Friday, March 23, 2012

Spring Challenge: NATURE

The Queer Etsy Street Team has really done a great job with our latest challenge: NATURE


vintage photos wildlife yellowstone

by shojishoji



Tahoma Agate Sterling Silver Cuff Bracelet Wide Birch Bark Inspired

by bowersstudio



Tiny Chickadee Lampwork Glass Bird Bead Copper Chain Pendant Necklace SRA

by CrowbirdieBeads



Spring Peeps Bird Barrette - Woodsy - Weird - French Clip - Cute Cuckoos Nest Hair Accessory

by TheMagicArtShop



Set of 12 Butterflies party decorations

by aSignofSuccess



Spring Wooden Peg Gnome Doll

by featheredneststudio



Cow playset

by ladybugclay



Blue and Green Lucite Flower Earrings - Returned to Scales

by BuniqueBeads



Blue Butterfly Children's Earrings, Sterling Silver Posts, Swarovski Crystal, Sterling 4mm bead posts

by Livingatnight



Vintage Mexican Puebla Dress. Peasant Dress. Boho Dress. Embroidered Red Dress. Frida Kahlo. Cobalt Blue. Delicate Hand Crochet. Red Dress.

by 33norashmora33



Hand stitched Felt Flower Pin with Vintage Cloth Cardinal Button, Red and Antique White

by creampuffcouture



Vintage 80s Floral Dress / Size 7 / Chauncy St. brand

by NuitHiboux



Spring flower ring

by SyntheticInnocence



Brown and pink flower rose choker necklace - plus size

by laprincessa



Vintage Snack Set - Plate and Cup with Wacky Pastel Pot Leaf Print - 1950s

by AlienThriftStore


And here's a treasury including the lovelies above, and some other member listings that fit the theme!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Chocolate & Cherries

Our mid-winter challenge was scheduled to go live just before Valentine's Day, but time constraints left me unable to post until now.  We have some delicious - erm - delightful, I meant, entries for the theme: Chocolate & Cherries!


Beautiful hand knit chocolate and cherry scarf pink brown red white

by laprincessa



Cherry & Chocolate Pearl Necklace, Fresh Water Pearls, Red Mother of Pearl, 24k gold vermeil Chinese clasp.

by Livingatnight



Cherry Red Easter Basket with "Chocolate" bunny

by ladybugclay


Unfortunately that's all for this month! :(  But next month we'll all be back and full of fantastic pieces to fulfill the challenge... What will it be?  No one knows yet!  Stay tuned!  (And if you're in the team, please check the forums or email list for the Discussion about choosing the theme!)

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Light in the Darkness

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the longest night of the year has passed and along with it, all the holidays and celebration times, and now comes the time of darkness and cold, as we wait for the longer, warmer days of summer.  Our latest challenge reflects that time, our search for the Light in the Darkness.

First, a little something "light" to keep you warm through those long "dark" winter nights...

Gorgeous Angora cowl

by laprincessa


A beautiful beaded eyeglass chain of light and dark...

Eyeglass Chain Beaded in Gray, Black and Silver - Mist and Mystery

by Gilliauna


Create your own light in the darkness with this unique votive holder...

Ruby red votive luminary

by CrabtreeCeramics


The story of this necklace, with a light to shine in the darkness and a heart to bring us all closer together, is truly a light in the darkness...

Atacama Desert Handcrafted Copper Pendant

by Livingatnight


A message of love written with a Light in the Darkness, the planet Venus...

I Love You photographic fine art print venus sky writing

by catbirdcraft


The spectrum of light surrounded by the darkness...

Rainbow Bracelet - Aluminum chainmaille

by PridemailleDesigns


My favorite light in the darkness, the sparkling face of the moon...

Misuki, Beautiful Moon (pendant, pin, or magnet)

by FaerieGardenFancies


And out of the darkness of ashes & death rises the flaming light of the phoenix...

Firebird Phoenix Lampwork Glass Orange and Yellow Flames Encased Bird Focal Bead

by CrowbirdieBeads


And here's a treasury including the lovelies above, and some other member listings that fit the theme!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Last Month's Challenge: LITERATURE

Last month, despite being busy with all our Halloween festivities, some of our Queer Team members took the time to create pieces to represent their favorite book, story, character, or author in honor of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which is this month!  (Please take the link for more information!)  I am blown away with the awesomeness of these entries!  I will let the pieces - and artists - speak for themselves...


Fall Leaves Beaded Necklace in Autumn Colors of Glass and Tree of Life in Silver

by Gilliauna


Inspired by Walt Whitman's Autumn Rivulets

As consequent from store of summer rains,
Or wayward rivulets in autumn flowing,
Or many a herb-lined brook's reticulations,
Or subterranean sea-rills making for the sea,
Songs of continued years I sing....
(www.everypoet.com/archive/poetry/Walt_Whitman/walt_whitman_leaves_o...)

Dripping with autumn colors and with matching wire wrapped teardrops of the same, when the idea came to me to make this piece, it was the beginning of the poem Autumn Rivulets by Walt Whitman that came to mind. With the watery theme of the poem, I've added in a few tiny crystals with a touch of blue to the piece as well.


Purple, Red, Black and Gray Swarovski Pearl and Crystal Bracelet - Strych

by BuniqueBeads


This is just one of my bracelets inspired by my favorite author, Sarah Monette. She writes incredibly lush stories and novels, often with darker, adult themes dealing with queer characters in fantasy or sci-fi settings as well as other alternative sexualities and non-traditional lifestyles. She is, in a word, AMAZING. This bracelet, "Strych," represents one of the wickedest characters in her four-book Doctrine of the Labyrinths series.  The "evil wizard in the story" goes by many names, but one of those is Brinvillier Strych, I chose dark, rich colors for his mystery and his sadistic secrets, and of course, the dark ruby-red vein runs through the other colors to recall the rubies of his wizard's rings:

"Like a poison, he devours his victims from the inside, but has an allure that is difficult to resist. I chose dark, rich colors for his mystery and his sadistic secrets, and of course, the dark ruby-red vein runs through the other colors to recall the rubies of his wizard's rings. You're not supposed to like it; you're supposed to be drawn to it even though you know better."


Angels and Demons Inspired Elements of Science Illuminati Bracelet

by MikesHempBracelets


"Their name means 'enlightened ones'. They were physicist, mathematicians and astronomers. They were dedicated to scientific truth..."

This bracelet was inspired by the book "Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown. Each color stone represents one of the elements of science used by the Illuminati. Brown for Earth, Light Blue for Air, Red for Fire, and Blue for Water. The white stone represents the Light that the Illuminati strove to reveal.


Tiger Agate and Pearl Necklace

by GalleriaDiGiani


I decided in advance that I wanted to find a powerful love to inspire me. I chose Heathcliff and Catherine from Wuthering Heights. Catherine is described as having brown hair and brown eyes. The eyes being such a strong trait that her other family members share that same look.

So, with all those lovely shades of brown going on around her, I thought about what sort of jewelry might Heathcliff see that would instantly make him think of his love, Catherine.

This is what I came up with.


Original aceo art card A Midsummer Night's Dream Titania

by catbirdcraft


The character Titania in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is Queen of the Fairies, having annoyed a jealous Oberon with her dalliances, is put under a spell by Puck while she sleeps, and so falls in love with the first creature she sees on awaking, the mortal with an ass' head, Bottom.


Moby the Whale Stuffed Animal

by featheredneststudio


This guy could tell you a whale of tale. Consider him the Moby Dick of stuffed animals... a book I have never read (but with a degree in English, I probably shouldn't admit that).


Vampire Bunny, 4x6 Print of Original Watercolor

by FaerieGardenFancies


This capricious Giclée print is perfect crossover parody of the Twilight and Bunnicula series, with a little campy Dracula added in!

While neither series was my *favorite* they are books that amused & entertained me a great deal. If you haven't ever read them, do check them out:
~ Bunnicula
~ Twilight

And here's a treasury including the lovelies above, and some other member listings that fit the theme!