pretty constellation pictures.

Is that where the polka dots originated, from the stars ? I dunno know :) but let's have a party to celebrate polka dots regardless...

POLKA DOT PARTY

This is a fun Etsy Treasury, created by a very recent addition to the EFA Team, tiniestmonkey. I really liked how the theme was broken down into color 'strips' and I think the selection of products and composition are fresh & cute. My favorite dotted product is DogBarks' Dachshund plush dogs. Click HERE if you'd like to see this Treasury on Etsy.

brizel4TheAnimals was happy to be included in this dotty collection of EFA goodies...

Fun cotton novelty fabric

bold geometric BULL'S EYE motif in violets and blues

Click HERE to see brizel4TheAnimals fabric selection !

This cute canine item from tiniestmonkey's shop drew my attention...

"A small brown, corduroy pouch, lined with retro floral fabric. A cute green felt pit bull appliquéed on the front. Perfect for carrying treats or clean-up bags, or anything you want ! Approximately 7 inches long and 6 inches deep."

"All proceeds from this shop are donated to Philadelphia-area rescue efforts for pit bulls and feral cats. Profits from dog-themed sales will be donated to the Sarge Fund via Philadelphia PAWS (http://www.phillypaws.org/News/archive/61.asp). Profits from cat-themed sales will be donted to Temple Cats (http://www.temple-cats.org)."

tiniestmonkey is a sweet shop

filled with items for cats or people.

check it out HERE sometime !