fantasy art and tree chatter of aquariann

EDIT: Jewelry giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Janet Lee for submitting the randomly-chosen 598th entry. Life Is The Bubbles will be contacting you soon with instructions on how to claim your prize. I'm not ready to say goodbye to autumn yet. But winter is coming, so I better let it go. And bundle up, because the cold definitely bothers me. Even though winter is my least favorite season, its beauty can still send shivers up my spine. To celebrate the parts of it I do love, I've joined another giveaway hop. The generous mother-daughter team at Life is the Bubbles is providing my prize! One lucky entrant will win a $25 gift card to spend on fantasy jewelry and accessories, such as the Frozen purse charm above. Their delightful designs are inspired by Disney movies and the belief that with a little bit of pixie dust, life can become Magical. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter to win worldwide giveaway before 11:59pm EST on December 21, 2016. Be sure to...

EDIT: Handmade giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Edmond Leung for submitting the randomly-chosen 91st entry. Porter & Hazel will email you soon with instructions on how to claim your prize. While exploring Virginia's Natural Bridge for our anniversary last month, a tour guide walking by told us to follow her. Perhaps it was the comic book shirt Ogre was wearing, but she said we seemed like souls who wouldn't want to miss this tucked away treasure. Off the path, on a rock we may have never noticed, was carved a J.R.R. Tolkien quote, "STILL ROUND THE CORNER THERE MAY WAIT A NEW ROAD OR A SECRET GATE; AND THOUGH I OFT HAVE PASSED THEM BY, A DAY WILL COME AT LAST WHEN I SHALL TAKE THE HIDDEN PATHS THAT RUN WEST OF THE MOON, EAST OF THE SUN." She said it was a mystery who carved it, then moved on to let us revel in the magic of the moment. When returning home from vacation, I found I had been contacted to host a giveaway for Porter & Hazel . The...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Kathy Tracey for submitting the randomly-chosen 642nd entry. Please answer my email to claim your prize. Hark! One of you will be singing louder than the herald angels when you win my prize in the Christmas In July Giveaway Hop. My mom designed a glorious angel necklace for the special occasion. She combined a filigree finding, pearl bead, wing charm and plastic crystal to create an angel. The angel pendant is clipped on a 16" white ribbon cord that closes with a silver chain extender and lobster clasp, but can be easily unfastened to attach as a zipper pull to a purse instead. Only one of my readers will win this one-of-a-kind necklace, but my mom is busy making more handmade jewelry to list in my Etsy shop! Use the Rafflecopter below to enter to win worldwide giveaway before 11:59pm EST on July 31, 2016. Then fly further down the post to enter dozens more Christmas In July giveaways from other bloggers! Be sure to lea...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Amanda Smith for submitting the randomly-chosen 672nd entry. Life is the Bubbles will email you soon with how to claim your prize. Now that I've seen snow, I'm ready for winter to be over. I might just have to hibernate until spring! Good thing I have a huge jar of honey from when I visited Smoky Mountain Farms in Tennessee. But it won't last as long as the hunny sealed into Life is the Bubbles' magical bottle necklace so let's hope warm weather arrives soon. Brandy and Kathy are giving away a $35 gift card, which is enough to buy the adorable Winnie the Pooh necklace above AND another gift for a friend. Their handmade shop is overflowing with Disney-inspired jewelry that will fill you with childlike joy. As Pooh says, "Sometimes the smallest things take the most room in your heart." Use the Rafflecopter below to enter to win worldwide giveaway before 11:59pm EST on February 20, 2016. Be su...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Loraine Ellis for submitting the randomly-chosen 371st entry. Daniela will email you soon with details on how to claim your free prize. Maybe it's much too early in the game, but I thought I'd ask you just the same ... what are you winning on New Year's Eve? A turquoise bracelet from Daniela of Rica Jewels could hold your wrist good and ... well, not too tight! She's gifting a beautiful bracelet in the design above to one of my lucky blog readers this holiday season. The Tibetan cuff bracelet is made of silver white metal and genuine turquoise. Daniela's unique turquoise jewelry is popular year-round, but especially as a December birthstone gift idea. All USA orders in her Etsy shop are currently being shipped Priority Mail 2-3 day, with the option to upgrade to Express Mail for next day delivery at check out if you're in desperate need of a pretty present fast. Here comes the jackpot question in advanc...

After the orange marigolds in my window box wilted during a surprisingly sweltering spring day, I replaced them with purple calibrachoa flowers and have been doing my best not to let them go thirsty. Considering how much water I drink, you think I'd remember to share with the flowers more often! At least the newest flower in my jewelry collection doesn't need to be watered to survive. Jennifer of WXdruid Chainmail grew the chainmaille flower pendant above by interlocking silver and fuchsia jump rings. Wearing the handmade necklace in sunlight helps the anodized aluminum shine even brighter. Disclaimer: I received this free pendant as a thank you gift for hosting a jewelry giveaway. If you think your handmade creations would harmonize with my whimsical ramblings, learn how to sponsor a giveaway here .

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Evangelia Kollia for submitting the randomly-chosen 127th entry. Life is the Bubbles will email you soon with details on how to claim your prize. Handmade cuckoo clocks always fascinate me at faires, but I wouldn't want one squawking in my home. Owning a clock charm that's only sound would be the clang against my wire jewelry rack when put away is another story. Speaking of stories, I have another whale of a tale to tell today. Life is the Bubbles is giving away one magic bottle necklace of choice (up to $18 retail value) to one winner. Check the length of my nose if you think I'm lying! See? You really could win the Pinocchio jewelry above that's filled with glitter and wood shavings. Or let your conscience guide you to pick another pendant from dozens of other delightful designs inspired by Disney movies. <a href="http://blog.aquariann.com/2015/05/etsy-giveaway-jewelry-magic-bottle-necklace.html...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Stephanie La Plante for submitting the randomly-chosen 185th entry. Bajrang will email you after Memorial Day weekend with how to claim your prize. Spring is in full swing and so are home improvement projects! My Ogre and I have done more chores around the house this year than the last decade combined. The biggest renovation was freshening up my loft with new paint and laminate wood flooring. Now it's time to decorate the walls. Ogre hung a fairy shelf and decorative mirror for me, but we still need to decide on which wall art to hang. Can you believe I have piles of pretty posters and fine art prints that have never seen the light of day? And yet the idea of hanging a tapestry is tempting, especially when browsing all the colorful options at Tapestries Home . If your walls are also bare, shop owner Bajrang Middha has the perfect solution. He's giving away a single bedspread of choice (up to $14.99 retail value) to one...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Darlene Demell for submitting the randomly-chosen 88th entry. Milan will email you with instructions to claim your prize within 24 hours. As soon as real tulips began blooming in my town, the fairies whisked away the magic tulip in my yard to another soul in need of a flower pick-me-up. If you yearn for more spring flowers in your life year-round, Milan of SNiS Leather Goods makes the cutest tulip wallet! And he's giving one away to a lucky winner. The credit card case is made of 100% natural leather and is designed to hold four standard credit or ID cards. Milan's interest in making leather products began when he was just 14. He'd spend hours in his father's workshop, watching his dad create various leather items. Eventually, Milan tried his own hand at making something and fell in love with the process of using raw materials to design something beautiful. Later he fell even more in love with a creative woman...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Ashley Costanzo for submitting the randomly-chosen 778th entry. After seeing all my spring and summer flower photography , you may be surprised to find out that fall is my favorite season. Although I'll miss the fresh blooms, I look forward to snuggling into a hoodie and walking beneath the changing leaves of vibrant trees. If you're not as excited to see summer end, here's a comforting thought - you could win a $30 gift card to Alison Storry Jewelry and pick a piece of flower jewelry to ease the pain. It's tough to choose a favorite out of Alison's FOUR HUNDRED jewelry listings, but her calla lilly flower necklaces are at the tippy top of my choices. No wonder her bohemian jewelry collection is abound with beauty - take a peek inside her studio in the woods . Having a forest view, especially during autumn, must be quite a Muse! <a href="http://blog.aquariann.com/2014/09/gift-card-giveaway-jewe...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Stephanie La Plante for submitting the randomly-chosen 892nd entry. Although computers are handy, there's still certain tasks when a pen and paper beats technology's fancy features. For example, when taking notes, I'm more likely to remember the information later if I hand write instead of type the words. Here's a fact you're not likely to forget either way: Vishruti of Indian Journals is giving away a medium-sized journal from her handmade Etsy shop. The winner may choose one 6x4" art journal or Sari fabric journal . Vishruti offers the journals in four different sizes, but medium is the most popular. Not only is the everyday journal easy to carry in a backpack or purse, but its pages allow plenty of space to use as a food tracker, travel log or personal diary. I might have enjoyed grade school more if I could have written in the paisley art notebook above instead of a boring black and white composit...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Lynn Mathieu for submitting the randomly chosen 655th entry. I heart free stuff, don't you? I have some lovely news for those that agreed - Ildi of Lemone Rouge is giving away not one, but any TWO pairs of tiny stud earrings in her Etsy shop to one winner. All handmade earrings are baked in a kiln, glazed, fired again and lastly attached to hypoallergenic surgical steel stud posts. The lucky winner could choose cute heart earrings like the mint green ones above in a variety of colors. Or if heart-shaped jewelry isn't your style, Ildi crafts earrings in several other simple shapes to match any fashion trend. Her ceramic designs are modern, minimalistic and best of all ... shiny! <a href="http://blog.aquariann.com/2013/05/jewelry-giveaway-heart-earrings-stud.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee329/aquariann/blog/giveaways/125x125-lemonerouge.jpg"...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Nathalie Brault for submitting the randomly chosen 247th entry. Spring has turned the Earth gloriously green! If you want beautiful jewelry without spending all the green in your wallet, glide over to Beaded Embellishments this month - all handmade accessories in Denise's Etsy shop are marked 15% off for a limited time only. Plus, she's giving away one $25 gift card to a lucky blog reader. The dark olive green leaf earrings, gleaming with crystal clusters and Swarovski pearls, was the first to grow on my wishlist tree. She has several other leaf colors available, but that delicately gorgeous design isn't the only option. The winner can choose from a variety of pretty pieces handmade from quality materials such as sterling silver, pearls, crystals and natural stones. Denise's passion is to make her customers look beautiful and feel beautiful. I can't speak for everyone, but I know she achieves that every day...

Warmer weather is coming in waves and people are already flocking to the beach. Even if you're miles from the ocean, you can keep its essence close - Theresa Rose Designs offers beautiful beach jewelry, such as the blue Swarovski starfish pendant and white pearl necklace to the right. Theresa's simply elegant designs focus on earthy, natural elements. She attributes her beachy inspiration to being born and raised in San Diego, California. Jewelry-making started out as a hobby, but she turned to selling on Etsy to support her jewelry supply habit that was crashing out of control. She thought if she could sell one piece of jewelry per week, it'd justify buying more materials. She confides, "What I didn't expect was how much enjoyment and satisfaction I would get out of running the business side of things. I really love being the owner of my own business, making all the decisions and personally interacting with all my customers on a daily basis. So, my 'hobby...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Kirsty Fox for submitting the randomly chosen 104th entry. It is a shame I didn't shimmy over to the Golden Hands Design Etsy shop sooner - I would have loved to show off a pair of Cathy's barefoot sandals at the Art of the Belly dance festival 2013 this weekend. But if you're lucky, your feet could wear these unique handmade accessories for free in time for warm weather! Cathy is giving away a $25 gift card credit to one winner. Choose wisely and you could even pick out two pairs! Or add some money of your own and dance away with one of her amazing crochet shawls, slouch hats or bohemian tops for women. Cathy's mom taught her to knit and crochet when she was just a teen. As she grew older, she learned to quilt, cook and craft anything under the sun. Her hands always seemed to be into a new project, which prompted her eighty-year-old Italian grandmother to tell her, "Now ... you have the Golden Hands....

EDIT: Giveaway is officially closed. Congratulations to Anna Wang for submitting the randomly chosen 665th entry. Are you getting ready for swimsuit season? My parents won us a free membership to the local YMCA so I've been working out more often ... and wearing less dangle earrings so I don't get hit in the face. If you also want to sparkle at the gym or the beach or anywhere in the universe, sprint over to the Hope Starbound Etsy shop. Jewelry artist (and computer scientist) Brittany makes stud earrings using professional grade resin, covered in a super-secret high shine lacquer. And here's a treat that won't go to your thighs - she's giving away two pairs of earrings from her handmade shop, winner's choice! I just have an addiction to glitter and peridot green, so I couldn't resist picking the pair above to share. Her big stud earrings are available in a rainbow of colors and patterns. A massive amount of them are galaxy jewelry, featuring starburst...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially closed. Congratulations to Laurie Emerson for submitting the randomly chosen 418th entry. As much as I love the icy beauty of winter wonderlands, I am more than ready for warm weather to arrive! For one lucky reader, spring will bloom earlier than the 2013 vernal equinox. Chel of Viridian Muse Designs is giving away a custom fairy art doll and choice of two nature photo prints. I've been on a purple kick this month since amethyst is February's birthstone, so featuring the purple petunia photo above wasn't a tough decision. Chel has several other pretty floral prints, plus a handsome brown toad, to choose from to match your home decor. All fine art photos are printed on 5x7" glossy Kodak Professional Endura paper and come matted to 8x10" for easy framing. Her custom fairy art dolls have even more color options! The winner can choose a hair, shirt and skirt color for each, as shown in the fifth image of the purple fairy ornament l...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Stephanie La Plante for submitting the randomly chosen 575th entry. I shied away from heart jewelry until I fell in love - wearing the symbol before I truly experienced it just amplified my teenage angst. Now I'm making up for lost time. At first sight, I knew my readers would desire a lace heart necklace by Lindsay of White Bear Accessories as much as I do. She's such a sweetheart that she's agreed to give away the lace necklace above! The lace heart has been hand painted a metallic reddish pink in anticipation of Valentine's Day. A beautiful black glass bead embellishes the design with a subtle shine. The heart pendant measures 4 x 5 inches and is married to an antiqued silver chain. Using lace to create everyday jewelry is rare - but the combination came to Lindsay naturally. Vintage treasures and romantic eras inspire her sweet style. She puts a modern twist to the dainty material by hand painting her jewel...