On this day in 1962 one of my favourite poets, e.e. cummings, died.  To commemorate his life I’ve decided to dedicate this Friday Fancies to his poems. For those of you not familiar with his work this is probably his most famous poems:

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

a.  e.e.cummings print b.  Nobody Not Even the Rain has Such Small Hands – Silver Pendant & Necklace c.  Interwine. Sterling Silver Ring and Keychain d.  e.e.cummings silver poem pendant necklace e.  e.e.cummings quote handmade notebook f.  e.e.cummings “I Love You Much” Vinyl Wall Sticker

This week has been all about the egg.  I thought it might be nice to have a Friday Fancies that show cases some of the wonderful egg-centric items that are out there and available on Etsy.  I hope you enjoy!

a.  Nest, eggs and bird. Handmade Polymer Clay Sculpture.   b.  Translucent Porcelain Egg Votive Soy Candles.   c.  Mr and Mrs Eggs.  d.  I want to keep this one – ACEO Print.  e.  Modern Sterling Silver Egg Ring.  f.  The Golden Egg Myth – Print.  g.  Sterling Silver Birds Nest Necklace with Freshwater Pearls.  h.  Organic Egg Necklace.

I like to daydream about decorating.  I’m weird, I know.  But when I daydream about decorating I like to go and find items that I would include in the room I’m daydreaming about.

A few months back I was daydreaming about what our nursery would look like and so I went hunting for images on Etsy.  I stumbled upon Cabbages & Kings Art and fell in love immediately.

I was over the moon to find out that there was a blog associated with the Etsy store and I rushed over to gobble up all the wonderfulness that is Cabbages & Kings.

Stephanie is the master mind behind this wonderful collection of whimsical images and glimpses into the life of an artist.  Not only does Stephanie share her new designs as she launches them, she also shares from her crafty projects.

One of her latest projects, the scrappy blanket, has inspired me to try and make my own rainbow blanket goodness.  I just love the colour against the white background.  It’s wonderful.

I’ve also been eying off the collection of monster prints that Stephanie recently finished.  I just love them.  They would make a great gift for someone who has children, or as I’m hoping they’ll look wonderful in our nursery.

Stephanie also produces some of my favourite Flickr Faves as part of ArtMind’s Tuesday challenge.  I love seeing how she interrupts the challenge each week.  I’ve especially enjoyed the last few where Stephanie announced her pregnancy.  Yay!

I can’t wait to see more of what Stephanie has to offer, especially as she gets ready for the arrival of her first child.  It’s going to be something amazing to see the evolution over the coming months, not just of her art but of her life.  So get on board now, it’s going to be a wonderful ride!

I’m crushing on stars at the moment, and not the Hollywood kind.  There’s something just whimsical and wonderful about them.  I think it’s because to me they always remind me of fun times, like parties, dressing up or decorating school posters.  Here’s six star items I wouldn’t mind adding to my collection.  Enjoy.

1. Destini Necklace 2. Galileo Gingerbread Necklace 3. Moroccan Star Kitchen Towel in Ruby 4. A Song for Deep Space 5. Twinkle Earrings 6.  Tiny Silver Star Necklace

The media has been full of images of Australia’s female politicians lately.  Although given we’re in election mode it’s kind of understandable.  I have noticed that a lot of the times the female politicians are wearing pearls.  It’s gotten to the point we a girlfriend and I have taken to playing spot the pearls. So in a nod to the wonderful (and courageous) females out there this Friday Fancies is dedicated to them.

a.  Pretty Petals in Pink Necklace.  b.  Yarn & Felt Handmade Wreath.  c.  Spread Ring Crochet Sterling Silver Wire and Pearls.   d.  Freshwater and White Gold Leaf Branch Necklace.   e.  Washed On Shore Earrings.   f.  Sterling Silver and Pearl Necklace.

I love me a good sock animal and Claire over at Craft Schmaft makes some of the best there is.

Craft Schmaft is full of happiness and it brims over on the blog.  As evidenced by the below image of Claire.

Image source: Craft Schmaft

Whenever I need a little craft inspiration I head on over to Craft Schmaft.  There’s always a great collection of sock animals and tales of artistry and inspiration. 

Image source: Craft Schmaft

If you want to make your own sock animal you can buy patterns and kits at Craft Schmaft’s Online Store.

This Friday I’ve gone with a theme inspired by the Japanese art of Kokeshi. Wiki gives the following information about Kokeshi:

Kokeshi (こけし, kokeshi^?), are Japanese dolls, originally from northern Japan. They are handmade from wood, have a simple trunk and an enlarged head with a few thin, painted lines to define the face. The bottom is marked with the signature of the artist.

The traditional art has evolved as it’s been embraced by artists all around the world.  All of these wonderful interpretations of the Kokeshi can be purchased on Etsy.

a.  Little Zombie Kokeshi Doll.  b.  Kokeshi Doll Magnet Set.   c.  Hand painted Kokeshi Fairy Doll.  d.  Sweet Blossom Silk Screened Print.  e.  Kokeshi Doll Fabric Pin Brooch.  f.  Dancing Kokeshi Adjustable Ring.  g.  Little Red Riding Hood Kokeshi Doll Necklace.

It is my greatest pleasure to have Amanda from Calico & Co guest blogging today.   While Amanda and I have only ever met in cyberspace we often joke that we were separated at birth.  It’s not often you find someone born in a different decade that you can share so many crazy idiosyncrasies with, but Amanda and I do just that.

Amanda was the first person I ever asked to be a guest blogger here, and that’s a huge thing for me.  It’s like letting someone into your house and letting them rearrange.  Amanda has brought a wonderful sense of sublime awesome with her. I found myself reading the list and going “me too!” or “oh yeah!”.  It just went to prove yet again how much we do share in common.

So without further ado, please welcome Amanda to the house of gnome.

*round of applause*

Hi Gnomeangel readers! I am so excited to be writing to you today! I feel so honoured that Ms Gnomeangel asked me to be her very first Guest Blogger, and was thrilled when she requested that share the top 10 things I am crushing on at the moment.

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10. 500 Pencils
The last crush I am going to share with you today is another big one for me. It’s the 500 Pencils program. The deal is you subscribe for a monthly fee and each month you are sent 25 gorgeous coloured pencils until you eventually receive 500 of them! Not only would it be a very inspiring event each month, but there are some amazing ideas for displaying the pencils, so they become art in themselves! I can’t wait to sign up one day!!

So, there you have it! The Top 10 Things I am crushing on right now! I hope you have discovered something great, and maybe even learnt a little something about me along the way! Keep reading Gnomeangel for some great daily fun and inspiration, and you are always welcome over at my blog Calico & Co if you ever feel like dropping by! Have a great day!

We’ve just spent the past weekend in Melbourne visiting family, seeing Mumford & Sons, shopping, being dazzled by Stephen Fry and generally running around like chooks with our heads cut off.  During all the excitement I did manage to get a few happy snaps.

The day after seeing Mumford & Sons we jumped in the car and took a day trip out to Daylesford.  Neither of us had every been to Daylesford and I really wanted to stop in and  see The Lark.

It was such an amazing drive from Melbourne to Daylesford.  The countryside is just so vibrant and green.  I couldn’t get enough of looking out the window.  I love watching the scenery go by.  It’s always so interesting.

When we got to Daylesford it was so beautiful.  The mix of architectural styles coupled with the artistic feel of the community was really appealing.

After being lead around Daylesford by Google Maps we eventually found The Lark and went in for a look.  It’s just like it is on the website only better because you can touch and feel everything.  It’s just got such a great feel to the store.  HUBBY and I wandered around the store for about thirty minutes.  Just bliss!

Afterwards we went for a little walk around the lake and checked out some of the mineral springs that Daylesford is famous for.  It was beautiful, but cold.  We were both freezing by the end of it and happy to get into the warmth of the car.

On Saturday morning we headed into Fitzroy so I could hand in my envelope for The Envelope Project.  I made it in to the store just in time to get the envelope handed in.  Mr Pip was working in the store and graciously allowed me to put my envelope in the window.  I was stoked to be in the Meet Me At Mikes window.

There were so many wonderful envelopes.  I could have stood in that window all day looking at the amazing contributions that had been submitted.  My self consciousness got to me in the end and I left the window.

It’s been so cool to see two of the settings that feature heavily in the blogs that I love to read.  It’s like being close to a little piece of internet royalty.

After spending time at Meet Me At Mikes we wandered around Fitzroy checking out other stores and soaking in all the amazing people and sights.  I’m convinced if I lived in Melbourne I would spend a large chunk of my weekends just wandering the streets taking photos of all the street art.

We had an amazing long weekend, despite me being tired, cranky and under the weather.  I always love being in Melbourne, but I also enjoy being back home and I’m looking forward to getting a good nights sleep tonight.

Normally I like to spruik blogs that might not be on the radar of a lot of people, but I think they should be.  But today I’m spruiking my love for a blog that lots of people adore, and with good reason.  Meet Me At Mike’s is run by the wonderfully talented and giving Pip Lincolne.

I am in constant awe of how Pip manages her time.  Not only does she run one of the hippest blogs on the internet, she’s a mother to three, a wife to one, a frequent contributor to Frankie Magazine (as well as many other publications), founder of Brown Owls, writes how-to books, creates like a mad woman, runs a successful shop and is an ambassador for blogging.  I get tired just typing all that out, so the mind boggles at how she manages to find the time to do it all.

Image source: Meet Me At Mike’s

If it wasn’t for Pip I would never have learnt how to make a granny square.  I would never have meet the wonderful women of the Canberra Brown Owls, nor would I have found some of the amazing blogs, artists and crafters out there in Australia.

Image source: Meet Me At Mike’s

So while we’re in Melbourne I’m going to make the pilgrimage and go check out The Envelope Project at Meet Me At Mike’s.  I’m also going to be lucky enough to hear Pip speak at the Problogger Event in August.    I just hope she doesn’t think I’m stalking her…

Image source: Meet Me At Mike’s