The Calavera & The Owl

 

Today, I just made a couple pairs of really cute earrings.

Cute, right? He is sitting here, playing his guitar for you, singing a lovely tune composed just for you. Want to hear it? CLICK HERE to purchase!

And of course, being an owl fan, how could I not make a pair of owls, right?

And here’s the owl. He’s waiting, to whisper wisdom to your ears, while you make a cool fashion statement. CLICK HERE to purchase.

 

So that is that. I’m off to who knows where today, as my daughter told me she wants pizza, and frankly, so do I. I’m not sure where I want to go, though. But that’s when I call it an adventure. I just get on the train, and figure it out later. I usually end up in SoHo, since it’s close by, and has a lot going on. I like a lot going on. That’s what I love about New York. There is ALWAYS a lot going on.

Meanwhile, I need to make some book marks for my books! But darned if I can’t find any inspiration. So maybe I’ll find some inspiration while I’m out.

Anything else? I had something else I wanted to say, but I’ve already forgotten. I went to another tab on google chrome, and just plain forgot, in between that and giving my daughter a good morning kiss.

 

 

The Craftaholic

Subscribe to MY NEWSLETTER!

Visit my Etsy Shop!

Puzzle Piece Jewelry

Today, I finished up some puzzle piece jewelry I’d been working on. I love recycling items to make art, and I so love turning mundane things into pieces of art, or functional things.

A lovely shade of blue, that you can purchase by CLICKING HERE.

This pair is so cute, and kind of veers on the rock n’ roll edge, with it’s shades of black, swirled around. You can purchase this pair by CLICKING HERE.

And HERE’s a pair I made for ME! For ME! They are JUST FOR ME!

I wear a lot of brown colors, and brown matches with a lot of things, so that’s why I chose this pair as my own.

A different shade of blue, this pair is a pretty turquoise blue. You can purchase this pair, by CLICKING HERE.

I love recycled things! A friend of mine had given me a whole boat load of polymer clay, but upon doing a bit of research, I realize it is not earth friendly at all. So I think I’m going to switch to paper clay, which if I purchase it at Pearl Paint, on canal street, is much cheaper than at Dick Blick, oddly enough.

Paper clay is eco-friendly, and I’ve worked with it before, so I’m familiar with it. It’s a bit softer also, and more pliable.

Anyway, so that is indeed that.  It’s a rainy looking day today, which means it’s a perfect day for Vegan Lentil soup. It’s SO good. Trust me. I am running low on rice, so maybe I’ll make some bread rolls, eh? Since it’s kind of on the colder side, I mean.

Got to run. Have to wake up my sleepy head daughter.

The Craftaholic

Subscribe to MY NEWSLETTER!

Visit my Etsy Shop!

By the Sea, and By the Mountains

I just made another couple pairs of earrings. What I really wanted to do, was work on my journal idea, but it was too hot outside to do anything, which means I didn’t buy it yet.

Anyway, the first pair:

These here, are called “By the Sea” and are made of genuine Abalone Shell. CLICK HERE to purchase.

And here, is a pair of earrings made with genuine Rose Quartz Crystal, the stone of soul mates. CLICK HERE to purchase them.

So that’s that! I hopefully will be getting the notebooks today. I’ve been listening to Jamiroquai lately, and thinking that I really want to sing with my husband. You might not know, unless you know me very well, that I have got a set of pipes on me. I love to sing. I do. But I gave up pursuing it, since I am, in that sense, kind of private. Art is great, because you can be as private as you want, really. I have never sang in public before. But the other day, I was thinking that I want to.

So maybe I’ll suprise you all one day, eh?

Meanwhile, I hope you are ALL EXCITED about me, and my LIVE Show coming up in a couple weeks! Thirty minutes of me live, how could you resist?

 

 

The Craftaholic

Subscribe to MY NEWSLETTER!

Visit my Etsy Shop!

Maiden of The Sea

This morning I made a simple pair of earrings.

I call them, “Maiden of the Sea” earrings because they remind me of the Sea, and because they are made of genuine shell.

Pretty, right? They measure at about 3.25″ in length, and I plan on making a pair for myself.  But you can CLICK HERE to purchase them!

Oh, and some of you who know me personally know that on I go to an open mic every thursday on the lower east side, in manhattan. I love it, it’s like a family there.

At any rate, I went, and you know….last night was FULL of newbies. That’s fine and dandy, I suppose (as long as they don’t take my seat). One woman who read her poem came up with this FABULOUS journal, I LOVED it! It was a plain spiral notebook that she dressed up.

Inside, she had her poems written down, with stickers and things. It inspired me to do the same! Ribbons, watercolor paints, and all kinds of fun things will be used. I’m so excited, because I need a new proper journal. I have a little teeny tiny notebook that I jot down ideas and poems and things in, but I need a real notebook. And spiral notebooks are cheapo!

So that’s that.

The Craftaholic

Subscribe to MY NEWSLETTER!

Visit my Etsy Shop!

Red and Green

So today, I made two things. One for me, and one for my shop, online.

I’ll show you the thing I made for me. With snazzy pics, since I’ve been practicing my product photography.

These are just for ME! For ME! Not being in too many swaps any more, it frees my time to actually practice my photography skills, and make stuff for myself and for my shop.

Here’s what I made for my shop:

This piece has pretty beads that look like little rocks, and are quite nature inspired. You can purchase this HERE.

I also fixed up the pics from yesterday’s post, check them out HERE. I’m trying.

Today feels like monday because my husband took the day off, since he has not been feeling well. My husband has to be truly feeling like crap in order to really take a sick day. So today feels like monday.

Not much else to tell, really. I got some new jewelry supplies, so I’ll be working on that this week.

 

 

PS. –> Help FUND my CAUSE!

The Craftaholic

Subscribe to MY NEWSLETTER!

Visit my Etsy Shop!

Crocheted Bead Necklace

Finally I made something JUST FOR ME.

I really love this necklace. I was inspired as I always am, by a stroll through the city. Whenever I am out and about, I always notice the jewelry that women where. I happen to have a yen for necklaces and earrings, personally.

One day I noticed a woman wearing something with a chain, and crocheted beads, but you could tell she probably bought it somewhere.

Anyway, I have a whole bunch of these from another project, and decided to make something for myself.

The beads are crocheted, and there is wire that connects the beads with jump rings, to the chain.

It’s a long necklace because I love long necklaces.

This week, I am going to bust out the rest of my swaps, and then I am officially done with mail swaps.

Why, you ask?

Without going into too much of a tantrum, I really just am not feeling it anymore. I find that people who swap more often then not, are quite greedy, and usually I do not get the same grade or quality that I give.

I also do not have time for the “I never got it” or the excuse, that it’s “not going by the swap rules”. And I end up spending a lot of money on shipping things out. This is money that I realize I could be investing in advertising my etsy shop or blog.

Which by the way, I’m having a grand re-opening in August. It’s open. But I’m having a celebration to announce it next month. My new etsy shop is more a reflection of “The Craftaholic” and all the things that I create, which I want to create and carry in my shop.

This shop consists of handmade jewelry, mixed media art, and of course, my hand bound Eco-Journals. This is like, the third time I open a new shop. But I’ve been searching and searching for a sort of shop name that sticks with you, something that sounds like a fun boutique that I’d want to shop in. So finally, my husband came up with the name, Bad Toy Mural.

Neat, huh?

Well, that’s all for now.

PS. –> Help FUND my CAUSE!

The Craftaholic

Subscribe to MY NEWSLETTER!

Visit my Etsy Shop!

Small Sculpted Beads

My husband and I just finished up a few more beads that I thought I’d share with you.

This is a smaller version of the large bead we’ve got.  It’s the third eye, resting on a cloud.

Click HERE to purchase.

An all seeing eye. And of course…..

Click HERE to purchase.

The owl. Of course.

Click HERE to purchase.

And that’s that! On another note, I was reading the post of  one of my favorite blogs, and she was talking about something that really got to me: spanking. She is against it, of course.

But what really bothered me is not the story she told. What really bothered me, was reading how many people put her down, justifying their actions of abuse. It truly concerns me that in this day and age, the “information age” we cling to such arcaic beliefs such as hitting and spanking. These things are wrong, and do not teach our children anything. Spanking only makes the parent feel better.

It really concerns me because we pride ourselves in being so educated, so knowledgeable, and yet….we just live in these arcaic and caveman-like ideas.

The sad thing is, most of the people I know, who spank their children, have been in abusive relationships, or are controlling abusers themselves. It’s sad to hear a member of my race, ask me if my husband is really latino, when I tell her he was never once hit, spanked or screamed at. This is what is saddening to me.

I wish that the members of my race would stop clinging to these stupid ideas.

Let me explain something:

Being a latina does not mean that I know how to dance. It does not mean I have good rythymn. It does not mean I like salsa music. It does not mean I spank my child and am big boned and wide hipped.

In fact, I can’t dance for shit, have horrible rythymn, and very tiny hips. But I like old classic salsa from 1980s. My mother in law got me into it.

Being latina….

What is being latina?

I wrote a poem a while back, called “The Sound of Speaking Spanish”, where I described a particular neighborhood in brooklyn, ny. Okay, okay. Sunset park, 5th avenue brooklyn. Picture it:

 

The

sound of speaking spanish

sounds like

palm trees and

80 degree winter weather

church bells on sunday, and

old viejas fanning themselves

it sounds like

botanicas and

corner stores

superstitious mothers in law

the sound of speaking spanish

we speak in a sing songie kind of way, like

“Ay bendito, pero que chulo”

it

sounds like

big hips and fertile women who

love to cook

cute little boys with curly hair

the sound of speaking spanish

reminds me of the

crowded parade my father would take me to as a child, and

sounds like heineken beer and

flags waving

the

sounds of speaking spanish

sounds like

verduras y bacalao

like

empanadas

like

arepas with strong coffee

like

la cocina

criolla

like

old bachata music in

El International Restaurante

like

tight jeans pushing coches

like

the smell of perfume and colonge, mixed together

while you walk down 5th avenue in brooklyn

the sound of speaking spanish

it sounds

like home

 

 

This is the latinism that I see. But what being a latina truly is, is something that is…indescribable. You can’t “try” to be latina, just like you can’t try to be an artist. You are who you are, because that is what you are. I am latina. My parents came here from another country, and taught me to speak spanish first. My grandmother taught me to cook, taught me about my culture, and who I am. My husband taught me that being latina does
NOT mean the stereotypes that go with it.

My hope is that more people learn what it is to truly love, and truly be a parent, for it is not spanking. Or hitting. Or screaming.

 

 

 

 

 

PS. –> Help FUND my CAUSE!

The Craftaholic

Subscribe to MY NEWSLETTER!

Visit my Etsy Shop!

Hand Sculpted Beads

Today, I want to share something I am SO proud of. I recently inherited a stock pile of polymer clay from a friend who was de-stashing. My husband, being the “classically trained” artist, is pretty good at sculpting. So, I put him to work, and together we’ve created this really cool beads that I hope you love.

This is a hand sculpted bead that I call the “The Third Eye. It’s bold, and is accompanied by four tear drops.

Cool, right? I decided to put them together, and make a pin:

You can buy this lovely set, on our etsy page HERE.

And here’s another item we’ve designed:

This is a lovely hand sculpted heart, with an eye that is crying. Perhaps the eye is crying out for love, and to be loved.

You can purchase this lovely art piece HERE.

It’s so much fun working with my husband. We have more pieces, too! Stay tuned in to my blog, and you’ll see more lovely goodies this week.

Yesterday, my husband and I went out on a hot date. Some friends of ours were playing a show, and we wanted to see them. They live up in rochester, NY and it is always a rare treat to go out and see them play. They were playing out in the city, so Jose asked his mom to babysit, and we went out for dinner, walked around a bit, and then went to see them play. It was so much fun.

One thing though: while crossing the street with my husband, I went and grabbed his hand to hold it, and then caught myself just about to say, “hold my hand, and be careful crossing the street”. Of course, this is due to motherhood. I am so used to telling my daughter this, that I almost told my husband, a grown man! Haha, I didn’t though.

That’s all for now.

 

 

PS. –> Help FUND my CAUSE!

The Craftaholic

Subscribe to MY NEWSLETTER!

Visit my Etsy Shop!

Owls, for Jaqueline

Last night we had the pleasure of attending the “quinceañera” party of our neighbor’s daughter. “Quinceañera, is the latin version of a sweet sixteen, and let me tell you: latinos know how to throw parties.

Anyhow, being the crafty lady that I am, I decided what better to make a fifteen year old girl, than some earrings, right?

I made her earrings and a matching necklace.

I’m only sorry I can’t show you the earrings. I can’t show you the earrings, because the picture came out blurry. I was in a rush, what can I say?

At any rate, I’m happy with it. From the feet of the owl, hangs mother of pearl beads.

So that’s that.

I might make a pair of these for myself, so no worries, you will perhaps, be able to see the earrings after all. And I realize I need a model for some of my etsy products. Any New Yorkers out there want to volunteer? I’m looking for the two extremes: either light blonde hair,and fair skin, or dark skinned women with dark hair.

Hit me up, if you’re interested! I can pay you in jewelry.

 

PS. –> Help FUND my CAUSE!

The Craftaholic

Subscribe to MY NEWSLETTER!

Visit my Etsy Shop!

Inspiration Thursday

Today, I had something particular in mind, and I wanted to talk about it. Most of my faithful readers know that I’ve been more open lately about the abuse I went through growing up. What you don’t know, is that abuse permeates every aspect of your life, even as an adult.

I wanted to share a poem with you today, and I hope you like it. It’s rather dark, and it sort of….goes there. But it’s the best way to illustrate what I’m trying to tell you.

This one is called, “I am not the guilty party”

I used to feel guilty

for the way you made me feel

I

looked at my spouse, and his

seemingly perfect relationship with his

less then perfect mother,

and I

felt guilty

for the way you made me feel

I used to think that what you said was my fault

that what I felt was wrong, and

I

was just rebellious and somehow

I must have

deserved it

all

I

felt shame

shame that others who bear the same maiden name as I,

deny

deny

denial and ignorance

must be bliss

out of shame they deny

But I

am not ashamed

of how you made me feel, I

am not ashamed to say

that I was angry

and I was sad

and hurt

by you

and your hurtful words and your

wooden spoon and your

threats to me,

“I’ll kill you one day…..”

blaming your marrital woes on a

10 year old girl, and

telling me

“don’t you dare tell your father”

don’t feel guilty, I

don’t, I

didn’t do anything wrong

I

was not

the guilty party

no

and I can declare aloud

there is no shame in me

for what you made me feel, I

will not deny

and if denial

means having a relationship with you

denial is something I do not want, you see

I

am worth more

than denial, I

am worth more

than throwing myself

under a bus

I

am not

the guilty party

So this poem is because I just feel like I have no reason to be ashamed or guilty. Don’t say sorry to me, when I tell you about my past. Why should you be sorry, was it something I did? While I very much appreciate your wanting to show empathy, do not tell me you’re sorry, as no one has died, and I did not make any mistake. The only tragedy was the mistake my parents made with me, that will cost them a relationship with me.

I will tell you I have relations that went through similar problems, with the corporal punishment. They all choose to deny what happened. All of the sudden, their parents are perfect.

Well, nothing has happened to my memory, and I know what happened.

I choose a few things today.

I choose to be happy, because I have a wonderful husband who supports me, and a wonderful daughter who is smart and loving, and another baby on the way, another extension of my love for my husband and his love for me.

I also choose to not deny it anymore. This of course, means I can’t have my parents in my life, as they choose to deny what happened, stating that I was simply rebellious and am spreading lies. Why someone would want to lie about nightmares and childhood trauma, I have no idea.

I also choose to not be ashamed of it. Yes, this happened to me. And no, I’m not going to cower in shame about it anymore. I am not the one who has done anything wrong.

I say all this, in part because I frankly needed to vent. And in another part, because if something like this happened to you, don’t be ashamed. Don’t deny it. Declare it.

Art is amazing tool for healing. You can take all the anger, all the tears, all the sadness and grief, and turn it into art. Make art with it. Write about it.

I’ll close with another poem, a nice fluffy happy one. I should note, all of it is true.

This one is called, “I can tell you a story”

I can tell you a story

about when it happened

when my

eyes opened and I

saw the light of dawn

I could tell you a thousand stories of how my

hope was restored and

I could see again

I could

from my hands I show you

with my art I teach you

the secret to my happiness

the secret to my

ability

to love, it

lies in my paintbrushes and paint, in my

glue and paper and things

My friend, one day out of

sheer desparation and

frankly, boredom I

stole my husbands paint brushes, I

found myself

beside myself

painting my pain

writing my life, and I

felt like

I had become

free

and then that night

I kid you not, I

dreamt a dream I became an owl

I awoke to the feeling of wings on my back, and I

remembered the owl by my window as a child

he

always

kept me awake at night with his

hooting and hooting, and he hid

so well.

So I took it as a sign and continued to make art

and I remain

to this day

on the path

to myself.

 

 

 

PS. –> Help FUND my CAUSE!

The Craftaholic

Subscribe to MY NEWSLETTER!

Visit my Etsy Shop!