UpDate on Baby Deer - Garden Blessing

The twins, known to us as Bambi and Bro. . . were out back this morning with Mom. They seem to stay close by, front and back from their unusual garden birthplace. They're looking mighty healthy!

Recommendation! We USE these products!!

I have cleared out my thinking and our medicine cabinets. Last year I came across MystiqueProducts while parosing shops that sell local handmade items on Etsy.

I always think there's something about knowing someone else uses and recommends a product that can often lead another to giving it a try. My (actually, our) first experiences were with solid lotion bars, to which the directions intrigued me and we found the product to be wonderful for dry skin areas over the cold winter...

With Mystique's products in mind I created these upcycled First Aid pouches. They are perfect for a great mix of the healing salves, Bug-R off solid lotion. . . and more. I'm making first aid kit gifts for friends and family.

Find some time to take a look around, you won't be sorry... lots of great finds... chances are I probably have em' too.

Garden Blessing

This last weekend we had the pleasure of sharing our garden with a newborn fawn. Bambi (aren't we original) was born right in our front garden near the grasses and lily of the valleys. Not to worry, her mom came and scooped her up in the middle of the night.

We learned that newborn deer have no scent and this is one of the reasons their mothers are okay with leaving them while they get a bit stronger. He/she would stand and lay down, wobbling and strengthing her legs.

Such a blessing to a garden we so enjoy~

I came across a quote. . . recently. . .

one I had never read before. . . and I related it to last month's Earth Day, Week and Month. Our shop had a great month on Etsy and locally with my recycled art, beach glass and tshirt market bags. Thank you to all the supportive customers, friends and family who encourage me along the way. Now, back to the quote which brought on my thoughts:

"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."

Arthur Schopenhauer
German philosopher (1788 - 1860)

If you will, allow me to just put this quote in the light of a more simpler way of life.
Maybe making small steps to be more earth friendly.

Ridiculed...that may be a harsher word than I would use myself, but I know when recycling became a real thing in my community, I mumbled and grumbled. . . that's right, I didn't jump right on board. I didn't know enough about the benefits of using less. I tossed the wrong bottle into the wrong bag in those days. I don't think I'm alone in this past life, but I do know that once enlightened, it would be hard to go back, to waste without a thought, surely this quote makes sense for the planet too. Is it not self-evident that we can make a difference one person at a time?

Earth Day is everyday.

Just two cents and a quote. Oh, and, from the 1800s...oh my!

Blog Award and Passing it On - Thank You!

Kat Tarra gave me this lovely blog award. I’ve been frequenting her blog and the blogs of several others on a regular basis now that I am getting the hang of some of the basics. How NEAT–O to have someone like Kat , who is well-seasoned in her blogging, come on over more than once to mine… yes!!

Thank you Altered Kat!

Sooooo, I am supposed to pass the award on to 5 other bloggers. I could pick more than 5 easy enough but glad to be limited –as- five is my favorite number. You can find lots of blogs I recommend on the right bars of this page – no there are no cool beverages served (I know, I know, lame, -but I luv bar jokes)!

Here go my five Award Picks!!

Art Addict ~ this etsy seller has quite a knack for writing and she’s one of the first blogs that I found I kept coming back to see what new stuff she was writing about. I'm thinking you too will enjoy her findings .

blueyeduckstudios ~ This talented folk artist extraordinaire has been around the block, so to say, and known me (zJayne) online from my first art card (ACEO) and my first Altered Art Doll. I have found the support of other online artists to be instrumental in my own success. Sharing ideas, venues for promoting, and supporting each other with sincere affirmations . . . that's duckie for ya!

Clevelandhandmade ~ Here’s an Etsy street team I’m a proud member of, where all the members create handmade items and are basically from Cleveland and it’s surrounding areas. If you haven’t made a decision to buy handmade at every opportunity ie. birthdays, weddings, graduations and 'just because' reasons….then you haven’t found etsy yet. Search clevelandhandmade and find a little something for everyone on your list. The team is Smashing, we all RoCK!

Laundry ~ Not your mother's laundry woes…nopers, just head on over to this crisp, clear, easy to follow blog and check out Stella's talented writing as well. What a treat when I found laundry through LazyT'scrochet being featured on The Laundry.

TinaSeaMonster ~ I came across this part time journalist when she bought a tshirt bag from my etsy shop. She has her own shop and a blog that doesn’t pull any punches..says it like it is -yet with care and concern. I myself was touched by her respectful reaction to her new wall art... she also writes for Washington City Paper–Cut the Craft and I can usually tell it's her by her direct and fun approach to her writing.

And with that... here are the rules of the game:

1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2. Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his/her blog to be visited by everyone.

3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her/him the award itself. (**Umm, I can't garantee what other people are gonna do. But, uh, I'll do my best!)

4. The award winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte y Pico' blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award. http://www.arteypico.blogspot.com/

5. To show these rules

Allow me to Introduce....

My sister NoraDora... yes, she's a different form of doll artist and crochet's freehand some of the most amazingly beautiful clothing lines for Blythe, Trolls, Barbies, I can't even name them all.

NoraDora has successfully designed, created, and sold 100's of outifits and you'll appreciate her attention to detail. You just have to see her trolls . . . they are SO adorable! Amazingly she has even designed outfits for the pencil top trolls (they are detailed and so tiny).

Proud to introduce you to her new Etsy shop. She's been slowly but surely moving around more on Etsy, so stop by, give her some hearty luv and if you're a collector . . . or looking for yet another addiction... this is the place! [click any of the bold words to view her shop or here: http://www.noradora.etsy.com


Hugs and smooches,
zJayne xo

Art Addict....what a great Blog...have you seen it? I was so honored to recently be featured there and enjoyed it so much, I've bookmarked and keep coming back for the articles. Great writing and neat finds.

Thank you Art Addict...thanks a bunch!

GMTA - Great Minds Think Alike

Etsy Cleveland Street Team: Think Spring

Learn something new everyday...I think I learned today to think before clicking Publish Post when blogging a link. Just an FYI to any new bloggers reading this...there's a window which asks you where to publish and you might be linked to another blog you're a member of or something like that...meaning that's what I did...but I got it here now.

Two Etsy shops, valerietyler and me, each separately made a Treasury on Etsy...seems we followed the same color type theme...spring. Must be a desire for all this snow to melt.

What is a treasury? It's a page with clickable windows showcasing great handmade items ...items you get a chance to pick to show, but not enough windows for all you really want to pick!~