16 Remarkable Weekend Finds!

An Etsy Treasury curated by Gilliauna ~ Auburn

Click on the picture below to be taken to a page where you can browse individual items you like that you see pictured here as well as the shops where these items were found and artisans behind them all!

How much does it cost? ~ The Value of Artistic Endeavors

Today is one of those rare days where there isn't a featured artist on Meandering Musings. Instead, I'd love the opportunity to educate!

This blog was created as a way to lend my support to the handmade and artisan community. There are so many talented people out there and the majority of them aren't appreciated for the work they put into their craft but only the end result. So many shoppers never realize the hours of work put into a hand-crafted piece or the years of trial-and-error and education it took to learn to make these items. And yet it's -that- which makes handmade and artisan items so special in the first place.

In the words of Mary Ann Williams ....

"Many people who balk at the price of art work, wouldn't think of working at jobs that involve the amount of time most artists spend on their craft, much less work at a job with no paid vacation, or paid sick leave. If you sit down and figure what you are making per hour including all of the items above as part of your work time, there are very few people that would work for such pay. An artists time is just as valuable as anyone else's.

I believe that many artists don't put a high enough value on what they do. Many work for pennies. Some do it "just to earn enough to buy more supplies". Unfortunately, in doing so, they are educating the public not to appreciate what they do, or at least not the time they have spent on it.

We have educated the public in thinking that most artists are hobbyists and this is something "extra" that they do to earn a few bucks. I have seen some beautiful work done by excellent craftsmen and have heard the buying public say "can you believe what they want for that????" Most times, the prices compared to the hours spent have meant the artist is working for less than minimum wage. Many talented artists are discouraged from continuing their craft because they can't make a living at it and we are thus deprived of the beauty they could create and we could enjoy. Many people think nothing of spending $100 on a dinner out but wouldn't spend $100 on a piece of art that they could have forever. It's because they don't value it the same. It's not because they can't afford it." (Mary Ann Williams - http://www.thebeads.com)

I would encourage anyone... everyone to stop by Mary Ann William's page, "Pricing Your Work. Can You Live on What You Make?" and read the entire article there. It's an excellently written article about how artisans price their work and if you've ever wondered about the prices some artisans ask for their work it's an article you definitely won't want to miss.

(THE PICTURES IN THIS ARTICLE ARE TAKEN OF WORK STATIONS WITHIN MY OWN HOME. - GILLIAUNA)

Halloween is Coming!

I know that it's still a while off, but it's one of my favorite holidays and I have to admit, I get a little excited when I start to see the Halloween items starting to show up in stores and shops. (Kind of funny since when Christmas items start to show up just as early I roll my eyes!)

In LotusMira on Etsy, there's a selection of items already up and ready to go for Halloween (aka Samhain). In fact, many of them would be perfect for year round wear as well as for this specific holiday.

LotusMira is ran by a talented (and impressively educated) woman working on both a law degree as well as a masters. Not just that but she also has a diverse number of talents from jewelry design and soldering to wood working and metal punching.

An admirer of vintage imagery, many of the soldered pendants on her site incorporate this into their work and I love that many of them are double sided with a different picture on either side. It's like getting two different necklaces in one!

I'm a particular fan of the bracelets, and if you like the pendant pictured here, I'm sure you'll love the bracelets too!

TO VISIT LOTUSMIRA ON ETSY YOU CAN CLICK THE PICTURES ABOVE OR, IF YOU'D RATHER, CLICK RIGHT HERE!

If you like what you see here and in LotusMira's shop, you might also enjoy her blog or stopping by to visit her on Facebook or Twitter!

I Wanna Win Wednesdays - Giveaway Linky 8/18 thru 8/24

I love giveaways and I really, really love winning free stuff. (Who doesn't?!?) It doesn't happen often but it always comes as a surprise when it does and brightens up my day.

Every Wednesday here on The Meandering Musings is "I Wanna Win" Wednesday! This is where you can come to find terrific giveaways to enter and win as well as share giveaways with others.

SO... Do you have a great giveaway going on this week or know someone who does? If so, spread the news and share!

In the Linky below, share your current giveaway or any great giveaways that you have discovered, or... explore (and enter to win) a few of the giveaways left by others.

After all, you can't win if you don't enter!

[ PLEASE ENTER YOUR LINKS IN THIS FORMAT... Name of Giveaway You're Sharing (End Date) ]



If you would like to add this Linky to your site, you can contact me in comments with a request (and way to contact you) and I'll be happy to share the code with you!

Knits aren't just for Winter - CarmenBee on Etsy

I love knit and crochet items and, in the summer, there's really not all that many opportunities to wear them. At least not the conventional styles. Like a good portion of the country, we're in a bit of a heat wave at the moment, after all, and sweaters and scarves really don't help in staying cool.

I'd like to introduce you to another style today that I discovered in Carmen Bee's shop on Etsy.

The summer scarf.

Loosely knit for breathe-ability. Light weight. Colorful. It's perfect!

Scarves like this are fun and flirty and make a great accent for your summer outfits without making you roast beneath the heat of a more densely crocheted design.

This isn't all that CarmenBee offers either. There's knit hats and scarflettes for those below the equator that are getting ready for winter as well as a few crochet baby accessories and even a smattering of jewelry!

YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PICTURE ABOVE TO VISIT CARMENBEE'S SHOP ON ETSY AND TAKE A LOOK AROUND OR, IF YOU PREFER, CLICK RIGHT HERE.

You may also enjoy stopping by to visit CarmenBee on Facebook or Twitter!