Friday Feature: lime leaves

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up with me this past week for my Friday Feature link up!  Here are just a few of the great finds that were featured.  Click on the photos to check out the item listings, blog posts, etc.

If you've been following my blog for a while, I'm sure it's not a secret that I love lime.  I thought it would be a perfect color to feature for the beginner of summer.  Enjoy these lime leaf picks!

Necklace - Lime Leaves by garbedesigns

Lime leaves variegated hosta photograph 8x8 print - Glisten by mistflowerphoto

Green Light Napkin Ring Holder - Set of 4 by MariMartin

Cosmetics Bag, Knitting Notions Zipper Pouch, Project Bag, Lime Green White Batik Leaf Print by KnitzyBlonde

Lime Green Snack Bowl by ateliermarla

Lime Green Safari Leaves on a Stay Put Headband by hollyn14

Leather Sandal - My Pick - Attachment bright lime green leaf with orange flower by HeidiLouiseBootmaker

I don't like to make a lot of rules for my link ups, but if you link up, please visit and comment on at least one other post.  No one benefits from linking up if we don't all support each other.  Thanks!

  Grab a blog button!

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Were you featured in this post?  Grab one of these buttons, too!

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Where else I linked up today:

some of my favorite colors

My most recent listings on Etsy have two of my favorite colors.

This one is available here. The pictures really don't do justice to the turquoise tint in this blue.  Trust me that in person, the turquoise is stunning.  I made a bunch of these shell bracelets a while back when I couldn't keep enough purple shells in stock.  I got out of the habit of listing them, though.  I have matching earrings for this piece that I'll get up at some point.  If you're interested now, let me know.

This bracelet is available here.  I sold a button charm bracelet with this color palette a couple years ago.  It's taken me a while to collect enough lime green buttons to make another one.  I know that this is not everyone's favorite color, but I haven't gotten sick of it yet.  Usually I use slightly smaller seed beads as the embellishment for my button charm bracelets.  Amazingly, I don't have any of that size in lime right now so I went with the next size up.  I like the slightly chunkier look.

I also have a couple new projects in the works with more all-time favorite colors.  I'm one of Kristie's (artisanclay) guest design team members.  I don't participate every month like the regular members, but I get to participate once or twice a year.  I'm doing my first piece for the team in August.

I picked the middle purple donut in the bottom row.  I'm planning to make a beaded bail for it and then a beaded rope for the necklace.  Personally I would pair it with a simple chain because I don't like heavy necklaces.  But I'm going to challenge myself on this and try something new with the rope.

 

 I was able to find delicas that fit with the donut from my personal collection so I don't have to order anything.  You'll have to trust me that the beads on the top right have a purple hint in person and will compliment the other purple beads and the donut perfectly.  I'm planning to use the champagne beads for the rope.

In other news, I started this lovely piece last week.

I made a glitch in the dagger fringe.  I screwed something up with the side fringe, and it threw everything off.  I didn't realize it until much later, so I scrapped it and am starting over.  I still love the overall look of the piece.  The final result will be very similar.

Finally, my strawberry challenge piece is in the works.

Friday feature: it's a lime party

My husband and I are in the process of finalizing the purchase of our first house.  We do own the condo that we live in now, but this will be our first house.  We close next month.  I thought that it would be fun to do a party theme here for my weekly feature since we're hoping to host people regularly in our new place.  It was harder to get a consistent color theme for this than I thought it would be.  I finally settled on an awesome lime set, though.  And of course there are a couple dotted items, too.  Hopefully you'll get a little inspiration for your next party.  Enjoy!

Lime Lots of Dots - Four Piece Place Setting by chutneyblakedesigns

Vintage Everyday Housewife Apron (size small to medium) by momomadeit

Urban Striped Chip and Dip in Chartreuse, Black, and White by owlcreekceramics

4oz Natural Soy Wax Flower Pot Candle with Lime essential oil by FireflyCandles

Cocktail Napkins - FREE SHIPPING - Martini Party - Set of 4 reusable cloth by MaryLittfin

festive hand built lime green porcelain tray by clayswan

Glasses/goblets Large Tear drop, lime green/yellow hand painted by simplethingsbykathy

bargello rainbow

Does anyone remember this sneak peak?  Probably not haha.  I upgraded my Bargello Ribbon pattern from Carol Dean (SandFibers) a few weeks ago and finally listed one of my bargello pieces on Etsy, which you saw the sneak peak of way back in the summer.

It's available here.  As you know, I really enjoy embellishing cuffs.  This is one of those ideas that I had in the back of my head for a ridiculous long amount of time before I actually put it together.  I got the inspiration for the colors from this set of bowls.  It's great how inspiration can come from different mediums like that.  The delicas were pretty easy to find, but it took me a long time to get all of the cubes in coordinating colors and figure out exactly how I wanted to work the embellishment.  And then of course, I actually had to bead it.  I'm so happy with the result, though.  Carol's pattern is amazing.  I still love this color combination, and I'm very satisfied with the embellishment.

The next bargello cuff that I list won't be embellished, but if you like this look and/or have ideas for other color combinations, let me know.  I may make more in the future.

EtsyBloggers treasury, my favorite lake, sneak peak

I've been so caught up with everything lately that I didn't think to post my newest EtsyBloggers treasury until now.  I signed up to curate our weekly treasury this week.  I got on such a lime kick with my feature earlier this week that I decided to stick with it for my treasury.

EtsyBloggers: Lime/Peridot

The second sign that I've been so caught up with everything is that I didn't upload my pictures from Labor Day weekend until tonight.  As I'm sure some of you know by now, one of the things that I miss when I'm in Iowa is Lake Michigan.  I always like to visit it when I can when I'm in Chicago or Kenosha.  I had a couple opportunities to visit it when we were in Kenosha for Labor Day.

Anyone who doesn't think that the midwest is beautiful is crazy.

These last two pictures were later in the day, around 7PM.

Finally, I got the final supplies for my pearl bracelet yesterday so I've been hard at work the last couple nights.  I'm still waiting for the proper wire for the coordinating earrings, but I'm hoping to finish the bracelet by the end of the weekend.  Here's a sneak peak.  I took this tonight, and the light box just doesn't work as well when there's no natural light.  I'll get some lighter pictures of the final product.

Have a great weekend everyone!

one of the most underrated colors revisited

I did a mini lime feature back in February.  It is way past time to do one again!

SALE...Free Shipping by blueseraphim

Large Chartreuse Ripples Peyote Cuff (2511) by SandFibers

Posh Posies (handmade buttons set of 5) by TessaAnn

10 Pcs.Green Shell 20X20 MM by koosupplies

Handmade lamp, lamp shade, pendant, ceiling, hanging lamp by FiligreeCreations on Etsy by FiligreeCreations

Green With Envy - lime green seed beads, fine silver, pewter beads by onebeadtwobead

Handmade Tropical Orchid Blank Card - Turquoise, Green, and Coral Accents by sophienme

new listing, getting ready to make a light box, open to suggestions

I listed my lime green beaded leaf earrings tonight.  They will be my final Christmas in July sale item for this year.  They're only $8.50 until the end of the month!  This will be the last time that I have this many items on sale for quite a while so take advantage of it while you can.

I bought supplies for a photo light box today.  As you probably already know, I prefer to take pictures outside in natural light.  However, I live in the midwest, and from mid-August-May, I'm out of the house from at least 7:00AM-4:30PM most weekdays.  Even when the weather is cooperative, this schedule doesn't leave a lot of opportunities for taking pictures in natural light.  I have scraped by taking pictures in sunlight when I can on the weekends the last couple years, but I would like to do something a little more consistent this year.  I'll post progress and feedback on the light box.

I'm also toying with the idea of experimenting with some plain white or gray backgrounds.  I've created my signature look with the sheet music background.  I've gotten a lot of positive feedback on that both here and at my shows this summer.  However, it is not the plain, teetering just on the edge of overexposed look that seems to sell well on Etsy.  I don't know that I'm ready to scrap my whole look, but I'm also ready to scream in frustration over not having more sales on Etsy.  Improving my music background photos and doing more to promote my site this summer (more blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) has increased my Etsy views and hearts.  But it hasn't increased my sales.  So I'm open to suggestions.

Tomorrow I'm listing my August EBW Challenge entry piece.  Sunday I'm listing my first pattern.  Stay tuned.

award, new listing

Duni (Lovely Purses) and her cat Sammy were so kind to give me and Angel the Happy Cat award.

As part of accepting the award, I'm supposed to list five things that make Angel happy.
1) eating almost any kind of cheese
2) eating almost any kind of ice cream
3) sitting with/working her non-existent front claws on plastic laundry baskets
4) watching me work on counted cross-stitch
5) sitting with her tank water bowl
Thanks again Duni and Sammy! :)

My inventory is still kind of a mess after the Arts Festival.  I did take pictures of everything that I brought with me.  I just didn't edit all of the pictures or write much down about most of them yet.  I will slowly edit the pictures and post listings for the items that I didn't sell at the festival.

I listed the first new one tonight: spring green tubular triangle earrings.

I was a little disappointed that not one of the three pairs of tubular triangle earrings that I had sold at the Arts Festival, but they still got a lot of compliments.

I don't know what color combination I'll be using for my next tubular triangles.  Any suggestions?  I'd still like to work one into a bracelet/cuff sometime.

I received confirmation last night that I'll have a booth at the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Arts & Crafts Show in Urbandale, IA (Des Moines area) in October.  It's really nice to have another show to look forward to already!