Tuesday, February 16, 2010

beach bummin'


I've always thought that the dead of Winter was a good time to do a beach inspired post. I know you are probably stuck at home with the kids and the stinky wet snow boots and the heater drying out your sinuses. You probably aren't coming to Carlsbad this week, so I thought I'd come to you.

And just for fun, I thought I'd have a little giveaway of a necklace that might bring you just the slightest bit of remembrance of warmer days. Beach days.



Leave a comment to enter to win the above necklace. We will randomly pick a winner on Friday.

OR- don't enter. Just head on over to the shop and check out these "Mermaid" earrings that I'm having a awfully hard time parting with.


AND here's a few of my recent
illustrations that I think would
make great embroidery projects.
Try as he might, my dad just doesn't make a very sexy merman.

71 comments:

Jill said...

Oh the beach! Wish I was there! what a delightful "virtual" trip through your post! and as always- your new pieces are divine!
Many Blessings!
Jill
p.s.
Congrats! on your WONDERFUL news below!!!

Kimberly said...

I love your illustrations! I am always inspired by your art. Oh, and yes...I want warmer days! I am tired of the snow and cold. I long for brighter, longer, warmer, and "tanner" days for sure. I cannot wait to have the sugar sands of the beach between my toes again! The necklace would be a great inspiration to HANG ON and remind me it is just around the corner.

Fancy Nancy Chronicles said...

Awwwwwwwwww, the beach. So perfectly created ... colors that "sing" beach. Love the blue ... and I will always love a pearl dangling! Enjoy the beach!

Natalie said...

you illustrations are fabulous - can they translate into some jewelry?!
i'm in that winter slump - lots of cold here in colorado, so winning that lovely necklace would brighten my day and remind me of a california trip coming for me in august. man that sounds far away!

Jamie said...

I'm looking at Ben Lomond thickly covered in snow and deeply wishing I was in C-Bad walking the beach looking for treasures...
Loving your new header and awesome stamped koi on the right hand side of my screen.
Can't wait for the studio reveal and the million pictures of the "Big Day" with Birdie.
Did I mention how much I LOVE the beautiful starfish necklace?

Lesley said...

snow snow snow thats all i see...close my eyes and wish i were at the sea.

your jewelry and words are beautiful!

Ann Marie M. said...

Today is my first trip to your blog, a girlfriend sent it to me. What talent! Exactly the type of earrings that I love to buy. Not to mention opening up the page and seeing a beautiful beach, shells AND a necklace? Makes for a fitting getaway in my mind on this blustery day in Michigan!

Melissa said...

I love that necklace!!! I love your blog too! Puts a smile on my face when reading it. :)

Elizabeth said...

We're headed to the beach today, and I wish that I could pop on over and get those gorgeous mermaid earrings. I've been a bit self-indulgent, of late, and am wearing the amazing bird necklace that you made. Your art and jewelry is fantastic.

Bonafyde said...

Thanks for transporting me to a place I have been longing to be.... that necklace would be perfect for me to wear to Jamaica this Summer and to wear year round to remind me of it!

The illustration are so cute and your right they would make perfect embroidery Patterns!

Kelli said...

Yay for warm, sunny days! I noticed this morning that my tulips have started to come up, not too much longer!

Your necklace is beautiful! Thanks for a great giveaway. Congratulations on your soon to be newest addition!

Mermaid said...

I love those mermaid earrings! They are so cute and pretty.

Corinne said...

April, I keep coming back because your blog is so damn cute and funny and you give away your work! Congrats on birdie's date too!

Heather C Taylor said...

I think that is the perfect necklace to wear on our family cruise in 4 weeks! ;o) It is beautiful! I love all your designs and thank you once again for your blog, I love the way you write and I check it everyday!

Wendy Ferguson said...

I.love.this.necklace!
You rock!

Olivia said...

Don't you hate these winter blues? Maybe they'll finally go away with your beautiful, summer-y necklace! :)
Thanks for the cute blog- I read it every day!

Rachel said...

Beautiful necklace (OF COURSE!!) I do love the beach but not the sun so much. As a pale faced red-head I have spent much of my life hiding from it! But I do think that this is the year we will be taking our little women to see the ocean. Ooooh, I hope I am wearing THAT necklace on the trip! :)

Emily said...

Oh how I could use some of the beach right now.

Mama Nirvana said...

Would love something sunny while knee deep in rain.

Amy

Tracy said...

It's not even nearly as cold here as many other places are... but beach weather still sounds like it would be fantastic!
Beautiful necklace... and love the earrings too! : )

Dulcinea said...

what a beautiful necklace, if i won it i'd give it to my daughter for good luck!

Unknown said...

Your jewelry is gorgeous...I'm stalking you now!

T3h Jenn said...

Love, love, LOVE the necklace!

L~ said...

Love your blog!
Love the pretty 'lil reminder of sunshine & sand, ahhhhhh...
I would re-gift it to my sis in law, prego with twins & missing Hawaii, alas...she deserves it most! :)

Did I mention I love your blog? :)
L~

Emily said...

what a sweet necklace...and such a sweet babyface down below (congrats!)

Heather said...

Amazing necklace!! Maybe I will be lucky.

ReNi said...

well, I take my chance: >>enter<< ^^

Anonymous said...

Me Me Me pick me!! I love both of them. And the beach sounds wonderful today!! It is 80 degrees in Murrieta today!!

DeniseB said...

Lovely necklace! I'd be thrilled to win it.
I am also collecting buttons for the fabulous bracelet idea you shared a few days back. So fun!
DeniseB

Susan said...

Oh, I so want to be at the beach! I am sick and tired of cold weather and layers!! I long for shorts, tanks, and flops! THe necklace is absolutely gorgeous. I would love to call it mine!

Momma C said...

Love the necklace. My small ones and I have been talking about the beach for the last few days. My 4 year old is particularly articualte on her beachy desires. We are all tired of the snow here, even though it is not as much as most places. Waiting for warmer days, and as I told the 6 year old, nope 40 isn't really a warmer day, just warmer than today.

Jamie Lynn said...

Thanks for this beachy page! I love it and your blog! Thanks for a chance to win this necklace!
Jamie
lovelongtime.blogspot.com
jlynn48111@yahoo.com

Jessa said...

Why I need this necklace:
1)I live in Denver which is
a)landlocked
b)god-forsaken cold

2)It would look beautiful on me during the Vow Renewal Ceremony my husband and I are planning for our upcoming 10 year anniversary. It's going to be on a beautiful beach in North Carolina!

3)I have the Birdie cuteness equivalent of a baby boy - Amos is his name. And he doesn't sleep. So I need a little pick-me-up.

This beautiful bobble would do quite nicely.

The word verication I'm supposed to type to leave this comment is "undes" and that's making me giggle a bit. But it might just be sleep deprivation.

Johanna said...

your jewellery is stunning. I'd just LOVE to win that beautiful beachy necklace.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful necklace! Fingers ccrossed, Lol Kathryn X

Marianna said...

OMG I'm SOOOOO ready for summer! It's still snowing here in Mi. so I'll just gaze at your beautiful necklace and daydream of the beach in the mean time :)

Anne Thompson said...

Snowing tonight here in Maine. Our beaches are so different from those in CA. I'm anxious to visit my son in Mar Vista, CA soon.

I LOVE reading your blog and check it every day. I love your writing style and I LOVE LOVE LOVE your jewelry. Thanks for the chance to win the beautiful beachy necklace!

Congratulations on your adoption of a beautiful little girl. I adopted my son twenty-eight years ago. He was five and a half weeks old when I brought him home that first July 7th. We celebrate his adoption day every July 7 in special ways.

All the very best to you and your family.

Anne, yourmainestamper

Hillary said...

The Beach! What a great idea. I currently live in Arizona so I cannot complain about the weather here, but I do how it feels to have too much SNOW around! (Originally from Nebraska) Burrrr! I hope you enjoy the getaway. I heart the new necklace; Your style is so amazing! Love the blue and pearl mix with the starfish charm... so yummy! :0)

Anonymous said...

That necklace is lovely! As are the earrings. Becca :)

Miki said...

I love, love, LOVE the beach! We're lucky to be about 1.5 hrs from it and about 3 hours from our favorite place...Monterey Bay. We go as often as we can and oh how I wish I could live there. If I had a necklace like this I could be at the beach everyday! :)

Ellen aka Ellie said...

I too am a comment junkie on my blog. I mean, it's meant to be a conversation, right?

Love the bracelet, would appreciate it greatly, as I sure anyone who is entering to win it would.

Glad I stopped by, and sweetest of congratulations (there's not a word big enough for it), on the gift of your daughter!

Sarah said...

Love love love the beautiful beachy necklace...it would be fabulous with a flowy sarong - delicate and pretty...and wonderful on my Grecian cruise this summer...
you have such beautiful pieces...thanks for sharing your creativity...and congrats on the adoption! Birdie and I have that in common :)

Shannon said...

Oh I would love to wear that necklace. So pretty.

Anonymous said...

The necklace captures perfectly the essence of a small coastal town. I love your designs. They are so unique and lovely that I wish I had a hefty chunk of money to buy everything that strikes me! At this point, I'm waiting until I lose that last twenty lbs of post babies weight until I go shopping for clothes. But who says I can't accessorize? I truly enjoy reading your blog. I have to check in every few days. Your words are a bright spot in my day:-)This is the first time I've posted. I could not hold back any more!

Jennifer S. said...

what a beautiful necklace, please oh please pick me!

Karyn said...

funny, I was dreaming of the beach just today (or maybe that was everyone ELSE in the break-room talking about their latest vacations). That necklace (GORGEOUS!!!) would be just perfect for when I finally get there. Or would let me pretend I'm there for just a wee little while. Thanks for the give-away!!!

kathleen said...

Those lazy days of summer seem so far away with a foot of snow in my yard!
I love this blog!!! yard!!!! I'm a newbie here and just can't stay away : ) Thanks for all the inspiration and the chance to win!!

Cindy at LottieBird said...

me me me! Pick me!

As a fellow jewelry maker, I am in awe of your talent.

Ami said...

with all of this snow on the ground, it is wonderful to think of the beach!!!!

penny said...

So glad you linked up to Studio Calico! I hadn't seen your work before, and I'm in awe! Would love to win!

sheri said...

i love, love, love your designs...the necklace is beautiful. and those mermaid earrings! keep on designing & congratulations on your almost final adoption of your simply adorable little girl.
p.s. i love your blog...please don't stop :) i have coffee with you every morning & right now hearing about or seeing pics of the beach are good whilst sipping on hot coffee freezing my tush off in my snowy canadian home :D

T. The Destructor said...

That is the most beautiful beach necklace I've ever seen.

I've been literally trapped in a house for a week because of the Mid-Atlantic blizzards, and the only thing that made it bearable is to look at my pics of my Jamaican vacation last year. This necklace immediately reminds me of my vacation :)

jennie said...

just what I needed to see today as I stare at the mountains of snow here in west MI!!
Lovely, indeed!

Molly said...

Oh my word sista that necklace is breathless! I love the pirate and mermaid for a embroidery project! I have told so many people about your jewels, you are truly gifted!
~Molly P

Jennifer Johnson said...

Beautiful jewelry! Oh, how I long for the beach right now!

Mary Ann Jenkins said...

love, love, love the necklace! thanks for the chance to make it mine.

Jessie said...

you make the most BEAUTIFUL jewelry!! love it. and i definitely wish i were at the beach right now. utah just isn't cutting it...

*reyanna* said...

Beautiful! The beach is one of my favorite places, so this necklace just feels like home to me. It's gorgeous! :-)

Shannon @ Lifelong Impressions said...

I'll bite!
I thought your MMB post was entertaining. It put a cool twist for me on a subject I know waaaayyyy tooooo much about.
Carlsbad rocks! Haven't been there in years, but the beach is definitely in my memory.

Erika said...

No kissing up from me. I've told you before how swell I think you are. Necklace or no necklace, your blog gives me just the perking up I need each day. I should be giving you something instead for all the words of wisdom you have rendered to me.

Melissa {polkadot chair} said...

I love that necklace! we are going on a cruise for spring break and it would be so perfect to take with me!!
(or to wear now and dream of warmer days)

Anne Thompson said...

Oooh, the necklace is so cool! Thank you for the chance! Anne

JennC said...

Gorgeous necklace and your illustrations are darling! I have this thing for mermaids and could totally see an embroidered lady of the sea on a tea towel =)
Thank you for a chance to win!

nashvilleRD said...

Beautiful, Beautiful- as always! Love the necklace, hope I win. :)

Anonymous said...

My beachie friend would love this! Thanks, Tish R.

mandyface said...

this will go really well with my daily beach fantasies at work.

Christian T said...

I hope I win! I was just in your shop and I want - no need - every necklace! :)

wadev said...

What a gorgeous necklace for summer!

Hailey said...

love all your jewelry!

Digital Misfit said...

Gorgeous necklace! I could use a touch of the beach to remind me that this snow won't ALWAYS be here.
Your illustrations are so sweet - I just may need to do some more pirate stitching!

hugs,
Heidi
heidig@gmail.com

cindy said...

This is so perfect! It just sings sand, salt + sea air!