TWILIGHT

The time has finally arrived when romantics of all ages are flocking to the movie theaters to get their first look at the romance vampire movie of the decade. We've all been taken a little with the dark side of romance and passion; from the old dracula novels to Ann Rice and now the Twlight fans can't read enough of Stephenie Meyer and her teenage drama of love and horror. I was approached by one of those lovely etsy people to feature a bracelet on her blog:

http://www.juststopscreaming.com/2008/11/twilight-extravaganza-finale-ultimate.html

If you are a fan, I'd visit there and follow her blogsite as I am giving away my $90 bracelet there as she's a huge fan and has been doing a daily countdown to the romance. My son's half minded girlfriend spent an overnight at the local mall last weekend looking to meet the dashing star and have him sign a poster or two. I am a big fan of anything that will bring younger people to a book and of course after reading the book, how could you NOT see the movie? I am hoping to make my way to the movie this weekend to get a little peek at Daniel Craig. I have been watching Casino Royale on cable this month and he's caught my eye big time. He's Bond, James Bond. I hadn't really noticed Craig before his Bond appearance and was so taken with him that I went over to feebay and purchased a few old movies of his. I will let you know what I think in future posts.

I have a bunch of Twilight jewelry in my etsy store and could make anything custom for a Christmas gift, from your favorite movie, to my version of your favorite poem on your wrist, to just a single pendant with someone you love wrapped in a heart. You can find my art at www.poetsummer.etsy.com and you can email me at Summerpoet@msn.com. I also ordered some more hearts for the Paris Blues Bracelet that was featured on Yahoo Shine, so if you missed that huge promotion, you can find a bracelet in the store for you. Sorry I ran out. Take care and thanks for spending this time with me. Carrie.

Ring Around The Rosie

Why give me a ring
when you own my heart?
When I feel your love I want to
throw my arms in the air and twirl
in circles and just maybe
one of those circles
would turn into a ring
you could wear on your finger
and look down and know
little pieces of of my heart
are in every turn

I LOVE LOVE LOVE to make rings. I love the wire, the idea that even when I just figured out how to put a whole world of fun on a bracelet, that even smaller I could put it on your finger. I made a little globe ring with an elephant dancing over the top under an umbrella. Oh what an afternoon of whimsy and delight. I even found a way to put the photo charms on rings with the back of typewriter keys working as the perfect little steampunk frames. When I went to the pumpkin farm with family people would stop and say, "is that a little circus ring?" ha. I am working on a book of rings, different styles, a do it yourself little zine. I have been working on it for months and I so get sidetracked. Being the be all end all of your own business sounds like fun until 40 people want something and you realize you have two hands, a worthless child and the phone is ringing. Fuck me. So things get put aside but I am making Christmas cookies this year, two kinds, a few dozen, some kolachky to take to Best Friend and that's it.

It snowed last night. It didn't just dust, it really snowed, enough snow so that this morning I could see a thousand little animal footprints in the driveway. Summer's done. The fall, just a few more days and that's over. We'll be all done eating turkey soon and it's on to the remainder of the Holiday season. If you'd like me to make you a funky scarf (I've been known to make the longest scarves in the world) drop me a note and I'd be glad to get it started. I have a new store on etsy called Hersteria and there are some offerings there. Hersteria is from an Eliot poem about love and laughter and fun. Did I mention how much I miss Best Friend this time of the year? I will get to see her soon and all will be good with the world. I am traveling to visit family for a little weekend (if I can get myself away) and that will be my holiday treat to myself.

I am working on bracelets for Marshall Fields, Suzy Snowflake and Frosty The Snowman. Do you have some Christmas treasure of your heart you'd like to see on a bracelet? I'd love to design something just for you. You can find my art at Poetsummer.etsy.com and on feebay at Poetsummer. You can always email me at summerpoet@msn.com. Thanks for spending this time with me and take care of yourself, pamper yourself a little and 20 minutes a day at least for a little meditation, prayer and thanks. You will be better for it. Carrie.

THE PERFECT STORM

This has been an exciting week, I must say. First let's start with how much I love etsy. I was working late last week when I get an email from Courtney Love, yes the Love girl herself telling me she needs something unique made and I may be the girl for her. She buys a bunch of my jewelry and get this..she's nice. She's as down to earth as anyone you'd know and chats me up in emails like she's been a long time girlfriend. If you don't know Courtney and her work, it's time to check her out,

We all get our glory
Our little bit of fame
But there's no truth at the heart of any of it
Just the brilliance and the passion
And the bitterness remains

Hold on to me
Aaahhh
Hold on to me
Hold on to me
Aaahhh
Hold on to me

She's sad and settled and girlie and fun and interesting and her blog is fascinating. So I start working on some really personal stuff, stuff that touches me and my heart and I get an email from another etsy person telling me I've made Courtney's blog, you have to check this out, I almost crapped my pants:

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=165705423&blogID=447057143

Yeah. I was freaking out. Not only is courtney going to be wearing a globload of my jewelry but she thinks I'm a genius. How fucking cool is this? No she's not some washed out vampire writer, she's not a blue haired nut stalking me on ebay, she's courtney fucking the coolest of love. I am still thrilled. When I am working on a piece I want her to see I feel a little special and I start thinking about the THOUSANDS of other really wonderful people who have purchased my jewelry and I feel a little oogie inside wondering about their lives and wanting to be there to watch them flip their wrist this way and that way showing off my work.

YAHOOOOOOOO

Then Friday I am packing boxes and notice a bunch of the sales are local and email one of my patrons asking her where she found my art. She found it here...http://astrology.yahoo.com/event/holiday-gift-guide/10-top-online-shopping-sites-and-fun-deals-you-ll-find-on-them-298739/#photoViewer=1

Yahoo shine puts my little etsy store up as a great place to holiday shop and I was so overwhelmed with new sales that I needed to take a few hours this weekend and just breathe a little. I feel so freaking great and excited about having new people notice my work but I wanted to take a moment to throw a shout out to those chickies who are always so supportive...

http://www.fourchooks.com/2008/06/poet-summer-plug-for-seller-on-etsy.html

http://crazybeatnick.wordpress.com/2008/11/03/donuts-pleasenow/

http://b-moviestar.com/recomendations-from-the-b-movie-star/halloween-shopping.html

http://sassyjavababy.blogspot.com/2008/10/starbucks-charm-bracelet.html

http://sassyjavababy.blogspot.com/2008/10/starbucks-charm-bracelet.html

http://fashionmefabulous.blogspot.com/2008/04/etsy-shop-of-week-poetsummer.html

http://pulpsushi.typepad.com/pulp_sushi/2008/08/friday-etsy-finds---cinderella.html

http://www.smitteniche.com/2008/08/treasured-gems-peachy-keen/

http://dragongems.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/octo-eight/

http://wists.com/everyone/9ae41d9a78f4906e632e21c4c29c3112

http://ivonnardonascreations.blogspot.com/2008/09/black-and-orange-by-poest.html

http://lolaruby.blogspot.com/2008/08/filligree.html

http://aviatrix827.blogspot.com/2008/09/inspiration-persiration.html

http://trimtimepetgrooming.blogspot.com/2008/11/giving-awesome-art-buy-handmade-this.html

http://michabellacreations.blogspot.com/2008/10/as-october-comes-to-close-i-wanted-to.html

http://kotibeth.blogspot.com/2008/10/friday-favorites-steampunk.html

http://grandiaroad.blogspot.com/2008/06/monday-on-etsy_09.html

http://jobarberphotography.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-heart-pumpkins.html

http://michellecarver.blogspot.com/2008/09/bracelets-for-me.html

http://cryptstitch.typepad.com/crypt_stitch/2008/06/birthday-bling.html

http://thesimplelifeofthestars.blogspot.com/2008/10/few-of-my-favorite-things.html

http://prettyoungthing.wordpress.com/2008/05/30/quite-frankly/

http://customcreationsbysydnei.blogspot.com/2008/05/todays-theme-ishorses.html

I couldn't even begin to list all the treasuries as there are hundreds. How do I thank you all for your constant support and inspiration? Other than to tell you how much you all mean to me. My art and my work doesn't feel like work when I get to share it with you. I expect support from my family and my friends because they love me and that's what family and friends do but when that support comes from a stranger who just loves my work, well it's an unexpected surprise and I feel overwhelmed with happy. This was certainly a week of a perfect storm and I am swamped with jewelry, piles everywhere of this and that to do and mixed in with the beads and the photos and the charms is love. My cup over flows. The support from other artists on etsy has been the glue that keeps me there, creating and in awe of what they create. I am going to start featuring more of those artists here and sharing their work with you and I hope that you check out their stores and their blogs and their lives. If you have an interest in my art, I would hope that you'd look for me at poetsummer.etsy.com or email me at Summerpoet@msn.com as I'd love to hear from you. Take care yourself and reach out to love another. I've been reached by all of you and am better for it. Carrie.

My Favorite Things

Moon Struck Magic

It's that time of the year again where we anticipate what others will love and what we want to share of ourselves. I make it a practice that when I sell something on Etsy I try to give back to the community of artists there and make a purchase of supplies or something for myself. So I find this peppermint foot cream and the cool part about it? It's in a tube that you roll on like deodorant. No more greasy hands when you are trying to make your feet nice and soft. I was so excited when the mail arrived and my treasure way to treat myself was at my house I could barely stand myself.

The funny thing about how we treat ourselves is that we tend to just "get used to" the products we buy from the market and seldom think about the time and energy we put into the joy we have in our daily lives using those products. I am a victim of this circumstance myself. I tend to just do what is easiest and fastest so I can get on with the taking care of business part of my life. What a shame. Then I get this little package in the mail from one of my new favorite sellers. If you haven't check this out yet, you can find her here...http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=41580. Along with my very wonderful minty foot cream that makes my feet fell oh so good was this little bag with a sample of New York spa soap. I was working when I opened the package and I kept stopping what I was doing to stop and sniff the little bag with a sliver of soap that smells like a little vanilla, a little mango and loads of goodness. I was hooked. I kept asking myself, "Why haven't I been pampering myself with this goodness before now?" It's because we don't think of pampering ourselves in even the most basic aspects of our lives. My life is moving too fast. That's what I gained from this little find, that piece of information.

The maker of this wonderful goodness? She's a single mom an inspiration, a healer. She doesn't use detergents or harmful dyes and her healing hands create something that makes our lives better. What a wonderful thought. This handmilled soap, made in someone's kitchen in New York (the beginning of everything wonderful in the world.) and when I am taking a bath or a shower I have a piece of her there in my tub taking care of me. What a great job. I stop and tell everyone I see that they should try this soap. So this holiday season when things are overwhelming, when you have packages to wrap and cookies to bake, when your children are being snotty and the focus of the entire season seems out of whack and you just need a little time where it's warm away from all the white noise, be prepared. Have a little stash of magic hidden in your vanity waiting for you to sink into a tub and take care of yourself. I love to rub the back of the soap bar on my skin because it has oats in it and it just takes away the bad stuff and makes me feel soft and pink again. You'll be a new person ready to tackle a trip to the mall when there is no parking and grumpy relatives.

Thanks for spending this time with me. If you have an interest in my art you can find me at poetsummer.etsy.com and of course you can always email me at summerpoet@msn.com. Take care you and yours and enjoy the holidays as they pass by so fast. Remember, if you are buying soap to take care of you, buy a few extra bars to take care of someone you love. Carrie.