Vintage Metallic Couture

Glittery gold and silver screams “where is the party?!” Apparently the party is over at Tiddleywink’s Etsy shop where vintage is queen and shop’s selection of metallic vintage is oh-so alluring.

Retro metallic shoes and purses are being routinely being featured in top international magazines. The fashion revivals in this shop are designer re-dos of vintage fashion.

If only I could find vintage pair of shoes that fit.

Where did Fairies Come from?

“When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.”
— J.M. Barrie (Peter Pan)

If faeries are created by the laughter of babies then no wonder they bring us joy!

Just added to Bliss St Jewelry

Yellow Enamel Pansy Necklace Picked for Treasury

Ginghamgrlva aka Gingham Girl has created the Smiling Pansy Faces Treasury

I love Pansies and our Yellow Enamel Pansy Necklace was picked for this treasury.

Left to Right and Top to Bottom

Yellow Enamel Pansy Necklace
Shop: BlissStreetJewelry

Hand Painted Pretty Pansy Note Card
Art By Aimee Joy

Gingham Pansies Pot
Lil Chameleon Designs

Pretty Pansy Tea Cozy
Ginghamgrlva aka Gingham Girl

Pansy Hand Painted China Dresser Tray
Porcelain Heirlooms

Paperback Book Cover with Matching Bookmark; Pansies
QuiltSewCover

Pansy Face
Edeeotr

Pansy on Egg
Natashakaj

Pansies Afgahan
Barbara's Afgahans

Purple Pansy Scarf
Telford Silk

Beautiful Table Runner
Embroidered Dreams

Hand Felted Petite Shawl - Pansy
Elena Makes Things


If you don't know what a treasury is you may want to read this

What is an Etsy Treasury?

Etsy defines it as - curated galleries handpicked by the Etsy community

So for those of who who don't know what a Treasury is lets start with the basics.

Etsy started as a handmade community for artisans to sell their creations. The Site has since expanded to include Vintage goods (at least 20yrs old) and supplies. It is the largest site of it's kind with sellers from all over the world.

So many sellers and so little prime exposure. On Etsy the front page is a goal for many sellers getting on the front page insures lots of views. Being in a Storque article, featured seller, Gift Guides and the Main Gallery all get you views, and hopefully sales.

The Main Gallery on the front page is 12 items picked by Etsy to showcase their sellers. It's hard to miss and instantly drives traffic to a etsy shop. If you look in the forums of etsy, you will see tons of threads about the Front Page (FP). How do I get on the FP? Why is it all the same Sellers on the FP? Rants about the Front page. Currently there are 4,561 threads dedicated to the Front Page.

One way to get there? Treasuries. Picked by Sellers. If you are lucky enough to get a treasury slot. You can pick one of your own items and 11 others plus 4 alternates. 16 items in total. 12 For the treasury page and if something sells the alternates get put in the empty spot.

Treasuries are other sellers saying "I like this item" or "this is front page worthy" at it's best. It is being honored by other sellers. Great treasuries (chosen by Etsy staff) are featured on the front page. Of course even the best treasury doesn't always make it. What is the saying? it was an honor just being nominated.

It isn't easy getting a treasury spot. People set up and wait for it. With just 333 spots they fill up quickly. So Etsians wait for one to open up. Craftpolis created a clock, two just to figure out when there will be an open spot. It doesn't always help. If you get a treasury it lasts for only 2 days.

With competition steep to get a treasury and steeper to get to the front page gallery being chosen for a treasury is a good thing. Something to tweet, blog, and basically share. It says somebody liked my item enough to promote it.

Sacred Urban and Bliss St.

“What’s in a name?

That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.”

~Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet.

Bliss St Jewelry as a company has labor intensive one of a kind pieces along with hand assembled and vintage Jewelry

As a result I created a line called Sacred Urban and a page Sacred Urban.
It is where all my artisan jewelry can be found

For 1000 markets where only my artisan jewelry is I debated for a while whether a name change is in order or not. In the end I decided that a clear and defining line was important. For months the lovers of handmade jewelry has known us as Bliss St. Jewelry on 1000 markets. Today the name changes officially to Sacred Urban.

A new shop was created on Etsy to reflect the change. Sacred Urban is now up and I am listing my Hard Candy Collection.

While Sacred Urban is a part of Bliss St. On Etsy and 1000 markets Sacred Urban will represent our one of a kind and artist made pieces.

We will still have Vintage Jewelry on Bliss St on Etsy

Wonderful ideas are brewing! Watch for our new creations
~Carolena Costa

The Insane Artist Myth

There are many romantic scenarios of the solitary artist. Living alone in a loft, with plenty of lovers of course. The misunderstood artist who can not create and be in a relationship, the working spouse just doesn’t understand. The all consuming artist the one that does nothing but breathes, eats and sleeps art. Basically lives his or her art. The latter is the most favorite of patrons. It feeds in to the myth of artist being so different that they are insane. It also raises the value of art. It raises the adrenaline rush, which quickens the blood and loosens the wallet.

In no small way the gossip spreads.

Before Hollywood gossip there were artist gossip. Did you know Van Gogh cut off his ear? Picasso was known not only to save his hair but that of his son’s. Oh and Hemingway….could that man drink! Gossip still goes with art today. Yet gossip, even odd behavior, does not make you insane. It’s good press. That’s all. Ok maybe it’s just press.


Today we know that Van Gogh is like to have been an epileptic. The depression that he wrote about was by some believed to be manic depression. If he had either or both would he be…insane today? Or would he be part of the thousands that take medication or are otherwise treated? Hemingway was an alcoholic. Know one? Are they insane? OK Picasso he was nuts. you got me there. Or not. We could take apart each artist and see what made them tick, what “damage” we could find. Yet that would only lead to post mortem therapy (possible- many famously dead are on twitter, go ahead check) or it would lead to us finding out simply that artists are human. Each with their own quirks, manners and abilities.
The equation artist = insanity or artist =odd or that artist = solitary or artist =broken is wrong. And a bit insulting because it is much too simplistic.

What the insane artist myth mean to an artist? ….Next time.

Filigree Butterfly Featured in Treasury

A Treasury called Sweet September Fade was created by Vintage seller Comfuzzled.

It includes my Vermeil Filigree Butterfly Swirl Pin. (lower left hand corner with the heart)

This Treasury is beautiful. So well done. There are at least 4-5 things that I want from it.

Still haven’t been able to get a treasury myself. I should check more often. There are so many items I would like to include.