Life has TEETH!

I know I've been mysteriously absent the last few days! Life's taken a bit of a nibble out of my hind quarters and I've found myself needing to take a bit of a break while getting myself caught up.

Sorry for the delay in posting. I look forward to being back Sunday or Monday!

- Gilliauna

I Wanna Win Wednesdays - Giveaway Linky 6/23 thru 6/29

I love giveaways and I really, really love winning free stuff. (Who doesn't?!?) It doesn't happen often but it always comes as a surprise when it does and brightens up my day.

Every Wednesday here on The Meandering Musings is "I Wanna Win" Wednesday! This is where you can come to find terrific giveaways to enter and win as well as share giveaways with others.

SO... Do you have a great giveaway going on this week or know someone who does? If so, spread the news and share!

In the Linky below, share your current giveaway or any great giveaways that you have discovered, or... explore (and enter to win) a few of the giveaways left by others.

After all, you can't win if you don't enter!

[ PLEASE ENTER YOUR LINKS IN THIS FORMAT... Name of Giveaway You're Sharing (End Date) ]



If you would like to add this Linky to your site, you can contact me in comments with a request (and way to contact you) and I'll be happy to share the code with you!

Handmade Clothes for Women ~ LarimeLoom by Lucia Squillari

Let me introduce you to LarimeLoom on Etsy today! This shop is filled with handcrafted clothing, much of which is not just made by hand but can be tailored to fit with a few simple measurements.

This is a shop filled with pieces that accentuate the soft, graceful curves of a woman's body with style and grace. Not just that, but every piece is 100% handmade by Lucia Squillari.

Not only that, but all of the clothes in Lucia's shop are created without patterns! In fact, she often doesn't even draw the idea down before starting but instead lays the cloth out, grabs her scissors and starts cutting with fingers crossed for decent results. And I have to tell you, her results are far better than just decent, they're remarkable!

Some of the items in LarimeLoom are already made while there are others that she makes after an order has been placed in order to fit your measurements and/or color preferences. So, when you browse through her shop, be sure to read the listings carefully so you'll know which it is you're ordering!

Lucia loves Etsy because she loves the freedom the site gives her to do what she wants and she often only makes one of each item because she loves creating new designs instead of getting stuck in the rut of reproductions.

Lucia's mother, Melissa, does all the photography for her shop along with help from her little (9yr old) sister, making this shop a family project that has turned out beautifully from beginning to end.

I love the soft, flowing creations she's come up with. They show a true sense of style and an eye for not just fashion and comfort but also for what looks -good- on a woman's shape. Lucia's work is gorgeous and I hope you enjoy the browse through her shop as much as I have!

YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PICTURES ABOVE TO VISIT LUCIA'S LARIMELOOM SHOP ON ETSY AND TAKE A LOOK AROUND OR, IF YOU PREFER, CLICK RIGHT HERE.

Lucia also recently started spinning on an old vintage spinning wheel and it sounds like she really enjoys it! You can now find colorful hand spun yarns in her other shop on Etsy... Yarmee.

A Little Icky, Kinda Weird and Totally Cool

Know someone who likes the icky? Do you have a friend you're shopping for that has a touch of goth to them? Today's shop could be the site for your shopping needs!

When I first ran across today's site, it drew my attention because it took me a minute to realize I was looking at a picture of a necklace made of intestines. Okay, seriously, not really made -of- intestines but it was a clay sculpt of intestines made into a pendant.

It was just a little gross... and just cool enough that I had to click and see more.

When I clicked, I entered the world of Beat Black; a shop on Etsy "where the sweet and the sour co-mingle". Great catch phrase, isn't it?

In this shop you'll find intestine necklaces and brain brooches, moldy bread cuff links and bone earrings all handmade from high grade polymer clay. Some of it's really, really cute. Some of it's on the weird side and there's a few pieces that are downright gross! All in all? It comes together into a shop that's so fascinating it's a page turner and you will be hard pressed to look away until you've seen every piece they have to offer.

TO VISIT BEATBLACK ON ETSY, YOU CAN CLICK THE PICTURE ABOVE OR, IF YOU'D RATHER, CLICK RIGHT HERE!

Breathtaking Sculptures with Eyecatching Eyes

Eyes are the Windows of the Soul ~~ Sometimes I come across something in the handmade marketplace that just surprises the heck out of me and today's shop was one of those.

I go to metaphysical shops off and on all the time and you see dragon figurines and other mementos of that line at nearly all of them. I never really thought much about the artists behind these pieces because in most cases, they're mass produced.

I guess that somewhere along the way I became jaded to the mass produced items, because when I came across today's shop it was a reminder that there are truly talented and amazing artists behind all those pieces somewhere at their birth. That somewhere in the past there was an artist who created the piece that caught the retail market's attention.

Today's shop, Misty's Creations, is filled with beautiful, mystical creatures that are breathtaking and haven't gone to mass market but are so gorgeous they absolutely could in a heartbeat (but I'm so glad they haven't because the charm of OOAK hand crafting is far more appealing!)

These pieces are each one of a kind. Each and everyone is an artist's hand-crafted expression and lovingly sculpted and painted with care. Some of them are so life-like that they can easily be gazed upon for hours in fascination.

I'm personally both impressed and mesmerized by the eyes in these pieces. Their eyes are so realistic it's as if each piece has it's own soul. It's so rare to find such a stunning feature displayed so beautifully as you will in these pieces.

If you love dragons, unicorns and other mystical creatures or if you know someone who does, I strongly encourage you to check out Misty's Creations and take a browse through their shop. I am so very, very impressed and I think you will be too!

TO VISIT THE MISTY'S CREATIONS SHOP ON ETSY, YOU CAN CLICK THE PICTURE ABOVE OR, IF YOU'D RATHER, CLICK RIGHT HERE!