New Items in the Shop!

I've updated my Etsy Shop.  Two new bracelets and a necklace.  Check 'em out.

The faceting on these beads is phenomenal.  They flash all kinds of colors when the light hits them.

Golden Faceted Bead Bracelet


I couldn't buy these beads fast enough.  A beautiful satin finish, bold colors and a modern feel.

Satin Leaves Necklace



The matching bracelet. 

Satin Leaves Bracelet

Delicious Tape-y Goodness

I received my order from Cute Tape today.  Great customer service!  Super-speedy shipping, wrapped beautifully and a personal note.  Will definitely be ordering from them again. 

It's almost -- almost -- too pretty to use.  But I will anyway :).

Win A Slender Grasshopper Necklace!

The lovely Katie at Heaven Baked Sweets has The Slender Grasshopper shop as her Friday Feature and Giveaway!  Hop on over to learn a little more about me and get a chance to win one of the items from my shop.  I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Pretty Sticky

I'd heard of Japanese washi tape before, but didn't really know what I'd do with it.  When Jessica posted a cute little project on How About Orange using this super-fancy masking tape to make little packages, I told myself there had to be some way to use it in making jewelry.

And after thinking a little while, I did come up with an idea.  But I'm not going to share it, because frankly, I don't want anyone to steal it before I can get something made! 

In addition to the sources Jessica listed, here are a few more:
TapeSwell
Kawaii Tape
Tinted Mint

Tape shown from Kawaii Tape

I'm a Guest Blogger!

The lovely Erica at Green April was kind enough to give me the opportunity to guest post on her blog.  And it's very special because it's my first stint as a guest blogger and her first time featuring a guest blogger.  A match made in heaven! 

Hop over to Green April to read the full post.  And take some time to check out Erica's takes on books and music as well as some fabulous photos.

Is This Me?

I'm dangerously addicted to personality quizzes; I guess I'm always looking for something that's going to help me understand myself -- even though the rational part of me knows that answering a few questions on a Web site isn't exactly deep analysis.

Anyway -- I am trying to discover what creativity means for me, so I couldn't resist this quiz from Psychologies called "What's your creative style?"  Not sure that I agree with everything, but this seemed to ring true:
You like the attention and good opinion of others. When you show people what you’ve made — a birthday cake, or a piece of music you’ve written — it’s your baby, so you are very sensitive about any criticism. You need to be able to distance yourself from the result, and allow others to enjoy it and feel part of it, without it reflecting on you alone.
 Thanks to the wonderful Jessica at How About Orange for sharing another fun quiz.

Favorite Summer Read

Well, the summer isn't quite over yet (although I am looking forward to fall), but I do have a favorite summer read.  I recently read a biography called  Elizabeth and Philip, about Queen Elizabeth of England and the Duke of Edinburgh.  It was really interesting.  She's been on the throne forever, and although many have questioned why she hasn't abdicated in favor of Prince Charles, it's pretty clear that is not going to happen.  Her duty is to her people. 

It was really a fascinating book and knowing more about her makes her seem a bit more human and less a figurehead.

EtsyBlogger Love

This month's featured EtsyBlogger is Patch.  And she has not one, not two, but three Etsy shops!

Jewelry: http://www.etsy.com/shop/patchfirstshop
Vintage: http://www.etsy.com/shop/patchvintageshop
Supply:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/patchsupplyshop

With a birthday coming up this month, I'm awfully partial to this cute little peridot ring in the shape of a crown.  Adorable!  Be sure to check out all her lovely items.

Joie Magazine

The fabulous Jen of Indie Fixx has created a new online magazine called Joie.  It's a lifestyle mag all about the art of living joyfully.  It's packed with fabulous features and some gorgeous photography.  I've only had a chance to take a quick look, but I can't wait to sit down and devour the whole thing.

And The Slender Grasshopper shop is proud to be an advertiser in the first issue!  Check out my cute little ad on page 64.

No More Bad Hair Days Treasury

I'm growing my hair out, and that's never fun.  I figure a few cute hair accessories might make it a little easier.  So I made a Treasury featuring some of my favorites from the talented Etsy crafters.

Etsy Bloggers

Yay -- I'm now an official Etsy Blogger!