Getting all FIRED UP in February

Somehow, in the last year, I let myself wander (or let myself be pushed) off my path.  Yes, I could chalk it up to situations beyond my control, but that would be a cop out.  The tough economic conditions have affected most everyone.  Children grow up and start a life of their own.  Friends move away, start families, become busy.  I, myself, seem like I have been busier, working harder to make less, two steps forward three steps back.

The end of 2010 found me suddenly without a job or a place to live.  Thankfully, the most wonderful family I know put me up through the fall and winter.  Spring found me a home (next to a graveyard no less), but a job is still elusive.  

Consequently, last year I did more festivals and markets than I have in the past.  I also started two other ventures -  I co-opened a new etsy shop, T&M Metalworks, and I started selling corsets. The metal shop really took off towards the end of the year.  When I wasn't creating jewelry, I was busy with that.  Though I created more jewelry than ever, hardly any made it to  my etsy shop.  My online time, blogging, and focus on my real passion took a backseat.  

I'd like to take this time to apologize to the Etsy Dark Side Team, the

Etsy Steam Team,

the Etsy BeadWeavers and Team Etsy Rain for my dismal participation this past year. 

SO....to get back on freakin' track, I've dedicated the month of February to FIRE IT UP.  Inspired by the lovely Miss Victoria, I'm challenging my self to create an item a day and posting about it everyday for the month.  Nothing like jumping in head first to get the blood flowing.   

Deliciously Dark Drinkware - Tiffany bugs festishghost and skeletaldropkick for you

With the onslaught of the gift giving season, I thought I would start sharing some of my favorite artists/shops with you. The cracked and chipped coffee cup from which I drink is not the reason I decided to start with fetishghost and skeletaldropkick. I have admired (and desired) the work of each for quite some time - that they both do ceramics is just a coincidence.

When I was brand new on Etsy, I was lured into fetishghost’s shop by this bracelet.

This inanimate object reached through the screen and wrapped itself around my wrist. I felt like crying. It didn't matter that I would never own it or wear it; I loved it so much it felt like it was mine.

When I was finally able to tear myself away, I found not only more intriguing and beautiful silver jewelry, but exquisite ceramics also. “BoneOrchard Teaware & Gothic Sterling Noir” is right!  When I later joined the Etsy Steam Team, I was thrilled to find fetishghost was a teammate.

I caught fetishghost peeking out of his silversmithing and ceramics studio long enough to answer three questions for me:

Do you listen to music while you create? If so, what were the last three things you listened to?

This one is easy… Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie…not necessarily in that order.

If you could time travel to three other times in history, what would they be?

This one is a bit harder. I'm rather content with the time I live in, although I was a bit shocked, myself, when I realized that. I'd like to go back to the 1940's to hang out with a few favorite artists and musicians... people like Wassily Kandinsky, Sohji Hamada, and Louis Armstrong. I don't really have any itching to go back any further in time than that; things seem to get pretty hairy the further back you go.

What are three things you would like still like to accomplish in life?

Now that my kids are old enough, I'd love to get back to traveling the world. I've always wanted to spend a year in Morocco.
I would like to help establish a successful community art center, (who wouldn't).
Maybe go back to art school for another spell...

I fully suggest a good browse through fetishghost’s shop…make sure to read his profile.

When you’re finished there, head on over to Skeletaldropkick’s shop for dark ceramics with a heavier feel. I wish I was drinking a Coffee Nudge out of this cup right now!

I was so enchanted with skeletaldropkick that I practically begged her to join the Etsy Dark Side team….and I am happy to say the she did.  I also got her to answer the same three questions for me:

Do you listen to music while you create? If so, what were the last three things you listened to?

I have my iPod on whenever I throw, but the rest of the work is kinda when I can make time for it, so I don’t get to listen to much for that. The last 2 things I listened to were: “TV on the Radio”, “You Say Party, We Say Die” and Radio Lab (podcast from NPR)

If you could time travel to three other times in history, what would they be?
Likely to where California is before the Europeans arrived. I would love to see the area I live in the way it was before massive amounts of humans trashed it.
To the ancient Mayan or Aztec eras.
Can I go into the future? I really want a flying car….

Name three things you would like to accomplish yet in life.
Ride in a dirigible. Might be even more fun than saying, “dirigible.”
Travel - New Zealand, Australia, Europe, Ireland, etc…
hmmm… solve the human population problem in a peaceable and ethical way. No big deal, really.


Well Cris, if I see you hitchhiking while I’m cruising in my dirigible, I’ll pick you up & we’ll go off adventuring... Until then, I’m off to make a Coffee Nudge in my old and cracked mug. Yes, dear friends, that was a hint.

Coffee Nudge
1/4 oz dark crème de cacao
3/4 oz coffee liqueur                            “I stopped drinking, but only when I sleep” - George Best
1/2 oz brandy
6 - 8 oz hot coffee
1 1/2 oz whipped cream

Sunday the 18th - Mourning Market, more Friends & Music

Gah - roused myself from my bed with only a couple of hours sleep under my belt. Today is Mourning Market - and we were encouraged to dress up. I couldn't bring my self to do it - too much fun last night. Quickly showered & dressed & hopped the boat to Seattle. Got to Motor just in time to set up. Mourning Market was a BLAST. Lots of fantastic vendors, lots of people. So nice to see many, many old friends & make some new ones. Met a few of my Etsy Dark Side teammates *hi ladies - hi Kurt* which was awesome. Here's just a few pictures.




I also got to pick up Ed the Head, my wonderful new friend, who I won in a Giveaway from Grimvisions. I love him!


One of my oldest & dearest friends, Michelle, came down to see me & we decided to carry on the festive spirit into the evening. I had started having some cocktails early (hair of the dog you know), so after I packed up my booth and we ditched the drunken Seahawks fans from Alaska, we popped up to El Corazon to say hi to our old friend Dre, who was in town to play a show.


Caught him outside, chatted a bit, took the pics above & then decided that though we love him very much, we weren't going to pay $20 to get in to see him. Parted ways & then off to Linda's for a couple more drinkies.

I had been told that the bass player for the .357 String Band was absolutely not to be missed, and since I had missed them play the night before, we headed over to The Bit in Ballard (where I had a brief stint as a barteneder). A couple of cocktails later & they took the stage. I was not misled - these guys are awesome and yes, the bass player just moved up to the top of my list. As most of you already know - I got a thing for bass - stand up, electric, whatever..my soul craves it. These guys are touring right now - so if they come to your town GO CHECK THEM OUT.


By the time they were done I was too. Time to get my butt back home & crawl into bed. It was a non-stop weekend that was worth it's weight in gold.

A Slow Start for a Busy Weekend

Well, woke up this morning to no power...turns out the whole town was out & about 1/2 of the next town. But it came back on in about 3 hours - so it just threw me a little behind. I'm still making last minute things for Zombie 4 Ransom tonight.

I'll be sharing a vending spot with Platipuses, who makes killer plus size clothing. I'm excited!


The event is a late one - from 7pm till 1am - so I will be staggering home to catch some ZZZZZs, then arising early to take the ferry to Seattle to vend at Mourning Market.

There's going to be SO many fantastic vendors there, as well as music and performers. You can learn more about many of them (including myself) on the Mourning Market blog. I am especially looking forward to meeting some of my Esty Dark Side team members...and having some cocktails, of course. Added bonus? Gothic Charm School will be there & filming!

Besides having two FANTASTIC events at which I'm vending...I'm also participating in Etsy's Weekend Deals. 15% off your entire order in my etsy shop.

Phew....well, I'm off to pack up the car & attend to those last minute details. Hope you all enjoy your weekend!

This coming Weekend Deals from the Etsy Dark Side

This coming weekend (16th-18th October), Etsy’s Dark Side Street Team is participating in Etsy’s Halloween Weekend Deals, and offering fantastic discounts off everything in store- up to 25% off!! To take advantage of these great deals, browse the shops linked below for details of the discounts available in each participating store, then use the discount code “WEEKEND DEALS” in the message to seller box during checkout. Further information is available in each store. Welcome to Etys’s Dark Side, and happy shopping!

♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦

Morphologica	SWStitchery	CustomZombie
NewAgeDolls	Creeplings	AgonysDecay
SyntheticSeduction	Room3Designs	Somnambulant
MrsEvils	PunkRawk	MonstrousIndustry
SharonHBell	BellaLili	WingsOfSin
GoodMourningGlory	BratBoutique	LaughingVixenLounge
GypsyEye		VoodooRabbit

Halloween Scavenger Hunt

Come join the Etsy Dark Side in the 1st Annual EtsyDarkTeam Halloween Scavenger Hunt. One item, from our hundreds of dollars worth of prizes, will go randomly to each of the first 13 people who complete the Hunt!

When: Saturday, October 3rd @ 10am EST (7am PST, 9am CST)

Where: Start here at Room3Designs.Etsy.com

How to Play: Look through the listings for this image:

You'll find the the link to the next shop to hunt through when you find the image! Compile a list of all the links to the items you find with the above image hidden in it, in order, starting with Room3Designs.

When you reach the end convo your complete list of links to Room3Designs, or email her at: tiffwestlund[at]hotmail[dot]com.

Good luck & have a spooky good time!

Day 12 - Black Beadwoven Cuff & Opulent Art Show Wrap-Up

After a week of only 3-4 hours of sleep a night, when I got home from the Opulent Art Show last evening I crashed hard. And have barely wandered far from my bed today. Ahhh....the power of naps. I did finally take a couple pics of the bracelet I finished on Saturday, so I thought I better post them, along with a few pics from the show on Saturday.

This bracelet is one that I wanted to make for a couple of weeks. I was getting ready to start it when I was paired up with Bellalili for the Etsy Dark Team swap. She wanted an all matte black bracelet, so I completed that one first. Not wanting to make two almost identical bracelets back to back, I waited a couple of days and then did this one on Friday night & finished it up on Saturday. It is Glossy Jet Black Toho seeds beads with a stripe of Matte Black Toho seed beads down the middle. I used the peyote stitch, wove it with fireline and finished it off with a silver sliding tube clasp (my fav).


On Friday I received my piece from Bellalili and it is gorgeous. It's a black filigree butterfly which frames a lovely silver bat and has a black Swarovski drop wrapped in a silver filigree hanging from it. When I first took it out of the beautiful black box I thought it might be too delicate for me, but then I tried it on and I LOVE IT. I wore it on Saturday and received many compliments on it.


Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day and perfect for an outdoor show. I was in the farmhouse this year, so I only wandered outside to see the other vendors, get wine and sneak smokes. Sales weren't as good as last year...but that's been the story all summer. It was still a wonderful time, as I really enjoy the other artists and it's laid back, customers are very friendly, it's in a great setting, music and, of course, wine. Here's a picure of my booth and one from the porch looking down onto the outdoor tent.


I only really got pictures of the other vendors who were in the farmhouse with me. Here's Renne Emiko Brock-Richmond's booth. Besides being a Super Hero, she makes the most gorgeouse printed silk items. She prints and/or paints all her fabrics and then sews everything herself. She also always looks stunning - as a Super Hero should.

This is Pam Sanders and her booth. She makes great art out of polymer clay. My favorite piece was a braclet that looks just like a fossil. She teaches classes at Joann's Fabrics in Silverdale.

More great art by Nicole & Azriel of Out On A Whim.

And here are the other two booths that were inside with me - xsbaggage and West Coast Sea Glass.


Now I must go make some spiders for a custom order that needs to go in the mail tomorrow. Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Day 11 - Skull Flower Hair Clips and Pins

Taking a quick break in packing for tomorrow's event to show you what I did last evening. I beaded the purple one and another red one and then mounted the pink ones and the red ones on hair clips and then the purple and blue ones onto pin backs. I don't sell these in my Etsy shop, because they are the design of one of my Etsy Dark Side team members, fivefootfury, and she sells them in her shop. I think it would be highly unethical to sell these in the same marketplace as the designer, especially a team member.




They are pretty damn awesome, and they look great in your hair or worn as a brooch. I've even made a couple into magnets. If you are interested in buying one online, click fivefootfury's link above. If you're in my immediate neighborhood, you can get one from me.

Now I must finish the little bit on packing I have left and hopefully finish a necklace I'm working on. Night all.