July 24, 2012

Home Sweet Home and America's First Hamlet

America's First Hamlet
All my life I've loved little houses. 

Little Cottage - Grey and Terracotta Red
by rodica
Maybe it's because I grew up in one - a white frame Arts & Crafts bungalow on Rawlins Street. 

Or maybe it's because tiny abodes just seem so darn sweet and inviting.

Elves live in little houses. As do fairies. Even the mice scurrying within the walls are friendly.
Mid Century Toy Cottage by LoveButlerVintage




Around little houses, birds sing all day - even in winter. Of course it was never really winter on Rawlins Street. Well ... almost never.

So you're probably wondering what little houses have to do with Hamlet

Well, I'll tell you. The other day I was taking photographs of a vintage book for Joe's shop, Prospero's Bookshelf, and remembered that the subject of the biography, America's First Hamlet, John Howard Payne, was the author of that haunting old song, "Home Sweet Home."

Home Sweet Home
John Howard Payne (1796-1852) was an American poet, playwright and actor. Failing on the American stage, he traveled to England, where he fared better as a dramatist. His beloved song is sung by the heroine of his play Clari; or, the Maid of Milan (1823). 

Payne is best remembered for his collaboration with Washington Irving in the writing of Charles the Second (1824), but that's a story for another day.
Today, I'm still thinking about little houses ... and finding a lovely variety on Etsy.

From handmade clay cottages to vintage toy houses, from handbags to coasters, there's plenty of appealing real estate to be enjoyed and, perhaps, brought home to your own dwelling ... humble or otherwise.

Fisher Price Tudor Doll Family Play House
by ThePantages
Home Sweet Home Purse
by GinnyandHarriot

Little House Wooden Coaster Set
by MixedMediabySRC

And of course, now that I've started on the subject, I can't resist showing you a photo I took today. This is our own little cottage - our very own Home Sweet Home!

©2012 Rough Magic Creations.

July 20, 2012

Distracted by a Rock

A few days ago, I was reading through the Jewelry on Etsy Team chat thread, and there was this photo of this wonderful bracelet by my friend Ida of Adroit Jewelers.
Sterling Silver Bracelet Pinky Promise
Now I don't have to tell you that Ida creates beautiful jewelry, because one look at this photo will have already convinced you of that. And I don't have to encourage you to visit her shop, because you're probably on your way there right now. And you're in for a treat for sure!

Ida works wonders with wire. When touched by her gifted hands, a strand of recycled sterling silver finds new life as a sweet dragonfly ...
Dragonfly Earrings
And piece of sea glass from the beach does double duty as a functional eyeglass holder and gorgeous one of a kind pin.
Genuine Sea Glass Eyeglass Holder Pin
No wonder I can't resist visiting Ida's shop again and again! Not only do I admire her work tremendouslt, by Down East Maine reckoning, she's practically a neighbor - meaning we both live in the same county!

Which brings me back to the inspiration for this post. Rocks. Yep, rocks. Now you may be thinking, since I'm a jewelry designer myself, I'm talking about gemstones. No, I mean the kind of rocks Ida and I both know so well - the rocks we trip over on the "rockbound coast of Maine," that seem to spring up like weeds in our gardens, that make fabulous photo props for our jewelry.

Take another look at the rock in the first photo. Ida has used it perfectly to display her bracelet. It's natural, unassuming, and exactly the right shape to hold "Pinky Promise" up to the camera!

And again ... an imaginative use of a rock!
Amazonite non-pierced sterling silver wire slip on hoop earrings
So ... distracted by rocks, I remembered a story.

It was probably about twenty years ago when, spading up a patch of lawn for a new vegetable garden, I unearthed this delightful specimen -

My first thought - and I still adhere to this opinion - was: "Picasso!" No, no, no, not picasso jasper - Picasso the artist. I think my rock looks like it might belong in Joe's vintage copy of Aristophanes' Lysistrata, illustrated by Pablo himself.


Bearing in mind that 99.9% of the time Joe and I see eye to eye on almost any subject, you can imagine how I anticipated hearing him say "Picasso!" when I handed him my find.

Well. He took it in his hand, turned it this way and that, pondered awhile, and then said ... "General de Gaulle?"
Since that day, "General de Gaulle" has earned his keep in manifold ways, serving as door stop, paperweight and, more recently, photo prop.

In this shot, he wears a cuff on his nose ...


And here he's sporting a pair of earrings ...

Copper becomes him, don't you think? 


Well, after all, those are French style earwires.


Here's a rock that makes me think of a potato.

Which reminds me, it's time for me to start cooking. 
Maybe Ida will drop by for dinner.

©2012 Rough Magic Creations.

July 15, 2012

Well, of All Things! Treasury Number 197 of "365 in 365"

Well, of All Things! Number 197 of "365 in 365"
When you were growing up, how often did you hear your mother say, "Well. Of all things!"

Seems like my mother said it on a daily basis.

Somehow I don't think she was talking about things as wonderful as these.

©2012 Rough Magic Creations.

July 14, 2012

Beach Thoughts


Copper Starfish Necklace
Up here in Maine it's a well known and oft repeated fact. We have two seasons - Winter and the 4th of July.

But this year, either the weather man has gotten seriously befuddled, or Independence Day is lasting a few days longer than usual.

Because this is definitely Summer, and being a Texan, you can believe me when I say I know about Summer.

Anyway, with temps soaring these days, I keep thinking about the beach. Especially when Joe and I look out our window and see a sight like this -

How many ways are there to say "Wow!!!"?
That's what I call a "quick, grab the camera" moment. I took this photo, and several more, standing on our deck with my trusty little Canon PowerShot, all the while wishing I'd found time to take a course in photography somewhere along the way. That's a gorgeous two masted schooner sailing between us and the Green Island Lighthouse. Western Mountain, on Mount Desert Island, is in the distance.

So ... back to thinking about the beach, I thought it would be fun to see how many appropriate items I could find in my Etsy Shop, Rough Magic Creations.
Turns out, there are quite a few, among them ...

Starfish Copper Charm Bracelet - Hammered Metalwork
Beach Shell Wreath with Lobsterman's Rope
and Colorful Glass
Summer Fashion Necklace with Winkle Shells,
Gemstones, Glass Beads and Crystals
And now, here are a couple of those "365 in 365" challenge treasuries I've been making.

Where to start? Hmmm..... Let's continue with summer and beach themes.
Kick back. Relax. It's Summer. #173
My Little Blue Cottage by the Big Blue Sea #192
White Sand. Blue Water. A Starfish. #156
One Summer Night #189

And now, it really is "One Summer Night." 
Time for me to go to sleep and dream of ... 

Well now, what do you think I should be dreaming of tonight?

Copper Scallop Shell Dish
©2012 Rough Magic Creations

Adventure in JetLand Part Two

Orange Coral Bracelet,
Sterling Silver Chain
For this week's Adventure in JetLand, the wonderful world of the Jewelry on Etsy Team, I'm heading southward from Kansas to Oklahoma City, where Wendy creates her special magic for her Etsy shop, Willow Creek Jewelry, and her own website - WillowCreekJewelry.com.

Wendy describes her work as "a collection of distinctive original jewelry with an eclectic, contemporary, free spirit feel; designs as unique as your every mood."

Lampwork Pendant Necklace
Handmade Copper Wire Wrapped
Silver Textured Earrings,
Hammered Sterling Silver

Hammered Copper Cuff, Charm Bracelet,
Fold Formed Metalwork
Turquoise Copper Earrings,
Blue Gemstone, Hammered Copper
These are only a few of the gorgeous designs you'll find in Wendy's shop, so head on over to Willow Creek Jewelry and do some exploring or your own!

You're sure to find a design that's just right for you!

To learn more about Wendy and her work, be sure to visit her Profile and About Page.

©2012 Rough Magic Creations.