Saturday Selections – Kirsten Bailey: Art

Posted on September 4, 2010September 4, 2010 by Kirsten — 1 Comment

Saturday Selections – Two Happy Stampers Colour Challenge #8

Looks like I’ve missed a few of the Two Happy Stampers colour challenges. I’m determined to create a painting based on September’s colours though.

In the meantime, here are some beautiful items from around Etsy which fit into the colour scheme:

1. I’m happy to say that we’re moving out of scarf weather here in Queensland, and into beautiful spring! But for those of you in places which are still a bit frosty (or moving into the colder weather), this gorgeous scarf would be perfect! I’m tempted to get one for myself and stash it away for next winter. Very feminine and pretty, it was hand crocheted by Ayca in gorgeous pear-coloured mohair blend yarn.

2. I made the mistake of searching for “vintage” in my quest to find a really great chocolate brown item for this post. I don’t know why I do it to myself! I invariably find gorgeous shoes that DON’T FIT ME. I swear I found about 6 pairs of shoes I absolutely loved but none of them were in my size! My favourites of all were these vintage chocolate brown suede heels from Folie A DeuxVintage. Trust me I would be buying them intead of posting about them if they were in my size! Incidentally, Folie a Deax means “a madness shared by two” – although I think more than two of us share a madness for vintage!

3. I love butterflies, so I couldn’t go past these beautiful Burgandy Victorian Butterfly earrings by Tigerfli. They’re quite large earrings but would still be very light to wear. Big and bold yet still dainty and feminine. They look fantastic on, check out the pictures in the listing.

4. These South Sea Shell Pearl earrings by Realisation Creations are most definitely pretty in pink! Elegant and pretty, they would make a beautiful accent to any outfit. I love the little extra touches in these handmade earrings like the pretty gold swirls on the earwires.

Many thanks to Heidi and Adriel from Two Happy Stampers for providing the inspiration for this post! Stay tuned for a painting using this colour combination… I’m thinking about combining it with this week’s Illustration Friday topic, “Dessert”. Hmmm…

Posted on July 10, 2010 by Kirsten — 3 Comments

Saturday Selections – THS July Colour Challenge

I’m looking forward to creating an artwork for the Two Happy Stampers July colour challenge soon. In the meantime, I thought this beautiful selection of colours would be a great inspiration for my Saturday Selections this week:

1. In “Concord Crush”, this beautiful Handknit Scarf by Crickets Creations. I just love the different textures and shades of purple in this gorgeous handmade scarf – the title says “fit for royalty” and it certainly looks it!

2. For “Poppy Parade”, I’ve chosen these vibrant Red Chiffon Flower Hair Pins by Nomsa. I love their simple elegance – what a wonderful finishing touch to your outfit!

3. In “Very Vanilla”, we have this gorgeous looking Paradisi Body Butter by fellow Queenslander Rhasdala. This creamy moisturiser is perfect for soothing dry skin, and features a blend of soft vanilla and refreshing grapefruit scent. The Paradisi scent is one of Rasdala’s most popular, and is also available in soaps, bath salts, lip balms and many other body and beauty products.

4. I love the warm, dark colour of “Early Espresso” – I think these Smoky Brown Quartz Wire Wrapped Earrings byAngelene (anothe QLDer!) capture the colour perfectly. These two high-quality smoky quartz briolettes in a rich coffee colour have been spun with sterling silver wire to create this beautiful pair of earrings.

5. This Pear Canvas All-Purpose Pleated Bag by Tippy Thai matches the “Pear Pizzazz” colour perfectly! It is made from high quality canvas, and features an adjustable strap as well as plenty of compartments for all your essentials.

I hope you liked this week’s Saturday Selections. Which is your favourite of the five colours above? I can’t decide between “Concord Crush” and “Early Espresso”.

Posted on July 3, 2010July 3, 2010 by Kirsten — 4 Comments

Let it Snow!

We’ve had a few very chilly nights here in sunny Qld lately – certainly no snow though! But, as I’m heading off to the Snowy Mountains for a skiing holiday soon I’ve got snow on the brain. Especially as they haven’t had much snow yet this season. Let’s hope these snowy handmade beauties from Etsy will send the right message out into the universe – let it SNOW!

Left to right and top to bottom:

1. Snowflake etched stirling silver earrings by Jenna Appleton. These are the perfect winter accessory! I love the delicate snowlakes and the hexagon shaped stirling silver.

2. Snow Crystals Bridal Necklace by the Beautiful Garden Boutique. This necklace is so elegant and pretty! It’s advertised as bridal jewellery, but I think it would also be stunning worn with an evening gown and a pair of matching earrings. You could even use it to dress up more casual outfits – a very versatile piece!

3. Hoop Framed Wall Hanging – Snow in the Forest by Caitlin Sainio. Isn’t this pretty? It features three hand crocheted snowflakes mounted on a forest green background. And I love the title, “Snow in the Forest” – it conjures up all kinds of peaceful images of large flakes of snow falling on trees.

4. Snowy Queen Blue Icicle Mystic Quartz marquis CZ Earrings by Blue Tulip Designs. I love the way these elegant earrings have just the slightest tinge of blue to them. And they’re on sale at the moment, so how could you resist?

5. Snow Queen Tattoo Tights by Tattoo Socks and More. These are just the coolest thing ever! I love this idea. Make sure you check out the Tattoo Socks Etsy store, as there are lots of other cool designs like butterflies, swirls and peacock feathers.

6. Snowy Tree Notepad by Jennifer Boston. I fell in love with this stunningly pretty notepad featuring a tree being dusted by glittery snow before I even realised who had created it. I get most of my supplies for pendant making from Jennifer’s supplies store, The Crafty Dragonfly. So, I can personally vouch for the friendly, personal service, quick delivery and careful packaging which have made me keep visiting her store.

I hope these beautiful items have put you in a snowy kind of mood – even if you’re in a part of the world where it’s summer right now. I’ll post up a pic of me in the snow when I get back from my holiday, and who knows, maybe I’ll come up with some of my own snow inspired art too!

Posted on April 25, 2010April 25, 2010 by Kirsten — 2 Comments

Sunday Selections – BrisSylin’!

Yesterday I attended my first ever BrisStyle meeting (this is my excuse for doing my Saturday Selections post on Sunday, btw). It was great to put faces to names, even though I was a little too shy to talk to everyone!

I thought it fitting that I highlight some of my favourite items by fellow BrisStyle members this week:

Top to bottom, left to right:

1. Lavender Scented Bird by Edward & Lilly. I just love these little birds! The belly of the bird is filled with lavender flowers, and hand embroidered on the front. Perfect for hanging in your wardrobe to keep it smelling lovely!

2. Old World Rose earrings by Little Yellow. Aren’t these pretty? I love the combination of the antique bronze with the cherry pink quartz rondelle. A little bit of old world style and elegance.

3. Delightful Daphne – Cream Brown and Gold Cameo Necklace by Love Chrissa. This necklace certainly is delightful! The beautiful brown and cream Cameo matches perfectly with the ivory coloured antique Cameo base. My favourite little touch is the pretty antiqued brass sparrow – it adds that little extra interest and charm to this necklace.

4. Small Shoulderbag with Eucalyptus screen print in black by PalumaPrint. Made from cotton canvas fabric in grey and black, this one of a kind bag features PalumaPrint’s original eucalyptus design. It’s simple elegant style makes this a versatile bag that would go with any outfit! With free shipping to Australia and NZ, what’s not to love?

5. Blue and White Spots Clutch by Chi Designs. I love the soft pretty polka-dot design of the Japanese linen/cotton fabric this clutch is made from. It’s large enough to fit all the essentials, making it perfect for everyday!

6. Lepidolite Wire Wrapped Pendant with Stirling Silver Necklet by Rock’n’Wrap. Isn’t this just stunning? Featuring a focal pendant of frosty purple lepidolite paired with a solid stirling silver necklet, this isn’t just a necklace, it’s a work of art!

I’ve only highlighted a few Brisstyle members in this post – be sure to check out the other members and the beautiful things they are making!

Posted on April 10, 2010 by Kirsten — 1 Comment

Saturday Selections – Colour Challenge

Earlier this week I wrote about the Two Happy Stampers Colour Challenge. When stuck for ideas for a theme for my Saturday Selections this week, I thought why not take the colour challenge that little bit further, and find some lovely items from Etsy featuring Coral, Teal, White and Navy?

Here’s what I found:

Top to bottom, left to right:

1. Mermaid Twist Earrings by Gypsy’s Closet. Simple but elegant and beautiful, these earrings feature a coral bead and aqua chalcedony briolette connected by a gold twisted loop.

2. Royal Blue Earrings by Designs by Tisha. These are just stunning. The Morrocan silver plated filligree drops are so pretty, and are set off beautifully by a blue Czech fire polished crystal.

3. Navy Blue Pillow Cover with Cherry Blossoms by Sassy Pillows. I love the way the navy background on this pillow sets off the pretty coral, green and white cherry blossoms.

4. Lotus Favorite Mug by YogaGoat. Most of us have a favourite mug or cup – the one you always reach for when you need that cup of tea or coffee. I can easily see this mug becoming someone’s favourite – I love the coral lotus flower design, and the little thumb rests on the top of the handles.

5. Unique Summer Garden Necklace by You and Me and Bead. Isn’t this necklace just so pretty? It features a coral coloured flower with little antiqued brass branches and soft teal green freshwater pearls.

6. Turquoise and Ivory Traditions Damask Table Runner by Darling Occasions. I love table runners – they’re a great way to create a feature of your table, and tie in the colours of the room, without covering up the whole table like a tablecloth does. This pretty runner would be a great centerpiece to any dining table. I love the way it’s been paired with the white vases in this photograph, too.

I think I still have one more idea up my sleeve for this colour challenge, so stay tuned…

Posted on April 3, 2010 by Kirsten — 3 Comments

Saturday Selections… MMM… Chocolate

It’s Easter time again already. Easter means three things to me – family, holidays and CHOCOLATE!

I am notorious for having pretty much no willpower when it comes to chocolate. But it’s not just the edible kind I love! I love warm and inviting chocolate brown as a colour, too.

Here are some of my favourite chocolate brown items from Etsy:

From left to right and top to bottom:

1. The chotto tote/messenger in chocolate brown by Christy studio. It’s practical, stylish and comfortable to carry, and the chocolate brown colour would go with so many outfits!

2. Small chocolate flower hair pin by Princess Allure. Add a little feminine style to your outfit with this pretty hair pin! Each petal has been handcrafted using chocolate coloured satin, and it features three Swarovski crystals in the centre.

3. Chocolate rose necklace by Heather Berry. Chocolate brown faux pearls have been hand linked together and decorated with a creamy rose and filigree medallion. This pretty feminine necklace would go beautifully with the cardigan I’ve featured!

4. Chocolate Jar by TC Art. This doesn’t quite fit in to the rest of my theme which are all wearable items, but it is so cute I couldn’t resist including it! I’m a sucker for little jars and knick-knacks. How cute would this be filled with a few little chocolates?

5. Upcycled Cardigan – Chocolate Cookie by Caroline Joy. I just love the idea of upcycled vintage – it’s great for the environment and means you will have a completely unique item for your wardrobe. This cardigan is a great example of that – its a modern look using a rescued sweater.

6. Walk Tall vintage chocolate brown high heeled boots by Planet Claire Vintage. I LOVE LOVE LOVE these boots! I would definitely have snapped them up myself already if I didn’t have the feet of a giantess (they’re a size 5).

I hope you’ve enjoyed my selection of chocolate goodness this weekend! Please let me know what you think of the new format, too (i.e. putting all the pictures at the top together instead of spacing them out).

Have a safe and happy Easter!

Posted on March 27, 2010 by Kirsten — 2 Comments

Saturday Selections – Calming and Soothing

It was a hectic week at work. To say the least. So, I’ve tried to pick some of my favourites from Etsy that put me into a calm mood this week.

First, I’ve chosen this beautiful cushion by Norajane. It features soothing creams, pinks and blues, with pretty little flowers and cute little birds. I fell in love with it the first moment I saw it.

I love the soft and pretty colours in this romantic necklace from Nostalgic Studio‘s “Edwardian Collection”. Its delicate design features a beautiful antique hand painted porcelain pendant:

With its soft blue thread, this framed embroidery titled “Flight Pattern” by Jennifer’s Gift would be a beautifully calming influence on any wall:

Finally, I just love this print by Paper Moth. It’s called “Perennial Moment“, which I think is a lovely title! I love the soft background colours and the image of the dandilion blowing in the breeze. A beautifully calming picture.

These items, a cup of tea and a weekend sleep-in are just what the doctor ordered for stress relief!

Posted on March 21, 2010March 21, 2010 by Kirsten — 1 Comment

Sunday Selections – Pretty in Pink

I know, I’m a day late with this one – I was having a very lazy day yesterday. I’m hoping to make up for it with lots of painting today.

This week’s Saturday Selections (well, Sunday Selections) is inspired by the colour pink. Pink and I have had a chequered history. I loved pink when I was little, and then as I grew older I decided I hated it – I think I was rebelling against the whole ‘pink is for girls’ thing. Now that I’m older still I’m loving it again – so here are a few of my favourite pink items from around Etsy:

First up is this devine lace tunic by Lirola. I have been eyeing this one off for a while now – I just love the pretty fabric and the applique embellishment! I think this top would be great worn with a pair of jeans, a pretty necklace and heels. I will be snapping this one up myself just as soon as I can afford it!

I’ve been really into wearing bracelets lately, something I never used to bother with, but there are so many pretty ones around that I just can’t resist. This is one of them – it’s called Monet, Iris’ Sterling silver lampwork bracelet, by Kajulee. I love the mottled colours in the lampwork beads, and the Swarovski crystals they’re paired with make a beautiful match.

Isn’t this ‘Poppy’ scarf by Tutus2 so pretty and feminine? It is made using vintage silk kimonos and japanese silk, and is one of a kind. I love the idea of using vintage materials to make new handmade objects, and this scarf is a great example of that.

Last, but not least, is this gorgeous necklace by Rue de Bijoux. It’s called “When she visited the Patisserie diet was the last thing on her mind” – isn’t that a fabulous title? All of the jewellery at Rue de Bijoux has great titles like that – the shop is worth looking at just for that, but it is also filled with beautiful vintage inspired jewellery. This pretty necklace is one of my favourites:

Be sure to check out all the other lovely items these sellers have in their shops!

Posted on March 13, 2010March 13, 2010 by Kirsten

Saturday Selections – It’s a Jungle out there!

This week’s addition of Saturday Selections is inspired by the rainforest… which my garden is looking increasingly like. It’s been raining a LOT here recently, and it seems that every weekend we’ve wanted to get outside and tidy up the garden, it’s rained. This weekend the sun is finally out, and when I wandered out into the garden these are some of the images that greeted me:

The grass is knee high. There is a huge vine choking *everything*. The insects are out and about and LOVING it. It’s not going to last though, because I’m determined to get out there today and tomorrow and tidy it up!

Until then, let’s celebrate the beauty of the rainforest with these wonderful Etsy finds:

My first rainforest favourite is this ‘Rain Forest Rivers’ bracelet by Karmelidesigns. I love the combination of earthy greens, coppers and blues. It features a Pietersite nugget, rhyolite, yellow citrine, deep blue dumortierite, and small black onyx beads, a few antiqued copper spacers, and a stylish toggle clasp.

Matching perfectly with this bracelet is this beautiful Tropical Rainforest Necklace by Aquasphere. It also features the earthy beauty of rhyolite. This volcanic stone’s mossy greens, browns and grays are a perfect match to the rainforest.

Of course, once you’re decked out in rainforesty-goodness for your neck and wrist, you need to have something pretty for your ears as well! I just love these Rainforest Blossom Bouquet Earrings by Eighthnote. The flowers are pretty and feminine, and I love the way they hang together. The shades of green and blue are perfect for the rainforest and look beautiful together.

Long before I had ever heard of Etsy, I was posting my artwork on deviantART. I love the support other artists give with their comments, and am inspired by the work of the wonderful artists who also submit their art to the website. One of my favourite artists from deviantART is Angela Vandendogard. I’ve admired her work for years and was delighted when I came across her store on Etsy, Jellybeans. This print titled Rainforest is a great example of her beautiful, whimsical style:

I hope you all enjoyed this little trek through the rainforest – hopefully by the next time I post, my garden will be looking less like a jungle and more like a garden again!

UPDATE:

I think the rest of the garden will have to wait until after bin day.

Posted on March 5, 2010March 5, 2010 by Kirsten — 3 Comments

Saturday Selections – Queen Anne’s Lace

I remember when I was a kid there was an empty field (we called it “the bush” even though there were hardly any trees), where we used to love to go exploring. One Spring the field was filled with Queen Anne’s Lace, and to my young eyes it was an amazing sight. I gathered up armfuls of the beautiful flowers to take home to Mum – who was slightly less than impressed, and explained to me that they were weeds 😛

I still love the simple beauty of Queen Anne’s Lace, and last weekend was inspired by the memory to create this painting:

I had a browse around Etsy for Queen Anne’s Lace themed items, and was amazed at how many beautiful things I saw! It was really difficult to narrow it down to a few items for this week’s Saturday Selections. Here’s what I came up with:

First up is this gorgeous Teal Green Queen Anne’s Lace Jersey Scarf by Papavier. It looks so soft and cuddly and I love the asymmetrical design.

What better to pair such a gorgeous scarf with than this Ecofriendly Hemp Bag featuring Queen Anne’s Lace by Uzura? The colour matches beautifully, and I love the contrast of the dark Queen Anne’s Lace on this bag compared to the light design on the scarf. It’s eco-friendly and big enough to fit all your bits and pieces in, and maybe a bit of shopping too – perfect for taking to a handmade market!

I knew I wanted to include a pendant in this post, and there were so many beautiful ones to pick from on Etsy that I agonized over my choice for a while. In the end, I was won over by this amazing Engraved Queen Anne’s Lace locket by Star Creations. The detail is just incredible and I love the little bird’s nest.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little trip down memory lane 🙂 Try doing a search for “Queen Anne’s Lace” on Etsy – there really are hundreds of beautiful things to find – and don’t forget to check out the stores of the lovely people I’ve featured today. Have a great weekend!