Featured Artist: COZY!

This month’s featured Estyblogger Street Team member is Cozy!

Cozy specializes in beautiful crochet and knit work.

I really am envious because I am far too brainless for crotchet or knitting. I just can’t remember what stitch I’m on or what on earth I’m supposed to be doing from stitch to stitch. Knitting is the worst because I genuinely can’t tell if I’m knitting or purling. That’s what I stick to sewing. You just sew forwards. In and out. Easy peasy. Probably as a result I’m hugely attracted to knitted or crocheted stuffed animals!

One of Cozy’s signature items are these beautiful headbands. I figured I’d just choose one large image so you can see the fine detail. Please do check out her etsy shop!

Blog Carnival: Bulls!

I am a Taurus and from Chicago and I have been known to talk crap; but I’m going to focus on those noble beasts of Spain.

In August 2005, we spent a week in Spain; which was one of the best vacations I’ve ever taken. Spain wasn’t a spot I had ever particularly planned to visit, but our friend’s parents had a bungalow there where we could stay just minutes from the beach.

We went to bullfights. It’s such an odd experience. There we were: Knut, Simen, Tor Bjorn, and I sitting in the Marbella arena. I was looking fab in a green paisley dress and awesome lavender Panama hat (Buy one!! They are amazing! And if they lose shape, you can iron them!), and a bull was led into the ring. I had this awful realization that that bull was not going to walk out like it walked in. I whispered to Knut “I don’t think I can watch this!”

Then the atmosphere sort of changed.

When the matador is good, he puts the sword directly through the animal’s heart. It dies on its feet. It dies before it hits the ground. It dies fighting. Maybe that’s a better way to go than shoved up a conveyer belt and into a bolt gun. And we saw several bull fighters get gored. It’s really not a one sided fight.

Not a popular view certainly, since most of us prefer to remember Ferdinand the Bull and his love of sitting in the shade. I also won't say it's not barbaric, but there is sort of a primal reaction to it.

In any case, the bull has become a cult figure in Spain, strongly reminiscent of the ancient Mediterranean cultures. You can appreciate what a powerful character the Minotaur would have been, when you see their foaming rampages and the huge gorges slashed in the wood of their pens.

The bull ring in the southern town of Ronda was especially beautiful. This charming stone head graces the entry way to the ring and the steps to the upper level are decorated entirely with bull themes, like the excellent fellow above. Clearly whoever made these items knew all there is to know about bulls! I love the Moorish tile traditions in Spain and was even more delighted to see these Delft like tiles.

The ring also has a nice collection of antique matador costumes, equipment, and beautiful posters. There were even a few taxidermy heads of particularly fine bulls, some of whom were so grand they were given reprieve and spent out their lives grazing and siring more bulls.

They are beautiful and romantic and fearsome. And when they go for the matadors, they go straight for the cojones.

EtsyBloggers Street Team Featured Artist

As a member of the EtsyBloggers Street Team, I am proud to announce April’s featured artist: Stormy Designs.

shop: http://StormyDesigns.etsy.com
site: http://StormyDesigns.biz
blog: http://StormyDesigns.biz/blog

She works frequently with polymer clay to product some very beautiful designs. Even if you’ve never worked with it, you can appreciate the skill involved to make these items.

Pranks! An Etsy Blog Carnival

New at my etsy shop!

April Fools! Just Kidding!

I would never assault innocent lamps with puffy paint and flower decals. The honor goes to a friend’s step mother, who specializes in adorning glassware. The flower decals are also present on her washing machine, dishwasher, shower, and cabinets. They must have come by the yard.

I’ve never done a huge amount of pranking myself, although when I do, my 6 foot high stuffed werewolf from Six Flags Great America is usually my conspirator.

My husband won him for me in a shooting game and I did goofy things like sit him next to me in the little cars, poke kids in line, seat him next to us at the picnic tables, etc. People loved him.

He’s also incredibly scary if you happen upon him by accident. I had him sitting on a desk chair at my parent’s home and they made me remove him for fear of heart attacks. Little kids wouldn’t come up to the house on Halloween because he was sitting in a lawn chair by the front door. They thought he would jump up and come after them.

My favorite pranks (okay, I am juvenile) are when people rearrange the letters on signs. They’re usually pretty filthy, so I won’t show any here, but many fine examples can be found on http://www.ilovebacon.com/home/index.shtml

I also like amusing graffiti. I remember someone telling me about a Mormon temple that always was lit up at night with green lights. Someone wrote on the overpass, “Surrender Dorothy!”

How great is that?