Bliss St.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Clouds around the World

Have you ever dreamed of traveling the world? Ellie's mom has. Ellie is a dear friend, she is a fellow coach and a fellow jewelry designer. She even has a shop on etsy- Joy Happens. . Ellie recently made this request on Facebook -

Ellie:

I hope this finds each of you well and happy.

I really need help with something.
My mother is terminally ill. We don't know how long she has left...could be a few weeks or if we are lucky, she might be with us for a few months.
My mother has always LOVED clouds and watches out of her hospital window for them.
A couple of days ago, when she was able to speak about it a bit, she said that she would be able to do what she has wanted to do since she was a child...be a cloud and travel all over the world.
I am putting together photos of clouds from all over the world to bring her joy now.

Could you please, please, please either email me (or post them on my FB wall) a photo or a few of clouds in your part

of the world or that you have taken on your travels? Please tell me where they were taken.
It would mean so much to her and to me.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. ♥
peace, ellie

A cloud hiding my mom's flower in Portugal. - BlissSt

So I ask a favor. Please join this Flickr group Clouds around the World add a cloud and tell us where it comes from!

Help someone travel the World

Love Carolena (akaBlissSt)

Monday, May 10, 2010

For the Love of Filigree - Front page Material?

This treasury has pieces with amazing detail. Wonder if it will make it to the front page? Etsy seems to like sleek, mod, front pages. Or simple "Martha stewart" front pages. Would Etsy pick a front page with this much detail? Just wondering....

Vermeil Filigree Butterfly Swirls Pin via BlissSt @ Etsy

Glass and Silver

For the first time both my guy (Indigo Heirlooms) and I have been included in the same treasury and it's a beauty.

Hmm does his water pitcher need a new picture?

Click on the picture of the treasury to be taken to it. Please leave a comment.

The Izmir Charm is @ Blisst on ETSY

Friday, April 23, 2010

Mr. Darcy Proposal Mug

"You must allow me to tell you... how ardently I admire and love you"

Love Austen love the mug! but even if you don't love Pride and Prejudice how loving and wonderful to read each time you take a sip.

personal pet peeve: I like mugs that I can fit 4 fingers in. ( ok I'm strange) but it's not stopping me from buying this one soon.

$15 via Brookish at Etsy

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Rocker Mom!

Just love this simple and edgy purse! Perfect gift for the edger mom with style.

$89 Handmade via Una shop @ Etsy

Polishing Silver

Getting in a patch of vintage silver means more than photographs and research. It means POLISHING and lots of it.

I remember my godmother’s pink polish. Out came the house hold flatware and the teapots and all the thing-a-ma-jigs that were bought and used in a proper home.Out came rags and the big jar of pink polish bought at woolworths. Of course all the kids were enlisted and the pink polish quickly (or not so quickly) became black on the cotton rags as the silver began to sparkle. I screamed slave labor, I wasn’t a radical kid but honestly felt that the kids should be able to use the sterling tea set if we had to clean them. The adults disagreed.

Fond memories of my family doesn’t make polishing silver any more of a joy today. Especially when we get in a large group. Laziness however is the mother of ingenuity and experimentation.

Eco Friendly silver polishing

1tablespoon Baking Soda

1tablespoon Salt

a crumbled up or not so crumbled up piece of aluminum wrap

a big glass or plastic bowl

warm water

and cotton rags

I have seen a few versions of this formula. I have tried out all if not most. Some call for boiling the water. This one seems to be the most efficient and the best for the lazy polisher. Really easy and eco friendly how can you go wrong?

Just put warm water, baking soda and salt in a bowl mix add silver and aluminum foil. The warmer the water the quicker it cleans. I leave it for about an hour. The tarnish is pulled off. Then dry and buff with a cotton rag.

what you need to know:

this does not work on gold wash.

Do not use this with jewelry that has sensitive stones. If you drop a piece of flatware in that is not silver by mistake it will become black (pulls the tarnish instead of the aluminum)

some pieces are too tarnished for this to work.

So I got my first patch of sterling spoons, baby cups, porridge bowls and silver chains done today. So much easier and with less elbow grease than the pink paste polish. Of course I left on a bit of patina what good is the point of making vintage silver shine like new?