HappyHound on HandMadeNews.Org

Today I am in HandMade News as the featured Artisan!

http://www.handmadenews.org/article/index.php?id=1956

If you are not familiar with HandMadeNews.org, please go check it out. It is the largest handmade craft blog on Earth (!) written by artisans. You can find many articles on craft trends, inspirations, marketing ideas and business tips.

One of my favorite sections is The Green Wise department with articles about carbon neutral living, environmentally friendly craft ideas and green practices to help keep our planet healthy.

Have a lovely weekend!

Skullicious

This weekend I added some new Halloween Skull tags to my Etsy shop. I know, it is only August, but the retail shops already have Christmas out, so I am feeling kind of justified.

I don't know what you do at your house for Halloween, but I have recently discovered that Dia de los ñatitas (Day of the Skulls) is a festival celebrated in La Paz, Bolivia on November 9. Traditionally, the skull of one or more family members are kept at home to watch over the family and protect them during the year. On November 9, the family crowns the skull with fresh flowers, sometimes also dressing it up in various garments, and makes offerings of cigarettes, coca leaves, alcohol, and various other items in thanks for the year's protection. Makes handing out candy apples dressed like a witch seem kind of lame doesn't it?

In my effort to showcase Etsy artisans, http://www.stinkyandsweetpea.etsy.com/ has the cutest doggie cookies ever! Look at these Dia de los Mutt-os Skull treats. They also have the coolest tattoo heart cookies. For bad-ass doggies- like mine.

Making Hydrangeas Last

My garden is in full bloom with the lovliest hydrangeas right now. I have discoved a wonderful method of making them last without wilting. There is a sticky substance when cut that clogs the stem preventing water from reaching the blooms, causing them to quickly wilt. To prevent this , try this technique:

1. When cutting hydrangeas, take water to the garden in a container.
2. Immediately after cutting each bloom, drop the stem in the water.
3. Indoors, boil water and pour it into any container.
4. Cut the hydrangea stems to the desired length.
5. Stand the stems of the hydrangeas in the hot water for 30 seconds.
6. Immediately put into room temperature water and then arrange.

This process will revive hydrangeas that have wilted after a few hours or days as well.

Let's Go Buy Shoes Instead

In an effort to do my part in stimulating the economy, I went car shopping yesterday. I have not been car shopping in years. I can confirm it is still the single most unpleasant buying experience available. I like walking into a store, spying desired object, walking up to the register and paying. Clean, simple, satisfying. With a car purchase, the object for the sellers appears to be "wear them down with sales double speak and tricky numbers games". Can you imagine if every time we walked into a shop we had to bargain?

I just want a new SUV Mr.Toyota dealer, and I want to pay the exact same price as the tough nosed negotiator that just bought one before me. Is that too much to ask? I hate this process so much, that today I have enlisted the help of the tough nosed negotiator husband of a dear friend to do this deal for me. Apparently he loves doing this. It might be a guy thing. Or a power thing. I have no idea, I think I will go buy some new shoes today. It will be most satisfying.

This charming blue toy car is from http://www.gagaonline.etsy.com/ According to her profile, all of the toys in her shop are handmade by special needs adults. Please check out the shop for lovely bunny, giraffe & dinosaur toys in pastle colors.

Bob, Why The Long Face? by Valerie Fuqua

This wonderful piece of art was created by Valerie Fuqua, a Chicago ,Ill. artist working in mosaic and mixed media art. This mask is named : "Bob, Why The Long Face".

When Valerie was a child she was quite taken with National Geographic magazine. She was struck with the fact that despite having so little in the way of material things, there were parts of the world where people were adorning their faces with "paint" in elaborate designs. Those memories have stayed with her and were the inspiration behind her ongoing series of mosaic masks.
I found Valerie's work on Etsy at:

www. mistflowerstudio.Etsy.com

More of her beautiful work can be seen at her website:

http://www.mistflowerstudio.com/index.html

The Cycling Artist

I found this artist on Etsy one day as I persused paintings for a future purchase (hopefully!).

Artist Tina Mammoser is a full-time artist working from her studio in Greenwich, London. All of her paintings are of or inspired by the sea and are part of an ongoing project (3 years so far!) to cycle the English Coast and paint it. She goes out to a point on the coast with the bike (by train), cycles for 3 or 4 days, then comes back and does lots of sketches, studies and finally big canvases.

This painting is of the Isle of Wight. During her trip she stayed at Thornness Bay on the northwest side of the island and so each day got to see the dramatic change in visible beach and sea as the tide changed. Lisa became slightly obsessed with the strips of sand, shallow water, exposed kelp and distance bay water.

Everything about this painting makes me happy.

Please visit Tina's shop to see more amazing art:

http://www.thecyclingartist.etsy.com/

Beautiful Objects Found on Etsy

I am going to use my blog to highlight some amazing artistic finds from Etsy,Artfire and 1000 Markets. The first is this Borosilicate Glass Heart Pendant. I was unfamiliar with the term Borosilicate so I searched and found that it is a type of glass which includes at least five percent boric oxide. Because borosilicate glass is stronger and more durable than conventional glass, it is very popular in the manufacture of scientific instruments. All I know if this pendant is charming!

This artist goes by the name of Firelily and can be found at:

http://www.firelily.etsy.com/

Pass the Lemonade

It has been over 90 degrees every day this week, so I am thinking about swimming pools. In my next life I am going to live here in Ubud, Bali. This will be my amazing view. If you are somewhere hot today, stay cool. If you are somewhere cool, lucky you.

Life Is A Beach

Winston went on his very first beach trip to Sullivan's island, S.C. recently. Sullivans Island is a dog lovers haven as they allow dogs to run free on the clean , sandy beaches from 5:00 AM until 10:00 AM during the summer months.

All dogs must have a $25 permit available at Town Hall in order to partake in the daily Beach Playdates! Here is the application if you plan to visit: http://tiny.cc/tWtaa