Mosaic Monday: Springtime Crafting

The calendar may still say winter, but we're getting in the mood for spring and busy filling our Etsy shop with all manner of colorful supplies. From hand made paper roses and forget me not flowers to spun cotton mushrooms from Germany and fancy ribbon trims in satins and velvets, we hope you'll find something that either sparks your creativity or fits right in with a project already underway.

To see more mosaics please visit Mary over at Little Red House.

Spring is Coming!

It may not feel like it but spring is just around the corner! For supplies to create beautiful handmade pieces, look no further than the Etsy Supply Street Team.

Shadow Shot Sunday

We've had a seemingly endless stretch of storms here in Southern California: rain, hail, high winds, high surf, the works! Good for getting lots of work done, not so good for outdoor activities or shooting shadows. So... here is one of my favorite shots from last summer. My boyfriend and I like to switch off taking pictures of each other surfing. I shot this one of him in the golden afternoon light at the end of a long beach day many months ago.

Be sure to click below to check out all the other shadows over at Hey Harriet!

Shadow Shot Sunday

Last weekend I was inspecting my vine and how it's finally attaching itself to my wall (grow! grow little vine!) when I couldn't help but notice these palm shadows.

Be sure to click below to see more shadow shots over at Hey Harriet:

Shadow Shot Sunday

Christmastime brought a new waterproof camera, and weather in the 70s with minimal waves provided a perfect opportunity to try it out. That's me taking my turn stand up paddle surfing into the camera with the late afternoon sun casting a few shadows.

Be sure to click below to see more shadow shots:

Mosaic Monday

Christmas Day and the 26th my mom and I took advantage of the phenomenal weather with a walk along the beach and a local hike on trails through Torrey Pines State Park leading down to the beach. Here's a glimpse of what we saw, from left to right....

1. A view of the Pacific Ocean through the Torrey Pine trees.
2. Pretty seaweed at low tide.
3. Wispy clouds and backlit trees.
4. Recent rains have prompted a few wildflowers to bloom.
5. A building swell.
6. Two campers get into Christmas Day.
7. Hikers enjoying the perfect weather.
8. The lifeguards keep an eye on things from their beach-mobile.
9. Looking north.

Be sure to stop by Little Red House to enjoy all the wonderful mosaics!

Shadow Shot Sunday

This is actually a shadow shot of Golden West taking her shadow shot!

Valentine Crafting Supplies

Valentine's Day is just around the corner! For supplies to create a beautiful handmade Valentine, look no further than the Etsy Supply Street Team.

A Last Glimpse

Shadow Shot Sunday

Thomas likes to hide amongst the shadows and blend in with the porch railing for optimal hunting at the bird bath in the flower bed. We're pretty sure most of the birds know he's there and torment him on purpose, as his attempt-to-catch ratio isn't too high. He's not deterred though, and spends quite some time hunkered down in the sun half snoozing, half watching.

Poinsettia Polar Bears

These polar bears were made with 10,000 Ecke poinsettias and are two stories high. They're on display at The Palazzo in Las Vegas.

Shadow Shot Sunday

On the move! This beach squirrel lives in the rip rap lining the bluff and makes an appearance each time we're there. He's quite fearless and doesn't usually back down unless he gets a small treat. So far blueberries have been a big hit!

Tara's Kitchen Shelf

Tara's treasures pre-paper.

It's not often that we get to see how our customers use the supplies they find in our shop, so we were just delighted when Tara shared her shelf lining project with us!


Using several sheets of Italian paper, and a very keen eye for pattern matching, she lined the back of her kitchen shelf in about two hours.

All finished!

We love it! Along with a few other treasures, like those salt and peppers and vintage scales.

UPDATE: Here's one more shot with everything put back in place:

Mosaic Monday: Deck the Halls

Please click to enlarge.

Being in the swing of decorating means inspiration is everywhere -- literally! We often put up over twenty trees of different sizes all over the house plus displays on shelves, table tops and, of course, the mantel. With collections spanning two generations, and constantly growing, bringing out our decorations is a tradition unto itself and something we start talking about around the end of summer. While we're by no means finished, we've got several areas well underway and, well, mostly under control.

Starting at the top from left to right:
•A small feather tree with icicle ornaments in the living room.
•A light yellow putz house.
•A golden tinsel tree with handmade ornaments.
•A vintage reindeer guards a bowl of blown glass nuts.
•My first Christmas card of the season, from my dear friend Tracy.
•A Dala horse stands in the dining room window while another small feather tree acts as table centerpiece.
•A vintage Santa -- he's the one thing that stays out all year.
•The living room by night.
•A treasured and whimsical blown glass bear.

Be sure to stop by Little Red House to enjoy all the wonderful mosaics!

Shadow Shot Sunday

Winter is definitely right around the corner, even here in Southern California. On the particularly chilly days I dream of our Santa Ana days where temperatures will climb into the 80s and lure us outside for a stand up paddle.